photo from Coolhaus

My favorite ice cream truck that-I-have-never-actually-eaten-at is making its way to Dallas, just in time for the heat wave. I spent most of last summer in Austin staring at the elusive Coolhaus‘ website, cursing the Ice Cream Gods for never allowing my schedule to make room for a gourmet ice cream sandwich. Now it’s finally going to happen. I’m finally going to pair ginger molasses cookies (available in vegan) with fried chicken and waffles ice cream! (Don’t ask me why this appeals, but it does.)

Coolhaus also offers other funky flavors. There’s the ever-popular double chocolate chip with sea salt, oatmeal, red velvet, and potato chip & butterscotch cookies. Signature flavors like dirty mint chip and brown buttered candied bacon ice cream fill the middle between two soft cookies that have already made people in LA, Miami, NYC, and Austin swoon. Thank goodness Natasha Case and Freya Estreller, the young entrepreneurs behind this ice cream truck sensation, have decided on DFW as the fifth location for their expansion. I need something to help me survive the impending sweatfest that is summer.

Coolhaus’ debut party will be at Frisco StrEATS on April 28 from 3-7 PM. See the rest of you ice cream fanatics there??

[George's update: The local CoolHaus Dallas Truck is being run through a partnership with CoolHaus and our favorite banh mi truck, Nammi Vietnamese. That brings the Nammi Empire of owners Teena Nguyen and Gary Torres up to 3 trucks: Nammi 1, Nammi 2, and Coolhaus.]

Two weeks in Provence coming soon.

Get ready for Central Market’s yearly culinary salute to foreign food. In 2010, we celebrated Argentina (Hi, Francis!). Last year we pigged out on Spain (Hola, Paco!). This year they are throwing a two-week soiree for France, specifically the southern region of Provence, which will begin on May 9 and run through May 22.

Here’s a little poop I learned: Zee hottest ticket will be a seat in the outdoor tent where the kick-off event, “A Taste of Provence,” will feature a sampling of dishes prepared by Chef Patrice Olivon! C’est magnifique! You know Olivon, oui? He’s the cute French dude who won Iron Chef hosts “Dinner is Served,” a lovely show on PBS. It is set for Wednesday, May 9, and begins at 6 p.m.

The menu includes some personal favorites from his childhood (served family-style at long tables), which will be paired with French wines (shocker!). Think: Pissaladiere (thick, pizza-like dish popular in Nice and Marseilles); tomates farcies (tomatoes stuffed with beef, rice & herbs); cod with aioli; roasted lamb with ratatouille; and warm seasonal fruit cooked in red wine served over vanilla ice cream (really?). So frugal Francophiles, get a cheap trip ($35 per person) to Provence, if only for one evening.  Tickets can be booked by clicking here or by visiting the Cooking School reservation site for Dallas.

Sancerre! Profiteroles! A truffle in every pot! Vamos, I mean, nous permettre d’aller!

(Below, I will copy and paste an actual MEDIA-ONLY release so you can get an insider’s look on how real food writing works. I will pair it with commentary from a professional media person.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [Loud and clear! Got it. Type fast. Did somebody else get this while I was grabbing a sandwich. Hang on let me check the other sites!]

April 1, 2012 [WTF? Am I late here? It's April 16. Did this already go out and I am so screwed? Note to self: Google news before you write it. Alternatively, swear under your breath at PR people.]

CENTRAL MARKET PREPARES TO SHARE “L’ART DE VIVRE” [WHY didn't I think of that hed? (That's editorial lingo for headline. We are all too lazy to type the whole word out.]

Prepare for a gustatory tour of France’s famously food centric regions [Weak sub. Oh, that's edit-speak for sub-headline. Waaaay too long to type. "Food-centric regions" in France  is redundant.]

WHO: All Central Market stores across Texas [ Great start. WHO! Always start with WHO. It worked for Horton and it will work for you.]

WHAT: Get ready to celebrate two weeks devoted to France, a country know for its vast array of distinct food and wine offerings. Central Market, a division of H-E-B will host PASSPORT FRANCE May 9 – 22 to explore the delicious to be found in every day France, “a nation of Foodies.” [Yes, it pedestrian but it's short and to the point and food writers need short. And points. Next.]

