Igloo News

Rooftop bubble bars with igloos return to Dallas for Christmas holiday

Cozy igloos let you imbibe under the winter sky.

Adolphus

Dallas' coolest holiday bar phenomenon is back: Rooftop "bubble bars" featuring cozy igloos are returning, with installations at three Dallas-area hotels.

Rooftop igloo bars are a trend that first bubbled up in Dallas in 2019, then surged in 2020 during the cautious pandemic days, when people were trying to find ways to be social during coronavirus times, before blossoming into their own full-blown sizzling-hot thing.

Also referred to as garden igloos, these "bubbles" are like plastic caves, like a geodesic dome, where you can hang out and imbibe under the winter sky, protected by your bubble from the elements.

Three locations have set the stage for bubble bars in 2021, including two in downtown Dallas and the other in Historic Downtown Grapevine, as follows:

Waterproof Lounge
Waterproof, the rooftop bar on the 19th floor of the Statler Dallas hotel in downtown Dallas, pioneered the rooftop igloo bar in Dallas in 2019, and brings it back for 2021 with a thematic twist.

Dubbed "Winterproof," the installation will observe a ski lodge theme: The bartenders will be "ski instructors" and the waitresses will be "ski bunnies," while the interior will have a ski-lodge-like decor.

The igloos, called Snow Clouds, come in two sizes — one large and three not-as-large — as follows:

Large Snow Cloud can accommodate a party of eight. Nicknamed "Cloud 19," it starts at $500 for two hours.
Small Snow Clouds fit two to four people and begin at $300 for two hours.

The igloos must be reserved in advance, and there's a two-hour minimum. Make reservations here.

Miracle on Commerce
Illuminated igloos return to The Adolphus hotel in downtown Dallas, who are transforming their rooftop into a winter wonderland, with cozy cabins, illuminated igloos, warm boozy cocktails, and tableside smores, as part of the hotel's much larger annual celebration of the holidays.

The igloos debuted November 17 and will be available through January 30.

Their poolside cabanas are now poolside "cabins" with miniature hearths, and they have 8 igloos ready for groups to reserve. They'll also bring back their miniature curling rink, for that Winter Olympics vibe.

Igloos and cabins are available by reservation only, Wednesday-Saturday nights, with two seatings:

Early (4-7:30 pm)

Small Cabins (2 - 4 people) - $200 rental comes with one bottle of Sparkling Wine
Large Cabins (2 - 8 people) - $350 rental comes with two bottles of Sparkling Wine
Igloo (2 - 4 people) - $300 rental comes with a bottle of Premium Sparkling Wine

Late (8 pm to "late")

Small Cabins (2 - 4 people) - $300 rental comes with one bottle of Sparkling Wine
Large Cabins (2 - 8 people) - $450 rental comes with two bottles of Sparkling Wine
Igloo (2 - 4 people) - $400 rental comes with a bottle of Premium Sparkling Wine

A special holiday menu will include spirited holiday cocktails such as the Honey Bear Eggnog and Kentucky Hot Coco, plus bite-sized snacks such as Merry Mac & Cheese Balls and Señor Santo’s Tamale Bites.

Additional seating areas are open on a first-come, first-serve basis. So you can come and watch other people having fun inside their igloos. Maybe stand right outside and gaze in longingly.

Hotel Vin
The 120-room boutique hotel in downtown Grapevine that's home to Bacchus Kitchen + Bar and Harvest Hall brings back their rooftop "bubbles," located on the Rioja Rooftop Terrace, the hotel's fourth-floor terrace bar.

They'll debut on November 26.

They have eight bubbles total. Each seats up to 6-8 guests. They come with blankets and heaters to keep your party warm, and if you want service, you press a button and the bubbles light up to alert hotel staff.

