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Chef François Fotre, R.I.P.

Chef François Fotre passed away on Tuesday June 30th from heart complications. He is survived by his wife Catherine, 15-year old son Antoine, and 14-year old daughter, Julia. Catherine and François, classically trained chefs, founded La Mirabelle in 1997. In March, 2007, François was involved a serious motorcycle accident and spent months recovering in Parkland Hospital. At the time, Fotre was the chef at the Catalina Room on Lemmon.

Here is the official information from the family:

There will be a visitation Sunday, July 5th from 7 to 9 pm at Turrentine Jackson & Morrow (2525 Central Expressway. Allen, TX  75013. 972-542-2601) Funeral mass will take place Monday, July 6 at 10:00 am at Holy Cross Catholic Church (7000 Morningstar
The Colony, TX  75056. 972-625-5252.

Services will be followed by a reception at the church. If you like to participate in the preparation of the reception, please call 214-217-2818.

If you attend and are a chef, please wear your “chef’s best” to honor François and to reaffirm our commitment and friendship to the great profession that we have chosen.

Please keep Catherine, Antoine and Julia in your prayers.

Yogilicious To Become Yumilicious

Got a call from Winston over at Yogilicious the other day. He wanted to let us know that Yogilicious, one of my favorite spots for fro-yo in town (love that taro and plain swirl), is changing it’s name. It will become Yumilicious. He said this would not take a place for a couple months, but since they are planning on expanding, he thought this name would be a better fit (apparently they are concerned that “Yogilicious” sounded too much like the names of other frozen yogurt stores).

They are set to be opening up Yogi/Yumilicious at the Village at Allen tomorrow. First 100 customers get a free t-shirt. What name will it have on it? Guess we’ll have to wait and see…

Dali Wine Bar in One Arts Plaza Adds “Killer Summer Dish” to Menu

I would like to say I’ve tried this killer summer dish, but I’ve only just heard about this morning. Dali executive chef Joel Harloff,  just back from his sold-out Beard House Foundation appearance, has created a Maryland lump crabmeat salad with poblano peppers, roasted sweet corn, tomatoes, and passion fruit vinaigrette. It sounds like just the thing to take your mind off the already oppressive heat. Stay tuned because I’ve got an e-mail into chef Harloff for the recipe. As soon as I get it, I’ll share. Oh, and if someone out there in the SideDish nation has tried it, let us know if it tastes as good as it sounds.

Co-Worker Loves Zense Thai in Irving

She claims Zense Thai is a “gem tucked away in a Valley Ranch strip shopping center.” She thinks it’s a chain but she doesn’t care because “the service isn’t brilliant but the food is.” E tu? (Buddhalicious? I don’t know about that.)

Cliff Café at the Belmont Hotel in Dallas Will Close and Reopen in September As…

The management team of the Belmont Hotel has formed a partnership with Bolsa restaurant owners Chris Zielke and Christopher Jeffers, and local chef Tim Byres to develop a new restaurant concept at the boutique hotel in the Cliff Café space. Byres will be the point guard in the kitchen.

Jump for the copied and pasted details.

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The Saga of Republic Turned Las Colinas Prime: Unpaid Workers and Bills, TABC Raids and Harassment, and a Possible Happy Ending

Blue skies ahead for the troubled Las Colinas Prime?

Last month I drove past Republic in Las Colinas and noticed the name had changed to Las Colinas Prime. I called the restaurant on June 1st and talked with Brian Luisi. He told me the tapas-restaurant-turned-steakhouse had changed concepts and names. The restaurant, owned by Bill McCrory, is managed by Michael Costa’s Rainmaker Restaurant Group. Costa is no stranger to the local scene. He was involved in other Dallas restaurants such as Toscana, Mediterraneo, and Sfuzzi. I reported the story.  Over. Easy.

Yow. Zah. I stirred up a hornet’s nest. Former and current employees and contractors left horror stories in the comment section. It didn’t take long before I started receiving accusatory e-mails and phone calls. Their beef? It’s a really long story and you’ll have to jump. (more…)

Hey, Todd. The New Tex-Mex Spot on Henderson Is Called Hacienda. And It’s Opening July 23.

I’ve been trying to wait until I had some firm details about the place, but the best I’ve got are some semi-reliable rumors—and this rendering—even though the grand opening is scheduled for July 23. (And the web site is still under construction.) Anyway, Hacienda is a partnership between Vickery Park owners and Lotus owners, so I think we can expect it to be as much a watering hole–plenty of tequila?–as a restaurant. I’m still waiting to get an idea of the menu, but I do think it’s going to be more upscale than, say, Cuquita’s but not as fancy as, say, Trece. I think we can expect a valet, even though there is adjacent parking (hate that). What else? Oh, if you’ve driven by the patio space looks pretty inviting, so assuming they can tolerate the summer heat, I suspect we’ll be seeing lots of pretty girls on that patio–perhaps waving to all the pretty boys on the patio at Capitol Pub. Stay tuned for more official details.

