Auction News

Someone got a real deal on the Dallas Spaghetti Warehouse trolley

This trolley turned out to be quite the bargain.

Courtesy photo

Someone got a real deal on the vintage trolley that once resided inside the Spaghetti Warehouse in Dallas' West End.

The restaurant shuttered in October after 47 years at that location, but offered most of its equipment, fixtures, and decorative items in a monster auction with 491 items or sale — including the trademark trolley, treasured by so many diners over the years.

Hosted by TAGeX Brands, the Spaghetti Warehouse auction began promptly on October 20, after the restaurant closed, and was online for nine days, ending on October 29.

The trolley auction, which ended at 10 am, scored 20 bids, for a final sale price of $3,125. It was sold to mysterious Bidder #23941 — bidders are identified by number only, no name — who came in at the last minute on the morning of October 29 with the winning bid. He overtook poor steadfast Bidder #25406, who was the first to make a bid and had been in it for the long haul.

Of course, the ticket price of the trolley doesn't represent a portion of what it will cost to actually get it. The winning bidder is required to remove the vehicle, which will entail removing a portion of a brick wall from the restaurant and rebuilding the wall. Which must be done by a contractor.

So the $3,125 is chump change compared to what the ultimate cost will be.

Shockingly, the trolley wasn't even the biggest ticket item.

The top earner was a dark-horse historical item: A hand-engraved plaque, made in 1892, commemorating the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America displayed in the Columbia Exposition of 1893, which contains engraved portraits of all the deceased presidents at that time.

With 16 bids, it drew an impressive $8,026.

Other big sellers included the restaurant's vintage espresso machine, no brand name, but lots of pretty brass and hammered copper, which netted $4,775.

Spaghetti Warehouse branded items did well; for example, the Spaghetti Warehouse sign that hung over the door outside went for $1,800.

Antique niceties such as chandeliers and stained glass windows also fetched high prices. An elaborate wall mount mirror with carvings was a big seller at $2,326, snagged by Bidder #26044, an active player who also threw down a few bids for the trolley.

And some of the antique furniture performed well, including an ornate wooden hutch for $2,050.

A cool wooden phone booth went for an affordable $735. That's cheaper than a couch.

A very practical Hoshizaki ice machine with bin was bagged for a mere $710 after 26 bids. A mega-useful 80-liter Hobart floor mixer enjoyed a brisk flurry of last-minute bidding, climbing rapidly from $890 up to the winning bid of $2,001 in the final 5 minutes of the auction.

TAGeX Brands spokesman Josh Bowman says his company has done similar auctions for other Spaghetti Warehouse locations across the country, but this one was unique because it was the original location and had numerous vintage treasures.

All of the auctions started at $1 with no reserves, and it was free to bid. Winning bidders will have two days to pick up their acquisitions and take home a piece of Spaghetti Warehouse history.

The items can still be seen on the online auction but will eventually be pulled from the site.

city-news-roundup

Matcha News

Calif bakery-cafe with creative drinks and snacks makes Dallas debut

Smoking Tiger

Garlic cheese bread and matcha latte from Smoking Tiger

A buzzy coffee shop and cafe from Southern California has made its Texas debut: Called Smoking Tiger, it opened in June in Carrollton, at The Great Oasis plaza at 2225 Old Denton Rd. #100, where it's serving Korean pastries, breads, coffee, and beverages.

Adored by Korean-Americans and possibly everyone on Instagram, the cafe is part of a chain founded in 2020 in Buena Vista, California, that encompasses both coffee shops as well as bakeries. The Carrollton location — full name "The Smoking Tiger Bread Factory" — is one of their most expansive, offering coffee, pastries, breads, and sandwiches.

Carrollton will be the first in the DFW area, but a spokesperson says it won't be the only, although they do not have specifics on other locations or timetable for opening.

Drinks
Their beverage menu is notably rich and creative, leading with the Tiger Latte, their signature brown sugar latte with caramel and frothed oat milk. The Smokin Spaniard is a twist on latte combining espresso, condensed milk, hazelnut, and cinnamon.

Other options summon favorite Korean flavors such as

banana milk latte
honey bori latte with barley milk and salted honey cold foam
sweet corn latte, with sweet corn milk and corn cold foam
chai latte
misugaru — a roasted rice latte served slightly sweetened over choice of milk

… plus matcha lattes including strawberry matcha latte; jeju matcha latte sweetened with maple syrup; hojicha latte, featuring jeju green tea — a green tea grown in South Korea — sweetened with vanilla.

Latte prices average about $6.50.

Other irresistible-sounding drinks include the Pineapple Express, featuring jasmine tea and pineapple concentrate, shaken with ice for a smooth texture; and "YSL" — Yuzu Sparkling Lemonade, featuring yuzu syrup, sparkling water, and lemon.

Garlic cheese bread at Smoking TigerSmoking Tiger

Food
Food options are equally as creative, led by three signature goodies:

Cream Cheese Garlic Bread — a large round roll with a heavy dose of garlic and cream cheese baked inside
Original Salt Bread — sort of like a cross between a roll and an everything bagel
Kimchi Musubi Croissant, featuring a croissant filled with a slice of Spam and kim chi, with a sheet of seaweed baked onto the top of the croissant

Plus "sconkies" — a cross between a scone and a cookie — in flavors such as Oreo or lemon earl grey. For Texas only, they also introduced a special menu of breakfast sandwiches such as a slider with scrambled egg, cheese, and habanero aioli on grilled King's Hawaiian rolls.

According to marketing director Andy Lee, part of its appeal is the way it channels similar cafes in South Korea offering both bread and coffee.

"We wanted to essentially create a space where people could experience modern Korean culture in a very authentic and approachable way," Lee told The Dallas Morning News.

That extends to the decor: They've outfitted the Carrollton location with vertical mahogany wood panels, often seen in cafes in South Korea and traditional Korean houses called hanoks.

coffee openings