Articles for July 10th, 2012

Ghostbar Has Vanished? Where is Wade Randolph Hampton?

posted by Nancy Nichols | July 10th, 2012 5:47pm | filed under Bad Names For Restaurants List, Booze News, Closings, cocktails, hold on to your effin hat, I Went to College for This?, Keep Dallas Douchey!, make mine a double, Mixology is fancy for bartender, Openings/Closings, Rewritten Press Releases | 2 Comments »

Glory Days: They don't pass Wade Randolph Hampton by.

Today we learned Ghostbar, once the highest grossing club in Dallas, is closing. According to one employee, most of the club’s workers found out they were jobless by reading about it on blogs. Ouch, that’s cold.

Our first concern was for Wade Randolph Hampton, the dude behind the vibe at Ghostbar. “What will happen to Wade,” cried one co-worker. “Oh, my gosh. I wish Wish FM were here so I could cuddle with him,” swooned another. If you don’t know Wade/Wish, you can read this interview.

Well, don’t worry about Wish. According to a lengthy press release I received, his has been granted. Listen up.

Hampton’s fans will still be able to catch his local shows every Friday at the intensely authentic yet still hushed discotheque (and 50’s dancehall of the same name) – It’ll Do – where he has partnered with heralded impresario Brooke Humphries. His bombastic Friday hoedown,  called The ISH, will feature the absolute cutting-edge in bass music and indie-electro with a bevy of globally recognized artists, including members of the unstoppable Pretty Lights camp and Dallas dubstep prodigy, Spenca.

He’s also joining up with M3 Films execs and producers Michael Cain and Melina McKinnon. They are currently producing multiple projects including the STARCK PROJECT. Jump for the notes and quotes. Continue reading "Ghostbar Has Vanished? Where is Wade Randolph Hampton?"

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Former NHS Tavern Will Not Be Second Location of Off-Site Kitchen

posted by Nancy Nichols | July 10th, 2012 2:58pm | filed under As the Restaurant Turns, Bacon, Bad Names For Restaurants List, Beverages, Closings, Openings/Closings, Restaurant News, Silly Reasons to Celebrate, Steven Doyle | 14 Comments »

This sign is going inside the former Neighborhood Services Tavern which will not be Off-Site Kitchen

At this very moment,  I am shooting the breezes with Nick Badovinus. He is on my speaker phone. He is laughing so hard and spouting Nick-isms so fast I can’t take them all down.

It all started when I noticed a Bud Kennedy tweet:  “@eatsbeat Dallas’ retro Off Site Kitchen burger grill opening 2nd loc[ation] at 2405 N Henderson, Dallas.”  What “shocked” me is Bud is a real reporter. He’s been in the business for a long time. He doesn’t gossip at media dinners, he makes phone calls and asks questions. I spoke with Nick a couple of weeks ago about his “renno” at NHS Tavern and he had no idea what he was going to name it. He had a new sign and some groovy new décor items, but he had no name.

He still doesn’t have a name of the place that will reopen soon. But it is NOT going to be Off-Site Kitchen. Why? Because Off-Site Kitchen is basically a commissary with a food service element. Badovinus has all of his food orders sent to Off-Site Kitchen (hence, the name) and from there, they are portioned and distributed to his other restaurants. It’s a smart business move that pays for itself by serving bitchin’ sandwiches.

Here’s what Badovinus is saying between sobs of laughter and disbelief: “Where does this s*&t come from? I mean who are these people who know more than  I do? It has never come out of my mouth that there is going to be another Off-Site Kitchen. Never. How does somebody write that? I mean, do people just make these things up? Tell me, please. How does this get started? I mean people are already bitching to me that Off-Site Kitchen is too small so I’m, what, gonna take a place that sells a $3.75 cheeseburger and stick it in a high-rent location with valet parking? ( a 30-second guffaw) I mean do people think I’m stupid. It makes no business sense. Off-Site Kitchen is not a brand, it’s a place. (Oh, I see a t-shirt in the works!)  It’s a real commissary not named Commissary. I mean why can’t people just call and ask me? I’m sorry this just makes me so crazy. I don’t know how you do this s*&t for a living. You must be freakin’ exhausted.”

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TEXSOM Seminars Sold Out…However, You Can Still Attend The Grand Tasting

posted by Hayley Hamilton | July 10th, 2012 1:42pm | filed under Events, Texas Sommelier Conference, Wine & Spirits |

One of the biggest, best and most educational wine experiences in the country happens each year in Dallas at the annual TEXSOM Conference. Founded in 2005 by James Tidwell, MS, CWE, Sommelier at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas and Drew Hendricks, MS, CWE, Director of Beverage Education for Pappas Restaurants in Houston, the annual event draws everyone from wine enthusiasts to interested novices to the ever growing wine trade to the host site of the Four Seasons Restort and Club at Las Colinas for a multi-day conference on the latest industry trends and tastings, while Somms from across Texas compete for the title of  the best Sommelier in the state.

I just got a note that the seminars are completely sold out for the August 12-13 conference, with attendance expected to be around 250 this year.  However, you still have a chance to attend the incredible Grand Tasting on the evening of August 13. Starting at 7pm winemakers from across the state, country and the globe will pour their award winning wine for the walk around tasting, including Revana, Miner, Frias, Hanzell and many, many more.  Tickets are $95 each and will go fast.  More details and ticket information here.