New State and Allen Concept in Uptown To Be Called Nodding Donkey

Remember when we told you that the folks behind Uptown’s popular State and Allen Lounge were re-opening the shuttered 2900 as a Tex-Mex concept? Well, word comes that the resto is going to be called the Nodding Donkey (an homage to Texas oil wells, pictured here), and it will feature not only Tex-Mex, but other “Texas style fare.” Read on:

Says Calabrese (one of the chef/owners), “At first we assumed that we would just do Tex-Mex and do it really well and that would be enough. But a couple of things then inspired me to think why not do a Texas style cuisine restaurant/cantina — Tex-Mex, BBQ, Smokehouse, Caballero cooking, Texas comfort food, etc. We will do it all and we will do it the best way possible. We will have about fifteen staple items, and then rotate others based on trends.”

Jump for the entire release. The Nodding Donkey is set to open this fall.

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Marc Cassel’s PARK Is Coming to Life

Just drove down Henderson Avenue this morning to get a slap in the face (AKA: double espresso from Pearl Cup) and saw that PARK—chef Marc Cassel’s new restaurant—is looking nice and near completion. That makes my stomach happy. I miss Cassel’s days at Green Room in Deep Ellum. That was a great restaurant. I’m hoping PARK is as good. More Henderson Avenue news: Cuquita’s (best liver and onions in Dallas) old spot is soon to be a new Tex-Mex place by the owners of Vickery Park restaurant. You know, Henderson Avenue is shaping up to become a great foodie hotspot.

Tom Colicchio Wants To Do More Wine Dinners at Craft Dallas (and the Parking Is Complimentary)

I sat down with the Craft Dallas owner the morning after his very successful wine dinner with Ramey Wine Cellars. Here’s the full interview.

Parigi Takes a Annual Team Parigi Vacation

Three years ago, Parigi closed for a week around the 4th of July. The staff pulled together for a massive remodel. They got so much done and developed such a great team spirit, they decided to make it an annual event.

Starting Friday, July 3, Parigi will close and the staff will take recent input from their customers, employees, and friends, and make some adjustments to the restaurant. They will re-open on July 10th. “We’ve got some fun changes planned this year,” said Chef Chad Hauser. “Here’s a hint: circles, beautiful fabrics, and marble.”

And ice cream. Hauser promises to serve the winning recipe from the Mama Ida Ice Cream Social competition.

Fire in the Kitchen Causes ALO to Close for Repairs

The kitchen at ALO is closed for repairs after a fire early Sunday morning. photo by NN.

ALO, the Mexican-Peruvian restaurant in owned and operated by Taco and Duni Borga is closed. Early Sunday morning a fire started in the roof over the kitchen. Fire department officials believe it could have been caused by electrical malfunction. According to PR rep, Martha Tiller, the damages could be as high as $400,000 and the restaurant in Knox Street Village at HW 75 and Knox Street will be closed for almost three months.

SideDish Heads to the Southwest Foodservice Expo on Sunday

Twelve Dishers and I will hit the floor of the Southwest Foodservice Expo on Sunday. Join us on Twitter (DSideDish) or catch the reports on Monday.

Crispy Fried Tacos: Dallasfood.org Report

Tacos by Scott.

I love crispy fried tacos. So does Scott over at Dallasfood.org. He’s just completed another one of his marathon eating reports—this one is on “closed” and “open” crispy fried.  His brief note with the link says: “Consider this a belated response to a Disher’s request from July 2008.”

Here is his full report. After you read it, I guarantee you will have to eat at least ten tacos before the end of next week. (I did.) Scott, you have just won “Commenter of  The Year.” I bet you are taking the rest of the day off.

Celebrity Diner: Sullivan’s Steakhouse in North Dallas

This just in from Sullivan’s Steakhouse in North Dallas:

We had an exciting visit last night at Dallas Sullivan’s! Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Justice Scalia dined with us. He was came in with Sullivan’s regular SMU law professor Bryan Garner. .Justice Scalia was the first to arrive and ordered a margarita to cool down from the Texas heat. They had a very enjoyable evening. He also stated if Chelsea, the server, poured him regular espresso he was going talk her ear off all night.

Wine For Breakfast: James Tidwell’s Wine List at Café on the Green

Thanks to Esquire for this photo.

Recently I dined at Café on the Green and perused Master Sommelier James Tidwell’s wine list. Sure the restaurant is in the tony Four Seasons at Las Colinas and there are a lot of business types looking for a good steak and a California Cabernet, but I found a lot of unique and reasonably priced wines. Obviously Tidwell has a knack for taking wine seriously but not to the point of making it unapproachable.

I asked Tidwell to show us his favorite picks. Guess what? He did.

“I like to recommend interesting finds, but do not want to
intimidate, alienate, or otherwise put people off wine by using esoteric or
obscure specialty items,” said Tidwell. “On the other hand, why recommend what people
already know, love, and drink daily? Tough decisions!”

Jump for the joy of wine. (more…)

The Price of Mac ‘n Cheese

You know what I like about you guys? You have strong opinions. Your comments yesterday on the macaroni and cheese rant gave me an idea. Let’s see how much you love your macaroni and cheese when you see the price. Okay? You can all thank our intern, Sweet Sara for doing the dirty work.

