Tag Archives: Oak Lawn

Scotch & Sausage to Open 7/24

This place is gonna rock.  I can’t wait another week for it to open!

  • Scotch & Sausage will open Thursday, July 24th at 2808 Oak Lawn Ave in Dallas
  • Chef: Trevor Ball
  • Owners: Dylan Elchami and Rami Rassas
  • Modern sausage grill & beer garden
  • All sausage sandwiches priced $8 and below
  • Booze:
    • 100+ varieties of whiskey & scotch
    • Heavy focus on Belgian and German beer
  • Open 7 days/week with late-night offerings Thursday-Saturday

Scotch & Sausage – A Sausage Grill & Modern Beer Garden Opens Thursday, July 24th

DALLAS, TEXAS (July 17, 2014)…..Scotch & Sausage – a  sausage grill and modern style beer garden will open Thursday, July 24th on Oak Lawn Avenue in Dallas.

The menu offers over 20 varieties of local and house-made sausage sandwiches  (including several vegan, pork free and gluten free options), triple cooked belgian fries with house-made dipping sauces and two varieties of scotch eggs (vegetarian and classic).  Featuring beef, chicken, venison, quail, antelope and more, all sausages are priced $8 and below.  They are all-natural, small batch production with no by products.

At the bar, there is a heavy focus of Belgian and German beer on draft with local beers on rotation as well.  A further extensive selection of bottled beer will also be available. Over 100 varieties of whiskey and scotch are available, all offered one of five ways: neat, on the rocks, old-fashioned, sour or Manhattan. Furthermore, a unique program called ‘The People’s Poison’ will offer a selection of $5 whiskeys.

Creator Dylan Elchami, whose family has been in the construction business for decades, oversaw design and construction himself and brought to life his vision for an edgy take on the traditional German beer garden, where guests could experience high quality sausage variations and a unique beer and liquor program in an approachable and inviting atmosphere.  He sees the concept, which is open seven days a week from lunch to late-night, as attractive to all age demographics – young, old, businessmen and otherwise.

Elchami’s partner, Rami Rassas, comes from a long line of restaurant operators and has been an active Dallasite for over ten years. He was the Head Chef for his family’s neighborhood Italian restaurant, Leonardos’s (Frisco) and that same passion for cooking, led to him being a successful competitor on the FOX Network’s MasterChef. Rassas also famously customized the championship belts for the Dallas Mavericks and today he now operates one of the most successful car dealerships in the country. He is extremely excited by the prospect of being a part of another hospitality business.

Other partners include Cogent Creative, who will also operate the restaurant and Alexander Marko.

Chef Trevor Ball is heading the kitchen at Scotch & Sausage.  A graduate of Johnson & Wales University, Ball began his food career as a young boy working behind the deli counter at his grandfather’s European market/restaurant and Dallas institution – Kuby’s Sausage House.  He quickly followed in his family’s footsteps by becoming the 19th generation of chefs and sausage makers in his family.  From Colorado to California and back to Texas, Ball became engrossed in the practice of working directly with farmers and local purveyors. He explains, “ I surrounded myself by chefs and farmers who guided me to create a deeper relationship with the earth and kitchen, pushing boundaries and stretching my creativity by utilizing and playing with seasonal ingredients. My perspective on food was forever changed.”  Ball continues, “ I am beyond excited to be a part of the Scotch & Sausage team.  A modern style beer garden serving local and house made sausages. A cool social atmosphere that’s open ‘till the wee hours of the night; how could I resist?  I feel fortunate to be a part of the Dallas food scene once more.”

Sushi Zushi

Sushi Zushi, the home of the crazy scion delivery cars you see around, is a modern sushi joint over on Oak Lawn.  It has been around for a while but I’ve only ever been there for lunch (and not liqud ones).  I made it in for dinner and just missed happy hour, but our waiter still let my drinks slide as happy hour ones.

The drinks came snappily and gave us something to sip on while we poured over the menu … which is a novel.  S.Z. offers almost 200 different rolls along with other non-fishy options … both for vegetarians and meatatarians.

