EATS

In my first Table Talk column in The Dallas Morning News, I point out how trendy pressed sushi is - and leave out one of the trendiest spots of all: Abacus. Sorry about that. Check out the column to learn more about this ancient form of sushi that's making a splash here in Dallas.

Something I didn't have the space to dwell on in my review as much as I'd haved liked was Craft's wine list and wine service, both of which are top-notch. I love a list that veers away from the usual suspects -- California cabs and chards. But when I find a great list -- like Craft's -- I find myself in a quandary. I'd really like to spend some time reading the list, but I'm out having dinner with friends, and that would be rude. So I try to give it a quick once-over, and then, when I'm writing the review, I might request that the restaurant email or fax me a copy of the list. That's when I do my serious reading, and it's a nice luxury.

At Craft, on my first visit, a section on the list jumped out at me: Indigenous and esoteric reds. Not that the rest of the list was limited to predictable choices -- far from it. But giving this section a scan, something caught my eye: a 2004 Alois Lageder Lagrein from Alto Adige in Italy for $42.

Chef Tim Byres (who is wrapping up duties as exec chef of Stephan Pyles and was previously chef de cuisine at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek) will join with Oak Cliff's Bolsa creators Chris Zielke and Christopher Jeffers to replace Cliff Cafe at Hotel Belmont with a new eatery.

Cliff Cafe will close and undergo interior renovations starting July 6. Fans can still dine at BarBelmont and the hotel lobby until the new restaurant opens in September.

Photos by Courtney Perry: Hotel Belmont's Cliff Cafe and Byres in 2005 at his former Standard Restaurant

Blog content from Reagen Anderes, a participant in the SMU Creative Writing food writer's workshop.

Most of us can agree, Anthony Bourdain has the BEST job in the world. On his show No Reservations, Bourdain travels around the world as hosts from each locale help to expose their unique culture and cuisine, however wacky or mundane.

It is my fantasy to be Bourdain's Dallas episode tour guide and my mission to MAKE him like Dallas (or Texas, for that matter). With his dry sense of humor, irreverent persona, passion for the culinary arts, and insatiable thirst for alcohol, I'm certain we will be fast friends.

The phrase, "I would definitely take Bourdain here" has been incorporated into my everyday vernacular as I constantly refine my 'No Reservation itinerary'. Needless to say, when the Travel Channel comes knocking at my door to host 'No Reservations: The Dallas Episode', I'm ready to go!

First stop: Fuel City. Tell me where else you'll find a gasoline station with roaming longhorns, a swimming pool complete with bikini-clad women, and a karaoke truck (just in case you might want to belt out your favorite Latin tunes) as the setting for a 24-hour taco stand with surprisingly authentic al pastor and barbacoa tacos.

Next up: Tillman's Roadhouse for Dallas' twist on a Texas staple. Amongst wooden animal heads and over-sized chandeliers, we will feast on venison Frito pie and braised buffalo short ribs in culture-ridden Oak Cliff (I can hear Bourdain's raging commentary now).

Then onto Rattlesnake Bar in the Ritz-Carlton for a margarita and to scope out Dallasites at their finest. Gotta go to Fearing's to sample southwestern fusion cuisine at its best, after all Dean Fearing has been an icon for so long that he is woven into our Dallas tapestry.

On the hole-in-the-wall circuit will be Odom's for BBQ, Chapman Chile Kitchen for Texas chile and stuffed jalapenos, La Hechizera for chicken tinga huaraches (pictured above) and ice-cold Mexican soft drinks, and the Old Monk for beer and mussels. Then, with an invitation from Ricardo Avila, we will enjoy Avila's brisket chile rellenos and throw back shots of various tequilas until we are salsa dancing down Maple Street (or until our stomachs can take no more).

But to dispel Bourdain's stereotypes of Dallas, I'm gonna need some help. As only one of many Dallas foodies, I need other's opinions of what sums up our unique city. Tell me your 'No Reservations itinerary'!

To learn more about Reagan and her food opinions, check out Everything's Yummier In Dallas.

I can't wait to get over to Oak Cliff to try the empanadas at Espumoso. Read more here.

Has anybody been?

From TINA DANZE:

I had a splendid spaghetti with Bolognese sauce at Urbano Café, which recently re-opened on Fitzhugh, next to Jimmy's Food Store. When our waiter told us that the restaurant has a BYOB policy, I immediately booked a table for the next night. Saturday night's menu didn't include that Bologonese dish - which I would have eaten again in a heartbeat. But that was just as well; I ended up even happier ordering a petite beef tenderloin with cambazola blue cheese and a star anise demi glace.

It was a magical combination of flavors that I'd never considered before. Hats off to chef Ke'o Velazquez for giving star anise its due in a very non-Asian dish. And thank goodness for another BYOB café where the food is worthy of that great wine you've been saving.

Owner Mitch Kauffman says the café's BYOB plan is a permanent one. Since Urbano is tiny - it seats only 30 - he says it "didn't have the space to store a decent wine inventory." If you forget to bring a bottle, just run next door to Jimmy's, which has an impressive selection of Italian wines and stays open until 7:30 p.m.

Urbano Café is at 1410 N. Fitzhugh. Dinner hours are Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m.; lunch is daily, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.. For reservations, call 214-823-8550.

Blog content from Wendy Watson, a participant in the SMU Creative Writing Program's food writer's workshop.

With National Ice Cream Month officially beginning tomorrow and the Texas heat melting us all, it seemed appropriate to devote a few paragraphs to that frozen miracle of physics that makes summer bearable.

My relationship with ice cream is obsessive. Like maybe ice cream should get a court order keeping me at least 100 yards away. I've devoted considerable time to dissecting and analyzing the perfect ice cream experience -- even written a mystery novel starring ice cream.

Flavor matters. From the traditional grande dames of strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla, to an inspiration called Pavarotti (an earthy-sweet banana ice cream laced with ribbons of salty caramel and dark chocolate chips), to the exotic Thai Chili (a luscious peanut butter ice cream made sophisticated by decadent coconut milk and a spike of cayenne heat), it's all about fresh ingredients handled with care. While some of my favorites mentioned here are not available in Dallas, other tantalizing concoctions are. So throw me a bone -- or a cone -- and tell me where!

This came from Gipson, commenting on "The Back Story: Bailey's Prime Plus." It comes out of the baked potato discussion. Actually, Gipson posed another interesting question as well, but to avoid beating a dead potato, I'll save the first part of the question for later. Here's the second -- and very interesting question:

"Something I've always wanted to know...

"How do you choose what to order? Do you just order what you think will taste the best, or do you keep other things in mind - price, likely readers' preferences, restaurant recommendations?"

Well, last week's comment, that is. Better late than never, right?

Last week's comment comes from The Walter, who wrote in response to my post "The Back Story: Bailey's Prime Plus." "I just wanted a baked potato with my steak," I had written. "Is that so weird?" And then I wrote about the side orders at Bailey's -- something I didn't dwell on too much in the review because I wanted to get to the steaks.

The Walter wrote:

"Great - Now I'm craving a baked potato! You shouldn't read about food at work... It only makes you hungry and then you go over eat at lunch and feel horrible all day and can't get any work done.

"Somebody tell my boss I will be useless for the rest of the day!"

Love that, The Walter!

I just wanted a baked potato with my steak. Is that so weird?

There's probably a reason steakhouse classics are classic. Caesar salad. Creamed spinach. A shrimp cocktail. A baked potato. Steaks are so rich and intense that you don't want a lot of gussied up stuff surrounding them.

It's back! We're thrilled to announce the return of the Best in DFW series. It starts right now, with the best places to take out-of-towners, from a food-lovers perspective, of course.

The series will work a little differently than it did last go-around. This time, I'll present a story that offers my choices in a dining category; the story will go up on the web that Wednesday night -- along with a boffo slide show -- and it will be published in The Guide (print edition) on Friday morning.

It's still just as important to us to include your favorites too, and now they'll be published in a separate story two weeks after my story runs.

We'll be publishing installments about once a month, but we won't adhere to a strict schedule. We're very excited about this, and we hope you are too.

So...what are your favorite places to take visiting food-lovers in and around Dallas? Tell us here, in a comment. We'll compile selections from your picks, focusing on places that weren't mentioned in the original story, and publish them in a story in Guide (and on our online Restaurants page, of course) on July 10.

Photo by Nathan Hunsinger/DMN

• Best in DFW: Places to Take Out-of-Towners
• See The Best in DFW slideshow

Cathy Barber spotted an ad for a new restaurant in the "Taste" pages of the July issue of D magazine. Geisha House, according to the ad, promises sushi, a teppanyaki grill and sake, for lunch, dinner, happy hour, private dining, sake dinners. Attached to the ad is one for Roppongi Bar Tokyo Tavern. Sounds cool! "Live Music. Signature Sips. Late Night Dining," it says. The bottom of the Geisha House ad says "NOW OPEN."

It's not. I drove by the location at Cedar Springs and Routh. It still looks like a construction site. The website doesn't work yet. It doesn't look related to L.A. Geisha House (owned by the Dolce Group); in any case, the logo's different.

Does anyone know anything about it? (Well, I'm sure someone does...but are they reading this?)

The Sigel's people got tired of thinking about the sign and sending progress reports, so there is no news about it today. Except this, in a note from Jasper Russo: "The sign installation is going well and will probably be completed tomorrow." Does anyone care? I'm so over that sign.

