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Valentine’s Day Dining in Dallas: Last Call

Nancy Nichols — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:43:08 +0000

Over it.

This is the last post for Valentine’s Day dining options in Dallas. Open his link and you will find romantic options from restaurants, bakeries, and take-out spots. If you are a restaurant and you are not on this list, please post your information in the comments section.

Restaurant Review: Norma’s Café in North Dallas

Nancy Nichols — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:07:11 +0000

Pancakes at Norma's Cafe by Kevin Marple.

What a great day to eat pancakes. Breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner! Norma’s Café serves great pancakes all day. Recently, we sent Teresa Gubbins to check out the newest Norma’s in Farmers Branch North Dallas. I think she likes it. Almost as much as Miss Yvonne really, really likes Cowboy Curtis’ jheri curl mullet.

Tea Talk: Friendship Tea at the Dallas Arboretum

Raya Ramsey — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 06:00:03 +0000

We know we told you we’d post reviews of The Adolphus and Fearing’s tea services first, but we were just invited to the Friendship Tea service at the Dallas Arboretum, and it’s the freshest in our minds, so here goes. We’ll start by telling you we were pleasantly surprised by our experience. (A friend of ours wasn’t pleased with her experience from a year ago.) We were greeted by a friendly face, treated by the pleasant, white-gloved Nelson, and happy with the view of the gardens and our favorite teas, finger sandwiches, and desserts.

Jump for the details of the Arboretum’s Friendship Tea, which ends on February 28.
To begin, you’ll take a little stroll (three minutes) to the DeGolyer Garden Café. It’s a pleasant way to start the day. We checked in, were seated at a table (but take note: there are three couch-y areas to enjoy, as well), and were immediately greeted by sweet Nelson, the tea host, and his white gloves. The first tea in line was Cranberry Spice, a subtle tea with a holiday flavor. Nice, but uncomplicated. (We like our tea with a little complication.) It was served with Lemon Grass Soup, an amazing broth made of heavy cream, curry, and coconut milk. It was a knockout. We immediately ordered champagne—we always take champagne with our tea—and it was tasty, a little on the sweet side.

Peach Cinnamon Hibiscus tea was next, served with tea sandwiches: Poppyseed Bread with Cream Cheese, Turkey with Orange Butter on Rosemary Bread, Egg Salad on Pumpernickel, Creamed Cucumber on White Bread, and Chicken Salad on Croissant. The tea was complex (the way we like it) with a big peach flavor and more subtle floral and spice notes underneath. Though the sandwich breads were a bit dry and the egg and chicken salads needed some life, we loved the pound cake-esque poppy seed bread with cream cheese and the combination of the sweet citrus butter and woody herb flavored bread on the turkey sandwich. The cucumber sandwich was delightful, too, fluffy and fresh.

Fanciest Formosa tea came next, and from what I have researched, it’s a Taiwanese oolong tea, which is described as pale and fruity. We saw the pale, but didn’t taste the fruity. Didn’t matter. Desserts were the star of this third course. On the tiered serving tray we found date bars, tea cakes, chocolate covered strawberries, lemon curd tarts, and orange currant scones served with strawberry jam and clotted cream. The date bars were a sugar lover’s dream: gooey nutty flavor with a crystallized sugar crunch and a cookie bottom. Delish! The tea cakes were light and comforting. The chocolate covered strawberries had an equal fruit-to-chocolate ratio, and the lemon curd tarts were flaky, tangy, and gooey enough to be served in heaven. But the orange currant scones take took cake. (Get it… cake? I’m so witty.) They were, perhaps, some of the best scones we’ve had. They were warm and flaky, thick on the inside, and filled with sticky currants. With the cream and strawberry jam, we only wished they were bigger.

We went ahead and tried the Vanilla Mint tea, too. It took a few sips to taste the vanilla and the mint, but once we did, we preferred it to the Fanciest Formosa, but either way, a lighter tea is a good way to end this gluttony.

We spent about two and a half hours in the DeGolyer Tea Room, but the pace is yours to set. Nelson will keep up if you’re chugging and gobbling or help you move at a leisurely pace if you’re sipping and nibbling. The tea service runs from Thursday to Sunday and begins at 11 am. (It’s never too early for champagne, is it?) Though the Arboretum does different tea services throughout the year—Holiday Tea is in early December, for example—the Friendship Tea only lasts through the 28th of this month, so make your reservations now. You’ll pay $38 for standard tea or $48 for champagne tea (yes, please), but the price includes admission to the Garden, parking, and gratuity. (Plus, you’ll find a 15 percent-off coupon for the gift store on your plate.) An affordable and worthy experience we say. For reservations, call 214-515-6610.

