Author Archives: Susie O

Haute Doggery (Las Vegas)

Las Vegas usually means overindulgence, high price tags, and glut.  Sometimes you just need a relaxing meal out of the hustle of The Strip–enter: The Haute Dogger.  This simple and clean quick-serve restaurant on the LINQ Promenade offers a respite from the action and some seriously delicious hot dogs and goodies … and air conditioning, which can come in handy in this 112º desert heat.

While it’s a chance to have something basic in the midst of the overdone, they don’t shy away from the more haute options.  They offer dogs ranging from the basic Undressed Dog all the way to their Billionaire Dog, complete with foie gras serve atop a Kobe beef frank and topped with truffle mayo.  Yeah … that happened in my mouth on my last visit.  Other standouts (though you can’t go wrong here) are The Rising Sun (Kobe beef frank, crispy yam strings, nori furikakte, and tempura avocado) and The Fug-Ghi (char grilled Frank, mushrooms, caramelized onion, gruyere cheese, and truffle mayo).  I’ll just say of what I tried that I was upset that I ate dinner the night before and wasn’t able to eat more than one.  Not kidding.

Perhaps my inability to eat more than one hot dog was also attributed to their classic “Old Vegas Special”, shrimp cocktail that they pedal for just $1 (not kidding), or their delicious crinkle cut fries (with the option to add chili … omg) and poutine side options.  The poutine was surprisingly delicious thanks to the fresh cheese curds and savory brown gravy.

poutine_haute doggery

Lest you think they are all dogs and fries … no, no, no … they also offer burger.  And, my friends, these burgers aren’t your run-of-the-mill bun and patty situation.  Imagine the basic alongside options like the Southern Smokehouse, or “The Perfect Burger” (their quote, not mine) with gruyere cheese, bacon, lettuce, roast tomato, onion, mayo, ketchup, and just a dab of marmalade.

burger_haute doggery

I know about a few things … a bit about cocktails, just a tinge about social media things (ahem … my day job), and enough about Vegas to be able to do it well.  That said, trust me on this one.  Spend some time off The Strip on the LINQ Promenade and grab a hot dog, a Sprinkles Cupcake from their ATM, grab a boozy, fresh pressed juice from Squeeze, hitch a ride on the High Roller, and do a bit of shopping.


HAUTE DOGGERY
hautedoggerylv.com
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3545 Las Vegas Blvd L-30, Las Vegas (on the LINQ Promenade)

 

Our team was invited in to experience the Haute Doggery free of charge.  All pictures courtesy of the Haute Doggery.

Lazy Dog Restaurant – Brunch

Dallas does brunch well.  What makes a boozy brunch better?  Having your dog along for the ride.  Luckily for you, if you have a canine sidekick, I rounded up a list of pet-friendly patios in Dallas and beyond.  (Because sometimes we all need a seeing eye dog to get us to our Uber after a four mimosa brunch.)

Lazy Dog Restaurant is one of the most dog-friendly restaurants in DFW, complete with a menu meant just for Fido and plenty for (thirsty) homosapians, too.  In true local brunch fashion, Lazy Dog offers quite a few alcoholic brunch options including a housemade sangria sampler (white peach, raspberry moscato, and pomegranate red which can also be ordered by the glass and pitcher), a bloody mary, Peaches & Moonshine (Stillhouse Moonshine, peaches, cranberry juice, peach schnapps, ginger beer and mint), and more.

While they do have a dog-friendly menu, the menu for us humans is pretty damn incredible and even include gluten-free and family-style options.  The weekend brunch menu offers some really amazing options that were, quite frankly, surprisingly good.  I couldn’t say no to the Housemade Carnitas with Tater Tot Hash served with a roasted poblano pepper sauce that was perfectly light and savory.  The Sunny Side Up Pizza was, while a brunch cliche, was baked perfectly and the eggs were exquisitely runny.  They offer more traditional brunch options like (dog bone-shaped) pancakes and french toast, too … because brunch should have a sweet side.

While I’ve never had room for dessert after brunch (who wouldn’t finish pancakes and chilaquiles?!), we were treated to a couple of their dessert options–their Key Lime Cheesecake and Peach Crumble–both amazing bookends to our meal.

As mentioned, Lazy Dog offers a dog menu.  Though it’s not as extensive as I’d hope it would be, lacking even a simple dog bone, it was a nice treat for our furry brunch buddy who gobbled it up so fast that I couldn’t even get a decent picture.  Our waitress was very kind to cater the meal to her dietary needs, too, which was very helpful.

