It takes more than serving fresh croissants and ratatouille to call a place Parisian-inspired. It must be a place of communal gathering, where rich, satiating comfort food invites all who sit and dine to be nourished by cuisine and the love of surrounding friends and family. And there’s no community-gathering event like the summer Olympics.

That’s why tonight, Friday, July 26, the Little Daisy welcomes all to an Olympics Opening Ceremony Watch Party with French-inspired drinks, apps, and a jumbotron on the outside lawn showing all the live festivities in France.

Recently, Jeramie Robison, Director of Culinary and Executive Chef for Thompson Dallas and its two restaurants, Little Daisy and Catbird, discussed with TLM the restaurant’s Franco-American menu, his culinary journey, and how Dallas’s hottest Parisian-inspired brassiere achieves a community-gathering ambiance.

As a Louisiana native, how does it feel working for a French bistro in Dallas? What personal elements of Franco-American comfort food have you imbued into the menu at Little Daisy?

Working for a French bistro feels like mailing a letter home as a Louisianan. A lot of traditional French dishes and comfort food have become part of American cuisine by way of Louisiana.  We have dishes on our menu like French onion soup, Nicoise salad, ratatouille, gumbo, and we run a cassoulet on the duck plat du jour weekly.  Overall, I’m really enjoying creativity within a cuisine that is so second nature. 

The Little Daisy reflects on the communal draw of French cuisine, reflecting on the era where expatriates, artists, and writers like Hemmingway met and indulged in food and drink in many Parisian cafes. What is it about Parisian food that brings communities together?

It helps that Parisian culture embodies food and beverage as one of its first taught lessons. A long breakfast or lunch with friends or family members is very common. It’s not just about nourishment. Traditionally rich dishes certainly satiate which in turn allows for the possibility of a longer, meandering meal, almost as a necessity for digestion. When you combine that with great ambiance (like ours, designed by Caroline Todd, for example) and the pioneering French spirit, it’s only natural that a focus on art, creation and community will follow.   

You serve as both the Executive Chef and Director of Culinary for Thompson Dallas and its two restaurants: Little Daisy and Catbird. How have your past roles prepared you for this endeavor and what’s your vision for both restaurants?

My past experience provided many steppingstones to prepare me for my role here at Thompson Dallas.  I can’t help but recall my first restaurant gig out of culinary school which was at The Mansion on Turtle Creek. I worked every station and learned so much, especially in sauce work.  I owe so much to that traditional foundation. I’ve spent the better part of my chef career opening and reinvigorating restaurants and hotels which allows me to lead my teams at The Thompson with clarity and confidence.  

My vision for Catbird is as a pre or post meal destination, with Little Daisy being the primary culinary attraction. I envision our guests having a cocktail and a few bites, then joining us at Little Daisy for a full dining experience, or vice versa.

The Little Daisy is hosting an Olympics Opening Ceremony Celebration watch party. Can you tell us about the Parisian-inspired fare that guests and visitors can expect?  

I really can’t imagine a better place to watch the Opening Ceremony. There will be 2-3 special plates for the event, and many passed bites and other delicious moments you’ll just have to taste to believe. 

A Little About Chef Jeramie

As a native of Ruston, Louisiana, Chef Jeramie brings a culinary background deep-seated in Franco-American comfort food to the Little Daisy. Beginning his culinary career at the age of 15 in his hometown restaurant Anthony’s Seafood & Pasta, Chef Jeramie made his way from a humble dishwasher to line cook. Soon after, his formative training began in the celebrated kitchen of The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. Here, he trained under MICHELIN Star-awarded John Tesar and Jason Maddy.

Before Little Daisy, Chef Jeramie led culinary teams at a number of iconic Dallas area restaurants. His previous roles include the Opening Chef and Executive Chef at City Hall Bistro inside the Adolphus Hotel and Executive Chef for Shinsei. This extensive culinary experience, along with Chef Jeramie’s strong Dallas roots and food-focused family foundation, makes his presence at Little Daisy feel like a French love letter to all guests.

About The Little Daisy

Located on 205 N Akard Street, the Little Daisy rests in the heart of downtown Dallas in one of the most premier hotel destinations, the Thompson Dallas Hotel. Inspired by many great artists’ and writers’—like Earnest Hemingway—time in Paris, Little Daisy strives to recreate an ambiance reflecting the culinary, cocktails and sounds of the time. The entire team at the Little Daisy exudes their mantra, “In Texas as it is in Paris” as they serve up a perfect fusion of Franco-American comfort food.

Little Daisy continues their summer festivities with events like the Iceberg Hour, where every day (weekends included) from 5 to 6 p.m., you can order half a dozen of Northern East Coast oysters for $21 and get 2 ice-cold martinis for 50 cents each. 

Tickets to the Olympics Opening Ceremony Watch Party are $35 and are open to the public. Link to tickets can be found here.

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Cover photo courtesy Brendan Blaney.

Martin Ramirez is a brisket-eating, Shiner-loving, road-tripping enthusiast of all things Texas. This Dallas-born writer / adventurer is ready to take his ‘78 El Camino to find the best in food, fun, and fitness throughout the Lone Star State.