Executive Chef Matt McCallister photo via Kevin Marple

FT33′s Executive Chef Matt McCallister welcomes McCrady’s Chef de Cuisine, Jeremiah Langhorne, for a guest chef dinner & one-of-a-kind dining experience.

Chef Langhorne is a foraging chef from Charleston, South Carolina. He is obviously the bomb because Matt McCallister would probably not be caught cheffing with anyone that is opposite of the bomb. Expect lots of small bites, as well as an eight-course menu highlighting flavors of the the South.

WHEN:
Monday, June 17, 2013 at 6:00 p.m.

WHERE:
FT33
1617 Hi Line Drive
Suite 250
Dallas, Texas 75207
214.741.2629

COST:
$125 per person for the eight-course menu, excluding tax and gratuity
$75 for complementary wine pairings selected by FT33’s General Manager, Jeff Gregory

RSVP:
Reservations are required and seating is limited.
RSVP to FT33 by calling 214.741.2629.

photo via fibrotv.com

Look, no one around here is trying to be a culinary student classmate hater. All I’m saying is a line needs to be drawn— and fast. The good news is this: The only people in my class that know I’m a food writer are the three people that are not lazy. All of the other people have no idea my fingers can type all kinds of memories that were formed due to their Guinness Book of World Records— laziness.

We finished the written and cooking exams this week. I successfully completed Foundations II with an A. You guys have no idea how much torture came with this A. I’ll start from the beginning. Just when it seemed like a regular class, all of the sudden, an explosion of lazy people were everywhere. I’m sorry. I am not enrolled in culinary school to take care of lazy people. I’m just wondering why a lazy student stopped by the library last week to take pictures of recipes I worked on for at least three hours. Do I look like your secretary? This is when my frown wrinkle officially began to wrinkle.

I am a notetaker. If there was some kind of competition for notetaking, it would be over for every other notetaker across the country. I have a fast pen. This fast pen releases ink faster than a flash or a speeding bullet. It is really that fast. Ink glides like skates all over the place. Ink is on my left hand, the table, my chef coat— everywhere. When I get home, I relax with some Doritos and slowly transfer these notes to the back of a recipe card. Simple. This takes effort, which means lazy people are not achieving this or anything else on their own.

Believe it or not, there was a bully in our class during Foundations II. We don’t have a principal, so I decided to keep this information to myself. She must have known not to bully me because of how scary my face looks sometimes. This bully did not know that I was a school teacher for nine years and would always be five thousand steps ahead of her sad bully body.

She could easily be described as a loser, but I have decided to go into a more detailed description. She is loud. This kind of loud comes with several louder sounds in between the already loud parts of each sentence. Then there is the comment here and there that’s supposed to sting the people she is bullying. Does she not realize people living life as non-losers really do not bother listening to loud, lazy, attention seeking, non-winner bullies? True story.

After attempting to ignore her for all of eternity, or at least until Foundations II ended, it happened. She walked over and said, “Hey Ashli!!! Girl, you take the BEST notes ever. I’m gonna have to steal your notes!! How do you take such AWESOME notes!!?” Really? How about because I don’t sleep in class. That is a fantastic start. Staying awake in class has been proven to be a sure thing when attempting to take notes. Oh, how about pick up a pencil and do the unthinkable— write! Actually, being present when the teacher speaks is definitely another plan that just might work. After finally figuring out a way to appear unapproachable, people stopped asking me questions. Answers to all questions can easily be known on your own— by not being lazy.

black bean veggie burger

We were on our way to Bread Winners for Sunday brunch, but decided to eat at Jake’s after seeing the massive line out front. Little did we know things have gone down— way down— over at Jake’s on McKinney.

No, you are not mistaken. Jake’s really has been awarded 2nd place for the saddest piece of cheese to ever be served in a restaurant. While the cheese on the tuna melt at Liberty Kitchen in Houston remains solidly in 1st place, Jake’s is not far behind.

I’m just wondering how the kitchen sent this out. Every cook within 48 feet had to have seen the terrifying earthquake-like crack running through the center of this scary slice of sadness. Not only was the cheese an insult to acceptable cheese everywhere, the edges had heat lamp burn all over the place. Part of the cheese seemed old and cold, while the rest was simply frightened. P.S. Jake’s was not busy. There were no more than six tables inside and out.

It’s really weird to look at another person you’re having lunch with and watch their face morph into a look of being traumatized by their food. This is not something I would recommend anyone attempt to see. The person across from me had none other than a piece of hair inside his mouth. After a full blown hair-in-his-food investigation, it has been proven that there was a curly hair in his non-curly fries and inside his mouth. This makes a total of two hairs. That’s right. It seems unlikely, but I am here to tell you that I witnessed a person having total stranger hair anguish on Sunday.

Our server soon took the tainted fries back to the kitchen and returned with a new batch. This did not provide sudden comfort to the hair eater at our table. Once there is a stranger’s hair inside your mouth and on food you have ordered, um, it is pretty much impossible to move on with your life until you leave. No matter how new something is, forget it. All thoughts go back to being victimized by two pieces of stranger hair. Nobody likes being a victim of stranger hair or scary cheese. It’s just not right.

FIVE: High 5!

FOUR: Please & Thank You

THREE: Yada

TWO: Double Wow

ONE: Wow + Ouch = Wouch

_______________________
Jake’s‎
2702 McKinney Avenue
Dallas, TX 75204
214.754.8001
jakesuptown.com
_______________________

After deciding what to order, we made our way to the counter. This is the first moment things began to feel above average dirty. It was around 7:00pm and the containers on the counter looked like a tornado blew through in a funky kind of way.

My husband tipped $11 at the counter. Counter tipping is annoying because tipping before service is received feels like being violated. Tipping when the experience is over is the right thing to do. This is how I feel, so it must be true. The guy I married doesn’t put that much thought into it and wishes I would do the same.

