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Subject: Food and Cooking
Veggie Guy: Vegan 'Month Of Food'
In the vegan world, we're in what's known as "VeganMoFo." No, not what you think--it's a global event that stands for "Vegan Month of Food." We celebrate VeganMoFo to encourage our omnivorous friends to try animal-free eats for an entire month. Not an easy feat here in Dallas--you know, considering... But October also marks the beginning of baking season for most people, and many of those recipes that have been handed down through generations usually call for milk, eggs, butter, and other a
October 8, 2009Handle The Proof: What To Drink On A Day Like Today
Great. The full force of Texas winter is upon us...for a day...in October.Another month and Europeans will start seeing mulled wine stands open. Decades ago these probably held a big, steaming pot of red wine spiced with cinnamon, vanilla, cloves and other seasonings. Nowadays, of course, you find commercial-sized stainless coffee pots.Not the same charm, but it's still good stuff: gluhwein in Germany, glogg in Scandinavian countries, svarak (pronounced sfarzhak) in the Czech Republic...Other
October 9, 2009Veggie Guy: NAAN
Ok--I'll admit it. The Shops at Legacy are pretty cool. Now if only they weren't all the way up in freakin' Oklahoma...erm...I mean Plano. I met up with my vegan buddy Drew at Legacy NAAN last week, where he'd set up a multiple-course vegan food tasting. It's located in the "old side [of the shops]," as one cougar standing outside of Fox Sports Grill put it. "Geez--I thought Dallas was bad about calling relatively new things 'old'!" "Oh c'mon, dude--the suburbs aren't THAT bad!" argued Dre
October 13, 200910 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, 2009On The Range: Huaraches
Ooops...wrong image.On The Range is a weekly exploration of the history and lore of Texas menu items."If everybody had an ocean/Across the U.S.A/Then everybody'd be surfin'/Like Californ-I-a/You'd see 'em wearing their baggies/Huarache sandals too..." Despite the popularity brought to them by the Beach Boys way back when, huaraches aren't just a type of shoe. In fact, they are an oblong-shaped delicacy made from fresh masa, flattened into a form that is roughly the same thickness as pita
October 14, 2009In a City of Gaudy Prime Beef Palaces, Dragonfly Has No Problem Laying Claim to "Best Steaks in Dallas."
October 15, 2009Appetite For Instruction: Farmer's Market Burger With Grilled Onion Relish
Recipe demonstrated by Amy Green, 2nd place in Sutter Home Build a Better Burger Contest Football season is in full swing. With football season comes game day food, and what's the best game day food? Burgers...and of course, hot dogs and chips. But let's focus on meat patties today. Amy Green recently returned back to Dallas after a long weekend in Napa Valley with $500 extra in her pocket . It was all work, though. She was there to win the alternative (non-beef) burger competition for the
October 15, 2009Hophead: Brooklyn Brewmaster Says In Food Pairing, Beer Is The Answer
Jesse HugheyBrooklyn Local 1 with honey-pepper salmon.Brooklyn Beer brewmaster Garrett Oliver's visit to Whole Foods yesterday afternoon was first and foremost a cooking demonstration with beer pairing suggestions. But as Oliver described how the flavors of each brew complemented each course, he kept returning to a central thesis: When it comes to food pairings, beer is superior to wine. "Sommeliers' number one question they're asked isn't about, say, 'What's the soil content in Napa Valley?
October 15, 2009Handle The Proof: Which Liquors Burn?
auntcrazy.comYou still see a flaming shot every once in awhile. For the most part, however, bars wisely consider the close proximity of of fire and alcohol to be a generally bad idea.Why? An Australian bar owner related a story about the time some riotous types ordered a round of B-52s and excitedly slammed glasses to the bar before drinking. The resulting fiery spray ignited bar napkins and a few nearby patrons. Local bartenders generally speak of incinerated eyebrows or other such minor dis
October 16, 2009Half As Good
375mlbottles.co.ukSize mattersIt'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, 2009Veggie 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, 2009York Street Gets It Right by Doing Everything Wrong
October 22, 2009Hophead: Notes From Flying Saucer's Fourth Annual Fall Beer Festival
A beer tasting event like last Saturday's Fall Beer Festival at the Fort Worth Flying Saucer is an easy way to try several new beers at once, hang out with fellow beer people and see a lot of hilarious T-shirts. However, as I discovered, it's also an easy way to get a bad impression of a beer for a multitude of reasons that are no fault of the brewer's. Saturday's festival in the Flying Saucer parking lot featured two dozen beers from American craft brewers, separated into East Coast, West Co
October 22, 2009Handle The Proof: Sidecar
In my school of thought--and keep in mind, it's not a very well attended school--cocktails born in the heyday of gentlemanly drinking are to be revered. Drinks such as martinis, old fashioned and the great sazerac came from an era when even the prettiest glass carried a big, stiff belt of alcohol and Singapore sling was about as silly as could get...well, except perhaps for the monkey gland.The sidecar came along in the midst of this creative spurt. It started, most say, with a bartender in P
October 23, 2009Service 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, 2009Veggie Guy: Vegan 101
