Tuesday’s Unverified Fact About New Orleans

The ‘Boys visit the Big Ugly on Saturday night. Another “fact” about the city of Jazz–which moved to Utah…Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey woke up with his tattoo after a wild night involving one Hurricane at Pat O’Brien’s.**Source: A drinking buddy who also has an armful of ink assures us…

Top 25 Drink-Related Quotes Of The Decade

One evening about six years ago, as I stood at The Republic’s bar ordering bourbon, I caught a glimpse of a woman’s face scrunching in disgust. So I turned to her and asked “what–you don’t like bourbon?””Bourbon smells like old lawyers,” she said, shaking her head vigorously.Great comment–so great, in…

That Was The Year That Was

To me, Dallas was a very different place ten years ago.Yes, there are names and places that seem to outlast the march of time. Gilbert Garza runs things at Suze, just as he did when the decade was young. Fearing and Pyles still top the city’s list of true celebrity…

Short Orders: Primo’s

Primo’s3309 McKinney214-220-0510I have to admit that I’ve learned not to expect much from Primo’s. Not that it’s a bad place, just that the kitchen doesn’t justify the crowds.As Tex-Mex goes, Primo’s is a middling restaurant–and the Dallas standard is pretty low to begin with. Yet it’s blessed with a large…

How ‘Bout Them Knockers: Jasmine

Each week in ‘Knockers’ we order from a different delivery restaurant, assessing their efficiency and keeping a running score.Jasmine 4002 Belt Line Road, Addison972-991-6867 Promised Delivery Time: 45 minutes Actual Delivery Time: 45 minutes Scoring Summary:128 menu items to choose from: 30 Being an indecisive individual and having to choose…

Monday’s Unverified Fact About New Orleans

The semi-daunted ‘Boys head to the town that France built on Saturday night. A “fact” about the ‘Aints:It was only when he made the soup for a team pot luck dinner that Saints quarterback Drew Brees learned ‘gumbo’ is not made with Dubble Bubble.**Source: A national tabloid ran this as…

Question Of The Week: How Will You Remember The Past Decade?

In dining/restaurant scene terms, of course…Maybe we’re wrong here, but looking back on the year 2000–which, as you recall, was supposed to bring everything crashing to a stop–it seems as if Dallas was very different then: wilder, more formal, less vegetarian, much less local and seasonal.So, when you think back…

And The Winner Is…

Not a bad week, comment-wise–especially considering how everyone is pretty much huddled up in their cubicles this time of year trying to clear things before the holidays…right?It helped that newswriter (and alcohol lightweight) Kimberly Thorpe decided to seek tolerance-building advice so she wouldn’t slur in front of the big boss…

Handle The Proof: Eggnog

Although we can’t pinpoint the exact moment–or fathom the circumstances why–someone first mixed cream, eggs and alcohol together in one bowl, there’s surprising agreement on the likely origins of eggnog. Cocktail scholars…sorry, daydreaming for a moment…believe it started as a variation of dry sack posset, a British favorite from the…

Friday’s Unverified Fact About San Diego

The ‘Boys host Northern Mexico’s NFL franchise on Sunday. Next week, it’s off to the Big Ugly. For now, one final “fact” about the pretty boys from border…As a boy, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers was traumatized by the final scene in Ghostbusters. He is so frightened of marshmallows he spent…

Hophead: Christmas Cheer Through Christmas Beer

Spring ales, summer hefes and autumn’s Oktoberfest beers are nice when the season arrives. But for many beer lovers, including myself, nothing can compare to the rich variety of beer that winter brings. Along with seasonal stouts and porters (which I intend to write about next week), winter also heralds…

Review and Gallery: Urban Crust

In this week’s Observer, Dave’s love letter to Plano Dish review is takes a look at suburban Urban Crust, which he says is aptly named in spirit at least, if not in address.The upscale pizza is just a part of the appeal — the vibe in the dining room and…

Jimmy John’s vs Which Wich: BLT Bash

We don’t know just who invented the bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. It certainly wasn’t the Earl of Sandwich, reputed to be the first to put his meat…um, that went wrong somewhere… to put meat between two slices of bread (even though the Greeks had this thing called pita).First there…

Appetite For Instruction: Hot Toddies

Recipe Demonstrated by Nicole Gragg Most of the people around me are coughing, everything I touch is freezing, animal lovers are dressing their dogs in holiday sweaters….this is when I knew that winter had finally arrived. There are only two things that can make arctic temperatures bearable: a hot drink…

Thursday’s Unverified Fact About San Diego

The ‘Boys host a team whose greatest former star was nicknamed “Bambi” on Sunday. Another “fact” about the club that can’t decide on the right shade of blue…Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson credits his sure grip on the ball to intensive training as a teenager. Even now he spends several…

Urban Crust: Great Pizza. Great Bar. What More Do You Want?

“Where do you want to sit?” the waitress asks as I step inside Urban Crust. It hardly matters, so I shrug in response. The waitress—her name was Lauren, according to my receipt—looks over the space, a long, narrow room cluttered with tables and booths, bounded by rough brick walls, with…

El Atoron Torteria Y Taqueria: $1 Tacos. Is This Heaven or What?

Drive down Henderson Avenue past the newfangled, valet-only “establishments” named after flowers whose froufrou names you can only pronounce correctly if you whisper them (“No, it’s Hibiscus. There’s a silent raised eyebrow.”), and somewhere near Ross Avenue you’ll find a cute little brick building with cute little bars on the…

Pairing Off: Latkes

Each week, Pairing Off attempts to find just the right bottle of wine to go with ordinary food.OK, much of what I know about Hanukkah and its traditions comes from Adam Sandler. But I’m also a big fan of the potato pancakes served in some Jewish homes this time of…

Days Gone Bite: Olive Green Refrigerators

If you wish to research the history of in-home refrigeration, you can find out about the ice houses of past centuries, how Michael Faraday developed the process of cooling with liquid ammonia, Jacob Perkins and his work in the area of vapor compression–blah, blah, blah.Refrigerators changed the way we live,…

Westfork: Chicken-Fried Life

When the Seven Deadly Sins were conceived, I’m quite certain there was a specific dish in mind for gluttony: chicken fried steak. Despite my Fort Worth roots, with a northern bred mother at the stove, chicken fried steak was not on the menu at our house. It became the forbidden…

On The Range: Jalapenos

On The Range is a weekly exploration of the history and lore of Texas menu items.Take a couple slices of meat and stuff them into my flour tortilla, along with some handy rice, beans, salsa and, finally, jalapenos. We know the last ingredient colloquially as a pepper, yet pepper is…