The DMN reports that Trader Joe’s is planning to open a second location in Dallas on the corner of North Central Expressway and Walnut Hill Lane. It’s set to open next year in a 14,000-square-foot store once construction begins late this year or early 2013. This means that in a year (if all goes well), I will be able to buy my precious Trader Joe’s Cat Cookies (the ginger flavor is the snappiest) at not one, but two locations in Dallas. Those cookies are extremely addicting, and a tub always disappears quickly when it’s around me because I snarf them down without even realizing.
Liz Johnstone is just as gleefully excited, since she has a thing for Gummy Tummies – these little penguin characters with fruit juice that bursts from their belly pouches. Talking about Trader Joe’s snacks makes me want to pick up a construction tool and start working on that building myself so it’ll be ready sooner.
Who else has a particular Trader Joe’s food they dearly love? Share your wealth of knowledge below. Let’s plan our grocery list before the Plano store opens later this summer.
Monica Greene has never been afraid of change. Moments ago she told me she is leaving the business of Monica’s Aca Y Alla in Deep Ellum to her partners who will close the restaurant at 2914 Main Street, remodel the space, and reopen as a yet-to-be-named Mexican restaurant. Monica is moving all of her energy over to the iLume Building on Cedar Springs where she has been in the planning stages of opening Tajin. When the Sushi Axiom closed, Monica decided to take the space and open up the walls of Tajin into the space and create a new concept. The 7,600-square food space will now be Monica’s Nueva Cocina and ME Lounge. It was a difficult decision for Greene to leave Deep Ellum where she has been a major player for over 20 years. More on the food later. Monica has written a letter to YOU. It’s below.
UPDATE: Monica is on her way to Houston. I got lucky when she answered her cell phone. “This [move] has been a real struggle for me,””Greene said. I’ve always been committed to urban development. I believe in Dallas but unfortunately the area [Deep Ellum] has taken a long time to develop. It’s time for me to expand and open my doors to a larger audience.”
I say, you go girl. It’s a great move. She has been in, what I would call, an abusive relationship with Deep Ellum for a long time. It’s time she made a fresh start. That girl has some balls. Oh, wait. Nevermind.
Yesterday, Merritt Martin of Eater Dallas, linked (ha!) to a story reporting Dallas-based Zaccanelli Food Group’s acquisition of the 133 year-old Hofmann Sausage Company in Syracuse, New York. She writes:
“Wait, what? Dallas-based Zaccanelli Food Group acquired Syracuse’s Hofmann Sausage Company in a multimillion dollar deal that means sausage expansion (well beyond Hot Haus rests, even into Texas groceries, gasp!) and, linking (ha) seemingly random investors the likes of Oneida Indian Nation, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach and others.”
The “others” Martin omits are significant players that are anything but randomly linked. Like the “Zaccanelli” behind the group: Frank Zaccanelli, a native of Syracuse, is the former team president of the Dallas Mavericks. He was the minority owner to Ross Perot Jr.’s majority. Together, they sold the team to our (foodie) hero, Mark Cuban. Before that, Zaccanelli was a big wig at Perot Jr.’s company and they did some big deals like Alliance Airport and large real estate developments all over the state. (Huge overstatement in the interest of time.) Zaccanelli Food Group received majority funding from the powerful central-New York based Oneida Indian Nation Enterprises, a group dedicated to “re-investing in Central New York.” Other investors include former Syracuse Police Chief and two-time Syracuse University All-American basketball player Dennis DuVal, Syracuse University Head Basketball Coach Jim Boeheim, Dallas Cowboys quarterback and businessman Roger Staubach, and several high-profile restaurateurs and sports figures.
The until-now family-owned and operated Hofmann Sausage Company is a well-respected name in the restaurant business. They make some fine sausages and hot dogs. Call me crazy, but I swear I ate a Hofmann dog at Fuddrucker’s a century ago. Oh, that brings me to another “other” in this multi-million-dollar-dog deal: Phil Romano, the creator of Fuddruckers®, World’s Greatest Hamburgers®. Secret fact: Romano ALSO grew up in Syracuse eating Hofmann dogs. He loves them so much he sells them at Eatzi’s! Now he’s going to show the world just how much he hearts Hofmann dogs. Romano is in charge of creating a national chain of Hofmann’s World’s Greatest Hot Dogs restaurants. (I’m sure the ® is still at the attorney’s office.) I, for one, can’t wait. Hot dogs are the new hamburger.