As we sat waiting for our burgers, the group of condiments on our table was as sad as condiments sitting on a table could ever be. It is a fact that crusty dried up condiment bottles can be prevented or at least taken care of when the table is being bussed.

I then looked over to the left and there were trash bags, a sanitation bucket, a dirty bus tub, and trash cans only a few feet away. Twisted Root Burger might be going for the relaxed, non-serious restaurant scene, but this scene is actually very scary. This particular view is not working out for anyone at Twisted Root Burger. I recently learned all about red sanitation buckets in culinary school. Just so you know, there is a way to go about having a trash area in a restaurant and this is not it.

I soon walked over to find a fork and knife. After the trash area and the explosion of dirtiness at the counter, the utensil area sealed the dirty deal. There is really no reason to have this much dirt and trash in the same spot a person is getting something that will eventually end up in their mouth.

black bean veggie burger

It was really weird when I picked up my veggie burger at the counter. On the side of the plate was the tiniest piece of lettuce ever to be considered a piece of acceptable burger lettuce. Since we were doing all of the work ourselves, I figured the $11 tip my husband left in the beginning meant I could ask for more lettuce. The guy at the counter did not hesitate to give me a huge piece of lettuce, which immediately caused total lettuce recovery to occur.

The black bean veggie burger reminds me of the burger at Jake’s, minus being better. This is not a bad burger. It wasn’t dry, so there was reason to rejoice. It’s extremely hard to rave about food when a restaurant feels like a dirty dish rag. Twisted Root Burger feels dirty. Plain and simple.

FIVE: High 5!

FOUR: Please & Thank You

THREE: Yada

TWO: Double Wow

ONE: Wow + Ouch = Wouch

photo via dev.marcussamuelsson.com

Look, it is quite possible I previously implied that the Austin Food & Wine Festival is for rich people. Maybe I was wrong. How was I supposed to know someone very nice would invite me to a pre-Austin Food & Wine Festival event as part of the media? This should give poor people something to live for. Even though tickets to the actual festival are $250 or $850, um, there is a chance I might get my hands on none other than a media pass.

I have a feeling that since the Austin Food & Wine Festival is one of the hosts tomorrow, the media pass person will have to be there. Where else would the media pass person be? This is a no-brainer. Maybe I can walk around, slowly, trying as hard as I can to seem important. Maybe I can find some kind of respected Austin food writer and become fast friends. I have an inner feeling that the festival media pass person is going to love me. Maybe I can tell this person in charge of media passes that my birthday was yesterday and no one said Happy Birthday. This will probably make the media pass person feel sorry for me. Sometimes when people feel sorry for someone else, they decide to make that person happy by giving away a cupcake or maybe a media pass to the Austin Food & Wine Festival. It is the right thing to do.

Press Release Details: (NY, NY) – Foodrepublic.com, W Austin, and the Austin Food & Wine Festival will host the 2nd Annual Food Republic Interview Lounge in Austin on Friday, April 26, featuring appearances by chefs and other culinary personalities from the Austin Food & Wine Festival and comedians from the Moontower Comedy Festival. The all-day live interview event, which is open to Austin Food & Wine Festival ticketholders, W Austin guests and the public as space permits, will feature *Andrew Zimmern*, *Marcus Samuelsson*, *Graham Elliot*, *MichaelIan Black*, *Christina Tosi*, *Paul Qui* and more special guests soon to be announced.

Food Republic Editorial Director Richard Martin and Contributing Editor Matt Rodbard will interview the culinary and comedy personalities onstage, exploring food and drink from a variety of angles. Also participating are Chef de Cuisine, Lawrence Kocurek and Executive Pastry Chef Janina O’Leary of TRACE, the acclaimed restaurant located on the ground floor of W Austin, and other well-known personalities from Austin’s flourishing food and drink scene. The talks will be filmed for the websites foodrepublic.com and austinfoodandwinefestival.com. The Food Republic Interview Lounge kicks off at 11 am on Friday, April 26, with interviews running continually through 5:30 pm. W Austin’s libationist Joyce Garrison will be on hand throughout the event mixing up complimentary craft cocktails for interviewees and event guests. There is limited seating available, so attendees are advised to arrive early.

photo via wikipedia.com

Pen clickers are kind of like bag lickers because even though these people are violating innocent victims, the innocent victims feel they can’t say anything about it. Pen clicking while someone else is trying to focus is the most annoying act in existence. I would rather a stranger lick their fingers and slap my face before handing me a bag-licked bag of groceries.

The other day I was trying to concentrate on what my teacher was teaching at Le Cordon Bleu. All of the sudden, a mysterious pen began to click and click and click and click and click. This was not a one-click in order to use the pen or a one-click to end pen use. This was not a one-two click to get pumped up for note taking either. No. This was a full blown pen clicking catastrophe. I can’t remember the last time a pen clicker violated me. It’s been years since this kind of torture has been reality. Maybe it was in elementary school or maybe the memory is so painful it has been repressed to the deepest part of my brain.

It seemed like a regular day. It really did. I had my quadruple espresso shot iced latte with 2% milk from Starbucks as usual. Things appeared fine. It was time to take notes while listening to my teacher. Who knew a pen clicker would begin to click. It was non-stop. If there was an award for the longest consecutive pen click in the history of clicking a pen, we would have a winner. I quickly noticed that all I noticed was the sound of this pen clicking and clicking and clicking. I could no longer take notes on properly preparing hollandaise sauce because I had to start counting the clicks instead. After counting the clicks, to see just how high the number would go, I changed my mind and decided to analyze the fast-slow-fast-slow-stop click pattern.

The unthinkable happened two days later. While attempting to listen to my teacher teach again, a total of three students became pen clickers at the same time. This was no ordinary group-pen-click. This group-pen-click was an offbeat kind of click. It could have been the tune to a song on a weird radio station. This is when a full blown pen clicker investigation began. Looking around the room, it came to my attention that only one student in the entire class did not have the ability to click a pen. This one and only pen in the class had none other than a lid. Having a lid easily prevents a person from pen clicking.

