Savor Wine and Food

Yummy Easter Specials Galore!

2010-03-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

Here comes Peter Cotton Tail, hoppin' down the bunny trail. Waiter, would you ask that rabbit to refill our tea, please?

In honor of one of the most important family dining times of year, here is a sampling of some restaurants featuring Easter specials. Add to this in the comments section if you are a restaurateur and would like to have our readers know about your Easter specials. Thanks.

Chef Doug Brown (Dish), is offering an Easter Jazz Brunch at the O rion Ballroom

in Oak Cliff, five minutes from downtown at 400 South Zang Street, 15th Floor, from 10 until 3. This is the Bank of America Building. The Orion Ballroom sits atop it. Chef Brown is featuring a lavish array of salads, fresh fruits and vegetables, smoked salmon, carving stations with ham and steamship of beef, an omelet station, pasta and fajita station, plus a temping array of cakes, pies and desserts. The price is $24.95 for adults and $12.95 for kids under 12. Make reservations by calling 214-942-1661 or email brunch@theorionballroom.com.

Lavendou Bistro Provençal Owner Pascal Cayet and Executive Chef Francois Soyez are offering something for almost everyone at their Easter Brunch.
First Course: Soupe Froide de Concombre (Cold Cucumber Soup); Prosciutto et Melon Sauce Sangria (Prosciutto and Melon with a Sangria Sauce); Salade César (Traditional Caesar Salad); or Vol au Vent de Fruits de Mer (Mixed Seafood served in a pastry shell).

Second Course: Oeufs Poché Norvegienne (Poached Eggs on an English Muffin with Smoked Salmon and Spinach); Filet de Sole au Crabe et Champagne (Filet of Sole with Crab Meat and Champagne Cream Sauce with Basmati Rice); Gigot d'Agneau Provençal (Roasted Leg of Lamb with Gratin Dauphinois); or Poitrine de Volaille Chasseur (Breast of Chicken with Mushroom, Tomatoes and Demi-Glace Sauce with Fettucini).

Dessert: La Tarte au Citron Meringuée (Lemon Tart with Meringue); Profiteroles au Chocolat (Ice Cream Filled Pastry Puffs with Chocolate Sauce); Feuillantine aux Fruit Rouges (Mixed Berries in a puff pastry with Chantilly cream); or Gâteau au Fromage (White Chocolate Cheesecake with raspberry coulis).

Easter Sunday, April 4 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Lavendou's Easter Brunch is $29.95 per guest, plus beverage, tax & gratuity.

Lavendou is located at 19009 Preston Road, Suite 200, in Dallas (75252). Make reservations by phone (972-248-1911), fax (972-248-1660), by e-mail to provencial@aol.com or through their web site, www.Lavendou.com.

The Capital Grille is offering Easter Brunch from 1030 until 230 and suggesting you might want to try a dry aged steak or some fresh seafood along with one of their 350 wines. This is starting to sound like a celebration. Brunch is $35 per person (the wine is extra). Call 214-303-0500 for reservations. Or go to this reservation site.

Chef David Bull welcomes you to Easter brunch at Bolla in the Stoneleigh Hotel from 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. He is offering a special three-course prix fix menu for $36 ($48 with Champagne and Mimosas) and $18 for children. Call 214-871-7111 for reservations. Or email reservations@stoneleighhotel.com. See details of Easter Brunch and other special events at the Stoneleigh here.

Boi Na Braza in Grapevine has an Easter special, offering their full course meal, huge salad bar and desserts for $47.50 per person. This is the place to go if you're hungry and want meat and more meat. They'll be open special hours on Easter from noon until their last seating at 8:45 p.m. Call 817-329-5514 or 81-251-9881. Or email julio.matheus@boinabraza.com. Located at Highway 121 at Hall-Johnson.

Cadot Restaurant is offering a three-course Easter Brunch for $29.95 person from 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Call 972-267-5700 for reservations. Here's the menu:

FIRST COURSE
Duck Terrine With Pistachios And Truffles
Or
Tropical Gazpacho
Or
Poached Eggs In Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Smoked Salmon Hollandaise Sauce
Or
Warm Goat Cheese Salad With Baby Mixed Greens And Balsamic Vinaigrette

SECOND COURSE
Crusted Almond Tilapia on a Bed of Risotto, Served with Champagne Sauce
Or
Lamb Chops with French Fries and Green Beans Served with Curcumin Sauce
Or
Short Ribs with Horseradish, Mashed Potatoes and Celery Root Puree, Topped with Baby Arugula

THIRD COURSE
Chocolate Heart with Mixed Berries and White Chocolate Sabayon
Or
Cherry Clafouti Ginger Confit
Or
Floating Island with Caramel Sauce

Chef Avner Samuel and Aurora offer a Kamen Estate Wine dinner on Tuesday April 6th.

It's a six course affair featuring Kamen Cabernet and Syrah with special guest Robert Kamen, winery owner and screenwriter. Whose projects include The Karate Kid series (including the new film), the Transporter Sereis, and his ode to Napa Valley winemaking "A Walk in the Clouds" starring Keanu Reeves. The dinner is $150 per person. Call or email for a reservation, 214-528-9400, or auroradallas.sbcglobal.net. No slipping any "blockbuster screenplay" ideas to Mr. Kamen.

Happy Easter! Cheers! Jim

Dining is Divine at "The Dinner Club with Jim White"

2010-03-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to be hosting our next great "Dinner Club with Jim White" special event at Tre Amici, along with our good friends from Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits. The four-course dinner and wine pairing takes place on Wednesday March 31st beginning at 6:30. If you haven't been to Tre Amici you will find that prime steaks are their claim to fame. One of the items featured for our dinner that evening just happens to be a succulent prime beef filet mignon. This hand selected, center cut steak is wet-aged for over 40 days before it is traditionally prepared. We'll be enjoying that along with Italian Sausage Risotto paired with a a Windy Lane Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2005. The menu also features Smoked Salmon Bruschetta with Amici Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2007; Beef Carpaccio paired with Angels Landing Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2008; Lobster Bisque with Windy Land Napa Valley Merlot 2005; and for dessert, Chocolate Truffle Cake served with Rocca Cerrina Brachetto, N/V. Should be a delicious evening. Please join us by calling Tre Amici and making your reservation: 972-250-4400.

In case you missed it along the way, the best restaurant deal we have heard of is still going on. While, there may not be a "free lunch". There IS a FREE dinner. At least every Monday at Trece and Villa-O. What's the deal, you ask? It's an email promotion for fans who are on the email list of the two restaurants. They offer a free two-course Mexican or Italian dinner every Monday night. If you're not on the mailing list, call the restaurant of your choice and ask them to put you on the list. In fact, the email I get every week just says "call the restaurant and make a reservation". For Trece phone 214-780-1900. For Villa-O phone 214-780-1880. Don't see any strings attached to this. Just the restaurants' way of attracting customers in a still down economy on a typically slow night. Also a very smart marketing ploy by owner Robert Colombo. Now, I ask you, if you're going for a free dinner, aren't you going to order a couple glasses of wine, likely have dessert and tip your server appropriately? Yep. Me, too. And, that's exactly what they're counting on. Oh, and that you might want to come back in on a Wednesday or a Saturday, of course. Bon appétit!

The folks at Dali Wine Bar and Restaurant in One Arts Plaza have a very special evening coming up on March 24th. In case you missed Chef Joel Harloff's sensational offering at Savor Dallas, you get to try his great food in a four-course, four star pairing with sensational Krupp Brothers, Stagecoach Vineyard from Napa Valley (also at Savor Dallas in case you weren't). The evening starts with a Champagne reception and then the evening progresses through some great vintages from Krupp Brothers. Proprietor Paul Pinnell has put a humdinger together here. It's $100 plus plus. And seating is limited for this (because the restaurant is so delightfully small). Call in a hurry: 469-385-9360 or visit the website for more details on Dali.

If you have a child who is an adventurous diner, then you may want to take advantage of a new promotion from Hibashi Teppan Grill and Sushi Bar. Throughout April, one child per family dines free at Hibashi. Here's the fine print from the restaurant: "one child up to the age of 12 per family of four eats free". They can sample foods from either the Teppan grill or the Sushi bar. The Kids Eat Free promotion does not include gratuity. To make your plans, phone 972-620-3474 or e-mail info@hibashi.com.

Headed to New York? Here's an item we picked up from "Zagat Buzz" about the one the coolest places in Manhattan and one of the world's top chefs. Enjoy.
Everything is slightly magical at ABC Kitchen, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s organic farm-to-table concept opening tonight on the first floor of the ABC Carpet & Home building in NYC. From the salvaged entry doors covered with distressed mirrors to the antique chandeliers to the bar that contains a little diorama filled with mini crystals, small sprigs and a tiny Ganesh statue – it all feels like a fairy tale come to life. The whimsical boho style is an extension of ABC-founder Paulette Cole’s vision. Read more here.

Cheers! Jim

Another "Dinner Club with Jim White" event is coming

2010-03-08T11:58:00.000-08:00

We have been pretty good at getting around town for our "Dinner Club with Jim White" special events. From Oak Lawn to Oak Cliff; from downtown and Turtle Creek to North Dallas. Now, we venture farther north on the Tollway for a wonderful event at Tre Amici Prime Steakhouse and Seafood. Watch this space for the exact date coming in just a few days. We know our friends at Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits will have some incredible wines to pair with the cuisine at Tre Amici. We are really looking forward to seeing you again. Get more details at our website. Bon appétit!

Savor Dallas turned out to be another great wine and food weekend. And the weather really cooperated! I love hitting that window of sunny and warm weather in between cool, rainy events that have become pretty prevalent this winter. If you attended this weekend, THANK YOU! Please let us know how we can create a better event for you next year. We also want to take a minute to thank the great chef community for their support of the International Grand Tasting on Saturday March 6. Also, a special thanks to Seventeen Seventeen Restaurant, Culinaire International, Wolfgang Puck Catering for their support of the Arts District Wine Stroll on Friday March 5th. A big thanks to the fabulous restaurants of One Arts Plaza for participating in three venues with signature cuisine samples. I heard great comments about how well the taste treats paired with the wines. Here's a special toast of thanks to Chef David McMillan at Screen Door, Chef Joel Harloff at Dali Wine Bar and Restaurant, and the culinary teams at Jorge's, Tei-An and Fedora Restaurant and Lounge for their participation.

Some folks have noted that the time allotted for the Arts District Wine Stroll-5 until 7 p.m.-is not enough time to get around to all of the five Wine Stroll locations in a "leisurely manner". Due to performances in the Meyerson Symphony Center and the Winspear Opera House beginning at 8, we can't extend the tasting time beyond 7 (they Wyly Theatre didn't have a performance that evening, but likely will in future years on when the Wine Stroll is staged). We will look for ways to work around this timing issue in 2011 so that folks don't feel "rushed". We know many of the guests loved the ambiance at the Nasher Sculpture Center so much and the wide array of tasting available at the Meyerson that they only went to those locations instead of getting around to all five (Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher, Meyerson, Winspear and Wyly Theatre). We appreciate your feedback, and are always working to make the Savor Dallas experience better and better.

More news you can use about wining and dining coming up, and stay tuned for some exciting improvements and innovations on our "Dinner Club with Jim White" website.

Cheers!
Jim

48 Nights to taste and help

2010-02-28T15:20:00.000-08:00

Our guests enjoyed a completely outstanding dinner at Smoke for the most recent "The Dinner Club with Jim White" special event.

Owner Christopher Jeffers and manager Ray Evans were great hosts. Thanks to our friends from Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits for bringing such great wines. It was a global affair, with wines from Italy, France, Spain, Argentina, and California, paired with Chef Tim Byres incredible down-home southern cooking. It is smokin'!

Chris, Tim, and their partner Chris Zielke (who holds down the fort at sister Oak Cliff Restaurant Bolsa) have started a very cool project called "48 Nights" to raise money for charity. The premise is fun. A "pop up restaurant" in an old taqueria on Sylvan Avenue (near Smoke) where guest chefs prepare a great dinner every week, and proceeds are donated to the Mass Care Task Force, which helps provide relief to victims in case of disaster. The goal is to donate $1000 from each of the 48 nights. Interested diners pay $75 per person for one of two seatings on a Monday or Tuesday night. Reservations can be booked at www.48nights.com. But here's the fun part: You don't know who the chef will be! Marc Cassel from Park just hosted a dinner. Stephan Pyles, Bruno Davaillon from the Mansion on Turtle Creek and Sharon Hage from York Street have all signed up to do dinners. And, several other big name chefs are being approached. There's great wine, great food and a great cause to help. What are you waiting for? This may be the most fun wining and dining concept to ever hit Dallas. Kudos to the Smoke and Bolsa brain trust for coming up with this.

Savor Dallas is on the way Friday and Saturday, with an expanded Arts District Wine Stroll, and another over the top International Grand Tasting. This year all the events on Saturday take place at the newly renovated Sheraton Dallas Hotel. The place is great and dedicated wine and food lovers will love the setting for the walk around tasting. Of course, the Riedel Stemware is back for all tasting events at Savor Dallas--including the Arts District Wine Stroll and special wine seminars. And, the very popular commemorative Savor Dallas stem will be handed out Saturday night at the International Grand Tasting for folks to take home with them. This will be the sixth in a series of collectible Reidel glasses that Savor Dallas has presented to its guest. Some people have the complete set. Also this year, the Travelocity.com spokes-Gnome will be on-hand to have his picture snapped with you both Friday and Saturday. Go to the Savor Dallas Facebook page to register to win a special prize including two tickets to the International Grand Tasting and a chance to "Take Home the Gnome" for a week. He's a great house-guest. He has been spending time with my wife Vicki and me, cooling his heels in between travel engagements, getting ready for the party and fun at Savor Dallas. BTW, he is a vegetarian. Get tickets to Savor Dallas online at www.SavorDallas.com. Tickets for all events will be available at the door both days.

Tre Wilcox is conducting cooking classes at Loft 610. His next class is on Southwestern Cooking, Sunday March 21, from 1 til 5 p.m. The whole culinary team is involved including Executive Sous Chef Jermaine Brown, Sous Chef Jason Skinner, and Pastry Chef Kara Blair. The cost is $350 per person to secure a spot contact nomi.marcos@loft610.com. Call 972-377-250 for more info. www.loft610.com.

55 Degrees in Plano has some new events starting this month. On March 23rd they'll be presenting "A Tale of Tuscany" at 7 pm. The evening will focus on 6 wines from Tuscany and features a cheese and meat flight to pair with the wines. The cost is $25 per person, plus tax and tip. You can book your space for this limited seating event by going to their website www.55degreesplano.com.

Smokin' Good Time Coming up at Smoke

2010-02-21T14:29:00.000-08:00

Big time wining and dining with Chef Tim Byres

Just ask anyone who has been to the hip and happening Belmont Hotel and you'll likely hear from a fan of Smoke. Tim Byres--formerly executive chef at Stephan Pyles, executive sous chef at the Mansion, and his own restaurant Standard--
certainly knows his way around the kitchen and loves to make great things happen with hardwood and smoke. You have an opportunity to get first-hand experience and a great wine dinner to boot if you join me on Thursday February 25th for the next "Dinner Club with Jim White" special event at Smoke.

Look at this great menu that chef has put together with a selection of outstanding wines from around the world that our friends at Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits has provided:

Cheese Croquette with Grilled Romaine and Tejano Chili Sauce
Villa Rogole Prosecco, N/V
~
Beet Carpaccio with Watercress and Smoked Ricotta Cheese
La Croisade Pinot Noir 2007
~
Pit Smoked Ham with Fresh Honeycomb and Mustard
Cacho Tempranillo 2006
~
Mesquite Grilled Fish, Sweet and Smoky Collards and Leeks
~
Pit Roasted Cabritto with Masa and Tamarind Goats Milk Cejeta
Los Cowboys Malbec 2008
~
Coffee Cured Brisket, Pit Roasted Rib and Smoked Paprika Link
Angels Landing Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
~
Warm Sour Cherry Buckle, Lemon Curd and White Chocolate

I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. Join us if you can. Just call Smoke for a reservation, 214-393-4141, but hurry! Seating is limited. Only 40 seats available and the price is great--just $60 per person (plus tax and gratuity. SMOKE is located in the Belmont Hotel Dallas at 901 Fort Worth Avenue. Dallas, Texas. 75208 (my hometown of Oak Cliff--go Bisons!) just about 3 minutes from downtown Dallas. This will be a great dinner.

A GREAT new seminar has been added to Savor Dallas on March 6th. Savor Dallas and NOKA Chocolate present an indulgent journey into the world of NOKA Chocolate paired with a top flight array of premium wines. Wines to be tasted include Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay, MacMurray Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, and Louis M. Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This intensive tasting experience will focus on the delights of world famous NOKA Chocolate, including single-estate dark chocolate truffles and chocolate, and reveal the magic of pairing wines with these different tastes. Saturday March 6, 3 p.m. at Sheraton Dallas Hotel. Tickets are $40. Get them at www.SavorDallas.com or call 214.366.0555.

Of course, this is just part of the Saturday morning and afternoon series of wine tasting seminars offered by Savor Dallas. There's a great wine panel that kicks off the day at 11 a.m. featuring premium wines and insights from Dr. Richard Becker, Becker Vineyards, Seth Box, Moët Hennessy USA, Jim Collins, Frei Brothers Winery, John Concannon, Concannon Vineyards, and Bart O'Brien, O'Brien Estate. You'll learn about a wines from Texas, Sonoma, Napa, Livermore, and more. Michael Flynn, Director of Wine and Beverages for the world-famous Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek moderates the panel.

At 1:30, you can be "a winemaker for a day" (or at least an hour), if you participate in the wildly popular "Puzzle" Blending Seminar" conducted by Newton Vineyard senior brand ambassador Deborah Dean. The Newton Blending Seminar is a study in the selections that may influence a blending of "The Puzzle"; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. A unique opportunity to understand the philosophy behind this Icon wine.

These seminars are limited to 50 seats and usually fill up quickly. Go to the Savor Dallas website, www.SavorDallas.com, for more information and click on Tasting Seminars.

Cheers! Jim

Wining and dining during the "Great Blizzard of '10"

2010-02-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

Mostly indoors in our Case!

Fortunately, our power was only out for a few hours--unlike others who are still in the dark, as we speak, several days after Mother Nature dumped 12.5" of snow on the Metroplex. We had a great lunch at Bolsa on Wednesday before the weather turned, and then a wine lunch with importer Chuck Weintraub and his client Stephan Asseo owner of L'Aventure in Paso Robles at Salum as the blizzard ensued, but otherwise it was meals at home. Fortunately we had a few things in the pantry, because our wonderful Lakewood Whole Foods was without power and closed! Eerie! But only for a few hours until they got a generator truck in place. Our friend above, is the happiest, hippest snowman ever. He makes up in style what he lacks in size. He was gearing up for Savor Dallas, March 5-6, as the snow started to melt. He doesn't sweat the dress code when it comes to his favorite wining and dining experience. Depending on the event, the weekend attire is casual to cocktail. (Think of it as dressing to go out for dinner at a nice restaurant with a friend or with some friends to go to a party.) Nor, is Mr. Frosty concerned about tasting from the proper stemware at the Arts District Wine Stroll, the Reserve Tasting, or the International Grand Tasting. Riedel Crystal stemware is featured at all tasting events throughout the weekend at Savor Dallas. Get tickets and the complete weekend schedule at www.SavorDallas.com. After you party at Savor Dallas, plan to stay at the beautiful Sheraton Dallas Hotel. Just ask for the special "Savor Dallas" room rate of just $89 per night, available both Friday March 5th and Friday March 6th. Nothing like enjoying some great wine and food and then riding the elevator home! Talk about responsible consumption!

Our next big "Dinner Club with Jim White" event is coming up February 25th at the very cool Smoke in Oak Cliff. Chef Tim Byres has put together a fabulous four-course meal to show off his love of, well, smoke! Give him some hardwood and he is certainly going to put it to its best use. That would be creating and serving some delectable taste treats like he has planned for our February 25th outing. Highlights of his southern smokehouse menu include Pit Smoked Ham with Fresh Honeycomb and Mustard; Mesquite Grilled Fish with sweet and smoky collards and leeks; Pit Roasted Cabrito with Masa and Tamarind Goats Milk Cejeta; Coffee Cured Brisket, Pit Roasted Rib and Smoked Paprika Link. For dessert, how about some Warm Sour Cherry Buckle with Lemon Curd and White Chocolate? Yummy! Our good friends at Centennial Fine Wine And Spirits are providing some great wines to pair with Tim's menu, including: 2007 La Croisade Pinot Noir, 2006 Cacho Tempranillo, 2008 Los Cowboys Malbec, and 2007 Angels Landing Cabernet Sauvignon. Great pairings with Chef Byres' Smoke! Reservations will go quickly for this limited attendance dinner--only 40 seats available, at the remarkable price of just $60 person. Join us at the beautiful Belmont Hotel--just 3 minutes from downtown Dallas on Thursday February 25th. Call 214-393-4141 for reservations. This one is SMOKIN'!!!!!