Craft Dallas and Ghostbar are on Their Way Out. Cook Hall is Opening in the Fall

posted by Carol Shih | July 10th, 2012 1:18pm | filed under As the Restaurant Turns, Closings, Openings/Closings, restaurant business news, Restaurant News | 14 Comments »

Todd Johnson is very upset. It turns out that Craft Dallas - Tom Colicchio’s non-gimmicky restaurant in the W Hotel where Nancy once said she’d pick its chicken dish for her last supper – is closing at the end of this summer to make room for a new restaurant, Cook Hall, that’ll open as early as the fall. Cook Hall is supposed to be a modern take on America’s gastropub and will offer “regional cuisine and handcrafted cocktails…The restaurant will add a new bar and flow more openly into the hotel’s Living Room (W’s take on the traditional hotel lobby) as well as offer shareable small-plates to encourage the social experience. Cook Hall’s pricing will be moderate to upscale.”

This is new direction is headed by Culinary Concepts Hospitality Group (CCHG), and Craft Dallas isn’t the only W destination it’s giving the axe. Ghostbar, the hotel’s 33rd floor nightclub, is also closing later this month. Plans for the space are still being finalized at the moment. Meanwhile, everyone should head to the W and start saying their last goodbyes. First Nana, now Craft Dallas. Is big-league fine dining dying a slow, inevitable death in Dallas? Sure looks like it.

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Oh, Thank Heaven: Get Free Slurpees Tomorrow (July 11) at 7-Eleven

posted by Carol Shih | July 10th, 2012 12:05pm | filed under Free Stuff!, freebies, frozen treats | 1 Comment »

My conquest tomorrow.

Every year, July rolls around and I count the days until it’s Free Slurpee Day at 7-Eleven. No joke. My life is that pathetic. I’m telling you guys this because I know that some of you, gasp!, have never tried a Slurpee before. Please correct this offense, pronto. It’s 7-Eleven’s 85th birthday on July 11, and you should celebrate by getting a free 7.11 oz. cherry cola Slurpee. In case you still need convincing, here’s why:

  1. It’s FREE. Even though slurpees are actually pretty cheap every other day of the year, how many times do you get free drinks outside of college? Take advantage of every free opportunity, I say. Like this World Bazaar ticket giveaway. (Even if you’re not participating, you should read the comments. I’ve been laughing my head off all morning.)
  2. It’s summer. It’s scorching. You want an icy Slurpee.
  3. You get to skip work. I’m pretty sure your boss would understand if you left your desk for thirty minutes to get a free Slurpee. The conversation would go like this:

You: Hey, I’m leaving work.

Boss: Why?

You: Free Slurpee Day.

Boss: Alright, I’m coming with you.

Skip the Slurpee Lite crap and go straight for the sugary stuff. That’s my plan, anyway.

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Yes, Chef Book Signing with Marcus Samuelsson in Dallas on July 17

posted by Carol Shih | July 10th, 2012 10:23am | filed under Celebrity Chefs | 2 Comments »

Do yourself a big favor and reserve a copy of Yes, Chef, Marcus Samuelsson’s memoir of how he went from battling tuberculosis in Ethiopia to becoming a James Beard award-winning chef of Red Rooster, Harlem. The Top Chef: Masters winner will be at Central Market on Tuesday, July 17 at 4 p.m. to sign copies of his newest book and hopefully make small talk with you. Make your reservations here. There are 91 seats left. If you wanted to attend the cooking class with Samuelsson at 6:30 p.m., sorry, hon. There’s a huge waiting list. Just dole out a couple of bribes, and maybe you’ll get into the class. If there’s a will, there’s a way, right?

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Two Restaurants to Open at Klyde Warren Park. Lark is One

posted by Nancy Nichols | July 10th, 2012 10:05am | filed under ChirpyChirpy, Dog Friendly, Openings/Closings, restaurant business news, Restaurant News, Rumors behind the restaurant news, Sommeliers are people too, Uncategorized, youthful spontaneous restaurants | 11 Comments »

Imagine Me and You, I do: Just in time for cool October nights, The Park in Dallas.

The developers of Klyde Warren Park (The Park) have been busy building the 5-acre green space that covers Woodall Rogers Freeway. The area will connect the Arts District and downtown with Uptown. The $110 million dollar attraction will feature fountains, a botanical garden, a performance stage, a children’s garden, real trees and grasses, and a dog park. I’ve had my nose to the ground since they started trying to dig up the scoop on the restaurants that will be granted rights to serve at, on, or around The Park.

I’ve heard rumors (many) the main restaurant will be operated by Wolfgang Puck’s catering operation which already has a stranglehold on most of the Art’s District concessions. This morning I got confirmation on a new chef-driven restaurant that will open at 2000 McKinney. It’s called Lark (on the Park). The owner, as it should be, is long-(long)-time-Dallasite-veteran-restaurateur-and-reformed-party boy, Shannon Wynne. He of the Moth, Flying Fish, Flying Saucer and other flying related concepts.

“Plans today suggest Chef Nick Amoriello will be going over there from the Moth,” Wynne says. “We will be interviewing additional chefs for Lark where we plan to present non-cute food.” What does he mean by non-cute food? “No mac and cheese or mamas fried chicken. Just good meals at a fair price.” When I asked him to expand his thoughts a little he said: “The beer program at the Moth will not be traveling to Lark as there is room for only one deluxe gastro pub  in Dallas, but Lark promises more wines and mixed drinks. We are slated to open in December or early January.” Fearing he’d hang up on me, I pressed on. What about the interior? (Wynne designs his own spaces) Just before the line went dead he said, “The interior is a secret. Dallas illustrators will be heavily featured.”

That’s all I got. But I have to say it’s always good news when a unique Dallas project adds other unique Dallas project to the mix. Or The Park in this case.

UPPITY DATE: My initial post flushed an elusive ivory-billed woodpecker from the bushes. It calls: “Wolfgang Puck was a smoke screen.  John Muse of Hicks and Muse fame will be opening a restaurant there.”

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