People that are pen clicking are in some kind of trance. Maybe I’m a pen clicker and just don’t know it because when anyone is a part of this horrific act, they don’t realize it. I’m thinking every person on the planet has committed this heinous pen clicking crime at least four times. It’s like being hypnotized. Pen clicking falls into the same category as finger-table-top-tapping or random-table-leg-kicking. Just like the student breaking the unwritten college seating assignment rule during Foundations 1, no one around here is upset. There isn’t a bit of pen clicker hostility up in my club. We are all God’s creatures— even pen clickers, whistlers, and bag lickers. Amen.

Serving food and drinks at a movie theater is nothing more than a minimal bonus that should not excite anyone. Do not get your hopes in a tizzy thinking this movie theater’s food will ever exceed a concession stand status. The odds simply do not exist.

There’s this red button movie people are supposed to push on their movie seat tray whenever they are ready to order. Our button turned red and stayed red. Why attach an exciting red ordering button to my movie seat tray if it’s going to take fifteen minutes for someone to arrive? I wanted to go get my drink, popcorn, and pizza all by myself. If I had my way, I would never push that scary red hostage situation button ever again.

When I requested to be my own movie theater server, my husband insisted I be patient. Really? Is fifteen minutes not being patient enough? You tell me. Five minutes is being regular patient. Ten minutes is when frown wrinkles have a right to start wrinkling just a little. Fifteen minutes is a full blown being patient deal breaker.

After waiting forever and ever and ever and ever and ever, our greasy pizza arrived. This was not the end of the world because we expected this particular movie theater pizza to suck. As the drinks and food were handed over— spillage. That’s right. My purse was violated by liquid at Studio Movie Grill. This might be a first world purse problem under certain circumstances, but not when this particular purse is none other than a LV birthday present purse. This purse makes the sky blue. Sunshine is all over the place because of this purse. For the record, this is the first magical purse I’ve ever owned in my life.

No one around here wants a movie theater food server to get in trouble for forcing a purse to have different shades of stain for all of purse eternity. The only thing any customer could possibly want is for management to solve the problem. This is part of a manager’s job description. There’s a problem— attempt to solve it. Management is supposed to do something about it. If you aren’t going to solve it, then don’t say you are.

When the movie ended, the manager investigated my purse and asked me to fill out a form. This form included a space for my name, number, what happened, email address, and yada. He then said someone would contact me on Monday. Instead of receiving a phone call, I started receiving daily spam emails from none other than Studio Movie Grill. Who does this? At no time during the mini-manager conversation two weeks ago did the manager say, “We are going to use your email address to further violate you with skin crawling spam emails in which you never approved.” No. He did not say this. Forgiving Studio Movie Grill is the only option. Being mad just makes people look scary.

FIVE: High 5!

FOUR: Please & Thank You

THREE: Yada

TWO: Double Wow

ONE: Wow + Ouch = Wouch

__________________
Studio Movie Grill
13933 North Central Expressway
Dallas, TX 75243
214.459.0977
studiomoviegrill.com‎
__________________

Executive Chef John Tesar

Le Cordon Bleu students must successfully complete an externship in order to earn an associate degree in culinary arts. Having just completed Foundations I (…straight A’s), I experienced an uncontrollable urge to take yellow externship papers to Spoon Bar & Kitchen and hand them to none other than— John Tesar.

There was no way of knowing whether he’d lift his glasses in a terrifyingly slow motion moment before telling me to beat it– get lost– scram. Just so you know, I respect John Tesar— and it’s not because he might wear Prada chef shoes. A tear could easily squeak out of my right eye while trying to express the respect I feel for this chef. His talent is undeniably intriguing and that’s not all. He makes me nervous. I like it.

After turning in the completed paperwork to Le Cordon Bleu yesterday, I received a blue cravat. For non Le Cordon Bleu people, this is a big deal. Massive. Most students wear a white cravat. I went to school three hours early just so I could stand outside the externship office and wait for this blue cravat. This is an example of complete and total blue cravat spasticness.

The next step is to stage at Spoon before the externship begins. Feeling kind of dorky, weird, and insecure are all unacceptable in the world of working near John Tesar. I will be a champion with total cooking confidence.

Mesa Chicken Salad
photo via gangway advertising

Mondays
Fresh Berry Salad
Salad greens, baby spinach, sliced strawberries, fresh raspberries, fresh blueberries, grilled chicken breast, red onion, feta cheese, strawberry balsamic vinaigrette.

Tuesdays
Greek Chicken Salad
Salad greens, grilled chicken, tomato, artichoke hearts, kalamata olive, bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, feta cheese, creamy cucumber vinaigrette.

Wednesdays
Asian Noodle Shrimp Salad
Bibb lettuce cup, chilled honey-soy marinated rice noodles, snap peas, bell pepper, fresh cilantro, mint, sweet-chili grilled shrimp, crispy rice noodle garnish.

Thursdays
Mesa Chicken Salad
Salad greens, grilled chicken, roasted peppers, roasted corn, red onion, avocado, tortilla shell pieces, creamy roasted poblano dressing.

Fridays
Antipasto Salad
Romaine stalks, salami, fresh mozzarella, marinated garbanzo beans, sun-dried tomato, Peppadew pepper, red wine vinaigrette.

_____________________________

Locations for Bread Winners can be found—> here.

What:
Granada Theater & Chevy Music Showcase Announce Monthy Series at Sundown

When:
Below are individual dates & times
(The last Thursday of each month)

Location:
Sundown at Granada
3520 Greenville Avenue
Dallas, 75206

The Bands:
Burning Hotels – 4/25
Larry g(EE) – 5/30
Somebody’s Darling – 6/27
Josh Weathers – 7/25
+ more bands to come!

