Articles for September 11th, 2012

Former Mansion Sommelier Convicted of Reckless Manslaughter

posted by Carol Shih | September 11th, 2012 11:57am | filed under Legal news | 29 Comments »

Cole Avenue in front Komali and Salum parking lot. (from Google Maps)

Tim Parks, a former sommelier at the Mansion on Turtle Creek, was convicted last week of reckless manslaughter for the death of Roy Salinas. On Wednesday, September 5, jurors deliberated for two hours before they decided to sentence Parks to eight years in prison and $5,000 in fines. Parks is a longtime friend of Khanh Dao, the ex-owner of Pho Colonial, where he once worked as a maitre d’ and wine taster. And though the DMN story written after the sentencing acts as a good reminder never to drink and drive, there’s also a part of this story that’s important to mention for the patrons of Komali and Salum: Be careful when you pull out of that parking lot. It’s one of the most dangerous areas for Dallas drivers.

There are plenty of one-way warning signs along the street, yet people still drive the wrong way along Cole Avenue. Salum’s chef, Al Haven, said, “It happens all the time,” and he’s surprised he hasn’t seen an accident even though he witnesses cars treating the avenue like a two-way street almost daily. Also, the Komali/Salum parking lot is tricky if you’re not being careful. Cole has three lanes, but the leftmost lane is for street parking, and it’s hard to see oncoming traffic when there are cars covering your line of sight on either side.

That area in front of Komali and Salum is difficult to navigate even when the sun is shining. Now imagine it’s 11 p.m. and you’ve already had a couple of drinks in your system. Then it becomes a nightmare.

Jump with me here. It’s a complicated story.

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Somebody Help This Poor Boy: Great New York Cheesecake in Dallas

posted by Nancy Nichols | September 11th, 2012 10:00am | filed under Delis, Nostalgia | 4 Comments »

He’s a lean, mean, non-fighting machine with his eye on the future and a nostalgic stomach. He reminisces:

Hi, Nancy. Do you remember Phil’s Delicatessen on Oak Lawn? I think it was in was where Lucky’s is now. The sandwiches were piled high and the cheesecake was delicious—the blueberry sauce dripping all over it. Is there any place in Dallas that even compares to Phil’s? Particularly the cheesecake? Thanks.

Two years ago, we talked about this. And SideDish readers constructed the perfect Dallas Delicatessen.

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Restaurant Review: Sundown at the Granada in Dallas

posted by Nancy Nichols | September 11th, 2012 9:08am | filed under 'Burbalicious, Vegetarian/Vegan |

Stuffed avocados. (Photography by Kevin Marple)

Every neighborhood should have a place like this, a groovy, laid-back joint to hang where you can choose a local beer and nibble on a flatbread, salad, or burger. My hood has nothing close to Sundown, and I make the trek to Greenville Avenue to bask in the late-afternoon glow that streams through the windows and warms the wooden walls. Finicky eaters and beer lovers will find nirvana. The kitchen offers an extensive vegan, vegetarian, and ecofriendly menu that features chilled buckwheat soba noodle salad tossed in rich peanut sauce, free-range chicken covered with tasty tabbouleh, and a righteous barbecue grass-fed brisket topped with pecan-smoked bacon and sharp (sharp!) cheddar cheese.

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Dine Around Uptown For The North Texas Food Bank

posted by Carol Shih | September 11th, 2012 8:51am | filed under Celebrity Chefs, Charity events, cocktails, Events | 4 Comments »

Eat for a cause on September 22 from 3 to 6 p.m. when you join The Round Table, an organization created by the North Texas Food Bank, on a tasty philanthropic mission. Dine around Uptown is Dallas’ first restaurant crawl (sorta like a pub crawl) with fancier food and fancy transportation. Here’s the way it works: You purchase a $75 ticket for one or $125 for two, show up at Private | Social and talk to the very cool chef Tiffany Derry as you nibble on some light bites, then privates cars will transport you from one place to another (Deep Eddy Vodka, Dragonfly at Hotel ZaZa, Dee Lincoln’s Tasting Room, etc.). The money that you’re spending at these Uptown eateries for drinks and hors d’oeuvres is benefiting The North Texas Food Bank, so you’re not just filling your own belly with food; you’re filling others’, too. To purchase tickets, go here.

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