Monthly Archives: November 2012

by Steven Doyle | November 7, 2012 · 10:41 am

First Look: John Tesar’s Spoon Bar and Kitchen

by Steven Doyle

Spoon Bar and Kitchen will more than likely be open for business this weekend, but that could change depending on the mood of chef-owner, John Tesar. For the sake of brevity, I am sure most in the city are familiar with Tesar, but if not you may catch him tonight as the 10^th season of Top Chef premiers. Although the chef can’t, and won’t give up any juicy details of his exploits on the program, you may rest assured he charges out with his guns blazing.

Last night I was an invited guest of Tesar at the soft opening for Spoon, Tesar’s love child of a restaurant that he has been working on for the past year. Guests were not offered selections from the regular menu, but rather from his tasting menu, which will change often to keep up with seasons and availability of ingredients. The tasting menu will be offered each day on the menu. Continue reading →

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Filed under Caviar, chefs, Restaurant Opening, Steven Doyle

Tagged as chefs, Dallas, John Tesar, Restaurant Opening, Spoon Bar and Kitchen, Texas, Top Chef

by Steven Doyle | November 6, 2012 · 12:37 pm

BBQ Baron Aaron Franklin Makes A Pie At Cane Rosso

by Bryan Coonrod

The celebrity chef series at Cane Rosso hit a grand slam last night as Aaron Franklin from the much vaunted Franklin BBQ in Austin made his appearance after a weekend at the Meat Fight event. I had put this event on my calendar as soon as the chefs lineup was announced months ago, apparently so did many others as a line began forming at 5pm an hour before opening, by 6pm the line had reached down to local watering hole Adair’s. Continue reading →

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Filed under BBQ, Beef, Bryan Coonrod, pizza

Tagged as Aaron Franklin, Cane Rosso, Deep Ellum, Franklin BBQ< Dallas, Pizza

by Steven Doyle | November 6, 2012 · 12:01 pm

TJ’s Offers Lobster Bake At Veritas Wine Room

by Steven Doyle

No surprise that TJ’s Seafood Market does some incredible things with, well, seafood. Jon Alexis makes it his personal lot in life to ensure that you are eating your fair share of fish and other sea critters.

Alexis has been flying in some terrific species of fish as of late, and soon will have Nantucket Bay Scallops and Stone Crab (both delayed because of Sandy). However, both locations are always jammed packed with unique offerings, and we told you about the new location that offers plated food like that kick ass lobster roll we keep squawking about. Continue reading →

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Filed under Seafood, Steven Doyle

Tagged as Dallas, Jon Alexis, Lobster Bake, Spain, Texas, TJ's Safood Market, Veritas Wine Room

by Steven Doyle | November 6, 2012 · 11:15 am

Terlingua Is A Spicy Party In The Texas Desert

by Steven Doyle

It’s the right of passage for seasons; merging Summer into Fall in a spicy mélange set in a bowl of stewed meat. Chili gives us pause to celebrate, and many do as 8,000 people have qualified internationally to cook at one of two cook offs set in the desert near the Mexican border in Terlingua, Texas.

I wrote up the history of the cook off last week, detailing the highlights that produced the legendary event set in the Chihuahua desert. We just celebrated Terlingua’s 46^th cook off in grand style with near perfect weather. The final night a gale-force wind swooped in, but otherwise you couldn’t ask for better weather. Continue reading →

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Filed under Chili, tamales, Terlingua, Texas

Tagged as Chili, Cook Off, Terlingua, Texas

by Steven Doyle | November 6, 2012 · 9:30 am

All Day Happy Hour At Gin Mill

by Jennifer Thomas

The Gin Mill on Henderson is attracting a new top of the week crowd with their all day Monday and Tuesday specials that includes an all-day happy hour with discounted drinks on into the evening and half price signature or “build your own” flatbread pizzas and appetizers including the popular Mad Mussels, Vodka Shrimp, Jimmy’s Meatballs and Chinese Steamed Buns until kitchen close at 11:00pm.

The bar hosts a good amount of local brews such as Franconia, Deep Ellum, Peticolas and Lakewood on tap, serving 80 beers in all.

The Cheap Bastard Put Up A Good Meat Fight

by Robyn Folmar photos by Nicholas McWhirter

Peoples of the world…! Hear me when I tell you that Meat Fight was one giant pile of awesome. The music was loud, the chefs cut loose and the attendees knew they were lucky as hell to be there. Tickets sold out in about an hour when they went on sale a few months ago and I’m not ashamed to admit that I sat at my computer like a dipstick refreshing the page until I got my tickets.

The Sons of Hermann Hall was the perfect venue for such a ridiculously fun celebration of all things animal meat. Local celeb-o-chefs including Tiffany Derry (recently stranded in NYC for a few days due to Hurricane Sandy), Brian Luscher, Matt McCallister, Jeff Bekavac, Jack Perkins and Omar Flores competed to win some super sophisticated gold pig and beer can trophies and Burger King crowns. Continue reading →

3 Comments

Filed under Dallas, Robyn Folmar

Tagged as Alice Laussade, Cheap Bastard, Dallas, Meat Fight, National Multiple Sclerosis Society

by Steven Doyle | November 5, 2012 · 2:22 pm

Oral Fixation’s New Season Begins Nov 6

by Steven Doyle

Oral Fixation is about telling true stories on stage before a live audience. Participants reveal their inner souls as they read their work onstage, sharing transformative moments of their life with the DFW community in an intimate setting. These performers are ordinary people who share an exciting moment in their lives. Sometimes the moments are sad, sometimes extremely humorous. They are always entertaining and these shows always sell out. Continue reading →

Big Bend Brewing Company Debuts in Alpine

by Steven Doyle

Last week we enjoyed a bit of respite at the Terlingua chili cook off and ran into a familiar face. Steve Anderson was the brew master for Live Oak Brewing Company in Austin for 11 years and created a name for him and the brewery while creating some fantastic beers. Saturday, when I ran into the brew master, he was pouring a pilsner and a porter, both worthy of the Anderson name. Anderson moved from Austin to Alpine, Texas to spin his magic web at a new brewery called Big Bend Brewing Company. Continue reading →

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Filed under beer, Crave, Steven Doyle

Tagged as Alpine, Austin, beer, Big Bend Brewing Company, Live Oak Brewing Company, Steve Anderson, Texas