Articles for December, 2009
Somebody Help This Poor Girl: Typhoon Shelter Crab
I’ve gotta run. Perhaps you can help this gal get a fix:
My husband and I recently got back from Hong Kong, and while we were there, we ate Typhoon Shelter Crab–it was served over a bed of fried garlic along with black beans and red chili. Do you know of any place in the metroplex where this dish is available?
(Dear Wick, I did not delete the “M” word above because it is a direct quote. Please do not fire me for allowing the “M” word to run in a “publication” of D Magazine.)
7 Comments »Nicola’s Opening Close to Preston Center in Dallas?
That is what I hear. Just south of the center next to the Centennial across from Houston’s.
16 Comments »What I’m Drinking Now: Christmas Celebrations
Christmas dinner can include so many different flavors. Whether you opt to enjoy a beef tenderloin, glazed ham, roast turkey, smoked salmon, homemade pasta or tamales and chili, there are tasty wine and spirit options that can make the season that much better.
To start, I tried a tasty holiday cocktail at the Dragonfly in the Hotel ZaZa the other night. Creamy, minty good, the Feliz Navi-Za is sure to become a new cocktail tradition.
Feliz Navi-Za:
1oz. Grey Goose Vodka
.25 oz. crème de cacao
.25 oz. crème de menthe white
.5 oz. Godiva white chocolate liqueur
Crushed peppermint rim
Lined martini glass with raspberry sauce Continue reading "What I’m Drinking Now: Christmas Celebrations"
Update: Ideas for New Year’s Eve in Dallas
Check out the new-and-improved (and easier to read) list of where to party on NYE. Thank you Kyle, Sarah, and sweet intern Sam.
1 Comment »Somebody Help This Poor Girl: Mo’s Chocolate Bar With Bacon
She’s tried both locations of Central Market and World Market. Needs it for Christmas.
New Owners of Bob’s Steak and Chop House Can Legally Call it Bob’s Steak and Chop House
Once upon a time, Bob Sambol’s partner was Bill Lenox. Together they built a powerhouse of a restaurant on Lemmon Avenue. Bill and Bob continued their excellent adventure and planted locations in Denver, Plano, and San Francisco. Then Bob and Bill parted ways. For a while, Bill teamed up with Steve (Cool River, Bob’s Grapevine) Hartnett. In January, Omni acquired a 50 percent stake in the Bob’s Steak & Chop House brand after helping to expand to new Tucson and Fort Worth locations within Omni Hotels.
I ran into Lenox the other night and he seemed happy with the fact that all of the BS surrounding BSCH has been settled. Today the company announced that the partnership between Omni Hotels & Resorts and Bill Lenox which owns the restaurant’s brand – has reached an agreement for the original Bob’s restaurant to “continue to operate as a Bob’s Steak & Chop House. Omni and Lenox have met with the new owners and agreed to carry on the name.”
What does the Omni Hotels’ president, Mike Deitemeyer think? “We are pleased that the original location will continue to operate as part of this great steakhouse brand and believe the new owners have a great passion for the restaurant,” said Mike Deitemeyer.
“This location set the mark for exceptional steaks, ambience and service, and we look forward to it upholding that standard.”
Equal time to Jessica Smith, owner of Lemmon Avenue Holdings and managing member of Bob’s on Lemmon Avenue in Dallas: “I’m thrilled that the restaurant will stay within the Bob’s family,” said Jessica Smith. “We look forward to carrying on the tradition of excellence Bob’s has established.”
What a great Christmas story! The only restaurant with a real guy named Bob can call it Bob’s.
Somebody Help This Poor Man: Biscuits and Gravy in Dallas (or Plano)
This guy tells me he needs to improve his circulation and he wants to do it with biscuits and gravy. He doesn’t want the kind rich folks like, he wants his down and dirty. He’s really poor. (He works here so I can say that.) So, sock it to him.
29 Comments »Somebody Help This Poor Girl: Intimate Christmas Dinner Outside of the Loop
14 Comments »Why am I having such an impossible time thinking of an intimate restaurant, north of LBJ that my husband and I can have a quiet, little pre-Christmas meal tonight without completely breaking the bank? Truthfully, I can’t even think of an intimate place if it would break the bank. Any ideas?
Dave Faries Picks the Best Restaurateurs in Dallas
Best Restaurateurs. Oh no, now I’ve got to make one too. (Bob Sambol? I like Bob but he owns one restaurant.)
UPDATE: Okay, I’ve thought about the above list a little bit more and I really have to question Dave Faries’ pick of Bob Sambol as a restaurateur of the decade. What about entrepreneurial spirits such as Jeff Sinelli, Mike Hogue, Kent Rathbun, Shannon Wynne? Bob Sambol lost his butt in Denver, sold his brand to Omni, and only owns part of his original restaurant. What’s in the eggnog over at the Observer, Dave?
