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Articles about Slow News Day

Say What? Kids Eat Free on Presidents Day

Beware of George. (photo provided by Highland Park Cafeteria)

Nothing beats stuffing your face with mashed potatoes and cherry pie while Abe Lincoln – that serious Civil War hottie – stares down at your plate.

Thankfully, Highland Park Cafeteria is making all your dreams come true with live patriotic piano music, fresh-baked pies, and decorated cookies between the hours of 11 AM to 8 PM today. Kids under ten eat free with the purchase of an adult meal for TODAY only.

What does Presidents Day have to do with kids eating free? No idea, but free food is never a bad thing. Plus, all the Presidents and their First Ladies will be there, eyeing you from their wall.

1200 N. Buckner Blvd.
214-324-5000

posted by Carol Shih | February 20th, 2012 11:27am | filed under Holidays, Rewritten Press Releases, Slow News Day, cheap eats |

Who Eats Alone Anymore?

Observer’s Scott Reitz named his five favorite places to eat alone in this week’s print edition. Local, Mesa, Bolsa, Yutaka, and Taco Stop made the Lonely List, but who actually ventures out to a restaurant by themselves these days? Anyone who does is either a sketchy guy picking up chicks or glued to their iPhone 4s screen and secretly talking dirty to Siri.

“Siri, how do you like the steak?”

“What do you think of the waiter, Siri?”

“Siri, your microphone icon is lookin’ sexy tonight.”

A better title for your column, Mr. Reitz, would be “Five Places to Take Your Phone Out on a Date.” That means you need a fifth restaurant, though, because it’s pretty impossible to eat tacos and touch your phone at the same time.

Editor’s Note: Please come back after you pick up your sense of humor from the dry cleaner’s! Have a nice weekend.

SideDish @scottreitz I question people who eat out alone and commenters are bashing me for it. bit.ly/y6COek #nobodycantakeajoke

Scott Reitz @DSideDish Siri is a shit date anyway. She doesn’t put out.

SideDish @scottreitz Sounds like you have some experience, eh?

Scott Reitz @DSideDish try. It’s funny. She’ll tell you “she’s not that kind of assistant.”

posted by Carol Shih | February 17th, 2012 2:16pm | filed under Eating Alone is Sad, Needs Fine Tuning, Politics of Food, Slow News Day, Social-this; social-that, Tacos | 29 Comments »

Occupy Nana: A Peaceful, Tell-Your-Nana-Love-Stories Protest to Keep it Alive

My plea: I can’t write it, sing it, dance it, or say any better than Neil Sedaka. You can help save Nana by writing your stories about your experiences at Nana. Put on your go-go boots and come-a come-a, down dooby do down, down to the comments.

posted by Nancy Nichols | February 16th, 2012 9:16am | filed under Dancing, Food Fight!, Hippie revolutions, Making Up Is Hard To Do, Restaurant News, Sing-Alongs, Slow News Day, Special Offers, Steakhouses, That is Just Wrong, questionable judgment, restaurant business news | 15 Comments »

Faye Blackmon’s Culinary Class

Faye Blackmon gets a hug from Shara (photography by Micah Nunley)

Fudgenugget. I was born in the wrong school district. If I had taken Faye Blackmon’s culinary class back when I was in high school, I bet I’d be on Top Chef right now basking in the glory of Paul’s shiny knives. But I digress. Wednesday morning, I dragged along photo intern Micah Nunley to Duncanville High School, where we watched legendary Faye Blackmon teach a batch of seniors real life skills inside the kitchen.

In May, Blackmon, 69, is retiring from Duncanville HS after teaching for 37 years.

Jump for beautiful photos of kids and food. (more…)

posted by Carol Shih | February 3rd, 2012 1:53pm | filed under Baking, Chocolate, Good Deeds, Slow News Day, Valentines Day, cookies | 4 Comments »

Bits and Bites: Restaurant News

I was away from my computer most of the day yesterday and when I finally got around to reading the food news, I realized I missed some significant action. Here, in no certain order, are a few things  I failed to report.

