Articles for March 21st, 2011

2011 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards Announced

posted by Nancy Nichols | March 21st, 2011 3:28pm | filed under Awards | 5 Comments »

Finalists are listed below the jump. Tyson Cole of Uchi in Austin is the only representative from Texas. He is nominated for Best Chef: Southwest.

UPDATE: Also from Texas in Best Chef: Southwest: Bruce Auden from Biga on the Banks in San Antonio and Bryan Caswell from Reef in Houston.

UPPITYDATE: Just received Broadcast and Journalism Awards. Full list below. City of Ate (Hanna Raskin), Alice Laussade of Dallas Observer, and Katherine Shilcutt at
Houston Press, and Houston writer Robb Walsh are in the finals. Continue reading "2011 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards Announced"

5 Comments »

2011 James Beard Award Finalists: Not Looking Good for Dallas

posted by Nancy Nichols | March 21st, 2011 2:34pm | filed under Awards | 2 Comments »

The official announcement hasn’t come via e-mail, but I’ve been following the James Beard Foundation’s Twitter feed coming from the awards luncheon in Portland and haven’t seen any Dallas finalists yet. Details coming or see for yourself here.

Update: Looks like City of Ate made it through for blogs and former DMN critic Bill Addison for Atlanta Magazine on Food/Travel.

Entire Twitter feed so far is here.

2 Comments »

Dragonfly Gets a Facelift

posted by Krista Nightengale | March 21st, 2011 12:18pm | filed under Chef's tasting, Diets are stupid | 3 Comments »

Last Friday, I was invited to take a look at Hotel Zaza’s Dragonfly’s relaunch. Gone is the dark decor and in its place is Fornasetti wallpaper, light hues, and clean lines. Also gone is chef Grant Morgan and in his place is chef Dan Landsberg (most recently of Tillman’s Roadhouse). Only on the job for about six weeks, Chef Landsberg explained that he wanted to create dishes that were a nod to the past but were very contemporary.

An entrée sampler with Bay of Fundy Salmon, Roasted Pork Tenderloin, and Comida.

We sampled deviled eggs with Tobiko caviar, Hoison barbecue baby-back ribs, Wasabi potato wontons (a play on potato skins), and brisket bacon sliders, which had cheddar and bacon mixed directly into the meat. My guest could not stop raving about the sliders. He vowed that he’d return and just order a couple plates of those. The Wasabi potato wontons were fun and packed quite a spicy kick (a trend we’d see a few times throughout the dinner). And while I love deviled eggs, I realized that I should only order them when I’m in the mood.

Continue reading "Dragonfly Gets a Facelift"

3 Comments »

Savor Dallas Reserve Tasting: Big Dog Wines Make the Cut

posted by Andrew Chalk | March 21st, 2011 10:37am | filed under Andrew Chalk, Savor Dallas 2011, Wine & Spirits | 2 Comments »

The Savor Dallas Reserve Tasting is where the Big Dog wines are served. The wines offered normally retail for at least $50 per bottle. Some are  are priced significantly higher. The vendors tend to compete with each other for a virtual “Best In Tasting” award making for an all around better experience for the consumer.

This year’s event featured some stellar wines and none of the problems with lines that affected the Wine Stroll on Friday. My personal favorite red wine of the evening was the 2007 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve, Napa Valley. It is Napa Cabernet Sauvignon personified with lush, soft tannins and intense dark fruit and vanillin in measurable amounts from careful use of new, French oak. You can drink it now with steak, lamb, of red game meat, or r keep it for a decade.

Jump for my tasting notes. Continue reading "Savor Dallas Reserve Tasting: Big Dog Wines Make the Cut"

2 Comments »

Good News for Fried Chicken Lovers: Henderson’s Chicken Returns

posted by Nancy Nichols | March 21st, 2011 9:20am | filed under Hot Links!, Openings/Closings, Restaurant News |

Particularly for  those of you who are nostalgic about Henderson’s.  Original recipe coming to Deep Ellum. Best hangover cure evah!

Finalists for the 2011 James Beard Award to be Announced Today

posted by Nancy Nichols | March 21st, 2011 9:03am | filed under Awards, Celebrity Chefs |

The finalists for the 2011 James Beard Award will be announced this afternoon. Dallas has some strong horses in this race.

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

As soon as I get the news, I’ll post results. If you’re away from your computer the word will go out simultaneously on Twitter (DSideDish) and Facebook. Full list of semi-finalists here.

Hennessy Hits Dallas to Promote New Image

posted by Andrew Chalk | March 21st, 2011 9:01am | filed under Andrew Chalk, cocktails, Wine & Spirits |

Toccara Jones and Jordan Bushell love Hennessey.

When I was just getting old enough to drink (around my 10th birthday), Hennessy Cognac was, like all Cognac, a drink for old men slumping around in clubs with wood-clad walls. Their conversations, possibly over a snifter of Hennessy, went something like this:

Man A: I think I shall wear my smoking jacket.

Man B: Huh?

Man A: I said, I think I shall wear my smoking jacket.

Man B: Why don’t you wear your smoking jacket?

Man A: Half past three.

Man B: Do you know that when I went out for my walk this morning it was pretty darn cold.

Man A: Your dog, you say, I had one of those once.

Man B: Now I think it has warmed up.

Man A: That means it is healthy. Just the nose should be cold.

Man B: It is much warmer than yesterday.

Man A: I think I shall wear my smoking jacket.

etc.

All that is about to change. Hennessy has a new slogan “Hennessy Remixed.” Hopes are it will reposition their VS (Very Special) to appeal to the young, hip crowd. Hennessy is  to Cognac what The Cadillac Escalade is to an SUV. It’s cool, edgy and a symbol for a sexy lifestyle. They have introduced our new flavors: apple, citrus, ginger and berry to use as a base for cocktails.

Jump for what happened on Friday nigh. Continue reading "Hennessy Hits Dallas to Promote New Image"