Subject: Eating Out

• Short Orders: Bob's Steak & Chop House

  ​Bob's Steak & Chop House4300 Lemmon Avenue214-528-9446Quite a number of those who dine out on a regular basis are still in the dark as to Bob Sambol and his legal difficulties. Talk at surrounding tables on a recent visit centered on some encounter with Jerry Jones' bodyguard Roosevelt ("he didn't know me yet," claimed the bigwig telling the story) and, more tellingly, all those "other restaurants Bob owns."The rich and powerful don't read local news, apparently.To his credit, Sambol hims

  August 20, 2009

• Sloppy Seconds: A Case of the Mondays

  ​In this back-to-school edition of Sloppy Seconds, we're recapping a hectic week that saw complications both technical and interpersonal as the City of Ate crew went about its business. Still, from wine classes to a little meta-analysis, last week saw plenty of learning opportunities for devotees of the Dallas dining scene.The Week in Review(s): Your own Dallas Observer: Dave bats around thoughts on the year's best new restaurants for a while, on the way to being impressed by chef Christopher

  August 24, 2009

• Some High-End Restaurants Just Don't Measure Up

  ​Not being a fan of crowds, my intention was to avoid Restaurant Week. Yet somehow I ended up at Fearing's for an evening of rushed--as in 'get the hell out, we need to turn this table'--yet very pleasant service...and mediocre courses.It's quite likely, of course, that Fearing's crew pay less attention to their cut-rate dishes. I wouldn't expect an award-wining kitchen to overcook a salmon entree so badly or to pour half a shaker of salt into one portion of mashed potatoes on a normally price

  August 24, 2009

• Short Orders: Nazar

  Wow, the portions are so liberal.​Nazar15107 Addison Rd.Addison972-726-0100Hardly anything has changed since this place transformed itself from the Turkish restaurant called Shish to the Turkish restaurant called Nazar.Oh, there's a new owner and all. But I'm almost certain I had the same waiter as my last trip to Shish. There's the same strange situation where up to seven cars may be camped out front but only two guests in the dining room. The menu features the same dishes with almost the exa

  August 24, 2009

• First Look: Urbino Pizza e Pasta

  ​Urbino starts out with two strikes against it. First off, there's the name. Oh, Urbino's cute and all--but the third incarnation of Urbano Café sits just a mile away. (That's Urbano with an "A", not Urbino with an "I". ) There's also a new pizza joint in Plano called Urban Crust, and we spied a seedy-looking nightclub around the corner from Urbino called Ritmo Urbano. Oh, and don't forget Urban Market and Café downtown on Jackson Street. Then there's the fact that Urbino opened in an

  August 26, 2009

• The Long Good Bye to Lola

  August 27, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Asian Mint

  Fresh spring rolls.​My good friend Sara and I met a few years ago at a yoga class. We instantly hit it off, and started doing everything together...grocery shopping, dining, working out. She even moved into my building. But over the past couple of months, we've both been on crazy schedules. No more hanging out. Not even a quick phone call. So imagine my surprise when Sara called to tell me she got engaged to some guy named JJ! What?!? How did this happen? I've never even met the guy! Well

  August 27, 2009

• The Long Good Bye to Lola

  August 27, 2009

• Short Orders: Palomino

  ​Palomino500 Crescent Ct. (Atrium)214-999-1222Age can fray a restaurant. Leather wears, fittings crack and the room begins to lose its allure.Not so in the case of Palomino. The dining space at this veteran Crescent Court locale speaks of timeless dinner club finery, with an inviting bar and patio that's just plain old cool. Even graying wait staff show some personality.Despite the restaurant's longevity, therefore, you could imagine this a Dallas hot spot--a meeting up place populated by coug

  August 27, 2009

• Hophead: Prost In Plano

  Mikal Beth Hughey​A liter a day keeps the doctor away. --Old German proverb (at least according to the Bavarian Grill's Stein Hour menu)Along with a handful of other local eateries, the Bavarian Grill in Plano is in the running for GermanDeli.com's designation as The Best German Restaurant in America. Kuby's may have great sausage, Jorg's Cafe Vienna may have delicious schnitzel and Edelweiss may boast its patronage of such celebrities as John Wayne and, umm, Mark Davis. But thanks to its dedi