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 8th 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.

posted by Nancy Nichols | February 1st, 2012 12:17pm | filed under Closings, How About This Weather?, I Went to College for This?, Making Up Is Hard To Do, Pre World Series Depression, Procrastination is part of the creative process, Restaurant News, Rewritten Press Releases, Savor Dallas 2012, Slow News Day, questionable judgment | 4 Comments »

What is Your Favorite Song About Food?

I have two songs permanently embedded in my head. They’ve been there for years (centuries?). They have a life of their own and flow from the deep recesses of my right cerebrum and out of my mouth without a prompt. One is “I Want to Marry a Lighthouse Keeper.”  The other is “Java Jive” as performed by Manhattan Transfer. We all know “Brown Sugar” has nothing to do with food, but, WITHOUT GOOGLE, what songs about food do you sing? Waiter, waiter, percolator…

posted by Nancy Nichols | January 10th, 2012 10:04am | filed under Coffee, Drinking, How About This Weather?, I Went to College for This?, Nostalgia, Nutjobs, Procrastination is part of the creative process, Slow News Day, questionable behavior | 19 Comments »

Let’s Talk Boxing Day in Dallas!

Hey, hosers! How’s it going, eh? What are your plans for Boxing Day? Betcha Yanks a toonie you didn’t know SideDish is freakin’ huge in Canada! Yep, it’s true, eh? Last time I was in Toronto (Toronnah) I spied some Canadian idiot sporting a toque (two-k) with a big red D on it! My brother-in-law went all Don Cherry on me and said the D stood for Detroit (dee-troi-e-ot). What else would you expect from a pansy Red Wings fan? (Q: What do you call 5 Detroit Red Wings players standing ear to ear? A: A wind tunnel!)

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!

posted by Nancy Nichols | December 21st, 2011 10:56am | filed under Bacon, Boxing Day, Dog Friendly, Holidays, How About This Weather?, I Went to College for This?, I'm a sucker for a man in flannel, I'm about to get fired, Ice Etiquette, Procrastination is part of the creative process, Really stupid joke, Silly Reasons to Celebrate, Slow News Day, beer, frozen treats, questionable judgment | 9 Comments »

This Little Piggy Went Downtown

Oh yeah, it's for real.

We’re suckers for any press release that contains the following sentences:

  • Yes, this is really real.
  • Don’t you judge us; we all knew it would end up here someday.
  • And yeah, your right we probably did go too far this time.
  • Sorry, Mom.

It seems a couple well-intentioned entrepreneurs have teamed up with J&D’s Foods to create a little something they’re calling baconlube—the world’s first bacon-flavored, water-based, American-made, personal lubricant.

Billing itself as the “gold standard of meat-flavored massage oils” (natch) baconlube, they say, is like the McRib of sex: it’s delicious, makes men crazy, is here for a limited time, and is in short supply.

If you’re thinking “stocking stuffer!” (let’s stay on track here), we’re right behind you. But the boys only made 3,000 bottles of this pork-flavored nectar. It hit the interwebs yesterday at www.baconlube.com. How much, you ask, for a product that promises such a satisfying holiday season? Only $11.99.

you know you want more. jump for it… (more…)

posted by Sarah Reiss | November 15th, 2011 12:34pm | filed under BBQ, Bacon, Bring it!, Cheap trick for comments, Chef's tasting, Cult Cuisine, Daniel Walker, Diets are stupid, Eat This Now!, Food Porn, Good Morning, Good Service, I Hate it When That Happens, I Went to College for This?, I'm a sucker for a man in flannel, I'm about to get fired, It's just lunch, Keep Dallas Douchey!, Meat, Merguez Sausage Hunt, Musical Press Releases, Newfangled condiments, Nostalgia, Procrastination is part of the creative process, Really stupid joke, Really?, Rewritten Press Releases, Scoops, Second coming, Sexy food, Sing Along Press Releases, Slow News Day, Snacks, Things To Do, cheap eats, classes, hold on to your effin hat, make mine a double, party, pop-up restaurant, questionable behavior, questionable judgment, sassy pants, somebody help this poor girl out, who'd a thought? | 13 Comments »

Somebody Help This Poor Boy: Bolsa Mercado

Yesterday, I was having a nice chinwag with the bad boy of Bolsa, Chris Zielke. I asked him what he’s going to sell at his soon-to-open Bolsa Mercado. He admitted he was still looking for stuff to stock on his shelves. He’s been scouting local producers and come up with quite a bit but he needs help finding more. The focus is on organic, sustainable products but Zielke says, “I want samples of everything that is made locally.”