This is the specialty retailer’s third foray into a wide-scale international celebration. In 2011, Central Market hosted Passport Spain; and in 2010 it launched with Passport Argentina.  Customers traveled the cultural and culinary landscape of these countries without booking a plane ticket or packing a bag. The events are known for their bounty of exciting food finds, live music and performers, authentic décor and celebrity chef and wine maker visits. [Great insert of backfill information. If I didn't work here last year, I now know how much great stuff I missed by living in Washington, DC.]

This May, CM store visitors can experience all things French during Central Market’s two-week extravaganza. Hands-on crepe making. Wine tastings hosted by winemakers, some part of multigenerational winemaking families. Stellar chefs such as Anne Willan of La Varenne and Patrice Olivon of PBS and Iron Chef fame will make appearances and host events. “An Introduction to French Cheeses” will be hosted by the Ambassadress of the French Cheese Club. [Okay, I'm fading a little.]

The aisles will be filled with finds from around France, such as La Mere de Poulard cookies, Kougin Amann, aged Comte, Petit Montebourg fresh cheese, Fallot Dijon and hundreds more, many exclusively available at Central Market. [I'm am so back. Those cookies are like crack, heroin, pot, and gin all baked into a thin disc of sin.]

From classes in the art of French cookery to French cheeses, breads and wine tastings, Passport France will take visitors on an incredible gustatory tour with no jet lag. [Well, I am confused. What do I do with all of this Ambien?]

WHEN: May 9 – 22, 2012 [Excellent information. Thank you Central Market for making my job a walk in the freaking park!]

WHERE: Central Market, all store locations: Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Plano,  San Antonio, and Southlake. Go to www.centralmarket.com for the latest details and to review classes available in May. Further details will be released as they are available. [Even bettah! There is more to come so I know there will be more to write. My job feels secure. Until the end of May.]

ABOUT CENTRAL MARKET: Central Market’s open, serpentine-flow, full view European-style layout offers a completely new food shopping experience.  A bountiful produce department with unmatched quality and variety, an 80-foot seafood case with selections from throughout the world, hundreds of cheeses, 2,500 wine labels, stupendous specialty grocery aisles with delights from every continent, and a world-class cooking school featuring hands-on instruction are among the features that make the Central Market experience unique. www.centralmarket.com. [Oaky, the serpentine-flow thing is getting old, but so am I. The store is really more maze-like but I suppose that would cause people to run for the straight aisles of Tom Thumb. Stupendous is a bit dramatic and delights, well my mind stayed to another train of thought, but I was immediately brought back to reality by the hands-on instruction. Oh, yes. France and hands. Good stuff. Count me in.]

Florida Stone Crabs – a trip to Miami without leaving your home. Stone crabs are sweet, mild, and delicious. Dip in TJ’s Creamy Mustard Sauce for an authentic experience. Prices are in flux – right now LARGE claws are 31.99/lb.

Thanks for that, Jon. Oh, and I love the video. It cracks me up.

Anthony Bourdain on stage at the Majestic Theater in Dallas. (photo by Elizabeth Lavin)

Last night, Anthony Bourdain fans packed the Majestic Theater. Baseball be damned, the worshipers of All-Things-Anthony showed up to lay themselves at the cowboy-booted feet of their hero.

Tony walked onto the stage at 8:10 and greeted the audience: “I am a whore. I am in every way compromised, jaded, bought and paid for, including my nice f—ing jacket.”

For the next hour and 45 minutes, the crowd hung on his every word. He was loose, casual, at ease, good-natured, straight forward, no bull. He was exactly the guy you see on TV, except, in person, you could see just how fine he wears boot-cut jeans.

After the show, we got to hang out with Tony and watch him sign books and greet his fans. Hundreds of folks bought books and stood in line to get his autograph. He walked into the VIP room and he very calmly said, “Look, I’m here and I’m not leaving until every book is signed, every picture is taken. I’m not in a hurry, so grab some food, have a drink, relax.”

