Eat Drink D-FW: Tom Cruise, Brisket and a German Beer Hall

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Hello and welcome to Eat Drink DFW, the podcast from The Dallas Morning News Food Team.

Each week we take a look at food and drink trends in North Texas.

Talk about restaurants and Dallas sport worth, learn some new recipes and sometimes even get tips from you.

Our listeners.

Totally Fisk podcast producer for The Dallas Morning News.

And this week we've got some buzzing new restaurants and great news for New York sub fans.

We've also got thoughts on foods that we think are so overrated, people might be pretending to like them.

That's all coming up right after this.

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Also we'd love to hear from you so email us at eatdrinkdallasnews.com.

As usual today, I'm joined by our food writers Sarah Blaskovich,

Sicario Washington and a Melder Garcia.

Before we get into the food news though, Sarah has some updates to our last episode.

Questions that we asked and believe it or not, we got some real answers.

Yes, so first of all, remember last week when we talked about how the Reese's egg-shaped candies

just seemed to taste better than the other Reese's peanut butter cups.

Yes.

Okay, that's because they actually do taste better.

So a recent episode of Planet Money and a February news story in the New York Times

revealed that Reese's has changed its formula for some but not all of its peanut butter chocolate treats.

You believe that?

Wow.

Okay, so to get the good stuff, you're looking for the words milk chocolate and peanut butter on the label.

And I know this is not rocket science girls, but those words are not on all Reese's products anymore apparently.

The New York Times said that some egg-shaped products and lots of other Reese's branded products

have cheapened the recipe and contained get this no milk chocolate.

What?

Why?

I mean, I feel that must be a scene or something.

Yes, I agree.

Because I think peanut butter and chocolate are the perfect pair.

So apparently cocoa prices are up and some Reese's candies list sugar and vegetable oil first with no milk chocolate.

I feel so betrayed.

Yes, so the nuances here are sort of complicated.

It seems on which products have which ingredients.

So the lesson is read the fine print and buy the Reese's with the good stuff in it.

I wonder how they choose who's going to be the ugly stepchild, you know?

Yeah, like who isn't invited to that meeting?

Right.

Yeah, read your labels, y'all.

Update number two.

Remember how we wondered a few episodes ago whether RFK8, any of the barbecue he was famously photographed slicing at the original Rory Hutchins in Trophy Club?

Yes, sure.

Okay, well, I don't know the answer to that.

But I do have the answer as to whether Tom Cruise ate the barbecue he ordered at Picon Lodge.

Remember when we talked about that?

Yes.

Okay, so Zakaria, here's a great email from Phil, a Dallas Morning newsreader.

Phil says, I listened to last week's episode and can answer your question regarding what Tom Cruise ate at Picon Lodge during his Dallas visit.

Because my family and I were there.

Picon Lodge had an entire large table covered in meats.

And sides for Tom and his fellow cast members to enjoy.

And Tom left no meats untouched.

What, with like his index finger?

Like, sorry, keep going.

Julie thinks he's sticking his finger on all the meat.

It says on touch.

That's the mental image I got.

I'm sorry, keep going, Zakaria.

Yes, he tried everything.

Some things more than once, and that includes the sides.

We were all watching, wondering the same as you.

He also helped clean up.

Wow.

This all really surprises me.

And one item of note that went unreported.

Tom's team called in an additional order of barbecue for Picon Lodge to deliver to his appearance at North Park.

They promptly dispatched a driver with multiple trays of barbecue to keep the meat sweats going all night.

I love the podcast and your insights.

Keep up the great work and keep inspiring others to enjoy.

All our local restaurant scene has to offer.

Wow.

Thank you Phil.

Well, I know what a helpful email, chock full of details since we weren't there in person.

But can you imagine just like having lunch anywhere and Tom Cruise showing up?

No.

I love it.

I love that he doubled up on the barbecue, that he ate it while he was there and then needed more.