Do you make cookies, chocolate, jams, jellies, salsa, pickles, eggs, jerky, sauce, dressing, chips, spiced nuts (insert joke here), granola, spice mix, sorbet/ice cream/gelato, olive oil, anything that is shelf stable. (No pastry, bread, or meat.) If so, this could be the push you need to get your stuff to market. Send an email to contact@bolsadallas.com with as much info on your product as possible (photos, website, contact number, story, etc). (Chris, is the check in the mail?)

posted by Nancy Nichols | November 8th, 2011 9:00am | filed under Bring it!, Groceries, I Went to College for This?, Local/Slow Food, SideDish Bump!, Slow News Day, Sponsored Post, Uncategorized, cookies, oak cliff | 1 Comment »

An Open Letter to Chef DAT

Dear Chef DAT,

Who are you? I’ve been getting press releases from you for a long time but for the life of me I can’t remember meeting you. I do understand that you live underground and you cook a lot there as well, but do you ever actually come out during the day?

You talk funny. I mean, you write funny. You “sound” like you are totally hip and in with all of the IN people which explains a lot about our relationship. It’s so cool that you are throwing a birthday party for yourself on October 23! You must have lots of friends! Three LIVE bands, CAJUN food, and BYOB! Totally bitchin’. And Thursday, you only have 20 seats left for your super secret dinner in Deep Ellum. Have you done the math? Do you think you can get that many people under the ground in Deep Ellum? It must be so freakin’ dark, dude. Six courses for $66? That dinner is like so effin’ New Testament! And payable in “unmarked, untraceable cash only”? Brilliant.

Keep it up and maybe you’ll get your own restaurant one day. Oh, wait. My spirit is shaking. I’m getting an incoming subliminal message from, wait…oh…I can’t quite make out the voice, I can only hear pigs squealing. Oh, now  it’s clear. It’s  Steven Doyle LIVE from the State Fair. He says you have a “concept portfolio”  for a future restaurant called Twenty-Seven. Far out, it sounds so Satanic! Will you take American Express? Awesome. Keep us posted.

Good luck,

Nancy Nichols

posted by Nancy Nichols | October 11th, 2011 3:06pm | filed under Bad Names For Restaurants List, Celebrity Chefs, Celebrity Diners, Cult Cuisine, Dancing, Drinking, Food is art. Art is Food., Hippie revolutions, Hole in the wall, I Went to College for This?, Nutjobs, Openings, Really?, Restaurant News, Rewritten Press Releases, Slow News Day, Steven Doyle, UpsideDown Restaurants, make mine a double, questionable behavior, questionable judgment, youthful spontaneous restaurants | 43 Comments »

It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Pumpkin Food in Dallas

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.

posted by Nancy Nichols | September 29th, 2011 9:37am | filed under Breaking News, Bring it!, Cooking, Cult Cuisine, Frozen Yogurt, I Went to College for This?, Pre World Series Depression, Restaurant News, Slow News Day, cake, cupcakes, dessert, hostess gifts, ice cream | 21 Comments »

Get Ready for New Groovy Swag at the State Fair of Texas

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.

(more…)

posted by Nancy Nichols | September 27th, 2011 1:02pm | filed under AgriBusiness, Cult Cuisine, Food is art. Art is Food., I Went to College for This?, I'm about to get fired, Pre World Series Depression, Procrastination is part of the creative process, Slow News Day, State Fair of Texas, food art, pop-up restaurant | 4 Comments »

Chew on This: Seating, or Not Seating, Incomplete Parties

I understand why some restaurants are reluctant to seat incomplete parties. Sometimes the rest of the party doesn’t show up and the restaurant is left with a deuce at a four-top during the dinner rush. Lost revenue on valuable real estate. Allowing two people to sit while they wait for another couple can also throw the pace of service off: two separate drink orders and/or two different water pours. If a restaurant is busy, they have to remain firm on this policy. I get it.

