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Articles about Breakfast

I Don’t Understand the Hype Over Cereal Milk

image from seriouseats.com

I’m a cereal eater. I also like to eat my cereal with 2% milk, soy milk, and rice milk – chilled or not chilled. It doesn’t matter. Sometimes when I visit my grandmothers in Taiwan, I’ll have a small panic attack because there’s no milk and cereal to be found within a ten-minute radius. When I do have access to my usual glorious boxes of Kashi or Fiber One, I’ll pour my milk until it touches the bottom of my floating flakes, quickly eat my breakfast before it becomes a soggy mess, and then slurp up the leftover milk in a hurry because it is always unsettling to find solid, sugary bits camping out in my bowl. It feels like my milk has been violated.

While I was catching up with a college buddy the other day, my friend was eating a bowl of late night cereal and gushing about his cereal milk. This has happened to me so many times before. Can someone please explain this phenomenon to me? (Though, I must admit, this cereal milk recipe doesn’t look half-bad after you strain all the solid bits out.)

What are your cereal habits? Do you like to eat it dry? Are you a cereal mixer? Do you not eat cereal at all? Hopefully, that’s not the case. That would be too much crazy talk.

The Hole Thing: The Latest in Donut Decadence

(photo by Regina Peterman)

I’m not at all ashamed to profess my love for donuts.  Some may label these decadent morsels of fried dough a “guilty pleasure,” but when I sink my eager teeth into the perfect donut, I feel no guilt at all, simply a euphoric rush of gustatory satisfaction which no other breakfast pastry can provide.  Last year, I presented my list of the Best Donuts in Dallas, but since that time, we’ve seen some notable changes on the Dallas donut frontier.  The beloved Hypnotic Donuts traded in their inconspicuous habitation of a pizza joint in North Dallas for a vibrant new shop in East Dallas.  Other donut shops, such as Pookie’s Donuts on Lemmon Ave, who donut bombed D Magazine a few weeks ago, and Denton Square Donuts who I visited previously, are also getting in on the donut love currently wafting through the air around Dallas.

Jump for a hole lot more…

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Top Chef: Texas, Episode 13 Recap

Pee-wee Herman stops by for a surprise visit.

PROLOGUE

Jonesy’s gone, but five chefs are left
In fair San Antonio, where we lay our scene.
It’s still unclear whose knife skills are best,
At least we know Ed sleeps in suits, not blue jeans.

Jump for the rest of sonnet.

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Desiree + Camera: Photo Essay of Hypnotic Donuts in East Dallas

Hippie donuts will be served in a groovy setting.Photography by Desiree Espada.

SideDish photographer Desiree Espada roams the roads with her camera looking for good things to eat and shoot. Check out her photo essay of Bolsa Mercado. Then feast your eyes on what to expect when the Jerry Garcia of donut making, James St. Peter, opens Hypnotic Donuts on Sunday, January 29.

Glory be to the donut. (more…)

Eat This Now: Biscuits and Sausage Gravy from SMOKE in Dallas

It’s hard not to feel cooler when you are eating at SMOKE.  The place reeks of hip.  It’s the kind of place James Dean would meet Jay-Z for brunch if the opportunity presented itself.  But attitude can only go so far if you ain’t got the goods to back it up.  Luckily, as most people know, Tim Byres, owner of SMOKE, dishes up some truly big flavors, matched only by Byre’s apparent love for capitalization.

I’ve spent a good deal of time exploring the biscuit and gravy scene around town.  I’ve generally found that a few places can produce an excellent biscuit, but an exemplary and hearty gravy is really where most fall short, often producing a lifeless blend of flour and water which does more to detract from the biscuit than complement it.  However, the handmade biscuits with spicy sausage gravy from SMOKE, have managed to remain a frontrunner in my mind’s race for best B&G in the city.

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It’s Hip to be Square at Denton Square Donuts

I don’t know if I told you, but I have a thing for donuts.  Maybe that’s a bit of an understatement.  But it’s rare, in this city, to find a place that is willing to push the limits when it comes to these tasty morsels of fried dough and sugar (obvious exceptions excluded).  Therefore, any donut news is good news in my book, and any upstart entrepreneur that is daring enough to risk their livelihood, families, pets, and entire life’s savings on the humble donut is A-OK with me.

When the buzz around Denton Square Donuts began to surface a number of months ago, I was intrigued to say the least.  The obviously non-traditional shape of these donuts is enough to rouse one’s attention, but most donuteers will recall similarly shaped offerings at the mighty Doughnut Plant in NYC.  The toppings which adorn DSD’s baked goods are also enough to get the salivary juices flowing: Brie with Apricot Jelly, Cream Cheese and Jalapeno Jelly, Apple Pie, and the nearly-ubiquitous Bacon and Maple.  Yet still, some may argue that places like Hypnotic, Gourdoughs in Austin, and Voodoo in Portland have been offering up equally ambitious donuts for years.

