Savor Dallas held the grandest affair of its wine-and-cuisine-centric weekend -- the International Grand Tasting. Although I felt like I needed to be rolled out on a wheelbarrow afterward from eating so much -- I definitely had to be designated-drivered home -- everything I tasted was In. Credible. Including delicious pulled pork on a sweet potato roll from Hattie's (below). But, ah, there was so much else to indulge in. Let's play the highlights reel:

Got to meet Five-Sixty chef Sara Johannes in person. Such a sweetie! And what was the fresh spring dish she was so coy about in my interview with her in last week's Quick? A succulent lamb chop, grilled to perfection. The surprise was worth the wait ...

Central 214 chef Blythe Beck greeted me with a big hug at her station, where she served beer-braised short ribs and -- wait for it, wait for it -- naughty cheesy grits. Easily one of my top five dishes of the night. The meat was fall-apart tender, and its savory gravy was a perfect match to the mound of grits underneath. Yurrmmmm ...

Another insanely tender hunk o'meat came from Kenny's Wood Fired Grill, which served up barbecue ribs that barely stayed on the bone. Between the tenderness and the spicy-sweet sauce, I was in 'cue heaven.

But my absolute favorite item was the shrimp ceviche nacho from Carolina's Mexican Cuisine & Taco Mundo. Marinated chunks of fresh shrimp sat atop black bean puree and brightly flavored guacamole spread on a tortilla chip. This was one serious bite of food, a statement which admittedly doesn't come close to describing how wonderful it was. I returned for seconds, it was that tasty.

I really enjoyed having the event on one floor -- in the downtown Sheraton's ginormous ballroom -- instead of spread out over two floors like last year. It certainly made getting around sweeter on the feet! And there were chairs and table spread out in the lobby area, where guests could take a load off for a few and listen to a band play standards.

The only downside to the event was that greeters ran out of wine glasses to hand out to guests. Eeek! A second wave of goblets arrived after not too long. Too, I missed those helpful little plate/wine glass-holder dealies they handed out last year. It made it so easy to nosh and hold your wine at the same time. Without it, trying to eat and drink at the same time proved a bit tricky. Bring those plates back next year, Savor Dallas!!

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I attended Savor Dallas' kick-off event, the wine stroll, where vino-and-food stands were set up throughout Arts District locations. What an embarrassment of riches. Not only were guests surrounded by some of the most breathtaking architecture in town -- at the Meyerson, the Nasher, the Wyly (right) -- but the drinks and eats were incredible.

Highlights: Paul Pinnell served up a rich, hearty wild boar ragu over pasta from Dali Wine Bar that just exploded with flavor. Belvedere served up an intensely flavored macerated black raspberry vodka that had a serious tang. Mmmmm -- and their napkins (below) were cheeky, too. Salentein wines poured a malbec that was at once peppery and smooth. The weather, which was perfect for being outside and location-hopping.

My only gripe about the event was the lack of time. The wine stroll lasted from 5 to 7 p.m., which made it difficult to get to all five stops and have enough time to really, well, savor them. We were told at one venue that it had to be cleared at 7 to make way for a show at 8. Booo! I say that next year Savor Dallas should host the stroll in a ballroom at, say, the Convention Center. Less hitting the pavement with the heels you wore all day at work, AND you can easily take the DART to and from the event. Brills! Granted, you would miss out on the outdoor fun ... but, seriously, the stroll should have gone on at least till 9!! It was too much fabulousness to fit into such a short period. But fabulous, nonetheless.

Now I'm off to the International Grand Tasting. Wheeee!! Updates tomorrow ...

Posted by Farah Fleurima at 6:07 PM | Permalink Comments (1) | Leave comment

I learned right here at QuickDFW.com that Knox Street Pub has a crazy-good Wednesday happy hour -- $4 wells, $2 Miller drafts ... and $10 all-you-can-eat buffalo wings! The photo above shows the contents of the last basket I shared with a companion, when my mouth had finally cooled down and I remembered to take a snapshot. We tried, but only managed to down two servings. Ah, well.

Last night, after stops at Gloria's on Greenville for a couple Meltdown margaritas (topped with Grand Marnier, yum) and the Grapevine Bar for frozen Pom Poms and Everclear bellinis, I checked out Absinthe Lounge at the South Side on Lamar. Dark, chill, with a DJ spinning hypnotic dubstep, the bar is a cozy spot to hang out. I could see myself plopping onto a sofa and whiling away a couple hours. The bar actually serves real absinthe, which became legally available in the US in 2007. After my mishmash of cocktails, however, I couldn't stand the real thing and ordered the signature cocktail, the Good 'n' Plenty (right) with the wormwood-free Absente. Well, I thought it was wormwood-free. The liqueur's Web site states that it now contains a full measure of the stuff. Thank goodness I only had a sip of the cocktail -- I had no intention of encountering the Green Fairy! Anyway, read more about Absinthe Lounge in the March 11 issue of Quick.

