Articles for June 1st, 2011

Video for el Bulli Fans

posted by Nancy Nichols | June 1st, 2011 4:29pm | filed under Celebrity Chefs, Travel | 4 Comments »

This short video just came across the wire, so to speak.

4 Comments »

Experience the Napa Valley Wine Auction at Home

posted by Hayley Hamilton | June 1st, 2011 1:58pm | filed under Celebrity Chefs, Events, Wine & Spirits | 2 Comments »

Tomorrow night Auction Napa Valley  begins celebrating their 31st year of raising funds for their community through all things wine and food at the source for the growth of wine making in America.  Since its inception in 1981 Auction Napa Valley has raised $97 Million to help with various non profit programs including health care, youth services and affordable housing throughout the valley.  The four days of auctions and events, hosted by the 400 member wineries of the Napa Valley Vintners Association, has become known as one of the leading fundraising weekends in the country. 

If you are a wine lover but can’t make it out to Napa this weekend the Napa Valley Vintners have set up a new online option for bidding,  putting you right in the middle of the action.  Through virtual bidding you can bid on any one of the 150 lots anywhere in the world, creating a truly global auction.  Lots are available for bidding now here through Sunday, June 5th at 6pm Pacific time.

I am heading out tomorrow to experience Auction Napa Valley and will be reporting back on the big winners of the weekend as well as an incredible dinner tomorrow with Dean Fearing and Coquerel Family Wines….I was instructed to bring my boots.

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Another Reason to Love Dallas: Norma’s Omelet Cookoff

posted by Sarah Reiss | June 1st, 2011 12:18pm | filed under Uncategorized |

You may have missed it, but in May, in celebration of National Egg Month, Norma’s Cafe held a month-long omelet contest. A staggering 4,000 customers submitted omelet recipes at Norma’s Oak Cliff and North Dallas locations, and tomorrow, June 2, from noon to 1:15, industry “eggsperts, Laird Morgan, executive chef of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital; Steve Shenkel, vice president of operations from Schepps Dairy; Shawn Williams, owner and editor of Dallas South News; s,d Ed Murph, Norma’s Cafe owner, will converge to taste the four semi-finalists’ recipes and put an end to the suspense once and for all.

Ladies and gentlemen, the four semi-finalists and their concoctions:

Kathy Holder of Oak Cliff – recipe: brisket, barbecue sauce, buffalo sauce, pinto beans, bell peppers, corn, red onion, American, cheddar and Jack cheeses
Robert Tapia of Oak Cliff – recipe: bacon, chicken fried chicken, buffalo sauce, avocado, jalapenos, American cheese, and tater tots
Mary Lou White of North Dallas – recipe: brisket, barbecue sauce, black-eyed peas, green onions, tomato, turnip greens, cheddar and fried pickles
Kathryn Diaz of North Dallas – recipe: chicken fried steak, sausage gravy, bell peppers, green onions, mushrooms, spinach, and cheddar cheese

The grand prize winner will receive an omelet party for eight, and their omelet will be featured on Norma’s breakfast menu for the month of June. The 1st runner-up will receive an omelet party for four. The 2nd and 3rd runners-up will be awarded Norma’s Cafe gift cards and merchandise.

Please Help This Visiting Gal Out

posted by Sarah Reiss | June 1st, 2011 11:46am | filed under Diets are stupid | 10 Comments »

A woman posted the following question on our Facebook fan page:

(I) need a restaurant recommendation for downtown Dallas, near the Magnolia Hotel. (Looking for) a mid-range expensive place, nice for ladies.

Let’s help her out.

10 Comments »

Douchey Bars in Dallas

posted by Nancy Nichols | June 1st, 2011 11:29am | filed under Bars, Cheap trick for comments, Cult Cuisine, GO MAVS!, Keep Dallas Douchey!, Mixology is fancy for bartender, Overprivileged chimps, Procrastination is part of the creative process, questionable judgment, youthful spontaneous restaurants | 83 Comments »

Many times we have some interesting conversations in the glamorous open offices at D Magazine. None of us have any secrets because each time one of us takes a phone call or starts a conversation, any a co-worker within 40 yards can hear what you say. The other day a riveting conversation about douchey bars in Dallas started in one corner of the office and spread across the entire 21st floor.

I, once again, disregarded my mother’s advice, and decided to sink to a new low: I would like to  start a list of douchey bars and restaurants in Dallas. Calling a place douchey– uninteresting, stale, preppy, mainstream, especially in a self-promoting way–swings both ways. Some people look for douchery while others avoid it. So, the term isn’t necessarily negative,  it’s just an adjective. On your mark, get set, procrastinate below.

