Scheduled Master Sommeliers include James Tidwell, Drew Hendricks, Wayne Belding, Brett Zimmerman, Guy Stout, Tim Gaiser, Laura Williamson, Keith Goldston, Nate Ready, Melissa Monosoff, Brian Cronin, Cameron  Douglas, John Szabo, Geoff Kruth, Laura DePasquale, Jay Fletcher, Andrew McNamara, Peter Neptune and Greg Harrington. The speaker lineup also includes James Beard Award Winners Rajat Parr and Paul Grieco, Master of wine Christy Canterbury, wine marketer Paul Wagner, Union Square Hospitality Group Wine Director John Ragan, and Leonetti Cellar Owner Chris Figgins.

The seminar topics, times, and various ticket prices are listed below. For more information or to register, click here. Like, fast.

You can be a sommelier like this Guy!

In addition to the seminar schedule, the Texas’ Best Sommelier competition runs behind the scenes. The prize for the winner includes scholarship money to be used for a Court of Master Sommeliers’ certification program. The winning sommelier will be announced at the Grand Tasting on Monday, August 13, which will include 150 world-class wines and hors d’oeuvres from Four Seasons Executive Chef Christof Syre.

CONFERENCE CALENDAR
Saturday, August 11-—Pre-conference tasting and social media boot camp
9:00am to 3:00pm
TASTING TRACK
9:00am –12:00pm:      Tasting Workshop: Understanding the Process of tasting—led select Master Sommeliers (TBD)
12:00 – 1:00pm:           Lunch (not included in admission)
1:00 – 3:00pm:            The Kimmeridgian Chain—led by Wayne Belding MS
SOCIAL MEDIA TRACK
9:00am –12:00pm:      Social Media Boot camp—led by blogger Tony Jones
12:00 –1:00pm:           Lunch (not included in admission)
1:00 –3:00pm:             Engaging People with Social Media—led by social media expert Rick Bakas

***Seminars are open to the public. Saturday passes cost $50 per person and include access to either the Tasting Track or Social Media Track (attendees are not permitted to interchange track offerings). Please note lunch is not included with admission.

Sunday, August 12
9:00am to 5:00pm—Educational seminars on contemporary issues to include:
•         Bordeaux—led by Wayne Belding MS and Brett Zimmerman MS
•         Texas Terroir—led by Guy Stout MS and Christy Canterbury MW
•         Riesling—led by Tim Gaiser MS, Laura Williamson MS, Paul Grieco and Keith Goldston MS
•         Oregon—led by Nate Ready, MS
•         Beer—led by Melissa Monosoff MS and Brian Cronin MS

***Seminars are open to the public. Sunday passes cost $175 per person and include lunch. Sunday and Monday passes are available at a discounted price of $225. Each class features at least eight wines to taste and lasts one hour and fifteen minutes. Seating is limited to 50 participants per seminar.
Although open to the public, these seminars are also appropriate for those working in the industry— such as distributor representatives, sommeliers, restaurant managers and servers.

Monday, August 13
9:00am to 5:00pm—Educational seminars on contemporary issues to include:
•         State of the Industry—led by Moderator James Tidwell MS and panel members
Drew Hendricks MS, Paul Wagner, Rajat Parr, John Ragan, Rick Bakas
•         New Zealand: Trends for the Future—led by Cameron Douglas MS and Andrew McNamara MS
•         Niagara Peninsula—led by John Szabo MS and Geoff Kruth MS
•         Cabernet Franc—led by Laura DePasquale MS, Jay Fletcher MS and Peter Neptune MS
•         Winery Retrospective: Leonetti Cellar—led by Chris Figgins and Greg Harrington MS

*** Monday, April 13 courses deliver industry-specific material and thus are only open to the trade. Each seminar features at least eight wines to taste and lasts one hour and fifteen minutes. Monday passes cost $75 per person and include lunch. Sunday and Monday passes are available at a discounted price of $225. Seating is limited to 50 participants per seminar.
6:00 to 7:00pm—Wine Pre-Reception
7:00 to 8:30pm—Grand Tasting and Texas’ Best Sommelier 2012 Announcement Ceremony
***Open to the public. Tickets cost $95 per person.  Attendance to the Grand Tasting is included in the multi-day pass.

