I’m new to this site, so I thought I would make my first post about something pretty simple - food.

If you’re looking for a hole-in-the-wall type of place with pretty fantastic food, you should head down to Main Street to the AllGood Cafe.  I imagine that anyone who lives in the area already knows all about it.  If you don’t though, it’s worth a little bit of a drive to have brunch on the weekends.

The place is unbelievably laid-back and has a serious Austin vibe.  I recommend trying the mimosa.

One tip - if you go on Saturday or Sunday, early is always better.  They get pretty crowded later in the morning.

Enjoy!

http://www.allgoodcafe.com/

2934 Main Street

Deep Ellum

(214) 742-5362

Hours:

9am - 2pm Sun - Mon

9am - 9pm Tues - Sat

There is this area that is between Deep Ellum and Fair Park that remains nameless, where a white shack of restaurant called Vern’s churned out some of the best soul food in Dallas. In case you haven’t heard, this place is down home cookin’ from 7am-6pm Monday through Friday. Their menu changes daily, with short ribs being the only thing offered on the regular, once you taste them you’ll know why, and breakfast is served up until 10am. The food, the place and the people are nothin’ but pure soul and now they are coming to Deep Ellum proper.

Vern’s will be reopening at 2807 Elm St @ Crowdus. I don’t have a definite date when they will be open in the new location, but I am sure it won’t be too long. I’d give them a call at 214.823.0435 if you are planning on heading out there anytime soon.

Hotel Belmont’s long awaited restaurant is now open, for dinner and by the weekend will be open for all 3 meals. The converted diner is located right next door to the hotel, and boasts a menu that is lies somewhere between chic and comfort food. Bar goers can look forward to a more diverse and ever changing menu in the Bar Belmont. Today I was served up a perfectly sized pulled pork quesadilla as I downed 2.50 happy hour Shiners.

The Public Trust will be doing an installment of the Hotel’s “Art With a View” series. It opens September 19, with a reception from 6-9. The artists featured in the show are Tes One, Shepard Fairey, Bask, Stephen Tompkins, Steven Hopwood-Lewis and Brian Gibb.

I hate to start off my food writing with a chain restaurant, but how can you expect me to not try a place with the name “Back Yard Burgers”. Sounds awesome. And I’m happy to support an independent chain that’s not part of Tricon Global. It’s on my way to work, on the 75 service road just south of Royal on the northbound side. Just exit Royal if you’re going north and it’s right there. This is currently the only location in Dallas, and the 4th to open in the state.

I won’t leave you hanging: I think the burgers are great. They really do live up to their name. It just looks and tastes more like a burger you made in you back yard. They also have veggie burgers (!!), chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, baked potatoes, and salads.

But dude, I was so disappointed that they didn’t have sides that fit in with the “back yard” concept. When have you ever cooked fries in your back yard? I was totally expecting to have baked beans and potato salad as an option (and I wrote them an email to this effect, since I like to waste time doing this sort of thing).

UPDATE: The owner of the Dallas franchise location wrote back and said he agrees about the more legit backyard sides and is talking to the corporate office about adding baked beans and potato salad for the Dallas location. Very cool.

Being the starving artist that I am, I’m always on the lookout for great deals on great food. I have found a few in Deep Ellum that have become a staple for me.

Tuesday
- All Good Café hosts the 2 for 1 dinner special from 6-9pm. Most people know All Good for their great breakfast menu, but for lunch and dinner I have found it to be one of my most favorite local spots. My favorites there are their herb roasted chicken, their spinach salad, or even just a veggie plate, which is made up of 3 picks from their fresh side menu. A meal usually costs on average from $6-7.99, but since it’s a 2 for 1 deal, you have to bring another person along.

- Monica’s (just down the block from All Good) also has half-price night on Tuesdays. One of the great Dallas Tex-Mex spots. You can get entrees here for about the same price as All Good, so you can save just the same amount of loot even if you are just eating alone.

Wednesday
- The Meridian Room in Fair Park hosts half-price nights on Wednesdays. They definitely have one of my most favorite meals…the Turkey Brie Sandwich with apple slices on toasted sourdough. All sandwiches come with fries or a pasta salad too…and the side to choose is the Sweet Potato Fries! This meal is usually $6.50, but half-price makes it a steal at $3.25. This much good-ness for so little almost feels like Christmas every Wednesday.

