Articles for March, 2011

The Dallas Must-Do List: Eat a Jimmy’s Sandwich

posted by Courtney Foreman | March 31st, 2011 2:35pm | filed under Dallas Must-Do List, Sandwiches | 18 Comments »

Courtney bites into the Cuban.

After last week, I have now done six of the Things Every Dallasite Must Do. Now I’m going for my 7th: Eat a sandwich at Jimmy’s Food Store.

I wasn’t quite sure if Jimmy’s would live up to my expectations when I first found the place. I’ve always heard how great the sandwiches are and how much I’d love the food. At first glance, I wasn’t convinced.

The market-style restaurant threw me off initially, until I got a good look of the layout of the place. I couldn’t help but notice the funny looks given to me and D Magazine’s shopping intern, Maggie, when we walked in wearing heels and holding our iPhones. It’s not the type of place where a dress code is enforced. Continue reading "The Dallas Must-Do List: Eat a Jimmy’s Sandwich"

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Thursday Brews News—Let’s Get This Party Started

posted by Sarah Reiss | March 31st, 2011 12:33pm | filed under beer, Events | 4 Comments »

Meddlesome Moth Celebrates One-Year Anniversary With Ale Week April 4-10.

It’s going to be epic. A virtual tap takeover. In honor of their first year of craft-beer bliss, the Moth is hosting an entire week devoted entirely to ales and the people who love them.

Festivities will include:

  • A series of exclusive beer dinners
  • Special cask-conditioned ales on tap every day
  • Appearances and talks by craft beer industry leaders
  • Many new special draught releases
  • Two Saturday Ale Fest sessions
  • A Sunday “leftovers” brunch

Jump for the full events schedule… Continue reading "Thursday Brews News—Let’s Get This Party Started"

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Brews News Debuts

posted by Sarah Reiss | March 31st, 2011 12:09pm | filed under beer, Cult Cuisine, Dallas Must-Do List, Events | 2 Comments »

What’s that you say? You want short & sweet weekly updates about Dallas’ craftbrew, microbrew, and homebrew culture?

You got it.

As much as we hate to think about it, these warmer temps mean that yet another punishing summer is lurking just around the corner. So, the way we see it, there’s no time like the present to get started—prime the tap, if you will—and give you all the info you’ll need to add some new brews to your repertoire and beat the heat at the same time. Every Thursday we’ll do our level best to keep you in the know about upcoming rare beer tappings, brewery openings, new arrivals, and can’t-miss events. If it’s on our radar, you’ll find it here.

Want to get something on our radar? Drop an email to sarah.reiss@dmagazine.com.

See you in the brews!

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Sad News: The Bronx in Dallas is Closing

posted by Nancy Nichols | March 31st, 2011 11:24am | filed under Best Gay Hangout Restaurant Evah!, Closings, Food Crime, Hippie revolutions, Nostalgia, Restaurant News | 10 Comments »

My mom is sitting in the other room reading the Dallas Morning News. Suddenly, she burst into tears. “Oh my god, The Bronx is closing!” I jumped on to Eats where La Brenner posts about Karen Robinson Jacobs’ report. Oh my god is right. I remember hanging out there when Stephan Pyles was the chef and the quiche was the best in town. And the omelets. I am feeling old and sad right now.

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Shrine Circus Elephants Dine at the Dallas Farmers Market

posted by Nancy Nichols | March 31st, 2011 11:08am | filed under Celebrity Diners, Events, freebies, Long table dinners, Slow News Day | 7 Comments »

Intrepid intern Katie Minchew ran away with the circus—for the afternoon. Read up on her adventures with the elephants at the Dallas Farmers Market:

The Shrine Circus is in town at Fair Park Coliseum until Sunday.

Yesterday, despite the unseasonably chilly weather, three of the show’s Asian elephants—Cindy, Betty, and Bo—presented a little side show at the Dallas Farmers Market where the public was invited to “lunch with the elephants.” Cindy and Betty worked up their appetite giving the kids (and policemen) rides around the ring while Bo lounged behind the scenes awaiting the feast of fruit supplied by the Dallas Farmers Market.

Larry Carden, son of the George Carden of George Carden Circus International, talked me through the feeding of these magnificent pachyderms. They eat 150 squares of hay per week, one thousand dollars of produce each week, and 20 bags of feed every day. They don’t usually get this much produce at a time so “this fruit table will be a treat for them,” said Carden.

