Articles for July, 2011

Food for Thought at The Tower Club Announces Expanded Chef List

posted by Andrew Chalk | July 27th, 2011 9:20am | filed under Andrew Chalk, Celebrity Chefs, Celebrity Diners, Charity events, Wine & Spirits | 2 Comments »

Here is an update on Hayley Hamilton’s earlier post announcing Food For Thought 2011, a celebrity chef event on August 6 at The Tower Club to benefit Big Thought. The organizers have announced an expanded list of chefs and sponsors. Details below. Buy tickets here.

Continue reading "Food for Thought at The Tower Club Announces Expanded Chef List"

2 Comments »

Restaurant Review: The Company Cafe in Dallas

posted by Nancy Nichols | July 27th, 2011 9:13am | filed under Bacon, Breakfast, Organic, Restaurant News, Reviews | 7 Comments »

The Deep Bowl at Company Cafe. (photography by Kevin Marple.)

Dining out was once so simple. You sat down in a restaurant, ordered whatever sounded good, ate it, and went on with your life. Now you need an advanced degree in epidemiology before you’re qualified to choose an entrée. Every day, we get bombarded with health warnings about food: too much added sugar will kill you if excess salt doesn’t get you first. Menus are loaded with politically charged, often slippery buzzwords: “sustainable,” “organic,” “locally grown,” “free range,” “grass fed,” “genetically modified,” “farm raised.” Go ahead and order red meat, but that cow had best been raised on tall-stem Texas blue grass handpicked by a nun.

Many area producers and restaurateurs have their hearts in the right place, but I can’t help but be suspicious of some who tout ingredients as “organic” or “local.” This is Texas. There is no such thing as a locally grown tomato in January. Organic is even more confusing. If your butterhead lettuce was sprayed with an “organic” pesticide such as a bacterial toxin or pyrethrum or rotenone, can it really be considered organic?

Click here for the whole story.

7 Comments »

Cruisin’ Vietnamese Fusion: (Two starving architects+love of food) x empty wallets + 1 beat down truck = Nammi Truck

posted by Sarah Reiss | July 26th, 2011 1:58pm | filed under Food Trucks, Uncategorized | 10 Comments »

Yes, the food truck issue has gotten plenty of press, but come on, how cute are these kids behind the wheel of the Nammi banh mi food truck? Driving around, making sandwiches, being all smart & adorable. (NOTE: we can’t vouch for the food because we haven’t hooked up with them yet. but we’ll let you know as soon as we do.)

Here’s what they have to say for themselves:

The Nammi formula that began serving the major DFW metroplex area was a simple equation:

(Two starving architects with passions for good food x empty wallets) + one beat down truck = great idea!
An appetite for a mobile food truck that serves homemade banh mi like how mama use to make when I was younger. Simple ingredients with the touch of Nammi love has made our stomachs warm and fuzzy, so now we would like to share this with all of you!

Our Mission: Make banh mi for everyone to enjoy!

Introducing the Nammi Truck! A Vietnamese Fusion Truck serving up banh mi, Vietnamese tacos, spring rolls and much more to the DFW metroplex. We are not trying to re-invent banh mi or Vietnamese Cuisine. We just want to share our take on this Vietnamese classic and hope that others would enjoy eating it just as much as we enjoying making it for you guys!

Jump for  their schedule for the rest of this week. Give us a shout if you track them down. Continue reading "Cruisin’ Vietnamese Fusion: (Two starving architects+love of food) x empty wallets + 1 beat down truck = Nammi Truck"

10 Comments »

Half-Price Menu Tonight at Monica’s Aca Y Alla in Deep Ellum

posted by Sarah Reiss | July 26th, 2011 1:10pm | filed under cheap eats | 1 Comment »

There are some modest restrictions, but I’d count tonight’s $4+menu at Monica’s as one more reason to head to Deep Ellum for your Tuesday night dining pleasure. Check out the menu.

1 Comment »

Seafood Shack: Surefire Cure for the Monday-Night Blues

posted by Sarah Reiss | July 26th, 2011 11:57am | filed under hold on to your effin hat, Hole in the wall, seafood | 5 Comments »

Simply put: Mind-blowing ceviche for...wait for it...$2.75.

