Cocktail Klatch

Christy Pope and Chad Solomon don't want to reinvent cocktails, just how youthink about them

Christy Pope and Chad Solomon of New York's Cuffs & Buttons are designing thebeverage program at upcoming CBD Provisions at the Joule.
Photo courtesy of Christy Pope and Chad Solomon
The Joule is undergoing a reno, including the addition of CBD Provisions in thespring.
Photo by Eric Laignel

They have the pedigree, but Christy Pope andChad Solomon swear they’re not drinking snobs.

As co-founders of the New York-based beverage consulting company Cuffs & Buttons, they could be excused for turning up their noses at some Old Crow. Not everyone wants to hang out with the Bukowskis of the world, but Pope and Solomon know that it doesn’t hurt every once in a while.

“We consider ourselves unabashed enthusiasts,” Solomon says. “There’s nothing wrong with cheaper drinks; it’s all about context. We’re as likely to drink a Miller High Life as we are a Manhattan.”

“We consider ourselves unabashed enthusiasts,” Solomon says. “We’re as likely to drink a Miller High Life as we are a Manhattan.”

That attitude is helping them to establish the bar menu for the Joule’s new eatery CBD Provisions, from Consilient’s Tristan Simon, opening in spring 2013. The beverage program will center on modern American cocktails done simply and consistently.

“This is a pretty sizable restaurant,” Pope says, “so we’re focusing on doing classic drinks that can be done at a high volume. We’re not going crazy with the innovation. We want to do really killer renditions of these three- or four-ingredient drinks.”

They are focusing on what they consider the “mother sauces” of cocktails — sours, Collins, fizzes and aperitifs.

Solomon and Pope have had a hand in the Dallas cocktail scene dating back to 2008, when Pope was a consultant for Victor Tangos, another Consilient spot. She also designed the bar menu at Simon’s now-closed Alma.

So when Simon called her up a few months ago to talk about CBD, she and Solomon were listening.

“We had developed a great relationship with Tristan,” Pope says. “So we came down to see the space.”

Pope and Solomon now have a residence in Dallas. They split their time between here and New York, as they work on Cuffs & Buttons and establish what they want CBD to be.

“Dallas is where New York was in about 2006,” Pope says, referring to the mixology scene. “There’s definitely this enthusiasm in the bartenders.”

“Dallas is where New York was in about 2006,” Pope says, referring to the mixology scene. “There’s definitely this enthusiasm in the bartenders, and they’re teaching the clientele. Of course, drinkers have a more evolved palate. It’s about getting the general clientele to pick up on it, and then it grows from there.”

Solomon believes that there is now a holistic approach to dining.

“It’s not just about great food or great drinks,” he says. “It’s experiential, and it’s causing everyone to step up into that space.”

But they’re also interested in just how much marketing has to do with what people consider quality spirits.

“The branding and marketing can obfuscate the product itself,” Solomon says. “We’ve found that when we do a blind selection, there are some phenomenal down-market drinks that people really like.”

So when CBD starts serving drinks next spring, don’t worry too much about whether that whiskey sour is full of Maker’s Mark or Old Crow. Just worry about whether it’s good or not. With Solomon and Pope behind the bar, chances are it will be.

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Fried Chicken News

Dallas restaurant chain re-emerges as Mr. Wong's Chicken & Rice

Mr. Wong's

Mr. Wong's Chicken & Rice

A Dallas restaurant chain known for hand-battered chicken fingers and wings has officially re-emerged with a new lease on life: Now called Mr. Wong’s Chicken & Rice, it's a family-owned concept with six locations across DFW, including one at 2415 W. Illinois Ave., which just reopened following a two-week renovation.

Oak Cliff was the final stroke in a company-wide refresh and rebranding, with floor-to-ceiling upgrades, new furniture, and updated dining rooms.

Founded by Nick Wong — dubbed "Mr. Wong" by customers — the chain debuted in 1989 at 2878 W. Northwest Hwy., just above Dallas Love Field.

They became known for their menu of fried chicken with an Asian-Polynesian theme including "Hawaiian" wings in sweet & sour sauce, stir-fried dishes, and fried rice, available plain or with choice of beef, chicken, or shrimp.

The food is a bargain: A chicken tender meal starts at $7 for four fingers, or $9 for Hawaiian wings. A family meal with 15 chicken fingers starts at $17. It's also made to order, so you're advised to order ahead or else expect to wait 15 minutes before it's done.

Fried chicken Mr. Wong's Mr. Wong's chicken tenders, fried rice, egg roll.Mr. Wong's

Their chicken tenders are unique in that the batter is almost like a tempura batter. It results in a golden crust that's lighter, crunchier, "shaggier" than the usual fried chicken crust. According to Mr. Wong's marketing officer Jon Rice, they still use the same family recipe they've used since they were founded in 1989.

Back then, they were known as "The Original Chicken-N-Rice," and they went on to open locations in Pleasant Grove, North Dallas, and Irving.

Namesake Mister Wong died in 2021 but the business is now run by his daughter, Alisha, who has helped steer the company through a rebrand that began in 2020. Their new name celebrates the man who founded the company — while injecting some personality that sets them apart from the competition.

“We did an entire rebrand, from 'The Original CNR' to Mr. Wong’s Chicken & Rice,” Rice says.

At the same time, they began upgrades that included toning down the red-and-yellow color scheme seen in their decor and marketing materials for a more modern palette, with wide bench seating and a black tiled ceiling in their dining rooms, differentiating them in color and design from the many similar-appearing chicken-and-rice restaurant chains.

They've overhauled all of their locations. Some involved updates to the dining room and cashier area; others were relocated and underwent full construction.

Oak Cliff is the last Mr.Wong's to get an update. They’re still waiting for artwork, featuring two framed pictures of food and a two-wall mural illustrating the history of Mr. Wong's, starting with Wong's immigration to the U.S. following college graduation in 1971.

Not every location is the same — and that means that curious customers who want a glimpse of the "Who is Mr. Wong?" wall which features a portrait and bio of the trailblazing founder, will need to drive to the location in Pleasant Grove. Fortunately, the wings and tenders are the same.

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