Category Archives: Andrew Chalk

by Steven Doyle | April 15, 2014 · 9:37 am

Newsom Grape Day is May 9th

chalk by Andrew Chalk

A landmark annual event in the Texas wine industry is Newsom Grape Day. Held each year in the farm buildings of Newsom Vineyards in Plains, Texas, the event acts as a magnet for winemakers from across the state for a day of discussion of current viticultural issues. The attendance is an indication of the event’s importance to the industry in that Plains is just 102 miles from Roswell New Mexico, a popular retirement home for extraterrestrial life.

This year’s agenda is below and members of the public with an interest in grape growing are welcome to attend. The following day if The High Plains Winegrowers Wine & Music event so plan on spending the whole weekend. Continue reading →

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Tagged as Newsom Grape Day, Palins, Texas, Texas winery

by Steven Doyle | April 14, 2014 · 9:27 am

Saturday Brunch Starts at Del Frisco’s Grille in Uptown

IMG_3823.640x480

by Andrew Chalk

It is 11:01 on Saturday morning. As I stare out of the window at Del Frisco’s Grille in Uptown, I feel sorry for the crowd opposite outside Bread Winners. Not only do they have a 30-minute wait to look forward to but, at the end, they will be paying similar prices for similar things in dowdier surroundings as I am here – but without the wait. Crab Benedict is $15.50 vs. $15.99 at Bread Winners. The pork burrito is $14.00 vs $12.99 for a chorizo one (with potatoes). The red velvet waffle is $12.50 vs. $11.98 for a strawberry and cream waffle with 2 strips of bacon. The fresh orange screwdriver, made with Tito’s vodka, is $5 vs. (apparently) N/A at Bread Winners. Continue reading →

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Tagged as Brunch, Dallas, Del Frisco Grille, Uptown

by Steven Doyle | March 25, 2014 · 9:01 am

What On Earth Is Chef Jason Weaver Cooking Now?

weaver

by Andrew Chalk

When Jason Weaver headed the kitchen at The French Room from 2005 to 2009 the restaurant reached the highest culinary point that I have witnessed there in my 30 years in Dallas. Bill Addison, the then restaurant critic of The Dallas Morning News (this was B.C. — before Crave), and a man parsimonious with his accolades, gave the restaurant five stars, denoting it as one of the best restaurants in the city. Zagat named it the best hotel restaurant in the country in its 2006/2007 survey.

With a change in hotel corporate ownership, Weaver left (and The French Room menu ossified) and opened The Mandarin Oriental in Las Vegas before eventually returning to Texas to become executive chef at the La Torretta Lake Resort and Spa in Montgomery. In 2011 he was the high-profile hiring of the year, when it was announced that he would be the first executive chef at the Omni Dallas Hotel. That title means that he chefs just about everything except Bob’s Steakhouse (which is a tenant rental situation). That means flagship restaurant Texas Spice, sports bar The Owner’s Box, the Lobby Lounge, coffee bar Morsels, in-room dining, banquets and catering.

Continue reading →

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Tagged as Chef, Hotel Dallas, Jason Weaver, Omni William Hill Estate Winery, Texas Spice

by Steven Doyle | March 24, 2014 · 9:22 am

Report: Savor Dallas Reserve Tasting

wine_pour-full by Andrew Chalk

The highest-end wine event at Savor Dallas is the Reserve Tasting, which gets the ball rolling on Saturday night. Here are some pictures to indicate the kind of wines available. Continue reading →

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Tagged as 2014, Dallas, Omni Dallas Hotel, Reserve Wine Tasting, Savor Dallas

by Steven Doyle | March 21, 2014 · 10:13 am

Savor Dallas Kicks Off With a Sold-Out ‘Savor The Arboretum’

IMG_3690.640x480 by Andrew Chalk

Savor Dallas’ inaugural event may also become its most popular. Savor The Arboretum takes place in the pastoral scenery of the Arboretum grounds and raises money for the arboretum’s education department.

Crave was there and we assembled a photo essay of the event as it unfolded under perfect weather. Continue reading →

Go Texan: An Important Update

GO-TEXAN--229x300 by Andrew Chalk

Yesterday, I reported the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) decision regarding my proposed change to the rules covering the use of the ‘Go Texan’ logo on wine. I interpreted their response as first: no change in the status quo (i.e. 0% Texas grapes required in Texas wines); second: I concluded that a paragraph that contained the sentence “Specifically, we will implement those ideas to limit the use of the mark on wine bottles based on the origin of the fruit.” was empty of meaning as the letter did not announce any specific measures to do so.

The TDA reacted quickly with an email today in which they totally reject my interpretation of their original letter. That paragraph that I had treated as an imprecise dismissal of changes in Go Texan was apparently the operational paragraph of the letter. In full, they said: Continue reading →

Texas Department Of Agriculture Caves In To Juice Mixers On ‘Go Texan’ Rule — What Are The Lessons?

by Andrew Chalk

After two periods of public comment the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) released their final response to my Fall 2013 request for a rules change to abolish the current rule (that a wine carrying the Go Texan logo on its label may contain a minimum of 0% Texas grapes). The essence of the ruling is that this practice will continue as the status quo. Continue reading →

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Filed under Andrew Chalk, Texas, Wine

by Steven Doyle | March 18, 2014 · 10:33 am

DMA Announces “Savor the Arts Light Night Dinner Inspired by the Collection”

Fruit Still Life with Champagne Bottle. It inspired

by Andrew Chalk

What a brilliant idea. The DMA is piggybacking on Savor Dallas Arts District Wine Stroll this Friday by holding a four-course dinner with dishes inspired by its collection. Proceeds go to help the museum’s acquisitions. Execuchef Craig James will whip this up. Continue reading →