Savor Dallas 2007: thanks for the flavorful memories

Billusa99, says:

You were there Sat night!? So were we, with our 'Media tags' dangling... ;-) Sorry we missed you!

I've seen Jim White at NOWFE a couple of times. I'm surprised he has not taken this back here: put the food being served at each table on a menu, so the chefs don't have to be asked 2,000 times and so we do not have to wait in order to ask.

DC, says:

More on this event to follow.

Scott, says:

I like the recent Multimedia Teresa. Keep the camera rolling!

Scott

DC, says:

So, thanks to Pegasus News, our agenda was set. Saturday morning, take the dog out for a run to Bark Park and off to Victory Tavern.

Remember, it's 11 AM when we arrive for the 90 plus points wine tasting. I am not sure this is really a good idea, but what the hell. Nothing like an escaltor of wines to move along the morning.

Apparently the only glasses delivered were champagne, so we're a little delayed.

Victory Tavern looks very, well, manufactured. I'm sure it will be fine.

Once we get underway, our sommelier, Guy Stout is introduced. He's an affable, jolly fellow, clearly there to enjoy the day. As the events progress, his skills are clear. He provides us with a list of the wines that we're trying, as if we could remember otherwise, and invites participation. We have a fantastic selection of wines, starting with a buttery champagne and ending with a private Texas red.

Unfortunately, there is only one bucket for the table, and since we are all behind 10 glasses, it doesn't lend itself to passing. No rocks glasses, so drink it up. There are about 25 people there from the radio contest winners to blue hairs to Dallas wine snobs. It's kind of fun, and in the end, we enjoy the tasting.

We wrap up around 12:15. Next session is 1:30. It would seem to be a good time for lunch. We are at Victory Tavern. Seems obvious - yeah, not so much. Apparently, no lunches for a while.

So, we could go for a wrap at the gelato place, but what the hell, we're at Victory!

Craft it is!

We're now about 10-15 fingers of red wine in. Craft apparently is all fabulous with brunch only. Omelet, biscuit, glass of tap water and soda - $38 before tip. Waitstaff are tanned to the hue of baked potatoes. This is one of those vortecies that I am sure will suck us back in at some time.

Back to Victory thing. We still have a little time, so we figure, what the hell, let's check out the "Victory Park Discovery Center." I mean as a young, interracial, professional couple, I figure we're the target demographic! We're just like those uber haut people on the posters! It's closed.

Instead, let's buy some clothes at a cool place called "Stuff!" It drips of awesome indifference! The door opens, and some girl on a cel phone yells from the till - "We're not open until 2!"

I take my wallet back outside.

Next, Neuvo Italiano. Outside are tree sculptures in the shape of presumably nubile young ponytailed women sure to incite the ire of any traditional arborist. One of them is facing into the restaurant and appears to me to be in a position to defecate while standing up, if you have ever been inclined to do such a thing. I have to touch them.

They're fake. Yes, they have vinyl trees shaped like women with breast implants. It's just so perfect for Victory, it almost brings a tear to my eye.

Well, back inside, we're here for the Rose Champagne testing. The restaurant is a transplant from Vegas. One or two hidden, heavily tinted windows, oddly mismatched furniture, and multiple, wheelchair unfriendly levels make up the space.

By now, the numbers are mounting. In addition to the above patrons, we also now have the addition of the vicoden addict north Dallas ladies and young men thinking this was a great idea for a date.

The host is clearly a Chandon salesman. He doesn't inhale even once in 62 straight minutes. Admittedly, the champagnes are great, but who knows which one he is talking about at any one time. I drink them all and love it.

The light totally kills this tasting, though. We're drinking these great pink champagnes in a room lit like diluted urine.

The host doesn't want to answer my questions about their supposed lawsuit against Vueve restaurant. I guess it's ok since everyone pronounced it "Voove" anyway.

By this time, we're moving on with a half hour break. Outside, we're really only left with the Quiksilver store. It's strikingly like the Times Square store - exactly the same merchandise planted next to a huge concrete slab. Admittedly, with Slater's new priority heat setup, world cup surfing may be greatly changed, but I don't know that the girls texting OMG OMG OMG next to me really care.

Outside, a huge, subtitled movie is entertaining a largely "Shrek" crowd.

To wrap up the afternoon, Meet the Winemakers. Again, Guy Stout hosts the event, where a selection of winemakers discuss their wines and Guy finishes. The Italians are starting to look a little worn out.

The Benzinger guy looks like he just took back two Vodka Red Bulls and is ready to do a glow stick dance for the audience.

The local winemakers are rather charming, and this would have been a much better session "meet the Texas winemakers" but I understand you have to have sponsors.

By this time, the audience is getting obnoxious. The back of the room is a cackle of big hairs trying to exhange ringtones, while comparing realtor notes and the front tries to ignore them. The wines are for the most part, excellent again.

N9NE - well, it looks like a slightly crappier version of Pearl at Nikki Beach. Again, I am sure some expense account will bring me back here, where it will be determined if they truly have steak magic or if it is just a space for patrons of Darque.

It's time to have some water, take the pit bull out for a walk, pass out and stretch the palate in preparation for the Grande Tasting of Ridiculous Proportions. More to follow.

Billusa99, says:

Loved it! N9NE is much more than just a space for patrons of Darque. It is a space for patrons of snark. Be sure that you have dinner seated along one of those tables next to the upper bar railing.

That way, the people in the couches 3 feet directly above you can constantly look down at you and your partner, while making snide comments about your hair, your taste in drinks, how you hold your fork and how you chew your food. It's sooooo Dallas, and sooooo much fun!