Cheers! Jim

Touring Savor Dallas

2010-02-07T11:54:00.000-08:00

Annual wine and food party is labor of love
Savor Dallas returns March 5-6

Over the years, so many people have asked me to describe Savor Dallas. It's a thrill that people care enough to ask. Vicki Briley-White (my lovely wife and co-founder of Savor Dallas) and I have discussed it ad naseum over many glasses of fine, decanted wine. For us, it's homage to the great, and hard working, chefs and restaurateurs of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. We put it together to help showcase them. We know, too, that we want it to be a collection of the top wines and spirits in the world. That's why Vicki works fastidiously to keep the entry point for wines poured at Savor Dallas over $15 retail. You'd be surprised how many wine events around the country don't control this. We prefer quality over quantity. Our friends tell us Savor Dallas is the best wine and food event they've ever been to. But you know friends. Thankfully, we've heard that from media types and from a number of the "new friends" we've made through the years who keep coming back, and bringing their friends to our event. Mostly, it's a great way to get together, have some fun and introduce people to the beautiful cultural facilities in the Arts District, and to raise the bar on wine and food appreciation. We work hard to make the event smooth and enjoyable for all who attend. We love Savor Dallas, because it gives us a chance to do a little bit of good in the community and be around so many like-minded lovers of wine and food. Maybe the best thing for me to do is take you on a quick tour of Savor Dallas 2010; invite you to come join us; and ask you to give us some feedback on your experience. That way, I can add your viewpoint to the mix, in case anybody asks me next year to describe Savor Dallas. Since the big party is cranking up in New Orleans, if I may, I would like to introduce our tour with the legendary phrase (and our wish for you at Savor Dallas):
Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez (Let the good times roll!)

Big fun and big flavor return to Big D with the Sixth Annual Savor Dallas weekend, March 5th and 6th. The "International Experience of Wine, Food, Spirits and the Arts" features star chefs and great wines in beautiful locations throughout the Dallas Arts District (the largest contiguous urban arts district in America). Overall, more than 65 top chefs and artisanal food producers, and over 400 premium wines, spirits and imported beers from around the world are featured throughout the weekend.

Savor Dallas kicks off on Friday March 5th, with the popular "Arts Distric t Wine Stroll", which allows people to "drink-in" the arts, while enjoying great wines inside the cultural jewels of Dallas, including the Dallas Museum of Art in Seventeen Seventeen Restaurant, The Nasher Sculpture Center, the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, the Winspear Opera House and the Wyly Theatre from 5 until 7 p.m.

An exciting array of premium wine tasting seminars start the Savor Dallas activities at the beautifully renovated Sheraton Dallas Hotel on Saturday March 6th, beginning at 11 a.m. You'll have a chance to meet winemakers attending Savor Dallas, become a "winemaker" yourself (for a day) with the "Puzzle blending seminar", or take home beautiful hand-blown Riedel Crystal stemware from the "Riedel and Noka Chocolate Seminar".

Beginning at 5, the limited attendance "Reserve Tasting" features über premium wines, Champagnes and spirits for discriminating tastes only! The celebrated "International Grand Tasting" from 7 until 10 p.m. is a tasters' paradise. Many of the top Dallas-Fort Worth restaurants and chefs serve samples of their signature cuisine. Each guest is provided a commemorative Savor Dallas Riedel stem for tasting and to take home. It's the perfect way to enjoy and appreciate the exciting array of wines and spirits offered.

"The Savor Dallas Shuttle" will be running again to the "International Grand Tasting" from restaurant locations in Plano, Allen, North Dallas, Grapevine and Arlington. This FREE service from Savor Dallas (with purchase of ticket to "International Grand Tasting") provides a luxury ride downtown and back, and helps promote responsible consumption and eco-alternatives. Something that's important to us and our Shuttle sponsor Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits. Get all the details on the "Savor Dallas Shuttle" here. (http://www.savordallas.com/shuttle.htm).

The "International Grand Tasting" also features a silent auction offering a 3 liter bottle of Chateau Latour worth over $2500, and a six liter of bottle of Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon just to name a few of the exciting rare wine items up for grabs. In addition, great wine escapes to Sonoma and exciting trips to the Caribbean are offered. All proceeds from the auction benefit the North Texas Food Bank.

Be on the lookout for the Travelocity.com Gnome who will be making an appearance at Savor Dallas both days. You'll have a chance to have your picture made with the handsome star. Say fromage!

Tickets are available for individual events or an "All Access Weekend Pass" is offered. Get details and tickets at www.SavorDallas.com. A special "Savor Dallas room rate" is available for the weekend at the Sheraton Dallas. This is a great deal, just $89 per night, and it's offered for both Friday and Saturday night of Savor Dallas. The Sheraton Dallas has just completed a ninety-one million dollar renovation, including all the guest rooms. It's a beautiful showcase. Get details on the room specials and book your rooms for Savor Dallas here. (http://www.savordallas.com/hotelinfo.htm).

Come see us! à votre santé! Cheers!

Remembering Darryl Beeson "The Wine Guy"

2010-01-30T12:20:00.000-08:00

Cheers, old friend! Here's to you.

Darryl Beeson, 54, passed away Friday. Almost everyone in the restaurant business in Dallas, and the wine business in general, knew Darryl. He was a wine educator, writer, former sommelier and cellar master. We worked together very closely for several years. We were also friends. He had a knack for that. People liked Darryl. I'd like to share a few recollections .

(Darryl with Ravenswood founder Joel Peterson)

Mr. Beeson's Class--and a class act
by Jim White

The first time I ever met Darryl Beeson he seemed very professorial. Maybe it was his tweed jacket, vest, bow tie, horn rimmed glasses and Adolphe Menjou mustache. Or, perhaps it was his thorough awareness of "things" and his tendency to conduct "mini-seminars" on them. He could talk about everything from sports and current events to broadcasting or social-scene gossip. But it was his encyclopedic knowledge of wine that impressed me as I got to know him. He was producing Jody Dean's midday talk show in the winter of 1994 when I returned to Dallas to become KRLD's morning news anchor. I was also charged with developing a "Restaurant Show". Something operations director Michael Spears had been quite keen on while we were still in Chicago plotting our return to Big D. Darryl was to be my producer for the program, slated to start in the spring of 1995. I was quite intimidated by the prospect of hosting a program devoted to cooking and wine. I did very little of the former, although I could hold my own with the latter. But since Spears knew I had a love of these things and travel, cultivated by radio stints in San Francisco, numerous forays to Europe, and about a year of being in the dining circle of a Chicago restaurant critic, he insisted I could do it. It was Darryl who helped smooth what seemed like a rocky road ahead to me. And a damn steep learning curve--it was a daunting assignment just getting to know who the players were in the Dallas and Texas restaurant biz after several years out of town.

Darryl was the sommelier at the beautiful French Room in the Adolphus Hotel at the time and was moonlighting part-time at "Newsradio 1080". He seemed to know everyone in town. And, boy did he do a great job of making a fine wine program come alive. He was a service master and had a natural talent for regaling his wine customers with stories and anecdotes about the widest range of wines, vineyards and winery personalities I have ever heard. Always upbeat. Always entertaining. He was a showman with a tastevin. When he moved his "act" to the Mansion on Turtle Creek--kind of a Jay Leno moves to prime time, but with better results transition--he also became increasingly adept at keeping the staff on their toes about VIP customers who were joining them in the storied dining room. After checking the guest list one evening and seeing "Francis Ford requests special wine". He asked a fresh-faced hostess, "Do you mean Francis Ford Coppola?"

Darryl's job on the "KRLD Restaurant Show with Jim White" was producer and "Wine Guy". He handled both roles with panache. More "absent minded professor" as a producer--sometimes keeping program rundowns and guest phone numbers on crumpled notebook paper, the backs of napkins, or matchbook covers. He still managed to get outstanding guests like Julia Child and Wolfgang Puck booked and on the air. When wine royalty like Robert Mondavi and his wife Margrit were in-studio the proverbial red carpet was always apparent. He catered lunch for Fess Parker's appearance with us and made sure we had the theme from Davy Crockett to play during the show. He loved his time to shine on the air during his "Wine Guy" segments, which often featured luminaries like Robert Parker, Hugh Johnson, or Clive Coates. His efforts helped us get a nomination for a James Beard Award in 1999 as "Best Radio Show on Food".

In almost nine years of working together on the radio show and online projects, Darryl introduced me to so many wonderful and talented people (many of whom became friends): wine legend Tony LaBarba, favorite son restaurateur Matt Martinez, Jr., cheese maker extraordinaire Paula Lambert, Gus Katsigris, who founded the El Centro culinary program, culinarian Renie Steves, a chef you may have heard of, Dean Fearing, and the list goes on. Darryl even helped me orchestrate a most unorthodox proposal to my dearly beloved Vicki at the French Room with a cigar band for a ring and a bottle of Thunderbird for the toast. It worked! (But I had to deliver the real goods before any vows were exchanged).

Through ups and downs, "technical difficulties", and road shows from divergent destinations like the State Fair of Texas, a cruise ship in Alaska and Dijon, France, trusted producer and friend Darryl was always there to hold down the fort, and keep those guests coming. He often told me he was content to play the "second banana" role on the program (in the spirit of Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon). Somehow he turned it into Bananas Foster (or Beeson).

For the last several years Darryl taught a rigorously academic wine program, and I'm told, before his untimely departure, he was ready to return to teaching these classes and a weekly commute between Dallas and Houston to conduct them. Always the professor. Always the people person. A gentle soul and a gifted spirit. The wine service in Heaven is now 5 star. Look out, Mr. LaBarba and Mr. Mondavi. Darryl's coming with a bottle of '59 Lafite and a joke he wants to tell you.

Join us for an impromptu FREE wine tasting

2010-01-29T12:02:00.000-08:00

Taste more of the "Great Wines of Savor Dallas" this weekend.

The delightfully food friendly wines from Sonoma's MacMurray Ranch are the stars of the show this weekend as we continue our great showcase of some of the best wines (and soon spirits too) coming to Savor Dallas March 5th and 6th. www.SavorDallas.com.

Our good friends at Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits are hosting complimentary tastings of three delicious MacMurray Ranch wines today and tomorrow. I'll be stopping by several of the locations, so I hope I get to see you and say hello--and taste with you! Here's the deal:

On Friday, January 29th from 5-7 PM and Saturday, January 30th from 2-4 PM the following stores will be hosting a special complimentary tasting featuring wine from the MacMurray Ranch portfolio. Items to be tasted include: MacMurray Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Gris, MacMurray Ranch Central Coast Pinot Noir and the MacMurray Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. MacMurray Ranch was purchased from the Porter family by famed actor Fred MacMurray in 1941. Fred raised his family on the ranch, and for 50 years the MacMurray Ranch was nurtured under his hand. MacMurray Ranch is quickly becoming known for producing world-class Pinot Noir. Whether from the Russian River Valley or Sonoma Coast appellations their Pinot Noirs express the legacy of the land from which they are produced. The hillside and valley vineyards of MacMurray Ranch offer a rich diversity of soil providing a unique expression of terroir. Susan Doyle, the winemaker, has learned to coax the character from land and vine. "You have to wait for the flavor," she says of the famously finicky Pinot Noir grape.

In-store Tasting locations at the fine Centennial locations:

•6312 La Vista Drive, Dallas.................
214-821-6294
Directions

•1613 W. Northwest Highway, Dallas... 972-506-8193
Directions

•6805 W. Northwest Highway, Dallas... 214-368-4162
Directions

•8123 Preston Road, Dallas.................. 214-361-6697
Directions

•8007 Walnut Hill Lane, Dallas............. 214-361-0929
Directions

•5709 W. Lovers Lane, Dallas.............. 214-352-4161
Directions

•15055 Inwood Road, Addison............ 972-239-5891
Directions

Thanks to the intrepid souls who braved the monsoon and stopped by to taste Quintessa Estate with us last night at The Grill on the Alley. Randy Wooldridge with Quintessa conducted a fascinating tasting of Quintessa barrel samples from 2008 along side the 2005 and 2006 Quintessa Estate wines. Outstanding! Thanks for Executive Chef Daniel Winans for the great food, and to GM James Shull, sommelier Paul Doherty and the great service staff for a great job. A special "Dinner Club with Jim White" event happens every month thanks to our partnership with KRLD 1080 and Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits. Stay tuned for more details and your invitation to join us for a GREAT wine dinner in February.

Savor Dallas and Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits promote responsible consumption by bringing back the popular "Savor Dallas Shuttle" to the International Grand Tasting on Saturday March 6th. This FREE transportation (with purchase of ticket to the International Grand Tasting) gives you the chance to ride downtown in style and back to your car safely. Or, if you want your commute to be "up the elevator to your room", Savor Dallas' official host hotel, the Sheraton Dallas Hotel (site of the wine tasting seminars, Reserve Tasting and International Grand Tasting on March 6th) is offering fabulous room rates for both Friday and Saturday during the wine and food lovers' weekend. Get all the details at the Savor Dallas website and be sure to ask for the "Savor Dallas special" if you call the Sheraton Dallas for reservations.

Happy trails. Cheers! Jim

Sample great wines from Savor Dallas

2010-01-20T05:58:00.000-08:00

Friends of Savor Dallas
Can enjoy great complimentary wine tastings every week!

Taste some of the great "Wines of Savor Dallas" during the upcoming weeks at selected Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits locations. You're invited to stop by for these FREE tastings--no reservations needed. This week, on Friday, January 22nd from 5-7 PM and Saturday, January 23rd from 2-4 PM the following Centennial stores will be hosting a special complimentary tasting featuring wine from the Louis M. Martini portfolio. Items to be tasted include: Louis M. Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Louis M. Martini Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and the Louis M. Martini Napa Valley Chardonnay. Mike Martini, the winemaker of Louis M. Martini, believes that these wines express the best characteristics of Cabernet and Chardonnay by highlighting the personality of the special places where the grapes are grown. He believes that great winemaking begins with great vineyards and he wants the land to speak through the wines to produce balanced, engaging, and memorable wines. Stop by any of these Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits locations in Dallas:

In-store Tasting locations:

·6312 La Vista Drive, Dallas...................214-821-6294

·1613 W. Northwest Highway, Dallas......972-506-8193

·6805 W. Northwest Highway, Dallas......214-368-4162

·8123 Preston Road, Dallas.....................214-361-6697

·8007 Walnut Hill Lane, Dallas.................214-361-0929

·5709 W. Lovers Lane, Dallas..................214-352-4161

·15055 Inwood Road, Addison.................972-239-5891

Savor Dallas March 5-6 Get tickets now at www.SavorDallas.com

Wining and dining "news you can use"---

The Capital Grille presents a special "Comfort Foods with a Gourmet Twist" four-course menu for only $49 per person now through February 28th. Get details and reservations online or phone 214-303-0500.

Canary Mediterranean Steak and Seafood presents a three-course dinner paired with three wines on Monday January 25th. $59 plus tax and gratuity. Call 972-503-7080 for reservations.

Pappas Bros Steakhouse offers four-courses and Plumpjack Winery on Friday January 29th. Winemaker Tony Biagi is featured. $175 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Call 214-366-2000 for reservations.

Nana in the Hilton Anatole presents a Chivas Regal Scotch Tasting on Friday, January 29th, from 6 until 8 pm. $50 per person includes a sampling of Chivas 12, 18 and 25 year old Scotch Whiskies paired with "cuisine bites" from Chef Anthony Bombaci. Limited to 40 guests. Call 214-761-7470 for reservations.

Chef Avner Samuel has another Aurora cooking class and lunch coming up January 30th. Four-course and wine pairing are $95 per person. Call 214-528-9400.

Take a trip with Tre! Chef Tre Wilcox from Loft 610 (and "Top Chef" fame) invites you to join him "on vacation" March 8 through 10 in Marble Falls, Texas at beautiful Villas of the Hills. This is your chance to get to know Tre and cook with him. He'll be preparing sumptuous five-course dinners with wines both nights. It's a short vacation, but he's a busy guy. Check it out online (www.villasofthehills.com) or call 512-755-5412.

Happy wining and dining! Cheers! Jim

Learn how a winemaker tastes wine during an exclusive component tasting

2010-01-10T13:46:00.000-08:00

Here comes an amazing opportunity for lovers of great Cabernet Sauvignon.
Join "The KRLD Dinner Club with Jim White" on Thursday January 28th at Grill on the Alley in Dallas, when Quintessa Vineyards conducts a special guided component tasting. You'll have a chance to sample three individual Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard block samples from the Quintessa Estate, along with two vintages of the finished wine. This gives you the "before" and "after" perspective on the wines and allows you to update your palate from barrel sample to finished product along the winemaker's journey. Randy Wooldridge from Quintessa will conduct the one hour tasting. Grill on the Alley executive chef Daniel Winans makes sure you don't go hungry during this "strenuous" business of wine appreciation and education. Daniel has a handcrafted a "carte du jour" of delicious heavy appetizer to pair with this exceptional tasting. This limited attendance event can only accommodate 29 tasters. So, hurry please, and make your reservation now by calling Grill on the Alley at 214-459-1601 to assure your place at the table. The tasting starts at 6 p.m. Thanks to our good friends at Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits for staging this incredible wining and dining experience. Oh, it's free to be a member of the "KRLD Dinner Club with Jim White". Just register for the tasting and you're a member. Or, go to the website to sign-up "officially". You'll be the first to hear about all the great events we have coming up--even before the events are announced on the air.

The wine and food extravaganza that is Savor Dallas returns March 5th through 7th.

Popular events return including the "Arts District Wine Stroll" and the incredible "International Grand Tasting" featuring over 60 great chefs from the Dallas-Fort Worth Area and more than 400 premium wines, spirits and beers from around the world from which to sample. In the interest of responsible consumption, Savor Dallas has created a nifty shuttle service to provide roundtrip transportation to the International Grand Tasting, which will be held at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. FREE shuttle service is available right now for the Saturday March 6th tasting experience from 5 conveniently located areas around the Metroplex:

Watters Creek in Allen, from Crú a Wine Bar--serving the US 75/Central Expressway Corridor (McKinney, Allen, etc)
The Shops at Legacy in Plano, from Crú a Wine Bar, serving the North Dallas Tollway Corridor (Frisco, Plano, etc.)
Village on the Green in Dallas, from Go Fish Ocean Club, Serving North Dallas
Lincoln Square in Arlington, from Olenjack's Grille at Collins and the Road to Six Flags, serving Arlington and the mid-Cities
Ferrari's Villa in Grapevine on Main Street at Highway 114

(Get complete location details at www.SavorDallas.com/shuttle.htm)

Just go to the Savor Dallas website and select the shuttle location that is most convenient for you on the "Buy Tickets" page. Transportation on the "Savor Dallas Shuttle" is free when you buy a ticket to the International Grand Tasting. Your transaction will automatically reserve your seat on one of the comfortable shuttle buses provided by ALT Limos (they provide transportation for the Cowboys and the Mavericks). Savor Dallas will have volunteers on the shuttles who will check you in for the tasting downtown and give you your special Riedel Crystal tasting glass and Savor Dallas program. This means that when the shuttle arrives downtown at the beautiful Sheraton Dallas Hotel, you can walk right into the Lone Star Ballroom and start enjoying the evening; no waiting in line to check-in at the door! Also, you'll save the parking fee at the Sheraton. The "Savor Dallas Shuttle" is a great deal. No driving worries to and from downtown from your pickup point. You save gasoline. No parking fees. And, the transportation is FREE! All part of your ticket to the International Grand Tasting. This community service is sponsored by Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits in the interest of promoting responsible consumption and eco-friendly alternatives. Visit www.SavorDallas.com for all the details and to reserve your spot on the Savor Dallas Shuttle.

Ride FREE, CLEAN and GREEN to the Savor Dallas International Grand Tasting!

Cheers!
Jim

A wining and dining view of Paris from the Seine

2010-01-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

Those huddled masses yearning to see Gaugin. Or, how I spent my Christmas holiday in Paris.

In a word, Paris is CROWDED. The most popular tourist destination in the world is busy year-round, but the holiday period seems to be a particularly crazy time. It is, after all, "The City of Light". And it more than lives up to its reputation this time of year--glittering and glistening glamorously in all its historic splendor. There in nothing in the world like seeing the Champs-Elysées on New Year's Eve! Perhaps a million revelers and many more lights!

Everywhere we went there were lines--LONG lines to see the top attractions. Even with a Paris Museum Pass (a MUST!!! www.parismuseumpass.fr) the usually manageable lines for those WITH tickets (avec billets) were lengthy. The poor schlubs who haven't read Rick Steves' "Paris Guide" were standing in line for hours just to buy a ticket and then in another line to enter the exhibits. This story repeated itself again and again. From the Louvre to Musée d'Orsay to Sainte-Chapelle, lines often snaked around the block! At one point, we witnessed people lined at least twelve deep around holding stanchions and THEN around the block at Orsay in a line that would make Disneyland (or airport security) look like clear sailing.

Even with a "reserved" time to tour the Eiffel Tower (available online at www.tour-eiffel.fr), we waited 45 minutes in the freezing cold to get inside and up to the second level. Here you have the opportunity to wait in another line for the privilege of traveling to the top of the monument. I don't know about you, but lines are not my favorite activity. Especially in the cold. Did I mention that it's cold, and usually rainy, this time of year in Paris? The best photos are from level two anyway, and that vertigo thing usually kicks in for me at altitudes higher than my roof. So, I was just fine viewing beautiful Paris from 377 feet above ground level.

