Michelle Gamradt with her mango bbq shrimp and sausage bowl

D Magazine intern Michelle Saunders is a vegan who enjoys healthy eating. Now I feel bad for stuffing my face with a cream cheese puff pastry as I was editing this post for her.

Okay, I’ll admit it. When I first heard about Genghis Grill’s Health Kwest, a 60-day weight loss contest centered on daily meals at the chain, I was more than a little bit skeptical. After all, this is the restaurant inspired by the legendary thirteenth-century Mongol warrior whose nomad diet purportedly consisted of large quantities of meat and dairy products – not exactly commonly recognized diet foods. I wasn’t sure how many (if any!) options they’d have for a no meat, dairy, or gluten enthusiast like myself, but I was reassured to discover the menu is not all meat. There are, in fact, lots of vegetables as well as healthier starch options such as steamed brown rice. They even have tofu if you’re looking for a meat-less protein substitute, so vegetarians, fear not – the Khan has not forgotten you.

I met 26-year-old “Khantestant” Michelle Gamradt at the Arlington location she represents with hopes that she could shed some light on the second annual Health Kwest. Since this was my first time eating at GG, I had her walk me through the process she goes through every day. Upon arrival we were seated and each given a surprisingly small bowl then encouraged to go through the cafeteria-style line and “build our bowls.” Michelle and I discussed the khantest over her mango bbq shrimp and sausage bowl (under 500 calories!) and my spicy veggie bowl.

Jump for more.

The veggie bar

She first heard about the Kwest in January when she was signing up online for their free birthday bowl. Like many, the start of the new year found her trying to get on track with her diet and exercise but she had attempted to make changes before with little success. “January is the time you’re trying to get healthy,” Gamradt admitted. “But every time I’d start a diet it would just fizzle out.”

The idea of participating in a public weight loss contest appealed to her because she knew she’d be held accountable, so she decided signing up couldn’t hurt.

“If I got chosen I told myself I was going full-throttle,” she recalled. “You don’t get this opportunity often and I was not going to blow it.”

A couple of days later she was notified that she had been chosen to represent Arlington and on February first she joined approximately 78 others on the journey to “a healthier Khan.”

The competition rules are fairly simple. The contestants are required to eat one meal a day at any Genghis Grill and as Gamradt put it, “just try to lose weight.” The daily meal is complimentary for participants and they are otherwise free to diet and workout as they see fit. They are also required to maintain a personal blog on the Health Kwest’s website that they update regularly with their progress. They must spread the word about the challenge to as many friends and family members as they can who can then ‘like’ each post two different ways by visiting their blog directly. Each ‘like’ counts as a vote and the winner is determined by the highest number of votes received (25%), most blog posts (25%), and highest percentage of weight lost (50%).

So where does Gamradt stand? At the time of our interview last week, which was exactly halfway through the competition, she was in approximately thirteenth place and had lost about 14 pounds, which is, she says, the most weight she’s ever lost in one period.

You know what they say…a carrot a day…oh wait…they don’t say that…

Far more important than her rank, however, are the drastic changes she’s made in her diet and lifestyle. “You don’t realize how much you put into your mouth until you stop doing it,” Gamradt confessed. Since starting the Kwest however, she has begun eating smaller meals throughout the day. Breakfast typically consists of oatmeal and water, lunch is a GG bowl, and dinner consists of a lean protein served with a side salad and wholegrain carb. Between meals she snacks on fresh fruit and she has given up all alcohol and refined sugar for the duration of the contest.

She has also begun working out regularly, recently joining Camp Gladiator and using the Couch to 5k app to prepare for the annual St. Patty’s Day Dash Down Greenville. With less than a month left in the competition and the top competitors leading with more than 70 thousand votes, Gamradt knows her chances of winning the 10 thousand dollar prize are slim. She is not fazed, however, and claims to already be reaping the rewards for her efforts. “I know [winning] will be a long shot,” she says. “But [the contest] has given me the motivation to change my life. I’m already a winner.”

After the contest is over she plans to maintain her new and improved lifestyle, saying, “I want to use the momentum from the weight I’ve lost to keep me going after this ends.”

Although I won’t be hurrying back to GG for more “Mongolian Stir-Fry” any time soon (it’s not exactly fine dining or memorable Asian cuisine), I stand corrected on two points. One, Mongol warriors apparently did not consist entirely on meat, and two, the Khan may actually know a thing or two about inspiring healthier lifestyles. And for that, I say the khantest is a success.

To vote for Michelle Gamradt, visit her profile.

