Category Archives: Dallas

La Maison Cointreau And A Chat With Brand Ambassador Kyle Ford

by Steven Doyle

Thought to be the first recipe book about cocktails, the bartender’s guide “How To Mix Drinks or A Bon Vivant’s Companion” was published in 1862, written by Jerry Thomas and read by any bartender worth his flip, fizz or julep. An original copy of this book and dozens of others acquired by Cointreau was on display last night during their French-inspired cocktail party in Dallas.

The setting was the beautiful and historic Aldredge House located on Swiss Avenue. There, guests enjoyed Cointreau cocktails prepared by brand mixer Kyle Ford and later entertainment provided by Lady Rizo who is ringer for a young Rosemary Clooney.      Continue reading →

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Filed under Bartenders, Cocktails, Crave, Dallas, Steven Doyle

Red Cross Thoughts on Big Tex Fire

by Anita Foster from Red Alert

Big Tex, the 60 year-old cowboy who towers above everything at the State Fair of Texas, is as much a part of the iconic Dallas, Texas landscape as J.R. Ewing and the Dallas Cowboys. To see him burn was a shock to fair-goers, television viewers and Twitter addicts. People felt helpless to do anything to save Big Tex. When the fire was out, all that remained were memories of better days.
At the Red Cross, we’ve talked a lot about the Big-Tex fire because the reaction of people mirrors what real victims of disaster experience every day. Your “breaking news” happens when a neighbor or your local fire department calls to tell you your home is on fire. You rush to get there.
Just as the crowd assembled at the base of Big Tex to watch the devastation unfold, your neighbors will do the same. They’ll desperately want to help save your home, but there’s nothing anyone can do so they’ll shoot some photos with a smart phone and post to their Facebook page.   Firefighters will fight the blaze with all they have…

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Filed under American Red Cross, Dallas, State Fair of Texas

Donna Makes Some Serious Pie

by Steven Doyle

It’s no secret that we like pie. We like good pie in virtually every delicious flavor. This is why when we stumbled into Donna’s Pie House Café we were happily met by Jim and Donna Benedict who offer up not only delicious, and beautiful pies, but also some really good burgers, salads, soups and sandwiches.

Originally called Rosebud’s, the couple rebranded their restaurant to avoid confusion that they might be a tea room. Gone are all the nifty gifts in the front display.  The total revamp now features what Donna does best – pies.      Continue reading →

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Filed under Dallas, I Like Pie, restaurant news, Steven Doyle

Grain Opens Oct 22

by Steven Doyle

More Texas fare coming at you from the Hilton Park Cities October 22, 2012.  There have been more restaurant openings in Dallas this month than normal and we are looking forward to trying Grain which will sport the cowboy-chic décor and a menu that is said to bridge the gap between high-end Dallas dining and familiar Texas fare.

Grain’s menu, designed by Chef James Music and Sous Chef Christopher Bosco, combines fine dining with the farm-to-table movement, exclusively serving meat, seafood, produce and libations sourced from the great state of Texas.   Continue reading →

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Filed under Dallas, Restaurant Opening, Steven Doyle

Tiffany Derry Celebrates Anniversary Of Private|Social

by Steven Doyle

Tiffany Derry is celebrating her first anniversary with her restaurant Private|Social, and to kick off the festivities she has revamped her Social menu to include shared plates (we love them) which includes  Korean BBQ Short Ribs with Sweet and Spicy Pickled Cucumbers; Shishito Peppers with Korean Spices, and Sesame Seeds; and Lamb Meatballs with Spicy Marinara Sauce, Goat Cheese and Crusty Bread.

“We’ve had a great first year. To mark the occasion, I wanted to shake things up a bit with the Social menu,” says Derry. “I wanted to keep it approachable by offering affordable shared and large plates.”  Continue reading →

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Filed under Dallas, restaurant news, Steven Doyle

BBC Close To Opening And We Snagged A Menu

by Steven Doyle

Located next to the Quadrangle on Routh Street in Uptown Dallas, the BBC, or British Beverage Company, will swing its doors open wide to the public October 29, 2012. October will prove to be a busy month for restaurant openings, and we are eager to grab one of the first pints to pour from this pub.

Sporting 50 taps along with 100 bottles of beer, the BC should prove to be a welcome addition to the pub landscape in North Texas. There is also promise of a kicked up cocktail program and a selection of 45 wines and bubbles. Continue reading →

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Filed under Dallas, Restaurant Opening, Steven Doyle

Who Has The Best Dive Bars In The Nation?

by Steven Doyle

Recently the web site The Best Colleges ran a list of the best dive bars in the country. You will be pleased to know Texas was represented twice, once in Austin for Ginny’s Little Longhorn Saloon, and the second is Dixie Chicken in College Station. By the way, Ginny’s wins our award for the worst web site design ever.

I haven’t been to either bar mentioned, but spent most of my time checking out the list of criteria to be on the list of the best dive bars. As one who takes great pride in hoisting a marginal beer in shady bars I took particular interest in what this web site felt made up a dive. I extracted some of the criteria from their list. Let’s hear what you think.      Continue reading →

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Filed under Dallas, Dive Bars, Drink Dallas, Steven Doyle

Chef DAT Pays A Visit To JW Tate For One Tasty Evening

by Jennifer Thomas

This Tuesday, October 9, 2012 Chef DAT will visit one of our favorite Dallas bartenders, JW Tate at Tate’s Bar on McKinney. Here the two young minds will meld in a cocktail and culinary feast for a special gathering. Consider this a party, an underground dinner, and a cocktail throwdown all wrapped into one private evening for you and a few select friends.    Continue reading →

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Filed under chefs, Cocktails, Dallas, Jennifer Thomas, Underground Dinner, Uptown