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The Wooden Spoon in Plano: JulMust

Andrew Chalk gives you another good reason to drive outside of the loop. Already there? Good for you.

Saker går bättre med Coke!

According to FreeTranslation.com that is Swedish for “Things Go Better with Coke,” a Coca-Cola slogan from the distant past. I am not sure if it ever reached Sweden, in part because the Swedes have their own brown soft drink JulMust. It is not a straight cola, tasting like carbonated caramel, but it fulfills the same role. It must be therapeutic as the side label lists its ingredients as “Filtered carbonated water, sugar, caramel color, flavors produced by natural hops and malt (produced from barley), citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, sodium benzoate (preservative)”. I can assure you that it tastes as good as it sounds. Its $2.25 (with 10cents back on the bottle if you drive to Michigan). If you fancy trying this unusual beverage, and a host of other Scandinavian delicacies, put on your best Viking helmet, re-read chapter one of Pillaging for Dummies and head to The Wooden Spoon in East Plano.

Driving to East Plano? Ingen problem, rätt!?

Howard Schultz is Headed to Starbucks in Highland Park Village

An over-caffeinated Disher just called from her iPhone to report that all of the baristas and employees of Starbucks in HPV are readying for their close up with Starbuck’s chairman and CEO, Howard Schultz. “Oh my god,” she exclaimed. “The place is buzzing. They have the back area roped off and tables are set with manila folders and food samples.” So, there you have it. CEO groupies, you have been informed.

UPDATE: Apparently Mr. Schultz is escorting his board of directors, including Bill Bradley (Go, early 70s’ Knicks!), around Dallas.

7-Eleven Introduces Frutti, the Next Frozen Beverage

Move over SLURPEE®, here comes FRUTTI®, a new smoothie making machine. The invention was developed by Global Smoothie Supply, a Dallas-based company run by David Tiller, husband of local PR gal Martha Tiller. The first self-serve GSS unit was installed at the 7-Eleven store on Northwest Highway at Hillcrest. Tillers, I think you can plan your retirement party now. Just pick a flavor, add a little rum, and send out the invitations.

Plattershooting: Dallas Restaurant News, Notes, and Pokin’ Fun

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt will open in Highland Park Village this Saturday, August 29th. Menchie’s “fro-yo” is a self-serve concept. I’ve heard unconfirmed reports that Menchie’s will offer “Teresa’s Topping,” a special mix of nuts, nibs, and blueberries. (KIDDING) Do expect “special promotions, coupons, and freebies on Saturday. 214-252-0003.

The XVIII Annual Caesar Salad Competition is around the corner: Sunday, August 30, 2009, 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, 400 North Olive Street to be more precise. “This is your opportunity for an evening of sensational salads, wonderful wine, tantalizing bites, and a chance to vote for the best Caesar salad.”  Members: $65.00. Non-Members: $75.00. Tables of 10: $600.00. Deets here.

Sambuca Restaurant, “known for live music, eclectic cuisine and a rockin’ atmosphere,” will open its newest location Thursday, September 3, 2009 at the Shops at Legacy.

Bailey’s Prime Plus is “pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Rowberry as General Manager of their new 12,000 sq. ft. restaurant in the exciting new Park Lane development at North Central Expressway and Park Lane. Rowberry joins Bailey’s Prime Plus after nearly four years as General Manager of Chamberlain’s Steak and Chop House in Addison, Texas.”

Vin Classic Wines will present a complimentary wine tasting on both Friday and  Saturday  (September 4th and  5th) from Noon until 7:00 p.m. The featured wines are: Steele Pinot Blanc 2006 Santa Barbara County Selene Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Carneros Steele Cabernet Franc 2007 Lake County Snowden “The Ranch” Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Napa Valley. (5717 Legacy Drive #120. Plano. 469-467-4520)

“In celebration of the Dallas Cowboys upcoming season, RA Sushi Bar Restaurant has come up with the “Cowboys Roll,” which will be available from September 13 through the entire football season.  Guests can also receive $2 off the roll if they present a same-day game day ticket stub.”

According to Eatsblog reporter, Kim Pearce, her Sig-O “likes his Bings to ping with crispness.”

Dallas Food & Wine Events & News

Chipotle. Free food giveaway during tax free weekend. If you buy a burrito, order of tacos, salad, or bowl on Tuesday, August 18th or Wednesday, August 19th you’ll receive a free entrée during tax free weekend on August 21st-August 23rd.

