Dallas Food Blog

​Golden Spirits has come up with an idea so perfectly suited to the artificial luxury embodied by Dallas ultra-lounges that you'd think the Madison, Wisconsin distillery was based here.

Well, to use the old bumper-sticker phrase, Million Vodka wasn't born here, but it got here as fast as it could.

Million Vodka [music warning] is a self-described "ultra premium" hand-crafted, triple-filtered, small-batch vodka with a suggested retail price of $29.99. But it's so much more than just a vodka. As the Web site says, "MILLION is a lifestyle, swagger, a mindset, a drive to be the best at whatever you put your mind to."

Wow, and we thought it was just a flavorless intoxicant.

Starting this week, the vodka will be available here in a city-specific bottle featuring the Dallas skyline. Dallas and New York are the first two cities to receive their own bottles. If the idea is successful, other destination cities will get their own bottles as well (can't wait for the Dayton bottle). And in a city as obsessed with image, trends and bottle-service as Dallas, it's easy to imagine that will happen.

Also going on this week...

Cowboy Chow is unveiling new heart-healthy food items. But this is Cowboy Chow we're talking about, so don't expect no green salads or none of that sissy stuff. Rather, the health benefits come from using lean buffalo meat for popular items like tacos, hot dogs, cowboy grilled cheese and Sloppy Joe S-Words.

The 2002 Super T-Rex, one of the wines to be featured in Tuesday's dinner at Tre Amici.

​This is a good week to be a Dallas fan of California wines, as two restaurants will feature the products of Cali vineyards in wine dinners beginning tonight.

Bolsa has a wine dinner at 6:30 p.m. today featuring California wines selected by Abigail Adams Wines. The four-course meal, including cocktail reception, is $65 a head plus tax and tip. But if you're a wino on a budget, wait till Tuesday for the weekly half-price wine special.

And Tre Amici will have California Deerfield Ranch Winery winemaker and owner Robert Rex for a wine dinner 7 p.m. Tuesday. The menu includes an 8-oz. bacon-wrapped prime filet, cheese plate, Kahlua cappucino cheesecake and more paired with Deerfield Ranch wines and live piano from house pianist Adrian King. The full menu is here. Cost is $99 per person.

Also going on this week...

Balcones Distilling is set to distribute its Texas whiskey to Majestic and Goody Goody. The company has a solid "cult" following for Baby Blue Whiskey in both Austin and Houston. According to folks at the distillery, the brand takes its name from blue corn, which Hopi Indians--the native American type Indians--roast especially for Balcones. You can read more at their web site, which may (or may not) explain the appeal of blue corn whiskey. The craft distillery also produce a single malt and something called Rumble, made from figs, honey and sugar.
 

​The Libertine Bar may have the Best Bar Food in Dallas, along with a great selection of beer and wine--and, of course, the monthly Playlister P local-music DJ nights. But beginning at 7 p.m. tomorrow night, the bar's brain cancer awareness event gives yet another reason to love the Lower Greenville pub.

After a friend of the bar was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer, the staff organized an impromptu concert with a live and silent auction to raise funds for her walk Saturday at Trinity Park in Fort Worth as part of the 4th Annual Dallas-Fort Worth Brain Tumor Walk.

Performers will include John Pedigo (The O's, Boys Named Sue), Tim O'Brien (The Dogkickers), Laura Harrell (Romp Almighty) and MIchael Cox (Speedtrucker). Auction items include Mavericks' floor seats, limo rides, haircuts, bakery gift certificates and more.

Also going on this week...

"Let me be clear. We want change--if we give you a dollar for a cup of coffee at Dunkin' Donuts!"

​Even though it makes no difference to most City of Ate readers, Dunkin' Donuts coffee is the official coffee of the Dallas Cowboys and the new stadium.

To promote the partnership, participating DFW locations of the doughnut chain are offering 25-cent medium-size hot coffees to all customers until noon every Monday, beginning today, through the NFL season. Also, customers can redeem Cowboys game ticket stubs for a free medium coffee on weekdays after home games. Sounds like a great idea: after shelling out a couple hundred bucks for tickets and parking, most fans could probably use the freebie.

