Food & Drink

I can’t help but fantasize that like many other scandals involving our pedigreed leaders, the government shutdown will lead to some sort of hearing. And that the wasted money, disrupted lives and other indirect costs of the budget standoff that accomplished nothing will force some sort of nonpartisan investigation that…

Richard Gras is the sort of newish chef at Oak in the Design District. Gras grew up in Troy, New York, then earned his culinary arts degree from Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island, where he also cut his teeth in some high-profile kitchens like Empire, which received one…

Chip Tate, the founder and distiller of Waco’s Balcones Distillery, packed his suitcases full of booze and headed to New York City recently for the World Wine and Spirits Competition. The tiny distillery tucked under a bridge has been racking up the hardware of late, the first distillery to have…

After nearly a year of closure the wait is over. Oishii opens today at 11 a.m. for lunch. Thanh Nguyen closed his Oak Lawn neighborhood restaurant last December after it was completely destroyed by a fire. The same blaze shuttered Sal’s pizza next door, but the damage to the pizzeria…

It seems as if Levy Restaurants executive chef Joel Pena has a bit of a bacon problem. Or maybe he just has a thing for incredibly strange food. Earlier this spring, he put together concoctions that made use of cotton candy, bacon and vodka, and tossed rabbit and antelope meat…

Twisted Root keeps twisting up things with their menu. A few years ago they introduced a beaver burger; they do bison, bunny, elk and other things. Plus the exotic black bean. But recently they’ve pushed the envelope a tad further with a camel burger, sold at their Arlington location only…

You can’t ignore it now. There’s an undeniable cold snap in the air, and pumpkin fever has taken over. It’s time to switch up your cocktail, and if you’re like me, the go-to cold weather spirit is usually bourbon or rye. Maybe it’s the smoke from the barrels recalling memories…

You’ve done it again, haven’t you? You’ve got plans to go out and get burgers tonight, and then tomorrow you’ve got three buddies ready to pile into a car for a day-long barbecue road trip. You’ll probably end the night with late-night tacos before you wake up and pummel yourself…

Deep Ellum Brewing Company has had a reputation for aggressive, big-bodied beers since they opened in 2011. Their IPA is an incredibly hoppy brew, and the Double Rye IPA is an all-out Dream Crusher. Most beer companies have some fun with their labels, but recently Burnt Orange Report, Texas’ largest…

The Alamo Drafthouse will roll out a new film and brew next week. The Austin-based theater has collaborated with Dogfish Head for a release of their new brew American Beauty, which will be served during special screenings of the concert film, The Grateful Dead Movie. See also: – Papa Preach:…

Leslie Brenner reports that the owners of Zanata have closed the restaurant after a significant fire. Based on the account on the DMN’s Scoop blog, the fire, which broke out Sunday morning, was significant enough to damage the inside of the restaurant, as well as the roof, and was recently…

No doubt you were told at a young age to not judge a book by its cover — in part to spur exploration and free spirit, but also as a lesson against the perils of discriminatory thinking. We all should be judged by our merits, the saying goes. It’s what’s…

“My shame will be absolute…” “I’ve never had a nervous breakdown before, but something fell apart down there …” Those lines might be in Anthony Bourdain’s letter back to the Sicilian Department of Tourism after his little trip through the island for the latest installment of Parts Unknown on CNN…