Articles for August 5th, 2009

Twitter Dining Review In Dallas: Join Me Tonight

posted by Nancy Nichols | August 5th, 2009 6:31pm | filed under Celebrity Chefs, Chocolate, dessert, Restaurant News, Reviews, Twitter | 8 Comments »

I’m headed out to do a dining review. See if you can guess my location. (DSideDish)

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Texas Wine Trail Harvest Adventures

posted by Hayley Hamilton | August 5th, 2009 4:50pm | filed under North Texas Wine, Texas Wine, Travel, Wine & Spirits |

Nancy posted the great Texas wine events happening this month last week in her Texas Wine Events post.  If you want to furter the excitement, and hit the trail try the following ideas sent over from GO TEXAN wine today.  Check out the various trails around the state for a little harvest get away this month.

With annual grape harvest celebrations kicking off around most of the state in August and September, many Texans are planning their next Texas wine trail tour. The Texas Department of Agriculture is making it easier for wine enthusiasts to plan the perfect wine weekend with its new Texas Wine Trail page (www.gotexanwine.org/texaswinetrails/) on the popular GO TEXAN wine Web site (www.gotexanwine.org) .

“Texas is one of the fastest-growing wine destinations in the country,” Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples said. “The Texas wine industry and our Texas wine trails are an important part of our state’s agriculture tourism and economic health. Nearly 1 million visitors each year enjoy discovering the Texas wine industry.”

The Texas Wine Trail page provides a list of the Lone Star State’s eight individual wine trails, and with just one click, consumers can visit each trail’s Web page to find trail descriptions, maps, upcoming events and other related links.

Texas is home to eight wine trails:
-Cross Timbers Wine Trail: www.crosstimberswinetrail.com
-Dallas Wine Trail: www.dallaswinetrail.com
-Fredericksburg Wine Road 290: www.wineroad290.com
-Grapevine Wine Trail: www.grapevinewinetrail.com
-Munson Wine Trail: www.munsonwinetrail.com
-Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail: www.texasbluebonnetwinetrail.com
-Texas Hill Country Wine Trail: www.texaswinetrail.com
-Way Out Wineries Road Trips: www.wayoutwineries.org

Stay in Luxury This Summer for a Steal

posted by Hayley Hamilton | August 5th, 2009 4:37pm | filed under Silly Reasons to Celebrate, Special Offers |

August opens to some of the longest, hottest days of summer.  Would you love to get out of town, but know it is just not in the cards right now.  Would relaxation in the lap of luxury help get through the next month with ease?  Then a “staycation” may be just the ticket.

I hate that word, but love the idea of the Summer Escape at The Four Seasons in Las Colinas.  I am a huge fan of the Four Seasons (who isn’t,) and love the ability to stay there this summer for a great deal.  So much, I had to share. Through September8th the Four Seasons is offering a 2 night stay at $195 per night for 2 people, with 25% off activities and kids 12 and younger dine free.  The Four Seasons is one of the most beautiful properties in the area,  with the highest level of service and incredible quality.

With additional opportunities to play a round on the same TPC golf course where Tiger and Phil play, complimentary use of the Club’s fitness center, including everything from yoga and Pilates to cardio and weight training equipment and basketball courts. You could even try a game of squash.  I am partial to a day relaxing by their massive, lagoon style pool with a tasty beverage followed by a Ginseng facial and aromatherapy massage in the spa…but that is me.  Ask for Joe by the pool, he is fantastic.  If you have kiddo’s they can also enjoy some special treats.  Ask about them when booking your reservation. 

Dinner and wine at Café on the Green is a must (including a dessert wine flight that would put our friend, Don Winspear, over the edge)  More on that to come…

Quick Lunch Review: The Chocolate Angel In Dallas

posted by Nancy Nichols | August 5th, 2009 4:05pm | filed under Bacon, Baking, Cheese, Food On TV, Health Food, Openings/Closings, Restaurant News, Reviews, Sandwiches, Travel, Valet Parking, Wine & Spirits, Wine Dinner Wednesday | 12 Comments »

pimentoWatch your back, Celebrity Bakery. Here comes The Chocolate Angel. Two sisters, Sherrie McCall and Marcia Clingon, have turned their wholesale fudge operation into four locations of The Chocolate Angel, a bakery, café, and tearoom.

I was shocked to open the door of the location in Preston Forest–the room was full of women. The only men in the space were behind the counter. The menu consists of soups, salads, sandwiches, a quiche of the day, and baked goods. (The Richardson location serves afternoon tea from 3:30-5:30 p.m.) The Chocolate Angel feels a lot like Celebrity Bakery except when you are stand over the cookie case waiting to order, you don’t faint from sticker shock: lemon bars are $1.00, Neiman-Marcus recipe chocolate chip cookies are 85 cents, and cupcakes are $2.75.

JC and I were jonsing for cheese and cheese we did find. She went for the four-cheese sandwich sprinkled with garlic salt and grilled between two thin slices of sourdough. We were so hungry we forgot to ask which four cheeses were melted together. Continue reading "Quick Lunch Review: The Chocolate Angel In Dallas"

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One Day Wine Sale: Cork Wines

posted by Nancy Nichols | August 5th, 2009 3:13pm | filed under cheap eats, Wine & Spirits |

salThis Saturday, August 8th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Cork Wines (3636 McKinney Ave) is having an inventory clearance sale. Some wines are 50% off or more. Early-bird preview sale begins at 9:00 a.m. with a $10 entry fee. 214-780-0373.

Van Roberts To Close Lola and the Tasting Room at Lola In October

posted by Nancy Nichols | August 5th, 2009 2:17pm | filed under Closings, hold on to your effin hat, Restaurant News, Wine & Spirits | 14 Comments »

Leslie “Catch a Falling Star” Brenner has the story. This is a sad day for Dallas dining: after 9 1/2 years, Van Roberts is closing Lola and the Tasting Room at Lola at the end of October. Another victim of the economy. Somebody send him some money, we can’t lose Lola.

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What The Heck Is Going On At Lazare Bar & Restaurant In West Village?

posted by Jennifer Chininis | August 5th, 2009 11:35am | filed under Reviews | 9 Comments »
Steamed mussels in a too salty broth.

Steamed mussels in a too-salty broth.

So Lazare had a rocky start. Even before Nancy’s review hit the newsstand, chef David Gilbert was gone. Curious, I went there the other night to see how it was faring. My dinner companion chatted up the bartender (who I think was also seating tables?), asking him about the wine and cocktail list. My friend kept getting answers like, “The former bar manager … ” and “The former general manager … ” so it seems as though David Gilbert is not the only one who’s left. As you might imagine of a restaurant in turmoil, our meal was disappointing. To start, fried green tomatoes had a mysterious topping of chopped tomatoes, chopped raw onion, and strings of basil–which made it taste more like bruschetta than a fried green tomato. The basil and onion really offended me, because they overwhelmed the tomatoes, which were supposed to be the stars here. Equally strange was the hard triangle of jalapeno cornbread on the side–with no jalapeno in sight. And, if you look at Nancy’s original review, this was a departure from the original fried green tomatoes on Gilbert’s menu. Hmph. Continue reading "What The Heck Is Going On At Lazare Bar & Restaurant In West Village?"

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