Of course, all this is a moot point to those who prefer a California cabernet with the glazed goodies.

 Also going on this week...

Bolsa will throw a wine dinner to pair Graham Dodds' creations with Coquerel Family Wine Estates vinos tonight. Owners Clay and Brenda Cockerell will be the hosts. (No, that's not a spelling mistake--the couple uses the archaic French spelling of the family surname.) Cocktail reception is at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m.

​Do you love scotch? Sevy's Grill will have a Scotch Club tasting this evening from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. featuring five premium whiskys and a complementary dish for each.

Dishes and drinks include crispy 5-spice duck cigars (sounds classier than "duck taquitos," no?) with apricot ginger dipping sauce with Dalmore 12 and ginger ale; prosciutto, ricotta and basil fritatta with Glenfiddich 12; Ahi tuna tartar with Glenfiddich 15; griddled buffalo small sandwiches (they use the disturbing "s" word) with Lagavulin 16; and Godiva chocolate creme brulee with Glenlivet 12 French Oak.

And, at $44.95 a person, it's cheaper than a lot of wine and even beer dinners in town. Here it goes. Down into your belly. Reservations (required) are available at 214-265-7389.

Also going on this week ...

Roy Williams will try to catch more passes tonight than Marvin Harrison caught all season in 2002. At a Frisco Pizza Hut (9550 Dallas Parkway), Williams will sign footballs ($5 donation for mini, $40 for regulation size) to raise funds for world hunger relief. If you've bought one of the signed balls, you can then throw it to him. Presumably he'll give it back. Kelly Buckley, chief food innovation officer (no, we did not make up that title) will also be on hand to lead diners through tastings of new WingStreet wing flavors.

Garrett Oliver

​Author, beer judge and Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster Garrett Oliver will be in town Wednesday for a couple of Brooklyn Beer-related events. One is free, while the other costs $58 per person plus tax and tip. Guess which one we'll be attending.

First, Oliver will offer samples with food pairings and a cooking demonstration in a free event at the Highland Park Whole Foods location from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Later, he'll lead diners through a five-course beer dinner at Newport's Seafood and Steaks starting with a 6:30 p.m. reception followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m. The menu includes filet of beef tenderloin with Brooklyn Brown Ale glaze, New England clam chowder, calamari and more paired with Brooklyn's Oktoberfest, Local 1, East India Pale Ale, Local 2 and Black Chocolate Stout. Reservations (required) are available at 214-954-0220 or by e-mail.

Maybe he'll have an Ugly Pug while he's in town too? He had some nice things to say about the Fort Worth beer in this review.

Also going on this week ...

Citing concerns for fair-goers' batter-bloated digestive systems, It's A Grind (subject of a July atta-boy cover story) is offering 10 percent off "soothies" (fruit and green tea smoothies) to anyone with a State Fair ticket stub or who shares a picture depicting consumption of a deep-fried goodie.

The Bonus Jack of fantasy...

​Jack In The Box has reintroduced the Bonus Jack burger, which is a sandwich made of two beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese and pickles on a triple-decker bun.

For some reason, that ingredient listing is prompting a serious case of deja vu. Where in the world did they get the idea for such an unorthodox hamburger?

According to information from the company, the burger came out in 1970. That's two years after the Big Mac was rolled out nationwide--which we're sure is a complete coincidence. Eventually, the Bonus Jack went the way of the 8-track.

The Impulsive Buy

...and the Bonus Jack of reality.

​However, "with the nation's economy now floundering and Americans in need of a hearty gastronomic stimulus package, Jack is bringing his Bonus Jack and serving it with the Secret Sauce that made it so deliciously famous."

Whatever "deliciously famous" means.

Also going on this week...

Rahr's Buffalo Butt, which, oddly, will not be paired with buffalo loin at Wednesday night's beer dinner

​Rathbun's Blue Plate Kitchen is known for its comfort food items like pot roast, meatloaf and biscuits and gravy. The menu also gives a nod to the locavore trend.