Burning Hotels – 4/25
Sex-wave, full of energy with electronic textures, danceable rhythms &
catchy hooks. GOES GOOD WITH: The Killers, Depeche Mode, Twin
Shadow, New Order

Larry g(EE) – 5/30
Modern yet timeless blend of funk, rock and over the top soul
grooves. GOES GOOD WITH: Fitz & The Tantrums, Alabama Shakes,
Mayer Hawthorn, Stevie Wonder

Somebody’s Darling – 6/27
Roots-rockers lay it on the line with lean,
loud delivery and powerhouse vocals. GOES GOOD WITH: Alabama
Shakes, Janis Joplin, My Morning Jacket, Lucinda Williams

Josh Weathers – 7/25
Rock-n-soul infused, high energy 4 piece powerhouse based out of Fort Worth.
GOES GOOD WITH: Amos Lee, David Gray, Ray Lamontagne, Allen Stone

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target="_blank">Belly & Trumpet will begin
serving href="http://almostveggiehouston.com/?attachment_id=30303"
target="_blank">brunch this Sunday! Some people use
exclamation points to pretend they are more excited than just basic
excited. To me, this is the only punctuation possible to
appropriately express the level of excitement happening at this
very moment. I can’t imagine trying to find daytime artistic
interpretation, with sunlight, while brunching at Belly &
Trumpet. Maybe the paintings throughout this tiny old house on
McKinney will feel a bit different. Maybe after four mimosas the
paintings will force an explosion of brand new artistic
interpretation to suddenly erupt. Day and night can make a
difference in the art world. Many amateur art commoners probably
feel this way.

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src="http://almostveggiehouston.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/1-266x400.jpg"
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egg, bacon, potato, toast
photo via Claire
McCormack

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onion"
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alt="" width="266" height="400" data-id="30284" />
hanger steak kim chee omelette, spring onion
photo via
Claire McCormack

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src="http://almostveggiehouston.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2-400x266.jpg"
alt="" width="400" height="266" data-id="30283" />
french toast, apple, maple syrup photo via Claire
McCormack

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src="http://almostveggiehouston.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/4-400x266.jpg"
alt="" width="400" height="266" data-id="30285" />
njuda deviled eggs photo via Claire McCormack

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pork belly, homestead grits, mustard greens, egg
photo
via Claire McCormack

photo via texasmonthly.com

If you are poor, then you just need to keep being poor somewhere other than the Austin Food & Wine Festival on April 26th – 28th. Rich people do not have time to listen to poor people complain about the cost of this event. I have a feeling the rich people are the people slinging sentences like— “Stop complaining about how expensive the Austin Food & Wine Festival is.”

First of all, no one around here is being an Austin Food & Wine Festival hater. No way. Anyone talking smack about anything having to do with Austin is a brave soul nearing the end of existence as they know it, especially if they live in Dallas. Austin people do not mess around when it comes to Austin. All I’m saying is there’s really nothing any event can offer that validates spending $850 for a ticket. This is how I feel and as long as I’m a citizen of the United States of America, Austin people have to let me express these feelings. It’s my right somewhere in the constitution. All is not lost for almost rich people! Please rejoice, for there is a $250 ticket available as well.

_____________________________________________________________________

Per austinfoodandwinefestival.com:

2-Day Pass – $250
40+ Cooking Demos & Wine Seminars
Saturday & Sunday Grand Tastings
FOOD & WINE Magazine Subscription (US Only) – 1 Year
Additional tastings and demos at The Tasting Room
Upgrade option for Taste of Texas Kickoff Event
Upgrade option for Rock Your Taco Celebrity Chef Showdown
Upgrade options appear on 2nd screen of ticket purchase process

Your ticket for a weekend long epicurean extravaganza, The TASTE Pass delivers a sumptuous experience perfect for every palate. This year’s expanded Grand Tastings feature over 100 food, wine, and spirits purveyors. Learn the art of each chef’s craft during your pick of over 40 cooking demos and informative wine seminars. Take advantage of ample opportunity to sip and sample gourmet delights while interacting with participating chefs and winemakers at dedicated stations around the park. Trust us; your taste buds will thank you. If you attended last year, read about our 2013 updates.

2-Day Pass – $850
40+ Cooking Demos & Wine Seminars + Early Seating
Saturday & Sunday Grand Tastings + Early Entry
FOOD & WINE Magazine Subscription (US Only) – 2 Years
Additional tastings and demos at The Tasting Room
Admission included to Taste of Texas Kickoff Event
Admission included to Rock Your Taco Celebrity Chef Showdown
Exclusive SAVOR Lounge access
Reserved SAVOR Parking at Auditorium Shores

The SAVOR Pass unlocks the ultimate Austin FOOD & WINE Festival experience. Enjoy early seating at cooking demos and wine seminars, early access to each day’s Grand Tasting and the comfort of a dedicated Savor Lounge — complete with private food and drink tastings throughout the day. Then, continue the gourmet perks into the evenings at Friday night’s Taste of Texas event to the tunes of Delta Spirit and Whiskey Shivers, and Saturday night’s Rock Your Taco Celebrity Chef Showdown featuring a performance by Allen Stone.

_____________________________________________________________________

Tickets are—> here.

The schedule is—> here.

Auditorium Shores
800 West Riverside Drive
Austin, TX 78704
512.974.6700

Belly & Trumpet’s interior design will send even the busiest mind spiraling into the darkest part of the unknown. Complete painting drama, filled with an explosion of heartbroken girls, adorn every wall. Maybe these sadly depressed girls appear sadly depressed because some kind of controlling woman-hater-painter decided their painting fate would be a life nailed speechless to a wall.

Even though paintings aren’t alive, this is still sad. One girl’s heart is like a white cloud hopelessly oozing misery down her waif-like silhouette of a body. Her hair is standing up like she’s hanging upside down or something. Confusion consumed every part of my brain just minutes after being seated.

The painter of these pictures must be a man scorned to the depths of relationship hell. You know, like a woman scorned, but a man. It’s the only explanation for what’s happening on the walls at Belly & Trumpet. The black covering their mouths could be any kind of material. I feel like the twiggy-looking females have been forever silenced by this mysterious black covering.

