In 1998, the movie Pi earned Daron Aronofsky the directing award at the Sundance Film Festival, and perhaps not since then has another pi(e) made as big an impression on the storied independent film festival. Until now. At this year’s Sundance, there was an unexpected breakout hero: a vegan chocolate…
John Tesar is crying. Brooke Williamson says, “John is crying.” He says, “No, I’m not.” But he’s crying. He’s in shock that he’s safe from another elimination round of Top Chef. I’m in shock. The other three remaining chefs hug and congratulate him. I hug my life-size Tesar cutout. This episode’s…
There are a lot of expansions and new concepts in the works in DFW right now. Several local franchises are expanding with new locations, while a few local restaurant groups are opening new concepts to expand their DFW empires. In this week’s roundup of DFW food news, we’ll introduce you…
Dozens of craft beer drinkers poured into downtown Arlington last weekend for the grand opening of On Tap, the city’s newest craft beer bar and growler-filling station. “Arlington didn’t have a brewery scene until pretty much the past year,” says general manager Jaspreet Bains. That’s quickly changing thanks to Division…
When Bbbop first added fried chicken to their menu, it quickly became clear that they were onto something. “Our fried chicken was added to the Bbbop menu and quickly became our number-one seller,” says chef/co-owner Sandy Bussey. “At that point, we agreed to make Not Your Mama’s Fried Chicken the focal…
Sitting down with chef John Tesar is like a therapy session. The two-time Top Chef contestant and bad press magnet has changed. Unlike season 10 Tesar, season 14 Tesar is nice to his competitors. He talks about his time in therapy and frequently references his newfound zen. He’s also not…
True Food Kitchen is getting in on the battle that is Valentine’s Day with the War of the Roses, a cocktail that’s as potent as it is beautiful. February 10-14, enjoy one for just $10 (along with three other boozy options), or mix one up at home.
All-American is a series that looks at beloved, longstanding North Texas eateries and examines their history while exploring how the food has changed — for the good or bad — over the years. The worn-in butcher blocks are the first thing you notice when you walk through the doors. There…
Sambuca in Uptown is one of several spots hosting anti-Valentine’s Day events this week, and this one involves food and drink specials and what’s sure to be a rousing game of “Broken Hearts Bingo.” What: Dark Hearts Happy Hour When: 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9 Where: Sambuca, 2120…
Late last year, when chef Ross Demers left the relatively young Deep Ellum brasserie On the Lamb, the restaurant closed rather than bring in a new chef, and owners say they’re working on another concept for that location. In the meantime, Demers has found an interesting new project: Nikkei, an…
On a suspiciously balmy morning for February, I’m the first one in line at Uptown’s Shake Shack. The staff is brimming with happiness as they inform me that I’m the first in Dallas to order the new BBQ ShackMeister Burger. The new burger is part of a “limited edition lineup”…
Chances are, if you haven’t made a reservation yet at one of Dallas’ date-night hot spots, you may be out of luck, unless you and your date have a sense of adventure, in which case you should skip the high-end spots and opt instead to explore the outskirts of DFW food…
When Houndstooth Coffee opened its second Dallas location last year in Sylvan Thirty, they also launched a cocktail bar next door. With an inventive menu that includes coffee cocktails and ample sherry, Jettison quickly became one of Dallas’ most innovative new cocktail bars. Now the combination coffee-cocktail bar trend is coming…
In the last couple years, the suburbs of DFW have really stepped up their game when it comes to food and drink. Some of the best new breweries in North Texas have opted to open outside of Dallas proper, and big-name Dallas chefs and restaurateurs are expanding their concepts into…
In March 2016, a Farmers Branch strip mall became host to the only Sri Lankan restaurant in Texas. There wasn’t much hype or fanfare; there were no high-profile food bloggers on hand for the opening. But SpicyZest might be the most interesting Dallas food news of 2016. SpicyZest has spent…
In an unassuming office suite nestled into a field of tall grass, brambles and scraggly trees, there is a room with a table. Wooden, bar-height and with a shiny varnish, the table is surrounded by eight tall metal chairs. You can see all this for yourself, but what you can’t…
In 2014, Lakewood Growler opened off Abrams Road and Mockingbird Lane and has since become a haven for craft beer in East Dallas. Building on that success, the people behind Lakewood Growler announced in September that they would be opening another location in Preston Hollow. In January, that location opened…
Cruise the various neighborhoods of Dallas and something becomes clear: There are a lot of burgers in this town. From timeless classics like Dairy-Ette and Off-Site Kitchen to trendier meat-slingers like Rodeo Goat, when a carnivorous craving kicks in, a plethora of bovine-and-bun-based options are at our fingertips. With so…
Every week, Observer burger expert Nick Rallo explores the longstanding Dallas restaurants that helped shape the city’s food scene in his All-American series. He delves into each eatery’s past in a way that gives context to its present, and every story helps us get to know the families who give…
The mimosa. Chicken and waffles. An omelet. All of these things were not conceived in 10 minutes at Whole Foods. I’m not fact checking any of that, but I can assume the people who invented these things put some thought into it or possibly, they accidentally screwed something up and…
Around five years ago, food trucks were rare novelties in the DFW food scene. Since then, they have become familiar staples of our fast-casual dining culture. In the few years since The Truck Yard opened on Lower Greenville, permanent food truck parks have slowly been popping up throughout the suburbs…
Listen to French tunes, win raffle prizes and, perhaps most importantly, celebrate International Crepe Day at Whisk today with $2 Nutella and butter-sugar crepes, $2 mimosas, $2 beers, $2 glasses of French wine and $2 glasses of French cider. What it be: International Crepe Day When it do: Until 10…
