2011 August 10 | SideDish

Articles for August 10th, 2011

Hot Link: The Tesar, The Truck, The Doyle and Camarena Tequila

posted by Nancy Nichols | August 10th, 2011 5:06pm | filed under Cult Cuisine, Drinking, Foodie People, Goats!, hostess gifts, I Went to College for This?, Merguez Sausage Hunt, Mexican Revolution, Nutjobs, Really?, Yum is Dumb | 1 Comment »

We sent a reporter to cover the most exciting news of the day but she mistakenly went to the wrong location. But Steven “Crave Me” Doyle was there. So was John Tesar. The Tesar is now making tacos for a taco truck supplied by Camarena Tequila. They float around the country and partner with local checks and hang out at local events. I don’t have any of the details like how can they give away free tequila but Doyle was there and he has the scoop of his career. Take it Craveman.

The Truck by The Tesar.

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What to Drink Now: Northstar Merlot and Merlot Camp

posted by Hayley Hamilton | August 10th, 2011 3:04pm | filed under Wine & Spirits | 3 Comments »

Sunset Over Walla Walla From the Northstar Winery Patio

Recently Northstar Winery, a part of the Chateau St. Michelle wine family, in the Walla Walla region of Washington State brought a small group of journalists and restaurant professionals together for their first annual Merlot Camp with Winemaker David “Merf” Merfeld, designed to give guests an in-depth overview of not only Northstar Winery and their award-winning Merlot but also about Washington State Merlot as a whole, from vine to glass, delving into why the area is ideally suited for producing stunning Merlot.

Continue reading "What to Drink Now: Northstar Merlot and Merlot Camp"

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Check Out These Auction Items for Shannon Stone Memorial Fundraiser at Pecan Lodge

posted by Nancy Nichols | August 10th, 2011 1:30pm | filed under Events | 8 Comments »

Diane Mason Fourton of Pecan Lodge Catering and Jill Grobowsky Bergus of Lockhart Smokehouse have organized a barbecue dinner with smoked meats from both Pecan Lodge and Lockhart Smokehouse On Sunday, August 14 from 6:30 to 9:30PM. The food sounds great, but the auction items are awesome. Tickets are only $30!

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Two Corks And A Bottle Opens in Uptown

posted by Sarah Reiss | August 10th, 2011 1:04pm | filed under Copy/Paste Press Release, North Texas Wine, Texas Wine, Wine & Spirits, Wine Pairing, youthful spontaneous restaurants | 5 Comments »

John Ley (left) and Elwyn Hull (right) of Two Corks and a Bottle.

Old friends John Ley and Elwyn Hull left their full-time jobs in search of more satisfying work. They knew they loved working with people and wanted to find a way to help nonprofit organizations. So, naturally, they opened Two Corks and a Bottle—a custom winery and wine bar (where the serve as the wine makers) as part of the Wine Not, International Winery System.

All wines have been crafted on the premises using grapes sourced from quality vineyards from around the world, including France, Italy, Australia, South America, and California. The list contains over 25 red, white, and fruit wines by the glass and the bottle. During their daily wine tastings, five tastes run non-members $5, and are free for all Wine Club Members.

Jump for other highlights: Continue reading "Two Corks And A Bottle Opens in Uptown"

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Ben Starr Bows Out From Master Chef Top 5

posted by Krista Nightengale | August 10th, 2011 12:55pm | filed under Celebrity Chefs, Contests, Food On TV | 3 Comments »

Harrison Smith brings us the report on this week’s Master Chef. Unfortunately for me, I don’t have cable, thus watch it a day late, thus didn’t know Ben Starr was kicked off.

Well folks, I guess all good things must come to an end. Ben Starr, Lewisville’s lovable baker of all things pumpkin and creator of all things tasty, was eliminated from Master Chef after making the show’s top five. Give the guy a hand, everyone, give the guy a hand—he’s made it through the Gordon Ramsay gauntlet.

Details after the jump.

Continue reading "Ben Starr Bows Out From Master Chef Top 5"

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Sigel’s Hosts Food Truck Court on the Evening of August 27

posted by Sarah Reiss | August 10th, 2011 12:42pm | filed under Food Trucks | 10 Comments »

This just in from Sigel’s:

We are looking at setting up a Gourmet Food Truck Food Court at our 5757 Greenville Avenue location. The idea is to have as many food trucks as possible so people can come by and check out the state of the Dallas Food Truck scene. We would host a craft beer (Samuel Adams) and wine tasting in the store at the same time to draw additional customers. Tentative date would be August 27 starting at 6 pm.

