Category Archives: Neighborhood

Ivy Kitchen Brunch

Regular readers know that I have my bubble.  That’s the reason that I have contributors that just happen to cover areas north of 635 on my behalf.  I’m ashamed of myself, but it’s true.

That said, I will travel to the great, white north for select things.  One of those things: Ivy Kitchen.  I finally made it in for their brunch this past weekend and wasn’t surprised in the least by the quality of the food and drink.

My friends and I decided to start with some brunch drinks–as all brunches should.  We went with the Michelada, the Recovery (vanilla vodka, OJ, Robust), Sangria, and a pitcher of the Vine Peach Mimosa for the table.  (Because what is brunch without a pitcher of something?)  All were perfectly delightful, and the Recovery was a unique choice to break free from the usual brunch options–slightly sweet, slightly boozy, all delicious.

Once sufficiently lubricated, we started perusing the menu and had a hell of a time deciding what to order.  Ivy Kitchen does a lot of different things, and surprisingly enough, seems to do them all well.  We all decided to order a bunch of things and simply share so we could try more, which ended up being the absolute best idea.

Our brunch choices were somewhat traditional–Cinnamon Crusted French Toast that’s made with crushed cereal and the Ivy Crab Cake Benedict.  I’m not often a fan of either (I’m weird about brunch food), but enjoyed both of them a little more than my meal companions appreciated.

Round two of food led us to some more savory options (and a shot or two of Patrón), including some of their new options, the Beef Short Ribs with Mustard BBQ sauce, Smoked Bacon Jalapeños, and Chopped Asian Salad.  The Smoked Bacon Jalapeños were large jalapeños hollowed out and stuffed with brisket and spicy cheese then wrapped in bacon.  These were SO DAMN HOT, but really delicious.  I kind of fell in love with their Chopped Asian Salad (what, I eat salads …)–it was incredibly fresh and the many ingredients just worked … even the random smoked almonds.

To cap off the meal, we went for another round of drinks and I opted for their new Mojito Infusion, because new is always better, right?  The orange infused rum paired well with the peach liqueur and citrus and was perfectly offset with the fresh mint.  One more, please …

Mojito

Mojito

IVY KITCHEN
www.theivykitchen.com
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5411 Beltline Road (Addison)
214.306.7444

Cedar Grove

New Cedar Springs hotspot, Cedar Grove, opened in the former DISH space back in June after transforming the space into a whimsical fabricated forest … that just happens to have a restaurant in it.  With food by Executive Chef Taylor Kearney and drinks by Beverage Director mixologist Trevor Landry, this bizarrely decorated restaurant was still a “wow”.

The drinks, we were warned, are all on the sweeter side as that is “what the clientele prefers”.  While I enjoy my cocktails spirit forward (if not drinking straight liquor on ice), so I had to prepare my palate accordingly.  Trevor let us try quite a few of their options and I didn’t have a single thing I didn’t enjoy, though I was glad to have someone to share with since my sweet tooth had been more than sated by the second drink.  (The entire drink menu was also very inexpensive with most drinks ringing in around $6.  They also offer punches for sharing!)

The drinks on the whole were playful (flavor or garnish … or both) and their unique offering (you know, the drink that everyone is going to Instagram?) is adult snow cones.  The Crushed Caipirinha Snowcone was sweet and enjoyable, but I preferred the Lemondrop Snowcone because … Sour Patch Kids.

If you’re not into sweet drinks, your brunch options on-menu are limited.  (I’d suggest ordering off-menu or asking for a dinner cocktail menu.  The Shrubbery (Old Forester, peach shrub, lemon, house made grenadine, Angostura Bitters) is quite refreshing yet spirit forward and very flavorful.

