Articles for June 8th, 2011

New Restaurant at Gilley’s: Jack Daniel’s Saloon in Dallas

posted by Nancy Nichols | June 8th, 2011 4:11pm | filed under Copy/Paste Press Release, Openings/Closings, Restaurant News |

From the copy and paste press release department:

The landmark honky-tonk announces the newest addition to the Gilley’s Complex. The Jack Daniel’s Saloon, a full service restaurant, is whipping up Texas favorites and is now open for breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday through Thursday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday brunch from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The 3,000 square foot cowboy haven hosts live Texas music Friday and Saturday nights and features leather couches, rod iron fixtures, Texas memorabilia and rustic cowboy furnishings.

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Former Dallas Chef Calvin Harris Debuts The Biggest Loser/Simply Sensible Healthy Meals

posted by Nancy Nichols | June 8th, 2011 2:35pm | filed under Celebrity Chefs, Cooking, Cult Cuisine | 1 Comment »

Chef Calvin Harris visits D Magazine.

Last week former Dallas chef Calvin Harris stopped into his hometown to talk about his new line of products, The Biggest Loser/Simply Sensible. Harris visited the D Magazine offices where he spent time with intern Kelsy McCraw.

Chef Calvin Harris was born and raised in Dallas, but he now lives in Miami. Since we are in the midst of the fiery rivalry between the two cities, I had to ask the former “Colonel of South Garland High School” who he was rooting for in the NBA finals.

“I’m trying to figure out how to brainwash my son in Miami, but I don’t think I’m going to get him off the Heat, he’s just too involved in it,” Harris said. “I’m rooting for both of them in an odd way because I’ve been there [Miami] for so long, but I’m still a home-team guy.”

Harris may be evasive when it comes to talking sports but he is direct and passionate when he talks about food. He founded Harris Food Group in 2006, a commercial foodstuffs research and development company. Before that, he worked for the likes of T.G.I. Friday’s, Arby’s, and Burger King—all major international corporations where he has won dozens of awards and recognitions for his culinary skills and innovations. But, he just describes those as “fortunates.”

His company’s recent product epitomizes his enthusiasm. Harris partnered with NBCUniversal, the network that features the reality TV show “The Biggest Loser” where teams of obese contestants compete to lose weight. However, the show has morphed from a simple competition to a striking commentary on America’s obesity problem.

Hence the January debut of the Harris/NBC collaboration: Simply Sensible, a line of refrigerated, good-for-you meals, branded with “The Biggest Loser” television show’s name.

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A Voyeur’s Journey Into the New Lunch Menu at Craft Dallas

posted by Sarah Reiss | June 8th, 2011 2:17pm | filed under Chefs, Hippie revolutions, It's just lunch, menus | 1 Comment »

Leadership changes at Craft Dallas have resulted in a rethinking of the menu and a more casual lunch service. Yesterday, I was part of a group that was invited to the restaurant to taste from the new menu and chat with chef de cuisine Tim Bevins.

Croque madame with brioche bread, Benton's ham, and pecorino pepato. (All photos by Sarah Reiss)

“The dinner format—the à la carte things—doesn’t really work in a lunch situation,” said Bevins. “So what I did was streamline everything using the same ingredients, the same technique, the same care. Anything and everything that’s happening at night is happening at lunch. It’s still Craft philosophy down to a T, but it’s quite a bit more affordable at lunch and certainly a lot more streamlined. The quick in-and-out lunch is definitely not a problem whatsoever.”

Items on the two course lunch menu (Empire baguette, a crispy arancino ball, warm olives, and mixed greens with lemon marinated feta come as a first course) ranges in price from $8 (for whole-grain bruschetta with chevre, avocado, and walnut pesto) to $15 (for beef short rib with gnocchi and parsley). The menu morphs daily with market availability so that Bevins can utilize the best of the fields and farms. Follow the jump to see pics of the new menu.

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Eat This Now: Lomo Saltado at El Tesoro del Inca in Irving

posted by Nancy Nichols | June 8th, 2011 11:30am | filed under Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

Lomo Saltado from El Tesoro del Inca in Irving.

