Wine review: Dufouleur Père & Fils Nuits St. Georges Premier Cru Les Saint Georges 2002

Regular readers know that I don’t put much stock in expensive wine. Even when it’s worthwhile, these wines often fail the 10 times test: Is a typical $100 wine 10 times better than a typical $10 wine?

This red Burgundy (what the French call pinot noir) is from a 400-year French wine family and it does pass the 10 times test. The 2002 vintage, meanwhile, is one of the best in Burgundy in decades. Even better, the wine is only about $30 (available at Goody Goody). This is classic red Burgundy, with zippy tannins and a pleasantly rustic feel and taste. It isn’t especially fruity, so if you drink a lot of New World pinot noir you may be disappointed. Try it anyway.

I drank most of a bottle of this on the porch, enjoying the pleasant fall weather we’ve had lately. The St. Georges will also pair with almost anything you can throw at it for Thanksgiving, and it has lots of aging potential. How often can you say that about a $30 wine?

Council subcommittee considers a smoking ban in bars, billiard halls

A city council subcommittee is considering expanding the city's current smoking ban from restaurants and workplaces to bars, billiard halls and within 15 feet of entrances to publicly accessible villages, according to the DMN. Our neighborhoods' councilmen, Sheffie Kadane and Angela Hunt, have different perspectives on the proposal, according to the News story and more comments on its blog.

I have to admit that when the city council first decided to restrict smoking in restaurants and other public places a few years ago, I had my doubts: It seemed like a draconian measure, and it seemed likely to drive business out of Dallas. Today, though, I haven't seen a single study indicating that significant business was lost to the more smoking-friendly suburbs, and the air in most places I go these days is cleaner and clearer.

Local chef to increase celebrity

In September we introduced many East Dallas/ Lakewood Advocate readers to Chef Blythe Beck (Hector's on Henderson) — and those of you who already knew her got to know her just a bit better.

Her acquaintances also know she has an incredibly charismatic personality, thus it comes as no surprise to learn she's part of Oxygen network's new "Live Out Loud" line-up. Her show, The Naughty Kitchen, looks like a hoot. In its quest for strong and successful women who live life loud and proud, the O network struck gold when they discovered Chef Beck!

Doctor’s Hospital signs on with White Rock Marathon

Doctor's Hospital at White Rock Lake is getting in on the White Rock Marathon weekend (Dec. 12-14) — they've just signed on as title sponsor for the marathon's two-day health and fitness expo. Organizers are still seeking the top-dog title sponsor for the marathon. Hmmm, I can see it now … The Advocate Publishing White Rock Marathon …  what do you think, Mr. Wamre?

While I wait to hear back on that … the aforementioned fitness expo sounds like a pretty cool deal, with more than 100 vendors demonstrating, peddling and promoting all sorts of stuff — clothing, jewelry, shoes, athletic gear, food and supplements, upcoming events and good-to-know-about services, to name a few. Plus, if you are running the race, you have to go to the expo to pick up your packet so you might as well take it all in while you're there.

I don't know exactly how the Doctors Hospital sponsorship will affect race participants — I don't think very much. But sponsorships, from what event chair Chuck Dannis told me a while back, help absorb costs of putting on such an enormous event and allow organizers to donate a larger sum to the benefiting charity, Scottish Rite.

Also, if you are training to run the marathon and you're getting antsy, you are eager to read anything and everything there is to read about the event. It's just five weeks away and I can't get enough of stuff like this, from the Dallas Morning News Fitness Blog.

Franki’s of Casa Linda in trouble, at best

It’s been a turbulent few days for area restaurants. First, neighborhood favorite Brothers Chicken on Gaston shut down — much to the sorrow of many neighbors. La Parrillada and Bailey's bit the dreaded back-tax dust. Then, there were reports that Franki’s Lil Europe in Casa Linda had shuttered. Then there were more reports that Franki’s was going to re-open soon. It’s no surprise that Franki’s was in trouble. In fact, they sent out an e-mail to customers about six weeks ago reaching out for help:

"Times are tough all over; even the major banks need help, so who do the little guys have to turn to.  In talking to several of our regular clients, it was suggested that we should honestly turn to our clientele," wrote owner Jeffrey Batt. “As the economy has hit a rough patch and the Casa Linda area has undergone some dramatic age shifts, our business has diminished to an inoperable pace.  Combine that with the construction project going on and we are in very dire straits.  However, it is our contention that when the renovation of the square is completed and the area stabilizes, our product and concept will shine.”