While most of my friends were busy working on their costumes for this weekend's Disturbathon, I spent my Saturday night with members of Vegan 101 at their annual Halloween Potluck. My costume: a gay vegan Mormon (black flat-front chinos, pink button-down, black poly tie, sneakers, and yes...a bicycle helmet and a backpack). Now, if you have to ask where the "vegan" and "gay" come in, just talk to any vegan about silk ties, and any gay man about those pleated Dockers Mormons wear on their Sch
October 27, 2009Smokin' at C.T.'s Real Deal BBQ
October 29, 2009Appetite 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, 2009Veggie Guy: Back Yard Burgers
In the spirit of Halloween, I'm going to share a horrifying confession with you guys. A little over a decade ago, I was a regular at the Whataburger on Main St. in Lewisville. I'd hit that drive-thru five days a week for a double-meat, double-cheese Whataburger with ketchup, mustard, and extra pickles, a large order of French fries, large onion rings, two sides of country gravy, and a large Dr. Pepper. For breakfast. Pretty frightening, huh? Yeah, I was a big guy back then, weighing ove
October 29, 2009Chocolate vs Fruit-Flavored: Halloween Fun-Size Candy Free-For-All
Alex FloresFor this week's food fight, we asked a group of UNT students to buy bags of Halloween candy--"promising" to reimburse them, of course--pour them out on one of those dorm study tables and start munching. They picked up Fun Size Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and Nestle Crunch bars, Skittles, Starburst chews and Tootsie Rolls...though oddly enough, no Candy Corn. The results:Halloween is the perfect time of year for Americans to temporarily ditch their diets and rot their teeth out in one
October 29, 2009Chefs' Choice
October 29, 2009Veggie Guy: Kellogg's Broke My Heart...Those Bastards
Kellogg's just ripped my heart out, slammed it to the dirt, then proceeded to stomp the hell out of it with a seven-inch stiletto! Ok--high drama, but I'm seriously heartbroken about their recent de-veganizing of one of the best faux meat products on the market. For years, I used Kellogg's MorningStar Farms Grillers Recipe Crumbles for all of my Tex-Mex home cooking (tacos, enchiladas, chile relleno, and most any dish that called for ground beef). They were extra "beefy" in texture and tas
November 3, 2009Hash Over: Libertine Fights Brain Cancer, NBC Starts Fish Fight, and Stephan Pyles Holds Celebrity Dinner Sunday
The Libertine Bar may have the Best Bar Food in Dallas, along with a great selection of beer and wine--and, of course, the monthly Playlister P local-music DJ nights. But beginning at 7 p.m. tomorrow night, the bar's brain cancer awareness event gives yet another reason to love the Lower Greenville pub. After a friend of the bar was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer, the staff organized an impromptu concert with a live and silent auction to raise funds for her walk Saturday at Trinity Park
November 3, 2009If 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, 2009Days 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, 2009Will 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, 2009Chef Tre Wilcox, of Bravo and Food Network Fame, Wants to Make a Celebrity of his Restaurant, LOFT 610
November 6, 2009Veggie Guy: Madras Pavilion
May seem bizarre to some that I would compare a South Indian dinner to my Mexican grandmother's breakfast taquitos, but that's exactly what came to mind while chowing down on my potato-filled dosa at Madras Pavilion. Growing up, my brother Michael and I hated eggs. Still do, in fact. Whenever Grandma would incorporate chicken placenta into our meals, we'd about lose our shit! Eventually she caught on and began experimenting with spices and add-ins to make our meals look and taste as lively
November 5, 20097-Eleven vs Barefoot: War Of The Wines
Alex FloresYesterday it came to our attention that 7-Eleven planned to introduce their own wine brand, priced at a Thunderbird-like $3.99 a bottle--that's right, $3.99 for .75 of Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon in glass with a real artificial cork. No screw-tops for wine this fancy.They call their brand Yosemite Road, as it is cellared by the Yosemite Road Vineyards in Livermore, California--somewhere between San Jose and Modesto, in other words. But local 7-Elevens already stock a Modesto w
November 5, 2009Handle The Proof: Blended Scotch Whisky
Generally when people sit down to discuss whisky, the conversation settles around the single malts of Islay, Speyside or the rare and unique brands from Campbeltown. But the overwhelming majority of scotch whisky sold around the world consists of blends--up to 50 different malts making up a single bottle. Indeed, the best known labels are blended: Ballantine's, Johnnie Walker, Teacher's, Dewar's, Famous Grouse and the like--which rather makes sense. Historian and novelist Reay Tannahill once
November 6, 2009Hash 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, 2009Veggie Guy: BuzzBrews Kitchen
I've always had a little bit of a love/hate thing for BuzzBrews Kitchen. Nowhere else in Dallas can vegans get decent sized late night eats, but service isn't really their forte. My last visit there was on a semi-chilly Saturday night with my buddies Drew, Jamey, and Gray. The guys and I had made our rounds to several outdoor parties and decided to warm up at BuzzBrews. Since the place has no set vegan selections, I schooled the guys on what was fair game for us. I ordered a Shiner, Garlic
November 10, 2009Pho From Home: Vietnam
