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Vern’s in Deep Ellum: A Review/Essay

This summer we have several interns in the office polishing up their journalism skills. One, Jonathon, drew me as a “boss.” He spent his first few weeks here fact checking the master list of our restaurant reviews. It’s a horrible job.

Today, he comes across Vern’s, the home cooking spot in Deep Ellum. The phone is disconnected. Jonathon scours the Internet to find that other people have commented that the phone never works at Vern’s. I told him to do what any budding journalist would do—get in the car and drive down there. (We do this for all of our restaurant listings.)

He wasn’t too happy with me but he went. Upon return, I asked him to write up his adventure thinking it would keep him away from me while I dealt with important issues like the new yogurt shop in Preston Forest. An hour later he walks into my cube and says, “I wrote it. It’s a thousand words long. You’d better print the whole thing.” He left.

Here is his surprisingly insightful and funny take on life, Deep Ellum, and Vern’s in Deep Ellum. Leave him a note. He’s now a professional.

Yogen Früz in Preston Forest in Dallas Offers TwoferÜno

On July 4th,  from 10:00a.m. to2:00p.m., the newly opened Yogen Früz in Preston Forest will offer two treats for the price of one.

Southwest Food Expo: Celebrity Chef Smack-down

Chef Tre Wilcox and Chef Rory Schepisi

Yesterday, Tre “Top Chef” Wilcox faced Rory “Next Food Network Star” Schepisi in a cooking contest at the Southwest Food Expo. InsideCorner’s Evan Grant was a celebrity judge. The video is here. I will tell the story in pictures. (Click on Evan’s badge below.)

Southwest Foodservice Expo Celebrity Chef Smack-down

The Saga of Republic Turned Las Colinas Prime: Unpaid Workers and Bills, TABC Raids and Harassment, and a Possible Happy Ending

Blue skies ahead for the troubled Las Colinas Prime?

Last month I drove past Republic in Las Colinas and noticed the name had changed to Las Colinas Prime. I called the restaurant on June 1st and talked with Brian Luisi. He told me the tapas-restaurant-turned-steakhouse had changed concepts and names. The restaurant, owned by Bill McCrorey, is managed by Michael Costa’s Rainmaker Restaurant Group. Costa is no stranger to the local scene. He was involved in other Dallas restaurants such as Toscana, Mediterraneo, and Sfuzzi. I reported the story.  Over. Easy.

Yow. Zah. I stirred up a hornet’s nest. Former and current employees and contractors left horror stories in the comment section. It didn’t take long before I started receiving accusatory e-mails and phone calls. Their beef? It’s a really long story and you’ll have to jump. (more…)

Wine Walking and Shopping at Bishop Arts

This Thursday, July 2, Bishop Arts District merchants are hosting their First Thursday Wine Walk. Donate $5, get a glass with the BA logo on it, and sample wine at 18 different shops as you stroll the popular Oak Cliff hotspot.

Custom Frappucinos Debut. Dallas Twitches with Excitement.

Some people see Starbucks as the evil empire. Others can’t function without their non-fat no-whip double tall [enter drink name here]. Me? I love my local haunts (whatup, Pearl Cup and Opening Bell!) but have to admit that Starbucks is convenient, quick, and consistent. No crime in that. So, Starbucks fans, starting today there’s a new way to get your caffeinated freak on: customizable Frappuccinos. Yep, you can add any flavors, any type of milk, add more espresso, or perhaps even the blood of a young virgin sacrificed upon the altar of Corporate America to complete your creamy frozen beverage experience. Gentlemen (and ladies), start your blenders.

Shop at Whole Foods, Support KERA

For all of you Type-A’ers out there with grocery lists already made up for the 4th of July, make like a Top Chef contestant and head to Whole Foods in Lakewood or Highland Park today to do your shopping. WF is donating 5% of their net sales today to KERA, our local public radio and television station (hi, Jeff!). Also, bring the kids with you if you’re shopping between 4–6,  because Maya and Miguel will be making appearances at both stores during this time.

