Articles about Good Morning

In Defense of Tillman’s Roadhouse in Dallas

posted by Liz Johnstone | April 6th, 2012 10:00am | filed under Food Writing, Good Morning | 14 Comments »

Tillman's s'mores. Photo by Gustav Schmiege for D Magazine.

I review theater, not food. Sometimes movies, but mostly theater. I get to see the show only once, and the measure is, would I like to go back, and see this again? Would I bring someone else to discover it, too, so I can watch their face instead of the stage? Of course, no matter what I think, someone, somewhere is going to think I’m wrong. But I hope we can all appreciate decent writing, and recognize good intentions and the desire to be fair.

Which brings me to Mark Vamos’ no-star review of Tillman’s Roadhouse, published at the end of last month in The Dallas Morning News. We don’t give stars here, and even if we did, I’d have nothing to do with that and no basis on which to award them. The last time we reviewed the Dallas location was in 2007. As I mentioned, I’m a theater critic, not a food critic, for many reasons (Exhibit A: I don’t like seafood, which my friend Michael—a cook—tells me repeatedly is like saying I don’t like sandwiches.). But to me, no stars means there’s absolutely no reason on Earth for anyone to set foot in that restaurant. I humbly disagree. For me, there are at least two. But I’ll leave a dissection of the main courses to the professionals (though the ones I’ve had have been just fine), and talk about the tater tots.

Let’s go. Continue reading "In Defense of Tillman’s Roadhouse in Dallas"

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When Mystery Donuts Appear on my Desk, I Question the Meaning of Life

posted by Carol Shih | February 21st, 2012 10:53am | filed under Bacon, donuts, Food is art. Art is Food., Good Morning | 10 Comments »

My surprise package from Pookies Donuts

I woke up this morning craving two things: donuts and a Big Breakfast from McDonald’s (don’t ask me why). The universe must really love me, because I walked into work this morning only to discover a big box of donuts sitting on my desk. It came with a mysterious note from Rinny & Joaquin Lewis: “Mark suggested we bring these by. Thank you [insert smiley face].”

Er, thanks for the donuts, guys, but… who are you?? Have we met before? And what did I do to deserve these fatty donuts? Three weeks ago, I gave a random man my extra DART ticket, but that was the latest act of kindness I can remember…

Continue reading "When Mystery Donuts Appear on my Desk, I Question the Meaning of Life"

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This Little Piggy Went Downtown

posted by Sarah Reiss | November 15th, 2011 12:34pm | filed under Bacon, BBQ, Bring it!, cheap eats, Cheap trick for comments, Chef's tasting, classes, Cult Cuisine, Daniel Walker, Diets are stupid, Eat This Now!, Food Porn, Good Morning, Good Service, hold on to your effin hat, I Hate it When That Happens, I Went to College for This?, I'm a sucker for a man in flannel, I'm about to get fired, It's just lunch, Keep Dallas Douchey!, make mine a double, Meat, Merguez Sausage Hunt, Musical Press Releases, Newfangled condiments, Nostalgia, party, pop-up restaurant, Procrastination is part of the creative process, questionable behavior, questionable judgment, Really stupid joke, Really?, Rewritten Press Releases, sassy pants, Scoops, Second coming, Sexy food, Sing Along Press Releases, Slow News Day, Snacks, somebody help this poor girl out, Things To Do, who'd a thought? | 13 Comments »

Oh yeah, it's for real.

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

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

It seems a couple well-intentioned entrepreneurs have teamed up with J&D’s Foods to create a little something they’re calling baconlube—the world’s first bacon-flavored, water-based, American-made, personal lubricant.

Billing itself as the “gold standard of meat-flavored massage oils” (natch) baconlube, they say, is like the McRib of sex: it’s delicious, makes men crazy, is here for a limited time, and is in short supply.

If you’re thinking “stocking stuffer!” (let’s stay on track here), we’re right behind you. But the boys only made 3,000 bottles of this pork-flavored nectar. It hit the interwebs yesterday at www.baconlube.com. How much, you ask, for a product that promises such a satisfying holiday season? Only $11.99.

you know you want more. jump for it… Continue reading "This Little Piggy Went Downtown"

13 Comments »

It’s Hip to be Square at Denton Square Donuts

posted by Daniel Walker | October 3rd, 2011 10:00am | filed under Alright already!, Bacon, Baking, Breakfast, cheap eats, dessert, Eat This Now!, Good Morning | 5 Comments »

I don’t know if I told you, but I have a thing for donuts.  Maybe that’s a bit of an understatement.  But it’s rare, in this city, to find a place that is willing to push the limits when it comes to these tasty morsels of fried dough and sugar (obvious exceptions excluded).  Therefore, any donut news is good news in my book, and any upstart entrepreneur that is daring enough to risk their livelihood, families, pets, and entire life’s savings on the humble donut is A-OK with me.

