The Social House in Addison is pairing up with Brooklyn Brewery for their first beer dinner which will take place on April 24 at 7PM. BB’s brand manager, Nadine Jones, will be in the House to answer questions about beer.  $45pp.972-392-4300. Details below.

R.M.S. TITANIC Commemoration Week – 100th AnniversaryHotel St. Germain is hosting a week of activities, dining events and cocktails commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the fabled luxury liner Titanic’s both maiden and final voyage. (I hear this is a fun event!) Gather around in the Champagne Bar and listen to the courageous stories of the survivors and learn more about their harrowing experience as well as hear amusing anecdotes about their lives post-Titanic. Guests will enjoy historic menus, White Star Line cocktails, and an elaborate display of Titanic memorabilia. Check out all of the details below.

Details below.

The Social House

ADDISON, TEXAS (April 4, 2012) – The Social House will host their first beer dinner featuring seasonal favorites and new beers from Brooklyn Brewery April 24 at 7 p.m. For $45, guests will enjoy four beers paired with four dishes as Brooklyn Brewery’s Texas Brand Manager, Nadine Jones, shares about the beer and answers questions.  For more information or to make reservations, call 972-392-4300. Please see full menu below.

What:            Brooklyn Brewery Beer Dinner

Who:              Nadine Jones

Where:         The Social House

5100 Belt Line Road #410

Addison, TX 75254

When:           Tuesday, April 24, 7 p.m.

Cost:              $45 per person plus tax and gratuity

H R.M.S. Titanic Commemorative Dinner

We will be hosting events each day from April 10th through April 15th. Reservations are required. Please call our Concierge at 214.871.2516.

Throughout the week, both Dinner and Champagne Bar guests may view an amazing exhibit of Titanic memorabilia including a 32” model of Titanic itself, archival photos, press clippings, newsreel film, a tableaux of the Marconi radio room, a replica of the first class table setting including crystal and china, plus china from both the second class and third class tables, menu cards, headlines, court documents, eye witness testimony, a complete Titanic passenger manifest with photos, biographies, many with photos of living descendants, ticket numbers, cabin numbers and in most cases rescue life boat numbers. Also see posters, stationery, napkins, plates, silverware, artwork of Titanic and White Star Line as well as photographs of the ship’s staterooms, public areas, Dining Rooms and Squash Court. Additional Images of Carpathia , Californian and Olympic, Dallas Morning News and Dallas Times Herald and other headlines will also be on display.

Tuesday, April 10

Commemorate Titanic’s first port of call in Cherbourg with a special Titanic Champagne Bar menu and/or Dessert Plate, with Coffee and Champagne, @ $25 per person, service in the Library and Parlor from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.  Regular dinner service is also available in the Main Dining Room at $85 per person and features a White Star Cocktail, hors d’oeuvres and specialty Desserts.

Wednesday, April 11

Next stop is Queensland, Ireland to pick up staff and more passengers. Titanic is now fully loaded and sets sail for New York. Enjoy a unique Titanic Champagne Bar menu, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and/or our Titanic Dessert Plate with Coffee, Wine Bar and Champagne @ $ 25  per person, served from 4:00-8:00 p.m.

Full dinner service in Grand Dining Room, as listed above.

Thursday, April 12

A day of steaming across the Atlantic in calm, clear weather, Titanic experiences a lovely day. At Hotel St Germain, enjoy our unique Titanic Champagne Bar menu, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and/or our Titanic Dessert Plate with Coffee, Wine Bar and Champagne @ $ 25 per person, served from 3:00-8:00 p.m.

Full dinner service in Grand Dining Room, as listed above

Friday, April 13

Another calm day at sea. At Hotel St Germain, enjoy our unique Titanic Champagne Bar menu, Cocktails and Hors D’oeuvres and/or our Titanic Dessert Plate with Coffee, Wine Bar and Champagne @ $ 30 per person, served from 4:00-8:00 p.m.

