Dallas #BoozeNews: November 10, 2015

NEW OPENINGS

Coal Vines Downtown will open in two weeks with a full bar (yasss), a 45-minute lunch option, and a 400 calorie pizza!

Biertgarten on Lamar is NOW OPEN across from the Omni Hotel on South Lamar!  Stop in for beers and brats!

Fort Worth will be getting two new concepts in early 2016–a Dallas favorite Meso Maya (Kress Building, 604 Main Street), and a new concept from the Firebird Restaurant Group, Tortaco (2829 Morton Street).  Meso Maya will offer Chef Nico’s Mexican-inspired menu and Tortaco will offer “a chef-driven menu … [and] a full bar with signature cocktails.”

NEW OFFERINGS

Max’s Wine Dive is now serving liquor!!!  I mean … it’s about damn time.  Stop in for their always-delicious fried chicken with a side of Old Fashioned!  (Stay tuned … I’ll be going in to try some of their cocktails later this month and will report back!)

Yard House (Addison) is celebrating its 21st birthday with a limited-release beer from Rogue Brewery.  Pop in starting December 7th to get your mitts on a pint of Rogue Spruce Tip IPA.

Paul Martin’s American Grill is now offering a 3-course prime rib special every Sunday, all day!  For $25 diners will get a green salad, prime rib with mashed potatoes, and homemade ice cream.

EUREKA! On the heels of Ida Claire’s Saturday night brunch, Eureka! in West Village will now offer SUNDAY NIGHT BRUNCH!  Think Huevos Rancheros, Creole Benedict, and Bananas Foster Crunchy French Toast.  Since no brunch is complete without drinks (because really … brunch without alcohol is just a sad, late breakfast), they’ll offer $5 Mimosas and Bloody Marys alongside their craft beer and cocktail offerings.  Stop in Sundays 9pm-midnight for their brunch!

Dinner and a movie is so 2000.  Try brunch and a movie at LOOK Theater‘s restaurant, Ivy Kitchen with their new brunch offerings.  Think pairing their Buttermilk Pancakes served with APPLEwood smoked bacon then seeing “Steve Jobs”.  (Give it a second.)  They’ll also have select $3 drinks to go with brunch … so there’s that.  Brunch is served weekends 11am-3pm.

LIMITED TIME OFFERS

It’s November … so we’re hearing a lot about Christmas starting to early, people’s scraggly (gross*) beards, and also about some local businesses doing some badass things to raise money for prostate and testicular cancer awareness.

Greenville Avenue Pizza Company (GAPCo) and Blind Butcher teamed up and are offering a 12″ mozzarella, Bacon Bratwurst (from BB), and sauerkraut pizza for $20.  You don’t just get the pizza, though … $5 of it goes to Movember and then you get a “voucher for a free Bullzerk T-shirt and a coupon for tea at Plum Yoga.”  … the giving’s good through November.

Blind Butcher slice

Old Chicago at Mockingbird Station is donating $0.50 of every Rogue Beard Beer purchase to No Shave November through the end of the month.

Get Hopped Up at Hopdoddy Burger Bar with their current milkshake special, the Maple Bacon Waffle Cone Shake.  It’s handmade ice cream, maple bacon syrup, waffle cone batter*, crushed waffle cone, and whipped cream.  They said the magic word: bacon.       *wait … what?
Price: $6
Available: through November 22 at all locations

Grab your Pilgrim hat and stop into Snuffer’s for their Thanksgiving Turkey Burger (grilled turkey burger topped with Swiss cheese, cranberry sauce, stuffing and mayo).
Price: $9.49
Available: through November 30 at all locations

Turkey Burger

 

*They’re only gross because they’re new growth … maybe start a month early and grow a real beard.  Because I like those.

Lord Levington’s nuts are great … but they’ll leave a mess on your hands

There’s always been something a little off-putting about sharing a tiny cup of cocktail peanuts in the middle of a crowded bar while mingling hands with strangers (or even drinking buddies). The experience always gets easier with a few drinks, but, when sober, bar nuts fall somewhere between stale bag of crackers and mushy banana on the snack spectrum.