***Complete package tickets including Sunday and Monday passes and Grand Tasting tickets can be purchased for $300

INFORMATION: TEXSOM will be held on August 12-13, 2012 at the Four Seasons Resort and Club at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas, between Dallas and Fort Worth a pre-conference tasting and social media boot camp will be held Saturday August 11. For more details and conference registration information, please visit www.texsom.com.
FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES: For media interested in attending or covering TEXSOM 2012, please contact Keely Garibaldi at C. Milan Communications, keely@cmilancomm.com or 415.392.6600.
ABOUT TEXSOM

TEXSOM and the Texas’ Best Sommelier Competition were founded by James Tidwell, MS, CWE, Sommelier at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas and Drew Hendricks, MS, CWE, Director of Beverage Education for Pappas Restaurants in Houston. Presented by the not-for-profit organizations, the Texas Sommelier Association and the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas, TEXSOM is the only event of its kind in the world. Since its inception in 2005, it has attracted more than 1,500 wine professionals, and more than 160 Texas sommeliers have competed.

ABOUT THE TEXAS SOMMELIER ASSOCIATION
The Texas Sommelier Association is a trade association comprised of Texas wine professionals. The Association promotes professional wine service standards, outlines paths for further wine education and certification, and raises public awareness about the professional standards and certifications for sommeliers. The organization sponsors the “Texas’ Best Sommelier” competition, with the winner being awarded scholarships for professional certification courses. This competition is held behind the scenes during the TEXSOM conference. For more information, visit www.texsom.com.

ABOUT THE WINE AND FOOD FOUNDATION OF TEXAS
The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas was established to connect its members and the general public with the value, creativity and craftsmanship inherently present in the culinary and viticulture arts. This mission is fulfilled by funding grants, scholarships and research aimed at elevating the quality, awareness and enjoyment of good food and fine wine as well as hosting education and social events that enhance the quality of life for members and communities. These programs offer unique opportunities to enrich the minds and palates of guests, who in turn can relate their experience with friends sharing common interests. For more information, visit www.winefoodfoundation.org.

Edible Dallas' table (left); Dean Fearing honored for his support of local farm growers (right) photos by Elizabeth Lavin

Lee Park was the place to be last Sunday. Over 1,000 people showed up for sold-out Mixin’ It Up On The Boulevard, a massive food event organized by Chefs For Farmers. The two women credited with pulling together all of the details are Iris McCallister and Christina LaBarba. This dynamic duo coordinated over 40 chefs, 20 farmers, wineries, breweries, mixologists, and artisan producers and pulled off what appeared to be a flawless afternoon of celebration. Chefs for Farmers, a group that supports local farmers, chefs, and businesses, donated 100 percent of the proceeds to Meal On Wheels of Tarrant County and Water for Chizavane.

Each chef was paired with a local vendor. Guests were encouraged to make donations at each station to help them raise money for an item (refrigerator, etc) the vendor was trying to buy. The chef list was impressive: Fearing, Pyles, Rathbun, Derry, Natera, Houser, Provost, Harris, McCallister, to name only a few. The public sampled the food, talked to the participants, and listened to DJ sounds and the band Sugarfoote & Co. At one point Dean Fearing took the microphone and sang along. Elizabeth Lavin captured the day with her Nikon.

Jump for her shots.

Stephen Pyles' Bay of Salmon Confit: Rocky's Turnips, Purple Hulls and Manchego "Chicharron"

Texas Honeybee Guild (left); Dude Sweet Chocolate's messed up ice cream float with foie gras caramel and cocoa nib ice cream (right)

Kent Rathbun honored for his outstanding community outreach and support of local growers

John Tesar's shrimp risotto (left); John Tesar (right)

Texas olive oil

Sissy's cobbler (left); Dive's ceviche with striped bass, marinated in lime juice, mango, cilantro, red onion, jalapeno, and tomato with housemade plantain chips

Al Havens, Anastacia Quinones and Abraham Salum from Salum (left); Dragonfly's duck prosciutto (right)

(clockwise from top) Chef Graham Dodds, oxtail ragout with crispy gnocchi, and a Scotch egg. (Photography by Kevin Marple)

This month Todd Johnson checks in with Graham Dodds, the newish executive chef at Central 214. His cooking is a far cry from his predecessor Blythe Beck. Have you tried the newish Central 214?

