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Bird Break: Cedar Waxwings in West Plano

A loyal Disher with a head for grammar and a bod for cycling reports a sends this picture for identification. He/she reports “thousands” are currently in his/her yard. They are cedar waxwings. I think they are lovely  and fun to watch. Some people around this office hate them because they eat all of the berries in the bushes and poop on their car. If you see a flock of this distinguished bird in your yard, cover your windows. The berries ferment in their stomachs and they “get drunk” and will crash into anything.

Also, several people have noted the sudden invasion of a “big brown bird with an orange breast.” American robins. I still have goldfinches at my feeders. Anyone else? They’re about to split the scene.

Wine Dinner Wednesday

Below the jump you will find menus and details for special dinners at Maximo, Watel’s World Piece Café, Abacus, The Second Floor, Jasper’s in Plano, Chamberlain’s Fish Market Grill, Chamberlain’s Steak and Chop House Bailey’s Prime Plus in Dallas.

Maximo. Chef Amador Mora of Maximo is excited to have Peter Spann, owner of Spann Vineyards, hosting an original wine dinner featuring Spann wines paired with Chef Mora’s modern Mexican cuisine.  The dinner is Wednesday March 10 with a reception in the Margarita Lounge at 6:30 pm and seated dinner 7 pm.  Reservations required.  Dinner is $69.00 ++.  972-233-5656. www.maximodallas.com

Watel’s World Piece Café. Friday, March 12. Jazz dinner with The Rolling Beatles Unplugged, an acoustic trio plays jazz arrangements of Beatles and Stones tunes.RESERVATIONS REQUIRED at 214-720-0323. $5 cover
Dinner at your choice of time, music starts at 8:00 p.m.

Abacus. Silver Oak Cellars Wine Dinner with winemaker Daniel Baron. Menu and details below.

Jasper’s. Barnett Vineyards Wine Dinner with Hal Barnett. Menu and details below.

Bailey’s Prime Plus in Dallas. Casa Noble Tequila Dinner. Menu and details below. Continue reading "Wine Dinner Wednesday"

Loft 610 Announces Cooking Class Series with Tre Wilcox

It’s a familiar dance . Here’s the deal.

This series will be six interactive cooking classes.  The class will be divided into 4 teams which are headed up by Executive Chef Tre Wilcox, Executive Sous Chef Jermaine Brown, Sous Chef Jason Skinner and Loft 610 Pastry Chef Kara Blair.  Each team will spend the day preparing one of the 4 courses.  At the end of the day (around 5:00 pm), all students are allowed one guest for dinner and wine.  This usually turns into a bit of a party so prepare to have fun. The Loft 610 chefs will not teach the guests by using recipes. They will teach you techniques that are valuable and useful to be a great home cook.  The cost of each class is $350 which will include a Loft 610 apron, hands on training, dinner and wine with a guest.

Jump for the joy of cooking. Continue reading "Loft 610 Announces Cooking Class Series with Tre Wilcox"

EatZi’s Market & Bakery In Dallas Opens Friday

It’s official:

The opening of the new eatZi’s Market & Bakery inside The Pavilion on Lovers Lane has been officially confirmed for this Friday, March 5. A ribbon-cutting ceremony with Philip J. Romano, his partners, Jerry Meyer and Stuart Fitts, and Leo Corrigan, Jr. will take place at 10:00 am as they open the doors for customers to enjoy the great taste of eatZi’s in a brand new space. Starting Saturday, March 6, the new location will be open during regular business hours from 7 am to 10 pm, daily.

International Bakery and Cuban Dulceria in Carrollton

Rita and Sara Vazquez  made waves in the Dallas design community a few years ago with their Havana 1515, a line of high-end home accessories influenced by their Cuban roots. Their father, Rene, opened the International Bakery in Carrollton in 1979. Now the sisters have turned their talents to running the bakery. Sarah and Rita claim to make the best Cuban sandwich in Dallas. Check out this video produced by Bigger in Texas. 2662 N. Josey Ln. Ste 228. Carrollton. 972-242-3797. Go, eat, report.

