If I were going to post a photo here, it would be of a huge man with a trimmed goatee and mustache in a Paul Prudhomme flat-top chef's hat and Bermuda shorts. And when I say huge, we're talking about mega-hundreds.
The guy's a cooking genius and he owns and runs a place in a shopping center near our Dallas Lake Highlands house called Eat the World. Don't ask me where the name came from. I kind of find it a bit disgusting if I roll it over in my mind for very long.
The huge fellow with the trimmed goatee and mustache in the Paul Prudhomme flat-top chef's hat's name is Toby O'Brien, and he's one of Dallas' most talented chefs.
O'Brien was the visionary who was behind the famous Yegue Creek brewpub on Henderson in the 90s. After it closed, he moved into catering, and in no time, his catering business far exceeded the ability of his home kitchen.
So he rented a goofy-looking worn out ex-convenience store, threw in some good commercial kitchen equipment, added Salvation Army decor in the adjacent dining room, and began preparing every kind of take-home casserole imaginable. Which is not to say you can't eat there, too. Don't expect candle light, tablecloths and starched white napkins. And there's no strolling violinist. Remember, that's not why you're there.
On Fridays he has a barbecue extravaganza, and you've never eaten better barbecue -- ribs, chicken, pulled pork, beef, tamales stuffed with barbecue brisket. The whole nine yards.
And he cooks circle-cut hams and turkeys right there, nothing frozen or sent down from a commissary in Paramus, New Jersey. He recoils at the sound of the name "Sysco."
So with Thanksgiving coming, I thought I'd tell you about this gem -- Toby O'Brien and his Eat the World Cafe. You can order all or part of your Thanksgiving dinner there. Patty says his dressing is better than mine, so she's ordered a quart for our family and a quart for her friend Cindi and her family.
I'm still the one who will cook two big birds, my special sweet potatoes and the rest of the Thanksgiving dinner. But then I don't cater.
EAT THE WORLD
9850 Walnut Hill Lane at Audelia Street
214-340-3663
1-02-09: Here's an update. My stepson, the true master chef Randy Norman, bought one of Toby's specially smoked, glazed hams to serve us all for Christmas. Let me tell you, we'll be talking about that ham for years to come! Patty called Chef Toby today, and ordered another one -- one for her and me.
By the way, if you're looking for his place, here's how you can find him. His neighbors are a nail salon, locksmith, Mexican grocery store, mail center, some sort of immigration office, a store front church. and a bunch of vacant store fronts. Don't let this distract you.
BILL CHERRY, REALTOR
DALLAS
Our 44th Year Selling America!
214 503-8563
800 314-7110
When someone can cook good...They will come!
Darn sure will, Miss Sherry. I've been to catered parties where Toby provided the food, and they were like no other.
Hi Bill... I am definitely going to be checking this place out. My mouth was watering just reading your post!