And The Winner Is…

So many interesting comments this week. If we were still trying to give out prizes, one of these people would have walked out of here with an empty bottle of Knob Creek bourbon, sent that way by the folks in Kentucky as a means of illustrating how high demand affects…

Kids Eat The Darnedest Things: SodaStream Homemade Soda

We hear lots of things in this office, such as last week’s notice of a “New and Fun Drink Idea:” the SodaStream home soda maker. Well, while the idea of making soda at home was new to me, it’s not exactly a new idea to the world, sez Wikipedia (sorry–breaking…

Handle The Proof: Partida Tequila

Gary Shansby directed brands such as, oh, Clorox and Maguire’s Car Polish. So what do he know about tequila?Well, he knew Mexico’s most famous legal export ranked as the fastest growing product in the spirit category and that American consumers led the way. He also had a pretty good handle…

From Barfly To Pizza Pie: David Pedack Opens Urbino

David Pedack is a live wire. Handsome, boyish and unpredictable, he’s the guy who knows everyone, the guy who can really work a room. We’d expect nothing less, given his many years behind-the-scenes (or behind the bar) on the Dallas nightlife circuit. But everyone’s gotta grow up sometime. In 2008,…

Review and Gallery: Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen

Dave takes us Park Cities slumming this week, with a visit to Kent Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen, where locals pony up for a big-ticket taste of high-concept comfort food.Check out more shots from the Kitchen’s kitchen, and its bar and dining room, in this week’s Dish Extra gallery…

Hophead: ‘Liquid Aloha’ From Kona Brewing Co.

When you think about brewing hot spots, what come to mind? Some obvious international destinations include Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the Czech Republic. As for the U.S., craft breweries are everywhere, but we think of the West Coast–especially Portland and Seattle. There’s always (for better or for worse) St. Louis…

Short Orders: Uptown Pub

Uptown Pub3605 McKinney Ave.214-522-5100This survivor of Uptown’s gentrification helps ease shock as your eye transitions from The Loon and its neighbors to the cluster known as West Village. Call it an anachronism, a sore thumb, an at times smelly reminder of what real ‘locals’ look like.Which is to say Uptown…

Appetite For Instruction: Gazpacho With Jumbo Lump Crab

Recipe Demonstrated by Executive Chef James Johnson of Pappas Bros. Steakhouse Pappas Bros. Steakhouse is known for meat. Dry aged in house for 40 days and seared to sizzling perfection, you’ll find their Rib Eyes, New York Strips and Filets Mignon on just about any Dallas-area carnivore’s Top 10 list…

Surviving Another Encounter With Convenience-Store Tacos

Months ago, I realized that the Barbecue Bus on Maple Avenue had disappeared. I cried and cried and prayed and prayed that it would come back—the Barbecue Man behind the cigarette counter who served me chopped beef sandwiches was awesome, and so was the food he served up. What happened,…

Top 10 Chefs Who Deserve More Attention

When we sat down and thought about this, so many names popped into mind that if they were diseases, we’d be riddled. There was a time when few people mentioned Joel Harloff (Dali Wine Bar) or Brian Luscher (The Grape), but those days are fading. Michael Zeve of Sevy’s or…

Pairing Off: Deviled Eggs

Each week, Pairing Off attempts to find just the right bottle of wine to go with ordinary food.Why restaurants leave this snack to family reunions and church gatherings, I’ll never know. There are infinite possibilities (well, not infinite, but quite a few), almost everyone likes them and line cooks can…

On The Range: Quesadillas

On The Range is a weekly exploration of the history and lore of Texas menu items.Say cheese.Quesadilla translates as “little cheesy thing”–so no true recipe can exist without it. Even vegan variations tend to use soy cheese prominently. Writing in his book Mexico: One Plate at a Time, Rick Bayless…

Stalking The Aisles

We always were a sucker for the ones who play hard to get. By most indications, La Michoacana Meat Market doesn’t really care if you want to shop there. Its low-key Greenville Avenue storefront (one of numerous area locations) sports an ancient-looking sign and the front door, covered in metal…

Mia’s vs Taco Diner: The Battle Of The Briskets

The first round of our weekly dish duel features a venerable Tex-Mex veteran and a pretty boy from Uptown…You know, Texans brag almost constantly about brisket. Mention brisket tacos and you risk sending natives into a fugue state. We’ve always wondered why because, frankly, Dallas produces very few worthwhile examples…

Dude Food: Ojeda’s

Each week the Dude Food guys assess the ‘masculinity’ of Dallas area dives. The more fried meat and junk on the walls, the better the rating…Ojeda’s4617 Maple Ave. 214-528-8383Dude Factor: 8, or Lucky Day, on a scale of 1 (The Singing Bush) to 10 (El Guapo)Thanks to its quick service,…

News(letter) You Can Use

But only if you subscribe to Hot off the Grill, our weekly email newsletter. And it’s best if you do so quickly. The goons from marketing have been a little, shall we say, perturbed I didn’t post this reminder last week. They’ve voice their disproval on several occasions and have…

Wine Storage For The Huddled Millionaire Masses

Top Cellars Connie Lewis has the job you didn’t know you wanted. The pretty 30-year-old blonde spends her days in fine restaurants, hotels and custom homes, helping wine lovers and experts design tony treasure chests for their precious bottles. And despite what you might think, her upscale niche profession has…

He Said, She Said, They Said

Today we received a note from the fine folks at Gardere, a highly respected Dallas law firm. Seems one of their clients, Donica Jimenez (founder and owner of Cafe Madrid restaurants), was upset that other publications listed Ildefonso Jimenez (of Si Tapas Restaurant) as a founder of Cafe Madrid.The letter…

Short Orders: Joan Of Arc Creperie And Cafe

Joan of Arc4020 N. MacArthur, Irving972-870-5632Oh, god.The place isn’t really lousy, as Rossetti’s Joan would have you think. But first they were out of bacon, which kinda put a dent in my BLTA (the A for avocado) plans. Then, when the person sent to replenish their bacon stock returned, it…

A Love-Hate Relationship?

Flipping through the whatweredoin.com blog the other day, I came across a discussion of our Top Ten Overrated Restaurants that included this comment from “Bread Winners”: “Interesting that not a week later, City of Ate…named us one of ‘Uptowns 10 Best Patios.’ They love us, they hate us, they love…

How ‘Bout Them Knockers: New Big Wong

Each week in ‘Knockers’ we order from a different delivery restaurant, assessing their efficiency and keeping a running score.New Big Wong2121 Greenville Ave214-821-4198Promised delivery time: 30 minutes Actual delivery time: 23 minutes Scoring Summary:Food arrived on time, and even minutes early: 27Years in business, according to the guy on the…