Articles for December 3rd, 2012

December 3 Food Truck Schedule and News for Dallas/Ft. Worth

posted by George Lewis | December 3rd, 2012 4:39pm | filed under Food Truck Schedule, Food Trucks | 1 Comment »

One of the biggest events to take place will be this coming Saturday, December 8, with Food Trucks for Tots in Deep Ellum.  Almost every active Dallas-based food truck will be in attendance, as well as a few Ft. Worth trucks/trailers.  The current list includes Belgium Waffle, Bento Box, Bombay Street Food, Cajun Tailgators, Cup Cakin’, Easy Slider, Eat Jo Dawgs, Enticed, Four Seasons, Gepetto’s Pizza, Guava Tree, Jacks Chowhound, Lab of the Streets, Lucky Ducky Dogs, Nammi, Pompeii, Rock And Roll Tacos, Rock N Ricks, Rockstar Bakeshop, Ruthie’s Grilled Cheese, Taste of Home, The Butchers Son, Three Lions, Tutta’s Pizza, and Yellow Belly.  There is no admission fee, but the organizers ask that you bring unwrapped toys.

This Tuesday sees the return of the “Parking Lot” at Sprouts/Marsh Lane.  Participating food trucks include Rock And Roll Tacos, Cajun Tailgators, Good Karma Kitchen, Rockstar Bakeshop, Three Lions, Pompeii, Tutta’s Pizza, and Ssahm.

Wednesday is the Food Truck Experience at Sigel’s/Greenville with Rock And Roll Tacos, Three Lions, Ssahm BBQ, Cajun Tailgators, Pompeii, and BombayStreet Food.

Gourmet Eatz is happening on Thursday evening at the CVS at Preston/Belt Line.  Food trucks there include Ruthie’s Grilled Cheese, Bombay ChopStix, PompeiiDFW, and My Cupcake Garden.

On the same Thursday evening, Spruts Henderson will be hosting another “Parking Lot”.

In other news, Trailercakes has their Knox Ave.-area bricks’n'mortar location fully open now.  Their Airstream trailer, “Bubbles“, will still be out and about.

The Drifting Bistro, a favorite in Ft. Worth, has closed operations as owner/operator Russ Davis had other restaurant opportunities.

Jump for this week’s schedule.  As always, check Twitter and Facebook feeds first. Continue reading "December 3 Food Truck Schedule and News for Dallas/Ft. Worth"

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New Dave & Buster’s Brings Vegas Fun

posted by Iris Zubair | December 3rd, 2012 1:31pm | filed under Openings/Closings, Restaurant News | 1 Comment »

A real adult playground (photos by Melisa Oporto)

The first and only time I’d ever been to Dave & Buster’s was for a friend’s birthday party years ago. The food wasn’t stellar and the environment was a little too kitsch for me, so I skipped out early and never looked back since. However, I have to tip my hat to the impressive renovations at the new flagship store, which just opened yesterday at 9450 N. Central Expressway, across the street from the now-closed location. It’s less Chuck-E-Cheese for grown ups and more new age Tron, which makes it instantly more attractive.

One cliché comparison comes to mind when walking inside, which is Vegas. The whole concept is  rearranged to make the typical Dave & Buster’s atmosphere a more modern and technology fueled experience. Since this location was formerly an AMC theater, the spacing for all the new arcade  features is perfectly accommodating, and the high ceilings give it that casino vibe.

Continue reading "New Dave & Buster’s Brings Vegas Fun"

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A Good Cause Plus Great Food Makes for a Unique Dining Experience

posted by Krista Nightengale | December 3rd, 2012 11:35am | filed under Celebrity Chefs, Neighborhood restaurants, People we love, Pop-out cuisine, pop-up restaurant | 1 Comment »

The beautiful interior of Oak and the table setting. Photos by David Higbee

I’m not a food critic. So when I went to last night’s 17th Cafe Momentum pop-up dinner, I was a little worried about if I could do the food justice. I wanted to capture the evening, but my inability to describe food as anything other than “yummy” or “delicious” had me concerned.

But the great thing about Cafe Momentum is that although it pops up at the hottest restaurants which are making some of Dallas’ best food, it’s about more than just the plate that’s set in front of you. It’s about the program and its mission. It’s about the young men who wait on you and plate your food. It’s about their stories. And it makes for a dining experience unlike any other in Dallas.
Cafe Momentum has been talked about quite a bit since its launch more than a year ago. Recently, Carol wrote about it and its founder, Chad Houser, formerly of Parigi but now full time with the program.