Right.

And touched it all.

And he helped clean.

Yes.

Oh my god.

That's like wow.

That's huge.

Yeah.

I know I think we learned that Tom Cruise is a great diner.

That's cool.

That is cool.

And the email is a leaving proof that all our listeners can be our insiders.

So guys, please help us.

That's right.

You also got some new restaurant news to share.

I understand that you reported on a new German bar.

Did you happen to wear your later hose in or your dern doll?

Oh, really?

Yeah.

I think you would wear the dress.

I don't know.

You could wear those leather pants.

They seem hot.

Yeah, they do.

And squeaky.

Let me see if I can pronounce that correctly.

It's off-pro-proof, half-brow house.

That's better.

So it will open its doors in Addison, the half-brow house.

This is the oldest and most traditional brewery in Munich.

And Addison will mark the expansion into Texas.

So when we say old brewery, I mean, this brewery was found in 1589.

Wow.

So that's 436 years of history.

What is really interesting about this place is not just the age,

but the fact that they are brewing their beer with the traditional methods.

And that's something that was born in 1516,

where a beer purity law was enact.

At that time, the author is only allowed to brew beer with barley, hops, and water.

And that is what half-brow house is doing.

And now the only thing that we have to know is if we are going to have our own October fest.

Like in Munich, here in Addison, what do you think, Sara?

Well, I was wondering why half-brow house picked Addison.

And I had read that it's because Addison has October fest.

This is a really great beer festival in the fall.

And the fact that there's no location announced yet is interesting to me.

Yeah.

I have absolutely no intel here, but I wonder if the opening is going to be tied to October fest somehow,

either in location or calendar-wise.

That would make sense.

Isn't October fest traditionally in September?

Yes, this is just a confused people, I think.

No, not really.

But I went to October fest for the very first time last fall in Germany,

so I got to see the whole thing, and it was in fact in September.

And as I understand it, it's because of weather.

So the weather is better in September, but we called it October fest.

And so I think rather than call it September fest, they move it to a sunnier, less rainy time,

and keep the name.

Now I'll say when I went, it was quite rainy, but you were under a beer tent,

and you'd had 50 beers, so it was all fine.

October fest also sounds better.

Yeah, they got their marketing team together in the 1500s or whenever this thing was created,

and they were probably like, let's stick with October fest.

Yeah.

Well, and Sarah, you told us you've got some really good news to share.

I do.

University Park Restaurant, New York Sub, closed at the end of February near SMU.

And the good news is you can still get these sandwiches, so they are not gone forever.

And a lot of our readers had a lot of feelings about this long time restaurant.

It dates back to the early 1970s, and we do love to talk about a historic restaurant.

So there's two things to know about New York Sub.

Number one, right now you can get third party delivery.

So if there's a sandwich you can't live without, you can still order it,

and they will deliver it to your home and make it in a ghost kitchen somewhere in Northwest Dallas.

Number two.

New York Sub's owner, Andrew Kelly, signed a lease to open a new restaurant on West Levers Lane,

kind of close to the north end of Lovefield Airport.

So New York Sub is living on quietly right now and will live on as a full-blown restaurant.

He hopes later this year.

Sarah, I saw in your story that the restaurant will open where the small private school is today.

Yes, I have had many phone calls about this and you're right, Amelda.

Currently, the Carlisle School is teaching a small number of kids at the address

where New York Sub will open.

The landlord confirmed that the school has been told their time is up,

and representatives from the school tell me they'll be looking for a new location,

but they are aware that they need to move.

And you mentioned a couple weeks ago that Fort Worth's chef Tim Love is opening a new Mediterranean restaurant.

Now you've been to it, so what did you think?

Well, I think people should go to this place.

So Maraki is the name of the Mediterranean restaurant he opened recently in Fort Worth.

We keep talking about Mediterranean food because it feels like it's everywhere in North Texas right now.