Hanging Out in Preston Royal in Dallas: The Chicken Coop and Gazebo Burgers

Nancy Nichols — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:52:35 +0000

Last night I sorta dined around Preston Royal Shopping Center, home of my crack house, Pinkberry. I explored all four quadrants of the center. I popped in Nothing But Bundt Cakes a chain dedicated to, well, nothing but variations of bundt cakes. It is a very cheery spot and I only tasted the chocolate chocolate chip drizzled with cream cheese frosting. Then I stopped into Gazebo Burgers and ordered one of their ginormous grilled chicken sandwiches with grilled onions and honey mustard. I noticed that, across the parking lot from Gazebo Burgers, a new spot, The Chicken Coop, is about to open next to Sushi Star. The logo looks franchise-y but a quick Google search didn’t turn up a link. (Go, Kirk.) I parked in front of Neuhaus Café and noticed they had a nice dinner crowd. Of course, Pinkberry was mobbed. Fourteen dollars and forty three cents later, I was bound for home. BTW, those chicken sandwiches at Gazebo are delicious. They are almost as good as the ones at Stan’s Blue Note.

Folks From Uncle Willie’s Pies in Red Oak Visit D Magazine

Nancy Nichols — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:29:19 +0000

A few hours ago, someone from Uncle Willie’s Pies in Red Oak dropped off ten slices of pie from Uncle Willie’s Pies in Red Oak. (Got that search engine?) Anywhoo, I decided to drop what I was doing and make a pie chart out of the pies and take a picture for you. The Circle of Pies is pictured along with the purple army man that sits on my desk and points his gun at me when I am on deadline. I haven’t tried the pie but the crust looks sensational. I’ve kept the cherry pie and have boxed up the rest and sent it over to the 4th floor at Belo. I’d hate to be Bruno (Leslie Brenner’s elliptical) tonight!! Moving on.

Inside the Life of a Restaurant Critic

Nancy Nichols — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:45:36 +0000

So, you all know Leslie Brenner is on a diet, right. She is on one she very cleverly invented called The Restaurant Critic’s Diet. Good stuff. She has lost 9 pounds without sacrificing her dedication to her job as a dining critic.

In an article written by Teresa Gubbins, the skinny bitch over at PegNews, demands more details from La Brenner. TG wants to see before and after shots of Brenner’s project and Brenner’s starting and ending weight. Methinks not happening.

However, as she always does, Teresa brings up an interesting topic: Is Mathew McConaughey as good in bed as he is on his surf board. Wait, that wasn’t Teresa. TGub believes that people want to know insider-y details about restaurant critics: What do we look like? Where do we eat on our own dime penny? Where do we live? Whom do we date? What language does our husband speak? How many cats do we have? You know, very intimate things about our secret lives.

To satiate your curiosity, and to keep you away from Pinkberry, I thought I’d share a “morning after” picture that I accidentally snapped last year. It is not staged. I like to call it “Banana Cream Pie at Midnight.” (Click on it to make it bigger.) If you can tell me where the pie was paid for, I’ll tell you how much I weigh.

Does Dallas Have a Yogurt District?

Nancy Nichols — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:38:51 +0000

: Hard-core froyo addicts do not order toppings.

Yesterday, after I confessed my addiction to the Swirly Goodness of Pinkberry, a commenter, John M, admitted he is tempted to mainline frozen yogurt. He’s even begs you for a place to score. Light a cig, pull up a cold folding chair, and listen to his story:

OK, now I have a Red Mango a block away from my house and a Yogalicious, Orange Cup and Pinkberry half a mile and a free trolly ride away. I’m too lazy and a creature of habit to figure this out and have tried none of them so could someone please tell me where I should be going since I apparently live in the yogurt district now?

A yogurt district. Brilliant. The thought of a yogurt district in Dallas makes my heart race. Image a city full of froyo addicts. Taking public transportation to get a fix. Pinkberry’s secret recipe sold to undercover agents in the alley behind Landry’s in the West End. Red Mango corporate executives gunned down in an Italian restaurant. (Oh wait, we don’t have any good ones. Okay, a New American restaurant with truffle fries.) Dallas, once again, will make international headlines. Al Pacino is still around. He will play John M. in a remake of Panic in Needle Park .

Do you have two or more froyo spots near your house? Are you scared? Do you let your kids go to Menchie’s alone? (Full disclosure: I relapsed last night and hit Pinkberry at 7:30 pm. There were 16 kids between 14 and 18 in that tiny store.) You think this is a joke? Then your mother never allowed you to eat baked cellulite.

I Love Pinkberry. Two More Locations Set to Open in Dallas.

Nancy Nichols — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 22:07:49 +0000

There. I said it. I love Pinkberry. I didn’t want to like it. In fact, I didn’t tell any of my friends I was sneaking over to Preston Royal every night for a LARGE cup of chocolate swirly goodness. (Sorry, their words not mine.) I didn’t think I had a problem until one night I got out of my pajamas and drove over before they closed. I bought three cups (almost $17!) to keep in my freezer.

How could I face Teresa, my counselor at Jenny Craig, with this news? (Oh, no! I just gave away a super secret about myself!) My 5’5” frame couldn’t take so much excess swirly goodness 7 nights a week, I had to stop. So I did. Cold (beat, beat, beat) turkey.

I am ten days swirly goodness sober. So, I hesitate to tell you that Pinkberry will be serving swirly goodness in West Village by February 12.

