Join me at a wine tasting at Whole Foods Uptown on Tuesday, March 29 at 7pm! We’ll taste Bordeaux wines along with Bordeaux blends from around the world … do you think you can tell the difference? Tickets are only $10 and space is limited … get yours now!
Help out one of our favorite Dallas barmen! Vote for your favorite ginger bartender, Stephen Halpin of Parliament, in Patron’s “Margarita of the Year” contest DAILY through April 15! He’s one of 10 finalists for his Smoked Mangonada Margarita! VOTE NOW!
NEW OPENINGS
It makes sense that it’s the luckiest month of the year … because Dallas’ restaurant scene is getting some seriously awesome new restaurants and bars!
Hypnotic Emporium – an offshoot of Hypnotic Donuts, expect old fashioned candies, a sofa fountain, and homemade ice cream right next door to their original storefront. NOW OPEN
The Snow Healer – picture courtesy of Quill
Quill Dallas – the newest watering hole in the Design District offers a sexy setting for craft cocktails by James Slater and a (very) limited food menu by John Tesar and Joel Harrington. The cocktails are all sexy as hell, too. NOW OPEN
NOLA Brasserie – the newest hotel to open in Downtown Dallas boasts a New Orleans-inspired restaurant with classics like Crawfish Étouffée, Po’Boys and grits and cocktails inspired by the French Quarter and beers from New Orleans and Texas. NOW OPEN
Rock & Brews – The Colony is rocking a new spot for comfort food and plenty of beer options. The rock-inspired restaurant comes to us from KISS’ Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, so you know it’ll be over the top. Stop by for some Chile Cheese Fries, a Backstage Burger, the “Any Way You Want It” pizza, or one of the other items on their giant menu and enjoy a little live music. Bring your furry friends because they have a dog-friendly patio, too! NOW OPEN
Kitchen LTO – The Trinity Groves restaurant is constantly reinventing itself (true to its name) and its newest resident is Nick Amoriello (CIA graduate formerly of Nobu, Driftwood, Central 214, and more). He’ll bring his “classical French techniques … in a very approachable and comforting style”. He teamed up with Artist Sarah Reiss and will be in place for the next six months. NOW OPEN
The Royale, Magnificent Burgers – John Tesar + a Wes Anderson theme + delicious, locally sourced burgers? Complete with “an elevated poutine program”, seafood, veggie, and bison options, and craft milkshakes … this place sounds quite intriguing. I’ll be checking out this Plano burger spot next weekend, so stay tuned! NOW OPEN
Hash House A Go Go’s Sage Fried Chicken
Hash House a Go Go – GUYS, GUYS, GUYS … I’m super stoked for this place to open locally. I stop by every time I visit Las Vegas (there’s one in The LINQ hotel on The Strip) and never miss their gargantuan Sage Fried Chicken and waffles. Actually … everything is huge … and delicious. It’s opening March 25 in Plano’s Preston Park Village (1900 Preston Road).
Dugg Burger Bar – MORE FOR PLANO! The Lakewood build-your-own burger spot is expanding to Plano. This brilliant restaurant hollows out your burger’s bun (to make space for all the amazing toppings) and then grills it on its custom made grill so it’s perfectly toasty. Check it out at 4701 West Park Blvd. # 110!
Meso Maya – Dallas’ favorite fancy Mexican restaurant is opening its third location in the Mockingbird Abrams Shopping Center (4123 Abrams Road) this Spring! Don’t miss their Avocado Margarita … and their other delicious food. But mostly the margarita.
Truck Yard – Get ready, Fort Worth … the wildly outlandish bar/trailer park/food truck stop is coming your way! Look for it in the former Crystal Springs Dance Pavilion lot later this year!
Flix Brewhouse – movies are cool. Beer is cool. A movie theater with a brewery in it? The coolest. Look forward to this spot in Little Elm at Main Marketplace at Main St. and FM 423 to experience the first-ever cinema and dine-in microbrewery, opening Spring 2017.
NEW OFFERINGS
Uchi’s little sister, Top Knot, will begin serving more … and more … and more. (And I’m stoked about it.) Look for late night from 10-12pm DAILY with special items not available otherwise including a poutine option.
