Articles for August 6th, 2012

BBQ Snob Daniel Vaughn Readies for His Close-Up on No Reservations

posted by Nancy Nichols | August 6th, 2012 4:38pm | filed under 'Burbalicious | 6 Comments »

The final season of No Reservations kicks off with a Dallas accent, or snob as he is: Our own Daniel Vaughn creator of the blog-gone-book Full Custom Gospel Barbecue. The episode which will air on September 3 on Travel Channel, with host Anthony Bourdain, was shot in Austin and involves, DUH, barbecue. Before meeting up with Vaughn, Bourdain professed his love for ‘cue from Kansas City. Will he change his mind? Will he suck the bone? Will we watch? Hell yes to all three.

6 Comments »

Food Truck News and Schedule for August 6 in Dallas/Fort Worth

posted by George Lewis | August 6th, 2012 3:46pm | filed under Food Truck Schedule, Food Trucks |

The summer slowdown continues with many of the food trucks showing a lighter than usual schedule.  We should see more stops as the weather cools a bit.

This week, we have the usual Wednesday events at Sigel’s/Greenville and at the Crate & Barrel on Knox Ave.  The Addison popup food truck event also continues at Vitruvian Park.

The Sunflower Market (Sprouts) “Parking Lot” event returns on Thursday evening.

And that’s it for the week.  Jump for your schedule, and always remember to check Facebook and Twitter feeds before venturing out.  Continue reading "Food Truck News and Schedule for August 6 in Dallas/Fort Worth"

What To Drink Now: Aged Chardonnay from Talley Vineyards

posted by Hayley Hamilton | August 6th, 2012 2:28pm | filed under Wine & Spirits, Wine Pairing | 1 Comment »

Drinking an aged Chardonnay is not the norm, especially one that doesn’t come from Meursault or Montrachet in Burgundy.  Most Chardonnay drinkers prefer to enjoy this white while it is still fresh and crisp, shortly after bottling when the wine matches it’s fruit flavors with vibrant acidity.

However, when made from high quality grapes with balanced acidity, smart use of oak, a hands-off terroir driven wine making approach and, perhaps the most important requirement, proper storage, a nicely aged Chardonnay from anywhere in the world has the ability to age upwards of 20 years.  Brian Talley of Talley Vineyards, just south of San Luis Obispo in California’s Central Coast, is out to prove this by traveling to select cities to let restaurateurs and journalists taste his well aged wine, including Dallas last week. Continue reading "What To Drink Now: Aged Chardonnay from Talley Vineyards"

1 Comment »

Let’s Put a Washburne, I Mean a Mi Cocina, in the White House!

posted by Nancy Nichols | August 6th, 2012 12:37pm | filed under 'Burbalicious, I want to be just like Michelle Obama, I'm a rumor monger, Long table dinners, Making Up Is Hard To Do, margaritas, Mexican Revolution, Overprivileged chimps, Politics of Food, questionable behavior, restaurant business news, Restaurant News, Rumors behind the restaurant news | 1 Comment »

The M Crowd has announced an agreement with The Chevy Chase Land Company to open a Mi Cocina restaurant at The Collection at Chevy Chase, a luxury shopping destination located just ten minutes from downtown Washington, D.C. I’m sure former President George W. Bush wonders why his good buddy Ray Washburne, founder and part owner of Mi Cocina and Highland Park Village, waited to move Dallas Tex-Mex to D.C. until he was out of office. Perhaps Washburne is planning to spend more time in the nation’s capitol and I don’t mean making tacos. Could happen. He’s the kind of guy politicians like to court over strong margaritas. Today MCrowd owns 21 restaurants in Texas, Oklahoma, and Atlanta. Tomorrow, the world?

[Fun Fact from co-worker: "As someone who lived not far from The Collection at Chevy Chase, it would probably take at least 25 minutes to get to downtown DC from there."]

1 Comment »

First Take Restaurant Review: Nora on Greenville Avenue

posted by Carol Shih | August 6th, 2012 11:50am | filed under Ethnic Food, First Take | 5 Comments »

Firnee with pistachio shavings and caramel sauce (photos by Desiree Espada)

Nora isn’t just the name of owner/chef Matt Pikar’s seven-month-old daughter, it’s also the name of a restaurant on Greenville Avenue serving the kind of Afghan food I could probably eat every single day for the rest of my life. Ever since Nora officially opened on July 18 after two weeks of soft opening, new guests have already become repeat customers. Apparently it only takes a couple bites to get hooked on Matt Pikar’s spices. Something – maybe the way they can magically transport you from Dallas to the Middle East – is simply addictive about them.

Jump for more beautiful photos by Desiree Espada.

