nobu

So I’m going to shoot straight with you … I don’t make tons of money (though my shoe collection may convince some otherwise).  If I did, I would dine at Nobu as often as possible.  I haven’t ever had anything but a great experience there and the food and drinks are always spot on.  After my last visit, I can rest assured that the next time I crave a good sake martini and rock shrimp, I can indulge myself without too much guilt at Nobu.

Nobu recently instituted ”Nobu Night” on Wednesday nights and it’s quite a doozy.  $6 appetizers (decent portions), $7 specialty martinis, and $4 beers.  Yes, this is the classy side of 75, so you should expect to pay a bit more … and it’s Nobu.  At these prices, can you ignore your practical side for a night and not regret it the next morning.

When you walk in, the staff will greet you in a badly-timed unison of “ishayamasai” or “welcome” and the mood is sultry but energized.  The decor is quite interesting with fake trees lining the far side of the restaurant and large columns throughout the dining area.

Make sure you get there at on the early side of happy hour because once the dinner crowd arrives, the wait staff gets a bit manic and the span between your drinks causes you to sober up and reconsider ordering another.  But then again, Nobu isn’t the place for a quick drink, but the kind of place you go expecting a few hours of strong drinks and three rounds of appetizers and put your people watching hat on.

The clientele is a blast to watch.  You see the businessmen sitting alone at the bar after a long day of work in the Crescent Towers and the older couples coming in for a quick bite of heaven before going to bed.  You’ll also see the typical Dallas crowd filter in as it gets later … I usually slip out before they arrive!

Definitely spoil yourself and try their Nobu Night … your stomach will thank you, though your liver may not.

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Nobu
www.noburestaurants.com
400 Crescent Court | Dallas, TX 75201-1838 (Inside the Crescent Hotel)
(214) 252-7000

Specials:
Monday, Tuesday & Friday | 5-7 p.m. | all beers $4.00, all Signature cocktails $7, select appetizers $6
Wednesday & Thursday | 5-10 p.m. | all beers $4.00, all Signature cocktails $7, select appetizers $6 
Sunday | 50% all bottled wine $100 or less

primo’s tex mex

For a good two years, every Sunday evening you could find me at the same place.  It was a tradition that my friend Sam and I would grab a table on the porch of Primo’s and sip meltdowns while observing Dallasites in their natural habitat.  You could see families, couples on their first date, and sixty-somethings trying to hit on the sweet young things at the next table.

The varied clientele is there because of the fantastic location, the awesome drinks, and the great food.  You can order a yummy salad, tacos, or the very surprising hamburger (try it! really!) along with a meltdown to wash it all down.  I guarantee, two meltdowns and you’ll see why everyone loves this place (get the magic trick that is the queso flameado and you’ll never leave!).

Tuesday is the best night to try Primo’s due to the $2 margaritas - make sure you get there somewhat early to get a good table.  As for the weekends, it’s a great place to start your night, and for that matter, to end it (Primo’s has saved me many-a-weekend-night if I missed dinner by keeping their kitchen open late).

Enjoy the scenery and the meltdowns … after all, it’s a Dallas tradition!

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Primo’s Tex Mex Grill
www.primosdallas.com | @primostexmex
3309 McKinney Ave | Dallas
(214) 220-0510

Specials:
Monday-Friday | 3-7 p.m. | $1 off mixed drinks and beers, $3 margaritas
Tuesday | all day | $2 margaritas
Saturday & Sunday | $8.99 bottomless mimosas

Check out Primo’s new catering offers … perfect for holiday parties!  Primo’s Catering Menu

ch-ch-changes

Walking into my favorite pizza place in Dallas last week, it felt different … and I liked it.  The new menu items sound incredible and the extra seating made me hopeful that I’d never have to face another 45 minute wait for a table!

The pizza at Coal Vines is TO DIE.  My best friend from Austin orders a white pizza (not the white special) to take back with her each time she visits.  Yes, it’s that delicious.

The mimosa was just ok; they didn’t jump on the bottomless bandwagon as so many brunch destinations have so I don’t know if I’d come here just for their drink specials.  Their wine selection is good and they also sell  retail if you want to take it home to enjoy.

