What Can I Get For You Folks?

By Hanna Raskin Wed., Jun. 2 2010 at 11:27 AM

Categories: Announcements of the Food Kind

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Hi, I'm Hanna, and I'll be your restaurant critic.

Sorry to have kept you waiting. I got caught in the weeds back in Asheville, where I was obligated to file a few last barbecue columns and produce a bike fashion show before I could head down the mountain.

But you're not interested in excuses: You clicked your way here in search of a rewarding reading experience, which is what I hope to help provide.

So what can I get you folks? Are you craving more restaurant news, recipes or reviews? Which restaurants would you like to see reviewed? What can City of Ate do for you?

I'm very glad to have you join us (and pretty excited to be here myself.) If there's ever anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll be back in a moment with a first blog post for you: Enjoy.

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Welcome to Dallas, Hanna. I've read several of your reviews from Asheville, and can't wait to see what you can discover in our city. Enjoy yourself!
Don't listen to Tomas and his silly shtick. Obviously he lives in uptown and is obviously biased towards any other area because they don't accept his types. Anyhoo, the suburbs have a population of nearly 5 million and hundereds of great restaurants that are many are far better than the little dirty, filthy area where little ole Thomas lays his head.
I like reviews with curse words.
Nobody cares about restaurants in the suburbs (well, other than the people who have made unfortunate choices in their lives and that now live there). People in the city will not drive to Garland or Frisco or Denison, for a mediocre meal at a non-descript, mom & pop restaurant, and the people that live out there will eat at such places anyway because they can only go to Applebee's so often. If you are going to review a suburban restaurant, make sure it is a special place that either is actually worth the drive or is getting buzz that might make it seem to be worth the drive but isn't, so your review will prevent any unnecessary trip outside of 214. TIA
Hanna, I want to marry Mabel and have you review the wedding caterer!
Hi, Hanna. Welcome to the Observer and City of Ate. I'd like to see reviews of establishments far afield, in locations such as Denton and Arlington. Dallas is big, and there are gems (and bags of coal) everywhere.
I would love to find out about more vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants. I'm new to town too and although I've found some, it would be great to know of more options.
Hannah- Let me preface with my bias: my family owns TJ's Fresh Seafood Market, an independent seafood market that's been in North Dallas for 21 years. Dallas has a wonderful, big-city array of independently-owned specialty shops that aren't necessarily restaurants. You can get german cold cuts and sausages at Kuby's, Japanese specialties at Kazy's, great cheese at Scardello's, steaks at Rudolph's, Italian specialities at Jimmy's...and i've left more off than i've listed. (and TJ's of course) But these places don't get reviewed because they aren't restaurants. Soooo...Dallas needs someone to review what is available at the markets, both take-out and raw ingredients they can cook at home. and this isn't a plea for free press. tell the independently owned markets what they are doing right AND what they are doing wrong! compare and contrast with other cities you've experienced.
Really, y'all are tired of the drug humor? But we're already halfway through our list of the 1,000 Best Cocktails To Relieve Cocaine Post-Nasal Drip, and making progress on the list of The Two Easiest Foods To Chew With Meth Teeth.
I concur with Worzel and Carrots- how about a COA sponsored dinner where we fry up the entire Food Network lineup! Dibs on Mario Batali!
Worzel that is a fantastic idea! Think how many hungry children could be fed off that gigantic ass of hers! Serve up a side of Paula Deen, and the world's hunger problem is solved.
Hanna, if you are looking for some good tex-mex, look no further than this place called Pancho's. You're gonna love it, not only is it gourmet, but you even get to raise a sticky, honey-soaked mexican flag to get more plates of food.
I have been very disappointed with The Observer totally ignoring cannibalism as a way of broadening one's diet. Perhaps you could deep-fry Rachel Ray and thereby kill two birds with one stone?
Hanna, can you review the Waffle House in South Dallas for me when you get a chance? Thanks, I'd really like that.
