2012 January 13 | SideDish

Articles for January 13th, 2012

Top Chef: Texas, Episode 9 Recap

posted by Nancy Nichols | January 13th, 2012 12:52pm | filed under Top Chef: Texas | 5 Comments »

I’m a bad editor. Loren Means turned in her report on Top Chef: Texas and I forgot to hit publish. Here’s her slice and dice take on Padma and her pals.

Zzzzzzzzzzzz. Restaurant Wars! In a real restaurant! Creative control and no lame gimmicks! Finally. Hugh Acheson and Padma are at the Palm Door with the eight remaining cheftestants. Hugh informs them that he wants to see a complete concept from name to design to menu. I love restaurant wars so I’m getting excited and the chefs are getting excited and… it’s boys versus girls. Ugh. Couldn’t they have just drawn knives? Top Chef, we’ve been together long enough for me to tell you this: you’re turning into a gimmick junkie and a sponsor slut. This isn’t a “it’s not you it’s me” kind of a thing. It’s you – you’re boring.

To add some suspense (I was on pins and needles, weren’t you?) Padma flips a coin to see which team will be cooking the first night. The other team will have the luxury of having an additional day of planning as well as dining at the competitions restaurant first. The coin is tossed and the boys lose. Ty, Paul, Ed and Chris J. will be cooking the first night and Sarah, Beverly, Grayson and Lindsay will cook the next night. Both teams must create a three-course menu with two options for each course. They will have 5 hours to decorate and cook before service begins at their restaurant. With 45 minutes to brain storm their concepts and $7500 to blow at Sur La Table and Garden Ridge the chefs are already feeling the pressure.

Jump. Continue reading "Top Chef: Texas, Episode 9 Recap"

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Taco Review: Moto Taco in Dallas Provides Cubicle Cuisine

posted by Nancy Nichols | January 13th, 2012 12:19pm | filed under Cubicle Cuisine, Needs Fine Tuning, Openings/Closings, Restaurant News, Tacos | 3 Comments »

My little, fat Filipino chicken taco of stewed chicken, tomatoes onions, and peppers.

Yesterday I mentioned Moto Taco, a new breakfast and lunch taco delivery operation. We placed an order and Mac, who calls himself the Chief Taco Jockey, showed up with tacos. After his arrival was announced over the intercom, Mac was surrounded by 30 hungry workers. I felt bad for him. He was obviously overwhelmed at the response. Not only did he take orders, he processed payment. And he ran out of food. Needless to say, Moto Taco is still working out the kinks of their new business. (They have partnered with the kitchen at La Hacienda on Henderson.) I asked my office mates to send in their reviews which are listed below. I tried the carnitas and, other than the soggy flour tortilla which I see as an inevitable problem with their vision, the filling was tasty. However, I love the concept of office delivery and what I shall now refer to as “cubicle cuisine™.”

Jump for more details from Mac and the relentless reviews written by my colleagues. Continue reading "Taco Review: Moto Taco in Dallas Provides Cubicle Cuisine"

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FUQUA Winery Wins Best of Class for FUQUA Cavalier Tawny Port

posted by Nancy Nichols | January 13th, 2012 11:29am | filed under AgriBusiness, Awards, Local/Slow Food, North Texas Wine, Wine & Spirits | 1 Comment »

Hip, hip, hooray for Lee Fuqua and his brewing buddy Courtney Elizabeth Key. Together they took the top award in its category at the prestigious 2012 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. “We beat all the other Double Gold Medal winners to win the Best of Class award for our port, meaning that our FUQUA Cavalier Tawny Port was judged to be the best port made anywhere in the United States,” Lee Fuqua says. “And with over 5,500 entries this year, we think that this is some kind of accomplishment.” At the moment it’s in stock at FUQUA Wines ($59.95).

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Chef John Tesar to Open The Spoon Bar and Kitchen in Dallas

posted by Nancy Nichols | January 13th, 2012 10:31am | filed under Breaking News, Celebrity Chefs, Openings/Closings, Restaurant News | 23 Comments »

John Tesar's Spoon Bar and Kitchen to open in July at Preston Center. He will serve the ingredients he wears in this picture.

Preston Center is hopping. Or it’s about to be. John Tesar is taking some space in the former the 24-Hour Fitness and opening his new signature restaurant, The Spoon Bar and Kitchen. The soon-to-open Hopdoddy Burger Bar will be next door. He plans to have the fine dining restaurant open in July 2012. (Opening menu below jump.)

Tesar also says he will be open two more Commissary’s: one on on Northwest Highway and Midway, Oct of 2012 and one more in FT Worth at Camp Bowie in the Museum Place development in December 2012. Plus, he is consulting on a “busterant” (details below).

Tesar’s current partner in The Commissary at One Arts, Lucy Billingsley, will not be part of the expansion. “I have one new solid money guy,” Tesar says. “Who knows, when it comes time to do the neighborhood burger and wine bar joints we may not call them The Commissary.” (It doesn’t take prescription glasses to read between the lines.)

The press release claims “chef Tesar will remain a consultant to the original Commissary located at One Arts Plaza and in his absence Screen Door executive chef David Macmillan will now help oversee the day-to-day operations.” However, Tesar told me he sold his shares in The Commissary back to Billingsley. “I am focusing on Spoon,” Tesar says. “I want to get back to doing the kind of food and service people expect from me at my days at The Mansion.”

Hold the bus, there is more. Continue reading "Chef John Tesar to Open The Spoon Bar and Kitchen in Dallas"

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