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Two pieces of yummy news for you. First, Pinkberry has added to their menu two new toppings that are slightly more sinful than the slew of fruits and granola the frozen yogurt chain now offers. Cinnamon streusel is one of them -- I bet it'd be incredible on top of the original-flavor yogurt. Even more decadent-sounding are the new cheesecake bites, which would be fantastic on a swirl of original, or better yet, chocolate. The cheesecake fits right into the Pinkberry family, by being low-fat -- bonus!

The second new tidbit comes from Dunkin Donuts -- starting Monday, and every Monday throughout March, the chain will offer customers a free medium iced or hot coffee. You know, to help you cope with your case of the Mondays. The deal is valid at all participating D-FW stores -- no purchase is necessary (woot!) and it's one cup per customer. If you need more than that to wake up, you may wanna aim for something chocolate-y in the doughnut case!

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Nice performance of "Window Seat." Erykah also sat in throughout the show with her friends the Roots, who serve as the house band. After one intro, host Jimmy Fallon chatted with her informally from his desk, seeming giddy and complimenting her for being "so pretty." I think he's a fan. So is actress Regina King, who relished being treated to the Roots' and Badu's rendition of the 227 theme as she walked out for her interview.

» Continue reading "Watch this: Erykah Badu on 'Fallon' last night"

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If you didn't already check out our interview with Jake Wilganowski, singer for local rock band Bridges & Blinking Lights, here 'tis. At the end of it, we promised a couple of less-than-serious questionnaires from band members, which you'll find below. But before that, let us strongly encourage you to get up to Denton this evening to see B&BL play a CD release show at Dan's Silverleaf. And now, back to the lecture at hand:


JAKE WILGANOWSKI

By day, I am: A television cameraman
By night: I am: thirsty. PBR anyone?
My physical age is: 100, after a show night ...
My emotional age is: 10
Three musicians who've made me who I am today are: Dylan, Young, G (Kenny that is)
After a B&BL show, you can always find me: Shootin' dice in the alley. Don't you owe me money?
My biggest nonmusical passions are: Film, my wife Linsey, Fuel City tacos.
Something about me you wouldn't immediately pick up on is: I'm half Polish but can speak fluent English.
What makes me:
-- Nervous?: Politics
-- Angry?: The blonde lady on 'The View'
-- Laugh?: Sarah Silverman


MARC MONTOYA

By day, I am: Working
By night: I am: Playing
My physical age is: 31
My emotional age is: Always changing
Three musicians who've made me who I am today are: Eric Bachman, John Fahey, Bob Dylan
After a B&BL show, you can always find me: False
My biggest nonmusical passions are: Biodiesel, politics, photographing
Something about me you wouldn't immediately pick up on is: I'm sensitive, and insecure
What makes me:
-- Nervous?: CD Release shows
-- Angry?: Traffic
-- Laugh?: Fox News

MICHAEL LILE
By day, I am: A television sound mixer
By night: I am: A hermit
My physical age is: 27 and a half
My emotional age is: Questionable, sometimes 13, somtimes 72
Three musicians who've made me who I am today are: Harry Nilsson, Nick Drake, Tripping Daisy
After a B&BL show, you can always find me: In my stretch limo
My biggest nonmusical passions are: My stretch limo, my soon-to-be-wife Emily, my career, breakfast tacos
Something about me you wouldn't immediately pick up on is: The hints I'm dropping you to buy me a drink
What makes me:
-- Nervous? Watching TV shows that might show a broken limb
-- Angry? Those fake metal testicles that people hang from the back of their pickup trucks
-- Laugh? Just about anything else


Still waitin' for Chris Considine to weigh in, so stay tuned ...

» Continue reading "Getting to know Bridges & Blinking Lights"

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In a nod to Alice in Wonderland, which opens in theaters tomorrow, here's this week's Quick Listoons by Stacy Austin Sheffield and Cal Slayton. It alternates with the "We've Never Met" comic strip, so watch for it every other week!


Click on the image above to see the larger version.

Posted by Jeff Meddaugh at 8:20 AM | Permalink Comments (0) | Leave comment

Were you captured by our cameras at the QuickDFW.com rebuild party at Lemon Bar this past weekend? Click on the picture to see Quick's Club Cam gallery. And check back next Thursday for a new slideshow.