To Tim Love's credit, he said he wanted to open this restaurant for years before the COVID pandemic, in fact.

But well, the world nearly came to an end.

And so that idea was drastically delayed until just a few weeks ago.

Now, Maraki has the healthy food you would expect from a Mediterranean place.

They've got chickpea hummus and lamb kabobs and salt-crusted fish that they light table-side.

Well, people watch the flames.

I mean, it's lots of dinner theater, OK?

So the difference between Maraki and some of the other Mediterranean restaurants in Dallas,

like Avra and Alara, is that Maraki is kind of a party.

So there is a DJ booth for Sunday, Sunday, and it is attached to a set of pickleball courts.

So that anyone who wants to be beautiful and sporty can then clean up and have beachy food and cocktails inside.

I also saw in your story, Sarah, that you compared it to white lotus.

Yeah, OK.

So Chef Tim Love said that he wants this restaurant to feel like you just stepped off your yacht,

parked in the Mediterranean Sea.

Now, I've never parked a yacht.

No.

Me neither.

I don't think they would let me.

I think if I was on the yacht, I wouldn't be the parker.

And I'm pretty sure that parking is not the verb they use to describe where you put a big fancy boat.

So this place is a little out of reach for me to imagine the yacht part.

But sitting inside the restaurant, you guys, I did feel like those sassy ladies in white lotus eating too much fruit.

Wow.

Minus the fruit, more cocktails.

But it was very stylish.

One last thing, there are tasting menus for lunch and for dinner.

Dinner is available now.

Lunch is coming soon.

And I think that will be a great way to try Chef Tim Love's food,

sort of in this easy, breezy, fixed menu way.

Well, speaking of tasting menus and Melda, you found, and am I reading this correctly,

a taco kasey experience?

Yes, you are right, Julie.

This is coming from a restaurant called Luna Roja, which translates to Red Moon.

This is a Mexican restaurant that opened this one in downtown on Elm Street.

And Chef Omar Larson will take diners on a journey through tacos.

I want to go on that journey.

I know.

Me too.

As you can imagine, this taco kasey is inspired in the Japanese omakase,

where several dishes are served.

But this is going to be with tacos.

And these tacos promise to be different than just the tortilla and meat.

So we are waiting to see the first menu of the taco kasey.

It's not available yet.

And this is going to be a monthly experience.

So to all lovers of tacos, this is a must.

Remember, you can find all of these stories and more at DallasNews.com slash food.

We're going to take a short break.

And when we come back, it's time to talk about overrated foods.

I mean, you don't really like all of that stuff, do you?

There's no way.

That's right after this.

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Welcome back.

Coming up, we have thoughts on some nasty food trends.

But first, quick reminder, you can always reach out to the Dallas Morning News Food Team

at EatDrink at DallasNews.com.

We love hearing your thoughts.

And please take a minute to follow the podcast wherever you're listening.

That way, you will never miss any new episodes.

So, Sarah, you were the one who started this discussion.

What was your inspiration?

All right. On Instagram, I saw somebody ask,

what are the most overrated foods or dishes out there?

But this person took the question just one step up, which I think makes it so much better.

Not only what's the most overrated food to you, but what's that food where you dislike it so much?

You think everyone else is pretending.

Like, nobody really likes that.

Do they? It's this kind of food.

And so, I would love deliciously to present this question to each of you.

And then, I want to let you know that I've also asked some chefs,

restaurateurs, and influencers how they would answer that question.

I cannot wait to hear this.

So, Amelda, what do you love to hate?

I think this is sacred for many people, but it's also kind of disgusting sometimes.

Wedding cakes.

You know what? They are beautiful.

They are tall. They are big. They have flowers.

Fruit. But they are dry.

Also, can cost so much.

Yeah, I know. It's so expensive.

Honestly, their juice is pretty good.

Yeah, that's right.

But that's part of the disappointment, because it's so beautiful.