With his shaggy beard and dark painter’s cap, Graham Dodds looks out of place in Central 214, the restaurant he now helms at Hotel Palomar. It feels like a typical hotel restaurant—contrived modern decor, nondescript white leather banquettes, amber walls—so focus-grouped that it lacks any personality. And it’s not just the new chef’s appearance. Dodds’ culinary history is far too personal for such an impersonal space.

For the past three years, Dodds was the executive chef at Bolsa, the award-winning spot in the Bishop Arts District. He was in on the project from its inception, and his farm-to-fork approach—championing local and seasonal ingredients—was fresh at the time, not the marketing gimmick it has become. Dodds’ creations were simple, his flavors pure. Nothing was over-sauced or overwrought. Bolsa was an instant hit, and it established North Oak Cliff as a dining destination. D Magazine named it the 2009 restaurant of the year.

Click for more.

Here come da judge. Brian Luscher, BYOChalk. (Photography by Kevin Marple)"

White Rock Local Market at Green Spot Market and Fuels kicks off its fourth season of markets on Saturday March 24 (8AM 1PM). White Rock Local Market is a non-profit 501(c)(3), independent farmers market offering a venue for local farmers, ranchers and artisans to bring what they grow or make and sell directly to the East Dallas neighborhood.

To get things rolling, they are hosting a chili cookoff on Saturday. So far judges for the contest include Jeffery Hobbs (Sissy’s, Suze), Graham Dodds (Central 214), and Brian Luscher (The Grape). Winners take home vintage trophies and gift certificates for market products.

Jump for the market’s awesome vendor list and how to sign up for the cookoff.

To sign up for the Chili Cookoff, click this link.

WRLM’s Spring 2012 Chili Cook-off will help WRLM launch its first ever membership program that allows customers to support WRLM. Member benefits range from discounts at area businesses, to a custom-shopping tote designed by Dallas’ Banner Theory, to exclusive WRLM workshops and farm tours – and more!

Food vendors at this market: organic growers Farmer Jones Plants and Produce, Texas Worm Ranch and Good Earth Organics are back, as well as Kitchen Pride Mushrooms. Later in the spring, we will be joined by Rae Lilli Farm, Sachse Heritage Farms, Larken Farms and Lightsey Farms. Juha Ranch returns with grass fed beef, chicken, lamb, pork and eggs; Homestead Heritage will be there with their wide variety of meats and cheeses. Eagle Mountain Cheese, Grapevine Grains, The Tamale Company, Lucido’s Pasta, and Texas Olive Ranch.  Empire Baking and Village Baking Company will be there, along with Tough Cookie Vegan Bakery and newcomers The Bread Crumb and EMA Baking. Corked in Texas will bring wines from Lone Oak Winery in Burleson, including the 2010 Texas Viognier, which won double gold at the prestigious San Francisco Wine Competition last month. And more…

The event is free. See http://www.whiterocklocalmarket.com for more information or call 214-797-4989. For a complete list of vendors go here: http://www.whiterocklocalmarket.com/vendors.html

White Rock Local Market is a non-profit 501(c)(3), independent farmers market, a public space offering a venue for local farmers, ranchers and artisans to bring what they grow or make and sell directly to the East Dallas neighborhood.  The mission is to strengthen the community by creating a meeting place for residents to buy fresh, local and healthy foods, and quality arts and crafts.  WRLM happens twice a month (from March through December) – the second and fourth Saturday – at The Green Spot Market and Fuels, 702 N. Buckner Blvd. The second Saturday includes all vendors – food and crafts.  The fourth Saturday is just for farmers, growers and artisan foods. See http://www.whiterocklocalmarket.com for more information.

