CBS 11 News took an early peek at the event, and met some of the folks who will be showing off their goods this weekend — including a boat that can drive on the road (a must-see!) and some of the greatest steak you’ll ever taste. Watch the videos below to check it out for yourself, and do not miss the CityArts Festival this weekend in Dallas!

• Click Here For More Information About The Event

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Deep-fry it.

Christi Erpillo’s family has served deep-fried items at the Dallas fair for 40 years. She says the Samoa is her all-time favorite cookie and she’s found a way to drop the classic into a deep fryer without getting it soggy and without losing its taste.

She tells The Dallas Morning News the Samoa embellishment is intended to help the Girl Scouts celebrate their 100th anniversary.

Erpillo’s mother introduced funnel cake to the fair in the 1980s. In 2009, Erpillo made a splash with deep-fried peaches and cream.

The three-week State Fair of Texas opens Sept. 28.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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The gates opened early for CBS 11 News cameras to take an early look at the festival. Check out the videos below to see more about the food and the fun that can be experienced this weekend in Addison. Click here for more information on the event, including times and ticket prices.

And over the past few days, CBS 11 News also featured some of the great bands that will be hitting the stage at Taste Addison this weekend. Check out interviews and special live performances from local musicians Jon Christopher Davis, Zane Williams and Blacktop Gypsy.

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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - First up, let’s take a look at Lexus Broadway Series’ latest production to hit town — “American Idiot.” It debuted on Broadway in 2010. The one act musical is based on the band Green Day’s album of the same name, and was an immediate hit with all ages. The story centers on three young men — Johnny, Will and Tunny. Johnny and Tunny flee repressive suburbia and their parents’ harsh restrictions. The pair look for meaning in life and decide to try out the freedom and excitement of the city. The musical continues at the AT&T Performing Arts Center through May 20.

From dark stouts to pale ales, it’s bottoms up as the North Texas Beer Festival makes its return Saturday, May 12. This year it’s in an all-new location at the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas. The North Texas Beer Festival is North Texas’ premier event dedicated to educating attendees about craft beer culture and brewers — and is the best place to find your new favorite brew.

Country queen and Texas’ very own Mrs. Blake Shelton — a.k.a. Miranda Lambert — brings her hits back home to the Lone Star State this Saturday night. She will perform one night at the Gexa Enrgy Pavilion at 7:00 p.m.

Head over to Bass Performance Hall as the Fort Worth Opera kicks off its 66th season. Bass Hall will host the Opera’s sixth Festival with Puccini’s blockbuster “Tosca,” followed by Mozart’s bubbly romantic comedy “The Marriage of Figaro.” Opening night is Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with performances continuing throughtout the month of May.

And lastly, it’s Mother’s Day weekend, so why not treat mom to one of the many extravagant and festive brunches around the Metroplex. The House of Blues is always a fun choice with great music and food thanks to their World Famous Gospel Brunch. Pricing for a lavish meal with all the rimmings is $40 for adults and $17 for 12 and under — mom will surely be impressed!

Happy Mother’s Day to all our great North Texas moms! Have an entertaining weekend! See you next week… center stage!

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FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - A special event kicks off Thursday night in Fort Worth, combining the finest names in food with the kindness of a good cause. ‘Burgers 4 Babies’ is a fundraiser aimed at raising awareness and financial support for the very youngest of patients — babies born prematurely. A collection of chefs are coming to The Woodshed Smokehouse in Fort Worth to prepare their best signature dishes for NICU Helping Hands, a group that offers assistance to those tiny children and the parents struggling during stressful times.

The grills start heating up at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday night, but CBS 11 News took an early look at what diners can expect to see — and taste — while helping out North Texans in need of some support.

• Get More Information About The Event!

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FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - I visited Avoca Coffee (pronounced AH-VOO-KA) in near southside Fort Worth on Wednesday to learn how to buy and brew coffee. Avoca is Celtic for “great mouth.” The store is located along Magnolia Street, between Fifth Street and Sixth Street. Two Fort Worth natives, friends since elementary school, got together to open the coffee shop and roaster about a year ago.

Gerold LaRue is the master roaster at Avoca. He builds the connections between the growers and his company, secures the supply and price, and gets the raw bean to his roasting floor. His job is to take the green bean (which comes to him in huge 150-pound sacks from the grower) and roast it to perfection. This is an art form really, a combination of chemisty, accounting and instinct to carefully ramp up the temperature of the bean to its final form. A gas-fired rotating metal drum heats the air in a closed cylinder. The beans are turned in the drum like in a commercial dryer. It takes about 13 minutes and 400 degrees. When the beans are just about ready the sound, the smell and the color all start to change at once. LaRue has about 15 to 20 SECONDS to pull the beans out. If he misses his window and ruins the roast, he just cost his company about $60.

The advice I got from LaRue on how to buy the coffee is rather simple.

1. Know WHEN your coffee was roasted. You want to buy it just after it’s roasted. It’ll be ready to grind in about two or three days, as it continues to out-gas CO2.
2. Store your beans in a glass jar (a mason jar is perfect) in your cupboard — a cool and dry place. Never put it in the freezer or fridge, the beans will absorb the odors.
3. Only buy about two or three weeks supply at a time. After three weeks, the beans start to go stale.

Jimmy Story is the owner, usually found behind the counter. He’ll be teaching a coffee class on Sunday nights at his store this summer.

You don’t need to go out and buy any expensive equipment. The least expensive way to make your own coffee is to make a “pour-over.” This is a cone filter that you put inside a ceramic funnel, that sits on top of your coffee cup. You’ll need to have perfectly ground coffee. Get rid of that chopper (a blade grinder) and get a burr grinder. They are little more money ($30 to $40), but grind the coffee uniformly. For your pour-over, it should be the consistency of play sand.

You’ll also need to have a scale. These are about $20 and they’ll measure your just-ground coffee (always grind your beans just before you use them) and your water. And you’ll need to have a kitchen thermometer. You are not going to use boiling water, but something just slightly cooler than that, around 200 to 205 degrees.

The first step is to pour some hot water over your filter and let it flow into the cup. Throw that water out. This cleans the filter, warms your cup and allows the grinds to stick to the filter better.

The second step is to put in 17 grams of ground coffee. Pour in just enough water to cover the grinds. You’ll see two things happen. The coffee will “bloom,” swell up into a little mound and will start to bubble. You know you have fresh roasted coffee when you see bubbles of CO2 come to the surface of your pour. Let that water drain out, but don’t let the grounds dry out.

The third step is to start to pour in small circles into your cup. Pour slowly, about seven ounces or so, and let it drain out. You don’t want to break the barrier that the grounds make against the filter, so don’t pour to quick or too close to the sides. The slower you pour, the more of the oils you are going to extract. This produces the better tastes of the coffee.

Watch the video below to see the equipment and how to pour. Experiment on what kind of coffee you like. Visit Avaco and talk to LaRue about what you like and he’ll sell a few beans, so you can go home with what you want. It is exactly like wine; no one is going to tell you what the best tasting coffee is — only you can make that determination.

And, just like wine, the type of bean and where it is grown makes for different tasting coffee, just like it makes for different tasting wine. This is the third wave of the coffee business in America, the start of buying coffee directly from a grower and buying it “just roasted” like you buy fresh fruit. Coffee is a fruit after all. You are just taking the seeds of the cherry, cooking them, grinding them and extracting out the flavor of them with hot water.

And the caffeine? The coffee plant evolved that particular and unique chemical compound to help ward off bugs. That’s right — the jolt that coffee provides is you drinking a natural pesticide.