You're expecting something magical.

Yeah.

And then, it's just not.

I got to say, my cousin had a cheesecake wedding cake,

which was a great idea, because it did taste good.

But it was a lot of cheesecake.

A lot.

You know, we didn't do wedding cake at my wedding,

because I don't like wedding cakes. So, Amelda,

I agree with you so much.

We did mini-bunt cakes for everybody.

I so agree. The white cake covered in fondant.

I do believe many bakers can make a wedding cake taste great.

I haven't had very many of them yet.

No, and fondants kind of nasty anyway.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Can we do drinks, too?

Yes.

Because I'm going with matcha.

Oh!

I think everyone is lying about how much they love that grassy drink.

That is a good answer.

Okay, so, what are the problems with matcha, Sicaria?

I think it's too close to nature in a cup.

It's like grass.

I literally, I tried it with vanilla.

I have not tried a strawberry one yet.

Maybe that's going to be the next thing on my list.

But I hate that drink so bad.

And I'm just like, everybody's making it up.

Well, and the chalky texture from the powder that blends in it is off-putting for some.

So we all remember when matcha became mainstream.

Like this was not that long ago that you would go to name any indie coffee shop in town

and all of a sudden they have the green drink, too.

Yeah.

And then everybody started drinking it.

So much so there was a shortage.

And I'm just like, there's no way.

No way you like this drink that much.

Have you all seen that Keith Lee has a special matcha drink at Lala Lala?

I know.

I know that.

I didn't know that.

It feels like a cruel trick.

Like, I want to try it because it's his.

Yeah.

But I know there's no way I'm going to like it.

Because like you said, it's going to taste like a fresh lawn.

If somebody out there has a defense of matcha, I'm interested in hearing it.

Yeah.

Because I know people listening love it.

Tell me how to make it without the nature part.

If I can get a matcha that doesn't taste so grassy, I may like it.

Yeah.

Make it make sense.

Email us at each drink at Dallas News dot com.

Mine is 10 fish.

I don't, I don't believe it.

You don't really like it.

Nobody really likes it.

You know, 10 fish got so much cooler when the little boxes started getting like really artsy.

You know, now you can go to like some little bitty market and they sell 10 fish.

And there's like cute little fishy cartoons on them.

And it's like, oh, I'm probably I'm supposed to buy those for someone fancy.

Yeah.

I caved to that.

And it is not tasty.

So there is an Instagram influencer.

I think it's called 10 fish reviews.

Wow.

And it's this guy.

He wears a funny little hat and he sits with his dog and he tastes 10 fish.

Wait, is it a joke?

It sounds like a joke.

It's not a joke.

Oh.

And he makes this.

He goes, hmm.

Whenever he's opening them up.

Yes.

This is lovely.

And so my husband and I both watch it all the time.

And that was one of his stocking stuffers.

Yeah.

Tons of 10 fish.

And no, I mean as soon as you open it, it smells offensive.

I know.

Much less putting it in your mouth.

And the heads are still on.

Yes.

Why?

Why is anybody doing this?

I literally have stacks of 10 fish in my cupboard right now if anybody wants them.

That's amazing.

Okay, Sarah, you're the one who started the conversation.

What is the food you love to hate?

Well, I'm going to bring it way down because this one's going to be controversial.

And it's also like the least cool food that anybody said so far.

What is the deal with club sandwiches?

Wow.

Why?

I'll take.

Okay, why?

Why is there bread in the middle?

Extra bread when you don't need that.

If a sandwich is so tall, as all club sandwiches are, that you have to put a toothpick in the middle so that it doesn't fall over, it's too tall.

Let's make it the size of someone's mouth.

We know I've already gone over.

Like, I hate a thing that won't fit in the mouth.

I don't understand it.

But also then the conglomeration of cold meat.

Like cold bacon and possibly cold chicken.

And probably ham and maybe turkey.

Then you're going to throw some vegetables on there to make somebody feel better.

