Food & Drink

Food truck parks sound great on paper, but out on the concrete is where the truth plays out. In Dallas, there have been some good ideas that just didn’t pan out for whatever reason, then some awful ideas that died quickly. From the shakeout thus far, there’s a spattering of…

In this is semi-regular feature here at the City of Ate, we talk to restaurant owners one year out (or there about) to see how business is treating them. This is in no way an attempt to cajole you into opening your own place, but rather an appreciation for how…

Last month I used the recently released UN report on bug consumption to question whether or not Dallasites were ready to dine on insects. Comments came in quickly and resoundingly to the negative. “OK I can suck the head of a crawfish all day long, but I’d never stick the…

Dallas needs a few more French bistros. There’s something about sitting down at a table just a little after noon, ordering up a bottle of wine and starting with some great charcuterie, maybe with a little side salad dressed simply with lemon and olive oil — something you can linger…

LTO has announced their first idea for the Trinity Groves pop up restaurant. Over the past few weeks we’ve told you about the concept that will feature a temporary restaurant that provides four short months of atmosphere and cuisine crafted by a chef and designer picked by local Dallas diners…

Shimond Bradley is pretty honest about why he got in the food truck business. “I wanted a restaurant, but didn’t have half a million dollars,” he says. You have to respect that statement. It carries with it foresight and good judgment. Bradley graduated from Johnson and Wales University’s culinary college…

A story in yesterday’s New York Times has me thinking about frogs’ legs. The story details France’s historic obsession with the amphibian delicacy. The passion has waned as tastes have changed and a ban in the ’80s made it illegal to trade in French frogs. Still, some restaurants hang on…

It’s just rude to write “HOT” five times across a weather forecast in all caps and bright red. I hate all caps! It’s like putting a memo in someone’s chair while they’re away from their desk: “Don’t even sit down!” The weather forecast is screaming at us, “Your eyeballs are…

If you’re wondering why Dallas has so many BYOB restaurants, a look at Desta will provide a few clues. After more than two months of waiting on the state (they filed their application a few weeks after opening) and nearly $10,000 in applications fees, bonds and insurance costs you can…

Dog lovers rejoice. You’ll soon be able to munch on a burger, slurp on a shake and socialize with Fido all in one fell swoop at Mutts. The latest creation from Free Range Concepts partners Josh Sepkowitz and Kyle Noonan (Bowl and Barrel, Sunset Lounge) is set to open in…

The Holy Grail Pub in Plano is hosting a bourbon event this week that craft beer fans (or just straight bourbon fans) should note. Last year the Holy Grail had a day dedicated to all things bourbon, including both whiskey tasting flights and special tappings of limited release bourbon-aged beers…

MODERN ART DESSERTS from Clay McLachlan on Vimeo.Ready to take your pastry cheffing to the next level? Caitlin Freeman’s new book, Modern Arts Desserts, inspired by modern-art-meets-sweets, will have you baking up cakes that look like Thiebaud paintings in no time. The self-taught baker is the resident pastry chef for…

Chiladas Fresh Mex Grill is poised for a local takeover. The restaurant opened its second location in University Park on Lovers Lane last week, and five additional locations are expected over the next two years in the DFW area. Chipotle fans will recognize the playbook. Ingredients are sourced responsibly, using…

As Monday slowly, and possibly painfully, settles in around you, take a look at this map The New Yorker released last week on the growth of craft breweries across the U.S. The interactive map shows exactly where and by how much the craft brewing industry has exploded, based on the…

The Katy Trail Ice House Outpost in Plano at 4700 W. Park Ave. has been dabbling with a soft opening the past week, however they’re now ready to go all in. This second KT Ice House location, in the old Bandito’s spot, is an off-shoot of the popular Uptown restaurant…

Workers today covered the windows of 2822 N. Henderson Ave. with the brown butcher paper that marks most build-outs, for what restaurateur Mico Rodriguez calls a complete renovation to make way for Mesero Miguel, an upscale version of the Mr Mesero he opened on McKinney Avenue in 2011. “We’re going…

Jake King-Gilbert wants to shave a few more miles off the local farm to table movement. He’s planning an indoor urban farm in Deep Ellum with a goal of producing fresh produce year-round. King-Gilbert has been experimenting with hydroponics in his apartment with synthetic lighting for the past year. Now…

Summer is a particularly rough time for food insecure families across North Texas. And the ripple affect is felt throughout the community. This morning the Vickery Meadow Food Pantry posted this message to its Facebook page: “Vickery Meadow Food Pantry desperately needs our help! They’re extremely low in food and…

Jeff Snoyer, owner of Highland Park Cafeteria and Monopoly Place, has donated land for the new White Rock Local Garden. This is collaboration between the White Rock Local Market (WRLM), Highland Park Cafeteria, USE Farms and DFW Truck Farm/Garden Inspirations. Located off Garland Road and Fuller, the ¾-acre plot will…