Articles for September 7th, 2011

James Neel Closes Tramontana in Dallas

posted by Nancy Nichols | September 7th, 2011 7:36pm | filed under Closings, Restaurant News | 4 Comments »

Chef/owner James Neel of Tramontana has decided to close his bistro in Preston Center. He just sent out this message.

Thank you to all my loyal customers and now friends who have made the last 12 years at Tramontana, the best of my life. The end of my lease is here and I have decided not to renew and given the recent economic downturn, I have closed Tramontana. Let’s vow to continue to enjoy great food and wine and support our local chef owned restaurants. I hope to cook for you again as I will continue cooking in the Dallas area.

Chef Neel has been a vibrant force in the Dallas community. Let’s all wish him well.

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A Glass of Wine at The Garden Cafe….Is That So Wrong?

posted by Hayley Hamilton | September 7th, 2011 5:23pm | filed under BYOB, Patio Dining, Restaurant News, Wine & Spirits | 24 Comments »

Garden Cafe Then….

Garden Cafe Now…

When Dale Wootton bought a run down strip center on Junius street in the early 1990′s it was easy for an outsider to say, “what is Dale doing?” But he had a vision created from a deep love for the neighborhood.  Since then he transformed an old eyesore for Junius Heights into one of the most popular and comfortable breakfast and lunch spots in Lakewood, Garden Cafe.  It is a cozy restaurant dedicated to using fresh produce from their garden in their southern, comfort food cuisine. He even put in a large, fenced in play area adjacent to the back garden so the kids could have their own place to play while their parents finished brunch on the outdoor, dog friendly patio.

Now, Wootton wants to expand his business by adding dinner service, just to 10pm, with a selection of wine and beer available.  He and his attorneys have done at least a year and a half of leg work on this, petitioning, rezoning, doing out-reach, asking the neighborhood for feedback, and constantly making concessions. Continue reading "A Glass of Wine at The Garden Cafe….Is That So Wrong?"

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Tanqueray Brand Ambassador Visits Dallas, Makes Poolside Cocktails

posted by Nancy Nichols | September 7th, 2011 2:40pm | filed under cocktails, Events | 1 Comment »

Winchester honors an attendee's request for a martini.

Kevin Gray is a local drinks writer and the proprietor of an impressive home bar. Check out his blog, Cocktail Enthusiast, for cocktail recipes, liquor reviews and drinking news.

Tanqueray Gin’s global brand ambassador Angus Winchester came to town Tuesday night and set up shop at the Joule Hotel’s rooftop pool. Along with the Joule bar staff, he doled out gin cocktails including the simple gin and tonic, the refreshing Southside (gin, lemon, sugar, mint and soda) and the classic Negroni – gin, sweet vermouth and Campari.

Jump for the whole tale.

Continue reading "Tanqueray Brand Ambassador Visits Dallas, Makes Poolside Cocktails"

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History of Dallas Food: The Golden Pheasant

posted by Nancy Nichols | September 7th, 2011 1:30pm | filed under Bad critters, History of Dallas Food | 8 Comments »

In 1992, Renie Steves, a food and wine writer in Fort Worth, wrote a book called Dallas is Cooking. In the forward, Caroline Rose Hunt reminisces about the Golden Pheasant. “The steaks served at the Golden Pheasant located on Commerce between the Adolphus and Neiman Marcus were the best in town. A stuffed Chinese golden pheasant looked down on the diners, many who came fro out of the city to engage in the booming oil business.”

This week, Amy Severson and I continue our History of Dallas Food series on SideDish with a look at The Golden Pheasant, a French restaurant known for their sizzling steak platters. If you would like to take a look back at some of our earlier reports, here are the links: La Tunisia, Ida Chitwood. and Eltee O. Dave.

The Golden Pheasant Restaurant was a Dallas institution for over 45 years. If its story were a play, it would be a tragedy filled with mobsters, mysterious murders, and fires. The opulent restaurant opened in 1915 and operated under four different owners in four locations until it burned to the ground in 1964 and left four firemen dead. The last location was in the grassy lot which now sits next to the valet stand at the Magnolia Hotel. The fountain behind the hotel is a silent memorial of what was, even to this day, the worst loss in the history of the Dallas Fire Department.

Jump for the whole story.

Continue reading "History of Dallas Food: The Golden Pheasant"

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Brews News: Second Annual Brewtopia Starts Next Week at Central Market

posted by Sarah Reiss | September 7th, 2011 10:55am | filed under beer, Brews News, Events | 1 Comment »

Central Market kicks off the beer season on Sept 14 with its second annual Brewtopia celebration—a full two weeks from Sept 14 to 27 dedicated to celebrating all things brewed. The event will bring in more than 10 of the best beer creators in the business to host beer samplings, share brew tales, and talk one-on-one with beer lovers. Highlights include: Steven Pauwels, Brewmaster Boulevard Brewing; Keith Villa, Brewmaster of Tenth and Blake and creator of Blue Moon; Original Sin Cider owner Gidon Coll.

The store’s resident beer gurus will even be incorporating beers into their Cooking School recipes. On Friday, Sept. 23, Greg Engbert, beer director for Neighborhood Restaurant Group of Washington, D.C. will offer a “Beer, Cheese and the Confluence of Flavor” seminar in the Cooking School. (Engbert was named Sommelier of the Year by Food & Wine in April 2010, the first ever for a beer professional.) Classes run from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, unless otherwise noted. Classes run in the neighborhood of $60. Check the Cooking School site for details.

During Brewtopia, Central Market also discounts beer up to 25%, so stock up as is reasonable.

  • 10% off beer purchases $5-$9.99
  • 20% off beer purchases $10-$24.99
  • 25% off beer purchases $25 and up
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Week Three: 2011 KRLD Restaurant Week Server of the Week

posted by Nancy Nichols | September 7th, 2011 9:06am | filed under Awards, Foodie People, hostess gifts, KRLD RESTAURANT WEEK 2011, Restaurant News, Service | 2 Comments »

Francisco at the French Room.

The 2011 KRLD Restaurant Week has come to an end but we have one last bit of business. Francisco at The French Room is our server of the week. Thanks to Laurie for submitting Francisco at The French Room’s picture and a small description of his service.

He was entertaining in a theatrical way, making the meal more memorable. When he poured some Champagne for my friend, he also topped off mine with a little flourish. When we asked to make some substitutions, Francisco was gracious about it, and all the orders came out correct. We felt taken care of by him and his assistant (not sure what that man’s title is). The only negative was that he was a wee bit condescending after we tried to give him the 4th course certificate. He scoffed, and said a little haughtily, “not here.”

Well, really Laurie. You should have ordered another bottle of Champagne. Life is short.

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