Bring it! Let's get this city turned around! (image swiped from ABC)

Dear Mark,

I am addicted to Shark Tank. And because I am too lazy to jump through the hoops to get on the show and present my idea, I’m using the power of my pudgy fingers to reach you. Let’s pick and roll:

I walk on the set of Shark Tank. “Daymond John, you are so out,” I say. “Barbara, if I wanted to sell my cellulite-reducing sous-vide hot dog you’d be my best friend, but I’m keeping it to myself. You’re out.”

I watch the other sharks glance around, really scared at this point, and go for the kill. “Kevin, don’t even open that ugly mouth. You’re out. Robert, you can buy me dinner after the show but, for now, you are dead to me.”

Cameras swing: Close-up of Cuban. Music swells.

Mark. We live in the same city. We love the same teams. More importantly, we eat in the same restaurants. Last night, our city’s finest chef, Bruno Davaillon of the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, lost Best Chef in the Southwest at the James Beard Awards in New York City to a young chef in Austin who appeared on Top Chef. It has been 18 years since a Dallas chef won this title. We need a local version of Shark Tank geared towards Dallas restaurateurs. That way, you and I can work together to tighten up our game and turn it around. We have the talent, we need the exposure. And that exposure shouldn’t have to come from the Food Network or Bravo.

I propose we put together a panel of experts and ask  restaurateurs to pitch their ideas BEFORE they decide to sink their life savings into an upscale seafood and sushi restaurant in a bad location. Let’s kick the steak house wannabes to Fort Worth. Mark, I’m asking you to invest whatever it takes to help us bring the talent of the Dallas restaurant community to the international scene. In exchange, I offer you fifty percent of my idea. Oh, and you can keep the Mavs.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Nancy

P.S. If this helps illustrate my talent: I promoted women’s basketball in Dallas before the Mavericks were a thought in your brain. Just ask Nancy Lieberman.

Executive Chef Cris "No H" Vasquez holds a Champion Dog. D.J. Pridemore eats the whole thing. (Photography by Micah Nunley)

I’ve already outlined how the Rangers will win the World Series. I’m now prepared to tell you how to plan your caloric intake when you attend a game. The Yu-Darvish moment of late yesterday took place as the Rangers food service management team—Shawn Mattox, Casey Rapp, Philip Wheatley, execuchef Cris Vazquez—revealed their heavy hitter: The Champion Dog ($26.00 with fries). It’s a 2-foot-long-all-beef hot dog topped with shredded cheese, sauteed onions, and chili. The Champion Dog, also sold as the Boomstick (Hi! Nellie!) in the general concessions area, is meant to satisfy four people. However, I watched an eating competition where D.J. Pridemore, a producer for 105.3-FM The Fan, ate a whole one all by himself. He smoked his opponent, the DMN’s Brandon Formby, who never saw the bun (made by Empire Baking Company) coming. Mr. Formby learned that baseball food, like baseball, is a now game of inches.

So Ranger food fans, here’s is news: Vandergriff Plaza (behind centerfield) has been renovated into a food court with FOUR new restaurants, Ryan’s Express 34, Smokehouse 557, Taqueria, and American Dog. They surround the bronze statute of Nolan Ryan. They’ve also added two smoking hot lounges, the Captain Morgan Club and the Batter’s Eye Club). The Kid’s Zone has been moved indoors (thank you) to the south end of the first floor. And the press box will feature sushi for the Japanese media.

Jump for Food Facts and Fun Pictures For Rangers Fans.

Four new restaurants surround the bronze statue of Nolan Ryan. (Photography by Micah Nunley)

The view from the Batter's Eye Club. (Photography by Micah Nunley)

*The one-pound hot dog is so big it actually has two names. Inside the Captain Morgan Club, it’s the Champion Dog. At concession stands outside Sections 16 and 42, it’s the Boomstick (a nod to outfielder Nelson Cruz).

