Articles for October 3rd, 2011

Grand Opening Party: Two Corks and a Bottle in Uptown

posted by Nancy Nichols | October 3rd, 2011 12:35pm | filed under North Texas Wine, Openings/Closings, Wine & Spirits | 13 Comments »

We sent D Magazine intern Suzanne Asfar to check out Two Corks and a Bottle, a new custom winery and wine bar in Uptown.

As luck would have it, my first event to cover as an intern at D Magazine was the grand opening of Two Corks and a Bottle, a wine bar and make-your-own wine shop. The scene was a festive. The room opened into a small, intimate seating area with bistro tables occupied by happy party goers. Behind them, in the center of the hubbub, co-owner Elwyn Hull stood behind a u-shaped granite bar and poured wine into glasses. We shuffled closer and deeper into the 40-odd scatter of middle-aged nondescript folks (we were easily the youngest couple in the joint) and were greeted by Barb, the marketing and PR contact.

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October 3 Food Truck Schedule in Dallas

posted by George Lewis | October 3rd, 2011 11:10am | filed under Food Trucks | 3 Comments »

Welcome to October, Dishers.  Isn’t it beautiful?  The food trucks owners and chefs love it as well, since it’s no longer 140 degrees in the kitchen and their customers don’t have to endure 108 degrees of searing Texas sun.  If you didn’t attend the Arts District “Art in October” last Saturday, you missed a fabulous food truck festival with Green House, Trailercakes, Enticed, Nammi, Ruthie’s, Ssahm, Gandolfo’s, and Yum Yum.  Although schedules aren’t completely nailed down, look for similar unpublicized food truck hookups this coming Saturday at Sunflower Farmers Market after the Texas/OU football game.

This week, we add The Butcher’s Son #1 to the schedule as they begin their official rollout.  We first told you about TBS a few weeks ago.  TBS #2 starts rolling next week.  City Street Grille is out of action this week as they tune up the truck and the kitchen.  Trailercakes as well will be off this week.

All of the trucks tell SideDish that they are still dying for good help.  Several want to add second trucks and others want to work the “after hours” slot, but need a second crew.

And so, with that, our weekly disclaimer: Cooktops break, truck owners run to Bed Bath and Beyond to buy out their griddle inventory, trucks break down in the middle of Central, Dallas traffic slows down startup.  Always check their Facebook and Twitter feeds.  You’ll find a list of those at the end of the schedule.  Jump for your first week of October schedule. Continue reading "October 3 Food Truck Schedule in Dallas"

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Fearing’s Adobe Road Wine Dinner Features Appearances by Vintner Kevin Buckler and NASCAR Driver Andy Lally

posted by Andrew Chalk | October 3rd, 2011 10:30am | filed under Andrew Chalk, Wine & Spirits |

Andy Lally, NASCAR Driver and Adobe Road Team Member

Ah, wine and race cars. This one sounds like it could be interesting.

Vroom, vroom for the press release…

Fearing’s Restaurant Announces November 3 Adobe Road Wine Dinner Featuring Northern California Seasonal Menu, Wine Country Delicacies and Guest Appearances by Vintner Kevin Buckler and NASCAR Driver Andy Lally

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It’s Hip to be Square at Denton Square Donuts

posted by Daniel Walker | October 3rd, 2011 10:00am | filed under Alright already!, Bacon, Baking, Breakfast, cheap eats, dessert, Eat This Now!, Good Morning | 5 Comments »

I don’t know if I told you, but I have a thing for donuts.  Maybe that’s a bit of an understatement.  But it’s rare, in this city, to find a place that is willing to push the limits when it comes to these tasty morsels of fried dough and sugar (obvious exceptions excluded).  Therefore, any donut news is good news in my book, and any upstart entrepreneur that is daring enough to risk their livelihood, families, pets, and entire life’s savings on the humble donut is A-OK with me.