Hey, Adam Saxton, Director of Development and Pinkberry Brand Manager at Saxton Pierce Restaurant Corporation, what are you doing? “Watching the Pinkberry brand earn fans locally has been a very exciting experience for our corporation. Few brands gain the instant following that Pinkberry does, and we are excited to bring Pinkberry to an additional part of Dallas so more people locally can experience the one-of-a-kind product, dedication to customer service, and the inspiring environment that go along with a Pinkberry store.” He added “this second location is just the beginning of Pinkberry in North Texas. We look forward to announcing additional location in the coming weeks.”

(Chant with me: Northwest Highway and Midway.)

Society Bakery Sells Whoopie Pies; The WP Trend Is On

Sarah Eveans — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:11:29 +0000

New holiday whoopie pies at Society Bakery.

Last week, Nancy told us about whoopie pies at Tart Bakery and and Maple & Motor Burgers and Beer. One more, and whoopies were a trend, she said. Well, here’s our third: Society Bakery is selling them, and they brought us some to try. In the box: chocolate mint (gourmet Thin Mint, they say), brown sugar, bread pudding, and spice. The pies are saucer-sized and make a great cupcake alternative, IMO. My favorite was the brown sugar. Loved the maple whoopie filling, which is like vanilla frosting but much less sweet. The cake-to-frosting ratio will also likely be appealing to pepole who get overwhelmed with mile-high frosted cupcakes.

If these look good to you and you want a sample, stop by Society tomorrow night from 6–8 for their joint open house with the Corner Market. They will be giving away samples of these new flavors as well as some of their other goodies.

Pinkberry Dallas Opens With Chocolate Yogurt and Champagne

Sarah Eveans — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:46:59 +0000

Pinkberry owner Adam Saxton smiles pretty and eats yogurt.

Last night was the grand opening party of Pinkberry Dallas, the frozen yogurt store that started the tart frozen yogurt craze in 2005. Back then, you couldn’t open up an In Touch without seeing a photo of Leo DiCaprio or Lindsay Lohan chowing down on the stuff, and rumor had it that lines were so long you had to wait an hour for a taste of the Swirly Goodness (not our term: that’s what Pinkberry press release calls it). We didn’t see any celebs last night (does Lucy Wrubel count?), but there was a searchlight, and there was a line out the door for the yogurt, so there. Our location, at Preston and Royal next to Barnes and Noble and the Merge clothing store, is the first in the U.S. outside of New York and California. The party was also the debut of Chocolate Pinkberry, and for now, we’re the only city that has it (woot!). It was explained to me that the chocolate comes from Mexico and is very expensive, because it’s tough to find chocolate that would mix with their yogurt and taste good. I thought the chocolate flavor was fine, but I like Pinkberry (and others like it) because of the tang, and chocolate doesn’t have it. I’m sticking with the original. Jump for photos and more info.

According to Pinkberry peeps, the store is going to shine above the rest of the frozen yogurt places we already have because they make their yogurt every day in-house using local ingredients when possible. The fruit for the toppings is fresh every 24 hours, etc. Franchise owner (and SideDish lover) Adam Saxton said the deal was about a year in the making. He also told us about all the toppings, which include gluten-free brownies, coconut macaroons (yes please), organic gummy bears, all kinds of fruit, and a few cereals. Original, pomegranate, coconut, passionfruit, green tea, and chocolate flavors will be for sale.

Chocolate Pinkberrry makes its debut.

The party in full swing at the Merge boutique next door to the store.

Inside Pinkberry.

Pinkberry is open from 10am–11 pm every day. A small yogurt without topping costs $2.75 and a small yogurt with topping is $3.95, which is less than I usually spend at Yogilicious/Yumilicious when I’m free to go crazy and add six different kinds of cereal. If you’ve sampled the rest of the yogurt in town you should definitely try Pinkberry–they were the first ones doing this in the states and many companies have totally copied their interior design, topping choices, etc. It almost feels a little late in the game for a new yogurt store to open, but judging from the looks of things last night, people are still really excited about yogurt. Go try it and let us know what you think.

New Cookie Company In Carrollton: ZitaCookies

Nancy Nichols — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:24:56 +0000

Sugar cookie with Key lime glaze.

Anybody tried ZitaCookies on Old Denton Road in Foodie Town, I mean, Carrollton? It’s a mom shop (pop has another job) dedicated to baking fresh cookies. Owner Zita DeGraffenreid delivers in town, mails orders all over the place, and offers a Cookie of the Month program. Check it out and report back. 972-245-4100.

Restaurant Review: Bliss Raw Café and Elixir Bar in Dallas

Nancy Nichols — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:03:26 +0000

: Strawberry cream pie. (photo by Kevin Hunter Marple)

Teresa Gubbins has something to say about everything. Today she has something to say about Bliss Raw Café and Elixir Bar in Dallas. I have not been to Bliss, well the restaurant anyway, but I hear that the regulars are, well, quite regular.

