In Case You Missed It, Dallas Was the "City" in Last Night's Chefs vs. City on Food Network

By Robert Wilonsky Mon., May 10 2010 at 9:23 AM

Categories: Dish, From the RTF Dept.

Dunno why Food Network never sent out a heads-up that last night's episode of Chefs vs. City -- a sorta-kinda culinary Amazing Race pitting Aaron Sanchez and Chris Cosentino against two comers -- took place in Dallas. Good thing the 6-year-old who lives in my house likes to wrap up his Sundays with Challenge; otherwise, I might have missed it altogether (though it does rerun twice tomorrow night, beginning at 8 -- when I'm already watching my stories, Lost and Glee).

Sanchez and Cosentino mad-dashed 'round town against a team consisting of former Lisa Garza nemeses Aaron McCargo Jr. and Adam Gertler. They had to make ginormous cinnamon rolls at my beloved Mecca; cheese balls and rolls at Mozzarella Company; tamales at Dallas Tortilla and Tamale Company; and medium-rare slabs o' meat at the Butcher Shop. And: down a plate of Fire in the Hole hot wings and deep-fried everythings at the Pluckers in Old Town.

There's no video, but a few woefully inadequate screen grabs follow. Mmmm, The Mecca.

The cinnamon rolls at The Mecca -- and not the mammoth mothers the chefs were forced to make for the Food Network

Aaron Sanchez and Chris Cosentino pull their curds beneath the watchful eye of Paula Lambert

Which is worse: a plate of Fire in the Hole hot wings, or one filled with fried mac and cheese, fried pickles and frieds Twinkies?

At the Dallas Tortilla and Tamale Factory's North Marsalis Avenue location

When I was a kid, whenever my aunt and uncle came to town for the furniture market, we always ate at the Butcher Shop. I returned for the first time in decades six months ago. Best place to make your steak and drink bourbon, if, for some reason, you can't do it at home.

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