Judy Dunston Kissel, co-owner of Dunston's Steakhouse on Lover's Lane, wrote to me with the following question:

"Please give us your take on what we should do when 4 people occupy a prime table during busiest dinner hour for 4 hours ( 5 to 9:00), then do not leave a tip! Or when a lone person reads a book for one hour after finished dining, while patrons are standing, waiting for the table. Help! We need to turn these tables!

I couldn't answer it. I can understand wanting to relax and take one's time at a table when you're paying big bucks at a steakhouse. I wondered if they were ordering appropriately to be occupying the table for that length of time. But then not to leave a tip? Were they foreigners? In Japan, tipping isn't the custom. In France, service is usually included. But I'm guessing these were Americans? And the lone reader -- what was he or she thinking? Did he or she know there were people waiting?

It's a very sticky question. How should a restaurateur handle such uncomfortable issues? According to Ms. Kissel, such problems are a constant. If it were you, and somehow you didn't know what you were doing was wrong, how would you like it handled?

And on a related note, if you're paying big bucks at a steakhouse or other high-end restaurant, how long do you think you should be able to occupy the table?

OK, that's it -- I've been here four months, and now I need to know: Where can I find great barbecue? People keep telling me there is no good barbecue in Dallas. Can that really be true? I don't -- and won't -- believe it.

A few people have recommended Baker's, on Greenville near Lover's Lane; I'll definitely head over there. I've been to Dickey's -- do-able in a pinch. Of course there's Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse. I've been to one downtown (meh) and had their barbecue at the Mesquite Championship Rodeo (loved the rodeo; hated the barbecue). Is a stop at the original worthwhile? I saw a place that looked great in Wylie, and a few that looked compelling in Mesquite, but haven't had a chance to check 'em out. Is there anything in town? Anything nearer than, say, Clark's Outpost in Tioga? The delicious photo isn't from around here -- it's Smitty's Market in Lockhart.

I'm starting to get really hungry for it!

Photo by Nathan Hunsinger/DMN

I love hearing from you by email (and of course in blog comments) -- we all do! And I do my best to answer every message. But sometimes my email box gets so swamped I miss an email or two. If by any chance you've emailed me and didn't hear back (or you ever email me in the future and don't hear back within a few days), please shoot me another note. It's likely your first one escaped my noticed and I just need a tap on the back.

Thank you to everyone who has written. Keep 'em coming.

On Friday I had a friend visiting from L.A., so we headed out to Ham Orchard. I wanted her to see and taste first-hand that Texas peaches are even better than the best in California. (Of course ice cream cones were involved.) Back on County Road 309 heading for home, she yelled, "Turn around!!!" -- we had just passed a crawfish stand.

Just a wee bit west of Ham, on the opposite side of the highway, there it was: Possum's Place. The sign just says "Crawfish Shrimp." The old clunkers in the grassy parking lot look like they haven't been started in a decade. We ordered a pound of crawfish for $3.75, and the fellow manning the stockpots gave them to us in a brown bag to go. Possum, he explained to us, nodding toward the picnic table, drives out to Louisiana twice a week to bring them back. Possum Blow, it turned out, was the twinkly-eyed gentleman in fedora and plaid shirt sitting at the picnic table.

"How do you eat them?" asked my friend, innocently (remember, we're from California. We have Dungeness crab, but no crawfish...). What she meant, she told me later, was do you squeeze lemon on them or dip them in mayonnaise? OK, go ahead, laugh...we deserve it.

Those who follow my blogging know that I am an ardent supporter of sustainable agriculture and the humane treatment of food animals. I really want to know that animals were allowed to be animals before they were slaughtered for food. I also understand the economies of scale and other drivers that led us to the factory farm system we have today. But I think perhaps that system has gone astray.

Food, Inc., currently showing at the Magnolia, is one of the most articulate and well presented narratives explaining how that system has gotten out of sync. All the so-called villains in this film were all contacted for rebuttals and statements; all declined.

Now it is possible they would have deliberately been presented in a negative light. I don't know. But this is not a Michael Moore project. Robert Kenner and company have some filmmaking cred. I think you can judge for yourself whether Monsanto acted to protect its interests or as a bully in its approach to farmers.

I plan to do some follow-up investigation. But there are some aspects of this film that should trouble anyone - from the ankle-deep waste cattle live in while being fattened up (and how they go straight to the slaughterhouse - ee-yew) to the treatment of baby chicks as objects, not animals.

All foodies: Go, view, check it out. And tell me what you think. The News ran a review from the Houston Chronicle here.

Here's a pic from the Fairmont of Pyramid executive chef jW Foster in the 3,000 square foot, pool level garden, which I wrote about here. There's a nationwide trend to rooftop gardens, the better to use space, the better to eat better. BTW, visitors are welcome.

I've been scratching my head trying to figure out how we got a barbecue joint smack dab in the middle of a newish Korean shopping center anchored by the super Super H Mart.

Here's the deal, from Cobb Switch owner Phil Cobb: Long ago and far away, the building was a Black-Eyed Pea, which Phil started in partnership with Gene Street. Through a chain of events over 25 years involving the George Bush Turnpike, a bankruptcy and some dumb luck, Phil and Janet Cobb wound up owning the building. Hence, the location.

On a completely different thread, add the demolition of Holy Smoke on Hillcrest at Northwest Highway, whose demise is important because that's where Cobb Switch smoke-and-fire man Chris Andrews came from. Chris started learning his chops (and brisket and ribs), says Phil, at Charles Vergos' Rendezvous in Memphis. Now, that's some cred.

Posted by Jack on Sunday in response to Jeffrey Weiss' post "The good watermelons have arrived":

"You know I love you, but that salt on the melon thing is strange."

There were so many interesting comments posted last week in response to my "Failed chef? Anger management candidate?" post. Many included questions, some of which I answered in the comments string; others, like the following one from dfwlurker, I'll try to answer in separate posts. Here's dfwlurker's question:

"I do have one quick question for you regarding the star scale. Is it purely based on the experience or does it also take into account the cost of the meal and the kind of restaurant it is. By this I mean if you visit an establishment where the cost per diner is around $25 and the food is very good but the service is not "fine dining" such as I find at many smaller family eateries that I prefer. Would it rate higher than a restaurant that averages $50 a plate and attempts to give the image of fine dining with the same less than stellar service?"

VALERIE JARVIE made it to the opening of Carolina's last night. Her report:

Restaurateur Carolina Galvan-Rodriguez opened her new venture, Carolina's Mexican Cuisine last night, hosting a packed-house party benefiting Rainbow Days Inc.

Galvan-Rodriguez was a co- founder of the MCrowd Restaurant Group, developers of the upscale Tex-Mex Mi Cocina chain. The culinary focus of her new cantina will be toward "more authentic regional Mexican cuisine," she says (although you'll still find plenty of your favorite enchiladas, quesadillas and the like on the menu, along with a killer sangría-ínfused margarita called La Bomba).

Galvan-Rodriguez's company (called the "After All Restaurant Group") has plans for another concept as well: Taco Mundo, a casual nuevo taqueria dishing up brisket and rib eyes tacos, is slated to debut in July in the Preston Royal Shopping Center and Centreport Development in Fort Worth.

Carolina's Mexican Cuisine, 3950 Rosemeade, Dallas; 469-568-0988.

Food writer Ron Ruggless got it right in his tweet when he said this is what you'd get if HAL and Aunt Jemima had a love child. Check out this post from the Eat Me Daily blog which shows Japanese robo-chefs turning pancakes and using little fake human fingers to shape sushi. It made my day. Dean Fearing, Janice Provost, be very afraid.

On my second visit at Ava, there was a service glitch involving wine. After my party and I -- there were four of us -- ordered our dinners, the server asked if we had selected a wine. I picked up the wine list and said yes, we had -- the 2008 Tapestry, an unoaked chardonnay from McLaren Vale in Australia. There was no discussion back and forth between anyone in my party about it; clearly, I was the one ordering. A few minutes later, the server returned with the bottle, and she presented it -- not to me, but to the man at the table. There was an uncomfortable moment as I had to remind her that it was I who had ordered the wine, and therefore of course I would be tasting it.

It's a service mistake that's happened to me a few times recently. And it's not something that only happens in Dallas -- it has happened to me in L.A. and in France too. It's annoying because of the chauvinism it belies (only men know wine).

Last night, I attended a dinner to unveil the Pyramid Restaurant's new menu (as a guest of the hotel's PR guy). It's a good menu, with appealing selections like the sesame-lacquered tuna sashimi over green tea noodles with ginger tempura - a terrific extension of the tempura concept.

But what really caught my ear was the continued expansion of the hotel's organic garden on the swimming pool level.

Sharon Hage called to let me know that her fabulous fried okra makes its "seasonal debut" today at lunch at York Street. Here's the recipe, which we ran two years ago on this blog. I can't believe it's been that long and I still can't get the okra quite right. Sharon's is always crisp, light, every-so-lightly dusted with cornmeal and slime-free. She offered to show me how it's done the next time I'm in, and when I do, I'll report back.

