EATS

For this week's review, I visited Totoya, a sushi and tempura bar in North Dallas. We look forward to hearing what you think.

Totoya Sushi and Tempura Bistro
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Photo of chef-owner Shoichi Onuki by Ben Torres/Special to DMN

I said I wouldn't get back in this, but this comes from attorney Bill DeLoney's iPhone. He represents Anita Avila in the dispute over Avila's Mexican Restaurant:

"We just finished mediation and the case has settled and Ms Avila will be reopening her resturant soon. She will be looking forward to seeing all her past and future customers in the very near future. She would like to thank everyone who has supported her during this time."

This, of course, does not tell us what son Ricardo's future plans are. To be continued, I guess.

UPDATE: Here's Ricardo's statement about the outcome of yesterday's mediation: "We reached a confidential settlement. Everyone is happy with it. I'm looking forward to my spot and serving my food again. All parties are happy."

Stay tuned for updates on both restaurants.

For the better part of a year, I've been slurping oysters and spearing escargots, assessing frites and diving into Dover sole. And now, we're happy to present Best in DFW: French Restaurants.

Have I snubbed one of your favorites? (I probably haven't simply missed it, as I'm pretty sure I dined at each and every French restaurant in Dallas.) Of course we want to hear about it. Please tell us your favorite in a comment here. We'll be putting together your selections (focusing on restaurants not included in my list) in a story that will appear in the March 12 edition of Guide. We'd also love to hear what you think of our list.

If you'd like your comment considered for publication, please copy it and send it to me at lbrenner@dallasnews.com in an email message that includes your real name and the city in which you reside. We'll do our best to include it in the print story.

Also, I'll be following up with a series of blog posts on various aspects of French dining. We hope you'll jump in and join the conversation!

Photo of The Mansion Restaurant's lobster salad by Courtney Perry/DMN

Cheesemongers at Whole Foods Markets across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom at 3 p.m. Saturday will simultaneously demonstrate the traditional method of breaking into a 24-month-aged wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano, using official tools (knives) from Italy's Consorzio del Fromaggio Parmigiano Reggiano.

These are 85-pound wheels, and the skilled carvers usually take about 30 minutes to complete the task, according to WFM's press release. If you're a cheesehead, this is fun to watch. Kids are entertained by it, too. So stop by any area WFM.

The release goes on to say that, in 2008, Guinness World Records confirmed that WFM set a record for "Most Parmigiano Reggiano Wheels Cracked Simultaneously," with nearly 300 wheels in 176 stores. They'll be trying to break that record Saturday. Isn't that kind of a cheesy accomplishment?

I just ate it: a cheeseburger-flavored Dorito. It was freaky: the good people at Frito Lay have managed to chemically capture the flavor of a cheeseburger in a chip. The thing really tasted like a cheeseburger. I swear. Christopher Wynn ate one, without seeing what it was, and he said, "cheeseburger."

Way down on the list of the ingredients is "natural beef flavor," then lower down, cheddar cheese.

Frito Lay is based in Plano, so this really qualifies as a weird Dallas food item. I ate three of them. Heaven help us.

The bar at Abacus will be pouring Texas-born-and-bred spirits in the bar 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, including Dripping Springs Vodka, Paula's Flavored Liqueur (this is not Paula Lambert, BTW), and Republic of Texas Tequila among them. No word, though, on whether they have any of the newly minted Garrison Brothers Bourbon that Leslie Brenner wrote about here.

What's the weirdest thing you've eaten in Dallas? Or the weirdest thing you've seen on a Dallas-area menu?

I'm thinking about this because of a note DMN reporter Jeffrey Weiss sent me yesterday. "Is chou dofu aka 'stinky tofu' worth the tasting?" he wrote.

