Articles for June 18th, 2012

June 18 Weekly Food Truck News and Schedule in Dallas/Fort Worth

posted by George Lewis | June 18th, 2012 4:35pm | filed under Food Truck Schedule, Food Trucks | 2 Comments »

Ongoing weekly events this week include:

Wednesday: The Food Truck Experience at Sigel’s/Greenville & Street Food Wednesdays behind Crate & Barrel on Knox Ave.

Thursday: Bite Nights at Vitruvian Park – 3875 Ponte Ave Addison 75001

Friday, the Deep Ellum Outdoor Market (DEOM) is teeing up another “Deep Ellum Food Truck Rally” in the 2800 block of Main Street between Crowdus Street and Malcolm X Boulevard (6pm to 10pm).  Last time that DEOM held this event, there was all sorts of ranting from some of the local bricks ‘n’ mortar restaurants.  The rants quickly disappeared when some of the food trucks were overwhelmed with customers (who hadn’t been to Deep Ellum since 1994) who then started flowing into the air conditioned restaurants.  With one event under their wheels, and better communication between DEOM and the bricks ‘n’ mortar restaurants, we would expect a better event than previous.  Planned food trucks include Nammi, Rock and Roll Taco, Easy Slider, Good Karma Kitchen, Zombie’s, Gepetto’s Pizza, and Rockstar Bakeshop.

Here is your schedule for the week.  Remember to always check Facebook and Twitter feeds before venturing out.  Watch for rain and hail.  Continue reading "June 18 Weekly Food Truck News and Schedule in Dallas/Fort Worth"

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Update: Bailey’s Prime Plus New Management. New Menu. Avner Samuel Has Left the Building

posted by Nancy Nichols | June 18th, 2012 12:02pm | filed under As the Restaurant Turns, Bad Names For Restaurants List, Restaurant 101, restaurant business news, Restaurant News | 9 Comments »

The new menu is shorter but the prices are the same.

Last Friday, Andrew Chalk filed a report on the new menu and tasting event at Bailey’s Prime Plus. He noted menu consultant Avner (Nosh, Snack) Samuel had completed his consulting deal with owner Ed Bailey and had returned to his restaurant empire. Samuel sacrificed one of his talented Nosh chefs, Ryan Carbery, in the deal. Carbery now mans the kitchen at Bailey’s.

I emailed Ken Kuczwaj, the new director of operation and marketing, and asked him a few follow-up questions. Like: what is going to happen with the Aurora Room idea they announced a couple of weeks ago and will they be changing the name and how would you describe the type of food you are serving now? Here is his reply:

We are describing the menu as a chef-driven restaurant with an emphasis on Prime steaks and chops. We plan to have an Aurora night as soon as Avner is available. He is extremely busy with the opening of Snack. We have no plans for a name change, however the Bailey’s in Cedar hill has been re-concepted to Bailey’s House of Jazz and it now features a low-country cuisine driven menu. Bailey’s in Fairview will have a new roll out sometime in July.

I asked for the new menu and have printed it below. It’s much shorter than the original, however the prices of steaks, entrees, and salads are the same. Call me an over-cooked beef tenderloin, but I am under the impression that the point of the overhaul was to lower the prices and get new customers.

Both menus are below. Continue reading "Update: Bailey’s Prime Plus New Management. New Menu. Avner Samuel Has Left the Building"

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Profiles of People We Love: Joe the Baker

posted by Paige Harriman | June 18th, 2012 11:13am | filed under Baking, People we love | 1 Comment »

Joe Baker or Joe the Baker, whatever you want to call him (photo by Kelly Sackley)

Even though Joe the Baker has only been in Dallas for under a year, he’s made his presence known on Twitterverse as a hardcore tweeter and pastry whiz. Currently, he works at Le Cordon Bleu. When Joe isn’t teaching students about pumpkin Mont Blancs, he runs an online cooking blog –  JoetheBaker.com. Joe Baker (that’s his real-life name, no joke) demonstrated how to make a souffle-style cake (cake batter with egg whites and microwaved in a cup) while we chatted in his kitchen.

PH: Why do you think Dallas is so crazy for crème brûlée?

JB: I don’t know why Dallas is crazy for crème brûlée. I mean, they’re delicious. It’s an all-inclusive dessert – sweet and rich, you can flavor it with anything. Hoping we can move toward something a little more modern and creative, though. I keep trying to push the envelope a little bit, every time I meet someone new.

Jump because you like Joe.

Continue reading "Profiles of People We Love: Joe the Baker"

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Saturday’s Craft Cocktails Texas Seminars Were a Hit or Miss

posted by Erin Ahlfinger | June 18th, 2012 9:52am | filed under cocktails, Events | 14 Comments »

In celebration of Craft Cocktails Texas week, I ventured over to The Stoneleigh Hotel Saturday morning for the Texas Craft Spirits seminar, another on astrology and mixology, and to see what was being shaken, stirred, muddled and blended in the tasting room. Unfortunately, I only ended up attending one class all day because two had been canceled.

Balcones Distillery President Chip Tate and his Texas Single Malt Whiskey.

I arrived at the spirits seminar to find Chip Tate, President and Head Distiller of Balcones Distillery in Waco, in an empty room chatting with one other industry guru. He informed me that the class had been canceled, but he was happy to provide some information and a taste of some of his current projects that won’t hit store shelves for a few more months. Balcones prides itself on trying to establish new styles of whiskey. Rather than sticking to the standard, they do a bit of experimenting with the type of wood they distill in. I tasted two of the several single malt pulls from minimum 24-month yard-aged Slovakian Oak barrels. My favorite of the two greeted me with the warm aromas of vanilla and honey and finished with flavors of spice and tropical fruit.

My stomach sufficiently warmed by whiskey, I headed downstairs to explore the tasting room only to find that it, too, had been canceled (probably due to low attendance). So far, Craft Cocktails Texas wasn’t looking so hot.

Jump for more. Continue reading "Saturday’s Craft Cocktails Texas Seminars Were a Hit or Miss"

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Chef Bob Whoopeecat Stephenson Leaves Cool River in Irving to Open FnG Eats in Keller

posted by Nancy Nichols | June 18th, 2012 8:48am | filed under Openings/Closings, restaurant business news, Restaurant News | 9 Comments »

Bob Whoopeecat Stephenson has been involved in Cool River since the original 22,000-square foot restaurant opened in October, 1998. “I helped developed it with Steve [Harnett], Gene [Street] and Tristan [Simon] in January of 1997,” Stephenson said. “I did a dinner party at Steve’s house with prospective investors like Jimmy Jackson and George McCloud.” Harnett, the creator of Cool River, passed away in November, 2011.

Stephenson, also a competitive poetry slam artist, turned in his notice and is opening FnG Eats in Keller. He has taken over the 3,600-square food City Hall Restaurant space in the Art House development of Keller Town Hall Center with plans to develop an “American comfort cuisine grill.”

Stephenson will remain at Cool River, which is now operated by CRO, until the end of the month. “Cool River has evolved (as we all should) over the years,” Stephenson said. “I just wanted to step back in to a more intimate setting that’s community driven. Steve Hartnett was a big supporter of me moving out on my own. I wish he could see how this one turns out.”

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