If anyone knows how I can plant myself on that coveted RSVP list, let’s talk. I’ll pay you in almonds.

The world is going pig-crazy.

On Friday, I heard that Jack in the Box was offering a very limited number of bacon milkshakes as a secret menu item. Did anyone get a chance to try one? I almost dropped everything to go search for one, but then I remembered my sanity. Now I’m lying deep in the trenches of regret.

My perfectly boiled egg.

As you can tell from the headline, I am deep in the process of procrastinating. While my real job calls for thousands of words about dining, I am convinced it is far more important that I drop what I am supposed to be doing and answer a question sent to me by PR boy toy Jef Tingley. Yes, he spells his name with one “f,” but I will save that analysis for a later procrastination post.

“Jef with one f” asked me how to boil an egg. Don’t laugh. How many times have you had tiny shards of shell pierce the delicate skin beneath your fingernail? I shared my secret with “Jef with one f” by private message on Facebook which made several people curious enough to email and ask (BEG!) for my secret.

You are going to have to jump hard.

How is it that I hold the key to the secret method of boiling an egg? My first job in a kitchen called for me to make 300 deviled eggs every morning for 2 years. Do the freaking math. I have peeled a ****load of eggs in my day. Okay, don’t say I never gave you anything. I’m opening a vein and spilling it now:

Place ROOM TEMPERAURE eggs in lukewarm tap water. Add (a lot) of iodized salt. Bring the water to a boil slowly and allow it to “soft rumble™” (MINE!) for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. If you are cooking on electric heat soft rumble for 2 minutes and leave the pan on the element.  NOW, and this is critical: how fast they are ready will depend on how many eggs are in the water. If you have a couple dozen, leave them in the water until it is cool. Otherwise, usually 20 minutes will do. BEFORE you proceed to the next step, fish one of the eggs from the water, dry it off, and spin it. YES, SPIN IT on the counter. If it wobbles around like Stephen Doyle at 2AM, it isn’t done. If it twirls around fast and steady like Leslie Brenner when she lived in LA, it’s ready to peel. Pour out the water, NOT THE EGGS YOU NINNY, and refill the pan with cool water. Peel the eggs while they are submerged in water. Sometimes I toss a little ice in there if I find a difficult egg. If your eggs crack while cooking, like me on deadline, you’re totally screwed. Repeat the above process.

Your nubby little fingers can now type me a thank you note.

Now, back to my regularly scheduled work load.

My Astro-Weenie Christmas Tree contribution to D Magazine's holiday party.Circa 2008.

Three years ago, I introduced you to Charles Phoenix, the “Ambassador of Americana.” More importantly, I introduced you to his “recipe” for the Astro-Weenie Christmas Tree. (I made several for the D Magazine holiday party in 2008.  Co-workers still stalk me for my secret herbal ingredient.)

Well, thanks to SideDish, Phoenix’s  career and has catapulted over hosting grade school field trips and roller skating parties to doing national TV spots with Martha Stewart and commenting on NPR. (Rawlins in drag?) I think it’s time to bring back the Astro-Weenie recipe. Remember, as they say in England, you can always make one suitable for vegetarians. Mind your head.

Before you jump to conclusions about real vs. lab-created meat, science writer Michael Specter, who traveled to laboratories in the Netherlands and North Carolina to examine the progress scientists have made in developing in vitro meat, is quick to point out that this is real meat. It’s real muscle cells, the same ones that live inside a real cow, minus the environmental bugbears such as pesticides, UV radiation, etc. (Specter wrote about the arguments in favor of lab-made steaks in the May 23 issue of The New Yorker.)

Even though the technology and global feasibility are still in development, I’d lay money on the fact that the technology’s not going to fade away. And being that this is Texas, this is a topic worth familiarizing ourselves with so that we can have a reasonable discussion about the technology’s pros and cons.

Pros: a reduction in animal cruelty and greenhouse gas emissions

Cons: You tell me. Especially in light of rising population numbers and the domino effect of socioeconomic and environmental pitfalls associated with feeding all those people.

Agriculture stats show that the largest share of Texas’ agricultural income is derived from beef cattle. Texas ranks #1 in the country in cattle raised—a number that can exceed 14 million head. That’s about 20 percent of the nation’s beef cattle.

I encourage you to listen to the episode of Fresh Air and read Specter’s article, then return for a discussion in the comments section.