"I pride myself on trying pretty much anything once. And I just found out there is a Taiwanese restaurant up here in Richardson (May's Ice Cream. no kidding.) that serves the stuff. But when I googled around for the recipe, I wondered whether it was even safe to eat. I like strong cheese, but some of the online descriptions of this stuff seemed pretty extreme."

First there was Texas vodka. Now Texas is producing bourbon. Garrison Brothers Distillery in Hye (out there in Hill Country) has just debuted 1,000 bottles of "the first and finest Texas bourbon ever made."

Proprietor Dan Garrison says he left the non-profit world (and before that a technology company) so he could start producing something he adores. "I've loved bourbon since I was 13 years old," he says. "I kept reading about all these folks making vodka. I couldn't understand why somebody didn't make something that actually had some taste to it." He spent time, he says, learning the secrets of bourbon from distillers in Kentucky, and now he has something to show for it: his pre-release bourbon, which is retailing -- in Hill Country liquor stores only for now -- for "less than $50" for 375 ml.

He hopes to have the bourbon in Dallas stores this fall. "We'll have well over 120 barrels at full maturity then," he says. That means at least two years old.

So...how does it taste? I have no idea. Garrison says that laws prevent him from sending me even a tiny sample.

Photo courtesy Garrison Brothers Distillery

"The court required us to return the property, and we did so." That's what Ricardo Avlia's lawyer, Bruce Colao, told me last night.

Colao was out of the country last week when the sparks flew in District Judge Ken Molberg's court and Ricardo was ordered to return the property he had removed from Avila's Mexican Restaurant.

Since that Friday fiasco, "we've had very detailed discussions with the judge," says Colao. "We are confident he understands our position." He says that Ricardo was "peaceably surrendering the premises" and taking only what he could demonstrate was rightfully his, through receipts for purchase.

"It's undisputed that Ricardo Avila is 100 percent owner of Ricardo Enterprises, Inc., (and) Ricardo Enterprises Inc. has operated the restaurant known as Avila's," Colao says. "I think the evidence will show that his parents sat down and said, 'you take over the restaurant.' That's what happened."

The other side is, of course, claiming otherwise and saying ownership was never conveyed to Ricardo.

For now, the way it stands: Both sides are ordered to mediation tomorrow. If an amicable agreement cannot be reached, they will meet in court on March 2. I'll let know if when something breaks.

Looks like D magazine's Nancy Nichols may be hurtling toward The Restaurant Critic's Diet. She reveals that she's been bingeing on pancakes and mediocre pizza.

AP Photo/M. Spencer Green

The first time I heard in a Dallas restaurant that we were in a "dry" area and if I wanted a glass of wine I'd have to join the restaurant's private club, I nearly fell off my chair. Of course Dallasites are used to it, but this Yankee was stunned.

But Rudolph Bush reports today that a group called Progress Dallas is pushing for a ballot initiative that would eliminate Dallas' dry areas. The Greater Dallas Restaurant Association is backing it, along with major grocery chains. Give it a read, and let us know what you think. Would you sign the petition?

Photo of ladies celebrating the end of Prohibition in New York City by Times Wide World Photo

If it looks unlikely so far, consider that Oak Cliff's Bolsa and Jack's Backyard are both in former automotive garages and that Kelly Hightower transformed an old Dairy Queen into Kavala (and coming next, Nova.)

Now add to the list Rusty Taco, slowly taking shape inside a former Just Brakes/Mobil gas station (above) at University and Greenville Avenue. The name is a partial play on owner Rusty Fenton, who helped found Uncle Julio's years ago and was a big dog with Realty America and the late Trader Vic's Dallas.

The small menu will consist of (surprise!) gourmet tacos made from scratch and include hangover-friendly breakfast versions. (More on the food here from hard-working Teresa Gubbins.)

What I find intriguing is the setting. Dallas architectural and design firm JonesBaker is transforming the space with industrial touches such as Kee-Klamp table bases, galvanized light fixtures and speckled marmoleum table tops that recall the space's original shop floor. I'm just waiting to see the drink station, which they are customizing from a mechanic's red tool chest.

