SOMM

Tomorrow night (Wednesday, June 19), the Angelika Film Centers in Dallas and Plano are hosting a screening of a documentary SOMM, which is dedicated to the prestigious Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS).

The CSM was first established in the 1960s in England as a way to "encourage improved standards of beverage knowledge and service in hotels and restaurants. Education was then, and remains today, the Court's charter," according to press materials for the film.

In more than 40 years since the program started only 186 candidates have earned the master sommelier diploma. The exam covers literally every nuance of the world of wine, spirits and cigars.

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pinkberry.com

Stick with the strawberries. Do not veer from this path.

Some restaurant menus have items on them that nobody in their right mind should ever order. They're like test items, so that your server can see if you're batshit crazy or not. For instance, if you order the burger at a Chinese restaurant, your server immediately flags you as a food idiot. And he's right. In this moment, you're a food dumbass. You walked right into that burger-at-a-Chinese-restaurant explosion of dumb, and you didn't even see it coming. Which is why I affectionately call these don't-ever-order menu items "foodmines."

If you're too batshit crazy to know that the item is a foodmine before you order it, another way you can tell that you're in trouble before you taste the foodmine is if your friends immediately doubt your order. If you hear a "Really?" after you order, CHANGE YOUR ORDER, LEST YOU DIE.

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Jonathon and Christine Erdeljac are experiencing growing pains in Oak Cliff. What was once a romantic kitchen fit for Smurf-sized cooks has become a burden for the duo, as a weekend brunch service has drawn a steady, loyal and absolutely ravenous crowd.

See also:
Big Plans From the Tiny Kitchen at Jonathon's Oak Cliff

I reviewed the restaurant two years ago and noted the urban-diner-meets-country cooking is served from a kitchen that's not even 200 square feet. While that might be enough for the small dining room, with nicer weather, the patio out front effectively doubles demand. The Erdeljacs have hit a breaking point. They need room to grow.

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Henry's Tavern

Well, goodness. We've been wasting the week and we only just realized it. Hopefully you got good sleep last night because the rest of the week just might be a tad on the busy side.

Henry's Tavern in Plano is celebrating a grand opening with ... wait. Grand Opening? They opened back in October, right? Yeah.

Turns out they've renovated the place, with a new emphasis on "tavern" side of things and less on the restaurant. There's a new game room, and while the menu is the same, it has less of a sit-down restaurant feel.

Good news is they're rolling out this concept with penny beer. Yes, penny beer. All week.

Here's the wording exactly so there's on confusion on the details.

ALL BEER FOR THE ENTIRE WEEK IS ONE CENT. MONDAY 6.17 - SUNDAY 6.23.

Bribe a friend with penny beer on you next week somewhere, anoint them the designated driver and have fun.

Promise of Peace Garden

Recently Brittany Nunn with the Lakewood Advocate covered the proposed new Promise of Peace garden in a three part series (one, two and three). The garden is set to take over some space in a parking lot at the White Rock United Methodist Church (WRUMC) in the Little Forest Hills neighborhood.

And, oh, what a kerfuffle has ensued.

Turns out that some neighbors of the church dislike the idea of replacing a parking lot with a garden. Yes. The want to keep their quiet inner-city parking lot and are ready to fight the good fight for it.

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Eat this

It was just a few weeks ago that I walked into Teppo, the sushi restaurant on Lower Greenville Avenue, and stumbled on the Spanish mackerel tataki. The restaurant offers various chef's selections, which are a decent way to introduce yourself to fish you might not have tried on your own.

Convince your waitress that you're an adventurous eater when you order, or sit at the bar and talk to your chef directly while stealing glances at the baseball game on the television behind him. The chefs are watching too. Good things will happen.

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Not all chicken sandwiches are created equal.

I want to love the shawarma at Qariah, but they don't sell enough of them. If you've ever seen the vertical spit at Bachman Lake Taqueria spinning full tilt, you know it's a sight to behold. The meatsicle sizzles as it twirls, spitting fat at the burners, which hiss and pop. But when business is slow the burners idle. The meat is quiet, and it doesn't have the same charred and delicious flavor.

Qariah's shawarma would likely be as impressive as those trompo tacos if people stood in line to order them, but they don't, so I've been eating the shish tawook sandwich instead. It's actually pretty damn delicious.

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Liz Goulding

Tasting a Santa Rosa Plum for the first time a few years ago opened my eyes (and mouth) to the fact that I had probably never really tasted a plum before. Sure, I had technically eaten things called plums, but in reality those were mushy watered-down purple round things disguised as plums.

Santa Rosa plums are small. They take only two or three bites to finish, so you might think they aren't worth your time. But you would be so wrong, because they are sweet with a tart finish and full of flavor. They are what summer tastes like. Until tomato season anyway, then that's what summer tastes like.

Anyway, all that to say is that Santa Rosa plums from Larken Farms in Waxahachie were available at White Rock Local Market and Coppell Farmer's Market this past Saturday. Which means if you are interested in tasting the amazingness you better jump on it, because they will only be around for a few weeks. (If anyone knows another farm that has them in the area, let's hear it.)

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A fire gutted Luna Tortilla factory in northwest Dallas this morning. Owner Fernando Luna said he first smelled the smoke about 10:30 a.m., but initially the odor was mistaken as an over-toasted tortilla or a grill running too hot. As the smell got stronger, so did Luna's curiosity about its source. He checked the vent hoods and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Then smoke started to fill the building.

When he walked outside smoke was pouring from the roof vents. Luna says he ran back in to clear his employees from the building and then called the fire department. Nobody was hurt, but the building where Luna makes tortillas for customers and for his restaurant across the street was totaled.

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Catherine Downes

When Buddha said life is suffering and suffering was the path to nirvana, I'm pretty sure he was talking about fried chicken. Think about it. Eat your way through this list and you will undoubtedly suffer. But you'll also experience moments of bliss that transcend the discomfort.

Enlightenment in a bucket of chicken -- Who knew it could be this easy?

Babe's (pictured above)
Babe's is a temple. The original location in Roanoke churns out plate after plate of glistening chicken with crisp brown skin. While the wait for a table can be long, it's worth it -- the restaurant serves nothing but fried chicken and chicken-fried steak allowing for some seriously consistent chicken.

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