American Airlines Brings in the Big Knives to Save Airline Food

Today the Milestone Culinary Arts Center was the place to be. That’s where American Airlines hosted the ultimate chef showdown. You may have seen the boot-scootin’-execuchef Dean Fearing at Fearing’s and the mild-mannered uber chef Stephan Pyles at Stephan Pyles (I love them both but couldn’t they come up with more original names for their restaurants?) but when was the last time you witnessed them go head-to-head in an Iron Chef-type competition? For me, it was a first. Jump to find out whose cuisine reigned supreme…..

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Plano Woman Named Best Campicurean in America

What is a campicurean you ask? According to a note that just plopped into my inbox a campicurean is someone who can really cook on a campfire. Unbenownest to me, their was a national competition hosted by Redwood Creek Wines on here for America’s Favorite Campfire Chef and Lisa Williams on not- so-plain ‘ol, Plano,Texas was the winner. After the votes were counted, it was Lisa’s swordish a roux “turtle packs” proved to be the country’s favorite, capturing an 47% of the vote. Lisa picked up a check for $1,000 which she plans to donate to the Plano PTA. Here’s some official-speak:

The Turtle Packs, paired with Redwood Creek’s Pinot Grigio, are Lisa’s creative way of satisfying her family’s “picky eaters” without overcomplicating their campsite. She encourages each camper to customize his or her “turtle pack”—a foil packet filled with a swordfish fillet, veggies and tangy condiments—which is nestled directly into a bed of glowing embers.

Ohmigod, Lisa Garza is going to be SO all over this turtle pack idea. Lisa Williams, watch your backpack. Congrats. Jump for recipe. (more…)

Franco Bertolasi, R.I.P.

I just learned that sweet and charming restaurateur, Franco Bertolasi, 69, founder of The Riviera passed away yesterday from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He will be sorely missed. Franco was the finest host ever to grace a restaurant in Dallas and thousands of woman will mourn the loss of Franco’s lovely hand-kiss. (Thanks for the note, CC.)

Out with the Dog, In with Brazil

Our brethren over at Oak Cliff People report that Cafe Brazil and its wonderful chorizo-stuffed empanadas and heady brews are all taking over the vacated Cafe Italia space in Oak Cliff’s Bishop Arts. On a sad note, Nodding Dog Coffee Company is nodding off for good as the owners head east to open a new restaurant in Sulphur Springs. The Cliff giveth and the Cliff taketh away.

New SideDish Feature: Restaurant 101

Fightin’ Foodies of the SideDish Nation, please welcome Ms. Amy Severson as a special contributor to SideDish. Amy is married to Jim who goes by “Sevy” and together they operate Sevy’s Grill in Preston Center. Amy has been a regular commenter on SideDish and FrontBurner and I invited her to “teach” from the trenches of the restaurant biz to those of us who love learning new things.

Today’s topic, “State Franchise Tax”, informs the innocent diner of some of the pressures that face restaurant operators. Pay attention, I may post a pop quiz. Without further ado, Miss Amy:

“The year ahead is looking tough for restaurants in the Dallas area. Higher food and transportation prices and higher wages are hitting our industry as consumers are scaling back. While the market is not “dead”, the revised state franchise tax could be the nail in the coffin for many small business owners. The franchise tax was revised in 2006, to be put into effect in 2007, and paid in June 2008, offsetting a 1/3 reduction in the school district portion of property taxes. (more…)

My Vegetarian Ploughman’s Lunch

I just ran into Whole Paycheck Foods to fill up on D Magazine edit staff gas (daytime version)–fat-free ginger cookies and electrolyte-enhanced water–and I got snagged by a couple of cheese sample stations. I decided to make a post-wine-bar-pre-gastro-pub- PETA-inspired ploughman’s lunch of my purchases on a platter sent to me by PP. I admit it isn’t very colorful, but boy it was good: Seaside rugged mature English cheddar, Campo de Montalban from Spain, spicy jalapeño pimento cheese, delicious store-made dill pickles, flatbread from heaven, and, in the forefront, the aforementioned ginger cookies. I barely got this picture taken because the blog hogs from FrontBurner descended on my photo shoot like drug-crazed grackles to a suet feeder full of crack. Boys! Yuck.

