Articles about Daniel Walker

The Hole Thing: The Latest in Donut Decadence

(photo by Regina Peterman)

I’m not at all ashamed to profess my love for donuts.  Some may label these decadent morsels of fried dough a “guilty pleasure,” but when I sink my eager teeth into the perfect donut, I feel no guilt at all, simply a euphoric rush of gustatory satisfaction which no other breakfast pastry can provide.  Last year, I presented my list of the Best Donuts in Dallas, but since that time, we’ve seen some notable changes on the Dallas donut frontier.  The beloved Hypnotic Donuts traded in their inconspicuous habitation of a pizza joint in North Dallas for a vibrant new shop in East Dallas.  Other donut shops, such as Pookie’s Donuts on Lemmon Ave, who donut bombed D Magazine a few weeks ago, and Denton Square Donuts who I visited previously, are also getting in on the donut love currently wafting through the air around Dallas.

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Hypnotic Donuts to Open January 29 in East Dallas

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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This Little Piggy Went Downtown

Oh yeah, it's for real.

We’re suckers for any press release that contains the following sentences:

  • Yes, this is really real.
  • Don’t you judge us; we all knew it would end up here someday.
  • And yeah, your right we probably did go too far this time.
  • Sorry, Mom.

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.

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Eat This Now: Mushroom Soup from The Grape in Dallas

Warning: Sexual arousal may last up to four hours after consuming mushroom soup at The Grape.

Today Daniel Walker takes us to The Grape. He writes about the restaurant’s iconic mushroom soup. I know at least three people who got pregnant after eating this soup. Who knows how many of you reading this post were born after your parents shared a bowl. Ask them. Meanwhile, consider yourself warned. Go Daniel.

Rumor has it that within the dark, dank cellars of chef/owner Brian Luscher’s The Grape lies a secret chamber known only to faithful devotees and close loved ones, a room known only as “the sanctuary.”  In the corner of this room sits a single ornately carved stone pedestal, standing a few feet tall, bathed in the dim glow of a few flickering candles. While the revered relic that rests upon this pedestal is still in question, most experts agree that it represents only one of the great culinary achievements Luscher has presented to mankind.

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Eat This Now: Brunch at Jonathon’s in Oak Cliff

Breakfast Kabobs at Jonathon's in Oak Cliff.

Ladies and gentlemen, this week’s discovery by Daniel Walker.

There’s a reason everybody loves weekend brunch.  It’s our way of sticking it to the alarm clock and proclaiming, “No longer will I be obligated to wake up before noon in order to enjoy pancakes! I’ll sleep in as long as I please and still have my six-egg omelets, thank you very much.” Brunch is a liberating adventure, the perfect morning pick-me-up for the vigilant weekend warrior. Screw the early bird, let him have his worm. I’ll take the 1 PM waffle any day.

We are fortunate to have many superb options for brunch in Dallas, but Oak Cliff residents are graced by the presence of Jonathan’s, which offers one of the city’s brunches. This renovated home is a cozy, clean, and fresh culinary outlet for chef Jonathan Erdeljac to prepare his creations.

I met with a group of fellow dedicated brunchers this weekend to sample a wide array of intriguing dishes offered by Chef Jon’s menu.  Once the food arrived, it was not long before the table was filled with joyful expletives, food moans, and fist pumping as each person was delighted with their selection. Forks and knives flew across the table like a scene from a Chinese Kung Fu cooking show, as each diner attempted to sample their neighbors highly praised dish. No one was harmed in the making of this write-up.

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Eat This Now:PB&J Cupcake from Trailercakes in Richardson

The PB&J cupcake from Trailercakes.

Ladies and gentlemen, a very excited Daniel Walker.

I eat way too many cupcakes.  It’s almost embarrassing.  Luckily, there is no shortage of outstanding cupcakes in Dallas.  But as seriously as I take my cakes, today, I am proud to announce that I am crowning a new king.

Perhaps you have seen them mentioned on Sidedish previously, but any “hype” you have heard about Trailercakes is true. The cupcakes are  heavenly.  Among all of the sultry flavors offered by this little operation, the PB&J cupcake is in a class of its own, and in my opinion, takes the cake as best in Dallas. Chief Frosting Officer, Heather Zidell, and Chief Cake Officer, Leora Azoulay Lesh, join forces to bring together the perfect balance of sugar and flour.  No corners are cut with these desserts.  Quality ingredients make for an exceptional product and we, the eaters, are the beneficiaries of this pair’s dedication to the humble cupcake.

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Eat This Now: Breakfast Tacos from Luna’s Tortilla Factory in Dallas

Daniel Walker roams Dallas in search of good eats. Today he files this report.

