Nathan Hunsinger
Audio By Carbonatix
This Thanksgiving, as we gather and share, we have much to be thankful for here in Dallas. Our food scene is resplendent, continually growing, while maintaining a mix of culinary diversity that continues to captivate us.
Below are the things our food editor, Lauren Drewes Daniels, is most thankful for this year.
Owners Like Cafe Madrid’s Donica Jimenez
We’re constantly writing about the next big import to hit Dallas; restaurants and bars from New York City, LA and beyond love Big D diners and drinkers (and deep pockets). But then there are the rest: the local people trying to make it in a very complicated industry. It’s not easy. Donica Jimenez has owned Cafe Madrid for 40 years, and real estate giants are hangry for her small plot in the Knox-Henderson neighborhood, but she refuses to sell out. It’s beautiful. Small business owners are the soul of the Dallas food scene. Have a local spot you love? Cool, go visit them this weekend.
We’re thankful for you. Are you thankful for us?
We feel thankful for our staff and for the privilege of fulfilling our mission to be an unparalleled source of information and insight in Dallas. We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to this community.
Help us continue giving back to Dallas.
Cafe Momentum Spreading Its Wings
This year the James Beard Foundation celebrated Chad Houser of Cafe Momentum with a Humanitarian of the Year Award. Houser started Cafe Momentum a decade ago as a way to mentor local youths involved in the juvenile justice system. It’s a complicated and difficult task, but he’s cracked some code and is growing the program to other cities. Please go visit Cafe Momentum soon. It’s actually an amazing restaurant too.
Keith Lee Doing Good
Food influencers are a whole scene. However, Keith Lee occupies a space between influencing and using his powers for good. The former mixed-martial arts fighter casually started posting videos of cooking for his family years ago and now he has a bazillion followers. Earlier this year, he moved to North Texas, and that’s a good thing for local businesses. He recently made his way up to Denton to try the matcha at The Brown Thumb, a struggling cafe that also dabbles in house plants. Lee loved the matcha (it’s ceremonial grade) and left a $4,000 pay-it-forward tip, a savvy marketing play that sent hundreds to the shop. The Brown Thumb is now on blossoming from the Keith Lee Effect.
Rising National Acclaim and Culinary Diversity
The Michelin Guide has had a clear effect on the local dining scene. Big-name chefs and restaurants are opening shop here, and we’re all fatter for it. But then we also continue to see diversity in our dining scene. Earlier this year we reported on the burgeoning Yemeni cafe scene in Richardson. We’ve got award-winning bagels, lauded Japanese spots, plus low-key staples (Mr. Max). We haven’t even mentioned Tex-Mex or barbecue. We’ve got it all, and the confluence of these two things — national acclaim and diversity — make Dallas a fun place to eat and live.
Booze at Shopping Malls
This took a turn, huh? But did you know that you can buy a bottle of Champagne at Neiman Marcus? Why are we not doing this more? Imagine a wine cart at Home Goods or Marshalls?
