Inspired by bars such as Strangeways and Goodfriend, two food bloggers and their wives are getting into the bar business. Bryan Kaeser and Joe Scribner, who run a blog called Best Damn Things, have high hopes for Dallas Beer Kitchen, the new craft beer bar they plan to open on Lower Greenville this spring.
Located next to Good Records at 1804 Greenville Ave., Dallas Beer Kitchen will feature 30 taps of imports and local craft beers, as well as brews from around the country. Kaesar and Scribner say they wanted to bring good beer to Lower Greenville and decided to "jump off the cliff."
"You don’t see a craft beer and good food establishment in that area," Kaeser says. "You have The Libertine that does outstanding food but a select beer selection, and you have the Bottle Shop with outstanding beers but no food."
Dallas Beer Kitchen will offer simple comfort food like ribs, burgers and sandwiches, plus movie-theater-style popcorn.
Kaeser and Scriber say that their time writing about bars for BDT allowed them to figure out the three things that will make the Beer Kitchen successful: great service from the owner to the hostess, great food and beer, and an atmosphere that is comfortable and inviting.
For beer, Kaeser definitely plans to support the booming local movement. But with 30 taps at their disposal, they’ll bring in some outsiders as well.
"We've got some taps set aside for some key players in the local scene like Peticolas, Revolver, Rahr and Lakewood, but we’re going to bring in some Belgium and German beers as well," Kaeser says.
In the kitchen is chef Nick Foster, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Dallas, who has devised a simple, one-page menu of elevated comfort food.
"Nick's got some great family recipes," Kaeser says. "We're going to do simple comfort like ribs, burgers, chips and sandwiches. Plus, we're going to have popcorn popping behind the bar with movie theater salt and butter."
There will also be a chicken sandwich with orange glaze and sriracha; a wasabi slaw is in the works to go with the Tellicherry pepper ribs and fried biscuits.
Kaeser is in the process of obtaining the proper permits and licenses and hopes to open Dallas Beer Kitchen by June, just in time to make the most of the space's patio, which includes a garage-door feature.
"The garage door will be open eight months a year for a patio environment with roof overhead," Kaeser says. "If you're looking for a nice patio, we're going to have the best of both worlds. It's an in-betweener bar that you see a lot in other places like St. Louis, LA, or New York City with the open-air environment. It’s fun and doesn’t get too loud. It makes for a great bar atmosphere."
The bloggers behind Best Damn Things will switch from talking about beer to serving it themselves at Dallas Beer Kitchen.
