New Food Truck Park in Downtown Dallas is Open!

You know we're big fans of food trucks and they've come a long way since the roach coaches of yore. The newest spot where you can satiate your food truck cravings is downtown at 222 Browder Street, basically in the open space between AT&T and DP&L (between Commerce and Jackson Street). You can check out the daily food truck schedule and other details at their site Browderstreetplaza.com

As it starts to cool off we're sure this will become a happening new downtown lunch spot. They've already got life size Jenga, art projects for the kids and picnic tables to chill and relax. On the horizon is some event programming with the potential of movie nights and live music. Sounds like fun!

We're Back, We Think. Or how Real Life got in the way of Blogging

We know we've been a bit MIA on our blog posts, and we're sorry. We'll try to do better, but real life (AKA real job) calls and, despite this being more fun, real job wins. So apologies, but let's get this thing rolling again.

For starters, you can easily find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. It's the best way to stay In The Know about what's going on around town, where to eat, what to drink and lots more!

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/InTheKnowDallas 
Twitter: @InTheKnowDallas
Instagram: @InTheKnowDallas

Oh, and in case you're wanting to stay in touch with the Sig-O, make sure you follow:
Twitter: @TheSigO
Instagram: @TheSigO   Not sure what's going on on the Sig-O's Instagram because that's not our dog, but check it out because the Sig-O is a much better photographer

Find Us and Follow Us to Stay In The Know!

What Do You Want to Eat? I Don't Care Burgers!

How many times have you asked your Sig-O, “what do you want for lunch/dinner?” And get the response “I don’t care.” Sure, that’s been frustrating all of us for years, but the genius folks over at I Don’t Care Burgers just solved that with their catchy-named burger join.

The Sig-O and I recently got to try the burgers and fries from I Don’t Care, and we now definitely care about where our burger comes from. The Sig-O opted for the Bacon Jam Burger, because, well, bacon jam pretty much makes everything amazing. IDC’s bacon jam is no exception to the flavor fabulousness, but just in case you were craving your bacon jam on actual bacon, they put a few strips on the burger too. The Bacon Jam Burger comes on a delightful sweet sourdough bun that somehow manages to stand up to the 1/3 lb patty. I opted for the Sweet Heat burger, which featured their jalepeno-peach marmalade(made from Parker County peaches).  The sweetness of the peaches tempered that jalepeno nicely, and the jalepeno-cheddar bun that held it all together was not to be missed.

Aside from being started by local hunk Jerred Fulbright, IDC keeps it local by using only the freshest ingredients made from scratch daily with produce from local farmers. But this won’t be a break the bank burger, as most burgers ring up around $8. Even better? All burgers come with their delicious made-from scratch fries. They’ve also got some fun flavored wings, and even a salad for that vegetarian you still love.

Sure, their brick and mortar location in Aledo isn’t quite as convenient for us Dallas-dwellers (but it is worth the trip), but they cater! Yes, that’s right, they will bring their set up and cook delicious burgers at your house. Think of all the hours you won’t be sweating it out at the grill or in the kitchen at those summer pool parties, Memorial Day gatherings and 4^th of July celebrations.

Visit IDC Burgers at 401 FM S 1187 in Aledo, or call Jerred to set up that party at your place 817-600-6189.

Eating the D 100: Best Random Finds

You know how you get stuck in a rut, want to try a new restaurant, but don't have any clue where to go. Here's a list(from the list) about the best random finds we encountered on the list. Sure, there are others, but these are our tops recommendations if you're looking to change up your usual weekend dining plans:

