Welcome to SideDish’s weekly dispatch of need-to-know News Bites, from quiet closures to opening updates and everything in between, including coronavirus-related intel.
Reyna Duong Is a “Rebel Girl”
Reyna Duong, the bánh mì mastermind behind Sandwich Hag, will be featured in the third edition of New York Times bestselling anthology Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Immigrant Women that Changed the World. Duong, who immigrated with her family from Vietnam in 1978, is one of three chefs featured in the book. Sandwich Hag is known in the Cedars not just for its nem noung, a garlick-y pork sausage bánh mì, but for its commitment to heritage and workplace inclusivity. Duong has forged the way for Dallas restaurants in terms of hiring employees with different abilities, including those with Down syndrome. Appropriately, Duong’s quote in Rebel Girls is “bonding over a meal together is a universal language,” reports Dallas Morning News.
The Scoop on Howdy Homemade
Howdy Homemade, home of Dr. Pepper Chocolate Chip ice cream, asked for Dallas’ help and we delivered. And delivered. And delivered some more. After surpassing a $75,000 crowdfunding goal (the shop’s GoFundMe clocks in at $104,450 now), Howdy received another sweet scoop of moolah on the Today show. Marcus Lemonis, an entrepreneur who stars in CNBC’s The Profit, praised Howdy Homemade’s mission and pledged to help the business expand with a $50,000 grant, reports Dallas Morning News. Tom Landis, Howdy Homemade’s owner, is grateful for the money to get them through not only the pandemic struggle but to offset lower sales in the colder months ahead.
Profound Foods Wants You to Meet Their Farmers
Back in May, we wrote about Profound Foods’ break-neck pivot from selling boutique microgreens to restaurants to becoming a direct retail outlet for individuals at home. Then Profound Foods owners, husband and wife team Jeff and Lee Bednar, added the ever-popular meal kit to the roster via Profound Kitchen, a new spin-off from the farm. It’s mission: Turn local produce into a chef-curated meal for folks to cook at home. And they’re not done yet. The inexhaustible Bednars have acquired a 13,000-square-foot space to serve both as a kitchen and pop-up venue. They plan to unveil the new space with a “Meat the Farmer” event on October 24 from 3 to 5 p.m. The event will introduce customers to the local farmer-vendors (attention: there could be samples) and VIP ticket holders will be served a platter created with what’s ripe and hyper-seasonal. Highlights include kababs with Texas Craft wagyu steak and Misty Moon’s peppers, home-brewed beer, and “Profound Seltzer” (herbed hard seltzer). Masks are required and safety protocols will be in place. General admission tickets are free when you place an order.
Blackland Distillery Runs Limited Release Rum
Are you in end-of-summer denial? Us too. That’s why we’ll be living out our lost summer vacation dreams at Blackland, Fort Worth’s newest craft spirits distillery and cocktail bar. Through October 17, Blackland will host a menu of specialty cocktails with their limited-release white, spiced, and aged rums. We’re eyeing the Dock Bird, made with Blackland’s aged rum, pineapple, lime, demerara sugar, and dehydrated Campari. Meyer & Sage will provide tropical-themed small bites to accompany your Mai Tai. Though Blackland’s interior gives us moody, speakeasy vibes, the patio is perfect for pretending its still summer.
Memphis-Based Chicken Joint Flocks to Deep Ellum
Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken is a 60 year-old Memphis institution serving up its spicy fried tenders out of a refurbished garage on Commerce Street, reports the Dallas Observer. The latest outpost of Gus’s offers chicken bits one way: crispy, buttery, and with a mild burn. You won’t find spice options here, you take it how it comes. Visit their soft opening this week and pair light or dark meat with fried green tomatoes, baked beans, and Deep Ellum Brewing’s IPA.
The State Fair Pulls It Together for Closing Weekend
After catching heat for their long wait times opening weekend, the Texas Fair has implemented changes to slash wait times significantly. State Fair spokeswoman Karissa Condoianis says they’ve managed to bring the wait down to about 25 minutes on average, reports Dallas Morning News. The fair’s drive-thru now has two more ticket scanners, a wider drive-thru in some areas, and ways out if cars are running low on gas. For the fair’s last weekend, we think you can leave your gas cans at home.