Restaurant Review: Ocean Prime in Dallas

Have you eaten at Ocean Prime, the new-ish restaurant in Uptown’s Rosewood Court Building in Dallas? I did. And when I asked a waiter about their scallops, he told me a big fish story. Not worth the money, honey. (Photo by Kevin Marple.)

Burguesa Burger Is Open Downtown

This just in from the Burguesa peeps: the tunnel location is officially open at 1201 Elm St., in Renaissance Tower. Apparently it all came together pretty quickly. The space was still Crystal Grill as of Saturday, but by 6 am Monday, it was Burguesa.

Lower Greenville Ave. Fire Takes Terrilli’s, Hurricane Grill, Mick’s Bar, and Greenville Avenue Bar and Grill

A four-alarm fire broke out at 5:45 a.m. in Terrilli’s Restaurant on Greenville Avenue and spread through shared attic space to destroy Hurricane Grill, Mick’s Bar, and Greenville Avenue Bar and Grill. DMN has the details. Greenville Avenue is closed. One firefighter was injured.

Wow. That’s a lot of Dallas dining history lost forever. This year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade and celebration will be a emotional event.

UPDATE: More on Barking Dogs.

Restaurant News Bits and Bites

From the copy and paste press release department:

Pinkberry. Just in time for the beginning of “Pinkberry Season”: two new decadent and delicious toppings. Cheesecake Bites and Cinnamon Streusel have joined the extensive list of luscious yogurt pairings offered on Pinkberry’s topping bar. Celebrate spring with new swirl topping sweets, and follow @pinkberryswirl for juicy news on a brand new Pinkberry yogurt flavor deputing March 12th.

Akin Farms. Wendy Akin of Akin Farms writes a lovely newsletter with updates on her crop availability. Her first of the season was delivered yesterday. READY TO PLANT. The seed potatoes are here and waiting in bushel baskets for the soil to dry enough to make beds for them.  Onion plants – about 12,000 of them! – have arrived and are waiting to be planted.  Michie likes to get all this in the ground in mid February, but this year we are hoping for early March.  Big 5 pound sacks and about a hundred little packets of seeds are piled up in the diningroom waiting for spring planting.  Many hundreds of tiny tomato, pepper and eggplant seedlings are growing on heat mats under lights and flats of hefty artichoke seedlings are growing in the greenhouse. Subscribe to Wendy’s informative mailings at akinfarmorganic@aol.com

Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream. Girl Scout Day. March 6th Noon – 1:00 PM only.
GIRL SCOUT DAY at HENRY’S HOMEMADE ICE CREAM, 2909 W. 15 th St.
Plano, TX 75075. 972-943-3639. FREE Girl Scout Cookie Ice Cream. ALL Flavors.
All Girl Scout Cookies will be manufactured into HENRY’S HOMEMADE ICE CREAM
If you are a Girl Scout, Daisy, Brownie, or a brother or Mom or Dad then you are invited to attend for FREE ICE CREAM !!Watch for Celebrity Scoopers !!!! Ice cream makes you pretty! Think outside the cone!

TJ’s Fresh Seafood Market. Crawfish Are Finally Arriving.  Order By Wed For Weekend.  (Price Last Week Was 4.65 / lb). March 7 – Oscar Night…TJ’s Shrimp Platter Wins “Best Oscar Snack” Every Year. March 15 – Alaskan Halibut Season Starts. March 29–Passover. Best Gefilte Fish In Dallas! A very popular fish in Australia, barramundi is prized for its sweet, mild taste and big flake! We will get barramundi in Thursday and Friday. Price should be around $19.99 / lb. 214-691-2369.

Dish. Now open for lunch.Restaurant to Offer Lunch Menu and Specials. Dallas diners can now experience DISH for lunch five days a week.  With a focus on fresh, simple and comfort, DISH’s new lunch menu blends home-style favorites with the best ingredients to create classic dishes with a twist.  Guests looking for a quick and reasonably priced lunch will find it at DISH with menu items ranging from $4 to $18. DISH’s lunch menu features items patrons will enjoy time and time again. From starters, flatbreads and salads to sandwiches, burgers and main plates.  In addition to the regular menu, DISH will also serve daily fish and pasta specials as well as a made-fresh daily soup.

