At the small tables of an underground dinner, a couple might be paired with another random couple who will become Facebook friends by the end of the evening. With a casual dress code, BYOB and good food, chef David Anthony Temple’s underground dinners give diners another option outside of the…
Garden Cafe manager and chef Mark Wootton may spend his time perfecting the consistency of the grits at his restaurant, but now he has another focus: exotic mushrooms, kombucha, books and potato chips. Wootton has taken his love for good quality local product next door, opening up a grocery store…
Throughout his formative years when David Fingerman was trying to decide what to do with his life, there was always one constant: cooking. He went to college and hated it, dropping out after one year. Then he decided to pursue photography. But that didn’t last long, either. “The whole time I…
About two months after closing his brick-and-mortar restaurant, David Anthony Temple is ready to go back underground in Dallas. “I’ll never leave underground behind; it’s always going to be there,” he says. Chef Temple, whom you may know as Chef DAT, started underground dinners in Dallas in December 2009. He…
The baristas at Houndstooth Coffee have been serving cups at Sylvan Thirty for just more than two weeks now, but this isn’t just a simple expansion from the popular Henderson Avenue spot, which opened in 2014. “Austin was our first one, so [we] learned a lot along the way, and…
After Lakewood’s Legal Grounds changed ownership last year, the doors closed, the sign came down, and long-time customers were less than thrilled. But since then, The Heights has taken over, still serving coffee but also three meals a day. “A lot of people were very upset about it; they were…
When chef John Tesar recently left Apheleia Restaurant Group, walking away from high-profile restaurants like Oak and the Royale Magnificent Burgers, it made news, but there wasn’t a tantrum involved, nor did he curse anyone out on Twitter. “It’s hard to explain why a 58-year-old man would walk away from four…
Cedar Spring Road’s newest restaurant, Cedar Grove, is taking over the spot that was formerly Dish. But the executive chef says this Oak Lawn spot will be far from the former place. “It’s night and day in difference from what it was, and that’s a very good thing. I don’t…
The French Room in Dallas’ historic Adolphus Hotel is special. If your family ever made a reservation there, there was a good chance you were marking a celebration. The grand chandeliers, preserved murals and perfectly set tables — knife rest included — all made you sit up a little straighter…
When the Observer posted about the soon-to-be Toasted Coffee + Kitchen restaurant, a number of people commented with exasperation about an eatery specializing in “artisan toast.” “The clarion call has been sounded. The world is ending. … Dallas is officially over.” “Sounds like hipster hell.” “But will they toast it…
With restaurants like Nonna and Carbone’s under his belt, it’s no surprise that Julian Barsotti’s latest restaurant has been seeing some brisk business, thanks in no small part to the fact that Sprezza offers a different perspective on the Italian food Dallas diners already love. About a month ago, Barsotti…
For 40 years, Dallas residents knew where they could go for a basket of warm rolls and a plate of chicken-fried steak and gravy. For those in Oak Lawn, driving past the shuttered flagship Black-Eyed Pea caused a twinge of pain. With Phil Cobb, Gene Street (Good Eats Cafe, Lucky’s)…
When Corrado Palmieri was growing up in the “heel of the boot,” as he says, he was often elbow-deep in flour as he helped his grandmother bake pastries specific to Southern Italy and his home province of Lecce. Decades later, after years of business school and working in investment banking,…
Iron Fork will have plenty of pleasant tasting opportunities for people at Fair Park on April 27. But on the main stage, it will be war. Two baskets full of ingredients will await Jermaine Brown of Julia Pearl Southern Cuisine and Oliver Sitrin of The Blind Butcher. Each one is expected…
Jermaine Brown is used to throwing ingredients together to make a good meal in a kitchen with his team around him. In a couple of weeks, the chef will do the same thing — but this time, with surprise ingredients and in front of an audience of strangers. Brown, the executive…
If you’re a typical adult, it’s probably been awhile since you’ve had Pop Rocks, and there’s also a good chance you haven’t had this noisy candy on a Caesar salad. That’s exactly the bet chef Kevin Spencer is placing. Spencer joined the kitchen of Ser Steak + Spirits as executive…
Chef Tyson Cole respects rules of skillfully crafted, traditional Asian food. He just doesn’t always follow them precisely. “Traditional sushi is like a locked box. You can’t mess with it. But I was like, ‘I’m going to flip the box over on its head,’” the Uchi executive chef and owner…
It was wonderful news when Village Baking Co. opened its doors on University Boulevard. After all, it’s not like we have a ton of bakery-only establishments around. At least, that’s what plenty of people in Dallas like to complain about, and they have a point: Visit San Francisco and compare…