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Pop into Lazy Dog, with or without a dog, and experience their quality options for you and Fido.  Just don’t get too squeamish if you find a dog hair in your food—it happens when the dogs on the patio nearly outnumber their owners!


LAZY DOG RESTAURANT
www.lazydogrestaurants.com
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5100 Belt Line Rd Suite 500 (Village on the Parkway), Addison
(469) 754-1300

Thanks for providing the “talent”, Katherine Hollon!

Abacus has a new chef … but the same amazing drinks.

With the recent departure of prominent Dallas chef and original Abacus chef, Kent Rathbun, a new face has stepped up to take over the kitchen.  Chef Chris Patrick has kept the longtime high standard of Abacus and has created some new (and quite impressive) options to delight diners.  One thing that has remained constant–the cocktails.

Their cocktail program offers classic cocktails done very well along with some intriguing, new mixology and seasonal offerings.  Look for unique cocktails like the Smoke on the Water (shishito pepper-infused Roca Patrón Silver Tequila, Yellow Chartreuse, Aperol, and lime), delightfully smoky without being overwhelmingly so.  Also, a seasonal option, the Slingin’ Smoke (apple wood smoked Absolut Elyx Vodka, Cherry Heering, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, pineapple, lime, mint, angostura bitters) is a complex cocktail served in an Absolut Elyx copper pineapple, smoked (literally served smoking) and meant for two.

The food at Abacus has always been extraordinary.  (If you’ve never had one of their Lobster Shooters, make that happen soon.)  At this dinner we were given the chance to try some of the newer dishes from Chef Patrick.  He created new dishes like Seared Diver Scallops with a blue crab and English pea crepe, a Roasted Duck Breast with bing cherries and sasparilla-pecan granola, a Bacon-Wrapped Pork Chop with stone fruit and a blackberry-bourbon gastique, and Hickory Grilled Beef Tenderloin with a Guiso-spinach empanada.

Dessert was presented by a different Chris, their pastry chef, Chris McCord.  The Strawberries & Cream was absolutely as delightful with strawberries served four different ways–in a sorbet, in a sauce, fresh, and … some other delicious way.  The light angel food cake and lemon tart were the perfect addition to balance out the sweetness of the other elements.

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Abacus will continue to serve up quality steaks, seafood, and sushi, but expect great things from Chef Chris Patrick.

ABACUS
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abacus-restaurant.com
4511 McKinney Ave
(214) 559-3111

Baileys Almande Yoga with a Twist

Written by: Jamie Javor

Yoga. Brunch. Take those two beautiful words, tie them together with a cute little bow, and you get the perfection that was the Baileys Almande Yoga with a Twist event this past weekend. The action unfolded on the 7th floor of The Jordan apartment building, on the pool deck overlooking the city. (After all the rain we have been experiencing lately, the weather gods smiled down and gave us some much needed sunshine.)

Stephanie with V12 Yoga led the class while Rahim Quazi played the guitar. (V12 yoga has regular scheduled classes, but they also organize free yoga at different locations throughout the city.)

Yoga

So about this Baileys Almande … Ah. Mazing. Served with Vita Coco Coconut Water, blended as a frappe or on the rocks. (Recipes below.) While this new Baileys is of course alcoholic, it’s very difficult to tell because the liqueur is so light. The flavor isn’t too thick, or too thin, and has the perfect amount of sweetness. Definitely not too overbearing. The taste isn’t quite as potent as the original Baileys. The almond and vanilla flavors help make this drink uber refreshing and easy to drink on ice. Baileys are certainly improving their flavours of choice when it comes to their drinks. We’ve gone from an original Baileys to a Red Velvet Cupcake Baileys and now we have a Baileys Almande – and we have to tell you that it is delicious!

Baileysgirls

Call me crazy, but I think it would be great in coffee too. It’s made with almond milk and is gluten and dairy free. Check out some recipes here or below.

State & Allen catered the vegan brunch that included fresh fruit, vegan granola, vegan sausage, and quiche. They don’t just do catering though. State & Allen has a brick and mortar and prides itself on being “Dallas’ first GREEN CERTIFIED restaurant”.

Dallas B2B_1

Picture courtesy of Baileys

Us drinking yogis had a great, little workout and delicious vegan brunch with drinks … all in all, not a bad way to kick off Sunday.