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CBS 11 News got an early look at the festival, as those involved put the finishing touches on the weekend’s event. Watch the videos below and check out what you’ll be able to see — and taste — at Robson Ranch on Saturday afternoon.

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“I was letting so, I was on the ventilator, couldn’t breathe– very hard to breathe, and I just couldn’t take one more breath,” says Griffin, as she recalls one of the lowest points of her illness. But, then, something happened. “I had the most spiritual experience happen to me that lifted me out of it, and told me it wasn’t my time.”

After months in a medically induced coma, Griffin was alive– but had lost both legs and both hands.

“I looked down and all I could see were bandages… I started to realize: Wow. My life is about to really, drastically, change.”

The physical challenges were tremendous– from the simple and mundane: the sensation of wanting to scratch a limb that does not exist, to re-learning how to do everything. “Just opening a jar of peanut butter to make a sandwich! Or opening a jug of milk– it would take me 20 minutes to do something anybody else could do in 5… so it was frustrating.”

But, Griffin’s first real fight was coming to terms with her feelings: dealing with the stares and the questions that would be directed to both her and family members. Still, her faith, incredible support system and steadfast sense of self prevailed.

“If you get stuck on the ‘why’, you’ll find yourself in a very dark place,” says Griffin, “and it’ll be easy to not progress.”

So as soon as she was able, she started researching ways to enable her to get back to her active life. Eventually prosthetics allowed her to walk, and a combination of creativity and sheer determination helped her to do many things for herself. And then she starting tossing around ideas for how she could help others. The result was the P.L.A.Y Foundation– which stands for Positive Living for Active Youth.

“Just because something traumatic happens to you doesn’t mean that life stops, that means you can find a path for yourself. And we’re the catalyst for that.”

The Foundation provides grants to help amputees get active and get back into their lives. A fundraiser Wednesday night will pair Griffin with award winning chef Tracy Miller for a kitchen “challenge” of sorts at Local, a popular Deep Ellum bistro. But, Griffin isn’t necessarily in it to win– the victory is in the growth that allows her to compete.

“You see the smiles on the kids’ faces, you get the thank you notes from the grandparents and the parents, it’s really, really rewarding… and in some respects validates what I’ve gone through.”

The restaurant, named for then-manager Bobby Valentine, was a shrine to all things Rangers. It was just an exit down from the stadium too, so it was almost as good as going.

On any given night you might just meet Bobby V while he was gladhanding and signing autographs underneath the jerseys, baseball cards and TV’s. I was fortunate enough on that storied February night to meet him.

Flash forward to 2012. Valentine hasn’t been the Rangers manager in 20 seasons, but he still holds a part of baseball lore in Arlington as the Rangers’ longest-serving manager. And while the I-30 and Collins location of Bobby V’s is now part of the interstate off-ramp, Valentine’s namesake restaurant is still proudly serving Rangers fans in South Arlington.

Bobby V’s: “We’re Still A Rangers Bar”view gallery

I’ve visited the Bowen Road and I-20 location a few times since returning to North Texas in 2007. The boxing ring is still there, the jerseys are still along the wall, and the baseball cards are still shellacked to the table. I love going in there, and with Valentine now in a different uniform, I wanted to find out if the place was turning into a refuge for Red Sox Nation.

I talked with Bobby V’s manager Scott Hennigan, who says while they’re not becoming a Red Sox bar, all fans are still welcome. “We’ll get a lot of Red Sox fans in, people ask about Bobby all the time. But we’re still 100% a Rangers bar,” he assured me.

Bobby V’s is the prototype for every sports bar you’ve ever been to. From the covered walls to TV’s every way you look, Hennigan says with the thousands of bits of memorabilia around he sees something new every day.

He adds with Valentine’s success in Japan, the restaurant has been a draw for Japanese fans for quite a while. “Japanese fans have been coming for a while – even Ichiro Suzuki came when he first came up,” he says of the Mariners star player, the first Japanese superstar to come over to the Major Leagues.

This season, Hennigan says, they expect quite a few more fans with Darvish. They even already had quite a bit over the first few games.

“With Yu Darvish playing, we’ve gotten a lot of Japanese tourists coming here because of Bobby’s reputation over there. He’s so well loved over there.”

And while Valentine may not be beloved by Red Sox fans, especially after Tuesday’s 18-3 Rangers home run derby, the folks at Bobby V’s are at least hoping the man does good up in Boston, but not too good. “That may be tougher for Rangers fans to accept. We’ll root for Bobby, but we won’t be too blatant about it,” Hennigan laughs.

And as the Rangers have done well, Bobby V’s has done well. Hennigan says during the World Series last year, people packed the bar cheering for the Rangers. He says the climactic moment of the 2010 ALCS against Alex Rodriguez sent the building into an uproar. “It still gives me chills… It’s so much fun here when the Rangers are doing well, when everyone’s cheering and having a good time, there’s no better place to watch the game, except maybe the ballpark.”

And as the season begins the Rangers are doing well, and they’re on their way to hopefully having a successful year. Hennigan hopes the same can be said for his Arlington icon. “Obviously our business goes up when they’re good. So we certainly want them to do good for as long as they can.”

If you want to visit Bobby V’s Sports Cafe, it is located at 4301 S. Bowen Road in Arlington, just north of Interstate 20. You can find out more on their website bobbyvsports.com.

Here comes that dreaded tax deadline. With the day of reckoning nearly upon us, it’s time to sharpen up the mind (and the pencil) in preparation for the daunting task ahead of us.

Sleep and healthy eating are the most efficient ways to improve cognition and keep the brain functioning at peak potential. We can’t get you to to bed earlier, but we can improve your diet, so you can improve your tax return. Here are five healthy (and tasty) foods that will boost brain function:

(Photo Credit: Thinkstock)

Blueberries

Blueberry season doesn’t start for at least another month. But frozen blueberries, preferably organic, can be found in the freezer at your friendly neighborhood grocery store. Pick up a bag or three of this supercharged food… your brain will thank you. Blueberries, when eaten on a regular basis, improve memory and reverse age-related declines in motor function, balance and coordination. They’re high in antioxidants, which help prevent certain diseases. And best of all, blueberries are delicious. Throw them in cereal. Mix them with yogurt or oatmeal. Blend them into a tasty smoothie. Just remember to floss before crunching the numbers.

(Photo Credit: Thinkstock)

Salmon

Salmon is rich in protein, Vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids, the last of which helps the brain develop tissue to increase brain power, particularly memory and performance. Salmon also helps fight Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related cognitive disorders… yet another perk. It can be eaten raw in sushi, in a salad or sandwich (like tuna) and even seared and served with cold peanut noodles. But remember to have an early dinner, because those taxes won’t do themselves.

(Photo Credit: Thinkstock)

Coffee

Now who isn’t turning cartwheels over this one? Coffee has caffeine which is actually good for the brain if ingested in moderation. Regular coffee drinking has been shown to reduce the risk of Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other mental disorders. Caffeine also contains antioxidants. No need to feel bad about a freshly brewed cup to get you through that stack of receipts. Drinking coffee in moderation is perfectly fine, just avoid excessive cream, sugar or syrups.

(Photo Credit: Thinkstock)

Chocolate

Here’s another lucky break for all of us with a sweet tooth. While chocolate expands waistlines, it also expands brain function. Dark chocolate is antioxidant-rich and improves focus and concentration. Milk chocolate boosts memory and reaction time. Grate some chocolate into your milk or other drinks. Make a chicken mole sauce with chiles and chocolate. Eat a small chunk for dessert. Or just keep a bag of miniatures nearby… a little chocolate therapy to alleviate the stress of taxes.

