Central 214 executive chef and former reality TV star Blythe Beck is offering cooking classes this fall for the first time ever.

The classes are from 2-4 p.m. on Saturdays, Sept. 17, Oct. 15 and Nov. 19. Classes cost $125 per person and include a gift bag with recipes and treats from Beck. The classes feature three-course meals and wine pairings.

For reservations, call 214.520.2865 or email karen.pond@central214.com.

With city hall’s recent ordinance changes, several new trucks have taken to the streets.

The Maidens of Margarita Madness and Mayhem support local businesses, spend quality time with neighbors and, of course, drink.

For three years, Gabriela Kovacic battled with city hall to allow dogs on restaurant patios. Eventually, she won.

The Two Wine Guys, John Bratcher and Jeff Siegel, will answer wine-related questions at the State Fair. We’ve also got a recipe for couscous jambalaya.

This month, news and updates from La Calle Doce, Cowboy Chicken, Alligator Café and more …

As is the way in the restaurant world, the opening date for Terilli’s keeps getting pushed back. According to Amanda Ahern, the new expected opening is the week of August 29. It’s a work in progress, but the new digs seem to be shaping up really well.

This is not the wine that won a silver medal at this year’s Dallas Morning News wine competition, and which I raved about in February — with the caveat that it probably wouldn’t be available in this area.

Sure enough, it wasn’t (another example of how misguided the wine business can be). But I did find the previous vintage, the 2009 (purchased), for $11 at Whole Foods. And it wasn’t too shabby, either. The 2009 isn’t quite as impressive as the 2010, but for a previous vintage of a simple wine that shouldn’t necessarily last this long, it was nicely done.

Ken Forrester, a South African producer, is known for its expertise with chenin blanc, and would that more wineries took this grape so seriously. The 2009 wasn’t as light as I remember the 2010 being, but it still had lots of steely minerality and tart green apple fruit. And, for those of you who are concerned about these things, it wasn’t sweet at all.

It’s a summer heat wave wine, and there’s nothing wrong with dropping an ice cube in it or keeping it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. It will pair with grilled chicken breasts and summer salads, and will also be quite welcome after work on its own as you sit out the heat of the day. And, hopefully, the 2010 will show up somewhere soon. Or at least before the winery releases the 2011.

On Aug. 27, the Sigel’s on Upper Greenville will host a gourmet food truck “food court” in its parking lot beginning at 6 p.m. The store also plans to hold a craft beer and wine tasting inside.

The trucks slated to make an appearance include Ruthie’s Rolling Café, Gandolfo’s, Nammi and The Bomb Fried Pies. “The idea is to have as many food trucks as possible so people can come by and check out the state of the Dallas food truck scene,” says Jasper Russo of Sigel’s.

Earlier this summer, several city ordinance changes allowed food trucks to begin appearing on Dallas streets. In the time since then, many trucks have used Twitter and Facebook to announce their locations and keep in touch with their fans. Sigel’s opened its parking lot to the trucks early on, and has established itself as a regular lunchtime spot for fans of mobile chefs.

In the July Advocate, we featured My Square Meal, the kid-friendly bento boxes created by neighborhood moms Ashley Leake and Misty Quinn. My Square Meal recently was the focus of a feature in the Dallas Morning News, all about how bento boxes are the new hot thing in kids’ lunches.

Writer Tyra Damm says she fixes bento boxes for her kids. And for inspiration, she visits bentolunch.net, a bento blog from Frisc0-based food writer Shannon Carino.