The Stoneleigh P’s red neon sign serves as a beacon for those driving by. It also casts half the ambient light inside the bar, echoed in the burgundy painted walls. The televisions show the baseball game but not many are watching; the jukebox is filling the space with a mix…
The Common Table chef Mike Smith has been kind enough to play along with us this week in our Three-Course Meal series. In Part One, he divulged some of his favorite hangouts and dives. In Part Two he imparted knowledge gained after two decades in the restaurant business. And today,…
Okay, kids. We’re gonna do this thing in a couple weekends and I’m gonna need a good showing. Plan accordingly. The 2nd Annual Blues, Bandits & BBQ cook-off in Oak Cliff is on October 22 from noon to 6 p.m. Not only should you plan on heading out for some…
Dallas loves its half-priced food and drink deals, and we’re no different. That’s why we built the above calendar of half-price food and drink deals, listing the restaurant and time under each day. Every week, we’ll do our best to keep you up-to-date on a large chunk of weekly half-priced…
The folks over at Bravo have been teasing out info about the new contestants while they battle in court about your tax dollars. A set of clips released last week compiled a montage of each contestant and some of their dishes, drawn from the videos they submitted to enter the…
Dallas is without a doubt a brunching town. Every Saturday and Sunday, early in the afternoon, those with matted hair, stale breath and perhaps questionable bed mates drag themselves from shades-pulled comfort and into the harsh, bright world, descending upon the city’s restaurants en masse. It seems as if every…
I talked to chef and restaurateur Nick Badovinus last night, after an intense phone-stalking session spurred by rumors of an amazing sub-$5 burger and great sandwiches. His new restaurant in the Design District, Off-Site Kitchen (2226 Irving Blvd.), has been in teaser mode for weeks, and I’m ready to see…
In part one of our interview, we talked with Common Table chef Mike Smith about running a successful restaurant. Now, in part two of of three, we discuss the Dallas restaurant scene and some of his favorite off-duty places. Tune back in tomorrow for part three. What are your three…
Raise your hand if, when your spouse is out of town, you plan your meals like you’ve just been released from prison? Okay, put your hands down. This perplexes me. Honestly, does your spouse normally restrict or mandate what you eat? Why does where we eat become the biggest decision…
Back in July, there were a tense and strange couple days in the kitchen at RedFork, the then-brand-new gastropub in Knox-Henderson. An alleged gas leak had forced a short closure, and discord was swelling among the staff. So it probably wasn’t a surprise when cook Ryan Carbery, on his way…
Would you hang out in a terrible space if the food proves worthy of a sonnet? I do it all the time for good tacos and barbecue. Would you put up with an over-cooked steak because your server dotes on your table through the evening? These are the thoughts that…
First off, a big thanks to Observer art director Alexander Flores for the beautiful bracket above. As you can see, Round One of Oktoberbest 2011 is complete; Dallas Craft Beer Examiner Paul Hightower has determined the Texas Division winners, and Plano Craft Beer Examiner Brian Brown has picked which two…
Turns out who you sup with could effect your waistline as much as when and what you eat. The Huffington Post points us to a recently released study published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology. In doing the study, researchers hoped to gain understanding of how body image and…
Chef Mike Smith has been involved in the restaurant business basically all of his life, beginning when he was just a toddler and his mother owned a restaurant in Louisiana. In his long career he’s tended bar, balanced books and surely mopped a floor or two. His first real cooking…
Chris Christie, the seriously-non-president-running governor of New Jersey, recently pulled the plug on $420,000 in government subsidies for Jersey Shore, calling the tax incentives “wasteful spending” on a show that poorly represents his state. Texas Governor Rick Perry’s office? It sees no such waste in the upcoming season of the…
I’m not the biggest dessert person. It’s mostly the sweetness that gets to me, but also the portions at many restaurants, which are often over the top. Who needs a five-inch tall slice of chocolate cake after starters and mains? Dessert should be small and diminutive — like a tiny…
For those in attendance at The Gin Mill last night for the Beefeater 24 Mixology competition, any memory of exactly what transpired is a little spotty. After all, 13 area mixologists turned up for the event with their own Beefeater 24 concoctions, in hopes of winning the $1,000 first prize,…
Alberto Lombardi’s latest creation, Bistro 31, opened yesterday in Highland Park Village, which was built, fittingly, in 1931. The menu specializes in Mediterranean food and includes Italian, Spanish and French dishes, or combinations thereof. Hitting most points on Foodbitch’s 15 classy things list, Bistro 31 offers elegant food in an…
Each week, Justin Bitner goes hunting for DFW’s most interesting sandwiches. Have a sandwich suggestion? Leave it in the comments and he’ll check it out. Shop: Fred’s Downtown Philly The Sandwich: Italian Hoagie ($7.25) Bread: Amoroso’s Hoagie, shipped right in from the City of Bro Love Toppings: Capicola, Pastrami, Salami,…
Pollo Campero is celebrating National Taco Day by rolling out a new line of tortillas stuffed with Peruvian grilled chicken, crispy seasoned chicken, fresh cooked bacon, panela cheese and salsas. All three Dallas locations of the International chain will offer a free Campero Chicken taco to diners all day today…
As part of Arlington’s Re-identification Program, Twisted Root Burger Company is opening today at 300 E. Abram Street in the original downtown area of the city. By renovating an old furniture store, this Reader’s Pick for Best Burger has quietly flown in under radar to this newest location. Just a…
Even though Penelope Ryholt is a professional pastry chef, at night she dreams of even sweeter things. In a light pink chef’s coat that accentuates her auburn hair and ivory skin, Ryholt says: “I use to lay in bed at night and dream of the kind of ice cream I…
