Gavin Cleaver

The British Guy Samples the Tea at the Renaissance Faire

Regular readers may remember that I found it amusing to review cream teas and high teas around Dallas, comparing them to their British counterparts. While many of you didn't agree that this was in fact amusing, that's never stopped me before. For the third in a highly infrequent series, I am for som ... More >>

Whiskey Folk Ramblers' Long Road to a New Album: Listen

In this week's music feature, Gavin Cleaver gets up to speed with Whiskey Folk Ramblers. They just released an excellent sophomore album, The Lonesome Underground, which you can buy on their website. It's been a long time coming for the band, which has lost members and engineers and still, as Gavin ... More >>

Pecan Lodge: The Best Thing in the History of Time Brings Harmony Back to a Marriage

Long-time readers of this blog will remember the irrepressible mischief of my wife, Richard (not her real name). Well, one of the greatest regrets of our marriage is that I took her to Pecan Lodge one time on an off-day. It was good, but not great. She was unimpressed. I had been one time before tha ... More >>

Take Me Out to the Brisket: An Englishman on BBQ Sandwiches at Rangers Ballpark

Here's something -- I am a very big fan of baseball. I can't explain why. I guess it's like really fast cricket. Anyway, I used to watch it late at night on TV back in the U.K. quite obsessively. It's the only American sport I've ever managed to get on board with, American football being poorly name ... More >>

Scientific Poll Results Prove: May Is National Barbecue Month.

We asked you which National Food Month should be May's Official National Food Month, and your answer was loud and clear. While you made jokes in the comments section about wanting Asparagus Month to win, your votes said something much, much meatier. In the least shocking food news in the history of ... More >>

The Rihanna Plane has a Commemorative Fragrance, and it is Insanely Expensive. Here's 25 Things it Does Not Smell Like, But Should.

We all remember the Rihanna Plane, right? Where 150 journalists and contest "winners" spent a week being cattle-herded around the planet in the vague, but not immediate, proximity of Rihanna? How anarchy broke out around day four, with no access to any stories of any kind, extended stretches quarant ... More >>

A Guide to British Cheese That Isn't Cheddar

Continuing our celebration of cheese week, we asked resident British person Gavin Cleaver to tell us about cheese in the U.K., because we are fascinated by a people who have no concept of smoked brisket. Plus, his answers are usually pretty strange entertaining. We have no idea how much of what he t ... More >>

Stuck at DFW? Bummer. Here Are Your Eight Best Bar and Bites Options

Total bummer about American Airline's computer glitch out at D/FW Airport. The bad news is your stuck in the awkward space between nowhere and home (or, even worse, vacation!). The good news is, you have some food and beverage options to pass the time. Funny thing about the airport bubble, it's sort ... More >>

Riding the Beer Trail for a Taste of Shiner, with Stops for BBQ

We're living in the golden age of Texas beer. Seriously, we are -- there are craft breweries popping up all around the state, our major cities are seeing growler-filling shops opening up and giving us the chance to take home brews that aren't available in bottle or cans, and we're being graced by mu ... More >>

The Eight Bands Most in Need of a Senior Citizen Ticket Discount

So the Rolling Stones have announced their first large tour in 6 years, and their "50 And Counting" jaunt will see them stop in nine cities across North America. This is borderline amazing considering that Keith Richards and Mick Jagger are 69 and CHARLIE WATTS IS 71 FREAKING YEARS OLD. Can you imag ... More >>

UNT's Edible Book Festival to Be Destroyed by City of Ate

On Monday, The University of North Texas will host its 10th annual Edible Books Festival, a local celebration of the international festival of the same name held. This mass gathering of nerds my fellow academics is perhaps the best excuse in existence to celebrate puns and shove cake down your throa ... More >>

The 11 Busiest (and Buzziest) Days in Texas Music

From 35 Denton to SXSW, Snoop to Spillover, traversing Texas in search sonic bliss.

