We can all agree that the pandemic can’t leave the building fast enough. The restaurant industry, specifically, was hit hard this past year. Nationwide sales fell by $240 billion in 2020 from an expected level of $899 billion, according to the National Restaurant Association. Restaurateurs are a gritty crowd, though…
Recently, perched on the trunk of my car in the parking lot of Maple and Motor waiting for my order to be brought out, I noticed a large gravel section near the restaurant that had the makings of a courtyard. I messaged the restaurant through Facebook, “Noticed you might be…
The restaurant business is a funny bird. While some local favorites couldn’t endure the cost of the pandemic, other newbies are giving the market a try. Ghost kitchens are becoming more prevalent, which considering real estate prices seem like a smart option. For starters, as reported by Nick Rallo in…
For some reason, I woke up super early this morning and in weighing the pros and cons of getting up, I hopped on Twitter, which is SO dumb. And, as usual, it only filled me with frustration. Dallas Chief of Police, Eddie Garcia, joined the force in early February. He’s…
A year since the pandemic began, local restaurants and bars are hustling to get back into prizefighting shape. The past few weekends, some reported business has been at levels not seen since before times. Parklets in the Bishop Arts District are packed, groups meander through the AT&T Discovery District and lines spill…
Last week H-E-B announced they were expanding into the “DFW Metroplex.” While we could argue over whether that odd geographical phrase is a real word, we see no point in getting snippy with the San Antonio-based grocer. They’re too kind to quibble with. Regardless, two stores are slated to open in…
Holding an oyster half shell in the air, angling it so that I could tip it directly into my mouth, I paused and looked at my husband, “People do this,” I said, part question and part statement. Because I was doing it. No way would I abandon one drop of…
When the pandemic hit, Alex Nguyen and Vivian Luu not only missed boba tea, but more particularly the social aspects that surround it. “For Americans, it’s coffee,” Luu says. “But for Asians, it’s getting boba. We missed time with our family and friends and getting boba. So, we started having…
Brothers Dane and Travis Boersma, founders of Dutch Bros. Coffee, were third-generation dairy farmers before dabbling in the coffee drive-thru business. According to their website, in 1992 they “bought a double-head espresso machine, cranked up the stereo, threw open the barn doors and started experimenting with 100 pounds of beans.”…
Nachos and laughter spilled over picnic tables and patios in the Bishop Arts District this weekend. Near-perfect weather, spring break vibes and maybe a few stimulus checks hitting bank accounts had people out not in droves, but in a mild-mannered been-cooped-up-too-long way. Other factors, like low COVID-19 hospitalization rates and…
On Saturday driving along Interstate 30, west toward Fort Worth, there was a line of cars stretching half a mile along the feeder road, reminiscent of food pantry lines from last year. Puffs of smoke billowed into the sky near a red tent in a parking lot. Turkey Leg Hut…
This past February Disney+ added The Muppet Show to its streaming platform. Flipping through a few of the episodes — watching musical guests from John Denver to Alice Cooper — is wildly nostalgic. Those who grew up watching the felted sketch show in the late ’70s are the same ones…
Hawaiian food is having a moment in the local culinary scene. The tiki bar Swizzle on Lowest Greenville serves traditional Hawaiian plates alongside rum-laden drinks adorned with purple flowers. There are Hawaiian doughnuts, malasadas, (the doughnut for people who don’t like doughnuts) at the Dallas Farmers Market. And it was…
Running a restaurant or any food industry business isn’t for the easily fatigued. The competitive nature requires an exhausting amount of diligence. Social media can be a cruel monster. Business can turn on a dime. It can also be a beautiful way to connect with people, share a passion, be…
Normally during the springtime Dallasites are thigh-deep in galas raising money for nonprofits. It’s a local pastime of sorts. But as we’ve written so many times in the past 12 months, things have turned. Alas, there are still essential nonprofits that rely largely on fundraising and are crucial to the…
FireHouse Gastro Park opened along Main Street in Grand Prairie almost two years ago and seems to have flown under the radar, maybe because of COVID. As the name implies, the multifunction space is built in an old fire station and includes a coffee shop, restaurant, two outdoor areas (one…
After the Valentine’s freeze, it’s hard to imagine that a farmers market could endure right now. “Mother nature just keeps punching us in the gut,” says Bobby Bever of Highway 19 Produce in Athens. Just this year he’d slid all his chips to the center of the table to become…
A new food truck park has opened at 1716 N. Hall St. in Old East Dallas. Chuckwagon Park will host a revolving lineup of food trucks, and to kick things off this weekend they’ll be giving out free beer from Celestial Brewing with any $10 purchase. And that, my friends,…
Remember last December when we all looked back over 2020 and told ourselves that surely 2021 couldn’t be any worse? Try not to mention that if you stop off for smoky brisket at Heim Barbecue, where February’s winter storm damage was followed up this week by a visit from a…
This past Sunday, Picadera, a local Dominican street food pop-up set up shop in the courtyard of Deep Ellum Distillery. A DJ played Latin-inspired hip-hop as customers, most wearing at least one piece of clothing with the Dominican flag, worked through paper boats of ginormous chicken sandwiches. They were celebrating Dominican…
The last time I’d gone to Serious Pizza, in before times, I recall there was a birthday party spread across the dining room. Two huge silver helium balloons, “1” and “2,” bobbed at the head of the table. There were light pink accents spread around. Any question of whether the…
Almost a year ago Mark Cuban tweeted, “How companies treat employees during this pandemic will define their brand for decades.” While we don’t agree with everything he says, the local basketball fan hit the nail on the head here. This statement endures. Flags are being flown as Texans sail into…