Luckily, someone decided bar mix could reach an actually enjoyable level, and all it takes is a good product and a ridiculous amount of kitsch to drive home the point. Meet Lord Nut Levington, made in Dallas. (I, however, am still coming to you from Rhode Island.)

Before we even move forward, it’s probably worth poking around the website for a few minutes. The packaging style is a mix of old timey artwork, sex puns and random STD penicillin references – but regardless of whether or not you get a chuckle out of it or not, the product inside is seriously good.

The flavors are fitting over the top, ranging from Zesty Chile Lime to Thai Curry & Lemongrass to Spicy Bloody Mary (Susie’s favorite). Each flavor is covered in a dust that is clearly derived from some version of crack that makes you keep chowing down while your hands slowly get covered in a thick gunk you haven’t seen since you stuck your wet fingers in a Cheeto bag as a child. PRO-TIP: use a spoon or lid to tip the nuts directly into your mouth to avoid looking like a large adult son who had too much Mountain Dew before snack time.

Since this is a booze blog, it’s also important to point out the flavors paired pretty well with their corresponding drink. The Spicy Bloody Mary and Hot Buffalo went great with spicy cocktails, the lemongrass was tangier and went with anything, the Zesty Chile Lime was good with tequila, and White Cheddar & Jalapeño went well with beer. My personal favorite was the Hot Buffalo, but there really wasn’t a bad flavor in the pack. (And my wife quickly stole most of the Thai Curry & Lemongrass and refused to give them back. I’m letting her have that one since she recently gave me a child.)

So yeah, I’ve spared you about five different “deez nuts” jokes and a couple of other puns, so I’ll just end by pointing out that you should either look for this snack in stores or order a sample pack online today. It’s a nice break from the usual drinking snack fare and, assuming you can avoid making a mess of the place, might be a nice snack to keep around your home bar or for parties.

To find a store near you that carries Lord Nut Levington, just use their store locator tool: http://www.whoislordnut.com/locate/.

Oh … and this brand was on “Shark Tank” at some point … if you care about that sort of thing.

Shaken … Not Stirred

My favorite lothario spy, Bond, James Bond is known for ordering his iconic “vodka martini … shaken, not stirred” since the days of Dr. No (ahem, 1958). In his last four films, we’ve seen Daniel Craig’s Bond shake it up a bit. In “Casino Royale” he ordered the Vesper (recipe below), and in the recently released “Spectre”, he opts for another new concoction. So what’s your favorite Bond film of all time? It’s pretty clear from some of the reviews such as you can find in the Top 21 Gambling Movies, that Casino Royale was actually a very loved film by many different types of people, for different reasons. This time, his paramour in the (latter part of the) movie, Dr. Swan, orders a dirty martini … and he does, too. (I know … mind blowing.) Check out a recipe for the martini inspired by the movie, the Belvedere Spectre 007 Martini.

Belvedere was kind enough to treat me and some other Bond lovers to a sneak peek of the most recent Bond flick, complete with (dirty) Belvedere Spectre 007 Martinis.


BELVEDERE SPECTRE 007 MARTINI
2 oz. Belvedere Vodka
1/3 oz. Dry vermouth
1/6 oz. Sicilian green olive brine
1 Sicilian green olive

Gently muddle olives in base of mixing glass. Add remaining ingredients and shake hard with ice. Double strain into a chilled martini glass.

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With Bond’s noticeable departure from his expected vodka martini, I should note that change is still inevitable, December is still 31 days, and the sun still rises in the east and sets in the west.

If you make one of Bond’s cocktails, tag me and make sure to include the hashtag #ShakenNotStirred!

Vesper Cocktail
Three measures of Gordon’s
One measure of vodka
Half a measure of Kina Lillet

“Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel.”