Sacred Cellars is offering another “Steal of the Week.” 2005 Flora Springs “Trilogy” Napa Valley. 95 points – Wine Enthusiast. 93 points – Robert Parker/Wine Advocate.
$34.99 per bottle + sales tax (where applicable) and $7 shipping, or free local pickup available.

La Duni Latin Kitchen and Coffee Studio at NorthPark Center. Co-hosting with Bacardi Rums to present a hands-on Mojito Class on Thursday, August 27 from 6:30-7:30pm (registration begins at 6pm).  Learn the three methods of classic Mojitos cocktails, one shaken, one muddled, and one fired while enjoying light bites from the award-winning la Duni kitchen. Cost is $17 in advance and $22 in advance. [Ed note. I have no idea what that means.]  Reservations are required. 214-987-2260.  Capacity is limited. La Duni Latin Kitchen & Coffee Studio is located on Level One beneath AMC NorthPark 15 Theaters facing the beautiful Center Park, 8687 N. Central Expressway Suite 1516 in Dallas, TX.

Café Lago. From owner Gabriela Kovacic: “Ron Jones, a product of the White Rock area and passionate musician will be performing Thursday the 20th. He will be joined by Darwin Martin on the keyboard these fellows are pros! Their smooth and eloquent execution of some classic pieces along with his amazingly accurate version of Pink Floyd will have you calmly enjoying the evening, sipping on Sangria and amazed at his talent. The benefit to being at Cafe Lago when Ron performs is that you never know who else will drop by – could be a drummer, percussionist, trumpet player, or maybe a soft subtle jazz singer! Also, Kerri Arista, the Cafe Lago Sweetheart as we call her, is currently on a challenge to write 50 songs in 90 days. Her craft at songwriting has evolved beautifully and her sweet renditions of her many songs give Cafe Lago diners a warm environment.  She sings Friday Nights 14th & 28th. Come this Wednesday, August 19, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. and taste more than 17 sparkling wines from all over the world.  See which sparkler is as good as Champagne but at a fraction of the price.”

FUQUA Wines. Summer Wine Series, Cont. Sparklers 2. This will be a blind tasting.  Besides all of the sparklers, we will also taste our FUQUA wines as well.  This tasting is limited to 16 people and costs $18 per person.  Buy your ticket and make your reservations at here.

Cake Ball Company. “The Cake Ball Company offers an array of delicious hand-held confections inspired from Robin Ankeny’s mother’s family recipe. After starting a family, Ankeny began using the recipe to make the miniature, coated desserts for gatherings with family and friends. Soon her cake balls were in such high demand that the next obvious step was to make cake balls available to everyone and open The Cake Ball Company in Dallas with the help of Deb Corley and Charlotte Lyon. Each cake ball is approximately 1.25 inches round and made over a two-day process that involves baking and blending the cake balls with creamy icing before dipping them into a beautiful confectionery coating.”

They are having a birthday and are selling a special Birthday Cake flavor for $1.00 each on August 20. Deets here.

Shannon Wynne Will Open New Restaurant In Dallas: The Moth

Veteran Dallas restaurateur Shannon Wynne has signed a lease on the “old Ann Sachs tile space” in the Design District (High Line & Oak Lawn) and will open a restaurant/bar called The Moth. Veteran is a nice way to describe Mr. Wynne, in reality he is a crafty, no-bs geezer. Ask him a question and he gives you a straight answer.

Here is a transcript of our phone conversation. (more…)

The Best Margarita In Dallas, Ctd.

Hey, Nancy. The girls at D Home disagree. They got in a limo and went margarita tasting one night to find the best margarita on the rocks in Dallas. (See that giant margarita in the upper right-hand corner of the site? That’s their favorite.)

The Saga of Las Colinas Prime: Unpaid Workers And Bills, TABC Raids And Harassment, Ctd.

The plot at Las Colinas Prime continues to thicken.

Two weeks ago I reported on the situation going on at Las Colinas Prime. After several calls and e-mails from disgruntled employees, I interviewed Michael Costa, the man responsible for operating the restaurant. I printed the complete transcript of the interview.

Since then, several more people have come forward in the comments section.

From JS on July 7:
“I worked for them for less than a week when it was still called Republic. It was I and another waiter and we only had 6 tables in those couple of days. I never met or ever heard of [owner] Bill [McCrorey]. I was told by Brian Luisi that Costa owned it and Brian was the manager. I did see the expensive scotch and vodka bottles be filled with cheap versions. I was NEVER paid and I’m not the only one. I let it go because it was more of a joke than anything else. Brian gave me **** for quitting but I had the most uneasy feeling while working there. And there concept of having a bar in the fine dining room and crappy 90’s dance music in the other should say something.”

