Yesterday, just as New York City- and Atlanta-based Atalaya Capital Management was rescuing Bennigan’s and Steak & Ale from Chapter 7, their parent company was putting more of its chains into Chapter 11. Plano-based Metromedia Steak House is trying to reorganize the Ponderosa and Bonanza franchises in the hopes of…
American Airlines debuted a new ad yesterday promoting the Fort Worth-based carrier’s international routes. And it features a cameo from the owner of Your Dallas Mavericks, who’s now moonlighting as a financial adviser. Much less scarring than Jerry Jones’ pizza ad. –Robert Wilonsky…
Patrick Michels Bishop Kevin Farrell will rue the day he crossed this unsavory bunch. Upset over the October 8 statement from Dallas and Fort Worth Bishops that called a vote for a pro-choice candidate “morally impermissible,” the folks at Catholics for Change made good on their pledge to protest outside…
“Band of Brothers-In-Law,” October 16, by Jim Schutze Fire Everyone The Observer has a chance to make a difference. No local paper can have any effect on the economy. No local paper can have an effect on our totally incompetent and self-serving state government. You can, however, have a definite…
What does a yellow signal at a stoplight mean exactly? Slow down and be prepared to stop, or hit the gas before the light turns red? Anyone who’s driven in Dallas knows which answer many local drivers would choose, so maybe City Hall’s hurry-up response to a possible citywide vote…
T. Boone Pickens is impressed. Are you? Curious at what $57 million will get you these days, the gazillionaire entrepreneur and Oklahoma State booster toured the reupholstered Cotton Bowl with mayor Tom Leppert last week and left thinking an annual OSU-Texas Tech football game just might fit into Dallas’ State…
The campaign between Lupe Valdez and Lowell Cannaday was supposed to be a bellwether race for Dallas County, one that pitted an openly gay Latina Democratic sheriff against a traditional red-meat Republican with outstanding law enforcement credentials. For Democrats, it would measure the power of their incumbency, having to defend…
If you want to know what it’s like to be a veteran in John McCain’s home state, stop by the Justa Center in downtown Phoenix. On a Thursday morning not long ago, a volunteer named Twyla stands in front of a group of clients at Justa, a day program for…
Here’s hoping: On September 11, (“Deep Ellum Lives”) we sneaked a peek at Scott Beck’s plans to revitalize Deep Ellum, which involves his buying at least 14 acres smack in the heart of the entertainment district. For the first time since rumors of Beck’s venture surfaced over the summer, he…
Patrick Michels We’re thinking: T-shirt! In this week’s paper version of Unfair Park, we discuss Mayor Tom’s plans to build the convention center hotel despite what voters may say at the polls in May. And council member Mitchell Rasansky continues to express his disgust regarding Leppert’s tactics, telling Unfair Park…
ReusableBags.com today offers its opinion about Dallas’s decision last week not to tax or ban plastic bags. Which is: Dallas would have joined the likes of Ireland in passing a bag fee — the most successful government initiative to overconsumption of plastic and paper bags. As in Seattle, industry interests…
Andy Hanson Photographer Andy Hanson, with whom Schutze and I had the absolute pleasure of working at the Dallas Times Herald, was a beloved institution in this town — always ready to grab a photo of any quotable notable nearby. That’s evidenced by even the handful of photos currently on…
She’ll be in town this weekend. Plan accordingly. Couple years ago during a rain delay at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York I was chatting in the players’ lounge when I nonchalantly reached for a piece of fruit on the lavish buffet. Simultaneously, and just as casually, Anna…
Consider this today’s unicorn chaser: Bruce Campbell! Because, like, Brisco County hisself will be at the Plano Convention Centre on Saturday as one of the many guests attending Star Wars Fans Days II. Sure, he’ll be signing your Evil Dead collectibles — no doubt, the highlight of his week. But…
Harold Simmons Harold Simmons has managed to beat the hell out of his old running buddy and Swift Boat co-captain T. Boone Pickens. Because while Pickens has lost a billion dollars this year, the man behind the Bill Ayers attack ads has that beat and then some: A Friend of…
Carlos Pena used to be ours. Now he’s in the World Series without us. I know, shocking huh? Your Rangers are in the Fall Classic. Not the whole team, mind you, but a couple of Texas exes. Still can’t believe we’ll be watching the Tampa Bay Rays against the Philadelphia…
Three of them, as a matter of fact — as in, “The World’s Largest Inflatable Beach Balls.” At least, that’s the plan for Sunday, when Carnival Cruise Lines bounces into town in an effort to enter the Guinness Book of World Records (and garner plenty of free pub, well played)…
The Monte Cristo, still delicious Three months after Plano-based Metromedia Restaurant Group shuttered most of its Bennigan’s locations in the middle of the night comes word that the franchise will soldier on under new ownership. New York City- and Atlanta-based Atalaya Capital Management issued a release this morning saying that…
Sam Merten To our surprise, the city council will not be voting this morning on two items related to the now national story of renaming a street for Cesar Chavez. Previously thought to be under consideration: a vote to rename Ross Avenue “Cesar Chavez Boulevard” and another to rename Industrial…
In the final analysis, Roy Williams was a fine person and a great hitter, but only a good player. Roy Williams, who was placed on injured reserve yesterday, has probably surrendered his last long touchdown pass as a Dallas Cowboy. It’s not as shocking as Texas Death Row inmates acquiring…
Asks USA Today this morning, more or less: Why has Dallas County’s color scheme gone from red to purple to kind of blue? “Urban flight, a growing minority population and an influx of Katrina Democrats from Louisiana have contributed to the shifting mood in urban centers such as Dallas, Republican…
An end-of-the-day something special, for those who know what today is. For those who do not, it’s still something special — a personal favorite, so pardon its inclusion on Unfair Park. And there’s more where that came from here. –Robert Wilonsky…