Dallas #BoozeNews: October 20, 2015

NEW OPENINGS

Shake Shack will open in 2016 in the Crescent Hotel as part of their renovation!!!  Uhh … hell yes.

Austin favorite Tacodeli will be opening in Dallas TODAY, October 29!  Check out their deliciousness in a tortilla in the Sylvan Thirty development.  Oh … and it’s BYOB.

Dallas celeb chef Tre Wilcox is moving again … in early 2016 he’ll be launching new concepts in Plano and Frisco in his event space, Tre Wilcox Cooking Concepts–think cooking classes, private parties for up to 150, corporate functions, etc.  Learn more at www.trewilcox.com or call 1-844-776-8200

NEW OFFERINGS

Lower Greenville newcomer, Rapscallion, will add brunch to its offerings Sundays from 11am-3pm!  Oh … and they’ll start getting tiki tiki tumbled Sunday nights 4-10pm thanks to their new Tiki Sundays.

As of 10/13, Madrina is offering lunch.  Stop in Tuesday through Friday from 11:30am to 2:30pm.

Love wine? (Duh.) Malai Kitchen is launching its newest beverage offering, wine flights!  Flights will be $22 for four wines (3 oz pours).

Malai Kitchen Wine Flight

It’s gettin’ (red) hot in here.  Luscher’s Red Hots will be getting down with their new “Rush Hour” Monday through Friday from 5-7pm.  Enjoy $4 select dogs, $10 Goose Island draft beer pitchers, and $2.50 local canned brews, drafts, and wines by the glass.  (And all this will be happening while they play Rush. Seriously.)

LIMITED TIME OFFERINGS

La Dama Margarita at Meso Maya

La Dama Margarita at Meso Maya

If you haven’t supported enough breast cancer awareness this and that this month (which is totally a good thing to do), get your butt to Meso Maya for their La Dama Margarita (Casa Noble Tequila Blanco, muddled strawberries, watermelon puree, St. Germain, lime juice, lemon curd, Cointreau, and simple syrup).
Cost: $12
 Available: October 5-31

Cantina Laredo Hatch Ritas

Cantina Laredo Hatch Ritas

This just hatched over at Cantina Laredo.  On the heels of the other hatch chile schtuff … they’re bringing out their Citrus-Hatch Margarita (Avión Silver Tequila infused with pepper and grapefruit, with fresh lime juice and agave nectar) and Strawberry-Hatch Margarita (Avión Silver Tequila infused with pepper and strawberries, with fresh lime juice, agave nectar and a squeeze of orange).
Cost: $12
Available: through the end of November

Cantina Laredo is also celebrating Dia de los Muertos & Halloween with the Blue Moon Pumpkin ‘Rita (Lunazul Blanco Tequila, pumpkin puree, Blue Moon beer and fresh lime juice)!  Stop in for one and score it for half off!
Cost: $6 (normally $12)
Available: October 31 – November 2

giphy-2Single? Paul Martin’s American Grill has your lobster.  They’re serving a Mesquite Grilled Maine Lobster Tail with garlic lemon butter and green beans along with either butternut squash soup or fresh organic mixed green salad.
Cost: $39
Available: through November 4

Spirit of America Bourbon Whiskey

In the wonderful, wide world of alcohol, you’d be hard-pressed to think of another drinking tradition that is more inherently American than traditional hand-crafted bourbon whiskey. After all, Americans have been sipping on the stuff since the 1820s when it originated in either Kentucky or Louisiana (no one can seem to agree), making it practically as all-American as apple pie and baseball. Spirit of America,  produced by Hobson & Roberts Distilling Company, has taken this notion a step further; when you purchase a bottle of their handcrafted bourbon whiskey, they donate $1 to Hope for the Warriors, making your enjoyment of their award winning spirit practically patriotic.

Spirit of America (ABV 43%/ 86 Proof) is distilled in a unique mash bill featuring 51% corn, 45% wheat, and 4% malted barley; no rye grain to be found. It is produced “grain to glass,” chill-filtered, blended, and bottled at the company-owned distillery in Indianapolis, IN.

