Archive for the ‘Restaurants’ Category

It’s where jalapenos and bacon explode with curry and tofu, and where Wranglers and kimonos are welcome. The award-winning Fuse is Dallas’s Tex-Asian restaurant and downtown staple. Now entering its fourth year, Fuse is spicing up its menu with exciting new dishes created by Executive Chef Robbie Lewis and well known Dallas restaurateur Russell Hayward, while plans are underway for the restaurant’s stylish new makeover.

“We are taking a more casual approach to the modifications. Comfort is key, both for our guests and their pocketbooks. Whether ordering our new lobster entrée or selecting from the ‘Casual’ Dining section, we want to make sure our guests are relaxed, happy and enjoy a level of cuisine that outperforms its price,” explains Russell.

Russell is no stranger to creating successful restaurant concepts. His Tom Tom Asian Grill in West Village was an instant success, as was the infamous Nikita. He was a brand consultant to Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, aiding in the development of such popular eateries as Timpano, Samba Room, Canonita, Mignon and Fishbowl. He has also works with Tokyo Table in Los Angeles, The Watami Group in Tokyo, and has previously consulted Bobby McGee’s, ConAgra Foods, Kraft Foods and Avery Dennison Worldwide, to name a few. Currently, he also owns TABC in Dallas.

Chef Robbie, a one-year veteran of the Tex-Asian concept, enhanced the menu creating new dishes and maintaining favorites. The new “Casual” Dining section includes affordable entrees priced between $13 to $16, such as the Hibachi Chicken Pad Thai and Ancho-Honey Pork served with ”daily mashers” and soy BBQ sauce. New entrée highlights include the Ginger-Sake Salmon with traditional spicy cucumber salad, scallion, and cous cous and Miso Lobster with parmesan risotto, Texas sweet corn and white miso broth.

A diverse array of starters tempts the tastebuds including Spicy Fuse Popcorn, Tex-Asian Chips dusted with nori and salsa roja, Tortilla Fried Avocado and Braised Brisket Potstickers. Sushi and sashimi arrives in classic style or with a contemporary twist, such as the signature Fuse Roll made with Snow Crab, salmon, asparagus and carrot wrapped in cucumber.

Lunch, now available Monday through Friday, offers a tantalizing selection of salads, rice or noodle bowls, sandwiches, entrees and Balanced Plates, a choice of protein served with a California or tuna roll, miso soup, steamed rice and mesclun salad. The Kobe Short Rib Bowl with garlic, broccoli, daikon sprouts, jalapeno, fried egg and hoisin sauce and Tex-Asian Sliders with cilantro aioli, soy caramelized onions and cheddar cheese are not to be missed.

In late October, Fuse will receive a stylish makeover, just in time for the holiday season. Plans are underway to refurbish the outdoor pool patio and upstairs bar. More details coming soon.

Fuse, a Tex-Asian drinking and dining experience, is located downtown at 1512 Commerce Street, Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75201. Lunch is available Monday through Friday from 11:30am until 2:30pm. Dinner is available Monday through Thursday from 6pm until 10pm, and Friday and Saturday from 6pm – 11pm. Happy Hour is available Monday through Friday from 4pm until 7pm. Reservations are recommended by calling 214.742.FUSE (3873). For more information, visit www.fusedallas.com.

Two Dallas area mothers have taken their passion for cooking and created an international sensation… and they’re making money too.

A Frisco home is the kitchen studio for www.ShowMeTheCurry.com. Friends Hetal Jinni and Anuja Bal Subramanian were looking for something to keep them busy after their kids started school last year.

But it didn’t take long before their small idea became a much bigger project: An internet based cooking show. They bought cameras, lights and practiced their delivery.

Now, about once a week, Anuja and Hetal tape podcasts, each with a new Indian recipe for their viewers to try at home.

Each segment details the ingredients you’ll need, and viewers get step by step instructions on how to prepare the dish.

They edit everything into a ten minute podcast and post it on the internet. In one year, they’ve produced dozens of segments and through the reach of YouTube, they have cultivated an international following.

Anuja and Hetal say they’re having a blast, and they’re also making money through advertising on their Web site. The more people log on, the more their revenue goes up.

Anuja and Hetal say they’re working on other money making additions to the show, including product placements and product endorsements.

Let’s hope the weather stays nice for this!

