Tag Archives: brunch

Dallas #BoozeNews: March 20, 2015

BOOK IT
Booker’s® Bourbon released an inaugural batch of its limited-edition collection celebrating founding distiller Booker Noe’s legacy as the father of small batch bourbon. It’s bottled straight from the barrel, so it will only be available in limited quantities in 2015.
The download: 128.7 proof, aged 7 years 2 months & 16 days, has vanilla notes

The Virgin Tart Shake from Hopdoddy

LIKE A VIRGIN
Hopdoddy’s newest shake special is the Virgin Tart Shake made with Vanilla Ice Cream, Local Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Biscotti Batter, Whipped Cream.
Offered: through March 29
Price: $6

LEGEND … wait for it … DARY
Stop into Hard Rock Cafe Dallas to try out their newest burger offering, the Legendary™ Burger, a half-pound Certified Angus Beer® patty, brushed with Rebel IPA barbecue glaze and topped with picadillo meat, Monterey jack cheese, baby arugula, a tomato slice drizzled with balsamic glaze and crispy onions. It’s the first of their line of burger and beer pairings, so try it with a Samuel Adams Rebel IPA.
Offered: March 23 – April 30

Eureka!’s Creole Benedict (photo credit: Kevin Marple)

Eureka! is now offering brunch! Check it out weekends from 11am-3pm and enjoy bloody Marys and Mimosas for $5, their extensive craft beer offerings, and deliciousness like Bananas Foster Crunchy French Toast and Creole Benedict!

HAPPY AS A ~~CLAM~~ CRAB
Get some beach time under your belt at C’Viche on Lower Greenville with their new happy hour. Enjoy the following specials Monday-Friday from 3-7pm:
– $4 house cocktails (Pisco Sour, Margarita, Mojito, Caipirinha), featuring creative tequila, artisan rum, pisco and cachaca cocktails using fresh ingredients and house-made bitters
– $4 Mexican and local draft beer
– $6 house wine and sangria
– Complimentary chips and salsa

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.***

So I like Bloody Marys (thick ones that you have to chew on). You know those nasty aerosol perfumes in the grocery store that say “If you like ____, you’ll love this?” This takes that and blows it up x100. If you LIKE Bloody Marys, then you’ll LOVE Anvil Pub with they’re hosting F**K BRUNCH, their answer to Dallas’ frou-frou brunch scene.

Anvil Pub in Deep Ellum is quite a bar (I don’t know if I’d dub it a true pub because they don’t serve real snakebites). Bikes hanging from the ceiling, bartenders with five different colors of hair (that’s just one bartender), and a food menu vegans can even enjoy. I’ll make the trek down to Deep Ellum with my boyfriend on Tuesdays for half price food, or with friends on a busy Friday for a late-night pizza*. It’s good for all occasions (except brunch with the future in-laws).

Back to the food … it’s good—no, great—and it’s not typical greasy bar food. You won’t want to die when you roll back to your car after an appetizer (get the triple dip) and an entree (get anything). It’s a bit slow, so don’t get food if you’re in a hurry. (I’m serious. Good things come in time.)

OK … now … let’s talk about brunch, baby
Let’s talk about you and me
Let’s talk about all the good things
And the bad things that may be (at Anvil)
Let’s talk about brunch.

Anvil has one of the most unique brunch offerings in Dallas. Just scroll up … that’s their brunch. Order from their three-option menu (Bloody Mary, mimosa, or screwdriver), and you’ll be delivered (albeit after 20-30min) a GIANT** mason jar filled with delightful intoxicants with a skewer of delicious and unexpected things to soak it up for $20. Mimosas have actual cinnamon rolls on them, and Bloody Marys have sliders … among many other things. Oh, did I mention that your brunch comes with a beer kicker? Yeah … does.

Anyway, do this. Don’t order too much food if you’re partaking in F**K BRUNCH, as you really don’t need much more. (Oh Hey Dallas and I ordered a pizza and chicken fingers and hardly touched any of it.)

Enjoy … and say hi to the Holmans while you’re there … because they’re awesome.

ANVIL PUB
2638 Elm St, (Deep Ellum)
(214) 741-1271

*Try getting a Russian Roulette Bullet … one piece is sprinkled with pepper for $0.50. What a deal?
**Mustard bottle included in picture for comparison.