Update: Hofmann products will be available in 64 Texas Albertson’s stores, including those in DFW, this weekend. That was fast.
Get ready for Central Market’s yearly culinary salute to foreign food. In 2010, we celebrated Argentina (Hi, Francis!). Last year we pigged out on Spain (Hola, Paco!). This year they are throwing a two-week soiree for France, specifically the southern region of Provence, which will begin on May 9 and run through May 22.
Here’s a little poop I learned: Zee hottest ticket will be a seat in the outdoor tent where the kick-off event, “A Taste of Provence,” will feature a sampling of dishes prepared by Chef Patrice Olivon! C’est magnifique! You know Olivon, oui? He’s the cute French dude who won Iron Chef hosts “Dinner is Served,” a lovely show on PBS. It is set for Wednesday, May 9, and begins at 6 p.m.
The menu includes some personal favorites from his childhood (served family-style at long tables), which will be paired with French wines (shocker!). Think: Pissaladiere (thick, pizza-like dish popular in Nice and Marseilles); tomates farcies (tomatoes stuffed with beef, rice & herbs); cod with aioli; roasted lamb with ratatouille; and warm seasonal fruit cooked in red wine served over vanilla ice cream (really?). So frugal Francophiles, get a cheap trip ($35 per person) to Provence, if only for one evening. Tickets can be booked by clicking here or by visiting the Cooking School reservation site for Dallas.
Sancerre! Profiteroles! A truffle in every pot! Vamos, I mean, nous permettre d’aller!
(Below, I will copy and paste an actual MEDIA-ONLY release so you can get an insider’s look on how real food writing works. I will pair it with commentary from a professional media person.
I made fresh country gumbo if you want to know what gumbo should taste like, get yourself down here fast. South Louisiana tomatoes are here, fresh goose and chicken eggs too. Radishes and baby mixed color arrots are beginning to po in the garden out back. Fresh shrooms landing this afternoon along with stinging nettles, ramps, fiddlehead ferns and Verpa Morels.What else do I need to say? I done said it, so…
Several of the local food trucks are already out helping with disaster relief. So-Cal Tacos is in the Arlington/Kennedale area helping out. The Butcher’s Son is sending one of their trucks out to help. Many of our local food trucks are donating their tips to disaster relief. If you are an organization in need of assistance with feeding crews or families during clean-up, put your contact information in the comments section, and hopefully, you will hear from one of the food trucks to help.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Tacos won’t be one of those helping out as they themselves are recovering from tornado damage. I’m sure many of you saw this car on the news yesterday. It was the car of Mary Ann Quiñonez, the owner and operator of Rock ‘n’ Roll Tacos. She was picking up her daughter at Crosby Elementary School in the Diamond Creek subdivision of Forney, and just missed being in the car that was tossed 100 yards into the next field. Luckily, Mary Ann and her daughter escaped the car and ran for safety to the school before it was hurled away.
Update: Enticed Shaved Ice is donating 100% of sales tonight to the Red Cross. They’ll be located at the Walgreens at Midway and Frankford.
Update: Bud Kennedy reports via Twitter: “Food truck @SoCalTacos and others being turned away from feeding Arlington relief workers, per FB; it’s a secured area.”
The DMN reports that the Walmart empire is taking over the former Whole Foods and Blockbuster space, replacing it with a Neighborhood Market store that’ll be open to the public in September. Wal-Mart promises to bring 90 new jobs to the area and support community projects, but it’ll also be really, really close to the new Trader Joe’s.
Looks like there’ll be some grocery wars waging in Lower Greenville later this year…
Excuse any typos as I am parked on the side of the highway, attempting to post from my phone. I just received a call from Andrew Chalk who was having lunch at Cafe on the Green. He learned that the Four Season’s Club chef, Jonathan Rivera, has been promoted to execuchef at Cafe on the Green. Katie Natale left last week to teach. Rivera has been assisting Natale for the last few months. Okay, carry on.
