Category Archives: Neighborhood

Hopdoddy on McKinney

Every time I go to South Congress in Austin I MARVEL at the line wrapped around Hopdoddy.  Once they came to Dallas, I had a new appreciation for the patience and resolve of the people who wait in that line.  Hopdoddy is damn good, y’all.

Their McKinney Avenue location, one of three in D/FW, occupies the former Frankie’s space and has been there for just under a year.  It’s a great space with a nice amount of natural light, a giant bar in the middle (my fave), and plenty outdoor seating.

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Choosing what to eat here is more challenging than finding your way from the parking garage into the restaurant.  (I took my dad on this review with me, so, if you remember from my review at Village Burger Bar, you’ll know that I was the one making the risky food choices.)  Luckily we had some time to decide after the drinks hit the table.  Dad went with the Chocolate Stout Milkshake and I, in true SusieDrinksDallas form, went with an adult libation, the SoCo Sweet Tea (house infused Limoncello, Deep Eddy Sweet Tea Vodka, raspberry purée, & fresh-squeezed lemon).  My drink was nice and light and the raspberry purée wasn’t too liberally added … the perfect treat for a warm evening.  I was tempted to go for one of their Maine Root Fountain Sodas or local beers, but was happy with my ultimate choice (because … limoncello).

After a few sips, I got in to the french fry options.  They serve their fries not as a side, but as an appetizer (giving them the attention that they sure as hell deserve).  Their fries are good … but their Truffle Fries are outrageous.  Get.these.fries.  Make sure to check out their dips, too!  If you’re anything like me, you just want them all to get a little taste of each.  (Quite honestly, I just really hate to decide so it’s easier to get them all.)

Since we were at a burger bar, we ordered burgers.  (That may have been on of the more idiotic sentences I’ve ever written.)   Per usual, good ole’ Dad ordered his standard well done cheeseburger, ketchup only.  He seemed to like it, but I know that it couldn’t compare to my Primetime Burger.  Seriously, y’all … the beautiful melange of the incredibly tender Texas Akaushi Beef, brie cheese, truffle aioli, arugula, caramelized onions, and steak sauce danced around my mouth like I think my first bit of solid food will on Friday morning.  (Oh, yeah … I’m on a juice cleanse.  Writing about food is real hard right now.)

Dessert had to happen because they have … wait for it … adult milkshakes.  The Nutella & Chocolate Pretzel Milkshake is kind of everything.  It’s sweet and the pretzels give the shake a bit of texture and a salty kick.

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I do have some slight regrets from my visit … though I’d order everything I ate again (and again), I think I didn’t explore the menu as much as I should have.  I’ll be ordering the Baby Kale Salad (baby kale, arugula, feta, watermelon, avocado, sunflower seeds, pickled red onions, pomegranate vinaigrette) the next time I stop in.

Luckily I rereturned with a few friends a couple weeks later and was able to try some other items.  We were treated to their ah-mazing Green Chili Queso (which had a nice kick and a perfectly creamy texture) to accompany the Kennebec Fries.  Since one kind of fry is never enough, we got into the Truffle Fries that came with some of the most amazing dip I’ve ever experienced.  The Ahi Tuna Burger (Sushi-Grade Tuna, Sprouts, Teriyaki, Honey Wasabi, Nori Chips, Pickled Ginger, Mayo) was maybe the most surprising thing we had that night–the tuna was so delicate that it just feel apart and the nori chips gave it a nice crisp.

Picture borrowed from @phileats_ on Instagram

Hopdoddy recently started a new offering at their McKinney Avenue location–they’ll now serve you at a table instead of having you order when you arrive QSR-style.  It was a nice touch and actually made me order more food.  (Watch out, my friends.)

Beyond the delicious food and great service, Hopdoddy likes to keep it as local as possible and real fresh, which makes me love it even more.  Their beef is ground fresh daily from all-natural, quality, hormone-free meat; their buns are baked twice daily and you get to choose from three types including a gluten-free option.

Stop in for a burger and fries sometime soon … and sit outside because the weather starting this weekend will be perfect for an al fresco meal.  Just don’t forget the Truffle Fries … or the milkshakes … or the house-made limoncello.  (Ya know, all of it.)

