Jeff Harris

Awesome Beer and Dinner Events This Week in Dallas, Including Iron Fork and Picnics

Wednesday, May 8 It's a culinary showdown at the Dallas Contemporary as Scott Romano battles Matt McCallister of FT-33 in the Iron Fork chef challenge. The King Bucks will perform as guests (you!) sample food from different restaurants along with wine, beer and cocktails. Tickets are on sale at obs ... More >>

If You Want To Get Started On Tomato Season Early, Look To The Smaller Ones

I first noticed them on a salad at Urbano Café: smaller, bright crimson tomatoes that exploded with flavor in my mouth. These weren't the cottony, faded-red orbs I've been eating since last November. They tasted like the summer to come. If you're a tomato freak you've likely noticed it too. Some o ... More >>

Six Great Beer and Culinary Events for This Week, April 10 - 16

Thursday, April 11 The We Over Me Farm at Paul Quinn College is hosting its annual Community Cooks dinner this Thursday. Some of Dallas' best chefs will be serving at the event, including Chad Houser, Jeff Harris of Bolsa, Jason Maddy of Oak and Matt McCallister of FT33. Tickets are $75 and benefit ... More >>

Community Cooks Event at Paul Quinn College

Tickets are now on sale for the annual Community Cooks Event at Paul Quinn College, an annual garden-setting feast where some of the best chefs in Dallas pitch in to help out with a fantastic cause. See also: - - The Students Behind The We Over Me Farm at Paul Quinn College Several years ago the ... More >>

A Guide for Throwing a Memorable New Year's Day Party

I'm a pretty big traditionalist. I throw similar dining events at my home year after year because I love revisiting food memories. It's nice the way the smell of a certain dish evokes time spent with old friends, but the best part is introducing my time-tested traditions to new guests. One of the be ... More >>

Our Favorite Dallas Dishes of 2012

So much food, so little time

My Top 10 Food Memories of 2012

Another year has almost passed and I've yet to die of burger poisoning. And as the final weeks of the year play out, it's always fun to look back at the meals that still remain vivid in my memory. This year a few were encountered outside of Dallas and two were even meals I made in my home with the h ... More >>

Dallas Chefs and Personalities on Favorite Burgers, Then and Now, Plus What Makes A Great Burger

What a day to celebrate choice. Regardless of what some may like to believe, really the most important choice most of us will make this week (honestly, any week) is which burger to eat. So many choices. Well, we're here to help you with the electoral map of burgers. As part of Burger Week, we sent ... More >>

Modern Mexican, Drunken Olympics and Dining In The Bubble: This Week in Dallas Dining

Wrapping up that work day and getting ready to head home watch the Olympics and do some drinking? Easy now. The gymnastics events are in full swing and Alice's instruction to drink every time you see a wedgie promises to intoxicate an entire planet. Before you pick up your shot glass, we have a week ... More >>

Bolsa's Jeff Harris Talks About Craft's Closing (and Cooking Vegetarian)

With the closing of Craft Dallas looming on the horizon, I was interested to see what Colicchio protege and former Craft chef de cuisine Jeff Harris (now the man in charge at Bolsa) had to say about the New York-based restaurant's Dallas departure. Read his thoughts on the closing below, along with ... More >>

Bolsa Mercado Takes A Stab At The Communal Table

On the heels of the demise of the Commissary's fine-dining, communal table I asked if Dallas was into eating with strangers. A few commenters chimed in, some supporting the idea as fun and adventurous and others petrified by the potential for terrible table mates. I get both sides of the story, yet ... More >>

Chef Ryan Carbery of Nosh Bailey's Prime Plus on Growing up as a Fourth Generation Chef

Chef Ryan Carbery was raised in a family of chefs four generations deep. As a teenager, Carbery worked for his uncle David Slay of ParkAve in Orange County and his aunt Lisa, who owns restaurants in his hometown of St. Louis. After culinary school in Chicago, Carbery eventually made his way to Dalla ... More >>

100 Favorite Dishes, No. 86: The Roast Chicken At Bolsa

To prepare for this fall's Best of Dallas® 2012 issue, we're counting down (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes. If there's a dish you think we need to try, leave it in the comments, or email me. When I leave a restaurant I'm reviewing, I immediately spend some time hashing out not ... More >>

