John Tesar

What the Hell Is Compressed Fruit?

If you're a careful diner, you might have noticed the term compression attached to a fruit that's featured in your dish or dessert. John Tesar added compressed heirloom tomato slices to a "burger" he fashioned for Eater a few weeks ago, and at Belly and Trumpet, compressed mango is featured in their ... More >>

Spoon Opens for Lunch and Brunch Beginning May 12, and Chef John Tesar Promises to French My Mom

Two highly important pieces of information for you: 1) May 12 is Mother's Day. Get it tattooed on your forehead. 2) Spoon Bar & Kitchen will open for lunch and brunch on Sunday, May 12. If you want to win Mother's Day, consider hooking The One Who Made You up with Mother's Day brunch at Spoon (a.k.a ... More >>

Glazed Donut Works Brings Fancy Doughnuts to Deep Ellum

Do you follow @blackswansaloon on Twitter or Instagram?Gabe Sanchez, the drink maker behind Deep Ellum's most popular bar, Black Swan Saloon, may be one of the best ways to stay on top of the neighborhood's restaurant news. When Tanoshi Ramen put their permit application up in their window, Sanchez ... More >>

The Box: Tesar Tesars the Crap Out of The Box

Welcome to the return of City of Ate's The Box. Somehow, we got Spoon Bar & Kitchen's The Mr. Chef John Tesar to agree to take our The Box challenge. We even got Cafe Momentum's The Mr. Chef Chad Houser to help us pack The Box with the perfect, high-quality ingredients. Spoiler alert: Tesar kicked T ... 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 >>

Style By the Spoonful

John Tesar's newest project is potentially a North Dallas pearl

Lovin' That Tesar Spoonful

I kind of wanted to hate John Tesar for putting his fine-dining seafood restaurant in the middle of the Preston Center. While the people that live nearby are no doubt grateful, I don't like driving that far to park near a DSW and look out the window at a guy running on a treadmill while I'm slurping ... More >>

Seven of Dallas' Best Restaurant Bars for Dining Alone

Valentine's Day is here, which pretty much sucks for everyone. If you've got a special someone, you're guilted into going out and having your wallet gutted by a triple-digit, prix fixe, mediocre meal. Have fun with that. If you're not coupled up, you get to spend the evening alone while people look ... More >>

BREAKING: Restaurant People Love Crossing Their Arms in Photos

Dallas chefs and restaurant owners looooove crossing their arms in photos. We should make it stop. It's the most important change that needs to happen in our restaurant scene. Seriously. Evidence:

Stampedes, Crickets, Mango Cookies: This Week in Dallas Dining

Observer food critic Scott Reitz is off work being a good son this weekend, so I'll wrap it up for the week. Stephan Pyles' new restaurant Stampede 66 was the subject of this week's review. Scott was disappointed cricket tacos weren't on the menu, despite the how comical those little legs are if ... More >>

An Interview with John Tesar and Spoon's New Pastry Chef, David Collier

Last week Top Chef contestant and chef John Tesar hired an executive pastry chef for his high-end seafood restaurant in Preston Center, Spoon Bar & Kitchen. For the job, Tesar tapped David Collier, who previously worked with him at The Mansion. Collier is moving back to Texas this month after work ... More >>

There's a New Tumblr Devoted Entirely to Top Chef John Tesar's Eyeglasses

If you've been watching Top Chef you've probably noticed John Tesar's quirky habit of perching is thick-rimmed glasses on his inquisitively wrinkled forehead. What you might not have noticed is the look may quickly become what is the dorkiest Internet meme I've seen in some time. Local chefs (and ... More >>

A 'Stache, a Ginger and a Tesar: Top Chef: Seattle Features Three Badass Dallas Chefs

Every week, I will watch Top Chef. I will not recap the episodes scene-by scene, because that is dumb: if you wanted to watch it, you watched it already and you don't need me to tell you that there were opening credits, chefs got sweaty, and someone yelled "fuck" at food. If you want that kind of re ... More >>

Spoon Announces Opening Date, Reservations Still Wide Open

Last Friday Spoon announced a November 9 opening date. John Tesar's latest fine dining experience is one of three high-profile restaurant openings in Dallas this fall, including FT-33 and Stampede 66. A website is up and even though Open Table is accepting reservations as early as Wednesday, Novemb ... More >>

Could Dallas' Three Newest High-Profile Restaurants Soon Be Involved In A Power Struggle?

While everyone prepares to take in another season of Top Chef this month, a different sort of battle will unfold in Dallas' dining season this fall. Three high-profile openings are scheduled in the coming weeks and each will compete for Dallas' discretionary dining dollars. John Tesar's Spoon, Ste ... More >>

John Tesar's Spoon Looking for Workers. Ugly People Need Not Apply.