Jump for the rest of the story. Continue reading "Shrine Circus Elephants Dine at the Dallas Farmers Market"

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Toast Texas Spirits at The Library Bar

posted by Sarah Reiss | March 31st, 2011 11:01am | filed under cocktails |

Put on your boots and shuffle on down to the Library Bar at the Warwick Melrose where, starting April 8, the cocktail menu will take on a Texas twist in honor of Texas’ 175th birthday.

The Texas Rattlesnake, made with Balcones Baby Blue Whiskey (Waco), Garrison Brother’s Bourbon (Dripping Springs), cherry brandy, and a splash of sour mix, offers a drink with a bite.
The Lone Star Martini, made with Texas’ own Dripping Springs Vodka
The Blue Bonnet, also made with Dripping Springs Vodka and Railean White Rum (Galveston Bay)
The Texas Ice Tea a volatile mix of Dripping Springs Vodka, Railean White Rum (Galveston Bay), and Pepe Zevada’s Z Tequila (Austin)
The Prickly Pear Cactus Margarita with Pepe Zevada’s Z Tequila (Austin)

Don’t fret beer and wine lovers. Texas-based breweries and wineries won’t be left out.

The three-week bash starts next Friday and will disappear like a ghost town after April 30. And the Lone Star signature drinks are all $10 or less, so saddle up and belly up to the bar before it’s too late.

First-Monday Freebies at Screen Door

posted by Sarah Reiss | March 31st, 2011 10:48am | filed under freebies |

There’s one four letter word (besides pony, cake, swag, and, of course, doob) that brings us running—and that word is FREE. Especially when it refers to food. Screen Door at One Arts Plaza knows our dirty little secret and feeds our need on Monday, April 4 from 5 to 8 p.m. when diners will have the first opportunity to try two off-the-menu dishes for free.

This month, you can select two complimentary plates from the following options:

  • Quail filled with okra & pecans, arugula, sweet potato shoestrings, lemon, and sorghum
  • Sesame catfish, sweet & sour chilies, and shellfish bisque
  • Black bean cake, sour cream, and green tomato gravy

As you’d guess, you’re not getting near the place without a reservation, and group reservations are limited to six people, so don’t try using this as a cheap way to host your rehearsal dinner.  Call 214-720-9111 to reserve your spot.

Report: 2011 Dallas Pizza Tour

posted by Andrew Chalk | March 31st, 2011 10:37am | filed under Andrew Chalk, Foodie People, Foodie Video, Hippie revolutions, pizza, Steven Doyle | 10 Comments »

The 1969 Chevrolet school bus, Woodstock Edition.

Last Saturday was the latest in a lengthening list of Dallas Foodie Tours: The 2011 Dallas Pizza Tour. Like the Burger, Taco, and Vegan tours that preceded the tour was the brainchild of Steven Doyle, best known as never having written for Dallas/Ft. Worth Construction News (ed note: The list of Dallas publications that Steve Doyle has written for is now so long it is easier to just list the ones he hasn’t written for). As with previous tours we took our 1969 Chevrolet School Bus (Woodstock Edition) and traveled around several premier pizza sites in town, tasting at each stop. The good folks at Elm Street Bar were kind enough to provide us with a keg of beer which kept the 20 or so participants from dying of thirst on the way.

Janet Provost's kitchen and pizza

From base camp in Deep Ellum we headed out to the leafy lanes of  The OC and the house of Janice Provost, co-owner and co-chef of Parigi. There we sampled pizzas made by her and her husband ranging from classic Margherita through to taste benders like white truffle mushroom. The crust was the most idiosyncratic part. It was thin and crisp, almost to the point of being flat bread. The taste was as dry as a stone ground cracker. Pizza crust is a very personal thing and the variations on this tour turned out to be huge. To my taste, this was my favorite.

Jump for the whole story.

Continue reading "Report: 2011 Dallas Pizza Tour"

10 Comments »

Would This Restaurant Work in Dallas?

posted by Nancy Nichols | March 31st, 2011 9:46am | filed under Overprivileged chimps, Procrastination is part of the creative process, Restaurant News, Slow News Day | 7 Comments »

Oh my god, oh my god you guys!

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What I’m Drinking Now: Washington State Wine

posted by Hayley Hamilton | March 30th, 2011 4:53pm | filed under Chef's tasting, food pairings, Wine & Spirits | 1 Comment »

Washington State wine makers and representatives have been in town this week hosting a few wine dinners around the city, with lucky attendees tasting and learning why wine from Washington State is so impressive. 