From David on July 15th
“Well the restaurant is still open and running. They are doing well, so I guess the hot shot attourney (sic) above didn’t get them shut down and everything said must have been a lie. …Its sad disgruntled people resort to childish slander. This should be about the restaurant, the food, drinks and the service. As far as the sign company, what kind of idiot puts a sign up without being paid first! If they really owed the money for the sign, the just go get it. Yet the sign is still up.

After reading Costa’s interview on SideDish, former co-manager Scott Adams called me. He was hoppin’ mad and wanted to go on the record. Here are excerpts from his side of the story. (more…)

What’s Your Favorite Dallas Summer Cocktail?

Nightlife editor–and Miss Sweet Tooth–Kyle Kearbey is working on a story about the best summer cocktails in town. Do you have a favorite? If so, leave a comment here, yo.

Can Blueprint Cleanse Satisfy a Foodie?

I have a friend in New York who told me about Blueprint Cleanse, which is being called “the cleanse for foodies.” There’s nothing new about the concept of cleansing, but this company has made it more flexible and accessible to the masses with its raw food juices–and they deliver. They use organic ingredients wherever possible, and the juices are more than just water, lemon, and cayenne pepper. We’re talking pineapple, apple, and mint; raw cashews, vanilla bean, and cinammon; and what I like to call the lawn in a blender–romaine, celery, cucumber, kale, parsley, green apple, spinach, and lemon. Anyway, I did the cleanse for three days this week. I admit that some of the juices even excited my palate. Today is my first day back on solid foods. Am I excited? You bet. But I’m also inspired to fill my body with good foods and perhaps stay away from those combination plates at Ojeda’s. At least for a while.

Sigel’s Offers “One of the Five Best Beers of the World”: Piraat Ale from Van Steeneberge Brewery

Hello,beer lovers. Sigel’s has an exclusive deal for you. The beer news according to Jasper Russo:

“Only 10 of these special 9-liter bottles are allocated for the entire state of Texas. To reserve your bottle please contact Bruce Calhoun at bcalhoun@sigels.com or 214/350-1271. The Ale will be available for pickup at the Sigel’s store of your choice in mid-July.”

How much does it cost?

“ $294.99 for a 9-Liter bottle. Regularly, $324.99”

Tell us about the beer.

“A trippel by strength, an IPA by history. Triple means that the brewer has used three times the normal amount of barley malt, thus starting with more starches, getting more sugars after cooking, and finally more alcohol after a long fermentation. In the 17th and 18th century, a strong ale like Piraat was highly prized by the seafaring captains for its keeping qualities and its high and healthy food value. The daily distribution of a pint of this ale kept the pirates in good health and gave them the spirit to survive the hard life on the sea. 10.5% alcohol.”

Does it have a subtle haze?

“Piraat’s powerful glow builds up from inside. Deep golden with a subtle haze. Lots of hops and malt and a mild sweetness. Reminiscent of bread dough, spices and tropical fruits. Piraat is a great food beer and works well in combination with fish and meat. Often appreciated as an after dinner beer and cigar lovers claim there is no better beer to enjoy with a cigar.”

Custom Frappucinos Debut. Dallas Twitches with Excitement.

Some people see Starbucks as the evil empire. Others can’t function without their non-fat no-whip double tall [enter drink name here]. Me? I love my local haunts (whatup, Pearl Cup and Opening Bell!) but have to admit that Starbucks is convenient, quick, and consistent. No crime in that. So, Starbucks fans, starting today there’s a new way to get your caffeinated freak on: customizable Frappuccinos. Yep, you can add any flavors, any type of milk, add more espresso, or perhaps even the blood of a young virgin sacrificed upon the altar of Corporate America to complete your creamy frozen beverage experience. Gentlemen (and ladies), start your blenders.

Southwest Foodservice Expo: Disher Video Reports

Wow. Disher Andrew Chalk took his job at the Expo seriously. He just turned in video clips of the oddest finds at the show. Put on your earplugs and enjoy. (You know where to put the cork.) Great stuff, Andrew.

First up: Coffee made from civet cat poop.

Second: The cutlery eating machine.

Third: Food so good you can’t eat it.

Fourth: Making rum in Austin. Texas. Yes, Austin, Texas. Good stuff.

Finally: The talk of the Expo: Chocolate covered crickets. Yes, bugs.

Southwest Foodservice Expo: Reports From Day One

Gena and Mark Maguire. Mark will be sworn in as new prez of TRA tonight.