I plan to write a longer report, but my day job calls. In the meantime, I’ll post the pictures that Tony most graciously allowed our photographer, Elizabeth Lavin, to shoot. Oh, and John “Jimmy Sears” Tesar was there. I mean everywhere. If you notice him in every shot, it is because he tried to get in every shot. At one point I thought he was going to start signing copies of Bourdain’s Medium Raw. He could have. That’s how he serves his burgers.

On to the show.

Bory Taft, Leena Varehese, Kim Chang Chung Lee. (photo by Elizabeth Lavin)

The Tony, The Tesar, The Brad. (photo by Elizabeth Lavin)

Linda Tucker scores a photo op. (photo by Elizabeth Lavin)

Bethlehem? No, the VIP room at The Majestic Theater after Anthony Bourdain's show. (Photo by ELizabeth Lavin)

Tesar hogs the spotlight. (photo by Elizabeth Lavin)

A Bourdain. A beer. A book. (photo by Elizabeth Lavin)

Nobody went home hungry. (photo by Elizabeth Lavin)

Tim and Nina Zagat actually cared about the ethics of the review. They built an empire from how much they care. A generation trusted them. With so many new correspondents out there, I’m curious how Google plans to enforce ethics and curb bias.

Your thoughts?

Francisco at the French Room.

The 2011 KRLD Restaurant Week has come to an end but we have one last bit of business. Francisco at The French Room is our server of the week. Thanks to Laurie for submitting Francisco at The French Room’s picture and a small description of his service.

He was entertaining in a theatrical way, making the meal more memorable. When he poured some Champagne for my friend, he also topped off mine with a little flourish. When we asked to make some substitutions, Francisco was gracious about it, and all the orders came out correct. We felt taken care of by him and his assistant (not sure what that man’s title is). The only negative was that he was a wee bit condescending after we tried to give him the 4th course certificate. He scoffed, and said a little haughtily, “not here.”

Well, really Laurie. You should have ordered another bottle of Champagne. Life is short.

Part of the Total Catch.(photo by Jon Alexis.)

Jon Alexis, know on every blog in the United States of America as jonfromtjs, handles the marketing for TJ’s Seafood Market, the successful fish market in Preston Forest. He is a conscientious student of seafood. Recently he learned about Total Catch Market, a project (and blog) run by PJ Stoops and Billy Tellez of Louisiana Foods. Their niche is selling by-catch fish, the innocent fishes caught by fishermen actually fishing for a higher profile fish. JonfromTJs was so moved when he heard about these guys, he jumped in his car and drove to Houston.  He sends a brief story about his experience along with cell phone pictures. I am going to run it below. Grammar police be warned: the copy is unedited only because I am low on time at the moment. Take it away jonfromtjs:

Fact – Global demand for seafood is increasing exponentially.

Fact – To meet this demand, we are overfishing our oceans.

Fact – When targeting a species, fishermen throw back any other species they weren’t intending to catch.

Fact – The majority of these fish die when thrown back into the water.

Conclusion – why are we not better utilizing Gulf BY-CATCH?

PJ Stoops and Billy Tellez came to this conclusion a while ago. Now every weekend in Houston, they set up a pop-up market to sell absurdly-fresh Gulf by catch. By catch is any fish caught by the fisherman besides what species they are intending to catch.

Most of these fish are delicious – some are even considered delicacies in other waters.

I traveled to Houston last weekend to learn more about Gulf by catch and some unique species of fish.

After spending some time with Billy Friday afternoon (PJ has gotten tons of media recognition lately for his seemingly infinite seafood knowledge, but Billy deserves a lot of credit as well), I had dinner at Reef restaurant.  Chef Bryan Caswell is another proponent of using everything the Gulf has to offer. Kinilaw Ceviche with Blue Crab, Orange, Coco-Lime Broth was light and fresh.   Roasted Grouper with Corn Pudding, Salsa Cruda, Grilled Peach had a Southern warmth…Houston meets Charleston.

My favorite dish was Grilled Cobia, Broccolini, Orange Mustard, Jalapeno Relish. Cobia is a farm-raised fish that we don’t see too often in Dallas.  Buttery flavor of Mahi Mahi with the firm texture of Swordfish – you can cube it like you can beef.  If you like Ivory Salmon, you’ll love Cobia.