Along with scrumptiously sweet drinks, the food was surprisingly delicious.  The brunch selections we tried made for a great start to the day, especially the Chicken & Waffle Sliders.  Tiffany and I shared one and it was plenty since it’s quite rich thanks to the runny, fried egg.  I’d suggest ordering a few items to share since all of their options are quite good … why choose?  (No one should have to deal with a Sophie’s Choice-type decision at brunch.)

 

 

CEDAR GROVE
cedargrove-dallas.com
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4123 Cedar Springs Road (Dallas)
214.522.3474

Del Frisco’s Grille Kicks Off New Happy Hour Menu

By Wednesday, after a long few days at work, I was ready for an adult beverage. (I had just started a new job and getting the lay of the land in a new place is always stressful.) Fortunately for me, Del Frisco’s Grille is celebrating summer by introducing a new happy hour–Monday to Friday, 4-6:30pm. So I headed over to the Dallas location on McKinney Avenue to check it out.

You guys … they have a Sip and Share menu with $6 cocktails, wine, craft beer ($5) and food. The menu includes some of their top signature drinks like the VIP and Tennessee Peach and new and old favorites in the food department.

First thing’s first: food. One of the classics and my favorite is their classic Cheesesteak Eggrolls. These things are amazing.  Other items include Deviled Eggs, Pulled Pork Nachos, French Onion and Parmesan Spinach Dips, flatbreads, and the best corndogs you’ll ever have, the Wagyu Corndogs.

Now let’s get to the real reason I was there. First, if you have never had one of Del Frisco’s signature cocktails, head over ASAP. I am a whiskey drinker, so, my personal favorite is the Tennessee Peach (Jack Daniel’s, Fresh Peaches, Local Honey, Fresh Lime Juice, and Peach Bitters). This whiskey cocktail is perfect for summer; it’s refreshing and light, but it’s definitely on the sweet side.

I also tried the Grille Margarita. I asked the difference between the Grille Margarita and its Hand Crafted Cocktail counterparts; I was told it’s the Margarita 160 (skinny margarita: Sauza Silver Tequila, Triple Sec, Agave Nectar, Fresh Lime Juice) without the “skinny.” It was not too sweet, and just an excellent, classic margarita.

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In addition to these, they also include their Red and White Sangrias on the Sip & Share.
Red: Malbec, Stoli Razberi, Cointreau, Sweet & Sour, White Peach Purée, Fresh Lime Juice.
White: Pinot Grigio, White Peach Purée, Peach Schnapps, Strawberry-Peach Popsicle.

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If you’re in the mood for the classics, they included premium spirits on the happy hour menu, including Tito’s Vodka, Bulleit Bourbon, Bombay Sapphire Gin, Bacardi Rum and Milagro Silver Tequila.

Needless to say, the summer happy hour Sip & Share at Del Frisco’s Grille will be one of my new go-to happy hours. The best part? The new HH is available at all locations! Head on over and take advantage of this $6 Sip & Share (with $5 craft beer) happy hour menu while it lasts!

Del Frisco’s Grille
delfriscosgrille.com
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Hilton Anatole Staycation

Sometimes you need to just not be home.  (Come on … you can’t tell me you’ve never wanted to tell your friends you’re out of town, turn off your phone, and just disappear.  Ok, I’ve never actually done it, but I’ve thought about it.  Like … hard.)  I had one of those feelings recently, so it was perfect that I was invited to spend a weekend at the Hilton Anatole right here in Dallas’s Design District.

I packed up the car Friday before work and scooted over there from the office after dropping off the pup with Grandma.*  The valets were the perfect welcoming committee and helped me unload my box of birthday gifts without complaint.  (I had a really busy week after my big birthday party, so I thought taking my gifts on my staycation to enjoy opening them slowly would be a blast.)  I was welcomed with goodies, a lovely room, and a great view of Downtown.

The hotel itself is huge, consisting of at least four main buildings that sit on 45 acres in the heart of Dallas.  The complex offers 1,600+ rooms, multiple dining and drinking options, event spaces, a full fitness facility, spa, a VIP lounge offering snack and beverages for select guests, and 1,000+ art pieces thanks to the owners, the Crow family.

