“This is a journey, and we still have work to do, but expanding our sourcing of beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms and partnering with the Gates Foundation represents significant steps.” (Steve Yucknut, vice president of sustainability, announcing Kraft’s intention to increase coffee bean purchases from certified farms by 50…
People we’d like to shake hands with:Jason Williams, from the cradle of NFL superstardom and Harvard of the Midwest–yep, Western Illinois University. Home of the fighting Leathernecks. WIU is many time almost-champion of 1-AA (they tend to falter in the playoffs, even when ranked #1), the team that almost beat…
The Libertine2101 Greenville Ave.214-824-7900Not so many years ago, when a pub served food–and happened to have a skilled hand in the kitchen–people would call it a “good place.”But that sort of straightforward simplicity just won’t do it these days. I mean, “good place”–what the hell? No way to tell from…
Every so often, a ripple of controversy over the number of stars awarded to some restaurant disturbs Dallas waters.The three-star handouts to Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen and Hully & Mo by the Morning News certainly got folks excited. As for the big man’s place, I can’t say–never been there. I…
Tony’s Pizza & Pasta18918 Midway972-267-9180Promised delivery time: 50 minutesActual delivery time: 33 minutesScoring Summary:Real Italian accent on other end of line: 15Knocking 17 minutes ahead of schedule: 17Chance that arriving that far ahead of schedule can interfere just a bit: -5Simpson’s-fast-food-clerk voice from Clark Kent look-alike delivery guy: 0Awkward chatter…
He grew up in Los Angeles, but his understanding of fish began to emerge further up the coast–in Seattle, where Morgan worked at fish shop. The chef of Dallas Fish Market learned the cooking side in professional kitchens on each coast, working in New York (including a stint at the famous…
“I remember it distinctly because the Diet Dr. Pepper shot right out of my nose and onto my laptop–for a moment I was worried I had shorted out the letter “F”. Because really, how was I going to respond without an ‘F’?!?” (Blogger Amy Severson, after reading in the Dallas…
What makes a dive a dive?In other words, just what are the criteria for a dive? And do bars like Lee Harvey’s that look dive-like by design count?Results from last week, in which we asked about the best unknown chefs in Dallas. A disappointingly short list, but here goes:Mike Smith–2900Chad…
We must admit something. We’ve devoted this week to work…which is to say sipping Champagne on the terrace at The Mansion and slugging vodka at Nick & Sam’s Grill. We also have a vague memory of proposing to Nancy Nichols.Anyway, we haven’t had a lot of time. Therefore this week’s…
John Hernandez, a bartender at Vickery Park, thinks he knows why potato vodkas don’t fare as well as those based on grain. “It’s a different flavor,” he explains. “People are just used to what they were drinking.” When brand vodkas began attracting real consumer interest during those wild and crazy…
The first time many of us met him was in his role as one of the ‘fab five’–the food and wine expert on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. But Allen had already spent years reviewing restaurants for Chicago magazine. In other words, the Purdue psychology grad knew his stuff–something he’s proven as…
“Literally freight cars full of salt have been removed from these products gradually over time.” (Robert Earl of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, responding to calls by the New York City Health Department for the food processing industry and city restaurants to reduce salt levels in their product. Close to 75…
Dom Perignon’s winemaker was born in a place one doesn’t normally associate with fine vintages: Congo.But Chaperon grew up in a French winemaking family, earned a degree in viticulture and perfected his skills in Pomerol and Sauternes–as well as Chile and other parts of the world–before joining Moet & Chandon…
“If we’re not willing to move harmful substances away just one block, what are we willing to do?” (Eric N. Gioia, councilman from Queens, New York, proposing a ban on opening fast food restaurants near public schools. The comments came as the University of California-Berkeley and Columbia University released a…
“Blown Away,” by Tom Korosec, April 16 Cats and Dogs Living Together So, Dallas is not ready for a flood or a tornado. Next week, a cover story on how we are not ready for an earthquake, and the week after the cover story will be that we are unprepared…
People demand certain things of restaurant patios. They want a view, perhaps, or a stream of passers-by, each more interesting than the last, and maybe a breeze off the lawn smelling of lavender—that sort of thing. Then there’s Dallas’ version of outdoor dining, which usually involves a deck jutting into…
Sometimes, when it comes to wine, patience is a really big virtue.On the other hand, deadlines reign supreme in the world of journalism. Last evening these two aspects of time–the hurry up and the wait–combined to trip up this week’s pairing.You see, when it comes to setting wine against ice…
For the longest time people complained about the lack of any original Italian restaurants in Dallas. Then along came Barsotti and his highly regarded restaurant, Nonna.He arrived after a few years in Oakland and San Francisco, but Barsotti is a Dallas native. His mother owns the catering operation Food Company…
“This is the movie that puts a happy face on alcoholism…and seems to imply that not only can a man make the right choices about life-altering matters when blind drunk but that sometimes it actually helps.” (Playboy magazine on the 1981 Dudley Moore film Arthur. About the most succinct and…
Still not a subscriber to our weekly food and wine (and other such) newsletter? What–afraid we’ll sell your contact information to the executor of some Nigerian prince’s will? Well, we’re glad you think the Observer is that advanced. In case you missed it, this week’s issue highlights Randall Copeland and…
The sous chef for David Gilbert’s new venture, Lazare, has a cooking history extending back four generations.How’s that? Well, Carbery’s family owns nine restaurants in the St. Louis area, his uncle is a chef in Beverly Hills–he essentially grew up in professional kitchens, hauling boxes at his father’s place before…
“I think, very posssibly, when they start opening up, I hope I can go back to my ’84 numbers.” (William Hensley, owner of Arlington’s Fish Bone Grill, speculating on the effect of his new neighbor, the Cowboys’ stadium. In 1984 he raked in $80,000 a month. Over the past few years that…
