Monthly Archives: June 2011

by Steven Doyle | June 13, 2011 · 12:59 pm

Fort Worth Zoo’s Beastro 2011

by Steven Doyle

Last Friday the Fort Worth Zoo held their annual Beastro tasting and music event that features local Fort Worth restaurants that are dispersed through out the Zoo grounds. The variety of restaurants put on a fantastic showing offering small dishes to a swelling mass of guests. The object for the evening was to discover and devour. With over 25 representative restaurants it was no easy task.

We were an invited guest of one of 360 West a major sponsor for the event, and was led on a tour through out the jungles of the beautiful Fort Worth Zoo.

Making our way around the grounds we wandered past all the snakes, lizards and flamingoes and found a few interesting choices in Olenjacks Grille who was flaming blueberry crème brulees, and the interesting Tokyo Café who was grilling skewers of shashito peppers on a tiny hibachi. The peppers were smoky and blistered giving them a tiny burst of crunch with a backbeat of heat. Continue reading →

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Filed under beer, chefs, Events, Fort Worth, fun with food, Steven Doyle

by Steven Doyle | June 13, 2011 · 11:53 am

Dallas Mavericks Beat the Heat

by Steven Doyle

Unless you were locked in a wine cellar all evening, and how could that possibly suck, you by now know that the Mavericks ripped the 2011 NBA Finals from Miami last night. As the prior post indicated I was at the Taste of the Nation event at Stephan Pyles.

During a spirited live auction that raised thousands of dollars to defeat hunger in North Texas the Mavericks were close to a victory. The auctioneer caved into the madness that was swelling in the Pyles bar as at least 100 people filled the area. Next to me was a screaming Dan Landsberg who was employed as executive chef at SP back in 2006 for game 6 when the Mavs lost and he refused to allow that to happen again. Continue reading →

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Filed under chefs, Dallas Mavericks, Party!, Stephan Pyles, Steven Doyle, Victory Park

by Steven Doyle | June 13, 2011 · 11:17 am

Taste of the Nation 2011

by Steven Doyle

Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation is the country’s premier culinary benefit, featuring top chefs, barmen and sommeliers, all of whom come together to donate their time, talent and passion to end childhood hunger in America. 100% of the funds raised last night will go to fight hunger.

There are over 40 such events that take place across the country and last night Dallas had their go at it with Stephan Pyle’s taking the reigns hosting the dinner along with area top chefs in his battle to personally fight hunger. Read on for more about this exciting event. Continue reading →

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Filed under chefs, Cocktails, Crave, Downtown, Events, Farah Fleurima, Food Porn Alert, Stephan Pyles, Steven Doyle, Wine

by Steven Doyle | June 12, 2011 · 11:20 am

Sunday Brunch: Komali

by Joy Jangles

Back when I lived in Tucson, I fell in love with the authentic Mexican cuisine over there – house made tangy and spicy tomatillo salsas, tortillas made from scratch, and the day-long simmered sauces. You can literally taste the love in native Mexican dishes, what better way to feel at home than eating food that’s made from the heart? Continue reading →

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Filed under Brunch, chefs, Crave, Food Porn Alert, Joy Jangles, Mexico, Uptown

by Steven Doyle | June 10, 2011 · 1:43 pm

Cafe Momentum Touches Community

Chef Janice Provost

by Steven Doyle

Photos by Robert Bostick

It has always been my contention that restaurateurs are some of the most generous people on the planet. Perhaps it is inherent in their personalities that drives them to make others happy and feed them. We see their acts of kindness each week at a variety of charity events that take place across Dallas and Fort Worth on any given night. For each event we bear witness to this generosity as the chefs not only donate their time, but also their product.

This is a fact that escapes most people when attending a charity event. We taste the rack of lamb samples, or perhaps a beautifully prepared hand made pasta or the abundance of pork belly. More often than not this is all considered a donation by the restaurant.

Taking this concept one step further both Janice Provost and Chad Houser of restaurant Parigi have come up with an amazing concept that will not only feed the masses, but employee them as well. Continue reading →

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Filed under chefs, Crave, Events, fun with food, restaurant news, Robert Bostick, Steven Doyle, Uptown

by Steven Doyle | June 10, 2011 · 12:00 pm

Q de Cheval Turns Up the Flames in Addison

by Steven Doyle

The Grand Kempinski Hotel Dallas, formerly The Registry Hotel located in its Addison digs just off Beltline at Dallas Parkway has been through several transitions over the years. What once was a very stylish hotel tucked away in North Dallas stylized with hand-cut 18th century Italian crystal chandeliers, a smattering of grand ballrooms that hosted more than a few fetes, the Malachite Showroom that brought to Dallas interesting Vegas-style lounge acts, and of course who could forget Kempi’s, the underground labyrinth of a club that has since closed but speaks of a come back.

Time has settled on the property and more recently enjoyed a invigorating renovation under the Intercontinental Hotel reign that includes room upgrades and a revamp of the grand lobby area that includes the large bar Q. Gone is the old school Monte Carlo restaurant which served its fare share of steak dinners and Sunday brunches. Enter the Q de Cheval, the younger and more svelte cousin to the old school restaurant that has recently opened serve playful Texas cuisine to passing tourists and locals alike. Continue reading →

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Filed under Addison, Bacon, chefs, restaurant news, Restaurant Opening, Steven Doyle

by Steven Doyle | June 10, 2011 · 8:33 am

Ask Toni: The Modern Custody Battle

Toni,

I dated a girl for 10 months and eventually lost interest because I felt we were better off as friends. We shared a lot of the same interests and hobbies, and at one point, she even invited me to join her cycling group.

After our split, she asked that I be dropped. Everyone agreed and now I don’t have anyone to ride with. Can’t we all just get along?

Bicycle Bob Continue reading →

State of the Dog Report

by Steven Doyle

Last evening some of the guys from the crave office, including one Mr. David Donalson who scored tickets for us, decided to make a pilgrimage to the Ballpark at Arlington to take in America’s Pastime and soak up a few rays of sun among the beating crowd of thousands. This would be a culinary night off, and we resisted all temptation to speak to people about anything besides beer or baseball.

As we made our way into the park we made way to the closest Beer Of The World booths that sell the better beers for 9 bucks for 24 ounce draft. This may seem like a tidy sum of loot for a draft beer at a ball park, but we are often reminded of one ill-fated summer when the Cleveland Indians played the Texas Rangers deciding to offer ten cent beer June 4^th, 1974. Jump for this one, it’s a doozy. Continue reading →