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What I’m Drinking Now: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is such a joyous holiday.  A time to give thanks for the good, recognize the gracious, and celebrate good food…and wine.  I get questions all the time about what is really the best wine to serve with the huge Thanksgiving meal, especially since many of these occur in the middle of the day.  Here are a few ideas that may work for your turkey day.

I always start with bubbly on Thanksgiving while watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade….my happy ritual.  For some reason I just love those silly over-sized balloons, and welcoming Santa into Herald Square.  It is the true start to the holiday season for me, and what better way to celebrate the holidays than with bubbly.

Bubbly - I had the pleasure of visiting Mumm Napa last Thanksgiving, and the experience was one of the most lavish and gracious of a wonderful Napa/Sonoma Thanksgiving tour.  We tasted about 10 in their portfolio that day.  Some I became an immediate fan of, some my sweetie did, but we universally loved the Mumm Cuvee M – filled with pear, peach and green apple flavors, and aged 18 months in oak to layer in caramel and brioche on the finish. And the Santana Brut - made in collaboration with Carlos Santana (with a portion of the proceeds going to help underprivileged children around the world), this one is made predominantly with Pinot Noir grapes, leading to juicy berry, red apple and creamy, honey flavors, with hints of toast and nuts on the finish. (more…)

Another TV Show With a Local Connection: BBQ Pitmasters

According to Full Custom Gospel BBQ, dfw.com is reporting a new TV series showcasing “the high-stakes world of competitive barbecue.” BBQ Pitmasters begins on Decemeber 3 at 9:00 p.m. on TLC. Three folks in the series are from around here: Jamie Geer, owner of Jambo Pits a Fort Worth company that sells custom smokers, Paul Petersen, execuchef at Rick’s Chop House in McKinney, and Johnny Trigg  from Alvarado. The eight-episode series follows competitive barbecue events around the country.

BTW, has anyone been to Rick’s Chop House in McKinney? I’ve heard nothing but great things.

Write a Caption: Win Some Cocoa from Nicaragua!

While I was in Nicaragua last week, I visited a remote field where workers were busy harvesting lovely yellow pods from cocao trees. I sat with them as they hacked the fruit open and extracted the seeds. Of course, I couldn’t resist sucking the delicious white pulp inside the pod and spitting the seeds at my fellow compadres. Delicious fun. More on that later.

Anywhoo, as the sun set, we headed to do some bird watching among the mangrove forests on the coast. (Tiger herons!) One of the guys on the trip, Jerry Garret, a writer for the New York Times, stayed behind and took this photo of us as we left the dock. He’s holding an unofficial caption contest with no prizes. I figured we’d have our own. Winner gets a bag of powdered cocoa (drinking chocolate) from a plantation outside of Leon, Nicaragua. (My entry was: “A pork in the river.”) GO!

SideDish Supper Club On Sale Now: Samar by Stephan Pyles in Dallas

Yow. Zah. I must say we have pulled together one fabulous evening. Thanks to Stephan Pyles, execuchef Vijay Sadhu, and managing partner George Majdalani, the next SideDish Supper Club at Samar by Stephan Pyles is going to be over-the-top. Not only are they opening the restaurant just for us, but they also designed a one-of-a-kind menu for SideDish Supper Clubbers.

I asked Pyles why he wanted to do the Supper Club, and he had this to say:

“Having traveled the world in search of exotic flavors and preparations, the opportunity to showcase those tastes and customs in this one-time dinner spectacle was very exciting. You will savor the cuisine and cocktails inspired by India, Spain, and the Eastern Mediterranean–think curries, garam masala, cardamom, tandoori, naan, labneh, pomegranates, and pumpkin kofte. Have you ever had a remarkable Lebanese wine? Had your fortune read from the grounds of your Turkish coffee? You will at this dinner! Revel in the unique experience with Indian and Arabic music, belly dancers, and the exotic hookah ritual of narguile shisha.”

Stephan Pyles knows how to throw a party!

During the dessert course, Kyle Stewart of the Cultured Cup will demonstrate a traditional Afghan tea ceremony, and everyone will be able to try Samar’s Afghan Tea, as well as an authentic Masala chai.