TINA DANZE caught up with Samantha Rush of Rush Patisserie to get the scoop on her bakery's move:

Rush Patisserie has left its Deep Ellum digs for a cool corner of north Oak Cliff, about five blocks from the Bishop Arts district. "It's a more intimate retail space," says owner and pastry chef Samantha Rush. She has also taken on a commercial kitchen space that's completely separate from the new shop. Although the retail store won't open until early July, Rush is still doing a brisk catering and wholesale business out of the new kitchen. And her pastries are still turning up in cozy coffee houses around town. (That's one of her massive blueberry muffins in the photo.)
Rush Patisserie's new retail space will be at 1201 El Dorado (at the intersection of Zang and Beckley), just three doors down from Spiral Diner and around the corner from Beckley Brewhouse. The move is inspiring Rush to add some new baked offerings to her lineup of French and Southern specialties. "We will start doing baguettes, brioche and a greater variety of French-oriented pastries," says Rush.
I'm marking my calendar for that July opening (stay tuned for details). And I hope to buy some goodies for a Bastille Day party. In the meantime, if you have a big cake, pastry, or boxed lunch order, just phone in your Rush order: 214 -749-4040.

This was one of the best dishes I've eaten in a long, long time: matsumae zuke soba at Tei-An. Served cold, the hand-pulled noodles were topped with kazunoko (herring roe), shiso (Japanese mint), shreds of seaweed and carrot, sauced with a light, delicate broth and garnished with a dab of fresh wasabi. Japanese cooking celebrates, among other things, the textural, and this dish did that beautifully. The herring roe, slightly bitter, had a wonderful crunch, and after that you got the tiny individual pop of each egg. The soba noodles had a wonderful springiness.

The server told me that because the chef cannot always get the herring roe, it appears on the specials menu. But she said they often have it. (Sorry for the blurry photo -- I snapped it surreptitiously on my iPhone.)

Any Tei-An fans out there? I had been once before in the winter -- mostly for hot soba -- but cold soba is one of my favorite things in the world. What have you liked there?

Tei An, 1722 Routh St.; 214-220-2828

I stopped by the Original Market Diner -- had to see what all the fuss is about. I loved the place. OK, what I ate (meatloaf on the blue plate special) wasn't great, just OK. I thought maybe I'd return for breakfast, but according to my waitress, there's no real butter in the house. I can't imagine breakfast without butter somehow being involved.

But the place is so much fun, the wait staff so warm and friendly, I'm sure I'll be back.

There's a sign above the kitchen that says "Pie fixes everything." I asked the waitress (not one of the two pictured, but I love the picture) if pie could fix the economy. "My manager says pie fixes everything," she said, "except diabetes."

Photo by Melanie Burford/DMN

OK, so that's what y'all mean by hot! I cried "uncle" this weekend and went for cool take-out at Izmir Deli, the very cute little brother of Cafe Izmir a block north on Greenville. I picked up four appetizers-salads, and ate them, with toasted pita bread and a glass of red wine, in a hermetically-sealed air-conditioned environment at home. What a treat.

The hummus was terrific -- ultra-smooth, with the accent on tahini. It would be fantastic to put a bowl of that out at a party, just drizzle a swirl of good olive oil on top and serve it with warmed pita triangles. Tabouli was a celebration of parsley, a very citrusy, salty one; I'd add some more chopped tomatoes and mint if I served it at said party. Creamy tzatziki (the menu spells it ziziki) provided cool cucumber relief.

Best was the eegra (shown on left) -- a salad of melty grilled eggplant and tomato, with a good kick of spice. The menu says it's served hot if you eat in, but it was wonderful cold. That and the hummus were the two dishes I could most imagine eating in Izmir, the town on the Aegean coast of Turkey that gives the cafe its name. I closed my eyes, imagined swimming in a turquoise-blue cove off the coast, came up for air...and there I was in hot Dallas. But the lunch was good.

I look forward to trying other dishes, and dining in the Cafe proper. Anyone been lately? What's good there? Anything really Turkish?

Izmir Deli; 3607 Greenville Ave.; 214-824-8484; www.cafeizmir.com/deli.htm

And Tin Star and any other restaurant on the north side of the Plaza at Preston Center, Preston at Northwest Highway. The power's been off all day, and I don't know how much of the night. It was off in at least parts of the south side, but I see that Corner Bakery now has its electricity back. I hate to think what a mess it's going to be at Baskin Robbins - 31 Flavors all running together.

Posted yesterday by David, in the comments regarding the post "Failed chef? Anger management candidate? Readers want to know!"

"I like the fact that you write like you're 'one of us' and not some food snob all caught up in halibut cheeks and pomegranate gastriques."

David, I don't often laugh out loud when I read something, but this had me rolling around my cubicle. What a great turn of phrase. Thank you!

And thank you everyone for your terrific comments.

NBC's DFW Around Town reports that Reata Restaurant in Fort Worth has promoted Juan Rodriguez to executive chef. Here's the story.

OK, I guess I'm not really up on my frozen yogurt chains. I had never heard of Yogen Früz. Between the name, such a barely veiled reference to Häagen-Dazs, and the timing, so close to the Pinkberry announcement, I thought the press release I just received was some kind of a joke. I scrutinized it for clues that I was being made a monkey. I couldn't find any. I clicked on the website, and the aesthetic and yogurt styling are almost identical to Pinkberry's.

Anyway, looks like it's for real, and not only that but everyone else in the western world knows about it -- it's a Canadian company that's already in Southern California (I've never seen it) and New York.

Planned opening in Preston-Forest Village is for June 22, then locations in Garland and in Mercantile Tower.

Does anybody know this outfit?

Find the release after the jump.

A reader posted the following comment about my review of Cretia's:

"Wow Leslie, kick 'em when they're down why dont ya. You seem to be a bit more poison to your pen than other critics in this town..Im just curious, do you have an axe to grind with the restaurant business similar to what Thor Christensen has to the music scene, which is to say a person who wished they're were in the said business and became a critic because they're were'nt good enough to cut it in that respective field? Both reviews ive read so far from you seems to indicate that..."

Another reader posted this comment about my Lazare review:

"Leslie - I'm going to give you a chance. But seriously, two one-star reviews in one day, a two-star for Central214, and a one-star for Roasters .... what exactly are you looking for? My gut tells me you have some sort of name to make/axe to grind - - but I'll stay with you until I can get a better sense whether or not you are just critical, or just angry."

Please rest assured: I have no axe to grind. Nor have I ever wanted to be in the restaurant business. I did not go to culinary school, though I love to cook. I've never sought a job in a restaurant. Friends frequently tell me I should open one. But I always tell them I think it would kill my love of cooking. I spent a year in a well-known restaurant, Daniel in New York, doing research for a book, and though being a professional cook wasn't something I wanted to do before that, my feelings about it were confirmed a thousand times. It's an incredibly difficult life -- the work is back-breaking, the hours insane, and it's impossible to have much of a family life. (Or it would be for me -- perhaps there are chefs who can manage it.) The life of a journalist suits me to a T. Yes, the hours are long, as I'm out in restaurants most nights and in the office most days, but dining doesn't feel like work to me -- even when the food's terrible. And my family can join me. (Yes, the act of writing is painful, but it feels good when it's over!)

As for whether I'm "just critical, or just angry," I'm just critical. That's my job: I'm a critic. For me, the most important part of my job is experiencing a restaurant and thinking about you, the readers. I imagine you at the restaurant, paying good money for the food the restaurant's serving and for the service it's providing. Will you feel your money is well-spent? That's always at the forefront of my mind. I mentioned that I love the dining part of my job, and it doesn't feel like work, but it is work, and once you're being paid for your opinion, and know that readers will make decisions about where to spend their money based on your opinion, you take it very, very seriously. You can't just be easy-going; it would be cheating readers.

It may surprise some of you -- the ones who think I'm angry -- but I'd much rather give a four- or five-star review than a one-star review. I love nothing better than to find talented, dedicated, honest chefs and cooks and managers and servers working at the top of their game. To me, that's a professional pleasure like no other. I always want people to do well, and I hope that to many readers, if not all of them, that attitude comes through in my writing.

I'm not angry. I'm very happy. I have the best job in the world, and it's in a wonderful city I'm really enjoying getting to know.

Thoughts?

This review was a real nail-biter. I was ready to roll with it a month or so ago, when I learned that David Gilbert was out as chef. I had already made two visits; now I'd have to make two more. I waited a bit until I felt Ryan Carbery, the new chef, had time to introduce his new menu items and get his footing in the kitchen, but as he's been with the restaurant since it opened (he was Gilbert's sous chef), I didn't feel I had to wait too long.

Though I had already made two more visits, the review was not scheduled for this week. When I read on Side Dish that the owners were perhaps going to change the concept -- something co-owner Russell Hayward had told me they would not do when I interviewed him about the chef change -- my editor, Cathy Barber, and I became nervous that the place would close or completely change by the time my review was published.

I called Hayward, and then his investment partner, Bill Hutchinson, and interviewed them both. Both assured me they were not going to change the concept, though to my mind, the menu and other changes they were planning, along with what had already changed, added up to a change in concept.

Cathy and I decided I should move up the review and let the chips fall where they may. Over at D, Nancy Nichols had written her review of the place and was ready to go with it before David Gilbert left. The day last week we decided to move mine up, Nancy posted hers (though it wouldn't be published in the magazine). I liked that she did that -- thought it was fun. I was tempted to read it, but decided not to until after mine was written and edited.

Side note: Co-owner Hutchinson told me that he had been involved in Pescabar, the last restaurant in the Lazare space; he was partners with Alberto Lombardi on it, and he's a partner in some other Lombardi restaurants. Many of you probably knew that, but as a newcomer, it was news to me.

Never a dull moment!

Photo by Carter Rose

I just heard back from the publicist. Opening is planned for winter 2009-2010.

