The Best Comments on DSideDish's Article About a Competitor Food Critic Being Refused

I rarely read the comment section on food news websites because they are normally full of Internet trolls, but there is a wide variety of comment gems in the D SideDish article about their competitor, Dallas Morning News' (DMN), Food Critic, Leslie Brenner, having her money refused by restaurant owners who do not want her to write a review about them. The public news of their refusal puts Leslie in a quandary whereby she can no longer write an "anonymous" review of their restaurant, which is what her position requires, according to the news story/commenters.

The article comments have all the elements of a mini-drama, ranging from LOL-humor, to poetry, to real insight and food for thought (pardon the pun). I cut out the trolls for you…

Someone should frame this last phrase and sell it: 

How I Eat Well and Don't Gain Weight

With holiday eating starting one week from today, I thought now is a good time to publicly answer a question people have been asking me more often recently, "How are you not fat from eating all that great food you post?!"

I eat really great food, like this pie.

All 23 New Fried Foods at 2103 State Fair of Texas

There are two big secrets about the fried food at the State Fair of Texas that I never hear other media outlets talking about, so I'm going to let you in on what I know:

1. Most of the best selling (and hence, best tasting) winners and competitors from previous years' fried food contests are still there! I highly recommend the Deep Fried Butter (2009 Best Taste winner), Fried Grilled Cheese, and Deep Fried Jambalaya (2012 Best Taste winner), if you can find them again this year.

2. Every year there is a long list of brand new fried foods that didn't make someone's cut to be in the Final 8 for awards judging, but that doesn't mean these foods aren't also delicious. Some of them sound amazing to me! I never see other publications mention these fried foods, I couldn't find the list on BigTex.com, and their PR rep didn't have a digital copy to email me, so this might be the only website where you'll find this list. I received it as an old-fashioned printout in my media packet at the Big Tex Choice Awards judging, so I have it photographed below for your food planning pleasure. Click to read the pages at full size. I've already starred the ones I want to try!

And, drumroll... I need someone to go to the fair with me and taste test as many of these fried foods as possible! I have a free admission ticket for you (thanks to the State Fair of Texas), but I would like to split the food and food costs with someone. This is a serious foodie challenge! Last year my mom was in town, and we managed to share nine fried foods in one visit. We arrived strategically starving and spent almost the whole time hunting for our food (booths). I'd like to go on the evening of Thursday, October 3 or Friday, October 4. If you're available and up for this delicious quest, comment below or in one of my social media profiles and let me know you qualify. I'll start looking for a winner on Saturday morning.

Dallas Foodie has a Twinkie for You

Right now and forever, almost all DFW-area Walmarts, Fiestas, Targets, and gas stations have Hostess snack cake shelves that look like this:

The Rigging of "Best of" Food Contests

Is it right that a restaurant is bribing fans to vote for them in Dallas Morning News' "Best Burger in Dallas-Ft. Worth" contest? Check out Mooyah's Facebook Page timeline-highlighted, full-width post from April 4:

Savor Dallas: Best Food & Wine Event of the Year

2015 Post-Event Update: I no longer recommend attending this event. It has been steadily declining for the past the three years to the point where the 2015 event was not worth going to. Here's why: None of the media reviewers I see there every year or strangers I talked to in line were wowed by the creativity and flavor in any of the dishes this year. This downhill trend started at the 2013 event and has culminated in zero "wows" in 2015. It's nearly the same vendors every year. It seems more of them have figured out they need to make the food ahead of time. Perhaps that explains why taste and creativity has suffered. Although I don't understand why they haven't also learned to bring more food because every year a quarter of the booths run out of food one hour before the event ends and almost no one has food with 30 minutes left. The ticket price used to be cheaper and a good value with several really creative and delicious dishes to try, but $120 ticket price per person is not even remotely worth what you get now. I recommend spending that money on the much tastier and more creative food at any of the reputable restaurants in Dallas.
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From a Dallas Foodie perspective, Savor Dallas is my favorite weekend of the year, and it's coming up at the end of this month. What sets it apart from other Dallas food and drink events is the sheer number and quality of items to be sampled at multiple events over the course of two days.

Photo courtesy of Savor Dallas

Highly Acclaimed Chef Opening New Restaurant in Dallas?

Future location of potential new Dallas restaurant.
(Image courtesy of Google Maps.)

You never know who you're going to run into in Dallas, and the person I ran into might say the same about me if he/she reads this blog. I'm referring to a conversation with a random stranger where neither of us spoke much about our own notoriety, but we both recognized that the other person knew good food, and so we had lots to talk about. However, this person revealed tidbits of grandiose-sounding food experiences and details of plans to open a new restaurant in Dallas.

I didn't really take the person seriously at the time ("You want to open a restaurant in Dallas? Uh huh, interesting…"). But the next day I was still wondering how much of what the person had said about their foodie life was true. It occurred to me that I could get creative with a Google search and maybe figure out who this person was and see if the stories matched up.

The First In-N-Out in Texas Opens on Thurs. May 12, 2011

I have learned from a reliable inside source that the first In-N-Out Burger in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area will have it's Grand Opening on Thursday, May 12, 2011. I have not yet be able to confirm if this grand opening will be the location in Allen or Frisco, or both.

A different In-N-Out source, via the phone number on their web site, says the regular store hours for the first location will be 10:30 AM – 1:00 AM. This person was not sure whether the Frisco or Allen location would open first, but thought the Allen location was closer to being ready. This person would not set a date, but did say they are hoping the first Texas location will open some time next week (the week of May 8).

Image courtesy visitrenotahoe.com.

What to Expect From This Blog Site

If you're looking for more insightful food reviews than typical bland comments like, "mmm this burger tastes great", then you've come to the right blog! Some of you may know me from my start on Twitter @Dallas_Foodie, and I hope you will follow me there and here. Although Twitter will remain my more frequent posting method, sometimes 140 characters just isn't enough to give you the whole truth (and all of my undercover iPhone photos) describing the taste, texture, and appearance of food, drinks, and my restaurant experiences around Dallas—and wherever else I travel.

In this blog you can look forward to many entries detailing my "Best of Dallas" food lists that I've tried and re-tested over several months. I'm actually a picky eater and a brutally honest person, so I'm not going to tell you something is the best in town unless it was really that good and I've compared it to several competitors. You can also look forward to detailed restaurant reviews, including the downright unflattering stuff, plus an occasional original recipe of mine and anything newsworthy in the world of food and drinks.

Your comments are appreciated and friendly debates are encouraged, so please subscribe to this blog now, and soon, you will be in-the-know about the best food spots in Dallas-Ft. Worth!