Greek Food Festival in Dallas Starts on Friday

Nancy Nichols — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:27:06 +0000

This upcoming weekend, September 25-27, is the 53rd Greek Food Festival in Dallas. There will be “thousands upon thousands” of Greek pastries, overflowing cups of coffee (a new addition this year), and “heaping plates of gyros and grilled souvlaki.” And dancing, lots of dancing, music, and goodies to buy. Click here for more info or jump for details.Dallas Greek Food Festival
Located at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 13555 Hillcrest Road, Dallas, TX 75240
Open to the public
September 25: 11 am – 10:30 pm
September 26: 11 am – 10:30 pm
September 27: 11 am – 5 pm

COOKING DEMONSTRATION SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2009

6:30 p.m. Dolmathes
Christine Vergos

8:00 p.m. Paximadia
Mary Ann Trapalis and Vanessa Stevens
Coach’s

9:30 p.m. Texas Tiropita
Pete Zotos
St. Pete’s Dancing Marlin

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2009

12:00 p.m. Kourambiethes
Elayna Erick

1:30 p.m. Spanakopita
Steve Stathas and Themy Michaelides

3:00 p.m. Tiropita
Mary Ann Trapalis and Vanessa Stevens
Coach’s

4:30 p.m. Herb Crusted Lamb Chops over Greek Salad with Toasted Pita
Clay Findley and Andrew Constantinides

6:00 p.m. Baklava
Angie Austin, Toney Davrados, Helen Shropulos and Eleni Papathansiou
Greek Pastry Chairmen

7:30 p.m. Lamb Kabobs and Greek Roasted Potatoes
John Stathas

9:00 p.m. Soudzoukakia
Christine Vergos

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2009

12:00 p.m. Kefthethes and Orzo
Meredith Mihalopoulos and Elayna Erick

1:30 p.m. Roasted Lamb and Potatoes
Christine Vergos

3:00 p.m. Paximathia
Mary Ann Trapalis and Vanessa Stevens
Coach’s

4:30 p.m. Koulouria
Antonia Karounos

New Sweet Release from Kessler Cookie Company

Todd Johnson — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:41:44 +0000

We’ve been big fans of the sweet boys over at Kessler Cookie Company and their Oak Cliff baked goodness for quite some time. We even named their oatmeal cranberry walnut cookie the city’s best cookie back in 2004. Just found out that KCC is producing an exclusive cookie for Dream Cafe: the Dream Ranger cookie is a blend of oatmeal, chocolate, and coconut. You can find it at both Dream Cafe locations (Uptown and Addison).

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

Nancy Nichols — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:35:34 +0000

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.

Pinkberry To Open in Dallas’s Preston Royal

Nancy Nichols — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:46:45 +0000

Pinkberry, “the taste that launched 1,000 parking tickets,” is going to open (next to Barnes & Noble and Merge) in Dallas’ Preston Royal Village. It will be the first US location to open outside of the California and New York markets.

UPDATE: They’re looking for a manager!

UPDATED UPDATE: Opening in early November.