Monday night Kate Derby Raymond of Spring Valley Vineyards, granddaughter of vineyard owners Dean and Shari Corkrum Derby and great-great-granddaughter of founder Uriah Corkrum of Spring Valley in Walla Walla, teamed with the folks at Perry’s Steakhouse and Grille for a lavish 5-course dinner featuring both the red wines of Spring Valley Vineyards and the white wines of their sister winery, Chateau St. Michelle.  Continue reading "What I’m Drinking Now: Washington State Wine"

1 Comment »

Al Biernat’s Lands in People

posted by Tim Rogers | March 30th, 2011 1:38pm | filed under Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

Jerry Jones hosted a big party back on Super Bowl Saturday at Al Biernat’s. The place was lousy with celebrities. Don’t make me name all. So in the current issue of People (April 11, with Elizabeth Taylor on the cover), the restaurant gets a whole page. No word yet whether Al himself took his pants off for the magazine, like he did for us. Something else we don’t know: how will Al Biernat’s fare when we rank the top 20 steakhouses in Dallas next month? (Well, actually, we know where the restaurant ranks, because we’re working on our May issue right now. But you don’t know. Yet.)

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Taste Courtney’s Cuvee #1 Reserve at FUQUA Winery

posted by Sarah Reiss | March 30th, 2011 10:10am | filed under Wine & Spirits | 2 Comments »

Act fast to grab one of the 40 spots at FUQUA Winery‘s fine wine tasting this Thursday from 7 to 9:30pm at FUQUA Winery. Guests will taste Courtney’s Cuvée #1 Reserve, a spectacular blend made from Texas and California grapes that just won back to back medals at the 2011 Dallas Morning News Wine Competition and the 2011 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, as well as the FUQUA Texas Summer Cab, a light, flavorful wine perfect for warmer days of spring and sizzing summer. Other wines from France, Italy, Spain, Australia, and California, as well as all of the FUQUA wines, will flow throughout the event. The event is a steal at only $20 per person. Call Lee at 214 769-1147 to reserve your spot.

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Second Take: Not Your Father’s Dragonfly

posted by Andrew Chalk | March 30th, 2011 9:25am | filed under Andrew Chalk, BBQ, Celebrity Chefs, Openings/Closings, Restaurant News | 3 Comments »

Best of the best? Hoisin BBQ Baby Back Ribs at Dragonfly

Recently Krista Nightengale reported on her visit to Dragonfly inside Hotel ZaZa in Uptown. Last week, I attended a press event and got to check out the renovated dining room and sample some of new chef  Dan Landsberg ‘s menu items. I wasn’t anonymous or paying so what follows is not a review. Rather it is a description of what to expect at Dragonfly.

The bottom line is: forget everything you ever knew about Dragonfly. This is not your father’s Dragonfly. Remember him: The dude with the dope raps. The one who protested the Vietnam War and is still a Dead Head at 60. Like the original Dragonfly, he’s edgy. It was perfectly conceived in design and menu and took Dad back as he engaged in a 20-year counter-apostasy of youth. [Editor's note: Andrew's on his own here!]

Continue reading "Second Take: Not Your Father’s Dragonfly"

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Scardello Artisan Cheese in Dallas To Host Two Texas Cheesemaker Tours

posted by Nancy Nichols | March 29th, 2011 3:38pm | filed under Cheese, Local/Slow Food, Travel | 2 Comments »

Scardello Artisan Cheese owner and cheesemonger Rich Rogers is planning two Texas Cheesemaker Tours this spring. Each tour (April 30 & May 28) will take guests to Rich’s favorite local cheese producers for a sampling of the local cheesy fare. All the details are below. Continue reading "Scardello Artisan Cheese in Dallas To Host Two Texas Cheesemaker Tours"

2 Comments »

A Visit With Bruce Cakebread

posted by Hayley Hamilton | March 29th, 2011 3:18pm | filed under Wine & Spirits | 2 Comments »

Ocean Prime Shrimp, Crab and Oyster Appetizer

Last week Bruce Cakebread, son of Napa Valley’s Cakebread Cellars  founders Jack and Delores Cakebread, was in Dallas for a visit and I had an opportunity to sit down with him over lunch at Ocean Prime. While noshing on a stunning cold shellfish platter, while sipping an equally stunning, mineral rich Sauvignon Blanc from their estate vineyards in Rutherford, Calistoga and Carneros we chatted about the almost 40 year history of Cakebread and how the winery has become one of the most respected and well known wineries in Napa Valley.  How did this happen?  By creating a highly efficient, customer focused winery with uncompromising quality. 

Continue reading "A Visit With Bruce Cakebread"

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Hot Damn! It’s Almost Free National Grilled Cheese Day at Norma’s

posted by Sarah Reiss | March 29th, 2011 12:59pm | filed under freebies |

Break out the Lipitor and wade into the cheese-loving throngs at Norma’s on April 12 for National Grilled Cheese Day, when guests will receive one free grilled cheese sandwich on the house. While you’re at it, be a mensch and pony up for a bowl of Norma’s homemade soup to go with it. Get there early; I anticipate a crowd.