One of the restaurant options the Anatole offers is SĒR on the 27th floor.  This is one button I enjoyed pushing entirely too much.  But I pushed it … and I pushed it good.  My friend Tiffany joined me for dinner and we were absolutely blown away by each and every one of the courses presented by Executive Chef Kevin Spencer and the drinks by Colin Silva.

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SĒR offers reimagined versions of some basic options like their Steak Tar Tar that closely resembles a deviled egg, but brings so much more to the table.  The Caesar Salad was such a stand-out that made me visit SĒR again Saturday night for another plate of it.  The culinary and bar teams on the 27th at the Anatole are all top notch and you can expect innovative food and drink options to keep your taste buds disoriented yet delighted.   Check out my whole review of SĒR.

The weekend was incredibly relaxing, yet somehow I kept myself busy the entire time.  I kept my evening plans with friends, but spent the days relaxing in the fitness center, sauna, the VIP Lounge, and walking the grounds.

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As they always do, the Sunday scaries crept in while I was packing to leaves, so to spoil myself a bit more I ordered some room service.  (Because who doesn’t love waffles that you don’t have to make?)  The bacon was perfectly crispy and the coffee was exquisitely brewed.  (If you want snacks or specialty coffee options, they have a coffee bar in the lobby offering little goodies.)

The coolest part of this staycation is that I got a little preview of Jadewater, the $22M pool complex that opened this past Friday, July 22.  This isn’t your run of the mill pool complex.  Expect two water slides, a large children’s play area, a 23 seat swim-up bar (YESSS), new art pieces, private cabanas and daybeds, and, the kicker, a 630ft lazy river.  The pool will be for hotel guests only, but the cool thing is that you can get a couple rooms for the night and have full access for less than a night at Great Wolf Lodge.  That’ll get you howling.

HILTON ANATOLE
www.hilton.com/Dallas
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2201 North Stemmons Freeway (Design District)
(214) 748-1200

*Unfortunately, they aren’t dog friendly … yet.  They do, of course, allow service animals.

SĒR at the Hotel Anatole

During a recent staycation at the Hilton Anatole, I was delighted to try their steakhouse, SĒR Steak + Spirits, on the 27th floor.  This is one button I enjoyed pushing entirely too much.  But I pushed it … and I pushed it good.  My girl Tiffany joined me for dinner and we were absolutely blown away by each and every one of the courses presented by Executive Chef Kevin Spencer and every drink by Colin Silva.

The drinks kept us on our toes (and put us on our asses) thanks to the unique flavor profiles and the unexpected extras.  This is one of the places I’d suggest handing the reigns to the bar team; they’ll make you something intriguing and unique.  The scotch cocktail we were treated to (below) was delightfully smoky thanks to the peatiness of the spirit, but was still surprisingly light.  The preparation for the cocktails was involved and completely worth the short wait.

 

SĒR’s kitchen offers reimagined versions of some basic options and quite a few all-new dishes.  The perfect example is their Steak Tar Tar that closely resembles a deviled egg but brings so much more to the table.  Be ready for a rich mouthful here.

Steak Tar Tar

Steak Tar Tar

The Caesar Salad was such a stand-out that I ended up visiting a second time in just one weekend to have it again.  It’s perhaps the coolest salad … ever.  This thing is a slab of leafy greens with “deconstructed croutons”, flowers, and even Pop Rock-like crystals that keep your mouth more than entertained.  The best part of this salad was the dressing.  Through some sciencey process, Chef Kevin creates egg yolk-like pods of dressing so you control your dressing to lettuce ratio.  I like being in control.

Caesar Salad

Caesar Salad

The entrees were just as enticing.  The seafood was fresh (the fish was light and flaky) and the steak was as tender as it could be.  The Texas Caviar accompanying the steak we were served gave it a delightful, spicy snap.

