Win Two Seats At The Libertine Bar’s
Holiday Beer Dinner

The Libertine Bar sent along details about its December 29 holiday beer dinner, as well as a pair of tickets for one lucky City of Ate reader. Or rather, for the purposes of this contest, “one unlucky City of Ate reader” would be more accurate. Winning the tickets would be…

Tonight: Get Wine Drunk at Urban Crust

For those who were at the malls in search of bargains or at the grocery store picking out a Butterball, it’s time to relax tonight and have a glass — or five — of wine. Urban Crust in Plano is hosting a holiday wine tasting tonight that will make you…

It’s Em-Effing Chocolate-Eating Time: Peppermint Bark

It’s a Christmas miracle! No-bake treats that taste beyond delicious. All you need is a 11-by-17-inch cookie sheet, a hammer (sweet!), a freezer and a little patience at the stove. If you’re no good at baking and you’re really good at eating chocolate, this is the holiday treat for you…

Top 5 Food Ornaments to Spice Up Your Christmas Tree or Bush

Years ago, my family used to crown our Christmas tree with a wonderfully tacky star made from silver pipe cleaners knotted together with Christmas lights. It finally stopped working and now lays crumpled somewhere in our spider-clogged attic. This year, we have a bush – a bush! – on top…

The “Pallet Wars” Rage On with Butter the Battlefield

The recent announcement that scientists found flame retardant in butter sold at Dallas groceries has fed a firestorm in the pallet industry. A plastic pallet manufacturer this week filed a lawsuit against the U.S. National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA), accusing the trade group of conducting a “malicious smear…

Footpulls: Anti-Grubber Device Slow to Take Off

The bathroom doors at Brackets, the sports bar that’s taken over the space vacated by Trader Vic’s, are equipped with contraptions that allow guests to pull the doors open with their feet. The rounded metal pulls make good sense at Brackets, where guests are eating pizza and grasping ping pong…

Dude Food: Dairy Palace isn’t Quite Fit for a King

Dairy Palace2301 N. Trade Days Blvd.CantonDude Factor: 5, or Antiques Roadshow, on a scale of 1 (Cash In The Attic) to 10 (Pawn Stars).  The little missus and I recently found ourselves with an unexpectedly free weekend and a serious case of wanderlust, so we pulled out a map and…

Log In! Disqus Our New Commenting System

Ladies and gents, you may have noticed we have a new commenting system. Sure, we’re going to miss the hell out of Captcha’s bizarre word combinations like “booger humans” or “gladly tectonic.” Today, we have something we think is more interesting: Disqus commenting. Disqus is the same commenting system on…

This Weekend: Charitable Drinking and Holiday Shopping

‘Tis the season of charitable giving and charitable drinking. Go to Hacienda on Henderson this Sunday for Tequila for Toys: A Care-aoke Christmas, benefiting Toys for Tots. Bring an unwrapped toy for the charity and receive a free shot of Tequila Avion. Margaritas and Avion shots are $3 all night,…

Leave the Bird, Bring the Pig: A Family Recipe for Pernil

Whereas other families might have a Christmas turkey or goose, Puerto Rican families such as my own eat pork for their holiday meal. The meal — actually a night-long party called Nochebuena — is held on Christmas Eve and involves music, dancing, coquito (Puerto Rican eggnog), pitorro (Puerto Rican moonshine),…

Taste of the NFL Goes Long on Fort Worth Chefs

Ticket holders at Taste of the NFL, a hunger relief fundraiser timed to coincide with the Super Bowl, will have the chance to sample food from eight of the area’s leading chefs at “Flavors of North Texas,” billed as “a unique component” of the yearly event. But the announced line-up…

Lumi’s Chef Susi Bui Leaves Us Wanting More (Dumplings)

In part one of this week’s Three Course Meal, we gave you a look at Susie Bui, co-owner of Lumi Empanada and Dumpling Kitchen. In part two, we asked Bui to complete our thoughts for us. In today’s final installment she shares a favorite family recipe for one of Lumi’s…

Chef Tell: Mise en Place and Celebrity Chef Double Whammy

First off, I was on vacation last week so apologies for the lack of Top Chef All Stars recap. And while we’re on the subject of last week, yes, I need a vacation from my vacation and DANG! that was one amazing showdown by eliminated chef Jen. Also, I appreciated…

Our Holiday Gift List of Kickass Food Of-the-Month Clubs

The Of-the-month club: It’s the holiday gift that keeps on giving, and giving, and giving–whether the receiver likes it or not. There are wine of-the-month clubs and of course, fruit of-the-month clubs. But why pick something so played-out when you could give one of these totally braggable (and pretty ridiculous)…

Tonight: Rock Out for the North Texas Food Bank

Instead of watching 30 Rock in your pajamas tonight, go rock out for a good cause. Rock ‘n’ Taco is hosting Rock’n Out Hunger, a night of food, fashion, and music that benefits the North Texas Food Bank. There will be drink and food specials all night, plus music from…

Get Ready for the Next Hard Liquor Made Organically–Texas-made Bourbon

A Texas distillery has a shot at releasing the world’s first organic bourbon, but the makers of a pioneering organic vodka say the spirit may not be an easy sell. Garrison Brothers Distillery, Texas’ first legal whiskey distillery, is already producing bourbon that’s organic in all but name. Garrison Brothers…

Restaurant AVA Draws Customers into the Kitchen to Pitch In For the Holidays

With holiday events stretching restaurant staffs, a few local chefs are turning to a Tom Sawyer-like solution to keep their kitchens and catering gigs running smoothly. “I can’t afford to take my cooks out of the restaurant,” says Restaurant AVA’s co-executive chef and co-owner Randall Copeland, explaining why he’s allowing…

When It Comes to Saving Food Dollars,
One is a Lonely Number

Since the holiday season seems like a good time for scrimping — I’m still reeling at the price of postage for my holiday cards — I’ve twice eaten dinner at home this month. Neither experience has been as cost-effective as I’d hoped. To those of us who eat 19 meals…