1. Mr. Wok – This is the restaurant I have told more people about than any other. It’s a hole in the wall in an old Pizza Inn in Plano and it is the best Chinese food in town. Call ahead to make sure they’ll save a Peking Duck for you. And BYOB.
2. Wingfields – This burger is amazing. But I am not kidding you when I tell you to call in your order ahead of time. Seriously, there is nowhere to wait and nowhere to sit, and expect to be doling out cash to panhandlers who walk by while you wait in your car. Also, you might want to take an SUV since my $6 burger turned into an $800 burger thanks to a pothole so big and deep that it cracked my headlight. Thanks Dallas streets.
3. Tei Tei Robata Bar– Two words – River Crabs. They’re small, adorable, crunchy, delicious, and Tei Tei has them. Go early to get a table, or show up later and plan to spend some time cooling your heels and people-watching in the bar. Try the more adventurous items on the menu and you’ll be pleasantly surprise, but you should definitely get the beef on the hot rock. It sounds gimmicky, but it melts in your mouth.
4.  Meshack’s Bar-B-Que Shack – This truly an old white BBQ shack with a window. So glad we found this BBQ in Garland. It’s definitely on the list for some of the best BBQ in town. Go early or they might run out of what you want.
5.  Urban Crust – The Sig-O and I had the misfortune of living north of 635 for a few years. Urban Crust made living in the northern hinterlands much more tolerable by giving us an upscale pizza place that has a killer rooftop bar (32 degrees) for pre or post-dinner cocktails. If you happen to be up north, definitely check out Urban Crust or its sister Urban Rio.

The Sig-O and I are still "discussing" who will make the overall top 5, but we've got a few other lists coming your before then so check back to be In the Know!

I Ate the D 100 AKA Much Respect for Nancy Nichols

In June of 2013, D Magazine finally printed their list of the Top 100 restaurants in Dallas. This isn’t an annual list, or even a biennial list. It’s been a while since they last published that list, but knowing how we all love a good list so we can compare notes(scores) with friends, the good folks at D, more specifically Food and Travel Editor Nancy Nichols, put together the list of the top 100.

I generally read D cover to cover the day it arrives in our mailbox(don’t judge), so I remember when the issue came out. I remember turning to the Sig-O when I saw the list and saying, “We should do this. We should eat at all 100 top restaurants.” How on Earth I managed to snag someone who would blindly join me on this quest to #EatTheD100 is beyond me, but the Sig-O said, “Sure. Why not?” So the quest began.

A few clarifications before I go on. We did not do all 100 in the time since the list came out. We’ve been in Dallas about 15 years, so if we had already been to one on the list, it counted. If one of us had been to the restaurant, but the other had not, it could still count – those amounted to less than five restaurants each. As people who eat out a fair bit, vary their restaurant choices and have adventurous palates, we (I) were pretty disappointed when we had been to just over 50 of the top 100.

While we’re not in 100 percent agreement with where restaurants were placed on the list, we really have no qualms for the majority who made the list. Were there some that should have been on the list but weren’t included? Of course. Were there some that were on the list that probably shouldn't have been? Probably. Were there any who absolutely didn't belong on the list? Yes, but only one and I’m not going to front them out publicly because someone still has to make a living and feed their family from that restaurant, but hopefully not feed them food from that restaurant. What about the ones that closed? Yes, we made it to all of those before they closed.

I now completely understand why Nancy gets tired of the “what’s the best restaurant in Dallas” question. Seriously, if I had a dollar for every time we’ve been asked that question, I would be able to go back to all of our favorites on the list and probably still have a little cash in my pocket for a drink at the Windmill. I’m by no means a restaurant critic, but I have gained a new found respect for those who have to eat for a living. Personally, I’ll stick to food as a hobby rather than a living. And I’m never attacking a list of 100 again.

I knew this adventure would eventually end up on the blog, but I’m not going to bore you with reviews of all 100.  Because we all love lists, we’ve created “Best Of” lists from the Top 100 list. Yep, lists from lists, mind blown! I’m breaking these lists up over several days, so check back later for the next installment. 

Get Fashionable with Legal Hospice of Texas on April 9

If you haven't bought your tickets for Fashion Cited: A Style Event 2015 on April 9th, you'd best log on and snag yours before this fashionable event sells out. 

The always fabulous Rhonda Sargent Chambers of RSC Productions will emceeing this year, a change from her honorary chair position in 2014. The stylish Todd Brownlee, DDS, is the generous presenting sponsor this year. Even better is this year's ever fashionable and philanthropic Carol Meyer, who is the event's honorary chair. 