(Photo Credit: Thinkstock)

Eggs

The incredible edible egg… it truly is. Eggs are so easy to prepare: fried, scrambled, whipped into omelets and frittatas, mixed into egg salad and even hard-boiled, to eat on the go. Though we don’t recommend drinking them raw, Rocky style. Easy to find and easy to prepare, eggs, specifically the yolks, are rich in choline, an essential nutrient to improving memory function.

Alma Schneider is a licensed Clinical Social Worker helping individuals overcome their psychological and practical obstacles to cooking and parenting on her blog and consulting business, Take Back the Kitchen. She is a native New Yorker transplanted to the suburbs with her husband, four children and loving yet stubborn Beagle Shiloh.

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Food trucks may be enjoying a surge of popularity across the Metroplex. But if one parks in Denton, it better be serving fast food.

City ordinance only lets food trucks and trailers park for 15 minutes at a time, effectively keeping them out of the city. That could start to change next week, with the first reading of a new ordinance designed to get trucks into the city. Once a staple of major city centers, other cities are starting to see the attraction of the trucks.

“All of a sudden, you can create new opportunities in other parts of town,” said Denton city councilman Kevin Roden.

Denton is just one of several cities suddenly enjoying the food truck popularity surge. Trucks have started leaving the downtown lunch crowd for parking lots all across North Texas. “It’s all about being creative,” said Scott Wooley with SoCal Tacos. “It’s an agile business model, so it’s all about doing things and having fun.”

Wooley started Friday with lunch service in Las Colinas. For dinner, he moved his surf-inspired truck to Colleyville. In less than a year on the road, he estimates his competition for business has tripled. His local food truck count is up to 60. “We just wanted to focus on markets that don’t see food trucks as often, sort of spread the love a little bit, grow those markets,” said Wooley.

That doesn’t mean major city locations are seeing a slow-down. Cars circled for parking spots in an industrial section of Fort Worth on Friday night to get into the Fort Worth Food Park. Open since December, it’s proved popular enough to inspire two more parks set to open this year.

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Since this is National Pancake Week, perhaps you should give the Ol’ South Pancake House a taste. People have traveled from all over the world to test some of their favorite varieties, and CBS 11 News was in the kitchen with them on Thursday morning to see what makes this restaurant more than just an average pancake joint.

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(credit: Christine Hinrichs)

Creamy Hot Chocolate

Nothing complements a winter night quite like a hot beverage.  I have fond memories of my dad making hot chocolate on the stovetop with milk and Hershey’s syrup, so there is something nostalgic for me about carefully made, stovetop hot cocoa.  This recipe is a decadent treat and a hundred times more luxurious than your typical instant hot chocolate mix.  It’s not for the faint hearted, but if you like a creamy chocolate treat on a cold winter day, this is for you!

Makes two mugs of hot cocoa

Ingredients:

2 cups milk
1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
3 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
Whipped topping (optional)
Sprinkling of cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

In a sauce pan, whisk together the milk, sugar, and cornstarch.  Add in the chopped chocolate.  Heat the pan over medium heat, stirring constantly so the chocolate doesn’t burn.  Once the chocolate has melted, bring to a boil.  Stir constantly while boiling for 30 seconds, then remove from heat.

Ladle the hot cocoa into mugs.  Top with whipped topping or sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon.  Enjoy your chocolate coma!

(credit: Thinkstock)

Spiced Apple Cider

When you’re entertaining guests, it’s challenging to put together a meal that caters to people’s tastes and preferences, especially when you are serving a wide range of age groups.  Here are two drink recipes, one for kids and one for adults, which feature nearly identical ingredients.  This will cut down on costs, shopping, and allow everyone to feel like they’re having a fancy drink!

Ingredients:

1 gallon apple juice or apple cider
6 cinnamon sticks
1 ½ teaspoons nutmeg
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 slice of orange rind

Directions:

Throw all of the ingredients into a slow cooker or into a large pot on the stove and heat.  Once hot, ladle into mugs and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

(credit: Thinkstock)

Mulled Wine

Ingredients:

2 bottles of dry red wine
4 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon whole cloves
One large orange, zest peeled (use a vegetable peeler to remove zest)

Directions:

Throw all of the ingredients into a slow cooker or a large pot.  Bring to a simmer.  Heat for 20 minutes and once warm, ladle into mugs.  Garnish with a cinnamon stick or sprinkle of nutmeg.

Christine Hinrichs is a vegetarian who loves everything related to food. She daydreams about recipes, frequents the local farmers’ markets and reads cookbooks before bed. When not preoccupied with food, she enjoys running and helps rescue stray animals from local shelters. Read about her food adventures at ruminationsonfood.blogspot.com.

A look at the Cajun Tailgators food truck. (credit: Cajun Tailgators via Facebook)

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - A new food truck along Greenville Avenue in Dallas is bringing the taste of New Orleans to North Texas, just in time for Tuesday night Mardi Gras celebrations. Check out the videos below to see a sampling of what Cajun Tailgators has to offer, and click here to visit their website for more information.

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Despite the colder temperatures, it’s still quite easy to find local produce.  Many of the farmers’ markets remain open with limited hours in the winter months and you can buy a winter CSA (community- supported agriculture) share to receive frozen packages of the summer and fall harvest.  Check out www.localharvest.org for more information on where to find local produce in the winter.

Try these two hearty soups filled with veggies and warmth for any chilly day.

(credit: Christine Hinrichs)

(credit: Thinkstock)

Christine Hinrichs is a vegetarian who loves everything related to food. She daydreams about recipes, frequents the local farmers’ markets and reads cookbooks before bed. Read about her food adventures at ruminationsonfood.blogspot.com.

Sweet Treats Make Perfect Valentine’s Day Gifts:

Melissa Newton Dips Strawberries In Chocolate:

Save Money By Making Your Own Valentine’s Day Bouquet:

Valentine’s Day Flowers Don’t Have To Be Expensive:

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Pho, Vietnamese beef noodle soup, the Southeast Asian national dish, is the new taco. Yup, we’re calling it. Here are several of Dallas-Fort Worth pho-tastic offerings.

(credit: Pho Colonial/phocolonial.com)

Pho Colonial
4727 Frankford Road, Ste. 409
Dallas, Texas 75287
(972) 267-7466
Hours: Mon – Sun, 10am-11pm

and

1623 Main Street, Ste. 102
Dallas, Texas 75201
(214) 748-0746
Hours: Mon – Sun, Lunch 11:00am – 3:00pm; Fri – Sat, Late Night Walk up Window open until 1:00am

Website

If pho had the equivalent of a French Laundry, this two-store chain would be it. The slightly upscale joint offers customers a unique experience, gluten-free noodles, included. Owner Khanh Dao has led an elegant revolution for the humble dish. The recently opened downtown location (the first spot opened on Frankford Road in May) threw a red-carpet fete that was the toast of the town. Pho Colonial, like many niche restaurants, offers delectable diversions, aside from the hyper-customizable signature dish. There are spring rolls, buns, happy hour and delivery.

(credit: Pho is for Lovers/phoisforlovers.com)

Pho is for Lovers
5521 Greenville Ave., Ste. 105
Dallas, TX 75206
Hours: Mon-Thu, Sun 11am-9 pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-10pm
Website

As unassuming a storefront as is possible cater-corner to Central Market and squeezed into a rather nondescript strip, this wee business is a favorite of area workers. As a matter of fact, arrive during a weekday lunch hour and the wait could be considerable. But, one slurp of the spicy noodle bowl and the second thought after the exclamatory statement about the soup will be, yes, I have found my next paramour. If you insist on order a banh mi instead, make sure it has spicy mayo.

