D

Guessing Games: Identify This Chicken Fried Steak

This chicken fried steak was consumed on Sunday night. Have you tried it? Do you know where it is served? You can check this list or this one for clues. There’s a prize at the end of the tunnel. (Scott, you are not eligible for contest.)

Dallas Firemen Set the State Fair Ablaze with Barbeque

September 30th four Dallas firehouses compete for bragging rights, and a donation to their favorite charity, in the fourth annual Firehouse Grill-off For Charity at the State Fair of Texas.  Sponsored by the Texas Beef Council, the event will feature four different firehouses grilling steaks from their own rubs and marinades (no cook books allowed.)  Fair goers get to determine the winner by voting on the best steak.  The event is from 2pm-4pm in the Food and Fiber Pavilion at the fair.  Should be a fiery good time.

Do You Recognize This Restaurant?

Unidentified sports bar and restaurant circa 1970.

Amy Severson sent me this link to the Dallas History & Archives Division site. They have over one million photographs in their collection and many of them have yet to be identified. What a fabulous way to waste a Monday morning!

Best Chocolate Cake in Dallas? Take Two

Dishers, you failed to guess the origin of the chocolate cake in the picture. You want a clue? I have a prize burning a hole in my pocket. Lemme see: look at the picture, not the cake.

Will Central 214 Top Chef Blythe Beck Bottom Out on TV?

Is reality TV good for the career of a chef? I don’t watch enough to have an educated opinion but, from where I sit, it looks like more top chefs bottom out after their 15 minutes, or months, of fame. Casey who? Tre what? Lisa Garza is where? Dig what I’m shooting at you?

Next girl up is Central 214’s Blythe Beck. She will star in The Naughty Kitchen With Chef Blythe Beck on Oxygen. I’ve never really understood the naughty kitchen concept. So I checked the shows website. It says:

Blythe Beck, the fiery young chef and star of Oxygen’s upcoming series The Naughty Kitchen With Chef Blythe Beck, shows off her distinctive sexy American cuisine, her cutting edge Dallas restaurant, Central 214, and her loud and flamboyant staff. The Naughty Kitchen With Chef Blythe Beck is certain to cook up the drama both in and out of the kitchen. Oxygen follows executive chef Blythe Beck, a 29-year old Texas native, who is plus-sized in stature and personality, and her colorful crew at Central 214, inside and outside the kitchen as they interact with the Dallas elite and the local university students.

Monday night I went to Central 214 to check it out and write a mini-review. Sadly, I didn’t see waitresses in garter belts or waiters wearing thongs, but I did find the Door Whores. And calories. Lots of calories. What is sexy about calories? I guess we will find out when the show starts on September 22nd. Somebody tell me this is a good thing.

Let’s Play on SideDish: Guessing Games and Prizes for Comments

Last week was a very slow news week. To spice things up, I played a few games like “Guess the Best Onion Rings Restaurant ” and “What is the Worst Meal You Ever Ate.” It was so fun that we spun off a game inside the game: “Uncle Nancy’s 67th Commenter.” If a person became the 67th commenter, they got a prize. Why 67? As my mom used to say, “Because.”

However, like in all games, somebody broke the rules. Chef Brian Luscher of The Grape posted 11 times straight to hit 67 and then expected to win. Obviously fame has gone to his (beat, beat) head. I scolded him in the thread. He feels so bad he offers this as an apology:

Tio Nancy,
You wrote: “Luscher, out of the game. To the showers. Disqualified. Call Pat Sharpe and have her take you to Wingfield’s. Best Burger? Make onion rings like these and we’ll talk.”

Ouch. Please forgive my double espresso fueled bout of mid- Restaurant Week buffoon-ery.  I hope I didn’t ruin your tea party.  Here is what I propose to remain in the good graces of you and your constituency of SideDish Nationales;

1. I will make you those exact onion rings. [it's a secret how I will pull it off]
2. I am inviting you and your “Be the 67th Commenter” winners in for burgers and said onion rings.
3. I will provide 10 gift certificates for burgers at The Grape for the next ten commenters.

Yow. Zah. HERE ARE THE RULES. Over the next few weeks, I’ll post a question designed to attract a zillion comments. Each time a person becomes the 67th commenter, they will be eligible for special dinner at The Grape. [So far, we have three “Uncle Nancy’s 67th Commenter” winners:  Sexy Jeff (Worst Meal), Brad (Onion rings), and George (Best Meal).]

To get warmed up, get goin’ on Luscher’s deal. The first ten commenters today get gift certificates to The Grape.

The Best Onion Rings in Dallas? Guess the Restaurant!

Diamonds in the rough.

Eat these now.

I love onion rings. I love them big and tall. I love them greasy and small. Recently I ordered onion rings at a restaurant in Dallas and I was shocked—these are the best rings I’ve had in Dallas in a long time. Since Restaurant Week basically kills the food news biz, let’s play another game today: Can you guess where these onion rings were cooked? Go. Somebody will win something.

WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER:

GJ @ August 27th, 2009 at 3:30 pm _

Restaurant News in Dallas

Central Market: Only two days left to submit your Hatch chile recipe to Central Market’s Contest. Do. It. Now.

Free Gelato: Paciugo Gelato in Plano is so happy to be open they are giving away gelato today from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at their new location in the North Phase at The Shops At Legacy. 972-398-0224.

Pastry News: EatGreenDFW.com now carries fusion pastries from Florine Bowman.  “Now you can order Apricot/Walnut Scones, Cinnamon Rolls and her Discovery Breakfast, a selection of two Apricot/Walnuts Scones, two Cranberries Scones, two Cinnamon Rolls, and two Blueberries Muffins.”

Premium Pour: Between August 24 and Sept 6, Park Cities Prime–all premium wines by the bottle ($150 and up) will be ½ off with dinner. Offer is not valid with other deals. 214-691-7763.