When the buzz around Denton Square Donuts began to surface a number of months ago, I was intrigued to say the least.  The obviously non-traditional shape of these donuts is enough to rouse one’s attention, but most donuteers will recall similarly shaped offerings at the mighty Doughnut Plant in NYC.  The toppings which adorn DSD’s baked goods are also enough to get the salivary juices flowing: Brie with Apricot Jelly, Cream Cheese and Jalapeno Jelly, Apple Pie, and the nearly-ubiquitous Bacon and Maple.  Yet still, some may argue that places like Hypnotic, Gourdoughs in Austin, and Voodoo in Portland have been offering up equally ambitious donuts for years.

Continue reading "It’s Hip to be Square at Denton Square Donuts"

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Where to Get Your Pho Fix in Dallas

posted by Nancy Nichols | September 26th, 2011 9:31am | filed under Breakfast, Ethnic Food, Good Morning, Kevin Marple, Restaurant News | 4 Comments »

(photo by Kevin Marple, styling by Angela Yeung)

If you’ve traveled through Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam then you are familiar with this popular dish. Although pho hasn’t quite made it to the mainstream breakfast menus in Dallas, it’s the common way to start your day in many countries. Recently Sarah Reiss ate pho for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and several bowls in between and files this story on pho.

Though pho (pronounced fuh) is far from new to North Texas, the recent surge of openings has reintroduced the signature soup of Vietnam to the mainstream. For newbies, let us explain the allure. It’s a savory broth (generally beef, chicken, or pork) seasoned with coriander, basil, star anise, and green onion; ladled over flat rice noodles and paper-thin tenderloin, brisket, chicken, or pork; and garnished with fresh bean sprouts, herbs, lime quarters, and varying quantities of hot chili paste. It might not sound much different than any other soup, but it tastes like magic.

Here is a a pho primer and a list of our favorite places. Tell us yours.

4 Comments »

My Sugar Box Can Beat Up Your Velvet Taco

posted by Sarah Reiss | September 15th, 2011 9:00am | filed under Baking, cake, cheap eats, Chocolate, Coffee, Cult Cuisine, cupcakes, dessert, Diets are stupid, Events, flying solo, food art, Free Stuff!, freebies, Goats!, Good Morning, grand opening, How to Open a Restaurant 101, I Went to College for This?, It's just lunch, make mine a double, Nightlife, Openings/Closings, Restaurant News, Sexy food, Silly Reasons to Celebrate, Snacks, Stupid terms for food, Tacos, Unsolicited Treats, youthful spontaneous restaurants | 1 Comment »

In what feels like a dessert response to all of the overtly suggestive taco joint names we’ve seen in the last year, Sugar Box officially opens tomorrow night in Uptown at the Mondrian. The grand opening fete runs from 5 to 9 pm and features freebie selections from the new dessert bar’s palate of cupcakes, French macarons, and cake balls with espresso, latte, and cappuccino chasers (for those of you who, unlike me, can drink coffee after 4 pm and still sleep at night). Free tasters, live music, door prizes. Why not?

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Favorite Moose-Related Press Release of the Day

posted by Sarah Reiss | September 12th, 2011 10:29am | filed under Breaking News, Copy/Paste Press Release, Good Morning, grand opening, I Went to College for This?, I'm a sucker for a man in flannel, make mine a double, Slow News Day | 6 Comments »

Dallas, consider this press release my Monday morning gift to you. You’re welcome.

“Dallas, don’t be surprised if you see a Moose driving down the highway or floating in the sky. Dallas will have its share of “Moose sightings” this month due to the Grand Opening of Dallas’ first Smiling Moose Deli location in West Plano at Hebron Parkway/Park Boulevard, one block west of Midway. The Colorado based company will be one of Dallas’ hippest new delis providing patrons with breakfast, lunch and dinner selections, hearty portions and fresh ingredients far superior than their competitors…all served in a warm, (sic) décor with hints of both Colorado and Texas, as seen by (sic) their ski, snowboard and professional sports collections.

Grand Opening Day is this Thursday, September 15th from 8:00 am – 9:00 pm. Festivities will begin when Mo the Moose (the official mascot of Smiling Moose Deli) arrives as Dallas’ newest resident by air in a giant 6 story tall hot air balloon.

But wait, there’s more…

Continue reading "Favorite Moose-Related Press Release of the Day"

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The Best Donuts in Dallas

posted by Daniel Walker | August 9th, 2011 10:00am | filed under Awards, best of big d, Breakfast, Diets are stupid, Eat This Now!, Good Morning | 21 Comments »

The donut is America’s unsung hero.

For decades these delicacies have been fueling this nation’s finest law enforcement officers, and without them your streets would be overrun with all kinds of riffraff. Countless early morning board meetings have been brightened by the magical combination of sugar and fried dough. And where would Homer Simpson be without his signature pink icing with sprinkles? Not season 587, I assure you!

Despite their iconic nature, frankly speaking, truly exceptional donuts are not easy to find in Dallas.  I don’t think I am alone in my sentiments towards the Dallas donut scene.  While this city is surely not lacking in the sheer number of independent donut shops, it is eerie how incredibly similar and mundane most neighborhood shops have become.