(credit: Pho Apple/phoapple.com)

Pho Apple
5930 W Park Blvd, Ste. 400
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 250-6500
Website

You’ve surely been told that the taqueria tucked away in that dilapilated shopping center is as authentic as they come because English is a rare delicacy. Well, this Plano pho house is the Vietnamese equivalent. Owners An and Yen Guong have a command of the English language has rough as their pho is excellent. Thankfully, extended family member Rodney Siegler, interpreter and pho busker extraordaire: chicken, beef, shrimp you’re call. Either way, a cauldron of noodle, beef broth with bean sprouts, basil, lime, onion, cilantro and hot peppers is presented almost as religious offering, along with their sushi and banh mi. And food of any kind should be so sacred.

(credit: Thinkstock)

Pho95
2525 E Arkansas Ln., Ste. 223
Arlington, TX 76010
(817) 543-2295
Directory Listing

In New York City, Vietnamese restaurants can come off as a free-for-all. Customers are crammed in, the dining rooms is noisy and service, while amicable, can be on the brief side. But if the food is great, it’s worth it. Pho 95 in an architecturally diverse strip mall (more than one individual has called it analogous to the Vegas strip).

(credit: Pho Pasteur/phopasteur.com)

Pho Pasteur
100 W Pioneer Pkwy
Ste 158
Arlington, TX 76010
(817) 274-6232
Website

In the heart of Arlington’s Vietnamese district, Pho Pasteur is easy to miss. It’s even easier to walk in the backdoor through the kitchen. Once seated in the bare-bones dining room, services is quick and pleasant and the menu is long and descriptive. There is pho here and pho there. Whether it be with rare steak that cooks in the broth, the tripe that adds heft to the soup or tendon—yes, tendon—there is little here that falls short of hot and delicious. It’s that simple in Arlington.

The dinner reservation is the pinnacle of Valentine’s Day duties. For the boyfriend, husband or hopeful friend who is still at a loss for where to reserve their romantic evening in the DFW, these five restaurants cover a wide range of Valentines Day options from extravagant to a more intimate ambiance.

(credit: Piola)

Piola

3700 Mattison Ave.

Fort Worth, TX 76107

(817) 989-0007

www.fwpiola.com/

Save to foursquare

Piola is an Italian cuisine cottage located semi-secretly in a neighborhood in the cultural district of Fort Worth. Run by Chef Bobby Albanese, Piola serves a wide range of favorites like their warm goat cheese salad, eggplant parmigiano, cappuccino crusted pork tenderloin and stuffed chicken marsala. Diners can also from over 70 different wines, which they can sip indoors along exposed brick walls and molded ceiling fixtures, outdoors in Piola’s garden seating or cozied up next to their freestanding fireplace.  Piola is open Monday-Friday 11am-2pm for lunch and Monday-Saturday 5pm-10pm for dinner. Prices range from their $5.95 bruschetta to their $21.95 grilled salmon.

(credit: Saint-Emilion)

Saint-Emilion

3617 West 7th Street

Fort Worth, TX 76107

(817) 737-2781

saint-emilionrestaurant.com

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Right down the street on West 7th sits Saint-Emilion, an enticing French cottage run by Chef Bernard Tronche. With barely 12 tables, guests of Saint-Emilion enjoy an intimate atmosphere as well as the classic French cuisine that comprise the three course “prix fixe” Menu Classique or a la carte options. The Menu Classique ($45) begins with hors d’oeuvres including: French onion soup with melted Gruyère, duck pâté with pistachios, and filet mignon tartare. The Plats de Resistance includes: roasted duck brushed with honey on top of fresh spinach tossed with orange sections of Xéres vinaigrette, boneless lamb loin with a concassé of tomato min, shallot, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Couples can end their meal with a number of dessert options, such as raspberry tarte, crème brulee and brandy ice. Saint-Emilion is open Tuesday-Thursday from 5:30-9pm, Friday-Saturday reservations are available each half hour from 6-9pm (except at 7:30), and closed Sunday and Monday. Prices range from their $5.00 salade d’endives to their $39 sole de douvres amandine.

(credit: Rise N*1)

Rise N*1

5360 W. Lovers Lane, Suite 220

Dallas, TX 75209

(214) 366-9900

risesouffle.com

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Located in Inwood Village, Rise N*1 is the signature salon de soufflé. This French bistro’s entrée soufflés include Jambon and Gruyere, smoked salmon, truffle infused mushroom, herb and spice sausage, and sun-dried tomato and pesto Chevre. But leave room for their dessert soufflés such as chocolate, Grand Marnier, bread budding, hazelnut, strawberry and more. If it turns out that your date doesn’t enjoy the surprise of a soufflé, don’t worry. Rise also serves a range of other French favorites including: Chariot de Fromages (international cheese cart), salad nicoise, seared ahi tuna steak, and Parisian Jambon sandwich. After dinner grab a glass of champagne and snuggle up with your date next to the patio fireplace or get cozy in their in-house library. Prices range from their $8 soupe a l’oignon gratinee to their $29 steak and pomme de terre. Rise is open Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm and Sunday 11am-9pm.

By June Naylor

To experience the most interesting dining in Dallas, you’ll have to cross the river. For a lot of Dallasites, that’s asking a lot. Folks from North Dallas dread the trek downtown. Uptowners don’t want to travel all the way up to Addison. But usually, a destination dining adventure is worth the trouble.

And that’s more than the case when we’re talking about the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff. This is where people from all over North Texas go for a taste of Austin-style cool; best of all, it’s just a minute or two southwest of downtown Dallas.

The Bishop Arts District, a neighborhood with spruced-up, century-old buildings and a wealth of vintage chic, proves ideal for anyone craving a leisurely day or evening of gallery browsing, boutique dawdling, pub crawling and cuisine sampling. Its growing fan club comes also for the mood, best described as liberal and inclusive, engendered by the diverse, creative population living and working there. Best of all, nothing about Bishop feels contrived or fabricated; instead, the neighborhood hums with authenticity.

The list of reasons to eat there goes on and on, but we’ll keep the discussion here to a manageable length. Please note that there’s no intention to leave anyplace out; this collection of snapshots only scratches the surface.

Herewith, five food destinations worth your trip to Bishop Arts.

(credit: luciadallas.com)

Lucia

408 West 8th Street Suite 101

Dallas, TX

(214) 948-4998

luciadallas.com

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For most of 2011, this has been the hardest table to book in Dallas. Since opening last winter, the 36-seat dining room has stayed wildly busy, thanks in no small part to the exquisite dishes put forth by David Uygur, former chef at Lola in Dallas, and the front-of-house hospitality extended by his wife, Jennifer, who managed the wine department at Central Market before the couple pursued their dream of owning their own place.

This isn’t the place for heavy red-sauced plates. Instead, you’ll find a deft talent for compositions of bold flavors and delicate touches. From the Antipasti section of the menu, I love the crostini with chicken liver and Black Mission figs; and the eggplant soup. Among Primi picks, the elegant tagliatelle with chanterelles, thyme and breadcrumbs tickles me pink; and the braised rabbit with polenta is my Secondi choice. For Dolci, Davi had me at toasted brioche with chocolate mousse, sweet ricotta and orange confit.