Imported Wine Sale:  Sigel’s in Addison is having a sale on over 300 selections. Selections below the jump. (more…)

Wonderful Weekend of Significant Wine Events in Dallas

There are two  significant wine conferences taking place in Dallas this weekend.The GO TEXAN Drinklocalwine.com event starts tonight with a dinner at Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts. On Saturday the all-day conference will feature seminars focusing on trends in Texas wine, the distinctive grapes that Texans are using to make those wines, and how consumers can work to get more regional wines in stores and restaurants. The final event of the day will be a Texas Twitter Taste-off, moderated by Russ Kane of Vintage Texas. Participants will taste some 40 Texas wines and blog or Twitter about them. Their votes will pick the conference’s favorite wines. I’ll be one of those Twittering fools (DSideDish). BTW, the event is sold out.

On Sunday, the fifth annual Texas Sommelier Conference (TexSom) kicks off at the Four Seasons in Las Colinas. The two-day event includes lectures and tastings with the nation’s preeminent wine experts. There are five classes on Sunday, August 16 (some tickets still available) and a grand tasting on Monday evening, August 17th.  A separate set of courses, designed exclusively for the trade and media, will take place on Monday. While the courses are conducted, a competition for Texas’ Best Sommelier runs behind the scenes. On Monday evening, the conference concludes with a Grand Tasting(a few tickets available), where wine professionals and the public come together to taste world-class wines and witness the drama and celebration surrounding the naming of Texas’ Best Sommelier 2009.  Last year’s winner is Scott Barber of Dallas’ Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek.  He dominated 24 other competitors and won the coveted title after a rigorous three-part examination involving wine tasting, service and theory. Once again, I will be a Twittering and blogging fool.

Winners Announced: Private Screening of Julie & Julia

Here are the winners to next week’s screening of Julie & Julia in Dallas:

Ames Hutton
Mary Hite
Lisa Freeze
Anne Clarrissimo
Jay Pritchard

You have won 2 tickets to see Julie & Julia next Thursday, August 6th at 7:30 p.m. at the Angelika. Thank you Karen Lukin of Whole Foods.

Oak Cliff Cellars Inaugural Tasting At Lavendou In Dallas

Andrew Chalk is one of the Dishers who participated in the SideDish Hits the Southwest Food Service Expo at the end of June. He turned in a series of videos that featured some of the unusual items such as coffee made from civet (cat) poop and chocolate-covered crickets he uncovered at the Expo.  It turns out that AC, not this AC, is an ace when it comes to wine. He knows a lot about it and his life is one ceaseless search for the fine wine. Last night he attended Oak Cliff Cellars inaugural tasting at Lavendou in North Dallas. He files this report:

Jim Richardson is a brave man. In the face of the worst recession since The Flintstones and manifest oversupply in the wine industry, the man has opened a winery in California. And while most wineries are named after romantic place names, cute critters, or the founder, he decided to name his after where he hails from in Dallas. Hence, Oak Cliff Cellars was born. You don’t borrow from a bank for this sort of thing and “JR” (as he goes by) is not too big to fail, so that rules out the taxpayer. Rather, you invest your own money, and maybe that of some close investors who you beat in a card game. In the time-honored tradition of start-ups you rent space in the premises of a larger, more established, producer and hire an experienced consulting winemaker. After selecting and fermenting grapes, you spend 18 months dealing with problems while your precious fist vintage ages. Eventually, the miracle of oak-aging and a newfound belief in prayer brings everything together and you show your new baby to the world.

That is what JR did on Wednesday night at Lavendou. Big jammy jump here. (more…)

SideDish Movie Screening: Julie & Julia And Whole Foods In Dallas

Okay Dishers, you’ve heard about the movie, read my review, and are already sick of the trailers on TV, BUT I bet you still want to see this flick for FREE. I have 5 pair of tickets to give away. All you have to do is fill out this tiny little form for a chance to win 2 tickets to see Julie & Julia next Thursday, August 6th at 7:30 p.m. at the Angelika. Then you can thank Karen Lukin of Whole Foods for making it happen. If you want to get psyched for the movie or you just happen to be in Preston Forest next Monday (August 3), Whole Foods is hosting a “We Remember Julia” cooking class at 9:00 a.m. It is also free. Begging for freebies is always encouraged. Bring it. (You have to see the fake yawn scene.)

UPDATE: NYT article on food prep for the movie.

It’s Not Too Late To Win Tickets For The Private Screening Of Julie & Julia

The details are here.

Win Tickets To Private Screening of Julie & Julia

I am just in full giver-goddess mode today: I’ve just negotiated a great giveaway. Thanks to the good folks at the Dallas Museum of Art and Arts & Letters Live, I have 3 pairs of tickets that includes  movie tickets and author lecture tickets. Official deets:

Each pair of tickets to the DMA’s special event, two nights with Julie & Julia!  Pair includes two tickets to the July 27, 7pm screening of the upcoming release Julie & Julia at NorthPark’s AMC Theater and two tickets to hear author Julie Powell at the DMA, 7pm, talk about how the whole escapade got started.

To enter this exclusive contest, go here. Prize does not include the special Julia Child-inspired buffet dinner which will be served from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 29, in the DMA’s Seventeen Seventeen Restaurant. To make a reservation and purchase dinner ($28.95 per person, priced separately from the event), call 214-922-1818.

Names will be drawn from a soufflé dish next week. Please check your schedules before you enter. Begging below is highly encouraged.

We Have A Winner On The Guess The Best Burger In Dallas Contest

I never dreamed anyone would actually win our little spontaneous contest. But PQ came up with The Grape @9:48 this morning. PQ? Who are you? E-mail me for your prize.