Dallas’ Inwood Estates Wine Wins Washington State Wine Competition

The 2005 is sold out, but 2007 is available.

Intrepid wine reporter Andrew Chalk files this report:

As you get your skis, scuba gear, parachutes, etc. together for the March 27th Dallas Wine Trail, make a note to taste one wine in particular. This is admittedly a limited sample but Washington Wine Enthusiasts, a Seattle group, held a blind tasting of 10 Tempranillo wines from around the world. Despite heavyweight competition from Spain, Oregon, and home state Washington.  the “landslide” winner, according to attendee Dr. Tim Kohler, was 2007 Inwood Estates ‘Cornelius’ which is made, in Dallas, from 100% Texas Tempranillo grapes. The field Note that the Inwood Estates has an ‘age disadvantage’, i.e. less maturity than several other wines:

* 2005 Bogegas Muga Rioja (Spain)
* 2007 Cayuse Vineyards Impulsivo (Washington)
* 2004 Bodegas Roda Reserva (Spain)
* 2007 Abacela Tempranillo Cuvee (Oregon)
* 2007 Inwood Cornelious (Texas)
* 2005 Seven Hills (Washington)
* 2006 Vina Zaco Rioja (Spain)
* 2005 Rioja Bordon Crianza (Spain)
* 2007 Walter Dacon Tempranillo (Washington)
* 2001 Rioja Gran Reserva Bodegas Montecillo

Somebody Help This Poor Boy: Dive Dining in D.C.

A loyal Disher is headed to Washington, D.C. He’s a self-confessed obsessive foodie. However, he is traveling with a group of guy-guys who prefer rugby over arugula. Hear him roar:

I’m stuck going to Washington D.C. with a bunch of guy who are not foodies. Help, I need casual restaurants that I can enjoy—I love a good burger—and they won’t feel intimidated by. Bars or pubs with good food?

Cuba Libre on Henderson in Dallas is Closed

Tristan Simon tries to makes sense.

Seems like Cuba Libre hasn’t been open for ten years, but it has, I mean was. Once the hottest spot on Henderson, the two-story restaurant with a Latin theme closed yesterday. I caught up with the elusive owner of Consilient Restaurants, Tristan Simon, who says:

It’s true that we closed Cuba Libre in order to substantially renovate the building and concept.  Cuba Libre has enjoyed a terrific 10 year run in its present form but its DNA is now outmoded and no longer reflects Consilient’s standard and sensibility. The essential identity of Cuba Libre — a chef-driven but affordable Latin restaurant and lounge –will remain the same in the new incarnation but the menu, interior design, and overall ethos will be wholly reinvented. Our goal is to have all of this accomplished and the business reopened by summer time.

6th Annual Savor Dallas Next Friday

When Jim White, and co-founder, Vicki Briley-White, started Savor Dallas in 2005 to showcase Dallas’ top chefs, restaurants and food, paired with some of the best local, national and international wines available, they likely had only hoped it would have grown to what it is today – one of the largest gatherings for foodies and wine lovers in the region. 

Each year it gets bigger and better, and 2010 looks as if it will not disappoint.   

Beginning Friday, March 5, the AT&T Performing Arts District welcomes Savor Dallas with the “Arts District Wine Stroll” starting at The Dallas Museum of Art through the Meyerson Symphony Center, Nasher Sculpture Center, The Winspear Opera House and the Wyly Theater.   From 5pm-7pm guests will stroll through each venue tasting and toasting wine from Cakebread, Grgich Hills Estate, Mumm Napa and Texas Winery Fall Creek Vineyard and distillery Dripping Springs Vodka, to name a few with snacks from the One Arts Plaza restaurants. Continue reading "6th Annual Savor Dallas Next Friday"

Let’s Kick a Dead Horse: Il Mulino in Dallas

Some of the comments under yesterday’s comments post about Leslie Brenner’s picks for Best French Restaurants went a little east of France. Like to Italy. At one point I wrote:

“It took you a year of eating red-sauce Italian food and steak au poivre to come to the conclusion that the majority of Dallas diners do not have adventurous palates. (R.I.P Il Mulino)”

The line caused several commenters  to steer off topic and question the quality/authenticity of IL Mulino. I used IL Mulino as an example of a restaurant that failed here because Dallas diners refused to accept the, for Dallas, adventurous menu. “Authentic” Italian or not, whatever that is around here, is not the issue. Whatever Il Mulino was—gasp, modern Italian?! New York Mob Italian?! French Italian?!—it was, in my opinion, a good restaurant. Why? Because, without going back to my notes or reviews, I can clearly remember (and taste) the food I ate—the ravioli in champagne sauce, the Dover sole, the complimentary appetizers.  Strong taste memories are hard to come by when you eat food for a living.