Dancing girls! Hookahs! Lebanese wine! Goody bags! Communal tables! Dancing Hookahs ? Perhaps.

The  SideDish Supper Club is not just dinner; it’s a culinary learning experience. Please join us on Sunday, December 6, for the next SideDish Supper Club. The cost is $110 per person and we have included tax, gratuity, and valet parking.

CHECK OUT THE MENU BY CLICKING ON THE SIDEDISH SUPPER CLUB LOGO TO THE RIGHT. Hurry, seating is limited. 214-922-9922. (more…)

SideDish Supper Club is Ready to Go

Want to be first to know the details? Quick, type your email in the box under the SideDish Supper Club on the right and get first dibs. You’ve got ten minutes.

Jimmy’s Wine Store in Dallas: Open This Sunday

Paul DiCarlo of Jimmy’s says he had received enough holiday items to warrant opening the foodie temple this Sunday. The shelves are stocked with torrone, tre Marie panetone, pan-forte, dais panetone, Sicilian cannoli shells, and stuff and such and beyond. And wine. Two great Italian (duh) wines on closeout: Placido Chianti Classico Riserva ‘04 DOCG (was $17.99 now $7.99) and Placido Rosso di Montalcin0 ‘05 (was $18.99 now $8.99). Back in the meat department, Prime tenderloin is $15.99 a pound (uncut and sold “as is”). Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 4901 Bryan at Fitzhugh. 214-823-6180.

Top Chef Handicapping with Wes Mantooth

Fan fave Kevin. Photo courtesy bravotv.com

Disher Wes Mantooth just sent me a love letter. “The D-Empire blogs are all boring as spit today,” he says. Anyway, he wants to talk about Top Chef, and I know there are several TC fans out there. His thoughts are below.

Top Chef is coming to a close. Who’s not going to make it? We’ve got 5 left: Kevin, Jennifer, Eli, and the Brothers. The easy call is that Jen and Eli both wind up packing their knives, but we’ve seen in the past that it only takes one little slip for an otherwise more-talented chef to get packing before their time was due, resulting in a less-talented poseur to take the crown (i.e. Josea). So, here’s my handicapping on who makes it to the Final Table:

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SideDish Supper Club: On Sale Tomorrow

The menu has been approved and the wine pairings and cocktail pairings are almost done. Hopefully, we’ll go on sale Thursday. I will tell you this: this dinner is going to not only going to be fun, it will stretch your palate around the globe. Check back tomorrow for all of the details and reservation information.

Wine Dinner Wednesday

This week’s offerings include dinners at The Libertine(tonight!), Nonna, and Lawry’s The Prime Rib. (more…)

Thanksgiving Dining Options in Dallas: The Week Before Edition

Make reservations now.

Here is the new and improved list of restaurants that will be serving Thanksgiving dinner. I’ve  also included some great take-out options. (more…)

Tom Spicer Wants You to Get Sauced

Get down and mushroom-y with Tom Spicer.

Bring your own wine to Spiceman’s Absolutely Unusual Culinary Extravaganza. For those of you still using Morton’s salt, Spiceman is Tom Spicer, forager and procurer of all-things-produce. His wonderfully offbeat shop, Spiceman’s FM 1410, is next to Jimmy’s Food Store and Urbano Café in East Dallas. This Saturday (November 21) Spiceman will teach a few cooking classes. Festivities kick off at 10:30 a.m. with roux making and continue with wild mushroom paella cooked by The Spiceman over a bonfire and duck and Andouille gumbo by David Anthony. Spiceman says,  “Come dine, bring yo wine and loose yo mind at Spiceman’s Gumbo ‘n da Garden!” Wild mushrooms? Oh, yes. 1410-B Fitzhugh. 214-954-7974.
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Roaster’s In Dallas Almost Closes, Opens Again With New Partner

Several Dishers reported that Roaster’s, the deli in the former Ed’s Deli spot on Preston and LBJ, closed on Sunday. I just caught up with Roaster’s head honcho Tevy Kaplan and he explained that the restaurant was “bleeding cash” and that his original investors pulled out. However, thanks to his landlord, the Weitzman Group, the doors to Roaster’s are open for business. (Great potato salad.)

