New Year's

An Interview with Emporium Pies on The Risks of Running a Pie Shop and Recipe Testing (Not as Fun as it Sounds)

Emporium Pies opened just several months ago in a remodeled 1930's Victorian bungalow in the heart of the Bishop Arts District. It all began, however, in 2011 when Megan Wilkes, 26, and Mary Gauntt, 24, met through a mutual friends. Wilkes had hopes of becoming an independent business owner and Gaun ... More >>

Celebrate National Pie Day at Emporium Pies This Wednesday

Good news, those of you whose New Year's resolutions have expired, this Wednesday is National Pie Day! Not to be confused with Pi Day, which is on March 14, or 3.14 for you nerds out there, Pie Day is the day in which we celebrate the miracle of pie. Pie was first invented by Sir Alexandris Pie, o ... More >>

The Ultimate Mall Food Showdown: Cinnabon Versus Auntie Anne's

I made it exactly 364 days with my 2012 New Year's resolution to not step foot in a mall. I lost on the last day. No, that's not annoying. At all. But, sometimes being a marginal parent trumps our own selfish whims, dreams and desires. So, when my daughter wanted to "go to the mall" for her birthd ... More >>

Let's Take a Day Away from Anger and Talk about Dogs

Oh, it's the very last day of the year, and I'm just not going to write about that damned fiscal cliff thing because it makes me so angry, and I don't feel like ending the year on that note. I want one day off from angry, if you don't mind. Maybe it will help to start the new year on a less disconso ... More >>

Here are Dallas Bars That Won't Kill Your Bank Account For New Year's Eve (Updated)

Update: I told you I'd find more bars that wont kill your finances. If you really want to throw down on New Year's Eve, The Loon is offering up their deadly-strong drinks with no cover in Uptown. While over on the East Side of Dallas Ships Lounge is ringing in the New Year with free champagne. Ev ... More >>

Five Great New Year's Eve Parties to Ring in 2013

OK, it's almost here. Time to slip into that annual existential crisis and wonder just WHERE IS YOUR LIFE GOING? Look, there is no real answer to that question. Also, you can totally contribute to where your life is going. But before we swim through the waters of your put-off resolutions, let's ma ... More >>

In Magnolia Lounge's On the Eve, 1.21 Gigawatts of Fun

Jan Pruitt, CEO of the NTFB, on The Greatest Misconceptions of the NTFB, 49 Million Meals

In the 16 years Jan Pruitt has been the CEO of the North Texas Food Bank, food distribution has grown 300% and the "ReThink Hunger" program has succeeded in providing more nutritious meals. We spoke recently about their $7 million goal, leadership and what it takes to provide 130,000 nutritious meal ... More >>

This Super Bowl Sunday, Just Say No To Chicken Wing Delivery

The Super Bowl is coming, which means everyone must think about, write about, talk about and prepare for the egregious consumption of chicken wings. It's a damn shame because most of the wings consumed during the big game will totally blow. I blame these guys for fucking up chicken wings forever. ... More >>

Pasta, Cheese, Bathtubs and Boobs: This Week in the Dallas Blogoshpere

Slow day here at the Observer. Slow week, even. It's almost depressing coming to terms with the fact that the holiday season is coming to an end, you're suddenly fat, your resolutions start next week and you have to at least pretend that you want to be a better person, and oh, you're not getting ano ... More >>

We Resolve to be Better in 2012

Hah. We kid. C'mon, you didn't really buy that did you?

I'mma Blow Up Gingerbread Houses. What're You Doing on New Year's Eve?

​My favorite New Year's Eve tradition comes from my friend, Andy. One New Year's Eve a long, long time ago, Andy's step dad created the best tradition since drinking beer always. The story goes that Andy's step dad (let's call him Badass McAwesometown), Badass McAwesometown, was left at home unsup ... More >>

One More Reason to Drink in the New Year: Suit Over Citywide Beer, Wine Sales Is Dead.

Have I told you how much I love Spec's? No? Well, I do.​Whilst you drink in the news that new-to-town Spec's (where a 1.75L bottle of Old Fitzgerald runs $21.46, cheaper if you pay cash) is looking to buy Sigel's (where the same bottle of Old Fitz costs $32), allow me to pour you another tall one ... More >>

Good Friday Thursday: New Year Edition

​Last weekend was a little dead, y'know with Christmas and all, but this weekend is the opposite. In fact, there are so many New Year's Eve events worth checking out that we've got a separate massive list here.The biggest one, though, is easily the Dallas Observer-sponsored Lights All Night festiv ... More >>

