Articles for February 2nd, 2010

Siduri and Novy Tasting February 9th at Veritas

posted by Hayley Hamilton | February 2nd, 2010 5:09pm | filed under Wine & Spirits | 3 Comments »

Siduri 2008 Chehalem ORI am a big fan of Siduri, and write about their wine often.  Now you have a chance to see if I….or any of the other fans of these multi award winning, highly rated wines, have any idea what we are talking about.

Owner, wine maker (and Texas native) Adam Lee will be in Dallas February 9th for a tasting event of his fantastic Siduri Pinot Noirs, as well as a few selections from his sister winery, Novy Family Vineyards.  

From 6p-8p Adam will be at another one of my favorite spots, Veritas Wine Room on Henderson Ave.  They will be pouring their 2008 Siduri Russian River Pinot Noir, 2006 Novy Napa Syrah and more.  Stop in for a taste!

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I Scuba For Scallops Taste Off: The Results

posted by Nancy Nichols | February 2nd, 2010 4:50pm | filed under AgriBusiness, Celebrity Chefs, Celebrity Diners, Contests, Restaurant News, seafood | 12 Comments »
Richard Chamberlain and chef Lan Nickens start the competition.
Richard Chamberlain and chef Lan Nickens start the competition.

I’ve just returned from Chamberlain’s Fish Market Grill in Addison where Richard Chamberlain and I hosted the “I Scuba for Scallops Taste Off.” There were 12 tasters and all 12 picked the hand-harvested diver sea scallops over dry-packaged U-10 sea scallops. As we’ve noted, many restaurants offer “diver scallops” on their menus but very few actually serve real diver (hand-harvested) scallops. I’ve only located two places in Dallas—The French Room and Aurora—that serve them occasionally on tasting menus.

Here’s one thing I’ve learned—a lot of chefs in Dallas don’t know the difference. Richard Chamberlain admitted that he had “diver” printed on his menu and he was serving dry-packaged U-10s. Today Chamberlain not only educated our little group, he also educated his staff.  Chamberlain has a batch of hand-harvested diver scallops. If you want to do a tasting, he and his chef Lan Nickens will be happy to cook up a plate for you until they run out. If you’re a seafood fan, this is a big treat. Real diver scallops are not only rare they cost 40 percent more than the U-10s.

U-10s at top. Divers at bottom
U-10s (top). Diver scallops (bottom).

The first noticeable difference between the two was the color. The raw dry packaged U-10s were light, almost white while the divers had a grayish, tan tint. Once cooked, the diver scallops seared to a gorgeous caramel brown while the U-10s stopped at a light “biscuit” brown. I’m guessing water content played a roll in the caramelization—diver scallops aren’t packed in water or stored on ice for longer periods of time like U-10s. The diver scallops were “denser” with a “meatier” texture while the U-10s appeared “looser” with a “springy” texture. If either one of these cooked scallops appeared alone on a plate you would consider each a thing of beauty. However, when we put the two side-by-side, our eyes and taste buds gravitated to the diver.

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Freebirds Announces Super Monster Burrito Eating Contest

posted by Sarah Eveans | February 2nd, 2010 11:38am | filed under Contests, Food Fight!, Tex-Mex | 7 Comments »
Photo courtesy of travelchannel.com

Photo courtesy of travelchannel.com

Calling all Man vs. Food wannabees: Freeb!rds has a challenge for you. Not just any old challenge, but a “Super Monster Burrito Eating Contest” challenge. This gives me a stomach ache just to type. But here you go:

Come one come all to a truly gluttonous affair at FREEB!RDS where patrons will hone in their inner monster, peel back the foil and try to eat their Super Monster Burrito with in the quickest time! The Dallas winner will get their picture posted in their home store, a FANATIC card preloaded with a free burrito, a FREEB!RD tee and a chance to compete in the “Big Kahuna” championship the following Saturday. If crowned, the “Big Kahuna” winner will win a FANATIC card preloaded with 100 points, a plaque with their picture on it hung in their home store and of course the honor of reigning Super Monster Burrito Eater supreme.

