Category Archives: Beef

by | March 9, 2012 · 2:15 pm

Wachu TacoBot Willis? Nueva Casita

by Danielle Leahy          photos by Bryan Coonrod

Nueva Casita on Blackwell is located in a charming little stone building behind the Half Price Books off Northwest Highway. Boasting an all taco menu for just the Tacobots with 9 different tacos (including crispy tacos, my illicit taco love affair) we got straight down to business so we could enjoy the Tuesday night Karaoke going on after we finished.

First up were the house chips and salsa. Maybe my taco eating powers have increased my spice handling capabilities (or maybe it was my tussle with Bryan’s insane Devil’s Blood salsa last meet up) but I found the house salsa could use a little more heat, luckily they have two more salsa’s (red and green) that packed the kind of punch we were looking for and they were more than happy to bring us out as much as we needed. And in a few cups of their delicious queso and we were ready to go.        Continue reading →

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Filed under Beef, beer, Crave, Dallas, Danielle Leahy, TacoBots, Tacos

by | March 6, 2012 · 10:30 am

Sampling Wild Salsa’s Tacos Late Night

by Steven Doyle

Mentally grazing the interesting menu at Wild Salsa you notice a few interesting tamales, stacked enchiladas ala New Mexico and a hard core lamb shank barbacoa for $29. Relegated to the end of the menu, just before the requisite tres leches cake, you see a fine listing of tacos.

Although a bit pricey, what would you expect for a chef driven taco located in a beautiful building downtown. Advantage: all the taqueria located in gas stations. But this isn’t Texaco, and those aren’t your average tacos. These smack of chef Kelly Hightower’s ability to refine, as he did once before at Nova in Oak Cliff.    Continue reading →

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Filed under Beef, beer, chefs, Crave, Dallas, Downtown, fun with food, Steven Doyle, Tacos

by | March 5, 2012 · 10:24 am

Rockwall’s Ava Adds A Ten Course Chef’s Tasting

by Steven Doyle

We recently had a chance to check out the new ten course tasting menu at Restaurant Ava, the Rockwall wunderkind restaurant run by Nathan Tate and Randall Copeland. As the two prepare for their next venture in the Bishop Arts District, which will be called Boulevardier, they added a new chef in the Rockwall kitchen, Taylor Kearney. You may recall Kearney from his previous post as sous at Charlie Palmer under Scott Romano. Kearney is now chef de cuisine.

The new tasting menu opens up the chef’s bar where a small handful of guests enjoy special off-menu items while deep up in the middle of the kitchen action. The night we were at Ava Kearney was cheffing, Tate was in the expo position and Copeland ran the front of the house. It was interesting to have a first hand look at this smooth combination as orders were processed in a fast steady pace.    Continue reading →

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Filed under Bacon, Beef, chefs, Cocktails, Crave, restaurant news, Rockwall, Steven Doyle

by | March 1, 2012 · 10:56 am

First Look: Chop House Burger

by Steven Doyle

I would recognize that bun anywhere. The soft but toasty brioche smacks of the flavorful Empire Bakery as any decent chef-driven burger should.  I did a late night drop in to take a bite out of the new Chop House Burger which just opened but a few days ago. I was downtown most of yesterday afternoon, but a drive-by made me skittish with the hoards of people pouring out of the new burger joint.    Continue reading →

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Filed under Bacon, Beef, beer, Burgers, Cheese, chefs, Dallas, Downtown, First Look, Restaurant Opening, Steven Doyle

by | February 22, 2012 · 11:55 am

Jack Perkins Makes Oca Tacos With Science

by Steven Doyle

It had been quite some time since we had seen Jack Perkins, the mastermind behind the Maple & Motor Burger, and with the opening of his new Oca Taco it seemed like a perfect chance to catch up him. At first it seemed odd that Perkins would open up a taco stand in a hospital administration building. The new business is located in the food court of the Paul Bass Administration Building which houses thousands of UT Southwestern workers.

Perkins was approached to fill a void in the building’s food court, and after running the numbers it made perfect sense.  Continue reading →

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Filed under Bacon, Beef, chefs, Dallas, fun with food, Steven Doyle, Tacos

by | February 14, 2012 · 11:53 am

Harris and Balke Serve up with Momentum

by Steven Doyle

This past weekend we celebrated another chapter of the pop-up restaurant that should soon be a full on brick and mortar concern. Cafe Momentum, a Dallas-based restaurant and culinary training program working in conjunction with the Youth Village Resources of Dallas (YVRD) to train students in all aspects of working in a restaurant, and is the brain-child of Parigi chef-owners Janice Provost and Chad Houser.         

These students would be our waiters, platers, dish-washers and other such jobs that are crucial for a restaurant, giving them valuable experience that can help them get a job in the industry. In fact, several of the students present now have jobs due to their experience of working with such chefs so kudos to all who are supporting the program.     Continue reading →

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Filed under Beef, Cafe Momentum, Crave, Events, Farm, Local Produce, Oak Cliff, Pop-Up Restaurant, Steven Doyle

by | February 8, 2012 · 11:34 am

Q de Cheval’s Lucky Prime Rib Night

by Steven Doyle

Allow me to set the scene. It is 1966 and Sinatra just wailed the last notes of My Kind of Town. Count Basie and his Orchestra is playing clean up as the Chairman jogs off the stage at the Copa Room of the Sands Hotel in Vegas. More than likely Sinatra stumbles to the bar and slugs back a shot of Jack Daniels and lights a cigarette. The crowd disperses.

Chances are one of your distant relatives was there to witness the historic moment, and they follow the crowd out the door. Some head to the casino to spend your inheritance, while others filter through the buffet to take advantage of the 99-cent all-you-can-eat prime rib bar.    Continue reading →

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Filed under Addison, Beef, chefs, Crave, restaurant news, Steven Doyle