Another piece of bread in the middle.

Just because.

Because we're wasteful now.

Then we're going to do it all over again on the top.

The only redeeming quality to a club sandwich is we're going to cut it into a triangle.

And that's the perfect shape for a sandwich.

Okay, first of all, Sarah, how dare you?

I know.

I'm sorry.

Any opportunity to put bacon on a sandwich is a great thing to me.

Even flabby bacon?

No, not flabby bacon.

It was putting cold bacon.

Why is your bacon cold on your club sandwich?

I think the last time I ordered one I was like 18, too.

Because I think the sandwich is so dumb, it's got to get out of my life.

So I also, if club sandwiches have gotten better in the past couple of decades,

I don't know them.

I think that they are.

But secondly, how dare you?

Because you can also have you had a club sandwich with an avocado on it.

Yeah, it shoots right out the back.

That avocado needs the toothpick.

That's why it's there, isn't it?

Because you put a slimy thing in it that deserves to be re-homed.

You know what?

My friends do not feel so guilty.

They remove the middle breath.

They take the chef's work and they totally undo it.

So now you've just got an ugly Tarkudri board.

And then they put it back together.

And then you make yourself eat it.

I mean, like the man hours going into this bad sandwich.

I just, let's try again.

It's just so funny because it's all things you like.

So I'm very surprised.

Yes.

I know.

What about mayonnaise?

Are they putting mayonnaise on your club sandwich?

They'd better.

Yes.

Yes.

Not Miracle Whip, but mayonnaise.

Now I just want to watch you eat a club sandwich.

You do.

Just for the fun of it.

Yeah, like a three-stooge episode.

All right.

Well, I guess I'm alone in that one.

It's you guys.

Yes.

And I can live with it.

If you are listening and grumbling about the fact that I'm wrong about that,

I actually don't want to hear from you right now.

We're going to move right on.

Do you want to hear what chefs rest her tears and Instagram influencers think, guys?

Oh, of course.

Yes.

Okay.

Julie, you go first.

All right.

Here's a hot take from Jamil Bada, a Dallas diner whose Instagram opinions have become a part of the heartbeat of Dallas food.

So don't give him any seltzer water.

All right.

Jamil says, it tastes like static noise sounds.

That's amazing.

It's so right.

I love it, though.

Yes.

He's right.

Even if you like seltzer water, it tastes like static noise sounds.

That's very true.

Oh, wait.

He goes on.

Jamil says, I don't understand why people willingly drink it unless they're just trying to be fancy pants.

He's not wrong.

He's not wrong.

He's not wrong.

We ax Tanner Agar, CEO of Apothecary, and a regular on this podcast.

He dislikes two items that are so popular, lobster and escargot.

Neither one is worth the price, Tanner said.

Wow, lobster.

Oh.

The only way anyone eats them is if they are drowned in butter, garlic or heavy seasonings,

he said.

Food should taste great when it's the most itself, and paired with complementing flavors.

If people won't eat something without it coming from a butter jacuzzi, then I can't justify

paying $50 a pound for it.

All right.

So he's talking about the ramacan of hot butter with a little flame underneath.

Ever in the case of escargot, it comes in those little cupidishy things that look like

an artist's palate and the snails, escargot or snails that sit in the alleged butter jacuzzi.

That is the best way to describe that.

Yeah.

I like a butter jacuzzi.

What about y'all?

Absolutely.

I love lobster, but I think he's right.

The best lobster that I ate was in Baja, this Baja-style lobster.

You take a flower tortilla and you put the lobster in it with tons of butter and that's

the best.

With beans, it's delicious.

Wait, but yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Beans?

Yes.

What kind of beans?

Like, refried beans.

And it's amazing, but you have to put a lot of butter in there.

I would try that.

We need to give that to Tanner and see if it changes his opinion.

We'd be like, replace the butter jacuzzi with some swipes of butter and some squishy

refried beans.

