Top Chef (TV Show)

The Restaurant Formerly Known as Private | Social is Now Serving Edible Art Created by Chef Najat Kaanache

In January we all learned that former Top Chef contestant, Tiffany Derry, excused herself from the cooking duties at Private | Social. It appears the restaurant owners used Derry's departure as an opportunity for a bit of reinvention. This trendy spot on McKinney Avenue has tweaked its name, hired a ... More >>

Top Chef Seattle: A Valentine to Josh Valentine on Valentine's Day

This week on Top Chef: Seattle, Josh Valentine used Canadian bacon instead of real bacon in the QuickFire, and then zero bacon in the Elimination Challenge. So they sent him home. (If that's a spoiler for you and you're mad because you hadn't watched the episode yet, here's a reality show pro-tip: ... More >>

Tiffany Derry Leaves Private Social

Tiffany Derry is bolting. In an exclusive interview with Leslie Brenner at the Dallas Morning News, which gave the Top Chef contestant's restaurant four stars in a review published last year, Derry announced her departure to pursue national television projects. Her last day at Private Social will be ... More >>

Top Chef Seattle: Valentine and Tesar Don't Make Out. Again.

Welcome to another episode of Top Chef: Seattle, during which nothing really happens that is all that interesting. Read: Tesar and Valentine don't fight, make out or even rap battle. We're not asking for much, you guys -- just one freaking dance off, one table flip, one tense face-to-face meeting at ... More >>

Top Chef: McPherson does the Hawaiian Supreme, Valentine Twirls Mustache, Tesar Tesars

The opening scene of this week's Top Chef picked up where we left off last week: Valentesar fight. Tesar was being Tesar, and Valentine goes, "There's a thing called tact, and obviously you don't have any." And Tesar says, "Oh, Oklahoma has a lot of tact." And then everyone watching at home goes, ... More >>

Burgers Burgers Burgers: This Week In Dallas Dining

I've never been more excited to have control of my diet again. This will be a weekend full of smoothies, salads and as much exercise as I can handle, but definitely no burgers. Things weren't all beef related here on CoA. Alice took a look Top Chef's three Dallas-based contestants and cheered them ... More >>

The Food Policy Report Card Was Released. Here's How North Texas Congress Scored.

Food Policy Action is a group of "healthy food advocates, animal welfare and anti-hunger champions," who have designed a platform for grading members of congress on their overall food policy record. Today, October 24, the group released their first order of business, a National Food Policy Scorecard ... 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 >>

Ditch the Caf: Better Food Is Truckin' to a Campus Near You

See Also: *The College Diet: Breaking Down the Food at SMU's Cafeteria *Digg's Taco Shop: Yeah, We Can Dig It Well, RFOC is out. Big surprise. I distinctly remember finding the choices so taste-numbing that I once ate nothing but a bowl of croutons for dinner during my freshman year at SMU. Perha ... More >>

Private Social May Multiply, but Will People Come if Tiffany Derry's Not in the Kitchen?

Eater dug up a scoop on Uptown's Top Chef destination, Private Social. A post on the restaurant's Facebook page hints at expansion plans, asking applicants to send in their resumes. Chef Tiffany Derry has yet to release any details on what she's planning on doing with her expanded staff, but rumors ... More >>

Top Chef Texas Highlights: No One Flubs, Ever, and Padma Feels Feelings

Top Chef Texas goes to Canada​Wouldn't it be great if one of the cheftestants completely blew their chance at winning, perhaps forgetting to put the lid on a blender, burning an entire pot of cous cous, even simply running out of time in an elimination challenge? We're not even asking for a se ... 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 >>

Marquee Grill's Seasonal Affective Disorder

Tomatoes in winter dull the spotlight in Highland Park.

Compared To Reality Crap Filming Around Town, TNT's New Dallas May Not Be So Bad

Top Chef: Texas Does Dallas at a Fancy Schmancy Highland Park Dinner Party

Socioeconomically speaking, Dallas has a pretty damn diverse food scene. The Big D is chock-full of $1 taco stands (if you're of the financial status to seek them rather than pass with blinders), $2 slightly fancier tacos found at many bars (LaGrange's are tasty), barbecue shacks out the wazoo (hey, ... More >>

Smoke Guns and Cap'n Crunch at Four Lounge, the Cocktail Lounge for the Wizard in You

The barman procures a large glass jar from underneath the bar and pours in a few ounces of Sobieski vodka, followed by fresh-squeezed lime juice. Hickory chips are scooped from a glass jar and loaded into a hand-held smoking gun, then ignited with a small torch. Smoke fills the jar and infuses the ... More >>

October's Openings and Closings from the Dallas Restaurant Scene

As summer comes to an end, a number of restaurants have opened and closed their doors. In-N-Out Burger continued its Texas growth with an Arlington location late last month. Lover's Lane Olive Oil Company expanded from its flagship store, Grapevine Olive Oil Company, and set up shop on West Lovers L ... More >>

Rocco's Last Stand: After One Last Night, the Mansion Bar Mixologist Leaves for Private Social

Rosemont website​You could hear the soft sounds of Mr. Pink the second you broke the seal on the restaurant's front door. No need to ask for directions, just follow the music and you'll find the party. The Rosewood Mansion at Turtle Creek is a polished place, but this weekend several variables ... More >>

