Articles about Nightlife
The Best New Bars in Dallas 2012
It’s been a good year for Dallas nightlife. A few bars closed, but many great new spots opened in their stead. Union Bear, The Foundry, and The Dram now top our list of favorite places to be, and scene-y hotspots like SISU and Concrete Cowboy are entertaining the masses every Friday and Saturday night. It wasn’t easy narrowing down our Best New Bars in Dallas 2012 list to only ten, but we did it. Check it out.
The Mason Bar. photography by Jason Acton
THE MASON BAR
Neighborhood: Uptown
Opened in: January
Why it makes the list: We patiently waited for something good to fill the old Angela’s Bistro 51 space and were pleasantly surprised with this neighborhood bar, produced by Brandt Wood and chef David Anthony Temple (Chef DAT). The spacious setup accommodates all kinds of patrons, so you can pop in for intimate cocktails for two or bring the gang and celebrate… whatever. A bar that stretches across the room accommodates heavy crowds, and the addition of a downstairs den called Hi/Lo is perfect for private parties.
Continue reading "The Best New Bars in Dallas 2012"
7 Comments »Where to Party for Halloween in Dallas
photography by Christina Barany
The opportunities to show off your oh-so-clever DIY costume or seduce the crowd with your garbage-man-gone-sexy uniform are endless. It seems every bar in town is hosting a Halloween bash. Here’s a list of everything we know so far. Updates are constant.
If you’re leaving your Sexy ________ costume in the closet and skipping the bar scene, check out Liz’s list of Halloween-y things to do.
Sambuca
2012 Top Rung Halloween Party
This society-hosted event promises lots of costumes, a photo booth, tunes by Emerald City and DJ Jen Miller, cocktails, appetizers, and net proceeds for Pathways, a life coaching training and lecture program.
Time: 8 p.m.
RSVP: $20 ticket
Continue reading "Where to Party for Halloween in Dallas"
3 Comments »ClubCorp Presents Le Cirque Restaurant at The Tower Club in Dallas
Paupiette of black bass, leeks, potatoes, and Rocca di Frassinello sauce.
Friday was an unusual evening at The Tower Club in downtown Dallas. The clubby dining room was turned into legendary New York restaurant Le Cirque for one evening. Guests dined on a five-course prix-fixe menu with choices from the original Le Cirque restaurant in New York City. Wines were selected by Marchesi Antinori and Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte. Dallas was one of just one of the ten cities ClubCorp chose to stage a pop-up Le Cirque.
Jump for photos, video, and a recap of the night. Continue reading "ClubCorp Presents Le Cirque Restaurant at The Tower Club in Dallas"
3 Comments »Sneak Peek at New Pop-Up Bar in Deep Ellum: Hid In 2612
Julian Pagan of the Cedars Social. The hair stylist room. Photography by Jason Acton.
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"
Where to Watch Super Bowl XLVI in Dallas: Here Are Your 10 Best Bets
Super Bowl XLV Watch Party at The Nodding Donkey (photography by Sergio Garza)
Does it really matter if you’re rooting for New England or New York? A Super Bowl watch party is just about having more fun than you’re supposed to on a Sunday. (And winning any bets you may have placed.) Here are 10 hot spots that guarantee a good time whether or not the Giants wipe the field with the Patriots.
Continue reading "Where to Watch Super Bowl XLVI in Dallas: Here Are Your 10 Best Bets"
6 Comments »First-Take Bar Review: Sundown at Granada
Pull up a chair at Sundown's cozy bar. (photography by Jason Acton)
Sundown Tea (photography by Jason Acton)
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 »First-Take Bar Review: Tate’s Craft Cocktails
Tate's bartender makes a "Quila Smash," right. (photography by Jason Acton)
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"
16 Dallas Holiday Cocktails You Must Try Now
Autumn Leaves at Victor Tangos (photography by Matthew Shelley)
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 »Where to Party this Halloween in Dallas
photography by Sergio Garza
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 »Where to Watch the 2011 World Series in Dallas
photography by Jason Acton
Some people watch the World Series to celebrate (or, sadly, mourn) their team’s success (or lack of) in seeking Major League Baseball glory. Others find the World Series to be a convenient excuse to drink. Whichever you are, we’ve got you covered. Here are 10 great bets for watching the Rangers take down the Cardinals beginning with Game 1 at 7:05 p.m. today. (Full schedule of games here.)