The people who dine at this establishment are the Uptown see-and-be-seen type.  They stop here and gobble a pie and guzzle a bottle before hitting the town.  The only problem with that is that every time I eat here, I leave so full that I can’t rally for a fun night out!

Stop in and grab a glass of wine and a pizza; don’t forget to be extra nice to their New York implant, Uncle John at the front door!  Everyone in Dallas should try this place once to know what good pizza tastes like.

Coal Vines Pizza
2404 Cedar Springs Rd | Dallas, TX 75201 
(214)855-4999‎
www.coalvines.com

Specials:
Sunday | 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. | $4 mimosas, poinsettias, Pompelmos, and peach lemonade bellinis

sambuca

On a cool, Fall night there is nothing better than live music and a good drink, and Sambuca is one of Dallas’s prime locations for good live music any given night.  Featuring bands from soul to “hi-nrg”, the restaurant, bar, and outside lounges are flooded with covers of “Use Me” and “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” and put you at ease after a long day at work.  Just make sure you sit outside if you want to have a conversation because the music is a bit loud inside.

Lounge on the patio in front of the fireplace or in the canopied “beds”, sip on your strong drinks and nosh on the half price appetizers.  The clientele in the restaurant and on the patios is a bit older; but you can find the younger crowd by the bar.  The girls here are dressed in their best trying to coax drinks out of the lounge lizards … which is always funny to observe.

Make this place a destination on a night you aren’t planning on going out; the chill mood and a full stomach from the great food don’t really evoke enough energy to make a night of it.

Sambuca
www.sambucarestaurant.com
2120 McKinney
Dallas, TX 75201
(214) 744-0820

Specials:
Monday-Friday | 4-6:30 p.m. | 1/2 off appetizers and pizzas, wine by the glass, cocktails, and wells

TABC

The leaves are about to turn and the weather is cooling down … and in Dallas these things mean that it’s the perfect weather to hang out on a proch, and the one porch you can always count on for a crowd is TABC.  NO NO NO, not Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission - that would just be silly, the Thomas Avenue Beverage Company.

The outside section is incredibly large and has quite a bit of seating.  The wait staff is somewhat slow and not incredibly reliable but what they actually bring to the table makes up for it.  The drinks are somewhat strong and not too expensive and even the smell of the pizza is delightful (served until 1:45 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays!).

Since it’s tucked in the heart of the State and Allen area, you WILL see a faces that you recognize and attractive people whose eyes you will want to catch.  This is a great place almost anytime and there are quite a few other bars within walking distance.

Thomas Avenue Beverage Company 
www.tabcdallas.com
2901 Thomas Ave 
Dallas, TX 75204 
(214) 979-0452

Specials:
Tuesday | $3 wells and domestics, $4 Cabernet and chardonney (4-7 p.m.), 1/2 price wine by the bottle after 7 p.m. 
Wednesday-Friday | 4-7 p.m. | $3 wells and domestics, $4 Cabernet and chardonney 
Sunday | bottomless mimosas $8

Quarter Bar.

I have finally figured out why it’s called Quarter Bar … it’s not named after the French Quarter (as much as they’ll try to convince you that’s the reason) but because of the quarter life crises inspiring bad decisions with the help of low lighting.  …Sadly, the many nights/evenings of bad decisions couldn’t be from the drinks because they aren’t very strong.

I do recommend Quarter if you’re looking for a laid back, chill location for a happy hour; but make sure it’s on a Wednesday because the food is half price and tastes a lot better than the drinks.

For my money:  Quarter Bar is better only to be seen after 10 p.m. … but even then it’s more to see the people.

The Quarter Bar 
www.breadwinnerscafe.com
3301 McKinney Ave. Dallas, TX 75204 
(214) 754-4941

Specials:

Monday-Friday | 4-7 p.m. | $2 wells and domestics

Monday | 1/2 price pizza, $1 PBR
Tuesday | $2 select drafts, $2 frozen drinks 
Wednesday | til 10 p.m. | 1/2 price bar food 
Thursday | til 10 p.m. | $2 well and domestics 
Saturday | 12-6 p.m. | $4 select drafts