Last week, I had some underwhelming chicken at Pope’s. Since then, my fried-chicken stomach has been super pissed. After almost a week of letting FCS relentlessly hurl unkind words at me (including, but not limited to, “Jeggings are awesome!” and “Scarlett Johansson is a talented actress!”), it was time to…
I once had a job at a bridal boutique that sidelined in dresses for prom. What I learned from the girls who came to our store in search of sparkles and sequins and as little material as their principals would allow is that preparing for a high school dance is…
Elvis Tuna Tartare at Shinsei Top Chef contestant Casey Thompson may be gone from Shinsei, but thankfully Elvis is still in the house, rockin’ the fresh sushi. Recovered completely from a motorcycle accident, Shuji “Elvis” Sugawara still draws crowds with specialties like his Elvis Tuna Tartare, a sumptuously simple preparation…
National chains are apparently racing to win over area burger eaters before In-N-Out reaches Dallas. Elevation Burger, which bills itself as the “only organic burger franchise in the U.S.,” is readying to open an outlet at the Hillcrest Crossing shopping center. And, according to Business Journals, Cheeburger Cheeburger is planning…
Tiffany Derry will be in the kitchen at Loft 610 tonight, joining fellow Top Chef All-Stars competitor Tre Wilcox to produce a $100 nine-course meal. And while tonight’s supper may be served with extra on- and off-screen drama, restaurant trend watchers say chefs showing up in each other’s kitchens is…
Vegetarian activists are rejoicing over the debut of five new vegan items at 7-Eleven stores in Manhattan, but a spokesperson for the convenience store says the sale of artichoke spinach noodles on 42nd Street doesn’t portend the national roll-out of a meatless menu. “I’m not sure where they got it…
According to Samuel Adams press material included with a sample bottle of Infinium (and an ice bucket and pair of flutes — aww, you shouldn’t have!), 60 percent of men would prefer to toast with beer instead of Champagne if given the choice. Whether or not that’s a good reason…
It’s a very cold Monday night when I go to La Duni on Oak Lawn to visit with their corporate chef, 37-year-old Julia Lopez. Horse-drawn carriages roll by outside and almost all of the tables inside are filled with large parties of revelers. ‘Tis the season and all. Warm, freshly-made,…
No matter how busy you are at work, it’s always refreshing to leave for just an hour to have lunch. Of course, if you work at our office, you’re just trying to escape the noontime odors of Lean Cuisine and microwavable mussels. We’re not effing around. Microwavable mussels. Central Market…
A food trend that came to the fore in 2009 has found a tenuous foothold in Plano. In February of that year, The New York Times ran a profile of Roy Choi and his Kogi BBQ food truck. This Los Angeles novelty traded (and does so now in a fleet)…
The nation’s second-largest theater chain is opening a dine-in theater at Grapevine Mills tomorrow, suggesting the movie world’s major players aren’t ready to cede the “watch and eat” model to smaller operators. Grapevine is the sixth entry in AMC’s growing Dine-In Theater concept; a seventh location is slated to open…
A familiar name in doughnuts is returning to Oak Cliff after a four-decade absence. A new Southern Maid is set to open next week at the corner of Davis and Polk streets, Rob Shearer reported on the Go Oak Cliff blog this afternoon. Les Franklin, Southern Maid’s vice-president of development…
“Here’s what I was thinking for the Observer,” researcher Arnold Schecter says when I reach him by phone to discuss his latest findings. “You could say: Do you want flame retardant in your Christmas cookies?” Since some Observer readers might, it’s relevant that Schecter discovered 10 samples of butter purchased…
Fish tacos had a banner year in 2010, but California-style tacos made with beer-battered tilapia and chipotle mayonnaise are still outpacing the grilled fish variety more commonly served in Mexico. According to a survey from industry research firm Technomic, the number of fish tacos on restaurant menus surged 22 percent…
A couple of weeks ago, on an otherwise familiar route home from the gym, an unfamiliar sign caught my eye. There, next to the Potbelly and Starbucks on the corner of Lemmon Avenue and Inwood Road, was a Grand Opening sign for Ming’s Place China Bistro. Hmm… While I will…
If you’re planning on staying at home tonight because, well, you just don’t go out on Tuesdays, you might want to reconsider because Culpepper Steak House in Rockwall is hosting a white truffle dinner at 7 p.m. We can hear the groans already — another truffle dinner? Trust us, this…
Celebrating Chanukah means two things when it comes to food: latkes and doughnuts. I have a little trick for making doughnuts that I don’t know where I learned, but that has served me very well. It couldn’t be any easier. I use refrigerated biscuit dough, the flaky Pillsbury kind that…
‘Tis the season to get fat on Black Forest crinkle cookies. They’re chocolatey. They’re cherry-y. These Black Forest crinkle cookies will blow your face off with deliciousness. They taste like brownies, look like cookies and are rolled in enough powdered sugar to give you an instant holiday sugar rush. If…
Since Chanukah’s not traditionally a gift-giving holiday (it’s a minor festival trumped up to keep assimilation-minded Jews from celebrating Christmas, but I’ll save that screed for another day), I typically don’t bother making a wish list. As a kid, my loot usually consisted of dreidels and socks, which my brother…
I don’t work in Dallas and driving there for lunch, a blind date lunch no less, was a hard sell. So, when my friend who set me up on my first blind lunch date said it was five minutes from my office, I said “deal.” (I recently went on two…
St. Arnold Divine Reserve #10, this is not. That’s more of a one-night stand. Real Ale Brewing Company’s Shade Grown Coffee Porter is more like a seasonal fling. Before you know, it’s gone. But, man, it was great while it lasted. The Hill Country-based brewery’s seasonal, made with coffee beans…
The first major 2011 restaurant trend survey was released last week, and it looks like the coming year may be more about farm than table. According to the study conducted by the National Restaurant Association, in which more than 1,500 chefs were polled for their predictions, locally sourced meat, seafood…