Speaking of frozen treats that come out of a machine, Pinkberry -- the frozen yogurt concept that ate Los Angeles -- is going national, and Dallas will be its first store outside of California and New York. It'll be interesting to see whether it's a hit or a miss here. The concept is frozen yogurt in only two flavors, plain and green tea, with a wide variety of fresh fruit and other toppings to choose from. From the company's website, it looks as though they've added another flavor -- pomegranate -- since I last visited.

In L.A., people went crazy over it, and the stores, which kept popping up all over town, had lines out the doors. Until they didn't. Stores started closing. Suddenly it wasn't so hip anymore.

As for the yogurt, it's, well, OK. The plain is tangy, and not too sweet. The green tea has a nice, tangy tea flavor. I could never get excited about it -- any more than I could get about Sprinkles, another L.A. craze -- but for a while there, I was clearly in the minority.

But you be the judge. I'll be curious to hear what y'all think. (Anyone tasted it in California or New York?) The publicist didn't have a date or location nailed down for the opening, but I'm guessing this summer.

I've never been a fan of frozen margaritas -- I like mine on the rocks, with salt, made with good tequila, fresh lime and orange liqueur, not a mix. I don't love brain freeze. But I understand that the frozen margarita is a real Dallas thing. And rumor has it that it's about to get very hot around here.

So I'm wondering: Who makes a really good frozen margarita? Meaning not made with a mix -- fresh ingredients only -- and preferably whirred up in a blender, not put through one of those slurpee machines. I'd like to become a convert.

Anyone?

Photo by Juan Garcia/DMN

What is this? A Ham burger? No, a Ham's Burger. It's from the stand at Ham Orchards in Terrell, the place to go for peaches. Get your burger from the guys cooking in the pavilion, dress it up yourself with tomatoes, onions, lettuce and pickles, and eat it while you gaze across the pick-em-yourself blackberry patch and beyond to the lovely farm house.

Wingfield's it ain't, but it's not bad at all, satisfying in that backyard grill kind of way. As my friend said, "Everything tastes better outside." Especially with such a gorgeous view.

Ham's Burgers at Ham Orchards, 11939 County Road 309, Terrell; 972-524-2028; www.hamorchard.com

Hooray! The DMN has a new Table Talk columnist....The EATS blog's very own Kim Pierce. Look for Kim's first Table Talk in the July 3 issue of the Guide.

Meanwhile, Kim would greatly appreciate it if you send tips her way for the Juicy Bites section of the column. If you spot a new restaurant or food shop in your neighborhood (or anywhere in DFW), or notice that something has closed, please shoot her a note at kpierce1@airmail.net.

Please join me in congratulating Kim -- we look forward to reading her columns.

One of the most impressive and unusual dishes at Litos in Oak Cliff was chicharron prensado, a dish made by pressing fried pork skins and pork through a special press and stewing them with chiles to arrive at a dish as earthy and fulfilling as a gumbo.

The problem was I couldn't get a firm ID on the chile, which was flavorful and somewhat spicy, but nothing like a jalapeno or serrano. When I asked Maria Morales through one of her kids what chile she used, she said it was a costeno (one version is pictured). Trouble is, that can mean several things.

So I enlisted the help of Rachel Lauden, a James Beard Award-winning food scholar and author who lives in Mexico City.

I just caught up with Kristen Kauffman, co-owner (with husband Mitch) of Urbano Cafe, which opened yesterday for lunch. "Dinners will start next week," she said, "and we're super excited." She's hoping Thursday will be the dinner debut. Then she blurted out, "We've got roasted garlic mayo. It's not aioli." Ha! That goes on the Urbano Club, one of their new sandwiches.

No aioli in the joint? "It's virtually aioli-free," says Kauffman. "I can't guarantee you there won't be aioli on the dinner menu." But if there is, she says, "it will be an aioli, not a mayo."

Christopher Wynn had the scoop early on. Anyone been?

Urbano Cafe, 1410 N. Fitzhugh, 214-823-8550, www.urbanodallas.com

Am I a Dallasite yet? Two friends took me to Campisi's Egyptian Lounge, which they had been telling me about for months. One, who's been a regular since 1979, said there are certain things you have to order. The Italian-style crab claws. The house salad. A pizza.

The crab claws were fantastic: tiny, sweet, easy to eat, swimming in butter sauce. Next New Year's Eve I'd like a big platter of them with a bottle of Champagne. I could have eaten them all night -- and we almost had to, there were so many. Market price was $18.50. The three of us finished them, but it was really enough to serve six.

The salad, iceberg with a big green olive and a pepperoncino, reminded me of my childhood. I loved the fact that the pizza was oblong, and I really loved the atmosphere.

I'm guessing some of you might have strong feelings about Campisi's. Did we order right? (We also had spaghetti and meatballs and lasagna, less good than everything else -- the marinara was too sweet.)

Campisi's Egyptian Lounge, 5610 E. Mockingbird Ln., 214-827-0355; campisis.us

I am so hungry. I just skimmed through Saveur magazine's July issue -- The Texas Issue -- which landed in our mailbox this morning. It's filled with gorgeous pictures of barbecue and okra and salsa, and a recipe for slow-smoked brisket that looks fantastic. The Houston Press' Robb Walsh played a big part in putting it together, and the issue kicks off with his terrific story about chicken fried steak. (I learned so much!) Texas Monthly's Patricia Sharpe profiles six Texas tastemakers (hmmm...Dean Fearing is the only one from Dallas), and she also has a piece about New Zion Barbecue that made me swoon, including a great "Know your Texas barbecue" sidebar. And hey -- Stephan Pyles is one of the "Twenty-four reasons why we love Texas."

The issue also celebrates Texas cheeses and Texas cookbooks and Texas home cooks and "the best beef on earth."

I wish I lived in Texas. Wait...I do!

Gentle chefs of Dallas, what is aioli? Does aioli mean flavored mayonnaise? No, it does not. So why do menus all over town call out "lemon aioli" or "red pepper aioli" when what arrives on the plate is just lemon-flavored mayo or red pepper-flavored mayo?

To make aioli, for those who were absent from culinary school that day, you mash a lot of garlic to a paste with some salt using a mortar and pestle, then stir in egg yolks, integrating them with the pestle, then slowly drizzle in olive oil, mixing with the pestle until it is an emulsion. A dash of lemon is optional. Technically aioli is a type of mayonnaise, but it is by definition very garlicky and it does not have the texture of a fluffy mayonnaise -- it's closer in texture to harissa, but perfectly smooth.

Mmmm...doesn't it sound great? With locally-grown artichokes? Or some wonderful, sweet, perfectly-cooked Gulf shrimp? Or farm-fresh string beans? Try it sometime!

It's not uncommon for steakhouses to have large pepper grinders, but the ones at Chamberlain's are positively colossal. They're monumental. They're hilarious. It's impossible for the servers to look cool as they offer the pepper. I wonder how they manage not to dissolve into fits of hysterical laughter.

But this begs the question: Would you like fresh ground pepper on your salad? On your steak? At Chamberlain's, the servers were good about waiting to offer pepper until we actually tasted our food. But that seems to be the exception. You're about to take your first bite of a beet and goat cheese salad. You're interrupted as the fork nears your mouth. "Some fresh ground pepper for your salad?

I don't know. You tell me. Did the chef not season it properly? Is the offering at the table routine worth the drama? It always feels like a moment of undue pressure to me. (Yes, I know -- therapy should have cured that.) Shouldn't the chef have added fresh ground pepper in the kitchen? Can't you leave a small grinder on the table?

And another thing. How about restaurants that don't put salt on the table? Their chefs must be pretty sure of themselves.

How about you? Do you like the pepper drama?

Photo by Ben Torres

I finally ate a bowl of pho -- my first since landing in town. I stopped by Huong Ly in Richardson, lured by the mention of noodles on the sign, and ordered the #15 with eye round steak, well-done flank, fat brisket, stoft tendon and bible tripe. (That's what the menu says -- what's biblical about tripe?)

All in all, it was pretty good: a nice broth, noodles that kept their integrity and didn't stick together, and good meat. A zing of lime, a lot of torn-up Thai basil, a handful of bean sprouts, and voila. I keep my heat on the side, using the chili sauce (the one in the jar) to dip the meats in. This is a bargain, at $4.50 for a (not so) small bowl.

First I had a fresh spring roll, which was just OK -- lots of rice stick filler.

But I'll be back. Anyone been? Sampled anything else? What did you think? What's the best bowl of pho around?

Huong Ly, 400 N. Greenville Ave., Richardson; 972-234-8104

Lazare, the West Village restaurant focusing on local, sustainable, farm-to-table ingredients when it opened in March, is now serving...frozen drinks! Woo-hoo!

Today at Side Dish, Nancy Nichols posted her ill-fated review of the place. She only had the benefit of visiting the restaurant when David Gilbert was the chef, and she describes her state when she found out Gilbert was out as "mad as a wet hen." In the course of relating the story she writes that Lazare owner Russell Hayward talked to me and told me Ryan Carbery was the new chef; in fact, that's not quite right, so I wrote a comment on her post setting the record straight. (Who cares, you're wondering? Maybe no one, but we journalists have an irresistible urge to correct errors.)

I called both Bill Hutchinson, Lazare's investment partner, whom Nancy quoted in her post and Hayward, Lazare's operating partner, to get from the horse's mouths what their intentions are at Lazare. Are they really thinking of "doing something completely different" as Nancy's post suggests? They both said no, and then proceeded to tell me that the restaurant is evolving, like all restaurants do, and that they're simply adding a few more bar food items.