Full dinner service in Grand Dining Room, as listed above

Saturday, April 14

R.M.S. Titanic Commemorative Dinner – White Star Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the courtyard where dinner guests will each draw a ticket out of a Champagne Bucket. That ticket will correspond to a specific Titanic survivor who travelled with that ticket. Each dinner guest will receive an information packet about their Titanic “Guest Host” as the evening celebrates the courage and perseverance of the survivors.

Following will be an exceptional four-course wine pairing with a White Star cocktail. Meet descendants of Titanic survivors. 7:00pm, $95 per person including wines and Champagne. Door prizes of exact replica R.M.S. Titanic artifacts including hand towels with embroidered logo of Titanic and White Star Line, a whistle, tea towels with line sketches and even a crow’s nest key.

[I believe a second seating of this dinner has been added!]

Sunday, April 15

Sunday Brunch featuring Champagne and Eggs Benedict from 12:00 noon until 1:30 p.m. followed by an afternoon screening of the film, “A Night To Remember” and the documentary, “Raise The Titanic.”  $25 per person.

For more information or to make reservations, please call our Concierge at 214.871.2516.

2516 Maple Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75219

www.hotelstgermain.com

Teresa “Gubbshoe” Gubbins and Mike “Whole In One” Hiller tied in a race to be the first to report the closing of Horne & Dekker. Gubbshoe coaxed a quote from owner Flynn Dekker. However, Hiller has some bitchin’ discounts on laundry detergent you can download from escapehatchdallas.com.

Leslie “LaLa” Brenner ran the inside track and clearly beat the field on this announcement: Michael Sindoni, formerly of AGAINN restaurant in Washington DC, has taken the reigns as The Joule hotel’s Executive Chef and will be responsible for overseeing all food & beverage for the hotel including private banquets, room service, and the new Charlie Palmer food hall which is part of the hotel’s 2012 expansion. The restaurant will close for a short while and emerge as Charlie Palmer Steak which will be overseen by executive sous chef Joel Harrington. “LaLa” also admits she has a mild eating disorder when it comes to bread crumbs: “I am a sucker for bread crumbs,” she writes. “And they seem to be very much in the air these days. Or in the kitchen, anyway.”  And I thought it was ragweed! (SideThought: Who thought the name AGAINN was a good idea?) Moving on.

EaterDallas needs a boost to their self esteem. This morning they use today’s warm weather forecast as a clever lead into the riveting announcement of Eater Hottest Chef Competition. Then they bash themselves over the head for doing so: “…while we’ve never been great at weather metaphors we are about to get real good at giving you some eye candy. Who is the hottest?” I think the metaphor worked beautifully. After all, it is as hot as Dean Fearing outside at this very moment and the forecast says late afternoon temperatures will be as cool as Matt McCallister. Good work, Merritt!

The 8^th Annual Savor Dallas is almost here! March 30-31 to be exact. Cue the press release quote from Jim “Red” White:  “We are excited to see Savor Dallas grow from its downtown Dallas base to include new events in Bishop Arts and Las Colinas.” says Jim White, Savor Dallas co-founder along with his wife Vicki Briley-White. “We’ve added a cool concert at the Kessler Theater, and created some great cooking and tasting opportunities that will benefit local food and wine groups like Les Dames d’Escoffier.” The White’s and company have lined up some big names in the business and have 400 premium wines to pour. It’s all here. Or call 888-728-6747.

In an effort to become a “well rounded human being,” I am trying to step out and find some ways to give back to the community. In light of that, I thought it would be neat to find a way to combine the desire to help out with my enjoyment of food and the preparation thereof. So, I was wondering if you might know of any opportunities on that avenue, or if there’s anyone out there who might know more about it.

The avenue is long and wide. Help him find a place to park.

I love Boxing Day, the first business day after Christmas. All of Ontario closes and we sit on the chesterfield and chow down on donuts, beer, macaroni and cheese, and watch hockey. The NHL pretty much owns Canada on Boxing Day now. They have TEN GAMES scheduled. My friend’s mum puts out (uhoot) a hellofa buffet (boo-fay). And k.d. lang always sends me a fruit cake. Go Leafs! (Q: Why don’t the Leafs drink tea? A: Because the Canadiens have all the cups.) And hello Peterborough!