Now what, you may ask, does any of this have to do with food or wine? Well, of course, Parisian restaurants, cafes and brasseries are the hallmark of this great city, and we had our share of dining out (which I will highlight shortly). We also had a rare opportunity to experience Paris from a completely different perspective: in the city's pleasure boat harbor, Port de Plaisance de Paris Arsenal. Our "hotel" for the week was a beautiful 65 foot yacht docked near the River Seine. A dear friend invited us to use his boat as our base for our visit. What an incredible time. We were docked near the historic Bastille (only a monument now), with immediate access to one the city's oldest and most exciting neighborhoods, The Marais district. We had the best of both worlds: the heart of Paris at our fingertips, and a place to escape the crowds and "go home" on our boat. Our special accommodations allowed us to prepare numerous meals in the comfort of our own galley and to spend a lot of time shopping in the various markets, boulangeries, and pâttisseries that make Paris so much fun.

One foodie district that all seasoned visitors to Paris recommend, and we concur, is the famous Rue Cler near the Champ de Mars (the Eiffel Tower neighborhood). Here you'll find a fabulous assortment of shops and cafes, including some of the most delightful fromageries in the city. When we weren't having home-cooked meals on the boat, or waiting in line for Van Gogh, we did manage to scoot away on The Metro (the most wonderful public transportation system in the world) for some outstanding lunches and dinners.

Our most memorable experience was at Michel Rostang's incredible Dessirier. This may be the ultimate Paris restaurant for fresh fish (poisson). Our dining companions (both Parisian natives) call it the best in the city for fresh seafood. Our meal proved them correct. Smoked salmon appetizers (Le Saumon marine "Gravelaks" from Norway) were the most flavorful I have ever tasted. Succulent roasted turbot and seabass main courses were perfectly prepared. The wine list is outstanding. Desserts are the perfect closing compliment. This is polished dining at its best. And, well worth the price.
9, Place du Marechal-Juin, Paris 75017 (17th arrondisement) 01 42 27 82 14, www.restaurantdessirier.com or www.michelrostang.com.

A lively experience that gives Paris café dining a good name can be found in the 7th in the heart of the bustling Place de l'Ecole Militare: La Terrasse du 7ème. Tables outside give you access to the entertaining people parade on the street. Inside, comfortable banquettes and cozy tables offer a great setting to enjoy the simple brasserie menu. Steaks are recommended (l'entrecote). The tenderloin I had came with the tastiest pepper sauce I have ever had. I know it's rude to sop it up with the bread, but the combination was irresistible and unbeatable. Crêpes are succulent. The wine list is brief and inexpensive. The service is brisk, but friendly. English is well spoken, and your attempt to speak French is embraced. 2 Place de l'Ecole Militaire, Paris 75007, 01 45 55 94 67. terrasse75007@wanadoo.fr.

After escaping the long lines at Notre Dame, we ducked into a little spot nearby in Ile de la Cité called Les Deux Palais, a great place for a sandwich--see the giant Croque Monsieur here that dazzled the Japanese tourists sitting next to us ("It's so big!")-- or a slice of quiche, a beer, coffee (avoid Café Américain) or glass of wine (verre de vin).
3 Boulevard du Palais, Paris 75004, 01 43 54 20 86.

A double treat is touring the Rodin Museum and then stopping for a quick lunch at the museum's cafeteria in the beautiful gardens. It's quick and inexpensive, and the setting provides a beautiful backdrop for your meal. Musée Rodin, 79 rue de Varenne, Paris 75007. www.musee-rodin.fr.

An upscale museum meal that is well worth trying is the delightful restaurant at Musée d'Orsay. Located on the upper level of the museum, Restaurant du Musée d'Orsay's décor is a work of art in and of itself. Your meal is set among beautiful Louis XIV frescoes and objects d'art, with a beautiful view of the Seine. Look for a full-range lunch menu and beverages (boissons) until 3 p.m., and lighter plates and tea service (thé) until closing at 6 p.m. We found the service to be very friendly despite a reputation to the contrary. 1, rue de la Légion d'honneur, Paris 7e, 01 45 49 42 33, www.musee-orsay.fr.

A very interesting spot in our Marais neighborhood is an Algerian restaurant called Chez Léon (its name paying homage, we think, to the nearby Gare de Lyon). The sign on the door simply says "Cous Cous Restaurant". We found a fascinating menu of skillfully prepared and tasty tangine dishes featuring lamb and chicken. The cous cous was light, airy and delicious. This simple restaurant is a prime example of the joy of Paris dining. If you're willing to experiment and be slightly adventurous it usually pays off. 25, rue de Lyon, Paris 75012. 01 43 43 60 22.

Of course, there are about two dozen more restaurants we wanted to try and did not have time to visit. Notable among them is La Fontaine de Mars. This is a favorite of President Barack Obama. Our good friend Troy Dungan recommends it, too. We haven't had a chance to ask the president, but Troy and his wife Janet love it. Located at 129 Rue St. Dominique, 01 47 05 46 44.

Another restaurant that comes with high recommendations from Paula Lambert and Patrick Esquerre is l'Entrecote just off Boulevard Saint Germain and Rue Bonaparte just behind the world famous Café Flore. This is supposed to be one of the best steak restaurants in Paris and very inexpensive.

Alas, both of these fine restaurants were closed when we were nearby. Too early, I fear, for proper dining in Paris. Ah, so little time to try the great restaurants. That is why Vicki and I join the throngs who say, "We'll always have Paris" and so many reasons to return. Now, THAT'S a nice crowd to be in! Bon appétit!

(breakfast on the boat-petit déjeuner)

a bientot!
Jim

The 35 biggest moments in Big D. Were you there? And New Years Eve offerings.

2009-12-21T08:56:00.000-08:00

I call your attention to what may be the coolest edition of D Magazine I have ever seen.

Their 35th Anniversary issue is on newsstands now. It selects the 35 biggest moments in modern Dallas History. That would be the beginning of "D Magazine time" in 1974. Of course, the foodie scene figures prominently in the mix, including: Gene Street and his famous Chicken Fried Steak at Black Eyed Pea, Larry Levine on Chili's serving its first burger, and Chef Stephan Pyles reflecting back on opening Routh Street Café (it changed everything!). The first person narrative is fascinating to read; no reporter filter. D Magazine deserves kudos for pulling this off and for getting these folks to write the articles. Also key business, political, media and social events are chronicled by the people who made the events happen. This is a great, page-turner holiday must read. Get the full story at D Magazine's website.

Revel in the excitement of the new year, as Dallas-Fort Worth's top restaurants regale you with an array of wining and dining options. Here are a select few that have crossed our inbox in the last few days. Happy 2010! Remember: If anybody asks you what you're making for dinner, tell 'em, "RESERVATIONS!" (Especially on New Year's Eve).

Urban Crust

Looking for a place to get delicious food and lively entertainment throughout the night this New Year's Eve? Look no further! Urban Crust is offering their regular menu plus enticing specialty items such as surf and turf, lamb shank and oysters. Celebrate after dinner with a late night party featuring a DJ, dancing, and drinks on all three floors of the restaurant.

New Years Day, they are offering their scrumptous brunch menu from 11am-3pm.

Urban Crust
1006 E 15th St
Plano, TX 75074
(972) 509-1400
www.urbancrust.com

Thrive

Celebrate New Years Eve at Thrive Nightclub, as they host "Viva Las Vegas." The party begins New Years Eve at 9 pm in the new Downtown Dallas Crowne Plaza located at 1015 Elm St. Dallas, TX 75202. When not sipping on cocktails or boogying on the dance floor, guests will have the opportunity to play casino games, such as Poker, Roulette, Craps, and Black Jack. Tickets are $25 in advance or $50 at the door.

Interested in bottle service? Thrive is offering a full booth, seating 18 people, for $800 and a single table, seating 6 people, for $500. If you are looking for a little more privacy, Thrive has a VIP room that holds 20 and runs $2,500. The room comes with four bottles of Ed Hardy vodka, two bottles of Moet Champagne, and two bottles of Dom Perignon Champagne. For more information and reservations, call (214) 742-5678 or visit www.thrivenightclub.c om.

Cretia's on Mckinney

This New Year's Eve, the party is at Cretia's!
For only $60, you get all the well drinks and domestics you can handle! Plus, enjoy live music, DJ's Ben Brown and Greenspan, a champagne toast, black-eyed peas, and party favors. Advanced tickets are $60 and tickets at the door are $80. Tickets can be purchased at the restaurant or by calling 214-780-0200.

Cretia's on Mckinney
4900 Mckinney Ave
Dallas, TX 75205
www.cretias.com

Patry's Bistro

If an exquisite meal is what you want for New Years Eve, Patry's is where you need to be. Chef Hamid Kalantar will be preparing an exceptional New Year's Four Course meal and Champagne special. Specialty Entrees include Pan Roasted Veal Chop Chasseur with mushroom ragout and thyme sauce for $69, Pan Seared Halibut with Shrimp Scampi served over rice pilaf for $69 and Broiled Australian Lobster Tail (1 lb) with Garlic Buerre Blanc for $79. All entrees are served with your choice of any appetizer, soup and salad, and dessert off the regular menu.

The regular menu will also be available.

Please call for reservations at 214-352-2489.

Patry's Bistro
4601 West Lovers Ln
Dallas, TX 75209
www.patrysbistro.com

Bistro Louise in Fort Worth has multi-choice, four course New Year's eve menu and a "2010 New Years Day Down Home Cooking Brunch.
Visit their website for full details and reservations: www.BistroLouise.com.

There's a New Year's Eve celebration at the Warwick Ballroom and Oak Lawn Terrace in Dallas, featuring entertainment from Aubree-Anna. Lots of food, fun, music, and drinks. Price: $299 inclusive per couple w/ accommodations or $85 per person inclusive no accommodations. Contact: Jacqueline Hickey will be taking all reservations* 214.224.3109, jhickey@warwickhotels.com.

Chef Morris Salerno has a special evening planned at The Grotto in Highland Village: a four-course dinner for $119.50 per couple. Make reservations by calling 972-318-0515 or email kay@thegrottotonight.com.

Ring in the New Year at Pappas Bros. in Dallas. $89.95 per person (excluding alcohol, tax, tip). Call 214-366-2000.

Bring in the New Year with a view at Wolfgang Puck's Five Sixty. Multiple seatings, buffet and dinner menus offered. Call 214-571-5710 for details and reservations, or email reuniontower@wolfgangpuck.com.

Lanny's Alta Cocina Mexicana is offering a four-course celebration dinner for $95 per person. Get reservations at www.LannysKitchen.com.

Bonnell's in Fort Worth invites you to enjoy a four-course feast for $90 per person. 817-738-5489 is the number for reservations or visit www.BonnellsTexas.com.

Margaux's in Dallas offers a festive menu and a New Year's Day Brunch. Call 214-740-1985 or email Kay Agnew, kay@margauxsdallas.com.

Need a ride home? "Occifer, I've only had tee martoonis, and I'm not as drunk as some thinkle peep I am", is only a bad old vaudeville line. Instead, call someone like...

Cowboy Cab
214-428-0202
www.cowboycab.com

Scott Tinkham at Driven DFW
Be transported in the comfort of your own vehicle by a professionally trained driver.
877-257-3289
www.drivendfw.com

Limo George Limo for the Rockstars!!!
214-475-4513
www.limogeorge.com

For intrepid, and loyal readers who have made it this far into the article I offer a reward: you are among the first to know about our next big event for "The Dinner Club with Jim White". We are going to have a great fine wine dinner with Randy Wooldridge and Quintessa Wine Estates at The Grill on the Alley in the Galleria on Thursday January 28th. This special, limited seating event from Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits is priced at a remarkable $50 per person, so it will sell out fast! I urge you to make your reservations quickly by calling 214-459-1601. If you are a procrastinator---NOW is the time for a New Year's resolution!

Cheers! And, have a safe New Year! Festively yours, Jim

Bubbly memories and a great wining and dining gift deal.

2009-12-14T16:20:00.000-08:00

Bubbly and friends for the holidays!

Thanks to all who attended our wonderful Veuve Clicquot tasting at Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits in Addison. The taste treats were divine and we made lots of new friends. We have another wonderful wine dinner in the works with our friends from Centennial coming up in January. Stay tuned for details in this very place.

Virginia, Santa would rather have a great glass of wine and chef cuisine instead of milk and cookies!

The great value of the holiday gift giving season for the person on your list who loves food and wine is the special advance purchase ticket prices offered for Savor Dallas. (OK, let's call it a discount, but I prefer to think of it as a reward for prompt behavior in getting those tickets early and getting Savor Dallas down on your schedule--March 5-7). The deal is only in effect through New Year's Eve. When the ball drops on Times Square it starts the 60 minute countdown in the Central Time Zone before those ticket prices go up to their regular price. Let me put that in perspective for you, though: You can buy a weekend, all-access pass to Savor Dallas for $425 (after January 1--it's $375 now). Tickets to the Aspen Food and Wine Classic in June top $1000 per person! The Festival has no night-time events, and almost no food is offered (other than some cheese, bread, and other munchies at their Grand Tasting--in a tent). You also have the big travel expense and even bigger resort lodging expense for the honor of being in Aspen. By comparison, Savor Dallas offers an early evening and a nighttime event (Arts District Wine Stroll on Friday, and International Grand Tasting on Saturday), featuring great signature cuisine samples from over 60 of Dallas-Fort Worth's top chefs, and a dazzling array of premium wines, spirits and beers from around the world offered in beautiful settings in the Dallas Arts District and the fabulous "new" Sheraton Dallas Hotel (recently renovated to the tune of nearly $100 million). Travel to DFW is easy--thanks to American Airlines--and relatively cheap by comparison to Aspen. There's even FREE transportation if you take the "Savor Dallas Shuttle" to the International Grand Tasting. And, the Sheraton Dallas is offering an exceptional $89 per night Savor Dallas room rate (that's the double occupancy price and the new rooms are beautiful and spacious). Even if your schedule only permits one night of wining and dining, the Savor Dallas International Grand Tasting ticket is only $125 per person ($100 now until January 1). Aspen's grand tasting, as best I can recall, is priced at about $200 per person for the 2 hour event in the afternoon. Did I mention it's in a tent? And, it's often muddy? And, there's barely any food? The beautiful Lone Star Ballroom at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel is the site of next year's Savor Dallas International Grand Tasting. Dress up and join us for a good time. Wonderful wine and lots of good food for half the price. OK, I admit, we have no mountains. But you can make a down payment on the Rockies with the money you save attending Savor Dallas.

Congratulations to Marcus Cascio, new GM of Wolfgang Puck's Five Sixty Restaurant. He's been the General Manager of the Mansion on Turtle Creek for the last two years. Other notable establishments on his résumé include the Delano Hotel and the Astor Hotel in Miami, and White Face Lodge in White Plains New York. The restaurant is about to hit its one year anniversary atop Reunion Tower (described today to someone in Colorado as "God's golfball or the biggest dandelion you've ever seen). Congratulations to Executive Chef Sara Johannes who is planning big things with a view at Five Sixty. Get all the details when you visit www.wolfgangpuck.com or call 214.741.5560.

Scott Romano at Charlie Palmer at the Joule Hotel has the holiday spirit. He's offering Christmas Day Brunch from 11 until 3 for $55 per person (children under 12 dine for $35) and a Christmas Day Dinner from 5 until 9 for $75 ($35 for kids). Get details on their website.

The Catalina on Lemmon Avenue is offering a cool Christmas special: "The Ultimate Christmas Light Tours". They've setup a deal with a limo company where you view the Christmas lights and then dine with them at the Catalina. Very civilized. Very merry. Get details and reservations by calling 214-742-5466. Ask for Alex.

Happy Christmas and Merry New Year! Jim

Holiday wining and dining ideas

2009-12-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

This week we've got dinner specials, artisanal food offerings and wine ideas for your holiday entertaining. Or, to loosely quote Steve Martin, "Waiter! Bring us some of your NEW wine! Not that old, dusty junk you've been trying to pawn off on her!"

The holidays are a wonderful time for dining out.

If you're looking for something on Christmas eve, Tre Amici is offering a four course dinner and 25% off all wines by the bottle. Plus, a 5 to 7 p.m. Happy Hour in the bar. 18020 North Dallas Parkway. 972-250-4400.

Kenny's Wood Fired Grill in Addison is offering special fixed price holiday menus for lunch or dinner for groups. Call 972-392-9663 for details.

Superstar chef Charlie Palmer is offering tips on his favorites from the "Regional New American Holiday Gift Guide". We're please to see a great Texas product makes his list:

Boerne, Texas: Pickle-licious
Made from an old family recipe, Fickle Pickles are probably the best pickles in the world. In the words of the original “Pickle Lady” Billie Shaw, they start out sweet and finish spicy. http://www.ficklepi ckles.com
Ask them about it when you stop by Charlie Palmer at the Joule at 1530 Main Street in Downtown Dallas.

Coast Global Seafood has some great daily specials going on right now that help make your holiday dining brighter.

Mondays - half price bottles of wine up to $100, including favorites such as Hall Cabernet Sauvignon, Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay, Layer Cake Shiraz and more.
Wednesdays - Legacy Happy Hour with free appetizers such as calamari, oysters on the half shell and spicy rock shrimp from 4 to 7 p.m.
Thursdays - Cocktail Cruise with $5 house martinis and cosmos, as well as happy hour drink prices and $5 appetizers all night long.
Thursdays through Saturdays - live music from 8 p.m. until close from favorite local jazz duets and trios. Guest can enjoy the great music while taking in a spectacular view of the "dancing fountains" located just outside the COAST patio area.

COAST is located at 7501 Lone Star Drive, Suite B150 in Plano, Texas. For more information or reservations please call (972) 265-4722 or visit www.coastglobalseafood.com.

Paula Lambert and the Mozzarella Company are offering their holiday favorite Christmas Cheese.

As Paula explains, "It's a once-a-year treat that we make only from Thanksgiving through New Year's. It's a crumbly, spreadable round of cheese festively flavored with a combination of chiles. It's a pretty cheese...a vibrant red round topped with a swirl of green jalapenos strips. Some might call it a Mexican cheese, but you'll just call it "good" when you taste it! It pairs nicely with beer, wine, and mixed drinks. Just one bite won't be sufficient.

It all began many years ago as a mistake. Something happened to one batch of our cheese. It just did't turn out exactly as it should have ... it wasn't a bad cheese, it just wasn't the kind of cheese it was supposed to be! So, we decided to convert our mistake into something new. Because Christmas was coming, we wanted to create something good for the holidays. We decided to add a variety of red chiles to make it spicy. We molded it into small discs that would be perfect for serving when guests stop by. We decorated the top with a star made of green chiles. And voila...Christmas Cheese!

Now our mistake has become a Mozzarella Company annual tradition, and many of our loyal customers have made Christmas Cheese part of their family holiday traditions. They flock to our cheese factory for our special, little, handmade cheese. Many buy 10 to 20 cheeses because they make perfect gifts for neighbors, teachers, and friends. And they are great to have on hand for quick, last-minute hors d'oeuvres and hostess gifts. Wheels of Christmas Cheese weigh a little over a half pound each and cost $12. They are great for snacking as well as for melting. They stay fresh for a month or longer...but they won't last that long at your house!
You can order online www.mozzco.com or call 214-741-4072.

How about some wine with that cheese? (Only at my house that phrase is usually "How 'bout some whine with that cheese!") Wine Guy Darryl Beeson explains the secrets of life and mysteries of the universe when it comes to Beaujolais. (Here's the only new wine you want that snooty waiter referred to in the headline to bring you!)

Beau-jest of fine wine

by Darryl Beeson

Most people that enjoy wine know about Beaujolais Nouveau, a fresh and fun red wine made with the gamay grape. It is youthful but maybe simple. For very little money, one may bump up to a cru Beaujolais of which there are ten. Compared to the wines of more central Burgundy, these wines offer bang for the buck. The finest producers would lead with Georges Duboeuf and Louis Jadot.

Brouilly is the largest cru area in Beaujolais. It covers about 20% of the Beaujolais wine region. Brouilly and Cote de Brouilly are two different crus (crus meaning specific growing regions). Cotes de Brouilly is grown on the slopes of the hill. Brouilly is grown at the bottom. Brouilly wine is packed with flavor. Some say that Cote de Brouilly is both aggressive and elegant. The wine is more rich because the grapes get more sun exposure than the ones at the bottom of the hill. Brouilly is better when consumed young while Cote de Brouilly should mature 4 or 5 years before tasting.

Another is Fleurie, meaning "flowery". Duboeuf captures these flowers on their lables and are easy to spot in a wine shop. Fleurie is a fruit-forward wine. Some call it the Queen of Beaujolais. Moulin à Vent would be the counter-point King. In total the ten crus Beaujolais and offer great wine value for an interesting red wine. Most are under twenty dollars.

The name Beaujolais comes from the house of Beaujeu, a name which first appears in the mid-900s. This region became famous in the 19th century for the textile industry rather than wine. The wines are now overlooked by many consumers.

On the subject of Beaujolais Nouveau, it used to be sold as "Beaujolais Primeur." The late Alexis Lichine observed in his first book on French wines that these wines did not merit even a mention. "It was a young, fruity wine sold in barrels and served in carafes in restaurants in Lyon and in specialized bistros in Paris--strictly the cheap places. In the early 1950s, this vin nouveau never saw the inside of a bottle or traveled overseas." Things changed big time. It is now very chic to enjoy this wine of the same vintage of the current year, harvested a few weeks before. It is officially released on the third Thursday of November each year. North Texas has the largest Nouveau Beaujolais festival in the world.

(Note: November 20th was the date this year for the Nouveau Beaujolais celebration in Dallas. The party was a smashing success at the Hotel Intercontinental, thanks to the hard work or Isabelle DeWulf and the French American Chamber of Commerce.)