83 Comments »

Vitality House Cafe Opens in Richardson With Flavorful Menu and Full-Time Nutritionist

posted by Sarah Reiss | June 1st, 2011 10:57am | filed under Breakfast, Brunch, catering, Good Morning, Health Food, How to Open a Restaurant 101, menus, Neighborhood restaurants, Openings/Closings, Organic, Politics of Food, Restaurant News | 1 Comment »

My husband and I battle for the title of Biggest Loser in our house; our respective weights fluctuating by 10 percent on a monthly basis (this month, he’s ahead, or behind depending on how you look at it). To be honest, we’d be happy for some steadiness, but as we all know, end-of-school-year stress, travel, and general laziness do not a stable diet make. Lucky for us, Chefs Chris and Sandy Smith have opened the doors on Vitality House Cafe just down the block in Richardson. The married duo employs in-house nutritionist Kelly Crawford, and in-house fitness consultant Stephen Crawford to provide information, consultation and support to diners needing encouragement toward a healthy lifestyle. The place is only open for breakfast, lunch, and coffee at this point, so it’s not yet available for last-minute save-me-from-myself dinners, but here’s hoping. I’ll be back soon with the first-hand scoop. In the meantime, here’s what they have to say about their plan:

jump for the Vitality mission statement… Continue reading "Vitality House Cafe Opens in Richardson With Flavorful Menu and Full-Time Nutritionist"

1 Comment »

Tasting Garnacha with Jorge Ordóñez in Dallas

posted by Andrew Chalk | June 1st, 2011 9:30am | filed under Andrew Chalk, Wine & Spirits, Wine Pairing | 1 Comment »

[Ed Note: Mr. Chalk filed this post ages ago and I just plain forgot to post it. Apologies.]

Few people have contributed as much to our knowledge of Spanish wine as winemaker/importer Jorge Ordóñez. He has imported wines from hitherto unheard of regions of Spain and systematically raised their profiles. He was in town as part of Central Market’s recent Pasaporte España festival where he spoke about his wines made from the Garnacha grape. I interviewed him about Spanish wine alternatives, both red and white.

1 Comment »

Best Place to Watch The Mavs Comeback On Thursday

posted by Nancy Nichols | June 1st, 2011 9:06am | filed under Bad critters, Bars, beer, GO MAVS! | 3 Comments »

Yesterday, Raya Ramsey gave you her suggestions for the best places to watch last night’s Maverick’s and the Heat (dumb name). Sadly, the dumb name Heat beat the Mavericks 92-84 in Game 1 of the NBA finals.  It’s time to change venues. Where did you watch last night and, more importantly, where will you be on Thursday night to watch game 2? (Please don’t say the Miami airport because it is the worst airport in the world.) GO.

3 Comments »

Eat This Now: Breakfast Tacos from Luna’s Tortilla Factory in Dallas

posted by Nancy Nichols | June 1st, 2011 9:00am | filed under Breakfast, Daniel Walker, Eat This Now!, Restaurant News, Reviews |

Daniel Walker roams Dallas in search of good eats. Today he files this report.

Summer is upon us, and for those of you with kids, this means you get those little bundles of joy sulking around the house all day long.  So, imagine it’s 10 AM Saturday morning, and you have tried just about everything short of water boarding to get your kids out of bed and doing their chores.  Well, all you diligent parents, I have found your solution.  Breakfast tacos from Luna’s Tortilla Factory.

It seems simple enough, but with the prospects of wrapping their lips around these breakfast beauties first thing in the morning, no punk teen could even dream about staying in bed.

Jump for more. Continue reading "Eat This Now: Breakfast Tacos from Luna’s Tortilla Factory in Dallas"

Guacamole in the Grass

posted by Sarah Reiss | June 1st, 2011 9:00am | filed under BYOB, catering | 3 Comments »

So, it’s Thursday afternoon and your so-and-so boss is once again demanding that you submit the widget report in triplicate before you head out for the day. The clock ticks away the minutes as you watch your plan for a romantic picnic at the arboretum splinter upon the rocks of professional commitment. Would that there were someone to fill the gap between good intentions and successful execution.

Enter Highland Park Cafeteria’s picnic program. Click onto Highland Park Cafeteria’s website by 2 pm on the day of the concert and staff will assemble a custom picnic (think cookies, sandwiches, chips/guacamole, gourmet cheese tray, salads, hotdogs, BBQ sandwiches, beverages, whatever) and have it ready for pick-up by 6 pm in their van next to the Martin Rutchik Concert Stage.

Problem solved. Disaster narrowly averted. Catastrophe staved off for another week.

3 Comments »