Not that I socialize much, but when I returned from my stint in Europe, two questions–approaching from different perspectives, but essentially the same–kept popping up in conversation: “are you glad to be back?” and “do you miss it?”Neither is easy to answer. Every city has its own set of positives…
Kenny’s Burger Joint1377 Legacy Dr. (Stonebriar Commons)Frisco214-618-8001One thing about Kenny’s really, truly irked me.Years ago, chef Kenny Bowers served batch after batch of fantastic French fries at his Addison restaurant. Blanched and finished in beef tallow, they were crisp, rich and reminiscent in flavor of McDonald’s fries from the 60’s…
At the end of March it looked as if Quesa-D-Ya’s and its 94 points would stay on top all year long. Then, two weeks into this quarter, a City of Ate staffer ordered from Izmir Market.Bye-bye, Quesa-D-Ya’s. At least until the playoffs.For the most part, May-June proved to be strong…
A new Asian fast food joint is rarely big news, but in the case of three-week-old Thai2Go, a couple of key details set it apart from the crowd.For starters, Thai2Go is located in the new Cityville development on Medical District Drive. This heavily-trafficked cross street connecting Harry Hines Boulevard and…
At least two City of Ate contributors plan to celebrate Independence Day on Saturday the way our forefathers would have wanted: by throwing down (and hopefully not up) at The Libertine Bar’s Brass Knuckle Corn Dog Beatdown. The 15-minute bout, limited to 25 gluttonous idiots brave gurgitators, will award the…
Whether driven by an asinine Constitutional amendment, grand notions of urban planning or draconian dietary shackles, folks who find they have to suck it up, tug at their bootstraps and get down to business — they’re the ones who make the real innovations. This week, one way or another, from…
Moonshine has a reputation not always deserved. Some people, after all, take pride in their craft, however illicit.Yeah, some of it reeks of burnt quinine and poisonous residue. The word brings to mind hardened heroes like Junior Johnson and others hauling jars of dubious spirit. And it’s difficult not to…
Available at Whole Foods since early last year, Funky Monkey Dried Fruit Snacks combine the crunch of potato chips with (most of) the nutrition of fresh fruit. Even better, three of the company’s four varieties (Bananamon, Purple Funk and Jivealime) have been certified organic according to Natural Organic Program standards;…
Are Bento Boxes the new sandwich wraps?All of a sudden, bentos are everywhere, inciting flashbacks to the tortilla attack of the early 2000’s, when everything but old gym socks was getting the “roll it up and call it lunch” treatment. Now everything’s going in a box.Both fads are rooted in…
Just why would anyone drive all the way to Rockwall? I mean, unless they happen to be stuck to a mortgage there. Yeah, there’s the big reservoir, but if you venture out on the water some weekend, you’re probably not decked out in your Dallas clubbing best, right? So you’d…
Hunky’s is your typical ’50s throwback diner, with the added bonus that they have STD testing information on the bathroom walls. It’s the diner equivalent of Sesame Street: fun and informative (“Today’s episode was brought to you by the letters V and D and the number Shit!”) When it was…
At the Kessler groundbreaking ceremony last weekend, a music critic was overheard calling Oak Cliff “the Brooklyn of Dallas.” It’s not a new sentiment. According to an 1890 flyer by Dallas Land & Loan Co., “Oak Cliff is to Dallas what Brooklyn is to New York.” Whether or not the…
So they lost chef what’s-his-name, big deal. An army of line cooks and talented sous chef types continue to do the same work–perhaps even better, now that there’s more balance in the kitchen. Not too long ago, the famed restaurant issued a new three-course lunch for 29 bucks. That’s in…
The question is not how Olivella’s does the simple Italian thing so well, but why more restaurants don’t. Is it so difficult, really, to buy fresh, healthy ingredients, and then to keep the food simple enough to let their flavors come through? Apparently so, or more places would do it…
Recipe Demonstrated by Chefs Nathan Tate and Randall Copeland of Restaurant AVA There’s been much ado about Copper River Salmon lately. Its name is tossed out left and right, accompanied by buzzwords like “sustainable” and “seasonal”, but what exactly is this trendy fish? What makes it different from its more…
Chicken salad is of great cultural significance. Unlike omelets, which require a measure of creative destruction–can’t make one ‘without breaking a few eggs’ speaks to enduring human progress, a can-do attitude, let’s soldier on and get the job done, that sort of thing–the chicken salad idiom allows us room for…
Of all the fast-food chicken places in my neighborhood, Popeyes is by far my favorite. Williams Chicken is OK. I used to work at a KFC and have pretty much had my fill for this lifetime while Church’s makes me question the existence of God. Problem is, my daughter isn’t…
Last night, Channel 8 Meteorologist Greg Fields and Rick Boyer of Robert Mondavi hosted a small dinner at Abacus to introduce the legendary California brand’s new Solaire line of wines. Boyer, who is gearing up for his 32nd vineyard harvest later in the year, is the winemaker behind the new…
On The Range is a weekly exploration of the history and lore of Texas menu items. “Was there ever a fruit as sensual as the avocado? So rough-hewn, dare-to-touch-me masculine on the outside, so yielding, inviting, soft spring green and feminine inside?…It’s no wonder that this perfect fruit begs to…
In our wildest dreams, we never thought a seal hunting protest would be worth noting on City of Ate–but the comments on our coverage of PETA’s downtown demonstration this afternoon has taken on a distinct culinary flavor. Readers have contributed a pair of seal recipes.It’s not all that much of…
Don’t know if the PR person was inspired by the building itself or by thoughts of old Wolfy reading this, but a line in a press release on behalf of Five-Sixty assures us that, thanks to their extensive wine collection, they now “will blow even the toughest critic.”OK–pulling the line…
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…Norma’s Cafe1123 W. Davis St.214-946-4711Dude Factor: 10 (June Cleaver) on a scale of 1 (Kate What’s-Her-Name, the one in all the tabloids) to 10.Norma’s Cafe…
