Author Archives: Susie O

Spark Something New at P.F. Chang’s

P.F. Chang’s was kind of my bf’s and my Sunday night date spot.  We would sidle up to the bar for a late dinner and a few drinks and enjoy the goings-on behind the bar and whatever we decided to gorge on that evening.

Luckily, we have some new items to explore!  P.F.  Chang’s has a new menu of small plates, sushi, and some yummy drinks to try out.  How about a Twisted Whiskey Sour?  Or a Coconut Water cocktail?  Or a Long Island Rum Tea … yeah, they’re all pretty good.  (Yes, I tried them all … yes, I had a hangover.)  While their drinks have never been strong enough to get you into any trouble, the flavors are light and refreshing.

We enjoyed drinks (and more drinks), a couple appetizers (Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps … because Lettuce Wraps and Edamame Hummus–which was so f**king delicious that I was tempted to order another plate of it), some of their new sushi offerings (the Tempura Shrimp Hand Rolls are kind of out of this world and the Ahi Tartare is a winner), and dessert.  The Great Wall of Chocolate is always a winner (especially the day after … right out of the fridge … with some extra raspberry sauce …) and their new Sweet Vanilla Cream Wontons (just get two because they’re really rich).  Order a latte to-go so the drinks from the night before don’t slow you down too much.

Check out their new HAPPY HOUR offerings, and their full, refreshed menu.

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BONUS: P.F. Chang’s is giving you the chance to win a happy hour for you and your friends!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

Grapevine Wine Tours

So … I’m all about unconventional outings–for dates, girls’ nights, and Tuesdays.  Sometimes it’s nice to get out of dodge and head to the ‘burbs, and Grapevine Wine Tours offer a fun evening away from the Big D that highlights Grapevine’s wine options.

I was lucky to join a group of media people on a wine tour on a Wednesday evening.  The group met around 5:30pm and piled into one of their small, air conditioned busses to visit three wine-centric stops in Grapevine led by a GWT representative who fed us fun facts about the city of Grapevine and its wine offerings.  (Fun fact: Texas is the 4th largest wine producing state!)  Each tour will visit three of the seven partners in Grapevine, some vineyards, some tasting rooms, and some restaurants.  The tour lasts around 4.5 hours and always includes a meal.

Our group’s itinerary was:

  • Homestead Winery – this cute, little home close to Downtown Grapevine produces wine from vines grown in Ivanhoe, Texas.  The owner of the winery walked us through a tasting of their wines (15+ — yikes).  They have some wines that are incredibly unique and were happy to talk us through the flavors and nuances of the wines we were tasting.
  • Delaney Vineyard – this vineyard is the only local vineyard and boasts 10 acres of vines, a winery, and gorgeous tasting room onsite.  We were treated to a tour of the entire site and a tasting of their offerings.  (I left with a bottle of wine from their gift shop … because I have a shopping problem.)
  • Winewood Grill – we enjoyed a three-course meal at Winewood, complete with suggested wine pairings.  I opted for the BBQ ribs, and it was a solid choice.  They had live music in the bar, which was a nice bonus.

GWTs will coordinate with your party to determine an appropriate itinerary and pick-up location (at one of three Grapevine hotels, Embassy Suites Outdoor World, Hilton DFW Lakes, or the Gaylord Texan).  Each tour is customized based on your group’s size and preferences.

Call 817.259.WINE (9463) or visit www.GrapevineWineTours.com for tour prices, schedules, group rates and other details.
Tours typically cost $79.50-89.50.  You can save 10% discount on a lunch or dinner tour using the code BLOG10 (offer expires 9/1/14).

****I was invited to experience a Grapevine Wine Tour free of charge.****

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.”

Sweet Sweet Heat

Ok … wrap your head around this: ghost pepper simple syrup.  Sounds weird as s**t, right?  Well, as it turns out … it’s pretty freaking awesome.

I had a few of my writers (and some +1s) over Sunday for a cocktail before we went to gorge on Endless Appetizers and had decided to make Blueberry Lavender Mojitos (from Market-Fresh Mixology).  Well … since I’m a goofball, I thought my homemade lavender gin was actually lavender syrup*, so they ended up being gin mojitos (if that’s a thing).  To make things even more fun, we tossed some Torani Sweet Heat syrup into the cocktails.  (Recipe below.)

We each tried the syrup on its own first (both as a contest to see who would drink the most and to actually taste it … obvi) and it has some serious kick to it.  Unlike most spicy flavors, this spice sticks in the back of your throat instead of burning your tongue.  (Ghost peppers are said to be 125x hotter than jalapeños.)

I’m excited to try this syrup in more of my cocktails.  While I usually hate margaritas, spicy margaritas are OK in my book, so I’m half considering smuggling some of this into the next Tex-Mex restaurant  I visit.  (No, Mr. Manager … this flask doesn’t have alcohol in it.  Why?)

Buy Torani Sweet Heat online or at a retailer.  (Call ahead to check since it’s one of their more unique flavors.)

