A reader tweeted me a picture he took of a door in the Davis Building on Main Street. Anyone? 
I dropped in to get a quick look at Hid In 2612, Michael Martensen’s newest pop-up bar in Deep Ellum. It’s gorgeous and fun and full of groovy people. The space is divided into four or five differently decorated spaces and some of Dallas’ finest bartenders are taking shifts at the bar. Food is available from Cane Rosso next door. I didn’t have time for a drink but I plan to get back before their last night which is Saturday Friday, February 10. They open at 8PM.
Go. Drink. Report.
Jump for photos. Continue reading "Sneak Peek at New Pop-Up Bar in Deep Ellum: Hid In 2612"
Katrina Markoff of Vosges Haut-Chocolat, the woman who sells bacon chocolate candy bars for $33 a box and probably makes a darn good living from it, is holding two truffle classes (making bacon truffles?? maybe??) in Central Market for a pre-Chocolate Festival event on February 4. The real Chocolate Festival kicks off on February 8 when Central Market hosts some of the hottest chocolatiers at their Dallas, Fort Worth, and Plano locations to show what these superstars can do with mighty fine cocoa beans.
At least now I know what I want for V Day: bacon freakin’ chocolate candy. Whoever mails me a box, wins.
Jump for dates, times, and locations. Continue reading "Chocolate Festival at Central Market, Feb 8-14"
Once a month writer Moira Muldoon walks into a bar and lives to write about it. This month she explores Goodfriend Beer Garden in East Dallas.
A couple of guys in their late 30s chatted with me over a tree stump stool at Goodfriend Beer Garden and Burger House, the new East Dallas pub. They live down the road, were hanging out. My friend Susan arrived, ignored the big TV, and slid onto the couch next to me. Her hair and coat smelled crisp like winter. The guys left, and we stretched out our legs a bit.
Susan murmured something about how she’d forgotten that people go out at 9 on a Thursday night. Though she was once a hipster and still has the style to show for it, she now has a year-old daughter and a lot more Thursday nights at home. She lives down the road from Goodfriend, so the trip to the bar was easy, and, in fact, she and her family are big fans of Good 2 Go Taco next door.
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The Concept: Sundown at Granada is the Granada Theater‘s neighboring restaurant and bar with a long list of draft beers and hand-crafted cocktails. Although I’m sure you can grab a bite pre-show, I would be filled with panic watching a line get longer next door while shoveling down the last forkfulls of food and chugging the rest of a beer. This is a perfect spot, however, to discuss your favorite act post-performance and perhaps mingle with band members, who are sure to wander over for a bite.
Who’s There: Thirty-somethings interested in enjoying some quality time together. (Rather than 20-somethings hollering over their third round of Jager bombs.)
Continue reading "First-Take Bar Review: Sundown at Granada"
6 Comments »Shooters, home of “street and gourmet tacos, burgers, wings, salads, and other standard pub fare to go along with those delicious tacos,” opened on Saturday night. It’s located at AT&T Plaza in Victory Park directly across from the main entrance of the American Airlines Center. The two brains behind the business are Kenichi’s general partner Joshua Babb and Kenichi chef Bodhi Durant. Babb promises the “lowest prices in Victory Park ironically brought to you by the people who have the highest prices in Victory Park-ie, Kenichi.” Yow. Zah. That’s the kind of balls-to-the-walls spirit I like to see in Victory Park. Bring it on dudes.
Each month, Moira Muldoon walks into a bar and writes about it. Here’s her look at the Bolla Bar at the Stoneleigh Hotel. Gotta tip for Muldoon? Leave it below.
At first glance, the Bolla Bar at the Stoneleigh Hotel is borderless. It’s hard to tell if you’re in the lobby or actually in the bar itself—or if somehow you’re in both at once. People wheel suitcases through. The sparkling chandeliers and the plush satin seating wrap around square marble columns and convey opulence and elegance. The smooth arch of the bar itself, a wooden semicircle, a proscenium of sorts, is lovely.
Rooms at the Stoneleigh start at $219, and the service at the bar is solid, the way you’d expect from a high-end hotel with a much-vaunted art deco style and a list of whites by the glass that start at $8 (happy hour wines are $5). When my glass neared empty, a server appeared. Water was refilled consistently, unobtrusively. My friend drank cosmopolitans, remarking that each was different in taste and texture and that each was good.