You now know you can feel warm and fuzzy about your purchase of Spirit of America, but let’s ask the honest question: Is it any good? The distillers were kind enough to send me a bottle to find out for myself; I am happy to tell you, the answer is a resounding, “YAAAASSSSS!!”

Spirit of America bourbon has a notably warm aroma, with hints of vanilla, toasted oak, spice, and sweet caramel. This whiskey is silky smooth and surprisingly mellow on the palate, with a notable sweetness suggestive of vanilla, caramel, and honey. The finish is short and sweet. I found this to be an excellent “sipping whiskey,” which is high praise coming from a gal who doesn’t routinely sip whiskey. (If this endorsement makes you nervous, I can assure you my husband, who does routinely sip whiskey (among other things), whole-heartedly agreed. He was also a big fan).


SPIRIT OF AMERICA BOURBON
soaspirits.com
Facebook | Twitter
844-374-6547
info@soaspirits.com

ABV 43% / 86 Proof

Hopdoddy on McKinney

Every time I go to South Congress in Austin I MARVEL at the line wrapped around Hopdoddy.  Once they came to Dallas, I had a new appreciation for the patience and resolve of the people who wait in that line.  Hopdoddy is damn good, y’all.

Their McKinney Avenue location, one of three in D/FW, occupies the former Frankie’s space and has been there for just under a year.  It’s a great space with a nice amount of natural light, a giant bar in the middle (my fave), and plenty outdoor seating.

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Choosing what to eat here is more challenging than finding your way from the parking garage into the restaurant.  (I took my dad on this review with me, so, if you remember from my review at Village Burger Bar, you’ll know that I was the one making the risky food choices.)  Luckily we had some time to decide after the drinks hit the table.  Dad went with the Chocolate Stout Milkshake and I, in true SusieDrinksDallas form, went with an adult libation, the SoCo Sweet Tea (house infused Limoncello, Deep Eddy Sweet Tea Vodka, raspberry purée, & fresh-squeezed lemon).  My drink was nice and light and the raspberry purée wasn’t too liberally added … the perfect treat for a warm evening.  I was tempted to go for one of their Maine Root Fountain Sodas or local beers, but was happy with my ultimate choice (because … limoncello).

After a few sips, I got in to the french fry options.  They serve their fries not as a side, but as an appetizer (giving them the attention that they sure as hell deserve).  Their fries are good … but their Truffle Fries are outrageous.  Get.these.fries.  Make sure to check out their dips, too!  If you’re anything like me, you just want them all to get a little taste of each.  (Quite honestly, I just really hate to decide so it’s easier to get them all.)

Since we were at a burger bar, we ordered burgers.  (That may have been on of the more idiotic sentences I’ve ever written.)   Per usual, good ole’ Dad ordered his standard well done cheeseburger, ketchup only.  He seemed to like it, but I know that it couldn’t compare to my Primetime Burger.  Seriously, y’all … the beautiful melange of the incredibly tender Texas Akaushi Beef, brie cheese, truffle aioli, arugula, caramelized onions, and steak sauce danced around my mouth like I think my first bit of solid food will on Friday morning.  (Oh, yeah … I’m on a juice cleanse.  Writing about food is real hard right now.)

Dessert had to happen because they have … wait for it … adult milkshakes.  The Nutella & Chocolate Pretzel Milkshake is kind of everything.  It’s sweet and the pretzels give the shake a bit of texture and a salty kick.

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I do have some slight regrets from my visit … though I’d order everything I ate again (and again), I think I didn’t explore the menu as much as I should have.  I’ll be ordering the Baby Kale Salad (baby kale, arugula, feta, watermelon, avocado, sunflower seeds, pickled red onions, pomegranate vinaigrette) the next time I stop in.