Restaurant News in Dallas

Nancy Nichols — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:04:34 +0000

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.Addison location only (15003 Inwood Road)
Over 300 wines on sale!
In addition to being the largest Wine & Spirits retail chain in Dallas, Sigel’s is also one of the largest wholesalers to the restaurant business as well. As a result of the fluid nature of restaurant wine lists and by-the-glass programs, we are from time to time left with wines that have been ordered for restaurants, but not picked up. The wines on sale here are from some of the finest producers in their regions and represent excellent values. Remember, quantities of individual wines are small and are limited to stock on hand and subject to prior sale. Sorry, no email or phone orders will be taken for these special sale items.
Here is a partial list of some of the great values available:
Reg                  Sale                 Press
Ambroise Corton Charlemagne 03                          $135.99           $78.99             92rp
Ambroise Haut Cotes Nuits Blanc 04                       $34.99             $16.99
Barat Chablis Vaillons 00                                          $38.99             $19.99
Betts & Scholls Grenache Chronique 06                  $34.99             $24.99             93ws
Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Chabot 02               $79.99             $49.99             92rp
Beringer Cabernet Private Reserve 02                    $124.99           $69.99             94rp
Boillot Bourgogne Blanc 04                                      $29.99             $17.99
Boillot Meursault Geverieres 04                              $87.99             $54.99             92bh
Boillot Puligny Montrachet Folatieres 01               $79.99             $47.99             90bh
Bouchard le Corton 01                                              $64.99             $42.99
Brancott Pinot Noir Reserve                                    $27.99             $13.99
Bulletin Place Shiraz 04                                             $8.99               $3.99
Ch Chantegril Sauternes 05                                      $28.99             $13.99
Chapoutier Cotes du Rhone Blanc Belleruche 06   $13.99             $8.99
Chevalier Corton Charlemagne 03                           $109.99           $62.99
Colombo Cornas la Louvee 05                                  $89.99             $29.99             94ws
Col Solare Meritage 04                                             $74.99             $44.99             92rp
Contadi Castaldi Brut Bianco                                   $27.99             $18.99
Cordier Pouilly Fuisse 04                                           $29.99             $17.99
Camille Giroud Chambertin 05                                 $304.99           $244.99           93-96bh
Giroud Latricieres Chambertin 05                            $199.99           $119.99           93-94bh
Damoy Chapelle Chambertin 05                              $279.99           $199.99
Delesvaux Coteaux du Layon St Aubin 03               $33.99             $22.99
Deux Montille Corton Renards 04                           $99.99             $60.99             92ws
Montille Puligny Montrachet Champgain 03         $79.99             $48.99             92ws
Duval Leroy Blanc de Blanc Chardonnay 98           $69.99             $34.99             92ws
Ch Ferrand Graves Blanc 05                                      $24.99             $5.99
Fonsalette Cotes du Rhone                                      $62.99             $42.99
Guigal Cote Rotie Ch de Ampuis 03                         $234.99           $159.99           96+rp
Henriot Brut Souverain 375ml                                 $39.99             $9.99               90ws
Ch Launay Bordeaux Blanc 03                                  $19.99             $8.99
Lunar Cabernet Sauvignon 04                                  $44.99             $19.99             91rp
De Montille Beaune Greves 05                                 $94.99             $56.99             91-92rp
De Montille Corton Pougets 05                               $144.99           $87.99             91-93bh
Ogier Cote Rotie 02                                                   $61.99             $43.99             90ws
Parce Banyuls Excellence 00                                     $34.99             $14.99             93rp
Ch Puligny Montrachet Meursault Perrieres 04     $89.99             $56.99             93-93bh
Ridge Geyserville 06                                                  $31.99             $23.99             90ws
Rusden Grenache Christine 04                                 $43.99             $19.99             90rp
Rostaing Cote Rotie Terroirs 02                               $54.99             $31.99
Shirvington Cabernet Sauvignon 05                       $61.99             $26.99             95rp
Stonestreet Chardonnay Alexander Valley 06       $29.99             $18.99             92rp
Troll Creek Shiraz 02                                                 $69.99             $34.99             93rp
Philip Togni Cabernet 03                                          $129.99           $82.99             95rp
Two Way Range Shiraz 03                                        $52.99             $23.99             91st
Vega Sicilia Unico 96                                                 $419.99           $289.99           94st
Verite la Joie 02                                                         $147.99           $99.99             98rp
Verite la Muse 01                                                      $147.99           $99.99             94rp
Verite la Muse 03                                                      $147.99           $99.99             93rp
Vidal Fleurie Crozes Hermitage 05                           $29.99             $9.99
Vieux Mas du Pape Chateauneuf du Pape 01         $34.99             $11.99
Williams & Selyem Chardonnay Allen 05                $99.99             $72.99             92ws
Williams & Selyem Chardonnay Heinz 05               $99.99             $69.99             94rp
Williams & Selyem Zinfandel Forchini 05                $99.99             $68.99             91rp

Dallas Food & Wine Events & News

Nancy Nichols — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:26:07 +0000

Chipotle. Free food giveaway during tax free weekend. If you buy a burrito, order of tacos, salad, or bowl on Tuesday, August 18th or Wednesday, August 19th you’ll receive a free entrée during tax free weekend on August 21st-August 23rd.

Sacred Cellars is offering another “Steal of the Week.” 2005 Flora Springs “Trilogy” Napa Valley. 95 points – Wine Enthusiast. 93 points – Robert Parker/Wine Advocate.
$34.99 per bottle + sales tax (where applicable) and $7 shipping, or free local pickup available.

La Duni Latin Kitchen and Coffee Studio at NorthPark Center. Co-hosting with Bacardi Rums to present a hands-on Mojito Class on Thursday, August 27 from 6:30-7:30pm (registration begins at 6pm). Learn the three methods of classic Mojitos cocktails, one shaken, one muddled, and one fired while enjoying light bites from the award-winning la Duni kitchen. Cost is $17 in advance and $22 in advance. [Ed note. I have no idea what that means.] Reservations are required. 214-987-2260. Capacity is limited. La Duni Latin Kitchen & Coffee Studio is located on Level One beneath AMC NorthPark 15 Theaters facing the beautiful Center Park, 8687 N. Central Expressway Suite 1516 in Dallas, TX.

Café Lago. From owner Gabriela Kovacic: “Ron Jones, a product of the White Rock area and passionate musician will be performing Thursday the 20th. He will be joined by Darwin Martin on the keyboard these fellows are pros! Their smooth and eloquent execution of some classic pieces along with his amazingly accurate version of Pink Floyd will have you calmly enjoying the evening, sipping on Sangria and amazed at his talent. The benefit to being at Cafe Lago when Ron performs is that you never know who else will drop by – could be a drummer, percussionist, trumpet player, or maybe a soft subtle jazz singer! Also, Kerri Arista, the Cafe Lago Sweetheart as we call her, is currently on a challenge to write 50 songs in 90 days. Her craft at songwriting has evolved beautifully and her sweet renditions of her many songs give Cafe Lago diners a warm environment. She sings Friday Nights 14th & 28th. Come this Wednesday, August 19, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. and taste more than 17 sparkling wines from all over the world. See which sparkler is as good as Champagne but at a fraction of the price.”