Oh, yeah, and they've added frozen bar drinks. "We're just tweaking our concept," Hutchinson told me. Hutchinson, who backed Alberto Lombardi at the erstwhile Pescabar in the same space, explained it this way: "Pescabar was the wrong concept for this location because West Village is a lot more youth-oriented and people like to see and be seen, mingle, drink and eat younger food and bar food, and this is exactly what Russell put together for me."

Well, not exactly.

The American Institute of Architects L.A. chapter's annual restaurant design competition has been opened up to establishments outside of L.A. for this first time this year, and among the 16 finalists, one from China, one from Brazil, one from Denver, a couple from San Francisco and 9 from L.A., there's one from Dallas -- Five Sixty. Another Texas spot, La Condesa in Austin, also made it to the finals.

Want to weigh in? AIA/LA is also hosting a "People's Choice" Award. Click here, and you can vote on your favorite restaurant design among the finalists. People's Choice and Jury winners will be announced on June 26.

Which begs the question: We have some spectacular-looking restaurants here in Dallas besides Five Sixty. Which Dallas restaurant do you feel is best designed? Do tell!

Photo by Carter Rose

Remember WiWi Kitchen, the fast-food Asian fusion spot that opened, oh, like ten seconds ago on Mockingbird Lane near SMU? Well, they've changed their name to Wai Wai Kitchen. I stopped in to ask why. The young woman behind the counter explained that customers were pronouncing it "wee-wee," and apparently the management didn't like that. They intended it to be "way-way." "why-why." So they changed it to WaiWai Kitchen. Got that?

Photo by Wylie Peremarti

One aspect of a restaurant critic's job that isn't always pleasant (not that I'm complaining) is the issue of how to taste what everyone in my party ordered without either making everyone at the table miserable or drawing attention to our table. Some critics -- and some foodies -- like to take a bite, then have everyone pass plates one position to the left or right, like musical food. But that makes me uncomfortable, and I'm always afraid it raises a red flag. But if I just have a bite from someone's plate, or they put a little portion of it on a bread plate for me, I can't really get the full effect of the presentation, and sauces get lost. Best for me is to casually swap plates with the person next to me. I can just taste it and focus on it in front of me, and give it back. That works great for a party of two or three, but it's harder with four.

My husband, who loves great food, can't tolerate the plate-passing game. He'd rather just sit with what he ordered in front of him and enjoy it.

Critics aren't the only ones who want to taste everything, though. How do all you foodies manage it?

The Back Story is a new, web-only feature that will appear with the main restaurant review each week, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what went into the researching or writing of the review, or a relevant aspect of the reviewing process. Please jump in with comments -- let us know what you think.

And if there's an aspect of the reviewing process you'd like to hear about in a post, please drop me a note at lbrenner@dallasnews.com and I'll do my best to cover it.

By now every foodie in town is well-aware that Central 214's chef, Blythe Beck, is starring in a reality show for the Oxygen network, "The Naughty Kitchen with Chef Blythe Beck." The show, which follows Beck at home and at work, is being filmed at the restaurant many nights this month. The night of my last visit, a slow weeknight, I didn't think filming had begun yet.

I very much wanted to get my visits in before it began, for a couple reasons. First, in fairness to the chef, I thought she'd be more focused on the food if she didn't have to worry about being filmed. And second, for obvious reasons, I didn't want to be caught on film.

Seated at a banquette on the back wall, I happily chatted and with my friends as we looked over the menu and sipped our cocktails, when a small film crew appeared by the windows onto the courtyard. Several times a camera person pointed the camera at me, and each time I held my menu in front of my face and slunk down on the banquette. Finally, the crew approached us. Looking around, we could see there was hardly anyone to film. "Please don't film us!" I begged, before the camera person could say a word. "OK," she said. "That's what we were coming over to ask." Whew!

It was a day or two later that Beck Twittered that filming would start that night. I managed to get my visits completed without having my face captured indelibly on film.

I love the Sushi on McKinney story. The former owner basically gave the recipes, name and concept to a group of devoted employees, who formed a partnership and opened the new Sushi on McKinney less than a block from the old location, which is now a Chipotle. The new-old group then asked chef Chica Kikuchi, who has been with the restaurant since 1983, to join them.

So in a lot of ways, it's like Sushi on McKinney just took a hiatus.

I got my first peek at the new digs recently, in the old Cretia space. (Cretia has moved about a half mile north - it's like musical restaurants.) The seating and such leftover from Cretia gives the new spot a handsome look, and a small waterfall makes for a serene backdrop.

The food was delish, too. They do one of my favorite dishes, agedashi, more like a soup here, with the fried tofu floating in a soy-onion broth. And when you order sashimi, the pieces are truly bite-size, with ponzu sauce on request. The rolls were pretty, too.

I can't remember if they did the tempura this way before, but I love the way they do it now: You order it like sushi, by the item, two items to an order. And one of the vegetables is okra. Okra tempura. Now is that fusion cuisine, or what?

Sushi on McKinney is still waiting on its liquor license, so you can BYOB. The new address is 4438 McKinney; phone is 214-443-0605.

I don't know how this place had escaped my notice, but I stopped by Chapman Chile Kitchen, an adorable little spot in East Dallas, for a bowl of bison chile. I ordered the "original spicy," which the owner told me was a particularly spicy batch, and it was fantastic, nicely tomatoey, with a wonderful depth of flavor that comes from hand-grinding whole dried chiles, and just a touch of garlic.

Oh, it was spicy, all right. Every so often I had to take a bite of stuffed jalapenos to cool down my mouth. Those were pretty good too, filled with chicken and cheese, coated with panko crumbs and baked.

Have you been? What did you think?

Chapman Chile Kitchen, 515 N. Carroll Ave.; 214-887-8872; www.chapmanchile.com

Yesterday, the Sig-O and I headed for the best chicken-fried steak in the state - at Mary's Cafe in Strawn, which is just off Interstate 20 about 110 miles west of here. Even though it was raining intermittently and the place was jammed with cars at 2 p.m., there were still plenty of tables inside.

It's kinda funny: Here it's basically light outside, and the back room on the no-smoking side has the window blinds shut so that the only illumination is from neon beer signs and a TV trained on Kenny Chesney's bare-chested bod.

Now I understand why people call their orders in ahead. It's easy to get your seats, get your drinks, get your order in. Then it takes about 20 minutes to get your food. But if you think no roadhouse food is worth that wait, I respectfully disagree.

Photo: Italian Wine Guy

I was at a gathering last night where the hostess served the most delicious salmon fillet that I have ever eaten. Those are some tall words, I know. I have eaten better, richer-tasting salmon, but none deep-smoked to such perfection - and with a crust, no less. It was the appetizer, served with a mayo-based sauce on toast points.

The source for this succulent treat? Houston's. I don't know where Miss Manners comes down on the propriety of this, but I called to find out how much it was: $50. When you consider that I just paid $28 a pound for a piece of Copper River salmon at Whole Foods Market, that's a relative bargain.

And a shout-out goes to Eddie "Lucky" Campbell, from The Catalina, who was mixing drinks for us. Nice guy, great drinks. Gotta check out his regular haunt. Have you been? What's it like?

We know it's a big change not to be able to post comments on the blog about the reviews, but we miss your comments. What do you think? Please tell us, either by clicking on the little "recommend" button at the top of the Masaryk or Con Fusion review, or by posting a comment. You can do that right at the end. Who will be the first?

Randall Copeland, the chef -- or should I say co-chef -- of AVA, a new restaurant in Rockwall, just gave me a buzz to make sure AVA's on my radar. I didn't tell him this, but I've already been -- it's a stylish and warm dining room, where he's featuring produce from local farms. Or should I say he and his co-chef are featuring produce from local farms. Chef means "chief" or "boss," so it's very unusual for a kitchen to be headed up equally by two people, but Copeland and his co-chef Nathan Tate get equal billing. They're co-owners as well.

All I had to do was ask Copeland what's on his mind right now, and he started talking produce. "We just saw the first peaches from Canton," he said excitedly. "And dewberries. We're going to put those into a cobbler." Fruit desserts -- that's definitely something to get excited about.

He chattered about creamer peas -- "I was thinking about putting them on sweetbreads, or maybe a foie dish," and purple hull peas, "and we're getting some beautiful favas from Barking Cat Farm in Heath."

He's rolling out a new menu next week, though he pointed out that he changes up a couple dishes every week. "Sugar snap peas have been real good," he said. "Alaskan halibut came in a couple weeks ago; we've been doing that with sugar snap peas and an heirloom tomato emulsion." Next week he'll have soft shell crab, "and the Copper River salmon has arrived," he said. "I'm just waiting for the price to come down a little."

So are we.

Restaurant AVA, 108 S. Goliad, Rockwall; 469-698-9920; www.restaurantava.com

I've got plenty to say about the new Burguesa Burger from Genghis Grill and Which Wich founder Jeff Sinelli (above). However, I think I'll just let this eye-popping exterior and mouth-watering food shot do the talking for right now.

If you can't wait for me to get off deadline to tell you more, then take your own trip to the Mexican burger eatery next to the original Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse at 2222 Inwood.

FYI ... Mexican pesos are accepted in addition to U.S. dollars.

Food shot: The signature "La Monumental" burger loaded with beef, cheese, slice of ham, avocado, crunchy tostada, refried beans, lettuce, tomato and secret sauce served on a Bimbo sesame seed bun and speared with a whole jalapeno pepper. Bonus: The shake straws are topped with a mini-donut and the Mexican fountain drinks are made with cane sugar. I know, right?

