It’s State Fair time. Time to make out with Big Tex, take a ride on the Texas Star and maybe even do a little balloon-darting on the Midway. But more important, it’s time to get your fried-food game face on. This year there are some brand-new contenders vying for some…
When David Pedack fires up his rickety ZAP car—a three-wheeled all-electric bug assembled in Hong Kong—and clatters down the street on a pizza delivery run, it may be the only time he feels real solitude. The pressure of opening Urbino Pizza e Pasta, his second restaurant, eases just a bit…
It was certainly a vocal week on City of Ate. People like bc, jamey, curmudgeon and DallasDude churned out more words that I did–at least it seems that way.Of course, we’re still on our ‘no prizes’ kick so their efforts earn them little more than our appreciation. We did have…
In the vegan world, we’re in what’s known as “VeganMoFo.” No, not what you think–it’s a global event that stands for “Vegan Month of Food.” We celebrate VeganMoFo to encourage our omnivorous friends to try animal-free eats for an entire month. Not an easy feat here in Dallas–you know, considering…..
Beer. It’s what’s for dinner. Okay, not really. But some styles are so rich and mealy, they can actually satiate the most severe hunger pangs. It’d be wrong if I didn’t admit to having drunk several 5-course meals of Germany’s finest Weissbiers while visiting friends in Aachen last winter. Hmm–I…
A hell of a lot to wade through this week, mostly thanks to the state fair.Two things before we get to the non-winners. First, I think I found a way to rid my desk of some of the accumulated junk…uh, I mean, of the highly sought after prizes, which this…
As a kid, my parents subjected our family to a couple different themed meals on a regular basis. One was Dad’s weekly catfish and hushpuppies fry-fest. Others involved dinners at which Mom stretched a pound of meat to serve the entire table. Until my early 20s, I firmly believed you…
I’ve had Primo Brothers’ big-ass pizza delivered to my house, but I had never gone over to the actual restaurant to check out their lunch specials. Until today. They’re in the same strip mall as the dance studio where I get my crump on, so after my weekly hip-hop-video-style arms…
A new Wai Wai Kitchen opens next week in the space that Manow used to occupy. No solid date yet (they’re waiting on city inspectors to give them the go-ahead), but here’s something to look forward to: plenty of vegan eats, campy drink names, along with Dallas’ most rambunctious drag…
Dallas had been on a hot streak.The scoreboard of restaurant openings vs closings had leaned heavily to the positive all spring and summer. March, for example, recorded a 10-5 result, openings vs closings. In April it was 8-3 in favor–and things continued that way, including a 15-2 July blowout.Not since…
For vegans, the State Fair of Texas can be a hellish experience. All those not-even-close-to-vegan fried concoctions, waddling crowds and poor, enslaved farm animals make us want to punch people in the tundra they carry ’round their waistbands…and we’re not typically violent sorts. Despite all those sad pigs in bins,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Pepperidge Farm sent two boxes of crackers to my office. Wilonsky saw them and ran over to Jimmy’s, returning with some cured meat and a hunk of cheese. My desk is now covered by crumbs, two empty boxes, white wrapping paper of the kind you find at, oh, an Italian…
Back when I first went veg, I was living in some douchey apartment in Addison. The place itself was fine, but I couldn’t stand all those McFestivals the town of Addison would hold right outside of my building. I remember fighting crowds just to get into the parking garage, then…
It’s no secret I’ve been A&E Obsessed with gas station taquerias recently. And you know what that means: Exposure therapy! (To clarify, “exposure therapy” doesn’t mean I striptease to Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel” at convenience stores. It does, however, mean that I get to eat a lot of salsa.) So, when…
For some reason I can’t get over the root beer float at Eno’s. I know it’s not a difficult thing to make—unless, of course, you follow my old method of plunging ice cream into a mug of root beer and watching it fizz and boil over the rim. I know…
Omnivores often ask me why I’ve chosen to live a vegan lifestyle in Dallas. They’re always trying to ship me off to some other city like Austin. But why would I wanna leave? I love Dallas. Plus, vegans shouldn’t have to relocate just because another place might seem more fitting…
In a short post-holiday week (as you no doubt remember, last Saturday was National Bacon Day), it takes us a little while to get back in the groove. Not so the City of Ate readership, however.Keep in mind we still want to find a way to award prizes. Just this…