The Second Floor Bistro – Introduction

After a couple meals at 2nd Floor sans drinks, I was happy to finally get over to 2FB for an alcoholic libation. My coworkers and I decided to take a quick break and grab a drink last night while waiting for Fashion’s Night Out festivities to commence at the Galleria, and we we had a nice assortment of drinks. There were glasses of wine, straight-up Jack, martinis, mojitos, and Moscow Miles, OH MY!

I always ask my waiter for his/her suggestion and this time, it worked. I was told to get the ginger gimlet with vodka … and it turns out, it was a Moscow Mule. That girl knows what she’s doing. I could tell that they didn’t use Rose’s lime juice and the ginger beer was just bitter enough to keep me from downing the entire glass in one gulp.

The coworkers in my immediate vicinity had:
– 2 mojitos: not too sweet and incredibly refreshing, mint leaves large enough not to be sucked into the straw
– Jack OTR: 3-1/2 fingers, a generous helping
– a Ruby Red: even though I don’t like grapefruit, it was tolerable and I was fine with having two small sips

All were good. Their drink list looked well thought-out with a nice selection of different liquors, flavors, and sweetness levels. Signature cocktails will run you a whopping $12 and martinis $13, the wine list starts at $8/glass, and the scotch list is $7-140. The drink prices may be steep but they’re somewhat worth it since they’re decently strong, well-made, and generous portions.

The decore is modern and luxurious, all “leather” seating at the tables, the bar, the lounge (complete with awkward fireplace – pictured on right), and the back room. The staff is (REALLY) friendly and provide snappy, efficient, and CORRECT service.

The food …oh, the food. Try the roasted corn soup, the French Dip, and just about anything else – including brunch. (Hint: they do trivia each Wednesday at 11am for a $25 gift card … you can try to beat me.)

In short, The Second Floor Bistro is second to none. Go for happy hour, but only shop after if you have a DP (designated purchaser).

Strength: 3.75
Overall: 4

The Second Floor Bistro
www.thesecondfloorrestaurant.com | @2ndFloorBistro
13340 Dallas Parkway (in the Galleria – Westin entrance)
(972) 450-2978

Specials:
Thursday & Friday | 4-7 p.m. | $2 off martinis and beers
Friday nights | 1/2 price appetizers
Saturday nights | 1/2 price desserts

Horne and Dekker

I attended the press opening for Horne and Dekker (what seems like eons ago) and was quite impressed. It took me a while to get back and since my last visit, I’m kicking myself for waiting so long to get my butt back in there.

We spent a Tuesday evening at H&D and were delighted when not only drinks were on happy hour, but so was the PIZZA (and until 10 p.m.!). Once we were greeted by (who I think was) the manager, our waitress gathered our order and hurried back inside – yes, we were stupid enough to sit on the porch … “the fans, they do nothing!” Our drinks came out and they were not only correct, but they were strong; I only had two. Any place that not only has happy hour specials as great as H&D does, but has custom-printed cans announcing them is A-OK on my list.

While sipping on our drinks, Dekker (Flint Dekker, to be exact) came out to thank us for coming in and see how our drinks were. He was delightful to talk to and told us a bit about the resto … we got some great scoop (like that Horne moved on and so now, Flynn and Dekker is now only Dekker).

This little Henderson eatery has limited seating (which gives it a cozy feel) along with a full bar inside. The decor is simple but a little quirky – they have a grass wall … no kidding. Outside they have the most ingenious umbrellas that don’t get in the middle of your conversation (they have a side arm and hang over the table).

If you’re on a budget, try this place on a Sunday for Sunday Supper – it’s all you can eat for only $16. I’ll be in very soon on a Sunday! Also, if you’re in need of a chuckle, check out their FAQ – you could find out the meaning of life … or something.

Drink strength: 4
Overall: 4

**NOW CLOSED**
Horne & Dekker
Dallas (North Henderson Ave.)

Specials:
Tuesday, Thursday (summer) | 4-10 p.m. | $3 drafts, $4 wells, $5 select wine by the glass, $5 select pizzas
Wednesday | 4-10 p.m. | 1/2 price all wine
Friday, Saturday | 4-7 p.m. | $3 drafts, $4 wells, $5 select wine by the glass, $5 select pizzas
Sunday | 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. | Sunday Hangover Brunch – Limitless Mimosas, Margaritas, Bloody Marys, Bloody Marias and Micheladas for $12
4-7 p.m. | $3 drafts, $4 wells, $5 select wine by the glass, $5 select pizzas
5-10 p.m. | Limitless Servings of Finger Lickin’ Fried Chicken, Mom’s Meatloaf and Beer Battered Fish plus four sides dishes (Savory Biscuits, Fire-roasted sweet corn kernels, mashed potatoes and braised greens) for $16

no malai-se here.

