Merritt Martin

Standard Pour, Stampede 66 and Hot Sauce: This Week In Dallas Dining

It was a busy week on CoA. Lots of comments on lots of posts. I reviewed The Standard Pour and didn't like it, and then to make up for things I cooked a delicious steak in my fireplace. (A few commenters thought this was a bad idea, and I agree, but I just might do it again anyway.) Elsewhere on th ... More >>

Top 5 Things To Do With Halloween Candy
After October 31

​This year, we saw no more than 15 trick-or-treaters come to the door -- at that wasn't even at our own house, but an an organized trick-or-treat event. At home, there were seriously, zero children out roaming the streets for sweet treats. Now we're left with a bucket of pre-packaged sugar and not ... More >>

Listomania: Top Five Music-Related Halloween Costumes... For Your Cats.

Keyboard Cat is too easy! Try Cat Garth Brooks, instead.​So, Halloween's closing in, and you have to choose a costume. It's tough, isn't it? The clock is ticking--and if you don't choose something remarkable then the night is a big suck pile.Then, there's your pet. Do you dress it up for the occas ... More >>

Bolsa's Half-Price Wine And $5 Cocktails Make Us Very Happy

Merritt MartinThe Recession, one of Bolsa's specialty cocktails.​Each week City of Ate will give you the lowdown on a local happy hour in Quittin' Time, with the details on why you should or shouldn't take up the featured bar or restaurant on its drink specials.Where: Bolsa, 614 W. Davis St., 214- ... More >>

100 Favorite Dishes: Lunch Express at Dream Café

Merritt Martin​As a countdown to the Dallas Observer's "Best of Dallas" 2010, City of Ate is serving up 100 of the favorite dishes we crave, savor and hope to scarf down again soon. These dishes are in no particular order. Some are little known, others celebrated. Some are pricey, others can be e ... More >>

Bonus MP3: Sir Silky -- "Getcho Bodeee"

​ In this past week's issue of the Observer, Merritt Martin weighs in on Perilous Hits, the debut release from Sir Silky, the latest identity claimed by Cheyenne Schweitzer (formerly of Tiger Moth). It's a heavily Prince-inspired disc--but in a good way, Martin assures:"This incredibly NSFW album. ... More >>

Dude Food: Jesse's Year In Review

Merritt MartinBaby Back Shak's pork is smokin'!​After a year of pizza, Tex-Mex and deep-fried everything, it's time to take a look back at my year in Dude Food. While they might not have all ranked a 10 on the Dude Factor scale, the following five Dude Food meals were my favorites of the year. Loo ... More >>

That Smoke You Saw Earlier? Wedgwood Tower, Scene of a Four-Alarm Blaze.

Merritt MartinThe smoke's cleared from the sky by now, but this was the view out the windows of Unfair Park HQ a little while ago, looking southwest at a mighty plume of smoke rising from the roof of the Wedgwood Tower Residences, an apartment building that, until recently, had been home mostly to e ... More >>

As America Celebrates 233 Years of Democracy, We Crown A New Corn Dog King

Patrick MichelsHughey, glowing with pride and a harsh case of meatsweats, hoists his walking hot dog trophy.Last week, web editor Patrick Michels threw down the gurgitation gauntlet, challenging a few local media members to compete against him and me at the Libertine Bar's inaugural Brass Knuckle Co ... More >>

Download: Spin's Purplish Rain Compilation, Featuring the Riverboat Gamblers, of Montreal, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, and Many More...

As we discussed last week, the Denton ex-pats in the Riverboat Gamblers are among the artists who've been asked by Spin to participate in the magazine's celebration of all things Prince this month, appearing on the magazine's Purple Rain tribute called, quite ingeniously, I think, Purplish Rain in t ... More >>

Dude Food: Hook Line & Sinker

Merritt MartinEach week the Dude Food guys assess the 'masculinity' of Dallas area dives. The more fried meat and junk on the walls, the better the rating...Hook Line & Sinker3103 Lemmon Ave.214-965-0707Dude Factor: 10, or anyone on Deadliest Catch, on a scale of 1, Steve Irwin, to 10.Betw ... More >>

Shiny Around The Edges Is "Ambivalently Fierce."