Well, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, the restaurant will be the site of a dinner built around the ultimate comfort food--beer--from a local producer. For $50 a head, plus 20 percent gratuity and tax, guests will enjoy buffalo loin (which must be better than it sounds), margarita shrimp, Kirsch's bratwursts and more paired with the Oktoberfest beer, blonde lager, Ugly Pug and other offerings from Fort Worth's own Rahr & Sons at Blue Plate Kitchen's first-ever beer dinner. Wednesday also happens to be Hophead's birthday, hint hint.

Also going on this week...

We seldom recommend eating at Chili's, but we'll admit their queso dip is pretty darn good for a generic restaurant chain. And if you're going to eat there, today would be the day to do so: the restaurant is donating 100 percent of the day's profits to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Click here for more info.

Dancers at the Dallas Greek Festival

Three different festivals this weekend will highlight cuisine from around the world: Greece, Thailand, and, perhaps most foreign of all, Uptown.

The Dallas Greek Food Festival at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (13555 Hillcrest Road) showcases Greek culture in general, with music, games and activities for students and children. Coffee will be available at a kafenio. Gyros, souvlaka and baklava will be served in the kouzina, and the taverna will offer Greek beer and wine.

In church? We're converting.

The event also offers "festival to go" box lunches, which also include two tickets, for $10 Friday. Check it out 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $5 for adults or $3 for kids age 6 to 12.

Meanwhile, Thai Festival 2009 will be 5 p.m. to midnight Friday at the Radisson Hotel (1241 W. Mockingbird Lane)--and it's free. Thai World Musiq will make its first-ever DFW stop, and the event also includes Thai massage along with food and beer.

Also free, All About Uptown: A Celebration Of Art And Living will feature food in a "Chef Showcase" along with art, music and trolley rides all day Saturday starting with a 10 a.m. parade that will include trolley cars, antique fire trucks and floats. 

Also going on this week ...

Braveheart child actor Andrew Weir (left) is finally old enough to drink Scotch--and guide you through a tasting Wednesday night.

​Tired of beer and wine dinners guided by brewmasters and sales reps? How about a Scotch dinner with a Braveheart actor as host?

Pappas Bros. Steakhouse (10477 Lombardy Lane, 214-366-2000) will feature Balvenie Scotch 7 p.m. Wednesday, along with Scotch-cured salmon, roasted rabbit saddle, prime strip loin, a chocolate malted shake and more with single-malt offerings. The Balvenie ambassador Andrew Weir, who played Young Hamish in Braveheart, will guide diners through the dinner. No Mel, sorry. Cost of the dinner is $125 per person.

Also going on this week...

In recognition of Greyhound Awareness Month, Zen Sushi (380 W. Seventh St., 214-946-9699) in the Bishop Arts District will donate 25 percent of dinner (5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.) proceeds Tuesday through Thursday (September 15-17) to the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas, a non-profit organization that cares for and finds homes for retired racing greyhounds.

​It's hard to believe Bolsa has only been open for a year, as it already feels like a Dallas institution for locavores and  those who enjoy fascinating food creations at reasonable prices. It's gotta be true, though, as the restaurant will celebrate its first year of business with "Bands, Bruschetta, Burgers, Bottles & Beer" 4 p.m. Sunday at the "Bolsaveursary." OK, so maybe the food isn't overwrought, but that name certainly is. Forgivable offense, though, considering that the event will include performances by Theater Fire, The Deathray Davies and The Happy Bullets--three of the area's best bands. Proceeds will benefit La Reunion, a planned artists residency in Dallas.

As if that weren't enough for the weekend, Bolsa co-owners Chris Zielke and Christopher and Jessica Jeffers will also celebrate the Grand Opening of their new barbecue joint, Smoke, Friday in the Belmont Hotel in the restaurant space that used to be the Cliff Cafe. None other than Kinky Friedman will serve as MC, and the night includes music by Slobberbone, Sarah Jaffe, Shoot Low Sheriff, Spooky Folk and DJ Repo. Oh, and food too, with free samples of chef Tim Byres' new menu. 

Also going on this week...