Maybe the painter dated a girl that would not stop talking. Maybe his girlfriend nagged him about long hours of painting at the studio. Maybe because of the painter’s ex-girlfriend, he doesn’t ever want girls to talk again. Who could blame him? It’s understandable. My husband sometimes wishes I would stop talking. He seems to think I’m the only person in Dallas that cannot live life until fully understanding what is up with the paintings at Belly & Trumpet.

One painting is part-girl-part-animal. On the up and up, this non-talking girl is mostly human, with a minimal amount of horns exiting her scalp. Holding arrows makes her somewhat of a hunted animal-human. If pictures could be scared, this one would tremble just a little more than a little. After performing a full blown Belly & Trumpet interior design investigation, it has come to my attention that the artist responsible for the slew of submissively mute female paintings is none other than Ruben Ireland. This guy puts the D in DARK, people.

Before marrying my hard-working husband, most of the pretend paintings purchased were from Bed Bath & Beyond. That’s right. Don’t be a hater. Poor people have to do this during college. For this reason, Ruben Ireland does not have time for me to question the meaning of his art. I’m guessing that while attempting to understand the meaning of art, commoners should interpret the art and call it a day. It’s really nobody’s business. Maybe these girls aren’t sad after all. Since realizing we are all entitled to our own artistic interpretation, everything makes sense now.

shishito peppers

chickpea fries, eggplant, bagna cauda

kampachi, uni, rapini, shitake, thai chili, kaffir

yellowfin tuna, mango, long bean, cucumber, cilantro

prime hanger steak, roasted nut purée

cornish game hen, foie gras, cauliflower, raisin

beet involtini, black trumpet mushroom, arugula pesto

white chocolate panna cotta

semifreddo
pistachio, strawberry, mint

Belly & Trumpet’s executive chef is Brian Zenner, who happens to be chef de cuisine of Oak. Working as sous chef with Zenner is Rudy Mendoza, who previously worked at the Mansion on Turtle Creek. Zenner stated, “With Belly &Trumpet, we are striving to extend beyond the ordinary in everything we do. We are challenging ourselves to be inventive and thoughtful, often taking a classic favorite and adding an exciting twist. Regardless, our primary goal is for our food to be consistently soulful and delicious.”

There’s no fluff necessary to justify what’s going on at places like Oak, FT33, and Belly & Trumpet. Presentation and taste are both a part of the gift being given. Loving Belly & Trumpet is a no-brainer. These guys are doing Dallas a favor.

There are more pictures of Belly & Trumpet—> here.

FIVE: High 5!

FOUR: Please & Thank You

THREE: Yada

TWO: Double Wow

ONE: Wow + Ouch = Wouch

___________________

Belly & Trumpet
3407 McKinney Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75204
214.855.5551
bellyandtrumpet.com
___________________

Chef Dean Fearing
photo via fearingsrestaurants.com

WHEN:
Thursday, March 28th
Reception at 6:30 p.m.
Dinner at 7 p.m.

WHERE:
Fearing’s Restaurant
The Ritz-Carlton
2121 McKinney Avenue
Dallas, TX 75201

PRICE:
$155 per person
Add $50 per person for wine pairings

RESERVATIONS:
Kelsey Holmes
214.922.4817

MENU:
Appetizer
Seared Sea Scallop and Foie Gras
Truffle White Bean Purée, Foie Gras Beurre Noisette

Soup
Creole Louisiana Snapping Turtle Soup
Deviled Quail Eggs, Madeira

Entrée
Braised Boneless Short Ribs
Cauliflower Camembert Purée, Sauce Périgueux

Dessert
White Chocolate Bread Pudding Crème Brûlée
Lemon-Scented Apricots, Salted Bourbon Caramel Sauce

photo via Kevin Marple

When:
Wednesday, March 27th

Where:
DISH Restaurant & Lounge
4123 Cedar Springs Road
Dallas, Texas 75219
dish-dallas.com

Price:
$135 per person
(before tax or gratuity)

Reservations:
Please call 214.522.3474 or Tmceneny@dish-dallas.com

MENU
Liquid Amuse
Niepoort Dry White Porto NV

Aperitif
Breads w/ Flavored Spreads
Ulacia Getariako Txakolina Bianco ‘11

Chilled
Foie Gras Mousse, Crushed Macadamias & Eel Sauce
Château d’Arlay Côtes-du-Jura Vin Jaune ‘03

Warm
Umami Skirt Steak w/ Verjus Hedgehog Chanterelles
Wenzel Gelber Muskateller ‘08

Soup
Duck Avgolemono
Oremus Mandolas Furmint ‘09

Intermezzo
LN2 Strawberry Sorbet w/ Green Peppercorn & Stinging Nettle Jus
Movia Puro Rosé Sparkling Pinot Nero Primorje Slovenia ‘05

Main {two pairings}
Lamb Ossu Bucco & Spicy Lamb Sausage, Polenta, Baby Veggies & Foraged Greens
Gonet-Médeville Ambonnay Grand Cru Rouge Cuvée Athénaïs Coteaux Champenois Millésime ‘07
Bodegas Margon Pricum Paraje de El Santo Prieto Picudo DO Tierra de León ‘07

Sweet {two pairings}
Gooey Pear & Apple Spice-Cake w/ Blackberry Splashes; Cheeses
Chook Sparkling Shiraz S-AUS NV
La Roncaia Attimus Picolit DOCG Colli Orientali del Friuli

Parting Gift/Digestif
Underberg Bitters

All people feeling spastic about crawfish may purchase tickets—> here.

via gdra.org

photo via aidsdallas.ejoinme.org

Purpose:
No Tie Dinner & Dessert Party is a fundraiser benefiting AIDS Services of Dallas.

When:
Saturday, April 6, 2013

Time:
7:00 p.m.