Here’s the updated list of who’s in, so far:

Crazysisters
Double Throw Down BBQ
Entice Ice
Gandolfo’s
Jack’s Chowhound
Mr Cool Ice Cream
Nammi
The Bomb Fried Pies
Trailercakes
Ruthie’s Rolling Café

10 Comments »

Brews News: Think of The Bottle Shop Like Match.com, But With Growlers

posted by Sarah Reiss | August 10th, 2011 12:05pm | filed under beer, Brews News | 1 Comment »

In May, World Beer Company founder Clay Hartmann opened the doors on The Bottle Shop in Lower Greenville. The basic premise: create a beer emporium where aspiring hopheads can not only buy, but also consume any of the 500 varieties on premise. You might be thinking: Hey, isn’t that just a bar? The couches and long tables might lead you to think so, but the presence of take-home growlers draws a very important line in the sand. The shop can get away with selling them (where others can’t) because a) they are not brewing onsite and b) by operating under retail license that skirts the whole brewpub/restaurant/TABC/licensing boondoggle.

It appears that everyone’s favorite reason to visit is the presence of Meddlesome Moth alum Stephanie Roethlisberger who’s known for matching beer lovers with their soon-to-be-favorite new beer. She plumbs the depths of your likes and dislikes and presents hopefuls. Kind of like blind dating without the humiliation. In that sense, she’s the beer shadchen of Lower Greenville.

The availability of delivery menus for Mextopia, Greenville Avenue Pizza, Nandina, and others means you’ll never have to mourn the absence of a kitchen.

Growlers are available for $7.99 plus the cost of the beer.

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Is Roussanne the Next Breakthrough White Wine in Texas?

posted by Andrew Chalk | August 10th, 2011 10:18am | filed under Andrew Chalk, GO TEXAN, Texas Wine, Wine & Spirits, Wine Pairing |

Kim McPherson of McPherson Cellars made one of the best Roussanne wines

I have visited over 50 Texas wineries over the last year and one of the trends that I have noticed is an increasing number of producers making wines that are entirely, or predominantly, from the Roussanne grape. This grape, which originated in the Rhone wine region of France, would seem to be an obvious candidate for the High Plains and Hill Country viticultural areas of Texas given the similarity of climate and the availability of similar sandy soils to those in the Rhone. Also Roussanne’s common “bottlemate” Viognier is already well-established in the state, and widely considered the grape variety that makes the best white wine from Texas.

To get an idea of how the grape variety is doing, I emailed eight Texas wineries that produce Roussanne from Texas grapes. Seven responded, and all agreed to send a sample bottle of their current vintage. Two of the wineries had two wines to offer so both were included. I also bought wines from from elsewhere to use as benchmarks so their was a broader base to judge the Texas wines. To pick these, I went to Jasper Russo. Many of you know him for plugging his food trucks promotions in the comments on SideDish but, in his spare moments, he is actually the consumer wine director for Sigel’s. I asked for the names of the three best Roussanne wines from anywhere in the world in his stores and the three he recommended all happened to be from France (he didn’t know the reason that I was asking). I purchased two of them and we were up to eleven bottles for the tasting. Continue reading "Is Roussanne the Next Breakthrough White Wine in Texas?"

What Are The Best Seats at the Best Bars in Dallas?

posted by Courtney Egelston | August 10th, 2011 10:10am | filed under Drinking, Nightlife |

At D Magazine, we believe in precision. When we say we’re going to tell you about the best nightlife spots in Dallas, we don’t just mean we’ll tell you what bars are worth your time. We want to pinpoint the exact locations within those bars where you should hunker down to get your drink on.

Where to set up shop at Katy Trail Ice House

Katy Trail Ice House

Table 105 has the ideal mix of shade and access to the water-spraying mister at the Best Bar Patio in Dallas. It’s also about a step and a half away from the outdoor bar (which does accept cards) and three steps or so from the entrance. From this table, you’re close enough to see the runners on the trail without being so close that you have to hear their agony. People are easily drawn to nearby table 104, but that would be be a mistake, due to its fan/sprayer proximity. After five minutes at that table, my hair is seriously dampened (and it does this weird wavy thing when it gets wet, and I can’t stand it). The Ice House believes in communal seating, so if table 105 (its number is painted on the corner) has been claimed, just smile. Though with this 100+ degree weather, people are steering clear of the patio during the day. I think that’s ridiculous. If you can’t stand the heat, order another cold beer. And speaking of beer, KTIH charges the same price for a bottle (12 oz.), glass (16 oz.), or scooner (18 oz.), so go for the goblet. You’ll feel less guilty watching runners on the trail if you see how huge your biceps are getting with every sip. Continue reading "What Are The Best Seats at the Best Bars in Dallas?"

Oak to Open in the Dallas Design District

posted by Nancy Nichols | August 10th, 2011 8:48am | filed under Openings/Closings, Restaurant News | 8 Comments »

Candleroom owner Tommy DeAlano and his partners Richard & Tiffanee Ellman are opening a new restaurant in the Design District in Dallas. DeAlano won’t spill too many of the beans other than the name is Oak, and the fact that he promises to announce a “top-tier, well-traveled and experienced chef” soon. Construction has started on the 80-ish seat restaurant with two outdoor patios and the opening is scheduled for “fall.”