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The Concept: Another place for bartenders to have love affairs with their carefully crafted cocktails. Classics inspire the menu. (A gimlet, the Aviation, and a “Beautiful Cigar Girl” grace the drink lineup.)
Who’s There: What appeared to be young business professionals (early 30s) packed the place to let loose on the bar’s second night of business (last Thursday). It was a relief to rub elbows with the grownup versions of the typical McKinney Avenue weekend crowd. Surprisingly, even though the mixologist’s concoctions were the obvious choice when ordering, we saw the usual suspects lined the bar. (Red wine, vodka soda, etc.) But once one person ordered something fancy, it spurred his neighbors to make more inspired selections.
When You Enter, Make a Beeline For: The big table by the door, if you’re bringing a crowd, or a seat at the bar. When specialty cocktails are the name of the game, always buddy up with a bartender. The space is small (like, Nonna small) so be prepared to stand.
Continue reading "First-Take Bar Review: Tate’s Craft Cocktails"
The Chesterfield, the tony new bar backed by Ed Bailey and manned by Ed “Lucky ” Campbell, opened somewhat softly on Friday night. It is in the old Doc Bell’s BBQ place on Main Street in downtown Dallas. Sumptuous old couches have been moved in and the well-stocked bar ready to “celebrate the golden age of cocktails” runs down one exposed brick wall of the oblong space. It’s urban sophistication in the glass and in the space.
Jump for my favorite thing. Continue reading "Sneak Peek: The Chesterfield Opens Ever So Softly on Main Street in Dallas"
8 Comments »I spent the last week researching bars serving up holiday cocktails in Big D. Then photographer Matthew Shelley and I made our way around town to give them a look and a taste. Here’s our toast to our new favorite holiday-inspired cocktails. Cheers.
Continue reading "16 Dallas Holiday Cocktails You Must Try Now"
13 Comments »Each month Moira Muldoon walks into a bar and lives to write about it. Here is her analysis of the Anvil Pub. Spoiler alert: she’s a softy for punks.
The first time we went into the Anvil Pub, in Deep Ellum, the server’s short, purple-tinted mohawk was on display. The second time, she was wearing a pirate hat. Neither time did we order the Russian Roulette pizza, with “bullet” slices spiked with cayenne pepper, but both times we laughed about it.
My husband and I found the year-old bar by accident, in a drive-by search for a pub on a Saturday night. I wanted someplace we could sit and talk and maybe snack. The Anvil just looked right. The chalkboard street sign, the guys smoking and taking IDs at the door, an open parking space down the street. The pub is airy and has a bike on the ceiling and a helluva beer selection (Pabst Blue Ribbon to Three Philosophers). Plus, the kitchen is environmentally friendly (no frying), and there are multiple vegan options. It’s local, mindful, bicycle friendly, and offers some good specials. On Wednesdays, all Texas pints (Franconia, Shiner, Fireman’s #4, and Rahr) are $2, and Texas vodkas are $4. The Anvil looks like what it is, a good pub, with a punk rock pizza I haven’t dared to order.
It seems every bar in town has tricks and treats up its sleeves for Halloween, so we’re providing you with a list of everything we know. First take a look at our top picks and then scroll through the full list. Check back often for updates.
Continue reading "Where to Party this Halloween in Dallas"
8 Comments »Before I tell you how hard I’ve fallen in love with Goodfriend, the East Dallas pub that opened Monday, I must tell you that I am not to be trusted. I live within walking distance of Matt Tobin’s new place (he of Vickery Park fame). They sell beer. I can walk there. Or I can drive there and then walk home. I am therefore totally biased.
Last night I had time for exactly one beer on the way home (promise). I popped in around 6. The undersized parking lot (all the better to promote walking and biking) was already full. A couple of kids in private-school uniforms gamboled about on the spacious wood patio in front. I saw a dog. Inside, the 20 or so seats around the horseshoe-shaped bar were nearly all occupied. Music so cool that only Zac could ID the artist played at a level that did not discourage conversation. I grabbed a barstool and leaned into the well-built handrail. (All bar handrails should be convex. Why this is not a federal mandate, I don’t know.)
Continue reading "Goodfriend Beer Garden & Burger House: A Really Cursory First Look"
28 Comments »Whether you’re looking for an upscale scene or hole-in-the wall vibe, we’ve got you covered with the top spots in town for the OU/TX (or TX/OU) game. (If you’re not actually down at Fair Park, that is.)
Jump for the 10 best bets.
