Tea is a topic that I’d really like to talk about more on the little dish in the future. It’s something that I really, really love and if other people do features like ‘wine of the week’ etc.—why not tea too? 
Also, I’d love to talk with others and find out what teas they sip and where they shop because I can really only think of a handful of places here in Dallas that have great offerings.
One of the places I like to visit most is Teavana, a nationwide chain that offers a really wide variety of loose-leaf teas. You can get the standard white, green, black, and oolong teas plus more options like pu-reh, blooming teas, and crazy-delicious maté teas.
It’s not my favorite in terms of ambiance and the overall experience (that award would go to a local shop that I’ll write about soon—teaser!!). It does feel a little “corporate.” However, I this store is wonderful for a lot of reasons. As I mentioned before, they have a really great variety and thankfully, all of those options are well organized. The way they have their teas lined up helps you get an overall feel of the territory (this feeling is also reflected on their website). It’s a perfect way for beginners to get introduced to the world of teas. Some other sites and shops don’t always make things so clear: mixing maté and herbals in with black teas, etc. when that’s just not so!
Each tea you buy from Teavana comes with an instruction sticker on how long and at what temperature to brew that blend (because as you most likely know, different varieties call for different times). Also, they offer a sort of tea crash course on their site that sums up everything pretty nicely. I frequent the NorthPark location and have always found the staff there very helpful and knowledgeable about teas.
Most important though is the fact that Teavana’s teas are delicious. I haven’t had a bad sip yet. I recently stopped in and purchased a tin of Almond Biscotti tea. Slices of almond and subtle hints of sweet cinnamon make this black tea like a dessert. I don’t usually add milk or cream to my tea, but it’s such a good accompaniment to the nutty flavor. It’s perfect!
Teavana
NorthPark Center
8687 N. Central Expressway | Dallas, Texas 75225
Other locations nationwide.
…or maybe just for me, because it looks like I only have one piece left. On my recent trip to California to visit friends and family, I swung by my favorite chocolate shop, See’s Candy, to load up on some delicious treats to bring back to my new home in Texas. My favorites are the Molasses Chips, Butterscotch Squares, and Bordeaux’s and I usually get a custom box filled with just those. Forget about those mixed boxes, too many with nuts and cherry centers. Yuck.
Now I realize that in this modern age, you can order it online and get your See’s Candy fix anywhere in the world, but there’s just something about going into the store and picking out your own. Maybe it’s the staple all white interior, or the counter ladies in their other-era apparel handing out free samples in plastic gloves. Somehow that kid in you reaches out for a moment, surveying the wares while imagining eating yourself sick on chocolate. I love it.
Sadly I’m all out of See’s chocolate. This was my last piece and shortly after the photo above was taken, I happily ate it up. I know everyone has their favorite chocolate and there are quite a few great places here in the Dallas area serving up high-class treats, but they just aren’t the same to me. It’s probably because I grew up eating the stuff, but I’d still wager that See’s Candy is still some of the best chocolate treats you can get, no matter where you live. Anybody else have a See’s Candy addiction, or can recommend some confectioners in the DFW area? Dough Monkey is great!
(Apparently Google maps thinks that there are some ‘Sees Candies’ in Arlington and Frisco. I’m a little confused/excited about this, although there is no mention on the See’s website about any stores in Texas??!)
Consumer alert! Children of middle America are in a state of panic! Parents not sure what to feed their children for their afternoon snack!
Aug. 22, 2008 — Nestle Prepared Foods Company is recalling about 215,660 pounds of its “Hot Pockets Pepperoni Pizza” stuffed sandwiches because they may contain pieces of plastic.
Oh man, plastic in my Hot Pocket, what to do? I’ll tell you what to do, throw out those Hot Pockets or take them back for a refund. Not only because they might contain a foreign object, but are probably kinda bad for you anyway. These are the reasons why I eat out.
I don’t own very many cookbooks. This is mostly because you can find just about everything you could want online. Even recipes that I see made on the Food Network get posted on their site, so I’ve never had a big desire to rush out and purchase some celebrity chef’s cookbook.
