Pepperidge Farm sent two boxes of crackers to my office. Wilonsky saw them and ran over to Jimmy’s, returning with some cured meat and a hunk of cheese. My desk is now covered by crumbs, two empty boxes, white wrapping paper of the kind you find at, oh, an Italian…
Ah, the drink before dinner.Yes, I’m guilty of slamming…I mean sipping…a martini or two while waiting for a table. But my behavior changes when I’m traveling through Europe. Instead of gin, I’ll order sherry or vermouth, perhaps a Campari or Dubonnet. Why I approach a meal differently has to do…
Because Mexico celebrated their declaration of independence one day this week–and independence day another (and again in the spring, if you count Cinco de Mayo, as some do)–we decided to join in the festivities.You know, by eating tacos.Al pastor is one of those beautiful fusions of foreign tradition and local…
Mi Pueblo8010 Bedford-Euless Rd.Richland Hills817-605-3434There’s a reason no one ventures to the mid-cities unless forced to–at least from downtown Dallas. Whether you take Tom Landry or the Airport Freeway, whether it’s rush hour or sometime in the slack hours after lunch, traffic will bog down.Something about curves, exit ramps and…
Anyone who’s followed Food Network’s Opening Soon, a program documenting the furious ups and downs of bringing a restaurant to life, expects to see chaos. Fixtures break, code inspection reveals hidden flaws, contractors fail to show—and if they do, it’s with the wrong materials. Park opened on Henderson Avenue this…
For some reason I can’t get over the root beer float at Eno’s. I know it’s not a difficult thing to make—unless, of course, you follow my old method of plunging ice cream into a mug of root beer and watching it fizz and boil over the rim. I know…
Each week, Pairing Off attempts to find just the right bottle of wine to go with ordinary food.At some point we must outgrow milk and cookies.So as adults, what do we resort to? Coffee and cookies? I guess if we want to be adult in the Sam Spade sense of…
I found this release in my inbox. It begins: “I wanted to share information for a new project lead by Chef Mario Batali and/or Country Music superstar Martina McBride called Share the Table. It is near and dear to their hearts.”The and/or part is truly touching. Shows just how committed…
I’ve been trying to get this promo started, but every time I get to about this point a thug from marketing bursts into my office shouting about some great video. Apparently he thinks it should win an award. Not sure what that’s all about, but there are empty Hennessey bottles…
Cretia’s4900 McKinney214-780-0200My memory can be a little fuzzy at times (I blame an extended childhood devoted to Hogan’s Heroes re-runs). But if I’m correct, the new Cretia’s on McKinney looks an awful lot like the old one.Different part of the street, of course, but same Victorian feel to the place,…
I think it was last week when I came across an AP story detailing the efforts of the San Antonio Restaurant Association to encourage healthier cooking at the city’s Tex-Mex and Mexican eateries. Seems the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed San Antonio behind only Detroit, Memphis and Martinsburg,…
OK–I realize it’s kind of a two part question. But I’m a little too laz…um, too pressed for time because of deadlines to further define the topic.Really, I don’t want to sound like I’m against innovation. And do love fried foods. But this constant state fair one-upsmanship can get a…
In a short post-holiday week (as you no doubt remember, last Saturday was National Bacon Day), it takes us a little while to get back in the groove. Not so the City of Ate readership, however.Keep in mind we still want to find a way to award prizes. Just this…
Nothing against Victor Tangos. Their bartenders make very good cocktails and they steadfastly–last I checked–refuse to use the word “mixologist.” Their drink recipes, however, require precise measurements. Even though they wield this precision to create updated versions of the fizz, the Champagne cocktail and other classics, this puts them in…
In the parlor, no one can hear you scream…Thanks to all the ruckus over frozen yogurt, some people might have forgotten about the stuff that doesn’t contain active cultures. But ice cream has suffered through a number of indignities over the past two or three decades: Chunky Monkey, cute colors…
The Place at Perry’s2911 Routh St.214-871-9991Last night a group of the city’s upstanding citizens, and myself, celebrated the something-or-other anniversary of McKinney Avenue’s trolley.I was with a group from Nationwide Insurance, who I think must have invited me along in order to thank me for signing with a difference agency,…
There we were, sipping drinks on a lush patio behind some sketchy 7-Eleven when a sudden, sharp spurt of maniacal laughter interrupted our spell. Just another Saturday night in the ‘hood, except in this case, the setting was a well-worn patch of far North Dallas and the commotion began when…
Each week, Pairing Off attempts to find just the right bottle of wine to go with ordinary food.It’s not much of a stretch to say the 20th Century and all its technological marvels began with the invention of the club sandwich.Think about it: the stack of turkey, bacon, ham, mayonnaise,…
While the rest of us watched football or did whatever people with real lives do over the labor day holiday, our newsletter writer labored. And, of course, now that the holiday is over, our marketing thugs are keeping a watchful eye for this. Of course, if you actually do decide…
The City of Ate crew is taking a break for Labor Day. Don’t hate us for returning back to work (and our normal schedule) tomorrow…
Nancy Nichols brought up a good point in a SideDish post about Blythe Beck, her restaurant and–more importantly–her television series. “I don’t watch enough [television] to have an educated opinion” she wrote, “but, from where I sit, it looks like more top chefs bottom out after their 15 minutes, or…
What a great week. We got to talk about bacon, Formula 1 and beer. College football season started and I have chips and salsa left over from the Pairing Off story.All set for the long weekend.Oh–some cool prize material came in this week, too–including a bag of beans from Oak…