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By now, you've all probably seen the wreckage in the wake of the huge fire on Lower Greenville yesterday (above). Popular haunts Mick's Bar, Hurricane Grill, Greenville Bar & Grill and Terilli's restaurant were all gutted, not only wiping out four great places to dine, drink and hang out, but also destroying decades of history in the 1930's building. So unfortunate.

It seems like just a couple weeks ago that I was lounging on the Hurricane Grill patio, soaking up the sun and sampling the popular and potent frozen hurricane. Also, it was nice to be able to patio-hop if things got to busy at one spot on any given night. Too, I lament never having eaten at Terilli's, about whose Italian cuisine I'd heard fantastic things. Greenville Avenue lost a hefty piece of its charm and history in one day; but if there's a bright side, it's that perhaps the rebuilding of the location will usher in something as cool and cozy as the former inhabitants.

Meantime, you can lend a helping hand, leave your well wishes and read some updates at a Help Lower Greenville page that's been set up on Facebook (past the sign-in page).

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A soundtrack album that should have been buried in a rabbit hole, Spike Jonez keeps it real and reverent, and MLB gameplay that requires no testing for performance enhancers. Here are your new releases for Tuesday, March 2.

MUSIC

Almost Alice , various artists: Apparently compiled by a Hot Topic employee, the soundtrack for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland is a confusing muddle of the good (Robert Smith, Owl City, Franz Ferdinand), the bad (All-American Rejects, Shinedown, Motion City Soundtrack), and the completely awful (3OH!3, Mark Hoppus and Pete Wentz, Avril Lavigne).

Hillbilly Bone, Blake Shelton: In the title track, Shelton name drops Conway Twitty in what is sure to become a radio-friendly, pop country NASCAR anthem. Still, something tells me the late, great Harold Lloyd Jenkins would be spinning in his grave for receiving props amid such wannabe honky tonk nonsense. The song implies that "we all got a hillbilly bone down deep inside, no matter where you're from." If that's the case, you'll have to excuse me while I call my health care provider to see if they cover having such unwanted growths surgically removed.

Smoke & Mirrors , Lifehouse: Fans of uninspired, cookie cutter grunt rock have been waiting for this album for nearly three years. The wait is over and it's gotta be great! Why else would the record label have pushed the release date back four different times in as many months?

The Pursuit, Jamie Cullum: Not sure which way to go with this Brit singer-songwriter who specializes in "blue-eyed soul" and "jazz pop." I suppose he gets points for collaborating with Dan the Automator and Pharrell. But there's no denying his laser-guided appeal aimed at the Starbucks-soccer-mom-after-one-too-many-margaritas demographic.

DVD

Where the Wild Things Are: Director Spike Jonze refuses to soften the darker underpinnings of Maurice Sendak's classic children's tale; staying true to its original intent while broadening its scope and scale.

2012: Disaster porn. It's not just a disturbing adult film niche anymore.

Ponyo: Take The Little Mermaid, change the mermaid to a goldfish, add voice talent from the likes of Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, and Cloris Leachman, put Oscar-winning animation director Hayao Miyazaki at the helm, and you have Ponyo. Highly recommended for any parent who has seriously considered selling their children to a Third World sweatshop after one too many viewings of The Backyardigans.

Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey!: Finally, all the lingering unanswered questions from the first Curious George movie will be answered.

GAMES

MLB '10: The Show (PSP, PlayStation 2, PlayStations 3): Major League Baseball's Spring Training preseason starts today. Coincidence? Now you can get a jump on the action, say, by recreating another season wherein my beloved New York Mets fail to make the playoffs despite having the roster to do so.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360): The original Bad Company was a fun, if not particularly groundbreaking, first-person shooter that had you playing as a member of a wise-cracking four-man combat squad. As any great sequel should Battlefield: BC2 retains all the aspects that made its predecessor enjoyable; namely, a fast-moving action story with a potpourri of weapons at your disposal. Then it ups the ante with pristine graphics and a single-player mode for all you wolf packs of one.

Lips: Party Classics (Xbox 360): All the fun of Rock Band or Guitar Hero, without the pesky plastic peripherals. Lips is essentially Xbox 360's rec room karaoke franchise that usually focuses on contemporary Top 40 hits. This time around they're featuring genre-spanning crowd-pleasers such as the B-52's "Love Shack," "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany, and, well it wouldn't be a party without the Village People's "YMCA."

Posted by Geoff Johnston at 9:30 AM | Permalink Comments (0) | Leave comment