Last night, I got an intimate taste tour of seasonal Japanese cuisine (think Copper River salmon sushi and green vegetable soup with fiddlehead ferns) and a handful of ultra-premium sakes at D SideDish's Supper Club kaiseki dinner at Kenichi, where I was Nancy Nichols' guest (keeping it real).

There's a parade of photos over at SideDish, where you can see all nine tiny courses and one NN dolled up as a geisha.

Read on for some impressions.

Nancy Nichols reported on Side Dish this morning that John Tesar has left Fishtail by David Burke in New York, and will be returning to Texas to open Tesar's Modern Steak and Sustainable Seafood in The Woodlands, Texas.

Nancy quotes Tesar as saying that his move had nothing to do with New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni's one-star review of Fishtail. "I wasn't even employed at the restaurant when Bruni ate there," Tesar told her. Hmmm. How could he possibly know that? And it also seems unlikely that the New York Times sat on the review that long. Normally, when a chef is replaced, if a newspaper has a review in the works, they'll hold it until the critic can assess the new chef's cooking.

Anyway, good work, Nancy. Here's the link.

I stopped by Remington's Seafood Grill for lunch today and was reminded how few places go to the trouble to make gumbo like this (right). It was a dark, earthy brown - 'no idea how long it takes to get a roux base this color - and it had cooked so long that the flavors of the ingredients had melded down into a dizzying whole. This was some soulful stuff.

Because Remington's is celebrating its 30th anniversary, it's offering the gumbo at 1979 prices through the end of the month: $1.50 for a cup, $2 for a bowl.

Lunch reminded me why Remington's is around to celebrate 30 years. It's all about the food - fresh fish, well and simply prepared, with a choice of sides that range from potatoes to spinach (not sauteed with garlic, thank you). And not too much food. Here's to 30 more.

4580 Belt Line Road in Addison; 972-386-0122

New York Times executive editor Bill Keller announced in an email to staff today that Frank Bruni, the Times' restaurant critic, will be publishing a memoir, then moving to the New York Times Magazine. The search, Keller writes, is on for a new Times restaurant critic. Here's a link to the memo, reprinted in the "Diner's Journal" blog.

Want to take a look inside? NBCDFW sent reporter Meredith Land to do a story.

The author of "In Defense of Food" and "The Omnivore's Dilemma," who has 1,146 followers on Twitter, is only following three people. One of them is Shaquille O'Neal.

I just got an email from Russell Hayward, owner of Lazare, who had been incommunicado, away in Australia. Ryan Carbery is Lazare's new chef; he was former chef David Gilbert's sous chef. In response to my phone call, Hayward writes:

"I have been impressed with Ryan Carbery's work since he joined David and I in January. I am very happy he has accepted the lead post at Lazare and has already added some items that I think will excite our guests There will be more coming over the next 30 days as we continue to develop and refine the menu. There will, however, be no real conceptual changes as I am a big supporter of local farmers, and my desire has always been to bring great produce, proteins and flavors to guests at prices that are very accessible. Easy to write, but not always an easy task to achieve in a cost effective manner, either in food COGs or labor operational systems. Ryan's background has given him insight into achieving a great food experience for our guests at a reasonable price.

"Prior to moving to Dallas in 2001, I spent 10 years in Los Angeles and the earlier part of my life in Sydney Australia, two great innovative food cities. Ryan and I share an understanding of the potential of flavors in cooking and we both hope we can bring some interesting takes on familiar food to the Dallas diner."

Anyone know what a food COG is? It doesn't make me hungry.

It didn't take long for Lazare owner Russell Hayward to replace David Gilbert, whose departure was blogged Saturday on Side Dish, and picked up here. Drumroll, please....

Ryan Carbery, who was Gilbert's sous chef when the restaurant opened less than a month and a half ago, is taking over as executive chef. Like Gilbert, Carbery recently moved to Dallas from L.A., where he was chef de tournant at Fraiche, chef Jason Travi's well-respected bistro. "Travi is by far the greatest chef I've ever worked for in my life," says Carbery, who also says Lazare's chef change does not mean a change in concept. "We're primarily sticking with American comfort food, and still supporting the local farms. I was with David when we were developing all these relationships in the beginning, so I was ready to carry on."

Carbery is changing the menu, though. "There are some changes that will be made today," he says, adding that a number of the dishes were already his. "David was very fair to me when we were developing the menu," he says, "and let me put on a lot of things that were mine. There will be changes to about 40 percent of the menu."

So what happened? I couldn't immediately reach Hayward or Gilbert. "David was moving on," says Carbery, "and I don't know what else to say." More to come as Hayward and Gilbert are reached.

Dali Wine Bar and Cellar chef Joel Harloff, recently featured in Food & Wine and Bon Appetit, is headed for the prestigious James Beard House in New York, where he will present a dinner with Tex-pat Kathryn Hall of Napa's HALL wines on June 8. He's also taking along Brazos Valley cheeses from Homestead Heritage near Elm Mott and Texas quail.

You can get a preview of the big event at Harloff 's "dress rehearsal" on May 17 at Dali. It's $125 plus tax and gratuity. See the Beard House menu here. Make reservations for the Dallas dinner at 214-646-1947. Festivities start at 6;30 p.m. with a reception, and dinner is at 7 p.m. Now, just what is a "triple cream meltaway"?

What did I do for Mother's Day, Christopher? I went north, where my son and Sig-O took me and my step-mom, with dad and son's girlfriend in tow, to Prairie House for lunch. The cavernous place on U.S. 380 was doing recession-proof business, filling every table with SRO waiting.

I'm gonna bet we ate better than you did. Sure, you and I both had that insipid, made-from-a-mix-tasting gravy. But mine was on twangy-crisp, buttermilk-battered chicken-fried chicken, with coleslaw and real mashed potatoes. Among the party, we also had gorgeous free-range venison medallions, mesquite-grilled catfish, pinto beans, fresh green beans, fried okra and sweet potato fries.

We would have stayed for dessert, except my son's girlfriend made banana bread that was still warm when she delivered it. Back at my dad and step-mom's place in the country, we checked on the wild blackberries (about two weeks from ripe) as well as the friendly hens next door, who had laid about a dozen eggs. All in all, a pretty good day in the country.

Wow. Food Network personality Ted Allen is one nice guy. You can't say that about many celebrities. When he met last night with the winners of a contest sponsored by Robert Mondavi Winery (Allen is an ambassador for the Robert Modavi Private Collection wines as well as Chopped host), he was fun, charming, responsive and approachable. No prima donna, he, behind those Buddy Holly frames.

He talked about wine-and-food pairings with the Mercy menu and the PC wines, and answered some of the questions people submitted to win a spot at the VIP dinner.

Can it really be? Is the legislature poised to ban trans fats in Texas restaurants? The Senate has already passed its version of the bill, and it now moves to the Texas House, says the Associated Press.

It's not as dire as it sounds. There's the bakery exemption because frosting runs like MacArthur's Park without it. There are also exemptions for "food served by grocery stores, fire departments and certain caterers, and the ban would be slowly phased in. Initially, it would impact only chain establishments. It would apply to all Texas restaurants by late 2011," reports AP.

As a longtime food-and-nutrition writer, I'm incredulous that Texas is taking this step, given its Southern-fried history. But it's still a baby step in getting people to eat more healthfully. 'Can't legislate that. Got to teach it and model it. (Think Texas tomatoes and peaches.)

Terrance Stutz blogs about it from a political perspective over on the Trail Blazers political blog here.

Next Wednesday, May 13, La Calle Doce, the Mexican seafood restaurant closed after a fire last summer, is set to reopen in Lakewood. The mayor will be there for the ribbon-cutting and grand re-opening fiesta from 5 to 8 p.m. Free margaritas! Free hors d'ouevres! The release comes after the jump.

Read our new story "BYOB spots let you savor fabulous wine in style and save a pretty penny" to get the scoop on bringing your own wine. Kim Pierce talks about the Web site GoBYO.com and a new bill that has passed the Senate. And Tina Danze talks to four chefs about their favorite BYOB spots, what dishes they order and what they take to drink. Then Kim lists five more spots where you can BYOB. Bottoms up!

I finally made it to Kincaid's Grocery Market, the Fort Worth institution (original location) that's been famous for its burgers since 1946. The place is funky and cool, with its giant, old-fashioned jars of pickles and such filling long shelves on the walls. It looked so promising. But the burger? Rather a disappointment. The thick patty was dry and not very flavorful, and the mushy bun quickly disintegrated in my hands.

But the fried okra -- hot and super-crisp -- were absolutely amazing. The okra was fresh, perfect and delicious, not the slightest bit slimy. It might just be the best $1.85 I've ever spent.

Kincaid's Grocery Market, 4901 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth; 817-732-2881; www.kincaidshamburgers.com

Two food bloggers in L.A. -- Brooke Burton (FoodWolf.com) and Leah Greenstein (SpicySaltySweet) -- have proposed a Food Blog Code of Ethics. "We wrote the Food Blog Code of Ethics after many heated conversations with fellow food bloggers," they write. "Those discussions inspired us to lay down some basic guidelines for food writing on the Internet because we couldn't find any that already existed. These aren't laws that we expect everyone to follow. These aren't rules you have to accept as your own. We know they don't apply to everybody. They're a jumping off point to start a bigger discussion."

