I’m a sucker for birds. So is Mexican artist Luis Sottil. You may have seen his work in other Mi Cocina restaurants: he currently has paintings in six other restaurants. The mural at the new Mi Cocina in Lakewood, in the old Matt’s space, is scheduled to open in July. Sottill uses only natural pigments such as cochinella, mother of pearl, minerals, vegetables dyes, and14kt gold in his paintings. For this painting he was inspired by these birds: “Hooded Oriole, Altamira, Golden Cheeked Warbler, Painted Bunting, Texas Hummingbirds, and the Northern Mockingbird.” Tex-Mex for Twitchers!
UPDATE: Scott from dallasfood.org brings up a good point in the comments section. Several of the birds listed above would be a rare sighting at White Rock Lake. The press release reads:
This is the first time Sottil has studied the local natural environment and incorporated it into his Mi Cocina murals. The artist has chosen to feature birds including the Hooded Oriole, Altamira, Golden Cheeked Warbler, Painted Bunting, Texas Hummingbirds and, of course, the Northern Mockingbird.
Luis Sottil was inspired by his research of the history and “exuberant beauty” of White Rock Lake and the Lakewood area, and it reminded him of the lush biodiversity on his native Tampico, Mexico. In particular, Sottil was drawn to the many colorful birds that are common inhabitants of White Rock Lake which reminded him of home.
Hmm. Methinks Sottil should seek the advice of JR Compton and switch out the golden cheeked warbler for a monk parakeet. If you truly want to represent the “exuberant beauty” of White Rock Lake.
Freakin’ Oak Cliff. They think they are so much cooler than the rest of Dallas. I think it’s time they consider seceding from the city. Case in point: next Tuesday, April 24, Driftwood, the new seafood-centric spot on Davis, is offering 50% off the food tab for any resident of OC who can show up with proof. Here is the fine print for “Residents Day”:
We would like to show our thanks to the community. Tuesday the 24th of April will be Residents Day at Driftwood - All Oak Cliff Residents will receive 50% off ALL food for the night. You must make a reservation (reservations will ONLY be taken on Monday the 23rd from Noon – 2pm). This offer is good only for Oak Cliff residents – MUST provide an electric or water bill showing the 75208 zip code to receive the discount. Limited seating’s and times because we are so small.
I can only imagine what would happen if Marquee Grill hosted a “Residents Day” and only allowed customers with water bills stamped with 75205. Oh, wait. Everyday at Marquee is “Residents Day.” No proof required. Cool. Hey Driftwood, when is 75201 day?
Last week Andrew Chalk attended a dinner at Bailey’s Prime Steakhouse. He reported former execuchef Grant Morgan had left. Chalk also said Michael Ehlert, the chef owner Ed Bailey hired to get The Chesterfield up and running, “will become the executive chef of a new high-end modern French restaurant backed by Bailey later this year.” Today, according Steven Doyle, Ehlert and his fiancee Jennifer Jaco, who is also the sommelier at Bailey’s, have left the restaurant and are now “on the loose.” Methinks Mr. Bailey may be difficult to please? He’s got a lot of money and has seduced a lot of talent to his businesses but he seems to have trouble keeping them on board.
How many times have you returned from a vacation and rushed to your favorite restaurant for a fix of your favorite food? For almost 20 years, I drove from the airport to Mi Cocina in Preston Royal and went face down in a plate of nachos. Then came In-N-Out. Okay, so Andrew doesn’t love it. He’s British. He ingests cans of Spotted Dick Sponge Pudding and Vegemite, a nasty paste I use as a bug killer.
I lived in California for 11 years so perhaps I am experiencing the reverse-home-town-food-nostalgia syndrome that affects older people because when I returned from vacation last week, I drove straight to In-N-Out and devoured a DDAS (double-double animal style) like a rabid coyote. EVERYBODY knows you order the fries crispy at INO. Everybody but Andrew.
Anywhoo, where do you go when you re-enter your life in Dallas?