HOPDODDY BURGER BAR
hopdoddy.com
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3227 McKinney Ave #102 (at Hall Street)
(214) 871-2337

Happy hour: Monday-Friday, 3-7pm

**Hopdoddy invited me in for a meal on them.**

Public School 214 Brunch

I consider myself an adult … which means I have to carefully plan my Sunday Fundays–ensure plenty of heartburn medication is on-hand as bloody marys will happen, make sure your Uber app is properly functioning, and start early to ensure you aren’t out past 8pm.  This past Sunday, I rallied the troops and we began our day at Public School 214 to try out their brunch.  I’d heard about their “just about bottomless” options, so I had to test it out myself.

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We opted for the patio since everything else was ridiculously crowded.  I mean … I like my friends, so I wanted to be able to actually hear them.  (Crazy concept.)  The patio was PERFECT–perfect weather, plenty of room, and, best of all, we had Freddy.

We settled in and ordered our various bottomless options.  (You can get “just about unlimited” mimosas/beermosas or bloody marys/micheladas for $10)  I was the only one that went for the bloody mary option and ended up being the envy of the table because mine came with a chicken wing.  #Win(g)ing.  The drinks were nicely spiked and gave us all the kick we needed to start the day.  I have been slightly under the weather so Freddy made a hot toddy happen for me.  This drink, I kid you not, brought me back from the dead.

Since we knew we were consuming mass quantities of booze, we needed to get moving on food.  I’m going to tell you one thing that I’ve told you before … good + good = really good.  So, that with that logic, their Bacon Cheddar Tots served with Sriracha ketchup are really good.  (I had to include some math here … I was at school, after all.)  Needless to say, they went fast.  We also got the first of two orders of their Chorizo Mac & Cheese which is topped with Salt & Vinegar chips … I mean.  To finish off the warm-up, we passed the Mezza Plate (baba ghanoush, hummus, tapenade marinated feta, and crispy chickpeas).

Lunch had to happen at some point even though we were quite happy with the porky deliciousness on the table, so we checked out the brunch menu.  Since I can’t say no to chicken and waffles, I  went for the Fried Jidori Chicken & Green Chili Cornbread Waffles … and I made a damn good choice.  The chicken was crispy and the waffles weren’t underdone, which is my least favorite thing about breakfast. (I mean … cook your waffles and pancakes to a nice golden brown, people.  Learn from PS214.)  The other brunch entree at the table was the Smothered Breakfast Burrito (smashed browns, egg, chimichurri, provolone, and bacon).

The portion size at PS214 is pretty damn ridiculous.  (I don’t think any of us finished our entrees.)  So try to find someone who wants the same things as you … you know … on the brunch menu.

Everyone loved their meals.  (I really don’t think that was only because we were a couple of carafes each in.  Brunch at Public School 214 is available Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-3pm.

PUBLIC SCHOOL 214
www.psontap.com
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3700 McKinney Ave (in the new West Village area east of McKinney)
(214)599-6234

Coal Vines – Uptown Dallas

So … my company started a fitness challenge.  This isn’t your ordinary “Biggest Loser”-type weight loss challenge … it’s serious.  They gave us a meal plan and a daily exercise regimen–the types of things that I just can’t get behind.  Needless to say, I planned my own fitness challenge–start running on a regular basis again and stop eating pizza.  The ladder of the two has nearly killed me.  Case in point … the team that handles Coal Vines’ PR had a media night the second day of my fitness challenge.  (Seriously?!)  If it were nearly anywhere else, I’d have told them that they can keep their pizza and I’d delight in their other offerings, but I cannot say no to a Coal Vines White Pizza.  It’s just not possible for me.  So, I ran a little further that morning and ventured in with my friend for dinner.

We started the evening with their fried zucchini chips (which haunt my dreams) and a bottle of 2014 Astica Cuyo from Mendoza, Argenita, which, as it turns out, retail for a hot $5 a bottle at your local wine shop.  (I think my dad had the right idea when he went in to the wine business.)  I will say that, despite the low price tag, we enjoyed the bottle … all of it.  (I mean … it was a Tuesday, so why wouldn’t we?)  Coal Vines has done a damn decent job of finding wines at a reasonable price whose taste doesn’t disappoint.