You can celebrate the 20th anniversary of the McKinney Avenue Trolleys at Dine On The Line 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at fig (Fashion Industry Gallery, 1807 Ross Ave.) with special celebrity chef (whatever that means) Dean Fearing. A $25 donation includes Champagne, desserts, valet parking and a performance by DOMA-winning Beatles cover act Hard Night's Day. Tickets are at 214-289-1126. Or you can choose the dining option, starting at 6 p.m.

Meredith L. Moore

Second Floor executive chef J. Chastain

​The comfort food trend strikes again.

Chefs Scott Gottlich and J Chastain have updated the menu at The Second Floor to focus more on contemporary comfort food along with its signature bistro items. But this being the place that claims to have the largest Scotch selection in Dallas, they needed to dress up Mom's staples. So, for example, shrimp and grits becomes Prawns and Grits; pimiento cheese becomes a spread of French Cantalet, piquillo chiles and brioche toast; and the pot pies are made with foie gras veloute.

The nostalgia carries over to the dessert menu as well, with creme brulees created from banana cream pie and s'mores.

So that's what it must have been like to grow up in Highland Park.

Also going on this week ...

The Flying Saucer's new Beerknurd calendars are available starting today. Each month of the 13-month calendar features a different Flying Saucer location and Beer Club member, or "Beerknurd," from that particular franchise. Calendars are free but available only to current and new Beerknurds.

Jeff McInnis

​You've mastered the mojito, drubbed the daiquiri and conquered the Cuba libre. You're ready to take your rum "mixology" to the next level. How about tossing in a dash of liquid nitrogen?

Former Top Chef contestant Jeff McInnis will be slinging liquid nitrogen-infused Don Q rum cocktails at Lambert's Steaks, Seafood & Whiskey (2731 White Settlement Road) in Fort Worth 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

The demonstration is part of a Don Q rum tasting event. We're already sold. Any rum that needs to be chilled to hundreds of degrees below zero and warrants such a distracting presentation must taste fantastic, right? Cost is $20. Food will be served.

On the other hand, if you're not so macho with the mojito, you can take a whole class on the mint-spiked rum drinks 6:30 p.m. Thursday at La Duni Latin Kitchen and Coffee Studio in NorthPark Center. Learn how to shake, muddle and set fire to Bacardi versions of the cocktail while enjoying "light bites" from the kitchen. Cost is $17 in advance with reservations at 214-987-2260.

Also going on this week...

International House Of Pancakes is offering free dinners to kids ages 12 and younger everyday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. through Sunday, September 13. For each adult entree ordered, families receive one free meal from the "Just For Kids" menu. The press release proudly boasts statistics about how kids from families that eat meals together perform better in school. It's oddly silent on the topic of childhood obesity, though.

​Paul Burrough at Sacred Cellars has started a new promotion that can make your wine habit a bit less financially ruinous.

Steal of the Week, Burrough writes, is Sacred Cellars' "own version of wine.woot.com, but only waaaay better. For example, [last] week's offering [was] priced at less than 50% of average retail. It's always gonna be really hard-to-get wines in very limited quantities, with ridiculous ratings and acclaim."

Now if only a local beer store would do the same thing.

Also going on this week...

Speaking of wine, State & Allen Lounge has updated its wine list and summer menu. New vinos include Aussie Cabernet blend First Drop's "The Red One," Spanish Vinos Sin Ley's "Gordo," Chilean Sauvignon Blanc Errazurize Estate and more. New food offerings include wheat pasta and chicken, fish tacos and summer soups.

DallasChocolate.org has set the menu for an exclusive dinner 2 p.m. Saturday with chocolate makers Steve DeVries and Alan McClure. Along with Herb Crusted Salmon with Celery Root Potatoes and Bittersweet Chocolate Balsamic Glaze, Savory Chocolate Tower on Summer Greens with French Herb Vinaigrette and more, the event includes a guided chocolate tasting and lecture. Reservations are available at the Web site.
 

​DrinkLocalWine.com wants you to know that wine-making isn't just for Californians, and what better way to spread the word than Twitter?