Even better? They’ll start serving brunch April 3 on Sundays and April 30 on Saturdays! Expect items like their Miso-Caramel Cinnamon Pull-apart Nabe and Hot Fried Chicken Benedict along with shareable pastries and their Brunch Punch (Jim Beam® bourbon, ice tea, sugar, lemon, orange and nutmeg)!
Speaking of brunch, new Plano restaurant, Julia Pearl Southern Cuisine, has also started serving Dallas’ favorite meal Sundays from 10am-3pm.
Since it is the first day of spring, it seems like some restaurants are taking the chance to reinvent themselves. Cite: new cocktail menus!
Proof + Pantry’s award-winning beverage program rolled out new options including winners like the Cobbler (sherry and rosé), Proper Smash (their expertly made whiskey smash), and the Cold Brew (their take on an Irish Coffee that I was able to try last week … oh damn).
Lower Greenville favorite, Remedy’s beverage director, Mate Hartai, is shaking things up with new options like the Stirred Last Word, Red Devil, and the Faugeat Painkiller along with shrub and kombucha sodas.
Faugeat Painkiller | picture courtesy of Remedy
LIMITED TIME OFFERINGS
Coal Vines – they’ll be offering a new “pizza of the month” starting in March! The first option will be the Roasted Chicken & Baby Spinach Pie, a 14” creamy white pizza with chicken and fresh spinach paired with TWO glasses of Malbec or Pinot Grigio.
Cost: $25
Available: through March 31 at their Uptown and Omni Dallas locations
Hopdoddy Burger Bar
Green Eggs & Ham Burger: beef patty, prosciutto, fried egg, manchego cheese, salsa verde, onion, tomato and arugula on a fresh-out-of-the-oven egg bun.
Strawberry Buttermilk Pie Shake: Creamy, house made buttermilk custard is perfectly blended with flaky pie crust crumbles, vanilla ice cream and triple sec marinated strawberries for the ultimate sweet-n-tart treat.
Cilantro Jalapeno Margarita: jalapeno-infused tequila, muddled fresh jalapeno and cilantro, shaken to frenzy with house-made triple sec, fresh squeezed lime juice and a kiss of agave nectar.
Cost: burger ($11), shake ($6), margarita ($8)
Available: through March 31 at both Dallas locations
Hard Rock Cafe – stop in and get lucky with their new GUINNESS® Irish Stout and GUINNESS® & Jameson® Bacon Cheeseburger (complete with whiskey bacon jam) pairing.
Available: through April 10 at all locations
Biergarten – they’re celebrating “Mocktoberfest” in a big way! With this special, you’ll get one mini burger slider, one mini schnitzel slider, one mini brat and two sides (cole slaw and Joe’s potato salad), PLUS a 16 oz. Oktoberfest beer in a souvenir Paulaner
Cost: $15
Available: through March 31
BOOZE NEWS
I now have another option to satisfy my Irish whiskey cravings. Celtic punk band, The Pogues, recently launched a new Irish whiskey called … wait for it … The Pogues. It’s “50% 10-year single malt and 50% 5-to-7-year grain and crafted at West Cork Distillers, one of two remaining 100% independently owned and operated distilleries in Ireland”. Sláinte!
Alamo Drafthouse and Austin Beerworks teamed up to create a limited release 16oz canned beer for the release of Richard Linklater’s new film “Everybody Wants Some” that will be released in April. For their first partnership, this beer will be available in select ADH locations in a specially designed 16oz “tallboy”cans.
You people (over 21 young people, that is): it’s time to clean up your resumé! World of Beer is looking for Drink It Interns. These interns will act as “WOB narrators, capturing content from around the country and the world and sharing it back via [their] social media channels, bringing consumers into the world of brew traveling … This job is all about traveling, shooting, editing, writing, and drinking awesome beer (cheers to that!).” They’ll even have the chance to learn from experts as DRAFT MAGAZINE and … be paid.
Apply before March 26! Details here: worldofbeer.com/drinkitintern.
