Say you wanna open a restaurant. You envision yourself cooking and smiling and rainbows are shining and somewhere in the distance a chorus of angels is singing. Or a chorus of Harleys–depends on what makes you happy.Anyway, you get the idea. We all know it ain’t that easy–but have you…
How are the hard-working folks who can make or break a restaurant meal cared for at the end (or beginning) of a long shift? Do they send out for pizza?Used to be, in the family-run restaurants of yore, the staff would sit down to a communal meal together each day,…
Much to our delight, the mini-burger craze has hit a bump in the road. Hey, don’t get us wrong–we’ve got nothing against two-biters. They’re cute and small and often even feature fancy meats. It’s just the “s-word” that grosses us out. But whatever you wanna call ’em, there seems to…
Many kids and young adults are heading back to school right now. Some lucky stiffs, however, will trade cracking books for grilling, baking, sautéing and flambéing. Ever wonder what it’s like? We have. Turns out, culinary school’s lighter on the Gordon Ramsay-style discipline than you’d think and heavier on the…
Recipe Demonstrated by José, Chad and Janice of Parigi In a town obsessed with new, there’s something refreshing about longevity. Dallasites love to flock to the latest hot spots, packing dining rooms three deep for about three weeks and then forgetting the place altogether. A classic like Parigi, though, which…
Urbino starts out with two strikes against it. First off, there’s the name. Oh, Urbino’s cute and all–but the third incarnation of Urbano Café sits just a mile away. (That’s Urbano with an “A”, not Urbino with an “I”. ) There’s also a new pizza joint in Plano called Urban…
Anybody can fry an egg. Well, not necessarily anybody. But why not start your day with something that’ll really put a smile on your face, something your Mom might not approve of? You know–like a chocolate waffle dripping with Kahlúa crème or a burrito the size of a duffel bag…
Back when we lived way east on 30 near Zion Road, we nicknamed that giant reservoir out there “Lake Ray Stumpy”, for reasons we probably don’t have to explain. The weather’s been kinder lately, though, and things are looking much fuller. Probably no coincidence that business there has reached high…
“How does this place make money?” You know you’ve heard that question dozens of times–whether from a friend or in your own head–when looking at the small, boutique purveyors so popular in the food world these days. We encountered it just yesterday on a trip to Scardello Artisan Cheese from…
Recipe Demonstrated by Scott Gottlich of Bijoux As we speak (or write, as it were), eager food-lovers across the area are anticipating Restaurant Week dinner reservations at some of the finest dining destinations in town. For just $35, they’ll tuck in to three special courses, with a portion of the…
No segment of the food and beverage industry so reflects the desire for smaller, more personalized purveyors than wine. Wine lovers want magic and prestige–not a mass-market bottle from a corner gas station (usually found in a cooler, right next to the Coors Light).But therein lies the trouble. What we…
As the food media world warms up for its busiest time of year, a trickle of new releases in television and print are whetting our appetites for the deluge to come. Here are a few of our favorite picks: WWBBD? The Food Network’s newest star is none other than Olympic…
This past Saturday, a sold-out crowd gathered at Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts in North Dallas for the first-ever DrinkLocalWine.com Conference. Hosted by website founders Jeff Siegel and Dave McIntyre and the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Go Texan program, the event drew wine makers, wine writers, bloggers and…
The more things change, the more we find ourselves scratching our heads at the stuff the powers-that-be in the corporate food world come up with. Pop Culture Vita Food Products, Inc. is the number one brand of refrigerated seafood products, sales-wise, as well as an industry leader in the smoked…
Recipe Demonstrated by Scott Gottlich of Bijoux Next week marks the 12th annual KRLD Restaurant Week, with over 100 area restaurants offering special meals to benefit the North Texas Food Bank and the Lena Pope Home in Fort Worth. Each year, food lovers across the area count down the days…
A week ago today, Leslie Brenner of the Dallas Morning News dropped a bomb on the Eats blog: nine-year-old Lola on Fairmount Street is closing in October. The Uptown charmer has earned top marks from reviewers and locals alike for its thoughtful, well-executed menu and top-notch wine program. The announcement…
We love the idea of Texas de Brazil Express: take a trusted name in meat-coma dining and parlay it into a quick meal concept. Round out said concept with a simple assisted assembly-line format and plop it in a busy shopping center (with ample parking) and you’ve got yourself a…
We’ve all got our minds on comfort food right now. Just check out the TV. Or the newspapers, the food blogs or any restaurant menu for proof. When times are tight, folks turn to tried and true, deep fried, gravy-covered favorites for a pick-me-up at the end of a long…
It would be easy to blame it on Pinkberry. The popular yogurt company’s website touts that “in less than five years, Pinkberry has established a dominant leadership position in the frozen yogurt category.” But that only tells part of the story. What this trendsetting treat shop kicked off in Los…
Recipe Demonstrated by Jimmy Vergos of the Original Market Diner In the words of one thrice-weekly regular, “It’s just like home, but with better food!” Jimmy Vergos’ mom and dad and Pappou and YiaYia developed a loyal following over the years at the Original Market Diner by serving home style…
Zinsky’s was hoppin’. On one of its first days of service, the New York-style deli from Mark Brezinski (Pei Wei, Bengal Coast) and Liz and Jim Baron (Blue Mesa Grill) was packed with businessmen, grandmothers herding broods of kids and folks from the surrounding North Dallas neighborhoods. We even saw…
Nothin’ says summer like a hot dog. Okay, burgers and ice cream do a pretty good job of getting the point across. Cold beer, too. But you gotta admit, hot dogs hold a special place in our hearts. Why? Because no matter how you dress ’em up, they’re always more…