When Texas Was the Center of the Music Universe

This week's cover story chronicles the 11 day stretch in early March when Texas becomes the center of the music universe. There were festivals in Denton and Austin and Dallas and Grand Prairie and on and on. We were at a lot of them, and in case you find tons of blog posts presented in backward chro ... More >>

Snoop Dogg's St. Patrick's Day Concert: Review and Photos

Snoop Dogg delivered an hour-plus of his finest yesterday on Greenville Avenue for the Observer St. Patrick's Day Concert. We had a fine contingent of writers there, but I, your highly addled editor, was sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-35 on the Megabus headed back from Austin. Throughout t ... More >>

Smokey Jack's Free Beer-B-Q

Beer is a lovely word. We can all agree on that. Beer. There it is. If you had to add an adjective in front of such a glorious noun with the aim of improving it further, what would it be? Delicious? Cheap? Gold-plated? What about free?! FREE BEER. That is the maximum possible improvement of the word ... More >>

The Best of 35 Denton Night Four: Herb, Jameson and Finding Our Limits

Yes, we were there for the music, but if you weren't a local, you were also had a town to explore. The Denton trip is a short one, but for a Dallas lady like me it's generally just for a show. Maybe from the window at Paschall's I can sit and day dream about an afternoon spent roaming the charming D ... More >>

The Best of 35 Denton Night Three: Thunder and Other Noises

There is no physical way you could carry or wear enough clothing to properly prepare for Texas weather. I thought at the beginning of the day that a sweater might have been overkill. About two hours later I felt distinctly underprepared. Actually, given that it was too much in warm weather and soake ... More >>

The Best from 35 Denton Night Two: Metal Wrestling and Fence Repair

By the calendar, we're halfway through 35 Denton 2013, though much of the good stuff is yet to come. Keep checking DC9 for daily updates from the fest. The highlights below are in a very (very) loose chronological order. In cases where the photos don't refer directly to the words on either side of t ... More >>

The Six Best Concerts in DFW This Weekend, March 7 to 10

I know this is hard, trust me. This weekend's options seem almost endless. Between 35 Denton's four-day lineup of hundreds of musicians, and other major names like Eels and Andrew W.K. rolling into town, it feels like you'll never sleep again, right? Well, that's probably true--at least for now--but ... More >>

Bar Food, Bar Food and More Bar Food: This Week in Dallas Dining

Another weekend is here. If you need plans be sure to check out Lauren's picks for food inspired weekend activities. And don't forget to support your local farmers. White Rock Local Market kicks of the season this Saturday as well. This week I reviewed Outpost American Tavern. The recent spin on t ... More >>

Eden's Shameful Pass at "High Tea" Tempts an Englishman to Sin

Sometimes a brisket-loving expatriate Brit just needs a taste of home, so we've sent our Englishman in BBQ Sauce on a trek to sample Dallas' version of cream tea. We hope Anglo-American relations will withstand the stress. Deep down, I knew that Maudee's, with its understanding of appropriate tea a ... More >>

Six Best Spots for Your Lenten Fish and Chips

As we're well into the Lenten season, I'm sure many of you are looking for a Friday fish hook up. I'm not positive why Catholics adhere to a pescatarian diet on Fridays, and after a quick search, there's certainly a lot of bickering about it. But, it really doesn't matter anyway because eating seafo ... More >>

Dallas Does Cream Tea? Bad Mistake, Dallas.

Cream Tea. It's very important to British people. That's why I capitalized each of the two delightful words that make it up. It's also extremely straightforward. Upon possession of English Breakfast Tea (which we just call "tea") and acquisition of a scone (I'm not sure what level I need to be descr ... More >>

The Fifteen Worst Make Out Records Ever

It's a classic Valentine's Day dilema -- you've planned ahead, made the sweeping gestures, made eyes across a white tablecloth and now you're ready to express yourself with some good old fashioned parts-rubbing. Whatever you do, don't play any of these records.

There Was a Massive Gas Explosion on Main Street in Lewisville

Update at 2:12 p.m.: The owner of the leveled house, Christian Community Actions, told NBC 5 that at least one man is in the hospital with injuries Fire and police officials have not confirmed the number of injuries. Original post: Police are so far releasing few details, but there was a massive ex ... More >>

An Englishman Visits Fat Cow and Writes About Sex. Someone's Sleeping on the Couch Tonight.

