Friday Food Round Up For August 14
It’s already the middle of August. Where did the time go?
There is real forward motion happening in the restaurant and hospitality space and that is good news! Here are a few things to look forward to in the coming days and weeks. Keep your eyes peeled for September’s People Newspapers issues, which will include information on this year’s Restaurant Week benefitting the North Texas Food Bank and how PPP (the other PPP, not the one I’ve told you about here) has helped local restaurants.
Openings and Reopenings
The Pac is Back! After closing earlier this spring, everyone’s (ok, my) favorite upscale Highland Park Village restaurant, Café Pacific, has reopened for takeaway and patio dining. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday 11:30 am to 8 pm and, if you can find a spot on the shaded patio, you can wine and dine there.
One of the many things we all miss about dining out is connecting with our favorite staff and servers and I was wondering how the Café Pacific team was doing and the wonderfully hospitable manager, Dieter, gave me the update. “All our staff is doing well,” Dieter told me. “They are still currently furloughed. I talk to Peter Wright and Lazlo Toth at least once a week. Mark Drekaj has been enjoying time with his children. Walter Benal, Fernando Hernandez, and Ruben Ramirez are all doing well during this difficult time.” I’m so glad to hear this and look forward to dining in person there soon.
Hey, did y’all get your PPP? Not THAT PPP, the Pizza Parm Project, the latest side hustle from Neighborhood Services offers salads, 12-inch pizzas, parm heros, cheesy garlic bread and beverages, including beer and wine. PPP’s fare is available for pickup at Neighborhood Services on Lover’s Lane Tuesday – Thursday & Sunday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. Delivery options are available as well. Guests are encouraged to order online here or call 214.350.5027.
Pizza highlights include the BCB, with hamburger meat, bacon, tomato, Tillamook cheddar, pickle and secret sauce, and the Eggplant or Chicken Parm, with green bell peppers, arugula and tomato.
Another Flavorhook concept, Town Hearth, launched TH Down Home that features takeaway only dinners for two with or without wine pairing which is sold below Town Hearth’s list price. To improve otherwise blah Mondays, TH Down Home will launch its weekly menus then and they will be available until Sunday. There are three meal options such as Prime Short Rib Pot Roast, Baked Rigatoni and Fried Chicken all well equipped with sides, salad, bread, and dessert. Diners can place their orders daily at 3 pm and schedule curbside pickup starting at 5 pm.
The Kimpton Pittman Hotel has opened in Deep Ellum which is the first hotel in the neighborhood and includes a cool new restaurant, Elm & Good, helmed by notable Chef Graham Dodds who has led the kitchen in some of Dallas’ most well-known restaurants, including Bolsa, Hibiscus and, Wayward Sons, where I first experience Dodd’s genius at creating a legit, meaty charcuterie board using only plants. Dodds has a beautiful restaurant to showcase his talents and I predict the hotel’s occupancy will benefit from having such a venue in-house.
The Kimpton Pittman Hotel is located in a very cool old building, the Knights of Pythias Temple which was designed in 1916 by African American architect and son-in-law of Booker T.Washington, William S. Pittman, for whom the hotel is named. It’s well located and walkable to many shops, craft breweries and live music venues.
Get outta town . . . The Hotel Vin, Autograph Collection is set to open September 3 in Grapevine. William Salisbury, formerly of the exceptional French restaurant Bullion has been has been named executive chef and, with the Food & Beverage team will lead the culinary program for Bacchus Kitchen + Bar and The Rioja Rooftop Terrace, as well as the seven kitchens in the adjoining Harvest Hall. The F&B program will focus on creating contemporary North Texas cuisine with direct-from-the-farm ingredients paired with a highly curated wine program. This will be a great addition to the area for everything from weddings to staycations.
Events
Save the date for the 12th Annual Day at the Races.
The signature fundraiser of the Turtle Creek Conservancy will be held Saturday, September 5th from 4:30 pm-6 pm. This year’s event will be virtual only so event chairs Courtney Edwards and Reanae Seth, Community Chairs, Leigh and Brian Danley, and Honorary Chairs, Julie and Frank Reedy Honorary Chairs put their heads together to create “Derby in a Box” which is a hat box filled with Derby-inspired treats including food, drinks and trinkets so you can celebrate safely at home. The live broadcast from Turtle Creek Park will include fan favorites like the Hat Contest, Best Dressed, “wagering” on the Kentucky Derby, live streaming of the race, Scout & Cellar Wine Pull, Raffle and Silent & Live Auction.
Reserve your Derby in a Box soon because supplies are limited and, with no college football, you will need something fun to do on September 5.
For more information and to order your “Derby in a Box” here or call 214.521.2003. Pickup and delivery available by arrangement.
Dallas Chocolate Festival is going virtual, too! This year’s event will take place September 12. You can virtually attend classes, demonstrations and tastings while enjoying chocolate samples you purchase in advance. Festival Boxes are available for $50 plus $10 for delivery to your door by Alto (limited to the DFW Metroplex area) or chocolate boxes can also be shipped outside the Metroplex area for an additional postage fee. Access to only the virtual events (excluding chocolate box) is $5.
Canceled
Sadly, the 34th Annual Grapefest has been canceled. The Southwest’s largest wine festival usual takes place four days in mid-September. Maybe instead you can spend for days in mid-September at Hotel Vin.