However, a few weeks ago my mother and I showed up at a small restaurant for a 5:30PM reservation. We were on time, but our other two friends had called to say they would be 15 minutes late. I told the hostess our situation. She told us she would seat us when our party was complete. The restaurant was empty. Oh, sorry, there was one two-top in the back. The hostess handed us menus and walked away. A few minutes later, I broke up a conversation between said hostess and a server and asked if we could order a glass of wine. She brought us the wine. We stood for 18 minutes with a menu in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. No other diners entered the restaurant. When our tardy party arrived, we were escorted four steps to our table.

Restaurateurs, tell us why this is right or wrong.

Dishers, tell me some  similar stories.

posted by Nancy Nichols | September 22nd, 2011 12:13pm | filed under Bring it!, Celebrity Chefs, Cult Cuisine, How to Open a Restaurant 101, Procrastination is part of the creative process, Restaurant News, Slow News Day | 21 Comments »

Point CounterPoint: Should Dallas Restaurants Have a Time Limit?

"Hello, beautiful lady. My name is Jason. I'll be your waiter tonight. You'll have 2 hours to complete your meal. And your time starts ... NOW"

[Ed. note: George poses this, in my opinion, stupid question. I am challenging him with, in my opinion, a smarter one.]

George: A couple of weeks ago, a Zagat survey reported that 60% of dinners in New York supported a time limit which allows the restaurant to boot you from your table so they can seat another party.  But we’re not New York.  So let’s ask the question to Dishers.  Would you mind a time limit?

Nancy: George, you ignorant cluck. You are right on one point: we are not New York. I hate rushed service. Take MiCocina (beat, beat). Those waiters aren’t servers they’re animal trainers. They can turn a table of six in 40 minutes. It drives me nuts. I get the same vibe at Houston’s. Every time you sit down you can feel the beat: water, menus, drinks, order, eat, dessert, BOOM. Maybe, just maybe, we are eating out to have a conversation that doesn’t fit into the restaurant’s time frame. I think no time limit is best for the customer.

George: You can’t have a conversation in under 2 hours?  Are you sitting with your fork in one hand and Blackberry in the other?  Talk, talk, tap, tap.  Assuming your waiter greets you in a timely manner, takes your order, and serves you your drinks and food, you really can’t finish in 2 hours? If not, move to the bar. I think it’s good for business.

Who is right?

posted by George Lewis | September 15th, 2011 12:06pm | filed under Bring it!, Cheap trick for comments, Contests, Cult Cuisine, Food Fight!, Slow News Day, make mine a double, restaurant service | 46 Comments »

Fun or Foul: Alcohol Infused Whipped Cream

I have no words.

UPPITY DATE: This link from a adult beverage wholesaler.

posted by Nancy Nichols | September 13th, 2011 1:55pm | filed under Buzz Killer!, Crazy Technology, Groceries, I Went to College for This?, Junk Food, Newfangled condiments, Really?, Silly Reasons to Celebrate, Slow News Day, Stupid terms for food, Wasted Calorie, Yum is Dumb, cheap eats, dessert, hostess gifts, make mine a double, sassy pants, that's just wrong. | 9 Comments »

Favorite Moose-Related Press Release of the Day

Dallas, consider this press release my Monday morning gift to you. You’re welcome.

“Dallas, don’t be surprised if you see a Moose driving down the highway or floating in the sky. Dallas will have its share of “Moose sightings” this month due to the Grand Opening of Dallas’ first Smiling Moose Deli location in West Plano at Hebron Parkway/Park Boulevard, one block west of Midway. The Colorado based company will be one of Dallas’ hippest new delis providing patrons with breakfast, lunch and dinner selections, hearty portions and fresh ingredients far superior than their competitors…all served in a warm, (sic) décor with hints of both Colorado and Texas, as seen by (sic) their ski, snowboard and professional sports collections.

Grand Opening Day is this Thursday, September 15th from 8:00 am – 9:00 pm. Festivities will begin when Mo the Moose (the official mascot of Smiling Moose Deli) arrives as Dallas’ newest resident by air in a giant 6 story tall hot air balloon.