We got through a whole drink before we decided what we wanted —- but had maaaaany questions.  I am allergic to those silly, little orange fish eggs that are on some sushi rolls, so we made sure to ask which were OK for me.  The waiter gave us suggestions and somehow we got a roll that was COVERED in the eggs.  Not so well done, sir.  They handled it well and got us another without the orange mosters and didn’t charge us for the replacement.

The sushi was good – nothing mind-blowing, but good.  Make sure you pass on the fried skewer things … they weren’t worth the calories.

Now, back to the drinks.  They were strong enough if we weren’t eating, but since we ate and drank, they didn’t have any effect.  They offer a full bar, beer, wine, and sake.  Their specialty cocktail list includes a cucumber sakitini, yuzu basil sakitini, southern heat, and stawberry ginger martini.

S.Z.’s atmosphere is modern with “unst unst” music playing in the restaurant and bird noises in the bathrooms.  They have a large bar that looks prime for after-work drinks to rehash a rough meeting; but they don’t have TVs so don’t try to catch a game here.  The coolest part of S.Z. is the large, shaded patio with bamboo walls; even though it faces the sun when it sets, it’s not too bright.

I won’t push my friends to head back here; I’d rather go somewhere with a cheaper menu.

Drink strength: 3
Overall: 3.2

Sushi Zushi
www.sushizushi.com
3858 Oak Lawn | (214)522-7253

Specials:
Happy hour | Monday-Friday, 3-7 p.m.
$3 wells, drafts, and hot sake
$5 specialty cocktails and house wines
$7 other sakes

Eddie V’s

Since being into Eddie V’s, I have heard their advertisements on NPR quite a few times (yes, I am an avid listener and junkie), and each time I hear it, my mouth waters; it has to be a Pavlovian response.  Juicy steaks, ridiculously fresh seafood, fantastic live music, a touch of opulence, and inventive drinks … just a small taste of what the Austin transplant, Eddie V’s, has to offer.

Two of my man friends and I took an evening off from our hectic lives to relax and enjoy the V Lounge in the newly opened watering hole and eatery on Oak Lawn.  Right out of the gate, we knew we were in for a treat when we walked into the dimly-lit resto and were greeted by three friendly staffers and let into a beautifully decorated dining room with a large wrap-around bar.

We sat in the lounge so we could fully enjoy the live music from the band which boasted covers of my favorite genre: the Rat Pack, Frank, newer pop(py) songs … and they accept requests.  I got a “shout out” and it was definitely a highlight!

The service left nothing to be desired and the wait staff was fun, bantered with the table, and was quick to suggest the best of the best on the menu – both food and bar.  Our table had quite a few drinks and they were all incredibly creative and stout!  Their martini was perfectly dirty and just reading their list of mojitos and margaritas alone is enough to make your taste buds stand at attention – and they don’t disappoint.   As you can see below, the menu offers a plethora of happy hour drinks and half price appetizers at a great price.

As for food … while I am no foodie, my friend who has been to culinary school and makes food to curl your toes was just as impressed with the food as I was.  Their crispy cashew calamari is some of the best I’ve ever had.  The Maryland style all lump crab cake is a force with which to be reckoned and lives up to its name; it doesn’t mess around with its helping of crab.  At the prices during happy hour, try as many as you can fit in your stomach!

Bottom line: try out Eddie V’s.  It’s great for a nicer night when you want to ditch the flip flops and enjoy a more mature group at HH.  Their happy hour is an economical way to try the amazing offerings they have!

Drink strength: 3.8
Overall: 4


Eddie V’s Dallas
www.eddiev.com | @eddievsdallas
4023 Oak Lawn Ave | (214)890-1500

Specials:
Happy Hour Nightly | 4-7 pm | $5+ drinks below, $0.75-8 select appetizers
Martinis: Original, Jolly Rancher, Passiontini, green apple, mai tai-tini
Mojitos: original, raspberry, orange, citrus, dragon berry
Wines by the glass: Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet,
Hand crafted margaritas: Blood orange, passion fruit, pomegranate pink grapefruit