Chef Tell: Oh, the Lame Bahama Drama

​For the first round in a Top Chef final, this week left much to be desired. Due to that -- and a crippling stomach bug that had me wishing the show was not about food, but rather a blanket fort competition -- this is a truncated and belated recap. Apologies for that.The cheftestants arrived in th ... More >>

Good Eating: A Top Chef Rematch

It's Top Chef contestant Tiffany Derry vs. Ed Cotton​Whether it's eating food, drinking wine, watching reality television or sitting on furniture you enjoy best, Dallas has some charitable opportunities for you. The Event: Bonne Santé The Cause: National Kidney Foundation and North Texas com ... More >>

Revolving Doors: November Is a Cruel Month

​T.S. Eliot proclaimed that April was the cruelest month, but we would argue that November has been particularly unkind to some restaurants. Top Chef fan favorite Tiffany Derry found herself without a gig after Go Fish Ocean Club shuttered its doors this month, and Sharon Hage closed York Street, ... More >>

Top Chef Fan Favorite Tiffany Derry
Out of a Job

Tiffany Derry​What's a Fan Favorite title from Top Chef worth? In Dallas, an unemployment check. Teresa Gubbins yesterday reported that Go Fish Ocean Club, the North Dallas restaurant helmed by cheftestant Tiffany Derry, shut down after service Saturday night. Owners blamed the location for i ... More >>

Tre Wilcox: Loft 610's Master of Discipline
On Food, Fame and the Future

Courtesy of Tre Wilcox and Loft 610Tre Wilcox​I was worried when I first arrived at Loft 610. Chef Tre Wilcox, 37, was running late for our interview, and when he arrived he was distracted, looking toward the open kitchen with each question, which he would think about carefully before answerin ... More >>

Chefs Clash for a Cause

Top Ten Moments on Last Night's Top Chef D.C. Reunion

​Last night, the cast of Top Chef D.C. came back together to rehash the season with judges Gail Simmons, Tom Colicchio, Padma Lakshmi, Eric Ripert and producer/consummate reunion host Andy Cohen. A lot was discussed -- some interesting and some not so much -- so I'm breaking down the best of ... More >>

Chef Tell: Cooking for Buzz and Beyond

​First of all, TV fans, let me just throw you a cyber fist bump and wish you all a happy 9.02.10. Donna Martin graduates!But seriously, last night was the last set of "normal" challenges before the Final Four set off to cook their way through the finale. It was tense and yet surprisingly lackluste ... More >>

Honest food at Potager and a roll of the dice at The Mercury

Sara Kerens​This week's Dallas food bloggers learned to trust empty parking lots, took Mary into their own Bloody hands, and found peace on Earth at Potager Café and the Dallas Islamic Center. More Dallas restaurants have Gone Texan, and don't expect to find wines from any other place e ... More >>

Chef Tell: Dishes in Disguise?

​Last night's episode of Top Chef provided A) the best text messages sent by friends watching the show before I was, and B) the most quality "sheesh"-inducing insults during tasting and Judges' Table so far this season.I knew the Quickfire was going to be good because well, I got a text that said ... More >>

Chef Tell: Tiffany, Official Food Ambassador

​Right away, we knew this would be a big week for our Tiffany Derry. They started off the show with her smoothing toner all over her face and neck (so that's how she gets that awesome skin!) and talking about how she was planning her wedding before hopping on the Top Chef train. But it was also wo ... More >>

Top Chef Tell: Baby Food and BS

​This week, Top Chef finally got interesting. That's not to say it wasn't totally bassackwards, but it was almost intense, and I officially started my yelling at the screen. I still haven't gotten the names of all the cheftestants straight, but that time is nearing.At QuickFire, the chefs found To ... More >>

Chef Tell: This Show is No Picnic

​After two episodes with chefs deucing out thanks to shitty dessert offerings, it came as no shock -- to me or any sane person watching Top Chef -- that last night's Quickfire Challenge would be for sweet teeth. But somehow the cheftestants were surprised. My first instinct was to desire ... More >>

Review and Gallery: Loft 610

Sara Kerens​ In this week's Observer, Dave checks out Loft 610, the new home of chef Tre Wilcox of Top Chef, Iron Chef and, you know, Abacus fame.For more shots of the Plano would-be destination, check out this week's Dish slideshow by Sara Kerens.

Hash Over: 25-Cent Coffee, Wine Dinners, And Celebrity Chef Tours

"Let me be clear. We want change--if we give you a dollar for a cup of coffee at Dunkin' Donuts!"​Even though it makes no difference to most City of Ate readers, Dunkin' Donuts coffee is the official coffee of the Dallas Cowboys and the new stadium. To promote the partnership, participating DFW lo ... More >>

Casey Thompson on Top Chef's "Riff-Raff" And Why She Don't Blog

Casey Thompson's Pork Belly Just Wasn't Crispy Enough

Tonight's the Night on Top Chef

Any Last Thoughts About The Last Episode of Top Chef, Casey Thompson?

Soul Kitchen

A Dallasite to Appear on Project Runway. It is Christmas Already?

Casey Thompson: Mile High!

Tré Wilcox: Under -- and Over -- Fire

Casey's Recipe: Season with Teardrops

Casey at the Plate

Tre Wilcox: From Top to Bottom

Step to It

See Joey Lawrence and friends bust a move

Dallas' Own Tre Wilcox is the First to Top Top Chef

Abacus and Shinsei Sending their Top Chefs to Bravo's Top Chef in June

Ever Heard of Lenny's Subs? You Will. Trust Me.

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