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Sweet Face: Chef Mansour Gorji.

I’ll be quick and to the point: Canary By Gorji is the most underrated restaurant in Dallas. Every time I eat there I am seduced by the creative cooking and I fall in love with Chef Mansour Gorji.

I took my family to Canary By Gorji  for dinner last night and we had a comfortable, laid-back dining experience. (I don’t have pictures because I didn’t use my cell phone.) The music, service, food, and atmosphere all work together to produce a calm atmosphere. We left happy and I didn’t feel like I’d just worked a review.

If you’ve eaten at this small, mostly Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, you have met Gorji. When he isn’t at a market buying fresh ingredients, he is in his kitchen creating unique dishes or visiting with customers. He was the first chef to champion the pomegranate, which he still uses as a garnish on steaks and in sauces. Last night, I devoured a celery root (trending!) and carrot salad that was so fresh it tasted like it was just plucked from the garden. The filleted trout served with a just a touch of white wine and lemon sauce is topped with tart barberries and capers. His food is so clean; so delicious. My mother claimed the pork chop as “the best she’s ever eaten.”

Gorji is a hard working chef. Not only does he cook every night, he supports local charities and produces a line of products which are sold online and in local stores. I’ve never seen him without a smile and a good-natured laugh. Go visit him. He will dazzle your taste buds and your heart.

Our BBQ guy, Daniel Vaughn

Anthony Bourdain’s a smart man for selecting Daniel Vaughn, BBQ Snob and the genius behind “Full Custom Gospel BBQ”, to write one of the three titles for his new line of books published under Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Our favorite BBQ correspondent (who did his first print story with us) will be writing Prophets of Smoked Meat, a full-color tour of the best Texas barbeque joints he’s visited since he first got hooked on the ‘cue. The book will feature recipes of smoked classics and sides, and shed some light on some of the people whose passion drive the Texas BBQ food scene.

“Tony Bourdain and I are long lost brothers in meat. To have his support in writing a book about Texas Barbecue really just feels like an overdue family reunion,” says Vaughn.

Bourdain recognizes Vaughn as “the Yoda of Barbecue, a man of impeccable smoked meat credentials, known most notoriously as the guy upon whose tireless quest for slow-cooked meat-related wisdom mainstream media shamelessly piggybacks. With this book, we hope, he shall finally get his due as the undisputed, argument ending source of all knowledge.”

The first title under the Ecco line belongs to co-founder of the Kogi BBQ food trucks in Los Angeles, Roy Choi, while the third goes to Mark Miller, a kickboxing champion who struggled with addiction. Daniel Vaughn has the second title. Sidedishers, it looks like our BBQ Snob has made it to the big leagues! Go eat some BBQ to celebrate and do a jiggity-jig-jig.

If you missed this episode, boy do I feel sorry for you. Bev kicked a lot of @$$.

Crazy BRAVO, I guess, was tired of hot-weather Texas and decided to see if the Top Chefs (Paul, Bev, Sarah, and Lindsay) could survive in the frozen tundra of British Columbia. They might as well have been in Siberia. All the chefs, sporting longer hairdos from a couple months off, immediately start hating on Bev the second they reconvene inside Whistler Olympic Park. Sarah’s resolution to “be a really nice person” (… right) turns into a big flop and outcasts Bev from the start. When the final four meet the judges again, Padma begins to explain their elimination challenge, The Culinary Games, which is split into three parts. At the end of each round, one person must die. (Kidding, kidding. Too bad this isn’t “The Hunger Games.”) The winner of each round wins $10,000 and a guaranteed spot in the final three.

Let the games begin!

Round 1: The Gondola

Chefs have 22 minutes to cook a dish on a moving gondola. Paul gets motion sickness, Bev’s scared of heights, and Sarah can’t get it together. But we all know how important it is for the chefs to gain this real-life experience of cooking on a gondola, because one day, who knows, there’s a 0% chance they’ll have to cook for President Obama while he’s riding a gondola up Whistler Mountain.