15 Comments »Kelly Hightower Will Turn Kavala Into Nova: Tapas for Bikers
Josh Hixson over at People “Who Need People” Newspapers just sauntered up to me and said, “Hey, Kelly Hightower is turning Kavala into a place called Nova.” “Dude,” (word of the day) said I. “Send me the deets.” Hear him roar.
Kelly Hightower said Monday Kavala will be re-conceptualized as an international tapas-style bar called Nova. They plan to reopen near the end of February. Hightower will become chef/partner for the new venture in combination with three investors whom he called, “bar people from around town, some pretty notable places.”
He declined to share their names.
Japanese, Mediterranean, and Tex-Mex offerings will be on the menu, Hightower said.
The buzz among bikers is that the bar’s investment group brought in some of the leaders in Oak Cliff’s growing bicycling community as consultants.
“The Bike Friendly Oak Cliff people will love it and we’ll have bike racks out there,” Hightower said. “We are definitely going for that crowd as well. We are going for a little bit more of a hipper vibe and get away from the mom and pop feel the restaurant has.”
Nova will also have an expanded bar and patio, as well as improved plumbing which was responsible for the stale/gassy smell, Hightower said.
“That has been pretty bad for Kavala over the past year,” said Hightower, referring to the smell. “I think it has driven people away from the restaurant.”
Hmm. I hope Wick reads this post. Bike Friendly People is a pretty catchy name for a community newspaper.
6 Comments »Where to Dine for Christmas. Where to Party on New Year’s Eve in Dallas
Push push in the buche noel.
Sarah Eveans has a mile-long list of things to do on December 31. Below find an updated selection of restaurants offering Christmas dining.
Things I Overheard Over the Weekend
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Moving the Four Seasons European-style market in Garland indoors was a bust for several vendors. “The building was too far away from the action,” said one vendor who threatened my dog’s life if I revealed his/her name. “The food people did okay, but there were some unhappy sellers.” I guess Dallas is not indoor European-style, we prefer to act European in the great outdoors. |
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According to a person who was really on the street, the valet service at Dish misplaced DMN dining critic Leslie Brenner’s car. Eventually they located it. Wonder if Dish will ever find their lost star? A snitch on a cul-de-sac reports Ms. Brenner had no problem with valet after any of her three visits to the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. |
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A musical-lovin’ diner and a group of friends went to see South Pacific this weekend. Before he/she/they had 101 pounds of fun at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, he/she/they dined at Screen Door, excuse me, Screendoor. In particular, they ordered the $30 pre-theater dinner package. “I love David McMillan,” said he/she/they. “And he was there but the food was way below average.” Sub-par shrimp and grits? I know what to get chef McMillan for Christmas. |
Nick Badovinus to Open One, No Make That Two Neighborhood Services’ Locations in Dallas
This year has been horrific for many local restaurants, but 2009 has been very, very good to Neighborhood Services. “I am so tired of saying no to my customers,” said Neighborhood Services owner/chef Nick Badovinus. “I will be so happy to now say yes.”
For the last 16 months, Badovinus’ 90-seat restaurant on West Lovers did not take reservations, was not permitted to open for lunch or offer outdoor seating. There was always a wait for a table. “We pissed off a lot of people with our space,” said Badovinus at 7:16 this morning. “So many customers said, ‘I love your place, dude, but I just don’t have four hours to give you to eat there.’”
First up will be Neighborhood Services Tavern which will open “by Valentine’s Day” in the space formerly known as Soley on Henderson Avenue. The lease is signed and the project has already been approved. The menu features “about 12 small plates, 12 large plates, daily and nightly specials, dips, snacks, classic cocktails, and a sub-50 [dollar] wine list.” The kitchen will be headed by Mike Williams, the opening sous chef for Neighborhood Services, who once cheffed at Craft Dallas.
Neighborhood Services Bar & Grill will open in the controversial Taco Mundo space in Preston Royal Shopping Center in late May or early June. “PR” will have all of his “yes factors”—lunch, outside dining, and loads of parking. The menu will be a casual version of Neighborhood Services. Chef Jeff Bekavac, a line cook for Badovinus at Hibiscus and currently in the kitchen at Neighborhood Services, will run “PR”.
“That leaves me with a great opportunity at Neighborhood Services and by that I mean I can really finally serve the neighborhood. It will allow us to move into a reservation-based model,” said Badovinus. “Dude, I would think this strategy was crazy if I didn’t already have 80 dishes that the customer has already approved with their pocketbooks. The risk is daunting but you have to listen to the marketplace. When your customers say grow, it sure makes it easier. I am so blessed by the support I’ve received since I opened. I’m just looking forward to being able to say yes for a change.”