Wine-lovers lined up to get up to their knees in grapes. (Photo by Julissa Treviño)

Our gal on the street, Julissa Treviño, attended Lightcatcher Winery’s Lucy Dance grape crushing party over the weekends. Behold her report:

Crowds of people—most of them in peasant skirts, peasant tops, and bandanas—lined up outside LightCatcher Winery in Fort Worth on Saturday at noon, waiting for their turn to participate in what the winery calls “the Lucy Dance.”

About 300 people showed up for the winery’s annual public grape crushing event, Crush Day, this weekend. Anyone dressed as Lucy (based on the I Love Lucy episode where she crushed grapes) got to take home a free bottle of the 2010 Texas Kiss Merlot Rosé.

jump for the report and messy pics…

Stompers lined up outsode the winery. (Photo by Julissa Treviño)

Thousands of pounds of grapes were de-stemmed on the patio just before the crushing began. The winery’s machine can de-stem about 1000 lbs in 15 minutes, said a winery employee. For $25, guests helped crush freshly harvested grapes with their bare feet in two large tubs. Not to worry: Everyone had to wash their feet before and after the crushing, and guests were asked not to wear any lotion or fragrances that could affect the product.

Fruit of the vine. (Photo by Julissa Treviño)

If you’ve never been to a grape crush before, here’s what it’s like: It feels cold, slushy and slippery, and it’s probably the most fun you can have in 106 degree weather. Grape juice will inevitably stain your clothes and your thighs, but there’s nothing quite like it. If you’re in the DFW area, Crush Day is a must. What’s cool about Crush Day is that you’re actually contributing to the wine making process. The crushed grapes will actually be used for the winery’s cabernet sauvignon and merlot, said wine maker and chef Caris Turpen, who, along with her husband Terry, owns LightCatcher Winery. The product will go through a long stage of inoculation, fermentation and aging. It will eventually be bottled in 2-3 years.

I Love Lucy-impersonation knows no gender. (Photo by Julissa Treviño)

The crushing lasted three hours. Before and after, guests sat inside the tasting room or outside on the patio, where they could hear live music and order glasses or bottles from a list of about 15 wines and food. I tasted four wines: the Summer Sangria, 2009 Remuda Red, 2010 Chardonnay, and 2010 Hummingbird White. My favorite, the Summer Sangria, is sweet red wine infused with Texas peaches and apples and brandy and is very purple dark in color. It’s not too sweet; it’s actually slightly bitter and tart. The Remuda is soft and fruity (with plum, cherry, and blackberry notes), but it’s drier than the Summer Sangria. The two white wines proved to be very tart and with notes of citrus. Many of the guests opted for frozen Bellinis, but every time I tried ordering one, I was told the machine either wasn’t working or the drinks were coming out too watery. Oh well; there’s always next year.

Summer sangria. (Photo by Julissa Treviño)

Wine barrels at Lightcatcher Winery in Fort Worth. (Photo by Julissa Treviño)

Darcy Plantage of Elegantly Chocolate (All photos by Suzi Migdol)

I once had a dream wherein I visited a magical building, and in that building, lovely people danced around throwing handcrafted chocolates, magical brownies, and toffees in my mouth from all directions.   I pranced around this magical building for hours, humming Simon and Garfunkel tunes, hugging everyone in sight, and smearing my entire body in chocolate fudge.  It was a wonderful dream, but this past Saturday, this dream became a reality (most of it anyways).

This past weekend, at the Addison Conference Center, the brilliant minds behind DallasChocolate.org brought together the most talented group of chocolatiers in Big D.  It was truly a festival for all to enjoy.  I have not seen a happier group of people gathered in one place since the night I camped out with the Star Wars geeks for the opening of the Phantom Menace.  It was like being transported to the mystical Willy Wonka’s Chocolate factory, without those disturbing Oopa Loompas narrating your every move.

The men and women showcasing their chocolate talents were no less than extraordinary.  Some of the wonderful people included in the showcase included…

A mix of fabulous brownies from Oh * Brownie

Oh * Brownie, created by Iris McCallister (spouse of the famed chef Matt McCallister) who provided a variety of decadent brownies made with premium Callebaut Belgian chocolate…

Caron and Shawn Askinosie, changing the world through chocolate

The inspirational Askinosie Chocolate, providing chocolate bars from 100% traceable, single origin cocoa beans, produce in small batches.  These dedicated folks are sourcing all their beans directly from small farmers in Tanzania, the Philippines, Equador, and Honduras, where they personally make regular visits to visit the farmers helping supply the beans for their products.  The essence of the “bean to bar” movement.

