Articles about Cubicle Cuisine

The Refrigerator Challenge: Top Chef Season 10 Contestant Danyele McPherson

posted by Nancy Nichols | November 5th, 2012 1:46pm | filed under Celebrity Chefs, Chick Chefs Rule!, Cubicle Cuisine, I Went to College for This?, Top Chef Season 10 | 8 Comments »

The premiere of Top Chef’s tenth season airs  Wednesday night on Bravo at 9PM. Dallas has three (out of 21) contestants on the show: Danyele McPherson (The Grape), John Tesar (Spoon), and Joshua Valentine (FT 33).

I’ve asked all three chefs to send me photos of their refrigerators and answer a questionnaire about their food-storing habits. I don’t know if they will all participate in this challenge, but Danyele McPherson sent her stuff in this morning.

So,  I’d like to introduce you to Danyele McPherson, chef de cuisine at The Grape. She is also an anthropologist. She drinks beer, wastes produce, and eats Smart Ones.

Jump for the cold hard facts. Continue reading "The Refrigerator Challenge: Top Chef Season 10 Contestant Danyele McPherson"

8 Comments »

Coming Soon: Bolsa Food Market in Arlington?

posted by Nancy Nichols | July 12th, 2012 1:52pm | filed under Bad Names For Restaurants List, Best Gay Hangout Restaurant Evah!, Boxing Day, Bureaucratic red tape, C.J. Wilson Shops Here, Chef-driven gas stations, Cubicle Cuisine, Delusional behavior, Easy Mark, Expensive cheap eats, Food for simple Americans, GoTexan, Hippie revolutions, I want to be just like Michelle Obama, I Went to College for This?, I'm a rumor monger, I'm a sucker for a man in flannel, Nutjobs, oak cliff | 3 Comments »

Both Christophers, Zielke and Jeffers, of Bolsa Mercado confirm the shop opening up in Arlington has nothing to do with Bolsa Mercado in Bishop Arts. So, there you have it. Call anyway and ask them if it is true:  214-367-9367.

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Somebody Help This Poor Girl: Painkiller, a Drink That Cures All

posted by Nancy Nichols | June 22nd, 2012 10:00am | filed under cocktails, Cubicle Cuisine, It's just lunch, Michael Martensen for President | 12 Comments »

Somehow I think after I lob this request out into cyberspace, it will be returned faster than an Andy Roddick ace to the deuce court. Advantage, bartenders: take your best shot.

I’ve noticed readers’ questions have been posted on the SideDish blog before. My turn to be annoying. Ever since my husband and I vacationed in the B.V.I. we’ve been searching Dallas bars that serve a Painkiller. It is a fruity (Birtish) rum drink with grated nutmeg on top. Have made it at home, but would be fun to find it at a restaurant/bar. Any ideas?

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Dallas-Based Zaccanelli Food Group Acquires Hofmann Sausage Company. Phil Romano Will Make the World Hot Dog Happy!

posted by Nancy Nichols | May 9th, 2012 8:00am | filed under AgriBusiness, Breaking News, Cubicle Cuisine, Food Invasion, GO MAVS!, Hot dogs are the new hamburger, Hot Links!, Openings/Closings, restaurant business news, Restaurant News, Silly Reasons to Celebrate | 11 Comments »

Are you ready for some hot dogs?

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.

11 Comments »

National Chicken Council Projects Sales of 25 Billion Wings in 2012. Richardson-Based Wingstop Expects to Pluck 5.6 Million.

posted by Nancy Nichols | January 26th, 2012 10:35am | filed under AgriBusiness, Cubicle Cuisine, Food Crime, News for Twitchers!, Politics of Food, Really?, restaurant business news, Rewritten Press Releases, Silly Reasons to Celebrate, Take-out, Wasted Calorie | 6 Comments »

I once made my opinion of the (worthless) honeydew melon very clear. Today I bring up the yucky chicken wing. They have never appealed to me but apparently I am in the minority. This morning comes word from the National Chicken Council: “More than 1.25 billion wings will be consumed during Super Bowl weekend (100 million pounds!), and, if they were laid end-to-end they would circle the circumference of the Earth – more than twice – a distance that would reach approximately a quarter of the way to the moon.”