Continue reading "Where to Watch the 2011 World Series in Dallas"
27 Comments »What Are The Best Seats at the Best Bars in Dallas?
At D Magazine, we believe in precision. When we say we’re going to tell you about the best nightlife spots in Dallas, we don’t just mean we’ll tell you what bars are worth your time. We want to pinpoint the exact locations within those bars where you should hunker down to get your drink on.
Where to set up shop at Katy Trail Ice House
Table 105 has the ideal mix of shade and access to the water-spraying mister at the Best Bar Patio in Dallas. It’s also about a step and a half away from the outdoor bar (which does accept cards) and three steps or so from the entrance. From this table, you’re close enough to see the runners on the trail without being so close that you have to hear their agony. People are easily drawn to nearby table 104, but that would be be a mistake, due to its fan/sprayer proximity. After five minutes at that table, my hair is seriously dampened (and it does this weird wavy thing when it gets wet, and I can’t stand it). The Ice House believes in communal seating, so if table 105 (its number is painted on the corner) has been claimed, just smile. Though with this 100+ degree weather, people are steering clear of the patio during the day. I think that’s ridiculous. If you can’t stand the heat, order another cold beer. And speaking of beer, KTIH charges the same price for a bottle (12 oz.), glass (16 oz.), or scooner (18 oz.), so go for the goblet. You’ll feel less guilty watching runners on the trail if you see how huge your biceps are getting with every sip. Continue reading "What Are The Best Seats at the Best Bars in Dallas?"
Where to Eat, Drink, and Make Merry
for Cinco de Mayo in Dallas
photography by Matthew Shelley
Yep, it’s that time of year again: time to celebrate the Mexican army’s glorious victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla, on May 5, 1862.
Now, how about a margarita? Here are your best bets for making the day a grand fiesta.
Brackets
Booze: $2 Dos XX, Coronas, margaritas, tequila shots
Food: $2 street tacos, Mexican pizzas, and nachos
Tunes: Live DJ music
When: 7 pm to 2 am
El Ranchito
Booze: $5 El Jimado tequila shots, $3.50 regular margaritas, $4.50 large margaritas, $2 drafts, $2.50 domestic bottles, $3.50 imports
Food: $5 choriqueso, cheese enchilada dinner, or half orders of nachos
Tunes: Mariachi music starts at 7:30 pm
Extras: all day happy hour
When: 11 am to 10 pm
La Calle Doce
Booze: $3 margaritas and draft beers, $5 El Jimador tequila shots
Food: $5 food specials like shrimp cocktail, cheese enchilada platters, and half orders of nachos
When: 11 am to 10 pm
Urban Taco
Booze: $5 house margaritas, Sangria, Bloody Maria, Limonada Corrupta, Tequila Slammer, and Silver Azul Blanco tequila shots and half-priced drafts
Extras: all day happy hour
When: 10 am to 11 pm Continue reading "Where to Eat, Drink, and Make Merry
for Cinco de Mayo in Dallas"
Oh, Come All Ye Hop Heads to Common Table on Sunday Nights for Brew Masters Viewing Parties
On Discovery Channel's new show Brew Masters, Dogfish Head Brewery's Sam Calagione and archaeologist Alexei Vranich meet with a traditional chicha maker in Cusco, Peru who carries generations of knowledge about brewing up all the variations of the drink. (photo courtesy of Discovery Channel)
When the Discovery channel announced the development of Brew Masters, a new shadow-style reality show following the men behind the malt, specifically the brew-ventures of Dogfish Head Brewery’s brewer-founder Sam Calagione, we jumped for joy (or would have if we hadn’t had so much beer last night).
We thought we couldn’t be happier as we marked our calendars for the Nov. 21 premier.