Saturday morning at 8:30am, I arrived at the Total Catch market and in-the-know Houstonians were already lined up for the 9am start time.

The selection is different every week depending on what the fishermen caught. The catch is posted the Friday prior on their blog. Last week’s catch included mangrove snapper, barrelfish, beardfish, triggerfish, blackfin tuna, rock hind, almaco jack, longtail bass, scorpionfish, and more.

So what does this fish taste like?

Barrelfish is very similar to Grouper and a great fish for any recipe requiring a mild-medium flavored flaky white fish.

Beardfish is extremely rare – PJ and Billy had only seen it a handful of times in their years working the Gulf. Beardfish is a sweet whitefish with a very small flake – it almost tastes like crabmeat as it breaks apart in your mouth.

Triggerfish is sweet and firm. Similar to Pompano. My favorite fish of the catch.

Utilizing these fish is not just a marketing gimmick or a “green” ploy.  Sustainability aside- these are delicious, healthy fish we are throwing back most likely to die!

Houston and Austin are already seeing these fish and others available in their cities. TJ’s will be carrying a selection of Gulf By Catch on the weekends and chefs and restaurateurs around the city have already expressed interest.

Each course will be paired with a beer selection from her prized cellar and will include:

jump for the menu…

First course:

Pate de canard and chicharrones de pato (duck pate with crispy duck pork rinds) paired with Transatlantique Kreik, a spontaneously fermented Lambic ale made with Polish cherries

Second course:

Roasted beet salad with an almond gazpacho and white balsamic syrup, served alongside Biere de Mars

Third course:

Breast of Guinea fowl with curried potatoes, arugula puree, and dried mango chutney paired with Super Cru

Fourth course:

Wild California Sturgeon filet with tempura pineapple and a “cherry coke” glaze, served with Dunkel-weiss, a “grand cru dunkel-weiss”

Fifth course:

Pork belly confit with Cannellini beans and a rosemary pesto with roasted grape marmalade served with La Folie

Dessert

Sticky bun bread pudding served with an Abbey Grand Cru.

Tickets for the event are $85, which includes tax and gratuity, and can be purchased by calling 214-628-7900. Tickets are limited, and reservations are required.

The Truck by The Tesar.

It was only a matter of time before restaurateur and television game show/ Food Network host Guy Fieri moved his mammoth machine to the North Texas area. We spotted Guy today checking out locations for one of his two restaurants (maybe both) in Dallas.

The Steven promises updates and pictures. Whatcha think?

Fans, just wanted to let you know that YELP has been removing our 5 star reviews for our McKinney location, we have talked to them and they have told us we can’t do anything about it. YELP has been unfair and removed 24 reviews all of which were 4 and 5 stars. But they keep calling us to advertise, and told us it would get better if we advertised. It’s all about making money, what a shame they used to be a great site.

Ouch! Maybe their cyber technicians can detect comments left by the same person. I don’t know. However, this morning comes a note from another just-as-loyal Disher.

I think you’d better take a seat and get ready for this rumble. Oh, and if you know Jack Perkins of Maple & Motor, you might want to text him a link. Okay? Let’s go.

Loyal Disher writes:

I’m sure you have seen this article about Yelp’s impact on restaurants [Ed. Note: I have now!] I use Yelp mainly when I’m going out of town but I use similar sites – Urbanspoon and Trip Advisor more often. I think the sites are relevant and have credibility. It’s interesting that so many restaurant owners seem to despise Yelp and think the reviewers who give them negative feedback are unknowledgeable.  One doesn’t have to look any further than Jack Perkins (M&M). He seems to be on a personal crusade to dispute anything negative said about him or his restaurant. Anywhere he can, he posts brash, bombastic rebuttals to reviewers (except for Yelp — I heard he got booted off Yelp for his harassment of reviewers.) I’ve seen other snide comments about Yelp and its users from other restaurant owners on their Facebook page.

