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| Photo by Elizabeth Lavin |
Marc Cassel, Dragonfly
The guy who helped put Green Room on the map is also known for his collision cuisine, late-night Whataburger runs, and his signature attire (chef’s coat, camouflage shorts, and Converse sneakers).
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| Food pictures from Foodpix |
Signature dish:
Pan-roasted PEI black mussels with champagne, shiitakes, ginger, and red chili.
What Marc is buying now:
Texas figs, tomatoes, melons, peppers, baby okra, berries (black, huckle, and saskatoon), eggplants, shelled fresh beans and peas, and the stonefruits “peaches, nectarines, and a few cherries. If you can find Andy Mariani’s orchard fruit, it’s heavenly.
Secret preparation tip:
To clean a kiwi fruit, cut off both ends with a knife, then, using a teaspoon, slide the spoon between the fruit and the skin, spin the spoon around freeing the fruit from the skin. You end up with a green egg, which you can then cut into slices.
When I’m not at the restaurant, I cook:
Something simple and comforting, such as a whole roast chicken with nice veggies and potatoes or rice and a sauce from the roasting pan.
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Guilty pleasure:
Tweaked out Ramen noodles.
Best compliment to the chef:
An empty plate.
My worst cooking disaster:
I agonized over a soup all day for a large charity event, adjusting this, adding that, etc. As we were loading it into my Jeep, it fell and spilled. I had about 20 minutes to make it again. It turned out tastier than the one I tinkered with all day!
An area cook I am watching:
I like what Tim Byres is doing at Standard.
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I refuse to cook:
I doubt there’s anything. I have cooked raccoon, hissing cockroaches, and grub worms. Actually, I refuse to buy and sell any fish that is caught outside governmentally controlled fisheries. We have an obligation to protect our seafood resources, and while I could sell imported and illegally harvested fish at a lower price, I won’t.
Must-have spice:
Dried arbol chilies. Char them over an open flame or in a hot, dry skillet, crumble them, and add them to almost anything.
Marc Cassel’s Favorite Dallas Eateries
| Jimmy’s Cuban Sandwich. Photo by Kevin Hunter Marple |
For casual, quick meals:
First Chinese BBQ (Richardson location), Pho Que Huong, Pho Huy, Sushiyama, Jimmy’s Food Store, almost all the taquerias, and Aw Shucks.
For bar food:
Vickery Park, The Old Monk, or Idle Rich Pub.
For burgers:
Wingfield’s in South Dallas, or dare I say it? Whataburger.
For celebrations or sit-downs:
Teppo Yakitori and Sushi Bar, Standard, Abacus, Green Room, York Street, or Tei Tei.