DC, says:

Time for more. After the crazy pit bull gets a run in at bark park, it's off for the Tasting of Amazing Everything or whatever it's called.

In another time, I'll let you know what I think about cab service in Dallas. In this column, I'll confirm it is terrible.

We pull up to the front of the Hilton and get out of the car. At this time, the valet guy tells us we need to go to a different entrance. Walk, walk, walk and here we are. So, we make it part way into the garden when another couple tells us we need to get a wristband. Well, this means back to the entrance. By this time, we have pretty much wasted 40 some minutes in wandering around the hotel.

We acquire a glass and enter. We then realize that one of those American Airlines platters would be helpful. Back to the front of the hall.

So, here we are. At first glance, I am actually impressed with the number of people in the place.

The environment is pure convention hall. It's brightly lit with flourescents. The visitors are a wide spectrum of Dallas, but fewer blue hairs than earlier in the day. There are more than a few tanning booth tragedies in the place and the hue doesn't help. The crowd probably would have appreciated the lights being dimmed a little and maybe a little Massive Attack in the background. Ok, maybe no one but me wanted the depressing Bristol trip hop, but what do I care?

The tables are well arranged in a collection of drinks vs food. We figure we'll be meeting a few of the occassionals at this event. We are not wrong.

A few food ground rules for an event like this:

1) soups with skins - no thanks 2) things I can't bite - not so much 3) cephalopods - she'll pass

Here we are.

Central 214 offers lobster bisque. They are at the Hotel Palomar. I wonder if they want me to live there as much as the people at Victory. The bisque is pretty much like all the other bisques there. It's nice, but I'm pretty much over it.

Clay Pit provides a little curry on basmati. A great volume dish if not particularly inspiring. Also, maybe a little heavy for this event.

There is also a preponderance of tenderloin. It's a fairly serviceable dish, I suppose. It's also cold and tasteless by eight o'clock. Many are passed.

Those Victory Tavern guys are still at it. This time they have some kind of slider thing. It's exceptionally chewy and unpleasant. They should have stuck with the open faced quesadilla from Friday.

We make it to the rear corner. Some Aussie chef tells me they're out of food at Nobu. Damn you, yet again, Nobu - I love to hate you!

Several other dishes are randomly distributed through the show - cauliflower soup, a couple of sliced up beets, more tenderloin.

By now, reality is that the palate is more than stretched and hey, it's Mike Orren from Pegasus News, hey, Mike, it's me, you know, your favorite reviewer, DC, hey, he's just walking right by us, ok bye, maybe at some other event....

We happen across a couple of people from her work somewhere near the Gentleman Jack stand. While discussing relevant current events, one of the Tuaca girls comes to her and asks "Do you work at Ghostbar?" The answer of course is no, but who is this girl, she must be beautiful! Awwww.

A discussion about fishing ensues.

Some of the other usuals are apparently making appearances. Since some asians lack adequate levels of alcohol dehydrogenase, this is a problem for one of them.

The Tuaca girl reminds us about the Texas Outlaws After Party Whoooooo!

One guy is on stilts outside. I think he hates it.

In easily the strangest occurrence of the evening, some hairy fellow asks her to take a look at her glass. She says sure, and the guy runs off. I mean, what was that? There were thousands of glasses at this thing.

Anyway, drinks flow as some couple gets in a fight while salsa dancing to Bob Seeger. One can't help but acknowledge the complete decomposition of decorum at this point. It almost rates with one of the best exchanges yet between two young women who have had too much to drink:

1: "I've never been with another girl." 2: "I don't want to get herpes."

In retrospect, Savor Dallas actually was a pretty good time. I think if we were to do it again, I would probably make it a point to do the wine stroll, but I would cut out the Victory Plaza bit entirely.

Also, I would probably start the day a little later. As much as the 90+ wines seminar was fun, the day was kind of pushing it to do 3 seminars and the tasting at once, at least with nothing to do at Victory in between sessions besides watch the big screen thing.

Guy Stout was a great addition as a host and the winemakers were all very gracious in trying to sell us their wine and tell us about their projects.

The restauranteurs at the Grand Tasting thing really didn't stretch themselves as much as I would have liked but erred on the side of caution. However, there was reasonable representation from the city and enough reminders for places we have yet to try.

The party afterwards was really just the blasting cap on whatever tension people had worked up by eyeing each other in the seminars, and so hopefully the Anatole's rooms served the safe purpose of the night.

To conclude, would I suggest Savor Dallas? Sure. Just choose your venues and seminar hosts wisely. Go to the Grand Tasting thing with some advance time. Realize that as much as the same event in Aspen would draw a huge crowd that we're in Dallas and we're both blessed and cursed.

Until the next episode, Dallas, this is your friend, DC wrapping this one up. Look for some more updates when we're back from California.

Billusa99, says:

RE: *The restauranteurs at the Grand Tasting thing really didn't stretch themselves as much as I would have liked but erred on the side of caution. *

BOY, did they ever. The last time we saw so much tenderloin in one place was in that same-named area of San Francisco!

Overall, the chefs at Savor were doing some serious large-crowd-buffet coasting. It doesn't come close to the creativity one sees at the Santa Fe Wine & Chili Fiesta, nor at the New Orleans Food & Wine Experience.

Beef on a bun, Texas BBQ, beef with beef, beef with greens, filet of beef, beef au boeuf, boeuf avec bistecca, carne et bologna, and on and on...