Dessert was just as unique as the preceding dishes.  One dessert (not yet on the menu) boasted grapes prepared three different ways accompanying ice cream and a buttery crumble.  The Millionaire Pie was also a delight with the perfect balance between the tartness of the raspberry sorbet and the creaminess of the vanilla ice cream.

SĒR Steak + Spirits
sersteak.com
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2201 North Stemmons Freeway (Design District)
(214)761-7479

 

Blaze Pizza

Last week Blaze Pizza opened in Fort Worth and The Colony. Each restaurant is set up like a Subway … you can order off a menu or build your own and pick everything from the crust to the toppings. All of their pizzas are built on made-from-scratch dough using artisanal ingredients. Once you’ve decided on the toppings, each pizza is fast fire’d in 180 seconds.

Oh, and for those of you who need gluten free: they’ve got it!

Build Your Own Pizza from crust to toppings!

Build Your Own Pizza from crust to toppings!

Here is a tip: if you want more toppings, just ask; they won’t upcharge or tell you to stop. I have to say I wasn’t super satisfied with the amount of sauce or toppings on my pizza, but after talking to management, they let me in on that little secret.

Ok, Ok, Ok- I’ve talked about the pizza, but what about the drinks?? Each location serves beer from somewhat local breweries–the Fort Worth location had (512) Pecan Porter and Dallas Blonde. (I don’t know about you, but I think this is a total plus for a fast food pizza joint.)

Not only does Blaze have great food and drinks, they’re also super committed to giving back to the community. They offer local charities and groups the chance to do fundraising nights; once they approve an organization, they print the flyers and donate 20% of net sales from that designated day straight to that group. Pretty awesome, right?

BLAZE PIZZA
www.blazepizza.com
@BlazePizza | Facebook | Twitter

5925 Convair Drive (Fort Worth)
5050 SH 121 (The Colony)

Sunday-Thursday (10:30am-10pm), Friday-Saturday (10:30am-11pm)

***Blaze Pizza invited our team in to try out their (delicious) goods.***

Bowen House

I went through a vintage phase in college.  So where did I shop?  My first stop on a shopping trip was always Ahab Bowen, a little vintage shop tucked inside a historical house smack dab in the middle of Uptown with a smattering of clothes with that have already lived a full life, but still had more to give.  While I was sad when I heard the news that it closed years later, I was also excited about the potential of the establishment taking over the quaint, little house–a serious craft cocktail bar, Bowen House.

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The space was completely reinvented with a bar spanning the facade and a handful of intimate white marble tables.  The chandelier above the bar gives the space a decidedly haute feeling, but the atmosphere is anything but stuffy.  Oh … and this is a perfect date spot.  (They even joke that they host Tinder Tuesdays because so many blind dates show up.)

Thanks to owner, Pasha Heidari, Bowen House put together a killer lineup of some of the best in Dallas’s food and drink talent.  The food menu was created by Chef Graham Dodds and he has a team of incredible mixmasters behind the bar.  Some of said talent (ahem, the badass Reid Lewis … she’s a lady) was just recognized as one of the seven best mixologists in the city by “Modern Luxury Dallas”.

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As drinks go, previously you were meant to simply chat with the bartender and he (slash she) would whip up a perfect cocktail crafted to your specifications.  As of late, they’ve rolled out menus to make things a bit easier on those of us who have a paralyzing fear of making decisions when put on the spot.  That’s right … leisurely peruse the menu … or you can still chat with the bartenders if you’re into that.  (Which I am.  Like, really into.)  The menu offers classics, and then classics with a twist … each drink has also been reimagined by one of the bartenders.

Another new addition to their offerings to keep up cool on these 100º days–popsicle cocktails.  The popsicle menu totes four options that’ll sweeten you up and cool you down while packing a punch.

