Go Texan Articles

Chefs

Great chefs know that a recipe is only as good as the quality of the ingredients. That's why top Texas chefs choose the freshest and best selections that the Lone Star State has to offer, including unparalleled Texas shrimp. Here we highlight some of these progressive chefs who promote the bounty of Texas agriculture on their menus.
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Chef Gorji

“I’m proud to be one of the first Dallas chefs to embrace the Texas Department of Agriculture’s GO TEXAN mission of promoting the products, culture and communities of the Lone Star State. With more than 20 years in the restaurant business in Texas, I’ve been using Wild-Caught Texas Brown Shrimp for a long time. It is great quality and has a wonderful flavor, almost sweet. And being local is a big plus!”

In a market with a “bigger is better” outlook, Gorji has kept it simple. He will soon celebrate 10 years at the helm of his intimate, award-winning 10-table restaurant in Addison/Dallas. That's a milestone for any chef. But to Gorji and local restaurant critics and diners, it's a victory for working chefs everywhere who strive to make every meal a memorable dining experience. D magazine calls Canary By Gorji one of the most underrated restaurants in Dallas, "When Gorji isn’t at a market buying fresh ingredients, he is in his kitchen creating unique dishes…. He will dazzle your taste buds and your heart.”

His cuisine is upscale, modern cooking based on quality ingredients, minimal spices and abbreviated cooking times to bring out the natural flavor of food. As a GO TEXAN partner, he incorporates a “Texas Twist” into his “New Mediterranean Menu” with such dishes as ribeye steak with pomegranate creme sauce, pan-fried catfish and barbecued veal ribs. His latest GO TEXAN feature is an“8-ball” zucchini squash stuffed with Wild-Caught Texas Brown Shrimp.

He is a past winner of the famous Texas Steak Cookoff in Hico (‘04, ‘05) and has been voted “DFW Best” by readers of The Dallas Morning News. His recipes have been featured in Texas Monthly, D Home, D Magazine, Modern Luxury, Ft Worth Star Telegram, The Dallas Morning News among others. He also has an instructional DVD, “Cooking With Gorji,” and is completing a cookbook.

Gorji Gourmet Foods® –Pomodoro and Puttanesca Sauces, Pomegranate Vinaigrette, Dipping Oil & Marinade Primer. and Spicy Remoulade. – are available at the restaurant, DFW Whole Food Markets®, and gourmet stores in the Dallas area such as Jimmy’s Food Store. Or online at Artizone.com and www.gorjigourmetfoods.com.

Chefs Table - North Texas

Texas chefs and restaurateurs invite you to step up to the plate and help yourself to the best that Texas dining has to offer. Texas cuisine is as varied as its land and reflective of the diverse cultures that settled in the Lone Star State. The chefs featured here invite you into their world to experience what GO TEXAN means to them, and the difference that Texas tastes can make when you dine out with GO TEXAN.

Chef Mansour Gorji, Canary Café Mediterranean Steak and Seafood, Addison   

Award-winning chef and creator of a gourmet line of cooking products, Chef Gorji brings a new Mediterranean style of cooking to Texas dishes at the Canary Café Mediterranean Steak and Seafood in Addison.
 

Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in cooking?
My grandmother required all the kids in my family to spend time in the kitchen to appreciate the work involved in preparing food. Our seasonal tasks were to make lime juice, unripe grape juice, tomato juice and pomegranate puree to put in the cellar for use year-round. We were also taught to prepare meals at a very early age. Little did we know that she was teaching us the basic tools of flavors and ratios; the rest was imagination and creativity. That early training and attitude about food, combined with my travels around the Mediterranean areas, evolved into the new Mediterranean style cuisine that I cook today. Many of the old world dishes relied on heavy spices and long cooking times. I use the freshest ingredients, prime cuts of meats and minimal spices, and I have developed short cooking time techniques that allow me to make these dishes with their old world essence for my guests.
 

What on your menu is Texas-grown or locally produced?
I use Gulf shrimp, quail, citrus, honey, fresh herbs, garlic, spinach, Texas wines, bread from local bakeries and, of course, my Gorji Gourmet® products.
 
What are your favorite Texas ingredients and why?
I like Texas quail because they are not small and don't overcook easily. Texas quail grill and sauté nicely. We serve the medallions and legs, as well as the whole bird. I am partial to Gulf shrimp, as well. They are plump and juicy. I handpick wines from Alamosa Cellars and Texas Hills Vineyard because they grow their own grapes and yield a Mediterranean style that complements my food.
 
What is Canary Café's signature dish?
Our signature dish is the rib eye steak with pomegranate cream sauce that I won the Texas Steak Cook-Off Championship with two years in a row (2004 and 2005) in Hico, even though Canary Café is not a steakhouse. I have always cooked with pomegranates and have them on my menu all year. I also serve salmon and beef anar, feta and fresh pomegranates, as well as a homemade puree. 
 
Describe the atmosphere and ambiance of Canary Café. How does the Dallas metroplex community contribute to this feel?
 
Canary Café is a small 14-table restaurant with a personal touch and presence. Our goal is for diners to have a wonderful dining experience. I take pride in preparing meals personally and per order. If I am not there, we do not open that evening. In Dallas, there seems to be a growing interest in the smaller, more intimate atmosphere. Our attention to detail, our serving of adventurous flavors and our boutique, handpicked wine lists contribute to a more pleasurable dining experience.
 
Tell me a little bit about your Gorji Gourmet® line. What would you say is the overall theme of the line?
I wanted to capture and bring the fresh tastes of my new Mediterranean style food to my customer's home. My products provide a gourmet base to pasta, pizza, chicken, veal, seafood, steaks, salads, spreads and dips. The Gorji Gourmet® product line includes: pomodoro and puttanesca sauces; primer for meat; vegetables and seafood for grilling and sautéing; pomegranate champagne vinaigrette and Caesar dressing for salads; and hummus and remoulade for sandwiches and dipping.