The City of Ate Interview: Atti Worku, a Former Miss Ethiopia and Host of a Benefit Dinner at Bolsa Mercado Next Week

Atti Worku was born and raised in Adama, Ethiopia, where at an early age she noticed a distinct difference in her private school education and those in the public school system. During college Worku began modeling and competing in beauty pageants, and in 2005 was crowned Miss Ethiopia. Shortly aft ... More >>

Spring Vegetables, Spring Festivals and Lots of Tequila: The Week In Dallas Eating

More festivals this weekend. The 6th Annual Real Texas Festival kicks off today. I wasn't around for it last year, but Nick Rallo was and he gave the event a ringing endorsement. There are worse ways to spend your time than sampling barbecue from entrants chasing a $500 grand champion prize. Things ... More >>

At Jeff Harris' Bolsa, One Dish Reveals the Chef's Chops

Want to measure a chef? Look to his chicken.

Months After He Arrived at Bolsa, Jeff Harris is Finally Starting to Do His Thing

When the folks behind Bolsa announced that Jeff Harris and Matt Balke would be joining their team to replace Graham Dodds, and that Bolsa Mercado would be opening just down the street, I was excited. Maybe too excited. Harris told me he'd be making all of his deli meats in-house, and I guessed that ... More >>

Dallas Chefs Support The Farm at Paul Quinn College with Culinary Cookout

Back in 2010, students at Paul Quinn College, Dallas' only historically black college, tilled up their football field to create an urban garden in a food desert. Since that time, the "We Over Me Farm" has cultivated over two thousand pounds of corn, squash, greens, tomatoes and other produce for the ... More >>

Heavy Cooking Isn't the Only Way to Embrace Local Meat. Though It's a Pretty Tasty Way.

Bolsa Mercado Cranks Out a Solid with the Turkey Ciabatta

Each week, Justin Bitner goes hunting for DFW's most interesting sandwiches. Have a sandwich suggestion? Leave it in the comments, and he'll check it out. Venue: Bolsa Mercado Sandwich: Smoked Turkey Ciabatta ($7) Bread: Fresh ciabatta from the very familiar Village Baking Co. Toppings: House-smo ... More >>

James Beard Awards: Stephen Pyles, Bruno Davaillon and Teiichi Sakurai are Semifinalists

Alison V. SmithTei An Chef Teiichi Sakurai​The James Beard Foundation just released this year's semifinalists, and to be honest they're a total snooze -- at least as far as Dallas is considered. Stephen Pyles is a finalist for Outstanding Chef for his work at his eponymous restaurant; Bruno ... More >>

Cafe Momentum, a Restaurant by At-Risk Kids, Keeps Popping Up and May Soon Settle Down

Chad Houser and Janice Provost are gearing up again. The faces behind the non-profit organization Cafe Momentum are preparing to announce their next pop-up dinner, to be held in February at Bolsa Mercado. The event will feature chefs Jeff Harris and Matt Balke. Last year, Houser and Provost used si ... More >>

Bolsa Chef Jeff Harris on the Food Network Effect, Go-To Spots and the Mercado's Future

Chef Jeff Harris​Recently we sat down Bolsa chef Jeff Harris at the new sister-store Bolsa Mercado, which is a neighborhood market with unique items, Texas fare, good booze and a bevy of fresh from-scratch breakfast, lunch and dinner options. Harris grew up in east Texas surrounded by farmland ... More >>

Graham Dodds Has Landed: Ex Bolsa Chef Will Helm Central 214

​When Bolsa announced Jeff Harris and Matt Balke would be taking over the kitchen and running the soon to open (and now opened) Bolsa Mercado, little was said about the chef they replaced. Graham Dodds was understandably quiet about his departure. In a short interview with D, he declined to co ... More >>

Behold, the (Allegedly) Perfect Hamburger

A simple Commissary burger (that's not so simple) ​Just about everyone knows that John Tesar has a pretty bang up burger at the Commissary. Those grass-fed patties get treated like a Park Cities trophy wife at the spa, bathing sous vide until cooked rare before receiving a final sear on the gr ... More >>

Bolsa Mercado To Open In About a Month; Dallas' Finest Reuben Could Result

​I've been looking for Dallas' best Reuben for some time now, my hunt guided by some specific criteria. The brisket has to be brined in-house and slowly simmered to a tender temperature. The meat should hold together when sliced without shredding or falling apart. The dressing should have char ... More >>

RedFork's SoulSearch

The dissonance that caused its early missteps lives on in a dining room that can't find its identity.

