Category Archives: Brunch

The Cedars Social

With the announcement that The Cedars Social is under new ownership, I wanted to duck in to see what changes were happening at the craft cocktail den in The Cedars.  I was a fan of TCS when I worked in The Cedars but hadn’t heard too much about them recently.  Turns out, new owners Jeffrey Yarbrough and Chad Boyle seem to be keeping the essence of TCS intact–the decor is still as eclectic as ever, the food classic with a bit of a twist, and the cocktails … well, strong.

We started with a couple of their options from the seasonal cocktail menu–they offer seasonal options along with classics from both the pre-Prohibition era and some from the Prohibition era.  Their cocktails are made with high quality, fresh ingredients and some of the best liquor options around by incredibly skilled bartenders.  (I was glad to hear that the new owners were still partnering with original partner and bar manager, Michael Martensen.  He does good things.)  Our seasonal choices were the Berry Gin-erous (Seagrams, Blueberry mint syrup, lemon juice and ginger beer) and the Juliet & Romeo (Plymouth Gin, Lime Juice, Muddled Cucumbers, & Cane syrup, with Angostura bitters, and a mint leaf topped with rose water).

After getting warmed up with some drinks (as one does at brunch), we ordered their fresh fruit, truffle fries (duh), and deviled eggs.  I was bummed that they don’t offer their truffle grilled cheese anymore, but I figured the fries were a good substitute.  The Truffle Fries had a nice truffle essence without it being overpowering and they were perfectly crispy.  The Deviled Eggs were a good start to the meal thanks to their light filling.  While fruit is good for you and all (and TCS’ was quite delicious) … save it for home.

Our second round of drinks got a bit more adventurous.  I went for the I Do What I Want (that’s the real name of the cocktail) featuring Ketel One, aged balsamic, honey syrup, muddled strawberry, lemon juice, and egg white.  It was nicely mixed and the balsamic really gave it a punch and a bit of extra complexity.

As for the food, we ordered the Housemade Turkey Hash (herbs de Provence, scrambled eggs, and hollandaise sauce) and the Omelette Florentine (prosciutto, spinach, mushrooms, and goat cheese).  Both were accompainied by potatoes, and both were pretty damn good.  (I’d suggest getting the hollandaise on the side of the hash … I’m a big fan of self sauce-regulation.)

While I usually choose to spend my brunch calories on drinks, we were encouraged to get into some dessert action.  Once we heard that their cheesecakes are from Val’s Cheesecakes, we couldn’t not. And ice cream goes in a different stomach.  So yeah.

Since we were delightfully boozed up and stuffed, we decided that Sunday just wasn’t going to be a thing … at least not a productive one.  (Their drinks are pretty hefty, so try not to plan too much after a brunch at TCS other than a nap or more drinking.)  So we packed up our leftovers (of which there were plenty) and did our best to roll ourselves to the car.

Needless to say, after the reminder of the good things TCS does, I’ll be back before too long to hit them up for some of their dinner options–hello, Akashi Short Ribs, Kobe Meatballs, and Truffle Mac & Cheese.


THE CEDARS SOCIAL
www.thecedarssocial.com
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1326 S Lamar St, Dallas, TX 75215
(214) 928-7700

Open daily, 4-10pm
Brunch: Saturday & Sunday, 11am-3pm

Jam & Toast Brunch at The Rustic

Brunch is a serious thing in Dallas.  I thought for a long time that it was a millennial thing, but I’ve learned from transplants that Dallas does it like no other city.  The Rustic knows this, and knew they couldn’t come to the picnic table with a weak brunch game … so their Jam & Toast Brunch was born.  Family style (and only slightly family-friendly), you can get into this brunch action for $17.95/person.  Let the delicious pictures begin … (You’d better get a napkin because your mouth is about to water.)

Y’all know I have to talk about the drinks first because … ya know … I drink Dallas and all.  Their drinks, while they’re available like any other boring brunch place by the drink, or you can really make it a Sunday (or Saturday) fun day and order by the pitcher for $20 a throw.  They have the traditional brunch drinks–mimosas, bloody marys, screwdrivers (or at least their takes on them)–but then they take them all up a notch with fun twists like beef straws for the bloodies and jam mixers for the mimosas.  The less typical drinks you can get into trouble with are their Corpus Crisp Tea (Deep Eddy Sweet Tea Vodka, Deep Eddy Lemonade Vodka, and freshly brewed sweet tea) and the Ruby Redhound (Deep Eddy Ruby Red Vodka with fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice).

