Articles for November 14th, 2011

Cheese & Chocolate Tasting: Sigel’s, Brazos Valley, and Dude, Sweet Chocolate’s Katherine Clapner

posted by Nancy Nichols | November 14th, 2011 5:05pm | filed under Cheese, Chocolate, Events | 4 Comments »

Mark this down: November 19, from 1-3:00PM at Sigel’s in Addison (15003 Inwood Road).

Here’s the deal: Sigel’s Cheesemonger Theresa McGee and Chef Katherine Clapner of Dude, Sweet Chocolate have combined their extraordinary talents to organize a cutting edge tasting of Cheese & Chocolate featuring the delicious raw milk cheeses of Brazos Valley Cheese Company. The Chocolate selections are still being finalized to pair with the following award winning Texas cheeses: Roasted Garlic Montasio, Horesradish & Pecan Cheddar, Raw Milk Muenster, Raw Milk Swiss, Raw Milk Gouda.

What’s Missing: Wine. Hmm. How shall we cleanse our palates?

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Upcoming Opportunities to Taste Around Town

posted by Hayley Hamilton | November 14th, 2011 4:02pm | filed under Celebrity Chefs, Chef's tasting, Wine & Spirits, Wine Pairing | 1 Comment »

If you are looking to get a jump on some early holiday shopping, find some great wine for Thanksgiving or just enjoy an night out with friends enjoying great wine and spirits, there are plenty of opportunities to taste around town in the next few weeks.  Here are a few that promise to be great.

Thursday, November 17th at 6:30 Vino 100 partners with Bottled Poetry Imports to present a tasting of stellar Argentine Malbec and Malbec blends paired with beef roasted all day on a spit, along with other tasty offerings like beef empanadas, by Chef Andrew Ormbsy of Andrew Ormsby Catering, D Magazine’s Best Caterer 2011.
Wines will include:

·        Caluna 2009 (a blend of 48% Malbec, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot)
·        Amauta I 2009 (a blend of 60% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Syrah)
·        Finca Gabrielli Malbec 2010 (100% Malbec)
·        Huarpe 2008 Seleccíon de Bodega ( a blend of 80% Malbec and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon)
·        Bressia Monteagrelo Malbec 2008 (100% Malbec)
·        Las Nencias Malbec Reserva 2009 (100% Malbec)
Reservations required –  214-969-9463

Continue reading "Upcoming Opportunities to Taste Around Town"

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Fiery Foods Recap

posted by Sarah Reiss | November 14th, 2011 3:14pm | filed under Contests |

Barry and Darryl King, creators of Brothers Sauces

Intern Megan Falconer spent her Saturday spectating at the Travel & Adventure Show’s Fiery Foods Competition. Let’s read her recap…

Saturday, three local chefs fired up the kitchen and taste buds of spectators at the International Fiery Foods Challenge as part of the Travel & Adventure Show at the Dallas Convention Center. Kenneth Patrick, the owner of Ken’s Texas Catering, made habanero shrimp. Spiceupyoursoul blog creator, Prajakta Remulkar, prepared a spicy gambas dish, and the founders of Brothers Sauces, Barry and Darryl King hit it hard with Crockpot pork.

jump to find out who won the competition AND the trip to Mexico… Continue reading "Fiery Foods Recap"

Somebody Help This Poor Pilgrim Out

posted by Sarah Reiss | November 14th, 2011 1:40pm | filed under Holidays, somebody help this poor girl out, Thanksgiving | 11 Comments »

While we spend a lot of time every year compiling our Thanksgiving menus into a list that contains several take-and-bake turkey options—we have yet to taste and rate every single one of the birds. So, be a pal and help Emily find the best in town:

Has SideDish covered the best turkey to buy for Thanksgiving dinner?  I can’t seem to find anything like that.  I’m planning on cooking our meal from scratch, and just curious if SideDish has any input on where to buy the best fresh turkey…  Have bought from Whole Foods before, and wonder if there were other/better options…
Thanks,
Emily

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Your November 14 Food Truck Schedule in Dallas

posted by George Lewis | November 14th, 2011 1:40pm | filed under Food Trucks | 1 Comment »

This week, we have a new entry joining us on our regular schedule.  Jackalope Vegan Kitchen features the likes of a walnut-fennel meatball sub and a BLT sandwich with bacon-flavored tofu, lettuce, tomato, and walnut pesto.  Until they find a regular schedule rotation, Jackalope can frequently by found at 4617 Insurance Lane, tucked off near Knox/75.

The Fort Worth Food Truck announced their opening on December 2, with Good Karma Kitchen, Nammi, YES! Taco, Lee’s Grilled Cheese, Red Jett Sweets, and Jack’s Hamburgers.

As we told you last Friday, City Street Grille has a special event planned with Chef DAT and Winetastic on Wednesday, November 16. No reservations, so plan accordingly.

With the cooling weather Enticed Shaved Ice is only rolling when there are special events or warmer-than-usual temperatures.

We asked SoCal Taco‘s Scott Wooley to tell us the good and the not-so-good about starting his food truck business.  Scott didn’t mince words:

  1. It’s freaking hard work!  It’s not nearly as glamorous as it looks. :-)
  2. You have to be consistent with your stops.  Miss a beat, and people get pissed.
  3. Speed bumps on the Great American Food Truck Race are for real.  We’ve had a few mechanical issues and they are sometimes costly.

Crazy Sisters Tire Blowout

And Crazy Sisters helped prove out point about always checking Facebook and Twitter feeds before heading out, not to mention a good Roadside Assistance Program.  Jump for the schedule.

