Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Is new Dallas restaurant Neighborhood Services a place where food writers go?
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DALLAS — In his year-end 2008 wrap-up, recently-departed Dallas Morning News restaurant critic Bill Addison described Neighborhood Services, the new restaurant on Lovers Lane from chef Nick Badovinus, as "the type of place where off-duty chefs (and, frankly, food writers) hang out".
Chefs are one thing. They eat at each other's places all the time. The fact that Dean Fearing, Chris Ward, Kent Rathbun, Jim Severson, or Jason Boso might have dropped in (and all have) doesn't seem such a stretch.
Lobster-ricotta fritters at Neighborhood Services
But food writers are a different species. And having myself consumed only one meal there made me wonder: Who are these mysterious food writers, clinking their martini glasses at Neighborhood Services and "noshing" on Badovinus' lobster fritters and pan-roasted mussels?
To wit, a survey:
YES: Nancy Nichols, D Magazine dining editor. If Neighborhood Services were Dallas' version of the Algonquin Round Table, then Nancy would be its Dorothy Parker. Nancy's appreciation for the restaurant is well known, and she's revealed in private conversation that she dines there 14 times a week. If the place is open six nights a week (and it is), that means that she is eating dinner there at least two times per night.
NO: Dave Faries, restaurant critic for the Dallas Observer. Faries used his recent effort to eat there as the basis for a column he wrote about ... well, I'm not even sure what it was about, except that, in the end, he ended up at nearby Fireside Pies instead. Given the white-hot status of Neighborhood Services and the fact that he'll inevitably have to review it, he'll surely go back (and maybe already has). But for now, no.
NO: Amy Culbertson, Food Editor and restaurant critic for Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and mistress of the paper's new cooking school site. "Is it worth the drive? I fear it may just be too hip for me."
YES: Michael Hiller, dining critic for pubs such as Modern Luxury Dallas, has eaten at the restaurant. The plot thickens: He ate there with Texas Monthly Food Editor Pat Sharpe. That's a two-fer. Wouldn't it be great if, whilst dining there, they ran into Nancy N., possibly to share a round of "Cuban paramours" (a Mojito-like cocktail with Flor de Cana rum, mint, key lime, "cane simple" syrup, and cava)?
Grainy interior shot of Neighborhood Services. Could those people be writers?
NO: Tina Danze, food writer and stylist. Tina, a regular Dallas Morning News contributor, eats out often for research. She recently authored a story on pork belly -- one that surely would have accommodated an expense-account mention of Neighborhood Service's pork belly-esque Berkshire bacon. But Danze has yet to eat there.
NO: Shannon Sutlief, restaurants editor for GuideLive.com. "I read somewhere on the web about a three-hour wait one night. No thank you. I'll go later."
YES: Christopher Wynn, F!D Luxe dining editor. Wynn says, "It's definitely a hang for me and someplace I like to visit as a 'civilian' when off-the-clock, even if just for a burger." Bingo!
NO: Kim Harwell, freelance writer for F!D Luxe and critic for Dallas Morning News. You might expect Harwell to be a N.S. regular -- she did, after all, write an actual story about the place for F!D. But: no visit so far.
YES: Sarah Eveans, writer at D is doing a review of Neighborhood Services and so has eaten at the restaurant a number of times. "I had the speck flatbread two nights ago and could eat it every night." Incriminating!
NO: June Naylor, freelance critic for Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "No, but I'd volunteer to eat with you if you were doing a review."
In summary: Out of 11 food writers polled, five have been to N.S., but only three with any regularity: Nichols, Wynn, and Eveans. That's OK, though: It's a golden rule of journalism that "it takes three to make a trend". Addison was correct.
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Comments
Nancy Nichols Verified
Daarling, TG, You know what DP and I always say: “I don't care what is written about me so long as it isn't true.” The 143rd time I dined at Neighborhood Services, Nicky "Nick" Nick told me that Bill Addison ate there at least three after his review ran in the paper. That's a lot of dimes for a food writer. Back to work, my dear ducking for apples -- change one letter and it's the story of my life. Smooches.
9 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
luniz Anonymous
TG I bet it's been days since anybody told you, you are the best.
9 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
gospain Anonymous
TG, you really do your homework. Keep at it!
9 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
aculbertson Anonymous
Hmmm ... on second thought, the prospect of speck flatbread might be enough to make me brave the droves of see-and-be-scenesters.
9 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Billusa99 Anonymous
One of your 10 Best, tg. (That is not a joke.)
9 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Scott Anonymous
Sarah Eveans is reviewing Neighborhood Services?
Is this the same Sarah Eveans whose attendance at the media event promoting Badovinus's The Porch preceded a flamboyant, now-infamous expression of gratitude ( http://tinyurl.com/8gos3p )?
As I recall, TG's calling (but not singling) D out on that ( http://tinyurl.com/7r8kse ), led D's Tim Rogers to publicly state that TG's "bias" against Badovinus disqualified her from reviewing The Porch for D Magazine ( http://tinyurl.com/8thzo8 ), bastion of objectivity that it is in all food matters. Nancy Nichols ended up penning the Porch review, which reflected the balanced and dispassionate take on Badovinus her readers have come to expect ( http://tinyurl.com/8pvg2m ).
Anyway, is this the same Sarah Eveans who, according to D's Stephanie Quadri, is "good friends with Tristan and went to celebrate his new venture" (http://tinyurl.com/84uxq4)?
The mysterious, anonymous Sarah Eveans whose photo was (most recently, though not for the first time) posted on SideDish about a week ago ( http://tinyurl.com/9jyjae )?
Not that there would be anything wrong with that. I just want to make sure we're thinking of the same Sarah Eveans.
9 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
david denney Verified
@scott,
No, you're thinking of someone else.
9 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Dr_Freud Anonymous
AWESOME. Freaking awesome!
9 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Billusa99 Anonymous
Scott... that expose has "seriously drool-worthy...items."
David... good comeback, mate.
Now, a request: please, let's keep PegNews PegNews and avoid using the cliched D @ sign in a directed comment -- it's superfluous, very uncommon, and D silliest thing I've seen since IJS.
IJS
9 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
luniz Anonymous
to be honest I gotta say I think they should post Sarah Eveans' photo as frequently as possible. Sometimes anonymity and objectivity have to be sacrificed on the alter of the greater good.
9 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
RC_DALLAS Anonymous
TG rules the roost.
Scott is either an investigative reporter for the Observer or his last name is Sams.
BillUSA99 likes to stir the pot.
And David? Well, uh . . he's David.
9 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
alexander troup Verified
The concept of food writers and food lovers and tasters is somthing Dallas should realize and support, kind of like the Beat poets, and writers and artist having a place to hang, why cant food folks have a great place also,.. the concept is real and original..thanks for letting me know...A/T. Food observer.
9 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
mikegarden55 Anonymous
Fun to see the nosherati at work and at play. Nice going, TG!
9 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
grumpyg Anonymous
This critic goes (Yelp), and I see some food writer or owner there each time. With the recent interest and big crowds, we are a bit harder to find. Hey, let's recommend to Nick that he reserve a corner and call it Algonquin. Of course, to look like the midtown NY dive he would have to dress it down big time.
9 months, 3 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
dpmclean1 Anonymous
this review on HeyManWhatsUp.com was pretty dang funny and made me go. good place.
http://www.heymanwhatsup.com/main/200...
8 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
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