But wait, there’s more…

(more…)

posted by Sarah Reiss | September 12th, 2011 10:29am | filed under Breaking News, Copy/Paste Press Release, Good Morning, I Went to College for This?, I'm a sucker for a man in flannel, Slow News Day, grand opening, make mine a double | 6 Comments »

Burger Girl in Uptown is Closed

A commenter in another post pointed out he showed up to eat at Burger Girl and found it closed. I understand the once building that once housed Chez Gerard and Cubanita has already been leased by another restaurant group and will be making an announcement on a new concept early next week. Until the, we’ll wait. Unless you want to guess.

posted by Nancy Nichols | September 9th, 2011 11:49am | filed under Bring it!, Closings, Cult Cuisine, Openings, Restaurant News, Slow News Day, margaritas, tequila | 12 Comments »

Anyone Want to Give a Shout-Out to Their Favorite Patio?

In light of Mother Nature’s recent brutality, it’s no wonder that everyone we know is using these recent cooler days as an excuse to run to their favorite outdoor patio. I, myself, spent a good 30 minutes this morning in the backyard throwing the tennis ball with the new dog, soaking up the breezy 72 degree air, and making plans for which patios I’m going to hit throughout this noticeably cooler (and shorter) week. I’m liking the idea of Ginger Man, and the outdoor tables at NorthPark make me very happy for a little post-movie chit-chat.  Then, of course, there’s BarBelmont, the upstairs and downstairs patios at Alma, the outdoor tables at The Old Monk, etc, etc. I could go on for weeks.

How about you? When the breeze kicks up and lunchtime, happy hour, or dinnertime calls, where would your friends be most likely to find you?

posted by Sarah Reiss | September 6th, 2011 12:47pm | filed under Bars, I'm a sucker for a man in flannel, Patio Dining, Slow News Day | 24 Comments »

Somebody Chime In With Gin…or Vodka…or Rum Recipes

This just in from a very creative disher. Talk about throwing down the gauntlet:

I liked your post about Labor Day-themed cocktails yesterday and was wondering if anyone had ideas. I have come up with some names, but feel at a loss when it comes to actually concocting an interesting drink. Anyone want to come up with a drink to match the following names?

First-Monday Muddle

Grover Cleavland’s Compromise

The Pullman Strike

The Haymarket Affair

End of Summer Swizzler

Samuel Gompers Dream

Wobblies’ Wobbler

Yellow-Dog Contract

The New Deal

White Shoe Sayonara

Jimmy Hoffa Locator

C’mon people. It’s the Friday before a long weekend. Let’s procrastinate by designing some drinks in the comments section! I will personally concoct the best of the best and detail the expereince in words (and pictures if possible) on Tuesday.

posted by Sarah Reiss | September 2nd, 2011 11:53am | filed under Contests, I Went to College for This?, Mixology is fancy for bartender, Slow News Day, cocktails | 1 Comment »

Dog Friendly Patios in Dallas: Fun or Foul

This dog may look cuddly and sweet, but she could steal your burger or bite you in the leg if allowed on the patio of a restaurant.

Despite the heat, I’m seeing an uptick in the number of restaurants advertising their dog friendly patios. In mid-2008 the City of Dallas amended their ordinance allowing dogs on restaurant patios under certain conditions, such as no outside food prep, entering only through an outdoor entrance, leashed only, and not allowed to sit on tables, chairs, or counter tops.

I might take some heat for it here on SideDish, but I’m just not a fan of dogs on a restaurant patio. While 90% of dogs (and their owners) are well-behaved, that leaves 1 out of 10 that are not.  When I lived in Europe, it was very common to have dogs on the patios and inside of the restaurants, roaming at will and sitting on chairs.  I’ve had my fill of dogs sniffing around my table.

So let’s just throw this open for discussion.  Are you a fan of dog friendly patios?  Have you had any problems?

Bark.

posted by George Lewis | September 2nd, 2011 11:50am | filed under Bring it!, Cheap trick for comments, Dog Friendly, Slow News Day | 34 Comments »

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