The food here is also surprisingly good.  The Fried Brie is a ta-reat with seasonal compote accompanying the melty, cheesy, crunchy goodness.  Oh, and the chicken salad–dubbed Mom’s Chicken Salad because it’s actually his grandma’s recipe–was somewhat addicting.  (And unfortunately it’s frowned upon to ask for seconds at a media tasting … whatever.)  Also, (I’ve been told) the potato chips are even pretty epic.  They have bleu cheese which is a no-no for this girl.

If you’ve never stopped in, make it a priority.  Get all the drinks … and all the food … (That doesn’t really narrow it down for you, does it?)


BOWEN HOUSE
bowenhousetx.com
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2614 Boll Street, Uptown (valet is located on Howland Street)
214.484.1385

Header photo courtesy of Bowen House.

Craft Cocktails Go Mainstream at Houlihan’s

Houlihan’s is bringing craft cocktails to the chain restaurant scene with their new 10-drink menu. (At least as much as a chain of its caliber can.)  Houlihan’s introduced new drinks for our tasting pleasure at the Prestonwood location in Addison over a week in May. Using unusual techniques and unique spirits, Houlihan’s new drink menu looks more like something out of a hipster speakeasy than a suburban chain restaurant.

Take, for example, their Oak Aged Manhattan.  This cocktail is aged on-site, using a mix of orange peels and oak staves for a barrel-less aging process. Houlihan’s mixologists claim this technique gives a smooth, subtly nuanced spirit in less time. When I tasted it, there were undertones of maple and vanilla. It is a simple but well-balanced cocktail–just as it should be. Mine came served with a salty, fatty, perfectly candied bacon.

Oak Aged Manhattan

Oak Aged Manhattan

My second drink, the Houdini, took a decidedly sweeter, fruity direction despite the high-proof spirit used. Henry McKenna Single-Barrel Kentucky Bourbon mingles with maple syrup and homemade ginger-peach syrup. This is refreshing cocktail is a perfect patio drink.

The Houdini

The Houdini

The rest of the new drink menu really has something to suit all tastes. One of the more classic additions is a slightly remixed Dirty Martini, shaken up with the addition of huge olives stuffed with pungent gorgonzola cheese and some delicious candied bacon. They even offer a tiki drink–the Blue Taboo. It looks like a sugar rush in a glass, but it’s more than just that; the drink is undeniably sweet, but it is well-balanced by the addition of Owl’s Brew Coco-Lada, which is a handcrafted black tea brewed in coconut water with chai spices and pineapple juice. Now I didn’t sample it, but the Bleeding Rose is definitely one of the more original creations offered on the new drink list.  St. Germain Elderflower liqueur, Absolut Hibiskus and fresh sour mix create the base of this cocktail which is poured over an Aperol-tea ice cube. The melting Aperol, a blazing orange-colored bitter Italian aperitif, will change the flavor profile of the Bleeding Rose over the course of the drink. And on another positive note even the ice is made of alcohol –so it’s the drink that keeps on giving!

Let’s not forget the food, because drinking on an empty stomach rarely ends well.  I tried out the avocado toast with burrata. This summer special has a ton of fresh avocado smeared on top of toasted rustic bread and is seasoned with jalapeño, cilantro and garlic, to give it a bit of kick.  A sweet, creamy burrata cooled the heat and added to the overall decadence of the dish. The portion size was generous enough to make for a light summer dinner. And not letting an opportunity get away to try something else from the limited time menu, I went with the Mahi-Mahi salad, complete with jumbo lump crab and a sweet and tangy citrus and pineapple salad.

The 10 new cocktails are only available at the Prestonwood location, but eventually they will roll out to Houlihan’s restaurants around the country.

… I guess, for now, we are the lucky ones.  Cheers!

Houlihan’s Restaurant and Bar
www.houlihans.com
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5225 Beltline Road #220, Addison

*Thank you to Houlihan’s for picking up the tab and inviting me to check out the new menu items!*