Sammich Report: Main Street Bistro & Bakery

I was visiting the Williams Sonoma Home outpost in Plano’s Legacy development last weekend (Question: “When are you guys going to open one of these things in Dallas so I don’t have to drive all the way up the Tollway?” Salesperson answer: “Sooner than you think.”) and needed a quick bite. I forewent my typical Cafe Express veggie burger for something a little more homegrown: Main Street Bistro & Bakery. I’d heard that since expanding from its original Grapevine location the food and baked goods weren’t as good as they used to be (though according to the menu we [meaning D] voted their chocolate icing the best. Nancy? Do you remember that?). Gotta say that I was quite happy with my French Brie panini: a bit of spinach, crisp Bosc pears, just fatty enough prosciutto, and — of course — plenty of buttery, gooey Brie. Paired with the Main Street bistro salad (which was basically a Greek salad tossed in a frisky lemon vinaigrette) it seemed like a great summer meal: rich, a little tart, and satisfying yet still light enough to keep you from sweating your lips off. So what’s up with the grumblings I hear about Main Street Bakery? Comments are on.

Somebody Help This Poor Guy

He is about to be really poor–last year he promised his teenage daughter he would take her
to London this summer. What a whack job! He is going lose hundreds of pounds and still be fat. But he’s a good father so I think we should help him find some inexpensive or better yet, free things to do while they’re swinging around London counting bobbies on bicycles two-by-two. I mean how many hours can you spend in the hallowed Food Halls in Harrods without plucking down a fiver for a sack of cheese scones? Cheap eats in London, anyone?

Quick Review: Catalina Room

Somebody mentioned the Catalina Room the other day in a post about Wayne Broadwell so I decided to go back in for a quick dinner. The good news is their air conditiong works great, you can carry on a conversation if you sit in a booth, and you can watch the Rangers’ game (without sound) on your own private TV. The servers are cheery and happy and the menu is as I remember: a Houston’s wannabe with all of your favorites like shrimp cocktail (obviously pictured) roasted chicken, nice sandwiches, burgers, salad, and a more-than-decent version of chicken fried steak. Oh, and catfish. The food was OK: roasted chicken and steak were both undercooked but the flavors were ruined by the dipping oil they serve when you first sit down. It’s not just a pool of olive oil with a bubble of vinegar floating on top, it’s spiked with anchovies, carrots, and califlower (see picture below)–all a little much for a pre-game and meal starter. The concoction would work fine in an Italian joint where it was followed by a bite of pasta studded with seafood and a mouthful of Sardinian wine. But I found it too heady for the rest of the menu, particularily what would have been a nice shrimp cocktail.

Salad Pizza, a Fairy Tale Come True

Once upon a time (1970), in a land far away (Mamaroneck, NY), lived a handsome, albiet very short, young prince. The handsome, albiet very short, young prince fell in love (it was more like “like”) with a radical hippie princess (yep!) and he wisked her away to the land far away where he (tried to) seduced her with a salad pizza pie from Sal’s Pizzeria on Mamaroneck Avenue.Thirty eight years later the hippie-princess-turned-hag-food writer can still taste that pie–the thin crust covered with hot bubbling mozzarella and homemade marina covered with a fistful of cold salad tossed in a zingy Italian dressing. The temperature contrast was sublime.It was pizza love at first bite. The end.

No, not so fast. Quick reality check: I left the prince (sorry short guys, you make me feel fat) probably days later, but I returned to Sal’s for many years to come. Today it’s still doing gangbusters business in downtown Mamaroneck (Hi Bauers!) along with another one of my favorite haunts, Walter’s, a hot dog stand that opened in 1919 and served split and grilled dogs and the best sweet potato tots EVER. (Walter’s may be closed.) But I digress. Back to salad pizza–I ate the one pictured last night. Sure it’s a little fancier–the salad is arugula tossed with blue cheese and pine nuts–but the concept is still a winner. This one I found at Fireside Pies. If you know of others, please share.