Astica Wine and Fried Zucchini

Astica Wine and Fried Zucchini

New chef, Angelo Landi, has really done well with the menu.  As mentioned previously, I eat their white pizza like it’s my job.  (Or at least I did when I was completely obsessed with this place and ate there at least once a week 2008-2011 … they knew my name.)  Luckily, this meal forced me to try some of Angelo’s new items and seasonal offerings like the watermelon and tomato salad situation that I’ve tried to replicate in my own kitchen a few times since.  Honestly … it was ridiculously good.  The tomatoes were fresh and the watermelon wasn’t drowned in the light dressing … all great.  Then came the Burrata, which was also really damn delicious.  The cantaloupe added the perfect sweetness to the garlic-kissed cheese and greens.  To keep it a little less healthy (yuck yuck), we also ordered the Calamari which is served with tomato basil dipping sauce and lemon garlic aioli–a standard that they’ve kept constantly satisfying for years.

Enough foreplay … let’s get to the pizza, shall we?  Their schtick is New York-style pizza from a wood-burning oven … think somewhat thin with a perfectly bubbly crust.  My love affair with their White Pizza has lived on for no less than eight years and I dare say that it’ll remain for years to come.  It’s the perfect blend of Mozzarella and ricotta cheese spiced up with parmesan and oregano.  When I say “perfect”, I really kind of mean it.  Don’t f**k around and order the White Special–while it’s good, it’s like putting an engine on a flying unicorn* … it just doesn’t need anything else.

White Pizza

White Pizza

Coal Vines is in the same location in Uptown, but they have a few new tricks.  Stop in and see what Chef Angelo is cooking up.  (Obi, make sure to order the White Pizza.  And be sure to meet Wolf, their bartender that has been there for at least eight years!  He’s the kind of guy that you just know has some amazing stories to tell if you could only get him started.)

If you want to read a seriously old review about their brunch, you can check it out here.

*It’s 1:30am. I’m not sure where that metaphor came from … but I don’t hate it.

Coal Vines Uptown Dallas
www.coalvines.com
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2404 Cedar Springs Road
(214)855-4999‎

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

Coal Vines treated me and a guest to dinner to try out new menu items.

Topgolf Couple’s Night

Last week I had the chance to host a date night with McKinney Moms Blog at Topgolf Allen!  Guests were invited to enjoy live music, drinks, TG’s surprisingly delicious food, and some serious competition at the tee box.  We started with tastes of their sangria, nachos, Mushi*, and Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls.  (If you’re in charge of ordering, don’t miss Topgolf’s signature item, Mushi, which is cilantro sticky rice, beans, spiced chicken, and cheddar cheese rolled in a jalapeño tortilla.)

As mentioned, we were treated to some of Topgolf’s surprisingly good menu items.  (I have to say that their prime rib was an unexpected delight.)  They sweetened-up our game place by bringing by an order of Injectable Donut Holes (cinnamon-sugar dusted donut holes served with chocolate, raspberry jelly or Bavarian cream).

As mention … it was a couple’s night.  Since I’m single, I thought I’d play cupid a little and invite some single friends to see if some magic could happen.  (Oh … and Susie’s solution to awkward first dates?  Golf bags.  These babies will cut all discomfort with a knife … just make sure that you have your Uber app ready.)

TOPGOLF – ALLEN
www.topgolf.com/us/ALLEN
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
1500 Andrews Parkway, Allen, TX 75002
(469) 675-9730

HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday – Thursday: 9:00am – 12:00am
Friday: 9:00am – 1:00am
Saturday: 8:00am – 1:00am
Sunday: 9:00am – 12:00am


*This post is in partnership with Topgolf.

Pat's & Mike's Dallas Burgers

“Bartend” at Pat’s & Mike’s and Help Raise Money for Charity

Think you can bartend? Interested in raising money for charity? Well … you can raise money for a charity of YOUR choosing by simply having drinks with friends. Yup, you have the chance to drink for a good cause … Habitat for Humanity, Wounded Warrior and Scottish Rite are just a few of the organizations who have already benefitted.

Some background…

The guys who were now serving up burgers, fries and one hell of a margarita, long before many others in Dallas, Pat and Mike Snuffer (yes, of Snuffer’s*), opened a burger joint with their cousin, Steve Cole, in North Dallas in November 2014. Now, if you have ever met these guys, then you already know how genuinely nice and caring they are, so it shouldn’t come as any surprise that they have a way to give back to the community that also helps spread the word about their new place, Pat’s and Mike’s. (Hold tight … I’ll have a full review on the new eatery for you shortly.)

