Articles for April 13th, 2011

Sharon Hage to Cook at Outstanding in the Field in Flower Mound

posted by Nancy Nichols | April 13th, 2011 4:05pm | filed under Celebrity Chefs, Celebrity Diners, Goats!, Groceries, Hippie revolutions, Local/Slow Food, Long table dinners |

Last year Sharon Hage and Tom Spicer created a magical evening.

Save the date: On Wednesday, October 19, Sharon Hage will be the guest chef for Outstanding in the Field’s longtable dinner that will take place at Latte Da Dairy in Flower Mound. There will be food, wine, and goats. Here is a report from the last event. Here’s how to reserve your place for the next.


Celebrate New Gloria’s with 25 Cent Margaritas

posted by Todd Johnson | April 13th, 2011 1:53pm | filed under cheap eats, cocktails, Openings/Closings, Restaurant News | 12 Comments »

Yep, that’s right. Throw back some cheap, tasty margaritas as Gloria’s celebrates both its 25th anniversary and the relocation of the original Gloria’s from its old Oak Cliff home next to Bolsa to its tonier digs down the street at the historic Fire Station No. 15 in Bishop Arts. The party starts tomorrow night (April 14 ) at Gloria’s new home. Read more about the new location here.

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Nonna’s Pasta Named One of America’s 101 Best

posted by Todd Johnson | April 13th, 2011 1:24pm | filed under Awards | 1 Comment »

Nonna's Julian Barsotti

Or here’s an excuse to click through a bunch of photos of pretty pasta online and drive Grub Street’s page views through the roof. Still, kudos to Nonna for making it onto GB’s list of the country’s 101 best noodle dishes. Well done.

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Lawry’s Chef Matt Melton Teaches Cooking Classes For Special Needs Kids at Market Street

posted by Nancy Nichols | April 13th, 2011 12:50pm | filed under Cooking, Cooking Classes | 1 Comment »

Each month, Lawry’s good-natured chef, Matt “Melon Head” Melton heads to Market Street in McKinney to teach a hands-on cooking class for mentally handicapped kids and young of adults. The classes are held every two weeks (1st and 3rd Wednesday) and they are looking for other chefs in the area who might be interested in teaching one or ten. “These classes are an awesome way for these guys to have fun and work on motor skills, “Melton said. If you are a chef and are interested in participating, please call Ruth or Maria at Dish at Market Street. 972-548-5167. You can check out the full schedule of classes here.

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Michael Scott Prepares for Competition

posted by Krista Nightengale | April 13th, 2011 11:52am | filed under Contests | 1 Comment »

Intern Katie Minchew spent part of her morning recently watching Michael Scott prepare for a timed cooking competition. Read on to see what happened.

Chef Scott hard at work.

On a warm morning in March, I met chef Michael Scott, seasoned culinary artist and executive chef at Northwood Country Club, and his mentor and coach, chef Andre Bedouret, a charmingly disheveled Frenchman who pronounces words like “list” as “leest.” I was there to witness one of Scott’s many practices for the American Culinary Federation Chef of the Year competition that will take place next Wednesday.

The kitchen is freezing at the early hour of seven. Steaming cups of coffee, black for me and Andre, creamy for Scott, line the stainless steel counter. Chef Scott is rushing around the room, pulling pots from here or there, asking an assortment of technical questions of his coach. This is his third practice run before the competition. (Today, a week before the competition, he’s done nine test runs.) Scott sifts through the competition packet, reviewing the rules. He hopes to achieve a perfect execution. He will have 15 minutes to set up, 60 minutes to “fabricate and cook four portions of their dish,” which must incorporate a whole bone-in duck, 10 minutes to plate the dish, and 15 minutes to clean his cooking area.

Continue reading "Michael Scott Prepares for Competition"

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Restaurant Review: Whiskey Cake in Plano

posted by Nancy Nichols | April 13th, 2011 9:02am | filed under Burgers, Restaurant News, Reviews, Skinny bitches | 5 Comments »

The Three Little Pigs pulled pork sliders served on a warm brick. Photography by Kevin Marple.

This month in D Magazine, Sarah Reiss writes about three little pigs and a good burger.

In the bandwagon world of nouveau-rustic dining, one of the more damning descriptors a reviewer can ascribe to a restaurant is the word “franchiseable.” The term not only brings a curl to the lip of a certain breed of foodie, but it also puts the restaurant in the position of having to overcome typecasting.

Which brings us to Plano’s Whiskey Cake. Taking hold in the former Plano Tavern location, this neo-steampunk eatery—with its exposed brick, yellow-filament Thomas Edison bulbs, and warehouse sensibility—appears to be at war with itself. On one hand, we have the postindustrial aesthetic, on-site herb gardening, in-house curing, and advanced cocktailery—all tough to replicate. On the other, there are kitschy signs, costumed servers, familiar layouts, and an interior that feels like you have landed in Anywheresville, USA. This is not a value judgment as much as a recognition that, no matter how good the food, much of the Whiskey Cake concept screams “franchise.”

Click for more.

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