Venue:
Frontiers of Flight Museum
6911 Lemmon Avenue
Dallas, TX 75209

Tickets:
$50 donation

Attire:
Go-G0 60′s theme encouraged

Purchase your tickets—> here.

People not able to attend Le Cordon Bleu may now rejoice, for today is the luckiest day in the history of lucky days. At approximately 4pm this afternoon, I am going to produce a video which will probably be nominated for several culinary training awards. This video is the first of many that promise to force commoners to feel as though they have attended culinary school for a staggering— 3 weeks. That’s right.

Some people continue to cry while cutting an onion. This is a travesty to onions everywhere. While tears are being released from rookie onion-cutters’ ducts, it’s like their faces are telling them to stop being onion-cutting losers. Come on, people! Since I have not cut my finger once, I feel the level necessary to teach knife skills to others has been reached. Check out Almost Veggies TV this Friday for the first video focusing on how to properly dice an onion without crying.

Zoës Kitchen has several locations around the Houston and Dallas area, with one of the most recent openings being located on Westheimer. All of these restaurants exist because of Zoe Cassimus’ lifelong work in the kitchen. Each recipe used at Zoës Kitchen is inspired by her passionate belief in using only the freshest ingredients. Restaurants begin each day creating from scratch. These people promise to be super serious in reference to all that is– fresh.

Zoës is obviously not interested in making people fat or unhealthy stating, “Our dishes are wholesome; our portions generous. It’s Mediterranean-inspired comfort food with customers’ dietary concerns in mind–nothing fried with gluten-free and vegetarian options.” Just try and be obese while eating at Zoës. It’s not going to happen.

We recently stopped by to taste many of the different menu items at the Westheimer location. The general manager greeted us in a laid back, positive “I love my job” way. There’s nothing more exciting than meeting a manager that doesn’t suck. This guy honestly stands behind the product he represents. After a mini interview, he’s definitely proud of the standards for health and excellence that Zoës Kitchen strives to achieve. Zoës doesn’t just care about healthy food, they are also committed to fundraisers and a children’s artwork program. The artwork seen throughout the restaurant will definitely put a smile on every customer’s face.

Sad people against shady service, rejoice! Zoës has a counter for ordering, which means you do not have to wait for a server. Feel free to get your own refill located in an extra special drink area. Customers are in charge of it all. This will make cheap people happy because they don’t have to tip. It is nice to tip the busser though, so don’t be a non-tipping loser.

Chicken & Orzo Soup

Pasta Salad
fresh basil, feta (no mayo)

Tuna Salad Sandwich
albacore tuna, lettuce, tomato, mayo, 7-grain

Veggie Kabobs
charbroiled portobello, zucchini, peppers, onions, tomato, braised white beans, side greek salad

Shrimp Kabobs
two charbroiled kabobs, zucchini, rice pilaf, cucumber raita, side greek salad

Yaya’s Hand-Made Chocolate Cake

House-Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie

Of all food tasted, the kabobs were a clear win for me. Maybe I didn’t feel like jumping for tuna sandwich joy because I’m hardcore about tuna sandwiches. It’s almost impossible to produce a tuna sandwich win without cheese melted all comfy on top. This is not Zoës problem. Zoës never promised to provide me with a tuna melt. They probably felt satisfied knowing the sandwich given possessed albacore tuna, rather than scary chunk white tuna. Zoës should tell me to get over the melt part of a tuna melt because the menu never promised anything would be melted on top.

P.S. Please do not leave without trying the house-baked chocolate chip cookie.

Zoës Kitchen has put a lot of thought into developing a healthy menu with something for everyone. A list of their locations can be found—> here.

Zoës Kitchen
3838 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77027
zoeskitchen.com

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tourné tutoring

Just when it seemed like an ordinary day, I walked into the after-school tutoring lab at Le Cordon Bleu. I feel like it should be called the tutoring lab, but it’s actually a super important kitchen classroom. Students are allowed to walk into this room and request help from a real live teacher. This help is free, which means people do not have to beg, whimper, or whine.

I was absent the day my chef instructor instructed our class on exactly how to correctly perform a tourné cut. Properly transforming food into an evenly cut, seven sided tourné is not simple. My tutoring chef instructor made me feel like no potato was the limit, even letting me use his extra special curved knife for cutting. In some ways, this cut is painful. Mental anguish occurs, as well as signs of red finger pressure pain. This is how I feel, so it must be true.

When chef began explaining the cut, all I could think about was the future. What if I forget? What if I can’t hear him because there is a pig at the very same table I’m standing. This pig is distracting, even though paying attention to directions is a top priority. People with pig phobia have no control over pigs controlling all potential concentration. Paying attention to how a tourné is created seemed even more impossible once I realized the pig on the table had none other than… pig nipples.

What is up with that? I mean, I’m not saying this is something one might consider extra terrestrial, but it is a bit strange. I have never looked at a deceased pig, so assuming only Wilbur’s mom would have pig nipples is reasonable. Pig nipples should exist to help piglets receive milk. Does this mean there is a mom pig on the table? Does she need to be with her piglets? Are her piglets somewhere playing in the mud while their mom is on a table at Le Cordon Bleu? How can I focus on tourné knife cutting skills with all of these unanswered pig nipple questions? It’s like a concentration catastrophe. Yes, I took a picture of the pig nipples in question. This picture has since been deleted out of respect for the pig mom’s piglets. It’s a violation of her pig privacy.

Five Minutes Later: People that are afraid to touch the carcass of a pig need to calm down. Those same people should relax while reflecting on the fun times the pig probably had before being placed on a table for stuffing. Times have changed around here. Days spent crying over dead pigs are a part of the past. The time to touch a pig is now. Chef instructors do not have time for wimpy students being afraid to touch pigs.

My tutor chef began rolling the pork belly up into a roll. Without warning, chef invited me to take part in tying the pork belly. There is no way to tie a pig without touching it. At that moment, something inside my head passed the point of being afraid. While not wanting to further violate this particular pig’s privacy, I managed to tie the end without touching the pig’s privates.