Fashion Cited is celebrating its ninth year and continues to be one of the most anticipated annual fashion events in Dallas. Proceeds from Fashion Cited benefit Legal Hospice of Texas, which is a non-profit law firm providing legal services at no charge to low-income individuals who are terminally ill or HIV positive.  This year marks LHT’s 25^th year of service in North Texas.

The Frontiers of Flight Museum has rarely seen as well-dressed a crowd or fashion show, so you'll want to make sure you're there this year. 

Valentine's Dinner at Home Thanks to Civello's

Want to surprise your sweetheart with a homemade Valentine's Dinner rather than fighting the overpriced restaurant crowds, but you don't know how to cook? Do you know how to boil water? If so, Civello's Ravioli has you covered with their adorable heart-shaped stuffed pastas that have been tinted using red beets(just the tint, not beet flavored). They've got four different fillings, so whether your Sig-O prefers cheese or something more exciting, they have your dinner taken care of. Prices range from $10-$20 a dozen (lobster is more expensive then cheese, obviously).

Call 214-827-2989 for the current selections, visit them at http://civellosraviolismo.com/  or swing by the shop on Peak Street. Since you're saving all that money by staying in for dinner, go splurge on a good bottle of Italian wine at Jimmy's Food Store, just up the street.

Community Brewing is Turning 2!

One of Dallas' favorite and older local breweries is turning two this month and they're throwing themselves a party. The Sig-O and I went to the 1st anniversary party, so we have no doubt that this one will be even bigger and better. Word of advice - get your tickets online and early - you may be able to get in, but don't you want the cool glass and first crack and the special oaked/aged beers or small batch releases? Get your tickets already. It's the best $25 you'll spend this week.

Southwest's Free Concert Celebrating the End of Wright!

Planning your weekend? Southwest Airlines is celebrating the end of the Wright Amendment and the Freedom to Fly with a FREE Sunday concert starting at 2 p.m. featuring Robert Early Keen, Jack Ingram and more at Klyde Warren Park. Get all the deets here.

Checking Out the Best State Fair of Texas Discounts

Supposedly some people still pay full price admission to the State Fair of Texas ($17 for GA and $13 for seniors and kids under 48 inches). That means a family of four is easily looking at $60 just for entry(not including parking, but we recommend taking DART). The good news is there are plenty of discounts you can get for admission. Here are the best discounts available for the State Fair of Texas:

·         Buy your tickets in advance

o   Online - Meh, you’ll only save $2 for GA and $1 for seniors/kids when you buy them at BigTex.com, but then you’ll pay almost $9 in shipping. Nevermind.

o   Kroger – You can buy GA tickets there for $15.50, but they don’t offer the senior or kids ones.

·         Season Passes – If you plan going to the State Fair at least three times (and we assume your cardiologist has given you a refill of your Lipitor), buy a season pass. For just $39.95 you’ll get your season pass, plus a one-day free guest ticket and free rides on the Texas Sky Way and Top o’ Texas Tower during special season pass event. Buy this one at Kroger to save $5.

·         North Texas Food Bank Deals – This one is always good for a great deal that helps people in our community. All food and drinks will be donated to the North Texas Food Bank.

o   Opening Day – Bring a full 20-ounce Dasani or Coca-Cola product and get in for $6. Everyone in your party needs to bring their own.

o   Wednesdays – Bring at least three cans of food on a Wednesday and you’ll get in for $3. Again, everybody needs to bring their own three cans.

·         Senior Deals – Ah, the luxury of getting older – Seniors get into the Fair for $4 off every day. AND, every Thursday is Senior Day, so those folks get in for FREE!

·         Dr Pepper Deals – Each person who brings and empty Dr Pepper can gets $5 admission on Tuesdays or $8 admission after 5 p.m. any day.

·         Coca-Cola Thursday – Bring an empty 20-ounce bottle any Thursday and get it for $6.

·         McDonald’s Coupons – Check your tray liner or bag for State Fair coupons. They’ve got ones that can save $3 off GA admission and $7 discounts for kids.

