Veggie Tales

Fried-chicken favorite Max's Wine Dive introduces Meatless Mondays

Max's Wine Dive in Dallas embraces bold ideas.
Photo by Kelly Knight
Arugula and peach salad is part of Max's Wine Dive's Meatless Monday program.
Photo courtesy of Max's Wine Dive

Known for its signature fried chicken, Max's Wine Dive is taking a giant step for mankind — at least vegetarian mankind — with a Meatless Mondays program that debuts June 24. The restaurant will offer a weekly meatless special prepared by chef Patrick Russell for $14.

To further incentivize the meatless-dining experience, all other vegetarian dishes on the menu will be 25 percent off. Those include Max's mac and cheese, arugula and peach salad, heirloom tomato salad with feta, mozzarella bruschetta, creamy yellow squash soup scented with saffron, and tomato soup served with a grilled cheese sandwich.

"It's true that chicken is the thing at Max's, but we embrace bold ideas," says chef Patrick Russell.

Nightly specials might be pasta, quinoa or a meatless meatloaf, Russell says.

"My sous chef, ~~Karen~~ Kerin Rodriguez, is a vegetarian, and we've been working on menu items together," he says. "She inspired this, in terms of trying to relate to her and how she eats; that's how it started.

"I like it because it puts me out of my comfort zone. But it's something that I'm definitely interested in. My first fall menu when we opened was a vegetarian risotto, which we also offered in a vegan version."

Meatless Mondays were also observed at New England Culinary Institute in Vermont, which Russell attended. "Aside from eating healthier, it was designed to raise awareness about reducing our impact on the environment, about trying to reduce our carbon footprint and measuring the amount of energy expended to raise livestock," he says.

Even though Max's is a chain, Russell has the autonomy to try this at the Dallas store only. If it does well, they may introduce the idea to other locations.

"It's true that chicken is the thing at Max's, but we embrace bold ideas," he says. "We like the juxtaposition of comfort food meets fine dining meets wine bar. We're trying to all the time stand on our heads."

unspecified

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.

greenville-avenue tex-mex openings