Green Papaya 3211 Oak Lawn 214-521-4811This much is obvious: few people care whether or not Green Papaya trots out traditional Vietnamese dishes or Texafied facsimiles. It’s not even an issue. The place has been so consistent over a long term that when they home in on authenticity or when the…
An American style milkshake in part requires a blend that will stand a spoon but can be sipped from a straw without much trouble. Response to last week’s ranking of ten different milkshakes, however, suggests some people really don’t consider the difference between a milkshake and stirred up ice cream…
Each week in ‘Knockers’ we order from a different delivery restaurant, assessing their efficiency and keeping a running score.Piggie Pies Pizzas & Pasta 5315 Greenville Suite 120 B 214-821-OINK Promised delivery time: 45 minutes Actual delivery time: 35 minutes Scoring Summary The promise of a big floppy slice of “New…
DrinkLocalWine.com wants you to know that wine-making isn’t just for Californians, and what better way to spread the word than Twitter? The advocacy group will hold the first Twitter Taste-Off at its conference Saturday at Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts Dallas. Along with lunch and tastings of some…
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…
Breakfast is really the only meal that could make that movie work. Not that The Supper Club couldn’t be great too — but it would have to go in a different direction. This week we learned that Lola is on the way out, even if plenty more places are just…
Since finding themselves smack at the top of Texas Monthly’s “50 Best Burgers in Texas” list, ahead of local favorites like Adair’s, Angry Dog, The Porch, etc., etc., things have been a little different at The Grape.To honor their top-ranked burger joint, TexMo put on an intimate (read: crowded) party…
The question came to mind after we received a note about the new–and very popular–Burguesa Burger holding a meeting to tempt franchisees.As you may or may not know, Jeff Sinelli’s stand serves something called the La Monumental, a sandwich bulging with two patties (each dripping with cheese), ham, avocado, refried…
You know, we have some fine prize material piling up in my office, from a tiny pail full of paper clips all the way up to John Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, a book full of food porn and recipes. Too bad no one ever wants one of our giveaways.So, on…
I personally think zubrowka and aged genever are the finest spirits one can drink. But neither are easy to find, unless you travel.Zubrowka is a flavored vodka generally associated with Poland, where they’ve been distilling and drinking it for a good six or seven centuries. Pale gold in color, it…
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…
This week Dave somehow manages to find a parking space outside (or–gasp!–walks to) Lumi Empanada and Dumpling Kitchen–“a good neighborhood spot” he says, and you can read more about it in his review.To scope out a couple of the dishes and drinks, though, mosey over to Sara Karens’ photo set…
May a grand Constellation be formed by a union of American virtues. –Revolution-era toast, per Richard J. Hooker’s “The American Revolution Seen Through A Wine Glass” (though we like to think that beer mugs were hoisted to these words as well).Two British ales recently proved to be real head-scratchers for…
After the creme brulee, I ordered a Bombay martini. The waiter instantly responded “regular Bombay or Sapphire.”At 99 percent of Dallas restaurants, they only know the latter. Personally, I prefer the former and am impressed he asked…
Years and years ago, Aurora chef Avner Samuel blurted in the middle of a phone conversation that he had introduced creme brulee to Dallas–and vice versa, I suppose. Let’s assume that’s the case. Why then, didn’t he go that one step further and show local chefs how to caramelize the…
Alligator Cafe4416 Live Oak214-821-6900The way they blare Kennedy-era tunes, you’d almost think Alligator Cafe was stuck in time. And from the cooking, you’d suspect it was a little out of place.Let’s see–walls, furniture, pretty much everything else smudged and worn, the menu board featuring catfish, crawfish, boudin balls and ettouffee…You…
My fascination with other cultures started back in the summer of ’87 during a family vacation to Disney World’s Epcot Center. Yep, Epcot Center. I know what you’re thinking, but I remember dragging my folks around each prefabricated little country, collecting knick-knacks and sweets from shops along the way. Incidentally,…
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…
Too bad no one can make it to Lumi. The restaurant is far more interesting than its immediate neighbors, although I say that with some hesitation. Just to the south sits Patio Bar & Grill. And there’s nothing wrong with Hook, Line & Sinker, on the other side. Sometimes you…
Europeans have fresh, seasonal foods, universal health care and about 30 weeks of vacation each year. But we have milkshakes.OK–so they serve a literal version: milk shaken with some flavoring. Ours involve ice cream, crammed into a glass and churned with a little milk (or, better yet, cream) into a…
Recession? There must be one, judging by our paychecks and news today that Lola planned to shut down. Still, July saw an unprecedented (even in boom times) wave of restaurant openings.Strange–July and August are not generally considered the best of months by those in the food service industry. Maybe rents…
Each week, Pairing Off attempts to find just the right bottle of wine to go with ordinary food.There’s nothing better than a pound or so of ground beef slapped on the grill…except maybe the same, topped with bacon.Of course, some people are content–or so they say–to deny themselves life’s culinary…