  August 27, 2009

• Top 10 Reasons The Dallas Suburbs Rule

  austrini, via FlickrAllen at its most scenic​Take a look at that grid of little boxes. Just like East Dallas, really--with newer homes and fewer trees. And no backyard chicken farming.Just this afternoon we received a note from Brian Rudolph, urging us to visit his Holy Grail Pub (an Old Monk spin-off), located somewhere in the 'burbs. "I know that it is a long hike from inside the loop," he wrote apologetically. Clearly he expected some sort of negative grunt in response.Oh, well--urban provi

  August 27, 2009

• Lost Weekend; Or, Why Can't Servers Just Write Things Down?

  Stop gawking at Sheriff Taylor and pull out the notepad.​Somewhere in between this weekend's soccer games, F1 coverage from the greatest racetrack in the world and MotoGP at Indy, I managed to fit in a few restaurant visits...um, which makes it seem like I spend half my life in front of a television.Kinda pathetic, I guess. And it only gets worse once football season starts.Anyway, at two different Tex-Mex joints I quite clearly asked for a margarita on the rocks with salt. In both cases, our

  August 31, 2009

• How 'Bout Them Knockers: Mango Thai

  ​Each week in 'Knockers' we order from a different delivery restaurant, assessing their efficiency and keeping a running score.Mango Thai Cuisine4448 Lovers Lane214-265-9996Promised delivery time: about 45 minutesActual delivery time: 48 minutesFriendliness of the guy on the phone: 11Ease of personalizing an entree: 25Reading back my order to ensure accuracy: 9Delivery dude's BMW: -5Fact that the BMW unleashed heavenly aroma of Thai food I could smell at my door as soon as he opened his: 15Cri

  August 31, 2009

• What Do Cooks And Wait Staff Eat?

  ​How are the hard-working folks who can make or break a restaurant meal cared for at the end (or beginning) of a long shift? Do they send out for pizza?Used to be, in the family-run restaurants of yore, the staff would sit down to a communal meal together each day, conversing and commiserating while sampling an array of specials. No really--it used to happen, and in some places it still does. Often times, though, shift meals for a harried staff are an equally harried affair...and in some c

  September 1, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Vegan-Friendly Tex Mex Chains

  Latin stir fry at Mi Cocina.​A lot of people ask me where they can get some good vegan Tex-Mex around town. I usually guide them to Monica's, where vegans can get the best enchiladas in Dallas, but I understand that driving down to Deep Ellum isn't always practical...especially if you're on the wrong other side of the loop. These are my picks for vegan-friendly Tex-Mex joints with multiple locations: Mattito's: The Lite Vegetable Fajitas are steamed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, squash,

  September 1, 2009

• Dude Food: Babe's Chicken Dinner House, Cedar Hill

  ​Each week the Dude Food guys assess the 'masculinity' of Dallas area dives. The more fried meat and junk on the walls, the better the rating...Babe's Chicken Dinner House200 South Main St., Cedar Hill469-272-4500Dude Factor: 9, or Baby Face Nelson on a scale of 1 (Babyface) to 10 (Babe Ruth)While I'm a big fan of Bubba's, I'm embarrassed to say that until last night I'd never tried any of the home-cooking diner's sister fried-chicken restaurants, despite the local chain's multiple Best of Dal

  September 1, 2009

• In Park's Kitchen, Prodigal Son Marc Cassel Makes His Return

  September 3, 2009

• Hash Over: Bolsa And Smoke Celebrate, Dine On The Line, Raiser Grazer Resumes And More

  ​It's hard to believe Bolsa has only been open for a year, as it already feels like a Dallas institution for locavores and  those who enjoy fascinating food creations at reasonable prices. It's gotta be true, though, as the restaurant will celebrate its first year of business with "Bands, Bruschetta, Burgers, Bottles & Beer" 4 p.m. Sunday at the "Bolsaveursary." OK, so maybe the food isn't overwrought, but that name certainly is. Forgivable offense, though, considering that the event

