Category Archives: Downtown

by Steven Doyle | July 28, 2011 · 3:10 pm

Win Two Tickets to Food for Thought

by Crave Staff

Win two tickets valued at $200 to the upcoming Food for Thought by merely giving us a shout out here. Here are the details for the event:

Dallas Association of Young Lawyers hosts the 3^rd annual Food for Thought on Saturday, August 6 from 7pm-11pm at The Tower Club in downtown Dallas. Showcasing DFW’s finest Chefs and cuisine, Food for Thought benefits Big Thought, one of Dallas’ leading nonprofits dedicated to improving public education. Additionally, FOX Analyst and former Dallas Cowboy Daryl Johnston will receive DAYL’s Gavel of Excellence award for his significant contributions related to SLANT 45, the youth education program of the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee. Continue reading →

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Filed under chefs, Contest, Crave Girl, Downtown, Events, fun with food, Wine

by Steven Doyle | July 27, 2011 · 12:11 pm

Pho Colonial Finally Opening Downtown

by Crave Staff

For those of you wanting your downtown pho fix, your wait is about over. By the way, do you bother pronouncing the word “pho” the correct way “feh”, or just run with the more easily recognized “fo”?

Here is the press release from Pho Colonial: Continue reading →

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Filed under Crave, Downtown, restaurant news, Restaurant Opening

by Steven Doyle | July 25, 2011 · 1:10 pm

Trifecta of Rising Stars at Pyramid

by Steven Doyle

The Pyramid at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas enjoys an uncommon fact in that they employ three past winners of Dallas Food and Wine’s Rising Star Chefs including Executive Chef Andre Natera (2003 White Wine winner), Executive Sous Chef Paul Peddle (2011 White Wine winner), and Pyramid Sous Chef Andrew McDonald (2011 Red Wine winner).

To celebrate these Rising Stars, The Pyramid Restaurant hosted a dinner this past Friday evening. The “Trifecta at the Pyramid” was a chef’s tasting dinner and live cooking demonstration hosted by the hotel. Each Rising Star Chef prepared an interpretation of their signature award-winning dish, along with a special dessert course by Maggie Huff. Continue reading →

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Filed under chefs, Downtown, Events, Party!, restaurant news, Steven Doyle, Wine

by Steven Doyle | July 20, 2011 · 7:27 am

Wonder Years: New work by the SourGrapes

by Crave Staff

The Sourgrapes13 are a well respected graffiti art collective based here in Dallas. They learned their art form on the streets, in the dark, with the adrenaline of being caught for vandalism. It started as lines on pages, then wall murals with full perspective and finally brought to the canvas in a more controlled fine art environment. What comes from this evolution are well executed works of art that continue to tell the stories of their lives and influences. Join RISING Gallery in celebrating this art form at WONDER YEARS.

Friday, July 29 · 7:00pm – 10:00pm

RISING Gallery

800 Jackson St.

Dallas, TX

Cafe Momentum Serves 85 in Pop-Up Dinner

by Steven Doyle photos by Robert Bostick

Café Momentum is a non-profit restaurant concept that serves as a culinary training facility for the disadvantaged. The primary focus is on the Dallas County Youth Village, a juvenile detention facility for 13-17 year old non-violent adjudicated young boys. With the help of the Youth Village Resources of Dallas created a culinary program within the facility that is currently teaching the students basic culinary skills. Upon completing the program, the students graduate to a paid position working in the Youth Village cafeteria. Continue reading →

A Tale of Tacos, BBQ & Beer

by Steven Doyle

A friend of mine who is working on his first entry into the restaurant world called me up to chat about his concept and asked if I was interested in grabbing a few tacos. I am always up for tacos and was curious as to which he would choose, especially since we will be examining tacos with our People’s Choice Award all week long.

Seems the friend was reading Cheap Bastard over at the Observer written by James Beard nominated Alice Laussade and admitted he read her religiously. Earlier this week Miss Bastard did a write up on an Oak Cliff taqueria called Cool & Hot off Eighth Street and I-35 in a converted Gulf station, and in her story she insisted my friend check the place out. I admit, I was a bit curious as well. I thought I had hit most taco stands in Dallas but this one escaped me somehow. Continue reading →

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Filed under BBQ, beer, Crave, Cultural Exchange, Downtown, fun with food, Mexican Food, Nightlife, nipple clamps, Oak Cliff, Steven Doyle, Tacos

by Steven Doyle | July 1, 2011 · 1:28 pm

I Like Pie: Pyramid Bonus Feature

by Steven Doyle

A bonus feature from last night’s meal at the Fairmont Dallas’ Pyramid in downtown Dallas was this exquisite cheesecake. I am going to exasperate chef Maggie Huff who has recently taken over the pastry duties at the hotel.

When Maggie started working for executive chef Natera at the Fairmont the asked her to make a cheesecake. She likened the cheesecake duty to that of a chef making a simple rib-eye steak. Perhaps not the most imaginative thing a pastry chef could make, she elevated the pastry with some aplomb, creating something that has sold so well Natera has asked her to keep it on the menu. Continue reading →

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Filed under chefs, Cocktails, Downtown, fun with food, Steven Doyle

by Steven Doyle | July 1, 2011 · 12:13 pm

A Peek at the Pyramid

by Steven Doyle

Chef Andre Natera celebrated his year at the Fairmont Dallas last month with little fanfare but with a personal excitement for the Dallas food scene and bigger hopes for making our city more destination than it is today.

How does a single chef perform such an audacious feat single-handedly? He doesn’t. The Zen-chef who adheres to French technique with a vast respect for all things local has always maintained that it is the responsibility of each chef to promote and encourage the next generation of cooks that will take their place in front of our plates.

This sometimes begs me to question the role of an executive chef. Is it their responsibility to grow young chefs to eventually replace themselves, or should they be more concerned with promoting their own brand? Perhaps the answer is both. Continue reading →

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Filed under chefs, Crave, Downtown, Food Porn Alert, Steven Doyle