Tag Archives: Graham Dodds

by | July 12, 2013 · 3:32 pm

Soft Shell Crabs, Red Wattle Pig and Long Beans Await You At Central 214

DSC08723by Steven Doyle

Last week our beloved wine guru, Andrew Chalk, checked out the new summer menu at Central 214. The rest of the staff was so taken by the menu and the glowing review Andrew had for the restaurant and Chef Graham Dodds that we went in for a looksee ourselves. We were not prepared for what the chef had in store. Some of these are specials, and others can be found on the current menu. What is amazing is the fact that Dodds always keeps it fresh. Let’s just call this Central 214 Week at CraveDFW and move forward with the feast we enjoyed.  Continue reading →

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by | July 11, 2013 · 11:33 am

Central 214’s Amber West Has A New Cocktail Menu Q&A

DSC08705by Steven Doyle

One of our most favorite cocktailiers in Dallas can be found behind the stick at Central 214 in the Palomar Hotel. Amber West draws much of her inspiration from what is growing around her. Be it in a few solitary pots she has hidden across the hotel campus, or those found in her secret garden at home. What is fresh, what is now, is what the young bartender finds most exciting.

After reading Andrew Chalk’s write up on a recent dinner he experienced at the hotel restaurant, we set out to have a taste of our own. Graham Dodds is up to his usual shenanigans in the kitchen, and we have even more to report about his new menu, but we also had a chance to usher Ms. West away from her confines to the Palomar patio for a brief visit.  Continue reading →

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by | July 9, 2013 · 2:01 pm

Central 214 Summer Menu

IMG_1665Daily Special: Squash Carpaccio with a Chanterelle Conserva and Squash Blossom Fritters

by Andrew Chalk

Central 214, the aspirational New American farm-to-table restaurant at the Hotel Palomar, has just introduced execuchef Graham Dodds’ summer menu. The changes are far-reaching, introducing salads that glorify the vegetables and fruit of summer, beef ribs that put those expensive (if you count queuing time) central Texas barbecue places to shame, and juicy brined Berkshire pork chop that has rich flavors that shows off the restaurant’s careful sourcing policy.

I have said in the past that the local sourcing policy as Central 214 stopped at the edge of the plate. I described the wine list as a hit parade of the bottom 40 from California and of national corporate dominance. Scratch that. The list has undergone a total cellardectomy and now features at least six Texas wines (more details below) and a 360⁰ vision about origin. Add to that a comprehensive cocktail list by mixologist Amber West and Central 214 continues its march to the forefront of Dallas restaurants.          Continue reading →

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by | May 2, 2013 · 2:29 pm

This Week On craveRADIO: April 28

28_2013_04_Crave_Radio_Dodds-3830by Steven Doyle    photos by Robert Bostick

If you did not tune into craveRADIO this past weekend, you missed a lot. We just finished our fifth show and the guests are lining up to join the fun. Last Sunday we featured chef Graham Dodds from Central 214 in Dallas, along with his bar manager, Amber West.

Chef Dodds can be a bit shy at times, probably stemming from his conservative British and Scottish roots. But that was soon remedied as Amber West invited us all to taste her cocktails that she had been cask conditioning. The Equestrian is a playful take on the Mint Julep, something she conjured up in anticipation of the Kentucky Derby. You can sample this cocktail for a cause at Central 214 through the end of the week.   Continue reading →

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by | February 19, 2013 · 10:24 am

Promise Of Peace Raises Funds For Camp And New Garden

DSC05570by Steven Doyle

Recently I attended a special event benefitting the Promise of Peace Gardens at Central 214, hosted by chef Graham Dodds and Café Momentum director and chef, Chad Houser. This collaborative event between Kimpton Hotels and Promise of Peace helped fund the summer kids’ camps and the building of a new garden at CC Young Retirement Center on Earth Day 2013. Continue reading →

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by | January 3, 2013 · 2:38 pm

Graham Dodds Goat and Beer Dinner

grahamby Steven Doyle

Central 214’s Graham Dodds is one of our very favorite chefs in the Dallas and he is repeatedly raising the bar for fresh and local, but besides that his cuisine is truly innovative. If you know Dodds even the slightest bit you know he appreciates his goat.

This is why Dodds is teaming up with Texas favorites, Windy Hill Organics and Real Ale Brewing Company, for a delectable six-course Goat & Beer Dinner at Central 214 on Thursday, January 17, 2013.  Price is just $70 per person (plus tax & gratuity), including beer pairings.  Continue reading →

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by | November 27, 2012 · 9:15 am

Enter The New Fall Menu At Central 214

by Steven Doyle

The Fall menu at Central 214 is classically Chef Graham Dodds. We have written plenty about Chef Dodds in the past, as he was one of the pioneers of cooking what we raise locally. It does take a bit of expertise to summon local produce in months where little can be found in North Texas, and with great expense, but the relationships Dodds has forged help with his efforts to bring incredible bounty in a time when many are foraging trucks sent from California.

That bounty comes from such purveyors as Eden Creek Farms, Caprino Royale, Tom Spicer, Tassione Farms, Windy Meadows, The Texas Honeybee Guild and Eden’s Organics. These are names of our local heroes plowing through to ensure you have the healthiest meats and produce available in North Texas.   Continue reading →

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by | November 21, 2012 · 10:57 am

Happy Chefsgiving: Graham Dodds

by Steven Doyle

Thanksgiving is upon us once again and all the gobblers are running for cover. To get you in the mood for a little fun and relaxation we asked a few chefs around Dallas a few questions so we get our dinner cooked just right. We will run their answers both today and tomorrow, so check back often to see how your favorite chef weighs in on the holiday.

Chef Graham Dodds runs a tight kitchen at Central 214 which is located at the Palomar Hotel in Dallas. Dodds doesn’t subscribe to the farm-to-table movement, he lives it. The chef is an avid supporter of the local farm community and according to his mother he wanted to a beekeeper when he was growing up. Now with a family of his own Dodds most likely has a bit different take on Thanksgiving than he did as a child.       Continue reading →

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