The advocacy group will hold the first Twitter Taste-Off at its conference Saturday at Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts Dallas. Along with lunch and tastings of some 40 wines, the conference will also feature seminars about trends in Texas wines, the distinctive grapes Texas wineries use and how wine lovers can get more regional wines in stores and restaurants. Some 20 wine writers from Texas and across the country will attend. Should be interesting to see which ones try to properly describe the nose, mouth feel, flavor notes and finish in 140 characters or less, and which ones are reduced to tweeting descriptions like "Tastes pretty good!"

Registration is $35 in advance here or $45 the day of the event.

Also going on this week...

Tickets go on sale today for Taste of Watters Creek, set for 6:30 p.m. September 10 at Watters on the Green in Allen. The event, which benefits Meals On Wheels, features food from Grimaldi's Pizza, P.F. Chang's, Blue Fish and several other restaurants along with wine and cocktails. Cost is $60 per person or $100 per couple at the Watters Creek Web site, with discounts if purchased at the Market Street Customer Service Counter. Don't miss this chance to have a bottle signed by Dripping Springs' master distiller and see how long you can keep it as a collector's item before cracking it open.

Brunch is no longer just for Sundays at Sevy's (8201 Preston Rd.). Beginning this Saturday, the restaurant will offer eggs benedict, almond-crusted trout, migas, Texas French toast and more from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. If you don't sit down to eat until  2:30 in the afternoon, though, shouldn't it be called "dunch"?

We suggest contestants find out who the judges are before attempting a Nyotaimori presentation.

​The ever-charitable RA Sushi in Plano will hold its first "Roll'N With RA" charity sushi contest 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. Six non-profit organizations--Hunger Busters, the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure, The Alzheimer's Association, The American Cancer Society, The Genesis Women's Shelter and The North Texas Food Bank--will create sushi rolls for the competition. Media judges are to score each entry on creativity, taste and presentation.

The winning entry, which will be announced that evening, will be added to the RA menu August 14 through September 4 with a portion of proceeds going to the winning organization.

And if any of the entries use creamed corn or beets, you'll know which charity was the beneficiary of our Spring pantry cleaning annual food-drive contribution a few months back.

Also going on this week...

After finishing the fermentation of its first batch of 100-percent Texan wine, Calais Winery will be taking a week off, closing today through Sunday.

Brooklyn Jazz Cafe presents Concrete Rose featuring Prudence the Isis from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. The spoken-word event is held every First Tuesday in the restaurant's courtyard. It's free, but entails a two-drink minimum. That won't set you back much at all, though, considering the dirt-cheap drink specials like $1.75 domestics and $2 wells. You may even have some cash left over for selected half-price apps.

Garland 14-year-old Caleb Garcia is one of three finalists in the National Mango Board's Rising Mango Star recipe challenge. His Mango Stir-Fry recipe and demonstration video earned him a trip to Hollywood, where he'll compete in the finale on Friday. Look out, Melissa D'Arabian!

The Cheesecake Factory's newest dessert option.

​You know what Thursday is, right? Father-In-Law Day! That's right, every July 30, sons- and daughters-in-law are obligated to celebrate that most awkward of relatives.

Other than that one embarrassing uncle.

Fortunately for those stuck on gift ideas, July 30 also happens to be National Cheesecake Day, and The Cheesecake Factory (music and yapping warning) refuses to let it go unrecognized. Not only is the restaurant chain offering "Any Slice, Half Price" for dine-in customers, but it's also introducing a new variety, winner of the "What's Your Flavor?" contest: "Stefanie's Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake."

For one year, 25 cents from each slice of Stefanie's new creation will go toward Feeding America. In other words, you can thank the guy who gave you your spouse, do it on the cheap and help hungry people in your community--all by having dessert. Maybe there's an Italian restaurant doing something similar for National Lasagna Day on Wednesday.

Other stuff going on this week...

Flying Saucer's new Lake Ray Hubbard location at 4821 Bass Pro Drive opens. The newest addition to the Fort Worth-founded chain of craft-beer bars will offer some 200 beers, 80 of which will be available on draft. Food-wise, it will be the only location to offer catfish and shrimp along with the joint's customary sandwiches, soups and cheese plates.