But for the valiant donuteer, all hope is not lost.  I have scoured this land for three years searching for something extraordinary.  Of course, it would be unrealistic for a person to try every donut shop in this city (and still live to tell about it).  So I’ve hunted for suggestions from every corner I could think of (blogs, Chowhound, Yelp, Urban Spoon, magazines, newspapers, Twitter, Facebook, the cops at Waffle House) and ate my way through enough donut shops to personally ensure the future of Lipitor. Luckily, fantastic donuts do exist in this city.

Here I present to you, in no particular order, the five best places for donuts in and around Dallas.

Continue reading "The Best Donuts in Dallas"

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Eat This Now: The “High in the Mountains” at Hypnotic Donuts in Dallas

posted by Daniel Walker | July 27th, 2011 12:42pm | filed under Breakfast, Cult Cuisine, Diets are stupid, Eat This Now!, Good Morning, Junk Food | 6 Comments »

Revenge is a dish best served cold, so are donuts, apparently.

In the history of time there are a few moments of brilliance that stand out in my mind.  Newton discovers gravity.  Galileo proclaims that the Earth revolves around the Sun.  Einstein develops the theory of relativity.  May I add one more?  James St. Peter decides to put a donut in the freezer.  You always thought the only good donuts were advertised behind a glowing neon “Hot Doughnuts Now” sign.  Well, you were wrong.  Mind, prepare to be blown.

You can’t stop reading now.

Continue reading "Eat This Now: The “High in the Mountains” at Hypnotic Donuts in Dallas"

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Monday Morning Food News

posted by Nancy Nichols | June 13th, 2011 8:39am | filed under AgriBusiness, Bad critters, Crazy Technology, Food Crime, Food Trucks, GO MAVS!, Good Morning, hold on to your effin hat, Nutjobs, Overprivileged chimps, Politics of Food, Pre World Series Depression |

Higher food prices are on the way.

California fisherman need fish in the ocean.

Flaming Bananas Foster injures four in Florida.

Where to sign the “Carne Asada is Not a Crime” petition.

LeBron James has all summer to choke chew on his mouthguard.

Vitality House Cafe Opens in Richardson With Flavorful Menu and Full-Time Nutritionist

posted by Sarah Reiss | June 1st, 2011 10:57am | filed under Breakfast, Brunch, catering, Good Morning, Health Food, How to Open a Restaurant 101, menus, Neighborhood restaurants, Openings/Closings, Organic, Politics of Food, Restaurant News | 1 Comment »

My husband and I battle for the title of Biggest Loser in our house; our respective weights fluctuating by 10 percent on a monthly basis (this month, he’s ahead, or behind depending on how you look at it). To be honest, we’d be happy for some steadiness, but as we all know, end-of-school-year stress, travel, and general laziness do not a stable diet make. Lucky for us, Chefs Chris and Sandy Smith have opened the doors on Vitality House Cafe just down the block in Richardson. The married duo employs in-house nutritionist Kelly Crawford, and in-house fitness consultant Stephen Crawford to provide information, consultation and support to diners needing encouragement toward a healthy lifestyle. The place is only open for breakfast, lunch, and coffee at this point, so it’s not yet available for last-minute save-me-from-myself dinners, but here’s hoping. I’ll be back soon with the first-hand scoop. In the meantime, here’s what they have to say about their plan:

jump for the Vitality mission statement… Continue reading "Vitality House Cafe Opens in Richardson With Flavorful Menu and Full-Time Nutritionist"

1 Comment »

Random Act on SideDish: You Want to be a Food Blogger?

posted by Nancy Nichols | May 23rd, 2011 9:50am | filed under Food Writing, Good Morning, hold on to your effin hat, Hot Links!, Mistakes I made, Nutjobs, Procrastination is part of the creative process | 6 Comments »

I was having dinner with some friends the other night who write a blog. They don’t do it because they want to, they do it because their company makes them. That usually isn’t the case with people who blog about food. Chances are people are motivated to blog about food  because they are passionate about food and the cooking, baking, or eating of said food. Most food bloggers start out all warm and fuzzy and write until their fingers are done to a crisp. Slowly, they lose momentum. Why? Because it’s hard. Not just the writing, it’s tough to come up with fresh ideas and new words to describe fish without using succulent forty ways to Sunday. Once you write a blog,  learn how to take pictures, and conquer whatever program you are attempting to post from,   you’d probably like to get someone outside of your immediate circle of friends and family to read it. Or maybe you’d like to make some money or get a book deal. If you figure any of that, please feel free to pass it along in the comments section.

Anywhoo, this morning I came across an interesting post on Sarah Henry’s Bay Area Bites blog. She offers advice for struggling (succulent) food bloggers. Henry maintains “talent and ideas count, so does experience, connections, timing, and, frankly, a bit of luck.”

To that I would add: have an opinion, get a good therapist, and find someone to sell you wine wholesale. Questions?

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