Sweet Stuff

Chocolate tour company highlights bloom of Dallas sweet shops

Dallas Chocolate Festival, CocoAndre Chocolatier

Take a sweet ride around the city via Dallas by Chocolate Tours.

Jeanine Stevens wants to showcase the sweet side of Dallas. In 2012, she put on her entrepreneurial hat and founded Dallas by Chocolate Tours, focusing on chocolate-themed businesses with a side of Dallas history.

"Taking people to restaurants and eateries is sort of a legacy," Stevens says. "Growing up in Chicago, my parents would take us to out-of-the-way places to eat. Dallas By Chocolate builds on my background of trying new places to eat, and offers knowledge of city."

Since her launch, Dallas' chocolate scene has enjoyed a boom, with new shops such as Dude, Sweet Chocolate, CocoAndré in Bishop Arts, Kate Weiser Chocolates in Trinity Groves, and Sablon Lounge in Dallas' West Village.

In 2012, California-based See's Candies entered the Dallas-Fort Worth market, expanding its previous holiday popups into year-round stores. And retailers such as Central Market have significantly expanded their selection of fine chocolate bars.

But Stevens favors the small artisanal shops that are not only doing traditional sweets, but items with non-traditional flavors.

"Dude, Sweet Chocolate uses unique ingredients from blue cheese to mushrooms," she says. "CocoAndré uses ingredients like tequila, and was one of the first to buy beans and make their own chocolate bars. Dallas is on the forefront of pushing the envelope."

In addition to chocolate, she offers tours on other themes such as barbecue and tacos. But with Valentine's Day coming, it's all about the chocolate for now, with offerings such as "Have Your Chocolate and Eat It Too," a motorcoach tour on February 11 that stops at destinations such as Kate Weiser, Cheese & Chutney, and Bisous Bisous Patisserie.

Prices range from $43-$125 per person. For reservations, call 972-814-5997 or email at dallasbychocolate@gmail.com.

"Food tells a story about the city, and we have so many places to showcase," she says. "We’re ambassadors to show people that this is a great place to visit, live, and taste wonderful things."

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RIP Al

Beloved Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat dies at 69 after ALS battle

Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat, RIP

Beloved Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat, founder of the acclaimed local steakhouse Al Biernat's, passed away on November 13, following a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease; he was 69.

Biernat was one of Dallas' all-time great hospitality figures, dating back to his days at The Palm steakhouse, for whom he worked in Los Angeles, Houston, and Dallas.

Biernat founded his namesake restaurant in 1998 on Oak Lawn Avenue, where his standard of excellence and doting charm made it a destination for special occasions, Park Cities swells, and celebrities in town.

His sense of hospitality had little competition in Dallas. He was a charming and personable host who genuinely liked people, and it didn't matter whether you were Conan O'Brien, David Crosby, or one of the other high-profile diners that visited his restaurants — or else just a regular schlub: He had a knack for making everyone feel special and remembered.

Biernat was born on August 20, 1955 and grew up in Michigan, then lived in Colorado, New York, Los Angeles, and Houston, before moving to Dallas to work at The Palm in the West End, where his dynamic presence gave the restaurant an incomparable vitality; it closed in 2017.

He opened Al Biernat's at 4217 Oak Lawn Ave. in 1998, followed by a second location in North Dallas at 5251 Spring Valley Rd. in 2017.

He began to experience ALS symptoms in May 2023, was diagnosed in December, and revealed his condition in February 2024. The revelation was met with an outpouring of sympathy and well wishes from the hospitality industry — a sign of the high regard in which he was held.

The average life expectancy for people with ALS is two to five years after diagnosis. Symptoms can begin in the muscles that control speech and swallowing, or in the hands, arms, legs, or feet. He began to have difficulty communicating in September, and spent his last days in a hospice.

On September 18, he broached the topic of dying, before ending on a note of gratitude to friends and family.

"Having Bulbar ALS I am realistic about my future," he said. "Friends and family have asked me if I’m afraid of dying, and this is what I say to them. Because of the salvation of Jesus, I will be rejoicing in my spirit to see him in all of his glory. Since we are all flesh, soul, and spirit, only my flesh is being left behind. But don’t get me wrong, I have a blessed life in this world, with a loving wife, and a beautiful family and many wonderful and caring friends. I am grateful!"

Both Al Biernat's locations will continue to remain open under the management of Biernat's nephew Brad Fuller, as they have for nearly the past two years.

Biernat is survived by Fuller, as well as his wife Jeannie and three daughters: Angelica Saylor, Kaitlin Biernat Connell, and Jess Biernat, plus five grandsons and two granddaughters. . According to family members, details regarding a celebration of his life will be announced soon.

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