So here is how it works…

Every Tuesday night from 4 pm to 7 pm, Pat’s and Mike’s welcomes a “Guest Bartender(s)” to mix it up and support a charity of their choosing. Many people choose to raise money regularly for a charity of their choosing, and websites such as Chipotle Fundraising and many more offer assistance in raising money by using online payments and fresh ideas in order to maximise donations. Pat and Mike use a similar method in setting up regular events in order to maximise donations. For obvious legal and liability reasons (not to mention cost), “Guest Bartenders” won’t be pulling a Tom Cruise in “Cocktail” and mix up drinks and serving up shots. “Guest Bartenders” will help pour some beers and assist in the bar area in other ways – meaning no special experience behind a bar or in a restaurant required.

You raise money by inviting friends, family, coworkers … heck, anyone you know to come have a drink while you “bartend”. Hopefully, your stellar service will encourage tips from your group and 100% of the tips “Guest Bartenders” earn go directly to the charity they selected. Seriously, take a look at what a few “Guest Bartenders” have easily raised for their charities over 3 hours on a Tuesday.

  • Habitat for Humanity – $1,600
  • Scottish Rite Hospital – $2,000
  • Wounded Warrior – $1,000
  • LPC Charity – $2,000

Whether you are looking for a new way to help raise funds for an charitable organization or just want your drinking to benefit one, check out Pat’s & Mike’s “Guest Bartenders” on Tuesdays. Give them a call to book your Tuesday and have some fun!

PAT & MIKE‘S
www.patsandmikes.com
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18101 Preston Road, Suite 240C, Dallas, TX 75252
(469) 941-4489

*The original Snuffer’s is no longer owned by them … just FYI!

Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar

There’s a new kid on the block in Addison:  Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar. With restaurants constantly popping up in the neighborhood, it’s got to be challenging to find ways to stand out; and yet, Lazy Dog manages to do just that.

As the name suggests, Lazy Dog is, of course, pet-friendly. This alone makes this spot a welcomed addition to Addison, as the area is surprisingly devoid of dog-friendly patios. Yes, Lazy Dog allows pooches on their patio, yes, they have a selection of doggy menu items available, and yes, your pet will be served a complimentary bowl of water while you dine. That said, please do not mistake Lazy Dog for a “dog restaurant that happens to serve food”. On the contrary, Lazy Dog is first and foremost focused on creative scratch cooking with fresh ingredients, tasty beverages, and a comfortable, relaxing atmosphere in which to enjoy all of the above.

The restaurant is warm and inviting and CEO & Found Chris Simms based Lazy Dog’s rustic decor on his beloved family ski vacation spot, Jackson Hole. A sprawling bar area divides the main dining room and the large covered patio, and a glassed in exhibition kitchen spans the length of the restaurant.

Chris Simms interviewed a veritable cavalcade of chefs to run his kitchen before he found “the one,” who turned out to be Gabriel Caliendo,  formerly of the Ritz Carlton. Chef Gabe and Chris have curated a menu of dishes they have dubbed “cravable classics,” largely consisting of comfort foods prepared with “approachable innovations”. Many of the recipes have deep personal meaning, right down to his grandmother’s turkey meatball recipe.

I was excited to have the opportunity to sample a variety of menu items at Lazy Dog earlier this month, and by the end of our meal, I was feeling a little lazy myself. Everything we sampled was delicious, from start to finish.

We started out with a St. Ruby cocktail, prepared with Deep Eddy Ruby Red vodka, St. Germain, and fresh grapefruit juice, and it was every bit as sweet and refreshing as it sounds. I also sampled a cocktail from Lazy Dog’s “Clean Cocktail” menu, which offers five libations prepared with under 150 calories each, made with no artificial ingredients and no added sugar. The Clean Coconut Mojito is prepared with Malibu coconut rum, 100% pure coconut water, fresh mint, lime, and sparkling water. It tasted like vacation in a glass; delicious. Overall, I was the most impressed by Lazy Dog’s housemade Sangria Sampler, which features White Peach, Raspberry Moscato, and Pomegranate Red sangrias. Each of the three was bursting with intense flavor without being too sweet, and it was impossible to pick a favorite. (BONUS: the sangria sampler is served in an adorable little caddy with metal dog tag labels. I mean…how cute is that?)

