Articles for October 10th, 2012

Avner Samuel Closes Snack. Will Reopen New Concept Soon

posted by Nancy Nichols | October 10th, 2012 1:21pm | filed under Closings, Merguez Sausage Hunt, Nutjobs, Openings/Closings, restaurant business news, Restaurant News | 5 Comments »

The Avner.

Teresa “Gubbshoe” Gubbins is back on track at CultureMapDallas. Today she shines the light on yet another Avner Samuel restaurant malfunction. Samuel and his partner Jon Stevens have closed their global-small plates spot, Snack, and plan to reopen as something different in two weeks. Is the space jinxed? Yes. Was the food “too adventurous for the area and maybe for the city?” No. Should Avner just go back and concentrate on his core business? Yes.

I’ve watched Avner Samuel’s career for over 15 years. He is a brilliant chef and a lousy businessman. Someone is either giving him bad advice or bad money. Or both. Avner has survived too many restaurant closures to count and for a long time he couldn’t shake the image of  “peripatetic Avner Samuel.” (Like lesbian rocker Melissa Etheridge.) I was glad to see Avner and his wife Celeste succeed with Nosh Euro Bistro and I worried a bit when they opened a second location in Plano. But once he lost his focus and started futzing around with Ed Bailey at Bailey’s Prime Plus and opening Snack, I knew he was
toast. Avner, give it up. Go back to Nosh Euro Bistro and make it better. That is where you shine.

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Where to Watch This Weekend’s Red River Rivalry Between Texas and Oklahoma in Dallas

posted by Raya Ramsey | October 10th, 2012 1:05pm | filed under beer | 15 Comments »

photography by Jason Janik

You might watch the Red River Rivalry (née Shootout) match between Texas and O.U. on Saturday because you bleed crimson (or burnt orange). Or because you’re an alumnus or alumna, and it just feels like the right thing to tune in. Then again, perhaps you’re only in it for the excuse to get rowdy during the day. No matter your reasons, you can count on these spots for a good time, if you’re not lucky enough to be at the Cotton Bowl when the game kicks off at noon, we’ve got the 10 best spots for seeing the game.

Right after the jump:

Continue reading "Where to Watch This Weekend’s Red River Rivalry Between Texas and Oklahoma in Dallas"

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Union Bear in Dallas Announces Monthly Family Dinners

posted by Jose Ralat-Maldonado | October 10th, 2012 12:32pm | filed under beer, beer pairings, Brews News, José Ralat-Maldonado | 1 Comment »

Ladies and gentlemen, meet José Ralat-Maldonado. Jose is a new contributor to SideDish. He is known for his blog The Taco Trail , a subject he will touch on from time to time, but we’ve asked Jose to step off his taco trail. Today he has a new map in his hands with plenty of paths to cross. Welcome him.

Let’s not kid ourselves, thoughts have begun to lean toward weekend eating and drinking plans. Start early with Union Bear’s inaugural Family Dinner tonight. The West Village neighborhood pub’s new beer dinner series will take place the second Wednesday of each month and include three courses paired with suds and surprises. I asked for hints of said surprises when I stopped in for some pints this week but was met with tight lips. Surprises or not, the menu for this Family Dinner is a rich, palate-warming affair.

First up: A butternut squash-guajillo chile soup with a kick of roasted pepinos and cocoa powder. It will be matched with Ska Brewing’s Autumnal Mole Stout, one of four new seasonal stouts from the Colorado operation. I had the opportunity to sample the Mole Stout this week. Made with cocoa nibs, spices as well as ancho, guajillo, and Anaheim chiles, the dark beer does indeed evoke the substantial and widely recognized mole poblano, which is basically the chocolate and chile-based mother sauce of Mexico (because everyone’s mami made the best). It’s also refreshing. Think of it as the perfect sunny fall afternoon, one that ends resting on a pile of newly shed leaves.

Jump for José.
 Continue reading "Union Bear in Dallas Announces Monthly Family Dinners"

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Eat This Now: Bowery’s Croque Madame Hot Dog

posted by Carol Shih | October 10th, 2012 12:05pm | filed under big hot dogs, Eat This Now!, Hot dogs are the new hamburger | 1 Comment »

Croque madame hot dog from the Bowery (photo by Kevin Marple)

As seen in our October issue.

Bun: Local bakery La Francaise bakes the bun.

Wiener: The all-angus beef hot dog is from Patuxent Farms.

Toppings: The wiener is wrapped with a slice of Black Forest ham and seared on a flat-top grill, which brings out the meat’s natural smokiness. The hot dog is then topped with Swiss cheese, béchamel, and a fried egg.

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Pig Out at the Texas State Veggie Fair 2012

posted by Carol Shih | October 10th, 2012 11:04am | filed under Events, Health Food, Hippie revolutions | 2 Comments »



In the midst of composing my list of healthy options at the State Fair of Texas, I completely forgot that there is, in fact, a separate Texas State Veggie Fair for people who prefer the middle ground between eating healthy and going all fried out. You+Dallas made this pretty video composed of footage from the 2011 TSVF, which explains what veganism is and what it’s all about. If you still don’t get how vegans are saving the world one animal at a time, you’re lucky there’ll be guest speakers from places like Mercy for Animals to guide you through the problems surrounding animal cruelty.

Basically, TSVF is a gathering point for animal rights activists, fried healthy food fanatics, and even yoga-enthusiasts. Teresa Gubbins has a list of all the fried food finalists here, and the very unhealthy looking list includes desserts like fried tiramisu cheesecake, which I can most certainly get behind.

The Texas State Veggie Fair takes place at Reverchon Park this year instead of Winfrey Point on October 21, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free, but a $5-$10 donation is suggested.

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Restaurant Shooting at Hunan Wok in North Richland Hills

posted by Carol Shih | October 10th, 2012 10:10am | filed under Restaurant News | 1 Comment »

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this morning I heard on the radio that a shooting occurred yesterday afternoon at the Hunan Wok in North Richland Hills. One male employee was killed and another one was shot multiple times, but now he’s in stable condition. According to Kevin Bole of myFOXdfw, “The husband of a waitress told FOX 4 the two victims were both restaurant employees and the suspected gunman was a former chef.” Later that evening, police found a man inside a burning car who matched the description of the suspect at Benbrook Lake. The man was pulled from the car and flown to a hospital.

Hunan Wok, I’ll be keeping you in my thoughts today.

 

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