Articles for April 10th, 2012

Oh No! Say It Isn’t So! Nana Will Turn Into A Contemporary Steakhouse Called Sēr

posted by Nancy Nichols | April 10th, 2012 7:26pm | filed under Bad Names For Restaurants List, Openings/Closings, restaurant business news, Restaurant News, Steakhouses | 12 Comments »

“Hey, honey I’m in the mood for a good steak tonight. Where should we go?”

“How about Sēr’s?”

“No, I don’t want a new washing machine, I want a cowboy rib-eye. Why would I want to go to Sears?”

Okay, it needs a lot of workshopping but so does the name Sēr. That is the name of the new steakhouse replacing Nana in the Hilton Anatole. Sēr is set to open on October 1, 2012.

If a restaurant name is sent out in a press release and followed by “(pronounced “sear”),” I can tell you there will be trouble. Names should be easy to read and say. A customer should be able to glance at the name, style of font, and get an idea of what they are to expect.

Contemporary marketing people: We are stupid. Asador may be a great restaurant, but it doesn’t sound like one. We like our names simple. Even CampO Modern Bistro can be shortened to as CampO’s. Nobody has to pronounce that silly big O. What would have been wrong with Nana’s Steakhouse? You could have combined some tradition along with your fancy  “open, airy layout that is both casual and sophisticated. Warm cognac and whiskey leathers, locally sourced end-grain mesquite walls and community tables, rich mesquite floors and solid walnut tabletops create a masculine, yet hip and urban feel. A chef’s table and wine display will be an intimate destination adjacent to the exhibition kitchen. And, of course, its stunning views make it unique among its competitors.”

Sēr that! Full press release below. Continue reading "Oh No! Say It Isn’t So! Nana Will Turn Into A Contemporary Steakhouse Called Sēr"

12 Comments »

Michael Costa is Now Working for Sneaky Pete’s in Lewisville

posted by Nancy Nichols | April 10th, 2012 3:08pm | filed under Food Crime, Really?, restaurant business news | 16 Comments »

FYI, Michael Costa and his sidekick Brian Luisi have resurfaced at Sneaky Pete’s in Lewisville. According to a nice gentleman who just answered the phone at Sneaky Pete’s, the duo has been hired as consultants.

16 Comments »

SVM, Trinity Groves, and a Milestone

posted by Andrew Chalk | April 10th, 2012 12:58pm | filed under Andrew Chalk, Chefs |

SVM is the corporate form (as distinct from the corporal form) of Sharon van Meter. In a few months, both forms are moving across the river to Trinity Groves. That, you will recall, is the gastronomic and culinary center under development by Phil Romano at the end of Santiago Calatrava’s new icon of the Dallas skyline. The Milestone Culinary Arts Center may move as well, but not to Trinity Groves, and only as a showroom for kitchen appliances. Van Meter isn’t unhappy with the current digs. Rather, Phil Romano is very serious about Trinity Groves’ success and he regards Le Cordon Bleu, Paris, Graduate Van Meter as something of an ‘anchor store’ in his new mall. He offered her a deal she couldn’t refuse, including seating space for 400 people where she can do big events. Kitchen appliance and equipment makers are also likely to be falling over themselves to equip a school that sees thousands of students every year.

Given the pace of this, I suspect that we will hear some other major announcements about Trinity Groves in the next month or so.

It’ll Do Club in New East Elm is Getting a Fresh Look

posted by Carol Shih | April 10th, 2012 11:49am | filed under Dancing, Rewritten Press Releases |

Dallas dancers will have a new place to show off their sweet moves now that local developer Jeff Swaney of Delphi Group just acquired some land and buildings in the recently dubbed “New East Elm” neighborhood. This means the It’ll Do Club at 4322 Elm St., which falls under Delphi’s radar, will be getting a face lift and re-launch in the second quarter of 2012. Swaney is also taking over the Starlight Lounge on Main St., but no word on whether he plans to renovate it yet.

More about Delphi from the press release:

Delphi, (www.delphigroupinc.com) which led Deep Ellum’s renaissance in the 80s and 90s and birthed the wildly successful Club Clearview (1985-2005), are bringing the same artsy energy to New East Elm. Delphi’s 25 year experience in the Deep Ellum district, specializing in the renovation of older structures and it’s entertainment pedigree made this the group’s next logical project, sure to build on the momentum they’ve created in the area. The area historically was a haunt of Dallas legend Jack Ruby and nexus of the underground gambling rackets of the 1930s and 40s

Continue reading "It’ll Do Club in New East Elm is Getting a Fresh Look"

Pink Slime, I’m Going to Miss You

posted by Nancy Nichols | April 10th, 2012 11:43am | filed under Bad critters, Cult Cuisine, Eating Alone is Sad, Food Fight! | 14 Comments »

Looks like frozen yogurt! How can it be all bad. (photo courtesy of Elevation Burger.)

Poor Pink Slime. The frappéed beef scraps and connective tissues doused in ammonia used in food production has been called to the front of the class for being gross in a room full of politically correct food experts. What took you people so long to get all worked up about Pink Slime? Did you miss The Omnivore’s Dilemna? Fast Food Nation? Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle?

What’s next? Nasty Nitrates? According to the Food Chemical Codex,  sodium nitrite, used to cure meat and prolong the shelf life of food, contains residual heavy metals, arsenic, and lead. Will you think about that the next time you bite into a Yu Dog at the Ballpark?