I also hesitate to buy lots of cookbooks because it’s a big commitment, one that goes beyond just the initial $40 you spend on the book itself. It’s an awful, heartbreaking experience to put time, effort, and care into a recipe and then have it not turn out. Sometimes it’s the cook’s fault, but I know that everyone has had the experience where they know it was not their fault; the recipe itself was flawed. Even recipes from professional chefs get it wrong (and some chefs seem to do it more often than others!)
When you buy a cookbook, you want to trust the chef. You want to know that their “45 minutes cooking time” really means about 45 minutes. When they walk you through a more complicated technique, you don’t want to feel lost or feel like they’re skipping a pivotal step. Basically, you want to be pretty confidant that whatever you decide to make from their cookbook’s glossy pages is going to be good.
With all that in mind, I must say that last week I struck cookbook gold. So far, I’ve tried not to gush about it too much, but lately I’ve really been in love with Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa). She is so chic and funny in a cute, quirky way. The food she prepares almost always looks incredible and the recipes I’ve tried of hers (like Beatty’s Chocolate Cake) have turned out really well. Early last week, my mom bought my sister and I The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. Since then, we’ve made a fresh salmon salad, a white cheddar and corn chowder, and cranberry hazelnut muffins. All of the recipes have been delicious, I’m so happy we got this cookbook. Definitely recommended!
A question for aspiring bakers and chefs: What cookbooks do you love? I would be so interested to know who you trust! Any recommendations?
[So I know the 'Best Burger In Town' thing has been done before and probably before that, and there are even a few dedicated sites dealing with just the burger. Despite all that, the little dish feels like we need to weigh in on the subject. Being from California, home of the In-N-Out, I grew up loving cheese burgers. Since then I have always been a fan, and as a fan, I am always searching for the best and tastiest burger around. Moving to Dallas presented a new opportunity in the wake of a travesty (no more In-N-Outs). So not being able to get my weekly fix of Double-Doubles, I needed to make amends with my stomach and search out some suitable replacements here in the Lone Star state. I'm happy to say I have found some, and over the next month or so I will go over my favorites. I've tested burgers far and wide, expensive to cheap, beef to turkey and these are my findings...]
I’ll admit that I’ve yet to try every burger in town, but if I had to stop right now and live out the rest of my days eating at the burger joints that I have been to, Twisted Root would be my definitive choice to eat myself slowly into a heart attack for the next 35 years. This burger is that good.
As you can see from the picture I went with the blue cheese again, but this time I added a bit of spice with Jalapenos. From top to bottom, this is a quality-made burger. The meat was cooked perfectly to my request (medium) and was glistening with juice from the moment I picked it up at the counter. The blue cheese was strong, yet never overpowering, and the jalapenos added just enough heat to make me a happy eater. Top it off with a few raw onions and I’m on my way.
Like I have said before, ‘I like my burgers simple‘, but if you’re the type of burger guy/gal that likes them dripping with exotic sauces, this place is for you too. All their sauces are homemade, right down to the ketchup. You can choose from the Horseradish Dijon, Ancho Chipotle Ketchup, and Quincy’s Grandpa’s Secret BBQ Sauce to name a few. Unlike other up-scale burger joints, all these delicious sauces are yours for the choosing without paying that extra $1.
Speaking of price, this place has that on lock too. From $5.49 for a regular cheddar burger, to $6.99 for a specialty one like the picture above, I dare you to find a better burger for the price, size, and quality that is found at Twisted Root.
My hats off to Twisted Root and their visionary take on the burger joint. I’ll be heading back there often to get my fill. Hopefully one time I’ll be able to stomach a burger and a shake, because their desserts look to be top drawer too. From their imaginative shakes and malts, to a downright killer looking root beer float, I must have them all. Sadly, I just can’t eat like I used too and it’s depressing sometimes.
Go enjoy some burgers people!
