You could hear the soft sounds of Mr. Pink the second you broke the seal on the restaurant’s front door. No need to ask for directions, just follow the music and you’ll find the party. The Rosewood Mansion at Turtle Creek is a polished place, but this weekend several variables…
If I had to rank the fast food I hate the most, fried chicken would absolutely be at the top. But, Pollo Campero had been calling me softly, whispering clucking in my ear. I argued and fought with it. I told that dumb-looking mascot on the store’s sign that I…
This Labor Day, winners were crowned for the Big Tex Choice Awards. And we were definitely a little (OK, maybe a lot) excited. Like, a lot a lot. Allan Weiss took home the Best Taste title with his fried buffalo chicken in a flapjack (more on that later). And most unshockingly, Justin Martinez won Most Creative…
LSU tailgaters were out in full force on Saturday, hitting Lot 14 on the south side of Cowboys Stadium before the Tigers’ first game of the season against the Oregon Ducks. This particular lot, designated for RVs, has never been so jam-packed with buses, purple and duck meat. Hiding in…
This week, the food media saw plenty of ungodly fried things, men who like burgers and more chocolate and crepes than you could ever want (though not in the same place, unfortunately.) Read on. City of Ate/Observer Scott Reitz offered his opinion of The Grape, saying that restaurants are supposed…
Eat Street leads with one of its many trump cards when it starts out each episode with chrome-domed host, James Cunningham, just taking up some space on a city sidewalk, shooting the breeze. Cunningham may have been a comedian in a previous life, but Eat Street could be his speedy…
Last weekend I had a mussel craving, and because cravings, for me, always seem to turn into epic eating, events I tried three different versions in two days. The Grape’s mussels were traditional, clean with white wine and shallots. For brunch on Sunday I ate chorizo-scented mussels while sitting at…
It’s all things The Grape this week (who, incidentally released their September menu last night). Of course, when talk turns to this Lower Greeville standby, it naturally leads to in-depth burger discussions. Yesterday I blogged about how The Grape’s burger became Texas’ most coveted sandwich. Commenter Beda chimed in with…
What has six thumbs and doles out little folds of joy? Hint: two of the thumbs are from Cleveland, two are South African and two are from England. Aside from their silly Facebook updates about thumbs and such, the 3 Men and a Taco food truck just got rolling in…
Chef Matt McCallister likes to keep things moving. Formerly of Stephan Pyles, he’s been hopping across the country keeping the fires hot at places like McCrady’s in South Carolina, Alinea in Chicago and Daniel in New York City. Back in Texas, one of McCallister’s current projects is serving as the…
If the State Fair of Texas is Fried Christmas, Abel Gonzales is Fried Jesus. In 2005, Gonzales won Most Creative at the first Big Tex Choice Awards with his fried peanut butter and jelly and banana sandwich. In 2006, he took home a second Most Creative win with a little…
Timbo, the Dallas Zoo’s oldest gorilla, died yesterday in surgery at the age of 49, and we’re still bummed by the news. Even though we didn’t know her personally, we still plan to mourn her the same way we’ve marked the deaths of friends, family members and celebrities alike: with…
Today the folks from the Jack Daniels Distillery are celebrating Jack’s 161st birthday by attempting to break seven Guinness World Records — a tribute to Old No. 7. The official birthday bash is in New York City, but the festivities will involve die-hard fans from around the world, even you…
The month of August has been a busy one for restaurant owners and foodies alike in Dallas. Numerous restaurants opened their doors, and some notable openings include that Lower Greenville phoenix, Terilli’s, and chef Nico Sanchez’s Mexican joint Meso Maya. Read on for the full scoop on restaurant openings in…
Andy Salinas made it into the Big Tex Choice Awards as a finalist with his Walking Taco. He says, “It’s a taco that you can walk around the fair and eat.” I’m confused. I’ve never met a taco that wasn’t already portable…
Yesterday I wrote that scorecards aren’t any fun for restaurant critics. They can be useful in certain applications, though, like comparing many versions of the same thing over time. Judges at food competitions use them. And it was a scorecard designed by Texas Monthly that forever changed dining at The…
See, you have to understand. This has been a long time coming. Sure, Arlington has some fine entertainment venues, but the restaurants surrounding said venues are like the high fructose corn syrup of eateries — okay in small quantities, but generally just cheap junk. Think back: When was the last…
Each week, the Cheap Bastard goes looking for a new place to eat lunch for less than nine million dollars. This week: Mr. Charlies Hamburgers. Guys walking to work chugging a paper-bagged tall-boy count: 1 Feather count: a million billion A while ago, I asked the Twitterfolk if there were…
There’s an Angry Friar holed up in a green double-decker bus near the University of North Texas in Denton. The good news is reviews indicate that he has amazing fish and chips with curry sauce. The bad news is he is, in fact, an Angry Friar. But what I can’t…
Lower Greenville Avenue has seen a lot of change lately, and it’s going to see a lot more. An Asian behemoth, Rohst, and a revamped Terilli’s have risen from the ashes of a four-alarm fire. Bucket loaders, backhoes and jackhammers are making a mess of the street and sidewalks, and…
For the love of God, slow down people. I understand Labor Day weekend is coming and summer is close to ending, but jumping forward into State Fair musings, fried foods and other fall fare seems a little premature, no? Winter’s just on the heels of cooler weather, and we’ll likely…
I chose The Grape for this week’s review with a specific purpose: to reflect on the mechanics of restaurant criticism, and to gain a better understanding of Dallas’ dining culture. The restaurant was recently reviewed by both D and the Morning News. What better way to learn about two critics…