Flash forward to last Saturday morning when I received an email from my buddy Jeff Fryman, in-house cicerone at The Common Table, who told me that, starting with the premier episode at 9pm on the 21st, The Common Table will be throwing Sunday evening viewing parties.
Happiness officially compounded.
“Hey,” says Jeff, “if people can have Sex in the City parties we damn sure can have one for our favorite beverage, right?”
Be sure to call ahead if you want them to save you a seat. But beware if you’re seated next to one of us; we SideDishers can get a little mouthy, I mean handsy, I mean excitable when we drink.
Consider yourself forewarned.
Frozen Ghost Vodka Terrifies at Ghostbar
It didn’t really terrify. But it does come with a good ghost story. We asked intern Taylor Walker to find out more at the launch party of Frozen Ghost Vodka at Ghostbar. Her report below.
Frozen Ghost Vodka ice sculpture cooling a bottle of Frozen Ghost Vodka.
As hordes of jersey-clad Dallasites headed into the American Airlines Center to watch the Stars’ (eventual) 4-1 victory over the Red Wings, I, along with a dozen or so of the city’s restaurant workforce, made my way up to Ghostbar to celebrate an exclusive launch party for Frozen Ghost Vodka. Once my crowded elevator ride ascended to the 33rd floor of the posh W Dallas-Victory, I found myself facing an empty, albeit, swanky club, the blaring beat of Stevie Nicks’ “Edge of Seventeen,” and an ice sculpture that both mimicked and held a bottle of the signature vodka. Following the crowd’s lead, I made my way over to the bar, passing several monitors that displayed the drink’s eerie, eye-catching logo (a ghost pressing up against the opaque/icy tint as if he’s trapped within the bottle), which seems to channel the Let The Right One In advertisements.
Continue reading "Frozen Ghost Vodka Terrifies at Ghostbar"
Bella 32 Adds to Nightclub Scene in Addison
Bella 32 is a new night club set to open in Addison on Friday. The club (no relation to the Bella restaurant in uptown) is owned and managed by Charles Williams, a 20-year veteran of clubs in Los Angeles. Bella was inspired by the best clubs in LA and Las Vegas, but most of all by Steve Wynn’s XS in the Encore Hotel in Vegas. In fact, Williams refers to Bella32 as a “super lounge” rather than a nightclub. The difference is the comfortable seating and bottle service. The ‘32’ is Williams’ favorite number. The chef Evan Tanner comes to Bella32 from Gleneagles Country Club.
Comfy Chair with Ice Chest at Bella 32
Earlier this week the location was a complete in most respects, so we could see the dance floor, gold-decorated pillars and seating furniture. However, crews still worked on the bar fittings. Williams promises a big experience for the crowd, expected to be mainly 25-45 age young professionals.
3 Comments »Nothing to Do With Food In Dallas
What to show off how intimately in touch you are with Dallas minutiae?
Question 1: What is that in the picture?
Question 2: Where is it?
4 Comments »So I Hear Someone Wants To Know Where To Go for Fat Tuesday
Guess you didn’t see the homepage today.
1 Comment »Things I Overheard Over the Weekend
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Moving the Four Seasons European-style market in Garland indoors was a bust for several vendors. “The building was too far away from the action,” said one vendor who threatened my dog’s life if I revealed his/her name. “The food people did okay, but there were some unhappy sellers.” I guess Dallas is not indoor European-style, we prefer to act European in the great outdoors. |
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According to a person who was really on the street, the valet service at Dish misplaced DMN dining critic Leslie Brenner’s car. Eventually they located it. Wonder if Dish will ever find their lost star? A snitch on a cul-de-sac reports Ms. Brenner had no problem with valet after any of her three visits to the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. |
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A musical-lovin’ diner and a group of friends went to see South Pacific this weekend. Before he/she/they had 101 pounds of fun at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, he/she/they dined at Screen Door, excuse me, Screendoor. In particular, they ordered the $30 pre-theater dinner package. “I love David McMillan,” said he/she/they. “And he was there but the food was way below average.” Sub-par shrimp and grits? I know what to get chef McMillan for Christmas. |
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