Hanukkah

Texas Atheist Aron Ra Is Deeply Irritated by Houston Rep's "Merry Christmas" Bill

This upcoming legislative session is shaping up to be a real barn-burner. In addition to the anti-TSA groping measure and the continued battle against the imaginary scourge of Sharia law already filed by other legislators, Representative Dwayne Bohac of Houston has made things even more lively. A c ... More >>

Eight Ways to Impress Your Jewish Friends on Chanukah

Heads up, gentiles, Chanukah starts tomorrow night . I hope you have all your gifts picked out for all your Jewish friends. You know that's eight gifts per friend, right? No? You sonofabitch. Better click over to Amazon or something, quick. But first, read the rest of this post. See also: Let There ... More >>

Bold, Nog-Based Confessions

This Week's Events for the Culinary Inclined, December 5 - 11

Saturday, December 8 Saturday brings the 4th Annual Holiday Market at the White Rock Local Market. In addition to the usual bounty of local produce, meats, cheeses, baked goods and other culinary treats, there will be more than 50 artists pedaling their crafty creations. The Dave Burris Group will ... More >>

This Party's Gonna Get Hare

Anne Frank and Baruch de Spinoza: Shut in and Cast Out

WaterTower and Stage West offer two different takes on power and intolerance.

Take a Long Walk Along the Belleview Connector in This Very Animated Rendering

Way back in May we took a long, hard look at HALFF Associates designer Francois de Kock's Belleview Connector, a proposed bridge -- and "dramatic icon" -- that might one day link Riverfront Boulevard to Jack Matthews's South Side of Lamar. One day. Maybe. Last I looked, which was a while ago, the ... More >>

City's Response to Flow Control Lawsuit: It's Our Landfill, And We'll Do What We Want

Via.Rob Walters, co-author of this holiday season's must-read legal briefing about garbage​On the first day of Hanukkah (that is to say, Tuesday) my city gave to me its response to the federally filed lawsuit in which the National Solid Wastes Management Association insists the city's new ordinanc ... More >>

So Get Married Already

Let There Be Latkes: Eight Reasons Gentiles Should Appreciate Hanukkah, Too

FlickrDo you have these at Christmas. DO YOU?​As we all well know from years and years of church and advertising, there are plenty of reasons to appreciate Christmas: Mistletoe, candy canes, presents, Santa, Christmas Lights, presents, holiday songs, holiday drinking, holiday hams, holiday nut ... More >>

For Sale: A Gittings Portrait of Dick Burnett, Who Made Minor League Ball Major in Dallas

eBay seller "vintagephotos2010"​Whilst perusing the eBay for some gifts on this here first day of Hanukkah, I came across the portrait you see above -- significant for two reasons, I should think. First, of course, is the subject: Dick Burnett, for whom the late, great Burnett Field was named. As ... More >>

Four Restaurants I Wish Santa Would Bring Dallas for Christmas

Flickr​When I dreamed up my ideas for the RedFork space (which are never going to happen), it jogged my memory about many restaurants that I'd love to see arrive and thrive in Dallas. Here are a few more; consider this my Christmas list. If you think a reputable version of one of these restaur ... More >>

Santas Rampage in Dallas this Weekend

Patrick MichelsScenes from last year's Santa Rampage. ​What's a Santa Rampage, you ask? It's hundreds of Santas bar-hopping together spreading holiday cheer. They congregate, stick together (because 300 Santas entering a bar is much cooler than just three) and take the city by red, furry storm ... More >>

Folk Angel's Comfort & Joy Earns Billboard's Number Four Folk Album, Offers Free Download

​If you're searching iTunes for Christmas music, because who isn't at this time of year (avoids eye contact with office Hanukkah observers), it won't take long before you run across North Texas' Folk Angel and their new album Comfort & Joy. Less than two weeks after its November 15 release, th ... More >>

Democracy: What a Meshuga Way to Run a Country -- or HOA

Can't we all get along? Oh, hell no.

100 Holidays Ranked By Deliciousness

Known: Thanksgiving is one of the best food holidays ever. So, where do the other 99 holidays we could think of rank? We're so glad you asked. 1. Day After Thanksgiving: All the food, none of the family. Plus you get Leftovers Sandwiches. Choose to deny that this is the best food holiday of all foo ... More >>

Plano's Anna Fermanova, Who's Not a "Sexy Spy," Gets Four Months in a Federal Prison

​It's been a while since we've heard from or thought about Anna Fermanova, the so-called "sexy Russian spy" from Plano who said she wasn't (well, at least the spy part) but nevertheless pleaded guilty in January to a single count of violating the U.S. Arms Export Control Act. Today, though, there' ... More >>

Makeshift Cocktails to Give You a Rolling Blackout

​This week, we had, I believe, three blackouts in Girl Drink Drunk Land. Some Aters saw six according to Twitter reports, and yet another Ater offered that her home temp dropped from 70 to 56 degrees during one of the blackouts in the OED.So, I got to thinking about some cocktails that might warm ... More >>

The City's Giving Away Shepherd Composting Bins. Say, Can I Borrow Your Christmas Tree?