Inside Craft--and no, smart-ass, that's not the salad.

Like Joe Biden, we had no clue how bad the economy was--saw repeated stories about unemployment, but that's it--until this: a pair of fine dining establishments have rolled out value meals (well, they don't exactly call them that) to keep even the most belt-tightening of customers from stooping to brown-bagging it (*shudder!*) or cooking at home (*gasp!*).

The Oceanaire's (13340 Dallas Parkway) new dinner menu, by the numbers: four courses, $20.10, select bottles for $20.10 apiece, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays until 2010 or Biden notices an upswing in the economy (whichever comes first), reservations at 972-759-2277.

Craft's (2440 Victory Park Lane, Suite 100) new Jeff Harris-prepared Power Lunch, by the numbers: three courses, $28, 60 minutes, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays, 214-397-4111 for reservations.

Other stuff:

Taco Mundo's Centreport location (4120 S.H. 360, Fort Worth) will have its grand opening Wednesday evening with a Boys & Girls Club benefit.

The Libertine Bar has declared each and every Wednesday evening to be Texas Beer Night. From 4 p.m. to closing time, all Texas beers--including Shiner, Rahr, Saint Arnold, Live Oak, Southern Star and Franconia--will be $2.50 apiece, bottle or draft. What, no Lone Star?

Catfish Blues (1011 Corinth Street) came up with the brilliant idea to combine two great (well, questionable) tastes that go great together: karaoke and happy hour. Every Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., the joint serves up $4 hurricanes, blue Hawaiians and margaritas along with do-it-yourself musical entertainment. We think we know one Girl Drinker who might have to do an encore Guns 'n' Roses interpretation.

It may be Barbershop Music Appreciation Day, but...really, who cares? It's also Reservation Day.

Today is the big reveal for which restaurants are participating in KRLD's Restaurant Week Aug. 17 through 23, and the first day during which you can call in your reservations. More than 130 Dallas/Fort Worth restaurants will offer $35 three-course meals, with $7 from each meal to benefit the North Texas Food Bank. Last year, Restaurant Week raised more than $430,000 for charity and logged some 75,000 reservations. The list of participating restaurants has just been unveiled at the KRLD web page.

Also going on this week:

Park Cities Prime (8411 Preston Rd.)--one of the eateries participating in Restaurant Week--is offering an "extensive selection" of half-price wine by the bottle for dinner through the end of August. In case you were wondering just what that "extensive selection entails," know that Wine Spectator handed the steakhouse its Award of Excellence, so it's safe to guess that you won't have to choose between Ernest & Julio and Yellow Tail.

Chipotle is sponsoring a free screening of documentary Food, Inc., 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Magnolia (3699 McKinney Ave.). Check out the trailer if you need something to suppress your appetite until lunchtime.

Thursday also marks the KRLD Dinner Club event with Jim White, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., at Landmark Restaurant in the Warwick Melrose Hotel (3015 Oak Lawn Ave.). The five-course meal includes wines chosen by wine master Joel Butler to pair with prime strip loin, Maine lobster and braised lamb's tongue. Not baaaaaad...sorry. Reservations ($95 per person) are limited to 20.

Danny Hurley

AMPM: If it's good enough for Miles Austin's birthday party, surely it's good enough for you.

AMPM (300 N. Akard St., in the Mosaic building) promises "Dallas' only ultra urban luxury dining experience," which one presumes means that it's the only place in the city of Dallas where you can enjoy the fine people-watching of an ultra-lounge as well as get a bite to eat.

The restaurant and nightclub had a launch party Friday and yes, there were plenty of people who appear to spend a disproportionate amount of time at the gym, in the tanning booth and at body-waxing salons...along with their girlfriends.

But even people those without an Affliction credit card would enjoy the food, courtesy former N9NE chef Tommy Simpson. Bites at the launch party included tuna tartare on sesame crackers; watermelon and feta wrapped in a cucumber sliver; and mango-carrot spring rolls with jicama.

Previously, food was only available by delivery to Mosaic residents. However, today marks the official opening of the restaurant.