Il Mulino was expensive—Dallas doesn’t like to pay for high prices for Italian unless they are in New York or Los Angeles or Italy. However, they don’ t blink at forking over $50 for an 8-ounce filet of beef. It’s a reality of  how the majority of palates and pocketbooks in this city roll.

On another note, I don’t like using the term “authentic” to describe food from another country. For the sake of argument, an Italian recipe can be authentic but unless all of the ingredients are sourced in Italy, the resulting dish is not truly authentic. Chew on that one. And spit it out below.

Pancakes, Pinkberry, and Pizza Diet: Working

I am stuck at a doctor’s appointment so I willl attempt to post ffrom my phone. Sounds silly, right! Well, it is now required for all D bloggers. Good times. Anywhoo, as some of you know, I have been on a dangerous eating regime which I’m sure could be exlpained by a therapist. (if you are out there I am listening.) For the last two months I have eaten large quantities of Pinkberry, pancakes, and pizza outside of my working meals. I feared the nurse as she steered me to the scale. I’m down 2 pounds!!! Somebody pinch me!

Restaurant News: Bits and Bytes

Wine dinner on a Wednesday at Castello Banfi. OMG, that looks like Karen Cassady from Central Market!

Jimmy’s Food Store. Good News: John Mariani (no, not that one) of Banfi Vintners will be at Jimmy’s on March 3. This John Mariani is the  CEO and family proprietor of Banfi Vintners the distributor for wines produced at Castello Banfi in Montalcino, Italy. Great Italian wine at good prices. I haven’t met Mariani, but I’ve toured the wine-making facilities at Castello Banfi. If you are planning a trip to Italy, I suggest you make reservations at the restaurant on property and please take time to tour the balsamic vinegar cellar. Details and wine below the jump.

Eddie V’s. Eddie V’s Restaurants, Inc. owners and longtime friends Guy Villavaso and Larry Foles have announced that they will open their Dallas Eddie V’s Prime Seafood this April at Avondale and Oak Lawn. They will begin taking reservations for their first evening, April 19, 2010, in early April. The seating capacity is–beat, beat–300. Full release below the jump.

Central Market. Take out Italian from the Central Market Deli—they offer “fresh pastas and sauces. Their stuffed pastas include a hearty ravioli loaded with mozzarella, basil and tomato; half-moons, or mezzaluna, pasta filled with shrimp, lobster and cheese; spinach-stuffed rigatoni and more. Tender fettucini, ricotta cavatelli and rigatoni require just a few minutes of cooking before revealing velvety noodles. And with eight fresh sauces such as prosciutto-loaded Filetto di Pomodoro, creamy Champagne with a hint of red pepper, or rich Alfredo, you can mix and match to create your own perfect pasta menu. Don’t forget the Parmigiana Reggiano!” Yes, don’t forget the cheese.

Tre Amici Prime Steakhouse & Seafood. This spot is now open for lunch and chef de cuisine Chris Hughes has a new menu. Bottles of wine are 25 percent off. They have a nice piano bar featuring Adrian King, which is pretty groovy. Deets below. Continue reading "Restaurant News: Bits and Bytes"

New Whole Foods Store on Park Lane in Dallas Will Have a Wine Bar and a Concierge Service

Un petit oiseau just told me that the new Whole Foods at Park Lane & Central in Dallas, set to open on March 15, will have an intimate wine bar. (Un petit oiseau also says it will be named “Wine Bar.”) Cute, n’est pas il? They will offer flights of selected wines and wines by the glass. See something you love in their wine department? Buy it and they’ll uncork it at Wine Bar. If you insist on doing your own shopping, they’ll pour it in a portable cup and you can sip and shop. Or–and this is my favorite part–hand your grocery list off to the concierge service and sit at the bar and nibble on antipasti plates while they shop for you.