*The Batter’s Eye Club (pictured above) is where I will be seated when, after winning the World Series in GAME FOUR, I watch the players hoist manager Ron Washington over their heads and pass him around the infield like a rag doll. The enclosed 150-seat (air-conditioned!) party suite sits in dead center field. The previously unused space will generate bazillions of dollars: tickets start at $75 a game but the 6,250-square foot room with theater seats, full-service bar, buffet line, and restrooms will be utilized mainly for groups and rentals. Individual seating will be on a game-by-game basis. The view is spectacular.

The Captain Morgan Club. (Photography by Micah Nunley)

*Captain Morgan Club (pictured above). This will be the place to hang when the Rangers are coasting through a game with an 11-run lead. You can’t see the grass from inside unless you watch it on one of the zillions of TVs scattered around the 9,000-square foot two-story bar/restaurant. As the name implies, there will be rum (home rum? sorry) and whiskey, and any other spirits carried by the Diageo brand. The wine list carries BV Coastal, Louis M. Martini, and Beringer, but I also spied a bottle of Barefoot, a bad hangover waiting to happen. The Captain Morgan Club will serve burgers, salads, sandwiches, barbecue, and the, soon-to-be-world-famous, Champion Dog. It will be open to the public before, during, and after games which will make it easy for you to celebrate a victory post-game Courvoisier VS. If you have the bucks, you can also rent the whole space.

*The Budweiser Bowtie at Vandergriff Plaza is the new name for the old area behind center field where you will find four new outdoor restaurants. The American Dog will feature four types of gourmet hot dogs, sausages, and hot dog sliders. The Smokehouse 557, equipped with a “specially built smoker,” will serve huge beef ribs, chopped beef sandwiches, turkey legs (ugh), and corn on the cob. You can find street tacos at Taqueria where they are also making their own flour tortillas. Chef  Vasquez says he doesn’t use any fat. “Only baking powder, flour, and water,” he said. He handed me a real hot one and I found it rather chewy. Perhaps the texture works for holding food long enough to get back to your seat without leakage, but, like I said, it was a little too elastic for my taste buds. The fillings were nice: plenty of fresh grilled, meats, onions, and peppers. Ryan’s Express 34 is all about Nolan Ryan’s beef. Here you will find four big and strong gourmet burgers such as the Tex-Mex burger where two patties are stuffed with cheese, griddled, topped with jalapenos, onions and pico de gallo, and served on fluffy pieces of Texas Toast.

Available at the Captain Morgan Club: Tuscan pasta, chicken Caesar salad. (Photography by Micah Nunley)

Clockwise from top left: Street tacos and home-made flour tortillas at Taqueria. Jalapeno burger at Ryan's Express 34. Tex-Mex burger on Texas Toast. (Photography by Micah Nunley)

*What about the new Japanese fans and media you ask? I’m glad you asked because I did. Ranger PR czar, Executive Vice President of Communications John Blake, expects 20 members of the Japanese media to travel with the team all season. He also predicts close to 60 will crowd into the press box when Yu Darvish pitches. “I have plenty of specials planned for the press box,” said Chef Vasquez. “We will have a sushi station in the Diamond Club, bento boxes with edamame, a whole California roll, and a seaweed salad at the Grab and Go stand.” He also says he’s experimenting with a hot dog and soba noodles. As the season progresses he will roll out new items geared to Japanese fans and media.

*There you have it. The Rangers have invested over $11.5 million to make you happy and fat. Thanks to the installation of new video boards and a high-tech in-park audio system last year, we should have nothing to bitch about. Unless Yu Darvish chokes.

Turkey leg, corn on the cob, beef ribs, and chopped beef sandwich from Smokehouse 557. (Photography by Micah Nunley)

]]> http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2012/04/03/the-texas-rangers-will-win-the-world-series-and-the-james-beard-award-for-best-new-restaurants/feed/ 5 http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2012/03/08/restaurant-review-the-best-pastrami-sandwich-in-dallas-at-deli-news/ http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2012/03/08/restaurant-review-the-best-pastrami-sandwich-in-dallas-at-deli-news/#comments Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:44:32 +0000 Nancy Nichols http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/?p=37641

Pastrami sandwich at Deli-News. Photography by Kevin Marple.