Also going on this week:
Dragonfly at Hotel ZaZa has rolled out a new brunch menu, with $15 bottomless mimosas, starters like the summer berry crepe, "Z-Griddle" items like chicken and waffle (a church supper staple that seems to have caught on with rich folk--AMPM also offers a take on the dish) and "Eggs & More" items like mutated eggs benedict.

To mark its 25th anniversary, Cafe Express is offering 25-cent brownies beginning July 9. They'll only be available for a limited time--unlike the weight you're sure to put on now that the decadent brownies are just a quarter apiece.

At least two City of Ate contributors plan to celebrate Independence Day on Saturday the way our forefathers would have wanted: by throwing down (and hopefully not up) at The Libertine Bar's Brass Knuckle Corn Dog Beatdown. The 15-minute bout, limited to 25 gluttonous idiots brave gurgitators, will award the top three finishers with a $100 bar tab, a $50 bar tab and $25 in quarters respectively.

The competition begins at 7 p.m. The intra-City of Ate bet has not been set, but suggestions are welcome.

Also going on this week:
Sevy's June Food and Wine Dinner is at 6:30 p.m. today with the theme "Summer Evening In New England." The four-course dinner plus reception includes maple-glazed venison roast, jumbo sea scallops, a Maine lobster roll and more, with each dish paired to a complementary wine. Cost per person is $59.95 plus tax and tip. Reservations (required) are at 214-265-7389.

Jersey Mike's will have the grand opening for its ninth Dallas-area store (5301 W. Lovers Lane) Wednesday. With a fund-raising coupon (which are available in newspapers and are being distributed throughout the area), customers can receive a free regular sub with a one-dollar donation to Boys & Girls Clubs of America. They don't serve corn dogs, but it sounds like a good cause anyway.

Why in the world would anyone leave San Diego to visit Dallas in late June? Well, if you're Stone Brewing Co. head brewer Mitch Steele, leading a beer dinner at Dallas' best bar and the restaurant with the best bar food is enticement enough.

The Libertine Bar (2101 Greenville Ave.) will be the host of a five-course beer dinner starting at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Cumin grilled scallops, shrimp ceviche, beef osso buco and more will be paired with Stone's Ruination IPA, Arrogant Bastard, Imperial Russian Stout and other offerings from the legendary craft brewer (and Hophead favorite). Cost is $50 per person. Reservations (required) are available at 214-824-7900.

Also going on this week:

Lambert's Steaks, Seafood & Whiskey (2731 White Settlement Road, Fort Worth) takes a break from its titular spirit Tuesday night with a Don Julio tequila tasting. The event is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Prepayment of $25 per person is required at 817-882-1161.

Cobb Switch Barbeque (2625 Old Denton Road, Carrollton) celebrates its official grand opening Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with food and drink specials including $1 draft beers and barbecue sliders while also taking donations for the North Texas Food Bank.

On Saturday, Carolina's Mexican Cuisine will officially open its second location (3301 N. Central Expressway), at Parker and US-75 in Plano.

"Dad, I TOLD you that was too much lighter fluid!"

If your pop is a little too generous with the charcoal starter fluid, there's no need to recharge your fire extinguishers and update your will before Fathers Day this year.

At 2 p.m. Sunday, June 21, Chef J Chastain will do the grilling this year at The Second Floor at the Westin Galleria. Not only will he cook up grilled goodies like Kobe beef hot dogs and shrimp diablo skewers, but he'll share his expertise with grilling tips...which presumably doesn't involve Matchlite charcoal.

Even better, the assortment of imported beers can quench the jalapeno's figurative fire instead of the literal ones created by amateur grillers. Really, is there anything beer can't do?

Cost is $30 per person. RSVP at 972-450-2978 or The Second Floor Web site.

You might not want to get too close to these guys' cage with that plateful of medium-rare Texas De Brazil steak.

Some 24 restaurants, including Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Winslow's Wine Cafe and Fletcher's Corny Dogs (yes!) will be featured at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Fort Worth Zoo's Third Annual Beastro tasting event.