UPDATE: John Tesar's publicist called, letting us know he was not happy with our suggestion that he's screening for uggos. He's not, the publicist said. Tesar uses head-shots in order to keep names and faces straight among his job applicants. OK, then. Anyhoosy, here's the post that pissed him off. ... More >>

John Tesar Will Be On Bravo's Top Chef

A few months ago I received a series of cryptic emails from an anonymous source telling me John Tesar was going to be on Bravo's latest chef shit show, Top Chef, Season 10. The email didn't say much, so I sat on the unsubstantiated claim. There were a few clues: namely the slow open of Spoon, Tesar ... More >>

The New, More Expensive Commissary Burger

When I checked in with chef David McMillan back in March, he told me some significant changes were taking place with for John Tesar's legacy CVap burgers at The Commissary. For one, they were supposed to be thinner, so the coloring would be more consistent throughout the center of the patty. He also ... More >>

At the Commissary, a New Chef, a New Burger

When the Commissary first opened, John Tesar's burgers were all the rage. Big, luscious hockey puck-shaped patties, cooked a rosy crimson all the way through, helped earn the him a Best New Restaurant award in D Magazine. The burgers were so good the Jedi of self promotion even got a pass on his not ... More >>

John Tesar is a Jedi of Self-Promotion

Allison V. Smith​Back in January, chef John Tesar announced he was kind of over the whole Commissary, One Arts Plaza thing. He was pulling out and shifting his focus to a new restaurant on Westchester Drive in Preston Center. Spoon was what Tesar called the space, and bloggers got to bloggin ... More >>

Valet Parking, Dr Pepper and Enchilada Porn: This Week In Fatness

Is it quitting time yet? We're close. ZestFest is going down at the Irving Convention Center this weekend. Make sure you stock up on your TUMS, and avoid hospital trip inducing capsaicin extracts. It's also shaping up to be a fine weekend for patio drinking, but before you go we've got a week to wr ... More >>

Oak Chef Jason Maddy on Starting at McDonald's, Tiny New York Kitchens, and More

Jason Maddy is the executive chef at the recently opened Oak in the Design District. Maddy grew up in Austin and, after attending culinary school in New York, worked at David Bouley's Danube, then the Driskill in Austin. A few years ago he was recruited by John Tesar to work at the Mansion, where he ... More >>

Who Will Build Dallas' Best Meatball Hoagie?

Flickr​This week in The New York Times, Pete Wells reviews someplace called Parm. His intro points out the lack of coverage food snobs give Italian-American cooking -- red-sauce pasta on red-checkered table cloths -- despite that it's a prominent comfort food for millions of Americans. That's ... More >>

The Commisary's John Tesar on a Few New Restaurants and One Double-Decker Burger Bus

Last week we got word of John Tesar's trifecta of plans for 2012. First, he's sold his share of The Commissary to co-owner Lucy Billingsley and plans to open other two other independent Commissaries; one at Northwest Highway and Midway and the other in cowtown at the Museum Place. Then, in April ... More >>

The State of Dallas Dining, As Told By Its Chefs

Starring Stephan Pyles, John Tesar, Katherine Clapner, Kent Rathbun, Teiichi Sakurai and a dozen other local chefs.

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 >>

Things Got a Little Too Cheesy and Too Private This Week in Dallas Food

​This week in food blogs, some special people ate special meals, Dallas placed ahead of Anchorage but behind everywhere else, and someone finally thought to stick corndogs in cocktails. Read on. City of Ate Scott Reitz decides Wild Salsa is decent for its hit-or-miss selection of tacos, passa ... More >>

Can One Art Save The Commisary's Tarnished Service Reputation?

Tesar prepares to take a bite from an imaginary sous-vide burger​One Art is coming! The Commissary folks sent out a press release last week and invited the media to a preview dinner this evening; look for lots of pretty food photos tomorrow in the Dallas blogosphere. Dinner service opens to th ... More >>

The Best Food and Faces From the Food for Thought Charity Dinner at the Tower Club

Photos by @foodbitch"Mooooooose!"​Saturday night's third annual Food for Thought charity event at the Tower Club brought out a slew of celebrity chefs, a few local celebrities and me, in my fancy pants. Put on by the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Food for Thought centered around small ... More >>

Hack Saws and Fried Guacamole. Who Else is Proud to be a Texan?

​ This week in food blogs, a Dallas chef milked cows and wielded a hack saw to win $10,000; El Bulli closed; and we gave you an arsenal of excuses to eat and drink. Read on. City of Ate If you're looking for Ethiopian food that is as nonthreatening as it is tasty, Scott Reitz suggests Ibex E ... More >>

Wild Salsa Arrives, The Table Folds, and More From a Busy Month in the Restaurant Biz

​As summer reaches its peak, another round of restaurants have opened and closed their doors to the public. Wild Salsa, the highly anticipated Mexican restaurant from DRG Concepts, had its grand opening last month, as did a few others. Meanwhile, other joints around town have abruptly closed f ... More >>

More Burgers. Always More Burgers. And Other Stuff.

