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2 Dallas-Fort Worth legislators file bill to make alcohol-to-go permanent

More alcohol is generally a good thing.

Photo courtesy of Chili's

The ongoing and entirely admirable initiative to make alcohol to-go a legal thing in Texas has crossed an important threshold, with a bill filed by two heroic Dallas-Fort Worth legislators in both the Texas Senate and House.

Senator Kelly Hancock and Representative Charlie Geren filed SB 298 / HB 1094 to make Governor Greg Abbott's emergency waiver — allowing restaurants to safely sell alcohol with pickup and delivery food orders — a permanent thing.

SB 298 / HB 1094 would allow restaurants with a mixed beverage permit and a food and beverage certificate from TABC to sell beer, wine, and cocktails with food orders that are purchased for pickup or delivery, including through third-party delivery companies.

The bill requires that all alcoholic beverages be sealed either in their original, manufacturer-sealed container, or in a tamper-proof container that is labeled with the business' name and the words "alcoholic beverage."

Kelly Hancock represents Senate District 9, which includes portions of Tarrant and Dallas Counties. Charlie Geren represents District 99, which covers a wide swath northwest of Fort Worth. Go DFW.

Senator Hancock is Chairman of the Texas Senate's Business & Commerce Committee, and Representative Geren is Chairman of House Administration.

Geren says in a statement that he and Hancock have been working alongside TRA, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and other stakeholders over the past several months on legislation "to allow restaurants with mixed beverage permits to sell alcohol to-go directly to their customers, or to be delivered by third-party delivery companies."

"I look forward to working with the legislature to pass this bill that will be a valuable revenue source to help our Texas restaurants come back from the devastating impacts of the pandemic," he says.

While there's no timetable as of yet, Texas' 87th legislative session begins January 12 and runs through May.

Texas Restaurant Association CEO Emily Williams Knight says in a statement that the TRA applauds Chairman Hancock, Chairman Geren, and other allies such as The Texas Package Stores Association, whose support resulted in the filing of SB 298 / HB 1094.

"We know the road to recovery will be long, which is precisely why we need tools like alcohol to-go to become permanent," Knight says. "But even more than that, the filing of this bill is exciting because it demonstrates that Texas is ready, not just to rebuild, but to rebuild stronger than ever."

cocktails

Coming soon

Cuban-style burger chain Frita Batidos to make Texas debut in Dallas

Photo by Noah Fecks

Frita Batidos' signature burgers and milkshakes, along with crispy fried plantains.

An acclaimed Cuban-inspired burger restaurant from Michigan is making its Texas debut in in Dallas' buzzy McKinney-Knox neighborhood: Called Frita Batidos, it will open at 4620 McKinney Ave., just off the Katy Trail, on August 17, a release says.

Founded by chef Eve Aronoff Fernandez, Frita Batidos debuted in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 2010 and has since expanded to Detroit and Brooklyn. The Brooklyn location earned national attention after its signature Frita was named one of New York City's best burgers by The New York Times.

The restaurant serves Cuban-style street food and takes its name from two Cuban staples that are the focus of its menu: fritas, the island's signature burgers, and batidos, tropical fruit milkshakes.

Their fritas are served on a soft egg bun and topped with shoestring fries. Options include beef, housemade chorizo, chicken, black bean, and Gulf redfish, with toppings such as cilantro-lime salsa, avocado spread, tropical slaw, Muenster cheese, and a sunny-side-up egg.

Frita Baditos Frita, a Cuban-style burger.Photo by Noah Fecks

Their batidos are made with vanilla bean ice cream and fresh fruit in flavors such as coconut cream, passion fruit, fresh lime, hibiscus, chocolate español, and cajeta. Guests can also order a lighter version made with mango, pineapple, and crushed ice, or add a splash of dark rum to any shake.

Other menu highlights include crisped plantains with dipping sauces, loaded plantains topped with black beans and cheese, coconut-ginger rice layered with black beans and Muenster cheese, churros, cinnamon-sugar plantains, and rotating housemade paletas.

The beverage menu features cocktails such as a margarita, mojito, piña colada, daiquiri, sangria, and pisco hibiscus lemonade, along with housemade tropical sodas, fresh juices, and nonalcoholic versions of its cocktails.

"Frita Batidos emphasizes fresh, high-quality, locally sourced ingredients, served with care in a warm and welcoming atmosphere to create a community gathering place," the owners say in the release.

The Dallas restaurant occupies a bright, airy space designed by architect Neal Robinson, a longtime collaborator on the brand's restaurants. The dining room features communal picnic-style tables, outlets for guests who want to work while dining, and dominoes for customers to play. A mural by graffiti artist FEL3000ft emblazoned with the phrase "Por Que No?!" serves as the centerpiece.

Frita Baditos Badito, a tropical milkshake.Photo by Noah Fecks

Frita Batidos founder Aronoff Fernandez is a a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef who previously owned the acclaimed Ann Arbor, Michigan restaurant Eve and authored the cookbook Eve: Contemporary Cuisine/Methode Traditionelle. She founded Frita Baditos in 2010, she says, "grounded in the tenets of the Slow Food Movement, following the seasons, cooking from scratch, working with small, local purveyors and farmers and most importantly fostering warmth and conviviality around food."

Frita Batidos will be open Sunday-Wednesday from 11 am-10 pm and Thursday-Saturday from 11 am-11 pm.

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