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Food Porn: Tasting Room at Lola

Holy cow, the boys over at Dallasfood.org posted some fabulous pictures from a recent dinner at the Tasting Room at Lola. Here’s a link to GavList’s review and photos. Nicely done.

Mini-Review: Hoppin’ John at Peggy Sue Barbecue in Dallas

The first time I had a bowl of Hoppin’ John was a zillion years ago in South Carolina. Now I get my fix at Peggy Sue Barbecue. Say what you want about the ribs (love ‘em), brisket, and onion rings, but this dish, made with black-eyed peas, medium grained rice, bacon, diced onion and garlic, gringo peppers, and juicy smoke-flavored pulled pork and caramelized red onion is smashing. Simply smashing.

Restaurant Review: Cadot Restaurant in Dallas

Trout topped with langoustine. See that delicate pink turnip on the green beans? Make sure you try them.

Other than the dessert soufflés, there is a lot to like about Cadot. Long-time Dallas chefs Gaspar Stantic and Jean-Marie Cadot are turning out some nice French-influenced dishes. Click here to read my full review of Cadot.

(photo by Kevin Hunter Marple)

Friday Afternoon Food Porn: SideDish Supper Club at Nonna

From the camera of Jerry McClure

Housemade salumi, sformato of potato and ricotta, tonno del Chianti with bitter greens.

Loads more porn after the jumperoo.

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Don’t Cook Tonight: Pig Out With Us

See Evan Grant? In the photo, he is literally pigging out on Italian pork products in a small restaurant in San Gusme, Italy. Tonight, Mr. Grant will also be pigging out on Italian pork products and more at Nonna. Those pork products, along with the pici pasta and stuffed squash blossoms pictured below, inspired execuchef Julian Barsotti’s menu for tonight’s SideDish SupperClub at Nonna. A few people canceled this morning. If you’re in the mood for a first class Tuscan supper, join us. 214-521-1800.

Stuffed squash blossoms made by me and Karen. (She'll be there too!)

Pici pasta will be served! Great Scott!

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 _

KRLD Restaurant Week: Reservation Swap

I hope this picture, by Marshal Aston, is less offensive and will encourage good will among traders.  Here are the rules: if you have an existing reservation at a participating RW restaurant, leave the date, time, restaurant, and number of people along with a contact e-mail below in comments. I will monitor the post and Twitter (DSideDish) any requests. Be nice to each other.

GO TEXAN Drinklocalwine.com Conference in Dallas: When is Texas Wine Really Texas Wine?

Andrew Chalk is with me at Drinklocalwine.com. Below is his first report from the conference that took place on Saturday. It’s an interesting topic that needs to be simplified not only for consumers but for “professionals” in the wine business. Let’s rumble.

The web site www.DrinkLocalWine.org exhorts consumers to drink local wine. This weekend the organization held its first annual conference and it happened to be here in Dallas with an emphasis on Texas wine.

However, it can be hard to recognize local wine. If you are at the liquor store and pick up a bottle of wine with the name of a Texas winery on the label the connection with Texas may be almost non-existent. It may actually come from grapes that were not grown in Texas. It may be fermented outside Texas. It may be aged outside Texas. In fact it may even have been labeled outside Texas. In other words, a completely finished wine is imported into Texas and the label says the name of a Texas winery. But none of the viticulture or viniculture had anything to do with Texas. How is the consumer to know where the grapes came from and where the wine was made? (more…)

2009 GO TEXAN Drinklocalwine.com Conference: Opening Night Dinner

Last night, I joined around 50 grape groupies from all over the country for the kick off dinner for the first GO TEXAN Drinklocalwine.com conference. The event, which continues all day today, will focus on Texas wine and feature some of the state’s best wines, top winemakers, and leading growers. Click here for a slide show of pictures of last night’s dinner and Texas wine pairings at Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts in Dallas. Those kids can freakin’ cook. Check back, we’ll be reporting all day or follow us on Twitter. (DSideDish)

SideDish Supper Club: On Sale Now

A few months ago, I wrote about my yearning for great Tuscan food in Dallas. Where does a girl go for wild boar and pici pasta?  I am not alone. Many locals return from feasting in Tuscany and go into gastronomic withdrawal upon return.

