Burgers, Pizza, Dark Dining
It’s baseball season again and what goes well with baseball? Burgers and pizza. And there are two new menu options for you to check out.
Rodeo Goat Ice House just introduced the Evan Grant Burger named for the beloved Texas Rangers beat reporter for The Dallas Morning News who is really one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. The burger is available until April 26 and contains a 44 Farms beef patty stuffed with gouda and bacon, Zavala’s Barbecue brisket, bull’s blood microgreens, French fried potato salad, ‘Opening Day’ aioli served on a black sesame seed bun. It’s only $12 so you can still afford to buy a beer and a statin blocker.
Zalat Pizza which I think is the best takeaway pizza in town just launched the Nashville Hot Chicken & Pickle pizza, which is made with a Nashville hot sauce base, mozzarella cheese, chicken, red onion, garlic, black pepper, crushed red pepper and topped with two Nashville hot sauce swirls, Srirancha swirl, and bread and butter pickle chips. It’s the modern version of the BBQ Chicken pizza made famous by California Pizza Kitchen – unexpected pizza toppings that are really amazing.
Events
Just over a year ago, Covid-19 introduced us to dining with a fever and no taste or smell. Today, an event company named Fever is introducing us to a dining experience with no sight. Is sensory deprivation the dining trend of the roaring 20s? I hope not, but the Fairmont Dallas is hosting weekly Dining in the Dark experiences during which diners are blindfolded and fed a meal they can’t see and thereby, cannot identify what is on the plate. As a juror, I once had lunch at the basement cafeteria of the Frank Crowley Courts building and couldn’t identify what was on my plate. It wasn’t a good experience.
Choose in advance a vegan, meat or seafood menu and arrive in a socially distanced (not that you’d know, since you can’t see anything) dining room where you’ll be seated, then blindfolded. Presumably, there will be servers to assist diners because serving family style without the benefit of sight could get messy. All this can be yours for $80 per person.
In December 2020, the Fairmont brought on a new chef, Jean-François Fortin. I googled the name Jean-François Fortin and found: a hockey player; a politician; an Executive Director, Enforcement; an executive at Eli Lilly, and a chef. I believe the one I’m interested in meeting is Jean-François Fortin, the chef. Chef Fortin has an impressive resume and comes to Dallas from other Fairmont properties including the legendary Fairmont Château Frontenac in Quebec City and Château Lake Louise in Alberta.
I understand how tough it can be to get diners into a hotel dining room, I spent five years coming up with gimmicky pr programs like this one for Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. I have to say, though, I look forward to trying Chef Fortin’s food with all of my senses because I’m sure his talent deserves that.
Happy weekend, everyone.