The letter goes on to say that the restaurant is actively tapping the surrounding community for investors and partners, and that he hopes patrons will respect his decision to lay it all out there — blisters and all. “Sometimes you have to open, honest, and brash if you truly believe that you dreams are worth preservation,” he concludes.

I haven’t been able to reach Batt for details, and I wonder if they’ll be able to hold on through the Casa Linda construction period (no doubt rent has gone up in the past year). I hope they find a way to pull through. Franki’s has been a part of this neighborhood for a long time — I remember going there as a kid and thinking it was sooo fancy with it's birdbath-y waterfall outside and all. It’s been pretty reliably good eatin’ ever since.

Woodrow Mock Trial Team offers Friday night babysitting

Since they're heading to Boston's Harvard University for a mock trial workshop, the Woodrow Wilson High School
Mock Trial Team is offering "its impeccable babysitting services," according to the flier, as a
fundraiser this Friday night, so that neighborhood parents can attend
the Lakewood Candlelight Home Tour and Love Boat Party, Casino and Auction.

It's a full seven hours, 5 p.m.-midnight, for $45 ($25 for the second
child in a family and $20 for the third). Parents can drop off their
kids (who must be at least 3 and do not require diaper-changing duties)
at Northridge Presbyterian Church.
Dinner will be provided, and the mock trial team invites parents to
bring jammies, pillows and blankets, "in case eyelids get heavy".

Wine review: Garnacha de Fuego 2007

I have never been a huge fan of this wine, mostly because it cost as little as $6 and $7 in other parts of the country, but costs $12 and even $15 in this area. Lately, though, the price in Dallas (where it's widely available) seems to have settled closer to $10. That makes this Spanish red a fine bargain.

Garnacha is a grape that produces very fruity wines with little in the way of tannins. This one has a lot of red fruit, but it's not especially heavy, which is a testament to Spanish wine making skills. The wine magazines adore this wine, and I've never quite been able to figure out why. One reason, probably, is that it's imported by Jorge Ordonez, who is one of the best at bringing Spanish wine into the U.S.

Drink this on its own, because it's light enough, or with pizza or similar casual food. It will also be more than adequate with Thanksgiving dinner (and don’t tell anyone, but the non-wine drinkers might even enjoy it chilled).

Technorati Tags: Spanish wine,red wine,garnacha,Jorge Ordonez,Garnacha de Fuego

Poker tomorrow at Times Ten Cellars

Vegas comes to Lakewood tomorrow night, and what happens in Lakewood … well, we try to write about it here. Times Ten Cellars, 6324 Prospect, will go casino as the Lakewood Neighborhood Association hosts its annual Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament. Feel lucky? You could win a 42" High Definition TV. Even if you lose, you win, because funds raised benefit neighborhood beautification efforts. Sign up beginning at 6 p.m. Tournament starts at 7 p.m. Get there early — organizers are hoping for a full house! Details here.

This Wednesday: Candlelight Walk on Henderson

I attended the Candlelight Walk last year, and it was one of the most
enjoyable holiday events I participated in. All of the merchants —
Milton Kent Antiques, Another Time & Place, La Mariposa, ART is ART, Pandemonium, Emeralds to Coconuts, Again & Again and Gypsy Wagon — will stay open late this Wednesday, Nov. 12 from 6-9 p.m. and offer finger foods, beverages and discounts.

The stores are busy but not too crowded, since the event may be Henderson's best kept secret. Last year, Pandemonium had the most amazing seven-layer dip I've ever tasted; Milton Kent Antiques had food catered from The Porch; and Fish City Grill,
which hadn't yet opened, was offering gumbo and coupons for free
appetizers. So many new restaurants have sprouted since then, I wonder
if more will be out Wednesday night to get exposure.

Either way, the shops on Henderson are darling and well worth the time
to browse through, so why not a night with free munchies and good deals?

La Parrillada: Delinquent taxes lead to another restaurant closing

Another one bites the dust, courtesy of the Texas comptroller’s office: This time, it’s La Parrillada on Gaston near the spillway, as first reported on FrontBurner. The Mexican restaurant, pretty popular for years in the building that once house a Pizza Inn, apparently failed to keep up with payments for either employee payroll or sales taxes, and the state opted to shut it down. This one follows last week’s demise of Bailey’s 1st & 10 sports bar at Mockingbird and Abrams. The difficult economy is forcing restaurants owners (along with the rest of us) to make some difficult choices, but it appears that skimping on payroll or sales taxes isn’t the way to go if you’re a business owner looking to cut corners.