48 Nights to taste and help

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.

Bountiful wining and dining for Turkey Day

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