EATS

Posted by Grumpy @ 6:02 AM Thu, Jul 03, 2008

Bill, what's the deal? Are you also being paid by McClatchey / Ft Worth Star Telegram? Enough with the Fort Worth reviews. This is DMN, not Metroplex MN, DFW MN, etc. Surely there is enough to write about locally with the interesting times we are in. To wit, openings and closings seemingly every day. I'm sorry to seem harsh, as I've generally enjoyed the contents of your reviews and your taking failure to task (La Condesa), while puncuating excellence (Yutaka). That said, it is somewhat of a slight to fill a Dallas focused paper with content on Fort Worth. Circulation and Belo's stock price will not recover when sites such as Side Dish offer Dallas readers great content on...drum roll...Dallas. This while the DMN is over there talking Fort Worth. Bizarre.

Posted by MM @ 7:52 AM Thu, Jul 03, 2008

I was surprised and disappointed to see one of Dallas finest restaurants receive only 3 stars across all of your categories. I have been dining there for 20 years, and the classic ambiance, delicious and simply-prepared fish and meat and impeccable service deserve a more balanced and equitable review. I find it a shame that the reviewer's primary concerns were regarding elbow room and her "too hot" dessert. The sea bass, salmon, halibut, steak and lamb are all prepared wonderfully. Cafe Pacific is a true Dallas gem and one of its finest restaurants.

Posted by Bill Addison @ 9:30 AM Thu, Jul 03, 2008

Hey Grumpy:

While I can respect your opinion, I don't agree with you about our coverage of Fort Worth restaurants. When I worked in Atlanta and San Francisco, it wasn't deemed bizarre to report on an interesting restaurant worth covering that was a 45-minute or so drive away. Maybe it's the fact that Fort Worth is its own city with its own paper, but the Star-Telegram covers Dallas restaurants frequently, and I see no reason not to cover their spots that bring something of interest to the North Texas dining scene. So though you won't ever see FW restaurants dominate our coverage, they'll continue to pop up when we find them appropriate.

(And by the way, Teresa Gubbins reviewed Lambert's -- as well as Brix Pizza and Wine -- in the current issue of D magazine, so it isn't just the DMN covering FW.)

Bill

Posted by Mrs. Smith @ 10:10 AM Thu, Jul 03, 2008

Though we live in Dallas, my husband and I go to Fort Worth quite frequently and we appreciate your reviews of their restaurants. We were talking about trying Lambert's just yesterday. Keep up the good work.

Posted by Finally @ 11:36 AM Thu, Jul 03, 2008

Re: Star Ratings...
We finally have a star system in place worthy of a serious food town. 3 stars is "Very good: A destination restaurant for this type of dining." As Mr. Addison and his team work through our many fine established restaurants - fairly distributing these "new" stars - we will have a frame of reference more consistent with other major fine dining cities. Meanwhile, take into account that there are still many older reviews on-line reflecting a more liberal sprinkling of stardust.

Posted by Relaxed @ 4:44 PM Thu, Jul 03, 2008

Put me on the side of people who appreciate the Fort Worth reviews. Maybe Grumpy should slow down and drive over to Lambert's and try to loosen up a little.

Posted by Grumpy @ 5:20 PM Thu, Jul 03, 2008

Grumpy responds: I love Joe T's, Angelos, Railhead, etc. The arts are second to none in the Fort as well. There is so much right here in D that I like the idea of reading about places in our fair city. Of course I could also trot out the old feud which has been going on since time immemorial (Amon Carter actually) that many people from Dallas and Fort Worth respectively view their counterparts as West used to view East Berlin. Bill, I doubt that San Fran, Atlanta, or anywhere else I can imagine have had such public displays of vitriol as have Dallas and Fort Worth over the years. Sometimes it has been in jest, but it is real to many. I'm just saying..

Posted by jfl @ 2:40 PM Fri, Jul 04, 2008

i think that three stars is too low for cafe pacific. looking at your list of 58 four star restaurants, it is hard for me to imagine that you have applied internally consistent standards in grading those restaurants against cafe pacific. give me cafe pacific over most of your four stars any day.

Posted by Claire @ 5:40 PM Tue, Jul 08, 2008

I love the reviews of restaurants in Ft. Worth and think all of us in Dallas are lucky to have another culinary scene just 30 minutes away from us! Keep em' comin' Bill...I greatly appreciate the reviews and suggestions of those great spots to our west!

Posted by JB @ 9:44 AM Wed, Jul 09, 2008

I also appreciate the Ft. Worth reviews. I don't get over there often, but I always want to know what's what as far as restaurants go when I visit.