Category Archives: Judy Chamberlain

Lobster in the Winter

tjby Judy Chamberlain

A heap of Maine lobster on a buttery bun with a side of Caesar salad rocks any time of year, and nobody does it better than seafood guru Jon Alexis at TJ’s Seafood Market. This is the petite size. I add mayo, which Jon says is not the way the original Connecticut lobster roll was made when it was invented near the turn of the last century.

By the time I was growing up in the Nutmeg State, the cold version with mayo and celery had become more popular than the original. Thanks to Jon, I am able to pass along to you the real story. Who else tells you these things?

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At Napoli’s in Grapevine, Food is King!

nap1by Judy Chamberlain

When….the…moon…hits…your…eye…like…a big-a’…pizza pie….

Just a few weeks ago, this was a cute little Mom & Pop dining destination on the main thoroughfare (yes, Main Street) in downtown Grapevine, Napoli’s.  The pizzas were good, and you could get a nice meatball or eggplant sandwich at lunchtime. For dinner, pizza was a popular choice.

I’ve always been fond of their eggplant parmesan sandwiches, and the gelato selections in the little room they opened some time back next to the dining room are lovely.  Continue reading

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Sushi Sam in Southlake Won Me Over

image1by Judy Chamberlain

All sushi is not created equal. Just compare what you get at Nobu, Tei An, Tei Tei Robata and the like with the standard fare one nearly always encounters in lesser-priced surroundings. And that revelation isn’t limited to suburban outposts of “hip” chains flourishing with the common goal of serving Grade C sushi at Grade B prices.

While Grade B is a good thing when it comes to unfiltered maple syrup, it’s not going to cut the wasabi with a real sushi snob, nor is Grade C. One will find plenty of both out there.  Continue reading

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Colleyville: Something’s Cooking Here, And It’s Not Barbecue

oysterby Judy Chamberlain        photos by Travis Baugh

Condos and consignment stores dot the stretch of Highway 26 that swings into Colleyville, a bucolic town not far from DFW Airport, where cows graze in pastures in front of houses both grand and modest. I know Highway 26 well, especially on the side where it winds into Southlake Boulevard. Long before I moved to Dallas, I shopped by phone at Neiman Marcus Last Call in Grapevine Mills, the best location in the chain. I love, love, love that store and all the folks who work there.

To get to Colleyville from the Bass Pro Rd. exit on 635, one cuts across in Southlake at Kimball. The construction near the airport is nerve-wracking.    Continue reading

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Balcony Club Celebrates 25th Anniversary

balconyby Judy Chamberlain

More than two decades ago, Dallas resident Tommy Stanco, an avid gourmet cook and former professional children’s entertainer, combined his love of hospitality and music to create an aura that would transform Lakewood’s Balcony Club from a simple piano bar to a haven for live music and Texas-sized camaraderie featuring as many as 70 bands each month.

Stanco – who went to work at The Balcony Club as a bartender on Valentine’s Day 1990 and bought the place from original owners Burke and Jo Barr – has been its sole owner for over twenty years. Recently, he added his own band to the roster of regulars on the club’s calendar. Continue reading

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Still Celebrities After All These Years

By Judy Chamberlain

Southlake’s ladies-who-lunch, take note: Bill and Barbara Harris have opened Silver Spoon Cafe and Bakery in Southlake. It’s located just off Southlake Boulevard near Timarron Country Club; look for the hot pink awnings and hot pink umbrellas. Bill and Barbara, who were the founders and original owners of the Celebrity Cafe mini-chain (there’s one in Highland Park Village), have created an inviting space.

The cafe does not offer table service, so you have to get in line to order, then help yourself utensils, napkins and the beverages you’ve purchased. The food, which can take a while to arrive, will be brought to your table. Breakfast service begins at 8 a.m., and the rest of the menu is lunch-oriented. Continue reading

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