Our friends with Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits are giving away a great trip for two to Napa Valley! Now, that's the holiday spirit! All you have to do is go to their Facebook registration page.

This is a 6 day, 5 night Napa Valley get-a-way (Monday-Friday) at the Vintage Inn with round-trip airline tickets for two. The Vintage Inn is a AAA Four-Diamond Award-winning elegant French country-style inn located in the heart of Yountville featuring breathtaking gardens and a central watercourse. Stay includes Champagne breakfast buffet. The deadline for entries is December 31st, and the trip has to be used in 2010. Good luck.

Be sure to join us at Centennial Fine Wine in Addison on Inwood for a free holiday tasting of Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Thursday December 10th from 4 until 7. Cheers!

How about leaving the driving to us? If you're attending the Savor Dallas International Grand Tasting on March 6th at the beautiful Sheraton Dallas Hotel downtown, consider the "Savor Dallas Shuttle"--Ride FREE, clean and green! We'll pick you up and take you to the biggest wining and dining event of the year, and then make sure you get back to your car safely. You'll save on parking, gas, and stress. Check out our website for the Shuttle location nearest you: www.SavorDallas.com.

The Savor Dallas Shuttle is presented by Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits--promoting responsible consumption and eco-friendly alternatives.

Happy holidays. Jim

A toast for the holidays!

2009-12-03T16:13:00.000-08:00

Delicious holiday bubbly from Veuve Clicquot brings the Savor Wine and Food faithful (and you know who you are), another fun, free event at Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits on December 10th. Come raise a glass or two with us!

Savor Wine and Food—invites you to get you into the spirit of the holiday with a bit of the bubbly—In fact, some of the finest Champagne on Earth: Veuve Clicquot will be featured on Thursday December 10th at the beautiful Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits location on Inwood Road in Addison. Veuve Clicquot’s Cyndi Mendez and I will be on hand from 4 until 7 p.m. to preview three delicious Champagne varietals. Taste them all, and get all your questions answered about pairing Veuve Clicquot with your favorite holiday meals and for entertaining. Centennial will offer special pricing, too. Come join the fun. We’ll see you Thursday December 10th, from 4 til 7 p.m. at Centennial in Addison. While you’re there, be sure to register for some great prizes, including tickets to Savor Dallas---so purchase necessary. Veuve Clicquot Champagne—a special free event for you. Holiday bubbly is waiting for you. We look forward to raising a glass of cheer with you.

More on the way. Doing the "holi-daze" dervish. How 'bout you?
Cheers!
Jim

Bountiful wining and dining for Turkey Day

2009-11-22T16:32:00.000-08:00

As the great soul song sang, "Just be thankful for what you've got." This week, I've got some Thanksgiving updates for you whether you want to dine in or take out. Plus, some upcoming wine tastings you'll want to know about.

First, here's an update on the hot cooking show I'm emceeing next week in Austin for the nice folks who do the interactive cookbooks for the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas. You can join the fun. There are still tickets available for the big "Chefs Under Fire" challenge in Austin on November 30th. 9 amateur chefs going head to head. Each cooking a recipe selected for them by either David Bull from Bolla, Kent Rathbun from Abacus, or Tyson Cole from UCHI. All three chefs judge the "Iron Chef" type competition. The winner walks away with much culinary booty and big bragging rights. It will be fun. We'll be taping the show in front of a "live audience" (you included, I hope). Here, I must insert my wife's favorite line in regards to "live audience", "Oh, that's opposed to the dead audience you had last time I guess?!?" Well anyway, it's a tough room at my house. So come join us in Austin. I can take the heat. Get details on tickets here: www.KeeperCollection.com, or phone 512-970-3456. You can also email them at: update@keepercollection.com. It's going to fun just to see the amazing new facility on the UT Campus where the event will be held: The AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center.

In case you haven't been WineTastic lately, they have some great wine events coming up and great wine tasting everyday. They're under new management, too. Old friend Terri Burney has taken over sommelier duties. She and her husband Don (who passed away) used to run Grand Tastings in Uptown. Go in and raise a glass for the holidays. Here's a sample of some activity on the way:

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 from 7-10PM and Saturday, December 5th, 2009 from 2-7PM. WineTastic pops the corks on some of the finest bubbly from champagne cellars such as Veuve Clicquot, Bollinger, Moet & Chandon, Mumms, Perrier Jouet, Charles Heidsieck, Pol Roger, Roederer, Schramsberg, Taittinger, Laurent Perrier, and Iron Horse to name a few. With more than 25 Champagnes and Sparkling wines from around the world to taste, you're sure to find some new holiday favorites. This is a great opportunity to stock up on your favorite Champagne and Sparkling wines for the holiday season! Think hostess gifts, holiday gifts, and holiday celebrations. Take advantage of our case discount pricing. A selection of cheeses and hors d'oeuvres will complement the selection.

Price: $40.00 non-member/$35.00 wine club member.

Holiday Tasting featuring Big Reds

December 10th and 12th

Big, Red Wine Tasting Event On Thursday December 10th and Saturday December 12th, WineTastic will offer some of the best in hard-to-find wines from a number of top shelf vineyards. The wines poured during this event are very small production, boutique wines and very hard to find. Whether you missed this tasting event in the past or if you attended the first Big, Red event, you are in for a treat! These small production, boutique wines will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Don't miss the Holiday Big, Red Wine Tasting Event.

Price: $40.00, which also includes assorted cheeses from our importers and paired hors d'oeuvres (excludes tax and gratuity
WineTasting is located at 4140 Lemmon Ave, Suite 130 (at Douglas), Dallas, TX 75219
www.dallaswinetastic.com
214-559-8910

There are Thanksgiving specials galore. This one caught my eye: old friend and master chef Morris Salerno is hosting a Thanksgiving buffet at his two restaurants, The Grotto and Salerno's from 11 a.m. until 2. Reservations are available at both locations, The Grotto - 972-318-0515 (kay@thegrottotonight.com), Salerno's - 972-539-9534, (mike@salernositalian.com). Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving.

And, if you'd rather bring the spread home, Cobb Switch Barbecue is doing the cooking for you. They're offering packages on whole smoked turkeys or hams with all the trimmings. Give them a call for more details, 214-483-3600.

If upscale dining is the answer for you---

Forget the pots and pans and make a reservation at Fearing’s at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas for Thanksgiving Day. The three course holiday menu will be served for both lunch and dinner: 11am-3pm and 5-8pm. For the first course choose from roasted butternut squash bisque, seared bay scallops, chicken fried Bob White Quail and more. For the second course enjoy a traditional turkey with a Texas twist featuring tortilla dressing and jalapeno cranberry relish or try an English Style glazed antelope. For dessert indulge in the famous Fearing’s dessert trio. For reservations, please call 214-922-4848.

Or, Chef David Bull (right) is saving you the trouble and serving up a decadent Thanksgiving spread for you and your family and friends. Make a reservation at Bolla on Thursday, Nov. 26th and indulge in four courses of deliciousness for only $65 per person. The first course offers a smoked pheasant salad, followed by a course of either sea scallops or lobster ravioli. The third course features a turkey breast and your choice of either banana bread pudding or pumpkin brulee for dessert. Call 214-871-7111 for reservations.

Remember, Savor Dallas tickets are a great holiday gift for the wine and food lover on your list. Get special prices on tickets through the holidays. Cheers! And happy Thanksgiving.
Jim

Hot chefs do a role reversal in Austin and Christy Rost hosts a PBS Thanksgiving

2009-11-15T17:47:00.000-08:00

Ready, Fire, Cook! "Chefs Under Fire" hits Austin--check it out online or in person.

"Chefs Under Fire" is a turn the tables type "Iron Chef" competition that puts amateur chefs in the line of fire, so to speak, of three top chefs who have each been challengers on the foodie favorite TV show. This time, though, David Bull from Bolla (R), Kent Rathbun (L) from Abacus, and Tyson Cole from UCHI, are going to judge the aspiring chefs who will each be cooking a recipe selected for them by one of the pros. The scene is set for a lot of fun in Austin on November 30th. Join me if you can make it. I'll be hosting the evening at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center on the University of Texas Campus. If you love a good food fight, this competition is for you. There is very limited seating for the special evening, so hurry before tickets are gone. Get more details about attending by clicking on "Chefs Under Fire" at the producer's website: www.KeeperCollection.com, or phone 512-970-3456. You can also email them at: update@keepercollection.com.

Kudos are in order for a dear and talented friend, Christy Rost, who has hit the culinary big time in a big way. The lifestyle expert and television chef hosts a one-hour Thanksgiving special, "A Home for Christy Rost: Thanksgiving" on more than 100 public television stations and over 200 Create TV stations on Sunday November 22nd at 1 p.m.. That includes KERA-TV, Channel 13, the Dallas-Fort Worth PBS station. The Thanksgiving special was filmed at "Swan's Nest," the historic Breckenridge home more recently known as Revett Manor that Christy and her husband, Randy purchased three years ago from Glenn and Mary Campbell.

As Christy's press release says, "Memories are made around the family table, especially during the holidays. Families talk, laugh, and reminisce as they feast on course after course of treasured family recipes passed down through the generations."
Christy is making memories in her newly restored dream home. This historic 5,600-sq.-ft. home, built in 1898 as a wedding gift and named "Swan's Nest" by gold baron Ben Stanley Revett, sits high in the mountains of Breckenridge, Colorado. Again to the release: "A Home for Christy Rost: Thanksgiving artfully weaves holiday cooking in Christy's historic kitchen with home decorating how-to's, easy-to-replicate tablescapes and documentary-style highlights of Swan's Nest's extensive renovation, a process more than two years in the making, as well as the colorful history of Swan's Nest's flamboyant original owner."

Christy has worked hard for over 10 years to make her dream come true of having a nationally syndicated TV food show. Way back in the last century, when I hosted the "KRLD Restaurant Show with Jim White", Christy appeared with us every other week with a new and fun recipe or home entertaining idea. She has hosted numerous cooking demos for us at the "Jim White Celebrity Kitchen", and sent many a trusty recipe our way for www.EatsandDrinks.com. God bless her tenacity. Her efforts have paid off. I hope this is the start of "something big", and that everything continues to "come up Christy". Break a leg, my friend, I'll be tuned in on Sunday November 22nd, at 1 p.m. on Channel 13. I may DVR, though, and skip the pledge breaks.

If you love great Bordeaux, (and what's not to like?), join our friends at Centennial for a very special wine dinner event at Bolsa on Monday November 23rd. Centennial's Fine Wine Buyer Lance Storer hosts the dinner featuring 2005 Bordeaux:

Chateau Le Doyenne, 1er Cotes de Bordeaux 2005
~
Chateau La Prade, Cotes De Francs 2005
~
Cotes De Baleau, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2005
~
Chateau Doisy Daene, Sauternes 2005

Lance knows his stuff. He is a graduate of the Court of Master Sommeliers (Level One), and the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (Level Three). He is preparing to enroll in the Institute of Masters of Wine program, the most prestigious in the wine industry. In the process of his education and his job at Centennial he tastes more than 6,000 wines each years. Taste four very special ones with him at the exciting dinner. For reservations call Bolsa at 214-367.9367. A very fun place that takes me back to my Oak Cliff roots (when nothing this good was around, and no one knew any better).

The Bolsa team is comprised of Oak Cliff residents Chris Zielke and Christopher Jeffers who have partnered with Alexander Urrunago and Royce Ring. The four share a common vision to create a laid-back little place that attracts a wide range of local folks for a variety of occasions. The team has enlisted local Chef Graham Dodds to lead the kitchen. Chef Dodds prefers to work with locally grown organic ingredients and will handcraft a delicious four course “carte du jour” for the dinner.

Bon appétit!

What are your plans for Thanksgiving? Let me know. We'll share your ideas.

Happy dining,
Jim

Wining and dining news you can use from single malts to San Antonio

2009-11-08T15:58:00.000-08:00

Savor a night of Ardbeg at the
Second Floor Restaurant

Join us for a dandy tasting of some of the world's finest single malt Scotches on Tuesday November 17th, as "The KRLD Dinner Club with Jim White" and our good friends at Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits roll out another great event. Taste what many call the "smokiest" and "peatiest" single malts from Ardbeg Distillery. Their senior brand ambassador Davinia Small leads the tasting at the wonderful Second Floor Restaurant in the Westin Galleria Hotel. Chef Scott Gottlich will prepare an ample supply of heavy appetizers that will pair with the wonderful elixir of the gods.

Including:

Almonds & Pistachios
With Truffles and Parmesan
~
Tasting of Regional Cheeses
With Traditional Accompaniments
~
Poached Shrimp
Chilled Celery Root Soup and Beet Jellie
~
Salmon Rillette
Watercress and Orange Honey
~
Bresaola
Arugula, Blue Cheese and Golden Raisins
~
Creme Brulee
Chocolate Espresso with Raspberries

This very special tasting is limited to 40 seats only. The price is only $25 per person; incredible to get to try these great single malts and Chef Gottlich's wonderful food.
For more information, or to schedule a reservation for this
Spectacular event, please contact Jason Henry at 972-450-2978
or email him at jason.henry@westin.com

Opa! The Fort Worth Greek Festival is back November 13th through 15th. Have fun--and great food--at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 2020 N.W. 21st Street in Fort Worth. Call 817-626-5578 for more details.

There's a great food and wine event going on this week in San Antonio. Please read on for more information on the delightful "New World Wine and Food Festival". A perfect destination if you happen to be around San Antonio next week, or certainly worth making a special trip! Enjoy! And, if you attend, please let us know how you enjoyed it.

A week of food and wine awaits you in San Antonio November 8-15, 2009. More than 25 events make up the San Antonio New World Wine & Food Festival with something for every taste and every budget.

Three of the most popular events of the festival include:
The Best of Mexico
Friday, November 13, 2009
The Vault, 209 N. Presa Street
7:30 p.m.

The Grand Testing
Saturday, November 14, 2009
The Grotto at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
7:00 p.m.

Totally Tejas (that’s Totally Texas y’all)
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Rio Cibolo Ranch
1:00 p.m.

For more information on this year’s New World Wine & Food Festival, visit nwwff.org or call 210-822-9555.

Aurora has a Sunday brunch on November 15th. What a great way to start the week! Call for reservations: 214-528-9400. And, Avner Samuel has another of his almost famous cooking classes coming up November 21st. The class and four-course lunch with wine pairings is $95, and appropriately, chef's theme is "Holiday Collection".

Here's more good news for folks who want to dine out on Thanksgiving. Steve Fields Steak and Lobster Lounge is offering a traditional Thanksgiving menu--roast turkey and all the trimmings--along with their regular menu from noon until 8 p.m. The Turkey Day spread is $23 for adults and $14 for kids. Call them at 972-596-7100 for reservations.

On behalf of our friends at Share Our Strength (the national counterpart to the North Texas Food Bank), I'd like to offer you these ways of helping with childhood hunger this holiday season. Give thanks for our multitude of blessings.

Send Share Your Season Holiday Ecards
Make a donation to Share Our Strength on behalf of your friends, family or colleagues, and send a holiday ecard, letting them know that they're helping hungry children. Share Your Season ecards will add extra meaning to your holiday gifts this season.
http://action.strength.org/GiveAnEcard

Tell Your Friends about Share Our Strength
The only thing better than being a part of the Share Our Strength community is joining with a friend. Encourage your friends to do something about childhood hunger and to purchase holiday ecards.
http://action.strength.org/FriendSend

Join Our Online Communities
Let your friends know about our holiday campaign to end childhood hunger. Follow Share Our Strength on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook, and be the first to know about upcoming news and events -- then share it with your friends.
http://action.strength.org/FollowUs

By sharing your season in one or more of these ways, you will help provide kids with the healthy food they need every day so they won't have to worry about hunger.

Every child has the right to grow up happy and healthy. Thank you for doing your part this holiday season.

I hope the spirit of the season is filling your heart with generosity.
All best! Jim

2009-10-31T13:37:00.000-07:00

New Mansion chef slips into town under the radar

Bruno Davaillon is here and already has cards! That's always a good sign! The new executive chef of the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek is in the house and is busily preparing his menu. Look for highlights to be filtering in over the next few weeks. We had the chance to say hello and welcome him to Dallas during a special wine dinner hosted by Shari Staglin from Staglin Family Vineyards. Bruno is engaging and friendly. It will be very interesting to try his cuisine. Eric Brandt remains in the kitchen as executive sous chef. Michael Flynn continues to run the wine and beverage program with great flair. Although, sadly, we learn that rising star sommelier Scott Barber is a victim of the recession. His position at the Mansion was recently eliminated. Downsizing is no fun for anyone. We hear that Scott is moving around the state doing some consulting, and one of his gigs is with his old colleague (and former Mansion chef) John Tesar at John's new place in The Woodlands. I thought you'd like to see the lowdown on Bruno. I checked out his bio on LasVegasRestaurants.com and share it with you here:

"Bruno Davaillon grew up as a member of a farming family in France's Loire Valley, which meant early access to fresh butter, cream, eggs, vegetables, and animals, dream ingredients for a future chef. According to Davaillon, "My great aunt had a big farm. At six or seven, I remember being in her kitchen, using all the natural products from the farm. That was the key." By the age of 14, after years of helping his family cook farmhouse meals, becoming a chef was a "natural choice."

A few years later, Chef Davaillon enrolled at Chateauroux Culinary School, where he attended cooking classes and apprenticed at La Ligne, one of the best-known restaurants in Tours. He performed admirably, and after he graduated from culinary school in 1982 with a CAP degree, he managed to stay on at La Ligne as First Line Cook.

Davaillon earned his first international restaurant experience as Lead Line Cook at Tante Claire, a Michelin Three Star restaurant in London.

For the next eight years, Davaillon cooked in France, as Chef de Partie at Domaine de Belmont and Chateau de Locguenole and as Sous Chef at La Vieille Fontaine and La Ferme St. Siméon. Davaillon honed his creativity during this stretch.

In 1997, Davaillon transitioned to the United States, working as a private chef for Ambassador Antonio Fernandez, planning menus for lunches, dinners and formal functions.

In 1999, Davaillon continued with his personal Manifest Destiny, accepting the position of Chef de Cuisine at Encore Restaurant in Los Angeles' St. Regis Hotel. Thanks to his high profile position and noteworthy performance, he earned his first Executive Chef post, at Beau Coup in San Francisco.

It was in San Francisco that Davaillon met a chef who knew Alain Ducasse. The famed French chef was planning his first Las Vegas venture, and Davaillon had a compatible approach to cuisine. According to Davaillon, "I never worked with Mr. Ducasse prior to Mix, but I always appreciated his approach to cuisine. I was very curious about what he was doing. It's very quality produce driven, very simple. Go direct to the flavor. There aren't six or seven flavors on the plate. It's very sharp. I have a similar approach." Ducasse agreed, and Davaillon was hired as Executive Chef at Mix. Davaillon moved to Vegas in April 2004 and the restaurant opened on the 64th floor of THEhotel by the end of the year.

According to Davaillon, "You can find classic dishes from Paris and Monte Carlo, but you can also find eclectic items, world cuisine." At Mix, the food is important, but they're offering a "great package," including a unique location and "feeling."

To stay seasonal, Mix changes the menu every three months. Despite being located in the desert, the restaurant is able to get every ingredient they want, eased by Ducasse's reputation in the industry.

Mr. Ducasse has final say on every aspect of what happens at the restaurant, food and otherwise. Every two months, he visits Mix to taste new dishes that Davaillon has developed. Once he signs off on a dish, it's promoted to the menu.

As with savory items, when it comes to desserts and wine, Mix reports to a corporate pastry chef and wine director at Groupe Alain Ducasse in Paris. Davaillon stressed that it's a collaborative relationship, not contentious in the least. "We still have freedom. They just want to know where we stand. They don't force us. We work together. It's a good team."

Chef Davaillon is excited to be a part of the recent influx of culinary talent to the Las Vegas dining scene. "In the past five to six years, everybody's coming here. It's a competitive environment. It reminds me of New York or San Francisco."

Davaillon has traveled thousands of miles from the French farmland of his youth, and he's absorbed mountains of culinary knowledge since he first cooked in his Great Aunt's kitchen, but in many ways, his approach is quite similar at Mix. As always, his goal is to deliver market-fresh ingredients, simply prepared and stylishly presented."

The Cowboy Cook rides again! Our good friends Grady Spears and June Naylor are back in the saddle. "Cooking the Cowboy Way" is their latest cookbook collaboration. You'll have a chance to meet them and get an autographed copy of the new book at Perini Ranch in Buffalo Gap on November 16th. Featuring hors d'oeuvres and Republic Tequila, it'll be a book signing to beat the band. Call 800-367-1721 for details and reservations. Talk about a great spot to catch up with a cowboy cook! Speak of the devil, Tom Perini and his wife Lisa are hosting their 5th Annual "Buffalo Gap Wine and Food Summit" April 23-25 at the Ranch. They always bring in a great lineup of chefs and winemakers. Stephan Pyles is among the highlights. Get details here www.periniranch.com/summit.

