Holiday News

4 Dallas bars go nuts for holidays with Christmas-themed pop-ups

Festive tableau from St. Henry's Winter Wonderland.

Courtesy photo

Dallas bars have gone pop-up crazy for the holidays in 2021 with four bars hosting temporary installations featuring a Christmas-y theme.

Themed pop-ups have been a local bar trend for a couple of years but the trend has boomed with Christmas pop-ups. It's no longer enough to do a minty martini, you gotta do a pop-up, and that means holiday decor which can provide a backdrop for photos.

Here's four bars where you can find some souped-up Christmas cheer:

St. Henry Winter Wonderland
November 23-January 2
Dallas restaurant-bar The Henry will bring back its holiday pop-up bar St. Henry Winter Wonderland, a festive experience on their rooftop with themed cocktails and seasonal winter-inspired dishes.

Beverages will include St. Henry’s Schnapps Flight, with apple, cinnamon, butterscotch, and fernet branca; or the adorned Junior & Mrs. Mint, with vanilla-infused Belvedere Vodka, white chocolate, and peppermint schnapps. A St. Henry holiday-specific menu with sweet and savory bites will include Deviled Crab Dip, with garlic toast and charred lemon; Whole Baked Brie, with red onion jam, crackers, and crostini; and Croissant Bread Pudding, with toasted pecan, caramel ice cream, and whiskey raisins.

Reservations are encouraged for parties of six or more. Parties of 10 or more can book a private party by contacting Special Events Manager Brittany Sims, at 469-520-1084 or emailing bsims@foxrc.com.

Tipsy Elf
November 26-December 31
Bishop Arts 2020 holiday pop-up Tipsy Elf from hospitality group Exxir (Casablanca, Paradiso, Botanist, Tejas) returns on November 26 to the former Good Companions space on the corner of Bishop Avenue and Melba Street, which will be bursting with Christmas decor, ornaments, trees, and mistletoe.

This year, Tipsy Elf joins forces with the Mermaid Raw Bar & Champagne Room next door to create an expansive covered outdoor patio. Instagram-friendly entity Larry the Elf will snap photos, joined by Mrs. Claus, better known as Gloria Devine, who will do nightly readings of naughty letters to Santa. Festive cocktails will be created by Exxir’s Beverage Director Iluggy Recinos.

Special events will include Nights with Daddy Santa, an Ugly Sweater Party, Drag Bingo with Mrs. Claus, and Naughty Cookie Decorating. Tipsy Elf will be walk-in only, but the space is also available for private events.

Miracle Bar
November 22-December 31
The original holiday pop-up which started all this madness in 2014, the New York-based concept Miracle Bar returns to Dallas (and about 200 other cities across the U.S.) to the Royal 38 in Uptown. It'll feature Christmas décor, outdoor seating, and a menu of cocktails such as the Christmapolitan, Christmas Carol Barrel, Snowball Old-Fashioned, Jingle Balls Nog, Nice Shot, and Naughty Shot.

They also sell glassware and other merchandise, and each location hosts various events such as Ugly Christmas Sweater parties.

Sippin' Santa
November 22-December 31
A tropical baby brother of the Miracle Bar, Sippin' Santa returns to Dallas, this time taking up residence at RoPo & Logan, the Midwestern-inspired dive bar in Deep Ellum in the former Hide space (which has a history with Christmas-themed pop-ups, since it used to host Miracle Bar) (plus its owners own Royal 38, which is hosting Miracle Bar). Sippin' Santa gives the Christmas pop-up a tropical twist with tiki drinks. Tiki + nostalgic Christmas, that's two themes in one.

This year's roster features the White Russian Christmas, Azul Navidad, Yule Log Grog, The Regifter, and Mistletoe-to-Toe.

Pizza News

Donatos Pizza debuts in Texas with first opening in Frisco

Donatos

Donatos Pizza

An anticipated pizza chain is about to make its Dallas debut: Donatos Pizza, the franchise famous for spreading its toppings to the very edge of the crust, will open its first location in Texas at 8990 Coit Rd. in Frisco.

According to a release, it'll open on November 12.

Donatos is so into its method of distributing toppings all the way to the edge that they have registered a phrase: Edge to Edge® pizza.

Their menu features more than a dozen varieties of pizza such as veggie, four cheese, and pepperoni with hot honey. Their signature crust is a thin-crust but they also offer thicker alternatives as well as a cauliflower crust. Pizzas come in a 7-inch individual and go all the way up to a 14-inch large. Prices range from $15 to $25.

Fans appreciate their better-than-average ingredients and describe it as more flavorful compared to other corporate pizza chains, with a crisp thin crust and generous toppings.

In addition to pizza, Donatos' menu includes oven-baked wings, sub sandwiches, including meatball and Italian cold cuts, plus appetizers and salads.

“Opening a Donatos Pizza location in Texas is a dream come true for us. As lifelong fans of Donatos, we’re thrilled to bring this beloved Ohio-based brand to the Frisco community,” said Casey Dennis, co-owner of Donatos Pizza Frisco. “We can’t wait for everyone to experience great pizza and join us for some fun at the grand opening on November 12th.”

Bringing Donatos to Frisco are two three natives of Ohio, all with a connection to Donatos: Dr. Rico Singleton, Casey Dennis, and Cameron Hopkins — all eager to share their long-time love of Donatos in their new home in Texas. They also share a brotherhood through Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., which emphasizes initiatives like Bigger and Better Business, reflecting their entrepreneurial spirit.

Singleton is a native of Zanesville, Ohio, with a background in Information Technology who has lived in Texas for 8 years. Dennis is from Columbus, has a degree in pharmacy, is lifelong friends with Singleton, and has also lived here for eight years. Hopkins is also a native of Columbus, with a background in software engineering and real estate investing and has lived here five years.

They're also opening another location in the Dallas area in Flower Mound, coming later this year.

“Bringing Donatos Pizza to Texas marks a historic milestone as we begin this exciting journey to expand the brand throughout the DFW area,” says Donatos President and CEO Kevin King. “We look forward to becoming an integral part of the Frisco community through our promise to serve the best pizza and make your day a little better.”

Donatos Pizza was founded in 1963 when Ohio State sophomore Jim Grote bought a small pizza shop in Columbus, Ohio, where the company is headquartered. At one point, Donatos was bought out by McDonald’s in 1999. By 2003, Grote bought it back.

Ther are currently 470-plus locations in 28 states. That includes 175 stores plus nearly 300 non-traditional locations nationwide, including select Red Robin restaurants.

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