Usually, when a chef leaves a restaurant, the news comes from the restaurant itself via a press rep, but that’s not the case with a recent shake-up at Julia Pearl Southern Cuisine in Plano. Thursday’s email blast, with the subject line “Interesting Stuff on Julia Pearl,” made it obvious that…
All-American is a series that looks at beloved, longstanding North Texas eateries and examines their history while exploring how the food has changed — for the good or bad — over the years. In November 2013, Louie’s lost its frontman. The East Dallas bar was about 26 years old at…
Maybe Kramer was onto something after all. When the iconic Seinfeld character proposed a pizza place where you make your own pie, he was ridiculed. Maybe he was just ahead of his time. In the era of the foodie, there is an added appeal to restaurants, like Korean barbecue joints,…
Spring (and patio weather) is apparently here, though it already feels like summer. Pakpao’s signature bloody mary, their Thai Lemongrass Bloody Mary, is the perfect transitional brunch drink. Thanks to the bright and unique flavor of the kaffir lime and lemongrass, the usually heavy bloody is elevated and brightened. With…
Dallas’s strongest drinks and where to find them … because sometimes you just want one.
In a town where brunch spots tend to go flat quicker than the sparkling water they once served, Hattie’s, with their modern take on low Southern fair, has endured. Their brunch has captivated the Dallas dining scene for many years. It won the Dallas Observer’s highly illustrious and difficult to…
Kozy Kitchen has been serving healthy Dallas fare for 15 years. CrossFitters could go there before paleo was fashionable because chef Nicholas Pavageaux had the ingredients and aptitude to put together dishes that fit the diet profile. But a few years ago, something that began as a protein-fueled joke to…
If you’ve driven down Oak Lawn past Ascension Coffee recently, you’ve probably noticed the massive construction project underway across the street — and you’ve probably spotted the curious sculpture on the side of the building, depicting what looks like a massive, ominous figure trying to crawl out of the building…
A Dallas craft cocktail mainstay has a new owner, announced today via press release. Windmill Lounge owner Louise Owens has sold the 11-year-old Maple Avenue bar to Lisa and Tom Georgalis and the Triada Hospitality Group, which also owns Ivy Tavern. While the press release notes that “big changes are in…
Franconia’s ninth anniversary is coming up, and this McKinney brewery has plans. Big ones. On Thursday, they’re pairing up with Bavarian Grill’s Juergen Mahneke, who has prepared a feast fit for a könig. Each course will be paired with a different pint of Franconia’s beer. Tickets are $75 per person…
Settle Up is a column that critiques cocktail bars with the same gravitas that restaurant reviewers apply to restaurants, steering discerning imbibers toward all the booze that’s fit to drink. There’s a term for craft cocktail bars that struggle to produce good drinks: wine bars. As in, when you’re there,…
For consumers trying to eat seasonally, the quest often stops at produce — but coffee, too, can change with the seasons, and Ascension Coffee recently launched a new program to celebrate the variations between seasons. When considering seasonality in coffee, most people tend think in terms of winter-time holiday blends…
A new restaurant is coming to the Arts District this November: Musume, an Asian-fusion concept from Rock Libations (Kenichi, Shooters, Chop Shop in Carrollton and Roanoke). Musume, which means “daughter” in Japanese, will be a 5,000-square-foot restaurant and is the second restaurant in Hall Arts, the “five-acre, mixed-use, three-phase development … developed by Hall…
When I first visited Dal Dong Nae a few years ago, the initial impression was not great. For one thing, Google said the restaurant was “Permanently closed.” For another, its neon strip-mall signage is all in Korean characters, and the business waffles between “Ne” and “Nae” as a Western-alphabet spelling…
As I sat in the Applebee’s booth surrounded by old women wearing gloves in 80-degree weather, my heart pounded. Mandy Moore’s “Only Hope” from the movie A Walk to Remember played over the restaurant’s speakers. This was my only hope. Applebee’s promotion for the month of March is the flailing…
There’s not too many opportunities in this city where food-lovers can eat barbecue, burgers, Mexican food, fried chicken and Asian fusion in the same meal, but on Wednesday, April 26, you can do just that at Dallas Observer’s Iron Fork. The annual food extravaganza features a seemingly endless array of…
As a child, Gary Buckner would tag along with his father to work, playing around on the job sites of the various remodeling projects his father managed all over Dallas. Years later, throughout his teens and 20s, Buckner worked under his dad, learning various construction trades. While managing these projects,…
There’s a new “natural” bakery and deli coming to North Richland Hills, but there’s a twist: none of their fresh-baked treats and deli items are meant for human consumption. At Wag N’ Wash Food & Bakery, a franchise that currently has 15 locations in eight states, you can wash your…
Happy National Yet-Another-Very-Specific-Food-Holiday Day, one that should prove popular in Dallas given this delicate French cookie’s ardent local following. Several local bakeries are celebrating with deals, fundraisers and — perhaps best of all — free macarons, which is great news considering that these tricky little cookies typically cost around $2…
In East Texas, an unremarkable-looking plant with bright red berries grows wild — and it grows everywhere. Used for landscaping filler by some and considered a nuisance plant by others, these plants are hardy enough to withstand even apocalyptic Texas drought. “The best we can tell is that they enjoy…
In this latest round of DFW restaurant openings, a Fort Worth concept expands into Dallas, fast-casual eateries help keep Dallasites fueled up on the go and a Filipino restaurant offers a new-to-DFW feast. Easy Slider 2701 Main St.The beloved Dallas food truck Easy Slider has finally opened its first brick-and-mortar…
Thursday night’s sold-out Dallas Food and Wine Festival at the Arboretum was a superfluously classy affair. Finely dressed couples — many of whom were older and more finely dressed than the average food festival-goer, probably a result of the $140 ticket price — wandered the colorful blooming gardens at sunset,…