Hey Jennifer, Why Did You Let Tom Colicchio Throw Me Under a Bus?

I was out of the office all day yesterday and returned to find an inbox with several notes from upset friends. The messages basically said “I can’t believe what Jennifer did to you in the Tom Colicchio interview” and “DallasFood.org said Tom Colicchio threw you under a bus!”

So, I just sat down and read Jennifer’s interview with Craft Dallas’ Tom Colicchio in which he says that last year I printed “some gossip that wasn’t accurate at all.”

This is a long story and  it goes back to last spring when rumors were swirling around Dallas that N9NE and Craft were in trouble. I was in Aspen for the Food and Wine Festival. At the opening night soiree, a lot of Dallas folks in attendance and several big names in the Dallas restaurant biz came up to me and said, “Craft is changing to Craftbar.”

The next morning, I went straight to Tom Colicchio and asked him point blank. I printed his reply verbatim. Two weeks later, my cell phone rings and it is TC. He calls me a rumormonger because I speculated that something might change. Read the old report. What? I can’t voice an opinion? I don’t think I printed “some gossip that wasn’t accurate at all.”

What. Ever. So, we talked about an hour–specifically about blogging and how it differs from print product and how things on the Internet can get out of hand so fast–and ended on nice terms. He said if I ever needed to ask him a question, fire away. He is a man of his word.

Fast forward to a month or so ago. I get an e-mail from Craft’s local PR firm. They are interested in holding the SideDish Supper Club at Craft. I wrote (paraphrasing) “I called you folks before to get TC to do a SDSC and nobody called me back.” PR gal says lemme get back to you. She e-mails back and says TC is coming to town to do a wine dinner. Do I wanna talk to him? I say, sure.

Then a SideDish reader leaves a comment under the announcement of said wine dinner intimating that TC is no longer the owner of Craft Dallas. It reads, “Now that he [Colicchio] no longer owns the place, and signed a licensing agreement with the owners of the hotel, he is contractually obligated to be at the restaurant X times per year. What a shame.”

SO, as a recovering rumormonger and a woman of my word, I e-mailed the PR gal and asked her to verify or deny what the commenter said. I copy and pasted the comment and wrote: “Someone left this comment on the blog. Could you confirm or deny. I don’t want to leave comment out there if it isn’t true. Thanks, Nancy.”

The next day I get this reply from local PR gal: “I want to be sure to clarify that Tom is not doing a series of dinners at Craft. He’ll be part of the wine dinner next week, but each time he’s in Dallas, we expect his agenda to be different. In fact, with the filming of “Top Chef,” we’re not even sure when he’ll be able to make it back to Dallas again this year. Also, Tom’s name is still on the restaurant, and he is very much involved with the concept and menu. We would love to talk more about hosting SideDish’s Supper Club at Craft!”

I took a pass on talking to Colicchio because I originally (January) wanted to explore the idea of doing a Supper Club and that wasn’t going to happen  because he would have just thrown his own wine dinner. And frankly, I didn’t appreciate getting such a flabby answer from the  TC folks.

And that’s the facts.

Canary Cafe in Dallas To Close For a Few Days

Here is a song I’m hearing from many local chefs–they are touring Texs wineries. The lastest from Chef Gorji of Canary Cafe. He is closing the restuarant on July 3 & 4 to “research and select “Mediterranean Style” wines that compliment Canary’s menus and in preparation for our Texas Wine Pairing later in the month. We will reopen on July 7th and start our sixth year anniversary celebrations.” Never a dull moment around here.

Southwest Foodservice Expo: Disher Video Reports

Wow. Disher Andrew Chalk took his job at the Expo seriously. He just turned in video clips of the oddest finds at the show. Put on your earplugs and enjoy. (You know where to put the cork.) Great stuff, Andrew.

First up: Coffee made from civet cat poop.

Second: The cutlery eating machine.

Third: Food so good you can’t eat it.

Fourth: Making rum in Austin. Texas. Yes, Austin, Texas. Good stuff.

Finally: The talk of the Expo: Chocolate covered crickets. Yes, bugs.