Category Archives: Uncategorized

Cinco de Mayo/Derby Day Parties

May 3

What:On the Border Happy Hour hosted by ME!
When: 6-8 p.m.
Where:On the Border (location TBD)
Perks: $10 gift cards for attendees, drink specials

What:Dallas Wine Talk – Times Ten Cellars Wine Meet Up
When: 7-9 p.m.
Where:Times Ten Cellars (Lakewood)
Perks: Wine, appetizers, and door prizes 

May 4

What: Cinco de Mayo at The Quarter
When: 4 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Where:The Quarter Bar (Uptown)
Perks: $3 Mexican beers and margaritas


May 5

What: Frankie’s Cinco de Mayo
When: 
Where:Frankie’s Sports Bar (all locations)
Perks: 1/2 price quesadillas, $3 Mexican beers, the ticket broadcasting live (FW location only)

What:Rucas Cinco de Drinko
When: 11 a.m. – 2 a.m.
Where:Rucas Sports Cantina (10319 Finnell Street, Dallas)
Perks:  Margarita machine, Irish meltdowns, live music, 
Biggest Sombrero & Best Moustache Contest, Mexican beer specials

What:  The Dallas Wine & Food Festival 
When: 11 a.m.
Where: Mockingbird Station (Midtown)
Perks: Free wine seminars, happy hour events, samplings, “swag”, etc.
RSVP/Tickets: Mockingbirdstation.com/events

What: Cinco de Mayo at The Quarter
When: 10 a.m. – 2 a.m.
Where:The Quarter Bar (Uptown)
Perks: $3 Mexican beers and margaritas. free nacho bar starting at 4pm

What: Los Ringos Cinco de Drinko Fiesta
When: 3 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Where: Ringo’s Pub (The Shops at Legacy)
Perks:  Margarita machine, Irish meltdowns, live music, 
Biggest Sombrero & Best Moustache Contest, Mexican beer specials

What: 3rd Annual Boil for the Brave
When: 12-6 p.m.
Where:The Foundry Bar (2303 Pittman, Dallas)
Perks: All-you-can-eat crawfish and fixins, live music, silent auction
Price: $20 at the door 

What: Sissy’s First Annual Jockeys & Juleps Derby Watching Party
When: 4-7 p.m.
Where:Sissy’s Southern Kitchen (Henderson)
Perks: $5 select drinks (juleps, Kentucky Punch, Presbyterian Bourbon Press, and Alabama Sunset), the Derby on big screens, and best outfit award
RSVP: Reservations are encouraged – call 214.827.9900

What: Wild Salsa Cinco de Mayo Celebration
Where:Wild Salsa (Downtown)
Perks: Live music, $4 El Jimador margaritas, Brugal mojitos, and Terradura tequila shots, $10 bucket of Coronitas, $10 bottomless mojitos (11am-3pm)
 

May 6

What: YELP Hangover Helper Elite Event @ Club Dada
When: 2-4 p.m.
Where:Club Dada (Deep Ellum)
Price: Suggested $5 donation for Deep Ellum Mural Project**
Perks: Complimentary Mimosas, Tito’s sponsored Bloody Mary bar, Spicy bites, some mitigating mantras and exercises, Henna tattoo artist, tweet Booth, Day of the Dead Face paint, Live music by Datahowler, Raffle for Homegrown Arts & Music Festival Tickets, And much more!
RSVP/Tickets: For the newbs, here’s how to RSVP to any events posted to the Elite-only Calendar:
1. Click on your ‘12 Elite badge which will take you to the private Elite Event Calendar
2. Click “view full calendar” to the far upper right hand corner of the page
3. Read all the juicy deets
4. RSVP by clicking on the yellow with red text “RSVP” button
5. Await your official RSVP confirmation

The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind.

Humphrey Bogart

three-oh-three

Another little resto that popped up down south in Bishop Arts area is the house-turned-bar/eatery, 303.  Aptly named, it’s located at 303 West Davis.  I’m not sure how novel naming a bar after its address is anymore, but it’s catchy nonetheless.

303 took over and renovated a little house complete with a fireplace and wrap-around porch (yup).  Watch out, all, the porch is segregated (yeah, you read that right).  There are separate porches for the eaters/drinkers and the drinkers/smokers – both complete with TVs as to not miss a second of your favorite basketball/football/lacrosse game.  The three TVs inside and the fact that they serve beer and pulled pork pancakes for brunch round out your Sunday afternoons – the locals found this out pretty quickly and have already claimed this place as their own.

Sidle up to the bar (because, let’s face it, I know bars better than tables) and peruse the menu – lots of sandwiches along with some other homemade favorites.  I didn’t eat anything, so I can’t say much about the food — sorry for partying.  They have fish and chips, so you know I’ll be back! 