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Ate it for $8: Murray Street Coffee in Dallas

Tomato mozzarella and pesto sandwich with drip coffee.Kristy Alpert munches some grindage at this Deep Ellum coffee shop

Kristy Alpert munches some grindage at this Deep Ellum coffee shop.

Overview: Murray Street Coffee is the type of place I could live; if only owners Liz and Doug Davis would allow cots in the backroom. It’s two stories with three rooms that can take you from the serious “don’t mess with me I’m on deadline” room with plastic chairs on the first level, to the “ah I finished and now I can relax” room with overstuffed chairs on the second floor, to finally the “coffee has kicked in and I have to get this energy out” room with one common farm-style table of board games. They’re known for their coffee (Coffee Eiland roasters based in Richardson, same coffee used in the Pearl Cup’s Pearl Latte), but their light/airy/funky/clean vibe make this a great place to grab a bite between caffeine fixes.

Menu: Most everything at this coffee shop is locally-sourced (from coffee in Richardson to muffins and cookies from Central Market), and their sandwiches are no exception. Meats and olives come from Jimmy’s Food Store, mozzarella comes from The Mozzarella Company a few blocks away, and their tomatoes come from Lemley’s produce stand at the Dallas Farmers Market. Breakfast is served all day and ranges from a granola parfait ($5.50), The Blinker (a scrambled egg and prosciutto sandwich on an English muffin, $5.50), a bagel with lox ($5), to Eggo Waffle with fresh fruit, syrup and whipped crème ($4.50). Their sandwiches include The Insider vegetarian—can be made vegan—for $8 and a PB&J on Ezekiel bread with banana, honey, jam or jelly for $5.50. All sandwiches can also be prepared gluten free.

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Oak Cliff’s Oddfellows Changes Its Menu Yet Again

Oddfellows’ duck hash

I’ve followed the popular Bishop Arts restaurant since its birth. Great coffee and pancakes. But the omelettes? Meh, not so much. They were more like frittatas and always had those dry, crispy edges that I detest in egg dishes. “Plus, they take the kitchen way too long to make,” confided a server. So, begone, dry lackluster omelettes, and hello, scrambles and duck hash. Scrambled egg dishes include salmon with goat cheese, truffled egg with mozzarella and asparagus, and — my favorite — eggs scrambled with roasted pork shoulder, hatch chiles, mozzarella, and tortilla strips served with a side of salsa verde. Another new addition: duck hash with two over easy eggs, ranchero sauce, and hollandaise. The only bummer? You can’t get those wonderful fried green tomatoes for breakfast anymore. Sigh.

Where to Get Your Pho Fix in Dallas

(photo by Kevin Marple, styling by Angela Yeung)

If you’ve traveled through Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam then you are familiar with this popular dish. Although pho hasn’t quite made it to the mainstream breakfast menus in Dallas, it’s the common way to start your day in many countries. Recently Sarah Reiss ate pho for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and several bowls in between and files this story on pho.

Though pho (pronounced fuh) is far from new to North Texas, the recent surge of openings has reintroduced the signature soup of Vietnam to the mainstream. For newbies, let us explain the allure. It’s a savory broth (generally beef, chicken, or pork) seasoned with coriander, basil, star anise, and green onion; ladled over flat rice noodles and paper-thin tenderloin, brisket, chicken, or pork; and garnished with fresh bean sprouts, herbs, lime quarters, and varying quantities of hot chili paste. It might not sound much different than any other soup, but it tastes like magic.

Here is a a pho primer and a list of our favorite places. Tell us yours.

Company Café Says “No Comment” to Second Location

The Deep Bowl at Company Cafe is delicious.

Late yesterday afternoon Steven “ubiquitous” Doyle sent me a link to a post he wrote about Company Café. He wanted me to link to it. Here’s a clip:

We spoke to Stephen White today, owner of Company Café, the relatively new restaurant on lower Greenville Avenue that brings to its clientele fresh, gluten free food with an organic twist, and he confirmed what we had heard about his new location which has broken ground across from the Katy Trail Ice House at 3136 Routh Street in Uptown Dallas.

I just called the restaurant and they quickly jumped to “no comment” when I asked about the move. The dude on the phone didn’t sound too happy. “No deals finalized. I’m not allowed to comment on this.” Curious. However, I just reached White and he says “it’s months away but we have city approval.” He didn’t sound too happy.