As I opened the menu at Deli-News, the self-proclaimed “New York-style restaurant,” I casually asked my Brooklyn-born-and-raised Jewish friend what qualifies a delicatessen as New York style. Two hours later, I stumbled out of what could have been a long, neurotic Woody Allen movie. “It’s a Russian-Jewish thing,” he snapped. “You see this bagel. You see how this bagel shines. Now that’s a bagel.” I ate the bagel. “Now, you see this pastrami,” he snipped. “This is real pastrami. It’s got the right amount of fat and it’s steamed. It’s not too thick. It’s not too thin.”

He goes on.

Big Cheeses: Evan Grant, Jay Jerrier, Eric Nadel.

Tuesday night, pizza lover and baseball writer, Evan Grant, and pizza maker and baseball lover, Jay Jerrier held the finals of the “Name a Pizza for Mike Napoli” contest at Cane Rosso. Four of the five finalists showed up to sample their until-then-never-tasted pizza recipes. Jerrier went to great lengths to make the pies. “We don’t make an Alfredo sauce, so I had to create one for Jason Joseph’s “Angel Tears” entry,” Jerrier said.

I slinked in at the end of the evening to try the pies and I’ve got to hand it to all who were picked in the finals. It was a tough decision. My favorite was Doug Fusella’s “The Cane Rosso Napoli Experience” with Jimmy’s sausage, meatballs, sopressata, spinach, and jalapenos. But Grant and Jerrier picked Joseph’s “Angel Tears,” a pie of Italian sausage, salami, sweet onion, jalapenos, roasted garlic, spinach, Roma tomatoes, and mozzarella dusted with Romano. Jump for all of the recipes and the rationale behind the ingredients below. AND PHOTOS!

Winner Jason Joseph and finalist Doug Fusella. Photo by Jason Acton.

Angel Tears

WINNER!!! Created by: Jason Joseph

Alfredo Sauce (It’s the best sauce.)
Italian Sausage (Hmmm)
Salami (For a Nappy Grand Salami)
Sweet Onion (For the sweet sweet tears of the Angels)
Jalapenos (For the Texas heat)
Roasted Garlic (To ward off injury)
Spinach (For a Napoli power up)
Roma tomatoes
Mozzarella
Dusted with Romano

Angel Tears (left) and Take it Like a Napoli Pie (right) pictured with Eric Nadel.

Take It Like a Napoli Pie

Created by: Camille Broadway

A savory pizza in honor of Napoli’s post-season plate collisions with Sean Rodriguez and Miguel Cabrera.

Tomato Sauce (for Napoli’s willingness to get crushed in the line of duty)
Hot Soppresata, Prosciutto Cotto and Jimmy’s Hot Sausage (three meats representing the collision of three substantive men. The ham is also a nod to the Cuban sandwich in South Florida where Rodriguez/Napoli grew up and to Tampa where the first collision occurred and where Italian salami often gets added to Cuban sandwiches.)
Olives – a light sprinkling (representing that plug of tobacco that Napoli is still looking for after the Tampa collision)
Mozzarella di Bufala (a water buffalo cheese because I’m pretty sure Cabrera is the size of a small water buffalo)

The Cane Rosso Napoli Experience

Created by: Doug Fusella

Gotta be meaty, Nap’s a big boy

Jimmy’s sausage (for the Nap-Nap, um, Winner)
Sliced Meatballs (he is a catcher, has to have …)
Hot Sopressata (that stuff rocks, and Italians need spice)
Spinach (for the strength of the Nap)
Sliced Jalapenos (this is Texas, gotta be hot)

The defining aspect of the Napoli Pie, its missing a quarter, since Mike is a Heat Fan, we know they can only handle the first three quarters.

Max, Jamey, and Erica Newberg with their Napoli Ever After Pie.