·         KISS-FM Fridays – Visit the KISS-FM site to print a coupon for each member of your group to get $5 off GA tickets.

·         Group Tickets – If you’ve got at least 20 people, you’ll start seeing the discounts rack up. But going to the fair with 20 other people in the group is going to make it hard to decide which ride to go on next.

***BONUS***

Discount on Midway rides – Tuesdays are a great day to go to the fair. You can get your $5 Dr Pepper ticket, plus all rides (except thrill rides and the Texas Star) are only six coupons! If you like going for the rides, this can be a big saver for you.

Restaurant Week Report: Canary By Gorgi

I have to share that we had the most delightful dinner at Canary By Gorgi on Saturday night. We hadn’t been there before, but after looking at Chef Gorgi’s RW menu, and knowing we could cross another off on our quest to eat at all 100 of the D Magazine Top 100 restaurants (we’re at 84 thank-you-very-much), we happily pointed our car north to Addison.

The 4^th course was actually the 1^st course, and was a poached shrimp on a grilled avocado with a puttanesca sauce. The warm tomato sauce and shrimp came together so well with the cooled avocado. We knew that if the rest of dinner was like this, we were certainly in for a treat.

I then had the seared sea scallops, which had a delightful gazpacho salad with them. What a welcome change to have a gazpacho salad rather than the usual, and often not done well, gazpacho soup. The Sig-O loved the escargot. Again, a welcome change being served in a Mediterranean pomodoro sauce rather than the usual garlic butter.

While I’m normally not a steak during RW person, the side of gnocchi with valdeon cream sauce convinced me to try the filet. So glad I did, as this is one of the places in town you can count on to cook your steak to the perfect temperature. When you ask for medium rare, that truly is what comes out, not the more medium pink that many places pass off as MR. The Sig-O was quite pleased with the lamb T-bone and grilled quail, “Wait, I get both.” Yes, it was quite the plate, and proof that Chef Gorgi knows how to treat RW diners right. When the table gets suddenly quiet after the entrees are brought, that is generally a good sign. We both agreed that this was one of the better RW menus we experienced.

But wait, there’s more! Desserts were the chocolate liqueur cake and the date and Turkish kefir butterfly. What a wonderful flavor juxtaposition we had with those two – chocolate cake was dark deep chocolate with a sweeter icing, while the butterfly was beautifully tart and well complemented by the sweeter date. Chocolate and kefir, what an interesting finish to our meal.

After so many years of RW and countless delicious meals, it’s so refreshing to see Chef Gorgi still embracing Restaurant Week and the cause behind it. More importantly, with his charming demeanor and delicious food, he’s enticed new customers to come back to his lovely little Addison gem. I know we’ve already decided to go back for our anniversary this fall, if not sooner.

Dallas Observer Brewfest is Coming! And We've Got a Presale Password for You!

Join Dallas Observer on Saturday, September 13th at the Dallas Farmers Market as we celebrate the 4th Annual Dallas Observer BrewFest presented by Whole Foods Market. BrewFest is an outdoor beer-sampling event and festival that will feature over 150 beers from around the globe, local food vendors and live music! Twelve (2oz) beer samples are included in the ticket price. Doors open at 6:00 for VIP and 7:00 for General Admission. 21+ ONLY We are excited to offer you this exclusive presale opportunity to purchase tickets before they go on sale to the general public! Starts: July 8 @ 10am Ends: July 10 @ 10pm Promo Code: IntheKnowDallas Public On sale: 7/11 @ 10am VIP Ticket includes: 12 – 2 oz. Beer Samplings from 150+ Beer Options PLUS Early Entry into Event one hour earlier at 6:00, access to VIP Area with liquor sampling and exclusive catered food. All Tickets Include: 12 – 2 oz. Beer Samplings, with additional sampling cards available for purchase at the event and Live Music All Guests must be 21+, with a Valid I.D. Websites: Website: www.dobrewfest.com Ticket Site: www.ticketfly.com/event/600187 Facebook Event: www.facebook.com/events/1431578153785792/ Event Hashtag: #BrewFestDAL

Brad Paisley Presale Password

Brad Paisley with Randy Houser, Leah Turner and Charlie Worsham Friday, September 5 Gexa Energy Pavilion Presale starts: Wed, Jun 25 at 10am Presale ends: Thu, Jun 26 at 10pm Use Password: loyalfan Public On Sale: Fri, Jun 27 at 10am

Decks in The Park This Thursday at Klyde Warren Park

For all the details, check out www.DecksInThePark.com 

Tax Day is Lame, Except for the Free Stuff - Including Cane Rosso Pizza for $1!

