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Poetry Night is Back at the Garden Café in Dallas

Nancy Nichols — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:13:06 +0000

If you are looking for a unique evening out, you might consider attending Garden Café’s Poetry Dinner on Friday, October 30th. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., the “country-style buffet” starts service at 8:00 p.m., and poetry reading begins at 9:00 p.m. Cost is $30 and includes tax. Tip jar by the register. Bring your own wine. Have a lovely time.

Secret Supper in Dallas: Food Creates Community

Nancy Nichols — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:12:59 +0000

Y’all remember chef Jordan Swim, the chef behind the underground dinners? Well, he is back with another offering—this one will take place on October 17th at 7:00 p.m. The four-course menu is “fall-inspired and is $50 per person. Details here.

Neighborhood Services in Dallas: Hot Bird To Go

Nancy Nichols — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:55:09 +0000

My mom is under the weather so yesterday I called Neighborhood Services and ordered one of their Hot Bird To Go dinners. I picked it up at 5:30 p.m. and headed over to her house with a bottle of wine and some good cheer. Good heavens, there was enough food for six people. The canvas bag was filled with a whole (huge) roasted chicken, two sides (rabe sautéed with red peppers and bacon and oven roasted herb potatoes), a ginormous mixed salad with Granny Smith apples and poached onions, and a 12-inch baguette slathered with melted butter and of clumps of softly sautéed garlic cloves.

The meal was around $37 bucks and I think if you take the canvas bag back, you get $5 off your next purchase. Please call ahead to order. Warning: could be habit forming. 5027 W. Lovers Ln. 214-350-5027.

Wine Markup in Dallas Restaurants: Alfonso Cevola’s Point of View

Nancy Nichols — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:14:16 +0000

Wine markup in restaurants. It’s a hot national topic. How much is too much; how little is not enough. Corkage fees. Bring your own. Oh, where will the madness stop.

Today Alfonso Cevola, Italian Wine Director at Glazer’s, makes some interesting observations on his blog, On the Wine Trail in Italy.

Wine lists. Working with several clients over the last few weeks, and really finding some very different opinions. But more and more I am seeing restaurant people rethinking the way they serve wine in their places. Less popular is buying a wine for $17 and reselling it for $65. The wave I have been seeing, in Houston, in Dallas and Austin, is that same wine on a blackboard for $39. You know at $39 a party of four will buy two bottles. At $65 they might nurse that bottle of wine. So the establishment sells one bottle and had $48 in gross profit. Selling two bottle for $39 and they have $44 to work with. A smaller profit? Yes. A happier clientele? Most assuredly. And most likely to return sooner. This is a wave that is coming from San Francisco, from Southern California, New York, and Texas is right there, too, with these ideas. This is exciting stuff for the wine producers back in Italy who have a storeroom full of wine right now.

I’ve noticed lower wine prices in restaurants lately. I paid a little over $30 retail for a 2005 Arzuaga Crianza Ribera del Duero (Spain) and noticed it on the wine list (same vintage) at Maximo for $65.

“Dewhurst Bill” Committe Head Edmund Kuempel Collapses in Capitol Elevator

Nancy Nichols — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:55:32 +0000

Why is this news on SideDish? Because it came from Amy S. and Kuempel is the head of the house committee considering the “Dewhurst Bill.” Kuempel was found in the Capitol without a pulse but was revived and was transported to the hospital breathing on his own.

“Dewhurst Bill” Will Allow You to BYOB to Any Restaurant and Dallas Restaurteurs Are Mad, Ctd.

Nancy Nichols — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:10:27 +0000

Hey Dishers, if you are looking for the spirted conversation on the Dewhurst Bill it’s still here.

The Tipping Point: How Do You Figure a Tip?

Nancy Nichols — Fri, 08 May 2009 16:08:44 +0000

Below there is a raging debate going on about a new BYOB law. Restaurants and consumers are battling over rights and bottom lines. Servers seem to be stuck in the middle—their wages are directly related to the with-or-without-wine final bill. Here’s the question: when you go to a restaurant, do you tip on the full price of a bottle of wine? Do you subtract the tax before you figure a tip? Severs, what do your customers do and how would BYOB affect you?

“Dewhurst Bill” Will Allow You to BYOB to Any Restaurant: And Dallas Restaurateurs Are Mad

Nancy Nichols — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:59:40 +0000

In case you missed our discussion of the pending “Dewhurst Bill,” I’ll give you a moment to read this and this.
This morning chef Daniel Landsberg of Tillman’s sent out a call to arms to his fellow restaurateurs. He says:

I am sure you all are aware of this wine bill dewhurst is going to get passed unless we all contact our state representatives easily by email with the link provided below asking them to be our voice and vote against the bill Texas HB 4813 which states that anyone can bring in a bottle of wine regardless of what type of liquor license you have. This not only will take money out of our pockets, it opens a completely new can of worms of liability and the ability to cut off an intoxicated guest because it is their wine. I do not know if it carries over to catered events, but, can imagine selling a wedding for 200 guests at your venue and they bring in their own wine? Not good. This is a special interest B.S. Back door deal that is exactly what is wrong with politics in the US. What is next? Beer? Alcohol under a certain proof? This is OUR BUSINESS. WE SELL FOOD, WINE AND ALCOHOL. Please do not just discard this email. DO something. 10 minutes can save OUR industry in Texas for the duration of OUR CAREERS. Think about it; we bring them in with the great food, we impress them with the total package, but we make real MONEY with alcohol sales. This has already passed the senate because we did not respond fast enough. Please, help me save our wine programs!

Here is the link.

More On BYOB: You Say You Want A Revolution? Let’s Revolt.

Nancy Nichols — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:35:56 +0000

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.

Amy Severson Writes Again

Nancy Nichols — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:56:01 +0000

For those of you who participated in yesterday’s discussion on the “Dewhurst Bill,” you might want to check out Amy Severson’s updated report. I’m sure she can expect the longest, toughest audit ever to come out of Austin.

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

Nancy Nichols — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:36:25 +0000

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.