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

“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.”

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.

Main Street Cafe (above); Kids baking cookies

“I was cursed by my grandmother,” says Blackmon. “She decided there had to be a teacher in the family.”

Her grandmother probably didn’t realize that Faye would become more than a teacher. Blackmon’s curriculum has inspired countless students to pursue careers in the culinary arts. Of the eight students I had a chance to talk with, seven were already enrolled or planning to enroll in a culinary program upon graduation.

Potato swirls (left); Cookie dough (middle and right)

Valentine's Day cookie

Every other day, these high school seniors gather inside Blackmon’s enormous kitchen classroom for three hours, sometimes arriving at ungodly hours (like 6am) to run a breakfast express at The Main Street Cafe where they serve breakfast burritos, cinnamon buns, and lemonade to over 200 hungry students. Other times, they’re learning how to make Valentine’s Day cookies. A group of students were diligently adding milk and butter to chocolate chip cookie dough that would bake into beautiful heart-shaped desserts the kids would sell in order to raise money for their end-of-the-year banquet. Customers can dictate whatever not-so-subliminal messages they want written on their cookie. Like the one above.

Andy laughs about cutting the chicken

Off in the back, I found Tiffany (Blackmon’s assistant) helping Andy and Cassandra prepare for their upcoming Skills USA contest this weekend. Andy and Cassandra have to prepare an entire dinner meal tomorrow within 90 minutes, and they will be judged based on their knife skills, plating, and the dish’s taste. Even though Andy’s already been accepted into Le Cordon Bleu of Dallas, he’s still nervous about the competition. He’s been cooking the same cream of mushroom soup, glazed carrots, buttered broccoli, and sautéed chicken for the last three weeks.

Faye Blackmon works twelve-hour days helping her kids prepare for serious cooking competitions like the upcoming Skills USA. “You don’t want to see us next week. We’ll be here tearing our hair out,” she warns.

Cassandra preparing for Skills USA

When the school year’s over, Blackmon’s finally going to take it easy. She plans on visiting Budapest and running her own little business. ”It’s going to be hard to leave, but I think it’s time.”

]]> http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2012/02/03/faye-blackmons-culinary-class/feed/ 4 http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2012/02/01/bits-and-bites-restaurant-news/ http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2012/02/01/bits-and-bites-restaurant-news/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:17:55 +0000 Nancy Nichols http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/?p=35474 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 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.

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!

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…Still on the fence? Here’s a little rationalization.

FACT – People are passionate about bacon.  According to a recent survey of Canadians by Maple Leaf Foods, Canada’s market leader in the bacon category, when asked to choose between bacon and sex, more than four in 10 (43%) chose bacon.  Thanks to baconlube, Canadians will never have to choose between two of life’s greatest pleasures again.  So you’re welcome Canada, you’re welcome – we’ve got your back.

Need I mention, we’ve requested a sample?

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?)

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

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.

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.

"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?

UPPITY DATE: This link from a adult beverage wholesaler.