Something came to the office this week that would make a fantastic prize–if only I could remember what it was and where I put it. If I find whatever it was in Wilonsky’s office (where my bag of Oak Cliff Coffee ended up somehow), I’ll be pissed.So, once again, we…
This bitter liqueur has been produced in five countries, been purchased by a French enterprise and fought it out in court against its original owners–without the distillery ever leaving the town of Karlovy Vary.Which means Becherovka is like a cork tossed around by modern European history. A brief history before…
Oak Cliff native Andrew Bell has worked for the past two decades exclusively in fine dining, but two weeks ago he opened a casual barbecue joint in downtown, Dr. Bell’s BBQ. “I was looking anywhere there was cheap rent because I was looking to serve inexpensive food,” said Bell, sitting…
You may not be in Dublin, New York City, Kuala Lumpur or any of the other cities holding official Arthur’s Day celebrations today. But that doesn’t mean you have to feel left out of the party.Not to be confused with the annual Great Guinness Toast every February 13, which is…
So this week our Best of Dallas issue hits the stand. Last night the staff of your Dallas Observer got together at Trees for a little celebratory shindig, wherein we imbibed, ate, listened to live music and watched tasseled titties. What? Yeah. There were burlesque dancers. Seeing as how this…
This week Dave takes a bite out of Si Tapas and Spanish Cuisine’s bite-size fare, in the Dish review you’ll find here.For another colorful look around the joint, check out Sara Kerens’ slideshow of the food and the atmosphere at Si Tapas…
Is there really a difference? When commercials can only boast of “drinkability” and just how tongue-numbingly cold the beer should be served, one assumes that the actual taste of the beer is beside the point. I decided (after some urging from Dave–those “marketing goons” with their Amstel Light were kind…
Terranova Cafe(Doubletree Hotel)2015 Market Center Blvd.214-741-7481With the exception of, say, The Mansion or Nana, most hotel restaurants are a difficult sell. They are the purview of unimaginative old folks, frumpy business travelers and the occasional troubled loner. Maybe that’s why someone–I think on Doubletree’s end–called me to talk up their…
A lot of people give vegans shit about eating fake meats. But should trannies at the Grapevine really talk? Probably not. My friend Sara and I hit the Grapevine Bar last night to celebrate her last two days in Dallas. That meant gettin’ crazy on the court, downing too many…
Appetite For Instruction has taken the day off (it will return next week) because…well, because we had a party to celebrate the Best Of issue last night and the thought of flipping through all those pictures of chefs chopping raw meat…we just couldn’t face it…
I walked into Jen’s Place, saw that the daily special was brisket and noted three things: 1) This is a cafeteria, not a BBQ joint. 2) Nobody named Jen makes a good brisket. To make a good brisket, you need a name like Rusty or Dusty or at least a…
There’s a boundary, a set of criteria, something that delineates those who like appetizers from those who quiver at the mention of tapas. Wish I could put my finger on it—though judging from the number of times I heard “Oooh, I love tapas” from women in professional income brackets, I’d…
Each week, Pairing Off attempts to find just the right bottle of wine to go with ordinary food.There were no deluxe boxes with creamy, canned cheese goo when I was a kid. There were no cartoon-shaped pastas, either. All we had was regular old macaroni and a packet of salty…
On The Range is a weekly exploration of the history and lore of Texas menu items.Migas, chilaquiles, menudo. In this series, we’ve written numerous times about savory South-of-the-border breakfast and brunch dishes. But what about pastries such as dulce de leche cake or alfajores cookies or pan dulces? And why…
El FenixMultiple locations Dude Factor: 10, or Jerry Haynes, on a scale of 1 (Mary Kay Ash) to 10.Honestly, if it weren’t for El Fenix, I wouldn’t be the dude I am today. You see, my family made the weekly pilgrimage for the Wednesday enchilada special for years. So often,…
Hollywood has provided us with any number of memorable food-related moments. The explosive restaurant scene in Monty Python’s Meaning of Life comes to mind, as does Woody Allen’s attempt to drive a lobster from behind a fridge by scaring it with a bowl of clarified butter in Annie Hall. And…
It always makes me chuckle when I receive e-mails from extreme health-food vegans telling me I should be eating a healthier plant-based diet. The last one I got said, “You are a bad example of the way vegans should eat.” This guy must’ve read all about my sick obsession for…
Julia Child said the only time anyone should ever eat diet food is while waiting for a steak to cook. That philosophy works for the rare woman like Child, who at 6’2 could absorb the extra calories stuffed in French cuisine. She was a giantess, but by no means gentle…
Had a brief conversation on Sunday with a woman named Banana (although it could have been Brianna, maybe even Bianca) about a newly opened spot on Trinity Mills at the Tollway.The place is called Malarkey’s Tavern and features a leprechaun on their marquee–so guessing Irish…though Banana said they had “good…
As most of you know, Smoke’s Tim Byres spent part of the summer tooling around America’s old south in search of small town chefs accomplished in the art of traditional wood-fired cooking. Until I saw their menu, however, I had no idea Byres also used some of that time to…
Norma’s Cafe3330 Belt LineFarmers Branch972-243-8646I love diners that serve breakfast all day long. There’s just something about pancakes in the middle of the day or an evening meal of sausage and hash browns topped with a rich, runny egg…except that you can’t order sunny side up in Farmers Branch.At least…
Each week in ‘Knockers’ we order from a different delivery restaurant, assessing their efficiency and keeping a running score.Tuk Tuk Asian Cuisine 1520 Elm St., #115214-749-1538Promised delivery time: 30 minutes Actual delivery time: 11 (!) minutes The ScoreNeighbor from the apartment upstairs brings food, and it’s exactly what I want:…