Foodie Fun Fact: The new 62,000-square-foot Whole Foods store is the same size of Hamtramck, Michigan, home to 33 different nationalities. Hamtramck was originally a “Pole Town” and Polish food and festivals are still very popular.

Next Dallas Wine Trail Announced

I just received a note from Benjamin Calais, at Calais Winery, regarding the next Wine Trail in Dallas.  This will be the 4th our 4 Dallas based wineries have put together, and is a great opportunity to raise a glass the latest releases from our neighborhood wineries. 

(Dallas,TX, 2/25/2010) – We are pleased to announce the next event of the Dallas Wine Trail to be held on March 27th 2010 at the 4 Dallas wineries.
The event will start at 11AM and run until 5PM.
Each participant will receive a gift bag including:
- a bottle of wine of one of the participating wineries
- a beautiful 19oz Dallas Wine Trail glass
- a map of trail
- a tasting sheet of the 12 wines to sample
Participant will start at CALAIS Winery or FUQUA Winery where they will pick their wine glass and their wine bottle. Each participant will sample 3 wines at each winery. Light food pairings will be available at each winery.
The Dallas Wine Trail is a wine trail that includes the four wineries located in Dallas, TX:
• CALAIS Winery
• FUQUA Winery
•Inwood Estates Vineyards
• Times Ten Cellars
Personnel from each winery will be present and available to explain the winery’s philosophy, wine profiles and production method used for each wine. All the wines poured will also be available for sale to drink onsite or offsite.  Tickets are available here on preorder for $39 and $45 at the door if available.
The event will be limited to 200 people.

Drink Dallas.

New Eatzi’s Location on Lovers: Opening Date Changed

The opening date for the new eatZi’s Market & Bakery inside The Pavilion on Lovers Lane, originally scheduled to open tomorrow,  has been pushed back at least two weeks. Carry on.

Best French Food in Dallas: Leslie Brenner is Off Her Rocker

French Chefs: Be on the lookout for Leslie.

OMG. I mean, oh mon dieu! DMN dining critic Leslie “Caron” Brenner has lost more than weight on her Restaurant Critics Diet. She has lost a large portion of her cerebellum.

This morning La Brenner reveals Best in DFW: French Restaurants along with a little essay on French food in Dallas.

Her top picks are Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Toulouse Cafe & Bar, St. Martin’s Wine Bistro, Bijoux, Rise No. 1, Saint-Emilion, and The French Room.

Excuse my probable overreaction to her words but I am on Day 3 of pancake withdrawal and this article really pissaladière-ed me off.

I would like to go into a short back story on French food in Dallas and then talk a little about the endangered status of French food in Dallas and the U.S. Then I will do a Q&A with La Brenner’s text. Okay? Let’s get this party started.

Continue reading "Best French Food in Dallas: Leslie Brenner is Off Her Rocker"

Where To Eat in Dallas Right Now: Naga Thai Kitchen & Bar in Victory Park

Papaya salad

On Tuesday night, Laura Kostelny and I attended the media dinner for Naga Thai Kitchen & Bar in Victory Park. According to co-owner Jeffrey Yarbrough, he had Nancy to thank for spilling the beans about the restaurant’s opening; people showed up when the staff wasn’t quite ready to serve, but no one was turned away. So much for a soft opening, right?

But things are rocking and rolling these days at Naga, where Yarbrough and partners Tom Chawana (founder of Nandina), Lam Promwanrat (partner in Jasmine), and Kitti Lirtpanaruk (New York restaurateur with 20+ Thai restaurants) are serving some old favorites from the gone-but-definitely-not-forgotten Liberty, such as Annie Wong’s coconut chicken soup and spicy noodles. Continue reading "Where To Eat in Dallas Right Now: Naga Thai Kitchen & Bar in Victory Park"

Larry Lavine: Out of Mandola’s Italian Market

A man in Mandola's.