On September 17, I will offer you the perfect cure. Nonna chef Julian Barsotti and I have been digging through Tuscan cookbooks for months.  We have come up with a dazzling menu. We asked The Italian Wine Guy, Alfonso Cevola, to come up with some fantastic wines and he did. Click on the SideDish Supper Club icon to the right for the menu. (Or click here.)  We will be discussing the menu and wine in more detail soon.  Hurry, the seating is limited. Go. 214-521-1800.

Greenville Avenue In Dallas: Restaurant Memory Lane

Yesterday, an old gal could not remember the name of a restaurant on Greenville Ave. But you guys freakin’ nailed it–DiPalma’s. Thanks to you, the reader is out of therapy and back at work today. However, there are a few other questions and memories floating around my inbox.

Memory:  I still have DiPalma’s recipe for chicken lasagna and remember their lemon sauced pasta — it was a great place…

Question: We used to live within spitting distance of Il Sorrento (Hillcrest and Northwest Highway) and went there for all celebrations and we miss it terribly. Do you know of another old world Italian restaurant that perhaps reminds you of Il Sorrento that we can claim as ours so we can relive our youth of smoky piano bars, palm readers, and eating way too much Gorgonzola gnocchi?

Money question: What is the name of that great hamburger place that was also on Greeneville at the same time as DiPalmas? They served breakfast too.

Answers: 1) Share the recipe for chicken lasagna. 2) The last palm reader I witnessed was at Patry’s on W. Lovers Lane. 3) There are no more smoky rooms in Dallas and almost every “marinara sauce” Italian restaurant in Dallas tastes like Il Sorrento. (With the exception of table side Caesar salad and the roaming bread guys with the silver hot boxes.)

However, I do know the burger place—Little Gus’, the original Greek “cheeseburger cheeseburger” spot frequented by an eclectic mix of artists, trial lawyers, judges, politicians, journalists, musicians, and carpenters. It was a great spot run by cousins Pete Lucas and Tony Mantzuranis.  I dug into my nostalgic t-shirt drawer and present this picture for your approval.

SideDish Movie Screening In Dallas: Julie & Julia

Last night, the Dallas Museum of Art and Arts & Letters Live hosted a private screening of Julie & Julia. If I have to write even one sentence to describe what this movie is about, you might as well skip this post and go here.

Several Dishers attended, and I await their reviews below. I am not a movie reviewer, but the following is my Sybil-esque recap. (I say Sybil-esque because I had two strong and separate reactions to the film.)

Full disclosure: I have not read Julie Powell’s book or blog. I am extremely jealous of her rags-to-riches-by-blogging success. Also, other than Lions for Lambs, the movie she did with Tom Cruise, I have enjoyed watching every film Meryl Streep has ever made. (“I haaad a faaaarm in Aaaafricaaa…..” slays me every time.) Okay, here goes: (more…)

I Had Lunch With Harvey Gough and All I Got Was Another Black Eye

Harvey threw this steak at me.

Seriously. Earlier this morning I walked into Buzzbrews on Lemmon and as I approached the table where sat one Harvey Gough, he reeled his hand back and threw a frozen steak at me. AGAIN.

It seems like yesterday that I was sitting in a cargo container on an isolated Air Force base in Uzbekistan with an ice pack on my eye after Harvey had hit me in the face with a frozen sirloin. In case you missed the escape, it’s all here in black, white, and red.

Anywhoo, Harvey and I never kissed, but we made up. He’s now happily married and has a gorgeous 4-year old daughter who looks just like her mother. Besides our trip in late 2002, Harvey has taken many missions overseas to feed the troops.

Harvey and I met today to discuss another (im)possible mission. I’m sure it will never happen, but it’s always fun to listen to “Harvey Stories.” I know, you either love him or hate him—the stories of his abuse to customers at his Goff’s Hamburger store are almost (he wishes) legendary. But he has some tales that, if published, would be a best seller. (Oh, let’s cast the movie!) I can’t tell you all of the things going on with Harvey—he’s got a few irons in the fire. But stay tuned. There will be news. Hey Harvey, DUCK!

