Food & Drink

Dude!Sweet! chocolates is playful from its name on down. The local, independent chocolatier owned and operated by pastry chef Karen Clapner, recently hit the scene with fun flavors like Curried Banana (yellow curry, banana, African dark chocolate), Black and Blue (Guiness and black currant) and Roasted Beet (Colombian 66 percent,…

He refers to Blue Canyon Kitchen as his dream, an opportunity to create something distinctively American–a fusion of the country’s traditions and regional flavors.Before his Cleveland restaurant began raking in awards, Evans worked as Charlie Palmer’s sous chef. Perhaps that’s where he learned to ignore the city’s ‘mistake by the…

“They still use those names–Colchester, Whitstable, Belon–but those places don’t really produce many oysters anymore. Which means there’s some creative marketing going on.” (Robb Walsh, as quoted by Joyce Saenz Harris in the Dallas Morning News, discussing the importance of place of origin in the oyster market. Hmm…food purveyors and…

Cyclone Anaya’s3211 Oak Lawn Ave.214-420-0030Recent visits to this popular outpost of the Houston-based chain inspire two observations.First, bars and restaurants in Dallas consider the Margarita a child’s drink. Order the famous Tex-Mex cocktail and, with a few exceptions, they bring out something bar-syrup sweet and only vaguely alcoholic, the sugary…

Roti Grill 4438 McKinney Ave., Suite 100 214-521-3655 (Ordered through Diningin.com) Promised Delivery Time: 60 minutes Actual Delivery Time: 50 minutes and the driver got lost The Score:Outsourced call center efficiency (only problem was that the Canada-based representative misspelled my street, though the delivery guy figured it out): -5 Over…

Over the weekend, folks at the Dallas Morning News had their knickers in a bunch thanks to a New York Times travel piece about this city. Granted, author Luisita Lopez Torregrosa put together a couple of suspect statements (see today’s Food For Thought for one example). Her belief that “there…

We all have to start somewhere, and the next Rathbun or Pyles may be just a saute away…at El Centro College’s Food and Hospitality Institute. Their kitchen may not yet be in a rotating ball, but they’re building their basics–and dishing out proof of their knowledge through the college’s meal…

Geez, where does one start? More than just a celebrity, Pyles is one of the few truly important chefs in Texas.He is considered one of the pioneering figures in New American cuisine. Along with the likes of Dean Fearing, he invented Southwestern cuisine, one of the feats prompting the James…

“Not so long ago, Dallas was a culinary wasteland, save for its famous barbecue. But in recent years, celebrity chefs like Nobu Matsuhisa, Tom Colicchio and Charlie Palmer have planted their flags in Dallas, joining a fresh crop of hometown talent.” (Luisita Lopez Torregrosa in yesterday’s New York Times travel…

This is a topic the Burning Question crew takes very seriously. Over the years we’ve encountered, with great concern, people who waive off tequila “because it gets me too wasted,” or those warning against brown liquors and the “mean drunks” that ensue–and so on. Yet they make these claims while…

Around my house, when it comes to lubricating the gears of love, I’m more inclined to reach for a 12-pack of Coors light–for her, not me–than shuck open a bucket of oysters. Those of you who are traditionalists (and have some class), however, might be more interested in the aphrodisiacal…

Looking to hit some new restaurants this weekend? There are a few to choose from. And one you can cross off your list. Named for the sparkling wines of Spain, Cava Restaurant, in the old Les Rendezvous spot at Preston and Royal, uses olive oils, fresh seafood, plenty of vegetables…

He cooked professionally for six years in Milwaukee before finally taking a break…to study at the Culinary Institute of America.Harloff then headed a string of highly rated restaurants in Wisconsin before heading south. Since arriving in Dallas just over a decade ago, he’s developed quite a legacy, including a “rising…

“I say, if you work behind a bar and serve drinks, call yourself a bartender; it is perfectly descriptive and free of any pretense. Would you call a skilled trash collector a trashologist?” (Andrew Knowlton of Bon Appetit magazine, responding to the precious trend classifying those who shake cocktails as…

In this week’s issue of the Observer, Dave Faries visits Fruia’s Tre Amici, the self-styled steakhouse “with Italian flair.” Check out his review here.As an added bonus for food porn fanatics, we present a gallery of photos from the restaurant, as seen through the lens of Sara Kerens. You’ll find…

Mid-week date nights are a staple in our romantic relationships. The dates themselves don’t necessarily have to be romantic, but it’s a happy occasion when date night and romance actually do intersect. Starting tonight and continuing on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays through February, the very romantic French Room at the…

Demonstrated by Praveen Sachdev of Cosmic Café Henry Rollins once called it “sex in a bowl.” A deceptively simple paste of chickpeas and seasonings, hummus seduces the palate with layers of rich, complex flavors. Simply put, this Mediterranean staple has the power to comfort the soul and quicken the pulse–when…

He escaped Cuba with his family in 1962, grew up in New Jersey, studied in Chicago and spent the last 30 years here in Dallas–hence Garcia’s convoluted accent.The owner of Hector’s on Henderson wanted to be an actor. But a stint waiting tables turned his career in another direction. Eventually,…

“She got me to step out of my comfort zone, which is as much fun as it is scary.” (Great American SPAM Championship winner Ron Pearman, attributing something–perhaps the inspiration for his winning recipe–to his wife. Either way, fun or scary, his ‘mini SPAM nacho burgers’ are loaded with cheese,…