Soon after checking into our suite, we were invited to meet the executive chef at The Vandy \u2014 the hotel\u2019s signature restaurant<\/a> named after former Arlington Mayor Tom Vandergriff.<\/p>\n The Vandy centers around a striking walnut bar, complemented by warm wood tones, olive-green seating, and other graceful elements throughout. We opened with a bottle of Renato Ratti Ochetti Langhe Nebbiolo alongside deviled eggs topped with crispy prosciutto, glazed pork belly that echoed the sweet-savory flavors of Peking duck, and half-shell oysters served with a lovely gin-kissed mignonette.<\/p>\n The mains included Ora King salmon with crispy skin and a buttery texture, alongside a 16-ounce ribeye seasoned with a mild coffee rub and finished with Garrison Brothers bourbon-infused butter. Flavorful, juicy, and with just the right amount of marbling, the steak was the highlight of the evening and, as we learned, one of the chef\u2019s favorite offerings.<\/p>\n Food Network alum Chef Yimara \u201cYia\u201d Medina, who more recently worked at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, met us at Elora Sky Lounge, the hotel\u2019s rooftop bar, to talk about her vision for the hotel\u2019s flagship restaurant.<\/p>\n \u201cI take a lot of pride in cooking a good steak,\u201d she says, adding that the seafood dishes pay homage to her Puerto Rican roots. \u201cI am from a little coastal island, and we would get lobsters, fish, and oysters right there. We designed the menu to reflect that mid-century style with dishes from that era, like the Beef Wellington that we offer on Fridays and Saturdays. They sell out quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n Her passion for food, she says, comes from storytelling.<\/p>\n \u201cI love the power that food has for bringing people together,\u201d she continues. \u201cI had the opportunity to travel to disaster areas like Turkey and the border of Syria. I see the power that food has after a devastating earthquake in a place like that. Food changes your mood. Throughout history, many of the world\u2019s biggest decisions were made at the dinner table. I draw my inspiration from history and storytelling.\u201d<\/p>\n For Medina, joining Caravan Court offered the opportunity to shape the restaurant from opening day and introduce visitors to a different side of Arlington. As the city continues to grow beyond its reputation as an entertainment destination, Medina sees The Vandy as an opportunity to elevate Arlington\u2019s culinary stature while giving locals another reason to dine close to home.<\/p>\n From our first handcrafted gin martini at the hotel\u2019s Idle Hour Social Club, which left a lovely mint finish, to our nightcap at Elora Sky Lounge, every moment, bite, and experience was pleasurable and playful. Like other Valencia Hotel Collection retreats<\/a>, Caravan Court is packed with locally inspired Easter eggs that highlight the surrounding community.<\/p>\n Thoughtfully curated photographs of 1960s-era Arlington (a period of rapid economic growth fueled by General Motors\u2019 Arlington Assembly plant) revive that past. From the rooftop bar, all of the city\u2019s current incarnations are within sight: Jerry World<\/a>, downtown Arlington, and a lovingly repurposed 1961 sign. Our evening signed off with The 1961 \u2014 an Old Fashioned-esque, barrel-aged blend of Still Austin bourbon, rye whiskey, and house-made bitters.<\/p>\n Something about that drink made the past feel present.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Some hotels exist simply to give you a place to sleep, while others tempt you to linger. After…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":376047,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[150,152,151],"class_list":["post-376046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arlington","tag-arlington","tag-arlington-headlines","tag-arlington-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/376046","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=376046"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/376046\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/376047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=376046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=376046"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=376046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Caravan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Caravan-Court-232.jpg\")
The Vandy serves dishes including lobster thermidor, pan-seared salmon, and a seasonal crudit\u00e9 platter inside Caravan Court Hotel. (Courtesy)
\nA First Taste of The Vandy With Chef Yimara \u201cYia\u201d Medina<\/p>\n![\"Caravan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Caravan-Court-242.jpg\")
Fresh oysters and crispy fried chicken are among the menu offerings at The Vandy, Caravan Court Hotel\u2019s signature restaurant. (Courtesy)<\/p>\n![\"Caravan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Caravan-Court-379.jpg\")
Oversized tassel room keys and warm walnut finishes set the tone at Caravan Court Hotel\u2019s reception desk. (Courtesy)
\nA Sense of Place, Shaped by History<\/p>\n