Who Says There’s No Free Lunch? Not Cafe Brazil in Bishop Arts

In honor of the third anniversary of their Bishop Arts location, Cafe Brazil’s filling bellies fo’ free. Just stop by this Wednesday (17th) between 6:30 am and 6:30 pm for a free order of chicken crepes, pasta de tigre (rowwwrrr), pumpkin pancakes, or the wine country salad. Save room for the free slice of red velvet cake or banana cheesecake. Extend your good fortune by wearing a Cafe Brazil t-shirt; do so and your drink will be on the house as well.

The Best Donuts in Dallas

The donut is America’s unsung hero.

For decades these delicacies have been fueling this nation’s finest law enforcement officers, and without them your streets would be overrun with all kinds of riffraff. Countless early morning board meetings have been brightened by the magical combination of sugar and fried dough. And where would Homer Simpson be without his signature pink icing with sprinkles? Not season 587, I assure you!

Despite their iconic nature, frankly speaking, truly exceptional donuts are not easy to find in Dallas.  I don’t think I am alone in my sentiments towards the Dallas donut scene.  While this city is surely not lacking in the sheer number of independent donut shops, it is eerie how incredibly similar and mundane most neighborhood shops have become.

But for the valiant donuteer, all hope is not lost.  I have scoured this land for three years searching for something extraordinary.  Of course, it would be unrealistic for a person to try every donut shop in this city (and still live to tell about it).  So I’ve hunted for suggestions from every corner I could think of (blogs, Chowhound, Yelp, Urban Spoon, magazines, newspapers, Twitter, Facebook, the cops at Waffle House) and ate my way through enough donut shops to personally ensure the future of Lipitor. Luckily, fantastic donuts do exist in this city.

Here I present to you, in no particular order, the five best places for donuts in and around Dallas.

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John Tesar Milks a Cow and Wins $10,000 on Extreme Chef

Chef John Tesar sheds his doucheyness and becomes Extreme Chef winner. He can run 10 miles and cook in a corn field.

Last night John Tesar played a 53-year old geezer chef on a thrilling episode of Food Network’s Extreme Chef. He faced two younger chefs: Joe, a douchey New York dude who was once a private chef for Donald Trump; and Greg, a Portland chef who couldn’t cut it in medical school so he quit and went to the CIA.

Tesar was confident from the start. “I run 10 miles a day,” Tesar gloated. After that, he works all day and night. The competition took place on a 60-acre farm in Malibu Canyon and the premise had the chefs running all over the place to source ingredients.

HEARTY BREAKFAST was the segment. To obtain eggs, the chefs had to conquer a “crop-stical course” made of bales of hay formed into various tunnels and towers. Tesar, a virtual Jack LaLane, was first to the eggs (he picked duck!) and he won the first competition soundly with his ginger and duck egg French toast. (I think there was a fruit salad and some whiskey involved, but I can’t read my notes, and I refuse to rerun the show.) It only matters that when the Simon Cowell wannabe (and lookalike) host announced Tesar as the winner, Tesar took a modest Zen-like bow. Tesar is now the master of “the unconventional use of an egg.”

No, it’s not over. There are still 45 minutes left in the show. Here we go.

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Eat This Now: The “High in the Mountains” at Hypnotic Donuts in Dallas

Revenge is a dish best served cold, so are donuts, apparently.

In the history of time there are a few moments of brilliance that stand out in my mind.  Newton discovers gravity.  Galileo proclaims that the Earth revolves around the Sun.  Einstein develops the theory of relativity.  May I add one more?  James St. Peter decides to put a donut in the freezer.  You always thought the only good donuts were advertised behind a glowing neon “Hot Doughnuts Now” sign.  Well, you were wrong.  Mind, prepare to be blown.

You can’t stop reading now.

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Restaurant Review: The Company Cafe in Dallas

The Deep Bowl at Company Cafe. (photography by Kevin Marple.)

Dining out was once so simple. You sat down in a restaurant, ordered whatever sounded good, ate it, and went on with your life. Now you need an advanced degree in epidemiology before you’re qualified to choose an entrée. Every day, we get bombarded with health warnings about food: too much added sugar will kill you if excess salt doesn’t get you first. Menus are loaded with politically charged, often slippery buzzwords: “sustainable,” “organic,” “locally grown,” “free range,” “grass fed,” “genetically modified,” “farm raised.” Go ahead and order red meat, but that cow had best been raised on tall-stem Texas blue grass handpicked by a nun.