Yesterday, the Southwest Foodservice Expo opened for a three-day run at the Dallas Convention Center. I spent most of the day wandering the halls with InsideCorner’s Evan “Grumpy” Grant. We bumped in to PegNews’ Teresa Gubbins and Marc Lee, Mark and Gena Maguire, Herschel Walker, Amy Severson, Lee Fuqua, and Richard Chamberlain.

I hope the 12 Dishers who “won” an opportunity to roam the event will file their reports below. If you followed DSideDish on Twitter, you already know our knee-jerk reactions. If not, I’ve decided to post my report through pictures. Click on the box below for slideshow.

Southwest Foodservice Expo June 28, 2009

Wine Dinner Wednesday

Ready to wine and dine? Here are some options from Fuqua Winery (tonight), Hector’s on Henderson (tonight), The Grape, Chamberlain’s Seafood Market, Sigel’s, Sevy’s  Grill, Charlie Palmer, Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, Cafe Toulouse, and Nana.

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Science Project: Making Wine at Vintner’s Cellar in Plano, Stage 3

Right now my wine looks like many hangovers waiting to happen.

On May 1st, I started making a batch of wine with Vintner’s Cellar’s owner Larry McDowell. During our first meeting, I chose to make Viognier and we started the project by mixing the juice of the grapes with yeast.

Two weeks later, I returned to rack the wine–separating wine from its sediment, or lees, and transferring my creation into another glass container using a plastic siphon.

Wednesday, I headed up to Plano to get down and dirty with my wine—we added all kinds of nasty sounding chemicals to degass the plonk, I mean wine. You see, when yeast converts the sugar to alcohol, carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring byproduct. So we opened little packets of potassium sorbate, metabisulphite de potassium, and Isinglass and added them to the fermented juice to kill the remaining yeast and help the solids sink to the bottom.

We stirred the mixture until it looked like cloudy unfiltered apple juice and then recapped. In two weeks, I’ll returned to taste, tweak, and bottle my wine. If you’d like to follow along with pictures, they’re below. Chin-chin.

Science Project: Making Viognier, Stage 3

New Summer Drinks at Bread Winners

I’m nursing a nice sunburn today. Seriously, it hurts to type. What I need is a nice frozen libation to soothe my lobster-red spirit. And just like manna from heaven, I get an email from Bread Winners. They’re debuting two new frozen drinks: a frozen cherry limeade (made with 3 Olives cherry vodka and limeade) and a frozen Jack and Coke. Both are served soft-serve style. The popular Uptown cafe and bakery also just opened the rooftop bar at its adjoining The Quarter Bar. All of that sounds mighty refreshing. Just don’t forget the sunscreen. Trust me.

Sigel’s Sign Gets a New Home in Addison

Oh, I love happy endings. (Watch it.) Remember the Sigel’s sign saga? According to Jasper Russo at Sigel’s, the sign will shine again soon.

Last night the Addison City Council agreed to allow us to install our historic 1950s neon sign at the Sigel’s-Addison location (15003 Inwood Road). The sign is being refurbished and will be set in place sometime next month. We look forward to continuing to have this significant piece of Sigel’s history on display for our customers to enjoy. We will alert everyone when we have a final date for the installation. We are planning a lighting ceremony and 1950s themed sale. Details as they are finalized.

Champagne? Yes, Jasper, I can taste it already.

Frozen Rose Wine Beverage Will Debut At Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in Fort Worth

Sometimes press releases are funny. The more you read, the less you learn. This morning comes word from the Grape Ranch, the largest winery in Oklahoma. Owned by two Dallas-based, “very excited” entrepreneurs, brothers Jack and Dan Whiteman, the company makes Frozen Rose. Grape Ranch announced today they’ve made a deal with The Wine Frog in Fort Worth to distribute “its popular Frozen Rose wine beverage throughout Texas.” Starting with The Colonial. There is nothing in the release that describes the drink. So I searched the Internet to find the answer: pay no attention to the Urban Dictionary, it’s a frozen wine beverage in a bag. The most interesting thing I learned was about The Wine Frog in Fort Worth. Good little story. Jump for the joy of the full release.

UPDATE:  Todd Bleakley from Sales and Marketing at Grape Ranch/Frozen Rose says, “I guess we should have been a little more detailed. Frozen Rose is unique, refreshing frozen wine beverage like a frozen margarita, but more delicious. Much more than wine in a bag.
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More On BYOB: You Say You Want A Revolution? Let’s Revolt.