Dallas' Five Best Brunch Spots

Dallas is without a doubt a brunching town. Every Saturday and Sunday, early in the afternoon, those with matted hair, stale breath and perhaps questionable bed mates drag themselves from shades-pulled comfort and into the harsh, bright world, descending upon the city's restaurants en masse. It seem ... More >>

The Week in Dallas Food: Tiny Sandwiches, Too-Sweet Desserts, and Lots and Lots of Beer

​This week we brewed at the zoo, ate some disappointing things, and Leslie Brenner told us another thing wrong with Dallas. Read on. City of Ate/Observer Even if Taj Chaat has Amruth beat as far as charm, interest and adventure, the humble vegetarian former stumbles into second place when it ... More >>

Jeff Harris, Formerly of Craft and RedFork, Takes His Talent to Bolsa

​Jeff Harris has landed. He's currently banging out a lunch shift at his new home, Bolsa, the popular farm-to-table restaurant in Oak Cliff. Harris has been homeless since his departure from Redfork Tavern, spending time at home with his new son and keeping quiet about his future plans. The an ... More >>

RedFork's Pizza Oven Finally Arrives. Will Consistency Come With It?

​More than a month ago, City of Ate reported on the quiet happenings at RedFork, in the wake of chefs Jeff Harris and Matt Balke's quick departure. Ryan Carbery was left to run the kitchen alone. In that story Carbery told City of Ate a pizza oven would be arriving any day. More than four we ... More >>

Red Fork Tavern's Mussels and Fries: Eat Them. Like, Soon.

​ Last weekend I had a mussel craving, and because cravings, for me, always seem to turn into epic eating, events I tried three different versions in two days. The Grape's mussels were traditional, clean with white wine and shallots. For brunch on Sunday I ate chorizo-scented mussels while s ... More >>

Searching For Consistency at Craft Dallas

At the W, Tom Colicchio's kitchen has undergone four chef changes since it opened in 2006.

After a Flailing Start, RedFork Is Ready For A Second Look

​What an idea it was: Take a handful of top-tier chefs fresh from Dallas' top restaurants, give them access to the best ingredients and turn them loose on pub fare. RedFork Tavern was one of the most anticipated recent openings in the scene. Local food blogs ran preview stories in the weeks th ... More >>

Lettuce Wrap Up: Crappy Burgers, NOSH, and Dad

Sara Kerens​Now that Dallas has cooled off from the In-N-Out craze (and Irving has cooled off from T.G.I. Fridays - forever), we're ready to start thinking about other foods, such as the rare Texas peach, brunch at NOSH, and burgers that are quite, er, innovative. Read on. City of Ate Jose Ralat ... More >>

Revolving Doors: April Showers Bring New Eateries

​We can all agree today that April showers don't bring May flowers, and stormy April was particularly unkind to Metro Diner as the bacon and eggs institution shuttered their doors last month. But the month wasn't completely clouded by these unfortunate closures, and several new, mostly casual ... More >>

Revolving Doors: Spring Has Sprung

​It may not feel like it today, but spring is officially here, but that's not the only change we saw in March. Restaurants and bars looking to capitalize on patio grazers opened their doors, most notably the Katy Trail Ice House, which received lots of buzz during its soft opening last month. ... More >>

Chefs Rally Around Paul Quinn College Urban Farm

Bolsa partner Chris Zielke hopes an upcoming fundraiser benefiting Paul Quinn College's Food For Good Farm will help change how people think about Oak Cliff. ​"From the Oak Cliff community standpoint, I want to show people it's more than just Davis Street," Zielke says. "There's a big area ou ... More >>

Chef Jeff Harris on the Puzzle of Winter Vegetables

City of Ate's recipe for tasty squash: Smother squash in steak. Eat steak. Throw away squash. ​Jeff Harris, who until recently served as executive chef at a restaurant known primarily for its proteins, is quoted as a squash expert in this month's issue of Garden & Gun. The Southern lifestyle ... More >>

