Bishop Arts News

Tasting room-bar in Dallas' Bishop Arts will let you make your own gin

Gin & tonic

Photo courtesy of De[luxe] Design Studio, Houzz

A one-of-a-kind tasting room-bar is coming to Dallas' Bishop Arts District: It's called Lucky Gin and is opening at 390 W. Seventh St. in Bishop Arts, where it will serve as a distillery, tasting room, and do-it-yourself classroom where you can concoct your own recipe, distill it in house, bottle it, and take it home with you at the end of class.

They'll also produce bottled gin under the ˈLəkē label; ˈləkē is the phonetic spelling of "lucky" in Irish.

Slated to open in May, the concept is from entrepreneur Madison Scott, who previously founded jewelry brand Mad Jewels, and who became acquainted with the concept of creating your own gin in Ireland, where her family is from.

In Ireland, gin schools are very popular. She decided to fill a gap in Dallas where gin tends to lag behind other more popular liquors. But her motivation is not just driven by her passion for gin.

“I have celiac disease, so I designed ˈLəkē to be clean, pure on purpose," she says.

Gin is gluten-free, but some additives or flavors might not be good for people with celiac disease. She made sure hers is.

ˈLəkē gins will be the exclusive gin at the bar, which will also serve other liquors, wine, and beer. Cocktails will consist of classics with a twist, such as 'Ləkē Gimlet, ˈLəkē 'Tini and ˈLəkē 75, as well as Rosewater sour, gin-based Irish coffee, and Lucky paloma. They'll have frozen gin and tonics with seasonal flavors such as the peach and basil-infused frozen gin and tonic, the flavor they'll feature during their opening. All drinks, except the frozen ones, will have a non-alcoholic option.

For food, there'll be charcuterie and cheese boards with plans to expand their menu during the weekends through partnerships with local restaurants that will cater in brunch to pair with a create-your-own gin bar. All menu items will be gluten free.

Lucky Gin bar Settle into that velveteen couch at Lucky Gin.Lucky Gin

The space, which was previously home of Salon Olines, was designed by Madison featuring masculine and feminine elements, sophisticated yet cozy, with high ceilings, charcoal-tinted walls, brass accents, and velveteen tufted sofas, with a TV that will project art or European sports - a refreshing alternative to your typical bar.

"Bishop Arts has the vibe I was looking for," she says. "I hope people will come here, strike conversations with strangers, engage with the bartenders."

In addition to the bar area, the space has a tasting room that will function as a gin school - well-suited for team buildings, date night, or groups of friends. Classes are two and half hours long and are $125. Attendees will learn how to create their own gin, pick herbs, and enjoy a charcuterie board and two drinks (included in price) while their gin is distilling, which will be bottled for students to take home.

“My vision is to create more awareness, enthusiasm, and excitement around gin," Madison says.

oak-cliff openings

Taco News

California restaurant Casa Comal debuts in Irving with standout tacos

Casa Comal

Shrimp taco at Casa Comal in Irving

A restaurant from the West Coast with a fresh approach to Mexican food has made its Dallas-area debut: Casa Comal Cocina, a Mexican restaurant founded in Santa Barbara in 2021, has opened at Cypress Waters in Irving, at 8701 Cypress Waters Blvd. #150, in the former Chilli Thai space, with a menu that is decidedly not run-of-the-mill.

Casa Comal, whose roots lie in Mexico City, specializes in tacos, with a wide variety that encompasses everything from traditional Mexico City-style offerings like carnitas and al pastor, to upscale tacos like lemon pepper chicken with arugula.

There's a taco filled with pork rinds, green sauce, and rice; quesa-birria, the trendy taco with shredded beef and crisped jack cheese; and taco Sonora with carne asada and a cheese-stuffed Anaheim pepper.

Seafood tacos include shrimp and tempura-fried fish; and there are vegetarian options such as zucchini with corn, or hibiscus flower with mushrooms — two ingredients commonly used in vegetarian tacos.

Everything's served on corn tortillas which they make in-house. With a few exceptions such as the shrimp tacos for $7.75, most of the tacos are $5.75.

In addition to tacos, there are nachos, quesadillas, empanadas, sopas, gorditas, and a torta sandwich filled with meat, refried beans, lettuce, and tomato. Appetizers include queso fundido, tostadas, and flautas filled with shredded chicken and beans.

One of their signatures is the "wet burrito" — sort of a cross between a burrito and an enchilada, featuring a burrito covered with choice or red sauce or verde green.

They also serve a full bar with about 16 cocktails including margaritas, a paloma, and their Mezcal de Pacifico, made with mezcal, coconut water, and lime, says co-owner Bachir Ramadam, who grew up in the Santa Barbara area. He has opened the Irving location with his wife, Elisa, and their partner, Alejandro Vera.

"We combine traditional preparations with local ingredients for dishes that are authentic to both their Mexican origins while incorporating local flavors," he says. "A lot of the recipes come from my family. My father is from Mexico, and this is the food I grew up with."

"But we always try to present the plates with a different touch," he says. "A lot of taquerias do tacos with the filling, salsa, and lime, and that's it. We try to do something a little more complex."

While Irving, Texas is a long way from Santa Barbara, Bachir says they have friends and family here, and are learning the ropes of Tex-Mex, which is more meaty and saucy than what you find on the West Coast.

"California has good Mexican food, but I've tried some Tex-Mex — we went to a couple restaurants, and I like it," he says. Good answer!

tacos openings