Articles for July 28th, 2011

Kent Rathbun Pairs Patron

posted by Hayley Hamilton | July 28th, 2011 4:33pm | filed under Celebrity Chefs, cocktails, Wine & Spirits |

We love a good wine dinner in Dallas.  On any given night there will be at least two or three wine dinners happening somewhere in the city, along with the growing demand for beer pairing dinners.  With that, sometimes we need a good dose of something else to pair with the delicacies Dallas chefs are creating, like tequila.

Chef Kent Rathbun will begin a series of Patron Tequila dinners at Abacus on August 9th pairing specialty Patron cocktails, created with the help of Patron’s mixologists, with everything from blue crab and spicy tangerine ceviche to ancho and coriander spice rubbed Strube Ranch beef. Reservations required, 214-559-3111.  The other Patron dinners will take place at his Jasper’s locations in Austin and The Woodlands.

Can’t make it in for dinner?  No worries, starting next Monday Abacus will be featuring a Patron Peach Skinny Margarita with Patron Reposado, peach puree and fresh lime juice….sounds healthy enough, certainly tasty enough!
If it is just too hot to leave the house, mix up your own super easy Patron summer cocktail.  I love the Patron Pomegranate with fresh lime, pomegranate and Patron silver.  You could substitute pineapple, ruby red grapefruit or orange juice for the pomegranate too.

Patrón Pomegranate
1 oz. Patrón Silver tequila
1⁄4 oz. Patrón Citrónge orange liqueur
Fresh pomegranate juice
Lime squeeze
Pour Patrón Silver and Patrón Citrónge over ice. Fill with pomegranate juice. Finish with a squeeze of lime. Enjoy.

Late-Night Nosh. Where Do You Go?

posted by Sarah Reiss | July 28th, 2011 2:37pm | filed under cheap eats | 20 Comments »

Last night was a busy one. We had interns at The Mansion, editors at a private party at the Stoneleigh P, and photographers popping up all over this parched parcel we call a town. But come 10 pm, we all shared a commonality: we were tired but starving and in need of a nosh before calling it a day.

Last night was no anomaly, in fact this happens more often than not in our line of work. For most of us, it works out best if we can swing through somewhere relatively healthy on our way home and eat take-out in our PJs. Last night, one of us was lucky enough to catch a bi bim bop shop as they were closing, but others on our staff didn’t fare so well.

Which started up the conversation, where—by neighborhood—do you go when it’s late (lateness being the key here), you’re tired and hungry, and you need something quick (and not gross. No fast food drive-thrus). Preferably call-ahead take-out. The D Recommends app is great for this, but not everyone has a smartphone. So we decided we need a good old-fashioned cheat-sheet. Feel free to chime in.

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Reflections On State & Allen Appetizers

posted by Sarah Reiss | July 28th, 2011 1:42pm | filed under appetizers | 2 Comments »

After a trip to State & Allen in Uptown, intern James Bright  felt moved to detail his appetizer experience. We encourage that around here. Take it away, James…

Appetizers are the unsung heroes of any dining experience. Lucky for us, State and Allen Restaurant and Lounge addresses that by offering destined for the forefront of diner’s thoughts.

The real gem of State and Allen’s starters is the baked brie with roasted garlic ($8.95). The dish is served over French bread and a mixture of greens with vinaigrette dressing. For the best experience, place the greens on the bread with a garlic clove, then top it with a slice of warm brie. This combination creates a perfect storm of salty and sweet. The only downside: the app only feeds two to three people.

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One of Dallas’ Oldest Sushi Restaurants, Nakamoto in Plano, is Closing

posted by Nancy Nichols | July 28th, 2011 12:33pm | filed under Closings, hold on to your effin hat, Restaurant News | 1 Comment »

Just off the phone with Kyoung Park, owner of Nakamoto Restaurant in Plano. She’s closing her 31-year old restaurant on August 1. “The rent is just too high,” Park says. Nakamoto is one of the first sushi restaurants that opened in Dallas. It would be nice to head over and pay your respects to these fine people.

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Queen of Burlesque, Dita Von Teese Launches Namesake Cocktail at The Mansion

posted by Sarah Reiss | July 28th, 2011 11:40am | filed under cocktails | 6 Comments »

Dita Von Teese in a tete-a-tete with D intern Molly Boland. (Photo by Desirée Espada)

You may recall our fondness for traditional burlesque. In honor of our obsession, illustrious intern Molly Boland sat down with Queen of Burlesque  Dita Von Teese at The Mansion last night to learn about her life, style, and new namesake DitaRita Cointreau cocktail. Take it away Molly…

The DitaRita, a spicy but sweet new cocktail, has already found success in both New York City and Los Angeles. Last night, it arrived here in Dallas when Queen of Burlesque Dita Von Teese launched her second signature cocktail—the MargaDita—at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. The cocktail is a revamp of the traditional margarita created in 1948 by Margarita Sames. Cointreau brand Ambassador, Von Teese said she’s always been a fan of the margarita, makes them at home all the time, and wanted to recreate the cocktail as a tribute to it’s maker.

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Ate it For $8: La Spiga Bakery and Café in Addison

posted by Nancy Nichols | July 28th, 2011 9:46am | filed under Ate it For $8, bread, Sandwiches | 6 Comments »

Roast beef sandwich at La Spiga in Addison.

This week Kristy Alpert manga’s some Italiano.

Overview: Tucked away in an ever-so-elusive location in the warehouse district of Addison is where you can [hope to] find Donato and Carolyn Milano’s tantalizing Italian bakery, La Spiga Bakery and Cafe. The scent is so powerful it can’t be contained by brick and glass walls, as patrons can catch their first whiff of warm, baked bread as soon as they step foot into the parking lot. Open since 1994, La Spiga is known for one product: artisanal bread. Boasting hotel, restaurant, and country club clients around Dallas and the ‘burbs, this bakery has made their passion known. But there’s a whole other side to this leavened location. Continue reading "Ate it For $8: La Spiga Bakery and Café in Addison"

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