Edit: A few more juicy details from James Tidwell, the Master Sommelier and Beverage Manager at Four Seasons:
Jonathan trained at the Culinary Institute of America and has previous experience at Four Seasons Houston, The Stone House 1854 in Little Compton, RI, and The Bentley Hilton in South Beach, FL. He was the chef de cuisine during Katie’s maternity leave, and was spectacular in the role. I am very excited that he has accepted the position on a permanent basis. His menus have been superb for pairing with wines and other beverages, and I am excited to continue the collaboration on food, beverage, and service with he and Kyle Miller, our restaurant manager.
I was sad to see Katie depart, but know that she is enjoying motherhood. I am happy that she found a position that allows her to indulge her love of cooking while spending time with her family.
I anticipate that Jonathan’s cooking will be similar to Katie’s in many ways. They shared a common aesthetic where food is concerned.

The chocolate store on Belmont Estate. Woman drying cocoa beans by walking through them. (photography by Nancy Nichols)
Two weeks ago, I was on a cruise headed for the island of Grenada when I received an email about The Grenada Chocolate Company. Needless to say, the headline–“Grenada Chocolate Company and FairTransport Team Up To Make First Ever Carbon-Neutral Trans-Atlantic Mass Chocolate Delivery”—got my full attention. I rearranged my schedule and made plans to meet with Mott Green, the founder of GCC, a tree-to-bar organic chocolate cooperate. Sadly, the only time we could meet was at high noon on a Sunday. The factory was closed so I met with Green at their retail store which is located on the beautiful Belmont Estate, Grenada’s first and finest agri-tourism organic farm.
Green was busy getting ready to pack four tons of his organic dark chocolate and sail with it from Grenada to New York City. He’d partnered with Netherlands-based shipping company, FairTransport, and the ship, the wind-powered Brigantine Tres Hombres, was set to sail from Grenada with Green and his chocolate today. This voyage, according to Green, is the “first carbon-neutral trans-Atlantic mass chocolate delivery.” Green built his own insulated cool room, powered solely by wind and sun, for the ship’s cargo hold. (Click here to follow the ship’s progress and Green’s blog about the journey)
Jump for the story and pictures. (more…)
On Saturday night, I popped into Bolsa Mercado an hour or so before closing. Everything was fine. All was still. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
Little did I know that five hours later, at 2 AM on Sunday morning, owner Christopher Zielke would receive a call in the middle of the night because someone broke into his store. “It was just a cash register and broken glass window,” says Zielke. Nothing to cry about, but the thief had also stolen a huge sum of cash from the register. Usually Zielke empties the register and leaves it by the window to tell wannabe burglars, “Hey, look, no money for you,” but that night he forgot this habit of his.
“I think it’s the same person who’s been stealing from Oddfellows, Eno’s, and Bolsa. He goes directly for the cash registers and doesn’t touch anything else. He’s in-and-out within 30 seconds,” says Zielke.
Zielke, who wanted something positive to come out of this, collaborated with Elliot Munoz to make a short video immortalizing the Bolsa Mercado burglar forever. That’s the story of how an every day thief turned into an advertising star in Dallas. Enjoy.
Be Patient from elliott munoz on Vimeo.
Just last week, we were urging you guys to vote for Tim Byres of SMOKE and Tre Wilcox of Marquee Grill for Food & Wine’s “The People’s Best New Chef” in the Southwest category. And, boy, did you vote. Tim Byres is the Southwest champion for the second year in a row. He must have a strong following or something, because this guy just smoked nine other strong contenders (including the recently crowned king of Top Chef Season 9, Paul Qui) and now his lovely face and profile will be included in the July 2012 issue of Food & Wine.
If you’re not sure why he’s a big deal, take a look at the profile below:
WHY HE’S AMAZING Because he goes beyond just barbecue, with an in-kitchen wood grill and smoke pit for smoking or curing almost every dish on the menu.
CULINARY SCHOOL Johnson & Wales University (Miami)
BACKGROUND Stephan Pyles, Mansion Restaurant (Dallas)
MUST-TRY DISH Hand-pulled all-natural whole hog, North Carolina style, which is roasted overnight.
WHAT SMELLS SO GOOD Byres smokes or cures almost all his dishes over wood, using either the mesquite-fueled wood grill and barbecue pit in the kitchen or a vintage Appalachian cold smoker out back, which uses hickory, pecan wood and charcoal.