Namaste.


Baileys Almande
Almondmilk Liqueur
www.baileys.com/en-us/baileys-almande.html
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ALCOHOL CONTENT: 13% alc/vol
NOSE: almond, vanilla
FLAVOR: light, clean, refreshing
CREATED WITH: almond oil, almond essence, cane sugar, purified water, and vanilla — GLUTEN FREE. DAIRY FREE.
SIPPING SUGGESTIONS: over ice
PRICE: $24.99 (750 mL)


Aloha Almande (Created by Mixologist Leann Berry)
1 3/4 oz Baileys Almande
3/4 oz Ketel One Vodka
1 3/4 oz Vita Coco
2 pieces Fresh Pineapple
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
1 cup Ice
Pineapple Slice for Garnish

Combine Baileys Almande, vodka, Vita Coco, fresh pineapple, pineapple juice, and ice into a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour contents into a Collins glass.

Dallas B2B_5

Picture courtesy of Baileys

 

Very Berry Almande (Created by Mixologist Leann Berry)
3 oz Baileys Almande
2 oz Vita Coco
2 Blackberries
1 cup Ice
Blackberry and Lemon Twist for Garnish

Combine Baileys Almande, Vita Coco, blackberries, and ice into a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour contents into a Collins glass. Garnish with blackberry and lemon twist.

Dallas B2B_4

Picture courtesy of Baileys

 

THE SDD TEAM WAS INVITED TO ATTEND THIS EVENT FREE OF CHARGE.

 

 

Father’s Day 2016

COOK HALL
Offering: Texas Burger (candied peppercorn bacon, fried egg, avocado, butter lettuce and ghost pepper jack cheese)
Cost: $15
Date/Time: June 19
Location: Dallas – Victory Park

FEARING’S
Offering: brunch
Cost: $85 for three courses (Excludes beverage/tax/gratuity)
$30 for children 12 and under
Date/Time: Sunday, June 19, 2016, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: Dallas – Uptown
Reservations: 214-922-4848

III FORKS STEAKHOUSE
Offering: USDA Prime Bone-In Ribeye
Extra Perks: New Cocktail, available now, limited time: Hickory Pineapple Margarita (Espolon Reposado Tequila, fresh lime, hickory smoke syrup and pineapple Juice, $12)
Cost: $33 (usually $53)
Date/Time: June 19
Location: North Dallas – 17776 Dallas Parkway
Reservations: 972-267-1776

IVY KITCHEN
Offering: brunch
Cost: individually priced per menu
Date/Time: June 19, 11am-3pm
Location: Addison

LAZY DOG
Offering: $3 drafts all day, limited edition pint glasses for dads
Date/Time: June 19, while supplies last
Location: Addison

PINSTACK
Offering: all day happy hour – $1 off drafts beers, $5 house wines, $5 margaritas
Date/Time: June 19, 11am-midnight
Location: Plano

PLUCKER’S WING BAR
Offering: DADS EAT FREE! (complimentary entree, side, and non-alcoholic beverage (up to a $15 value)) when they post a photo of their family at the restaurant to any social media channel with the hashtag #Pluckers
Date/Time: June 19
Location: all locations

THE RANCH AT LAS COLINAS
Offering: BBQ brunch
Extra Perks: an 11-station buffet
Cost: $44.95 for adults, $18.95 for kids 9-13, $10.95 for kids 5-8, free for 4 and under
Date/Time: June 19, 10am-3pm
Location: Las Colinas

TEN50BBQ
Perk: one free beer for Dads, while supplies last
Dates/Time: 6/19
Location: Richardson

Y.O. RANCH STEAKHOUSE
Offering: brunch
Extra Perks: Dads receive a FREE BEER courtesy of Texas Ale Project and a Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse beer mug to take home
Cost: $42
Date/Time: brunch, 6/19
Location: Dallas – West End
Reservations: REQUIRED – Open Table or 214-744-3287

Maker’s Mark #TrifectaChallenge: The Belmont Jewel

Last year I put a little (read: very little) spin on the Mint Julep for a Maker’s Mark Trifecta Challenge.  This year, they asked the #TrifectaChallenge participants to put our twist on the Belmont Stakes’ signature drink, The Belmont Jewel.  The traditional Belmont Jewel is quite simple–bourbon, lemonade, and pomegranate juice.  A bit of a yawn, no?  Needless to say, I was eager to spice this cocktail up a bit; and I went for the daily double.