Southwest Foodservice Expo: Disher Video Reports

Wow. Disher Andrew Chalk took his job at the Expo seriously. He just turned in video clips of the oddest finds at the show. Put on your earplugs and enjoy. (You know where to put the cork.) Great stuff, Andrew.

First up: Coffee made from civet cat poop.

Second: The cutlery eating machine.

Third: Food so good you can’t eat it.

Fourth: Making rum in Austin. Texas. Yes, Austin, Texas. Good stuff.

Finally: The talk of the Expo: Chocolate covered crickets. Yes, bugs.

Crispy Fried Tacos: Dallasfood.org Report

Tacos by Scott.

I love crispy fried tacos. So does Scott over at Dallasfood.org. He’s just completed another one of his marathon eating reports—this one is on “closed” and “open” crispy fried.  His brief note with the link says: “Consider this a belated response to a Disher’s request from July 2008.”

Here is his full report. After you read it, I guarantee you will have to eat at least ten tacos before the end of next week. (I did.) Scott, you have just won “Commenter of  The Year.” I bet you are taking the rest of the day off.

Organic Red Bing Cherries On Sale at Whole Foods

From Karen Lukin at Whole Foods: “Sweet and plump cherries, perfect for picnics or pie-making—or for a special occasion, make chocolate-dipped cherries. Cherries are not only a good source of vitamin C, like many fruits, they are also high in iron, potassium, fiber and antioxidants—a powerful healthy punch in a tiny, tasty package. $3.99 a pound thru June 30 (reg. $5.99).” Tiny, tasty packages? So many comebacks, so little time.

Last Call for Southwest Foodservice Expo in Dallas

The Texas Restaurant Association has agreed to let me bring some guests to the to-the-trade only show that runs from June 28-30.  So far I have requests from Robin, Rob, Lori, S, and Margie. If you missed the earlier post, or I missed your request, check it out and let me know by the end of the day. Perhaps the video I shot at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago last month will inspire you to join us.

SideDish Supper Club Kenichi: Dallasfood.org Review

Copper River salmon nigiri, ramps, and takuan. Photo by Jerry McClure

Yesterday I was cruising around some of the local food blogs and came across this exquisite review of last week’s SDSC dinner on Dallasfood.org. The recap, with delicious photographs, was penned by Gavlist. While most of the crowd, including me, was busy learning about sake pairings and delighting in new flavors, Gavlist’s experienced palate allowed him to write a meticulous and insightful report.  For his efforts, Gavlist was given the DallasFood Meritorious Posting Award by the site’s chief, known in foodie circles as Scott. In Scott’s presentation paragraph he notes:

Gavlist got better photos of the dishes than anyone at D Magazine. (What were they thinking? The Internet is a visual medium. Couldn’t they have sent a staff photographer into the kitchen to get shots of dishes in good lighting, instead of noisy, washed-out-by-flash, cell phone shots?) His descriptions of the ingredients, tastes, and textures were more detailed (and accurate) than those in any other report on the meal.

Yes, Gavlist’s report is the most detailed and accurate and I thank Dallasfood.org for drawing attention to it. Our photo editor, Kyle Kearbey, promises to have our pictures up soon.

Updated photo album.

Blythe Beck Cusses Like A Sailor And Gets A TV Show

Blythe Beck knows how to handle a pastry tube.

I’m sure every other food blog in town has reported Hector’s-on-Henderson-turned-Central-214 execuchef Blythe Beck upcoming TV show, The Naughty Kitchen. Good for her—I like girls who wear pink and swear like drunken truck drivers. It is a trait I can identify with. One of my coworkers sent me this link. It made me giggle. The show will appear on Oxygen later this year.

