“The fact that you can eat a full-service meal for under $10 is incredible. You couldn’t even eat this cheaply in 1992.” (Christopher Muller, a professor of hospitality at the University of Central Florida, on sit-down chains offering discounted entree pricing in the wake of slowing sales. Outback, for example…
I always wondered about the wisdom of that bit of advice that urges road-trippers to stop at diners with a bunch of trucks parked outside. Not that truckers don’t know a good plate of hash browns, mind you, but do big-rig jocks really grasp the finer things? There’s no reason…
Restaurant-ing through History has a nifty bit of nostalgia about the old automats that served Philly and New York starting in the early 20th Century. You can think of automats as part vending machine, part post office, walls of little windows where customers deposited coins and then opened the door…
When you open a bottle of Julienas 2006 Grand Vin Du Beaujolais, a blast of fruit hits your nose, mixed with the sting of black pepper. In tasting, it finishes quickly, but leaves a trace of dark forest berry on the tongue, soured but still palatable.It would be a nice…
Let’s face it: A true Tex-Mex establishment succeeds or fails on the strength of its enchiladas. I realize I’m speaking only for myself, at least as far as popular dishes go. Many patrons of an El-or-La-something-or-other (as Rosemary Kent dubbed Tex-Mex restaurants in her Genuine Texas Handbook, released a generation…
Care for a complimentary cocktail and appetizer? State and Allen Lounge will offer free drinks and hors d’oeuvres from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. today. There’s a catch: you may need an invitation–we’ve never been certain after carelessly tossing out the mailer–and you have to listen to a spiel about…
About a year ago he came up with the idea for a line of all natural salsas, often using fruit. It happened by accident, but now Dread Head Chef products–including dessert chips–fills shelves at Green Spot and Jimmy’s Food Store.Not bad for a brand new company. Of course, Weinstein had…
“Because it sells, food companies are slapping it on anything. And consumers believe natural equals nutritious. Actually, it’s a bit like Alice in Wonderland. It means what I want it to mean.” (Julie Miller Jones, professor of food safety and nutrition at College of St. Catherine in Minnesota on the…
The past few weeks have seen plenty of discussion about House Resolution 875, the Food Safety and Modernization Act of 2009. Some of the extended blog panic includes allegations that Tyson and Cargill, among others, had a hand in drafting the legislation. Whether or not that’s the case, there’s legitimate…
I spent much of the last week in Austin for SXSW, so rather than hipping you guys to some local jewel this week, I’ve decided to give a play-by-play commentary of how I vittled down in the Live Music Capitol of the World.Comprehensive Dude Factor: 9, or Doug Sahm, on…
Through all my phases, from finicky meat-eater to cheese-hating vegetarian to vegan, I’ve never had a server actually encourage me to complicate my order. But at the Cliff Café last Friday our server, Ryan H., did–even after my “girly lunch” group had finagled a table on the sunny, secluded back…
Yee-haw, pardner! Looks like we can finally bend an elbow just down the trail at Cowboy Chow. Yup, they finally obtained a license to dispense bottled courage. You know Cowboy Chow, right? Run by them fellers what created Twisted Root Burger Co.? Reckon we should mosey on down. OK, sorry…
He is synonymous with seafood in this market, having been associated with, oh, Daddy Jack’s and Rockfish and Big Fish Little Fish before opening his own multi-purpose place, Kenny’s Wood Fired Grill.Recently the Boston native added a new bar space (banking on the cougar image to attract the right crowd)…
“We’re going to chew them up on corporate brands. And we’re just going to keep driving corporate brands.” (Steven Burd, president of Safeway–parent of Tom Thumb and Randalls–speaking on the importance of store brands as leverage against the large food companies. Some grocery chains have been cutting orders to the…
Twisted Root Burger Co.2615 Commerce214-741-7668A friend of mine can’t help but laugh every time he walks into this place–and you can’t blame him, really.Unlike Jennifer Aniston’s character in Office Space, Twisted Root has maxed out its kitsch. There are old signs, burlap bags, metal buckets and catchy slogans. If you…
Yesterday I waited 90 minutes for some Chinese restaurant to delivery a single order of General Tsao’s chicken. When the driver finally showed up, cold food in hand, he offered one of those difficult to refute not-my-fault excuses: “we’re really busy,” he said. “And we only have two drivers.”Think I…
Dallas Gourmet Grill16601 Addison Rd., Addison972-381-9896Promised delivery time: 55 minutesActual delivery time: 52 minutesThe ScoreThey’re giving the orders (at least that’s what it feels like): 0Precision of ordering process because they’re giving the orders: 20Precision of delivery: 9Not having to make small talk with driver: 16Beef cooked to level orange…
You’ve dreamed for years of taking off work, jetting to Wilmington and spending a few days downing the great beers of Delaware. Well, Flying Saucer Draught Emporium saves you the trouble.On April 1–yes, April 1, a day when everyone suspects some sort of double-cross–Flying Saucer’s Montfort location hosts Claus Hagelman…
Chances are you’ve tried and loved his cooking, even if you haven’t been to his Oak Cliff restaurant, Kavala Mediterranean Grill, You see, HIghtower has perhaps the perfect Dallas resume–at least as far as chefs are concerned. He spent a few years cooking for Stephan Pyles at AquaKnox, did a stint at…
“They gave PCA glowing reviews. The company was selected by PCA, paid by PCA and realized that if they didn’t give PCA a glowing review, they were not going to get hired again.” (Representative Henry Waxman, a California Democrat and chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on the value of…
This week’s print edition of the Observer includes Dave’s take on Citrus Bistro, along with a few photos from the restaurant.Of course we know you, our discerning blog readers, demand more visual stimulation than can be found in the black ink and limited space of our paper. Special for you…
Ah, the first day of spring. How better to celebrate than a look back a those long, dreary days of last week–you know, when some holiday kept you away from the computer. Well, here’s some of what you missed. And if these are the highlights, the rest must be total…The…