But if looking at caged animals while getting in touch with your inner carnivore, herbivore or omnivore isn't enough entertainment for you, the event also includes live music from local variety cover band Time Machine! Oh, and also Better Than Ezra, those one-hit wonders with that "Ah ah ah ah ah ah ha, it was good" song that made turning on a radio such a risky endeavor back in 1995. Order before noon Friday and tickets are $85 (plus a $5 processing fee--you know, to cover the expenses incurred by the zoo in the process of selling you an $85 ticket). Otherwise, it's an even $100.

A couple of months, two chefs and a little bit of blog angst behind them, Lazare is ready for its Grand Opening...unless something happens, of course.

Ramping up for Saturday's event, the restaurant at 6 p.m. Thursday will be the site of Fashion After Hours, a Dallas fashion industry mixer. That day also happens to be Ladies Night, featuring half-price appetizers and wine by the glass. Then, on Saturday, the restaurant will introduce new specialty drinks at its 10 p.m. Grand Opening.

Ferre, Pescabar, Lazare I, Lazare II...getting to be a happenin' spot for opening parties.
 

Joe Duncan of Baker's Ribs (aka "that place next to Angry Dog that smells good but always looks closed") will participate in the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party June 13-14 in Madison Square Park, New York City.

Baker's Ribs is, of course, a Dallas Observer favorite, earning the Best of Dallas barbecue award in 2006 (over Readers Choice Dickey's--seriously, what is wrong with you people?) and also topping the slightly less competitive category Best Place To Smell Like Your Lunch in 2004. So we're glad to see Duncan represent the Lone Star State with his Jalapeno Coleslaw and ... err, St. Louis-Style Ribs. He is one of just two Texans (along with Michael Rodriguez of The Salt Lick in Driftwood) among the 15 Pitmasters to showcase their grub.

Hearty congratulations to Duncan and Baker's for the opportunity. And commence comments on who really ought to represent North Texas barbecue in 3 ... 2 ... and ... go!

Restaurateur Scott Jones announced that August 29 will be the final day of business for Cafe Italia, at least in its current form.

But fans of the Tex-Italian eatery need not despair: he plans to "end this chapter and begin fresh with an exciting new concept" in the same space...whatever "exciting" means. From now through the closing date, Cafe Italia will bring back some of its most popular dishes--which begs the question: if they were so popular, why did they go away? Also, there will be at least one menu item available at its 1984 opening-day price.

Louis Mendes, who opened the first Cafe Italia on Maple Avenue 25 years ago, has returned as general manager and will be part of the new concept. Also surviving the transition will be some of the restaurant's most beloved items; Jones will poll guests to ensure the favorites make the cut.

As for what the new concept is, mum's the word until later in the summer. Will Jones join the "locavore" zeitgeist? Or will he return to his singing-waiter roots? Why not both? Maybe excitement comes in 'fear of death or dismemberment' form. For now, we can only speculate.

Sara Kerens

The view from under Dallas' one big ball. No "fromunda cheese" jokes, please.

Wolfgang Puck's numerically named fine dining phallus, Five Sixty , is now offering five- and seven-course tasting menus to showcase the Asian-influenced fare that just might rescue Reunion Tower.

The five-course meal features family-style dim sum, calamari salad, king salmon, Kobe beef short ribs and dessert. It's $68 per person with optional wine pairings available for another $28 apiece.

The seven-course grand tasting includes tuna tartare, suckling pig, lobster, lamb chops and more--my God--at $97 a head, with wine pairings adding another $40. Got those numbers added up or do you need an abacus? No, not that Abacus ... wrong celebrity chef.

Can't wait till dinner to scarf down a slab of prime rib, New York Strip or hamburger? Come Sunday, you won't have to. Five of Sullivan's Steakhouse's 19 locations, including the Dallas restaurant (17795 N. Dallas Parkway), are rolling out a brunch menu available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays.

Along with the aforementioned red-meat items, the menu also features French toast, broiled salmon and pesto chicken sandwiches. And, of course, it wouldn't be brunch without eggs benedict--or the Bloody Marys with which to wash them down.

Ah, the woes get woe-ier. Read on...