This week, out resident smoke-addicted Englishman Gavin visits Fat Cow BBQ and ends up writing about sex, which we notice is cropping up more and more in his posts. Frankly, we're getting a little concerned about what all this barbecue-love is doing to him psychologically. Luckily, if he ever return ... More >>

Ten Concerts We Can't Forget in 2012

An Englishman Reviews the Whole Christmas Tamale Thing

Apparently you guys celebrate Christmas by eating tamales. No, me neither. I've no idea what you're doing. What screams Christmas about a tamale? I suppose you could take this reductionist argument to any Christmas food (what's Christmassy about slaughtering a turkey and then roasting it, or, as s ... More >>

The Week In Dallas Dining: Hefty Holiday Edition

With Thanksgiving behind us and the Christmas countdown ticking away, the next few weeks promise to be extremely caloric ones. Time to break out the hats, scarves, heavy coats and elastic pants. If you're looking for food stuff to do this weekend, Lauren's got you covered, but don't start your plann ... More >>

Hellmann's or Miracle Whip?: A Very Serious Debate

Regular City of Ate commenter CitizenKane recently brought up the Hellman's versus Miracle Whip debate in the comments section of one of our Thanksgiving posts. I know people have serious opinions on either side of this issue. I'm equal opportunity weird-condiment user. (Although I do believe there ... More >>

Our BBQ-loving Englishman Is Actually an Educated Student of Politics. Who Knew?

Turns out or resident English guy, Gavin Cleaver, who drenches himself in barbecue sauce and smoke for us over on City of Ate, is actually like a doctor. In politics. University trained and the author of a forthcoming book on political ethics. We did not know that ... both that he was a Ph.D. or tha ... More >>

Happy Texas Chicken Fried Steak Day: City of Ate (and Friends) Pick the Best Spots

Ladies and Gentlemen, Texas Chicken Fried Steak Day is upon us. Today is the one day you can indulge without guilt, as it is clearly a national holiday that should be celebrated. Because America. See also: - 100 Favorite Dishes, No. 54: CFS At All Good Cafe - Peace, Love and Chicken-Fried Steak D ... More >>

An Englishman Reviews the Lunchtime BBQ of Sonny Bryan's, Pecan Lodge and Soulman's

Barbecue isn't just a dinner food. Oh no. It's a round the clock affair (although my mooted chain of restaurants Brisket for Breakfast is yet to take off). Many lunch-only barbecue venues exist around Dallas, and what nicer midpoint to the working day is there than an injection of hot meat and sau ... More >>

An Englishman Reviews the BBQ of Lockhart Smokehouse

For more of Gavin's swim in Texas barbecue sauce, see also *The Englishman Reviews Taste of Dallas' BBQ Scene *An Englishman Reviews the BBQ of Hard Eight for The English *An Englishman Reviews the BBQ of Mike Anderson's for The English I finished my blog the other week with the hope we could move ... More >>

Olympics in England, SNACK on Henderson and A Hot Mess: This Week in Dallas Eats

The opening ceremonies have just kicked off, and the Olympics are under way. Seems like a good time to check in with our resident Brit for his primer on food from the other side of the pond. While most of the dishes Gavin Cleaver listed are impossible to find here in Dallas, you can find some decent ... More >>

Markets, Pho, Limey's and BBQ: This Week In Dallas Food Blogging

This week I reviewed Dalat, a new Pho place on Fitzhugh Avenue that stays open late and takes a whimsical approach to Vietnamese cooking. I also took a closer look at Gandolfo's, the deli truck that hails from NYC. Elsewhere on CoA we noted the opening of Ten Bells Tavern, a new bar in Oak Cliff, a ... More >>

An Englishman Reviews the BBQ of Hard Eight for The English

This is a blog written by a complete barbecue amateur. You see, the thing is, in the UK a barbecue is something you cook a burger on and is largely a celebration of the few and far between days when it's not raining. There's no sauce except tomato, and any beef will be cooked to a crisp. It's a cele ... More >>