Henderson Avenue Beer News

Black Forest Biergarten adds German accent to Henderson Avenue

With all the German heritage in Texas, it makes sense for Dallas to have a German-style biergarten. In February, we will, when Black Forest Biergarten opens off Henderson Avenue at the corner of McMillan.

Black Forest will have German beers on tap, a German-themed menu and a spacious patio that will do its best to re-create the spirit of Munich. The place comes from Blake and Di Ann Bogus, who got their feet wet in the bar business as owners of Knox Street Pub in Uptown Dallas. After seven years, they were ready to try something different, so they sold the bar in June 2013.

Black Forest will have German beers on tap, a German-themed menu and a spacious patio that will do its best to re-create the spirit of Munich.

"We wanted a different feel than Uptown provided, something more casual and something that could include our teenage kids," Di Ann says.

Their quest led them to the idea of a German beer garden. In addition to locally made sausage and German-made or -influenced beers, it will embrace a concept they call Gemütlichkeit, which they define as the "notion of belonging, social acceptance, cheerfulness, the absence of anything hectic and the opportunity to spend quality time."

They're going into what used to be the Save Way Market, next to Slip Inn and across from both Beauty Bar and Barcadia. The space itself will be about 1,800 square feet, with a 2,000-square-foot patio.

"The old store will be the inside part, and the patio is going where the parking lot used to be," Di Ann says. "We're putting in garage door openings that lead out onto a covered patio and an outdoor patio that's to open to the elements."

The menu is "brat-based," she says. "If you eat meat, you can eat a sausage," she says. "But we're looking for a sausage that's vegan too. And pizza, and a big soft pretzel. Everyone likes pretzels."

The bar will have 10 taps, with beers such as Paulaner Oktoberfest and Real Ale's Hans' Pils, plus specialty drinks. There will also be TVs for watching soccer and football, as well as live music Thursday through Saturday.

"What we're doing is not like anything else there," Di Ann says. "We're hoping not to take business but to generate more, and to enhance the eclectic atmosphere of that area."

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Greenville Avenue News

Las Brasas to do Mexican and grilled meats on Dallas' Greenville Ave

Las Brasas

A meaty new restaurant is opening on Dallas' Greenville Avenue: Called Las Brasas, it'll open at 1424 Greenville Ave., next door to Palapas, the seafood restaurant from partners Tim Goza and Gustavo De Los Rios (owner of Mami Coco), who are also opening this new venture.

Goza says the concept is inspired by the cuisine found north of Monterrey and Mexico. It'll open in mid-March.

Goza first opened Palapas Seafood Bar in the former home of Dallas Tortilla and Tamale Factory in 2014, and has survived more than a decade on Greenville Avenue — no small feat. Las Brasas will be like a companion concept to Palapas.

"Palapas is very much about seafood while this will be primarily steaks and chicken, cooked over a wood grill we had made in Monterey," Goza says. "It's pulled from the style they do there — the way they cook meat over charcoal and wood. We had a grill custom-made, which helps you control your cooking by providing a way to pull your chicken and steaks off the heat cook it a little bit slower."

Las Brasas entrees will be brought to the table in portable little grills made of cast iron, almost like the plate used to deliver sizzling fajitas.

Everything is a la carte, whether its sliced rib eye, pork, or chicken cooked butterflied half or whole on the same grill. There are also Mexican dishes like Los Piratas — blue corn tortilla with Oaxaca cheese and choice of pork, chicken, steak, or sweetbreads, topped with pico and molcajete sauce. There are dishes to share like the Brasero for two, featuring a half grilled chicken, arrachera, half rack of pork ribs, and sausage, with corn, onions, charro beans, queso fundido, molcajete sauce, and tortillas.

They'll also be open for brunch with chilaquiles and huevos rancheros. And of course, there will be tequila from a brand with which Goza is involved.

"We'll also showcase Dos Perros tequila — the only tequila we'll serve," Goza says.

The space was recently home to a weekend brunch pop-up, but they've added decorative features, recycled from found objects such as a gas firepit that Goza had made out of an old wind pump from his ranch in Alvarado, and an old rail car that came from Cleburne rail yard, which will serve as a party table on patio.

"We feel like that will be a big hit for us," he says.

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