Luckily I rereturned with a few friends a couple weeks later and was able to try some other items.  We were treated to their ah-mazing Green Chili Queso (which had a nice kick and a perfectly creamy texture) to accompany the Kennebec Fries.  Since one kind of fry is never enough, we got into the Truffle Fries that came with some of the most amazing dip I’ve ever experienced.  The Ahi Tuna Burger (Sushi-Grade Tuna, Sprouts, Teriyaki, Honey Wasabi, Nori Chips, Pickled Ginger, Mayo) was maybe the most surprising thing we had that night–the tuna was so delicate that it just feel apart and the nori chips gave it a nice crisp.

Picture borrowed from @phileats_ on Instagram

Hopdoddy recently started a new offering at their McKinney Avenue location–they’ll now serve you at a table instead of having you order when you arrive QSR-style.  It was a nice touch and actually made me order more food.  (Watch out, my friends.)

Beyond the delicious food and great service, Hopdoddy likes to keep it as local as possible and real fresh, which makes me love it even more.  Their beef is ground fresh daily from all-natural, quality, hormone-free meat; their buns are baked twice daily and you get to choose from three types including a gluten-free option.

Stop in for a burger and fries sometime soon … and sit outside because the weather starting this weekend will be perfect for an al fresco meal.  Just don’t forget the Truffle Fries … or the milkshakes … or the house-made limoncello.  (Ya know, all of it.)

HOPDODDY BURGER BAR
hopdoddy.com
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
3227 McKinney Ave #102 (at Hall Street)
(214) 871-2337

Happy hour: Monday-Friday, 3-7pm

**Hopdoddy invited me in for a meal on them.**

Public School 214 Brunch

I consider myself an adult … which means I have to carefully plan my Sunday Fundays–ensure plenty of heartburn medication is on-hand as bloody marys will happen, make sure your Uber app is properly functioning, and start early to ensure you aren’t out past 8pm.  This past Sunday, I rallied the troops and we began our day at Public School 214 to try out their brunch.  I’d heard about their “just about bottomless” options, so I had to test it out myself.

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We opted for the patio since everything else was ridiculously crowded.  I mean … I like my friends, so I wanted to be able to actually hear them.  (Crazy concept.)  The patio was PERFECT–perfect weather, plenty of room, and, best of all, we had Freddy.

We settled in and ordered our various bottomless options.  (You can get “just about unlimited” mimosas/beermosas or bloody marys/micheladas for $10)  I was the only one that went for the bloody mary option and ended up being the envy of the table because mine came with a chicken wing.  #Win(g)ing.  The drinks were nicely spiked and gave us all the kick we needed to start the day.  I have been slightly under the weather so Freddy made a hot toddy happen for me.  This drink, I kid you not, brought me back from the dead.

Since we knew we were consuming mass quantities of booze, we needed to get moving on food.  I’m going to tell you one thing that I’ve told you before … good + good = really good.  So, that with that logic, their Bacon Cheddar Tots served with Sriracha ketchup are really good.  (I had to include some math here … I was at school, after all.)  Needless to say, they went fast.  We also got the first of two orders of their Chorizo Mac & Cheese which is topped with Salt & Vinegar chips … I mean.  To finish off the warm-up, we passed the Mezza Plate (baba ghanoush, hummus, tapenade marinated feta, and crispy chickpeas).

Lunch had to happen at some point even though we were quite happy with the porky deliciousness on the table, so we checked out the brunch menu.  Since I can’t say no to chicken and waffles, I  went for the Fried Jidori Chicken & Green Chili Cornbread Waffles … and I made a damn good choice.  The chicken was crispy and the waffles weren’t underdone, which is my least favorite thing about breakfast. (I mean … cook your waffles and pancakes to a nice golden brown, people.  Learn from PS214.)  The other brunch entree at the table was the Smothered Breakfast Burrito (smashed browns, egg, chimichurri, provolone, and bacon).

