Articles for April 12th, 2012

The Marquee Grill and The Dram Host Fundraisers for Injured Dallas Bartender Andrew Lostetter

posted by Nancy Nichols | April 12th, 2012 5:26pm | filed under Charity events | 11 Comments »

Andrew Lostetter, bartender at The Marquee, and formerly of Neighborhood Services Tavern and Fireside Pies, was injured in a ski accident in Breckenridge, Colorado last month. A skier lost control, struck Andrew, and propelled him into a tree. His extensive injuries included a fractured pelvis (four places), two fractured vertebrae, and a dislocated sacrum, the triangular bone at the end of the spine. Lostetter has already undergone two surgeries in Denver and two weeks of rehabilitation. He is back in Dallas now but it looks like he won’t be able to get back to shaking basil gimlets for at least 3 months.

Lostetter’s  friends are rallying support to help off set his medical bills and lost wages. So far, two fundraisers are planned.

The Marquee Grill will host an event on April 22 from 7-11 pm. There will be a silent auction that will include baskets of Scotch, all-inclusive dinners, and many talented mixologists and chefs will be auctioning their services for private events.

The Dram will also host an event on April 29 from 7-12 pm. There will be a huge raffle at Dram, which will include pieces by local artists, bar tabs around the city, dinners from your favorite hot spots, and wine and spirits goodies. There will be a band, DJs, and a food truck.

All proceeds from sales at both events and funds from the silent auction and raffle will benefit Lostetter. Do a good deed and get to hang out with Dallas’ finest mixologists.


11 Comments »

Tim Rogers Says Something Nice About the Dallas Observer

posted by Carol Shih | April 12th, 2012 5:00pm | filed under Observer shenanigans |

… but it’s hard not to after you read this week’s feature. The Cheap Bastard is, well, kind of charming.

Can’t Make it to Le Cirque in New York? Well, Le Cirque is Coming to Dallas

posted by Nancy Nichols | April 12th, 2012 3:18pm | filed under pop-up restaurant |

Hold on to your Baccarat flutes, it’s only for one night. Actually, Le Cirque is popping up on April  20 at The Tower Club. ClubCorp and the legendary Manhattan restaurant have teamed up and are going on the road to “play” An Evening with Le Cirque at 10 of ClubCorp’s family of private clubs around the nation. They are bringing Le Cirque’s new chef, Olivier Reginensi, and members of the Maccioni family, which opened the original Le Cirque in New York and now owns nine restaurants throughout the world. Marchesi Antinori and Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Brut picked the wines. I’ve printed the menu and wine list below. Reservations are limited and start at 6 P.M. The cost $150 per person, which includes meal and wine pairings. Call 888.402.3933 or email ClubLine to RSVP. All here.

Jump for An Evening with Le Cirque details. Continue reading "Can’t Make it to Le Cirque in New York? Well, Le Cirque is Coming to Dallas"

DMN Food Writer Kim Pierce Hit By SUV While Jogging

posted by Nancy Nichols | April 12th, 2012 1:46pm | filed under Food Writing | 13 Comments »

Holy crow. Teresa Gubbins told me DMN scribe Kim Pierce was jogging last night and was hit by an SUV. She’s okay but she has a broken nose, facial lacerations, and road rash on the right side of her body. You can wish her well here or on her Facebook page.

UPDATE: According to Kim’s Sig-O: ” She was using the crosswalk with the “Walk” sign at Northwest hwy and Pickwick (near the Baptist church). A driver turned into her. Broken nose, facial lacerations a lot of bruises and she’s resting at home. She’s lucid and doesn’t appear to have any internal or brain injuries.”

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John Tesar to Host His 2nd Private Underground Dinner on April 20

posted by Carol Shih | April 12th, 2012 12:48pm | filed under Celebrity Chefs | 1 Comment »

Jealousy hit me when I saw that Andrew Chalk was invited to attend Chef John Tesar’s 1st Private Underground Dinner, and I wasn’t. No big deal, sir. Daniel Walker and I will just sit at our computers and live vicariously through Andrew…

We were all pretty excited when Tesar announced this special series of dinners he’s hosting before Spoon Bar & Kitchen is opening this summer, and it’s been predicted by Mr. Chalk that there might be only two more after this one. Don’t miss this chance to see Tesar up close and personal.