The team from Chocolate Secrets pleasing the crowd

The incredibly talented Chocolate Secrets, who produced not only some of the most daring and intriguing flavors at the show, but also the most visually stunning pieces of hand-painted chocolate I’ve seen in Dallas.

The secret was definitely out at Chocolate Secrets

A spectrum of show-stoppers from Sublime Chocolate

The sensuous flavors of Sublime Chocolates, whose ingenious flavor combinations received plenty of attention throughout the day (I mean, the people put bacon in their chocolate, c’mon).

Dr. Sue and family, I wish my doctor could prescribe chocolate

Dr. Sue’s Chocolates, whose owner, Sue Williams M.D., was not satisfied with saving the lives of patients, and took to chocolate making.  She provided some of the most exceptional chocolate barks I’ve had in recent memory.

Elegantly Chocolate in Carrollton, providing premium handcrafted chocolates…

Wiseman House Chocolates from the Texas Hill country…

As well as CocoAndre, Toffee Treats, and Callebaut Chocolates.

A grand time was had by all, and after nearly eating my weight in chocolate, I left the conference a little wiser, slightly heavier, and a good deal happier.  This is one event I’ll be sure not to miss for years to come.

John Tesar finally tells it all. ALL.

Our September issue of D Magazine has been mailed to subscribers and will be on newsstands by the end of the week. The cover story, “The Most Hated Chef in Dallas,” is a rough-and-tumble profile of poor, misunderstood John Tesar. The profile was written by former DMN-staffer-turned-freelancer Jason Sheeler. Tesar didn’t hold anything back and takes plenty of shots at former employers, employees, chefs — even his old running buddy Anthony Bourdain. Tesar’s controversial thoughts will be heard loud and clear.

Sheeler spent weeks with Tesar. He shadowed him in the kitchen at The Commissary, at the bar in Tei-An, and at his condo on East Lovers Lane. During the interview process, Sheeler managed to track down Bourdain for a interview. After phone calls to publicists, assistants, and various emails and texts, Sheeler finally reached Bourdain on the phone. “Don’t ever let anybody ever tell you aren’t f**king good at your motherf**cking job,” Bourdain said to Sheeler when he answered the phone. “I don’t even want to know how you got this number.”

It’s a wild read. Tesar tells all.

Jon Battle looking victorious outside of Dough on opening day.

Ladies and gentlemen, and I use those terms loosely, meet Jon Battle. He pestered me for months about the opening of Dough in Dallas. He’s a FANatic fan of their pizza. Well, the persistent Mr. Battle was the first official Dallas customer to enter Dough Pizzeria Napoletana when they opened this morning. He took a bunch of nice pictures which I have entered below the jump.

All photos by Jonathon Battle:

The kitchen crew.

Black truffle rollatini.

Rasberry cream Italian soda.

Large "Pork Love" pie.

Polenta cake.

]]> http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2011/08/16/special-report-first-customer-at-dough-spends-62-for-lunch-sends-pictures-and-report/feed/ 21 http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2011/04/29/bob-sambol-leaves-bobs-steak-chop-house-for-mcrowds-mercury-grill-in-dallas/ http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2011/04/29/bob-sambol-leaves-bobs-steak-chop-house-for-mcrowds-mercury-grill-in-dallas/#comments Fri, 29 Apr 2011 19:34:50 +0000 Tim Rogers http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/?p=24803

Bob Sambol leaves Bob's Steak & Chop House officially "Bob-less."

Exclusive! Breaking! Must credit SideDish!!

Minutes ago, Bob Sambol told his staff and investors that he is decamping the legendary Bob’s Steak & Chop House to take a job at MCrowd. Come Monday, diners at the Mercury Grill will find Sambol waiting to greet them at the front door. He’ll run that operation and will spearhead an MCrowd foray into fine dining with as-yet-unnamed future restaurants in the Dallas area.

Naturally, if you’ve been playing along at home, you are right now recalling that Sambol is a thief who recently copped to stealing $300,000 from an investor. I asked MCrowd co-owner Ray Washburne why he would take on that risk and the baggage that comes with it. I found it curious that he didn’t have a ready answer and seemed to be thinking out loud as he looked for one. Washburne said Sambol is a talented guy and a hard worker. “In the restaurant business,” he said, “you have very few people who are true restaurateurs, who work the door and know their customers’ names.” Sambol is one of those guys. (Washburne said Al Biernat is another.) But Washburne also said the hire was a real Dallas thing. “One reason Dallas is a great city is if you’re honest and you work hard, people are willing to listen to you,” he said. I replied, “Honest?” Washburne laughed and said, “We’re all sinners. Bob has addressed his issues. He’s looking for a fresh start, and working with the structure that MCrowd has, he can flourish.” Hang on, though. There’s one more reason Washburne gave for making the hire. Sambol got deferred adjudication and is on probation for 10 years. “If he messes up once,” Washburne said, “he’s done. He’s got a gun to his head.” In other words, he thinks Sambol is a safe bet.

