Articles for February 17th, 2011

George Catering in Dallas is Closing

Oh no, say it isn’t so. After a 12-year run, chefs Katie and George Brown are closing GEORGE Catering at the end of February.  The Browns started the company in 1999 and through the years also started the four-star GEORGE Restaurant and launched a specialty food company, Bandera Foods, maker of the Killer Pecans. If you have an event booked, don’t panic. All of those on the books will be completed. And Bandera foods will continue to sell Killer Pecans. www.killerpecans.com

Full press release below. (Miss you guys already.)

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Special Report: Jason Kosmas to Leave Bolsa in Dallas

Jason Kosmas. photo by Robert Bostick.

Steven Doyle has the latest scoop on the peripatetic mixologist, Jason Kosmas. Take it away, Dallas Dude.

Jason Kosmas has had a busy year. Earlier this year he left Neighborhood Services Tavern to work along side Eddie “Lucky” Campbell behind the bar at Bolsa. He also published his second book Speakeasy. Kosmas told me that he is going to leave Bolsa soon to work as beverage director at Twomey Concepts alongside chef Tre Wilcox at the soon-to-open Marquee Club in Highland Park Village.

The humble and talented bartender has regrets leaving Bolsa adding that his time with the restaurant has been enjoyable. “Historically I have not moved around much in my career, says Kosmas. “I left Neighborhood Services because I need more flexibility in my schedule after the book was released. When I was first approached by Justin Beam [Twomey Concepts] I said I wasn’t interested because I have been very happy being part of Bolsa. I love the clientele, the neighborhood and all the staff. But when I saw the details of the opportunity it made perfect sense.”

The Management position will give Kosmas a chance to exercise his creativity and work hours which will enable him to spend more quality time with his family. Kosmas will begin working for Twomey Concepts next Monday morning hashing out the details of staffing and outfitting the soon-to-open restaurant. Kosmas will oversee all aspects of the beverage program including the wine program which he said will be a fantastic value for the market.

As for Eddie Campbell, he and fellow barman Michael Martensen (The Cedars Social) started a build out for their yet-to-be-named downtown concept that will feature many of the same pre-Prohibition cocktails and a small menu at the former Dr. Bell’s BBQ space once home to a bar run Jack Ruby.

Well, all of this great news comes just in time for cocktail hour. Thanks, Steven. Chin-chin.

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The 2011 JBF Restaurant and Chef Semi-Finalists Announced

The 2011 Restaurant & Chef Semi-Finalists were announced this morning. Dallas, unlike Houston, was not overlooked.  Our representatives are:

Outstanding Chef: Stephan Pyles, Stephan Pyles

Outstanding Restaurant: Mansion Restaurant at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek

Outstanding Service: The French Room at the Adolphus Hotel

Outstanding Wine Service: Café on the Green at Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas

at Las Colinas, Irving, TX, James Tidwell

Best Chef in Southwest: Teiichi Sakurai, Tei-An

Two Texas restaurants made it to the Best New Restaurant in America category: Bootsie’s Heritage Café in Tomball, Texas and Uchiko, Austin. Uchiko, Austin. Philip Speer of Uchi in Austin is nominated as Outstanding Pastry Chef. Joining Teiichi Sakurai in Best Chef in Southwest category are Armando Pomales, of Café Central in El Paso and Tyson Cole from Uchi in Austin.

James Beard panelists will vote until March 7. The finalists will be announced in Portland, Oregon on March 21, 2011. Winners will be announced at Lincoln Center in New York City on May 9, 2011. All other information regarding the 2011 Awards is here, www.jamesbeard.org/awards.

I’ve posted the full list below. Feel free to leave feedback on any of those restaurants you’ve tried. Way to go, Dallas.

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