  September 8, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Vegan Chocolate Confections

  ​Chocolate--that's my kryptonite. Nothing makes me weaker in the knees than feasting on a chocolate dessert after dinner! My ancestors sure knew what they were doing by using the magical cacao bean as currency back in the day. But so many Dallas confectioners bastardize their chocolate creations by incorporating dairy, eggs, and other animal-based ingredients. No, thanks! So where CAN vegans find chocolaty happy endings in Dallas? Well--let's take a tour of Dallas' vegan dessert scene. Cos

  September 10, 2009

• Why Blame The Food?

  ​I think it was last week when I came across an AP story detailing the efforts of the San Antonio Restaurant Association to encourage healthier cooking at the city's Tex-Mex and Mexican eateries. Seems the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed San Antonio behind only Detroit, Memphis and Martinsburg, West Virginia, in terms of obesity percentage.Not very pretty company.Obviously there's nothing wrong with healthy dishes. And any effort to educate a population on the joys of the foo

  September 14, 2009

• Mix-Mex: A Quick Tour Of Newly Opened Mexican Venues

  ​We Texans love our "Mexican" food. That is, we love flour tortillas filled with breast meat and corn chips dipped in processed cheese. Who wouldn't? Except, as we all know, that's not really Mexican, now is it? (And sometimes, as our own Chris Meesey would point out, the concoctions we adore aren't even really Tex-Mex.) At any rate, several restaurants--new and not-so-new--are tempting those willing to step away from the comfort of the combo plate. From Central American home cooking to

  September 15, 2009

• Numero Eno’s

  September 17, 2009

• The owners of Bolsa are at it again—launching another hot, new restaurant while keeping their demons in check.

  September 17, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Dream Cafe, Addison

  ​Back when I first went veg, I was living in some douchey apartment in Addison. The place itself was fine, but I couldn't stand all those McFestivals the town of Addison would hold right outside of my building. I remember fighting crowds just to get into the parking garage, then having to deal with scores of drunken fools chugging beers in my hallway. I got the hell out as soon as I could. But I have to admit, I sometimes do miss living in Addison. I kinda liked all the free concerts (even t

  September 17, 2009

• And The Winner Is...

  Pepperidge Farm sent two boxes of crackers to my office. Wilonsky saw them and ran over to Jimmy's, returning with some cured meat and a hunk of cheese. My desk is now covered by crumbs, two empty boxes, white wrapping paper of the kind you find at, oh, an Italian shop selling salami, and a dirty knife which someone probably expects me to clean.And he apparently used my notes for one of next week's posts as a cutting board. Anyway, so much for this week's prize.Now on to the non-winners:Respondi

  September 18, 2009

• Ah, Espana

  September 24, 2009

• Tea Thyme & Tisane offers a taste of ’70s small-town Texas--and a big helping of 2009 Internet promotion

  October 2, 2009

• Short Orders: Thai Chili

  Anselm27The bustling sidewalks of Las Colinas.​Thai Chili397 Las Colinas Blvd. E, Irving972-831-0797All those self-sustaining, walkable neighborhoods built, or to be built, in the DFW area are supposed to make the city seem somehow, well, like a real city. But one of the original and most European developments languishes.Oh, the apartments are doing fine, as far as I know. And those glass office towers still cling to tenants, presumably. But the colony along Las Colinas' canal system have a di

  October 5, 2009

• Days Gone Bite: Blue Plate Specials

  ​Driving around Dallas last week I came across an abandoned concrete structure with block glass inlays and "restaurant" painted across the front. It was like spotting an original streamline diner--different construction materials, I know, but the rounded corners and crumbling Art Deco era touches inspire the same flush of nostalgia. From the looks of it, this had been a bus station back in the 1930s. And quite probably its kitchen served blue plate specials.Now, the blue plate special hasn't v

  October 7, 2009

• Good Pizza Makes Good Neighbors at Urbino on Henderson.