Napoli Ever After

Created by Jamey Newberg

Jimmy’s Sausage (commemorating Napoli’s game-tying, two-run single off TB’s James Shields in Game Two of the 2011 ALDS)
Prosciutto Cotto (in honor of journeyman outfielder Henry Cotto, whose home run total in 10 big league seasons was about one-third of Napoli’s total in just six seasons)
Soppressata (because it just sounds bad-ass)
Calabrian chiles (the “No Pepper” rule in baseball does not apply)
Artichokes (“R.T. Chokes” – Napoli went 4 for 5 in 2011 off Angels righthander Rich Thompson, his old teammate . . . with two doubles and a home run among his four hits)
Burrata (fresh Italian cheese – Napoli’s throws to second base)
Sea Salt (short for “See ya, Salty,” as Napoli cured the Rangers’ situation at catcher)

And Evan Grant’s unofficial entry:

The Grand Salami

Start with traditional Cane Rosso sauce and cheese mix, then add:
Chopped fresh basil (It’s got three meanings on this pizza. To represent the green of the field, the green Napoli is going to earn this season and the green of the Italian flag).
Hot Soppresata (t’s the red in the Italian flag, and the spicy salami in this big pie).
Crumbled Jimmy’s Sausage (It’s the dirt for “The Dirtbag.”)
A small thin ring of smoked provolone (It’s the white of the Italian flag and also it could represent all those teams who Napoli, well, smoked last year)
A very slight dusting of crushed sunflower seeds (Well, that’s the magic dust that Ron Washington seems to sprinkle on every former Angel that comes through here to get huge results and it’s a tribute the togetherness of the 2011 team)

After much consideration, pizza-maker extraordinaire Jay Jerrier and pizza-eater extraordinaire Evan Grant (that’s me), have come up with four finalists for our Name a Napoli Pizza contest.Tuesday (Feb. 7 or tomorrow to most of you), we will roll out some samples of these fine entries for you to taste and, as always, the full Cane Rosso menu will be available. One of these fine recipes will end up as a special pie on the Cane Rosso menu for the next month and one of these neophyte pizza creators will walk away with a nice little prize package. Maybe we can come up with some other surprises, too. So, if you are free come on down. We’d love your input here and at the restaurant. Here are the finalists. Be there at 7PM.

Mark Abuzzahab and Eric Nadel at Sundown at the Granada. Photography by Jason Acton.

Most of you know Eric Nadel as the voice of the Texas Rangers. This year, Eric begins his 34^th year as a Rangers broadcaster in 2012, his 18^th as the lead radio voice. The other day, he picked up his seventh 2011 Texas Sportscaster of the Year Award from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. When he’s off the air, he practices his new hobby as a concert promoter. He’s helping a few female singers  get gigs. His current hot property is Daphne Willis. 

Nadel loves to eat. He leans towards vegetarian food most of the time, but he can be seduced by a bitchin’ burger every once in a while. When he travels, he sends reports of restaurants he discovers in American league cities. Last night he was invited to a “friends and family” preview dinner at Sundown at the Granada. He was so excited when he finished he dashed off this quick review and sent it to me at 11:41PM.

Most people were eating burgers and sliders but we found a very wide range of vegetarian options and we tried four of them, all of which were great. We had stuffed avocados (you get three different kinds on a plate), a chopped salad (with kale, sweet potato, avocado and all the normal veggies too), homemade veggie burger, and a succulent quinoa-black bean-sweet potato dish with avocado sauce. Unfortunately I totally forgot to take pictures. If tonight was any indication, you will really like this place. They are buying locally produced ingredients such as grass fed beef and free range chicken whenever possible, avoiding the Sysco type distributors whenever they can. The owner and his wife are vegan primarily for health reasons, but he says he has no trouble giving the public whatever they want to eat. He has come up with a big vegetarian selection with lots of taste, great seasoning. It’s the best tasting vegetarian food I have had in Dallas. And the other people were raving about the burgers. The chef is the guy who has been catering for the bands at the Granada.

Jump for the glorious cheeses.