Mai Pham /Houston Press Remember when a burger was just a damn burger? Man, you're old.​If you like burgers or the word "unctuous," this week in Dallas blogs was a delightful bounty. If you prefer barbecue and invention conventions, just 'til tomorrow. Read on. City of Ate Andrew Marton stre ... More >>

In-N-Out's Here. What's Left to Talk About?

​This week, presumably, Dallas has moved past waiting three hours for and crying over hamburgers. We're on to more sophisticated things, like hamburgers with 8,000 calories, ballpark grub and how much we all hate the word "gooey." Read on. City of Ate Jenny Block couldn't find much wrong with ... More >>

Cedars Social: Eat Light and Drink Heavy

Chef John Tesar's menu takes second place to the cocktails.

Food Fight, or: Beginning Your Friday With a Chance to Get Iron Fork-ed For Free

​While awaiting several calls back about items forthcoming, allow me to dispense with these four VIP ducets to Wednesday's Iron Fork event at the Fashion Industry Gallery, where chefs John Tesar and Scott Romano will square off whilst attendees dine on samplings from the likes of Il Cane Rosso and ... More >>

Let The Battle Begin!

Score Half Price Tickets To Iron Fork Today

​Maybe you've noticed the suggestive ads we've been running in the paper that feature a lady fondling a fork with her lips, but we figured it was time to remind you once again about our upcoming Iron Fork competition, happening on Wednesday, April 27 at Fashion Industry Gallery (1807 Ross Ave. ... More >>

(30K) Millionaires: Where to Spend Your Cash This Week

If you have the cash, you could watch the Super Bowl with this old boat captain.​Let's pretend you're a big spender who can't score tickets to the Super Bowl. What do you do with all that cash next week? You could blow it all on one awesome party, perhaps the Leather & Laces event at Hotel Zaz ... More >>

Revolving Doors: Super Bowl Stimulus

​Everyone's trying to cash in on the Super Bowl, from those renting their homes for the week, to restaurants and bars offering cheap drinks and food specials to lure in crowds for watching parties. For restaurants that opened their doors in January, the timing couldn't be better, but for the f ... More >>

Chef John Tesar's New Restaurant Will Tap into a Wine Keg Trend

John Tesar​John Tesar's new restaurant in One Arts Plaza will feature the area's first keg wine program, an innovation the busy chef says is in keeping with his vision for The Commissary. Wine on tap, catching on at wine bars elsewhere, is currently available locally only at Central Market, but ... More >>

Is Chartiable Eating Overstretching Local Chefs and Diners?

Photo by Robert BostickJohn Tesar​Don't bother looking for Dean Fearing at his restaurants next weekend. Fearing will be at The Joule next Friday for The Big Red, a culinary extravaganza benefiting the North Texas Food Bank. He'll reappear the next night at the Dallas Zoo for its annual fundr ... More >>

Hash Over: Stop-Drop-n-Roll Chili Cook-Off, Toast for a Cure, Burgers and Burgundy, and More

​Want to see some hot firemen and hot beauty queens while sampling some hot chili? Then head to the Sixth Annual Stop-Drop-n-Roll Chili Cook-Off in Grapevine benefiting the WPI Firefighters' Fund this Saturday, October 16. Last year's event raised over $110,000 for families of fallen and inj ... More >>

Part 3: John Tesar Grills Up
A Cool Calamari Treat

Photos by Robert Bostick​In the third part of our look at John Tesar of Dallas Restaurant Group, the chef goes into the kitchen at Dallas Fish Market to make a few preparations for us. With temperatures still blasting past the century mark, Tesar chooses some cooling dishes to take advantage ... More >>

Part 2: Chef John Tesar on Fatherhood, Sushi and Anthony Bourdain's Drinking Skills

Photo by Robert Bostick​In part two of our continuing three-part chef's series we asked chef John Tesar a few questions while we visited with him at Dallas Fish Market. Chef Tesar was more than happy to discuss the birth of his son, Kim Pierce's secret spot and Anthony Bourdain's drinking habi ... More >>

John Tesar: From Self-Destructive
To Brilliantly Creative

Photo by Robert Bostick​With the crush of talented wizards working magic in Dallas kitchens, it pays to know just who is behind the saute pan at your favorite eatery. To help you keep track, City of Ate brings you Three-Course Meal, a three-part chat with some of the best, most inventive chefs ... More >>

The Mansion's New Chef Bruno Davaillon Is Breaking Into The Job Slowly, But It Seems Just A Matter Of Time Before His Celebrity Shines.

Bacon Causeburger

Beef and drink while fighting AIDS

Of Mansions And Men

This guy left the Mansion's kitchen. Will it fail as a result?On Friday, the Mansion's PR rep made the rounds by phone to confirm that rumors rebuffed earlier in the week were true--chef John Tesar was out the door to "pursue other opportunities."Stephanie Hutson, the suddenly harried spokesperson, ... More >>

Hash Over: Bolsa's Farmer's Market, Free Wine, and a Guy Called Mike

Old Dog, New Tricks

A new regime brings changes to the Mansion, some good, some not.