Happy trails, podner! Until we meet again. Jim

Thanksgiving bounty and blessings shared

2009-10-25T17:25:00.000-07:00

It's the time of the season for yummy Thanksgiving treats and a birthday celebration for Dallas Fish Market

One of our top seafood restaurants is celebrating its second anniversary by helping a great cause. Congratulations to Mike Hoque and his team at downtown's Dallas Fish Market who will throw a party on November 16th to help raise money for the Austin Street Shelter. Bon Appétit named Dallas Fish Market one of America's Top 10 Seafood restaurants in 2008. They'd like to give something back to the community for the support they've had. Here's where you come in. Call or email Bea Feagin at the the Austin Street Shelter and arrange to get a ticket to the November 16th event: 214-428-4242, ext. 18, bea.admin@austinstreet.org. Tickets are $45 and proceeds go to Austin Street Shelter's work of providing emergency shelter and services to the homeless. As you might imagine, the Center is currently experiencing heavy demand. Besides a good time and a good feeling, your ticket gets you Chef Randy Morgan's signature hors d'oeuvres, classic cocktails and top wines. The invite says that Chanel and Macy's Galleria will provide gifts for event guests, too. It'll be worth it just to see the smile of gratitude on The Reverend "Bubba" Dailey's face. She's the executive director of the Shelter, and will be on hand to greet guests and celebrate the occasion.

Bistro Louise is taking reservations for Turkey Day. $45 per person plus tax, gratuity and beverages. $16.95 for children 5-11. See the complete menu and make reservations by visiting the website, www.bistrolouise. Louise is also offering a "Thanksgiving Dinner for 8 To Go Menu" and a la carte "Thanksgiving To Go Menu".

Or, how about Thanksgiving at a wine resort? The folks at Messina Hof Winery are welcoming guests to their unique setting in Bryan to enjoy a Thanksgiving Feast and their Texas wine country hospitality. Besides food and wine tasting, they have lots of activities going on year-round at Messina Hof including cooking classes, cool "murder mystery" dinners and movies in the vineyards. Get all the details at Messina Hof's website, or by calling 800-736-9463, ext. 234.

If Italian is to your liking for Thanksgiving, Bugatti Ristorante has a special menu for the 26th. Visit their website for details, www.bugattis.net or phone 214-350-2470.

The hardest working guy in show business, Chef Tre Wilcox now has a new lunch menu (in addition to new dinner menu and wine list) at Plano's Loft 610 Restaurant. And, former Abacus colleague Jermaine Brown signs on as executive sous chef of the restaurant. As long as Tre sent it, I thought you might like to see what's on tap for the lunch-

Starters

Jalapeno Marinated Jumbo Shrimp, with Jack Cheese Grits and Tequila Lime Sauce

Cucumber Yellowtail Roll, with Citrus Sweet Soy, Wasabi Sauce and Pickled Ginger

Mesquite Grilled Baby Lamb Chops, with Balsamic Honey Glaze

Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with Champagne Sauce and Chive Olive Oil

Crispy Duck Spring Rolls with Pomegranate-Chili Dipping Sauce

Soup, Salads and Sandwiches

Soup of the Day

Caesar Salad

Mixed Field Green Salad with Carrots, Fennel and White Balsamic Vinaigrette (add Grilled Chicken +4)

Red and Yellow Tomato Salad, with Marinated Mozzarella, Basil Pesto and Balsamic Reduction

Asian "Field Green" Salad, with Sweet Chili Lime Dressing and Crispy Wontons

Baby Spinach Salad with Maytag Blue Cheese, Bosc Pear, Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Marinated Chicken Sandwich with Chipotle Sour Cream, Red Onion, Lettuce and Tomato

Spicy Pulled Pork Sub with Butter Pickles and Provolone Cheese

The 610 Burger with Smoked Cheddar, Pepper Bacon and Dijon Mayo

Crispy Southwestern Chicken Sandwich with Pepper-Jack Cheese, and Avocado Pico

Herb Roasted Chicken Pasta with Oven Dried Tomatoes and Parmesan Cream Sauce

Entrées

Grilled Wild King Salmon with Pomegranate Brown Butter and Wild Mushroom Risotto

Crispy Seared Lemon Sole with Bacon Whipped Potatoes, Asparagus and Chardonnay Sauce

Chili Spiced Fish Tacos with Spicy Jasmine Rice and Mango Pico de Gallo

Sides

Grilled Asparagus, Steamed Vegetables, Bacon Whipped Potatoes or Truffle Risotto

Desserts

Lemon Tarragon Italian Custard, with Strawberry Champagne Sauce and Fresh Blueberries

The "Top Chef" Failed Banana Bread Pudding, with Toffee Sauce
Chocolate Brownies, with Cinnamon Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce

LOFT 610 Urban Restaurant & Lounge 5760 State Highway 121 Suite 175 Plano TX 75024 (972) 377-2500

Hope you've had a chance to visit the new WineTastic on Lemmon Avenue near Inwood. They are doing an incredible job under the management of Terri Burney who previously owned Grand Tastings on McKinney Avenue. She and her husband Don ran the place. Unfortunately, Don had a heart attack in 2007 and passed away. Terri recently closed Grand Tastings and was very happy that the opportunity came up with WineTastic. It's still a retail store, but they have lots of tastings and special events. 214-559-8910 or dallaswinetastic.com.

Meals are made for wine. Fess Parker once told us he even drinks a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc for breakfast, with his eggs. Cheers, Davy! (Daniel to younger readers).
Be well,
Jim

Who's that knockin' at the Screen Door?

2009-10-18T13:21:00.000-07:00

Mico and David are in the house and need to add a wing for their partners.

I stopped by Screen Door in One Arts Plaza on Friday to see if I could catch up with David McMillan and Mico Rodriguez. In case you hadn't heard, there's been a big change at the restaurant (you ain't seen nothin' yet!). In one swell foop, Chef Fitzgerald Dodd is out (and the Southern menu he served is soon to follow), and celebrity chef David McMillan (Nana, 62 Main, Consilient Restaurants) is in with plans to revamp the menu within a couple of weeks. He and Mico have formed a partnership called MCM Restaurants with restaurant mogul Robert Colombo (Trece, Villa O, et al) and Teiichi Sakurai from Tei-An "with a goal of developing creative restaurants that are conceived and run the best way possible". Screen Door is MCM Restaurant's first project. Mico is back in fine form after a 10 month hiatus from the restaurant biz. It was a rough ride. A divorce from his wife, Carolina Galvan-Rodriguez, a "divorce" from his partners at M Crowd (Mi Cocina), and what appears to be a divorce from the personal demons that caused his tragic descent after his meteoric rise with M Crowd, have produced a man on a mission. As Mico puts it, "Lucy (Billingsley) has asked us to come in and observe and make recommendations to get this place turned around. We've just started. We have a lot of work to do. Robert is a fantastic partner. David is a gifted chef. We plan to open restaurants, and I want to do a Mexican Food restaurant as soon as the non-compete clause is up in 19 months (from his break with M Crowd), but right now we are engaged to make this restaurant live up to its potential." As we speak, the swirl of activity around him increases. It is less than an hour until opening time. He is meeting with sales reps, planning upcoming events, and barking orders to employees to remove facades in the restaurant entrance and change seating arrangements. He is organizing a new wine list, and taking a call from Robert Colombo. He asks someone to get David for me and the dervish continues.

Chef McMillan earned his stripes as Hollywood caterer to the stars (among them Barbara Streisand) before accepting Paul Pinnell's offer to take the kitchen helm at Nana in the Hilton Anatole. The restaurant rose to 5 star prominence before David left to open his widely acclaimed 62 Main restaurant in Colleyville. Bedroom communities are notoriously rough places to run upscale restaurants. David closed his dream place and started overseeing concepts with Tristan Simon's Consilient Restaurants (including Hibiscus, Victor Tango's and Fireside Pies). He is steady, mellow, and one of the most supremely talented chefs I have ever known. He is glad to be back in action again and is looking forward to putting his imprimatur on the Screen Door menu. Check them out as you venture downtown to see the new AT&T Performing Arts Center.

Tre rocks the house and Plano

One of the best chefs on the planet, Tre Wilcox, is in full swing with Loft 610. (He'll be joining us for the Savor Dallas International Grand Tasting on Saturday March 6, at the beautifully renovated Sheraton Dallas Hotel in Downtown Dallas.) He has created a new menu for Loft 610. As long as he sent it to me, I thought I would share it with you:

Starters
Crispy Duck Spring Rolls, with Red Chili- Pomegranate Dipping Sauce Jalapeno Marinated Jumbo Shrimp, with Jack Cheese Grits and Tequila Lime Sauce
Cucumber Yellowtail Roll, with Citrus Sweet Soy, Wasabi Sauce and Scallions
Mesquite Grilled Baby Lamb Chops, with Balsamic Honey Glaze
Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, with Champagne Sauce and Chive Olive Oil
Braised Pork Belly, with Pickled Cucumbers, Fennel and House BBQ
Seared Rare Hawaiian Tuna, with Spicy "Thai Style" Mushroom Sauce

Soup and Salads
Soup of the Day Mixed Baby Field Greens, with White Balsamic Vinaigrette
Caesar Salad, with truffle cheese
Red and Yellow Tomato Salad, with Marinated Mozzarella, Pesto and Balsamic
Asian "Field Green" Salad, with Sweet Chili Lime Dressing and Crispy Wontons
Baby Spinach Salad, Fried Oysters, Blue Cheese, Bosc Pear, Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Entrées
Hawaiian Escolar, on Stir Fried Rice with Shiitake Mushrooms and Yellow Curry Sauce
Poached Maine Lobster and Seared Sea Scallops, on Angel Hair, Tomatoes, Capers, Basil
Wood Grilled Salmon, with Bacon Whipped Potatoes, Asparagus and Chardonnay Sauce
Pan Seared Nova Scotia Halibut, with Baby Brocolini and Spicy Ginger - Lemongrass Broth
Herb Roasted Chicken Pasta, with Oven Dried Tomatoes and Parmesan Cream Sauce
Blue Cheese Crusted Prime Ribeye with Mixed Fingerling Potatoes and Marsala Glaze
Smoked Bone-In Pork Chop, with Mushroom-Scallion Risotto and Balsamic-Port Reduction
Braised Beef Short Ribs, with smoked cheddar-jalapeno bread pudding and grilled jicima slaw
Grilled Buffalo Tenderloin, on Sweet Potato Puree, Wilted Spinach and Ancho-Shiner Sauce

Sides
Grilled Asparagus, Steamed Vegetables, Bacon Whipped Potatoes or Truffle Risotto

Desserts
Lemon Tarragon Italian Custard, with Strawberry Champagne Sauce and Fresh Blueberries
The "Top Chef" Failed Banana Bread Pudding, with Toffee Sauce
Golden Cake, with Blueberry Honey Syrup and Rum Whipped Cream

They have also expanded the wine list. LOFT 610 Urban Restaurant & Lounge, 5760 State Highway, Suite 175, Plano TX 75024, 972-377-2500.

Mama Mia, that's a tasty pizza pie!

We had some kind of fun the other night getting to know Jay Jerrier who owns Cane Rosso, the company that makes delicious mobile wood-fired pizza. He and his team are making pizzas every Wednesday night at Lakewood favorite Times Ten Cellars. Stop by beginning at 6 p.m. for a delicious Neapolitan pizza and a tasty glass of wine with Times Ten (they have just opened a new location in Fort Worth, too--near University Drive and 7th Street in the Cultural District-- 1100 Foch St, Fort Worth, TX 76107, (817) 336-9463. Cane Rosso has imported an authentic Italian wood-burning oven and housed it on a custom trailer that can be transported directly to events. We are planning on having them with us at Savor Dallas during the Arts District Wine Stroll on Friday March 5th, and during our "Sunday FunDay" benefit for the North Texas Food Bank on Sunday March 7th, at Dallas Farmers Market. You can contact them to do some incredible pizzas for a party or school function you have coming up. 214-577-6747, info@ilcanerosso.com. Get more details at their website, www.ilcanerosso.com. They adhere to the strict standards of the Associazone Verace Pizza Napoletana. They use only imported "00" flour, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and house-made Flor di Latte to create an extremely fresh and light pizza. See you at Times Ten Cellars!

And now the whole sordid story can be told. Drum roll please!

Besides being one of the country's best (and wackiest) winemakers, Randall Grahm, the original "Rhone Ranger", owner of Bonny Doon Vineyards is a helluva writer. His new book just landed on my doorstep last week (thanks to University of California Press!). "Been Doon so Long--a Randall Grahm Vinthology" is a collection of some of the wild and wonderful works that readers of Randall's newsletters and other missives have been howling over for years. From the Hugh Johnson forward:

"This eclectic collection at last brings to a wide audience the irreverent, zany voice of Randall Grahm, visionary California winemaker and founder of Bonny Doon Vineyard. An iconoclastic send-up of the wine industry and a celebration of unsung grape varieties, the book features, among other things, Grahm's hilarious literary parodies - Joyce, Kafka, Pynchon, Salinger, and others - together with song lyrics, snarky satires, poems, lectures, and more. Subtle undertones of gravitas with faint suggestions of earnestness lie beneath the humor, however, as Grahm passionately addresses the state of wine today: Where in wine does "greatness" truly repose? How might true originality in New World wines be found? Do New World winemakers have the integrity and courage to unreservedly embrace terroir? This trove includes a very personal take on Dante's Inferno (Grahm's own vision of Wine Hell) and a collection of tunes from the rock opera "Born to Rhône." Other pieces offer a fascinating glimpse into the history of the Rhône Ranger wine movement and of Bonny Doon itself, told through the story of its adventurous wine labels. Been Doon So Long is a highly entertaining journey to find the "truth of all things that may be found in the unlikely medium of a wineglass." (I really wanted to find a way to say "Quoth the Raven, 'never more'.")

If you love wine and revile those whom take it too seriously (see what I mean), by all means buy this book as quickly as you can. Quoth the website ever more: "For more information and to follow the book tour, visit: www.beendoonsolong.com. Order online or by phone 888.819.6789 and we will happily send an inscribed book to any number of your dearest friends. For shipments to far flung Old and New World destinations, please contact the Mothership directly at clubs@bonnydoonvineyard.com or 1.831.425.6705." See what I mean? Even the commercials are fun with Randall.

Just had lunch with Adam Richardson who is winemaker for Cupcake Vineyards (and Concannon Vineyard), and International wine director for Underdog Wine Merchants based in Soledad, California. Adam is a native Australian, and former aviator with the Royal Australian Navy. He has been a serious winemaker for more than a dozen years. The delicious Cupcake Wines mostly from the Central Coast of California include Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand), Riesling (Yakima Valley, Washington), Petite Sirah, and Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina). Suggested retail on the wines is $13.99. They are infinitely inviting, and comforting as, well, a cupcake. Underdog is making some great wines from around the world under the aegis of The Wine Group, and more are on the way. Look for them at a friendly retail outlet near you. www.CupcakeVineyard.com.

G'day, Mate! Drink responsibly.
Jim

The Art of hand-crafted wine and food explored

2009-10-12T07:02:00.000-07:00

Craft Dallas and Newton Vineyard join Jim White and the KRLD Dinner Club for a spectacular wining and dining experience.

Ask five of your best wine friends to name their favorite Napa Valley wines and I betcha Newton Vineyard is somewhere on their list. Newton's picturesque vineyards overlooking Napa Valley were planted on Spring Mountain beginning in 1977. Su Hua and Peter Newton believed in the quality, character and rich flavors of higher elevation fruit. Newton eventually became one of the world's most desired wines. We are pleased to present a special pairing of Newton Vineyard varietals with a four-course menu from Craft Dallas in Victory Park on Tuesday October 27th. Seating for this special dinner is limited to 40 guests and is priced at $120 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Our special guest of honor is Ellen Flora, Senior Wine Ambassador and National Spokesperson for Newton Vineyard. According to Ellen, “There is no other property in Napa Valley as unique in such a faceted positioning of steep hillsides and the pioneering arrangement of these vines. The wines from this property are truly about the place – the ultimate terroir story."

Tom Colicchio's craft | DALLAS received 4 Stars from The Dallas Morning News. craft | DALLAS is known for its unique marriage of the finest ingredients, haute cuisine and family-style service. The food prepared at craft | DALLAS is a celebration of the integrity of seasonal ingredients and skillful execution. This unique dining experience serves as the perfect culinary companion to the wines from Newton. Complimentary valet will be provided. For Dinner Reservations Please Contact Michelle Tran at 214-397-4177. Get more details at the "KRLD Dinner Club with Jim White" website. And now for the pièce de résistance, the pairing:

First Course
Roasted Turbot, Braised Baby Fennel and Razor Clams
Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay 2006, Napa Valley

Second Course
Muscovy Duck, Quince Confit and Baby Turnips
Newton Unfiltered Merlot 2005, Napa Valley

Third Course
Wagyu Beef Cheeks, Celery Root Purée and Braised Horseradish
Newton "Red Label" Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Napa Valley
Newton Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Napa Valley

Fourth Course
Pain Perdu, Brown Butter-Hazelnut Ice Cream
Riche, Domaine Chandon Sparkling Wine, California

Nana at the Hilton Anatole is creating a Revana Vineyards Wine Dinner with special guest Dr. Madaiah Revana on Thursday October 22nd. Chef Anthony Bombaci is putting together a lavish four-course meal to pair with the wines. Cost per person is $200. Call 214-761-7470 for reservations.

A good time event for a cause happens on October 19th at Palomino, dine during "Celebrate the Cure" and the restaurant will donate 10% of sales. Just call 214-999-1222 for reservations.

Clay Pit in Addison has some tempting events on the schedule for you to experience: "Souther Spice Food Festival" on October 17-18th, and a "Taste of Punjab" on October 24-25th. Get details at www.ClayPitDallas.com.

Chef Jean-Marie Cadot and his partner Gaspar Stantic are hosting a fabulous Louis Latour Wine Dinner Tuesday, October 27th at Cadot Restaurant. The price is only $65 per person, plus tax and gratuity. The restaurant has only been open a few months and already is gaining a big following. No wonder when two of our finest chefs get together, the results should be great, . and they are, at Cadot! It's located in the one-time Mediterraneo space at Preston Road and Frankford in far North Dallas.

For details on the dinner visit their website: www.CadotRestaurant.com or call 972-267-5700 for reservations. See the tasty menu below. Bon appétit!

Reception Menu
Cheese Gougere
Snail in Pastry
Smoked Salmon Rosace on Toast
WINE: SIMONET CREMEANT ROSE
First Course
Warm Venaison Terrine en Croute with Black Currant and Frissee Salad
WINE: H. FESSY MOULIN A VENT 07
Second Course
Filet of Trout with Crawfish and Morels Sauce
WINE: L. LATOUR CHARDONNAY ARDECHE 07
Third Course
Traditional Beef Bourguignon Stew
WINE: L. LATOUR MARSANNAY ROUGE 06
Fourth Course
Warm Chocolate Gratin with Griottes
WINE: L. LATOUR PINOT NOIR

Our friends at White Rock Coffee, Nancy and Bob Baker, are in an Autumn state of mind. Their cool java boutique is pulling out the pumpkin stops! Stop by Pumpkin Lattes, Pumpkin Chai, Pumpkin Spiced Tea, Pumpkin Scones, Pumpkin Muffins, bread, cheesecake, brownies (got tired of writing pumpkin!), even Toasted Pumpkin Seeds. And, join them October 17th, 2-5 p.m. for a Susan G. Koman fundraising event: "Cupcakes for the Cure". White Rock Coffee is located at 10105 E. Northwest Highway in Dallas, 75238.

How decanting will make you appreciate that wine even more (from our friends at Bottle Notes)

Why decant?

Most wine drinkers have seen the sculptural, wide-based wine vessels, but some may think they're just for show. On the contrary, many believe you should never drink a good bottle of wine without decanting it--and for good reason.

The best explanation for decanting a young wine that we’ve heard came from Tim Mondavi. He compared an undecanted wine to a green rose bud, closed and not fragrant. Pouring wine into a decanter helps that young wine "open up" and progress to a point where its aromas fill the glass, and your nose.

As wine is poured into a decanter, and as it sits in the wide basin, it interacts with oxygen in the air. This causes certain changes in the 500+ chemical compounds that exist in wine. While this may not be necessary for a bottle of Two Buck Chuck, you can certainly benefit from decanting a good young bottle.

Wines that have aged for more than 10 years do not need this opening up as much. However, decanting older wines separates the wine from any sediment that settled over time. In this case, you should pour the wine into a decanter, moving the wine bottle as little as possible and leaving enough wine in the bottle to prevent the sediment from getting into the decanter. If this sounds intimidating, you can always bring your bottle to a restaurant and have a sommelier decant the wine for you before your meal.

So give it a try–you'll undoubtedly notice the difference! To see some of our favorite decanters go to bottlen otes.com/decanters

The Zagat Guide to New York City Restaurants is out. Contact ZAGAT.com to buy the single guide for $15.95 or the "New York City Four Pack" that includes New York City Shopping, Restaurants, Lightlife and the City Food Lover's Guide, for $46.80. A $15 savings over purchasing the guides individually. Yummy see you at Balthazar for lunch!

Food trend to watch: Liquor-laced shakes spike sales
at trendy food outposts around the country

Just like Grandma used to make? No wonder Grandpa was smiling!

Offering chef-driven flair with a cherry on top, spiked milk shakes are emerging as signature adult beverages at several upscale burger concepts around the country. Boasting names such as the Bourbon Malted, Grandma's Treat and the All Nighter, these liquor-laced concoctions offer comfort-food appeal with a grown-up twist when paired with their longtime partner, the burger, operators say. "In the food and beverage realm, it really doesn't get more comfortable than a burger and a shake," says John Rothstein of Laurent Tourondel's BLT Restaurants.