Paula Lambert and Emily Samuel.

Mozzarella Company, Dallas, TX

Paula Lambert

Goat Ricotta 1st place

Hoja Santa (Herbal Goat) 1st place

Pecan Praline Mascarpone Torta 1st place

Queso Blanco with Chile and Epazote 3rd place

Brazos Valley, Waco, TX

Rebeccah Durkin

Eden (Brie) 1st place

Brie (Brie) 2nd place

Cheddar 3rd place

Pure Luck Farm and Dairy, Dripping Springs, TX

Amelia Sweethardt

Hopelessly Blue (Goat Blue) 2nd place

Basket Molded Chevre 2nd place

Three Happy Cows, Dallas, TX

Edgar Diaz

Blueberry Drinkable Yoghurt 2nd place

Plain Drinkable Yoghurt 3rd place

Eagle Mountain, Granbury, TX

Dave Eagle

Birdville Reserve (Am-made Intl style) 1st place

Latte Da Dairy,  Flower Mound, TX

Dr. Anne C. Jones

Goat Cheese Truffles 2nd place

Empire Bakery

Meaders Ozarow

Anthony Bourdain on stage at the Majestic Theater in Dallas. (photo by Elizabeth Lavin)

Last night, Anthony Bourdain fans packed the Majestic Theater. Baseball be damned, the worshipers of All-Things-Anthony showed up to lay themselves at the cowboy-booted feet of their hero.

Tony walked onto the stage at 8:10 and greeted the audience: “I am a whore. I am in every way compromised, jaded, bought and paid for, including my nice f—ing jacket.”

For the next hour and 45 minutes, the crowd hung on his every word. He was loose, casual, at ease, good-natured, straight forward, no bull. He was exactly the guy you see on TV, except, in person, you could see just how fine he wears boot-cut jeans.

After the show, we got to hang out with Tony and watch him sign books and greet his fans. Hundreds of folks bought books and stood in line to get his autograph. He walked into the VIP room and he very calmly said, “Look, I’m here and I’m not leaving until every book is signed, every picture is taken. I’m not in a hurry, so grab some food, have a drink, relax.”

I plan to write a longer report, but my day job calls. In the meantime, I’ll post the pictures that Tony most graciously allowed our photographer, Elizabeth Lavin, to shoot. Oh, and John “Jimmy Sears” Tesar was there. I mean everywhere. If you notice him in every shot, it is because he tried to get in every shot. At one point I thought he was going to start signing copies of Bourdain’s Medium Raw. He could have. That’s how he serves his burgers.

On to the show.

Bory Taft, Leena Varehese, Kim Chang Chung Lee. (photo by Elizabeth Lavin)

The Tony, The Tesar, The Brad. (photo by Elizabeth Lavin)

Linda Tucker scores a photo op. (photo by Elizabeth Lavin)

Bethlehem? No, the VIP room at The Majestic Theater after Anthony Bourdain's show. (Photo by ELizabeth Lavin)

Tesar hogs the spotlight. (photo by Elizabeth Lavin)

A Bourdain. A beer. A book. (photo by Elizabeth Lavin)

Nobody went home hungry. (photo by Elizabeth Lavin)

Fresh salmon placed on top of California rolls and rice.

D Magazine intern Carol Shih prowls Dallas in search of the best Asian cuisine. She’s a weird Chinese American who doesn’t like most seafood, but can’t help feeling passionate about sushi.

In my food religion, sushi is the Bread of Life and I am its most intrepid disciple. If it weren’t for this inherent desire to seem normal, I would have erected a temple of worship for this Japanese food and used a rice cooker as the altar. Instead, I named my blond Labrador “Sushi” and consider this a sign of my lasting devotion whenever she slips through the fence and I’m hollering her name down the street. My neighbors must think I’m crazy and always hungry.

Food porn and more below.

Tuna Tower- a stack of sushi rice, spicy tuna, crab, and avocado served on zesty creamy sauce.