FUQUA Wines. Summer Wine Series, Cont. Sparklers 2. This will be a blind tasting. Besides all of the sparklers, we will also taste our FUQUA wines as well. This tasting is limited to 16 people and costs $18 per person. Buy your ticket and make your reservations at here.

Cake Ball Company. “The Cake Ball Company offers an array of delicious hand-held confections inspired from Robin Ankeny’s mother’s family recipe. After starting a family, Ankeny began using the recipe to make the miniature, coated desserts for gatherings with family and friends. Soon her cake balls were in such high demand that the next obvious step was to make cake balls available to everyone and open The Cake Ball Company in Dallas with the help of Deb Corley and Charlotte Lyon. Each cake ball is approximately 1.25 inches round and made over a two-day process that involves baking and blending the cake balls with creamy icing before dipping them into a beautiful confectionery coating.”

They are having a birthday and are selling a special Birthday Cake flavor for $1.00 each on August 20. Deets here.

Big Fatty’s Flaming Foods In Valley View: Are You Ready For Your Close-up?

Nancy Nichols — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:31:15 +0000

I parked on W. Lovers next to this car last night. I’m placing an order today. Cranberry Cayenne Hot Biscotti and Mistress Karlita’s Spanking Rub will be mine. Anyone?

Tom Landis Of Texadelphia In Dallas Brings Amy’s Ice Cream Of Austin To Dallas

Nancy Nichols — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:29:18 +0000

I just received a long rambling press release from Tom Landis. Besides having a baby tomorrow, the news is that he tried to make his own ice cream to sell at Texadelphia, failed miserably, and decided to import Amy’s Ice Cream from Austin. (Oh, and he is three years sober.) Sounds like the ice cream will be in Dallas Texadelphia locations starting next Wednesday. “Oh, and we ain’t making a penny off of it for awhile,” said Landis. “All proceeds will go to “Helping Austin Musicians,” a charity that helps Austin musicians with medical bills, etc.”
Full release below:

Man-o-man I wanna be me a foodie. Only problem is I can’t cook, can’t drink and can’t fit in the foodie scene.

I can’t cook. For more than 13 years, I’ve had the greatest job in the world as owner of what is now six restaurants.

And for that same amount of time, I’ve tried to cook my own stuff on the side. I suck. I just plain can’t cook.

And so I started going to fancy-pants restaurants. But I think I’ve pretty much left a slimy trail like a slug at many of the places. I’d love the fine wines, but they didn’t love me so much.

I’d get wasted, thump my chest about what a foodie I was, and then ask the waiter something like, “Zis is reeeeeelly good wine. Izzit red or white?”

So I quit drinking about three years ago.

Want to make sure the waiter doesn’t give you good service at a restaurant — tell them you don’t drink. Service takes the elevator south everytime.

So without drinking, I needed to find me a new vice. Ice cream became that ice vice.

Being in the restaurant biz, I knew I had to make my own ice cream. I got me a fancy machine. I got me fancy ingredients.

I made me some ice cream, and gave it to my employees. I knew this would be the start of something big.

The next day, almost every single employee had food poisioning. Dunno what I did wrong, but once again I realized just cause I love something don’t mean it loves me.

So I did what has worked for me in the past.

I went to Austin and traced my “Dazed and Confused” days back to when restaurants really had to compete for my college-broke-arse.

We used to get stoned and go to Texadelphia many moons ago. Now I got me two of them and I see them SMU students and Highland Park kiddos and all the private school kids come in, glassy-eyed and with a John-Prine-illegal-smile. I ain’t saying their stoned, but I didn’t fall off the turnip truck yesterday either.

So I went back there, tried to find Ricky Williams to party with, but could not. It is weird to go back to a city where I was pretty much drunk or high and see it sober. Austin remains a magical place, especially for tastebuds.

My tastebuds, not the “tasty buds,” lead me to Amy’s Ice Cream. It’s the best.

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

So I talked to the Amy’s people, and they were kind enough to let me buy a whole truckload.

It arrives Wednesday. We’ll start eating it, and serving it, too, immediately that day.

I get several thousand customers a week, and they all seem fired up about Amy’s.

Oh, and we ain’t making a penny off of it for awhile — ALL proceeds will go to “Helping Austin Musicians,” a charity that helps Austin musicians with medical bills, etc.

I scream, you scream, we all scream me to end this diatribe.

I’m sliding off the face of the earth for awhile — I GOT ME A BABY DAUGHTER BEING BORN TOMORROW MORNING! And therefore I won’t be giving a rat’s ass ’bout nothing but that for awhile.

Best way to enjoy Amy’s — on Monday Nights we have $3.00 cheesesteaks. And kids eat free if they say “please.” So a family of four could get two cheesesteaks, two waters, two free kids meals all for $6.00. And top it off with some Amy’s Ice Cream — all of the profits of which go to charity.

All proof of why my accountant thinks I am an idiot.

At this very moment in my life, it just ain’t about the money. It’s about love and celebration and stuff that is as sweet as ice cream. Even sweeter.