Bring On the Meatless Mondays

​Happy belated birthday, sweet infant Jesus! Now that all that trimming the tree and wrapping presents is over, all Santa's cookies have been eaten, and all the stores are ready to mark down all the stuff you just bought by 60 percent, we can look ahead to the dawning of another year and the d ... More >>

Booze Booze Booze Tacobots: This Week In Dallas Grubbing

​Ouch. Remember that whole Bar 828 thing in Oak Cliff? Seems like a distant memory. While milling around out back of the event, I asked a bartender (details fuzzy for obvious reasons) his best hangover cure. He told me a gin and tonic water poured over a couple of alka-seltzer tablets with som ... More >>

The Old 97's, The Kills and the Rest of This Week's Show Announcements

Old 97's​In addition to yesterday's "Local Edge" sponsored show with The Burning Hotels, Mon Julien, Air Review and Menkena, the Granada Theater has some impressive shows to announce this week.First off, The Old 97's, who have had an impressive resurgence this year after releasing the brilliant Th ... More >>

Spector 45 Song Used For New Dallas Harley-Davidson Dealer TV Spot To Air This Fall

About a year ago, before tragedy twice struck the much-adored area greaser-punk three-piece Spector 45, first with frontman Frankie Campagna on New Year's Day and then again in March with bassist Adam Carter, the band had been approached about having their music used in an upcoming TV ad promoting t ... More >>

Q&A: Gustafer Yellowgold Creator Morgan Taylor Talks Food Violence and Justin Bieber on Vinyl

For those DC9 readers who don't have young children, Gustafer Yellowgold is the main character in a children's DVD series created by Morgan Taylor, an artist who has performed Gustafer's live show at Polyphonic Spree and Wilco concerts.Gustafer is a yellow cartoon sun dweller who landed on earth in ... More >>

Good Friday: The Spectre of Frankie 45, Onward We March, Arson Anthemn, Retribution Gospel Choir, People on Vaction, Montonix, Whiskey Folk Ramblers, Florene, Menkena, Telegraph Canyon, Salim Nourallah, JJ Grey & Mofro, Mind Spiders and The Phuss.

​Before his death in the early hours of New Year's Day, Frankie Campagna and his bandmates in Spector 45 had only gotten around to booking one single show for 2011 -- a gig to take place this Saturday night at La Grange. Obviously, tomorrow night's show won't feature the late, great Frankie 45. Bu ... More >>

Final Thoughts On Season's Holiday Beers, And Reasons To Hang On Till Saint Patrick's Day

​The holidays are over, and unless you've got Martin Luther King Jr. Day or Presidents' Day off, there aren't any work holidays until Memorial Day on May 30. Christmas and holiday beers are disappearing from taps and shelves faster than your New Year's resolutions. But before you put a gun in you ... More >>

Chickening Out: Can You Keep a Resolution
To Eat Right?

​Salon senior writer Frances Lam has sworn off cheap chicken. In a New Year's Day post on the Salon food blog, Lam shared his resolution for 2011: "I will only buy chicken that is well raised, so that I will support the people doing that work. I will ask where the chicken came from, I will re ... More >>

A Bueno Brunch At Buena Vista Cafe, Home of Irish Coffee

Photos by Andrea Grimes and Man O' The HourThis is as clear as we could get our packed table for a shot of the Buena Vista Cafe's trademark Irish Coffee.​Generally speaking, I don't recommend visiting restaurants that have attached gift shops if you are over the age of 10. And really, if you're un ... More >>

DC9er Mixtape: Check Out Past DC9er-Featured DJs Spinning Various New Year's Eve Parties Around Town Tonight

​This week, in honor of the biggest party night of the year, we asked all of our previously featured DC9er Mixtape DJs to share how they plan on ringing in the New Year. Hit the jump to check out what nine of our DJs have planned for tonight, plus some fresh new mixes to get your New Year's E ... More >>

Give Me Libertine, Or Give Me Death

For Local Food Bloggers, It's A Holiday Wrap

​Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's is the triathlon of Where To Eat for food blogs. Bloggers have every cuisine covered, from salty duck to eggnog ice cream. On the upside, this should be the last round of Where to Eats until February. Between lists, post-Christmas foodies are reviewing 2 ... More >>

Big Top New Year

A Musical Toast

Get Euro with the DSO's New Year celebration

Running On Full

Take in the Turkey trot

Homeward Bound

Get to work at the Dallas Home Show

Avila's Mexican Restaurant

Avila’s is way better than a kick in the junk

Out With the Old

With the Cotton Bowl's inevitable departure, Dallas dies a little more

Hands-Off Experience

Are bartenders heavy drinkers?

Fear and Stoving

How do chefs deal with kitchen catastrophes?

Bugs in the Tubs

Texas consumers take on the whirlpool business--and that mysterious black crud shooting out of their bathtub jets