Continue reading "First Take Restaurant Review: Nora on Greenville Avenue"

5 Comments »

The Shark Bar & Grill to Open in Willow Bend

posted by Nancy Nichols | August 6th, 2012 11:12am | filed under 'Burbalicious, Bars, Booze News, fish, I Went to College for This?, Keep Dallas Douchey!, Musical Press Releases, Openings/Closings | 5 Comments »

From Dolphins to Sharks: The Shark Bar takes over Wyland's Ocean Blue at Willow Bend.

Remember the fish-themed spot Wyland’s Ocean Blue in Willow Bend? No? It was open for at least six months. When they closed, we all wondered what would happen to all of the under-the-sea décor and fixtures. Today we’re worrying no more. We hear The Shark Bar, a sports bar and restaurant, is filling the space that was also once Mercury Grill and other stuff I can’t remember. The website says the spot is “the brainchild of three Dallas entrepreneurs” who, according to this source, are Frederick Sambina Alima, Jimmy Don Hays and Arthur Johnson.

According to this job listing, The Shark Bar is going to be fancy. Think bottle service at Willow Bend. Snippet:

We are looking to partner with experienced restaurant marketers and nightlife promoters that can assist with spreading the word and creating a buzz of excitement for our new spot. Our concept is really dynamic in that we’re locating in a popular shopping mall. By day we’ll be a great gathering place for families, business people and shoppers – great food, high energy environment and a beautiful space. At night, we’ll turn into the premiere gathering place for cocktails, VIP bottle service and live entertainment. The Shark Bar & Grill will be the only establishment in the mall with a nightlife/live entertainment component.

Oh, no! Here comes that song!

5 Comments »

Does The Mixer Matter?

posted by Andrew Chalk | August 6th, 2012 10:00am | filed under Andrew Chalk, cocktails, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Fever Tree thinks so. The firm, a small producer of premium cocktail mixers, makes its products from the finest ingredients sourced largely from small producers. That means things like fruit juices, soft spring water, cane sugar, real ginger and natural quinine. Compare that with the saccharin sweeteners and artificial preservatives in major brands. Fever Tree co-founder Charles Rolls makes the case that up to 75% of the cocktail is the mixer, so it affects the flavor of the finished drink. This sounded compelling, so I decided to get some expert opinion from my rolodex of Dallas bartenders.

Michael Martensen of The Cedars Social and formerly at The Mansion Bar at The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek replied, “Fever Tree is all I use for mixers behind the bar at The Cedars Social. It is the highest quality of mixer that I have found for each category that they make a mixer for: ie club soda, ginger beer, etc. What also makes it so good is how consistent the Fever Trees are. As a bartender, you want to be able to grab a bottle on confidence and know you are pouring the best product available.We go through 20 cases of Fever Tree a week! As for ‘Is it important pour a high quality mixer?’ Yes, just as important as using filtered ice.”

Continue reading "Does The Mixer Matter?"

3 Comments »

Komali’s Abraham Salum and Anastacia Visit Mexico City, Part 1

posted by Andrew Chalk | August 6th, 2012 8:30am | filed under Andrew Chalk, Mexican Revolution | 4 Comments »

Abraham Salum, owner of Komali, was surprised when he found out that his execuchef, Anastacia Quinoñes, had never been to Mexico City. The city is Salum’s birthplace and, he knew, the gastronomical battlestar of Mexico, so he took her! The two spent three days visiting restaurants, markets, producers and a few historical sites. We will present a series of videos of their trip with the first one appearing today.

Note: These videos were shot at Salum restaurant as service was starting so there is some background noise and some uncooperative light conditions. We appreciate your forbearance.

Some of the dishes found on their travels are now appearing as specials on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Komali. The popular ones will join the regular menu.

4 Comments »

Ristorante Nicola in Park Cities Closes. Nick & Sam’s Grill Will Open in Same Space

posted by Nancy Nichols | August 6th, 2012 8:27am | filed under Closings, Openings/Closings, restaurant business news, Restaurant News | 10 Comments »

Ristorante Nicola, not my favorite restaurant in Dallas, is closed. Not for renovations as they told us last week. Closed for good. Once hotter than hot, the mediocre high-falutin’ Italian spot will shutter and reopen as the hotter than hot Nick & Sam’s Grill. However, Nicola’s owner Richard Gussoni and Nick & Sam’s owner Joe Palladino will partner for the new restaurant. The Plano location of Nicola’s Ristorante Italiano remains open and will accept any outstanding gift certificates held by Ristorante Nicola customers. Nick & Sam’s Grill Park Cities is slated to open in early October. Not sure what the talent will be in the kitchen but I understand Nicola’s just hired an out-of-town chef to run the kitchen and he’s hopping mad about the change.

10 Comments »