From the Cut & Paste via DallasNews.com Edition:

Cane Rosso (White Rock location): This deal is in honor not only of tax day, but also of the one-year anniversary of the first anniversary of the Neopolitan pizza joint's White Rock location. The Margherita and Marinara pizzas are just $1 each, as is the focaccia appetizer. 5-10 p.m., White Rock location only, dine-in only.

Sprinkles Cupcakes: Buy a cupcake, get one free when you whisper "tax free."

Arby's: You can get a free snack-sized order of curly fries. You need a coupon for it, though. Get it here.

Schlotzsky's: You can get a free small Original sandwich when you buy a 32-ounce fountain drink and chips. No coupon necessary for this deal.

Hard Rock Cafe: They're going to make you work for this one. If you're willing to sing a song on stage, you get a free entree. Sign up at the local Hard Rock. First come, first served.

Pizza Hut: "As an ode to the 1099 tax form," Pizza Hut announced this deal: You can order a large pizza and one of three sides (breadsticks, chocolate dunkers or cinnamon sticks) for $10.99. You must enter the promo code TAXDAY to get the deal.

Sonic: You can get half-price drinks and slushes all day. We'll have a cherry limeade, please.

Boston Market: For just $10.40 (get it?), you can get two half-chicken meals.

Great American Cookie Co.: Free cookie! It's that simple. Just stop by a Great American Cookies store (there are locations at many area malls) and get a free regular chocolate chip cookie on April 15.

Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt: Fill your cup for just $4.15. You have to claim the offer on Orange Leaf'sFacebook page.

Don't Swear Off Beer - North Texas Beer & Wine Fest is Coming May 10!

You had a lot of fun at the Big Texas Beer Fest last weekend. So much fun you likely felt it the next morning. But before you go swearing off beer, keep in mind that you have four weeks to get back into tip top beer tasting condition with the North Texas Beer & Wine  Festival coming up on May 10.

They've got seminars on home brewing, performances in the beer garden and great chef demos (learned how to make the Velvet Taco Elotes last year thankyouverymuch).

Click here to get more info and get your tickets before they sell out!

Free Grilled Cheese Sandwiches at Norma's to Celebrate National Grilled Cheese Day on Friday

You've probably had it marked on your calendar for weeks now, but in case you didn't, Friday(tomorrow!) is National Grilled Cheese Day. And your friends at Norma's are helping celebrate by giving free grilled cheese sandwiches to those who go by tomorrow. Word on the street is they've created a new one stuffed with (wait for it). . . . mac & cheese and bacon. That sounds like a plan.

Free Electronic Recycling at Reverchon Recreation Center this Saturday

Justin Timberlake Presale Password - He's Coming Back to Dallas December 3!

Justin Timberlake: The 20/20 Experience World Tour Wednesday, December 3 American Airlines Center Presale starts: Thu, Apr 10 at 10am Presale ends: Fri, Apr 11 at 5pm Use Password: priority Public On Sale: Mon, Apr 14 at 10am Click here for information and tickets

Texas Food Truckin' Fest at Globe Life Park in Arlington April 25-26

You love food trucks. Who doesn't? Well, the best food trucks from around the state are set to be at the Globe on April 25th and 26th so you can finally check out that great food truck from Austin or Houston that you keep hearing about. Plus, all your Dallas favorites will be there too. 

You can get discount admission to the fest by bringing a non-perishable food donation for the North Texas Food Bank. Here's where you can get all the deets.