Talented mixologist

Dallas cocktail innovator Keith LaBonte, owner of Four Lounge, passes away

Keith LaBonte, the talented mixologist and owner of Four Lounge in Uptown Dallas, passed away on Sunday night. He was only 41.

LaBonte opened Four Lounge in 2008 in a cute little niche off McKinney Avenue and quickly established it as a Sex and the City kind of bar with a strong female clientele. He was known for candy-flavored cocktails that incorporated sweet flavors such as cotton candy, Oreos and banana split.

A friend who asked not to be identified said he heard that LaBonte had died in his sleep. Word spread quickly on Monday among the mixology set, with cocktail gurus like Brian McCullough of Standard Pour calling him "a passionate man, a great friend and a unique individual," whose "zest for life was inspiring" and his passing "way too soon."

Dubbed a mad scientist behind the bar, LaBonte's charm and hospitality made him as much of a draw as his over-the-top cocktails.

A savvy social media practitioner, LaBonte was still posting updates on his Facebook page on Saturday night, when he said, "Good night Facebook someone has a big day tomorrow."

A native of Boston, LaBonte cut his teeth in mixology as food and beverage manager at the Westin Hotel outside Boston, where he oversaw the main restaurant, two lounges and a nightclub. He went on to The Rack, a swanky Boston haunt that was featured on the Food Network and the E! Entertainment channel.

He moved to Dallas in 2004 to become beverage manager for Trece Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Lounge. He helped open Four Lounge in 2008 and became sole owner in 2010. Dubbed a mad scientist behind the bar, his charm and hospitality made him as much of a draw as his over-the-top cocktails.

He consulted on cocktail menus for other restaurants, such as Pepper Smash in Plano, where his artillery included liquid nitrogen, smoke machines and other molecular mixology techniques. And, on Saturday, he announced his purchase of Uptown Barbers, the barber shop adjacent to the lounge.

Some of you know already and members of the press wanted to be the first to leak it out, but I wanted our fans to hear it from me first .......... we did it!!! We bought out the lease next door. Four is getting bigger. We will be allowing extra seating next week and January we start build out. Its been 5 years in the making :)

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Deep Ellum News

Ex-Deep Ellum speakeasy paves way for spiffy new Dallas restaurant-bar

Scarlet Lounge & Kitchen

In sad news, a Dallas speakeasy has closed. In happy news, there's a swanky new restaurant and bar in its place: Called Scarlet Lounge & Kitchen, it recently opened at 2618 Elm St., in the Deep Ellum space that was home for more than a decade to Truth & Alibi, which closed in August after 11 years.

Scarlet Lounge & Kitchen is from Victor García, who is very familiar with the location: He built a career at Truth & Alibi, starting as a dishwasher 10 years ago, and climbing the ranks to become bartender at the pioneering bar that helped usher in Dallas' great speakeasy era of 2021-2022.

Garcia had already been looking for a location to open his own restaurant and lounge, when he learned that Truth & Alibi owners Chris and Mark Beardon were going to close their Deep Ellum concept.

“I took care of the place as if it were mine," Garcia says. "It is home to me, so this was the perfect opportunity for me to bring my dream to life. Every time I come here, it reminds me of the first day I stepped into this place. It changed my life."

A native of Michoacán, Mexico, who moved to Dallas when he nine years old, Garcia also previously worked at the now-closed Avenu Lounge.

At Scarlet Lounge & Kitchen, he's kept some of the key elements of the former space, such as the layout and chandeliers. But he's also added brighter elements that help transition the space from sophisticated and welcoming restaurant into a lounge and nightclub after 10 pm, with thematic events, DJs on weekends, burlesque on Wednesdays, and Sunday socials.

For food, he partnered with chef Mike Church to build a menu that provides a highly creative fusion of Spanish and American cuisine with Latin elements. There are "diablo" deviled eggs, Spanish risotto, ceviche, and an elote "dip" with all the good parts of the Mexican corn dish fashioned into a dip.

Entrees include flank steak with chimichurri sauce and Latin-braised chicken with olives, peppers, onions, and tomatoes with penne pasta. There are tapas-style dishes such as papas fritas, and intriguing vegetarian items such as a portobello steak, or beet tostadas layered with goat cheese, apple, and pistachio. Dessert includes a clever tres leches carrot cake.

Prices are reasonable, ranging from $8-$16 for appetizers and $18-$24 for entrees.

Scarlet Garden cocktail Spanish Garden cocktail served in a "bird cage".Scarlet Lounge

The creativity also shows in the cocktails, where bartender Hector Santana (Tipsy Alchemist, Snowbird) serves innovative drinks with theatrical Instagram-friendly presentations. These include a tequila Reposado and pineapple Piña para la Niña cocktail and a drink called Spanish Garden, containing rum, passion fruit, and strawberry, served with frozen fruits in a lighted bird cage, with nitrogen that creates a wall of smoke.

They've also kept some Truth & Alibi favorites such as the 12am Alibi, Fushia Fusion, Lies and Secrets and Black Bourbon Smash.

They've kept the late-night hours on weekends, open Friday-Sunday from 5 pm to 2 am, and Tuesday-Thursday 5 pm-10 pm. They host a generous happy hour from 5-7 pm with 20% off food and drink specials, and unlike most places in the area, they offer complimentary valet during restaurant hours.

Beyond the creative food, drink, and atmosphere, Garcia is laser-focused on customer service — on good hospitality.

"People walk by and come check us out," Garcia says. "Once there are here, we do our best as an entire team to offer the best service. We are very happy that customers that try us all leave with a positive experience. That is our main focus."

deep-ellum trends openings