Ceviche Tostada at Gloria's (credit: June Naylor)

Gloria's

600 N. Bishop Ave.

Dallas, TX

(214) 942-1831

gloriasrestaurants.com

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Years before anyone thought of this stretch of Oak Cliff as a regular gathering place, Gloria’s revolutionized our way of eating food from south of the border. Putting together a menu that blends Mexican and Salvadoran dining, the original location that blossomed into a local mini-chain finally outgrew its original digs. Recently moving down Davis to a much larger new home within a beautifully restored historic firehouse, Gloria’s still pleases with its ceviche tostada with lime-marinated orange roughy, as well as the chicken soup, starring large, torn pieces of chicken breast bathed in its deep stock, floating along with chunks of potato, carrot, onion and celery. There’s also grilled whitefish with black beans, rice and sautéed fresh veggies, but it’s hard to top Gloria’s sampler plate, laden with the tamal wrapped in a banana leaf, cheese-filled pupusa, fried yuca and plantains, the latter best for dipping creamy black beans and sour cream.

Flatbread with wild arugula, goat cheese and oven-roasted grapes at Bolsa (credit: June Naylor)

Bolsa

614 W. Davis St.

Dallas, TX

(214) 943-1883

bolsadallas.com

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Even when temperatures soared and seared this past summer, the picnic tables at this little watering hole stayed full. Now that the afternoons and evening are delightful again, those tables are nabbed quickly by a faithful following eager for handcrafted drinks and plates bearing goodies sourced from local farmers. At brunch, we always tackle the bruschetta tasting, which includes toasted breads topped with Marfa-grown tomatoes, Caprino Royale chevre and basil; prosciutto and Medjool; smoked salmon with crème fraiche and capers; and Fuji apple and almonds. Among flatbreads, we cannot resist the fresh mozzarella with pepperoni and herbs, nor the wild arugula, goat cheese and oven-roasted grapes. From the dinner menu, the butternut squash soup soothes my soul, and the petite file with asparagus, goat cheese mashers and mushroom jus is more than satisfying.

Eggs Benedict at Oddfellows (credit: June Naylor)

Oddfellows

316 W. Seventh St.

Dallas, TX

(214) 944-5958

oddfellowsdallas.com

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This place gives you the feeling of being hugged by a favorite grandmother, the homey food is just so good. My brunch go-to picks are the Oddfellows Benedict, a pairing of Texas honey ham, spinach, hollandaise and Texas farm tomato slices atop an English muffin; and the huevos rancheros, with a nubby red ranchero sauce that rivals some at the best Mexican restaurants. The pickled-okra-stopped bloody mary is a jewel, too. The food coma you’ll experience can be ratified somewhat by the magnificent coffee, strong and stout. At lunch, the mac and cheese with buffalo chicken provides plenty of taste thrills, and at supper, the fried chicken with buttermilk waffles and peach syrup warms the heart – and inspires another half hour on the treadmill.

Fries with dipping sauces at Tillman's (credit: June Naylor)

Tillman's

324 West 7th St.

Dallas, TX

(214) 942-0988

tillmansroadhouse.com

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This “roadhouse” pretty much launched today’s Bishop Arts excitement. Opening originally as Tillman’s Corner and offering good food and drink at reasonable prices, a fashionable redo turned the hangout into an even more stylish place for quaffing and noshing. This is where you go for stick-to-your-ribs food that’s made with panache. Everyone’s favorite snack is the trio of fries, served in a wooden box. You get parmesan-black-pepper-dusted Kennebec potatoes; chile-flecked purple potatoes; and sweet potato fries coated in sea salt. Alongside, there are dipping sauces including a housemade ketchup and a horseradish pickle mayo. The crispy, cornmeal-jacketed fried pickles come with a spicy ranch dressing, so you may as well go all the way. From the menu of plates, I’m partial to the smoked Cornish game hen with Dr Pepper BBQ sauce and the coffee-crusted prime rib.

Ketel One Vodka on display during a party. (credit: Michael Buckner/Getty Images For The Palm Springs International Film Festival)

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Special-order shrimp appetizer (credit: June Naylor)

Every time a new steakhouse opens in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the natives and longtime denizens among us have to keep from rolling our eyes. Really? We need another steakhouse? There are more than a few parts of the entire stretch of this metro area where you can’t walk a block without tripping over two to three steakhouses.

But because many of them bring in lots of business, thanks to offering legitimately good food, there seems to be no end to the big beef appetite in our part of the world.  I’m not complaining, either; my theory is that the abundance of better steak options keeps everyone on their toes. Each steak place needs to work hard to be considered someone’s favorite.

Having written thousands of words about steaks in these parts over the years – the tonnage of fine steak consumed for the 2006 Texas Monthly story remains a vivid memory – I’ve developed a fondness for particular steaks at specific restaurants. I’m a big fan of the New York strip, cooked “black and blue” and swept in butter at both Pappas in Dallas and Del Frisco’s in Fort Worth. When I eat a juicy rib eye at Lambert’s in Fort Worth or Grady’s Line Camp in Granbury, I hope they’re slapping an enchilada on top.

But from a most personal preference standpoint, my family and I have our own go-to when we want the most special experience possible in a steak dinner event. Though it’s not a destination everyone must reserve for a special occasion, Bob’s Steak and Chop – the original location on Lemmon Avenue in Dallas – is the place for me and mine for a celebratory dinner.

The food warrants such a designation, there’s no question about that. But it’s also the overall experience that has made us such fans of this old-school steak joint. Is it as shiny and pretty as newer restaurants? No way. It feels a lot of like your best friend’s dad’s study or the 19^th hole at an old-fashioned country club. But I like its lived-in spirit, cultivated since it opened as the original Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House in the late 1980s.

And we particularly love the way the staff greets us at the door, as though we’ve brought a World Series championship with us. (Oh, still too soon? Sorry.) Cristy Rather and Ken Kuczwaj, the honchos running this store, act as though our visit is the only one that matters all week long.

That extraordinary treatment extends to all the service staff. Everyone we encounter on our birthday and other dinners makes each moment a pleasure, from the second we sit until we leave for home.

That said, we wouldn’t be quite as wowed if we didn’t think the food at this Bob’s is the exceptional. When we said that we like shrimp scampi but wish there was a lighter, brighter version of the traditional preparation, the kitchen sent out one that knocked us out: Giant shrimp, sweet and very lightly sautéed, take a delicate butter-garlic-lemon bath that enhances, rather than overwhelms, the crustaceans. (Even the non-seafood person at our table recently begged for a second order of these.)

Strip with signature carrot anf cheesy potatoes (credit: June Naylor)

There’s usually little discussion about which entrees we want at Bob’s. It’s steak or steak, but which one? A few of us always zero in on the prime filet mignon, a wondrous example of pure tenderness, but I’m a sucker for the bone-in Kansas City strip, as I am passionate about a steak with some body and tooth to it. Never has Bob’s failed us here.

On the plate comes the signature glazed carrot (always eliciting a few jokes, due to its size) and a choice of potatoes. We can’t even think of anything other than skillet-fried potatoes, smothered in sautéed onion slices and a rich peppercorn gravy.

Bone-in veal parmigiana (credit: June Naylor)

A relatively recent addition to the menu is the bone-in veal parmesan, a favorite of management’s Ken Kuczwaj, a New York native who knows what burly but beautiful Italian food is all about. This massive chop is a stunner; you’ll want to share it with someone – or take it home for an encore feast.

Ask Kuczwaj, like we do, for the right wine recommendation in whatever price range you can handle. He’s happy to accommodate, as is Rather and the rest of the crew. And be sure to book a table near the bar area, where the festivities seem to persist. Even it’s not a special occasion, you’ll come to think so.

Bob’s Steak and Chop – 5 locations in North Texas

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past few years, you’re at least vaguely aware that beer isn’t just for guzzling while watching football games anymore. Not even in Texas, where ice chips floating in the top of a cold schooner of suds is considered pretty fabulous.