In the current issue of D Magazine, Teresa “Twinkle Toes” Gubbins writes about Mandola’s Italian Market. The Italian grocery/deli originated in Austin and was brought north by Larry “Chili’s” Lavine. Larry had plans to roll Mandola’s out all over Dallas and potentially into other markets. Well, Mandola’s may roll, but it will grow without Larry Lavine. He’s out of the deal. “I am in the process of selling my interest to my partner,” said Larry via e-mail from his Turtle Creek Restaurant Group account. Another source tells me that there is an uglier side to this story. Of course, isn’t there always? I’ve called and left a message for Larry’s partner, Michael Share, who lives in Boston. Jimmy’s Food Store, your future looks good.

Lee Harvey’s Tacos Taste Good in Your Mouth

I was on the phone with Lee Harvey’s owner, Seth Smith, awhile back, and the subject of tacos came up. I mentioned that I was a fan of Fuel City’s tacos. Seth made a noise that suggested I was an idiot. “You gotta come try our tacos,” he said. “They blow Fuel City’s away.” So yesterday Laura “TV With Laura” Kostelny, Queen Peggy, and I made a quick trip to Lee Harvey’s to see if Seth was full of it.

Short answer: yes, I believe Seth is full of it. But his tacos are damn good.

Long answer: for $7.95, you get what you see pictured here. They do steak tacos, too, but I ordered the fish tacos: firm catfish filets, strips of white cabbage for texture, spicy chipotle aioli, and sweet jalapeño relish cradled in a flour tortilla. I had already eaten lunch by the time we went over to Lee Harvey’s at around 3, when it opens. So I wasn’t hungry before the tacos arrived. They were so good, though, that I almost ordered another plate after we finished the first.

Fuel City will always have a place in my heart. But Lee Harvey’s does do some first-class tacos. Seth don’t lie. (PS: If you go on Monday, from 3 to 10, they serve the tacos a la carte for $1 each. Even Fuel City can’t beat that price.)

Pancakes in Dallas: Make Your Own With Dean Fearing’s Recipe

Pancake Pusher: Aunt Jemima was the Starbuck’s of the 1890s.

This morning comes a cheery note from a pancake-crazed Disher named Jeff. He writes:

I must say Nancy, you’ve been touching my heart lately-pancakes and now pizza!  I’m always always ALWAYS eating pizza, and oddly enough, I was on a pancake tear of my own the past few months in a search to find pancakes in Dallas as good as Clinton Street Baking Company in NYC. The sad results–nowhere even came close.  However, you can make above-average pancakes at home. (Dean Fearing’s old pancake recipe is after the jumperoo.)

“Always, ALWAYS, always”? This guy has a real problem. Making pancakes at home is not a healthy activity for people with pancake-itis.

What happens if, one lonely night, you find yourself eggless, drinking syrup straight from an Aunt Jemima bottle while chopping the sugar, baking powder, and salt with a straight-edged razor? Who are you going to call? I don’t think so. Continue reading "Pancakes in Dallas: Make Your Own With Dean Fearing’s Recipe"

Foodie News Games: What is Wrong With This Press Release

I® love press releases. I® get bazillions of them everyday. I® read them all. This one caught my eye and I® thought about doing a funny bit on Oscar-watching parties. Here is the full release:

February 22, 2010
MEDIA ALERT…MEDIA ALERT
OSCAR’S PARTY KIT
Throw Your Own Oscar® Viewing Party

http://www.oscars.org/partykit

Provide your readers, viewers and listeners with insider tips on how to throw an award-winning Oscar viewing party at home!
Download Oscar® ballots, party play-along games, recipes, cocktails ideas and much more – invite your family and friends.
Event producer Cheryl Cecchetto shows you the “10 Must Haves” for throwing an awarding-winning party.
Master Chef Wolfgang Puck cooks and provides you with delicious and easy-to-make-at-home recipes.
Executive Pastry Chef Sherry Yard shows you how to bake a yummy dessert.
Moët & Chandon, the exclusive champagne of the 82nd Academy Awards®, provides a special cocktail that will wow your guests.

http://www.oscars.org/partykit

The cooking/planning demonstrations are available in broadcast quality formats upon request.

I® am sure Sherry Yard’s desserts are yummy but there is one detail missing from this notice, and without it, nobody can throw a proper Oscar-watching party. Go Dishers, give ‘em hell.