What is my point? I think Pink Slime got a raw deal. Anyone who pays attention to what they eat already knows about this crap. But somebody came up with a catchy name to grab the headlines and—BOOM—Pink Slime is public enemy number one.

My inbox is full of messages from burger joints now touting they are “Pink-Slime-free.” (Good news for marketing folks.) Locally, Elevation Burger has declared its 28 restaurants as “Pink Slime Free Zones.” Goody for them. They were smart enough to start by serving 100% USDA-certified organic and 100% grass-fed beef. Just be prepared to put your money where the pink slime was. (Check out City of Ate’s breakdown on the economics of  a slime-free market.)

Carry on do-gooders. There are important battles to fight for healthy food. Just don’t get all high and mighty. Some of us still like to enjoy food in foreign countries that are lucky to have beef scraps to cook.

14 Comments »

Carbone’s Fine Food & Wine to Open on April 17

posted by Carol Shih | April 10th, 2012 10:46am | filed under italian food, Openings/Closings, Restaurant News | 11 Comments »

The man of the hour: Julian Barsotti

Chef Julian Barsotti, the young wizard behind Nonna, is finally opening his new Italian-American deli/grocery store/restaurant at the northeast corner of Wycliff and Oak Lawn Ave. on Tuesday, April 17. Carbone’s Fine Food & Wine is partly inspired by his grandfather’s old shop in New Jersey, and partly fueled by a trip he took to Torrisi Italian Specialties in NYC, where an old school sandwich shop made Barsotti think about bringing a taste of that to Dallas.

First and foremost, Barsotti tells me, Carbone’s identity will be a restaurant. Sunday nights the shop will turn into a spot where people can get their Italian fix with a set-price menu starting at 5:30 PM. Six days a week, customers can order off the deli menu and get anything from homemade pasta (spaghetti bolognese, eggplant parmesan, porchetta, etc.) to one of the heroes (roast turkey, Italian combo, chicken parmesan, etc.). If they fall in love with the fresh cured salami in their sandwich or the dressing in their Caesar salad, well, that’s easy. Barsotti can point them to the products in the grocery store section of his shop, all of which are sourced from American makers with a couple exceptions. Continue reading "Carbone’s Fine Food & Wine to Open on April 17"

11 Comments »

New Wine Store Coming to Central and Walnut Hill in Dallas: Total Wine & More

posted by Nancy Nichols | April 10th, 2012 10:34am | filed under beer, Booze News, Bring it! | 6 Comments »

Good heavens, Walnut Hill and Central is turning into Booze Row. Centennial has been on the corner for a long time and Spec’s, the ginaormous liquor and wine store, opened there in mid-December. This morning comes news that Total Wine & More will open in “early summer” just a few blocks down (or up) from Spec’s. (Note: They’re hiring!) This will be the chain’s first store in Texas and 80th overall location. Here is their claim:

“Total Wine will offer a greater selection of wines, spirits, and beer in its store than any retailer in Dallas.”

Yow. Zah. That’s ballsy. I guess we’ll wait and see. Oh wait, Co-Owner and President David Trone has something to say:

“Total Wine & More will offer a shopping experience unlike any other in Dallas. We feature wine from nearly every wine-growing region in the world, as well as a tremendous selection of spirits from every price range, and a diverse offering of beers, from America’s most popular beers to hard-to-find microbrews and imports.  I believe Dallas residents will be surprised and amazed when they first enter our store.”

Bring it, Hoss. We’ll be the judge. Say, how much Texas wine are you bringing?

6 Comments »

Gas Station Tacos: Chupacabra’s on Ross Avenue

posted by Chris Baccus | April 10th, 2012 9:52am | filed under Gas Station Tacos | 2 Comments »

A wet Thursday afternoon made for the perfect day to find the much sought after chupacabra (not the mythical goat sucker). Instead, Chupacabra’s the taqueria found at the corner of Ross and Fitzhugh in Dallas.

It was a quiet afternoon with only the cashier and cook in the market.  There are several tables inside and a full menu of the typical taqueria options: tacos, tostadas, burritos, and tortas. Plus, there are several ice cream creations one can order too.

It would be shameful not ordering some cabrito (baby goat) at a place called Chupacabra, so I went with a couple goat tacos, some beef fajita, pastor (pork), and finally a chicken taco.

The homemade corn tortillas here are large and dipped in a decent amount of oil to refresh them before serving.  Perhaps they were out of containers the day I went as the salsa roja was served in a ziplock sandwich baggie along with a baggie of lime wedges.

Jump for the full meal. Continue reading "Gas Station Tacos: Chupacabra’s on Ross Avenue"

2 Comments »

What To Drink Now: Making and Drinking Cava with Segura Viudas – Part 2

posted by Hayley Hamilton | April 10th, 2012 8:40am | filed under press trips, Wine & Spirits, Wine Pairing |

As I continued on with the Cava assemblage experience, as an invited guest of Segura Viudas in the Penedes region of Spain, my traveling companions and I were introduced to Winemaker Gabriel Suberviola, who is hands on throughout this whole Cava making process for Segura Viudas. We spent day two with Gabriel, introducing himself to each of us, his students, with a warm handshake and glint of excitement in his generous eyes. Eyes that exuded wisdom….the kind of wisdom that only comes through dedication and experience.  For Gabriel, this encompasses decades of experience, three of them with the Freixenet group, owner of Segura Viudas.

Continue reading "What To Drink Now: Making and Drinking Cava with Segura Viudas – Part 2"