Continue reading "Your November 14 Food Truck Schedule in Dallas"

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Matador Meat & Wine To Open at Sylvan | Thirty in Oak Cliff in Fall 2012

posted by Nancy Nichols | November 14th, 2011 12:52pm | filed under Groceries, Meat | 4 Comments »

Yeah! A new locally-owned, custom-cut butcher shop, Matador Meat & Wine, is scheduled to open soon in Fall 2012 at Sylvan|Thirty, the North Oak Cliff/West Dallas mixed-use development at the corner of Sylvan and Fort Worth Avenue. The shop, founded by husband-and-wife team Matt and Colleen Peterson, will offer high-quality Certified Angus Beef and Prime grade beef. Want your steak cut 3-inches thick? No problem. They will also offer “seasonally available free range chicken, premium pork, gourmet sausages and hamburger patties, smoked meats (brisket, baby back ribs, etc.), more than 75 labels of wine and home delivery services.” This will be Matador Meat & Wine’s sister location to its first store on Preston Road in Plano. They will share space with Cox Farms Market.

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Good Asian Grub: Désir Bakery at 99 Ranch in Plano

posted by Nancy Nichols | November 14th, 2011 11:50am | filed under Baking, Ethnic Food, Good Asian Grub | 2 Comments »

Désir Bakery inside 99 Ranch Market.


D Magazine intern Carol Shih prowls Dallas in search of the best Asian cuisine. Today she reveals her favorite Asian bakery and must….refrain… from trying to keep it a secret since she knows now all of you will go and plug up the store.

Whenever I go grocery shopping in 99 Ranch Market with my mom, I consider buying one of those ridiculous child safety harnesses that some parents use to rein in their little ones. Except mine would be a reverse leash: daughter prevents mother from her crazy tendencies to buy enough pastries from a small Taiwanese bakery inside 99 Ranch Market to feed all the children in Africa.

But who can blame her? Even I can’t help swooning once I’m standing inside Désir Bakery, surrounded by the aroma of sweet and salty breads.

A young pastry chef named Jessica told me that people come again and again because “it reminds them of the bakeries in Taiwan” and they always fall in love with the generous portions for a small amount of change. How much can five dollars buy you at La Madeleine’s bakery? A barely-breakfast of drip coffee and one mini tart. At Désir, those greens can land you a paprika hot dog ($1.19), giant “cup cake” ($1.09 for a cup cake not in the traditional American sense), a Taiwanese pineapple cake ($1.49), and a cup of house coffee ($0.99). That’s what I call a breakfast of champions.

Jump for more.

Continue reading "Good Asian Grub: Désir Bakery at 99 Ranch in Plano"

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Dan Koller Has a Few Things to Say About Rafa’s Cafe Mexicano

posted by Nancy Nichols | November 14th, 2011 9:38am | filed under Bad critters, Food Fight!, I'm a sucker for a man in flannel, Restaurant News, Reviews | 2 Comments »

Don't Mess With Texan: Dan "The Captain" Koller.

Dan Koller is one of my favorite people. Why? Because he scares me. He looks like a cuddly Teddy bear, but underneath that nice-guy veneer lies the heart (maybe) of a cold-blooded managing editor. Last night “The Captain,” as I call him, took his family to Rafa’s Cafe Mexicano on Lovers Lane. He files this report over on Park Cities People.

Last night, my family and I visited Rafa’s for the first time. I know this place is beloved by Park Cities families, as evidenced by the large number of them who were there when we were. But I judge a restaurant by how easy it makes my life as a parent, and Rafa’s failed in that regard.

Read more.

He wants to know where you take your kids to eat.

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Report: March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction in Dallas

posted by Andrew Chalk | November 14th, 2011 9:20am | filed under Andrew Chalk, Celebrity Chefs, Celebrity Diners, Charity events, Chef's tasting |

Nick and Sam's Steakhouse (Samir Dhurandhar). Cantonese Shrimp

The March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction is a major fundraiser for the organization each year. The event on Saturday night was a sell out and over 800 people filled the Fairmont Hotel’s Regency Ballroom to participate in a live and silent auction and enjoy food prepared by 17 talented and generous chefs led by Kent Rathbun of Abacus (and other concepts). The money raised (watch this space for a total when announced) will fund the March of Dimes work to end birth defects. A major focus for the charity at the present time is premature birth. It is a startling fact that, despite a quarter century of rising living standards and technological progress, the national premature birth rate has increased 36 percent. Premature birth is now the number one cause of death for newborns. March of Dimes funds research, education and community programs in Dallas and operates state wide on public policy issues that impinge on this situation. November 17th is World Prematurity Day. Attendees of Saturday’s event met the Ambassador Family for the March of Dimes, the Strauss Family, who have a son born prematurely. Fox 4 weeknight sports anchor Mike Doocy emceed the event and gently cajoled the responsive crowd to give. In addition to donors on the night, a long list of local companies sponsored at various levels, making a major difference to the total funds raised.

Attendees spent most of the evening savoring food from the chefs. Not only did those chefs provide their food and staff, many also donated to the live or silent auctions. Most had created elaborate special meals for groups of between 4 to 12 people, but there were several that offered ‘additions’ to the meal.

Jump for the deals and the meals. Continue reading "Report: March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction in Dallas"

Video: Chef Abraham Salum Describes His Gig At The James Beard House

posted by Andrew Chalk | November 14th, 2011 9:00am | filed under Andrew Chalk, Chefs |

In October, Abraham Salum, owner of Salum and Komali, took his gig to The James Beard House in New York City. This place is a culinary showcase where professionals and amateurs go to feast on food prepared by chefs from all over the world. Events take place almost daily and, in the same month as Salum’s appearence, attendees sampled over 25 meals from chefs from four countries. In fact, name a top chef, from Ferran Adrià down, and it is likely they have presented at the James Beard House.

Once he returned from his dinner at JBH, I asked Salum what the experience was like..