Man, tough crowd. Guess I shouldn't give up my day job. It was pretty ham-fisted though. Hanna, All kidding aside it would be good to see, at least initially, your quick take on a few local favorites/institutions just to see your initial impression on the Dallas dining scene. Recipes sounds like a good idea too. Especially ones that you can throw together quickly on a week night.
Yes, enough restaurant reviews in uptown/lakwewood, downtown area. Venture out a bit please. Dallas has tons of suburbs and obviously many eateries. So to be different than your cohorts, drive more than 3 miles to a restaurant and let us know how you fare. And yes, enough of the places to eat when you are high on drugs and stuff. Not cool (or even funny anymore). Thanks and I hope you enjoy the 100+ degree temeratures and high humidity for the next four months that Dallas has to offer.
@David, of course it was sarcasm, but it was also lazy, boring sarcasm based on tired stereotypes nobody gives a crap about any more. I'm surprised she didn't mention riding a horse to or from something. Been to a comedy club lately? I hear that Latino women are getting pregnant, like, all the time!
Am I the only one that read Mabel's post and thought it was totally fake? That is sarcasm people! LOL
We want free stuff! Contests and such.
I agree. I would love some reviews in smaller joints, mom and pops if you will, someplace other than Uptown. Maybe North Dallas.
Throw in a good ethnic restaurant review like Bill Addison did every so often REview the big dogs like Abacus, Fearings, Mansion but also throw in the smaller places like Suze, Parigi, Salum, etc. and keep us informed about places doing fun inventive food
I would love to see reviews of holes in the wall, places that many of us may not have discovered yet (with the economy and all), news about new restaurant openings and recipes.
Welcome to the City of Ate, Hanna.
Welcome, Hanna! Ditto @Luniz and @Gipson. Although I personally like most of the columns. I miss question of the week and comment of the week. Those were where most of the 'community' part of the blog happened - all 12 of the regular posters. Ignore @Mabel - those types of Dallasites don't read the Observer (or wouldn't actually post here in case their friends found out they read the Observer). Cheers
Welcome Hanna, I agree with Luniz. Not all of us can afford/want to eat at the more expensive places everynight. A nice balance of types of restaurants. Also the Metroplex is quite large, I know it's the Dallas Observer, but explore and review some places in the burbs. Basically we all don't live in Uptown and eat at Nick and Sam's every night.
Hello Hanna! I'm Mabel. I no longer read the only Dallas daily paper because of their awful restaurant reviewer, Leslie. She reviews lots of ethnic restaurants that serves food I don't quite understand (Tex-Mex?). Ms. Brenner also gave her worst rating to the fanciest place that I have ever been too; Bone Daddy's (my son took me there for Mother's Day). With you being new to town I'll tell you what I, and probably many other people in this city want in a restraint reviewer. Please only focus your reviews on nice places with good home cooked food, like Cracker Barrel. In fact I would like for you to review every Cracker Barrel in the Metroplex (you'll learn what that means). And only say nice things about them since they promote good values; not like that awful TGI Friday's (there is a swear word in their name!). Just tell us who has the best iced tea (and where the servers know how to re-fill them), who has the best meatloaf, and who has the lemon meringue pie (hint: the higher the meringue the better!). And please, no reviews of places that serve weird ethnic food like pizza, tacos, or BBQ (whatever that is). Follow my advice and you'll do a peach of a job!
Welcome. The City of Ate blog is rather column-heavy. Pretty much every post is part of a series. Maybe more one-offs. Tidbits that strike your fancy. Personally, I like reading new reviews of the old standards, it's been an enjoyable part of having Leslie over at the DMN. Please do review the big boys as well as smaller outlets.
Welcome Hanna! Please lets have fewer of the what to eat when you're high lists.
welcome to Dallas. I'd like to see more reviews of places that aren't reviewed often, smaller hole in the wall places that serve good food. For the blog, maybe more first look type things or sort of reviews of things like gas station tacos or chaat or elotes stands or places at the Farmer's Market etc.
Hi, Hanna! Glad to have you here!