 

I got to sample an imposing number of dishes from Lazy Dog’s menu, and every single dish I tried was just as Chef Gabe and Chris intended for it to be: craveable.  We started out with:

  • the interesting and flavorful Hummus Trio, a trio of walnut-pesto, sundried tomato and traditional hummus served with garlic flatbread, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes
  • Grandma’s famous Sicilian Turkey Meatballs, prepared with pine nuts, golden raisins, and housemade marinara
  • Hatch Chile Bacon Mac ‘n’ Cheese, topped with a green onion crumble and served in a cast iron skillet
  • the particularly addictive Togarashi Edamame, wok-seared with zesty citrus and Japanese spices. The edamame were the crowd favorite

Entree offerings we sampled included: Maggie’s Snake River Salad, (a beautiful salad prepared with hickory smoked bacon, Laura Chenel goat cheese, dried cranberries, tomatoes, and candied walnuts), Hawaiian Sticky Ribs served with slaw and umami fries- both the ribs and especially the fries were crowd favorites, Chimichurri Mahi Mahi (pan roasted on a bed of black beans, stacked with sauteed veggies and a chimichurri sauce), the Black & Bleu Pizza (topped with blackened chicken breast, smoked bacon, mozzarella, caramelized onions, bleu cheese, and tomatoes, perched atop a perfectly garlicky, buttery crust). The pizza alone warrants a return trip for me!

I will tell you that you will definitely want to save room for dessert at Lazy Dog, after trying their signature Butter Cake, which was topped with strawberry compote and vanilla ice cream, and tasted every bit as rich and decadent as it sounds. Also delicious was the seasonal Pumpkin Cheesecake, made with a moist graham cracker crust, and drizzled with housemade caramel, chocolate sauce, and a cinnamon sugar walnut crumble.

Needless to say, by the time I rolled out of here, I was feeling a bit like a Lazy Dog myself. 

Lazy Dog’s Happy Hour features a variety of specials on beer, wine, and cocktails, plus a broad selection of small plates, all ranging from $3-$7 (bar and patio only). 

Monday through Friday, from 3-6pm
Sunday-Thursday 9pm-close


Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar
www.lazydogrestaurants.com
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5100 Belt Line Rd Suite 500 (Village on the Parkway), Addison TX 75254
(469) 754-1300

Sun10am-midnight
Mon11am-midnight
Tue11am-midnight
Wed11am-midnight
Thr11am-midnight
Fri11am-midnight
Sat10am-midnight

Palio’s Grapevine

I love visiting Grapevine … it’s perfectly quaint with a little something for everyone.  I began the night by dropping by Messina Hof to refill my growler with some cabernet sauvignon before heading down the road to Palio’s for dinner. (Palio’s is an order at the counter or take out restaurant. If my visit was the norm, it seems they do a large amount of their business in take out orders.)

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Palio’s is a chain that can be found all around DFW, but each restaurant is independently owned. They make their dough from scratch daily and use all natural ingredients. They offer authentic Italian pastas, salads, calzones and side dishes.

To keep things fresh, each month they do a few specials like Wives Appreciation Night, National Dog Day, and National cheese Pizza Day–each special offers some sort of free pizza. Luckily, I made it there on National Cheese Pizza Day, which included a free cheese pizza if you spent a certain amount of money! (And the only thing better than pizza is free pizza. ?)

I went for the pizza of the month, which was a meat and cheese stromboli and it was served with a side of marinara and a garlic butter sauce. I would highly recommend the garlic butter because … duh, butter makes everything better.

The dessert display looked reeeeeeally good, but I was stuffed and just couldn’t. (Could I?) Palio’s graciously gave me a cannoli to take home, which was AMAZING.

In the summer, Palio’s has a great patio that is a perfect place to watch the fireworks over Lake Grapevine. Sounds like the perfect night to me. I mean … pizza, wine, fireworks … yeah.

PALIO’S GRAPEVINE
1000 Texan Trail, Suite 100, Grapevine, Texas
817-328-0777
www.paliosgrapevine.com

Hours – Mon-Sun: 11am-10pm

*I was treated to dinner compliments of Palio’s Grapevine.

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