My initial response is: if you can circle the earth twice, why don’t you just drop off a few million pounds in places where one chicken for a village causes more excitement than the Super Bowl.

My secondary response is actually a question: How many chickens does it take to make 25 billion chicken wings. Hah! You say: do the math dummy; one chicken has only two wings. But your assumption would be wrong. I turned to the Wing-onomics department (true!) at The National Chicken Council for an answer.

You’ll have to jump because you, like chickens, cannot fly.

Continue reading "National Chicken Council Projects Sales of 25 Billion Wings in 2012. Richardson-Based Wingstop Expects to Pluck 5.6 Million."

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Hypnotic Donuts to Open January 29 in East Dallas

posted by Nancy Nichols | January 23rd, 2012 9:00am | filed under Cubicle Cuisine, Cult Cuisine, Daniel Walker, donuts | 11 Comments »

James St. Peter, once content to make a few dozen donuts whenever he felt like it and sell them out of The Pizza Guy Restaurant, is now putting the finishing touches on his own big time store. Hypnotic Donuts, known for its exotic donut concoctions such as a chocolate cake donut covered with frosting made with chocolate, caramel and peanut butter ( the signature “Hypnotic”) and a donut topped with pretzels, peanut butter Cap’n Crunch drizzled with caramel and chocolate, is going full tilt boogie starting January 29. Here is a review of St. Peter’s High in the Mountains creation by Daniel Walker.

The new location at 9007 Garland Road, has a full kitchen and a new menu which will include chicken biscuits, biscuits and jelly from local purveyor JJ&B, biscuits and gravy, oatmeal made to order with choice of toppings, Greek yogurt and fresh fruit parfaits, along with protein drinks, protein bars, and energy/recovery drinks.

“Hyppies,” as patrons are known as, will enjoy a casual in-store experience with seating at the donut and coffee bar, or lounging on the sofa and some old school chairs.  Outside will be cheap plastic chairs that face the street.  Hypnotic calls this seating style “Goodfellas Row” as it is inspired by the movie of the same name. Standard chairs and tables will be placed throughout the space as well. In following St. Peter’s Hyppie mantra, Hypnotic Donuts furnished the store using reclaimed furniture and décor from local vintage, resale, thrift and charity stores. To further utilize local talent, local artist Kristen Johnson painted a mural of well-known hippies throughout history giving customers the joy of sharing a Hypnotic experience with their favorite hippies.

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Taco Review: Moto Taco in Dallas Provides Cubicle Cuisine

posted by Nancy Nichols | January 13th, 2012 12:19pm | filed under Cubicle Cuisine, Needs Fine Tuning, Openings/Closings, Restaurant News, Tacos | 3 Comments »

My little, fat Filipino chicken taco of stewed chicken, tomatoes onions, and peppers.

Yesterday I mentioned Moto Taco, a new breakfast and lunch taco delivery operation. We placed an order and Mac, who calls himself the Chief Taco Jockey, showed up with tacos. After his arrival was announced over the intercom, Mac was surrounded by 30 hungry workers. I felt bad for him. He was obviously overwhelmed at the response. Not only did he take orders, he processed payment. And he ran out of food. Needless to say, Moto Taco is still working out the kinks of their new business. (They have partnered with the kitchen at La Hacienda on Henderson.) I asked my office mates to send in their reviews which are listed below. I tried the carnitas and, other than the soggy flour tortilla which I see as an inevitable problem with their vision, the filling was tasty. However, I love the concept of office delivery and what I shall now refer to as “cubicle cuisine™.”

Jump for more details from Mac and the relentless reviews written by my colleagues. Continue reading "Taco Review: Moto Taco in Dallas Provides Cubicle Cuisine"

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