Articles about The Brad

How Much Do You Spend on a Bottle of Wine?

posted by Nancy Nichols | January 17th, 2013 10:54am | filed under Bring it!, The Brad, Wine & Spirits | 31 Comments »

If you are a wine drinker, I’d like to know your level of knowledge of wine: casual connoisseur (CC), I-know-more-than-Pinot-Merlot (IKMTPM), or I-wannabe-a-master-sommelier-when-I-grow-up (IWBMSWIGU).  I’d also love to the average price you pay for a bottle of wine you consume at home. Thanks.

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Suddenly Silent: John Tesar Has Disappeared From Dallas

posted by Nancy Nichols | July 26th, 2012 9:00am | filed under As the Restaurant Turns, Cheap trick for comments, Cult Cuisine, Dalai Lama eats veal, Happily apathetic, Hippie revolutions, I Went to College for This?, I'm a rumor monger, Keep Dallas Douchey!, Long table dinners, Making Up Is Hard To Do, Merguez Sausage Hunt, Overprivileged chimps, Procrastination is part of the creative process, restaurant business news, The Brad, youthful spontaneous restaurants | 34 Comments »

Missing In Action: Is John Tesar channeling his inner heirloom tomato fetish in India or hanging with Kathryn Jackson in Arizona?

I’ve cruised past the construction site of John Tesar’s new restaurant, Spoon in Preston Center, several times this month and noticed zero activity. The permits were not on the windows and there was no construction taking place. Yesterday I checked Tesar’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, then texted and called him, and nothing. Last night I spoke with his rep, Bev Garvin. She says all is well and construction is “back underway.” They are preparing to knock down the front of the space and, after that, “expect a six-to-eight week turnaround.”

I asked her Tesar’s whereabouts and she giggled a bit. “I can’t tell you,” she said. “I only get to talk to him when they allow him access to phones or when they let him have phones.”

After I lifted my jaw off my desk, I asked, “Well, should I check the roster at Betty Ford Clinic or San Quentin?” She giggled again, nervously. “No, it’s all good I can’t tell you. If you poke around you might find out more.” She did say he would be back in Dallas on July 31.

I don’t feel like poking, so let’s play “Where’s John Tesar?” Prize worth $100 to the winner. (Some people, and you know who you are, are not eligible to play.)

I am going out on a long white oak limb here: Meditating in India.

Okay, your turn, GO!

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John Tesar to Open Spoon Bar & Kitchen in Preston Center, Take Two

posted by Nancy Nichols | April 23rd, 2012 1:34pm | filed under Breaking News, Celebrity Chefs, Cooking Classes, Hippie revolutions, My Happy Pills Are Working, Openings/Closings, Peripatetic chefs, restaurant business news, Restaurant News, seafood, Second coming, SideDish Bump!, The Brad, youthful spontaneous restaurants | 5 Comments »

Pregnant With Paperwork: John Tesar has a lease.

John Tesar will not be stopped. The former (fill-in-the-blank) chef has inked a deal to take over the former La Tramontana space on Westchester in Preston Center. In January, Tesar announced he would be opening Spoon Bar & Kitchen in another space. However, the landlord killed the deal and Tesar moved his operation down the street.  Tesar has a signed lease, architect, and contractor and is scheduled to begin later this week.

Spoon will seat 68 and feature a 15-seat bar with a built-in raw bar and small plate menu. Tesar will be center stage in an open kitchen whipping up “three unique dining experiences”:  an a la carte menu that will change weekly; two nightly tasting menus (one from the land and the other from the sea); and a private chef’s table for 10. Cooking classes! Wine maker dinners! Eight seats almost in the kitchen! He plans to open fall 2012. Bring it, Tesar! Let’s Spoon! According to JT’s PR machine: Spoon is “ranked number seven on Eater National’s “25 Most Awaited Restaurant Openings of 2012.”

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Sigel’s Fête du Bordeaux Dinner at The Mansion on Turtle Creek

posted by Nancy Nichols | October 12th, 2011 2:06pm | filed under Cult Cuisine, Events, food pairings, Go Rangers!, Restaurant News, sassy pants, Second coming, The Brad | 8 Comments »

“2009 may turn out to be the finest vintage I have tasted in 32 years of covering Bordeaux…a magical vintage.” – Robert Parker

This man can afford this dinner.

If I were a rich man, I’d buy the last two seats to this spectacular dinner on October 26. Since I am neither rich nor a man, a subject that is oft debated amongst these cubicles, I will pass the opportunity on to those who have enough dough to go. The dinner looks to be bobbydazzler guaranteed to erase the reality of the brutal economy from your mind. If only for one night.

Hit it, Jasper:

Our [Sigel’s] 2009 Vintage Premier Fete de Bordeaux at The Mansion on Turtle Creek promises to be the most exciting dining event in Dallas this year. In addition to the wonderful white and red wines from Bordeaux we are proud to announce that Maison Ruinart will be our Champagne partner for the evening. Established in 1729 Ruinart is the oldest Champagne house, specializing in Blanc de Blanc and Rose bottlings.  The menu from Chef Bruno Davaillon has been finalized and promises to be the perfect accompaniment to these fantastic wines. Featuring: Jean-Charles Cazes - Lynch Bages & Ormes de Pez;Anthony Barton - Leoville Barton & Langoa Barton; Nicolas Glumineau – Winemaker, Montrose & Tronquoy Lalande; Melissa Bouygues - Owner, Montrose & Tronquoy Lalande. Wednesday, October 26 @ 7PM. $225 per person. For reservations please contact: Randy McLaughlin - 214-350-1271 or rmclaughlin@sigels.com.

Wait until you read the menu and pairings.

Continue reading "Sigel’s Fête du Bordeaux Dinner at The Mansion on Turtle Creek"

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