For his part, Sambol told Nancy: “I’m really excited. I’ve had some incredible heart-to-heart talks with all of the partners. I’ve been honest with them, and I respect [Mercury Grill chef Chris Ward] and his staff. We are not looking back. We’re looking forward to increasing business and perhaps creating new projects for Chris.”

Ward is known for being, oh, let’s call it quiet. What is going to happen when MCrowd installs an operator at the Mercury who has grown accustomed, over the years, to having his name on the building? “Bob has a great passion for the restaurant business,” Ward said. “He has plans to boost the business at Mercury. We’ve also talked about doing another restaurant together.”

Kamal keeps his table at home looking beautiful and filled with produce from the market. Photo by Randy Potts

A year ago, chef Chad Houser of Parigi and his freelance-writer buddy Randy Potts decided to take a trip together. Houser mentioned Tel Aviv and Potts started googling restaurants along the eastern Mediterranean. Tawlet kept popping up, a farm-to-table restaurant in Beirut owned by Kamal Mouzawak, dubbed by the NYT as the “Alice Waters of the Middle East.”  Potts emailed Kamal about Houser and the possibility of him cooking in Beirut as a guest chef.

Today they landed in Beirut. For the next two weeks the duo will tour the farm-to-table scene in Lebanon with Kamal Mouzawak. We will carry Randy’s updates and Chad’s pictures here on SideDish.

Our Arrival

Beirut sits on the Mediterranean, sandwiched between the sea and the mountains. In the same view you can see sand and palm trees, and, in the distance, snow-capped mountains and ski resorts, only a few hours drive away.  The city is full of pale white high rise buildings with balconies covered with lines of laundry hanging out to dry.  It is loud.  Some streets smell like piss or a fishy smell from the sea.  Then suddenly you turn a corner and the street will remind you of New Orleans or Paris or Southern Italy – pink and green buildings, gables on the balcony, cafes, Vespas weaving through the cars.  But the sight of policemen wearing fatigues and police stations surrounded with sandbags are unnerving.

Jump.

We meet Kamal Mouzawak at his house. A common joke in Lebanon is that Kamal’s name is in the New York Times more often than the Lebanese President.  Kamal’s apartment in Beirut is fittingly beautiful – arched windows overlooking palm trees, 20-foot ceilings, and an eclectic mix of Bauhaus furniture such as hand-crafted couches and tables pulled from old warehouses.  He is warm, gentle, and to the point shoeless. He sits reclined on his sofa surrounded by two assistants with laptops at the ready and he launches into a conversational, informal conference of sorts.  Tomorrow we will visit the market.  The day after, Houser will cook at his villa an hour to the north.  The day after that, we will visit two farms.  And so on.  Jet-lagged, we are both stunned, excited and breathless and starving.  So, to Bouboush.

We take a 20-minute walk through the city to Bouboush, a kitschy, homey bistro Kamal has recommended.  As we walk, we swerve to avoid speeding Vespas and  pass the new bars popping up in the city.  Suddenly we spy Kamal in the road. He is waving a car to a stop and sticking his head in the passenger window, kissing two children’s faces which eagerly kiss him back.  “Yalla! Kei-fak! Bon jour!  Come with us, we are going to Bouboush, come, you must come!”  Mom and two kids agree, and now our party is seven.  We begin eating around 10 p.m.

At Bouboush, Kamal orders a spread – thin Lebanese pita, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, chicken shawarma, lamb shawarma, and hummus.  The chicken shawarma is wrapped in pita and stuffed with several French fries, a yogurt sauce, and enough garlic to kill a dozen vampires.  It is a revelation.  Gyros in Dallas are a nice greasy snack sometimes; chicken shawarma in Lebanon, which from a distance look like just another gyro, is an experience.  Everything at Bouboush is amazing; it feels like before this we’d eaten Lebanese food in black and white, and here it is live, in Technicolor.  Nothing on the menu is new, and yet, nothing tastes quite like anything we’ve ever eaten before.

We walk back through the noisy Friday night streets of Beirut filled with cars honking, bars hopping, and walk doggedly up the three flights of stairs to Kamal’s around midnight after 24 hours of travel. We must rest. Tomorrow: the market.