
Missing In Action: Is John Tesar channeling his inner heirloom tomato fetish in India or hanging with Kathryn Jackson in Arizona?
I’ve cruised past the construction site of John Tesar’s new restaurant, Spoon in Preston Center, several times this month and noticed zero activity. The permits were not on the windows and there was no construction taking place. Yesterday I checked Tesar’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, then texted and called him, and nothing. Last night I spoke with his rep, Bev Garvin. She says all is well and construction is “back underway.” They are preparing to knock down the front of the space and, after that, “expect a six-to-eight week turnaround.”
I asked her Tesar’s whereabouts and she giggled a bit. “I can’t tell you,” she said. “I only get to talk to him when they allow him access to phones or when they let him have phones.”
After I lifted my jaw off my desk, I asked, “Well, should I check the roster at Betty Ford Clinic or San Quentin?” She giggled again, nervously. “No, it’s all good I can’t tell you. If you poke around you might find out more.” She did say he would be back in Dallas on July 31.
I don’t feel like poking, so let’s play “Where’s John Tesar?” Prize worth $100 to the winner. (Some people, and you know who you are, are not eligible to play.)
I am going out on a long white oak limb here: Meditating in India.
Okay, your turn, GO!
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Can you guess its name? Clue: It is on display at the Southwest Foodservice Expo at the FreshPoint booth.
We had so much fun the first time we played this game. Let’s play it again. Can you guess the name of this restaurant?
We’re suckers for any press release that contains the following sentences:
It seems a couple well-intentioned entrepreneurs have teamed up with J&D’s Foods to create a little something they’re calling baconlube—the world’s first bacon-flavored, water-based, American-made, personal lubricant.
Billing itself as the “gold standard of meat-flavored massage oils” (natch) baconlube, they say, is like the McRib of sex: it’s delicious, makes men crazy, is here for a limited time, and is in short supply.
If you’re thinking “stocking stuffer!” (let’s stay on track here), we’re right behind you. But the boys only made 3,000 bottles of this pork-flavored nectar. It hit the interwebs yesterday at www.baconlube.com. How much, you ask, for a product that promises such a satisfying holiday season? Only $11.99.
you know you want more. jump for it… Continue reading "This Little Piggy Went Downtown"
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That little boy in the picture is my nephew James. He is almost three. He loves the Texas Rangers and tells anyone who will listen that Michael Young is his best friend. (He kinda is!) James is psyched for tomorrow night’s World Series game in St. Louis between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals (7:05PM).
Another Disher is excited about the game. So pumped that he is flying to St. Louis for the Games 1 and 2 (Thurs.). He wants your help.
I’m headed to St. Louis for the games. Any suggestions on where to eat.
Knock it out.
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"Hello, beautiful lady. My name is Jason. I'll be your waiter tonight. You'll have 2 hours to complete your meal. And your time starts ... NOW"
[Ed. note: George poses this, in my opinion, stupid question. I am challenging him with, in my opinion, a smarter one.]
George: A couple of weeks ago, a Zagat survey reported that 60% of dinners in New York supported a time limit which allows the restaurant to boot you from your table so they can seat another party. But we’re not New York. So let’s ask the question to Dishers. Would you mind a time limit?
Nancy: George, you ignorant cluck. You are right on one point: we are not New York. I hate rushed service. Take MiCocina (beat, beat). Those waiters aren’t servers they’re animal trainers. They can turn a table of six in 40 minutes. It drives me nuts. I get the same vibe at Houston’s. Every time you sit down you can feel the beat: water, menus, drinks, order, eat, dessert, BOOM. Maybe, just maybe, we are eating out to have a conversation that doesn’t fit into the restaurant’s time frame. I think no time limit is best for the customer.
George: You can’t have a conversation in under 2 hours? Are you sitting with your fork in one hand and Blackberry in the other? Talk, talk, tap, tap. Assuming your waiter greets you in a timely manner, takes your order, and serves you your drinks and food, you really can’t finish in 2 hours? If not, move to the bar. I think it’s good for business.
Who is right?
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This dog may look cuddly and sweet, but she could steal your burger or bite you in the leg if allowed on the patio of a restaurant.
Despite the heat, I’m seeing an uptick in the number of restaurants advertising their dog friendly patios. In mid-2008 the City of Dallas amended their ordinance allowing dogs on restaurant patios under certain conditions, such as no outside food prep, entering only through an outdoor entrance, leashed only, and not allowed to sit on tables, chairs, or counter tops.
I might take some heat for it here on SideDish, but I’m just not a fan of dogs on a restaurant patio. While 90% of dogs (and their owners) are well-behaved, that leaves 1 out of 10 that are not. When I lived in Europe, it was very common to have dogs on the patios and inside of the restaurants, roaming at will and sitting on chairs. I’ve had my fill of dogs sniffing around my table.
So let’s just throw this open for discussion. Are you a fan of dog friendly patios? Have you had any problems?
Bark.
34 Comments »‘Scuse me while I saddle up my high horse. Am I the only woman who is concerned about the sudden surge in Breastaurants. I mean really 35 additional Twin Peaks? A bar opening in downtown called The Spread Eagle? Seriously boys? How would you like to take your daughter into one of the restaurant’s the gals in our office just conceptualized. We call them Peteries.
Hunky Town, Twin Pricks, Tooter’s, Pecker’s Hot Italian Sausage, Tube Steak Junction, Cake Balls to the Walls, Nuts and Butts, Quickies, Long Dong Silver, Tally Whacker’s, Love Mussels, Wee Willie’s, Twig and Berries.