“Hey Kath, would you whip me up some of your wonderful hot chocolate, pretty please?”

“It’s called drinking chocolate, you numb-skull, and what do I look like, your mom?”

“Well actually, if my mom had a few more tattoos…”

etc, etc…

Now, I don’t actually know if Katherine actually enjoys any of those things at all (aside from the chocolates bit), but I do know for sure, the woman makes the finest batch of hot cocoa you will ever let slide past your lips.  If your idea of hot chocolate is some brown junk you mix with tap water and microwave with rock hard mini marshmallows, you have a lot to learn, my friend.

The luscious elixir they call “drinking chocolate” at Dude, Sweet Chocolate is an altogether ethereal drinking experience.  A glorious brew of Valrhona cocoa, cane sugar, a touch of sea salt, and bits of a lustrous dark 72% chocolate. Never before have I tasted a chocolate drink as rich, as smooth, as densely chocolate as this wintertime treat concocted by Team Clapner. It’s so intensely chocolaty, that it’s probably the closest thing a person can get to simply downing a bowl of straight-up melted chocolate and still enjoy the experience.

Lazy drinkers can simply wander into Dude, Sweet and have the kind folks there mix you up your own mug to enjoy whilst wandering the streets of the Bishop Arts District.  You can also bring a package home with you to brew up at your own convenience.  Each batch is neatly packed with a bag of house-made vanilla bean marshmallows, just add whole milk, stir, sip and enjoy.

It’s getting colder outside, folks.  And if you remember anything about last winter, you might want to get out and try this stuff before the entire city of Dallas becomes an ice skating rink again.  You won’t be disappointed. Just tell Katherine that her best friend sent you.

(Want else to Eat Now? Follow me @deepinthegut)

Good wines gone bad.

Forgive me Master Sommeliers and wine collectors around the world, I have sinned. I am here to confess my deepest darkest wine secret: I improperly stored four bottles of fabulous wine. For nearly 35 years.

Look at the photos and weep with (for?) me. I recently uncovered these bottles in a box buried beneath a pile of old Christmas decorations in my garage. Yes, my garage, where it sat for close to 35 summers, winters, springs, and falls. I am a human species of Phylloxera.

I could have pulled another Billionaire’s Vinegar and called Sotheby’s and claimed the wine was given to me by Richard Nixon and I’ve kept it hidden in a bricked-up Paris cellar. Instead I’m posting pictures of my crime. Perhaps there are others who have committed the same dirty deed.

Full confession below.

Yes, $19.79 before my employee discount.

Self portrait.

I used to collect wine, especially French wine. Specifically those of Bordeaux. I worked at a wine bar in Dallas called La Cave and spent my off time learning about French wine. My former boss, François Chandou, still runs La Cave Warehouse.  He is my witness. I bought hundreds of bottles of French Bordeaux. I wore a laminated vintage chart around my neck and scoured wine shops and wine lists looking for the best.

Eventually, I drank it all. Well, except for these four bottles. Is there anything I can do? Do I even attempt to drink them? (Does anyone want to buy them?)

I would like to take this moment to apologize to Bacchus, Dionysos, the early colonists of Southern Gaul, the concept of terroir, Baron Philippe de Rothschild (and subsequent Barons), James Tidwell, and Drew Hendricks. My deepest regrets to the chateaus: Latour, Mouton-Rothchild, Margaux (oh, sweet Margaux), Haut-Brion, Petrus, Pomerol, St. Emilion, and d’Yquem. Sorrows to you dear Cabernet Savignon, Merlot, and Cab Franc grapes. You gave your lives only to sit in a bottle in a box underneath a pile of old Christmas decorations in my garage. I am unworthy of your grace.

There is about a half inch of sediment in the neck of this bottle.

Sorry lion-guarded fortresses of France.

This wine was my first true love. We sold it for $4 a glass at La Cave. At one point I owned two cases.

Heinous. Painful. Wrong.