When the buzz around Denton Square Donuts began to surface a number of months ago, I was intrigued to say the least.  The obviously non-traditional shape of these donuts is enough to rouse one’s attention, but most donuteers will recall similarly shaped offerings at the mighty Doughnut Plant in NYC.  The toppings which adorn DSD’s baked goods are also enough to get the salivary juices flowing: Brie with Apricot Jelly, Cream Cheese and Jalapeno Jelly, Apple Pie, and the nearly-ubiquitous Bacon and Maple.  Yet still, some may argue that places like Hypnotic, Gourdoughs in Austin, and Voodoo in Portland have been offering up equally ambitious donuts for years.

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Côtes du Coeur Wine Society and Young at Heart’s Kick-Off Event: Pizza Smackdown at West Village

posted by Nancy Nichols | October 3rd, 2011 9:30am | filed under Bring it!, Celebrity Chefs, Cult Cuisine, Events, Food Fight!, pizza, PR People | 13 Comments »

Urban Crust's team with Salvatore Gisellu and Nathan and Bonnie Shea pose for their victory shot..

D Magazine intern Carol Shih attended the Pizza Smackdown at West Village shopping center last Thursday. She observed three of the cities’ biggest pizza egos, I mean chefs. Here is here account of the shenanigans.

I am happy to report there were no casualties at the Mobile Pizza Smackdown (except for some bruised egos).  The American Heart Association hosted their annual kick-off event and bravely invited Paolo Cavalli of Cavalli Pizzeria, Salvatore Gisellu of Urban Crust, and Jay Jerrier of Il Cane Rosso to a pizza battle in a corner alley of West Village. It seemed harmless enough to innocent bystanders there to just wine and dine, but unbeknownst to them, this was an epic, all-out pizza war between three rival chefs battling to become the King of Pizza.

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Abraham Salum Popped Up at Cafe Momentum Last Night

posted by Nancy Nichols | October 3rd, 2011 9:23am | filed under Celebrity Chefs, Celebrity Diners, Charity events, fundraiser, Politics of Food, Restaurant News | 2 Comments »

I deputized Disher Melisa Ambers to cover last night’s sold-out Café Momentum dinner at the the Communities Foundation of Texas on Caruth-Haven. The concept behind the dinner series, developed by Chad Houser and Janice Provost of Parigi, is dedicated to teaching young, at-risk youth with life skills. Café Momentum works closely with the programs of the Youth Village Resources of Dallas. Local chefs and volunteers donate time and product and the kids work alongside the pros. Their common goal is to open a permanent restaurant for the program.

Last night was the largest and most formal Café Momentum dinner to date. The young men, under the direction of Phil Willis,  delivered flawless fine dining service. They passes appetizers in the foyer as the 100 guests arrived. Most of the young men were veterans; only one had never been a part of Cafe Momentum before. One of them, in fact, has already graduated from the culinary program at the Youth Village and has finished his time at the detention facility. He’s back in school but wanted to volunteer.

Jump for photos and the full report.

Spinach and Jicama Salad with Hibiscus Vinaigrette and Grilled Homemade Queso Fresco.(photo by Melisa Ambers)

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Mi Dia in Grapevine Opens Today

posted by Nancy Nichols | October 3rd, 2011 9:00am | filed under Bring it!, Openings/Closings, Restaurant News |

Grapevine gets another upscale eatery. This one, Mi Dia, is cheffed by veteran Dallas chef Gabriel Leon. The menu is a mixture Tex-Mex, regional Mexican, and Santa Fe-style offerings. When I first discussed the menu with Leon several months ago, I thought it sounded mighty ambitious. Last night, he sent the menus and I must say, it’s not only ambitious, it reads like he’s put a lot of thought into it. He has smartly taken into account the demographics of the area surrounding the restaurant which sits at Main Street and Highway 114. We haven’t had too many Santa Fe-style restaurants in a while and I’m anxious to taste the stacked enchiladas with read and green chile sauces. Check out the lunch, dinner and and dessert menus below. Welcome back, Chef Leon.

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