Unfortunately, mean-natured Lindsay wins this round with her seared salmon and red quinoa. Bev’s salmon tartare comes in a close second, while Sara’s chorizo sausage earns her third place. Paul kicks himself in the foot for not executing his lamb loins with curried mushrooms the way he wanted. It’s okay, Paul. You can’t always be brilliant.

Round 2: Ice Blocks

Judges are preparing Paul, Bev, and Sarah for imminent climate change by forcing them to break big blocks of ice that hold their ingredients. The chefs have to chisel away like eskimos at iceberg sculptures before they can start cooking. Paul goes straight for the king crab that Bev wants, but he’s super duper nice afterwards and helps Sarah and Bev throw ice blocks onto the ground because they’re clearly struggle bus-ing. Apparently, being small and half-the-size of Sarah doesn’t prevent Bev from hacking away at her ice blocks like a madwoman. (I hope I never have to share the same room with Bev and an ice pick. She scares the hell out of me.)

Paul’s poached crab with mango chutney helps him move onto Vancouver (someone please tell me why the next episode is STILL not in Texas?), and Sarah’s “split pea soup gone wrong” means she has to battle with Bev in the final round of Culinary Wars. This, remember, is the last thing that Sarah wants. Despite her attempts to play nice, she has been making underhanded remarks about Bev the entire time. Just give up, Sarah. You don’t know how to be nice.

Round 3: Guns and Skis

“This is your last shot,” says Padma.

Bev and Sarah have to ski around a track, stop, and shoot a gun with only 10 bullets for their ingredients. Even though Sarah is feeling cocky because her family owns a lot of guns (Bev, watch out), Bev blasts Sarah to the ground with her skiing and rifle skills. Meek Bev fights like a tiger in the kitchen, whipping up a slow-roasted Artic char with beet compote while Sarah braises a rabbit leg and heart topped with cherries and sauerkraut. At the judges’ table, Gail Simons thinks Sarah’s dish is tough to chew, and baldy Tom notes that Bev didn’t cook Asian this time, but her dish was still overcooked. It looks like a close one.

Padma tears up for the first time this season when she tells Bev it’s time for her to go.

Goodbye, Bev

Sarah turns nice and hugs Bev as she says, “I’m so glad we got to cook together.” Fakkity fake fake. Somebody – preferably Paul – please take her out in Vancouver. That girl needs to go.

I’d say he made a monumental move. Jump for his story.

After reading state regulations, he went to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Administration (TABC) and told them he wanted to get a permit to operate a commercial vodka distillery. They told him it was illegal. He asked them if they had read the regulations. They told him they couldn’t cite the exact clause, but nobody had ever asked for a license for a distillery so it must be illegal. After several appeals, Beveridge’s application was kicked up to someone in the organization that was more familiar with the regulations. The TABC was willing to approve the distillery only if the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms was willing to do the same. Two years after filing his application his distillery was approved. In 1997 Tito’s Handmade Vodka shipped its first vodka.

Licensing wasn’t his only problem. State law governing the sale of liquor requires sales to go through the three-tier system: the producer sells to a distributor, who sells to a retailer, who can sell to final consumers. Unlike wineries, which are governed by different laws, a liquor producer cannot develop a thriving direct trade by creating a tasting room and attracting tourists or shipping products directly to consumers’ homes. State law limits on-site tastings to 1/2 of a fluid ounce and no sales.

Tito Beveridge

Beveridge approached distributors who all told him the same thing. Retailers could not order his vodka if the distributor didn’t carry it. So how did he expect to compete with the global  companies that dominated vodka sales? He was forced to go to retailers directly and encourage, plead, and extol them to order his vodka from distributors. He traveled to all corners of the state, often sleeping in his car or on the couch of the distributor’s local sales representative to save costs. In the first year he sold 1,000 cases.

Beveridge made his product by fermenting American corn into the ‘beer’ (as fermented grain is called in the liquor business). Then he distilled the liquid six times in a pot still. He built the still himself using pictures he found in library books. (This was the pre-internet age!). Once distilled, he would filter, bottle, label, and pack the vodka, often sleeping by the still during distillations. Then he’d load his truck and rush out to sell it. Thirty days later, the money would flow in and he could pay his suppliers and credit card companies (he had 19 credit cards at one point with a combined balance over $80,000).  At one point his hunting buddies sat him down and said, “Tito, isn’t it time to end this insanity?” Somewhere along the way his first wife left him.

