Your Next Good Deed? Shopping at Whole Foods

 We love Whole Foods (especially the fat-free ginger cookies and the cheese samples. And the roasted chicken. And the chicken salad. And…we’ll stop there). We usually go to the store on Lemmon Avenue because of it’s proximity to D Mag HQ. However, on May 7, we will have to venture to the Preston and Forest locale for Community Giving Day. This time, five percent of the day’s sales will benefit Attitudes & Attire, a great organization that helps women gain confidence and become self-sufficient. From 6–7pm, bring in an accessory donation and get a $10 gift card to the Whole Foods Spa. Jump for all the details.

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Just In: Texas Crop Report

If you really want to stay on top of the eat local and regional movement, make the jump and read the Crop Conditions Report compiled by Robert Burns at Texas A&M University. Pay attention Dishers, this is important stuff. Continue reading "Just In: Texas Crop Report"

Bijoux Founders to Open Project in Westin Galleria Dallas

Word comes that Scott and Gina Gottlich, of the ultra-fancy and fabulous Bijoux restaurant, will be opening up a new restaurant in the Westin Galleria Dallas. No word on the concept, or really any info at all about the place, but it is scheduled to open sometime this year. Follow the jump for the press release.

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RE: Top Chef

Okay, not be Queen Redundant of Redundancy, but to our handicapping Disher I say: word. I’ll be so happy when Lisa, Nikki, Mark, and Antonia are gone. Especially Lisa and Nikki. I mean, seriously. Now that we’re on to week eight, it really is game-on time. (My picks: Stephanie, Dale, Richard, and Andrew—despite his uber tweakiness.)

Top Chef: The Game: Mid-Season Recap

Remember this, when we decided to make Top Chef:Chicago into a fun game? It’s halfway through the season, and the same Disher who invented the game sends the mid-season review:

Just watched Wednesday night’s ep on the DVR last night and though that we should do an almost-mid-season review of the handicapping. This shouldn’t be too tough, since the players are few in number. I have the picks as such:

Me:                        Richard, Dale, Stephanie, and Andrew (4 for 4 so far)

You:                       Richard, Antonia, Nikki, and Manuel (3 for 4)

Donna:                 Antonia, Jennifer, Richard, & Stephanie (4 for 4)

Logan:                   Richard, Stephanie, Mark, Ryan (3 for 4)

Todd J.:                Richard, Stephanie, Dale, and Spike (4 for 4)

RB:                         Dale, Richard, Jennifer, Antonia (3 for 4)

I find a couple things interesting. First, everybody has Richard Blais in their group, and thus far he’s got to be in the clubhouse with the lead, but it’s only Friday (literally and figuratively) and there are 36 holes yet to play.

Second, nobody had more than one of the early round losers.

Third, I’ve been very impressed with this group compared with Season 3. After about the second or third episode, each of the chefs seems to feel that they have to bring it every week; last season, there were a lot of folks who seemed to just want to coast in the middle and then try to turn it on in the playoffs.

Last, I think that there are a bunch who are just hanging on by a thread: Mark, Antonia, Nikki, and Bad Attitude Lisa. If there were a group challenge coming up with all 4 of them on the same group, I could see the judges cutting the entire group just to be rid of them. Except that the show probably has a 16-episode contract and that would totally screw up the production schedule.

What’s Up With Snooty Foodie?

A few weeks ago, a friend alerted me to the website Snooty Foodie, and I’ve totally forgotten to blog about it. It’s a Dallas-based site with recommendations instead of reviews, meaning all the restaurants they list are restaurants they like. Abacus, Aurora, Fearing’s, Jasper’s, Local, they’re all on there. Click on the name, and an extensive explanation of the restaurant itself, a chef profile, hours, locations, a photo gallery (!), and a fork rating system pop up. You can also make a reservation through opentable.com here, and they have a “Snooty News” section where different food events are listed.

Dishers, what do you think of this? And who is behind this site? I’m impressed with the amount of information available. Thoughts please.