The All About Uptown Fest will be this Saturday, 13 Sept 08 from 11a - 11p.

There will be historic tours of Uptown and sponsors include: City Vets, Pets R Uptown, Dean Foods, Kids Korner, Renowned Restaurants

Located on Fairmont Street between McKinney Avenue and Cedar Springs

CHEF SHOWCASE TENT
11AM: Juan Rosado - The Crescent Club at Rosewood Crescent Hotel
12PM: Vu Le - The Fish Restaurant & Sushi Bar
1PM: John Coleman - Fearings at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas
2PM: Chris Meier - The Capital Grille
3PM: Paula Lambert - Mozzarella Company
4PM: David Bull - Bolla at the Stoneleigh Hotel & Spa
5PM: Brian Wubbena - Trulucks
6PM: Gianni Santin - The Conservatory at Rosewood Crescent Hotel

MAIN STAGE
11AM: Scott Whitaker - Country
1PM: A Hard Days Night - Beatles Tribute Band
3PM: Mount Righteous - Progressive Big Band
4:30PM: Jonnie Blanco - Pop Alternative Rock
7PM: Brave Combo - Alternative Polka Party Rock
9PM: The Killdares - Irish Rock

For more information, contact the Uptown Association at:
469.341.0613
www.AllAboutUptown.com

Dallas-based Brinker International, Inc. said early today it has reached a deal to sell an 80 percent stake in its Romano’s Macaroni Grill chain to a San Francisco-based private equity firm.

The move, announced before the stock market opened, comes one year after Brinker said it would try to sell the troubled brand, which offered a new take on Italian favorites but struggled to find a strong customer base.

Under the agreement with Mac Acquisition LLC, an affiliate of Golden Gate Capital, Brinker will receive $131.5 million in cash, of which $6 million will be contributed to Mac Acquisition.

Brinker will own 19.9 percent of the brand. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2008.

Brinker also owns Chili’s Grill & Bar.

A Denton day-care center has been shut down by the state after a 5-year-old boy walked out an open door there last week, crossed a busy street and was discovered half an hour later at a Hooters restaurant.

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services ordered Imagination Station in the 2300 block of San Jacinto Boulevard to cease operation Wednesday.

On July 23, the 5-year-old boy walked out the back door of Imagination Station sometime after 4:51 p.m., according to a timeline prepared by Denton police. The boy entered a Pep Boys auto parts store, took a pack of gum and left. He then crossed Dallas Drive, a busy entranceway to the city from Interstate 35E, and entered a RaceTrac convenience store. Store security video showed him taking more gum from the front counter there and then walking to the back, where he took a root beer from a refrigerated case.

The boy left the store after about four minutes and walked west to Hooters, a restaurant and bar. The child walked in, looked around as though he were lost and quickly left.

Employees called police at 5:20 p.m. They said they followed him outside and found him at the I-35E service road.

Police say the employees of Hooters saw the boy about to cross the service road to the interstate and quite possibly saved the child’s life.

If you are planning on heading to the air guitar championships at House of Blues, you might want to hit some venues for drink specials beforehand.

* Tuk Tuk Asian Cuisine: 5 pm - 7 pm: $3 beer, $3.50 wine

* Fuse Restaurant and Lounge: 4 pm - 7 pm: $3 domestics, $3 frozen drinks, $3 white wine, $3 red wine, $1 sake / $1 sushi

* Ten Sports Grill: 11 am - 7 pm: $3 top ten martinis / $2 mimosa / $2.50 frozen margaritas

* Riccardi’s: 4 pm - 7pm: $5 wells, $3 domestics, $2 off all wine by the glass

* Uptown Bar & Grill: 7 pm - 2 am: $4 Red Bull vodkas

It’s a well known fact that when the economy gets tight, coupon usage and efforts to save money increase.

So the ever festive Entertainment Book which is crammed full of savings, is now FREE for Dallas 2008 - all the coupons are valid at least through 1 November 2008. They do charge a $4.99 shipping fee but you would have paid that anyway had you bought the book at the original price of $25.

This also gives you access to their website where you can find even more cost savings on everything from food to films to personal services like manicures and dry cleaning.

You will also need to agree to buy the 2009 book at full value ($25). Just use a couple of the 2-for-1 dinner coupons and the book pays for itself.