Growth was slow but steady. Two thousand cases sold in the second year. Three thousand sold in the third. In his sixth year he sold 17,000 cases, largely on the strength of the double-gold medal he won at the prestigious San Francisco International Wine and Spirits Competition. Ironically, he missed the show because he had to fix a boiler. He ended up sending a few bottles to the competition. He wouldn’t have done it unless Tony Abou-Ganim, then the beverage director of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas and a personal fan of Tito’s vodka, had encouraged Beveridge to enter.

Now Tito’s Handmade Vodka sells several hundred thousand cases a year. Beveridge has 11 production stills and two prototypes. Seventy percent of his production is sold outside Texas. He is no longer the only liquor producer in the state. Currently 31 distilleries have been bonded and the micro distillation buisiness is on fire. However, these ambitious people starting to make bourbon, gin, vodka and tequila should remember that the state permitting process is now easier in large part because of Tito’s efforts. And consumers are willing to look at local spirits rather than global brands in large part because of the credibility he has given Texas spirits.

Central 214 Dinner Menu

Among the highlights of Dodds’ new dinner menu:

Blood Sausage Ravioli with Baby Carrots and Buerre Fondue

Lamb Breast with Smoked Paprika-Honey Glaze and Crushed Cannellini Beans

Oxtail Ragout with Crispy Gnocchi and Basil Pesto

Louisiana Redfish with Savoy Spinach and Sauce Grenobloise

Beef Short Ribs with Horseradish Bread Crumbs and Parsnip Puree

Striped Bass with Black Lentils, Watercress and Goat Yogurt

Cauliflower “Risotto” with Kinda Wild Mushrooms and Red Wine Gastrique

Butternut Squash Parmesan with Burrata, Tom’s Arugula and Pomodoro

New York Strip with Rainbow Chard, Sunchoke Chips and Bone Marrow Butter
A sampling of the new Central 214 appetizers includes:

“Popcorn” Sweetbreads with Lime Zest and Butter

Bosque Blue Cheese Terrine with Red Pear and Local Honeycomb

Salt Cod Fritters with Piquillo Pepper Rouille

Louisiana Blue Crab Roll with Bacon Aioli and Espellette Pepper
Dodds also offers a variety of unique salad options, such as:

Roast Beets with Chevre, Pecan Balsamic and Arugula Olive Oil

Brussels Sprout Leaves with Amaranth and Pork Belly

Central 214 Dessert Menu
Dodds’ new desserts are also inspired by local ingredients as well as the chef’s Scottish family heritage. The featured PBJ with Vanilla Panna Cotta and Mum’s Preserves dessert, is made with fresh preserves using his mother’s own recipe. Other delectable dessert features include:

Chocolate-Cranberry Pavlova with Pistachio-White Chocolate Cream

Lemon-Honey Cake with Sweet Mascarpone

Housemade Churros with Cajeta Ice Cream and Fuji Apple

Central 214 Bar Menu
Central 214’s chic bar is also receiving the Dodds touch. The 15 new menu offerings range from light bites to more substantial dishes perfect for happy hour or late night dining. Highlights include:

Scotch Egg with Fleur de Sel

Triple Cooked Fries with Malt Vinegar

Crispy Pig Ears with Radish and Buttermilk Dressing

JLT with Pork Jowl, Lettuce and Tomato

Cast Iron Seared Burger with Bacon and Greens Creek Gruyere

Duck Confit Quesadilla with Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa

Coq Au Vin with Mascarpone Polenta and Sauce Vierge

Texas Quail with Leek Spaetzle and Roast Garlic Jus

Hanger Steak Frites with Green Peppercorn Gremolata

Working with a variety of partnerships that Chef Dodds has established over the past two decades, the new Central 214 menus will highlight ingredients from local and regional farms including: Caprino Royale; Texas Olive Ranch; Texas Honeybee Guild; Eden Creek Farm; Tom Spicer; Tassione Farms; Windy Hill Organics; Homestead Heritage; Windy Meadows Farm; Eagle Mountain Cheese; Veldhuizen Family Farm; Brazos Valley Cheese; and Marbleous Beef.