Pick The Winner: Name the Nicaraguan Hockey Team

I’ve just returned from four action-packed days in Nicaragua. More on the astonishing amount of street food I consumed later, but for now we must pick the winner of  the “Name A Hockey Team in Nicaragua Contest” we held last week.

Here are the contestants and their suggestions. Winner will receive a box of chocolate I bought from a chocolate plantation outside of the lovely city of  Leon, Nicaragua.

Worzel Gummidge:  Knights of The Iguana?
Brad:  The Icedinistas? (you see, it’s like Sandinistas, but the opposite because hockey is played on ice).
Shane: Chinandega Chupacabras, Managua Margays, Masaya Macaws (PICK ONE)
Amy S: The Stars?
Kirk: Club de Hockey de Managua, also known as Las Paletas.
Evan Grant: The Contras, El Presidentes, Whatever Vicente Padilla wants them to be called. (Nice try, he’s a traitor and therefore disqualified.)
restaurant jobs rhode island: Blazing Iguana Nicaragua. It symbolizes their food and culture combining at the same time.

The City of Dallas (Almost) Eats More Salad Than Any Other City in America

Warning: eating salad in Dallas “could” cause a local dining revolution. Could.

Dole Fresh Vegetables, a subsidiary of Dole Food Company, the world’s largest producer of fruits and vegetables, has released an astonishingly vague press release that claims: “Dole Research Ranks Dallas Among the Top U.S. Markets in Per-capita Salad Consumption, Growth Potential and/or In-kitchen Salad Experimentation and Creativity.” WTF does this mean?

“This means that local residents eat more salad per person than their counterparts in other U.S. cities, have the potential to eat more salad and/or are more likely to try new salad blends, experiment.”

And how they reached their conclusion?

“The exhaustive, 18-month research effort, part of the company’s relaunch of its reinvented DOLE Salads line, surveyed the in-store buying habits and in-home consumption trends of prepackaged salad consumers throughout the United States and Canada.”

Hmm Russell Evans, senior brand manager for Dole Fresh Vegetables, I bet you say that to all of the cities on your list.

“Despite the fact that it is the home of barbecue, Dallas is among the most sophisticated salad markets in the country and home to an increasing number of salad lovers,” said Evans. “Our research found that salad consumers here are much more likely to use salad as a meal or as the basis for creative new lunch and dinner entrees.  From a salad standpoint, Dallas is a trendsetter.”

If you are a lettuce-loving trendsetter or just a plain old salad eater, take cover. You can expect “a comprehensive multimedia campaign featuring a new Dole Salad Guide spokesperson.  Dole will be specifically targeting salad consumers in Dallas.”

Since we are on the subject of salad, I have been searching for a good chopped salad.

Society Bakery Sells Whoopie Pies; The WP Trend Is On

New holiday whoopie pies at Society Bakery.

Last week, Nancy told us about whoopie pies at Tart Bakery and and Maple & Motor Burgers and Beer. One more, and whoopies were a trend, she said. Well, here’s our third: Society Bakery is selling them, and they brought us some to try. In the box: chocolate mint (gourmet Thin Mint, they say), brown sugar, bread pudding, and spice. The pies are saucer-sized and make a great cupcake alternative, IMO. My favorite was the brown sugar. Loved the maple whoopie filling, which is like vanilla frosting but much less sweet. The cake-to-frosting ratio will also likely be appealing to pepole who get overwhelmed with mile-high frosted cupcakes.

If these look good to you and you want a sample, stop by Society tomorrow night from 6–8 for their joint open house with the Corner Market. They will be giving away samples of these new flavors as well as some of their other goodies.

What I’m Drinking Now: Affordable

 I started my holiday shopping a little early with a splurge, leaving  little in the bank for the libation I love so much.  Looking for options that will save a few bucks, while still satisfying the taste buds is sometimes difficult.  Here are a few ideas if you too are in the same predicament. 
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Pinkberry Dallas Opens With Chocolate Yogurt and Champagne

Pinkberry owner Adam Saxton smiles pretty and eats yogurt.