So when my dad asked his friend, Mary Ann, where she had tasted the best sushi in town, I had to try her suggestion: Sushi Yokohama, a tiny sushi and sashimi bar in a strip mall that I always pass by. But this time I stopped and walked through its front doors, anticipating what Mary Ann had deemed the most authentic place in Dallas.

Though Sushi Yokohama was eerily quiet when I walked in around dinnertime, a few regular customers started trickling in soon after and it was hard to pin down Young Gerke, the owner and waitress. “It’s just one of those days,” she sighed, and then paused in the middle of our interview to help jumpstart one of her customer’s cars. I knew right off the bat that service here must be pretty unbeatable. For the last eleven years since Sushi Yokohama first opened, David Oh, Gerke’s brother, has been the top sushi chef (and now the only one) at this establishment. Don’t let his Korean heritage fool you, though; back in Hawaii, he trained under Japanese chefs and served Japanese tourists until he learned how real sushi—not the Westernized kind—is supposed to taste like.

Louisiana roll- fried crawfish, cucumber, avocado, spicy sauce.

The menu isn’t cheap, but well worth the price considering the generous portions of fresh fish. Thick pink slabs of raw salmon drape over California rolls or rice depending on your preference, glistening lusciously at the price of $11.95-$13.95. For $6.95, I tried the Louisiana roll which comes with fried crawfish, cucumber, avocado, and orange spicy sauce lightly drizzled over little curls of crawfish piled on top. A real winner, I tell you. The Yokohama roll was creative with its flying fish eggs and green soybean paper ($13.95), but didn’t excite my taste buds like the Negihama roll ($7.95), a simple combination of green onion and yellowtail fish that could’ve jumped straight out of the ocean.

Yokohama roll- soybean paper, spicy tuna, asparagus, radish, cucumber, avocado, sprouts, flying fish eggs.

For those who aren’t weak of stomach, stick to the raw fish because that’s what makes Sushi Yokohama stand out from other Japanese restaurants. “We’re a small restaurant and we want to keep it that way. Some sushi places are big and they make the sushi somewhere you can’t see it. We want our sushi fresh,” said the owner. She then bid me over to watch Chef Oh prepare a Tuna Tower ($13.95-$16.95) with spicy tuna, crab, and avocado served on a stack of sushi rice covered in zesty sauce. Holy. Moly. If this tower were any higher, the Sushi Gods would have to strike it down for reaching the heavens.

No wonder Young Gerke calls her place the “best kept secret.”

But now that the secret’s out (at least on SideDish), it’s time to head over to Sushi Yokohama if you’re a fellow worshiper. Just don’t name your dog “Sushi” like me. It never feels right when you tell people you’re going out to eat sushi.

19009 Preston Rd # 115
Dallas, TX 75252-8553
(972) 733-0223

My question: What is behind that bone? (Photo by Melanie Dunea from the book, My Last Supper)

Anthony Bourdain will be at The Majestic tonight. Tickets are still available. I understand there will be a Q&A segment in the show. Can’t go? Send me your questions. I’ll try to get them answered.

Oh, and Tony. Tonight is the sixth game of the World Series. Our Texas Rangers could be champions before your show is over. You’ve will have hard core Rangers fans in the audience with DVRs recording the game. Please do not give game updates. That goes for you fans in the audience. If I see one of you on your cell phone getting game results, I WILL CUT YOU.

The Reyeses; their creamy flan de naranja. (photography by Kevin Marple)

Raul Reyes opened his first restaurant in 2008, a tiny place in Oak Cliff serving the colorful cuisine of his birthplace, the Veracruz region of Mexico. La Palapa Veracruzana was run by his family, wife Olga working as his co-chef, daughter Jaretzy taking managerial duties, and son Raul Jr. waiting tables. The seafood-centric menu snagged the palates of serious food lovers and critics in Dallas, but the kudos posted on food blogs and the glowing reviews couldn’t keep it alive. It closed after only a year.

“We never pulled an alcohol license,” Reyes says by way of explanation. “I couldn’t. My daughter was manager and she was only 17.”