With the abundance of good, handcrafted beers from everywhere available in our midst, it’s no wonder that all kinds of food purveyors are tapping into the joys of pairing great beer with good food. Gastropubs continue to pop up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, giving you a chance to see how nicely you can find a great edible to go along with your favorite new pilsner, ale, amber or stout.

(credit: The Meddlesome Moth)

Meddlesome Moth

1621 Oak Lawn

Dallas, TX

(214) 628-7900

www.mothinthe.net/

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At Meddlesome Moth in Dallas’ Design District, the food menu raises the bar (so to speak) for all places specializing in beer offerings. Next to each of the food temptation descriptions, you find a suggestion for the style of beer best suited to that food choice. The Moroccan-spiced lamb pot pie, for example, goes well with a dark trappist ale, while the Diablo mussels wants a pilsner to balance its spice kick, and the blue crab salad warrants an India pale ale matching.

(credit: Mozzarella Co.)

Mozzarella Company

2944 Elm Street

Dallas, TX

(214) 741-4072

www.mozzco.com/

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At the Mozzarella Company in Dallas’ Deep Ellum, the queen of cheeses, Paula Lambert, offers a monthly class in beer and cheese pairings. It differs month to month, but you’ll always come away with a stronger sense of what cheese goes with which brew – and you can put together your own party at home that will enable you to impress your friends with smart pairing techniques. Did you know that Paula’s Deep Ellum Blue is a great foil for a strong, roasted-hop Belgian dark ale? Or that one of her herbed goat cheeses gets along perfectly with wheat beers so popular in German, French or Belgian brewing? Take one of these classes and you’ll get those smarts.

(credit: Il Cane Rosso)

Il Cane Rosso

2612 Commerce Street

Dallas, TX

(214) 741-1188

www.ilcanerosso.com/

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More and more, we’re seeing beer-pairing dinners on the calendar, too. At one such evening at Il Cane Rosso in Dallas’ Deep Ellum district, the kitchen paired several courses with handcrafted beers from Victory Brewing. The salad course found bananas, grapes and pecans with greens in a mascarpone dressing paired with paired with fruity sweetness of Golden Monkey Triple Ale. The linguine with butter-poached crawfish, proscuitto, walnuts and fresh peas in a white wine sauce complemented the owanuts. Fresh peas in a white wine sauce, paired with herby, smooth Prima Pils. And the heavier course of porchetta with roasted apples, cheesy polenta and Calabrian chile-parmesan fonduta with crisp, German-style malty Headwaters Pale Ale.

(credit: June Naylor)

Brownstone

840 Currie Street

Fort Worth, TX

(817) 332-1555

www.brownstonefw.com/

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In Fort Worth, Brownstone hosted a Rahr Brew evening, saluting the local brewer, with flavorful success. With the starter of salmon croquettes over lamb’s lettuce, potatoes, heirloom tomatoes and caramelized red onion, we enjoyed Rahr’s Blonde Lager, a round, medium-bodied beer. The venison pastrami with jalapeno aioli and cilantro matched the Texas Red Lager’s smooth caramel notes. The bold chicken sausage cavatelli with pepperjack noodles, roasted pearl onions and arugula was perfect with Gravel Road, an amber with strong malt and hops. Finally, the ending of housemade, cinnamon-sugar dougnuts with espresso pudding and whipped cream was ideal against Rahr’s Ugly Pug, a black lager that hints of chocolate and is surprisingly unheavy.

(credit: June Naylor)

What might surprise you at Private/Social, the newest destination dining hot-spot in Dallas? That the showcase for Top Chef darling Tiffany Derry, someone beloved for her approachable warmth and utter lack of pretense, exhibits almost overwhelmingly cool sleekness. What won’t surprise you? That the food – for the most part – lives up to her immense popularity.

Dining a few months ago at Private/Social, which anchors a shiny office complex on the bricks of McKinney Avenue at Hall Street in Dallas’ Uptown, our group arrived to find the joint in full swing. Patrons crowded the bar section – the Social area – sipping from a lengthy wine list and a cocktail menu. Favorite picks from the latter included the very autumn-ish Thin Air, a blend of the stylish-again rye whiskey (Ri I), yellow chartreuse, orange bitters, lavender bitters and Swedish herb bitters; and Skinny Bubbles, champagne mixed with jasmine liqueur and baked apple bitters.

Only by having reserved several days in advance were we able to nab a table in the dining room at prime seating time, 7 p.m. And no sooner than we sat was a team of servers ready to bring us beverages and shared plates.

Those shared items figure into the Social aspect of the restaurant, yet again. As our gang of friends enjoys sampling lots of goodies, we ordered up a raft of nibbles we could pass back and forth amongst ourselves. Of these, the group favorite was surely the Thai mussels, a bountiful bowl of bivalves piled into a bath redolent with red curry, lemongrass, kaffir lime and a hint of coconut.

(credit: June Naylor)

My personal passion was for the roasted bone marrow, decadent in a salty rub, served split open so we could scoop the meat onto crostinis with bits of tart, house-made pickled cauliflower and sweet marmalade, the condiments offering exacting foils for the earthiness of the marrow. Another choice, the steamer basket packed with pork buns, found the soft exterior providing balance to the crispy shreds of pork, cooling basil and crunchy cabbage.

Less exotic but no less elegant, shared plate options also include pommes frites, dusted with parmesan and herbed salt; and a composed cheese plate with elements of truffle, honey and radishes.

(credit: June Naylor)

From the Private menu, choices are organized in sections including Grazing, which includes several of the Social menu items; Raw & Barely Raw, with ahi tuna pizza and a plate of striped bass among selections; Soups & Salads, including baby beets with goat cheese mousse; Water, with a few fish choices; Land, where we find meats and fowl.

Hands-down, the winner on our table was the chicken fried in duck fat, which we raved mightily about when Chef Derry made her rounds through the dining room and stopped by our table to share a greeting. Crispy, juicy and appropriately rich, the chicken was accompanied by a southern-style hot pepper sauce and textured braised greens.

(credit: June Naylor)

Pan-seared scallops were a hit, as well: plump and expertly browned at the edges, these juicy discs came atop a parsnip puree and sat in a decorated tableau of crunchy snow peas, tiny chanterelles, microherbs and a scattering of tangy pomegranate seeds.

Carnivores seeking red meat are appeased a number of ways: Lamb chops from New Zealand, braised beef cheek from Texas cattle; oxtails from the Midwest; and bone-in filet from Colorado beef all show up on the menu.

For the foreseeable future, Private/Social will be the darling of Dallas. Everyone likes meeting a celebrity chef, and the personality here makes her mark with a menu that would seem overachieving at times. She blends the familiar and old-school with of-the-moment practices, such as that of sourcing locally when possible and finding specialty ingredients all over the place.

My only question is whether the fancy aspects of this restaurant – a plate of fried chicken is $25, and it’s the least-expensive entrée on the menu; and the overall style of the place is chic, although blessedly not precious – can hold up in a competitive, fickle marketplace. We hope so; Chef Derry has earned her stripes. She deserves the success surely coming to her.

(credit: courtesy of Fuel City)

Five years ago, I served on a food team that crafted a story that became The Greatest Tacos Ever Sold, Texas Monthly’s cover story, December 2006. Each time I work on these big projects, I wonder if I’ll ever be able to eat that item in question again. Once the story is finished and in print, I’m on to the next thing.

But the taco story comes up time and again, and our No. 1 pick, continues to attract attention, as it does once more today.