Remember, living well is the best revenge. Living well has nothing to do with being ostentatious.

Cheers! Jim

Celebrate with Hector's on Henderson and when will Doug Brown's new restaurant open? Jim White has news you can use about wining and dining.

2009-10-03T11:04:00.001-07:00

Happy birthday to one our dining treasures, and a labor of Love, Hector's on Henderson celebrating its fifth anniversary! Restaurant life spans are sort of like "dog years". It's such a tough business that being open five years is like 35 in any other "normal" business. Owner Hector Garcia would like for you to come celebrate with him by offering some free goodies if you stop by this week to wish them a “Happy Anniversary”. You will receive for free one of the items they have had all five years: The Shrimp and Grits appetizer, the Fried Chicken Livers appetizer, or the Candied Apple Crème Brûlée dessert. (Must purchase an entrée. One per person.) Says Hector, “It’s terrific to cross this milestone in Dallas dining. I have a great, committed staff, and wonderful clients, who propel me daily towards our mission in delivering Fun Fine Food.” For reservations, call or email (214-821-0432 or info@hectorsonhenderson.com) or just drop in. Hector's is located at 2929 Henderson Avenue, just East of Central Expressway. Visit their website for more details www.HectorsonHenderson.com.

Remember to join us Thursday night in the Dallas Design District for the fall fun at the "Slocum Street Style" event benefiting DIFFA. It's a free event beginning at 6 p.m. on Slocum Street near High Line. In addition to seeing the great design studios and antique stores, you can get a "preview" of Savor Dallas restaurants. Enjoy taste treats from Fedora Restaurant and Lounge, Jorge's, Paciugo Gelato, The Grill on the Alley, Go Fish Ocean Club, Lavendou Bistro Provençal, The Kitchen Table at Sheraton Dallas Hotel, and Hibashi Teppan Grill and Sushi Bar. Wash it down with tasty cold water from San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna (Savor Dallas' official waters), and enjoy some delicious adult libations. We'll see you there. BTW, get the full-tilt boogie---over 60 great chefs and more than 400 premium wines, spirits and imported beers at the Savor Dallas International Grand Tasting on Saturday March 6, at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. Go to www.SavorDallas.com for the full schedule and to buy tickets. Special advance purchase prices on tickets now through the end of the year. International Grand Tasting tickets only $100 with this special "early bird" pricing (regularly $125). Get specials on all tickets to the Dallas wine and food event extravaganza. It's the biggest, and best, selection of star chefs and premium adult beverages in Texas.

Get a preview of the beautiful AT&T Performing Arts Center (part of the Savor Dallas "Arts District Wine Stroll" on March 5th), on Sunday October 18th. You have a chance to tour the Winspear Opera House and the Wyly Theatre and enjoy ongoing spotlight performances of jazz and modern dance, ballet, hip-hop, folklorico, ballroom, children's chorus, flamenco, African drum and dance, gospel choirs, chorale, family entertainment and more throughout the day. It's all FREE and open to the public. Part of the grand opening ceremonies by the Performing Arts Center.
Featured performances by flutist Nestor Torres, Ellis Hall and Eden Espinosa. Outdoor performance art by Mass Ensemble and Anti-Gravity and a fireworks finale. Hunter Sullivan and his 14 piece band perform in One Arts Plaza, across from the AT&T PAC from 6 until 10 p.m. It's a beautiful setting in which to take in the Dallas skyline, the Arts District, and enjoy some great food and wine, from Dali, Fedora, Jorge's, Screen Door and Tei-An. Party on! And, congratulations to all the folks at the AT&T Performing Arts Center for all their hard work. Yes, this used to be called the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts. Same great location, just a new naming rights sponsor: AT&T.

Here's a handy primer on Meritage wines. Just in case you wondered, it's pronounced like heritage, and not "mera-tahhg".

Meritage wines are provocative red or white wines crafted solely from specific "noble" Bordeaux grape varieties and are considered to be the very best wines of the vintage.

Meritage, pronounced like heritage, first appeared in the late 1980s after a group of American vintners joined forces to create a name for New World wines blended in the tradition of Bordeaux. The word was selected from more than 6,000 entries in an international contest. Meritage combines "merit," reflecting the quality of the grapes, with "heritage," which recognizes the centuries-old tradition of blending, long considered to be the highest form of the winemaker's art.

Meritage wines are growing in popularity and are currently the second fastest growing wine category in the industry. They are highly regarded for their aging potential, yet are completely approachable in their youth.

Many Meritage wines have proprietary names in addition to, or rather than, Meritage. In order to obtain a license and use the term Meritage on a label, a wine must meet certain criteria.

RED MERITAGE

Red Meritage wines historically have been among the world's most highly rated wines. They are prized for their smooth, silky texture and complex, robust structure. While they age beautifully - often for decades - most are also very drinkable in their younger years.

A Red Meritage is a blend of two or more of the red "noble" Bordeaux varieties - Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and the rarer St. Macaire, Gros Verdot and Carmenère. If the blend includes any other grape variety, it is, by definition, not a Meritage. Also, to qualify as a Meritage, no single grape variety can make up more than 90% of the blend.

WHITE MERITAGE

White Meritage wines, while rare, are some of the most elegant and exquisite white wines crafted. The perfect accompaniment to seafood and poultry, White Meritage is a very food-friendly wine, but also is superb just on its own. Unlike many white wines, White Meritage is perfect for cellaring - growing more complex with age.

To qualify as a White Meritage, a wine must be a blend of at least two of three specific white "noble" varieties - Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon or Muscadelle du Bordelais. No single variety can make up more than 90% of the blend. The wine does not qualify as a Meritage if the blend includes any other grape variety.

Quote of the week from our good friends at Snooty Foodie:

SideDish/Snooty Foodie

"Our good buddy, Elvis groupie, and the fastest wine taster in Dallas metro, Shawn Horne, has left as GM of Wolfgang Puck’s big gyrating ball in the sky Five-Sixty effective last week. We won’t say it was a matter of too many cooks in the kitchen or that wolves in sheep’s clothing were always lurking…but… Mr. Horne ain’t scared of heights either so you do the math. Unlike the real Elvis, Shawn hasn't crashed and burned (or overdosed). He's heading over to run the new restaurant Dish in the Illumina building on Cedar Springs and Douglas. Rumor has it Chef Doug Brown is also involved in the project and they are targeting a November 1 start date (which probably means February in restaurant speak). From the info we've seen, Dish appears to dance on the fringe of fine dining American - sorta like a chef driven Houston's."

Eat to live. Be well. Jim

Get a "Preview of Savor Dallas" Restaurants at the Slocum Street Style Event in the Dallas Design District October 8

2009-09-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

Remember to join us at the Slocum Street Style affair on October 8th for a "Preview of Savor Dallas" as part of their big benefit evening for DIFFA in the Design District. You'll get signature samples from Fedora Restaurant and Lounge, Jorge's, The Grill on the Alley, Go fish Ocean Club, Lavendou Bistro Provencal, The Kitchen Table at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, and Hibashi Teppan Grill and Sushi Bar (shown left), plus yummy Paciugo gelato. Cleanse your palate with delicious, ice cold San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna Water. Of course, the Slocum Street folks will have some tasty adult libations throughout the place. There are great holiday wreaths you can bid on that benefit DIFFA. You can mix, mingle, nosh and stroll to your heart's content throughout the very hip and fun Dallas Design District.

Considered to be a premier source of antiques and furnishings in the U.S., the 40 showrooms located on Slocum Street are 500,000 square feet of design heaven. By offering a cache of everything from European antiques, oriental rugs, custom furniture, stone furnishings, floral design, and accessories, interior designers can enjoy one-stop shopping.

Complimentary valet parking is available at the entrance to Slocum Street at Hi Line Drive. This event is free and open to the public. Located at 1403 Slocum Street, the DIFFA Wreath Auction will close at 10 p.m. The tasting is from 6 until 9 p.m. Thursday October 8th. We'll see you there

Here's a great wine tasting event coming up at Pappas Bros.

Wine Tasting: Breaking the Code A Sommelier’s Guide to Tasting and Pairing Friday, October 9th, 2009, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Their only seated tasting of the year will offer a guided tour of the theory and process of pairing food with wine. Learn how to think and taste like a pro! Styles from crisp, zingy Sauvignon Blanc to rich, buttery Chardonnay are recommended with seafood, but why? You can taste the answer. Is beef better with an uncomplicated red or a more complex wine? Discover for yourself how a white wine can perfectly complement red meat. Our wine staff will teach you the rules and when to bend them.

$45 per Guest
Plus tax
Reservations Required ~ 214.366.2000

Fans of South African Wines, Vilafonté launches its USA WINE CLUB online

Internationally recognized winemaker Zelma Long (Robert Mondavi, Simi, Vilafonté) is making her world-class wines easier for us to get. I wanted to put the blurb about her new USA Wine Club here for you. Zelma is excited. She writes, "Big news! We launch our USA wine club which adds to our South African, European and UK club which is already operational. We can now ship directly to you from our US warehouse to avoid international shipping charges - and you qualify for a huge 20% discount! It is that simple there is no obligation and no risk."
Click here to order online. Enter code VIPVila to claim your 20% discount.
US shipping laws are complex, click here for all the details.

Have you done this yet? No free lunch, but a damn good FREE DINNER!!!! Smart restaurateur Robert Colombo is inviting you to join him for a complimentary dinner. You must make reservations! Every Monday at Trece or Villa-O, watch Monday Night Football on their large screens while you enjoy a fabulous Two Course Mexican or Italian Meal, compliments of the house. This is their way of saying “Thank You” to their valued guests. How much better can Monday get?

FOR RESERVATIONS
PLEASE CALL TRECE AT 214-780-1900
OR VILLA-O AT 214 -780-1880

Just in case you're headed to Napa and will be there October 10th, I wanted to let you know about a great wine dinner at V Wine Cellar on the Vintage Estate in Yountville featuring extra wonderful Paradigm Wines from Heidi Barrett. It will be a four-course meal featuring 2006 Paradigm Merlot, 1999 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005 Paradigm Cab, and 2006 Paradigm Cab Franc. Reservations are $150 per person plus tax and gratuity. And some pretty exciting overnight accommodations are available, including the wine dinner, $699 per couple. For reservations call 800-351-1133. Visit www.VintageInn.com for more details.

Cheers! See you next time.
Jim

Tre Wilcox new executive chef at Loft 610, plus wine dinners galore

2009-09-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

Tre is back! Tre Wilcox takes over Loft 610 in Plano as Executive Chef October 6th. This is great news for restaurant fans in general and Chef Tre fans in particular. The popular finalist on "Top Chef" has really made a name for himself because of the TV show and the fact that he is a talented, unassuming, and friendly chef. He has it all going on and headed for even higher horizons. It is great to have him back in the kitchen so we can all go visit him. We had the chance to appear with him a few days ago during a cooking demonstration he was doing at Macy's in the Galleria for their hunger fighting initiative "Come Together". He's really looking forward to the Loft 610 gig and having the chance to see fans more often. Count on him for real food. He's not into "fussy", as his superb pork loin showed us at Macy's. Also, good news for friends and fans of Savor Dallas: Tre confirms he will be back at the International Grand Tasting on Saturday March 6, at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, wearing his Loft 610 chef whites. Check out the schedule here: www.SavorDallas.com.

Another of our favorite chefs, Sharon Hage at York Street is doing a great wine pairing dinner with Tablas Creek from Paso Robles on Thursday October 8th. She offer 6 wines and 7 courses for $125 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Call Fana at York Street for reservations, 214-826-0968.

That same night in the very cool Dallas Design District, you'll get a chance to help DIFFA and taste some great food at the "Slocum Street Style" event from 6 until 9 p.m. Get a "Preview of Savor Dallas restaurants" and a signature sample of cuisine from Fedora Restaurant and Lounge, The Grill on the Alley, Go Fish Ocean Club, Hibashi Teppan Grill and Sushi Bar, Jorge's, The Kitchen Table at Sheraton Dallas Hotel, Lavendou, and yummy Paciugo gelato. Tickets available at the Slocum Street event. More details available from our friends at Pegasus News.

Big doings this weekend at Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits. Join us for the Grand Opening festivities at their new Fort Worth store on Saturday from 3 to 5. We will be pouring some delicious wines from Newton, Chandon and Cloudy Bay. Join us and be sure to register for some great prizes to be given away during the tasting. We'll be at Camp Bowie and Bryant Irvin. Look for that handsome hunk of burning love Hummer bedecked in KRLD 1080 artwork. Get details at "The KRLD Dinner Club with Jim White".

Here's a great value for beef lovers (and lamb, chicken, and pork). Rafain continues it's incredible "Dinner for 2" for $60 special. Of course it includes the salad bar and dessert bar, too. You only get this special if you make a reservation and ask for the deal. Rafain Brazilian Steakhouse is located at 10810 N. Dallas Parkway. Call 972-733-1110 or email refain@rafain.com. Enjoy!

Congratulations to two chefs extraordinaire on the grand opening of their new venture Cadot's. Jean Marie-Cadot (formerly Lavendou) and Gaspar Stantic (Gaspar's) are back and knocking it out of the park at their restaurant located at 18111 Preston Road north of Frankford. The two fabulous chefs give French and New American Cuisine a good name. Join them for lunch or dinner Monday through Friday, or dinner Saturday night. Call 972-267-5700 for reservations.

Charlie Palmer at the Joule provides the rundown on their upcoming "Vintage Wine Tastings" series: September 23rd features selections from the Southern Rhone Valley. On September 30th discover the relationship between the "Grower Champagne vs. Negociant". On October 7th enjoy "Sommelier Selections". October 14th features Sangiovese. October 21st offers "Winter Whites". October 28th is all about "Syrah, Sirah, Shiraz". Sounds good. Get more details at Charlie Palmer's website. The restaurant is located in downtown Dallas at 1530 Main Street.

Chef Jon Bonnell has a delicious wine dinner coming up October 1st at his eponymous Fort Worth Restaurant. Get the rundown here:

Bonnell's - Yalumba Wine Dinner Thursday, October 1, 2009

A Word From the Chef...

I am tremendously excited about this wine dinner with the Yalumba Winery. My wife, Melinda, and I first fell in love with the wines from this legendary vineyard on our honeymoon in South Australia in 2001. Our love of Yalumba Wines has shown on our wine list for years; currently our wine list features the widest selection of Yalumba wines in the world!

This special wine dinner will feature a few incredible products from "Down Under" and an eclectic combination of wine, including a very rare opportunity to taste the 2001 "Reserve." I purchased the entire allocation (six cases) of this wine for the state of Texas, so this may be the only opportunity to taste this rare treat. One of the wine makers, Jane Ferrari, is coming all the way from Adelaide to join us on October 1st, so be sure to get reservations early to come and dine with Bonnell's and Australia's oldest family-owned winery.

Cheers!

Chef Jon Bonnell

Bonnell's-Yalumba Wine Dinner October 1, 2009

First Course
Firecracker Texas Shrimp with Sweet Chile Dipping Sauce
Paired with Yalumba Eden Valley Viognier 2006

Second Course
Smoked Baby Back Ribs with Chipotle Barbecue Sauce, Grilled Watermelon and Southwestern Slaw
Paired with Yalumba "MGS" Red Blend 2005

Third Course
Australian Grass-Fed All-Natural Lamb Chop with Roasted Garlic Potato Croquettes
Paired with Yalumba "The Menzies" Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Fourth Course
Australian Wagyu Beef Top Sirloin with Huitlacoche Grits and Grilled Corn Salsa
Paired with Yalumba "The Reserve" Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz Blend 2001

Dessert
Homemade Mini Ice Cream Sundaes
Paired with Yalumba "Antique Tawny" Museum Reserve Dessert Wine

$120.00 per person
For Reservations Please Call: 817.738.5489

Bonnell's Restaurant
www.bonnellstexas.com
4259 Bryant Irvin Road - Fort Worth, Texas - 817.738.5489

Bon appétit!
Jim

Wining and dining updates all around Dallas and Fort Worth

2009-09-11T14:26:00.000-07:00

This Week: a Fort Worth wine tasting at the New Centennial, a Stag's Leap Wine Dinner in Dallas, and a tasty salad recipe from Paula Lambert at the Mozzarella Company make this week's installment from Jim White particularly tasty.

The brand-spanking new Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits in Fort Worth has a grand opening on Friday September 25th and Saturday September 26th. Enjoy a tasting of some special wines on Friday including Etoile Rosé, Newton “Red Label” Chard, Newton Claret and Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. On Saturday, "The KRLD Dinner Club with Jim White" gang will be on hand to taste some great wines, sign you up for the Dinner Club (and to win some great prizes), and to bring you details on the next special event for Dinner Club members. More details on forthcoming on these events. Be sure to check out the "KRLD Dinner Club with Jim White" website for more details upcoming. The new Centennial is located at 6006 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth 76116. The store is located at Camp Bowie and Bryant Irvin Road.

Pappas Brothers Steak House has a Stag's Leap Wine Cellars dinner on Friday September 25th featuring four courses paired with some exceptional Stag's Leap selections. Price is $175 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Call 214-366-2000 for reservations.

Avner Samuell's September cooking class at Aurora is happening on Saturday September 26th beginning at 10. the hands-on session includes a four-course lunch and wine with the maestro of the kitchen. Reserve a space for $95 by calling 214-528-9400 or emailing auroradallas@sbcglobal.net.

Celebrating 30 years of fine dining in Fort Worth, Louise Lamensdorf and Bistro Louise have added their most successful "Restaurant Week" sellers to the menu:

Appetizers:
Sweet Onion Tart with Red Wine Onions & Apple Smoked Bacon, $8.50
Lobster Newberg Risotto with Mushrooms, Red Bell Peppers, Fennel & Leek, $8.75

Entrees:
Roasted Chicken Provencal En Croute, S21.50
Black Angus Braised Short Rib with Creamy Polenta & Crispy Onion Rings, $23.50
Whaler Soft Shell Crab with Crispy Spinach & Creamy Corn Potato Risotto, $35
Magret of Duck with Baked Grapes, Rose Wine Glaze & French Bleu Tart, $32

And be sure and join Louise for her "Aquitaine Wine Dinner" on Thursday October 1st. See the menu below.

Bordeaux is the largest wine growing region in the world. The mission of Aquitaine Wines is to provide hand-crafted, discovery, VALUE wines from Bordeaux seeking a special partnership suitable to the quaility of their wines.

Four wines, four different regions of Bordeaux and a four-course tasting menu.

Menu

First Course:
Chef's Surprise

Second Course:
Bacon, Leek & Lobster Cake with Saffron Beurre Blanc

Third Course:
Double-Cut Colorado Lamb Chop with Bordeaux Daube Sauce

Fourth Course:
Bleu Cheese Souffle Tart with Grilled Fig & Red Wine Syrup

Lara Mancini, of Bordeaux, will narrate.

**Reservations Required $75 per person plus gratuity and tax. Call 817-922-9244.

Here's a great tasting end of summer salad from our favorite lady of taste: Paula Lambert and the Mozzarella Company. Enjoy. And get more great treats from Paula's website: mozzco.com.

Chicken Salad with Grapes, Toasted Almonds and Deep Ellum Blue

2 split chicken breast halves, 1 lb total
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup slivered almonds, about 2 ounces
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh minced tarragon
1 1/2 cups (8 oz) halved seedless green grapes
1/4 cup (4 oz) crumbled Deep Ellum Blue
1 head Bibb lettuce

Place chicken breasts in a medium-sized saucepan and cover with cold water. Add the salt, pepper and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn over the breasts and continue to simmer for 10 additional minutes. Remove from the heat and leave the breasts to cool to room temperature in their poaching liquid.

Preheat the oven to 350f. Place the almonds on a small baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes, until the almonds are golden brown. Remove from the oven to a cake rack to cool.

Remove the breasts from the poaching liquid and cut them into 1/2-inch cubes. Combine the chicken breasts with the onion, mayonnaise, sour cream and tarragon in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Add the grapes and Deep Ellum Blue and stir gently until all ingredients are well coated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or longer before serving time.

Gently break off the leaves of the lettuce from the head, wash, spin and pat them dry using a cup towel. Arrange three or four lettuce leaves on each of six individual plates to form bowls to hold the salad. Mound the chicken salad on top of the leaves and sprinkle the almonds on top. Serves 6

That's it for this week. Let me know how you liked the recipe or it you are able to attend any of the dinners. Cheers! Jim

Mansion team wins chef/sommelier bragging rights and a cool trip to Napa

2009-09-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

Wine Guy Michael Flynn and Chef Eric Brandt from the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek take top honors in "Restaurant Week" Menu Contest.
And,
Jim White has details on some great upcoming foodie events.

It don't mean a thing if ain't got that "sing", and the winning food and wine pairing menu in this year's "KRLD Restaurant Week" competition for chefs and sommeliers has that in abundance--figuratively and literally. The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek was chosen best menu in the 10th Annual Competition sponsored by the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of American Institute of Wine and Food. Executive Sous Chef Eric Brandt and Director of Wine and Beverages Michael Flynn conspired to construct the consummate culinary creation, which resulted in the honor bestowed by unnamed but highly regarded judges-- "Each considered a leader in their culinary field", according the the AIWF press release.