Hungry on DART's Green Line? Here's a Big Honkin' List That Might Help

​It took four years and $1.8 million to complete the longest light-rail construction project in U.S. history -- says DART -- but a little more than one month since DART's Green Line opened, it's been for all intents and purposes a success. While the full line was officially opened on December ... More >>

The Week in Food: Lots of Lists,
Plus Some Cabbage for Roughage

​ Dallas blogs spent the week wrapping up 2010 in a series of lists and predicting food trends for 2011. City of Ate Hanna Raskin feels diminutive in the face of a face-sized bland chicken breast at Kenny's Italian Kitchen. Alice Laussade edits four-letter words out of her vocabulary to de ... More >>

Jeff Harris Takes His Craft Elsewhere as Tom Colicchio Calls Up Tim Bevins to Run Kitchen

Photo by Robert BostickJeff Harris, back when he worked at Craft, like, a few weeks ago​Just three months ago we ran that three-parter about Jeff Harris, executive chef at Tom Colicchio's Craft at the W in Victory Park. But Craft sends word this afternoon that Harris has departed, leaving in charg ... More >>

Before His Super Bowl Return, Tom Colicchio Talks About Changes in Kitchen at Craft Dallas

Bravo​Tom Colicchio just called to talk about today's announcement that Jeff Harris is leaving Craft's kitchen to open a restaurant on Fitzhugh. Colicchio, who still controls Craft following that reworking of his deal with Hillwood in the spring of '09, made the decision himself to hire Tim Bevi ... More >>

Craft Dresses Up Menu with a Charity Favorite; Tom Colicchio May Return

Chef Jeff Harris' cavatelli, version 1.0, before it was dressed up with duck and foie gras.​Charitable contributions aren't the only good thing emerging from the bushel of culinary benefits being held this month. Chef Jeff Harris last weekend created a duck cavetelli with Swiss chard and foie ... More >>

A Final Look at 48 Nights

Robert Bostick.Right to left: Chefs Nathan tate, Randall Copeland and Jeff Harris relaxing.​After eight months of charitable cooking, the chefs behind the ambitious 48 Nights project recently put the popular weekly event to bed. Dallas restaurateurs Chris Jeffers, Chris Zielke and Tim Byres r ... More >>

Craft's Jeff Harris Goes Deep in the Heart of Texas with a Bone-in Rib Eye

Photos by Robert Bostick​ Craft Dallas executive chef Jeff Harris demonstrates how to prepare a tender bone-in rib eye, which we think would go well with some of the previous chef-created recipes from this series. Perhaps you could open with Bruno Davaillon's watermelon salad or J. Chastain's ... More >>

Craft's Jeff Harris on East Texas Barbecue
And The Delights of the Offal

Photo by Robert BostickCraft's Jeff Harris​(Yesterday, we brought you a profile of Jeff Harris, executive chef at Craft in the W Hotel. Today, we throw a few questions at the chef and tomorrow bring you a how-to on one of the restaurant's dishes.) CofA: What is your ideal meal? Harris: Somet ... More >>

Tom Colicchio Coming to Cook at Craft

Tom Colicchio​Sorry about throwing up a publicist's raw e-mail, but those of you who've been following our interview with Craft's Jeff Harris might want to jump on getting a reservation before they're booked up. That's right, Mr. Top Chef himself, Tom Colicchio, is coming to town, and he's gon ... More >>

Craft's Jeff Harris: A Chef you Can Bank On

Photos by Robert BostickCraft's Jeff Harris​(This is the first part of a three-part look at Jeff Harris, executive chef at Craft. Tune in tomorrow for a Q&A with Harris and Friday as he demonstrates how to prepare one of the restaurant's dishes.) Jeff Harris was raised in a small town in East ... More >>

Hash Over: Mamas Eat For Free at GattiTown; Norma's is Celebrating a Birthday; Chef Stephan Pyles Will Be on Martha Stewart Living Radio

GattiTown​Sure, we're suppose to dedicate this week to our dads and everything they've done for us, but what about Mom? Well, how about we celebrate Mom all summer long? The GattiTown location off Marsh Lane will honor mothers this summer by offering a free buffet to them every Monday. All you mom ... More >>