Savor Mexico This Thursday

posted by Sarah Reiss | March 29th, 2011 12:47pm | filed under Events |

Head to Milestone Culinary Arts Center this Thursday for Savor Mexico, A Culinary Competition and a Gastronomical Affair sponsored by Desperados Mexican Restaurant and el Consulate General of Mexico in Dallas. The event runs from 7 to 10 pm and showcases the spatula skills of student chefs from the Universidad Internacionalde Profesiones (UNIPRO) and their award winning dishes from Mexico’s Guanajuato region (lubricated by Desperados’ margaritas, mojitos, cervezas, and vino). Tickets, which are available on the event’s website (www.savormexico.org), are $50.

Donations will go to the to the Greenville Area Business Association’s College Scholarship Fund.

www.savormexico.org
214-363-1850

First-Take Bar Review: Katy Trail Ice House

posted by Raya Ramsey | March 28th, 2011 12:30pm | filed under Bars, beer, Beverages | 11 Comments »

The Katy Trail Ice House

Here are our thoughts from opening night at the new jogging trail-adjacent bar:

The Concept: It actually backs up to the Katy Trail. We parked on Blackburn Street, walked up a path to hop on the trail, and walked a few feet to get to the back entrance of the Ice House. Dozens of wooden picnic tables cover the patio. Inside it’s all wood walls, tin accents, one long bar, and (as we counted) seven flat-screens, featuring sports. To summarize: casual.

Who’s There: Families with kiddos, girls in sundresses, and sets of couples packed the picnic tables. Inside, groups of guys (college-aged to 40s) and gals (mostly 20s and 30s) with beers in-hand huddled around each table. Basically anyone who wants a low-key evening with some brewskies can enjoy this place. Continue reading "First-Take Bar Review: Katy Trail Ice House"

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Win a Whole Foods Foodie Fantasy Vacation

posted by Nancy Nichols | March 28th, 2011 12:14pm | filed under Contests, Foodie People |

This just in from Karen Lukin’s office at Whole Foods

Calling all food bloggers!  Enter your 30-60 second video about why you should win the Foodie Fantasy Vacation.  Deadline’s in a few days, so get out the iPhone, the Flip, or your video cam and talk to us. Here’s the dream prize:  Two (2) “Berlin to Paris” trip packages from Intrepid Travel with airfare departing from a major airport in the continental United States, One (1) $500 American Express Gift Card, and Two (2) in-country food producer visits.

Go to this link to check out the entry rules to be sure your blog qualifies.

Videos will be posted on the web for the world to see.  Final winners & runners-up will be voted on by the website audience (also, see rules for judging information).

Well, my food fantasy vacation doesn’t qualify. Damn. Too many X’s.

Prince William Chooses Dallas Chef Darren McGrady’s Recipe for His Wedding Cake

posted by Nancy Nichols | March 28th, 2011 11:57am | filed under Baking, Celebrity Chefs, Cult Cuisine, Nostalgia, Slow News Day | 10 Comments »

Hmm. Cake.

From 1993 until her death in 1997, Darren McGrady was Princess Diana’s personal chef. He helped her recover from bulimia and prepared William and Harry’s daily meals. He moved to Dallas in late 2003. I profiled McGrady in May 2004.

Today McGrady is a busy dude. He’s a chef, author, culinary consultant, event planner, and public speaker. His first cookbook, Eating Royally, is filled with recipes and remembrances from the palace kitchens. The book is in its fifth printing and all advances and royalties are donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation. Today he sends this happy story.

I was thrilled to learn that Prince William had chosen the Chocolate Biscuit Cake recipe from my book Eating Royally, recipes and remembrances from a palace kitchen for his wedding cake because Chocolate biscuit cake is also his grand mothers favorite cake. I used to prepare it for both of them when they had tea together. The Queen would request the cake in the menu book for Sunday tea when she knew her grandson would be joining her from Eton.

UPPITY DATE: McGrady just dropped this note: “Just wanted to clarify though that the chocolate biscuit cake recipe was not my creation but a recipe we had used at the palace that i had put in my book. I just changed on my blog, BIG apologies, although I made the recipe many times for William it wasn’t my recipe. Think I am better at rattling pans than blogging.”

Jump for the rest of the story. Continue reading "Prince William Chooses Dallas Chef Darren McGrady’s Recipe for His Wedding Cake"

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