Articles for April 3rd, 2012

Duncan Graham Leaves Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek

posted by Nancy Nichols | April 3rd, 2012 4:17pm | filed under restaurant business news | 7 Comments »

Duncan Graham packs his Bermuda shorts. (Photo courtesy of Jeanne Prejean)

Duncan Graham, the Managing Director of the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, is one of the nicest people I’ve worked with in Dallas. I just learned he is leaving Dallas on April 21 to be the Managing Director at Rosewood Tucker’s Point in Bermuda. Why anyone would leave Dallas to live on an island surrounded by a coral reef is beyond me. So long, Duncan. Say hi to your mum.

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Leslie Brenner Puts Broccolimania Over Tornado Warnings

posted by Nancy Nichols | April 3rd, 2012 3:59pm | filed under Food Crime | 2 Comments »

We had to evacuate our offices three times today because of tornado warnings. I’m hunkered down in the parking garage reading Twitter for news and I run across this tweet by Leslie Brenner:

“Yes, I know a tornado’s headed our way, but I just got a broccoli recipe from Justin Yu at Oxheart in Houston!”

Well, Leslie. Could you whip it up and ship it over to those of us trapped in a parking garage downtown? Pair with appropriate wine, please.

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How to Survive Major Storms with a Jar of Peanut Butter

posted by Carol Shih | April 3rd, 2012 2:49pm | filed under stupid tornado is ruining my day | 2 Comments »

My best friend during tornado weather

I was in the middle of eating lunch when the tornado sirens went off, and the building manager shooed all of us into a dark, underground parking lot – the kind where Hercule Poirot would be solving a murder mystery. Who knew how long we would have to stay there? Good thing I was still holding onto my Ssahm hot dog and a bottle of water.

But, just in case WWIII ever breaks out or North Korea decides to attack Dallas, I always keep a jar of peanut butter in my house should the electricity fail me. Who cares if everything else rots? At least a trusty can of chunky Jif will last for awhile outside of a refrigerator. This non-perishable, high protein product is the Superman of all foods when it comes to crises, and it certainly never hurts to be prepared. Heaven knows I’m going to need it now as this stupid tornado heads toward my house in Carrollton. ^##$@$@#%^%&*#$@#@.

Grrreeeeeeaaaattt. And goodbye to the beautiful new fence and roof we just installed.

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The Texas Rangers Will Win the World Series and The James Beard Award for Best New Restaurants

posted by Nancy Nichols | April 3rd, 2012 12:59pm | filed under AgriBusiness, Bars, BBQ, beer, Cult Cuisine, Game 6 Almost Killed Me, Go Rangers!, I Went to College for This?, Openings/Closings, restaurant business news, Restaurant News, Tex-Mex | 5 Comments »

Executive Chef Cris "No H" Vasquez holds a Champion Dog. D.J. Pridemore eats the whole thing. (Photography by Micah Nunley)

Perhaps my headline is a tad overzealous, but boy I got so wound up yesterday at the press conference announcing the new line-up of food items to be served this season at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington I could barely drive home. I wanted to stay, slip on a toga, and feast like a hedonistic Roman tart. But I digress.

I’ve already outlined how the Rangers will win the World Series. I’m now prepared to tell you how to plan your caloric intake when you attend a game. The Yu-Darvish moment of late yesterday took place as the Rangers food service management team—Shawn Mattox, Casey Rapp, Philip Wheatley, execuchef Cris Vazquez—revealed their heavy hitter: The Champion Dog ($26.00 with fries). It’s a 2-foot-long-all-beef hot dog topped with shredded cheese, sauteed onions, and chili. The Champion Dog, also sold as the Boomstick (Hi! Nellie!) in the general concessions area, is meant to satisfy four people. However, I watched an eating competition where D.J. Pridemore, a producer for 105.3-FM The Fan, ate a whole one all by himself. He smoked his opponent, the DMN’s Brandon Formby, who never saw the bun (made by Empire Baking Company) coming. Mr. Formby learned that baseball food, like baseball, is a now game of inches.

So Ranger food fans, here’s is news: Vandergriff Plaza (behind centerfield) has been renovated into a food court with FOUR new restaurants, Ryan’s Express 34, Smokehouse 557, Taqueria, and American Dog. They surround the bronze statute of Nolan Ryan. They’ve also added two smoking hot lounges, the Captain Morgan Club and the Batter’s Eye Club). The Kid’s Zone has been moved indoors (thank you) to the south end of the first floor. And the press box will feature sushi for the Japanese media.

Jump for Food Facts and Fun Pictures For Rangers Fans.

Continue reading "The Texas Rangers Will Win the World Series and The James Beard Award for Best New Restaurants"

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A Few Asian Bakeries in Dallas That I Cannot Live Without

posted by Carol Shih | April 3rd, 2012 10:17am | filed under Baking, Good Asian Grub | 4 Comments »

A Portuguese egg tart from Taiwan. Hubba hubba. (photos by Carol Shih)

Alexander Nham wrote “An Ode to Chinese Pastries” in City of Ate last week, and pointed Observer readers to Vivian Bakery located in the New Chinatown in Richardson. Not sure why he called it “new” when Chinatown has been there forever. I mean, I was probably too young to even walk when my mother brought me along with her to shop there. That was twenty-something-odd years ago. The only thing that’s new are those knock-off Terracotta soldiers they added to make the place look less dumpy. Plenty of bakeries have come and gone since then, but Vivian Bakery, to which Nham references, has been there for more than a few years now, attached to the hip of a Chinese grocery store called Tian Tian Super Market.

It’s rare when this happens (because I’m a sucker for every kind of carb), but I walked into Vivian Bakery two weeks ago and walked out empty-handed. It was a Saturday afternoon and the breads didn’t look fresh; they were shriveled up in their plastic wrappings. I was willing to give the place a shot until I caught an offensive glimpse of cheese (like the Kraft singles you buy at Wal-Mart) melted on top of a pastry.  After reading Nham’s review of Vivian Bakery, I considered the fact that I might have just… you know… imagined that slice of cheese. Wanting to give Vivian’s another chance, I returned for a second trip last Friday. This time I found a “chocolate” bread covered in brown goop  with multicolored sprinkles. Don’t get me wrong, I love sprinkles. They’re wonderful on donuts and cupcakes and cookies. But sprinkles do not belong on Asian bread. Period. Continue reading "A Few Asian Bakeries in Dallas That I Cannot Live Without"

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Spiceman Has The Goods: Get Your Fresh Produce Now for Easter and Passover Cooking

posted by Nancy Nichols | April 3rd, 2012 9:00am | filed under AgriBusiness, Cult Cuisine, Farmers Markets, Groceries, Hippie revolutions, Local/Slow Food, Nutjobs |

Tom Spicer sings the greens.

This note just in from the father of foraging, Mr. Tom “Spiceman” Spicer, over at FM 1410. Hear him type:

“Here are few quick peaks at my annual “Easter Grasskets: (living wheat grass in an basket with assorted colors of carrots, rainbow chard and a goose egg). Get ‘em while they’re hot. I have also reserved the artichokes and enough Easter Grasskets for my “Adopt-a-plot” peeps. (peep peep).”

Peep,peep yáll. Easter Grasskets is pretty good. Jump for all of the goodies Spiceman has in his garden. And adopt one of his plots. It’s cheaper than a dog. Continue reading "Spiceman Has The Goods: Get Your Fresh Produce Now for Easter and Passover Cooking"