I wouldn’t dare claim food writers have it worse than podiatrists and divorce attorneys, who can count on strangers to show them their bunions and bore them with stories of rapscallion spouses, but the patter unfurls pretty predictably when civilians learn they’ve crossed conversational paths with someone who eats for…
It’s no dirty secret that combining two already-great foods into one juggernaut food is a staple in this country. So, what’s better than to take a fried thing and drop it on top of a breakfast thing? Not much, we’d propose. So, let’s embark on another photographic journey, shall we?…
Since it opened one week ago today, there’s hardly been a moment when the Anvil Pub’s “OPEN” sign wasn’t on that I didn’t pass by and see the place brimming ever fuller with enthusiastic patrons overjoyed to have a proper pub in Deep Ellum. Opening up on a strip of…
The Varsity Grill recently opened in the same spot that used to be Coach’s Burgers. Other than the name change, the decor looks exactly the same. Even the menu is similar. Seems to me opening a sports-themed burger restaurant in the same place that a sports-themed burger restaurant recently tanked…
When Avner Samuel, a revered titan of the Dallas dining scene, this summer dismantled Aurora—where the famed Grand Tasting menu cost about what a minimum-wage worker takes home each week—he saved its most accessible elements, stitching them into a new concept he’s calling Nosh. Samuel purposely lifted the expression from…
The pumpkin-chorizo cappuccino amuse-bouche at Pyramid is a delight, however, it’s one that you’ll be lucky to taste. That’s because it’s only one of the amuse-bouche Chef Andre Natera is playing with on his new fall/winter menu. “It’s on rotation and will be paired with a spoon amuse-bouche,” said Natera…
Guess I should have been a bit more sensitive to my surroundings. But it wasn’t until I stepped out of my car that I realized I had dressed in leather boots and a wool-blend sweater to attend a vegan cooking class called “Holiday Fixins” at the Spiral Diner & Bakery…
Texas oyster season is under way, and you might as well be greedy. The oysters emerging from the Gulf this year are plump and sweet, and they’ll probably be gone by Christmas. While the recent BP oil spill didn’t taint Texan waters, oyster eaters in Louisiana weren’t so lucky. To…
Sfuzzi (Don’t try to pronounce it sober. It’s a drunk word.) is now open at the location that used to be Split Peas Soup Cafe. (I know, you’re thinking, “You mean that didn’t last?? I can’t believe all those drunk, single teenagers and sleazy, married-but-not-wearing-the-ring dongs decided not to spend…
Mole, complicated in both production and flavor, is one of Mexico’s traditional sauces, so traditional, in fact, its name translates to sauce in English. Mole is also one of my favorite delicacies. It’s a delicacy because its making is reserved for large family gatherings and celebrations in the home. While…
Of all the different kinds of restaurants, the neighborhood joint may be the hardest to successfully pull off. Say you want to open a fondue shop: All you need’s a collection of cheese melting pots. Do you fancy yourself a high-end restaurateur? Get thee to the white tablecloth store! A…
When I heard that Screen Door had just opened a cash-only food cart called Squeals On Wheels that offers a variety of meat-plus-bread combinations (pork sandwiches, hot dogs, brisket sandwiches) for under 10 bucks, after blurting out, “Fuck this PTA meeting!” I headed straight for One Arts Plaza. My inner…
Today’s the greatest day of the year around City of Ate headquarters, where most of us are decked out in costumes of varying degrees of good taste, reminding everyone else in the building why they’re sorry to have us here on the seventh floor. Best of all, it means this:…
We’ve been on hiatus, but now we’re back to give you the scoop on restaurant openings and closings in October. It’s been a slow month for restaurant openings, but the future looks bright. California chain Fatburger announced this week that they’re in talks to open 10 stores in Dallas within…
Here’s the thing about rockers (or, at least, the sort of rockers who are drawn to restaurants with cowhide upholstery and pink damask wallpaper): They don’t wake up before noon. That means Rock n Taco stays relatively empty until around 2 p.m., when a few spaced-out customers who like to…
When I pulled into Reyes Mexican Restaurant, there were six cops walking out and another three walking in. I sat in the car for a second wondering if major shit just went down at this place, or if some major shit was just about to go down. Either way, my…
A round of cupcake roulette, wherein a pill of cyanide is hidden in one of a dozen cupcakes, is preferable to clothes shopping, doubly so when the shopping is for a wedding, and I’m sent out on a solo mission to “Find the perfect tie. But not too perfect; that’s…
A week-long soft opening is the way to go when you want to draw in the crowds, at least that’s what State & Allen Lounge owners Jonathan Calabrese and Anthony Winkler bet on — and won — with their the new Texas-themed sports bar, The Nodding Donkey. At the corner…
Rock stars—real rock stars, not the earnest unsigned musicians who always remember to fold up their friends’ sofa beds and invite their parents to their CD release parties—are unrepentant egoists. They’d rather curse than converse, rather wear meat than cotton. They love themselves dearly, and are devoted to making sure…
While I was on Harry Hines rug shopping (no, that’s not a euphemism), I discovered El Paisa. Its menu is simple: just tacos, burritos, nachos and quesadillas. More important, the food is cheap as hell. We’re talking $1.40 per taco. They’ve got indoor seating, but I hit up the drive-thru…
When I first moved to Dallas, and was trying to figure out my neighborhood’s food scene, my online research kept pointing me toward Kuai, a dumpling joint on Elm Street. I scoured Elm Street, but couldn’t find it. I had no idea then that the restaurant was beneath me, tucked…
Having dined at Go Fish Ocean Club only on weeknights, I can’t imagine the clamor that must quake the far north Dallas restaurant on weekends. Perhaps it’s a function of the way the dual-level space is divided, but Go Fish can be frightfully loud. Every punch line uttered and touchdown…