Summer is upon us, and for those of you with kids, this means you get those little bundles of joy sulking around the house all day long.  So, imagine it’s 10 AM Saturday morning, and you have tried just about everything short of water boarding to get your kids out of bed and doing their chores.  Well, all you diligent parents, I have found your solution.  Breakfast tacos from Luna’s Tortilla Factory.

It seems simple enough, but with the prospects of wrapping their lips around these breakfast beauties first thing in the morning, no punk teen could even dream about staying in bed.

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EAT THIS NOW: Pork Torta from Gohgee To Go in Dallas

Korean torta at Gohgee To Go in Dallas.

Ladies and Gentlemen: Mr.Daniel Walker.

It was not so long ago that the Dallas food scene was buzzing about the famed Mexican-Korean mash-up sweeping the West coast.  Anticipation of Korean tacos becoming the new “it” taco filled local foodies with hope. Then Gohgee To Go‘s Twitter feed promised to bring these treats to Dallas.  Perhaps you’ve tried their tacos once before, as I did shortly after its opening, but when a friend recommended  I sample the pork torta, I knew a return visit was in order.  Luckily, I have wise friends.

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Eat This Now: Dungeness Crab Dip at Hibiscus in Dallas

Ladies and Gentlemen: I present Daniel Walker:

This week, I feel as though I should share with you a Dallas classic, a dish that you should not miss tasting at least once while you live in Big D. So I introduce you to or remind you of my old friend, the baked Dungeness crab dip at Hibiscus.  Please excuse all typos or mistakes in the words to follow, as I am already drooling heavily on my keyboard.

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Eat This Now: Cake Balls from Zen Baking Company in Dallas

Cake balls from Zen Baking Company in Dallas. Photo by Daniel Walker.

It looks like covering last week’s Cupcake Camp wasn’t enough to satiate SideDish contributor Daniel Walker’s sweet tooth. Today he files this report:

If you still don’t buy into the notion that Deep Ellum is alive and well, it’s about time you made a return visit. Or perhaps you’re like me and feel it was never dead in the first place.This week, I paid a visit to one of the newest residents of this quirky, eclectic neighborhood, Zen Baking Company. Zen was opened by two sisters, Chonnie Richey and Czarina Hounsel, and together they are determined to create the perfect cake ball. I’m pleased to report they may have done just that.

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Eat This Now: Cuban Pork Shoulder Street Tacos from Neighborhood Services Tavern in Dallas

Pork shoulder tacos at Neighborhood Services Tavern.

Report filed by contributor Dan Walker.

One of the things I love most about living in Dallas is that we are undeniably a city full of taco-holics. There is no shame in it, my friends. I count myself as one and don’t plan on kicking the habit any time soon. I realized the situation was critical when I—purposely– left a greasy Styrofoam container of leftover tacos in my car for three days so it would smell like barbacoa.  Hey, it beats that fake pine tree scent any day.

Today I share one of my latest and greatest taco discoveries. You won’t find these tacos at any gas station, rather they await you within the welcoming walls of Neighborhood Services Tavern. Recently, the brainpower behind the menu at NST rolled out some new items, one of which is the wonderful Cuban pork shoulder street tacos.

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Eat This Now: Empanadas from Empa Mundo in Irving

It’s Wednesday and time for Eat This Now by Daniel Walker of DeepinthegutofTexas.com:

I’ll admit, it’s been a while since my high school Spanish class, but I’m pretty sure “Empa Mundo” translates loosely to either “world of empanadas” or “empanadas-so good-they’ll-melt-yourface-off.”  Although this humble establishment may be a bit off the beaten path, this is one path is filled with richly rewards for those willing to traverse it.

Owner Raul Gordon is a man who understands one simple culinary concept: if you are going to do only one thing, then do it well.  And when it comes to empanadas, Raul does his job superbly. His quiet dedication to the empanada has produced a nearly perfect little pocket of love.

Every empanada is hand-made to order and fried to order right before your eager eyes.  The crispy exterior shell is light and flaky, never too oily, and creates a perfect vessel for each of the tantalizing fillings awaiting you inside.

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Eat This Now: Brown-bag Apple Pie at The Place at Perry’s in Dallas

Brown-bag apple pie at The Place at Perry's.

Dishers, please welcome Daniel Walker to SideDish. Dan has a nifty new blog, deepinthegutof texas, and he has agreed to write a segment called “Eat This Now,” a weekly ode to one of his favorite foods or meals in Dallas. Today he makes me hungry by writing about one of my favorite desserts in town. Read it and eat.

Everyone knows that there is nothing more American than apple pie. After one taste of the brown-bag apple pie at The Place at Perry’s, I instantly felt the desire to watch a baseball game, tattoo my arm with a picture of a bald eagle, buy a Ford truck, and run for Senate.  Ablaze with patriotism, I quickly realized, this is no ordinary apple pie. While the menu at The Place is chock full of exemplary items, it is this dessert that wins my heart over time and time again.

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