Dejected, Reyes figured he would have to shed his chef whites forever and return to the construction business to support his family. Before La Palapa Veracruzana closed, Reyes had augmented his income by taking on handyman jobs. Chris Zielke, co-owner of Bolsa and Smoke, had hired Reyes to rebuild the bar at Bolsa, the popular farm-to-table restaurant in the Bishop Arts District. So Reyes showed up at Bolsa one day and told Zielke he’d closed his restaurant. Zielke encouraged Reyes to try again.

Stay with me.

Jump for the glorious cheeses.

Mozzarella Company, Dallas, TX

Paula Lambert

Goat Ricotta 1st place

Hoja Santa (Herbal Goat) 1st place

Pecan Praline Mascarpone Torta 1st place

Queso Blanco with Chile and Epazote 3rd place

Brazos Valley, Waco, TX

Rebeccah Durkin

Eden (Brie) 1st place

Brie (Brie) 2nd place

Cheddar 3rd place

Pure Luck Farm and Dairy, Dripping Springs, TX

Amelia Sweethardt

Hopelessly Blue (Goat Blue) 2nd place

Basket Molded Chevre 2nd place

Three Happy Cows, Dallas, TX

Edgar Diaz

Blueberry Drinkable Yoghurt 2nd place

Plain Drinkable Yoghurt 3rd place

Eagle Mountain, Granbury, TX

Dave Eagle

Birdville Reserve (Am-made Intl style) 1st place

Latte Da Dairy,  Flower Mound, TX

Dr. Anne C. Jones

Goat Cheese Truffles 2nd place

Empire Bakery

Meaders Ozarow

Lisa Garza and Travis Selcer. (photo courtesy of Lisa Greenwood Duffee)

We knew it all along, but were under strict orders not to publish until after her wedding. Lisa and Travis Selcer tied the knot last weekend and now she is ready to start her other new life as a restaurateur. “I am Sissy,” Garza says. “Sissy is southern slang for “sister” and I am developing every aspect.

Sissy’s Fried Chicken will open in the former Hector’s on Henderson space. Garza says it’s a “low-country” concept in honor of her Southern roots. “We will specialize in fried chicken and short ribs,” Garza says. She will also have a tea bar with tea-infused vodkas and specialty cocktails. The interior will be “very Billy Reid” and “like home.”

Garza has developed the menu and has used many of the dishes for her upscale catering business. She will not be the execuchef. “I will be the GM and run the kitchen,” Garza says. “I had a great teacher in Gilbert [Gilbert Garza of Suze] and I want to take the experience I gained owning and operating Suze. I would not be where I am without Gilbert.”

Hatsumi of Kuzu Design (Urban Taco, La Duni, Tei Tei, Brownstone) is doing the interior. Girl power!

Changing the mural at Bar 828.

Arti Sharma, D Magazine intern and a grant writer for Promise House  the nonprofit that receives a portion of the proceeds from Bar 828, visited the popular pop-up bar last weekend and files this report.

Feel free to play some theme music.

Driving along the 800 block on the west side Davis Street, you may notice something particularly peculiar about the venue that sits on lot 828.  At first glance, you will see a tattered building that shells what may have been a forgotten afterthought, abandoned in the midst of what perhaps was meant to be an idea. You may not further heed its quaintness, and will write it off as an empty nest.  But you see, inside an oyster, sometimes there is a pearl.  And inside 828, is something just as precious and rare: Bar 828.

Pretty pictures of pretty pop-up bar below.

From the outside looking in.

Pop-up bars do not exist in Texas.  Until about a week ago.  That’s when Bar 828 pried opened its windows and pulled up its garage doors for guests who had serendipitously–or through the grapevine– stumbled upon this modern-day speakeasy that crafts pre-prohibition era cocktails, where a portion of the proceeds are donated to Promise House, a Dallas-based nonprofit.