​Over on the city's Official Website there's a list of the four Christmas tree recycling stations accepting your yule logs till January 14. Says nothing about Hanukkah bushes, though, which is a bit of a bummer, since City Hall just sent word it's added an incentive to this year's recycling effort ... More >>

Win Two Seats At The Libertine Bar's
Holiday Beer Dinner

​The Libertine Bar sent along details about its December 29 holiday beer dinner, as well as a pair of tickets for one lucky City of Ate reader. Or rather, for the purposes of this contest, "one unlucky City of Ate reader" would be more accurate. Winning the tickets would be fortunate, but it will ... More >>

Smoke Gets in Blogs' Eyes, and Sister Cookies Are Doin' It for Themselves

Where's there's smoke, there's...um...more smoke.​This week, Dallas food blogs are tittering about what's new and exciting. We have equal rights for cookies, a new gadget for barbecue, more angles on the possibility of food trucks and (predictably) a new list of places of restaurants willing t ... More >>

Jeffress Goes on CNN to Defend "Grinch List"

​Speaking of stealing Christmas ...Two days after First Baptist Church of Dallas pastor Robert Jeffress debuted his Grinch Alert website -- because he will "not bow to the strident voices of a minority who object to the holiday" -- he went on CNN's American Morning to discuss the naughty-or-nice l ... More >>

Chanukah Doughnuts: Fried, Sweet
And Straight from a Can

Jenny Block​Celebrating Chanukah means two things when it comes to food: latkes and doughnuts. I have a little trick for making doughnuts that I don't know where I learned, but that has served me very well. It couldn't be any easier. I use refrigerated biscuit dough, the flaky Pillsbury kind t ... More >>

Gift Ideas for Cooks When a Dreidel Isn't Enough

Since Chanukah's not traditionally a gift-giving holiday (it's a minor festival trumped up to keep assimilation-minded Jews from celebrating Christmas, but I'll save that screed for another day), I typically don't bother making a wish list. As a kid, my loot usually consisted of dreidels and socks, ... More >>

Any Moment Now, H&M to Make a "Surprise" Debut at NorthPark With "Preview" Store

​Back in October, after so much breath-holding and finger-crossing by those in desperate need of hip-n-affordable togs, H&M finally announced it would be opening its first Texas outpost at NorthPark Center in "the second half of 2011" -- second half meaning October 2011, per NorthPark's coming ... More >>

A Slab of Beef That Would Make Mom Proud: The Chanukah Brisket

Jenny Block​Two nights ago was the first night of Chanukah, and I decided it was time I made my first brisket--traditional holiday fare. I had no idea the best way to attack a brisket, and, after scouring the Internet, I only felt more confused. So, I did what I should have done in the first place ... More >>

Bloggers to Your Computers: Let the Festivities Begin

The future of Ketchup is upon us.​Now that we're through with Thanksgiving, Dallas food blogs and food writers are warmed up and ready to get going with some serious holiday eating. The party started this week with Chanukah, and we expect it to keep gaining momentum right through New Years. P ... More >>

Bobbie Wygant's Archives, the Gift That Keeps on Giving: Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Khaaaaaaan

​Erik Clapp, the Fort Worth filmmaker who tends to Bobbie Wygant's archives, was sure he had in the stack o' tapes an old interview with Leslie Nielsen, which we had planned to post earlier this week. Alas, he dug and dug but came up empty-handed. But Erik more than makes up for it with this lates ... More >>

Fake Chanukah, Real Potato Latkes:
An Accommodation

Photos by Adam DonaldContemplating the meaning of Fake Chanukah for a kid...presents​Deeply rooted in the rich traditions of the Jewish people is the potato latke. Born of the shtetl and carried to this country on the taste buds of immigrants, the potato latke, a.k.a. the potato pancake, is ... More >>

The First of Eight Crazy Nights

And The Libertine Ommegang Beer Dinner Winner Is...

​Thanks to all the creative City of Ate readers for the excellent winter beer ideas in the Libertine Ommegang Dinner giveaway. Shane, obviously a fan of the classic comedy A Christmas Story, had several tasty ideas with witty names, particularly the Yellow Snow quad with orange peel and Thai chili ... More >>

A Retreat From the Screech of Dissonant Days, or: My Rabbi Says To Knock Off the Blogging

Rabbi David Stern​Ran into my rabbi last Sunday -- David Stern, head man at Temple Emanu-El of Dallas, very hip and very influential so I hear -- and asked him: "You mind sending me your Kol Nidre sermon? I'd like to post to Unfair Park." He grinned and said sure -- grinned, I'm sure, because it w ... More >>

Tilt Fest

Massive Menorah

Light Up the Season

Getting Under Your Skin

Eight Lights

Light It Up

Celebration lacks dreidels but not spirit

Holidays in Song

Hear singing elves of various sizes

Moondance

Gefeltefestival

Dog Days

The Crow ushers in the Chinese New Year