TheJelliedBelmontJewel_SusieOszustowicz1

 

THE JELLIED BELMONT JEWEL
1.5 oz Maker’s Mark Bourbon Whiskey
2 oz lavender lemonade
1 egg white
Jellied pomegranate wine*
Dried Lavender
Lemon curl

Combine the Maker’s Mark, lemonade, and egg white in a sturdy shaker.  Shake vigorously for one minute, then add ice and shake for another minute.  Strain into a chilled julep cup, drizzle jellied pomegranate wine on top, then garnish with dried lavender and a lemon curl.

*Jellied Pomegranate Wine
1.5 cups pomegranate wine
0.75 cup fresh lemon juice
1 oz gelatin
0.5 cup white sugar

Combine wine, lemon juice, and gelatin in a pot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Return to a hearty boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

While we can’t drink this from the August Belmont Memorial Cup (which happens to be cast in silver and made by Tiffany & Co.), you can still shake one up at home.   If it sounds like too much effort, go for the traditional Belmont Jewel.

THE BELMONT JEWEL
1.5 oz Maker’s Mark Bourbon Whiskey
2 oz lemonade
1 oz pomegranate juice
Lemon curl

June 1, through midnight on June 3, stop by Maker’s Mark’s Instagram account and LIKE AND COMMENT on my recipe to help me win a trip to the distillery.  Pretty please?

 

I received these a bottle of Maker’s Mark to try out some recipes without payment.

Camp Our Way

I sit on my couch covered in aloe vera on my sunburnt bits and hydrocortisone cream on my mosquito bitten bits, the faint whir of my dryer working on the second of three loads of bonfire-scented laundry waiting for Uber Eats to arrive with a juicy bacon cheeseburger reflecting on the incredible weekend I just experienced with Camp Our Way. The idea of returning to summer camp as an adult made me equally excited and trepidatious–outdoor activities, s’mores, new friends, bonfires, and other fun, but with booze and a touch of freedom, it got me so excited I’m thinking of looking into other camps such as this Summer Camp in Maine or others to get the most out of my summer! Yes, it’d be a blast … but would 15 years of aging since my last camp experience prove to be a damper on the camp highs that I previously experienced? I was a great camper back in the day–I had the towels with my name embroidered, wrote the ‘rents postcards, played the part of “Susie Camper”, and always seemed to find a camp romance. Well … it turns out that not much has changed.

Camp Our Way held its first public adult summer camp this past weekend just outside of Austin. Tiffany, one of my contributors, and I headed down south (in a tricked out, lifted Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro … a beauty of a tank if I’ve ever seen one), taking our time and making an experiencing of the 35 road trip–Czech Stop, Pokey O’s Waco, Coffee Bean, the whole nine.

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Campers are invited to drive on their own (and surrender their keys upon arrival) or hop on the camp bus from their originating city. Since we were traveling from Dallas and not San Antonio or Austin, we got to camp a bit late; and let’s just say that the party bus must have been an actual party. We arrived and were already behind, but we did our best to catch up.

COW is working finding just the right camp to host–enough freedom to let the adults do their thing, but enough structure to make the camp experience fully immersive. You could say that they’re doing a damn good impression of Goldilocks right now.

The venue for this past session was Camp Young Judea, a Jewish (children’s) camp complete with a kosher cafeteria and brightly colored Semitic murals adorning the cabins and set on a quiet river. (Oh, and the cafeteria is kosher so we had to observe certain rules; only kosher items were allowed in the cafeteria, so we quickly learned that Lone Star Beer is kosher. Boom. And hence the bacon cheeseburger upon my return to Dallas.) We found the lodging itself to be perfect–the cabins were clean, bug-free, and allowed for enough privacy for everyone to be comfortable. If only I could afford to buy something like this as a holiday home myself, so I could re-live the camp experience whenever I wanted, but for now I’ll have to settle for a caravan which I’m just as excited to purchase. I was worried about the cost at first but then I heard about Auto Finance Online and how they can help you break it down into more manageable chunks. So now I have so many of these trips to look forward to. We unpacked, made our beds, and then headed to the party. The awkward “hey, where are you from, why are you here?” conversation started slowly and was egged on with drinks poured by the badass head counselor, Justin.

