Last night the Beer Nerds gathered at The Common Table in Uptown to sample Wim Bens’ new wares courtesy of Lakewood Brewing Co. Dubbed Dame du Lac, the latest from the brewery’s collection of single batch obscure brews known as the legend series, it sports a caramel color, lots of…
The Cedars Social bartender Trina Nishimura knows an awful pickup line when she hears one. With almost a decade slinging drinks in Dallas, she’s had a front row seat to our fabulous booze-fueled etiquette. Splitting her time doing voice-overs for Japanese animated films, Nishimura has helped develop the Dallas craft…
If you’ve grown fond of the delicious tandoor baked bread served at Stephan Pyles’ Samar, you better start eating a lot of it. A renovation of the first two floors of the building that hosts the restaurant will force its closure this July. The renovations will bring a new fitness…
If you eat bacon on your breakfast sandwich, order two strips alongside your scrambled eggs or couldn’t imagine a hamburger without a few slices of salty smoky pork, China has just invested in your meals. Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd. agreed to pay $4.72 billion for Virginia-based Smithfield, according to the…
Last week Bud Kennedy posted on his Eats Beat page that Escondido, “the best Tex-Mex dive in Dallas, has closed … Loved it dearly.” I contacted William Pacheco with the restaurant about the closing and he explained that when they heard the new Parkland Hospital was going to be built…
Two weeks ago Private|Social announced a new direction on their Facebook page. Edible art was out, and “awesome Texas food” was in. A subsequent news release said the restaurant was looking to embrace a menu with a lower price point and more approachable food. See also: – Rocco Milano on…
We all measure success in widely varying degrees. A gold star, five stars or, perhaps, front page billing on Reddit. “Look, Mom! More than 1,100 comments!” Matt Bull, a Dallas-based freelance ad guy recently created a new billboard (seen above) for Chicken Scratch in north Oak Cliff. The ad on…
By many accounts, Dallas’ dining scene is improving. Restaurants have gotten more James Beard Awards and increased national attention as innovative and passionate cooking slowly edges closer to mainstream. Both Nancy Nichols at D and Leslie Brenner at the DMN have noted progress within the last year, and I’m seeing…
In a move that once again pushes smokers further to the periphery, Starbucks will invoke a new law of the land, which forbids smoking within 25 feet of their stores. That means enjoying a smoke on the patio is no longer allowed. You’ll have to move it to the parking…
A seemingly innocuous question posted on the Dallas Observer’s Facebook page this week drew more than 100 comments fast. “Where are your favorite chips and salsa in Dallas?” asked web editor Nick Rallo (he says it was for a friend). Had he asked me I might have sent him to…
If there’s one thing you could use to convince an out-of-towner that Dallas is a city worth visiting, the first-class city its leaders want so badly for it to be, it would likely be the Arts District. It’s the largest in the country, according to people who know such things,…
You could use a little sun. And some dirt under your fingernails. And some fresh air. We’re not saying you spend too much time inside, but rather your pastiness just doesn’t go well with the wall paint. Gardening is a great way to make all that happen. The small community…
I just got a cryptic email from Lindsey Miller and Associates, the firm that handles Oak in the Design District. The email confirms a previously unsubstantiated blog post on Crave that broke the news earlier that executive chef Jason Maddy has left the restaurant. From the email… Out of respect…
Urban Vines Wine Bistro opened last week at 9219 Garland Road in the old Café Lago space. Jennifer Rodriguez and Jon Sparks both have a strong affinity for wine and wanted to bring a quaint and personal wine experience to East Dallas. “We’ve been waiting for the right place, and…
It is impossible to miss Rudy’s Chicken as you drive down Lancaster Avenue through southern Dallas. The overwhelming aroma of chicken and grease will hit you long before you see the peeling red and orange paint that marks the storefront. The string of ruby brake lights are a beacon, guiding…
It’s a banner week for the finest of all fine-dining and drinking spots in Dallas. As we reported earlier today, Keller’s Drive-In was included on a list of the 10 best burgers in the country and now, the Windmill Lounge has made a list as one of the best bars…
When Peak and Elm Cocina, the Tex-Mex restaurant on the outskirts of Deep Ellum, opened earlier this year, owner Jesse Moreno Sr. made a shocking announcement. Despite the menu featuring enchiladas, fajitas and other classics, the restaurant would not be serving gratis chips and salsa. See also: – Peak &…
It pains me to drive past an old man selling watermelons on the side of the road. Some nostalgic force makes me whip a U-turn on most occasions — also because a ripe watermelon in the summer time is simply amazing. Over the years, I’ve learned that these farmers always…
A tipster emailed me over the weekend to let me know that Mockingbird Taproom has closed. Their website is currently down, and a call to the restaurant went unanswered. The mailbox for the number is full. A spokesperson for Mockingbird Station, which leases the space, confirmed that the restaurant was…
Because burgers are the anchor of three-day weekends, on Friday CNN (via Eataocracy) posted the Top 10 Burgers Around the Country, courtesy of food writer and eater of-many-burgers Josh Ozersky. See also: Burger Smackdown: Dairy-ette vs. Kellers The list includes several from his hometown, New York City, including the “best…
If you’ve paid a visit to Bowl and Barrel and loved everything about the experience but your bill, there’s a new, more affordable option coming to the Design District this summer. Bowlounge will offer 12 lanes of bowling just a few blocks south of the Meddlesome Moth, Oak and the…
It felt so strange walking into Acme F&B on a recent weekday evening. The dining room was completely empty, except a couple of ladies at the bar, and outside the patio was only half full. Just under a year ago, the restaurant was one of the hot dining destinations of…
