How Dallas Chefs Harnessed the Power of TikTok
A cache of the city s culinary talent, women chefs in particular, took to the social video platform to survive the pandemic with charm, humor, and badass cookery.
By Eve Hill-Agnus
Published in
Food & Drink
December 23, 2020
1:12 pm
When 2020 seemed too much for me at various times this year I’d go back to a TikTok video from late April. That is, from before we knew where things were headed, before we knew how much a deep well-spring of joy and resilience and levity we’d need this year.
Chefs Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman, Janice Provost, Tida Pichakron, Jeana Johnson, Sandy Bussey, Sarah Green, Danyele McPherson, and Uno Immanivong knew, seemingly preternaturally, how to give us cheer. They made the video, which begins with Quiñones-Pittman throwing a box of salt to Immanivong, in zebra print, and ends with Provost tossing a burst of confetti, like a declaration that said, “We did it. We made it. I think I just can’t. B
Like holiday decorations in retail stores, reminders to order tamales for Christmas start popping up around Halloween. La Popular Tamale House sold out their orders for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day pickup more than a month ago.
If you need some of those lovely stuffed bundles of masa on your Christmas table, you haven’t missed out altogether. You’ll find refrigerated and frozen varieties at most local grocery stores, but fresh options still abound, too.
La Popular is still taking orders, just for earlier pickup dates, and we found several places around town that are still taking orders for Christmas Eve.
In “Christmas past” in Dallas, the decision to eat at a restaurant might have meant choosing which lavish restaurant buffet to graze or in which familiar favorite establishment to celebrate. Hopefully, “Christmas future” will look a lot like that, with an even wider range of cuisines and price points to choose from.
But here in “Christmas present,” there’s takeout because making the safest choice for your family likely means dining at home this year.
That’s not a bad thing. Dallas restaurants have risen to yet another challenge this year. They need your support, and they’ve delivered a variety of holiday menus meant to make your holiday dinner at home memorable for more than just the difficulties the year has brought.
Brandon Mohon
Encina’s Field Pea and Ham Bisque 614 W. Davis St., No. 100 (Bishop Arts District) One bright spot during the pandemic has been the return of a familiar space, one that has seen upgraded touches in all the right places without losing the charm of its predecessor. Early reports on Encina’s service and menu are exceedingly positive. The menu is filled with showstoppers, and one winter addition comes in the form of the field pea and ham bisque.
The pea and ham hock broth is slow simmered with traditional mirepoix and topped with griddled kale biscuits. The bisque provides a depth of flavor found only in soups that take the time to build those layers.