Each day campers were invited to take advantage of various activities–a high ropes course, zip lines, a giant swing, archery, etc. The beauty of this concept, though, is the freedom to do them only if you want to. Don’t want to break a sweat playing dodgeball? Sweat it out at the pool while working on your tan. Too lazy to do yoga? Do corpse pose in a hammock for a couple hours. Just don’t feel like being an adult? Head to the river and slide down the giant water chute. Just want to hang out? Stop by the treehouse with a beer or three. (Each camp will offer different activities, and the Dallas camp promises a lake, complete with a blob!)

So yeah … activities are fun, but doing them with a beer in-hand kind of makes them more fun. The entire weekend we had access to adult beverages. One of the “activities” was the chance to do a wine tasting with Flat Creek Estate, learn how to make Justin’s killer margaritas, and enjoy some hand-dipped root beer floats with Not Your Father’s (boozy) Root Beer.

Like I said … I’m knackered from all the fun (my memory foam bed was truly worth every penny I paid for it when I starfished on it last night), but it was a pretty fantastic weekend and I’m already missing the fun, people, and activities … and having a bit of trouble adulting.

That said … COW will be hosting other camps throughout the summer, including one for Dallas residents on Lake Trinity. I’ll be there–either as a counselor (if they’ll have me) or a camper–so come party with me at camp!

SAVE 10% ON THE DALLAS CAMP WITH CODE SUSIEDRINKS


CAMP OUR WAY
campourway.com
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Nickel & Rye

I lived in the heart of Uptown for 2-1/2 years … a mere 5 minute walk from Nickel and Rye and only went a couple times.  Like  a rookie, I allowed those times to be weekends in the wee hours, a time which happens to be the great equalizer of all Uptown establishments (read: drunk people acting ridiculously).  I was recently asked to stop in for dinner and did so begrudgingly.  Holy shit … was I wrong to have thought like that.  Nickel & Rye shattered my previous misconceptions of this gem.

First things first: they have a large and diverse selection of traditional and rare whiskies.  (Yessssss.)  In fact, they’re so proud of their whiskey options that they even offer their “V. Rye P. Club” that rewards you for trying whiskey.  Just try a certain number of whiskeys and you’ll be treated to parties–not kidding.  Look for Pappy van Winkle, local options, and some with a little Nickel & Rye twist, all for pretty decent prices.

Beyond that, they don’t settle for the run of the mill cocktails.  They infuse liquors, make bitters, and generally do things pretty damn well.  And their cocktail list has a little something for everyone.

Nickel & Rye’s Maple Bacon Manhattan is one of their signature cocktails and has been for quite a while, no double because of their delicious bacon-Infused bourbon with maple syrup and the slightest hint of Averna Amaro.  Their second most popular cocktail, the Sparkling Cucumber (New Am Vodka, elderflower, cucumber, lemon, and champagne) is light, flavorful, and is a perfect cocktail to enjoy on their fan-fucking-tastic patio.

Beyond their two best sellers, they have a couple lot of other winners.  The Summertime Sadness (Exotico Blanco, mint, roasted jalapeño, cilantro, and lime) was a surprise with a lot of complexity thanks to the oddly, but well-paired flavors.  The basic Old Fashioned is even a winner–gotta love the old standards.  If you’re bold, let the talented barmen behind the large, concrete bar go crazy.   Tell them what you like and what you don’t and watch them work.   One of their newest creations from one of these adventures in bartending  even uses Blue Curacao (that apparently is making a resurgence … yikes) and a smoked wood plan to give it an oddly smoky sweet flavor.

The cocktails aren’t the only thing that Nickel & Rye is doing right.  Their food, all made in-house, is damn delicious.  (And their parent company, Kirby’s Steakhouse, would see to that.)  They took basic food items and made them either VERY well or just a tinge haute.  Site: their Lobster Quesadilla.  Eat this now.  Also not to be missed is their charcuterie board and their Brussels sprouts.  (If you’re a reader, you know that it really doesn’t take much from Brussels sprouts to impress me … but these were so good I almost ordered a second dish.  What!?  They’re vegetables.)

Of the McKinney Avenue spots, this is one place that you should hit for a happy hour that is sure to surprise.  Make sure to log some time on their patio before it gets too hot.  Because it will … and all the chilly cocktails in the world won’t be able to make being outside bearable.


NICKEL & RYE
nickelandrye.com
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2523 McKinney Ave
(214) 389-2120