After pork belly tying and tourné tutoring, chef handed me a fork with a tiny cut of lamb attached to it. Gulp. I made a deal with myself the day I enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu. I will never say no to food a chef offers to taste. Never. Under no circumstances is this going to happen while on this journey to culinary success.

lamb

Since the chef said something about lamb, this meant some kind of baby lamb’s body was on a fork heading toward my face. As the fork became closer and closer, I decided getting dizzy would not be an attractive look during lab. Lamb sounds consumed my head as I began to chew.

Chewing this baby lamb was smooth. It wasn’t at all the way I’d assumed carcass chewing would play out. After swallowing the baby lamb bite, I managed to somehow feel life is still worth living. This day is a turning point in my potential meat-eating life. Maybe my 4th grade teacher showing scary videos of cows didn’t do permanent damage after all. Curtsy.

Eater Dallas has a very important Heatmap which helps everyone in Dallas feel at ease about the ins and outs of dining. It was really weird when Pop Diner was listed last week. Even more interesting was realizing this place is located next door to Max’s Wine Dive in the West Village. A diner beside a fancy dive has to be doing something right.

The first thing people need to know is Pop Diner is open 24/7, which is crazy great. I figured the food would be gross because I’m kind of a diner snob. That’s right. Nobody’s perfect. Please throw me a diner snob bone. There are different categories of diners. Some diners produce grease bomb food ready to explode in every belly across the nation. Other diners feel disgustingly dirty. Then there are the “I’m drunk and hungry” diners that all college people fondly find appealing. There’s also the old-school diners where Marty McFly went in Back to the Future. These diners have traveled through time with marvelous milkshakes in the most fantastic way.

After taking a seat at the bar, aka the safest place for acceptable service in any restaurant, I soon spotted a tuna melt on the menu. Ordering a tuna sandwich at a diner is as courageous as fighting on the front line during war. The first step in diner-tuna-survival is to demand to be given the tuna status of your order. Chunk light? Take a hike. Confirming at least two times that the tuna is truly albacore is necessary before moving on with your diner life.

Let’s talk about the owner. This guy rolls up to the bar with some kind of black something on. It was a zip-type of shirt that almost said, “I’m the owner. You guys got somethin’ ta say aboud it?” This zipper was unzipped just enough to let me know he was well above average cool. This moment felt like a scene from Goodfellas and this owner was playing Ray Liotta. This is how I feel inside, so it must be true.

This guy is from Detroit. After a full blown investigation, it has been uncovered that this particular owner has none other than a Detroit mobster accent. I don’t know much about Detroit, except they must have mobsters there with mobster accents. Since the bartender said the owners are from Detroit, I’m assuming this is some kind of Detroit mobster accent.

Eminem is from Detroit, right? I wouldn’t put this owner in an Eminem kind of accent category since rapping has probably played a part in giving Eminem a unique accent of his own. I picture all of Pop Diner’s owners being from a scene in Good Fellas. Walking around the diner, daring anyone to step out of line. They might have the car parked just out back— ready to take troublemakers somewhere else, if you know what I mean.

Since I can spot owners from at least 42 feet away, it was a question that didn’t need to be asked. As he stood at the bar talking to the bartender, I went in for the owner-conversation kill. “Are you the owner?” Of course he said yes because I already knew he was the owner. Talent. He suddenly sat down for a mini interview.

Things are different at Pop Diner. This place is first class clean. Just try and find something that feels dirty. It’s not possible. After being taken on a tour of the kitchen, it’s fair to say these guys are not messing around when it comes to cleanliness. People in Dallas need to know just how clean this place is. These are real deal restaurateurs. Diner doesn’t have to mean dingy, people. Get with the program. Just because it’s a diner doesn’t mean it’s a boring pit of filth. This place is beyond clean. I felt cleaner just from being there last week.

Tuna judgers can relax. Pop Diner uses albacore on their tuna melt. This sandwich is something only mean people will ever complain about. There’s nothing to complain about when discussing Pop Diner’s tuna melt. Their veggie burger is excellent as well. It’s not dry or boring, as most veggie burgers tend to be. The owner sent out a few dishes from the menu that he feels are fabulous. I don’t eat hotdogs, chicken, beef, etc… It’s your deal to decide if any of these are delicious.

Charlie’s Tuna Melt
albacore tuna salad & your choice of cheese

Black Bean Burger
veggie burger topped with melted cheddar jack cheese, lettuce, fresh salsa, mayo

Coney Dogs
topped with Detroit chili, mustard, onions

Fish & Chips
served with creamy sweet southern slaw & french fries

The All-American Cheeseburger
double-meat, double-cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo

Naani Special
diced chicken tenders, chopped bacon, shredded lettuce & tomatoes tossed in ranch dressing, wrapped in a grilled naan pita with melted swiss & american cheese

After spending an afternoon at Pop Diner, it’s apparent the owner is like a gentle, friendly mobster type of guy that’s probably from the suburbs of Detroit. This is where mob-looking nice guys in Detroit have to live– the suburbs. It makes sense. The only conclusion to reach is that Pop Diner is a positive addition to the West Village. Karaoke starts soon, so move it or lose it. Also, be on the lookout for another segment of our Signature Cocktail Series where Pop Diner’s bar manager will be slinging drinks all over the place.

FIVE: High 5!

FOUR: Please & Thank You

THREE: Yada

TWO: Double Wow

ONE: Wow + Ouch = Wouch

________________________
Pop Diner
3600 McKinney Ave
Dallas, TX 75204
214.599.8980
popdinerusa.com‎
________________________

PRESS RELEASE
Fast break lunch is a weekday lunch program designed to help diners make the most out of their lunch break, offering fresh homemade food that you can eat in or out.

