two guys and a mezcal

Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul hit Dallas for mezcal meet-and-greet with fans

Meet Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston as they sig bottles of their booze.

Photo courtesy of Dos Hombres

Like so many great ideas, it all began over drinks.

A few years ago, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, the award-winning stars of the critically acclaimed cult fave series Breaking Bad, sat in a New York sushi spot, devising ways to work together as the show had ended and acting projects together were rare. Hey, the duo thought as they sipped, cocktails why not start a liquor brand — maybe a mezcal?

And so, just as Cranston's Walter White in Breaking Bad devised the perfect solution to bankroll his cancer treatment, the pair devised and eventually launched Dos Hombres mezcal in 2019. Now, Dallas fans can meet Cranston and Paul at a bottle signing event beginning at 11 am Saturday, January 21 at Total Wine & More (9350 N US 75-Central Expy. 1000).

Attendees should arrive early and expect a long line.

Unlike so many celeb cocktails, Dos Hombres (named by the pair to reflect "two guys on a quest") celebrates the love of mezcal; the company distills small-batch mezcal and avoids modern processes under the direction of third-generation mezcalero Gregorio Velasco. Production is led by Gregorio in San Luis del Rio, Oaxaca at the same traditional palenque where Velasco's ancestors have been making mezcal for many decades, per the company.

As the big names behind the brand, Cranston and Paul have been hitting venues across the country spreading the word of Dos Hombres. The two hombres put in the work, posing for pics, signing the bottles, and enjoying spirited talk with fans of the show and booze.

DFW fans who want to meet the Breaking Bad boys may get a chance to chat with the stars — especially on the intriguing origin story. “In our show we have a mentor-mentee relationship,” Cranston shared with Esquire about the Walter White/Jesse Pinkman dynamic. “But Aaron’s the guy who's really the brains of the [Dos Hombres] output. He started it all. It was his idea. He knows more about business than I do. Someone has to be the cover girl, and that’s me.”

celebrities

Deli News

Gourmet market Ari's Pantry to open in Dallas' Trinity Groves

Ari's Pantry

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A new gourmet grocery is coming to Trinity Groves: Ari's Pantry, the market launched in Oak Cliff by husband-and-wife Ari and Amy Lowenstein, will open a second location in West Dallas’ Trinity Groves, with a grand opening celebration on Saturday, November 30.

Located at 3011 Gulden Ln. #119 in the space that was once home to Potato Flats who remembers them, the Trinity Groves store will offer: pasta, olive oil, vinegars, preserves, candy, bread, crackers, cheese, meats, pizza dough, fresh pasta, housewares, cocktail ingredients, novelty kitchen gadgets, spices, prepared foods, fresh pesto and Ari’s own tomato sauce.

“We are excited to open our newest location at Trinity Groves joining the great businesses already there and the wave of new ventures opening in the development,” Ari Lowenstein says in a release. “With this location we will reach a new audience in West Dallas and be closer to our customers coming from downtown and the north.”

The couple opened their first location in Winnetka Heights at 1307 ½ W. Davis St. in December 2023 to fulfill Ari's passion for all things Italy. The idea was a small Italian food store with recipe-ready staples, with a hyper-local vibe. It has since blossomed into a general-purpose gourmet stop.

In addition to the food staples for sale found at their Bishop Arts location, Ari’s Trinity Groves location will also include a commercial catering kitchen that will enable them to provide full-service catering, prepared meal pick-up, pasta classes, and private dinners.

“Amy and Ari bring something new and special to this development as our first partner to offer consumer packaged goods made by people and companies outside of Trinity Groves,” said Sam Romano, Partner at West Dallas Investments, parent company of Trinity Groves. “They are part of the vision we have for the future of Trinity Groves that will combine innovative, up and coming chefs and restauranteurs with lifestyle and entertainment options like pickleball, bocce ball, popup events, arcade game play and additional retail partners.”

The Ari's empire doesn't stop here: Their goal is to open multiple locations "in all corners of DFW and beyond," and that includes a location in the Cyprus Waters community in Coppell, slated to open in spring 2025.

downtown openings