It was bound to happen: pizza lover and baseball writer, Evan Grant, finally met pizza maker and baseball lover, Jay Jerrier. The twosome came up with a publicity stunt. (SHOCKER) They invented “Name a Pizza for Mike Napoli” contest. (If you don’t know who Napoli is, you can go back to work.) If you love the catcher-first-baseman-DH lovingly referred to as “Dirtbag,” you will love this: Today, Grant and Jerrier announced four finalists plus Grant’s unofficial “look-how-funny-I-am”entry, “The (he wishes) Grand Salami.” Hear him brag:
After much consideration, pizza-maker extraordinaire Jay Jerrier and pizza-eater extraordinaire Evan Grant (that’s me), have come up with four finalists for our Name a Napoli Pizza contest.Tuesday (Feb. 7 or tomorrow to most of you), we will roll out some samples of these fine entries for you to taste and, as always, the full Cane Rosso menu will be available. One of these fine recipes will end up as a special pie on the Cane Rosso menu for the next month and one of these neophyte pizza creators will walk away with a nice little prize package. Maybe we can come up with some other surprises, too. So, if you are free come on down. We’d love your input here and at the restaurant. Here are the finalists. Be there at 7PM.
My editor and sometimes friend, Tim Rogers, talks like he’s a really tough guy. He so tough he doesn’t sit at his desk, he has his computer table elevated and he stands all day. Like I said, he’s tough. But I’ll let you in on a secret: Tim likes to cook fancy food. And he brings the leftovers in and eats them for lunch. Yesterday he told me he took his wife and another couple to Sushi Sake in Richardson. He raved about the sushi and the service. He doesn’t think there is a better sushi restaurant in Dallas. I told him I’d ask you guys what the best sushi spot is in Dallas. Tim wants to go there.
In August 2008, I traveled to Savannah, Georgia where I dined at Paula Deen’s restaurant Lady & Sons. We ran a post titled “Paula Deen Wants to Kill You.” I wrote:
I can still smell the rancid butter that hit us in the face when we walked in the door. I’ve got to find the pictures I took of the food I ate–everything was dripping in butter. I remember the chicken pot pie was big enough for four and almost everything was fried. OK, she admits she’s “not your cardiologist,” but she really is contributing to the delinquency of dieters. The night we went, at least 75 per cent of the diners were beyond overweight–they were obese. It was sad–like people watching at the slots in Vegas–everyone was gambling with their lives.
Last week Paula Deen confirmed the rumor: she has Type 2 diabetes. I wonder how many of her dedicated fans also suffer from Type 2? This really chaps my sass because two members of my family didn’t have a choice: they both were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when they were young. They have to continually monitor their diet and control their blood sugar. However, Ms. Deen, and other people who put on blinders and continue to fill their body with fat and sugar, had an option. Like not eating a burger made with Krispy Kreme donuts. It’s now rumored that Deen may become the spokesperson for Novartis, a company with a drug designed to treat diabetes. If she personally profits from developing Type 2 diabetes (Hey yáll, I’m your endocrinologist!), I’m going to go berserk. I can already see the talk show circuit lighting up. It makes me sick.
An eagle-eyed Disher sends word: the signage at Four Sister’s Café in Richardson has been changed to read “Texas.” The restaurant, owned by Del Frisco’s founder Dale Wamstad, opened last June. I called the restaurant to get details. A nice lady answered the phone and I asked her about the change. However, as soon as I identified myself, she hung up on me. Mr. Wamstad does not like food critics. And I’m pretty sure he didn’t like what Sarah Reiss wrote about Four Sisters. Maybe Texas will be different. The name has a certain ring to it. Texas.
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. (more…)
Last night, Amy Severson couldn’t sleep. She turned on the light, grabbed a pen and paper, and started doodling.
First, a few things to disclose. I talked to Dean Fearing’s about this endeavor because my memory isn’t what it used to be. Second, when you see “Sfuzzi,” it refers to the original, not the current (for the youngsters in the audience). Third, I know there are bound to be errors, too bad. This was the best I could do at 3:30 in the morning. Fourth, I have tried to update locations, but some are questionable, thus the “?”
Remember this chart is the first draft of a larger project. Looking forward to adding more names and connections.
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.
Anthony Bourdain will be at The Majestic tonight. Tickets are still available. I understand there will be a Q&A segment in the show. Can’t go? Send me your questions. I’ll try to get them answered.