Michael Martensen, partner of Bar 828 and part-owner of Cedars Social, says pop-up bars are a rarity because the requisite permits are extremely difficult to obtain.  However, about a month ago, when Amy Wallace Cowan and Rob Shearer, who are friends with Mark Miranda and Sean Byrnes, some of the partners who own the 828 building, were pontificating on ways to make use of building that is for sale, Martensen took it to another level.  “He not only wanted to do cocktails, but he wanted real glassware, and he wanted to involve the best bartenders around Dallas,” Wallace Cowan says.  Thus, the pop-up bar at 828 W. Davis Street was born.  It would function as a medium to showcase the space, serve pure-bred potations crafted by talented mixologists, and—what may be the cherry on top of the Old Fashioned— it would raise money for charity.

Promise House Inside, City Street Grille Food Truck Outside.

When it came to choosing a beneficiary, Wallace Cowan picked Promise House– one of the only homeless shelters in North Texas specifically for youth.  It provides a continuum of services including safe shelter, nutritious meals, medical care, psychological care, case-management services, on-site education, life and job skills, and more.  Martensen supported the idea as well as the mission behind Promise House because he believes the most influential time in someone’s life is during the teenage period.  It is when you develop your character and style as a person, Martensen says.

Whether you prefer fruity, savory or something-in-between, no palate is discriminated at Bar 828.  Ten dollars a pop (5 for the nonalcoholic bevs) and with no menu in sight, clients line up at the bar and explain what sorts of drinks they like. Your preferences are meticulously designed into a fresh-ingredient, quality cocktail– hand crafted by famous mixologists like Brian McCullough (ex- Smoke affiliate), who will open Standard Pour sometime in mid-November in Uptown Dallas.  “The pop-up bar was so well-received,” said McCullough, who practically cringed when he uttered the word, Vodka.  “Vodka is a neutral spirit,” McCullough says.  That’s the kind of stuff that makes him believe it’s time for uptown to mature its cocktail repertoire.  So don’t be surprised if you don’t see “three-olive anything” at Standard Pour’s debut.  But you can look forward to enjoying Green Hour with an old-world era drink in your hand, libations from all genres and decades, and barrel-aged concoctions (you will just have to wait and see).

Dressed for the occasion.

Until then, seize your one, last- Lost Weekend opportunity to explore 828 W Davis Street.  There are not many places around here that have that word-of-mouth-atmosphere, with a feel-good-charity vibe, and all of the trappings that capture the spirit of a speakeasy.  You can even come dressed for the occasion, as the closing of Bar 828 will end with a costume party this upcoming Saturday.  Cash only, drink-ticket system.  On-site food trucks around 10PM.

Finished mural.

Outdoor fun.

[Ed Note: This update from Bar 828 just in:

Great news for do-gooding cocktail lovers: A portion of proceeds will benefit local charity, Promise House

October 25, 2011 - Again & Again is thrilled to partner with BAR 828, the hip and charitable “pop-up” cocktail establishment in Oak Cliff, this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Again & Again will transform the space with vintage furniture, all available for purchase, in an effort to encourage customers to be social in the name of charity.

The BAR 828 makeover will include Mid-century Modern, Hollywood Regency, and Danish Modern pieces, as well as some accessories and lighting. A portion of the proceeds from BAR 828 and Again & Again’s collaboration will go to Promise House, which helps disadvantaged and runaway kids. BAR 828 raised $1000 in its first weekend of operation, evidence of the bar’s huge success.

“Again & Again hopes to give BAR 828 a fun, vintage vibe that will add to the ambiance and take the bar to the next level, while at the same time raising funds to make a difference in the community,” said Again & Again owner, Leslie Pritchard.

BAR 828 is set up in an old warehouse and serves up a variety of cocktails from some of Dallas’ top mixologists. Since the cities’ first “pop-up” bar opened in mid-October, it has become a hot spot for cocktail-enthusiasts, with a menu featuring drinks from bars and restaurants including: the Windmill, Marquee Grill, Cedar Social, Whiskey Cake, The Usual, Sfuzzi, Bolsa, and more. BAR 828 will close its doors this Saturday, October 29.