Twitter Dining Review In Dallas: Join Me Tonight

Nancy Nichols — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:31:18 +0000

I’m headed out to do a dining review. See if you can guess my location. (DSideDish)

Comfort Food In Dallas: What Comforts You

Nancy Nichols — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:39:30 +0000

I am getting a little uncomfortable with the direction comfort food is taking. Can I blame it on the Gen Y population? Sure, why not. They don’t read SideDish. Gen Y’ers are more Britney than Julia.

While the overall trend in dining today is to eat sloooowly, the Gen Y’ers I know are more content to snack quickly. What happened to the good old days of turning on The Thorn Birds (before you knew Richard Chamberlain was gay), grabbing a spoon and a half gallon of ice cream, and eating the whole thing? Once, after I got turned down for what I thought was my dream job, I went back to my apartment, made a three-layer German chocolate cake, and ate every last crumb. Did I feel better? You betcha.

What is comfort food? At home it is one thing, but now restaurants are trying to comfort us in public. Take Kent Rathbun. (beat, beat…) He has gourmet comfort food. He isn’t alone; there are lots of folks making their mortgage payments by selling upscale mac and cheese. Isn’t gourmet comfort food an oxymoron? If you agree, then WTF is healthy comfort food? A lie? You betcha.

I was curious to see if there were any distinctive differences between generations when it came to constant cravings. I didn’t have to Google far to find this little salty tidbit. Jump with me.The following is copied and pasted from the “Generational Comfort Foods” trend mapping report from the Center for Culinary Development (CCD) and Packaged Facts. (I am not making that up. Someone got paid a lot of money to come up with that. Packaged Facts is going to be the title of my autobiography.) And here they are:

CCD’s national online survey on the topic (3,700 respondents) found that sweets dominate category choices regardless of age. Nearly half (46%) of men and women across the Boomer, Gen X and Gen Y segments say they turn to baked goods, sweets and desserts for comfort, versus 19% who cite entrées, 14% salty snacks, 13% side dishes, and 4% breakfast foods.
Women favor sweets even more than men (51% of women cite sweets as comfort food, versus 36% of men). Among respondents who cite sweets, 26% chose ice cream as their top comfort food, 23% chocolate and 21% brownies.
Within entrées, roasted meats are the top choice across generations; within side dishes, macaroni and cheese and potatoes are nearly tied in popularity; and within salty snacks, chips rule (cited by 60% of total respondents, followed by popcorn and cheese, at 10% and 8%, respectively).
Cheese — either by itself or with a bread or starchy food — seems to elicit the most “passionate” response across generations, but with generational nuances (Boomers citing artisan cheeses versus Gen X’s cheese crackers, for example).

The research also identified top trends in comfort foods, including:

* Breakfast for dessert. Gen Y pastry chefs and a desire to start the day with a “protein burst” are driving this just-emerging trend. Boxed cereals, already found in snack bars and frozen yogurt shops, are now turning up in desserts, along with desserts such as “glamorized” versions of French toast, waffles and doughnuts.
* Madeover meatloaf. Regional restaurants, nouveau diners and sandwich shops are featuring meatloaf offerings with fuller flavors and natural or leaner meat blends. Boomers like the healthier versions of this nostalgic favorite, while Gen Y is drawn to bolder taste variations.
* Artisan pies. The pies now seen in specialty cafes and fine restaurants reflect the “artisan sprit” of inspired pastry chefs and are not only fresh and “home made,” but “full of good things,” CCD reports.
* Pho/Vietnamese beef noodle soup. First spotted as an emerging trend in 2005, this soup’s popularity has now spread, particularly among ethnically diverse Gen Y consumers. In addition to small shops and Vietnamese restaurant chains, it can now be found in mainstream soup restaurants and Pan-Asian noodle houses. The appeal: flavors that translate well to American tastes, combined with “infinite customizability” via fresh garnishes like sprouts, herbs and condiments.
* Asian curries. Very big among Gen Y and also popular as one-pot dishes among Gen Xers who are cooking meals for growing families. CPGs are beginning to offer curries with new simmer sauces and curry meal kits and frozen entrées.
* “New” casseroles replacing processed ingredients with fresh ingredients, including vegetables and “contemporary” proteins such as turkey, crab and shrimp.
* Mac ‘n cheeses featuring natural and organic ingredients and other flavor twists.

Hmm, is this interesting? Not really, but it is a nice primer to get you in the mood to tell me your guiltiest pleasure(s). When you are down and troubled and need a helping hand, what do you want in that helping hand? Lines are open 24/7. Dish it.

Society Bakery New Kids on the Block Cake A Hit With “The Guys”

Sarah Eveans — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:49:58 +0000

Society Bakery's NKOTB cake. The hottest one is second from the right.

