Articles for August 18th, 2010

What I’m Drinking Now: WOW wine!

posted by Hayley Hamilton | August 18th, 2010 2:42pm | filed under Texas Sommelier Conference, TexSom 2010, Wine & Spirits | 2 Comments »

Man there is some good wine out there!

The last weeks I have had the opportunity to taste some great wine, often when I least expected it.  I noted the fantastic Leonetti we had at dinner the other night.  That was just the tip of the iceberg of the wine enjoyed over the weekend at the TexSom conference and more.  Some options have been sent for editorial consideration, others I just love.

Brenda and Clay Cockerell came over for dinner the other evening and (to my delight) brought some of their extraordinary Terrior Coquerel. A very French style Sauvignon Blanc filled with subtle citrus, with solid minerality and herbal notes.  The Terrior is all estate grown fruit from their vineyard in Calistoga, and aged in new French oak for 8 months.

When the Sigel’s on Inwood closed last year I stocked up on some great wines, including a 2004 Kenneth Crawford Blue Fin Syrah from Santa Ynez Valley which we opened Sunday night.  Aged 18 months in French oak, this is an extremely easy drinking Syrah filled with bright fruit flavors.  I love a Syrah with smoky, meaty notes that many of them have.
This one is not that, and instead is a juicy, but not jammy, blend of blackberry, black cherry and blueberry with black pepper and earth on the finish.  A delicate, delightful wine. Continue reading "What I’m Drinking Now: WOW wine!"

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Sprinkles Dallas Selling Cupcakes To Benefit Hunger Busters

posted by Allison Hatfield | August 18th, 2010 1:55pm | filed under cupcakes, Diets are stupid, Sprinkles Cupcakes |

Like you need another excuse to go to Sprinkles: the cupcake shop has partnered with Hunger Busters to “provide Dallas schoolchildren who participate in subsidized breakfast and lunch meal plans with a nutritious and sustaining third meal of the day,” according to the press release. The benefit runs Monday through Friday (August 23-28) and 100 percent of sales from the vanilla milk chocolate cupcakes decorated with a gold star (pictured here) goes to the organization.

Somebody Help This Poor Boy: Fantasy Football Food

posted by Nancy Nichols | August 18th, 2010 12:52pm | filed under Foodie People, Restaurant News | 31 Comments »

This in from a Disher who prefers finer foods with his football.

I’ve been looking for somewhere for our 10-12 person group to do our fantasy football draft that isn’t a chicken wing place or the like. I’d really like somewhere with better food, but Chowhound and google haven’t been much help. Most of the chain sports bars will offer deals with a group where they make sure you have a big table, WiFi access, good views of a couple TVs and usually some discounted food/beer for your draft.  I’ve tried to find somewhere local with better food, but haven’t really found much that isn’t just a big chains. Needs to be on a Sunday afternoon/evening this weekend or next.  I think we’d have about 10 guys, give or take 2 either way depending on schedules.

Down, set, hut…

31 Comments »

Cupcake Happy Hour at Aston’s

posted by Todd Johnson | August 18th, 2010 12:21pm | filed under cheap eats, cupcakes | 2 Comments »

Maybe cupcakes have jumped the shark, especially when they start making reality shows about them. (Yes, I’m talking about Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. Yawn.) But, hey, when done right, they’re still tasty. And for a $1? Why the heck not? This week, Aston’s Bakery is hosting a week-long cupcake happy hour Tuesday-Friday 4-6pm. Red velvet, chocolate, carrot, Texas pecan — all the usual suspects. Go get your frosting fix.

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Texas Wineries Fight for the Right to Export

posted by Nancy Nichols | August 18th, 2010 12:02pm | filed under North Texas Wine, Nutjobs, Politics of Food, Wine & Spirits |

Over on FrontBurner, Wick is calling attention to Congress’ efforts to pass a federal law (Comprehensive Alcohol Regulatory Effectiveness Act of 2010 (CARE Act) that would prohibit Texas wine makers from expanding to markets outside of Texas. Alcohol wholesalers in Texas have launched a huge lobbying campaign to pass the bill that would allow them maintain their position between producers and residents of other states. Little guys? You’re screwed.

Here are someTexas wine industry facts:
Winery Sales – Distributors $30,778,000
Winery Sales – Direct $24,611,000
Full-time Equivalent Jobs 8,971
Wages Paid $298 million
Winery Revenue $55 million
Cases Produced 1 million
Retail Value of Texas Wine $98.5 million
Vineyard Revenue $4.8 million
Number of Wineries 162
Number of Commercial Growers 280
Grape-Bearing Acres 2,900
Wine-Related Tourism Expenditures $296.6 million
Number of Wine-Related Tourists 958,000
Taxes Paid: State and Local/Federal $63.3 million/$78.9 million

CuriousDish: Sexy Restaurants and Sexy Food in Dallas

posted by George Lewis | August 18th, 2010 11:19am | filed under Neighborhood restaurants, youthful spontaneous restaurants | 9 Comments »

Let forget about Restaurant Week for a few minutes. For once the masses have cleared, I head back to my favorite, small, intimate venues.  I look for spaces with hushed tones, unobtrusive service and memorable food that isn’t so heavy that the valet has to wheel you out.  (Tramontana in Preston Center and Sardines in Fort Worth spring to mind.)  Nero’s (R.I.P.) was a great, relatively inexpensive setting that had a lot of sex appeal.

While some big-name restaurants hire expensive teams of designers to create a sexy setting, other restaurants achieve sexiness by default–perhaps they’ve been open for a long time and the sexiness comes from familiarity. Maybe it’s  the lighting or the color of a wall. Whatever it is, let’s try to put into words what makes a restaurant sexy.

So, Dishers, what elements of a restaurant make it a sexy? What are the sexiest restaurants in Dallas and Fort Worth?

9 Comments »

2010 KRLD Restaurant Week Reader Reviews

posted by Nancy Nichols | August 18th, 2010 9:00am | filed under KRLD Restaurant Week 2010 | 9 Comments »

Comments are open. Operators are standing by.

UPDATE: Nobu. Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. Sambuca 360. Ocean Prime.

9 Comments »