Price: $6.99
2615 Commerce St.| Dallas, Texas 75226
214.741.ROOT (7668)
If you think of food in terms of art, the equivalent of a blank canvas would most likely be pizza. It’s simple and straightforward. It can remain plain or, in the right hands, end up as something quite extraordinary. That’s why I really like specialty pizza places. Fireside Pies used to be at the top of my list for fun, less-pedestrian pizzas. To my surprise though, I don’t think that’s the case anymore.
I noticed Eno’s originally because of the cute tables and adirondack chairs in front. Window shopping the restaurant, I saw their extensive list of draught beers (mostly microbreweries) and decided it definitely seemed like the kind of place I would like. Like? That’s too mild of a word. I was completely charmed.
The draught menu I had originally spied didn’t disappoint. There were more than enough choices of different beers that sounded interesting. My favorite of the ones we tried was the Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat. It’s was light and refreshing, with hints of sparkling citrus. I was interested to find out it actually has coriander in it. Intriguing!
When the pizza came I was really excited to see that Eno’s makes their pizzas with a thin crust. It’s actually a very thin crust–not at all soggy. It’s crunchy and a little on the toasty side: like a grilled flour tortilla or flatbread. Delicious. And if you’re concerned that all that crunchy crust might end up being dried out, don’t worry because the amount of sauce was perfect.
On their list of pizzas, there didn’t seem to be a bad option. I was even comfortable enough to close my menu and let Brian decide: “Your choice tonight.” (With all of the pizzas sounding good, I had a no-risk way of seeming generous. haha!) We went with Eno’s Original: tomato, garlic, sport peppers (pepperoncini), salami, and mushrooms. Spicy, cheesy, and really generously sized. We split a large and had some to take home.
The only thing that Fireside Pies still has on Eno’s are the sweets. Eno’s dessert offerings can’t even begin to compete in the same league as Fireside’s. Their ridiculously delicious, Texas-sized slices of cheesecake versus Eno’s Sundae is no contest. Until they fix this problem, skip dessert and have another beer instead.
Price: $14/$16
407 N. Bishop Street | Dallas, Texas 75208
214.943.9200
My coffee shop is cooler than yours!
Visiting different coffee shops is one of my favorite things, so much so that it might even qualify as a hobby. One of the most disappointing things (to me at least) about Dallas is it’s lack of independent coffee shops. Yes, there are a treasured few, but unless you’re lucky enough to live by one, you’re pretty much sanctioned to sipping the corporately-calculated, but tasty lattes from Starbucks.
In all fairness, this isn’t just Dallas’s shortcoming. It’s a trend in a lot of cities and I think it’s a shame. I love the character of a small coffee shop, the taste of coffee from a real espresso machine with portafilters, the flawed charms of a homemade pastry. I like the kind of non-generic service you receive — no overly buoyant “HI! Would you like to try our new blended coffee cacophony?”
I do understand the mindset and fears of a large corporate chain. It’s well-intentioned quality control. The more stores, the more employees, the more opportunities for things to go wrong. You can’t watch every customer interaction or inspect every cappuccino, so you set up standards, guidelines, and rules. “All the chalkboards will have this drawing. All the pastries will come from this factory.” But I think in their effort to eliminate all the possible ways for things to go wrong, they lost something.
That ’something’ is what I really fell for in Crooked Tree Coffee Shop. It’s literally in a converted old home in Uptown. Furnished with vintage couches, bright colors, and some utilitarian office tables, the shop feels like you’re a welcome guest at someone’s home. The coffee they use is Fair Trade and was really delicious. I’ve had a few drinks there so far and haven’t been disappointed. Amenities like free wi-fi, late hours, and live music on the weekends sweeten the deal. They even have sandwiches, special ice cream sandwiches, and a small offering of vegan pastries. So, should you expect to pay more per cup for the small mom-and-pop ambiance? Actually… no. Somehow they manage to come in below the price points of the big green on pretty much every item. And that, is really special.
2414 Routh St. | Dallas, Texas 75201
214.953.1142
