“When we talk about obesity, people like to plant the source of the issue on away-from-home dining. But that raised the thought in my mind: Is that really the source of things?. . . . What has happened in what we’ve been doing in our own homes over the years?”…

He’s worked some of the best cellars in the city, either as wine buyer, director or sommelier.These include stints at the Crescent and Pappas Bros., before he teamed up with chef Anthony Bombaci at Nana.Last month he took over sommelier reigns at West End’s Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse. Charged with building…

“The burden is on the company to make sure they are complying with any local, state and federal regulations that apply to food manufacturing. Naturally, that’s not reassuring to the public. But we don’t have people driving up and down roads looking for places like this.” (Doug McBride of the…

Jaxx Steakhouse14925 Midway, Addison972-458-7888The venerable steakhouse or cafe or Mickey Mantle hangout is showing its age. Splotches from once-incessant cigarette smoke lends ‘character’ to the pressed tin ceiling, the warped tiles supporting eight weathered fans. If you squint, the place resembles Woolworth’s, circa 1930, with dark wood and rigid aisles.Jaxx…

Skillman Wok18900 Dallas Parkway972-248-0808Promised delivery time: 40 minutesActual delivery time: 30 minutes (on the dot)The ScoreKnieval-like daring-do of ordering Tex-Mex from a Chinese kitchen: 35Implied authenticity of a franchise called Skillman Wok: -18Suspicion that owner made delivery: -6Fine print that excuses surprise menu/price changes: -3Speed of delivery (minus cold food…

One thing you will never see on City of Ate or in Observer reviews–except perhaps in mocking form–is the word ‘foodie.’ In part, this is personal preference. The cute diminutive nickname just sounds so damn childish. But my distaste for the term stems from something decidedly generational (and almost gleefully…

He’s loquacious, that much is certain. And he’s known for thick, floppy hair.But Badovinus can cook–something he’s proven over and over again as he helped build Consilient Restaurants into a Dallas powerhouse…you know, Cuba Libre, Hibiscus, Fireside Pies. Those guys.A year ago he broke from the corporate mold to plan…

“I realized I’d be pretty hungry. It would be difficult for a human to survive on a chimpanzee’s diet.” (Scientist Richard Wrangham, who explored the all-important question of whether or not he could live on the same diet as African chimps, as quoted by AP science writer Randolph Schmid.)…

So there we were, embedded amongst noisy inebriates from the monied set hanging out at Hully & Mo–and we mean noisy.Foreigners will tell you few groups announce their presence as loudly as American tourists…although those who’ve endured a few moments within shouting distance of Brits on a stag party trip…

Yeah, so he worked for the A & E network in New York and made commercials in Dallas for years. Big deal–Papaceno’s father and uncle owned taverns in New York (the state, not the big city), and he helped out when old enough…meaning at the age of 13, maybe 14…

“We’ve heard stories from moms coming in saying their child was pulled out of the lunch line and given a cheese sandwich. … One woman said her daughter never wants to go back to school.” (Nancy Pope, director of the New Mexico Collaborative to End Hunger, relaying complaints that Albuquerque…

Big Shucks6232 E. Mockingbird214-887-6353Hush puppies shouldn’t be that difficult. They just consist of corn meal dough, after all–generally spiked with chopped onion or shallot, rolled into shape and fried.Nothing to them, really. But many professional kitchens seem unable to cope with the homespun Southern recipe, substituting commercial mix dialed toward…

He serves as director of Canadian Club’s brand heritage, which is as worthy a cause as any.And who better to promote the brand? He’s been with the whisky distillery for a quarter of a century, played a prominent role in their advertising campaigns and still travels the world spreading news…

“In the end, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that the rules being drawn around food receive some force from the fact that people are uncomfortable with how far the sexual revolution has gone–and not knowing what to do about it, they turn for increasing consolation to mining morality…

When Charles de Gaulle famously moaned “how can anyone govern a nation that has 246 different kinds of cheese,” the Frenchman who best defined national vainglory hoped to excuse political chaos in his country.Geez, the Germans manage orderly governance (and the occasional foray into France) with more than 1,200 different…

Just about everyone with an abiding interest in food knows the name Wolfgang Puck.The Austrian born superstar helped to usher in the era of celebrity chefs after he opened the Beverly Hills destination Spago in 1982. What followed was a series of media raves, television appearances and the creation of…

“The real danger to our bodies and our planet, in terms of poisoning the earth and global warming, is the industrial raising of meat and fish. Do I think eating a bowl of pasta is a crime against humanity? No. Do I think eating half a pound of meat is?…

He refers to Blue Canyon Kitchen as his dream, an opportunity to create something distinctively American–a fusion of the country’s traditions and regional flavors.Before his Cleveland restaurant began raking in awards, Evans worked as Charlie Palmer’s sous chef. Perhaps that’s where he learned to ignore the city’s ‘mistake by the…

“They still use those names–Colchester, Whitstable, Belon–but those places don’t really produce many oysters anymore. Which means there’s some creative marketing going on.” (Robb Walsh, as quoted by Joyce Saenz Harris in the Dallas Morning News, discussing the importance of place of origin in the oyster market. Hmm…food purveyors and…

Cyclone Anaya’s3211 Oak Lawn Ave.214-420-0030Recent visits to this popular outpost of the Houston-based chain inspire two observations.First, bars and restaurants in Dallas consider the Margarita a child’s drink. Order the famous Tex-Mex cocktail and, with a few exceptions, they bring out something bar-syrup sweet and only vaguely alcoholic, the sugary…

Over the weekend, folks at the Dallas Morning News had their knickers in a bunch thanks to a New York Times travel piece about this city. Granted, author Luisita Lopez Torregrosa put together a couple of suspect statements (see today’s Food For Thought for one example). Her belief that “there…