5 Comments »Last night Avi S. Adelman, the Cesar Millan of Barking Dogs, walked the streets at midnight with Dallas Code Compliance officers as they “educated” business owners on new regulations that start tonight. Basically bars and restaurants must to have a late-night permit to be open after midnight. If they don’t, they get a ticket and this happens. Cesar, I mean Avi, has the whole story with pictures.
So the permit sign in the window at 1404 Main Street reads “The Garden Bar,” but that’s not the real name. However, the address is the site of the soon-to-open bar manned by mixologists Michael Martensen and Eddie “Lucky” Campbell. The dynamic duo have held the space vacated by Dr. Bell’s BBQ for some time, but it looks like things inside are ramping up. These guys know how to keep a secret. None of my snitches are snitching. However, I thought I heard somebody “say” the name of the joint will contain the name of a brown liquor. Oh, let’s name it. Free round of cocktails to the person who makes the best guess!
In light of Mother Nature’s recent brutality, it’s no wonder that everyone we know is using these recent cooler days as an excuse to run to their favorite outdoor patio. I, myself, spent a good 30 minutes this morning in the backyard throwing the tennis ball with the new dog, soaking up the breezy 72 degree air, and making plans for which patios I’m going to hit throughout this noticeably cooler (and shorter) week. I’m liking the idea of Ginger Man, and the outdoor tables at NorthPark make me very happy for a little post-movie chit-chat. Then, of course, there’s BarBelmont, the upstairs and downstairs patios at Alma, the outdoor tables at The Old Monk, etc, etc. I could go on for weeks.
How about you? When the breeze kicks up and lunchtime, happy hour, or dinnertime calls, where would your friends be most likely to find you?
When D named this year’s best bartender in Dallas, we didn’t judge based on who could mix up a drink the fastest or who amazed us with Tom Cruise in Cocktail style tricks. We said Danny Versfelt was the best in town because he’s the kind of guy who will get to know you, beyond just what you’re drinking. Since Danny V. gets to know so many of you, we thought you ought to know some things about him, beyond just how well he prepares your drink.
Where you’ll find him
Al Biernat’s on Oak Lawn. He’ll be behind the bar every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night starting at 4 p.m. and Wednesday during the day. Picture what you think a friendly Irish Catholic guy with some 25 years of Dallas bartending experience would look like and that’s him. Or just look at his photo.
His bartending mantra is…
That the bartender is the host of the party. Someone told it to him in his second year of bartending and it’s stuck in his head ever since. As the host, he’s got to make sure everyone feels welcome and satisfied. He circulates, making conversation and filling glasses, not for patrons, but for guests.
He’s got more to say.
Continue reading "Nine Things To Know About Dallas’ Best Bartender, Danny Versfelt"
10 Comments »Lovely Kellyn Curtis over at The Feast got a hard-hat tour of the soon-to-open Swig (formerly Park) and The Gin Mill (formerly Bar Celine) on Henderson Ave. Check it:
View more videos at: http://www.thefeast.com.
Yes, it’s true. The Social House has reopened—not in Uptown, but in Addison. So many “social”-themed names, we’re trying to keep it all straight. There’s The Social House, The Cedars Social, Social 121, and the soon-to-come Private Social.
Regardless, at least in terms of The Social House, their press release says it all:
The Social House, a new supper pub offering contemporary American cuisine, is now open at the Village on the Parkway in Addison.
Created to enhance all forms of social interaction, the Social House offers guests a comfortable, yet polished atmosphere featuring stone walls adorned with wooden framed televisions and a unique wooden ceiling. This casual setting features an indoor/outdoor patio perfect for late night dining. With 22 televisions, a fireplace and private meeting areas, the Social House can accommodate almost any social gathering like a guy’s night out, a fun date or corporate happy hours.
With three full bars, guests can easily order from the Social House’s drink menu which offers more than 50 beers on tap including craft, import and domestic beers along with a 60 bottle wine list and ten specialty cocktails. The 75 item menu offers an array of bar snacks, salads, burgers, sandwiches, tacos and entrees including a luscious Chicken Fried Steak crafted with 21 day aged beef. Among the more adventurous dishes found on the menu include III Meat Meatloaf with ground beef, pork and buffalo, Chicken Fried Oysters with horseradish cream sauce, The Sink Burger with white cheddar, Swiss cheese, Ancho pulled pork, and fried onion strings and the Social House Griddle Cheese with white cheddar cheese, Granny Smith apples and Wright’s apple wood smoked bacon.