14 Comments »Fuse in Dallas is Closed
According to an unhappy employee, the owners of Fuse pulled the plug without warning. The restaurant closed on Thursday night.
2 Comments »Taco Mundo Opens in Fort Worth
According to Grant Achatz Christopher Wynn over at Eats, Carolina Galvan-Rodriguez has opened Taco Mundo in Fort Worth.
3 Comments »What I’m Drinking Now: Blackstone Sonoma Reserve
I had the pleasure of meeting and tasting with Gary Sitton a few weeks ago. Gary is the winemaker for Blackstone Winery. Yes, that Winemakers Select Merlot that we all drank before Sideways, back when Merlot became a hit. I have to admit, I haven’t had a bottle of the Winemaker Select in a while, but I thoroughly enjoyed Gary’s new project, the Blackstone Sonoma Reserve.
More on that to come, but a little about Gary. He joined Blackstone just a short while ago, and this year’s Sonoma Reserve is really the first that he has been directly involved with fr0m start to end. Trained under Joel Peterson at Ravenswood, Gary is a winemaker that understands that you have to have the wine that will appeal to the masses; but additionally you can make that special wine , with great structure, balance and depth that represents place, and individual style. And, that Sonoma, and California is one of the best places to create great wine in. If you read about my meeting with Joel, philosophies sound similar. Continue reading "What I’m Drinking Now: Blackstone Sonoma Reserve"
1 Comment »Why Do We Celebrate With Steak?
- Why does one bite of steak close a business deal or encourage sex?
I dropped by Ocean Prime last night. The place was packed. The mood was festive and celebratory. Over a dry-aged rib-eye and blackened snapper, we attempted to answer the question of why people in Dallas pick fancy steak houses to celebrate a special occasion. For some, it’s a once-a-year date; for others it’s once-a-week. If you have a theory, leave it. Otherwise, go buy me a Christmas present.
15 Comments »Savor Dallas Website Has Cooking Demos by Dallas Chefs
Tournedos Felix Faure served at Lavendou.
Want a few free cooking classes? The Savor Dallas site has some good ones. Watch Lavendou owner Pascal Cayet demonstrate the fine art of making a beef tenderloin with black peppercorn and mushroom sauce. Groovy music warning: Put on your earplugs, put on your eyeshades, you know where to put the cork.
2 Comments »BTW:“The 6th annual Savor Dallas, “An International Experience of Wine, Food, Spirits and the Arts,” to be held March 5-7, 2010, is dedicated to showcasing the finest chefs in Dallas-Fort Worth and the world’s best beverages and celebrating the renaissance of Downtown Dallas, especially the Arts District, Dallas Farmer’s Market and host hotel Sheraton Dallas. Tickets for all events are on sale now with special pricing for advance purchase tickets through December 31, 2009. For a complete schedule, go to savordallas.com or call 888-728-6747.”
Five New Vendors Join Four Seasons Market in Garland This Weekend
From the copy and paste press release department:
1 Comment »Five new vendors are joining the Four Seasons Market this Saturday, Dec. 19, as it moves indoors and extends its hours to 4 p.m. The market, which opens at 9 a.m., will be on the first floor of the buildings at the north end of the Park at Firewheel Town Center, next to the playground. The address is 305 Riverfern Avenue, and it’s next to the Parkside at Firewheel Apartments and Townhomes.
The new vendors, who will be joining the nearly 40 local farmers, craftsmen and specialty food makers at the market, include: Double Throw Down BBQ, with pulled pork sandwiches, smoked sausage, smoked turkey legs and other barbecue dishes; Down Home Spices, with a line of 16 proprietary seasonings; Rockin’ A B Designs, with children’s clothing and accessories;
Pamela Rabin Fine Art, with framed photos and artwork by award winning artist Pamela Rabin; and David Mars Photography, with a short collection of his work. Continue reading "Five New Vendors Join Four Seasons Market in Garland This Weekend"
Looking for Something to do on New Year’s Eve?
- This picture– “06 New Year’s Eve on the Balcony” — was stolen from the Internet.
I’m not much of a party girl when it comes to going out on New Year’s Eve. I prefer spontaneous drinking over premeditated over-consumption of alcohol(Warning: graphic animal behavior). The last time I had an official date lined up for NYE, I was stood up. I was a junior in high school. My heart was broken. Last year the dude who stood me up asked me to be his Facebook friend. I really showed him—hitting the IGNORE button was better than sex. But I am not a holder of grudges either.
Anywhoo, you probably love to celebrate on NYE. If you are looking for a local option, Sarah Eveans has comprised a long list of festive options. Check back often as the list is growing like kudzo. (BTW, the aforementioned dude is married. To another dude.) Moving on.
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