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.

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.

Mark Abuzzahab and Eric Nadel at Sundown at the Granada. Photography by Jason Acton.

Most of you know Eric Nadel as the voice of the Texas Rangers. This year, Eric begins his 34^th year as a Rangers broadcaster in 2012, his 18^th as the lead radio voice. The other day, he picked up his seventh 2011 Texas Sportscaster of the Year Award from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. When he’s off the air, he practices his new hobby as a concert promoter. He’s helping a few female singers  get gigs. His current hot property is Daphne Willis. 

Nadel loves to eat. He leans towards vegetarian food most of the time, but he can be seduced by a bitchin’ burger every once in a while. When he travels, he sends reports of restaurants he discovers in American league cities. Last night he was invited to a “friends and family” preview dinner at Sundown at the Granada. He was so excited when he finished he dashed off this quick review and sent it to me at 11:41PM.

Most people were eating burgers and sliders but we found a very wide range of vegetarian options and we tried four of them, all of which were great. We had stuffed avocados (you get three different kinds on a plate), a chopped salad (with kale, sweet potato, avocado and all the normal veggies too), homemade veggie burger, and a succulent quinoa-black bean-sweet potato dish with avocado sauce. Unfortunately I totally forgot to take pictures. If tonight was any indication, you will really like this place. They are buying locally produced ingredients such as grass fed beef and free range chicken whenever possible, avoiding the Sysco type distributors whenever they can. The owner and his wife are vegan primarily for health reasons, but he says he has no trouble giving the public whatever they want to eat. He has come up with a big vegetarian selection with lots of taste, great seasoning. It’s the best tasting vegetarian food I have had in Dallas. And the other people were raving about the burgers. The chef is the guy who has been catering for the bands at the Granada.

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

Another Disher is excited about the game. So pumped that he is flying to St. Louis for the Games 1 and 2 (Thurs.). He wants your help.

I’m headed to St. Louis for the games. Any suggestions on where to eat.

Knock it out.

Anywhoo, I’m digging away and get off task. Oh, look! I find a permit pulled for a restaurant at 624 642 W. Davis. I’m not telling you the name of the LLC because Teresa Gubbins will be all over it like hot on fried bubblegum. I contacted several HIGH PROFILE restaurant people in The OC for info. Oh yes, they all know who and what it is, but none of them are talking. Okay, guys. I’ll remember that the next time you send me a press release about your new bartender or your fall brunch menu. Hah! Two can play this game. Grrr.

Savor Dallas announces the 8th Annual event will be held March 30-31, 2012, and expands regionally. Participants can enjoy wine, food, spirits and the arts in the Dallas Arts District, and the new Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, 500 W. Las Colinas Blvd.

Hey, Jim White! What is up? Are you changing the name to Savor Dallas and Irving? Have you ever heard of a basketball tournament called “The Final Four?” Dude, give us the news.

UPPITY DATE:  Savor Dalling Irvas Dallas organizer, Jim White, responds below. He is on top of the whole situation. All good. Jump for it.

Let's feast on pumpkin!

Oh, how I love anything made with pumpkin. Yesterday, I bought a dozen pumpkin bagels at Einstein’s. Starting today, I’m searching for anything made with pumpkin–desserts, soup, pancakes, bread, pasta—anything. If you see it or make it, let us know below.

Get it? Corn dog. Hah!

Here is a preview of some of the hip new t-shirts carnival workers will be wearing when the Texas State Fair opens on Friday. They were designed by the Belmont Icehouse in Deep Ellum. They will be available for purchase.

Pretty self-explanatory.

Fletcher's finest gets a loose mustard Devo do.

Would you like to eat dinner with this man?

Tweeter up, Dishers! Tomorrow is the MLB All-Star Game. Don’t give a twit about the game? Me either! But Evan Grant, the Dallas Morning News Rangers beat writer and The Ticket contributor, and I are going to auction a special dinner for two to raise money for the family of Shannon Stone, the Ranger fan who died tragically on Thursday night. You will have a chance to bid on having dinner with Evan and me which is funnier and more interesting than any reality TV show.

Besides Happy Hour prices all night, there will be trivia games and prizes. Rangers swag and baseball tickets, and FREE garlic fries…Check it out. It’s all happening at Gordon Biersch in the Shops at Park Lane. Hope to see you there. Deets.

Statement from Kathy Jack, Owner of Jack’s Backyard

With four days’ notice from the property owner, Jack’s Backyard closed for business on Sunday, June 26. I want to tell my friends, family, Jack’s customers and investors that I am truly sorry that this has happened. My partner, Susie Buck, and I worked along with our staff to make this business work.

There is so much misinformation and so many rumors. Jack’s opened on Oct. 31, 2008.  I never paid myself a salary during the two and a half year run. We simply cut back and lived on what my partner earned at her other job.  Jack’s was a BIG place and we opened in a tough economy. Jack’s Backyard earned only enough money to keep the doors open.  All along there was a 10-year plan to repay the Jack’s investors and I truly believed that was possible.

We reorganized in December 2010 with the help of a creditors’ committee. We implemented new daily operating office procedures, a new accounting system, a new daily transaction system, developed a new filing system and cut expenses.  At the time of closure we were current on all employee, liquor, and sales taxes.  In addition, we were current on all bills, including rent post-reorganization.

I developed a plan with the head of the creditors’ committee to repay our back debts and start repaying investors but ultimately, we were not given that opportunity.

I have spent 34 years in the service industry and I have been raised in this community. It means a lot to me that people believe in and trust me. I am adamant about making things right. Jack’s was built to be a backyard big enough to hang out with all of your friends. That mission continues.

Thank you for your love and support.

Kathy Jack and Susie Buck

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.