Restaurateur Al Biernat passed away on Wednesday, November 13, after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was 69 years old.
Biernat started his career in hospitality at 18 in Aspen, working as a bartender. He moved around as a young man, living in New York, Los Angeles, and Houston — and in the latter, he helped open the Palm. He moved from Houston to L.A. to work at the legendary location of the Palm there, known as a hotbed of industry insider dinners for movies, music, and entertainment. Eventually, the Palm brought Biernet to Dallas, where he opened the now-defunct restaurant and was general manager of all its locations in the city.
In 1998, when Biernat was in his 40s, he opened Al Biernat’s in Oak Lawn — his own steakhouse. It was like unlocking the floodgates of steak. It may be difficult to imagine, but Dallas was not always a town known for its steakhouses, and Al Biernat’s, along with the openings of Nick & Sam’s, Pappa’s Brothers, and III Forks, helped usher in an era where that reputation was made.
For decades, Biernat was one of the leading figures in hospitality. In 2009, D magazine wrote, “Al Biernat is known as one of, if not the very best, hosts in the restaurant biz. His passion for pleasing and damn near photographic memory when it comes to remembering guests’ names spans over two decades, has become legendary and sets the bar for other front of the house guys on the local fine dining scene.”
In 2011, then-general manager Brad Fuller told NBC DFW, Biernat is “the host of all hosts. He’s the nicest, most friendly guy. He’ll remember your name or what table you like, what you had last time you were in, whether that was last week or a year ago.”
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Numerous celebrities have stopped into Al Biernat’s over the years, including Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, every significant Dallas sports figure, and former president George W. Bush. Then there was the 2011 Super Bowl in Dallas when Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz, Demi Moore, and Jerry Jones all dined there.
The restaurant opened a second location in North Dallas in 2017.
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Biernat was diagnosed with ALS earlier in 2024 and had a series of conversations with the Dallas Morning News about his life.
Biernat is survived by his wife, Jeannie, and his children Angelica Saylor, Kaitlin Biernat Connell, and Jess Biernat, along with his grandchildren. Biernat’s family would like to receive messages, stories, and photos from friends and customers. Send them via email to FriendofAl@albiernats.com or mail them to Al Biernat’s Personal at 4217 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas, Texas, 75219.
The Dallas Cowboys entered this offseason with a clear objective: to get significantly better on defense. To accomplish that goal, they added several defenders in free agency and the draft, and they may now have more defenders than they actually need.
Since Dallas has been so bad defensively, that’s not a bad thing. It just means they will have a competitive offseason and training camp, as players duke it out for roster spots. The standouts will emerge, and enter the regular season with the team, but some guys will be sent packing.
While it’s still early in the offseason, signs are already pointing to a steep uphill battle for one defender who came to Dallas this offseason. That defender is cornerback Derion Kendrick, and his time with the team could end before ever playing a game.
Kendrick only signed a one-year deal worth $1.315 million with the Cowboys, so it was clear from the start that he’d have to battle for everything. As things currently stand, the battle isn’t looking all that good for Kendrick. DaRon Bland and Cobie Durant are in line to be the two starting corners, and first-round pick Caleb Downs is penciled in as the nickel.
Behind them are Shavon Revel Jr., Devin Moore, and Reddy Steward, all guys who are higher on the priority list than Kendrick. That leaves Kendrick fighting for a third string spot, and those are usually claimed by younger players who play a big role on specials teams. Kendrick will have to prove his value early in training camp or he could be looking for a new team.
The veteran corner was drafted in the sixth round by the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, and became a contributing player for them. As a rookie, Kendrick started six of the 15 games he played in, and then started 12 in year two, while playing in all 17 games.
It seemed like Kendrick was on his way to being a late-round gem, but his career was turned upside down when he tore his ACL in July of 2024. He missed the entire 2024 season, was eventually waived by the Rams, and claimed by the Seattle Seahawks.
After 10 games in Seattle, he was waived and claimed by the Rams, going back to Los Angeles to finish the 2025 season.
That journey led him to the Cowboys this offseason, and unless Derion Kendrick has a strong training camp, the journey may continue with another team.
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The NFL and the Dallas Cowboys are mourning the loss of one of the best pass rushers of the early 2010s.
Former Cowboys defensive end Aldon Smith has passed away at the age of 36, the San Francisco 49ers organization announced Saturday. The Niners, who drafted Smith with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, said that Smith’s death is “sudden and tragic.”
“We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith,” the 49ers wrote in a statement. “Aldon’s undeniable talent and sheer dominance on the field were on display from the moment he joined our organization, having recorded one of the best rookie seasons the National Football League has seen. Beyond his excellence as a player, Aldon will be remembered for his infectious smile that lit up every room he walked into. Our entire organization sends its deepest condolences to the Smith family and all who knew and loved Aldon.”
After being drafted by the 49ers, Smith took the league by storm during his first two seasons, finishing second in the Defensive Rookie of the Year race before earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in his second year.
In that span, he posted a combined 33.5 sacks across 32 games with San Francisco. After four years with the 49ers, he played his only season with the then-Oakland Raiders in 2015 after the 49ers released him following a third DUI arrest.
After being suspended by the NFL for four seasons from 2016-19, Smith was granted reinstatement and signed with the Cowboys.
He was a productive player during his only year in Dallas. He started all 16 games for the Cowboys during the 2020 season while tallying 48 total tackles (31 solo), five sacks, two pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, a league-high 78 fumble return yards, and a defensive touchdown.
Smith’s 78-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in Week 14’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2020 season is the fifth-longest in Cowboys franchise history.
The Cowboys didn’t re-sign Smith after 2020. He signed a deal with the Seattle Seahawks that offseason but was released before the 2021 campaign began.
Smith’s NFL career started off with Hall of Fame-level potential, but he dealt with multiple off-the-field issues that ultimately cut his time in the league short.
Our thoughts are with Smith’s family during this difficult time.
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