A couple of weeks ago, a very exciting thing happened. The New Kids on the Block came to town. If you get my newsletter (Oh, you don’t? Sign up here) or ever check out www.dmagazine.com, you probably already know how excited this makes me. (I know it’s not the coolest thing in the world, but we all have our guilty pleasures, and this one’s mine. Haters to the left.) So when Roshi Muns from Society Bakery sent me this picture, I had to know more details. Like, why wasn’t I invited to this party. Here is her story:

The New Kids manager found us. They had asked a local contact where to get an awesome cake and they said Society Bakery! So they sent us their tour poster to get inspiration. The party was a private band and crew party at Gilleys the night before their Friday night concert. It was to celebrate the completion of 140 shows on their tour. They took the pic and sent an email saying they loved it. And this week they sent us a care package with hats and t-shirts and blankets and cds and even baby clothes. We put their pic up in the bakery.

The cake was half chocolate, half vanilla, with vanilla frosting. I’m posting this because I know I’m not the only person out there who wants to squeal a little bit when they see this picture. Also, props to Society Bakery. I need to come visit. And after I leave, if you’re missing a t-shirt or two, I don’t know anything about it.

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

Nancy Nichols — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:51:40 +0000

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.

Ben & Jerry’s Opens Two New Stores: McKinney and Highland Village

Nancy Nichols — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:11:07 +0000

New Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops are open at the Eldorado Plaza in McKinney and Shops at Highland Village. To help celebrate the shops and all things ice cream, all three local Ben & Jerry’s (Plano, McKinney and Highland Village) spots are offering a “Buy One Get One Free Sundaes on Mondays.” The “We Wish it Were Monday” promo will run all summer through the end of August. (Vermonster Sundae not included.) On the lighter side, Ben & Jerry’s also offers a new line of smoothies that are all under 250 calories.

Sweet Deal: Free Dessert at Bread Winners Today

Todd Johnson — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:45:16 +0000

The popular bakery and cafe is celebrating its 15th anniversary today. Dine at any location (Uptown, Plano, and Inwood Village) and get a free dessert of your choice with entree purchase. Mmmmmm…. cake!

Fried Pies Report: The Original Fried Pie Place In Richardson

Nancy Nichols — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:18:07 +0000

Fried Pies

I was cruising down Campbell this morning and spied The Original Fried Pie Place sitting in a dungy strip mall in Richardson. Inside business is no nonsense: cash only and fried pies. They make ten sweet fruit and cream pies, five sugar-free, and nine savory breakfast, lunch, and dinner pies. I bought peach, cherry, and chocolate.

Cherry.

If you love fried pies, you will like these. I found them to be very heavy on gooey filling and light on fruit, and the fruit used was canned or frozen, certainly not fresh. The chocolate was basically fried pudding. Most of the people in the office liked them— all of the pies were gone 20 minutes after I set them out. Hey, it was noon and I had a box of free food.

Peachy.

I’ll be by there again in a couple of weeks and will try the Polish sausage, potato, and cheese. The original shop is in Oklahoma City. The Richardson store opened about 9 months ago.

J. Dorian vs. Sprinkles: Raspberry Cupcake Showdown

Jennifer Chininis — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:48:18 +0000

Last week Sprinkles delivered raspberry cupcakes to our office. Then I got an e-mail from Dorian Isenberg of J. Dorian Chocolatier, who wanted to send us his version of a raspberry cupcake. You may recall that our resident Sweet Tooth, Miss Kyle Kearbey, blogged about J. Dorian cupcakes when they first came out. I’m happy to report that they are still as delicious—and beautiful—as they were then, although this pic isn’t quite as pretty as the ones Kyle posted before. These are chocolate cupcakes—so moist and light!—with an airy, whipped raspberry center. The frosting is white chocolate buttercream—just the right amount of sweet—dusted with freeze-dried raspberry powder. While we’re not really comparing apples to apples here, after a semi-official poll of the cupcake taste-testers, J. Dorian emerged victorious.

Yes, Sprinkles Cupcakes Were Delivered Again

Jennifer Chininis — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:23:59 +0000

I think Sprinkles might be afraid of Nancy, though, because now the deliveries are addressed to me. Good move. Sadly, I’ve been doing the Blueprint Cleanse for the last couple of days—more on that on this very web site, so stay tuned—so I didn’t partake. I did, however, take a very informal poll. These pink-topped treats are a new flavor, raspberry, but by all accounts the inside tasted like a blueberry muffin–or so said my taste-testers. Specifically I was told it tasted like a blueberry muffin but only when you got a bite of actual blueberry. Anyway, I got many thumbs up, although they declared the raspberry icing a tad sweet. I’m just going to take everyone’s word for it, because while they were dissecting and sharing said cupcakes, I was slicing a cucumber. For real.

Yogilicious To Become Yumilicious

Sarah Eveans — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:23:09 +0000

Got a call from Winston over at Yogilicious the other day. He wanted to let us know that Yogilicious, one of my favorite spots for fro-yo in town (love that taro and plain swirl), is changing it’s name. It will become Yumilicious. He said this would not take a place for a couple months, but since they are planning on expanding, he thought this name would be a better fit (apparently they are concerned that “Yogilicious” sounded too much like the names of other frozen yogurt stores).

They are set to be opening up Yogi/Yumilicious at the Village at Allen tomorrow. First 100 customers get a free t-shirt. What name will it have on it? Guess we’ll have to wait and see…