Many area producers and restaurateurs have their hearts in the right place, but I can’t help but be suspicious of some who tout ingredients as “organic” or “local.” This is Texas. There is no such thing as a locally grown tomato in January. Organic is even more confusing. If your butterhead lettuce was sprayed with an “organic” pesticide such as a bacterial toxin or pyrethrum or rotenone, can it really be considered organic?

Click here for the whole story.

Eat This Now: Brunch at Jonathon’s in Oak Cliff

Breakfast Kabobs at Jonathon's in Oak Cliff.

Ladies and gentlemen, this week’s discovery by Daniel Walker.

There’s a reason everybody loves weekend brunch.  It’s our way of sticking it to the alarm clock and proclaiming, “No longer will I be obligated to wake up before noon in order to enjoy pancakes! I’ll sleep in as long as I please and still have my six-egg omelets, thank you very much.” Brunch is a liberating adventure, the perfect morning pick-me-up for the vigilant weekend warrior. Screw the early bird, let him have his worm. I’ll take the 1 PM waffle any day.

We are fortunate to have many superb options for brunch in Dallas, but Oak Cliff residents are graced by the presence of Jonathan’s, which offers one of the city’s brunches. This renovated home is a cozy, clean, and fresh culinary outlet for chef Jonathan Erdeljac to prepare his creations.

I met with a group of fellow dedicated brunchers this weekend to sample a wide array of intriguing dishes offered by Chef Jon’s menu.  Once the food arrived, it was not long before the table was filled with joyful expletives, food moans, and fist pumping as each person was delighted with their selection. Forks and knives flew across the table like a scene from a Chinese Kung Fu cooking show, as each diner attempted to sample their neighbors highly praised dish. No one was harmed in the making of this write-up.

Jump for the best stuff. (more…)

Weekend Trip: JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort


It used to be that the parents could go away to golf, chill, and dine in luxury or they could take the kids to the place where little ones are given the impression that the whole world was designed for them. The JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort combines both options. Golf predominates for adults, with not one but two TPC (Tournament Players Club) 18-hole courses designed by Pete Dye and Greg Norman exclusively serving resort guests. The centerpiece of activities for kids is a six-acre water park named the River Bluffs Water Experience where you’ll find a 650-foot rapid river ride, multiple water slides, 1,100 ft. lazy river, children and adult pools, whirlpools, and an expansive activity pool. These, and a host of other amenities (about more of which below), are not only the province of families, who tend to fill the weekends. During the week, the resort switches identities to become one of the leading corporate retreat locations in Texas. It is one of the few places where a Hewlett Packard, or a Yahoo, can bring thousands of employees. (more…)

Vitality House Cafe Opens in Richardson With Flavorful Menu and Full-Time Nutritionist

My husband and I battle for the title of Biggest Loser in our house; our respective weights fluctuating by 10 percent on a monthly basis (this month, he’s ahead, or behind depending on how you look at it). To be honest, we’d be happy for some steadiness, but as we all know, end-of-school-year stress, travel, and general laziness do not a stable diet make. Lucky for us, Chefs Chris and Sandy Smith have opened the doors on Vitality House Cafe just down the block in Richardson. The married duo employs in-house nutritionist Kelly Crawford, and in-house fitness consultant Stephen Crawford to provide information, consultation and support to diners needing encouragement toward a healthy lifestyle. The place is only open for breakfast, lunch, and coffee at this point, so it’s not yet available for last-minute save-me-from-myself dinners, but here’s hoping. I’ll be back soon with the first-hand scoop. In the meantime, here’s what they have to say about their plan:

jump for the Vitality mission statement… (more…)

Eat This Now: Breakfast Tacos from Luna’s Tortilla Factory in Dallas

Daniel Walker roams Dallas in search of good eats. Today he files this report.

Summer is upon us, and for those of you with kids, this means you get those little bundles of joy sulking around the house all day long.  So, imagine it’s 10 AM Saturday morning, and you have tried just about everything short of water boarding to get your kids out of bed and doing their chores.  Well, all you diligent parents, I have found your solution.  Breakfast tacos from Luna’s Tortilla Factory.

It seems simple enough, but with the prospects of wrapping their lips around these breakfast beauties first thing in the morning, no punk teen could even dream about staying in bed.

Jump for more. (more…)

Buzzbrews Coming to Deep Ellum. So long, Cowboy Chow.

Word on the street is that the Deep Ellum/Commerce St. location of Cowboy Chow is being taken over by D’s Best Breakfast favorite, Buzzbrews. In fact, this weekend is the Chow’s last one in that location. Look for Buzzbrews to start slinging their hash to downtown brunchers, the 2 am Adair’s crowd, and hungover hipsters sometime in July.