  October 8, 2009

• 10 Most Annoying Things About Dining Out

  We often wonder why anyone would decide to own a restaurant. Not only can profit margins be thin, they also rise and fall on whims. Hire an inept server? Customers at that table will never return.It's a precarious business.From the guest's point of view, however, there's no reason to reward a bad experience. We've all encountered an uninformed waiter fumbling through explanations of that night's specials, a manager who refused to correct some mistake, or watched staff members fawn over those at

  October 13, 2009

• In a City of Gaudy Prime Beef Palaces, Dragonfly Has No Problem Laying Claim to "Best Steaks in Dallas."

  October 15, 2009

• Half As Good

  375mlbottles.co.ukSize matters​It's rather difficult to drink wine responsibly when dining out--a point that was driven home a couple weeks ago when I scanned the menu at York Street. For those who've never visited this tiny, brilliant institution, chef-owner Sharon Hage recommends a wine selection next to each menu item. Because she knows what went into each dish, I assume the suggestions will bring out the best of both food and wine. Although clearly she hopes to sell more by encouraging g

  October 19, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Gluten-Free Vegan Joints

  A gluten-free vegan cookie.​Omnivores tend to think of veganism as a highly restrictive, complicated way to live. Considering vegans have cut out meat, dairy, eggs, and all other animal products from their diets, they're sorta right--especially here in the land of beef. So imagine what it's like for vegans with an intolerance to gluten. Now that's gotta be rough! Local vegan Alise St. Germain doesn't have to imagine it. Her severe gluten intolerance and ethical choice to follow a vegan diet

  October 20, 2009

• York Street Gets It Right by Doing Everything Wrong

  October 22, 2009

• Service With A Sneer

  ​Anytime you write something about service these days, you're hit with a barrage of angry retorts from people identifying themselves as waiters and waitresses. According to these fed up staffers, diners are all just a bunch of unappreciative, whining morons who keep demanding more.Presumably the right entrees, drink refills, that sort of thing. The bastards.Now, we all know patrons can be painful dweebs at times. Decades ago I served a woman who called me back because I'd given her a cheesebur

  October 26, 2009

• Smokin' at C.T.'s Real Deal BBQ

  October 29, 2009

• Appetite For Instruction: Piquillo Cheese With Brioche Toast

  Recipe demonstrated by Chef J Chastain of The 2nd Floor Bistro ​There are a lot of things that attract people to the Galleria on a daily basis. For example, a possible Jessica Simpson sighting, sans Tony Romo of course, or trying out your triple axle jump at the ice skating rink. But maybe the restaurants should be the thing that draws you to this Dallas mecca. Besides claiming the largest scotch collection in Dallas, The 2nd Floor Bistro in the Westin Galleria also has an impressive, ever

  October 29, 2009

• If Memory Serves: Travel Guides

  ​If Memory Serves chronicles moments from my dining past, perhaps explaining why I'm so damn warped.I wrote the restaurant section to a travel guide while I lived in Prague--and if I could remember which one I'd advise you to stick it back on the shelf and pick up another.It wasn't for Lonely Planet. I do know that much.This was in 2006. The guides refresh their information every other year or so to keep them up to date. Of course, within a month after I filed the section with a London-based e

  November 3, 2009

• Days Gone Bite: Howard Johnson's Fried Clams

  ​In the '60s and '70s it was almost impossible to travel any distance without spotting a bright orange roof and that Simple Simon weathervane. There were close to 1,000 Howard Johnson's restaurants back then, each of them serving 28 flavors of ice cream and platefuls of fried clams.The clams were small yet meaty, with a thick and crinkly veil of batter fried to a beautiful golden brown. A menu staple since the first Howard Johnson restaurant opened, they had been revamped by one Jacques Pepin-

  November 4, 2009

• Will Bob Sambol's Old Partner Get the Steakhouse on Lemmon? Or Will Del Frisco's?