There’s about to be an angry mob with torches and pitchforks outside my cubicle, ready to string me up for disclosing their favorite hole-in-the-wall: Seafood Shack. Blame D’s director of online media, Julie Blacklidge Kinzie, for grabbing me at our Monday morning meeting to rave about the ceviche and margaritas.
jump for more.. Continue reading "Seafood Shack: Surefire Cure for the Monday-Night Blues"

5 Comments »

Pick Grapes Next Weekend at Arché Winery in Fort Worth

posted by Andrew Chalk | July 26th, 2011 10:44am | filed under Andrew Chalk, Texas Wine, Wine & Spirits | 2 Comments »

The harvest is ready and Arché Wines north of Fort Worth will provide you lunch if you will help them pick their crop. Roll the press release…

Need A Little Pizazz In Your Life?

Join us for harvest! Help bring in the Syrah grapes on Saturday, August 6 and we’ll wine and dine you for lunch. We’ll start at 7:00 a.m. with a quick instructional/safety meeting. Once we all start to melt from the heat, we’ll bring out the goodies for everyone to enjoy and refresh.

Jump for details. Continue reading "Pick Grapes Next Weekend at Arché Winery in Fort Worth"

2 Comments »

Gas Station Tacos in Dallas: Taqueria Cholula

posted by Nancy Nichols | July 26th, 2011 10:30am | filed under cheap eats, Christopher Baccus, Cult Cuisine, Gas Station Tacos, hostess gifts, Tacos | 2 Comments »

Christopher Baccus loves cars and gas station tacos. We find that very attractive.

Dishers, Christopher Baccus is  a taco junkie and blogger. Not just any kind of taco, primarily those found in or near gas stations. A few weeks ago he took you there. This week he takes you here.

Chorizo tacos are underrated. I love it when I find chorizo on a taqueria menu in a gas station and Taqueria Cholula has no shortage of chorizo and other options for the taco fanatic. You’ll find at least 14 types of tacos here: beef fajita, chicken, pastor, and barbacoa. The day of my visit they were out of two.

Taqueria Cholula, located in the Conoco Station at I-35E and Royal Lane, is the first place I’ve found that serves suadero, a thin cut of meat from the breast of a cow. Sorry, I didn’t try it. I really wanted to try the chorizo and I also ordered beef fajita, pastor, and barbacoa tacos on corn tortillas with chopped onions and cilantro. My carryout order also included some salsa roja, more orange than red, and salsa verde.

Continue reading "Gas Station Tacos in Dallas: Taqueria Cholula"

2 Comments »

Tiffany Derry Gives Video Tour of Private Social Construction Site

posted by Sarah Reiss | July 26th, 2011 10:20am | filed under Openings/Closings, Restaurant 101, Restaurant News |

Thanks to Teresa Gubbins for tipping us off to this Private Social construction preview video from Tiffany Derry:

First-Take Review: Rohst Opens Quietly Yet Flavorfully on Greenville Avenue

posted by Sarah Reiss | July 26th, 2011 9:00am | filed under First Take | 9 Comments »

Korean BBQ short ribs with scallions (Photo by Desirée Espada)

The set-up: Raise the flag on the rebirth of the corner of Greenville and Goodwin as Rohst (phonetic for roast) opens in the spot next to Dodie’s (and across from The Grape and Blue Goose). Although this new eatery is still in the soft-opening phase, we paid a visit (undercover, of course) to find out how the new concept—one with a consortium of owners and (gasp) not one celebrity chef in the kitchen—would fare against the ultimate judge and jury: our taste buds.

First of all, hats off to the design team. Even though the frontage would benefit from lighter tint on the windows, the interior’s high ceiling and low lighting provide textbook relief from the oven-like heat outside. We love the mezzanine-style second level, two-story stone mosaic, rough-hewn wood accents, stone flooring, and drum-pendant chandeliers. (Although I wasn’t crazy about the upstairs mural, I do have to give the design team snaps for trying to create a back story involving ancient Korean cave drawings.)

jump for the rest… Continue reading "First-Take Review: Rohst Opens Quietly Yet Flavorfully on Greenville Avenue"

9 Comments »

Decanter Restaurant in Bishop Arts is Closed

posted by Nancy Nichols | July 25th, 2011 10:09pm | filed under Closings | 10 Comments »

Tonight I received a note from Najam Jaffri of Decanter Restaurant in Bishop Arts withe the sad news:

I wanted to let you know that I have decided to close Decanter Restaurant and wine Lounge in Bishop Arts District as of today. We could never implement our original concept and staffing,weather and economy were other factors.Shop owners at Bishop Arts are great people and I will miss them.