The Porch: Smoked ham Mac & Cheese Casserole, $9

Chamberlain’s: Wild Mushroom Mac & Cheese (made with orzo), $8.95

Hibiscus: Baked in a casserole dish, five dark cheddars, panko crust. $8

Screen Door: Smoked cheddar, white cheddar, cheddar, cream cheese, bread crumbs, baked in oven. $7

Rathbun’s Blue Plate: Carr Valley Mammoth Cheddar Mac & Cheese, $9

Kenny’s Woodfire Grill: Adult Mac & Cheese, smoked Gouda, cure 81 ham, white truffle oil. $3.99

Hattie’s: Four cheddar macaroni & cheese, with Smokey razor white cheddar. $9.50

Jasper’s: Aged Gouda, cheddar, ham and pearl onions. $9

Abacus: Applewood bacon smoked mac & cheese: $10

South Dallas Café: whole pan, $35 When asked what kind of cheese, the nice lady just said, “Cheese.”

A Quick Look Back at The Mansion Kitchen

Richard Chamberlain in the Mansion kitchen.

Last week I was shooting the breeze with Amador Mora, the chef at Maximo. We talked about the 24 years he spent working his way up the ranks of the kitchen at the Mansion on Turtle Creek. Before he started working at the Mansion, he was a dishwasher at S&D Oyster. “It was 1979 and I needed another part-time job,” he said. “So I stopped by the construction site of the Mansion and got a job as a construction worker.” Mora literally built the restaurant and then moved inside to be the daytime dishwasher.

Mora started hanging out with the prep guys and asked them to teach him how to use a knife. At one point he was prepping alongside Dean Fearing (saucier), Kevin Ascolese (tournant), and Richard Chamberlain (grillardin). I sent Richard Chamberlain a note asking him to verify the scenario and he sent these pictures.

Dean Fearing, the early years.

Dallas is unique—we have a nice community of chefs who have worked together at various times and places and still spend time with each other. They also devote a lot of time, product, and energy to charitable organizations. I bet there are a lot more pictures like these out there. Chefs, if you have a story, share it.

Cobb Switch Barbecue is Having a Party

Sent to you via me: “Phil & Janet Cobb, Blair Black, Dotty Griffith and Chris Andrews invite you to join them in celebrating the grand opening of Cobb Switch Barbecue.”

The soiree takes place this Saturday, June 27, from 11a.m. to 4:00p.m. There will be live music, $1 margaritas, and raffle drawings to benefit the North Texas Food Bank. Current DMN dining critic, Leslie Brenner, will demonstrate how to make a perfect aioli at 2:00 p.m. If you are still reading this, that last line was not true. Head up to 2625 Old Denton Rd. (Northwest corner of George Bush Turnpike) in Carrollton. 214-483-3600.

Lonesome Dove in Fort Worth Will Be Closed June 28-July 5

The folks at Lonesome Dove are going on vacation this summer, so unless you get there by Saturday, you’ll have to wait until July 6 to experience Chef Tim Love’s fancy cowboy cuisine. Speaking of Tim Love, did you see Sarah’s recap of Top Chef Masters?

Flying Saucer to Land in Garland

A self-confessed excited hophead in Rockwall asks:

A friend mentioned the other day that a Flying Saucer was going to opening in Garland at the former County Line BBQ there on the shores of Lake Ray Hubbard. Being very skeptical that Garland (seriously, Garland!) was going to get a Flying Saucer, I had to go see for myself, and sure enough, there’s a temporary sign from the roof announcing that a FS would be opening soon. Have you heard anything about this and/or when they may be ready to open?

From the BlackBerry of Mr. Shannon Wynne, owner of Flying Saucer: “Yes. Next to Bass Pro right on lake Ray Hubbard. Opens last week in July. Will have catfish and chips and shrimps and chips.”

Restaurant Review: Lumi Empanada and Dumpling Kitchen in Dallas

In the current issue of D Magazine, Teresa Gubbins takes a look at Lumi Empanada and Dumpling Kitchen in Uptown. Does she love it or hate it? It’s worth the read.

Black Winter Truffles at Aurora

Dogs are the new pigs to truffles.

It may be hotter than hotter than the hubs of Hades, but it’s cold in Australia. And Aurora chef Avner Samuel is expecting a shipment of black winter truffles from down under on Thursday. I’m sure they will fly out the restaurant faster than these. 214-528-9400.

Somebody Help This Poor Girl: Gazpacho

She’s back in Dallas after a ten-year absence. Not only is she hot, she is too tired to make this simple, but simple summertime soup from Spain. Oh, and she wants to pick it up and take it home. Calle Doce? E tu, Dishers?

DallasChocolate.org Announces Chocolate Events in Dallas

On August 22nd, Alan McClure of Patric Chocolate and  Steve DeVries of DeVries Chocolate will be in Dallas for several chocolate-related soirees. DallasChocolate.org is bringing two of the country’s most respected bean-to-bar chocolate makers here for a weekend of delicious and informative events. Full details after the jump. In addition, pastry chef Rhonda Ruckman (Doughmonkey) will craft desserts featuring Patric and DeVries chocolates. (more…)