Last week Ms. Amy Severson raged against the “Dewhurst Bill” which would changes the rules surrounding  BYOB. She makes a lot of good points. If you want to read about the national BYOB movement, Glazer’s Alfonso “MW” Cevola provides a list of links over on The Blend.  I gotta say, I’m with Ms. Amy on this issue—allowing looser controls on BYOB means more paperwork and less profit for restaurants. They already have enough to deal with. Sorry, Alfonso, I’m sure that wasn’t the emotion you expected when you sent the link. Grrr.

“Dewhurst Bill” Will Allow You To BYOB To Any Restaurant

Restaurant owner Amy Severson is fightin’ mad. She just sent me a note: “I find it highly laughable that after 70+ years of a patchwork of liquor laws that take forever to modify, this one goes through like some bad Chinese food.”

She’s referring to what is being called the “Dewhurst Bill.” Seems our Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is a wine snob and is frustrated by not finding the wine he likes on Austin wine lists. Dewhurst has a bill on its way to the state Senate that would let Texans carry their own wine into liquor-carrying restaurants and leave with whatever they don’t drink. You can read the story here . Amy is calling around to local restaurateurs and will send a full report later. Guess I should send her a bottle from my stash.

Wine Sale At Sigel’s On Inwood: Deals Of The Century

Tired of drinking cheap wine? Well, if you get over to Sigel’s on Lemmon and Inwood today you can be swirling and sipping fine wine and paying cheap prices. Yesterday, I got a press release noting that Sigel’s had deepened the discount to 40% off. So instead of posting the deal, I headed over to the store. (Sorry.) As you can see from the photo of my cart, I did pretty well. Especially for someone who swore she would never buy another candle again—those dang candles are only 10 cents—I bought two cases for $2.40.

I also scored a Les Crays Pouilly Fuisse 2004 ($25 retail, I paid $15), a Barbaresco Rabaja 2001 ($55 retail, I paid $33), and a mismarked Palacious Corullion 2002 (marked at $37.99,should have been close to $100, I paid $28).

The knowledgeable sales folks are all there and will guide you to the best bargains. It’s really sad to know that this great store is turning into a drive-though bank. Damn the torpedoes. Four bells! Full speed ahead!

Half Price Drinks on The Mansion Terrace

Here’s a deal perfect for springtime. Throughout April, enjoy half priced drink specials every Wednesday 6pm to closing on The Mansion’s terrace. DJ Face will spin tunes as well.

Ballpark Food: Hot Dogs, Hand-Crafted Beer, And Paula’s Cheese

This morning I attended a media preview of the new food and beverage options that will be offered this season at the Ballpark in Arlington. What a feast. The best news is the addition of the “Value Meal” which consists of a hot dog, soda, and either chips or fries (pictured). The chip meal is $5.75, a $3.75 savings over what the items would cost if you purchased them separately. The fries meal will cost $6.75, for a savings of $4.74.

Another addition is the Ballpark’s new “Beers Of Texas” program. Fort Worth’s Rahr Brewery will be sell small-batch hand-crafted beer: Blonde Lager, Rahr’s Red, Buffalo Butt, Ugly Pug, Stormcloud, Blind Salamander, and seasonal brews.

But here is the greatest deal: The All You Can Eat section. I am not making this up. There are 2,100 seats in the Upper Home Run Porch (used to be Rawlings All-American Grill). Tickets in this pig-out section are priced at $34/$39 for Premier Games, but on Friday, non-Premium Games, the seats are $25. Did I mention it was all you can eat nachos, hot dogs, grilled chicken sandwiches, peanuts, popcorn, soft drinks? Baseball? Who cares!
Jump for the sexy stuff, like Nolan’s meat, and sports food porn.

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Glazer’s Loses Melissa Rycroft as an Employee

“Young Fashionista” Laura Kostelny is our staff expert on The Bachelor. She blogs her hilarious reality TV thoughts quite regularly over on ShopTalk. Anywhoo, I bring up Laura and The Bachelor because Melissa Rycroft, the former Dallas-Cowboys-Cheerleader-turned-Glazer’s-Distributors-employee-turned-The Bachelor- bachelorette-turned-Dancing-with-the-Stars contestant was in Dallas yesterday to clean out her office at Glazer’s. She was accompanied by dancing partner Tony Dovolani. Thanks to Glazer’s guru and On the Wine Trail in Italy blogster, Alfonso Cevola, for the links and the photos. Back to you, Laura. (photos courtesy of The Blend. Tony Dovolani helps Melissa Rycroft move while James LaBarba gives her the last paycheck.)