The Fast Break Lunch works in just four easy steps:
1. Visit www.houstontexansgrille.com to view the menu

2. Call and place your Fast Break Lunch order at 713-461-2002

3. Let Houston Texans Grille know what time you plan on arriving at the restaurant (must be between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.)

4. Check in with the host stand when you arrive at Houston Texans Grille. Your table will be set with your beverages and your order will be served within minutes

Chef Jason Bessent’s Fast Break Lunch Menu features several lunchtime favorites, including:

• Shrimp Tacos
Seasoned shrimp, cabbage slaw, fresh pico de gallo with border ranch, brown rice and
black beans

• Sweet Asian Chicken Sliders
Fried chicken breast served with sweet Asian sauce, cabbage slaw and fries

• Green Chili Burger
Pepper jack cheese, sautéed onions and green chilis on a local Slow Dough bun served
with fries

• Gladiator Burger
Homemade tomato compote, blackened seasoning, sautéed spinach and provolone
cheese on a local Slow Dough bun served with fries

• Mediterranean Salad
Mixed greens, Asian Cabbage slaw, mandarin oranges and grilled chicken with ginger
orange dressing and fried wontons

• Pan Asian Chicken Salad
Cilantro-lime chicken salad with mandarin oranges, red peppers and red onion over pita
bread. Served with a small house salad and strawberry cilantro vinaigrette

• Daily Burger
Always fresh, always creative and always a surprise. Ask your server for details.

• Soup and Salad Combo
Chicken Tortilla Soup or Homemade Beer Chili paired with a fresh house salad or
Caesar Salad

PRESS RELEASE

What:
Two ways to celebrate after the Dallas St. Patrick’s Parade on Greenville Avenue

Date:
March 16, 2013

Venue:
Sundown at Granada, 3520 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, 75206
or Granada Theater, 3254 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, 75206

We’re putting the green in Greenville Avenue. Join Sundown at Granada and the historic Granada Theater after The Dallas St. Patrick’s Parade on Greenville Avenue and hang out on the best location on lower Greenville. This year we’ve made the party bigger and better.

Sundown at Granada After Party:
The after party starts with Sundown at Granada. We are turning the Sundown parking lot and our rooftop patio into one huge party. The party runs from 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

First, join us in our parking lot. Stop walking and hang out with us. It’s just a $10 cover. We’ll take care of everything including:

Comfy couches
Fantastic food (we’ll be serving brisket and veggie tacos along with brisket sandwiches)
Bars
Porta potties
An ATM machine
A D.J. spinning some great music
Phone charging station

Or head up to our rooftop patio for live Reggae music from 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Our lineup includes:
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Bum Lucky
1:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. I Drenz Reggae
2:45 p.m. – 4:00 p. m. Preston Hall & DF Dub Allstars
4:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. Melody Memory
5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Ugly Lion

Don’t worry the music doesn’t stop then. We’ll continue the live music inside Sundown from 7:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. Our lineup includes:
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Oil Boom
9:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. The Roomsounds
12:00 a.m. – 2:00 a.m. Taddy Porter

The Historic Granada Theater After Party:
Or head over to the historic Granada Theater. Spend St. Patrick’s Day with the best live music venue in Dallas. Come party on our patio, it’s the best place to kick back and people watch. Get there early! Be sure get a picture with our Granada Leprechaun. He’ll bring you good luck! We’ll play great Irish music from everything to Flogging Molly to House of Pain. We’re opening at 11:00 a.m. We’ll have plenty o’beer and a great menu with tacos (brisket and veggie) and brisket sandwiches. The party continues with the sold out Alt J show starting at 8pm.

No matter which location you choose, we’ll put you in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit. Don’t forget to wear your green and head over to Sundown at Granada and the historic Granada Theater. Erin go Bragh!

photo via voicedailydeals.com

PRESS RELEASE

WHAT:
The 11th annual Menu of Menus Extravaganza presented by Stella Artois is offering VIP tables for 50% off this week on VoiceDailyDeals.com. VIP Tables, regularly $1,500, are being sold for $750 from Thursday, March 14th through Tuesday, March 19th. VIP Tables include 10 VIP tickets to Menu of Menus Extravaganza, two bottles of wine and a table for ten in prime view of the Iron Fork Chef Competition. VIP Tickets include early admission to enjoy sampling at a leisurely pace. A limited amount of VIP tables will be sold.

ABOUT THE EVENT:
On Tuesday, April 9, 2013, Houston Press will host its 11th annual food and wine extravaganza from 7-10pm at Silver Street Station (1501 Silver Street) off Washington Ave. The Menu of Menus Extravaganza presented by Stella Artois will showcase the various culinary talents of our city, complete with food sampling from over 40 area restaurants alongside wine, beer and spirit sampling. Additionally, the event will also feature the 2nd Annual Iron Fork Competition presented by Whole Foods Market. During the competition, two top chefs will go head-to-head to produce the best dish using a basket of secret ingredients. The dishes will be presented to an expert panel of judges including Houston Press’ own food critic, Katharine Shilcutt.

General Admission Tickets include food, beer, wine and liquor sampling. VIP tickets include sampling, entry into the event 1 hour earlier at 6pm, and complimentary valet before 6:30pm.

Menu of Menus Extravaganza is sponsored by Stella Artois, Zaaz Studios, Izkali Tequila, Painting with a Twist, Admiral Linens, DoNotBlow.com, Princeton Classic Homes Urban Series, Flowers by Nino, Momentum Mini Cooper, Deep Eddy Vodka, The Houston Wave, Treaty Oak Distillery and Blue Label Vodka.

WHEN:
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
General Ticket Holders: 7pm – 10pm
VIP Ticket Holders: 6pm – 10pm

WHERE:
Silver Street Station (Silver St. & Bingham off Washington Ave)
1501 Silver St.
Houston, Texas 77007

INFO:
For more information and tickets, www.MenuofMenus.com
Voice Daily Deals VIP Table Offer: http://www.voicedailydeals.com/deals/vip-table-to-menu-of-menus-2/