Articles for May 8th, 2012

Brews News and More

posted by Carol Shih | May 8th, 2012 12:04pm | filed under Brews News |

The North Texas Beer Festival is happening this weekend on Saturday, May 12 at the Irving Convention Center. We’re sending one of our new summer interns, a beer geek, there to scope out the digs. The only thing that’s missing on the schedule is how to make some good moonshine, but I guess that’s sort of illegal anyway. Ticket prices vary, and you should buy them here.

Katy Ice Trail House is hosting Round Up De Mayo around the same time as the beer fest. If you’re into wearing neon clothing, drinking booze, and the possibility of giant slide, then this is your crowd. The Facebook event photo promises a giant slide, but I am wary of promises that include a giant slide from previous experience. It often turns out to be a disappointment.

Tickets for Flying Saucer on the Lake’s Annual Beer Festival (happening June 16) go on sale Thursday, May 10. Over 25 breweries and 60 craft beers will be hanging out at 4821 Bass Pro Drive in Garland, all selected by Flying Saucer’s beer gurus. These tickets are only $25 if you purchase them before May 25, so open those wallets for this special deal.

And just because I like charity events (plus, this organization is doing some good for this world), I’ll throw in a fundraising dinner here. Seeds of Africa, a non-profit that nurtures young children and adults in African communities, is teaming up with Bolsa for a four-course meal in hopes to support Seeds’ relief efforts. Continue reading "Brews News and More"

Open Letter to Mark Cuban: Shark Tank for Dallas Restaurateurs? I’d Watch it!

posted by Nancy Nichols | May 8th, 2012 10:14am | filed under Bring it!, Celebrity Chefs, GO MAVS!, Go Rangers!, Good Deeds, Hippie revolutions, How to Open a Restaurant 101, I'm about to get fired, Making Up Is Hard To Do, My Happy Pills Are Working, Not-so-skinny bitches, Nutjobs, Procrastination is part of the creative process, Rants, restaurant business news, Shamless self promotion, Somebody Help, That is Just Wrong, youthful spontaneous restaurants | 12 Comments »

Bring it! Let's get this city turned around! (image swiped from ABC)

Dear Mark,

I am addicted to Shark Tank. And because I am too lazy to jump through the hoops to get on the show and present my idea, I’m using the power of my pudgy fingers to reach you. Let’s pick and roll:

I walk on the set of Shark Tank. “Daymond John, you are so out,” I say. “Barbara, if I wanted to sell my cellulite-reducing sous-vide hot dog you’d be my best friend, but I’m keeping it to myself. You’re out.”

I watch the other sharks glance around, really scared at this point, and go for the kill. “Kevin, don’t even open that ugly mouth. You’re out. Robert, you can buy me dinner after the show but, for now, you are dead to me.”

Cameras swing: Close-up of Cuban. Music swells.

Mark. We live in the same city. We love the same teams. More importantly, we eat in the same restaurants. Last night, our city’s finest chef, Bruno Davaillon of the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, lost Best Chef in the Southwest at the James Beard Awards in New York City to a young chef in Austin who appeared on Top Chef. It has been 18 years since a Dallas chef won this title. We need a local version of Shark Tank geared towards Dallas restaurateurs. That way, you and I can work together to tighten up our game and turn it around. We have the talent, we need the exposure. And that exposure shouldn’t have to come from the Food Network or Bravo.

I propose we put together a panel of experts and ask  restaurateurs to pitch their ideas BEFORE they decide to sink their life savings into an upscale seafood and sushi restaurant in a bad location. Let’s kick the steak house wannabes to Fort Worth. Mark, I’m asking you to invest whatever it takes to help us bring the talent of the Dallas restaurant community to the international scene. In exchange, I offer you fifty percent of my idea. Oh, and you can keep the Mavs.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Nancy

P.S. If this helps illustrate my talent: I promoted women’s basketball in Dallas before the Mavericks were a thought in your brain. Just ask Nancy Lieberman.

12 Comments »

Taco Vendors Converge at Bryan Street Tavern for Tacopalooza 2012

posted by Carol Shih | May 8th, 2012 9:52am | filed under Events, Tacos |

D Magazine intern Erin Ahlfinger files this report.

If you’re wondering how many different tacos make a tacopalooza, the answer is twenty one.  Five of the most popular purveyors of tortilla-wrapped delights in town rolled into Bryan Street Tavern Saturday afternoon for Tacopalooza 2012. They brought with them an assortment of nearly two dozen taco types to be devoured by a full house of Cinco de Mayo revelers, as well as a group of discriminating judges to determine which taco was tastiest.

For the purists in the crowd, there were plenty of takes on the traditional street taco on hand, including Rusty Taco’s smoky, sweet namesake creation of achiote marinated pork, pineapple, and cojita cheese, wrapped in a corn tortilla. Fuzzy’s Taco Shop served up Baja-style tacos, while the Dos Paisanos food truck proudly presented their tacos al carbon. Though you won’t normally find street tacos on the menu at Bryan Street Tavern, the house kitchen rose to the occasion and presented a delightfully tender pulled pork taco of its own.

Jump for more taco goodness.

Continue reading "Taco Vendors Converge at Bryan Street Tavern for Tacopalooza 2012"

Live at Five at Galleria Dallas

posted by Loren Means | May 8th, 2012 9:00am | filed under Sponsored Post

Where will you find the fashionable foodie this season?  They’ll be enjoying live music and lively cocktails each week at Live at Five, the spectacular live music series at Galleria Dallas.

Galleria Dallas celebrates the spectacular spring weather by hosting live music each Thursday in May on its popular alley.  Guests at the Live at 5 Concert Series, presented by Cadillac, can enjoy special patio seating at both The Grill on the Alley and Townhouse Kitchen + Bar while savoring appetizer specials, $5 specialty cocktails and some of the finest local entertainment.  Each week, both The Grill and Townhouse will create a custom cocktail designed to suit the theme of the week’s entertainment.  Musical (and mixology) entertainment will range from Latin to Caribbean, from Texas Rock to Jazz Standards.

Happy hour specials are extended at both restaurants each Thursday from 4 – 8 p.m., and live entertainment begins at 5 p.m.  Current entertainment (subject to change) includes local bands such as:

May 10                 Robert Gotcher Band

May 17                 Hale Baskin

May 24                 Duo Montuno

May 31                 Island Boogie

Conveniently located at I-635/LBJ Freeway and the North Dallas Tollway, Galleria Dallas offers shoppers more than 200 exceptional nationally and internationally recognized retailers and hosts more than 19 million visitors each year.  Visit www.galleriadallas.com to learn more about Live at Five and the famed shopping center.

Sponsored post. Please support our advertisers.