Bienvenue to All! Our mission is to deliver a dining experience that captures the joy unique to the culturally-rich foods of Louisiana and its approach to hospitality and community. Our restaurant is focused on advancing Cajun cuisine along with sustainable food practices. Our chefs strive to work with locally-sourced produce and minimize waste, which is emblematic of Louisiana food history.

MICHELLE CARPENTER

EXECUTIVE CHEF & OWNER
Beatrice is owned and operated by Michelle Carpenter, the Chef/Owner of Zen Sushi in the Bishop Arts.  Born to a Cajun father and a Japanese mother, Michelle pays homage to her Cajun family traditions in her second concept rooted in Louisiana’s deep gumbo of cultures, cuisines, histories, and peoples.  Named after her “Mammaw” or grandmother, Beatrice (pronounced bee-AT-russ), the menu at Restaurant Beatrice includes a sampling of contemporary classics in a setting that embraces Louisiana hospitality and the Oak Cliff spirit of inclusiveness.  “Everyone knows that special feeling we get seeing the big blue highway sign as we cross the Texas border into swamp country:  “Bienvenue en Louisiane.” Michelle states: “That welcoming embrace is unique to where I spent a large part of my childhood, and that’s the experience I want my customers to have.  I dedicated my career to Tokyo-style sushi, and I’ve seen how sophisticated diners feel intimidated by Japanese cuisine.  Refined or delicious foods shouldn’t include gatekeeping.”   Her Mammaw was a consummate homesteader who gardened, preserved foods, raised animals, and lived a life centered around self-sufficiency and economy.  Michelle grew up with slow-cooked gumbo on the stove and looked forward to fish frys and crawfish boils on the weekends with family and friends.  Her Japanese mother’s meticulous treatment of ingredients for home cooked Japanese meals would later set her up for a career in sushi. After over 35 years of making and serving sushi–15+ of those years establishing roots in Oak Cliff at Zen Sushi as the only female-led and owned sushi restaurant in the region–Michelle fulfilled her lifelong dream of opening a second restaurant to honor the other part of her story. Her customers are able to travel on a culinary journey with her, from the streets of Japan to the wetlands of America, in the most diverse neighborhood in Dallas.   Michelle may be partial, but she is convinced the best cuisines in the world are Japanese and Cajun. Michelle lives with her family in Oak Cliff.

TERANCE JENKINS

EXECUTIVE CHEF
The New Orleans native has had a storied career throughout Texas. Terance started his culinary career making gumbo at the legendary Commander’s Palace in New Orleans and has established himself as a sought-after consultant for numerous concepts all over America. Before calling Oak Cliff his home, he was the Chef/Owner of Bon Temps Events in Houston, specializing in Cajun-inspired meals for large events and private parties. Terance has led the kitchens of AmberJax, Screen Door, the Cedars Social, and has acquired skills from his time at Rex’s Seafood and Wolfgang Puck Catering. Our sustainability concerns are strengthened by his time opening Whole Foods stores around the region, where he led composting and locavore practices. Terance knew he wanted to be a chef at a young age, and he exhibits a deep well of passion for food that reflects his own biography and culture. He is always curious about methods to advance the classics he grew up with. For his contributions to the North Texas culinary landscape, Terance was inducted into the El Centro Food and Hospitality Institute’s Hall of Fame.

CRAIG POUNCY

CHEF DE CUISINE
Raised in Oak Cliff, Craig Pouncy has over 13 years of culinary experience.  A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, he has cooked in kitchens in North Texas including Stephen Pyles, Saint Ann, the Brooklyn Jazz Club, and Bent Tree Country Club.  Chef Craig especially enjoys butchery and knife work.  His passion for food is translated into dishes that are reflective of his own background, training, and regions.  He enjoys executing Soul Food made with his French culinary education, and he often incorporates a few Latin inspired notes from his Texan upbringing.  Our Chef de Cuisine credits his Louisianian grandfather for instilling him with a love, passion, and knowledge for Cajun food.  Cajun food history absorbs and celebrates the cultures of Southern, French, Spanish, Afro-Caribbean, Indigenous, Acadian, German, Portuguese, Italian, and later Vietnamese people. There is no food like Cajun food for this reason.  Chef Craig is certified from North Carolina State University in canning methods. The Beatrice team have collaborated to produce a line of jams, preserves, and rubs that are authentic to their own family traditions and dining memories.

BRYAM MENDOZA

CHEF DE PARTIE, PASTRIES

Bryam has lived in Oak Cliff his entire life.  A graduate of the El Centro Culinary Program, Bryam’s qualifications and knowledge base includes pastries, seafood, and whole animal butchery.  Bryam knows how to bake and pipe elaborate cakes, spin ice-cream, prepare dishes using classic French technique, and butcher game.  At Zen Sushi, Bryam trained line cooks, managed kitchen staff, created custom desserts for special events while refining his Japanese culinary techniques and seafood preparation skills.  At Beatrice, Bryam will be charged with executing desserts and of all our homemade breads and rolls.  A voracious learner, Bryam is excited to participate in expanding the culinary perspectives and possibilities in his neighborhood.  The culinary arts is a space that should afford new faces the opportunities to showcase their knowledge and capabilities. Bryam and his family live in Oak Cliff.

BRANDON ARMSTRONG

CHEF DE PARTIE, SEAFOOD STATION
An Oak Cliff native, Brandon started his culinary career as a cook in a variety of kitchens around Dallas, from upscale hotels to New American and Asian restaurants to the American Airlines Platinum Club—where Brandon was a private chef to CEOs of major corporations.  His strengths include grilled and smoked meats, but he also has worked as a saucier and craft pizza maker.  A graduate of the Arts Institute of Dallas, Brandon is formally trained in classic French techniques and styles, but he has also devoted a significant part of his career working in the front-of-house and taking care of customers for private cheffing events. Brandon’s upbeat personality is contagious.  His genuine positivity is the hallmark of his character.  Michelle knew that Brandon would be her first hire for her Cajun concept.  Food tastes better with friends, and Brandon makes everyone his friend.  At Beatrice, Brandon helps manage outdoor festivities by preparing and serving seafood boils for patio customers ready to feast and have a good time. Brandon lives in Oak Cliff.

Michelle hand-selected the team to create an ambiance of true hospitality, community, sharing, and love of food.  
On behalf of the entire Beatrice team, Bienvenue to everyone!

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