Details:
Five courses at $99 per person
Doors open at 7:00 p.m. on April 20, amuse-bouche at 7:30 p.m., and dinner courses will commence promptly at 8:00 p.m.
Location remains a mystery. You have to sign up here first: http://tesarundergrounddinners.eventbrite.com

1 Comment »

Food Writing Will Not Die an Easy Death at D Magazine

posted by Nancy Nichols | April 12th, 2012 12:26pm | filed under Food Crime, Food Writing | 17 Comments »

Yesterday, Carol noted Amanda Hesser’s claim that professional food writing is dead. I have a few thoughts on that.

Getting paid to write anything is almost dead. Unless you consider composing a 140-character pithy news item as writing. I suppose it is: Steve Martin just released a book of his tweets. But he is Steve Martin. The odds of a writer of any kind hitting that kind of jackpot has always been low.

Publications are shrinking. There are fewer jobs in the publishing business, not just food writing. We hear from people everyday looking for work as editors, art designers, and free lancers. Interns taking journalism classes still spend time in our offices, but instead of gathering “clips” from the magazine, they turn in blog posts for college credit. The internet has offered opportunities to anyone who can text, tweet, or post Facebook updates to gather a following and be whatever authority they want to be. The chances of them making a dollar are slim. That progression seems to be the new face of food writing. Is that good or bad? Who has the time to argue? It’s reality. Instead of trying to change it, I attempt to embrace it.

Jump off the cliff with me. Continue reading "Food Writing Will Not Die an Easy Death at D Magazine"

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A Short List of the Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches from This Year

posted by Carol Shih | April 12th, 2012 11:23am | filed under Cheese, Holidays | 4 Comments »

Grilled cheese and short rib sandwiches with pickled caramelized onions and arugula (photo from Bon Appetit)

If you were once a poor college student (like me) studying abroad in Russia and you didn’t know how to cook yet, dinner becomes the sorriest meal of the day. Monday is plain bread. Tuesday is toasted bread with raspberry jam and butter or nutella. Wednesday through Friday: more bread. Saturday, you get creative and add a slice of cheese. Sunday, though, is when you really get fancy and treat yourself to the holy grail of homemade dinners on that sad thing you call a stove. You make a grilled cheese sandwich.

Because grilled cheese sandwiches helped me survive cold White Nights, drunk Russians pounding on my door, and the lack of a working heater, I have a special place in my heart for this simple sandwich. In honor of National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, I thought I’d take you through a photo tour of the top three grilled cheese sandwiches I either consumed, ogled, or dreamed about in the past year.

Jump if you eat cheese.

Continue reading "A Short List of the Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches from This Year"

4 Comments »

It’s National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day

posted by George Lewis | April 12th, 2012 9:45am | filed under Cheese, Sandwiches, Silly Reasons to Celebrate | 10 Comments »

Ruthie's Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Robin Skinner from Ruthie’s Rolling Cafe alerted me to the fact that today is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day.  According to a website called Punchbowl.com, it’s also National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month. So technically, you have 18 days left to eat a grilled cheese sandwich in a celebratory fashion. Ruthie’s isn’t your only option.  In Dallas, you’ve got Highland Park Pharmacy. Lucky’s, and The Porch on Henderson as sit-down restaurant options. Norma’s Cafe is also offering a free grilled cheese to dine-in customers who visit either of its two locations, and a portion of the day’s sales will be donated to the American Red Cross North Texas Region to help with the tornado damage. Lee’s Grilled Cheese rolls in Fort Worth.

Ruthie’s will be at the Flagpole at SMU for lunch today and at Celebrate Uptown for dinner.  Lee’s Grilled Cheese will be closed today, but open at the Fort Worth Food Truck Park for Friday and Saturday lunch and dinner.

Where are you getting your grilled cheese sandwich fix today?

10 Comments »