Articles for May 9th, 2012

Taqueria at Southlake Texaco Station

posted by Chris Baccus | May 9th, 2012 11:54am | filed under Gas Station Tacos | 3 Comments »

There are a lot of choices around downtown Dallas when it comes to gas station tacos. Drive 20 minutes north and you’ll have a difficult time finding anything other than a McDonald’s, Whataburger or Subway serving food at the pump. Fortunately, coming back from a Saturday morning drive to Keller, Texas I waited at a traffic light near a Texaco that advertised tacos and burritos.

After a quick u-turn, I entered a rather busy gas station that had a small line waiting to order Mexican food.
At first, the $1.49 taco price looked like a bit of suburban price gouging compared to the inner city where most street tacos are $1 – $1.25, but after I received my order I could see why they were priced a bit higher than normal. The tacos are fairly large, similar to what you get at El Si Hay in Oak Cliff. Each taco is served with two tortillas. The corn is flavorful and durable. You’ll have no ripped tortillas with ingredients spilling out.  Best part is that they taste great and were a high point of this taqueria.

Jump if you like tacos.

Continue reading "Taqueria at Southlake Texaco Station"

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Beloved Moutarde, Where Can I Find Thee?

posted by Carol Shih | May 9th, 2012 10:09am | filed under condiments | 4 Comments »

The most beautiful mustard packaging ever.

Our Lead Online Developer (who, by the way, is looking to hire a sidekick/front-end web developer) just brought in these cool-looking tubes of mustard. After a small office party with gluten-free crackers topped with moutarde au tandoori and moutarde au jus de truffe, I have fallen hard for these little condiments. They’re so small that I could whip ‘em out from my purse at any time and turn a blegh sandwich to a high-end sandwich. Does this mean I have to fly all the way to France to buy these suckers? Our online developer ordered these bottles off some wine mailing list he subscribes to, but I’m wondering if any of y’all have seen these in stores around Dallas.

So, Dishers, any ideas? Or point me to a good substitute if you’re attached to another condiment brand that’s easier to find.

Liz’s Note: If you should ever drip moutarde au tandoori on your favorite shirt (that stuff is red), don’t panic. Just take it to D.D. French and then watch “The Mustard” from the Buffy musical episode Once More With Feeling. It’s the most accurate depiction of that ecstatic moment when you realize that cleaners managed to erase the evidence of your sloppiness and you’re saved from the torture of trying to replace the most beloved thing in your closet.

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What to Drink Now: The Skinny on Skinny Cocktails

posted by Hayley Hamilton | May 9th, 2012 9:43am | filed under cocktails, Wine & Spirits | 5 Comments »

This is the year of the “skinny cocktails.” They are everywhere. It is understandable; we are getting into swimsuit season, and 90 degrees in May tells me it is going to stick around for a while, so the necessity to enjoy refreshing cocktails is high, and the fact that they might be figure-friendly is a bonus.  I have been testing recipes and pre-mixed drink selections lately to see if these “skinny cocktails” are as tasty as they say they are, and some certainly are….they do, however, not lack calories.  They are lower than some of the typical summertime drinks like a pina colada or frozen margarita, but it’s not like drinking a cup of green tea or diet soda.  Follow the jump for a few favorites from the bunch I’ve been testing.  Some selections were sent for editorial consideration. Continue reading "What to Drink Now: The Skinny on Skinny Cocktails"

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Dallas-Based Zaccanelli Food Group Acquires Hofmann Sausage Company. Phil Romano Will Make the World Hot Dog Happy!

posted by Nancy Nichols | May 9th, 2012 8:00am | filed under AgriBusiness, Breaking News, Cubicle Cuisine, Food Invasion, GO MAVS!, Hot dogs are the new hamburger, Hot Links!, Openings/Closings, restaurant business news, Restaurant News, Silly Reasons to Celebrate | 11 Comments »

Are you ready for some hot dogs?

Yesterday, Merritt Martin of Eater Dallas, linked (ha!) to a story reporting Dallas-based Zaccanelli Food Group’s acquisition of the 133 year-old Hofmann Sausage Company in Syracuse, New York. She writes:

“Wait, what? Dallas-based Zaccanelli Food Group acquired Syracuse’s Hofmann Sausage Company in a multimillion dollar deal that means sausage expansion (well beyond Hot Haus rests, even into Texas groceries, gasp!) and, linking (ha) seemingly random investors the likes of Oneida Indian Nation, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach and others.”

The “others” Martin omits are significant players that are anything but randomly linked. Like the “Zaccanelli” behind the group:  Frank Zaccanelli, a native of Syracuse, is the former team president of the Dallas Mavericks. He was the minority owner to Ross Perot Jr.’s majority. Together, they sold the team to our (foodie) hero, Mark Cuban. Before that, Zaccanelli was a big wig at Perot Jr.’s company and they did some big deals like Alliance Airport and large real estate developments all over the state. (Huge overstatement in the interest of time.) Zaccanelli Food Group received majority funding from the powerful central-New York based Oneida Indian Nation Enterprises, a group dedicated to “re-investing in Central New York.” Other investors include former Syracuse Police Chief and two-time Syracuse University All-American basketball player Dennis DuVal, Syracuse University Head Basketball Coach Jim Boeheim, Dallas Cowboys quarterback and businessman Roger Staubach, and several high-profile restaurateurs and sports figures.

The until-now family-owned and operated Hofmann Sausage Company is a well-respected name in the restaurant business. They make some fine sausages and hot dogs. Call me crazy, but I swear I ate a Hofmann dog at Fuddrucker’s a century ago. Oh, that brings me to another “other” in this multi-million-dollar-dog deal: Phil Romano, the creator of Fuddruckers®, World’s Greatest Hamburgers®. Secret fact: Romano ALSO grew up in Syracuse eating Hofmann dogs. He loves them so much he sells them at Eatzi’s! Now he’s going to show the world just how much he hearts Hofmann dogs. Romano is in charge of creating a national chain of Hofmann’s World’s Greatest Hot Dogs restaurants. (I’m sure the ® is still at the attorney’s office.)  I, for one, can’t wait. Hot dogs are the new hamburger.

Update: Hofmann products will be available in 64 Texas Albertson’s stores, including those in DFW, this weekend. That was fast.

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