Photography by Kathy Tran
Matt Pikar doubled down on the Bishop Arts District when he remodeled the inside of his restaurant, Nora, post-pandemic.
The chef/owner recently outfitted the upscale Afghan restaurant, at the corner of Bishop and Ninth, with beautiful and comfortable blue velvet chairs, dramatic wallpaper and, of course, Persian rugs and textiles.
He also replaced one wall with folding glass doors leading to an expanded patio, which has an indoor/outdoor bar.
On the other side of the bar, there are white tablecloths and more of a fine-dining experience. The patio and an indoor lounge area are more casual. But the menu is the same.
The most traditional of Afghan dishes is qabil palao, Pikar says. It’s a pile of saffron rice with seasoned lamb or chicken, topped with carrots, raisins, almonds and pistachios.
“If someone invites you to their home, they have to make this if they like you,” he says. “If they don’t make this, that means they don’t like you.”
There are also steamed beef or leek dumplings topped with yogurt and tomato sauce. They can be ordered as an entrée for around $20, or as a smaller-portion appetizer that costs around $10. A $34 lamb shank is braised in tomato, garlic, onion and spices and served with saffron rice.
From the grill, order beef kofta, chicken, ribeye, lamb tekka, shrimp or lambchops. A combo kebab costs $40 for a choice of three that can serve two or three people. They all come with grilled veggies.
But Pikar’s most famous dish is the chicken meatballs. None other than Guy Fieri of Food Network visited Nora on Greenville Avenue and raved about them. They’re mixed with coriander, cumin, turmeric and paprika and cooked in a sauce made with sun-dried tomatoes, dried plums, cilantro and cooked yellow lentils.
Pikar hired a sommelier to revamp the wine list, which includes labels from Greece and Macedonia, since alcohol is taboo in Afghanistan. There’s also a cocktail menu that includes a margarita and a mule.
This is the second location of Pikar’s second restaurant in Dallas. The first was the highly regarded Afghan Grill in North Dallas. After that closed, Pikar opened Nora on Lower Greenville in 2012. He moved it to a brand-new space in the Bishop Arts District about a year and a half ago.
Because of its price point, Nora has always appealed to an “established clientele,” Pikar says. With the renovation, he hopes to appeal to a younger, hipper crowd, while retaining his loyal customers. He has plans to stay open later and have live music occasionally. A brunch menu is also in the works.
Already, the new, new Nora has hosted birthdays and engagements, as well as many first dates.
Pikar is a single dad who lives in North Dallas and rushes from Oak Cliff to pick up his daughters, Stella and Nora, from Greenhill School.
“I spent all of my money in here,” he says of the restaurant. “I had to make it different and get more people coming.”
Nora Restaurant and Bar, 205 N. Bishop Ave., 214.828.0095, noradallas.com