This year, they've formalized with three official options:

Happy Hour Bubble, 4-5 pm. Bring your bubble to our bubbles for a one-hour experience to enjoy drinks and fondue! We get you started with a bottle of Seguras Viudas Heredad Cava. $100
Two-Hour Bar Bubble, 5:30 or 8 pm. Same as the happy hour bubble, just more time to enjoy your bubble.
Full Dining Bubble, 5:30 or 8 pm. Seasonally inspired three-course dinner, comes with a bottle of wine. Dinner is $150 per person, with a minimum of 4 guests.

You can make your reservation online at www.opentable.com/r/rioja-rooftop-bar-grapevine.

holidays

Chai News

Dubai tea chain Filli Cafe steams into Carrollton for Dallas debut

fillicafe.com

Snack and coffee from Filli Cafe

An international tea house chain from Dubai has made its Dallas debut: Called Filli Cafe, it just opened softly in Carrollton at 1205 W. Trinity Mills Rd. #101, in the same center as Al Markaz Restaurant and Groceries.

Dubbed "Dubai's most loved tea cafe chain," Filli Cafe is known for its signature Zafran chai tea and creative South Asian street foods including chaats and wraps.

The chain was born in Dubai in 2004 when founder Rafih Filli took over his father's small cafeteria in Dubai and rebranded it, using his high school nickname "Filli." He created Filli Cafe's intriguing menu and also established its laid-back culture, emphasizing it as a place for friends to hang out, with a motto of "global street bites, chai moments, and a whole lot of Tea n' Talk."

It has since grown to more than 74 cafes across 14 countries, and made its debut in the U.S. in 2022 with the first location opening in Sugar Land near Houston. There are now nine locations in the U.S. including Chicago, New York, Virginia, and Columbus, Ohio.

The DFW location is from the same group of friends and family that brought it to Houston, led by food & beverage veteran Sajid Iqbal, who says they plan to open at least one or two more locations in the DFW area.

Beverages
The signature Zafran Chai is a rich milk tea with saffron, sugar, and "secret" spices, while the Karak Chai is a traditional, strong spiced milk tea.

These are a departure from typical chai which contains a mix of spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Karak chai opts for fewer spices — often just cardamom or saffron — and relies on extra-strong black tea simmered with evaporated or condensed milk.

Filli also sells regularly spiced masala chai; traditional pink Kashmiri chai with cardamom and almonds; and milk with zafran — like their signature Zafran Chai, but minus the tea.

Beyond chai, there are espresso-based drinks such as cappuccino and latte; matcha lattes; hot chocolate; coffee drinks like dalgona, the trendy whipped coffee with steamed milk; iced coffees; frappuccino-style frozen drinks; iced tea and herbal teas of all kinds; lemonades in various flavors; and even mocktails like fruity mojitos.

Food and drink at Filli Cafe. www.visitdelohio.com

Food
The food is a creative, well-executed fusion of familiar dishes like breakfast and burgers with South Asian spices. For example, the Shawarma Jalapeno Melt with marinated shawarma chicken, jalapenos, and cheese.

There are also

sliders — in five varieties including beef burger, fried chicken, and Aloo Tikki Sliders featuring a crispy fried Aloo cutlet — aka potato patties — all served on Hawaiian buns
paratha rolls — a South Asian street food featuring kebabs or vegetables enclosed in a flaky, pan-fried flatbread called a paratha
samosas — fried dumplings with a variety of fillings
chaat — a street style snack with chickpeas, potatoes, yogurt, and tamarind-mint sauce, topped with crispy wafers, onions, green chillies, tomatoes, cilantro, and chaat masala
rice bowls
loaded fries
pizza, in a long oblong format, in varieties such as one topped with Indian butter chicken

The menu is entirely halal, meaning that all ingredients are processed according to Islamic guidelines. Food prices range from $8 to $20, while the beverages range from $2.50 to $8.

Iqbal notes that Filla Cafe has wide appeal, whether it's people seeking halal foods, people who crave fusion flavors, or people who love coffee.

"We have a motto on the wall, 'Uniting cultures, one cup at a time,'" he says.

coffee openings