The basic tenets are "We will be accountable," "We will be civil," "We will reveal bias," "We will disclose gifts, comps and samples," and "We will follow the rules of good journalism."

Under "Reviewer's Guidelines," they write: "We will consult the Association of Food Journalists guidelines to maintain a standard for reviews." (It's a bit curious that they propose consulting the guidelines rather than following them.)

Here's a link to the AFJ's Food Critics' Guidelines. I wonder if this guideline is the one that gives the authors of the Food Blog Code of Ethics pause: "Pay in full for all meals and services." It's very tough for independent bloggers -- who don't have the financial backing of a publication -- to come up with the money to pay for meals, make at least two visits as the guidelines recommend, etc.

For the record, at The Dallas Morning News, the ethics that we staff writers adhere to encompass all of the AFJ guidelines. Disclosing comps is not an issue, as we absolutely do not accept them.

Well, what do you think -- especially all you independent food bloggers? Is this a good idea? Is the Food Blog Code of Ethics rigorous enough to be meaningful?

While attendees munched pizza and dodged the rain at last night's Susan G. Koman for the Cure benefit at North Haven Gardens (think gauzy sun protection over the plants), pizzaiolo Jay Jerrier (right) stayed relatively dry under a tent that served as a makeshift pizzeria. He was making pizzas as fast as he could in his traveling oven, which looks like a mud hut with a chimney.

This was my first chance to finally taste Cane Rosso pizza.

It instantly transported me back to Italy with its fragrant, crisp crust and restrained use of ingredients - ripe, luscious San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and a dash here and there of basil, mushrooms, pepperoni and occasionally garlic - but never all on the same pizza.

Jay worked up quite a sweat, and it's easy to see why: That's one hot, wood-fired oven and it was one humid night. Check out Jay's Web site at www.ilcanerosso.com.

Urban Taco is throwing a party tomorrow from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. to celebrate its two years at Mockingbird Station. (And by the way, the latest on opening a second location on McKinney Avenue is that it's looking more like the end of the year.)

Stop by tomorrow and you'll find a DJ playing Latin lounge tunes, a live mariachi trio, outdoor bar and new menu items. And if that's not enough to get you going, there will be giveaways throughout the evening. (I've always been a sucker for door prizes.)

Photo by Ben Torres: Chicken mole tacos

What a great burger! Thick, juicy, flavorful, satisfying -- well-worth the drive to South Oak Cliff and the 25-minute wait in pouring rain. If you haven't been there, it's quite a trip: You step into a tiny stand that looks like it used to be a breakfast counter, only there's no place to sit. The place is packed with people waiting for their burgers, which you can see and smell on a char-grill. Incredibly thick, huge patties. The burgers are very basic: hamburger or cheeseburger, then you can double your patty, but these are so big, that's a scary thought. They come with lettuce, tomato, red onion, mayo, mustard and pickles. When they call your number, pick up your bag of burgers, get in the car and find a place to eat them -- there's no seating anywhere around. Some smarties call in their order ahead, then swoop in to pick it up.

My friend and I took our booty back to the Dallas Morning News, where we grabbed a couple of my co-workers who were thrilled to help us devour the burgers in a conference room. Four people, three burgers -- and I'm ashamed to say we couldn't finish them.

The burger's no beauty, but man, was it good. Though it was cooked way more than I usually like, it was so juicy it didn't matter. Here's why I think it was so good:

1. That juiciness. They must be using meat that has enough fat in it -- probably 17 to 20 percent fat. The juice runs into the bun, but doesn't cause it to fall apart, and it mingles gloriously with the mayo, mustard and pickles.

2. Ratios. The big bun was the right size for the big patty. The tomato slices were big too, so they didn't slide off.

3. Seasoning. The patty was generously but not overly seasoned.

4. Tomato quality. That tomato was ripe and flavorful.

Altogether, it was a delicious mess. It had a kind of elusive hamburger synergy, adding up to way more than the sum of its parts.

Oh, the fries, curly ones with a hint of bacon fat, were pretty good too.

Have you been? Do tell! If not, you must go.

Wingfield's Breakfast and Burger; 2615 S. Beckley Ave.; 214-943-5214

So far, the outbreak seems not to have dampened this town's enthusiasm for dining out -- or not much, anyway. I've just been chatting with a number of restaurauteurs, and a couple say business has been a little slow this week, though both attribute it to the weather. "It's been raining a little bit," says Christopher Zielke, co-owner of Bolsa in Oak Cliff. "We've probably been more cautious with employees, making sure nobody has any coughs or colds or anything, but I don't think on the consumer side, from our customers, anyone's not going out because of it."

Nick and Sam's chef Samir Dhurandhar says he hasn't seen any drop-off. "It's funny because I'm running Berkshire pork and cannellini bean soup as a special," he says. "People haven't really commented, and our pork sales have been good."

Others, including George Kao, owner of Royal China, say business has even been up. "In our restaurant, the last two days were busier than usual," he says. "Several years ago when we had SARS, business dropped a little bit, but not this time."

DMN business reporter Karen Robinson-Jacobs heard from Jamee Green, executive director of the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association, who says there has been no indication that swine flu has had any impact on DFW restaurants. "I went out and visited a few restaurants in Allen last night," Green wrote in an email. "Restaurants were busy, families were out. I didn't see any masks. We continue to follow CDC guidelines in advising our members for now."

Restaurateurs say they're following those guidelines. "We've had discussion with our staff, making sure we know everybody's feeling good." says Kent Rathbun, owner of Abacus, Rathbun's Blue Plate, etc. "We actually had a person who was a little sick; she didn't have the flu, but we obviously asked her to go home. We're doing what we're supposed to do."

April Kao, George's wife and partner at Royal China, says, "I told my employees you have to wash your hands all the time. And don't go hang out with strangers."

How about you -- has concern about swine flu kept you dining in?

My friend Amy Albert, an editor at Bon Appetit magazine, was in town in February to judge the Dallas Morning News Wine Competition, and she took the opportunity to check out a few restaurants too. She blogs about it on Bon Appetit's BA Foodist. Check it out!

Need a laugh? Watch this video.

Thank you, readers, for pointing out the error in the last post. The episode was filmed in January, and blogged about by our own Christopher Wynn. They must be closed for watching the show, or partying, or...?

Well two, actually -- at La Paisanita, an unassuming little taqueria on Maple Ave. Lots of juicy meat was tucked into double-corn tortillas; chopped raw onions and cilantro came on the side, along with nicely grilled onions. Barbacoa (front) seemed to be long- and slow-roasted, a good cut of beef with enough fat to keep it moist and tender, with deep, soulful flavor. Al pastor had a zingy flavor and melty texture, more tender than most.

And they were a bargain, too -- $1.17 each!

Have you been? What else is good there?

La Paisanita Taqueria, 4447 Maple Ave.; 214-521-0200

Tuesday night there was a press party to unveil executive chef Blythe Beck's new menu at Central 214 at Hotel Palomar. Of course I wasn't there, but I heard excited chatter about the chicken-fried Kobe steak hors d'oeuvres and crispy prosciutto-wrapped cheddar. Oxygen will begin taping "The Naughty Kitchen with Chef Blythe Beck" there at the restaurant next month (details forthcoming), even as diners are dining.

Meanwhile, the menu actually looks pretty interesting, with dishes like shrimp and cayenne deviled eggs, lamb chop lollipops, pan-seared rainbow trout with sweet pea quinoa, preserved lemons and carrot butter.

Have you read Nancy Nichols' glowing review of Coast Global Seafood in Plano? "...the food at Coast is as stellar as the restaurant in which it is served," she writes. "With Coast Global Seafood, there's no question that Plano has hit the big time in fine dining." Kim Harwell begged to differ when she reviewed it for The Dallas Morning News.

Have you been? What do you think?

Photo of Coast's shellfish mascarpone ravioli by Juan Garcia/DMN Staff

In her Critic's Notebook column, Leslie Brenner talks about the new crop of Asian fusion restaurants that has opened in the past few months, including Lumi Empanada and Dumpling Kitchen, WiWi Kitchen, Con Fusion and ROCC, as well as Wolfgang Puck's Five Sixty.

Have you tried any of these places? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think.

Photo of Lumi's five-spice duck-and-leek dumplings and jalapeño-pineapple margarita by Lara Solt / DMN

That's the good news. The bad news? It was pretty good, but not great by any stretch.

Normally I order whatever the regular featured burger is. But at Twisted Root, the board called out certain favorites -- so I ordered "Chef Jason's favorite," with chipotle, guacamole, cheddar and fried onions. (Hey, I just remembered about the fried onions -- there were none.) A sign says burgers are cooked medium-well (which they identify as pink in the center) unless you order otherwise; I ordered medium-rare, and it came about medium. The meat, a nice-sized, well-shaped patty, was highly seasoned throughout, so much that the beef flavor was somewhat obscured. There was a lot of chipotle; I removed about half so I could taste the burger. The guacamole was awful. It tasted like a not-very-rich-or-flavorful avocado smashed fine, with nothing but salt and something sour added. It didn't taste citrusy, like lemon or lime, more like lemon juice out of a bottle. This was not guacamole made with any kind of love.

It was a nice combo, a good idea for a burger. But it wasn't wonderful. The bun had no personality, but at least it didn't fall apart. I'd have another burger there, but not that one again, nor would I hurry back.