I wondered what you, and more importantly, your readers think of Yelp and a restaurant owner who argues incessantly with reviewers that he doesn’t like.  I like Maple and Motor just fine and have no problem with the restaurant’s policies (I actually like them) but I can’t get past the blatant “you can go to hell if you have a complaint or issue with my restaurant” attitude.  I’m sure many restaurant owners have wanted to tell a paying customer where to go — but have thought twice. Where is the respect for the customer?   Has Yelp and similar sites caused this animosity towards customers?

Yow. Zah. What a crazy world we live in. I don’t think of Yelp, so I’m no help.  So, here’s the deal. Do you use Yelp, Urbanspoon, or Trip Advisor? If so, which one do you find the most useful? Have you had comments deleted?

Restaurant owners: I think I could get pissed by anonymous people leaving remarks about experiences in my restaurant. I remember Hector Garcia telling us about the four-top who that walked in and announced “Table for four. We are Yelpers.” Everybody is a food critic without standards. Speak up Dishers, Yelpers, Spooners, and Advisors.

Jump softly.

Gotcha! It’s a press release. Dig it:

Chef DAT Underground Dinner at My Private Chef Kitchen and Showroom

Chef David Anthony Temple (aka Chef DAT) is hosting one of his Underground Dinners at the kitchen of My Private Chef which is operated by Holly Muller.

When: (This Thursday Night) 6/30/11

Where: My Private Chef Kitchen and Showroom, 2901 Elm Street, Dallas, Texas 75226; 214.679.0999

Time: 8pm

Cost: $60/person + gratuity

Menu: Vegan

Special Notes:  BYOB

RSVP: davidanthonycooks@gmail.com

About My Private Chef

15 years in cold corporate America led Holly Muller to the warm temperatures of St. Thomas for a year sabbatical in 2004. With her left brain on bed rest, she embraced her affinity and raw talent for cooking and applied for a chef position on a private yacht. Months of satisfied appetites and of her own fulfillment, Holly realized that she had discovered more than an extended vacation.

As her corporate position eventually beckoned from Phoenix, the taste of the bubbling future resonated with Holly.  She sustained her kinship with cooking in Arizona as a chef’s assistant at Sur La Table outside of her 9 to 5 role. Here she taught and demonstrated culinary fundamentals, baking basics and international food trends until a corporate relocation brought her to Dallas. After arrival she was quickly hired for Sur La Table as a cooking assistant and promoted to cooking instructor. Holly further honed her skills as a culinary specialist and teacher at the Uptown location as well as in an immersion cooking school in Tuscany focused on Mediterranean cuisine.

It wasn’t until her father was diagnosed with heart disease however that Holly carved out her culinary alcove. Once her father’s health declined and her nephew began a battle with debilitating allergies she made her final exit from the demanding day job. With family well-being in mind, she carefully crafted a menu to deter sodium, fat, gluten, preservatives and other betting ingredients. Her dishes were an immediate hit with her family and soon her outlying network.

As the demand for her dishes mounted, Holly opened a Deep Ellum location of My Private Chef in November 2010. The kitchen and showroom is located within the old Rush Patisserie building, which also served as the backdrop for The Good Guys, a television show starring Tom Hanks’ son Collin. The Elm Street kitchen specializes in prepared foods that accommodate a food regimen low in sodium and sugar and high in protein and fiber. Clients regularly receive a variety of well balanced, portioned meals from a globally inspired menu which currently spotlights items such as spinach and asiago quiche with Truffle oil, mini turkey and sausage breakfast burgers with sweet potato hash, pulled pork tenderloin with maple sweet potatoes, Hawaiian chicken with spicy pineapple, tilapia cakes with mango relish and snap peas, Mexican turkey lasagna with Spanish brown rice and Tuscan chicken with great northern beans.

Holly soon realized that her initial intent to provide well balanced flavorful foods with health advantages to her family, also aided the lifestyle of many health conscious foodies. Clients continually praise her variety of flavorful menus, celebrate a reduction in body fat, weight loss and deterred side effects to allergies.

Clients choose from a menu of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks and can pay as low as  $150 for a five day supply of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Freshly prepared food is frozen, then hand delivered or picked up and is ready to eat in four to eight minutes.

Holly also caters and offers individual cooking instruction at her Deep Ellum kitchen.