The premise of Cafe Momentum is great: teach juvenile offenders who have gone through Youth Village’s culinary program how to work in a restaurant—from front-of-house to the kitchen. When the young men finish the program, they’ll not only have experience but the names of some of Dallas’ best chefs on their résumé. The ultimate goal of the program is to have a stand-alone restaurant (Houser is currently searching for a location). But to get there, Cafe Momentum needs money. And that’s where the pop-up dinners come from.

Last night’s dinner at Oak, our restaurant of the year, was my first to attend. Before I got there, I had some questions. So, after the jump, is a guide for Cafe Momentum newbies. Continue reading "A Good Cause Plus Great Food Makes for a Unique Dining Experience"

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2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Celebrate With Candy Made in DFW

posted by Carol Shih | December 3rd, 2012 11:06am | filed under 12 Days of Food Gifts, candy | 9 Comments »

Every year on SideDish, we like to devote our energy to supporting small local food businesses that make DFW a better place to live. For twelve days, we’ll be highlighting jams, jellies, pies, classes, wines, coffees, teas, and basically any food product made locally on Dallas (or close to it) soil. Today is Candy Day. If you’ve got a product that you want included, send me an email with your information and a picture. This list will often be updated, so don’t fret about deadlines. We’re here to serve you guys.

On the second day of Christmahannukwanzadan, my true love gave to me…

photo by Sarah Reiss

OMG S’mores

Every time you buy an OMG S’mores kit, part of your proceeds goes toward the North Texas Food Bank. Each kit comes with quality, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate, puffy marshmallows perfect for roasting, graham crackers, and long sturdy sticks so you won’t burn your hands off making s’mores. All the DFW Whole Foods stores have these kits available for $19.99, and so does Swoozies in Preston Center. If you want your own magical s’mores delivery, call 214-501-3337.

Stacy Fawcett, the inventor behind this genius holiday gift, dropped by our office to give us a taste and left us with an original s’mores kit to give away. The seventh person to tweet out a link to this post (be sure to include @DSideDish so we can see it) wins an OMG S’mores kit, which comes with 35 graham crackers, 12 marshmallows, and 2 divine chocolate bars. The lucky winner will be tweeted back. (Also, you have to pick up your prize from our office.)

Continue reading "2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Celebrate With Candy Made in DFW"

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Restaurant Review: Monica’s Nueva Cocina & Mi Lounge in Dallas

posted by Nancy Nichols | December 3rd, 2012 8:41am | filed under Mistakes I made, questionable judgment, Regional Mexican Cuisine, Restaurant News, Reviews | 1 Comment »

Chef Hector Hernandez and owner Monica Greene; Olmec maskes; Mexican lasagna. (photography by Kevin Marple)

My first thought: a hundred reasons and more than a dozen years would prevent me from reviewing Monica’s Nueva Cocina & Mi Lounge. I have known the owner, Monica Greene, since before I became a restaurant critic. Despite my closet full of disguises, I figured there was no way I could sneak in without being recognized.

One late-September morning, though, I called Greene to ask her how the restaurant was doing. She outlined many of the changes she went through during the year it took to open. Her original plan for the space was to create a 70-seat, chef-driven, regional Mexican restaurant called Tajin. At the time, Greene was itching to get back in the kitchen and cook the food she grew up eating. She chose the name to honor Mexican history. At the El Tajin ruins near Veracruz, archaeologists uncovered relics from the Olmec people, the first major civilization in Mexico.
After neighboring restaurant Sushi Axiom closed, Greene changed her concept. She incorporated that space and geared her food to a more mainstream audience. She doubled the original fl oor plan to 7,600 square feet that include two dining rooms, two bars, room for 200 guests, and the sushi bar left by Sushi Axiom. She changed the menu from fried grasshoppers, venison carpaccio, frog legs, and no chips and salsa to “real Mexican food with a respect for Tex-Mex.” Greene hired chef Hector Hernandez from Alma and Hibiscus, and she put herself in the front of the house.
Near the end of our chat, Greene said something that I now wish she hadn’t. She told me she was leaving forNew York in a couple of days and, after that, she was taking a vacation inTurkey. I decided to write the review. I could eat anonymously, and, if it came to that, I figured our friendship could survive a negative review.

Stay with me. 

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