Ladies, the floor is open.
53 Comments »Like I said, it’s a slow news day. But I was gTalking with a friend of mine and she and I were fantasizing about what we would eat if we could eat anything we wanted right now. I’m still looking for a Hatch chile cheeseburger. She’s jonsing for mojito sorbet. You?
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I bet Steven Doyle doesn’t even know about this!! I just happened to stumble across it on the CBS site. Looks like they are going to have a Most Valuable Blogger competition. I would never suggest who you should nominate but The Scott at Dallasfood.org has already made his sentiments known. This is going to be an interesting ride.
The drought and soul-killing temperatures have done a number on my zucchini this year. The lush, ground-hugging vines that should have taken over my entire plot by now, look like dead snakes that tried to cross a desert highway. You, too? In years past, I’ve had such a viney bounty that I’ve used this holiday to not only unload my stash, but commit notable acts of agricultural mischief. There were the brown bags on doorsteps, the twine-tied bundles in mailboxes, the Jenga-stacked sculptures, and, of course, the zucchini I hung individually from my neighbor’s tree. The fun was in convincing their kids that they were alien fruit pods that could explode at any moment.
Memories. Like the corners of my mind…
To distract myself, I’m looking ahead and thinking about creating some new arcane traditions. Here’s the list of upcoming unusual holidays. Some have to do with food, but not all. And I left out the boring ones. Any ideas for ways to commemorate? Continue reading "It’s “Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day.” Insert Heavy Sigh."
I know, I know, it’s a slow news day (and I’m feeling lethargic after lunch), but I thought I’d throw this debate out there anyway:
IKEA is having their annual Kräftskiva (or all-you-can-eat Swedish crayfish party) on August 19. $9.99 for adults/$2.49 for kids under 12.
My question: Is this something you’d attend?
Before you jump to answer, here are some points to consider:
jump to avoid the work that you really should be doing… Continue reading "Would You Attend A Crayfish Party At IKEA?"
10 Comments »Love to grouse about Hallmark holidays? Well, strap in and get ready to either love or hate the following. Apparently there are a lot more interesting faux holidays out there than National Epitaph Day or Sweetest Day (how this differs from Valentine’s Day is beyond me). And they focus on food. (National Watermelon Eating Day, anyone? BTW, it’s on August 3.)
Yes, now you can forget about loving your fellow man, these holidays are all about loving you some food. The good folks at TheNibble.com actually went to the trouble of compiling a list. You’ll want to merge this with your Google calendar so you don’t miss out on a chance to throw a party for National Lasagna Day. (Too bad that one doesn’t fall on a weekday; the office party, and all of the mournful moaning afterward, would be epic.)
Jump for the remaining July holidays… Continue reading "National Hot Fudge Sundae Day is Way More Fun Than Administrative Assistants’ Day"
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It may not be common knowledge outside these four glass walls, but our own Tim Rogers has recently given up his sugar shack membership, broken his vows to the cult of the cane, sworn (mostly) off the processed crap, and shuns sweeteners with a passion. So let’s see what he has to say about this:
Whole Foods has recently introduced Austin-based Sans Diet Soda to the market. The gimmick: Sans is free of artificial sweeteners and colors, and has no sugar or calories. The company partnered with Truvia to sweeten the drinks without that a weird bitter aftertaste a lot of other stevia-based drinks have.
The sodas come in five flavors: orange, lemon lime, cola, black cherry, and root beer.
So, what do you think? Is it natural? Is it cheating? But more than that, is it any good?
11 Comments »Here it is, 2:30 on a Tuesday and my energy level is so low that it’s somewhere down on the 20th floor. I’ve eaten a balanced diet today, so I know this isn’t a sugar crash (although that Nutter Butter I pinched from the top of Rhonda’s peanut butter & jelly Trailercakes cupcake didn’t help). I’ve walked around the block, gotten some fresh air, and visited with the clever kids in the art department; all to no avail. I’m starting to eye up the RedBull fridge (yes, we have a separate refrigerator just for RedBull).
My brother swears that eating five almonds very slowly does the trick for him; my friend Jo tells me to keep a baggie of chocolate covered espresso beans handy.
How about you. Any wisdom to share? Anyone? Anyone? Those cupcakes are looking mighty tempting.
17 Comments »Almost Makes Me Wish I Were in Austin. I especially like the belly rub at the 3:20 mark.
10 Comments »I just got a GTalk telling me Christopher Wynn got a message on Facebook and posted a story with a link to breaking news over at PegNews. Apparently Rene Peeters, owner of World Piece Cafe on Greenville Ave., likes Teresa Gubbins the best. She has the scoop of the day. Peeters is taking over the restaurant space formerly know as York Street and turning it into Watel’s Bistro.
He admits his restaurant, World Piece Café, is a confusing name for a restaurant. Is it the stupidest name in the world? Name another.
Ruthie’s Cheesesteak Wants You to Vote Often
Who needs CNN, Reuter’s, WSJ, Gallup, entry polls, and exit polls? We pretty much know who is going to get all of Texas’ electoral votes so we might as well have some fun with it. Ruthie’s Cheesesteak food truck is conducting their own informal poll. You vote by your purchase of The Obamarama or The Romninator. Get the results on Ruthie’s Facebook page. I’d like to say that this is one of the silliest things that I’ve seen in this election until I found this.