Oh, my friend and I also ordered the "side ride," six different fried items. Some were awful -- particularly the sweet potato fries that amazingly, were sprinkled with sugar. But one was fabulous: fried string beans. The beans were fresh, plump and perfectly cooked; the coating crisp and hot, crunchy with a little cornmeal. Excellent. I also loved the watermelon iced tea. It tasted like half iced tea, half watermelon agua fresca.

My friend was with me on the burger question. She gave her pepper ranch-bacon burger "a B or a B minus." That's about what I'd give mine. OK. I'm going to cover my head now and wait for the storm.

Twisted Root Burger Co., 2615 Commerce St.; 214-741-7668; www.twistedrootburgerco.com

Over on D Magazine's Side Dish blog, Nancy Nichols offers a look at a place called Roaster's at Preston and LBJ. Which I have not been to (how in the world did I miss this?), but I can vouch for its lineage. The first Roasters & Toasters restaurant is a couple of miles from where I grew up in SFlorida. That location, where I have stood in line many times, is a Real Deal, New York style deli. From Nancy's description (and the Roasters website) it looks like they're bringing the whole schmear to Dallas. If they have, it will be a welcome addition to a small list of good local delis. I'll report back if they've successfully done the transfer.

I finally made it to Fuel City, and while the tacos I sampled -- picadillo and al pastor -- were pretty good, I must confess, they didn't wow me. The al pastor (bottom) was flavorful, but a little greasy, improved by some salsa verde and a big squeeze of lime. The picadillo was better. I'm wondering if this place is past its glory days? Or maybe in the beginning there was something wonderful and unexpected about finding good tacos in a gas station, but now the place's reputation has been inflated? Did I order the wrong tacos? Personally, I preferred those at Taqueria El Si Hay and Taqueria La Paloma.

OK, Fuel City fans -- what do you love about this place?

Or is there a taqueria you like better? I bet there are plenty of tacos in and around town that are even more delicious.

Fuel City, 801 S. Industrial Blvd.; 214-426-0011

It was announced today that Jean Michel Sakouhi will open Jean Michel's at Mercantile Place in the fall. The chef, Vernon Morales, seems to have an impressive resume; the press release says he trained with Ferran Adria, Martin Berasategui and Daniel Boulud. A quick Internet search suggests he worked at Salt in Philadelphia. More info to come, as we learn more.

Meanwhile, find the release after the jump.

In this week's Table Talk column, Leslie Brenner discusses how this appetizer of chopped raw beef is making a comeback on menus at local restaurants. She talks to chefs about versions at Lazare, Citrus Bistro, Adelmo's and Nick and Sam's.

Tried steak tartare at these places? Have a favorite someplace else? Let us know.

Photo of Lazare's chef David Gilbert and his steak tartare by Tom Fox / DMN

I just had to see the cattle drive at the Stockyards in Fort Worth. What a disappointment! I thought there'd be hundreds of longhorns, not twelve. But at least I got a decent burger out of the experience: Love Shack's "love burger." A sign says "We cook all of our burgers medium," but they were happy to cook mine and my husband's medium-rare. The bun's a little too soft and squishy, but the meat was good quality; it came with lettuce, tomato, pickles, "love sauce" and American cheese. Next time I'd do without the American cheese. (In fact, I think I'll do entirely without American cheese for the rest of my life.) My husband hated the burger -- called it "raw" (mea culpa) and "too thin." But I thought it wasn't bad -- that "love sauce," whatever it is, pulled it together.

Even better were the fries. How did they do them? It looked like they sliced potatoes very thin on a mandoline, then cut them into strips and fried them. Original, and excellent, kind of crisply chewy.

Love Shack, 110 E. Exchange, Fort Worth; 817-740-8812; www.shakeyourloveshack.com

From TINA DANZE:

An article that ran in last Wednesday's New York Times dining section tipped us to a restaurant that adventurous eaters may find worthy of a road trip. Feast, lin Houston's edgy Montrose district, is not for wimps. The restaurant prides itself in using all parts of the animal; liver, tongue, testicles, pork belly, beef cheek and pig skin are all fair game. That makes it one of the few restaurants in the country, let alone Texas, that dares to give all these old-world classics their due.

Never tried these parts? Never liked them? Never mind! Feast's two British-expat chefs, Richard Knight and James Silk, are so skilled that they could coax flavor out of critters from my backyard. As for the ultra-fresh fish, expect to see heads or tails, or both, with many orders.

I dropped in today at Rathbun's Blue Plate Kitchen to see what all the fuss was about. Kent bent my ear a bit yesterday because he's been getting some blog-flak (not from this blog) about his menu not being more Texas-sourced.

First, the menu looks terrific and homey and comforting in an upscale way. This isn't a diner blue plate, but the price points are considerably below Abacus and Jasper's, his other restaurants. I did see local, seasonal greens and cheese (also local beer: Rahr and Sons' Ugly Pug black lager), and tempting-sounding dishes like Tasso ham-roasted corn biscuits, ahi-tuna sliders, cauliflower-Brie gratin and a special that seemed like an oxymoron, prime rib quesadillas.

Ruben Peck, executive chef at Trece Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Lounge, has been working on a new menu, which management hopes to debut May 1. "Whether that will happen or not is another story," says Steven Alsea, V.P. of Operations. "We did have a goal of March 1." Elsea says there are also plans to redo the patio, making what is now a glass-enclosed terrace into a hacienda-style open patio with arbors and ceiling fans. It could be a good time to update the web site, too -- it still has Amador Mora (now at Maximo Cocina Mexicana and Margarita Lounge) listed as executive chef.

4513 Travis Street. 214-780-1900. www.trecerestaurant.com

It's official. Sliders have ceased to be trendy. Why? Because they're now on the menu at Jack in the Box. Jack doesn't call them that. He calls them Mini Sirloin Burgers. But a slider by any other name.... Jack's are made with American cheese, grilled onions and ketchup.

They're three to an order and come in at 748 calories with 29 grams of fat (including 12 grams saturated fat and 1 trans), according to Jack's own Web site. That sounds like a lot, but it's actually fewer calories and less fat than most of Jack's burger-type creations. A Jumbo Jack with cheese is "only" 660 calories, but 39 grams of that is fat. Yikes.

Just because they're no longer trendy doesn't mean we must eschew sliders. I love 'em. But I won't be ordering Jack's anytime soon - unless I have a couple other people to share them with. Anyone had 'em? Are they good?

Some people take tea at four in the afternoon; I like a taco with mine. Today I stopped by Taqueria La Paloma on S. Central Expressway in Richardson. When I ordered -- a taco de barbacoa and an iced tea -- Tania, the young woman behind the counter, gave me a tiny cup of iced tea and asked me to taste it. "I made it," she said, "and no one likes it." It was excellent tea, which just goes to show you....

Even better was the taco: Moist, well-seasoned barbecue beef, a little onion and cilantro, on a small, good corn tortilla. I squeezed a lime on it, and some salsa verde from a squeeze bottle. So satisfying -- and a sweet deal, at $1.25.

Then I smelled something wonderful: pan dulces being baked right there, to the left of the taco counter. There they were, displayed prettily in a case.

A quick Internet search revealed that La Paloma is a local chain with about a dozen stores. I have no idea how the other outlets are, but this one was good. I'll definitely be back for a pan dulce -- and more tacos (al pastor, buche, carnitas and more). So, has anyone been to any of the Palomas? What do you think?

Taquería La Paloma, 760 S. Central Expressway, Richardson; 972-664-9374.

I stopped by Cretia's new location, which opened on March 13 on McKinney Ave. The decor is Victorian, with a stamped tin ceiling, wooden tables, brocade upholstery on wooden chairs and high wooden banquette. Israel Fearon, formerly of Scene and the Cape Hotel, is chef -- for the moment, anyway. When I called to inquire, a manager referred to him as "interim chef," but then referred to him as chef. "Is he staying?" I asked. "Presently, yes," he said. "Let's just put him down as chef." OK, he's down as chef.

The menu online is not what you'll get in the restaurant, where it's much more abbreviated (for the moment, anyway) -- at lunch a couple of pizzas, a burger, a sandwich, a few salads. At dinner, mostly comfort food: a daily pot pie, Cajun meatloaf, grilled wild salmon with roasted tomato butter sauce and fennel salad, pork tenderloin with maple Bourbon butter sauce, a couple of pizzas...

Have you stopped by yet? What did you think?

Cretia's, 4900 McKinney Ave., 214-780-0200; www.cretias.com/mckinney

I just took my young teen grandson to Mr. Sushi for lunch. (I'm happy to say he likes sushi.) I got sashimi and asked if he'd like a taste. He said yes, but he just wanted a little piece to try. I basically used the chopsticks to saw off a chunk.

This seems incredibly gauche. But in the larger picture, how else does one pare a piece of fish down to a manageable bite? Or, like nigiri, is it OK to lift the entire piece to your mouth and bite off only a portion?

P.S. He liked the sashimi.

This week the burger trail led to Angry Dog's "The Burger," which I ordered medium-rare, with mayo (the other choice was mustard) and grilled red onions (the other choice was raw). It was a big ol' half-pound number, perfectly cooked, good quality meat. And it was, well, OK. Not bad. Not great. The bun -- a soft one -- was too big for the patty, which was underseasoned. The sliced tomato was pallid and skimpy. I'd give it a B. I'd happily eat it again, but wouldn't go out of my way for it.

I know this burger has a lot of fans -- I'd love to hear why you love this one.

Angry Dog; 2726 Commerce St.; 214-741-4406; www.angrydog.com.