MENU INSPIRATION Before opening Smoke in fall 2009, Byres spent the summer traveling across the South in a rebuilt VW bus, tasting regional barbecue. “Everybody wants to label barbecue styles and areas,” he says. “But wherever you go in the rural South, styles developed from availability and necessity. It’s just honest cooking.”
LOCAL FLAVORS The kitchen team planted an herb and vegetable garden behind the Hotel Belmont, where the restaurant is located.
If you’re feeling a lot of Tim Byres-love today, go vote for him in our People’s Choice Best Chef category so he can also show up in the August issue of D Magazine.

Pictured from left to right: Event & Sales Director, Julia “Smelly Pirate Hooker” Garton, Owner /Operator, Mike “I look Like a Blueberry” Schoder, and Will Ferrell.
Will Ferrell was hanging out at Sundown at Granada this afternoon. Ferrell is in town on a press junket to promote his new movie “Casa de Mi Padre.” The film opens on March 16.
I can’t believe my eyes. According to its website, DFW’s Terminal A is getting some quality BBQ later this fall when Salt Lick opens inside the airport as part of the DFW Terminal Renewal and Improvement Program (TRIP). Looks like there’s no need to drive all the way out to Driftwood or Round Rock for those monster beef ribs that Bobby Flay once dubbed “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.”
Is anyone else as excited as I am???? This almost makes up for the fact that DFW doesn’t have free wi-fi.
Food & Wine Magazine just nominated Tim Byres of Smoke and Tre Wilcox of Marquee Grill & Bar for “The People’s Best New Chef” award in the Southwest category. Every year, the mag names ten new up-and-coming chefs from all across America. Voting starts today and ends on Sunday, March 11.
I bid thee, Dallas, to go vote for thy favorite chefs whose first names start with a T.
We could all use a little more whoopie in our lives. This Friday, Dallas will see the launch of its first whoopie pie truck brought to us by the fine people at Rockstar Bakeshop. Of course, Rockstar is not new to Dallas by any means, as they have been camping out behind a whoopie-strewn table now for months in conjunction with some other trucks around town. Rockstar, which specializes in rock-themed whoopie pies, have finally put the finishing touches on their new digs and will be cruising the streets starting this week. And to kick it all off, they are throwing a party this Friday, March 9 from 5-8 PM at Dowdy Studio (located just behind Good 2 Go Taco). Rockstar has decided to christen their sweet new ride “Layla,” after the legendary Clapton tune. (Apparently “Cocaine” was not quite sending the right message.)
Might as well jump! (more…)
The DMN reports that an elderly woman crashed her car into the front side of Jimmy’s Food Store, a popular Italian grocery store and deli, around 3:30 pm. Thank the universe no one was seriously injured, but some wine and tables were destroyed during the drive-in (not really a drive-by, is it?). Jimmy’s fans can rejoice, though; manager Jeff White says that the store will resume normal business hours tomorrow since the sandwich counter is unharmed.
Good grief, it looks like Jimmy’s has had its fair share of bad luck. 2004 marked the year Jimmy’s suffered a terrible fire, and now a car just went and plowed through it.
For the second year in a row, White Rock Coffee has won the coveted KRUPS USA Award for having the best cuppa joe in Dallas. Public voting through KRUPS’ Facebook page helped determine the winner. KRUPS USA, a company that makes coffee, espresso machines and kitchen appliances, has been trying to bring attention to well-deserved coffee shops from New York to Los Angeles.
“We were so thrilled with the response we received last year, and look forward to bringing these well-deserving coffee shops the attention they have earned,” said Michele Lupton, Marketing Communications Director for the brand. “At KRUPS, our motto is ‘Passion, Precision, Perfection,’ and we are always delighted to find like-minded coffee-purveyors who share our same goals.”
Jump for the list of winners. (more…)
After Borders went bankrupt, we all began to speculate what would happen with the empty Uptown storefront on 3600 McKinney. Now that 4,200 square ft. space will serve fried chicken and Kobe beef burgers at Max’s Wine Dive, a restaurant with locations in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. Owner Jerry Lasco has spent a good three years looking for the right spot in Dallas, and apparently this is the one. Was it love at first sight? (more…)