BLUEBERRY LAVENDER GHOST PEPPER (GIN) MOJITOS
12 mint leaves
2oz lavender gin
juice of 1/2 lime
15 blueberries
club soda
1/4oz Torani Sweet Heat Ghost Pepper syrup

Muddle the mint leaves, lime juice, blueberries, and gin in a tall glass.  (Don’t over-muddle.)  Add pepper syrup and stir.  Add ice, top with club soda, and stir carefully with a bar spoon.

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Here are some other recipes that Torani suggests for Sweet Heat:

HANDCRAFTED SWEET HEAT LIMEADE
½oz Torani Sweet Heat syrup
1¼oz fresh lime juice
8oz soda water
Ice
(Add a shot of vodka for a little more fun)

HANDCRAFTED HOT LEMONADE
1½oz Torani Sweet Heat syrup
1oz simple syrup
1¼oz fresh lemon juice
8oz water
Ice
(Add a flavored vodka for a little more fun)

*For Christmas I made some of my friends infused liquors.  To make lavender gin, I had to make lavender syrup.  So yeah …

***Torani sent me a bottle of Sweet Heat syrup to try out.***

Endless Appetizers at TGI Friday’s

So breakfast for dinner is kind of awesome.  But in my book, appetizers as your meal is even better.  TGI Friday’s is making appetizers for a meal a thing with their Endless Appetizers for just $10!  Pick one of their delicious, handcrafted apps and they’ll keep fresh, warm platters of ’em comin’.  They SAY that you can’t share, but a few of my writers, some of their +1s, and I ordered one of each and had at ‘em tonight.  A whole meal for 6 people for $60 with plenty of variety?  Not bad … not bad at all.

For Endless Appetizers, you can choose from:

  • Loaded Potato Skins
  • Pan-Seared Pot Stickers
  • Mozzarella Sticks
  • Garlic & Basil Bruschetta
  • Tuscan Spinach Dip
  • Boneless Buffalo Wings
  • Crispy Green Bean Fries

Hurry in, because this deal won’t be around for long!  (And PS … sit at the bar at the West End location and ask for Omar!)

TGIF_endless-apps

Buy one appetizer at $10 each (per person) and get free refills on same appetizer. Valid on select items only. At participating restaurants for a limited time. Dine-in only. One offer per person, per visit. Not valid in conjunction with any other coupon, promotion or discount. While supplies last. Tax and gratuity not included. © 2014 TGI Friday’s Inc. Please drink responsibly.

Recipes for the World Cup Finals

Brazil

KETEL ONE CITROEN TRIPLE CCC
1.5 oz. Ketel One Citroen
.75 oz. fresh lemon juice
.5 oz. simple syrup
10 mint leaves
Lightly muddle the lemon juice, mint and simple syrup in a rocks glass. Add crushed ice and vodka and stir. Garnish with a lemon wedge and sprig of mint.

KETEL ONE ORANJE CAIPIROSKA
1.5 oz. Ketel One Oranje
.75 oz. fresh lime juice
.25 oz. simple syrup
3 lime wedges
2 orange slices
Lemon-lime soda
Muddle two lime wedges and two orange slices in the bottom of a rocks glass. Fill with ice and add remaining ingredients. Top with lemon-lime soda. Stir. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Germany

KETEL ONE GLÜHWEIN (created by Jaren Singh – Nolet Spirits U.S.A. Mixologist)
750 ml. Ketel One Vodka
3 oz. Kirsch
1500 ml. grape juice
10 sugar cubes
1 (3 inch) cinnamon stick
1 whole nutmeg
1 whole star anise pod
1.5 bags mixed berries (frozen)
1 orange, thinly sliced

Combine the sugar cubes, Ketel One, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, and star anise in a saucepan. Heat over medium heatuntil the mixture begins to foam. Remove from heat and transfer to a Slow Cooker to keep warm. Stir in the frozen mixed berries and their juice; add the Kirsch and the orange slices. Strain out all ingredients.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Serve chilled in a glass mug.

Argentina

KETEL ONE CLERICO
1 bottle BV Coastal Estates Sauvignon Blanc
6 oz. Ketel One Oranje
3 oz. Grand Marnier
3 oz. pomegranate juice
3 oz. orange juice
2 oz. white grape juice
3 oz. lemon juice
2 oz. simple syrup
Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher half filled with ice. Stir. Pour into a wine glass filled with ice. Garnish with raspberries and pomegranate seeds. Serves 8-10.

Netherlands

KETEL ONE ORANJE NATIONAL
1.25 oz. Ketel OneOranje
1 oz. ginger liqueur
1 oz. fresh lime juice
2 barspoons orange marmalade
2 drops orange bitters
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass. Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with an orange peel.

KETEL ONE CLOCKWORK ORANJE
1.5 oz. Ketel One Oranje
.75 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 oz. white crème de cacao
Add all ingredients to a Collins glass. Fill the glass with crushed ice. Use a swizzle stick to stir and blend ingredients. Garnish with an orange wedge.