My job was to cover the taco scene in Dallas and Fort Worth, and I sampled the goods at more than 30 places when all was said and done. Close to the end of my 60 days of taco testing, a friend tipped me off to a fabulous, then-new taco stand inside a truck stop in the shadows of downtown Dallas. She said that she and her colleagues had to find time to eat the $1 tacos at this little favorite at least once a week and that I really needed to check it out.

Although I was somewhat dubious, I squeezed in a visit after I had already hit some four joints one day. Another friend was with me, “Why not?” when I told him we had one last taco to tackle before we quit for the day.

Pulling into Fuel City, we were agog first at the enormous Beer Cave inside the store, and both nonplussed (me) and amused (him) at the bikini-clad young women perched on barstools beside the truck stop’s palm-shaded swimming pool, serving as eye candy for the truck drivers while chatting on their cell phones and pretty much ignoring everyone gawking at them.

Remembering the task at hand, we popped over to the taco stand and ordered a handful of different tacos. The picodillo version I ate there, sitting in my car, left an impression both of us still recall: It was glorious. Here’s what I wrote, when that taco was deemed el numero uno out of the 63 tacos that made the story’s final version.

“When friends carry on endlessly about driving at all hours of the day or night to eat at a combination convenience store, drive-through beer shop, and truck stop, we pay attention. Good thing, too, because the tacos at this joint are simply out of this world. Orders are placed at the taco-stand window at the northern end of the store, and whether you pull up at 3 a.m. or 3 p.m., you’ll find folks sitting in their cars, gobbling from little carryout boxes. Tops is the picadillo, ground beef with bits of potato seasoned with a dab of garlic and a lot of black pepper. It’s tucked into a double layer of small white-corn tortillas and topped with chopped onion and cilantro. A wedge of Mexican lime comes on the side. The tiny container of green chile salsa is both superfluous and irresistible. (It goes just as well on the amazingly tender beef fajita taco, another good option.) Sitting in the shadows of downtown among strip clubs and liquor stores, Fuel City isn’t in the prettiest part of Dallas, but the gorgeous bikini-clad chicas lounging beside the landscaped swimming pool behind the wrought-iron gates certainly add to the scenery. Funny, though: It doesn’t appear as if they’ve eaten many of these tacos.”

(credit: courtesy of Fuel City)

I’ve been back a few times to enjoy the tacos again, as I did one early morning a couple of months ago. My breakfast taco with chorizo was more than pleasing, but I was still frustrated that there was no place – other than the inside of my car – to eat the darn thing.

Finally, however, the problem is solved: Fuel City, which now also calls itself The Ranch in Downtown Dallas, has added a patio with seating for 70. Now when you show up for a breakfast taco (between 5 and 10 am daily) or for the tacos al pastor, picadillo, barbacoa or chicken/beef fajita, you don’t have to worry about making a mess in your car or wearing your meal on your shirt.

Fuel City Tacos are now $1.40, and worth every penny. Find Fuel City’s eight-acre spread near the intersection of Interstate 30 and Interstate 35 immediately southwest of downtown Dallas proper, 801 South Riverfront Boulevard.  For more information call 214-426-0011.

Hours: Open 24/7

(credit: KentRathbun.com)

Winemaker dinners can’t be considered anything new anymore. Wine distributors love connecting with good chefs to put on a show, especially if winemakers are in town from places like Napa, New Zealand, France and Argentina. And really, you cannot find a better value for the abundance of quality food and drink you enjoy at these events; usually these are about $100 per person, and you’d never be able to sample all the pairings-menu flavors for that price if you ordered a la carte.

But we’ve gotten so spoiled by the proliferation of such evenings that we almost take them for granted – and that’s a mistake. We have in our midst a handful chefs who have become rather genius-esque in crafting these menus to pair with very special wines, and I’m always intrigued by two in particular.

Kent Rathbun, Abacus

Abacus

4511 McKinney Ave.

Dallas, TX 75205

(214) 559-3111

www.kentrathbun.com/abacus/dallas/index.php

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(credit: KentRathbun.com)

In Dallas, Kent Rathbun created a special champagne-themed menu at Abacus, his premier restaurant, to pair with bubbly from Nicolas Feuillatte. With his passed appetizer selection of Cape Cod bay scallops with lemongrass-ginger broth; and butternut squash-chive fritter with vanilla-peach jam, guests enjoyed Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Extrem’. The dinner continued with four courses, including gems like pistachio crusted Corvina sea bass with beluga lentils, curry-coconut butter and lime-cilantro Greek yogurt, paired with Nicolas Feuillatte Brut; and pan-roasted lobster with sweet corn “pot pie,” melted leeks and fennel, accompanied by Nicolas Feuillatte Rose.

Another evening, Rathbun had a light-hearted wine dinner for pairing with wines from Melville and Brewer-Clifton wines of California’s Central Coast. Passed apps shrimp corn dogs with lemon-hatch green chile marmalade and BBQ fried oysters with pickled pearl onions, Maytag cream and applewood smoked bacon, paired with Melville’s Estate Chardonnay Verna’s 2009; while a later course found Rathbun’s grilled rack of lamb with Yukon gold caramelized cipolline “risotto,” asparagus slaw and mustard seed demi, which was accompanied not by a “big” wine that you might find alongside lamb but a dreamy Brewer-Clifton’s Mount Carmel Pinot Noir 2009.

Lanny Lancarte, Lanny’s Alta Cocina

Lanny's Alta Cocina Mexicana

2405 W 7th Street

Fort Worth , TX 76107

(817) 850-9996

www.lannyskitchen.com/

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(credit: Lanny's Alta Cocina Mexicana)

Keeping pace with Rathbun’s pairing smarts, Lanny Lancarte shows nuanced acumen at Lanny’s Alta Cocina Mexicana in Fort Worth.  With a Veracruz-inspired soup called chilpachole, filled with mussels and ruby-red shrimp, he paired a Spanish white, a fascinating blend of Grenache blanc, sauvignon blanc and macabeo called Portal White from Celler Pinol from the Terra Alta region.

When working on a heat-focused theme, Lanny showed an especially clever side. There was house-smoked Columbia River steelhead trout with Fire Road Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region of New Zealand; agave-nectar-glazed duck with guajillo chile treatment, paired with Velvet Devil Merlot from Washington’s Columbia Valley winery, Charles Smith; and a fire-roasted poblano rajas and Serrano-wrapped asparagus, served with Mephistopheles Zinfandel from Norman Vineyards in Paso Robles, California.

(credit: Jeremy Enlow)

My favorite of Lanny’s recent works was the menu he created when he hosted friends from Santa Julia vineyards in Mendoza, Argentina. More than just a series of plates paired with wines, this event brought in not just winemaker Julia Zuccardi, a third-generation family winemaker, but also Mendoza chef Ana Rodriguez Armisen, who collaborated with Lanny on the menu. Among jewels, there was the starter of lobster-mango ceviche with butternut crisps, paired with Santa Julia Torrontes 2010; and grilled lamb with smashed potatoes, malbec juice and warm salsa criolla, serve with the Santa Julia Reserva Malbec 2009.

The point of all this tortuous description? To get you to pay attention. When these guys put on special wine-focused dinner, you need to run, not walk, to make a reservation.

By Jose Ralat Maldonado

The Trains at NorthPark, holiday-themed electric train exhibit for children, knee-high and hunched-over, is in town through January 1. With it comes a host of logistical dilemmas, namely: What to eat after riding the rails that doesn’t involve the NorthPark Center mall food court. Below are some suggestions.