Ladies and gentlemen, Daniel Walker.

There is certainly no shortage of ethnic food in the city of Irving.  The city’s streets are packed with restaurants offering nearly every cultural experience one could ask for.  However, the sheer number of tiny, home-grown, authentic ethnic restaurants makes weeding out the good from the bad a rather daunting task to say the least.  Luckily, this week I had a little help from my friends.

Recently, a friend of mine recommended we try a little Peruvian place deep in the mix of the south Irving food scene.  Having lived in Peru for a couple years, his quest for authentic and exemplary Peruvian cuisine in the Dallas area has been a long and tedious one.  However, he assured me that El Tesoro del Inca was the best he had found.  I’ll admit that Peruvian cuisine is not something I am entirely familiar with, but after only one visit here, I am wondering how I went so long without it.

Each dish was a unique and wonderful experience in itself.  The owner explained the Peruvian cooking draws its flavors from the traditional spices of South America but also incorporates the classic elements of Chinese cuisine.  This blend of cultures creates some of the most outstanding and unforgettable dishes I’ve eaten in years.

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Restaurant Review: BEE in Dallas

posted by Nancy Nichols | June 8th, 2011 11:00am | filed under Restaurant News, Reviews | 3 Comments »

Blue corn chicken tinga. photo by Kevin Marple.

Scratch another notch into the win column for Monica Greene (Monica’s Aca y Alla, Ciudad). After a two-year hiatus in Aspen, Colorado, she’s back on terra familiares and marking her homecoming by opening BEE (Best Enchiladas Ever), a casual enchiladeria with DIY sensibility. Guests build their own enchiladas—simply or elaborately—by filling out and handing over tick sheets indicating their desired tortilla, filling, and sauce. Sounds easy until you’re faced with BEE’s kaleidoscope of choices.

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Intercontinental Hotel in Dallas Introduces Q de Cheval

posted by Andrew Chalk | June 8th, 2011 9:30am | filed under Andrew Chalk, Restaurant News | 1 Comment »

Chef Rex Turner at Queue de Cheval in the Intercontinental Hotel.

Changes are afoot at the  Intercontinental Hotel Dallas on Dallas Parkway in Addison. Restaurant Monte Carlo is no more it has been replaced by Q de Cheval. The name is apparently based on “la queue de cheval” or, Tail of the Horse. Although the official web site still spells it “Monte Carlo.” Oh well, the menu is different.

Incoming chef Rex Turner (formerly of Nick & Sam’s Steakhouse, Cole Vines, and Villa-O) combines southwestern influences with popular proteins to give patrons a taste of Texas without taking them too far out of their element. Below is is a picture gallery of some things we sampled at a recent meal for the food press. Continue reading "Intercontinental Hotel in Dallas Introduces Q de Cheval"

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Exclusive Video Interview with Anastacia “AQ” Quiñones, New Executive Chef at Alma on Henderson Ave.

posted by Sarah Reiss | June 8th, 2011 9:00am | filed under Chefs, Diets are stupid, Eat This Now!, Regional Mexican Cuisine, Restaurant News | 2 Comments »

Anastacia "AQ" Quiñones, the newest executive chef on Henderson Ave. (photo by Sarah Reiss)

She may be young by chefs’ standards (30), but Tristan Simon feels confident that Anastacia “AQ” Quiñones is ready to helm the ship at Henderson Avenue’s favorite regional Mexican watering hole. Today, Alma rolls out a totally tweaked menu, with AQ’s touches on nearly every dish, from the watermelon in the street corn snacks to the chicken in the chiles rellenos.

With the departure of Michael Brown, Simon moved Quiñones into the spot, telling her, “You were born to be an executive chef.” To which she humbly replied, “I was born to be a cook.” She comes by her humility honestly: she worked her way through CIA, perfected her craft at Jardinière in San Francisco, but more than these, her modesty stems from a family-centered youth spent in Dallas, on Henderson Avenue specifically, and a respect for the heritage passed down from mother to daughter. (Check out the part in the interview below when she talks about her mother learning to cook for her Highland Park employer by watching Sesame Street.)

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