UPITTY DATE: Jaffri says he and chef Tony Gardizi will stay together to do catering.  “We will be opening new restaurant in November before Thanksgiving,” Jaffri said.

10 Comments »

Watch Local Glass Blowing Artist Create Designs for Tiffany Derry’s Private Social

posted by Sarah Reiss | July 25th, 2011 2:39pm | filed under Restaurant News | 1 Comment »

Tiffany Derry pointed us to this video of glass being blown for her soon-to-open restaurant, Private Social:

1 Comment »

Best Hangover Cure in Dallas?

posted by Nancy Nichols | July 25th, 2011 12:17pm | filed under I Hate it When That Happens, I Went to College for This?, It's just lunch, party, questionable judgment, Somebody Help, Spicy foods | 26 Comments »

Lots of questions coming in this morning. This one arrives via Twitter:

dallasbeerweek
dallasbeerweek dallasbeerweek
Help me oh @Dsidedish, what is the best hangover cure? Burgers? Tex-Mex? Hemlock? <head pounds>
Tweet us at DSideDish or leave a comment here.

26 Comments »

Yelp Versus the Restaurateur—Read and Discuss

posted by Sarah Reiss | July 25th, 2011 11:36am | filed under Bureaucratic red tape, Food Fight!, hold on to your effin hat, I Hate it When That Happens | 5 Comments »

Luther Lowe, Manager of Local Business Outreach for Yelp, chimes in on the great Yelp debate. (Image courtesy of TheFoodNetwork.com)

In an article on TheFoodChannel.com, Kay Logsdon updated us on the Yelp vs. the restaurateur debate—specifically whether online reviews via Yelp (and, eh-hem, other sources) are a good or a bad thing? The following is the opening excerpt from her article:

It was the food fight of the year. The tall, wavy-haired young marketing genius vs. the wiry, shaved-headed young chef. Both technically-savvy. Both heavily invested in the food business. Both opinionated.

In this corner, Luther Lowe, Manager of Local Business Outreach for the popular ratings powerhouse, Yelp.

And, in that corner, Stefan Richter (photo, right), the Finnish chef who was a runner-up on the fifth season of Top Chef, and owner of Stefan’s European Catering, Stefan’s at L.A. Farm, and Stefan’s Steakhouse (in Finland).

In the audience? Restaurant owners and operators who have a definite stake in the game. These are the people whose very livelihood can be impacted by a negative or positive review of their restaurant, and those online ratings can be important to attracting new customers. How popular is Yelp? The site this week passed a significant milestone: its 20 millionth review was posted.

The drama was all part of the great debate showcased at the National Restaurant Association’s session: Are Online Reviews a Good or Bad Thing?…

Click here to read the whole article. Then come back so that we can discuss…

5 Comments »

National Hot Fudge Sundae Day is Way More Fun Than Administrative Assistants’ Day

posted by Sarah Reiss | July 25th, 2011 10:48am | filed under Cheap trick for comments, Holidays | 2 Comments »

Love to grouse about Hallmark holidays? Well, strap in and get ready to either love or hate the following. Apparently there are a lot more interesting faux holidays out there than National Epitaph Day or Sweetest Day (how this differs from Valentine’s Day is beyond me). And they focus on food. (National Watermelon Eating Day, anyone? BTW, it’s on August 3.)

Yes, now you can forget about loving your fellow man, these holidays are all about loving you some food. The good folks at TheNibble.com actually went to the trouble of compiling a list. You’ll want to merge this with your Google calendar so you don’t miss out on a chance to throw a party for National Lasagna Day. (Too bad that one doesn’t fall on a weekday; the office party, and all of the mournful moaning afterward, would be epic.)

Jump for the remaining July holidays… Continue reading "National Hot Fudge Sundae Day is Way More Fun Than Administrative Assistants’ Day"

2 Comments »

What to Drink Now: Tropical Cocktails

posted by Hayley Hamilton | July 25th, 2011 10:31am | filed under cocktails, Wine & Spirits |

Lychee Mojito at Hualalai

I just spent two weeks on The Big Island of Hawaii.  While there I tried a few island cocktails that kept us cool most afternoons.  Keep one in mind if an afternoon in the pool is calling, or a happy hour in the sweltering heat….I promise, you will feel refreshed after one sip.

