True Blood: Eats, Drinks and Bites from Bon Temps is a new cookbook based on the HBO vampire series that will hit the shelves on September 5. Eater National got an early copy and took some close-ups so we can see how much it sucks. (That’s not rude. “Sucks” is…

The Cinnabon pizza, known officially as the Pizzabon, is here. It’s real. It’s an actual thing happening in our solar system right now. Only in Atlanta, however, which is ever so disappointing. News broke a couple of weeks ago that Cinnabon is testing these swirly pizzas, but I’m like you,…

Last week Eater National wrote about a new electronic tip jar that takes credit and debit cards. So, in case you really wanted to leave a tip, but didn’t have any cash, now you have a convenient second option: dip your plastic. The “DipJar” charges all cards one dollar per…

This past Saturday, Alex “Moose” Perez danced with the devil at the first annual Hypnotic Donuts, World’s Spiciest Donut Eating Contest. The masochist battle started with a plain old glazed doughnut (a teaser), then went on to three subsequent flavors that were increasingly hotter. The fourth and final pastry, the…

Daniel Barnes is a really nice Texas boy. He referred to me as ‘mam at least 20 times during our conversation. Part of me wanted to beg him to stop, but the other part could just tell that was how he was raised. Barnes is from the small town of…

See also: *Inside the Fermenting Mind of Drew Huerter, Head Brewer at DEBC When one thinks of fresh farm-to-market produce, it’s usually in the vein of carrots and lettuce. And when food is flown across the country via special delivery, it’s usually for fish that was swimming in an ocean…

What do heart-warming personal stories bursting with inspiration and encouragement taste like? Soon we’ll all be able to find out. In yet another move to prove that anything can be sold with the right marketing angle, the publisher of Chicken Soup for the Soul has created a line of comfort…

Chef Matt McCallister is surely working fast these days to wrap up the final details for his new restaurant, FT 33, which we now know is set to open in October. The new spot at 1617 Hi Line Drive in the Design District will feature classic and modern techniques and…

Do you ever walk into a place and think, “If all hell breaks loose, I hope I can make it to this place. I could live here for weeks!”? Buc-ee’s, people. It’s a giant gas station/store/bakery/everything place on Interstate 45 north of Huntsville. Put them on your hell’s-broken-loose radar. It…

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, TJ’s Fresh Seafood Market is setting up shop in East Dallas for a little impromptu fish market. Owner Jon Alexis likes getting out of the office (which is his 1,200-square-foot store on Preston Road) and will take over an auxiliary room at…

Were you a lunch line kid? I was mostly, until Smithville ISD put in a “snack line,” which allowed the kids who could afford it to eat pizza and french fries every day, while the others went through the line. In retrospect, it was wrong. Every bit of it. I…

If you’re not broke in college, then you’re not doing it right. It’s mandatory, like puking at the coast. College students should be able to pull together a weekend’s worth of food and gas via a bone marrow donation and condiments at a 7-Eleven. They should also know stores that…

My aunt is betting the farm out in Las Vegas this week (we agreed it’s a good time to sell) and last night she sent me a picture of a dish she’s had twice at Julian Serrano’s restaurant in the ARIA resort and casino. The dish is called Huevos Estrellados,…

Recently a few of us at the Observer gathered with the task of testing pizza-dipping sauces from five major chains. As we often do around here, we like to embrace food shame and, if the stars align, maybe discover a hidden gastronomic gem. Not everyone was up for this particular…

Each week I’m tasked with finding someone willing to allow me to interview them for a culinary-oriented profile on this here fine blog. The premise calls for someone who has anything to do with food in Dallas, and even that last part can be negotiable on occasion. Chefs, bar tenders,…

Each Thursday in August the folks at Downtown Dallas Inc. (DDI) are hosting pop-up happy hours at different parks in downtown. Last Thursday they met at Pegasus Plaza. The idea is to bring more exposure to downtown parks and, hopefully, business to surrounding restaurants and shops. DDI reveals the location…

Local donut pioneer, Hypnotic Donuts, is hosting an inaugural “Beat the Heat – World’s Spiciest Donut” eating contest, Saturday, August 25 at 1:00 p.m. at their store at 9007 Garland Road. Mocking the oppressive summer heat, this “progressive” contest starts with a regular donut then, as each is eaten, the…

See also: *Dispatch from The Cedars Food Park Event on Saturday (Spoiler Alert: They Nailed It) The Cedars Food Park at Dallas Heritage Village (1515 S. Harwood St.) is holding its first recurring Thursday night event this week. After an inspiring initial offering a few weeks ago, they’re ready to…

Turn the house speakers all the way up and let Julia Child, with her blessed chocolate-loving soul and gracious spirit, invade every nook and cranny of your chalet. As HufPo reported, in celebration of what would have been her 100th birthday on August 15, PBS Digital Studios made a Julia…