The metaphorical "sing", more like an opus in this case, is the beautiful mouth-feel of harmony created by the perfect, or near perfect, wine and food combination that chefs and foodies strive for at all turns. The literal "sing" was an inspired wine choice by Sommelier Flynn to accompany Pan-Seared Trout with Grilled Squash (offered in course two). Palates who chose this option were treated to an under-appreciated Austrian selection: "Singing" Grüner Veltliner, Laurenz V, 2005 Vintage; with "pure, dry, citric lemon/lime flavors set against a savor note of white pepper and watercress.", according to menu tasting notes.

We were lucky enough to get in on the very end of the Mansion's three week Restaurant Week presentation, and can attest to the efficacy of this statement and add our personal kudos to the brain-trust at the Mansion for pushing the envelope with the wine and food pairings. Not one Chardonnay or Cabernet in sight! In a world of wonderful wine options, it's nice to see more of them offered on the restaurant scene. The complete Mansion menu for Restaurant Week is posted below. But first, let me congratulate the runners-up in the contest: Executive Chef Matt McCallister and Wine Director Brian Boomer of Stephan Pyles Restaurant. Described by AIWF as "an imaginative menu of food and wine featuring both familiar and exotic flavors of Texas." Third place was awarded to Hilton/Anatole’s Nana restaurant team of Executive Chef, Anthony Bombaci and Wine Director, Russell Burkett for their "superb" pairings. Again to the press release, "The unique culinary style of Chef Bombaci delivered European flavors with Italian- influenced dishes." Both of these teams received monetary prizes for the wine and food pairing. Wine guy Flynn and chef extraordinaire Brandt get an all-expense paid trip for a week to "The Disneyland" for Foodies: The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley where they will both utilize a special wine or food scholarship to enhance their professional skills. a votre santé!

Chef Eric Brandt, Jim White, Michael Flynn (L to R)

KRLD Restaurant Week

Wine and Food Pairing Menu 2009

Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek

First Course

Frisée and Grilled Texas Peach Salad with Toasted Almonds, Ginger-Mustard Vinaigrette and

Brazos Brie Crouton

*Domaine de Nizas Rosé, Coteaux de Languedoc, 2007 – a perennial on Wine Spectator’s top 100 lists, a dry Grenache with vivid berry fruit and a hint of white pepper on the finish.

Corn-Saffron Soup, Grilled Shrimp, Fresh Herbs and Chile Oil

*Max. Ferdinand Richter Riesling kabinett, Mulheimer Sonenlay, Mosel, 2007 – Just off-dry, with cool flavors of peach and apricot, herbs and slate.

Carpaccio of Venison, Green Tomato Marmalade and Pecorino

*Vietti Barbera d’Asti, “Tre Vigne”, Piemonte, 2006 – The ultimate in versatility with food, this soft, supple, savory red boasts juicy acidity.

Second Course

Braised Short Rib, Tomato-Thyme Compote and Balsamic Glazed Cippolini Onions

*Dow’s Vale do Bomfim, Douro, Portugal, 2006 – from the famous Port shipper, a blend of traditional, noble varieties giving a smoky richness, a hint of oak spice, and subtle minerality to act as a backdrop.

Pan-Seared Trout with Grilled Squash and Barley Salad, Tomato Oil

“Singing” Gruner Veltliner, Laurenz V, Austria, 2005 – Pure, dry, citric lemon/lime flavors set against a savory note of white pepper and watercress.

Marinated Organic Chicken with Corn and Shiitake Succotash

*Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina, Campania. 2007 – Cool, dry orange peel, honey and herb flavors, on a medium frame with just a hint of earth.

Dessert

Peanut Butter Torte – Chocolate Ganache, Peanut Feuilletine, Malt Ice Cream

*Senorio de Barahonda, Bellum-El Remate, Monastrell 2001, Yecla, Spain – dried fruit flavors of dates and prunes, toffee, smoke and nutty oak.. Not too sweet.

Chef’s Trio of Ice Creams

*Vietti Moscato d’Asti “La Cascinetta”, Piemonte, 2006 – An ethereal perfume of honeysuckle, jasmine, and rose petals announces this lightly sparkling beauty. Frothy, delicate, and fun!

*Suggested Wine Pairings

Two 6 ounce glasses of wine and one 3 ounce glass of dessert wine $28

or $19 excluding dessert wine

Speaking of Austrian wines: you may know, we are hosting a dinner on September 15th featuring the delightful Hall Wines from Napa Valley at The Place at Perry's in Dallas. The equally delightful Kathryn Hall is our special guest for the dinner. She is the former Ambassador to Austria during the Clinton Administration. Of course, she hosted glittering dinners in Vienna during her tenure. As we were preparing for the dinner and talking with Kathryn about the wines she'll be serving, I couldn't help but inquire about the wines she served during her tenure in Austria. She laughed and said that while she would certainly have liked to introduce the various diplomats and heads of state she entertained to her, and husband Craig Hall's, fabulous Napa Valley selections, she thought this might be a little self-serving. She was the consummate diplomat and always made sure she was showcasing the best Austrian wines at her dinners. As evidenced by the Grüner Veltliner featured in the Mansion menu above, there are some great ones. Try them if you haven't. Maybe we can arrange to have some for you at Savor Dallas.

Certainly, the Halls have been invited to return to the Arts District Wine Stroll on March 5th, The Reserve Tasting and the International Grand Tasting (at the beautifully renovated Sheraton Dallas Hotel in Downtown Dallas) on Saturday March 6th. We hope she is "self serving" and serves us some of her wonderful Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon (which will be featuring at our Perry's Dinner). More details on Savor Dallas at www.SavorDallas.com. The early bird prize for wine signups this year goes to Michael David Winery from Lodi and Becker Vineyards from Texas. In all, over 400 varietals will be featured during the Savor Dallas weekend.

Have you heard about the "Chef's Wine Table Series" that they're doing at Dali in One Arts Plaza? This bi-monthly tasting feast happens on selected Sundays. Proprietor Paul Pinnell and Chef Joel Harloff put together a casual evening focused on one particular varietal of wine. There is a maximum seating of ten "special guests" who are encouraged to "bring their best cellar wine that compliments the theme of the evening". Paul assures that this is perfectly above board and legal in case anyone is concerned about the TABC. Of course, everyone shares the booty, and this goes with a four-course ala carte menu. The cost is $60 per person. Check it out for a cool way to wind down the weekend. Call Dali at 469-385-9360, or visit their website, www.daliwinebar.com.

There may not be a "free" lunch", but apparently there IS a free dinner. At least at Robert Colombo's restaurants. Every Monday at Trece or Villa-O enjoy a 2- Course Mexican or Italian Meal, compliments of the house. Their way of saying thanks to valued guests. You must have a RESERVATION to take advantage of this. PLEASE CALL TRECE AT 214-780-1900 OR VILLA-O AT 214 -780-1880. Savvy restaurateur Colombo says it's been great for business, wine sales are up and the servers are happy. Not to mention the happy customers. Free is good!

Congratulations to Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck, recently named as one of the winners of the 2009 Diners’ Choice Awards for the nation’s Top 50 Restaurants with a Scenic View by Opentable.com. On a clear day you can't quite see "forever", but the revolving birds-eye view of the Texas prairie and downtown Dallas is pretty spectacular.

We love dives, and there's no better "dive" than a good bar. If you haven't been to the Windmill Lounge near Love Field in Dallas, belly up to the bar, stranger. It's Dallas' answer to "Cheers". Only here, Norm sings! Actually, DJ Brad leads the Thursday night Karaoke session, characterized as "raucous renderings" by co-proprietor Louise Owens. 5320 Maple Avenue (near Elliot's). 214.443.7818.

Safe Labor Day. Cheers!
Jim

Wining and Dining in Downtown Dallas and Oak Cliff's "smoking hot" new restaurant

2009-08-31T13:55:00.000-07:00

This week a One Arts Plaza fling, a new restaurant in Oak Cliff from Chef Tim Byres, and Dean Fearing gives "working like a dog" a whole new meaning: All we have to fear is Dean's singing itself!

One of our favorite restaurants, Jorge's in One Arts Plaza, has some really cool food and drink specials you ought to know about. Mondays bring Margarita specials for only 5 bucks--any flavor, all day; Tuesdays feature a Mini Taco Bar from 2 until 7, with the crispy bites going for only a buck; "Kids Eat Free" every Saturday for the rest of the month and through September. This is offered 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and please folks, only children under 12 are eligible and only two of the little darlings per adult entree, thank you! The adults can sip on "Bottomless Mimosas" for only $6, while the kids snack something more nutritious. I would add the caveat that the adult needs to bring a designated driver if this is their strategy. Celebrate with Jorge's on September 9th as they throw a "Fiesta" to commemorate their first year of operation in One Arts Plaza. Olé!

Note: Jorge's joins their restaurant neighbors by joining the "Savor Dallas Arts District Wine Stroll" on Friday March 5th. The popular afternoon event expands beyond the Dallas Museum of Art at Seventeen Seventeen Restaurant, the Meyerson Symphony Center and the Nasher Sculpture Center in 2010. Tasting locations will include the fabulous new Dallas Center for the Performing Arts facilities: The Winspear Opera House and the Wyly Theatre. The OAP Restaurants (Dali, Fedora, Screen Door, Tei-An and Jorge's) will join Savor Dallas in the great DCPA Park that frames the outdoor environment on the East Side of the Arts District, for outdoor activities of food tasting, wine tasting, art and entertainment from 5 til 8 p.m. Get details at www.SavorDallas.com. Tickets go on sale October 1st. Special advance purchase ticket prices will be available through December 31st, and tickets will be available "at the door" for the Savor Dallas Arts District Wine Stroll and the other weekend events.

Brother and sister team Holly and Kim Forsythe continue to rock the world with new and exciting things built from their Sambuca legacy. They are opening their new Sambuca 360 with a VIP private preview on September 1st. Check out their website (it's quite likely there are details on how you can get on the VIP list for the event benefiting Childrens Medical Center). Go to www.Sambuca360.com. The new restaurant is in the Shops at Legacy, 5700 Legacy Drive, Plano, 75024.

Good news for Oak Cliff: Chef Tim Byres (Stephan Pyles, Rosewood's Mansion on Turtle Creek, Standard) and Bolsa restaurant owners Chris Zielke and Christopher Jeffers are opening a new eatery inside The Belmont Hotel. Now we can confirm that the restaurant is called Smoke and will officially debut mid-September.

Speaking of the Mansion, or should this be titled, "Fearing for your Safety"? Longtime Mansion scion Dean Fearing (with his own famous restaurant now, of course), is stepping out of the kitchen to hit the bandstand on September 9th. He'll be singing with Beatles cover band "Hard Night's Day" at a special gig commemorating 20 years of the McKinney Avenue Trolley. Run for your life! Women and children first! Only kidding. Dean plays a mean guitar, loves music, and "sangs pretty good for a Kentucky boy". When he's not getting Five Stars and national accolades at Fearing's in the Ritz Carlton, he can often be seen fronting his band of chefs "The Barb Wires". The show for the trolley and other fun things happens at FIG (Fashion Industry Gallery), 1807 Ross Avenue, beginning at 8:30. Admission is open to all, and is a $25 donation to help keep the 501C3 McKinney Avenue Trolley rolling down the tracks. Purchase tickets by calling 214-289-1126.

Chef Scott Romano invites you to what sounds like a scrumptious wine dinner at his Charlie Palmer at the Joule, on Wednesday September 16th, featuring the acclaimed wines of Fisher Vineyards. Wine Director Brandan Kelley will be on hand for the dinner, which is priced at $125 per person, ++. Make reservations at 214-261-4600. Visit the website for more details: www.CharliePalmer.com. The restaurant is located in Downtown Dallas, 1530 Main Street, 75201. Of course, if you love the Fisher Wines (and what's not to like?), Charlie's "Next Vintage" Wine Shop located between the restaurant and the hotel should have the evening's selections available to take home. It's a great opportunity to take advantage of retail prices for the wines you love. If you haven't been to Charlie Palmer's, it is one of Dallas-Fort Worth's most sublime wining and dining experiences. Be sure to try the appetizer homage to the State Fair of Texas: miniature Lobster Corny Dogs!

Trivia: On this hallowed ground, 1530 Main Street, site of the Joule Hotel and Charlie Palmer's, your intrepid wining and dining reporter once sold suits, ties, shoes and assorted mens furnishings during junior high and high school when my father ran the clothing store, Bond's, that was located here. You have my incredible love of retail sales and success as a clothing salesman (heh heh) to thank for my career re-direction (not a moment too soon) into broadcasting and food and wine. Here's to Hart, Schaffner and Marx. Cheers!

Sizzlin' Ranch Style Paella, a Royal recipe, and a sipper to Savor from France

2009-08-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

The Paella from Spain stays mainly on West Seventh Street and it's not plain when Michael does it.

One of our favorite all-time chefs, Michael Thomson, whose eponymous restaurant in Fort Worth's beautiful cultural district has been pleasing palates for over 15 years, is swaying to popular demand to serve Paella! Here's the caveat (apparently, this is a bi-lingual column): He's only serving it THIS weekend. In case you miss it, and I know I will 'cause I can't make it to Fort Worth this weekend, I am inviting you to inundate him with calls and emails urging him to do it again! Gently, kindly and courteously, of course. Quoth the Michael evermore: "Paella", is the National dish of Spain. Our "Contemporary Ranch" version of this Classic is a delicious blend of Seafood & Saffron scented rice dish highlighted with Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, Calamari, Chicken, Pork, and Smoked Andouille Sausage. Garnished with Artichoke Hearts, Roasted Red Peppers, Green Peas, and our Fresh Seafood~Tomato Ranchero Sauce. Enjoyed with a Bottle of Nice Red Wine, this will be a memorable meal You will be wanting to return for. Make Your reservations for Friday (lunch & dinner) or Saturday (dinner only) by calling the Restaurant at 817-877-3413. BTW, Michael also adds that they have spruced the place up, "newly remodeled". Please support one of our finest chefs whether or not he's serving ranch style Paella. Michael's is located at 3413 West 7th Street, Fort Worth, 76107.

Our friend "The Royal Chef" Darren McGrady (he was the chef at Buckingham for the Queen and also for HRH Dianna), posts a super summer recipe that we share with you now. Check out his website for more great foodie finds. Or, as he puts it: "Eating Royally, recipes and remembrances from a palace kitchen." www.TheRoyalChef.com.

This months recipe:

Summer Ribollita

Next years Royal Chef Culinary Tour will take us to Tuscany

(for more information please call Southlake Travel on 817 657 9866)

So I thought I would share a delicious Italian soup/stew with you. Ribollita means reboiled and the stew tastes even better the second day "reheated"... I cant wait for this tour.

Serves 8

1 lb cannellini beans, cooked (dried or canned)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 medium red onions, peeled and diced
1 head celery, plus leaves, stalks ¾ inch chopped
1 head fresh garlic, peeled and sliced
1 lb Swiss chard stalks and leaves, stalks sliced into large matchsticks
1 bunch fresh basil, leaves picked from the stalks
1 bunch fresh mint, leaves picked from the stalks
1 bunch fresh marjoram, leaves picked from the stalks
1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked from the stalks
3lb vine ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and rough chopped
salt and black pepper
10oz fresh spinach
2 loaves ciabatta bread, stale if possible, crusts removed

In a large heavy pan heat ¼ cup of olive oil, then add the onion and celery stalks. Stir and cook gently until they soften and brown. Add the garlic and chard stalks and continue to cook. When the garlic begins to color, add the chopped tomatoes. Season and simmer for 30 minutes: the tomatoes should reduce with the vegetables.

Stir in the chard leaves and then the spinach. Drain and add the cooked beans and
the basil, mint, marjoram and parsley. Tear up the ciabatta (1-2in pieces) and add to the soup. Check for seasoning, add salt and pepper to taste. The consistency should be very thick.

Recipe by Darren McGrady, The Royal Chef

I call your attention to Grapefest, September 17-20 in Grapevine. An exposition of the best Texas wines, lots of fun for the family, and some mighty fine cookin! Our good friend, foodie Debbie Meyer-Gore is hosting the Culinary Pavilion at this year's Grapefest and sends this link to the schedule of demos:
https://www.grapevinetexasusa.com/GrapeFest/ENT/culinary.html
It's a great way to welcome Fall, and have a ball! By all means, DO try the grape stomp. It's not as easy as Lucy and Ethel made it look.

Here's another wine find from our friends at Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits:

Taille aux Loups "Clos de Venise" Vouvray 2006

This delicious white wine is yet another example of a perfect summertime beverage that may also alter and change your perception of what a Chenin Blanc can offer. Chenin Blanc (also known as “Steen” in South Africa) is a very versatile grape varietal that can produce multiple styles of wine. As an example, when produced in the Savennieres region of Loire Valley France, it can be vinified bone dry with a mouthwatering acidity and refreshing citrus notes; however it can also produce light, semi-sweet wines with inviting green melon and honey like characteristics.

Specifically, Domaine de la Taille aux Loups “Clos de Venise” Vouvray 2006 (pronounced as Doe-main day la Tie O Lue Clo day Ven-ēs Voo-vray) is completely produced from Chenin Blanc grapes sourced from a few acres of vineyards located just outside the village of Vouvray within Loire Valley, France. The vines average from 50-75 years of age and are grown in soil mostly comprised of a mix of stony limestone and clay, which allow for the perfect ripening of the Chenin Blanc grapes. This Vouvray offers strong tropical fruit aromas and flavors of pineapple, mango and papaya with a hint of fresh ginger. The mid-palate reveals more citrus notes of pink grapefruit, nectarine and blood orange. There is plenty of bright acidity to keep it lively and should be quite long lived. Get it while you

Taille aux Loups "Clos de Venise" Vouvray 2006
Limited supply. Only 10 cases available at the following store.
Sale Price. $24.97. Retail $34.99. Save $10.02

6805 West Northwest Highway
Dallas, Texas. 75225
214-368-4162

Remember, KRLD Restaurant Week continues until Labor Day at many of the top participating restaurants. Keep doing your part to enhance your life with fine dining and to help the great work of the North Texas Food Bank and the Lena Pope Home. The complete list of restaurants continuing the three-course special dinners can be found at krld.com, guidelive.com, or opentable.com. Bon Appétit!

There's Gold (Wine) in them thar hills!

2009-08-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

Rocky Mountain Dining and an incredible mile-and-a-half-high wine find

OK, so John Denver got it right. Rocky Mountain High Colorado is spectacular! The eagles fly, you touch the sky, and you get so high with or without assistance from controlled substances (just try exercising at 8000 feet, or playing golf like I did). On a recent jaunt through South Central Colorado (between Colorado Springs, Buena Vista/Salida, and Crested Butte), we found another reason besides hiking, fishing, and skiing to visit: wining and dining. Most small towns are lucky if they have a grits and gravy cafe. Really upscale hamlets have the requisite Starbucks. Neither elicits visions of particularly interesting wine or cuisine. But in this part of the world, there are so many well-healed expatriates (lots of Texans and Californians), that the number of good restaurants per capita soars almost as high as Mount Princeton. And, this particular point in the rarefied air of the Collegiate Range is where our tale of flavor profiles and palate pleasers begins.

Our hosts for the week-long R&R are long-time residents of the area and were primed to take us to several of their favorite foodie hot spots during our all too short respite from the Texas heat. These world travelers with intrepid constitutions were taking us for hearty mountain breakfasts (Jan's Restaurant in Buena Vista), crusty pizzas from wood-burning ovens from local favorite Amica's (Salida), and belt buster sandwiches from hippy friendly High Country Hoagies (Salida). All very tasty we thought, good ingredients, ample portions, nice surroundings, and friendly service, but the Taste-O-Meter was only slightly moving. An excursion over Monarch Pass to visit a friend in Crested Butte produced a fine lunch at the Paradise Cafe, which features a very pleasant outdoor dining area, like most of the serene settings we visited. Great salads, burgers, soups, and sweet potato fries made this stop at the foot of Mount Crested Butte really worthwhile. If you haven't been to CB, think Aspen before Tiffany's: beautiful little shops, restaurants, nice people, and manageable crowds (not as expensive either). If I had a spare million, I'd grab one of those spiffy mountainside vacation homes at a steal. Listings are plentiful in a down market.

Meanwhile, back at the headwaters of the Arkansas River in home-base Salida, while strolling and shopping we ventured past the most interesting looking dining establishment we had seen, with a picture of a chef (you can always tell the good guys in their white jackets), smiling next to Bobby Flay. Hmm. Might be on to something here. At least he hangs out with the right people. We took a look at the menu posted in the window: "Specializing in Colorado inspired cuisine; organic and sustainable ingredients; Chef/owner Kurt Boucher--The Butcher's Table." Well, at least it came by its name honestly. A chef with the French name for Butcher. A picturesque setting. A very palatable sounding menu. We got the phone number from the menu (719-530-9909) and decided to call for a reservation for an all-important birthday dinner the next evening for my darling, discriminating wife Vicki.