You are probably wondering, what the heck is in this thing? Well, all the usual suspects: rice, mixed cheese, beans, chicken or steak, mixed veggies, queso, pico, salsa, red onion, corn, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro and lettuce. Gulp. The contest will take place at three locations (5500 Greenville Ave, 5000 Beltline, and 238 W. Campbell Road) on February 20 at noon. The entry fee is $12.

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More From Matthew: Chef Antonovich Likes to Type:)

posted by Nancy Nichols | February 2nd, 2010 11:33am | filed under Celebrity Chefs, Ethnic Food | 7 Comments »

More from Matthew on TIE Restaurant. I e-mailed him a couple of questions. How are you going to get people in Park Cities to drive to up Highlands Ranch? Is your  “Partner from Thailand Chanipun Suyamo Corcoran” related to your former Sipango partner Ron Corcoran?

Hi Nancy :) ,
I am so glad to here from you, I hope all is well. I have been back to Dallas for six months shopping for a location for my new restaurant concept that is 8 years in the making. Its Sipango 17 years later. The difference is my style of cooking in 1994 when we opened Sipango was California/Italian from my experience at the Hotel Bel Air where I was special events chef and my travels working in Italy at Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence (thus my wood fired Tuscan Bistecca Florentina), Also at San Domenico where I learned the paper thin ravioli’s such as Asparagus Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter and at Alberto Ciarla in Rome where I fell in love with seafood and pasta combinations. I plan on opening my new concept TIE Restaruant and TIE Social Club in 2010 and am in final lease negotiations.  I will have some local Dallas investors that I have been cooking my new menu items for and thier sic support on the food and the concept is amazing. I think during this economic downturn there are opportunities to open a place that can support local and convention buisiness and grow into the community.  My style of food has changed over the last 17 years to stay current with trends and be on the pulse of what our upscale diners desire. My new cuisine is not a fusion cuisine which is not a word to describe modern mixed cuisines. I call it “Melting Pot Cuisine”. A mix of cultures rather than mixing two or more cuisines into one recipe.

Jump for LOTS more.

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Chef Randy Morgan to Leave Dallas Fish Market

posted by Nancy Nichols | February 2nd, 2010 11:18am | filed under Celebrity Chefs, Restaurant News | 6 Comments »

This just in: Randy Morgan will be leaving his post as execuchef of Dallas Fish Market to accept the position of execusous at Hibiscus.

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Update on Matthew Antonovich Restaurant in “Dallas’ Most Exciting Neighborhood”

posted by Nancy Nichols | February 2nd, 2010 9:03am | filed under Celebrity Chefs, Ethnic Food, Foodie People, hold on to your effin hat, Murmur, Neighborhood restaurants, Openings/Closings, Restaurant News, Steakhouses, sushi | 2 Comments »
Hey kids in the peanut gallery! Matthew Anonovich wants to hear you sing!
Hey kids in the peanut gallery! Matthew Antonovich wants to hear you sing!

Chef Matthew “Sipango,etc.” Antonovich is planning to open a ginormous “first Thai steakhouse in America” in a yet undisclosed location. More details here. The concept sounds bizarre/overly ambitious, but chef Matthew won me over with this money quote: “God bless the recession I have found great deals on equipment, designers and food service experts hungry to put Dallas back on the map of best restaurants in America.”

Anywhoo, last night at 10:24, Antonovich left a comment on an old post with an update. He says:

I am happy to say I am continuing with final lease negotiations with a fantastic landlord and developer of Dallas’s most exciting neighborhood. I have plans to open my 12,000 square foot restaurant that will house a first of its kind “Prime” Thai Steak House, Live Entertainment “Sipango Style”, a casual dining room with under $15 small plate courses, A Sushi Bar, Asian Noodle Bar, Indian Dine up Counter, location to be disclosed soon. Hint 6 minutes from Highlands Ranch. I am so happy that people are interested. My partners love the free press so any comments are welcome, especially from the peanut gallery.

A 12,000-square-foot global confusion restaurant six miles from this Highlands Ranch? I’m not sure. This would mean that “Dallas’ most exciting neighborhood” is in Denton County.  But I’d bet you knuckleheads in the peanut gallery know Highlands Ranch. Enlighten me.

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