(credit: laduni.com)

La Duni Latin Kitchen & Coffee Studio

8867 N. Central Expy., Ste. 1516

NothPark Center

Dallas, Texas 75225

(214) 987-2260

www.laduni.com

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From their McKinney Avenue location, husband and wife Duni and Taco Borga have built a SMALL network of high-end eateries serving Latin American-inspired entrees and desserts, not to mention sweet cocktails. The NorthPark location is a full-service restaurant with an Argentine café feel. Notable selections include the classic empanadas, the meat parade that is the Argentine parrillada (mixed grill) and the tequila-lime-guava baby-back pork ribs. For the kids, there are several wonderfully kids-menu items presented in non-kids menu ways. We’re talking kid’s calamari and chupacabra quesadillas filled with steak, chicken and ham—mythical creature not included—washed down with gourmet lemonades. Get a seat in the Center Park courtyard, accessible via the restaurant, to decompress safely separated from the shopping jam. Order the pampas fries. Trust us.

Maggiano’s Little Italy

8687 N. Central Expy., Ste. 205

Dallas, TX 75225

214-360-0707

www.maggianos.com/

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(credit: maggianos.com)

Carbo-loading at this family-style Italian-American palace—this restaurant is huge—could be beneficial before running the gauntlet that is The Trains at NorthPark. If you decided that cozying up to a big bowl of Chef KB’s Lobster Carbonara, a signature pasta dish, or a cracker-crisp order of pepperoni and arugula flatbread is more appropriate for a wind down. Then, look no further. Also in the mall, Maggiano’s Little Italy offers all the comforts of necessary for gently cooling from the hot holiday rush. Think of Executive Chef David Duron as nonna (Italian for grandma), quick to “whip up” whatever will fill your belly—it makes you happy, it makes him happy. Duron is at adept at spinached-stuffed mushrooms and grilled asparagus as he is with veal Marsala and tremendous steakhouse cuts. Cap it with New York-style cheesecake or tiramisu. Buon appetito!

Blue Mesa Grill

7700 W. Northwest Hwy.

Dallas, TX 75225

214-378-8686

www.bluemesagrill.com/

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credit: bluemesagrill.com

Liz and Jim Baron have cornered the market on small-chain Southwestern restaurants with Blue Mesa. The pair have done so through locally sourcing their larder (chicken from Gonzalez, Texas, cheese from Dallas Mozzarella Company, seasonal veggies from Texas’ breadbaskets). The committent to supporting area producers has gone a long way in producing a great Sunday brunch buffet, one of the best in Big D. Two superb enchiladas on the menu are chicken and mushroom with chipotle-cream sauce and the blue corn cheese three-chile red sauce are featured on the menu, along with an anchoring omelet bar. But then there’s the brisket, the fresh guacamole, huevos rancheros and cinnamon churros. It’s worth crossing Northwest Highway for.

(credit: blissrawcafe.com)

Bliss Raw Cafe & Elixir Bar

6005 Berkshire Lane

Dallas, Texas 75225

(214) 368-8585

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You will be dumbfounded that the bruger on your plate is raw and meatless. The “burger” taste like a burger! There is cheese! But that’s how it is at Bliss, Chef Kelly Dennis’ veggie and vegan-friendly eatery off Northwest Highway. The head-scratching isn’t isolated to the food. The dining room ceiling is supported by metalwork with earthtones and natural materials below. The tables are covered in white cloth upon which is found pho. If you’re thinking, “But pho is served hot. Bliss is a raw joint,” that’s OK. Raw foods can be heated to a temperature of 115 degrees. The Greek pizza with tahini-hummus is popular. Wash down the so-not rabbit food with vitamin-stuffed elixirs, like the goji paradise (goji berry and aloe lemonade with tocotrenols, agave nectar and coconut oil). Ahh…

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – Fort Worth’s food trucks now have a permanent place to park.

The new food park is on Weisenberger Street in Fort Worth, north of the new West 7th development and right behind the Target store in Montgomery Plaza.

The rain and cooler weather didn’t keep foodies away from he grand opening Friday night.  “I love stuff like this.  I love this kind of weather,” says John Ledesma “Plus you have food everywhere you can’t stop me.”

There will be six trailers serving a wide range of foods including taqueria-style tacos, bbq, vegan and gluten-free dishes, cupcakes and burgers.

“Everything is wonderful. the grilled cheese as you can tell  is wonderful the line is a mile long,” said Kelley Servigon who had a date night there with her husband Eddie.

“I want it to feel almost like you’re walking into someone’s backyard, except you’re getting great food and live music,” said the park owner Chris Kruger.

The idea maybe new here in North Texas, but it’s been embraced for some time in Austin and San Antonio.

“I think that’s what we like to bring out our own little piece of Austin here but in our own Fort Worth way. Fort Wort has it’s own independent vibe to it and supports independent businesses well,” said Kruger.

Red Jett Sweets isn’t knew to Fort Worth.  The mobile cupcakery has trucks near TCU and Montgomery Plaza, but before they could only stay for an hour at a time.

“We’ve watched the trend on the east coast and west coast and were like I think this is heading our way,” Christina Jett/Red Jett Sweets

The food park will operate on the weekends for now serving lunch and dinner.

They will open at 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on those days and starting next week the vendors will offer dinner on Thursday nights.

For more information on the new Fort Worth Food Park, check out their website, fwfoodpark.com

Before we went gaga for frozen yogurt and cupcakes, there was boba. This Asian-inspired drink comes in a variety of flavors and is packed with chewy, mouth-watering tapioca pearls. Choose from a refreshing, fruity drink or a delicious hot milky tea—the combinations are endless. Here are a few of our favorite spots for bubble tea.

(credit: Fat Straws website/fatstraws.net)

Fat Straws

5301 Alpha Road

Dallas, TX

972-702-8181

www.fatstraws.net

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If you like your tapioca pearls perfectly chewy, not sticky, and you want a variety of teas to choose from, Fat Straws is the place. The jasmine green tea, taro and Vietnamese frappe are favorites but try their Mandarin silk oolong and passion fruit jasmine. They also have smoothies and desserts, so those with a sweet tooth can indulge with their tea fiend friends. More than just a tea-and-dessert place, though, Fat Straws also feature live acoustic and jazz music, so keep an eye out for performances, and you might just discover your next favorite local musician.

(credit: Fruitealicious website)

Fruitealicious Bubble Tea

2150 N. Josey Lane

Carrollton, TX

972-245-3000

www.furitealicious.com

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For folks craving some good bubble tea on the go, Fruitealicious is the perfect place to order up your boba in whatever manner floats your boat: Thai Tea, Almond Milk Tea, or the cold purple goodness known as Taro Slush. If you would like some non-boba add-ons, you can also ask for fruit bits or jelly. But try the Raspberry Green Tea with Strawberry popping bubbles… yum.

(credit:Thinkstock)

Boba Tea House

4045 E. Belknap Street

Haltom City, TX

817-834-2010

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With dozens of combinations of teas and coffees available, it’s hard to pick from the menu. Our favorites? The refreshing cantaloupe and the delicious Mocha Madness. The cold almond milk tea is also a must-try, and the tapioca boba pearls have just the right consistency—they’re soft but still chewy (plus the friendly service doesn’t skimp at all: our wide straw was practically clogged with boba!).

(credit: Boba Latte Facebook page)

Boba Latte

115 S. Greenville Avenue

Richardson, TX

972-480-8889

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Want a cool, refreshing drink? Try a Bobba Latte strawberry slushie boba, or Miss Julie’s Special–a mango slush with mini pearls and juicy grapefruit pulp. If you’re feeling a bit adventurous, try a durian smoothie. Durian is known for its not-particularly-pleasant smell, but in this smoothie? Delish. They say Boba Latte sells “sunshine in a cup” and we might just have to agree.

What are your favorite spots for bubble tea? Share your recommendations in the comments section below.