Food Porn, Milan Edition

I’ll spare you the commentary and just let you scope these pics. However, I will say if you’re ever in Milan, these restaurants–Il Salumaio, tucked away in a beautiful little courtyard off Montenapoleone (the street the DMagazine Outlet is on), and Ristorante Solferino, a casual little trattoria in a quieter neighborhood, away from the touristy spots–are affordable and tasty. Here are the IDs. (top row, left to right) Insalata caprese and tortelloni with ricotta and arugula at Il Salumaio; (middle row, left to right) gnocchi with quattro formaggio at Il Salumaio and the bread bag from Solferino; (bottom row, left to right) pumpkin ravioli with brown butter and sage and veal Milanese with cherry tomatoes and arugula at Solferino. Enjoy!

We Asked For It: We Got It

On April 1st I ran across chef Gabriel Rucker’s (Le Pigeon in Portland) recipe for Bacon–Apricot Cornbread with Maple Ice Cream. I “screamed” on SideDish for a pastry chef to deliver the goods. Silly me, I didn’t check the comments—the Mansion’s pastry whiz David Collier volunteered for duty and I didn’t follow through. But today a local pastry chef showed up at the office with the real deal. SHE doesn’t want me to “shill” about her actions; she just loved the recipe and wanted to “share it with friends.”

The apricot cornbread was still warm. She used Whole Foods grade B maple syrup in the ice cream and as many Go-Texan products as possible. Two slices of cake and a scoop of ice cream all surrounded by a light drizzle of bacon grease mixed with maple syrup. Breakfast for dessert for lunch. There is a slight chance this dessert could turn up here, but I can’t guarantee it. (There is nothing like Les Dames.)

Not Your Average Bar Food: Pineapple Sushi at Le Bar du Plaza Athenee

I’m sorry I can’t show you some fancier stuff from Plaza Athenee, but nothing is more embarrassing than whipping out your digital camera in Alain Ducasse, even if it’s just breakfast. (Even if I could get a reservation, I certainly couldn’t afford to eat there.) The silver tray of pastries brought tears to my eyes, but all I have to show for it is a handy little brochure with pretty illustrations explaining what I ate and a recipe for homemade Nutella. But I digress. I just wanted to show you this little ditty, which they brought to us in the bar: pineapple sushi. Homemade pina colada marshmallows–the spungiest little things you ever put in your mouth–were topped with ultra-thin slices of fresh pineapple, served with a side of pina colada reduction and shaved coconut. It was unlike anything I had ever tasted, and because we were one of only two tables at the bar–it doesn’t get hopping until late night–I didn’t feel too dumb snapping this photo.

Ballpark Food: Hot Dogs, Hand-Crafted Beer, And Paula’s Cheese

This morning I attended a media preview of the new food and beverage options that will be offered this season at the Ballpark in Arlington. What a feast. The best news is the addition of the “Value Meal” which consists of a hot dog, soda, and either chips or fries (pictured). The chip meal is $5.75, a $3.75 savings over what the items would cost if you purchased them separately. The fries meal will cost $6.75, for a savings of $4.74.

Another addition is the Ballpark’s new “Beers Of Texas” program. Fort Worth’s Rahr Brewery will be sell small-batch hand-crafted beer: Blonde Lager, Rahr’s Red, Buffalo Butt, Ugly Pug, Stormcloud, Blind Salamander, and seasonal brews.

But here is the greatest deal: The All You Can Eat section. I am not making this up. There are 2,100 seats in the Upper Home Run Porch (used to be Rawlings All-American Grill). Tickets in this pig-out section are priced at $34/$39 for Premier Games, but on Friday, non-Premium Games, the seats are $25. Did I mention it was all you can eat nachos, hot dogs, grilled chicken sandwiches, peanuts, popcorn, soft drinks? Baseball? Who cares!
Jump for the sexy stuff, like Nolan’s meat, and sports food porn.

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Grazing Arizona: In-N-Out

Double-double animal-style.

Now Here’s a Good Use for Cupcakes

Here’s a great photo to end your Friday on, SideDishers. This Pac-Man themed wedding cake was constructed out of 80 cupcakes by baker Naomi for a ceremony down under (Australia, not Cedar Hill). Somehow Dallas is still cupcake crazy as evidenced by the line of women that forms outside Sprinkles each and every lunch hour two years after its Dallas debut. But is it the best? And can they make a Galaga wedding cake? Sound off below and then go get you something sweet and frosted.