On Thursday afternoon, a blackboard out front of Avila’s Mexican Restaurant boasted — in bright pink and blue chalk — an enchilada lunch special. After being seated, and having chips and salsa thrust at me, I nearly ordered the enchiladas, but was swayed when I noticed another chalk board in…
Has there been a better year for beer drinkers in North Texas, and particularly Dallas, than 2011? Not one that I can think of, for reasons enumerated in the awards below. My year’s wrap-up isn’t over. Coming soon are my favorite beers of the year and a run-down of the…
Courtesy of Bad Robot Interactive’s new app: Action Movie FX…
We made it. Another year of writing, bitching and photo-taking, primarily centered around stuffing our faces. Only a few days remain before we strap ourselves in and start the whole process again. Before we welcome 2012, though, let’s take a look at what we’ve done with 2011. Here are City…
Every week I try to find a lunch in Dallas that’s less than ten bucks. (Of course, empty parking lots, barred windows, cash only and misspelled menu items are always a plus.) Not every meal I discover is delicious, but they’re all memorable. Here were my five most memorable Cheap…
Yesterday I wrote about a New Year’s tradition based on German heritage, which is applicable considering the strong German population in the Dallas area. (Remember when Oktoberfest blew my mind a little?) But this post considers a tradition a little more native to Texas, and perhaps all of the Southeast…
Word is out that Houston-based Spec’s Wine, Spirits and Finer Foods is looking to buy Sigel’s Beverages of Dallas. Per the Dallas Morning News, Sigel’s president John Rector confirmed that the two companies were in talks. Sigel’s has 10 area stores and a warehouse, which employs 250 people. On a…
My favorite New Year’s Eve tradition comes from my friend, Andy. One New Year’s Eve a long, long time ago, Andy’s step dad created the best tradition since drinking beer always. The story goes that Andy’s step dad (let’s call him Badass McAwesometown), Badass McAwesometown, was left at home unsupervised…
Trader Joe’s has finally revealed its plans for the Dallas area. Per Gubbins at Pegasus (via the DMN), the first is slated to open this spring at Preston and Park in Plano, and the second at the old Arcadia Theater location on Lower Greenville, which is scheduled to open in…
Francesco Farris needed a break. After 18 years working at his brother Efisio’s side, he was ready to strike out on his own. “I think I grew up,” he told me the other day, after I’d made a few visits to his new little Italian restaurant. “I think it was…
Rachael Ray thinks you’re quirky, Dallas. She thinks you’re friendly, too. Below you’ll find a clip from Rachael Ray’s Food Network show, Tasty Travels. You know the drill — lots of gesticulation, hand gestures, eye rolling and Rachael Ray’s crazy intonation. She visits Mariano’s and re-hashes the birth of the…
Yesterday I paid a visit to Rich Rogers, owner of Scardello Artisan Cheese, to talk Parm. The shop sells the cheese from a whole wheel they purchase every other month or so. When a new wheel arrives, Rogers gets excited. His wife Karen gets excited. Parmigiano Reggiano is after all,…
Eater Dallas reported earlier this week that Greenling, an organic produce delivery company out of Austin, is expanding to Dallas in January. Greenling works directly with local, sustainable farmers and producers, and delivers weekly food bins to residences. There is a $25 minimum for all orders, but the delivery service…
I am made of considerable German stock — my father was a Reitz, and my mother was a Schuster. But for whatever reason this heritage did not make it to my dinner table. We ate like the rest of America while I grew up. The only time our table was…
Happy belated birthday, sweet infant Jesus! Now that all that trimming the tree and wrapping presents is over, all Santa’s cookies have been eaten, and all the stores are ready to mark down all the stuff you just bought by 60 percent, we can look ahead to the dawning of…
I’m a writer, not a photographer. And while I’ve certainly nailed some decent shots while out and about eating, there have been a lot of really bad photos to sift through. In my defense I’ve always tried to maintain a low profile while I eat, and it’s hard to do…
In one quick year, Il Cane Rosso has become the most esteemed pizza joint in Dallas. Owner Jay Jerrier discovered this style of Neapolitan pizza while on a trip in Naples with his wife in 1995 and has worked diligently to bring the same pizza experience to Dallas. Recently Guy…
Imagine walking into a restaurant to the sounds of Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me.” Now imagine walking into a restaurant to the sounds of Lady Gaga’s latest hit. Were they the same places? Of course not. Which is why it may behoove Townhouse Kitchen + Bar at the…
Walking through the front doors of Whiskey Cake on Christmas Eve, my father says it best: “I feel like I’m in the movie Deliverance.” The abundance of rustic wood, plaid and whiskey barrels lend a backwoods-stillhouse vibe that’s further reinforced by our handsome blonde server, who sports suspenders (mandatory) and…
The Easy Slider food truck hits the streets in Big D today for their first lunch service. Co-owners Miley Holmes and Caroline Perini worked together at the House of Blues and decided to cash it in and put it all down a bright blue food truck and sell small sandwiches…
Y’all got your shopping done? I’m feeling the pinch. A few more items to check off my list and then I get get my egg roll on, all over Dallas. Things are scheduled to be quiet tomorrow so we’re wrapping things in iceberg a day early. Dipping sauces’ are on…
Each week, the Cheap Bastard goes looking for a new place to eat a meal for less than nine million dollars. This week, she’s at home with the other renegades at El Rincon de Villa, 6867 Greenville Ave., 214-891-9954. Number of people eating lunch when I was there: 10 Parking…