About My Private Chef:

My Private Chef is a personalized cooking service that offers freshly prepared globally inspired meals that enhance a healthy lifestyle. Holly Muller, founder and chef, has an evolving menu of home-grown recipes inspired by her exotic travels and family health concerns. Each meal is high in protein and fiber, low in sugar and sodium and packed with flavor. Weekly food regimens are prepared with the freshest ingredients, frozen and delivered or picked up.  Chef Muller also caters and offers cooking instruction in the home or at her Deep Ellum kitchen. Additionally the My Private Chef showroom is available for private parties.

My Private Chef, 2901 Elm Street, Dallas, Texas 75226; 214.679.0999; holly@my-privatechef.com,   www.my-privatechef.com.

Chef Tre Wilcox (left); Marquee's contemporary dining room (right). (Photos by Desirée Espada.)

What to expect: Let me open by saying that the first time D Magazine’s administrative coordinator Loren Means went to Marquee for lunch, she didn’t leave until well after dinner. There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that the cocktails are as much to blame as the food, but all she knows is that she was happily reunited with Wilcox’s duck three ways and Jason Kosmas’ French 75. She describes it as “one happy Sunday.”

These days, in Marquee’s two-level restaurant (and on the cooled, bird’s-eye-view, movie-marquee patio), the duck three ways may appear and disappear from the rotating menu (as if Wilcox does not want to replicate Abacus, yet can’t escape the dish’s popularity), and the French 75 is concocted by request only, but we managed to have a great meal nonetheless. Even though some of the items I mention herein will most likely have cycled off for your visit, the bulk of the menu shows evidence of Wilcox’s skill and optimism.

read more about Marquee…

Quail stuffed with wild boar sausage. (Photo by Desirée Espada.)

On the menu: We started with the quail appetizer stuffed with wild-boar sausage. Even split between two people, the quail was meaty and savory enough to satisfy both of us. The addition of wild boar might imply a gamey aftertaste; this was not the case. Instead the meat was mildly spiced and rich with fats and dense protein. As a contrast, the bright and pungent artisan salad with shaved fennel and tomato vinaigrette cleared the palate for the courses to come.

Gentlemanly waiters and contemporary environs. (Photos by Desirée Espada.)

For our main courses, we chose the seared duck breast (lovely and rare) and the thick,  juicy bone-in pork chop served over morel risotto with an additional side crock of bacon-rich, braised Brussels sprouts that stole the show. In the case of the chop, the inherent superiority of the meat was optimized by a brief cook time. The risotto, while salty, hummed with mellow mushrooms, grounding the dish from the bottom up.

Grilled pork chop with morel risotto. (Photos by Desirée Espada.)

My only point of concern came with the dessert: airy layers of chocolate layered with salted caramel popcorn and garnished with vanilla ice cream and more popcorn. No part of it failed—the chocolate was rich, yet light; the popcorn was crunchy, and the ice cream provided girl-next-door solidity, but together the dish felt like flavor overkill, too much of too many good things.

Brussels sprouts side. Nobody puts this baby in the corner. (Photos by Desirée Espada.)

Respect to Jason Kosmas for his deft and layered cocktail menu. We ordered a trial margarita, tangy with blood orange juice and a spicy kick. Since Kosmas was pouring, we asked him to surprise us on our second drink, with the only stipulations being that he use tequila or rum, give it some heat, and not make it too sweet. What arrived was exactly that—a delicious cocktail tailored to my specs. But, after trying both, I actually preferred the margarita off the menu. The moral: trust the man behind the shaker.

Chocolate layered with salted popcorn and garnished with ice cream. (Photos by Desirée Espada.)

In all, touches of Hollywood regency in the entry, clubby lounge spaces inside and movie marquee rooftop provide a see-and-be-seen vortex. One caveat: the place can feel chaotic if you sit at one of the tables near the upstairs bar. Instead, opt for a second-floor table overlooking the parking lot (trust us, the view is better than it sounds; this is Highland Park after all), or brave the frizzies and head out onto the patio.  Try it out for yourself and see if you can beat Loren’s seven-hour record.

Jason Kosmas, mixologist and cocktail consultant. (Photos by Desirée Espada.)