Expect this to be a hit with the SMU crowd when it opens in early spring.

Photo: cwynn

Teresa Gubbins reports at Pegasus News that Urbino Pizza e Pasta has closed. I can't confirm it yet, but the phone is disconnected.

I just notice on Urbino's website, which still works, that I'm quoted -- completely out of context. "Very elegant for a pizzeria," it has me saying. In fact, what I wrote, in a "first look" blog post back in July, was "The biggest surprise? The glassware is Riedel! How very elegant for a pizzeria." I didn't at all discuss the quality of the food or service in the post.

In fact, the food on that first visit had been quite good; I loved the wood-fired pizza with excellent prosciutto, one of the pastas and a couple of the salads; I remember they were using top-quality baby arugula. I planned on reviewing it, but not long after that very good initial visit, I came back and the place had completely changed -- live music in the dining room was so loud there was no way my friends and I could sit there. We wound up on the patio, and it was still so loud we had to yell at each other. It seemed to have quickly morphed from a pizzeria focusing on great quality to an SMU drinking spot. The pizza wasn't nearly as good as it was the first time; pasta was soggy and overcooked; service was horrendous. It no longer seemed worth a review.

Honestly, it really saddened me to see something drop in quality so quickly.

Did you get a chance to check it out? What'd you think?

Ever have a rillettes sandwich? It's always the first thing I try to eat when I go to France. It's a pork confit-pâté that's spread on a baguette sliced in half, usually with cornichons -- either inside or on the side. For some reason, a "sandwich rillettes," which you used to be able to get in any cafe, is getting harder and harder to come by there. And that makes me sad.

So I was thrilled to find rillettes at Central Market Plano this weekend. I bought some mini-baguettes there too, and made sandwiches rillettes. The rillettes themselves were comme il faut -- fatty, salty, rich and pretty good. The sandwich totally hit the spot.

It's a little pricey -- the 4.5 ounce can is only enough for 3 mini-baguettes. But it's a lot cheaper than flying to Paris.

Hénaff pork rillettes, $6.99 for a 4.5 ounce can at Central Market Plano

The going's been tough! I must confess that the reason I didn't post about the diet last week is that I was discouraged. The grand total now is 16 pounds. I know -- that's good, right? I'm still a little bit ahead of schedule (the idea was to lose 20 pounds in 20 weeks), but it took me two weeks to lose one pound. One reason I was discouraged is that a week and a half ago I was down 17, but I gained a pound back.

Diet and exercise-wise, it felt like a pretty good two weeks, too. So it's puzzling. Then yesterday was surreal. First, my family and I were invited to lunch at our friends David and Eva's house -- he's the one who made verrines for their baby shower. We were just expecting, you know, lunch, but this was an amazing five-course extravaganza. And I had invited friends for dinner last night, including the now super-svelte Kim Pierce. More on all that after the jump.

Then this morning, NPR's "Morning Edition" had an interesting story about why it's harder to lose weight as we age, and it has a lot to do with muscle loss. That makes sense. And though I'm not as old as the people discussed in the story, I am, bien sur, middle aged. I have been working some resistance training into my workouts, but I think I need to put more of a focus there. We'll see how it goes -- and I'm going to start keeping stricter calorie counts again for the next few weeks.

Just got an e-mail from Pyles, who is in Washington for a Share Our Strength charity event. Here's the nutshell:

"Yes, Vijay is no longer at Samar. There will be no replacement. Jon Thompson is now executive chef. He was executive sous chef and will continue his functions as he was. He has the same two sous chefs he has had - one from Hyderabad as well.

Nothing will change at Samar. It's been a wonderful association with Vijay and I am certain we will continue to work together either at Samar or a new venture. In the meantime, I will do whatever I can to help him in his endeavors."

Following up on my Sunday post, I spoke with Sadhu early this morning and he confirms he has left Samar.

