Tag Archives: Roots Southern Table

Be Lucky in 2026, Eat Your Peas -or- How to Appease Your Peas


by Steven Doyle

Black-eyed peas have long been a traditional New Years dish with the thought that they bring the eater good luck. The tradition dates back to the Civil War, when Union troops, especially in areas targeted by General William Tecumseh Sherman, typically stripped the countryside of all stored food, crops, and livestock, and destroyed whatever they could not carry away. At that time, Northerners considered “field peas” and field corn suitable only for animal fodder and did not steal or destroy these humble foods.

It’s a southern thing.

There are a few great places to enjoy your personal pot of good luck in the Dallas area. Certainly, look to the obvious spots such as Celebration where they have been serving up southern hospitality since 1971. In addition to your black-eyed peas, you can also find a great chicken fried steak, catfish and other hearty dishes to start your year off right.    Continue reading

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We Revisit Tifffany Derry’s Roots Southern Kitchen

Roots Southern Table in Farmers Branch is more than just a restaurant—it’s a deeply personal expression of Southern culinary identity. Chef Tiffany Derry’s upbringing in Southeast Texas touches every plate, bringing together elements of Creole, soul food, and refined Southern cooking with global technique. The menu reflects a reverence for tradition but refuses to be boxed in by it.

Each dish is layered, nuanced, and prepared with purpose, inviting diners to rediscover familiar flavors in unexpected ways. While the presentation is upscale, the soul of the food remains deeply comforting.

Chef Tiffany Derry is a celebrated Texas-based chef and restaurateur known for blending Southern tradition with global technique. Raised in Beaumont, she trained at the Art Institute of Houston and gained international culinary experience before rising to national fame through appearances on shows like Top Chef and Top Chef All-Stars. She is the founder of Tiffany Derry Concepts and co-founder of T2D Concepts, the hospitality group behind Roots Southern Table, Roots Chicken Shak and more recent, Radici Wood Fired Grill.

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Five Fabulous Restaurants to Try This Week

AllGood Cafe

Here are the top five restaurants of the week, offering a mix of classic comfort, Southern elegance, and modern culinary creativity. When you check them out be sure to mention CraveDFW and show a little love!

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Chef Tiffany Warms Us Up To Her Southern Roots

Chef Tiffany Derry, a woman who is truly America’s sweetheart. It was her insistence to stand out from the Top Chef crowd of chefs on season seven where smarminess is generally a theme and backstabbing is de rigueur. That’s not how Tiffany plays it, her genuine personality coupled with the extraordinary ability to cook led this chef to the top of that season’s heap, which begat an amazing television career which includes another season of Top Chef (All Stars), a gig on Bar Rescue and numerous judging appearances for both Top Chef and Top Chef Jr.. If that is not enough, and is it ever really, she has her own PBS series being filmed as this is written.

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