I was fortunate enough to be one of the lucky group of people who were invited to the preview of Malai last month (it helps to know the right people!). I was not only delighted to try a new place, but intrigued to see what was taking on the former Tom Tom space. (If you remember, they ran into a little, shall we say, fiscal problem.)

Upon rounding the corner, I immediately noticed that they gave the facade a colorful facelift complete with inverted umbrellas (see picture on right). Dark beams were replaced with white ones and covering taken off for a more open-air feel.

Once inside, more surprises awaited. We had an assortment of drinks and all were as delicious as they were different. First I had the lemongrass fizz which was light and refreshing – the perfect drink for summer weather on their breezy patio. It had St. Germain in it but not so much to overtake the drink. I followed that up with a Vang Veing which is what I’d describe as a Moscow Mule meets mojito – another great patio drink. I had to stop there for fear of not being able to walk back to my friend’s place across the street.

We were also given tastes of some of their specialties including grilled satay, spring rolls, and drunken noodles. Everything was delicious and if we didn’t have to share with the other tables, my table would have eaten all of it ourselves.

I haven’t made it back just yet, but have every intention of multiple future visits.

Drink strength: 3.5
Overall: 4

Malai Kitchen
malaikitchen.com | @malaikitchen
3699 McKinney Ave #319 (West Village)

Specials:
Monday-Friday | 5-7 p.m. | $5 specialty cocktails and spicy crispy wings.

Live music: Thursdays 6:30-9:30 p.m.

state and allen

A spring day in Texas begs for a refreshing drink on a patio with big sunglasses. My friend and I had a free afternoon and decided to find an early happy hour – State and Allen was our choice. We chose it because they have an amazing selection of food, an extended happy hour, and a great patio. The early happy hour allowed us to escape just before the suits hit the watering hole after work.

We immediately ordered vodka lemonades which we sadly had to add Splenda and
lemons to; the vodka, however, was generously poured. Our waitress brought us drink after drink and plate of food after plate of food (not quickly, but she got the job done). After much ado, we decided on tenderloin sliders and BBQ pizza – both were incredible.

The wrap-around patio provided a great showcase for watching the creatures of the State and Thomas area – both people and animals. Speaking of, their patio is pet friendly and there are some really cute mutts. The wait staff with even bring a water bowl for them!

With the 80s rock music and the lemonade vodkas flowing, we greatly enjoyed our time at State and Allen.

Drink strength: 4
Overall: 4

State & Allen Lounge‎
stateandallen.com
2400 Allen Street | (214) 239-1994‎

iron cactus

When Iron Cactus says they have the biggest happy hour in Texas, they aren’t kidding – I think their only rival would be The Oasis on Lake Travis! Three patios and an inside bar area comprise the happy hour wonderland that is Iron Cactus. Their drink options include wells, domestics, and margaritas for incredibly reasonable prices … along with half-price appetizers to keep you from floating away.

While the wait staff is friendly, the service here leaves a little something to be desired but the slow service gives you time to watch the wait staff on the street level patio chasing the pigeons away. Make sure you ask for chips because your waiter may not bring them automatically and if you ask for an extra lime or ketchup … you better be prepared to wait.

Watch the clock because they won’t give you a last call for happy hour; but you may be able to convince your server to double up your last drink to make the happy hour a little longer.

Drink strength: 3.5
Overall: 3

Iron Cactus Mexican Grill & Margarita Bar
www.ironcactus.com
1520 Main Street | (214) 749-4766

Specials:
Monday-Friday 4-7 p.m. and Monday-Saturday 11 p.m. – close | $3.00 house wines, wells, beers, small margs (rocks or frozen), mexican martinis, Texas tea, 1/2 price appetizers (available throughout the restaurant and not just in the bar!)

SusieDrinks

Drink well. Travel often.