"It has been in the back of my head to do something on my own for a long time," Sadhu says. The move has nothing to do with Samar or Pyles: "I've had a very good experience working with Stephan and have learned so much. He's a great man and I will always have a lot of respect for him."

So what's next? Sadhu plans to do a little foodie research overseas and then open his own Dallas eatery in about four months. He's currently considering several "very small spaces" in the Park Cities and Uptown areas where he can have an open-concept kitchen and interact with guests.

The reasonably-priced cuisine will be, no surprise, Indian with a middle eastern influence. "I want it to be a warm and inviting place where you walk in and smell the aroma of all the good spices, such as sandalwood, which I love to use in my cooking," he says. Sadhu even plans to mix his own blend of spices for the venture and is working to perfect that now.

As for a name? The front runner right now is simply Sadhu. "It would be an honor to use my family name," says the chef. That would also make someone at home very happy. "My son said, 'Dad, you've got to do it with your name!'"

Photo by Carter Rose

Yes, as of last week, according to D's Nancy Nichols (and, more specifically, contributor Andrew Chalk).

I find the whole thing mystifying since I just had dinner at Samar last Wednesday and chatted with both Vijay and Stephan. Neither hinted at any big changes, though I did pick up some unrelated bits of gossip.

So, I'll be tweeting, texting (and whatever else it takes) to get more details, but I'm out of the office on a photo shoot so this could take a bit. In the interim, our Leslie Brenner and Kim Pierce may have more to report.

Hmm, what kind of local eatery might Vijay open on his own? The chef, born in Hyderabad, India, told me last year that he doesn't do typical Indian food. "You can find curry anywhere. I go deeper into regional cooking. Many of our dishes are based on 400-year-old Indian recipes." Sounds like a delicious starting place to me .

I was checking in at the Dallas Farmers Market, in particular Pastabilities, where Ed Greer and Mike Koster have been holding forth just north of Shed No. 1 for 10 years.

Before I left, Ed insisted on giving me some Gwickles Pickles from Daingerfield to sample. They're thin, sweet-hot, ruffle-cut pickles with terrific crunch and flavor - and not too much bite. I've had sweet-hots before that were so hot, they made me cry. Not these.

I did something crazy with them. I mixed them with sliced endive for even more crunch. That's why there are no pickles at the top of the jar, which I thought to photograph after I had eaten. I keep imagining how good they'd be on a hot dog. Ed's selling the pickles for $6 for 16 ounces.

Meanwhile, I'm the last one on the planet to learn the reason Mike is absent from the store (although his Koster Cattle Co. pastured beef is present and accounted for). Mike has opened Koster's Famous New York Delicatessen in Prosper on State Highway 380 (near his ranch). Chowhound on Pegasus gave it a pretty good review in the fall, and notes that the burger is made from Koster's beef. Sounds like there's a field trip in my future.

Other cities have seen guerrilla restaurants come and go, but they're a new twist in Dallas. That's the topic of my Table Talk column in this week's Guide.

After looking for a fixed location and not finding one, Neapolitan pizza guru Jay Jerrier and his traveling oven struck up a time-share deal with Chocolate Angel Too in North Dallas.

Il Cane Rosso's team simply takes over after hours (starting at 5 p.m.) Thursday through Saturday nights. Customers seem to love it. When I was there, I saw families that included everything from first-graders to grandmas, and there was a bottle of BYOB red wine on nearly every table.

I kept wondering how they would handle the money part. Would you have to pay in cash? Could servers accept credit cards? Bada-boom, would you believe a POS (point-of-sale) program that Jerrier operates from a laptop? And yes, it takes plastic.

Il Cane Rosso fans, take note: The pizza oven ships out for repairs on March 8, so there will be a hiatus from Chocolate Angel Too. The oven gets back to Dallas in time for jay to fire it up on March 25. Then it's back to the regular sked.