Oh, and Tony. Tonight is the sixth game of the World Series. Our Texas Rangers could be champions before your show is over. You’ve will have hard core Rangers fans in the audience with DVRs recording the game. Please do not give game updates. That goes for you fans in the audience. If I see one of you on your cell phone getting game results, I WILL CUT YOU.
Several months ago, I received a press release announcing the date and details for Anthony Bourdain’s show at the Majestic Theater. I posted the information on SideDish and we included the event the October D Magazine events listings.
In the middle of September, I received an email from one of the PR peeps handling Bourdain’s tour. She asked:
We are putting together press requests for Anthony today to see what he has time for scheduling wise. Would you be interested in a possible interview leading up to the show? If so, what would be your deadline for the interview in order for it to run before the show? Of course, the more coverage we receive from any one particular outlet will be given priority.
I said sure. She asked if the interview would be in the November issue and I said no we are a monthly magazine and that issue has already gone to the printers. I’d be happy to post it on the blog.
Gmail silence.
My humble offerings were not good enough. No interview. Today same PR peep says no media/photography access to the event. So, Tony. Have a nice show. I’m sorry we can’t cover it. If anyone out there would like to buy the excellent tickets I bought for the show, shoot me an email. I’m taking reservations.
UPPITY DATE: Readers says Scott Reitz at Observer posted interview this morning. Fully expected as they are media sponsor of event.
UPPITY DATE: Just received a note from Bourdain. He apologized for the confusion and invited me to be a special guest on his show. Tony and I will perform a medley of John Denver tunes. Need tickets? Email me.
UPPITY DATE: Anthony Bourdain sent me a note saying he doesn’t employ handlers or PR people. He has no involvement in how local promoters deal with media credentials.
If I told you this gal’s last name, you would know she is not financially challenged. However, her lack of knowledge about good hot dogs in Dallas is deprived. She writes:
Nancy, I am in the mood for a real hot dog. Not a boiled on like the guy outside of Home Depot (YUCK!). Every time we go to New York I go to Nathan’s (YUM!) is there anything like that here?
Even though she used both “y” words, I think we should help her. Here are some links (HAH!) to several places we’ve hit: Costco. Eddie’s. Wild About Harry’s. Double Dip Frozen Custard in Frisco.

Anqullkah Udama, Elaine Vasquez, John Tesar, Maria Mejia, and Rich Lacamana (Photo by Desirée Espada)
I snuck in to John Tesar’s Hater’s Party last night. My friend Laura and I arrived early and watched them set up. Tesar was running around organizing the seating and the free booze and tacos in the Camanera Tequila truck parked outside the restaurant. By the time we left (7:30PM), there were about 40 people on the patio. I witnessed no hate; only love for John Tesar. Our photographer, Desiree Espada, took pictures.
Jump for the love of John.
Okay Haters, don’t blame me. I’m playing Phidippides in this decision-making process. The physical September issue of D Magazine will be in the mailboxes of subscribers today and on newsstands tomorrow. Most of the content is now online. Here is a link to a portion of “The Most Hated Chef in Dallas” story about John Tesar, but if you want to read the full story you have to get your hands on a magazine. (Perhaps you can schedule that doctor’s appointment you’ve put off.)
I hear through the TextVine that chef Tesar is organizing a Hater’s Party next Monday night outside of The Commissary at One Arts Plaza. He promised to send details but so far he texts that he will be giving away free tacos and wine to anyone who shows up with a copy of the September issue of D Magazine. (This is his promotion, not ours.) Latest text: “The Camarena taco truck with a special menu and free tap wine and some beer. It’s official. Monday 7-9PM. Haters Party.”
‘Scuse me while I saddle up my high horse. Am I the only woman who is concerned about the sudden surge in Breastaurants. I mean really 35 additional Twin Peaks? A bar opening in downtown called The Spread Eagle? Seriously boys? How would you like to take your daughter into one of the restaurant’s the gals in our office just conceptualized. We call them Peteries.
Hunky Town, Twin Pricks, Tooter’s, Pecker’s Hot Italian Sausage, Tube Steak Junction, Cake Balls to the Walls, Nuts and Butts, Quickies, Long Dong Silver, Tally Whacker’s, Love Mussels, Wee Willie’s, Twig and Berries.
Ladies, the floor is open.
Guess the Name of This Dallas Restaurant