Calling All Chefs: Go Texan for Dine-Out Day

Come on, chefs. We don’t need Sonoma’s fancy Cowgirl Cheese when we have the mother of all artisan cheeses (Paula Lambert’s Mozzarella Company) in our own backyard. This Oct. 1 is the inaugural Go Texan Dine-Out Day and the Texas Department of Agriculture is asking chefs all over the state to create special Texas menu items served with Texas wines as part of its Go Texan Restaurant Round-Up. October is also Texas Wine Month. The whole month. It will be your duty as a Texan to drink wine. When will you ever hear that again? Click here to sign up for the Go Texan Restaurant Round-Up. Why should local restaurateurs consider this? Follow the jump to see the perks listed in the TDA’s press release.

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Jump for Toy

Had lunch today at one of my favorite little spots: Toy’s Cafe. If you don’t know it, you might not stop there by your own volition–but you should.

It’s a tiny Thai place on Lemmon, in a rundown nondescript strip just east of Whole Foods, sandwiched between a hair salon and an Indian buffet. I like to go there for the tom ka, and I am never disappointed. This version is loaded with mushrooms, baby corns, squash, and zucchini. I also added tofu, which I am obsessed with these days. Toss in a bowl of steamed brown rice and it’s a hearty cravable meal. My dining companion proclaimed it the best tom ka she’d ever had.

Our starter was corn fritters, crispy-fried cakes of sweet corn and scallions with a vinegar dipping sauce. We ate all four. My dining companion went for the pad thai lunch special, which I found extra peanuty-good. Portions were large, prices oh so reasonable, the service was slow but apologetic.

Can Somebody Help This Poor Girl?

Dishers, this nice lady is looking for a place to hold a rehearsal dinner. Her “detailed” request calls for some creativity. Restaurateurs, do you want her? Let me know and I’ll send her your way. Ready, set, cook.

Hi Nancy. I hope you can help me find a place to hold a rehearsal dinner that we will be hosting for our daughter and her fiancee in December. It is going to be an elegant small party of around 80 people. We don’t want Mexican food or anything Texan. There will be lots of older people there plus they have both been married before. But I have some beautiful vases that I want to use for centerpieces and I want the party to be elegant but not expensive. Could you send me 10 places that you like?

Sure, no problem. I’ll just get Laura Bush on the bat phone this afternoon and ask her what she would do. See what I put up with some days? Luckily I now have all of you to help me answer my mail. They’ve both been married before? Here’s my hint, Heloise: skip the dinner and give the happy couple the money and the vases. Next.

UPDATE: $50 per person. Go.

Tipping is a Hot Topic Across the Pond

This week we have been discussing minimum wage and tipping policies in the restaurant industry. Today, a bird-lovin’ Disher sends a link to a story in today’s The Independent detailing the scandal raging through the restaurant business in England. Yikes, here’s a clip:

“Meanwhile, a former minister disclosed the Government did a secret deal with restaurateurs so they could pay their staff less than the national minimum wage and make up the difference through customer service charges.”

That could never happen here. Could it?

Fuse is Fine

Yesterday we reported that chef Blaine Stanford and manager Michael Bratcher were no longer involved with Fuse. Russell Hayward, the man hired to help keep things going strong, wrote a comment at the bottom of the post. I felt his words needed to be put up front. Here is his update on the state of Fuse.

First of all I want to assure your bloggers that Fuse is healthy and doing fine in what is becoming a tighter and tighter economy for restaurants. Michael and Blaine created a great environment and menu at Fuse when it was one of the pioneers of downtown restaurants,and it still performs well today. Executive chef Robbie Lewis and general manager Steve Smith have been at the helm of Fuse for almost a year now, so don’t expect too much to change in the short term.

For those that are concerned about Blaine appearing again, have no fear, he is an extremely talented chef and I believe a new restaurant for us all to enjoy is not too far in the future.

In relation to the changes of the last weeks, I think Blaine’s e-mail sums it up quite succintly. Changes can happen very quickly in this business at this time of year, and the closure of Scene and the ensuing departure of Michael and Blaine was not foreseen by any of the parties involved, including me, as little as a week before their occurrence.

That being said we look forward to seeing you all at Fuse in the near future.

Cocktails by the pool, anyone?

Texas’ Best Sommelier Competition

It’s that time of year again. Time for Texas’ wine smarties to cleanse their palates and sharpen their foil cutters because Texas’ Best Sommelier Competition is set for Aug 17-18 at the Four Seasons in Austin. You might remember this article about its founders James Tidwell and Drew Hendricks and the poor souls that put themselves through the rigors of wine education training. Hey. It’s hard work, people. Well, expect to get the inside scoop this year because I will be heading down to Austin to do a bit of live blogging. Not only is there a fancy competition, but two days of seminars given by Master Sommeliers and Masters of Wine. I can’t wait. The competition is by application only, but the seminars are open to the public. I hear Fred Dame, MS and president of the guild of Sommeliers Education Foundation, is going to be there. He’s reason enough to attend. The guy’s a genius. Here’s a link to the schedule and registration.

Rick Stein’s Steakhouse Closes

Thanks again to Teresa Gubbins for the news: Rick Stein’s closed Tuesday. People, hug a farmer and feed a chef. Please.

Parigi: “Whatever It Takes”

The good folks at Parigi closed for a couple of weeks for an annual break that turned into a couple of weeks of honey dos. Owner Janice Provost asked her employees for suggestions and she got them–48 to be precise. Besides fresh paint on, new art installation of Shane Pennington’s art, Janice installed a natural water purification system that eliminates glass trash. To celebrate they’ve come up with a refreshing summer cocktail, the SOLA (South of Lemmon Avenue). It’s a blend of vodka, mint, limeade, and ice. Guess those of us over here in EALA will have to stop by. What part of town do you live in?

Mini Review: Nonna

Maybe it’s because I have eaten so much mediocre food lately or perhaps it is just the simple fact that chef Julian Barsotti’s cooking is homemade sausage and lobster tails above the rest in town. Last night three of us grazed our way around the short menu: started with a thin, oh-so-thin pizza topped with dollops of melted fontina Val d’Aosta, shiitake and hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, and sprinkles of fresh thyme. A wild arugula and wilder frisee salad was tossed with local figs, thin slices of crispy pancetta, and Texas goat cheese. The Meyer Ranch rib-eye is a steak you must try–it’s doused with old balsamic and cooked in the wood-burning pizza oven and served with arugula and cranberry beans. Best steak I’ve had all year. But the pasta, as soft and translucent as Nicole Kidman’s skin, is what Dallas has been looking for: a plate filled with two rows of anolini stuffed with fresh Maine lobster and swimming in a rich butter sauce–each bite is filled with rich, sweet, and salty flavors. Divinity on a plate. Reservations, for sure. 4115 Lomo Alto Drive. 214-521-1800. (My bad on the photo.)