After the creme brulee, I ordered a Bombay martini. The waiter instantly responded “regular Bombay or Sapphire.”At 99 percent of Dallas restaurants, they only know the latter. Personally, I prefer the former and am impressed he asked…
Years and years ago, Aurora chef Avner Samuel blurted in the middle of a phone conversation that he had introduced creme brulee to Dallas–and vice versa, I suppose. Let’s assume that’s the case. Why then, didn’t he go that one step further and show local chefs how to caramelize the…
Alligator Cafe4416 Live Oak214-821-6900The way they blare Kennedy-era tunes, you’d almost think Alligator Cafe was stuck in time. And from the cooking, you’d suspect it was a little out of place.Let’s see–walls, furniture, pretty much everything else smudged and worn, the menu board featuring catfish, crawfish, boudin balls and ettouffee…You…
My fascination with other cultures started back in the summer of ’87 during a family vacation to Disney World’s Epcot Center. Yep, Epcot Center. I know what you’re thinking, but I remember dragging my folks around each prefabricated little country, collecting knick-knacks and sweets from shops along the way. Incidentally,…
Recipe Demonstrated by Jimmy Vergos of the Original Market Diner In the words of one thrice-weekly regular, “It’s just like home, but with better food!” Jimmy Vergos’ mom and dad and Pappou and YiaYia developed a loyal following over the years at the Original Market Diner by serving home style…
Too bad no one can make it to Lumi. The restaurant is far more interesting than its immediate neighbors, although I say that with some hesitation. Just to the south sits Patio Bar & Grill. And there’s nothing wrong with Hook, Line & Sinker, on the other side. Sometimes you…
Europeans have fresh, seasonal foods, universal health care and about 30 weeks of vacation each year. But we have milkshakes.OK–so they serve a literal version: milk shaken with some flavoring. Ours involve ice cream, crammed into a glass and churned with a little milk (or, better yet, cream) into a…
Recession? There must be one, judging by our paychecks and news today that Lola planned to shut down. Still, July saw an unprecedented (even in boom times) wave of restaurant openings.Strange–July and August are not generally considered the best of months by those in the food service industry. Maybe rents…
Each week, Pairing Off attempts to find just the right bottle of wine to go with ordinary food.There’s nothing better than a pound or so of ground beef slapped on the grill…except maybe the same, topped with bacon.Of course, some people are content–or so they say–to deny themselves life’s culinary…
Normally I find restaurant opening/closing stories to be rather tedious, as far as news goes. Places come and go all the time, you know.But Leslie Brenner’s announcement on Eats that Lola will soon shut down…Damn.Turns out she was intent on reviewing the place. Guess what–I had one planned for the…
Nice piece by the equally nice Kim Pierce in today’s Dallas Morning News, tasking Claudine Martyn of Slow Food Dallas to cook up a meal using only local and seasonal ingredients.Good looking dishes, but the concept hardly seems a challenge.What I would really love to see is that same article,…
On The Range is a weekly exploration of the history and lore of Texas menu items.If you think cookout in Texan terms, you are usually thinking of brisket…well, steak and burgers, too–but that’s everywhere. If you think of grilling in Mexican terms, though, it’s carne asada all the way. That’s…
Zinsky’s was hoppin’. On one of its first days of service, the New York-style deli from Mark Brezinski (Pei Wei, Bengal Coast) and Liz and Jim Baron (Blue Mesa Grill) was packed with businessmen, grandmothers herding broods of kids and folks from the surrounding North Dallas neighborhoods. We even saw…
Each week the Dude Food guys assess the ‘masculinity’ of Dallas area dives. The more fried meat and junk on the walls, the better the rating…Jalapeno Tree (Yes, there should be a tilde over the “n” in “Jalapeno.” No, I don’t know how to type one.) 1530 N. Peachtree Rd.,…
The City of Ate’s, um, kind and generous editor…yeah…once asked me what I thought this city needed in terms of vegan food. My answer: “I wish the Mexican restaurants would catch on.” Because it’s true–Mexican restaurants are slim pickings for vegans in Dallas due to the fact that most of…
Nothin’ says summer like a hot dog. Okay, burgers and ice cream do a pretty good job of getting the point across. Cold beer, too. But you gotta admit, hot dogs hold a special place in our hearts. Why? Because no matter how you dress ’em up, they’re always more…
So I was kinda stalling. I don’t like the self-promotion thing, you know. Then a note from marketing crashed through my office window. “We have Dude Food guy Noah Bailey,” it read. “We will force feed him carrot sticks, peeled and dressed in hibiscus oil, until you run the promo.”My…
Cuba Libre2822 N. Henderson Ave.214-827-2820If you recall the restaurant’s party days, it seems like we’d never get around to calling Cuba Libre and old stalwart.Yet there it is, the grand old kitchen of booming Henderson Avenue. Tristan Simon still owns the place, though he now spends much of his time…
Now, you all know I’m the kindhearted, gentle sort, right? That I would never write anything harsh about mindless poseurs ordering dirty martinis or suggest a certain rank dish should be dumped over the offending chef’s head?Never ever.So it may surprise you that I consider Boston Globe columnist Ellen Goodman…
Each week in ‘Knockers’ we order from a different delivery restaurant, assessing their efficiency and keeping a running score.Oak Cliff Pizza & Pasta1315 W. Davis St.214-941-8080Promised delivery time: 50 minutesActual delivery time: 56 minutesScoring SummaryEase of telephone communication: 20No delivery charge: 10No parm or red pepper: -10Delivering to our neighborhood…
2533 McKinney Avenue is one of those locations. Vaguely familiar yet often overlooked, the unusual Mediterranean-style building with the wrap-around patio has always suffered from something of an identity crisis. Expect a few rounds of “It was that French place, remember? Then the Italian place…didn’t they move?” when arranging a…
The ever-charitable RA Sushi in Plano will hold its first “Roll’N With RA” charity sushi contest 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. Six non-profit organizations–Hunger Busters, the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure, The Alzheimer’s Association, The American Cancer Society, The Genesis Women’s Shelter and The North Texas Food…