The portion size at PS214 is pretty damn ridiculous.  (I don’t think any of us finished our entrees.)  So try to find someone who wants the same things as you … you know … on the brunch menu.

Everyone loved their meals.  (I really don’t think that was only because we were a couple of carafes each in.  Brunch at Public School 214 is available Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-3pm.

PUBLIC SCHOOL 214
www.psontap.com
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3700 McKinney Ave (in the new West Village area east of McKinney)
(214)599-6234

Coal Vines – Uptown Dallas

So … my company started a fitness challenge.  This isn’t your ordinary “Biggest Loser”-type weight loss challenge … it’s serious.  They gave us a meal plan and a daily exercise regimen–the types of things that I just can’t get behind.  Needless to say, I planned my own fitness challenge–start running on a regular basis again and stop eating pizza.  The ladder of the two has nearly killed me.  Case in point … the team that handles Coal Vines’ PR had a media night the second day of my fitness challenge.  (Seriously?!)  If it were nearly anywhere else, I’d have told them that they can keep their pizza and I’d delight in their other offerings, but I cannot say no to a Coal Vines White Pizza.  It’s just not possible for me.  So, I ran a little further that morning and ventured in with my friend for dinner.

We started the evening with their fried zucchini chips (which haunt my dreams) and a bottle of 2014 Astica Cuyo from Mendoza, Argenita, which, as it turns out, retail for a hot $5 a bottle at your local wine shop.  (I think my dad had the right idea when he went in to the wine business.)  I will say that, despite the low price tag, we enjoyed the bottle … all of it.  (I mean … it was a Tuesday, so why wouldn’t we?)  Coal Vines has done a damn decent job of finding wines at a reasonable price whose taste doesn’t disappoint.

Astica Wine and Fried Zucchini

Astica Wine and Fried Zucchini

New chef, Angelo Landi, has really done well with the menu.  As mentioned previously, I eat their white pizza like it’s my job.  (Or at least I did when I was completely obsessed with this place and ate there at least once a week 2008-2011 … they knew my name.)  Luckily, this meal forced me to try some of Angelo’s new items and seasonal offerings like the watermelon and tomato salad situation that I’ve tried to replicate in my own kitchen a few times since.  Honestly … it was ridiculously good.  The tomatoes were fresh and the watermelon wasn’t drowned in the light dressing … all great.  Then came the Burrata, which was also really damn delicious.  The cantaloupe added the perfect sweetness to the garlic-kissed cheese and greens.  To keep it a little less healthy (yuck yuck), we also ordered the Calamari which is served with tomato basil dipping sauce and lemon garlic aioli–a standard that they’ve kept constantly satisfying for years.

Enough foreplay … let’s get to the pizza, shall we?  Their schtick is New York-style pizza from a wood-burning oven … think somewhat thin with a perfectly bubbly crust.  My love affair with their White Pizza has lived on for no less than eight years and I dare say that it’ll remain for years to come.  It’s the perfect blend of Mozzarella and ricotta cheese spiced up with parmesan and oregano.  When I say “perfect”, I really kind of mean it.  Don’t f**k around and order the White Special–while it’s good, it’s like putting an engine on a flying unicorn* … it just doesn’t need anything else.

White Pizza

White Pizza

Coal Vines is in the same location in Uptown, but they have a few new tricks.  Stop in and see what Chef Angelo is cooking up.  (Obi, make sure to order the White Pizza.  And be sure to meet Wolf, their bartender that has been there for at least eight years!  He’s the kind of guy that you just know has some amazing stories to tell if you could only get him started.)

If you want to read a seriously old review about their brunch, you can check it out here.

*It’s 1:30am. I’m not sure where that metaphor came from … but I don’t hate it.

Coal Vines Uptown Dallas
www.coalvines.com
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2404 Cedar Springs Road
(214)855-4999‎

Specials: Sunday | 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. | $4 mimosas, poinsettias, Pompelmos, and peach lemonade bellinis

Coal Vines treated me and a guest to dinner to try out new menu items.