abouTdining

Eccel Steakhouse Opens in College Station
By NIKA HANCOCK

Does Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese or Sweet Corn

and Crab Chowder sound good to you? At Eccell Steakhouse, that is only the beginning. Steaks are cooked in the state-of-the-art kitchen using infrared broiler technology. CEO and owner Costa Dallis describes the results by saying, “At 1600 to 1700 degrees, you get a really rich crust on top.” Creating the menu at this new upscale steakhouse has been a labor of love for Dallis. It is a collection of his personal tastes, his Greek heritage, and his travel experiences. The menu incorporates his affinity for flavor, texture, and the dining experience as a whole. “It’s the reason I’m not thin!” says Dallis.

The building itself is a departure from the other two Eccell Group establishments. Café Eccell and La Bodega are destination restaurants located off the beaten path using older, existing buildings, while the steakhouse is brand new and right in the middle of an intense development of chain restaurants and hotels. Costa says the exposure and higher traffic count are just what he’s looking for. Since the community is growing, he would like to grow with it and tap into the larger pool of educated diners by hitting a niche that is not necessarily being maximized in this area. The dining room and bar are decidedly modern with contemporary, rather than traditional, steakhouse décor. Dallis would like for diners to feel as though they are in a city with over a million in population.

Costa began working as a pizza cook at Café Eccell at the age of 18 just to get a job while he was in school. He found that he really enjoyed the work and moved his way up to Sous Chef, Executive Chef, General Manager, and then the Director of Operations for the two restaurants. Dallis decided to resign after 9 years of service, but instead ended up buying the restaurant in 1999. He opened La Bodega in 2000, and thought of opening a steakhouse for about 10 years. The Eccell Group has actively been working on opening this latest restaurant for about eighteen months -- hiring architects, kitchen design consultants, and staff. After much anticipation and hard work, the opening took place on February 12th, and the reaction has been positive.

Dallis says he has a good feeling about how things are going and feels that it’s about time that local diners get the upscale food experience they deserve without having to go out of town to get it. He feels a restaurant should also show visitors what the city has to offer and keep them coming to the area more often. “I really feel that it’s important that you have community restaurants that are locally owned . . . and have a real soul.”