I’m still looking for good deals for the rest of the week. Until then, the Ramen Noodles seem to still be working. In fact I’ve gotten quite inventive with it lately. I’ll just say that a little peanut butter made for quite the strange yet delicious surprise.

Is there anything more satisfying than a big giant scoop of Ben & Jerry’s? All the flavors live together in perfect harmony, side by side with each other, oh lord, why don’t we?. So peaceful and tasty.

Today, there is something better. How about a FREE scoop of Ben & Jerry’s.

My personal fav was Festivus, which was renamed to Gingerbread Cookie and is usually available around Christmas.

There are a few in the Metroplex…Plano & McKinney are the first to come to mind.

You can get your free cone from noon until 8pm. Expect long lines.

WE ARE DYING and we don’t know what to do about the fact that WE ARE DYING. all around me i see nothing. people leave. people have no hearts or souls anymore. do i have a heart? do i have a soul?

This isn’t a highly original topic for this Blog, but I guarantee it will prompt a lot of interesting responses.

My favorite pizza in Dallas is at Louie’s on Henderson, a tolerable place to eat now that smoking is banned in this media Mecca. A close second is The Elbow Room on Gaston, in the shadow of Baylor School of Dentistry, where the pizza, jukebox and everything else on the menu is fantastic.

The best take out pizza is from Marco’s on the southeast corner of Preston and Royal (214-363-6122) in the heinous strip mall that also hosts Border’s. It’s take out only and cash only. The salads are great at all three places, too.

I’m amazed at the number of people who haven’t eaten at Louie’s, The Elbow Room or Marco’s. Of course you have to love thin crust pizza, and dank, dark, reasonably priced, hole-in-the-wall joints. If you like Cafe Express, you won’t like these three places.

So, where else is the pizza, salad and people watching without parallel?

I put this in the ‘food’ category? Does that count?

Anyway, moving on…

Aaah…Taco Cabana. One of the many little pleasures that my life has gained since moving to Dallas. Those tasty tortillas and queso have held me over for many a near-penniless evening.

Marcie and I hopped into the Taco Cabana north of Greenville and Southwestern last night for some good eats and a beer. One friggin’ beer. LUPITA: GENERAL MANAGER was there to greet us and take our orders. My order included a bottle of Tecate. I handed Lupita my Florida Drivers License (I’m originally from Florida) and she inform me that she needed a valid Texas ID from me. OMGWTFBBQ?! I don’t have a Texas ID…I’m from Florida. I haven’t lived in Dallas a very long time. I still have my Florida ID. Lupita informed me that “It’s State Law.”

“What? Why? This is the only time I’ve ever had this problem. It’s Texas State law that alcohol can only be served to legal Texans?”
“Yes…”
“What about tourists? They don’t get any alcohol? You can still run it. It’s a valid ID. It works everywhere else that runs it.”
“We can’t run an out of state ID.”
“It’s the same machine. Just try it.”
“No. We can’t.”
“OMYGOSH. It’s the SAME machine. Are your machines only for Texas?”
“Yes.”
“You’re the only one that has them! Did the State of Texas make special ID things especially and only for Taco Cabana so they cannot check out-of-state IDs?”
“….Yes.”
“Seriously? Texas made them JUST FOR Taco Cabana?”
“Yes.”

I never got my beer. I was so irked. I’d really been looking forward to it. I hate you, Lupita.

So riddle me this: What is the Texas State law as far as drinking goes? It doesn’t make any sense to not allow out-of-state IDs because that would be really awful for the tourism industry here. Is there a factory where the state makes special Taco Cabana ID Nazi machines? I’m really unfamiliar as to how the laws here work ’cause they don’t make any sense. Help me out.

I just read in the new catalog for Penzeys Spices that they will be opening a new store in the Preston Valley Shopping Center before Labor Day. I’ve purchased their spices for myself and as gifts for years now and have visited their store in Houston (Heights), so we’ll be in for a real treat when they move here. There’s at least one more reason for me to go north of LBJ once in a while.

UPDATE: Maybe not even that - I’ve been told the shopping center is at the southwest corner of Preston and LBJ - even better!