Lychee Mojito from Hualalai Four Seasonson The Big Island.  Perhaps one of the most beautiful places in the world, and a place that knows how to open an incredible bottle of wine from their well appointed list and mix up stellar signature cocktails.  This sweet and savory mojito combined rich lychee fruit, Kai lychee vodka, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, soda water and refreshing herbal notes from fresh mint.  I asked the bartender to go light on the simple syrup keeping the drink relatively non-sweet, but incredibly refreshing and flavorful.

Continue reading "What to Drink Now: Tropical Cocktails"

Somebody Help This Poor Boy: Best Milkshake in Dallas?

posted by Nancy Nichols | July 25th, 2011 10:28am | filed under Really?, Somebody Help | 20 Comments »

Oh, boy this sounds so good right now. Listen up and give him good advice.

Nancy, my wife and I just moved here from San Francisco. We are milkshake freaks. What places in Dallas make really good milkshakes using artisan ingredients or housemade ice cream.

Should we tell him now? Or wait for him to get to know Dallas a little better. Give him your best shot.

20 Comments »

Is Casey Thompson Leaving Dallas Permanently for Napa?

posted by Sarah Reiss | July 25th, 2011 10:26am | filed under Celebrity Chefs, I'm a rumor monger | 4 Comments »

Last Friday, Brownstone’s Casey Thompson tweeted:

Putting an offer in on a space in Napa and a house all at the same time!

Does this mean that this former Top Chef contender from Fort Worth is permanently leaving the prairie for the vine-covered hillsides of Northern California? That she won’t be guest-mixing margaritas behind the Brownstone bar for much longer? Granted, the house she put an offer in on could be here in town, but it’s vague enough to have us guessing.

We’ve got calls out. Stay tuned for updates!


4 Comments »

Cavalli Pizza Napoletana Claims First Napoli Certified Pizza In Texas Honors

posted by Andrew Chalk | July 25th, 2011 10:18am | filed under Andrew Chalk, pizza | 5 Comments »

Cavalli Pizzeria Napoletana's Pizza Margherita

For Paolo Cavalli, making pizza is just continuing the work started by his great grandparents. For the rest of his family running Cavalli Pizzeria Napoletana it is also the continuation of the family work. The family is now large enough to support two locations: the original spot in Irving the more recent McKinney incarnation. They might be able to birth another at some point but that will depend on such imponderables such as span of control and birth rates. However, from the first bite you take from the pizza at Cavalli, this is not chain restaurant mentality pizza. In fact they have been so under the radar that I dare say many Dallasites are unaware that such a gem exists in the area. To partly rectify this problem they organized a press dinner.

Jump for the whole story.
Continue reading "Cavalli Pizza Napoletana Claims First Napoli Certified Pizza In Texas Honors"

5 Comments »

Learn How to be a Winemaker, or at Least Play One

posted by Hayley Hamilton | July 22nd, 2011 5:02pm | filed under game, Wine & Spirits |

Wines of Chile, an organization dedicated to promoting Chilean wine throughout the world and made up of 93 Chilean wineries, just announced the creation of their first virtual game for Facebook – Terroir Hunter.  Through their Facebook page participants can virtually run their own winery, including harvesting grapes, bottling, selling, exporting and eventually have their wine rated.  Along the way winemakers from some of the most prominent wineries in the country will lend advice, give tips and help players wine empires grow.  Participating wineries include Casa Silva, San Esteban, San Pedro, Santa Rita, De Martino, Undurraga, Valdivieso, Veramonte and Viña Altair.  Sign up here.

Brews News: Belgian Beer Week Wraps Up at the Moth with Red Velvet Waffles

posted by Sarah Reiss | July 22nd, 2011 12:55pm | filed under beer, Brews News |

As a tribute to Belgian Independence Week, Matt Quenette over at Meddlesome Moth has spent the week banging the drum of Belgian Beer, with the kitchen turning out some pretty memorable pairings to go along with each night’s featured ale. Tonight (Friday) and tomorrow night are the last of it. Tonight’s beer (Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence) is paired with red velvet waffles. Now, I ask you, could you have come up with that? If your answer is no, head over there as soon as possible after work today. If you answer was yes, come work for us!

jump for the the menu: Continue reading "Brews News: Belgian Beer Week Wraps Up at the Moth with Red Velvet Waffles"

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