You can have chicken and waffles and fancy coffee at Company Cafe on the Trail. Photo by Kevin Marple.

Company Café made it to our list of Best New Restaurants in 2011. The locavore philosophy behind the menu is important and so is the wide variety of gluten-free dishes. I like Company Café because the food tastes good.  I will go there as long as they can resource sweet potatoes.

On December 6, the second location on Company Café will open on the Katy Tail. The address is 3136 Routh Street and the parking entrance is on Browning just off Cedar Springs. The menu will include most of the healthy, organic dishes such as the Deep Bowl, gluten-free chicken and waffles, and gluten-free cakes. But their will be more. They are adding a Little Red Smokehouse from J&R Manufacturing in Mesquite and will offer smoked fish and meat.

And a La Marzocco Strada MP coffee maker like the one at Oddfellows. Company Café co-owner, Stephen White, says, “It’s the Maserati of coffee makers.” Several (hundred) web sites refer to this machine as a “barista’s wet dream.” There are fewer than 20 in the U.S. and Dallas has two. Somebody order another so we can make the La Marzocco Strada MP an official trend in Dallas. (It takes three of one thing.)

If you prefer a different buzz, Company Café on the Trail will have a full bar featuring house-infused vodka cocktails and, the waxing trend, a large patio. Remember, all distilled alcohols are gluten-free.

So, there you have it: something for everybody at Company Café on the Trail.

Jump for the glorious cheeses.

Paula Lambert and Emily Samuel.

Mozzarella Company, Dallas, TX

Paula Lambert

Goat Ricotta 1st place

Hoja Santa (Herbal Goat) 1st place

Pecan Praline Mascarpone Torta 1st place

Queso Blanco with Chile and Epazote 3rd place

Brazos Valley, Waco, TX

Rebeccah Durkin

Eden (Brie) 1st place

Brie (Brie) 2nd place

Cheddar 3rd place

Pure Luck Farm and Dairy, Dripping Springs, TX

Amelia Sweethardt

Hopelessly Blue (Goat Blue) 2nd place

Basket Molded Chevre 2nd place

Three Happy Cows, Dallas, TX

Edgar Diaz

Blueberry Drinkable Yoghurt 2nd place

Plain Drinkable Yoghurt 3rd place

Eagle Mountain, Granbury, TX

Dave Eagle

Birdville Reserve (Am-made Intl style) 1st place

Latte Da Dairy,  Flower Mound, TX

Dr. Anne C. Jones

Goat Cheese Truffles 2nd place

Empire Bakery

Meaders Ozarow

Fun to look at in the front yard. On TV? Not so much. Go Rangers.

Raya has told you where to go if you want to watch the game in public. However many of us prefer to view the game from the comfort of our own couch with a few friends and dogs. A commenter, who wants to party at home, asks what she can cook to represent each team. I know you will be tempted to say roasted a few Northern Cardinals. There are six of them in my front yard this very second. You can buy Nolan Ryan’s beef at Kroger and maybe do some toasted ravioli.

I say we get this party started! Get creative. Go Rangers!

Tom Spicer.

This dinner event may be too groovy for words, but I’ll give it a shot. Our favorite forager Tom “Spiceman” Spicer is teaming up with Chef David Anthony Temple (aka underground chefDAT) and Artizone.com to present “Dinner in the Garden.” The event, benefitting the Family Place, takes place on Sunday, October 30 at 5PM. The food, paired with wine, will come from Artizone supported local farms and vendors or, if you speak DATspice: “Chef DAT will compose a one of a kind dinner concerto in 5 movements, to be performed in Spiceman’s urban garden with an orchestra of wines to match.” Oh, yeah. Get down on it for $100 per person. Tickets here . Phone answered here: 214-325-4642.

BYOA