This week we checked in at Bolsa to visit with the new executive chef Joel Harrington who just returned from a three year gig as kitchen director at Red Rooster in New York. You may recall Harrington from his Dallas past where he served as chef de cuisine at Fearing’s, and exec chef at Stephan Pyles and Charlie Palmer’s. Bringing Harrington back from New York was a major coup for Bolsa as the chef has some major skills as evidenced by his new menu at the Oak Cliff restaurant. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Oak Cliff
Bacon By The Bucket At Local Oak
The obsession with bacon only gains more kinetic energy, never stopping to wait for the world to catch up. And that is probably OK by us. Bacon, with all of its sweet, smokey, crispy goodness lends a bit of savory crunch to just about any meal from what could otherwise be an extremely mundane sandwich or burger, to a sprite salad topping that makes an omnivore smile with anticipation. But bacon does just fine on its own. Just ask the good people over at Local Oak in Oak Cliff. They sell bacon by the bucket. Continue reading
Filed under Steven Doyle
Enjoy Oak Cliff’s Mardi Gras Celebration Weekend February 14th and 15th
Go Oak Cliff will once again bring the revelry of Mardi Gras to the streets of Oak Cliff with their annual Mardi Gras Oak Cliff celebration, February 14th and 15th.
The two-day celebration features the OCarnivale Masquerade Ball and the Mardi Gras Oak Cliff parade, complete with marching bands, floats, classic cars, and more. Also hosted in Oak Cliff this weekend is the Dash for the Beads, a spirited 5K that includes a costume contest and post-race party at Kidd Springs Park. Continue reading
Filed under Steven Doyle
A History of Carolina Chicken Bogs
This story takes place in Horry County South Carolina during the 1800’s on a plantation owned by Captain Henry Buck who was originally from Maine. This area was also the home of a Native Tribe called Chicora who lived along the Pee Dee River all the way up to Cape Fear River North Carolina. Rice and timber was the main source for economic wealth in this area and Henry Buck was one of the main controllers of these two resources.
It is recorded that Henry owned over 100 slaves on his plantation on the banks of the Wacamaw River which also ran along with the Pee Dee River. On this plantation it was said that the slaves who worked this land were treated very kindly by Henry and that they were also compensated for their labor. The slaves on this plantation were also allowed to plant their own vegetables and raise their own livestock such as chickens, goats and pigs. With large amounts of food resources the slaves would make sausage, ham and bacon which were smoked in a shed that was built just for the purpose of smoking. Continue reading
Filed under Eric Spigner
The Evolution of South Carolina BBQ
by Chef Eric Spigner
At the base of Calhoun County, right where the Low Country of South Carolina begins is the town of Cameron. Here in this small town lived a tribe of Native Americans called Kusso-Natchez Tribe also known as Edisto Indians. This tribe lived along the Santee River around the late 1600’s the land along this river was purchased by an Englishman named Alexander Cameron who owned a 2,600 acre plantation in Abbeville which was given to him for his services in the French-Indian War.
Alexander Cameron purchased this land currently known now as Cameron, South Carolina for its abundance of pecan trees and the soil was perfect for the growth of cotton. Alexander would have some of his slaves come from the Abbeville Plantation to work on his newly purchased land to man cotton and pick pecans. During their stay on the land the slaves started to hunt and fish along the Santee River. This is when they encountered the Kusso-Natchez Tribe who they befriended and began to have an interesting relationship with. Continue reading
Filed under Eric Spigner
First Look: Dallas Grilled Cheese Company
There is a wave of new restaurants hitting the shores of Dallas very soon, and some of them will feature that iconic American classic, the grilled cheese sandwich. Sure, at first glance this looks like snow day kitchen fare, something you would make when you are too lazy to even shower, but for one new restaurant in the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff they have elevated this primo sandwich to new heights. Enter the Dallas Grilled Cheese Company. Continue reading
Filed under Steven Doyle
Elvis Turns 80 Tomorrow, Celebrate Tonight At El Ranchito
El Ranchito hosted their first Elvis night in 2003 when El Ranchito’s general manager Juan Sanchez, brother of co-founder Laura Sanchez wanted to honor his favorite singer. Since the age of 14, Juan would sing and record himself dancing and singing like Elvis. He later participated in Elvis impersonator contests around Dallas and eventually started his own at El Ranchito. Juan now emcees El Ranchito’s Elvis impersonator contests, which are held in August and January every year. Continue reading
Filed under Steven Doyle
Bolsa Paired A Beautiful Dinner With Diplomatico Rum
A new program that Bolsa has created is what looks like will be a once a month dinner with a fab cocktail pairing. This past week we checked out the dinner which was paired with a variety of Diplomatico Rum cocktails, all cleverly mixed and delicious. Unlike most cocktail or even wine dinners, Bolsa started precisely on time which made the evening flow without any noticeable hesitation. This is particularly good when it is a school night, allowing guests to comfortably dine without a rush, instead flowing at a fantastic pace. Continue reading
Filed under Steven Doyle
