  ​I've had today's date circled on my calendar since October 7: This was to be the day Bob's Steak & Chop House went on the auction block. And ever since this morning, when we got word that there was at least one heretofore unmentioned notable interested in taking Bob Sambol's Lemmon Avenue eatery at a deep discount, I've been trying to reach both Sambol and Robert Milbank, the Dallas attorney who took over as trustee after the U.S. Trustee deemed Sambol too conflicted to best represent the

  November 4, 2009

• Chef Tre Wilcox, of Bravo and Food Network Fame, Wants to Make a Celebrity of his Restaurant, LOFT 610

  November 6, 2009

• Hash Over: California Wines Featured In Dinners, Executive Chef Changes And Free Whataburgers

  The 2002 Super T-Rex, one of the wines to be featured in Tuesday's dinner at Tre Amici.​This is a good week to be a Dallas fan of California wines, as two restaurants will feature the products of Cali vineyards in wine dinners beginning tonight. Bolsa has a wine dinner at 6:30 p.m. today featuring California wines selected by Abigail Adams Wines. The four-course meal, including cocktail reception, is $65 a head plus tax and tip. But if you're a wino on a budget, wait till Tuesday for the weekl

  November 9, 2009

• Dude Food: Joe's Pizza, Pasta & Subs

  I was disappointed that I forgot to bring a camera--until I found this picture on Joe's web page the Web page for another Joe's pizza, pasta and subs joint in Arlington, VA. ​Joe's Pizza, Pasta & Subs4300 Matlock Road, ArlingtonDude Factor: 8, or Joe Pesci, on a scale of 1 (Joe Jonas) to 10 (Joe DiMaggio)Located in a strip center next to an acupuncture office promising "Pain $55," Joe's was the only non-chain restaurant we could find last night in an otherwise T.G.I. Starbucks-plagued area

  November 10, 2009

• First Look: Bruno Davaillon's Menu At The Mansion

  An old shot of the new chef. I...um...forgot to bring my camera last night.​Chef Bruno Davaillon is eager to know what Dallas wants for dinner. At least that was the sentiment echoed by the wait staff and marketing department last night at a media dinner at the Mansion on Turtle Creek.The Mansion staff has been asking recent patrons what they'd like to see on the menu--which makes their incoming chef sound like a culinary Phil Donahue. On the other hand, the restaurant may be willing to sacr

  November 11, 2009

• Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Nose, Hair and Mouth--And That's A Good Thing

  November 12, 2009

• Pho From Home: Finding Perfection

  ​In Pho From Home we seek out the variety of pho--authentic, Texified, good and bad--available in restaurants, starting in the streets of Ho Chi Minh City and winding all the way around the Dallas area.I am staring at a forty-paged PDF file on my laptop. My mother, who lives in Ho Chi Minh City, has enlisted her friend, Mr. Hung, to be of my assistance. Mr. Hung can best be described as a food fanatic. You can ask him about any restaurant in the city, and he could probably write you a two p

  November 17, 2009

• Dude Food: El Jordan Cafe

  ​El Jordan Cafe416 N. Bishop Ave.214-941-4451Dude Factor: 9, or Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, on a scale of 1 (The Axeman) to 10 (Pete Perkins).This morning I awoke with the type of breakfast hankering no pop tart, oatmeal or yogurt smoothie could cure. I needed some man-size desayunos. You know, the kind of meal Tommy Lee Jones might eat while he's taking in the sunrise with his ranchhands outside San Saba. Unfortunately I don't keep ranch hours. So where in Oak Cliff could I get breakfast this late?

  November 17, 2009

• Uptown’s Geisha House Offers An On-Again, Off-Again Japanese Dining Experience. Try Going When It’s On-Again.

  November 19, 2009

• On The Range: Chorizo

  ​On The Range is a weekly exploration of the history and lore of Texas menu items.In Spain, as well as throughout Latin America, the dining public is big on pig. How big? Well, it is estimated that the entire chorizo production of Spain is 65,000 tons annually, more than the weight of 10,800 adult male African elephants or 406 Boeing 747s--which is equally hard to fathom unless you're into that kind of comparison. Much of this sausage is made from fresh pork mixed with garlic, herbs, and pap

  November 18, 2009