The pitchers are all generous portions and pack a decent punch.  (As decent as you could really ever want from brunch cocktails as to not f**k up your whole day weekend.)  And I don’t know what all this “family-style” judgement is; I mean … I’m my whole family unit right now … so it’s ok that I drink the whole pitcher, right?

Rereading the last paragraph, I feel it’s time to tell y’all about the food they offer to balance the boozy goodness.  This food … is legit.  I just about needed someone to roll me away from the table after eating everything they had to offer.  The deal is that they’ll bring everything I’m about to tell you about–enough for everyone to share.

Traditional brunches usually have pig of some sort and eggs and some random pastry, and The Rustic has those all with a delicious kick.  The pork is bacon and sausage from Rudolph’s Market (this business was ridiculous and I was pissed that I had to share this and not eat the whole dish of bacon–don’t judge me); the eggs were “country baked eggs” with sharp white cheddar and chives (not my favorite); and the pastries were fresh donuts from local bakeries (the day we visited they’d come from late night donut hotspot, Glazed).  To make this brunch unforgettable, they didn’t stop there.  They also offer bite-sized French Toast (hand-cut challah, soaked in vanilla custard and topped with house-made rosemary syrup),  Smoked Cheddar Grits (creamy polenta cakes with roasted poblanos and smokey cheddar on sausage gravy) that had a nice smokiness without being entirely overwhelming, and Hot Chicken (Nashville-style spicy fried chicken and dill pickles).  The chicken was a bit spicy (which I enjoyed), but others at the table were less impressed with the heat.  The pièce de résistance of this brunch to me was the Cheese & Fruit plate.  Featuring an assortment of local cheeses, honeycomb, fresh fruit, and assorted breads, it was a nice addition to the table and gave us the chance to remix some of the other dishes by pairing them with the fruits and cheese.s  (Uhhhh the goat cheese paired well with just about everything on the table.)

Overall, The Rustic’s Jam & Toast Brunch is a decent deal. (I love to have a lot of different options … so this is a great ways for people like me!)  While this brunch is offered both Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 3pm, try to get there before noon to enjoy the live music that they have outside.  (And thanks to one of the venue’s owners, Pat Green, you know The Rustic has some serious live music game.)

If you’ve never visited the hybrid backyard-style restaurant/bar/concert venue, you’ve obviously been living under a rock.  From Free Range Concepts (the guys that brought Dallas Bowl & Barrel, Mutt’s Canine Cantina, and more), it’s an ideal spot for anyone from families to weekend warriors.  The Rustic offers brunch, lunch, and dinner menus of “down-home comfort food” along with 40+ draft beers (many from Texas breweries), and even some Texas spirits on the full bar.


THE RUSTIC
therustic.com
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3656 Howell Street (West Village)
214-730-0596

 

 

Bread Winners Summer Cocktails

Bread Winners rolled out a new line of cocktails for the summer, and they’re pretty delish!

  • Brunch Punch (split of champagne, St. Germain, cranberry) – the St. Germain is a perfect touch to this poinsettia.  It’s light and perfect for those of us looking for a mimosa replacement.
  • Texas Bluebonnet Mojito (Texas rum, fresh mint, berries, lime) – all I have written in my notes here is “yum”.
  • Mango Fizz (split of prosecco, fresh mango puree) – this wasn’t my favorite of the bunch, but others were pretty into it.
  • Prickly Pear Lemonade (vodka, lemonade, prickly pear nectar) – vroom vroom party starter!!! I really liked this one. It’s really light, not too sweet, and had a unique flavor.
  • French Kiss (split of prosecco, X-Rated liqueur) – this simple drink was another that I wasn’t all about–mostly because I had a bad weekend in college with X-Rated liqueur.

These “hangover elixirs” will run you $10 each. And just because these are new and sexy does’t mean you can ignore the Bloody Diablo. Just sayin’.


***I was able to try these cocktails free of charge.***

Coal Vines Uptown

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