Well-Grounded Chuck

When the Cooking Channel first debuted last year, I had heard that a fair chunk of its programming was imported from Canada. Well, if the Cooking Channel can be qualified as an emerging gastro-nation on the television grid, then its number one emissary of all around sweetness and gap-toothed light…

Chef Tell: Oh, the Lame Bahama Drama

For the first round in a Top Chef final, this week left much to be desired. Due to that — and a crippling stomach bug that had me wishing the show was not about food, but rather a blanket fort competition — this is a truncated and belated recap. Apologies…

Greater Dallas Restaurant Association Seeks New Director

The Greater Dallas Restaurant Association is seeking a new executive director, according to an ad posted this week on Craigslist. Former executive director Jamee Jolly, who joined the organization in 2007, resigned last fall to become president of the Plano Chamber of Commerce. The Greater Dallas Restaurant Association, a local…

EatGreenDFW Hungry For “Content, Content, Content”

EatGreenDFW is amping up its efforts to list every local food producer and purveyor on its website — and hoping to make money doing so. Directory listings are still free, but organizers Brian Cummings and Rich Shoen recently acquired the software they needed to monetize their project by offering advertising…

Texas Farmers Fed Up With Anti-Agriculture Attacks

Texas farmers worry non-farmers misunderstand them, but a new website designed to address the problem suggests the cultural confusion may cut both ways. The Texas Department of Agriculture this week unveiled its “Agriculture is Your Culture” campaign, an educational program centered on a website featuring examples of how farmers contribute…

Cookbook Author Speeds Up Southern Cooking

There are recipes for okra fritters, blackened catfish and benne wafers in Rebecca Lang’s new cookbook, but there’s not a word about fried chicken. “I’m really sad fried chicken is not in the book,” says Lang, who will be demonstrating recipes from Quick-Fix Southern: Homemade Hospitality in 30 Minutes or…

Party with Us This Saturday at Our Annual St. Pat’s Concert

Well, the rumors are partially true: cops are cracking down on inebriated partiers on and around Greenville Avenue during the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade by enforcing a state law that prohibits open containers within 18 feet from a public right-of-way. They claim they don’t want to spoil a good…

Stone Old Guardian 2011 Classic Release vs. BELGO Version

While not everyone thinks it’s a tremendously creative idea, Stone Brewing Co. this year has introduced a program called “Odd Beers For Odd Years,” in which the recipes for Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine and Stone Imperial Russian Stout are tweaked. This year, the brewery is adding the Belgian yeast…

Salmonella No Match For Traditional Texas Foodways

A pair of college students has discovered traditional Texas cuisine can be used to fight foodborne illnesses. According to research presented at last week’s Texas Academy of Science meeting, a common strain of salmonella can’t stand up to chili powder or certain barbecue marinades — at least when tested in…

Oak Lawn Italian Restaurant Gets a New Name

Daniele Osteria got a new name last week. New owner Carlos Munoz has rechristened the Oak Lawn restaurant “D’Carlo” and is developing a logo to match. “Working with the marketing team, they wanted something like my name,” Munoz explains. “It’s short and simple.” While the name’s changed, chef Daniele Puleo’s…

Pizzeria Venti: A High Price for a Slice

Pizzeria Venti’s slogan is “America’s only authentic sliceria®.” Yes, “sliceria.” Not to be confused with BEE in Oak Cliff, which is an “enchiladeria.” If you ask me, there’s a diarrhea of new -eria’s being invented in town lately. Can’t we just call a pizza place a pizza place? Anyway, Pizzeria…

Shinsei: Turning Diners into Disciples

As someone who spends a good bit of time in restaurant dining rooms, I’m accustomed to being told “Just let me know if you have any questions about the menu.” But the offer usually comes from my server, not a diner at a nearby table. What’s remarkable about Shinsei, a…

Texas Wineries Ask “What Do Hispanic Wine Drinkers Want?”

Hispanics represent a growing share of Texas’ wine drinking population, but wineries are still grappling with how to pitch their products to them. “No information is available about the Hispanic wine market,” Natalia Kolyesnikova, assistant director of the Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute told attendees at last week’s annual meeting…

The Best Eat-and-Run Austin Stops for Busy SXSWers

There’s way too much to do. Look at your schedule! It’s jam packed. There’s the free, not-secret Strokes show, and — sweet Moses — the day parties peppered about town.For those already exhausted by the stacked, bloated schedule you’re planning, you’ll need a list of good eats that won’t occupy…