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.As a little Vietnamese kid in a primarily white world, I never thought these three letters would one day evoke such a craze in the West, particularly Dallas, Texas. Don't get me wrong. Dallas/Fort Worth has the third highest population of Vietnamese people in the United States, right behind
November 10, 2009Dude 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, 2009On The Range: Snapper Veracruz
On The Range is a weekly exploration of the history and lore of Texas menu items.Puerto de Veracruz is a bustling metropolis of half-a-million located on the Gulf of Mexico. Its rich history stretches back to Pre-Columbian times, and it is sometimes called The Four Times Heroic City after resisting two invasions from the United States and two from France. One of the French invasions is known today as The Pastry War--what else would the French fight over?--and occurred when a French chef had
November 11, 2009First 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, 2009Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Nose, Hair and Mouth--And That's A Good Thing
November 12, 2009Parkit Market Is A One-Stop-Lunch Shop For The Frat Crowd
November 12, 2009Veggie Guy: Kona Grill
You might not know that Kona Grill has a completely separate menu for vegans. They keep it hidden behind the host's stand and don't advertise it on their regular menu. Why keep it hidden? No idea. As one of my friends says, "It's like winking at someone in the dark." Vegans who have been graced by the out-of-sight menu (on two wrinkled sheets of 8.5x11 all-purpose paper) are already aware that Kona Grill's does a good job with veg-fare. But for those who haven't...
November 12, 2009Hophead: Pyramid Haywire Hefeweizen And Deschutes Black Butte Porter Free Samples--Sometimes You Get What You Pay For
Jesse HugheyPyramid Haywire HefeweizenA Pyramid PR representative recently sent a press release announcing the Gold Medal awarded to the brewery's Haywire Hefewiezen at the Great American Beer Festival, and offered to send over sample bottle or two. As if she needed to ask.Ben E. Keith beer distributors did her one better and delivered two six-packs, free of charge. One was a Haywire sixer, while the other was a mixed pack with three beers from Deschutes: the Jubelale Winter Seasonal, the Bla
November 12, 2009Handle The Proof: Texas Whisky
Chip Tate and Stephen Germer for some reason decided the time was right for a craft Texas whiskey to hit the market. So they formed Balcones Distillery and set up along I-35, just south of Waco, amongst fields of heather and weathered peat bogs soaked by clear mountain springs...no, that doesn't sound right.But they were right--a craft whiskey movement is brewing, with distilleries in Oregon, New York and several places in between turning out classic rye, soft corn whiskeys and American versi
November 13, 2009Short Orders: Bene Bene
Bene Bene4727 Frankford972-267-2363Old school Italian joints dot the area's northern reaches. Don't know why, really--but if you want typical lasagna, chicken parmigiana, bruschetta with nothing fancier than garlic and basil, or any other dish common to Italian restaurants up through the 1980s, your best options exist in a swath just above 635.Although Bene Bene sits in a shopping center, they've daubed it in warm colors and found space for a patio outside and a fountain in. Otherwise, there'
November 16, 2009Veggie Guy: How Vegan Are You?
Off limits?I find it rather off-putting when militant vegans say things like, "How vegan are you?" or "[I'm] a true vegan." Hmm...guess I didn't realize this was a competition. Fact is, no one living in modern day society can be completely vegan. As one of my pals puts it, "If you're breathing air, there's no way you're 100% vegan!" I--along with so many others--have come to terms with this reality. All veg-heads agree that meat is out of the question, but vegans try to steer clear of all
November 17, 2009Pho 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, 2009Dude 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, 2009Uptown’s Geisha House Offers An On-Again, Off-Again Japanese Dining Experience. Try Going When It’s On-Again.
November 19, 2009Refried Beans With Extra Virgin Olive Oil? The Mexican Says For the Love of Lard, "No!"
November 19, 2009On 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, 2009Veggie Guy: Thanksgiving
I would've really liked to spend this Thanksgiving with my brother and sister-in-law in Northwest Spain. They throw an amazing bash each year for all of their American friends, then take it to the clubs for late-night dancing and drinks. Fun times, for sure! My recently retired mother, however, has been itching to get out of Brownsville for a few days, so I nixed the European vacation and invited her over to Dallas for a vegan Thanksgiving. Yeah, I know what you're thinking: tofurkey. But
November 19, 2009Dorrough Expands Himself As An Artist, Pens Song About Ice Cream.
Dorrough's getting brian-freeze.You'd think that, in most instances, after scoring a major, nationwide hit with a song called "Ice Cream Paint Job," a rapper might consider avoiding the subject of frozen treats for a little while.But oh how presumptuous of you that would be...This past week, Dorrough's collaborator, the FADER-appreoved Fat B, released via his Twitter account a free download of a bonus track off Dorrough's debut full-length Dorrough Music. And the song he leaked? It's called,
November 20, 2009
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© 2009 Village Voice Media All rights reserved.