In the drinks, though, I partook.  Andrew, bartender and some other sort of important person at 303, recommended the Gummy Bear Martini.  I’d say pass on it unless you like those so-sweet-you-only-want-one drinks.  However, he seems to know his way around that bar, so ask for him anyway.  Their beer selection is limited, but they offer the usuals (Miller, Coors, Dos XX, Shiner, Heineken, Corona, Tecate, PBR, and NATTY LIGHT).  Selected beers are also available on draft.  If you’re a wine fan, they have that, too.

The last things I’m going to say are these three small things:
– They have a fireplace (it goes from the dining room to the porch)
– Their decor is heavy on skulls – awesome.
– (Any even decent followers of mine will understand this) is that they have Whipped Lightning behind their bar.  Bravo.

303 Bar and Grill
www.303dallas.com
303 W. Davis | (214)942-3030 

Specials (Monday-Friday, 3-7 p.m.)
$2 Bud Light draft, domestic bottles
$3 import bottles, wells, house wines, martinis, and cosmos 

Super Bowl Drink Recipes from William Grant & Sons

New England Tea Party

2 parts Bols Sweet Tea
1 part fresh lemon juice

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled teacup. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

The Super Bowl

1 part Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur
1 part Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey
1 part Earl Grey Tea
1 part simple syrup
¾ part fresh lemon juice1 part dry, sparkling white win

Combine ingredients in a large punch bowl over block ice.  Stir to chill and incorporate.  Garnish with lemon.

4th & 1

Peel 4 Lemons
1 part sugar in the raw 
2 part black currant tea 
1 part fresh lemon juice 
2.5 part Sailor Jerry Rum 
1.5 par Canadian blended whiskey

Add lemon peels, sugar in the raw, juice, tea and spirits slowly into punch bowl. Add ice and slowly stir ingredients. Keep punch chilled and serve over ice.

Bourbon Tea Set, Hut!

2 oz Hudson Baby Bourbon
3/4 oz spiced tea syrup*
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice 
Dash egg whites

Combine ingredients and shake well.  Serve over fresh ice; garnish with a thin lemon wheel.

Private|Social

You’ve all heard about the “bright” new face on McKinney, Private|Social.  The food, good.  The service, fantastic.  The drinks, BLOW MY MIND AMAZING.  Rocco Milano (formerly of The Mansion) has, once again, showed up behind the bar and made a damn good cocktail.  When I learned of Rocco’s departure from the Mansion, I knew there was something good in store for Dallas’s bar scene.

I grabbed a small table on the porch on a crowded (inside) night and Eugene greeted me and made SURE I knew that happy hour was on but not for much longer – I love a water who looks after my (best?) interest.  When you get to Private|Social, find out where Eugene is serving and refuse to sit unless he’s your server.  Yes, he’s that good (he even offered to split the check without us having to say a word).

The scene is very Uptown and if you plan to go, plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to get a table/spot at the bar and don’t rush the experience (mostly because you can’t).

The drinks at PS were incredibly strong and had a character all their own.  I started with a Moscow Mule (I usually try to start with an old standard to test the drink strength).  The mule definitely was a treat, but wasn’t as good as the Mule at Cedars Social – but it’d be hard to beat the CS Mule.

Skinny Bubbles – not worth it.  It was too sweet and I decided not to waste my calories on it (though I’m not a huge champagne fan to begin with).

Vesper – I. DIE.  The Vesper was delicious even though it wasn’t James Bond’s Vesper.  The Vesper had more than taste … it had a kick to it.  I felt like I had been kicked with a steel-toed boot by the time I got to the bottom of the glass.

Italian Old Fashion – the classic, with a twist — it was another of their drinks that one would have to drink SLOWWWWLY (because, well, it’s pretty damn strong, too).  Luckily, the brilliance that is Rocco is clever enough to use the correct ice for a scotch/whisk(e)y/bourbon-based drink, a giant ice ball which keeps the drink from getting watered down.

Things That Make You Go HUM – this was quite a treat.  It’s on the menu now, but when Rocco let us try it, it had only been thought up a mere 36 hours before.  A hint of licorice (absinthe), Hum Botanical, Strega, and bit of lemon, egg white, and syrup came together and have been added to my list of favorite drinks in Dallas currently.  This is a MUST TRY at Private|Social.

Somewhere in Between – Another new Rocco creation (now on the menu) that we got to preview and another winner.  Rum, lemon juice, and (Angostura) bitters make this drink that was passed around the table and became a quick favorite of all.  It’s another PS drink not to be missed.

Enjoy your time here (with the wonderful Eugene) – if you want to meet me, just offer to buy me a drink here and I’m all over it.  🙂

PRIVATE|SOCIAL
privatesocial.com | @privatesocial
3232 MCKINNEY AVE. | 214.754.4744