We arrived exactly on time for our 7 p.m. reservation. The place was nearly empty save for two tables near the back. Still early, we thought. People still out enjoying the beautiful weather. The dining room was set for a large table of 12, so we knew we'd have company eventually in the quaint room that seats about 60 to 70 altogether. The restaurant is fairly new. It has a very contemporary look. Open just a few months, but gaining a following, we're told. Perusing the menu we note a fine looking chef's three-course prix fixe menu: a baby wedge salad with Cambozola dressing, tomatoes, banana peppers, cucumbers, caramelized onions and smoked bacon bits offered for course one; a choice of locally caught black bass on a seafood nage, with grilled asparagus, ramps and foraged mushrooms; Chef Kurt's take on classic Coq Au Vin; and a Pasta du jour for the second course; and, pecan pie for dessert; all for $24.95. Looks like a great option. Let's check out the wine list and see if these selections will pair well. I remember several impressive names jumping off the list, but to tell you the truth, the only one I remember caused my eyes to jump out on cartoon stems. Everything else went out of my head when I saw the 2006 Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonnay listed, way down at the bottom of the whites, for $24!!! Wait, this must be a split. Maybe it's the price by the glass? No. They are shown as a two price option with a slash (7/35 for example). The server informed us that it was neither, but was, indeed, the price for a full 750 ML bottle of the bottled gold. He said he thought the wine list was under-priced and that he tried to get the chef to raise the rates, but he insisted on wine values to compliment his cuisine. Wine value? This was the investment of the century. We ordered a bottle and told him to have additionals at the ready while we sipped the first. I said I thought this bottle would be on most restaurant wine lists for at least $125 to $150 and we giggled with anticipation. We Googled Chateau Montelena while we waited and discovered the suggested retail price for the bottle is $50. With the usual triple mark-up from retail to table (and sometimes more), this bottle could easily sell for $150 to $175 in most upscale establishments. Having just watched "Bottle Shock" in our mountain retreat the night before--the movie about Chateau Montelena's storied win in the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976--we laughed that maybe this was some of the "brown Chardonnay" that Jim Barrett thought he had produced. But, as it turned out it was golden and captivating and, unfortunately, only one of two bottles the restaurant had left in stock. I'd have rented a truck to haul off more if it were available.

Turns out that Kurt Boucher is a classically trained chef from Denver who happens to love cooking. The fact that his is the highest-end restaurant in an area with a clientele that appreciates good food is a plus. He likes to "put little wine surprises on the wine list for people who will recognize the treasure and enjoy it", he says. He plans to acquire some more Chateau Montelena, but the price this time will likely be around $36--still well below retail! I know there are other great finds on his list. But my head is still spinning from this epiphany. This place would be worth putting on your radar and if your travels take you to Salida, Colorado, stop by for a great glass of wine at a remarkable price, and a delicious menu prepared by a chef who cares. Bonus: his beautiful 10 year old daughter may greet you and seat you if it's not a school night. Check it out: www.TheButchersTable.com.

Other worthwhile finds in the area:

The Twisted Cork-Salida-719-539-7384
Laughing Ladies-Salida-719-539-4248
Benson's Tavern-Salida-719-539-9391 (also Wi-Fi hot spot)
Quincy's Steak & Spirits-Salida 719-539-3059 and Buena Vista-719-395-3160
The Golden Bee at the storied Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, with great Pub Food and Brews-719-634-7711

Italian Family Style and Helping Hungry Families

2009-08-06T12:20:00.000-07:00

How about some yummy Italian tonight? Or, "A Tasteful Pursuit"
with Stephan Pyles to help Share Our Strength?

Congratulations to Morris and Mike Salerno, and the entire Salerno Family, for 25 years of great Italian dining at Salerno's in Flower Mound. Sublime and tasty Italian food that makes it worthwhile to drive to the 'burbs if you live downtown or even half-way across the Metroplex. Heck, if you lived here you'd be home by now, so take any freeway to any freeway and follow the signs to Salerno's. Check out these daily specials:

Mondays - All You Can Eat Lasagna, Salad and Bread $7.00/person
Tuesdays - Buy one entree (valued at $8.50 or more) and receive the second entree for 50% off
Wednesdays - Half Price House wine by the glass
Thursdays - Ladies Night! Half price margaritas, Martinis and House Wines
Saturdays - Free Tiramisu with the purchase of (2) entrees - totaling $25 or more
Sundays - Half price appetizers

Salerno's Italian Restaurant is located at 3407 Long Prairie Road, in beautiful downtown Flower Mound 75028, 972-539-9534.

Stephan Pyles again hosts a unique dinner event to raise funds to support Share Our Strength's efforts to end childhood hunger in the United States. The fabulous dinner "A Tasteful Pursuit" takes place at Stephan's eponymous restaurant in Dallas at 1807 Ross Avenue on Sunday August 30. Participating chefs include:

David Uygur, Lola;
Sara Johannes, Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck;
Dan Yamauchi, Motor City Casino Hotel, Detroit
Bradford Thompson, James Beard Award winning chef/Food & Wine Top Ten Best New Chefs
Arturo Romanillos, Pastry Chef, Stephan Pyles

There are silent and live auctions to help raise additional funds. We bid on a cool item last year that Gary Cogill put together with tons of DVD's and a real Indianna Jones Fedora. Very slick. My wife thought the wine items were more to here liking. Tickets are $175 per person or you can host a table for $5000. Call 888.273.6141 for reservations. Or make reservations online:
"A Tasteful Pursuit" Reservations.

[If the link doesn't work, paste this gobbledygood into your browser:

https://secure2.convio.net/sos/site/Ecommerce?store_id=3901&JServSessionIdr011=kbxf0uhdc4.app13a]

News flash from Zagat.com: After shuttering his long-acclaimed Café Annie, trailblazing Houston chef-restaurateur Robert Del Grande has unveiled its successor, RDG + Bar Annie, in a new construction near the Galleria; the three-in-one concept spans two floors and features a lounge, a casual bar area and an upscale dining room serving expensive Southwestern-inflected New American fare, including some Annie classics like wood-grilled squab; tying it all together is the handsome decor done up in vibrant earth tones with mahogany touches. 1800 Post Oak Blvd., Houston; 713-840-1111

Morton's The Steakhouse is offering a secret email only menu for summer dining, featuring items like steak and seafood for two for just $99.99. Get on the Morton's email list by clicking on the link below. Or, just pop in and tell them you heard about the special menu that you can only get if you tell them you heard about the special "Escape to Morton's This Summer" menu. I don't think there is a secret handshake, or a password, but there are some tasty looking items. Enjoy!

Menu

Choice of Any Two Signature Salads

Two Single Cut Filets
Or $58 per person if you select one
of the following three steak enhancements:

Double Cut Filet Mignon • Prime Ribeye Steak
Single Cut Prime New York StripChoice of Two:
Broiled Sea Scallops, Colossal Shrimp Alexander
or Jumbo Lump Crab Cake
One Signature Potato &
One Fresh Vegetable to Share
Choice of Two:
Morton’s Legendary Hot Chocolate Cake
or Key Lime Pie
Pair your dinner with a Bottle of
2007 Estancia Pinot Noir, Monterey
or
2008 Franciscan Sauvignon Blanc, Napa
for an additional $45 per bottle.
This special is exclusively for you and a friend, and not offered
on Morton's menu. To receive this great menu, please mention
this offer on every visit now through September 30, 2009.
Visit www.mortons.com/steak to sign up for more great email offers.
Price does not include tax or gratuity.
Price may vary in select US locations & Canada.

Morton's 501 Elm Street, Dallas, TX 75202, Phone: 214-741-2277

"Restaurant Week" Etiquette, or Don't try this at home!

2009-08-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

Restaurant Week "Etiquette"
By Jim White

As a veteran of 12 "Restaurant Weeks" I have some observations and suggestions to share. To be clear, that is 12 annual "Restaurant Weeks" dating back to 1997, rather than 12 weeks in one swell foop as some restaurants do tend to s-t-r-e-t-c-h the combination celebration, fundraiser time period well beyond the official "week". But, that's a good thing all around. First of all, it gives you a chance to try more of the great restaurants that are participating. And, just as important, it helps raise more funds for the North Texas Food Bank and the Lena Pope Home. The effort raised nearly a half-million dollars last year. This year, with over 120 restaurants, some of whom are restaurant weeking until Labor Day, it's got to exceed that amount. This is where you come in.

"Restaurant Week" is a contact sport; not for the faint of heart--or digestion. By all means, DO organize your friends in groups of 4, 6, or 8, and encourage them to recruit others to go out to as many restaurants as possible. Invite friends and family to town. Telling them you're saving money on taking them out is optional. I'd stress the good cause angle and look like a hero in mom's eye. Next, divide and conquer--try some of the restaurants on the list you've never heard of. They're all good, and this is an ideal way to discover something new and exciting. Be SURE you have a reservation. While most of the restaurateurs would probably let you in if they have an open table, the rules say "you must have a reservation". This is a courtesy to the restaurant so they know how much to buy and prepare. "Hey, I woulda baked you a cake if I'd known you were coming!" Please make sure you KEEP your reservation. Worse than not having one, is making one and then not showing up. You just aced someone else from getting a table and stiffed the restaurant. Bad manners. Bad Karma. If for some reason you cannot keep you reservation please call and let them know. These are talented people, but they are not mind-readers. When you arrive, please let them know you are there for the Restaurant Week reservation you have. This will insure that you are offered the proper menu AND that the donation mechanism engages (I believe it's a simple process of counting noses, or heads, or mostly what you have one of). Nothing worse than wandering into the restaurant, asking to be seated, having the regular menu, paying more for it than a Restaurant Week meal, AND not getting that all-important donation generated to the Food Bank or the Lena Pope Home.

I encourage you to enjoy the food and wine pairing that most of the chefs have created. They have worked hard on this. It will enhance your meal. You may try this at home, once you have received guidance from the professionals. The other strategy that many people employ is to buy a better bottle of wine than usual. The logic goes something like this, "Well, we are saving money on dinner, so let's splurge and buy that wonderful Single Vineyard Chardonnay we've been wanting to try, or Estate Bottled Cab, or highly allocated Pinot." You get the picture. In the end, it all balances out.

Now, the critical factor after a wonderful three-course dinner, the Central Market "Fourth Course", and the great wine, is to be sure and take care of your server with a worthwhile tip. Twenty per cent is the recommended percentage, but of what total? Let's play a game of "pay it forward" here. Why not round up your dinner tab, say, 15-20 per cent (to about what it might have cost if you weren't getting the Restaurant Week special), add in that nice bottle of wine, and heck, even figure the final gratuity with the tax included, and figure your 20 % on that amount. THEN you are giving the hard working server, a reason to appreciate the fact it's Restaurant Week. He or she will treat the next table even nicer than they did you. And, you'll have a warm, rosy feeling inside because you have done something nice. Given the choice between being a big tipper, or a penny pincher, always go for the former. You will like yourself much better. The generous action will definitely get filed in your "Good Karma" folder of life.

The most important advice I have for you concerning "Restaurant Week" is: ENJOY! Bon Appétit! Thanks for your support of the great causes and the wonderful restaurants participating. Gotta go! But remember, as we used to say on The KRLD Restaurant Show with Jim White, "If anybody asks you what you're making for dinner. Tell them RESERVATIONS, for Restaurant Week 2009!

Surfin' Dubai-a

2009-01-09T14:25:00.000-08:00

We've always said, anything worth doing is worth over-doing, or at least doing it in comfort. Gotta love the ingenuity of the hospitality folks in Dubai. If you've ever burned your tootsies on the blazing sand in Florida or Hawaii, you'll love this high-tech day at the beach!

It's Fun to Know: The Cure for "Burn-Your-Feet" Beach Sand

From the land of indoor ski slopes in the middle of the desert and man-made islands in the shape of palm trees comes the latest in luxury recreation: an artificially cooled beach.

The Palazzo Versace resort in Dubai has hired an engineering firm to make sunbathing bearable during the area's 122-degree summer days. A complex system of underground heat-absorbing pipes cools the sand - cool enough to lie on. Aboveground wind turbines send cool breezes over beachgoers. The resort will also feature cooled swimming pools.

The ocean is on its own.

(Source: Popular Science)

Now, if they can just figure out something to help you get the sand out of your unmentionables after a day at the beach!

Happy Cheese Year--ciao bella!

2009-01-01T10:54:00.000-08:00

As we head into 2009--a great year for wining and dining rumor has it--I wanted to share this bit of light-hearted culinary news with you. Next week, we'll start profiling great chefs of Savor Dallas 2009. Happy New Year!

It's Fun to Know: And You Thought the Automaker Bailout Was Cheesy?

The financial and auto industries aren't the only ones getting government handouts. The Italian government is propping up one of its "native" industries to the tune of $70.4 million by buying 200,000 wheels of cheese. Half of that is Parmigiano-Reggiano, a.k.a. Parmesan cheese. The other half is Grana Padano, another "grating" cheese. The bailout cheese will go to charity.

Italian cheesemakers have been struggling to survive, because wholesale prices have gotten so low. But the government's move is not without its critics. Some believe that the entire cheese industry needs to be overhauled, and that the bailout is nothing more than a temporary fix. Meanwhile Buffalo Mozzarella producers are fuming. They aren't receiving similar assistance, despite having an 18 percent drop in sales over the past year.

(Source: The Wall Street Journal)

Slick Chef in a Tie? Food's still great.

2008-12-09T17:32:00.000-08:00

I kid you not. Chef Nick Badovinus is the first chef I have EVER seen in a tie while on duty! There he was last Friday night, resplendent in his sartorial grandeur, expediting the kitchen line at his new, wholly owned eatery, Neighborhood Services. First off, Nick: Change the name. Please call it Nick's Neighborhood, or Nick's Goodtime Grill, or Nick's anything. Neighborhood Services reminds me of the free methadone clinics I used to hear about when I lived in San Francisco (I was not a patron). At any rate, I digress. The food and the vibe at Nick's (Neighborhood Services) is exactly what you want from one of our first-rate, first-class, all around good guy chefs. It's sensational grub. Ribs, to live for (we don't say the die thing). Great onion rings go with that. A fun mixed grill kinda thing with quail and a tenderloin. Oh, wait, I forgot the lobster fritter starters that inspired us oldsters to start singing a chorus from Perry Como's old TV show ("letters we get letters"....we get lots and lots of letters" substitute fritters for letters and you've got it). Now, I know most of you are asking "who the hell is Perry Como?". Google great crooners and you'll know. Bono could not pull that off on live television every week. More digression. Must be the holi-daze. Nick has a neat reservations policy. There is none. But, if you call ahead and tell them you are coming in, when you arrive, somehow, you are magically put at the head of the waitlist (which is considerable on weekends 'cause Neighborhood Services is cool, and hot and new now), and boom, you're seated. Actually, I thought it was better than a reservation. Well anyway, the menu has burgers, sandwiches, great fish dishes, real food for real people. The price is right and the wine list is easy on the pocketbook and the palate. I love this place. I love that Nick (formerly head pooh-bah chef extraordianaire at Consilient Restaurants--think Hibiscus-Fireside Pies-Cuba Libra-The Porch) has his own place. Please do yourself a favor and stop in. Nick's Place, er, Neighborhood Services is in the old Rouge spot (5027 W. Lovers Lane) two blocks west of Inwood. 214-350-5027 (for that step in line call ahead deal). We are trying to talk Nick out of his kitchen so he can bring the restaurant to Savor Dallas. If you can put in a good word for us, or if you want to start the groundswell here, please respond to this blog. I will pass along your sentiments to Nick. Please also ask him to change the name of the restaurant to Nick's Neighborhood (or other suggestions welcome). What do you think? Eat at Nick's has a nice ring to it. Ciao baby.

Rocket Man Pyles

2008-11-25T14:26:00.000-08:00

Stephan Pyles is moving so fast along Ross Avenue in Dallas these days, he's thought about having a pneumatic tube installed so he can be whooshed between kitchens he is overseeing. Of course, his eponymous restaurant continues its high-flying, high style dining ways. And now he is planning a new restaurant: Samar by Stephan Pyles at 2100 Ross, under construction. Pyles refers to the style as "global tapas". You'll find small plates from Tunisia, Morocco, Lebanon, Turkey, India and Greece. Meanwhile, across from the street and down the block, he is consulting Seventeen Seventeen Restaurant in the Dallas Museum of Art--just in time to get the menu standards for a king (as in Tut, the exhibit runs at the DMA through May). He is also consulting the culinary needs for the new Museum Tower in the Arts District. All this while traveling the world doing food research for new menus and his own personal interest. He wants to do more TV, cookbooks, and a few more restaurant concepts before hanging up his proverbial spurs. The buckaroo from Big Spring, keeps on getter better (certainly not older). What is your favorite Stephan Pyles restaurant through the years? Share a story. Or give us feedback on a meal you've had at Stephan Pyles namesake restaurant in the Dallas Arts District.

Do not go gently into that good.....Blog.

2008-11-20T14:41:00.000-08:00

Brother can you a spare a classic line? Gentle readers. Thank you for your patience. Gloomy economic forecasts, a national election, and piano lessons (yes, Virginia there is a reason for a middle aged guy to finally overcome a lifetime of procrastination and take piano lessons!) have prevented me and my muses from partaking of this particular passtime for some time now. I have been compelled by gentle nudges to resume the blog. We will be doing some highlights of the DFW restaurant scene, and some profiles of the chefs of Savor Dallas coming up. I would greatly appreciate any comments you might have about the event if you have attended, or information on new restaurants you have tried that should be a part of Savor Dallas. Or, at least turn us on to a favorite new spot. We need to get out and dine, dine, dine for the sake of the economy. Thank you. Remember: Life is uncertain. Have dessert first. Be well.

You want a bier mit dat dinner?

2008-06-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

Victory Tavern kicked off a summer series of great wine dinners on Saturday featuring hand-crafted brews from New Belgium. The Victory Park hot spot featured five courses from Executive Chef Jim Oetting paired with New Belgium's Skinny Dip (a seasonal release), Mothership Wit Organic Wheat Beer, Trippel Belgian Style Ale, and Fat Tire Amber. The series continues July 24th and August 21 with other hand-crafted beer producers. It's a great way to spend the summer with upscale "backyard cuisine" and a great brewski. Have you been to a beer dinner? What are your favorite boutique beers? Compare American brews to International suds. What do you think?

Open Sesame for Ali Baba in Lakewood!

2008-06-11T17:38:00.000-07:00

Ali Baba opens in the Lakewood Shopping Center and the neighbors are saying "Open Sesame!" The venerable East Dallas favorite Mediterranean (Lebanese) Restaurant is finally open in the old Carrabas location after spending years on Greenville Avenue. All the favorites are there: hummus, dolmas, succulent roasted chicken, gyros, falafel, and more. The menu is friendly and so is the staff. Lebanese house wines and some interesting choices from South America, plus a few selections of beer are available. They assure us they will be improving the wine list (they will even be printing one--none available on our first visit). Service is overrun right now, because the Lakewood denizens have sniffed a new restaurant in the shopping center and are converging in droves. The staff is meeting the demand with a big smile and an apology if the wait is a tad long. We didn't experience any particular problem, but we only had apps-- meat pie and spinach pie are great! Dolmas are an all time favorite of mine. Interestingly, if you just want rice and seasoning they are labeled with the traditional name on the menu, but if you want meat added they are listed as "grape leaves". It must be the essence of meat, because these are the skinniest dolmas I have ever seen. Maybe they've been on a diet. Ali Bab still serves the best hummus around. This is a big improvement over the great old "dive" surroundings on Greenville. The new digs are comfortable and the air conditioning works really well (unlike the past location). A WELCOME addition to the neighborhood. What do you think? Read the legend of Ali Baba on the back of the menu and see if you don't think CSI: Persia should look into it. I didn't remember such a grisly story when I read this fable in grade school.

Wolfgang Puck lands in Dallas big time

2008-06-05T13:49:00.001-07:00

Big news on the Dallas dining scene as Wolfgang Puck arrives to announce his company is working with Ray Hunt's Woodbine Development to restore the historic Union Station in Downtown Dallas and turn it into a grand events venue with catering from Wolfgang Puck, of course. The space should be ready to go by October or November. The kitchen facilities alone will cost $6 million. That's not all. Come February, the lighted ball atop Reunion Tower will become the site of the newest Wolfgang Puck Restaurant. It will be done to the hilt with a $25 million plus pricetag. Fine dining with a view on steroids! Of course, the iconic chef already has staked out territory in DFW with his catering company. His high-profile clients include the Nasher Sculpture Center, Nokia Theater in Grand Prairie, and the commissary at the new Hunt office building downtown. Have you been to any of Wolfgang Puck's restaurants? Have comments to share? Thoughts on celebrity chef restaurant outposts? (Wolf says he will spend a lot of time in Dallas overseeing the menu development and the operation of the new restaurant). Look forward to your comments.

Welcome back to the Brown Food Bowl!

2008-05-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our blog! The guy who covered the Dallas-Fort Worth restaurant and wine scene for 10 years on KRLD NewsRadio 1080 ("The KRLD Restaurant Show with Jim White" figured the blogosphere was ripe to share some food and wine comments with friends (and friends in the making, we hope). Starting off....does anyone remember "The Brown Food Bowl" that Bud Kennedy and I hosted for 10 years on SuperBowl Sunday? Let's start there. The premise is simple and the name was borrowed from a Dan Jenkins statement that "...the best food in Texas is either brown or white." We chose brown, because it created a realm of interesting food talk about restaurants serving great barbecue, fried chicken, steak, burgers, and more. Want to list your favorites? Send me your thoughts. Not just limited to Texas, BTW. What are the best restaurants (and, here, you are allowed to think in loose terms when interpreting what constitutes a "restaurant") for BARBECUE, STEAK, BURGERS, RIBS, even MEXICAN FOOD counts! Oh, don't forget DESSERT (life is too short to omit chocolate). Have fun. Let me hear form you. If you have photos and website addresses, even better. Let's all figure out where to the get the best BROWN FOOD. Cheers! And, bon appetit!