Last night was the grand opening party of Pinkberry Dallas, the frozen yogurt store that started the tart frozen yogurt craze in 2005. Back then, you couldn’t open up an In Touch without seeing a photo of Leo DiCaprio or Lindsay Lohan chowing down on the stuff, and rumor had it that lines were so long you had to wait an hour for a taste of the Swirly Goodness (not our term: that’s what Pinkberry press release calls it). We didn’t see any celebs last night (does Lucy Wrubel count?), but there was a searchlight, and there was a line out the door for the yogurt, so there. Our location, at Preston and Royal next to Barnes and Noble and the Merge clothing store, is the first in the U.S. outside of New York and California. The party was also the debut of Chocolate Pinkberry, and for now, we’re the only city that has it (woot!). It was explained to me that the chocolate comes from Mexico and is very expensive, because it’s tough to find chocolate that would mix with their yogurt and taste good. I thought the chocolate flavor was fine, but I like Pinkberry (and others like it) because of the tang, and chocolate doesn’t have it. I’m sticking with the original. Jump for photos and more info.

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Chef Bruno Davaillon: The Video Interview

Can’t get enough Bruno Davaillon? Andrew Chalk did a video interview with the chef after dinner. He finds out all about Bruno’s favorite things, the kinds of foods he likes best, and much more. Watch below.

Andrew Chalk: Report on New Bruno Davaillon Dishes at the Mansion

Andrew Chalk visited the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek to sample chef Bruno Davaillon’s new menu and give us a report. You might have seen recaps on other sites, but Chalk’s is the most detailed I’ve read. Jump for it.

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Wine Dinner Wednesday

This week we have wine dinners at Tre Amici, Rathbun’s Blue Plate, Taverna in Fort Worth, and more. Jump for it.

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Something to Do Tonight: Mockingbird Station Farmer’s Market

Top Chef doesn’t start until 9. This leaves you plenty of time to visit the Mockingbird Station Farmer’s Market tonight from 5–9. Mock Station is partnering with the White Rock Local Market (among others) to bring you lots of goodies to eat. The North Texas Food Bank will also be there collecting donations and canned goods, and people who purchase something will get one of those handy reusable shopping bags (the kind that appear to have multiplied overnight in my pantry and trunk).

Speaking of Top Chef, I’ve missed a few episodes lately. Still hoping for Jennifer or Kevin to win…are they both still in? I know Bravo would tell me but I don’t want other spoilers.

The Next SideDish Supper Club: Save the Date

The next SideDish Supper Club will take place on the evening of Sunday, December 6. The restaurant is usually closed on Sunday, but the space is so small they are going to open  for SDSC attendees only. The details are being finalized and will be announced soon. If you would like advanced notice, type your e-mail address in the tab under the SupperClub logo on the right side of this page. If you are already on our list there is no need to redo. The seating for this exclusive experience is very limited. This special SideDish Supper Club menu will not be available in this restaurant before or after December 6.

Tart Pastry Boutique in Dallas Turns Five and Makes Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Tart Bakery is making whoopies!

Lookout cupcakes, here comes the whoopie pie craze. Are you familiar with Tart Bakery? You know,  the little shop pastry chef Kristen Massad opened in 2004 where the storefront looks like a spray painted rah-rah sign for an upcoming football game? We never thought the place would make it, but make it they did—Massad’s little shop that turns out cakes, pies, and petit fours is turning five. (Thanksgiving tip: order one of their turkey wreaths (croissant rings stuffed with turkey) for your office party.) Or a couple dozen pumpkin-spice whoopie pies! Maple & Motors Burgers and Beer also makes a chocolate version of the whoopie pie called the chocolate gob. One more sighting and whoopies will become an official trend. 5219 W. Lovers Lane at Inwood Rd. 469- 335-8919.

Somebody Help This Poor Girl: Heritage Turkeys in Dallas

Warning: Some fancy turkeys are vain.

Several area farmers are raise raising heritage and pastured birds. Here’s a link to some. A loyal Disher asks the obvious question:

Have you eaten one of these heritage birds?  I’d love to hear from someone who has.  My big question is this… will it be worth the extra cost to buy a heritage turkey when I’m not wild about turkey to begin with?  Will a heritage bird make me love this Thanksgiving tradition or should I just stick with a crown rib roast?

Thanksgiving Dinner Options in Dallas

Make reservations now.

Below the jump we have a list of restaurants that will be serving Thanksgiving dinner. The list also includes some great take-out options.

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