Peter Salisbury A little over a month ago now, Merritt Martin offered up her praise for Shiny Around The Edge's latest release, Holy Roller. This week, All Music Guide does the same, saying that the married Denton duo's disc "might be the best ambivalently fierce album of its kind since Low's underr ... More >>

The Weekly Podcast: Scoping Out The Local SXSW Performers

In this week's installment of the DC9 at Night Podcast, Merritt Martin, Noah W. Bailey and I huddled up to talk about some of the bands from the region that made the cut and were asked to perform at SXSW 2009's sanctioned showcases. And we tackled some tough, tough topics, too. Who were we happy to ... More >>

Girls on Girls: The Hottest Female Athletes According to Females

Okay, let's try something different. Something titillating. Since Observer staff writers Merritt Martin and Megan Feldman almost never get in a cat fight that spills over into the mud-wrestling pit, they instead want to entertain us visually-stimulated, testosterone-saturated dorks with their ... More >>

The End Of The End Of Year Lists: Merritt Martin's Favorite Albums Of 2008

Sure, 2008 may be done, but the list-making still continues... This year, five contributors to the Dallas Observer's music section were asked to participate in the Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop critics' poll, which compiles the lists of hundreds of music critics across the country into one m ... More >>

Have A Bloody Great Menarche Party

Unfair Park just informed readers about a new reason to party: your daughter's first period! No, seriously. Apparently, advertisements for menarche party planning have been spotted on at least one SUV in town. The idea, according to Menarche Parties 'R Us, is to "Create a life time of memories for y ... More >>

How ‘Bout Them Knockers: Picasso's Pizza and Grill

Merritt Martin Clean, timeless design. Picasso’s Pizza and Grill, 7215 Skillman St., 214-553-8100 Promised in: about 40 minutes Delivery time: 30 minutes The Score: The Phone: Enthusiasm: 7 Suggestion of dessert: 9 Payment, etc: 11 The Delivery: Enthusiasm: 15 Degree of Difficulty: 7.5 Minute ... More >>

At Least the Ross Ave. Renaming Thing Gives Folks Something To Do

Tomorrow Night, The Door Will Look Fabulous

How We Spent the Fourth

Blitzen Trapper In-Store on Tuesday

Girl on Bottom

Dallas Is On the Map, Baby!

Ugly Is As Ugly Learns

Let's Hand it to Great American Hero

No Sweat, Alan Peppard, Gotcha Covered

Oh, You’ll Have Plenty o’ Hymns on Sunday, Don’t You Worry

S'up, Aquaman?

Yeah, But Why Don't They Sell Bagel Holes?

Vote Early, Eat Often

Reel Debt

We're In The Soul Patrol

Honey, You Need Some Knights Like These

Thanks for the Support

Here's a Tip: Leave a Tip

Kickin' It In Aisle Five

We didn't get the budget for a DOMA documentary, so here's a quick behind-the-scenes rundown instead

My New Job As Lookout

Death Cab for Frat Guys

Don't Express Yourself

Freak Show

Don't Tell

Buried Child is all in the family

I Heart Lily

Tomlin's funny, from screen to stage

Eyes on Hope

A different view of life in Nicaragua

Arty Party

There will be dancing in the streets downtown all weekend

Cheers to You

Can they get a W-I-N?

Family Affair

It’s a Menagerie of memories

Chasing Hughley

D.L. is still a king of comedy

Feelin’ Saxy

Addison hosts the best in local jazz

Bells’ll Be Ringing

Dallas forms a special union

Mill Around

Dallas Blooms goes Dutch