Yes.

Yeah.

Well, Dallas, chef Anastasia Kinyone's speed man, who we all know, has served some of Dallas

finest contemporary Mexican food, doesn't like nachos.

Whoa.

Can you believe that?

No.

Wow.

And like nachos a lot.

I love nachos.

She said, I can understand a mile high pile of dry chips with some melted cheese on top.

No, she's right about that.

Yes, she is.

But hear me out.

She told Sarah.

Nachos compuestos are where it's at.

Nachos compuestos are basically better nachos.

Each tortilla chip is carefully topped with ingredients to create the right bite every

time.

I agree with her.

100%.

Yes.

I disagree.

You disagree.

You want the pile?

Yeah, I want the pile.

I want it all to just be on there.

Every now and again, I might get a chip with nothing on it.

And that's okay.

I'm going to eat it.

Are you also like, are you going hunting with your chips?

Yes, I am.

Scooping and scooping.

I just, I love it.

It's an experience.

See, and I get angry when I see somebody getting all the good stuff and scooping it onto

their chip.

I'm like cheater.

Yeah.

See, though, if you keep the nachos for yourself, then, then you're all good.

Then you can go hunting all you like.

Oh, when you share the nachos, like, I'm thinking ballpark, right?

Yeah.

Baseball game.

You're passing it back and forth.

Julie sees her so and so friend or cousin or whoever down there, taking the good bite.

I get that.

Okay.

With chef Janice Provo, who owns the wonderful Parigi in Dallas.

I'm just going to say it.

She said, oh, the state pair of Texas is deep fried everything situation.

It's just silly.

It's gross.

It serves no real culinary purpose.

It's shock and awe.

Oh, my God.

Part of it.

Is that not the point of it, though?

Yes.

I mean, I need a moment to collect myself.

I've staked half of my career on those foods.

You know, I hate to say it, but she's right.

She's absolutely right.

And we ask every year, at the Rangers games and at the state fair of Texas, why?

Why are we doing this?

Why?

At this point, it just feels so Texas.

Yeah.

We have to do it at this point.

You know, though, it isn't just Texas.

This is a nation-wide thing where everybody just fries everything at their state fair.

Yeah.

That's right.

Surely, we could do better than that.

I mean, she's so right that it is shock and awe, but it's also Instagram.

Yeah.

That's the blessing and the curse of this whole thing, right, that like all this oversized

food came in an era where, you know, you will spend the $40 just to get the ridiculous

thing at a Rangers game or at the state fair of Texas so that you can get the picture.

Are you going back for another one?

No.

No way.

And Chef Janice is a really good chef, so I think she's also like, this is not food.

It might be overrated, but it's all for the experience.

Yeah.

That's how I take it.

But you know what, in the state fair, I mean, you get your right thing, you get a glass

of wine and you know, it's really hot, so alcohol blows, hot water.

It melts the grease, you know, and you're safe.

Yeah, I take beer.

I'm with the beer in the fried food.

Yeah.

Yeah, it just works.

Yeah.

Wait, I have such a good idea.

What about fried seltzer water for the state fair?

Oh, there.

Oh.

Oh.

This is sponsored by E-Tring DFW podcast.

We're going to make a couple people mad, but wouldn't you try it?

I try it.

Me too.

And I think you ask many more people about these, how many more do we have?

We have at least 10 more overrated foods that you can read about and they're all hilarious.

And then we have these really cool illustrations that are staff illustrator, Michael Hogue made.

You can also find those on Instagram.

So you'll find the story on DallasNews.com slash food and you will find these adorable

cartoons on at DMN Food on Instagram.

Now that is all the time we have for today.

If there's a food that you think is overrated and we know there's at least one of them.

So tell us all about it.

You can reach out to us at EatDrink at DallasNews.com.

For the news I'm Julie Fisk, thanks for listening and we'll see you next week.

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