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Tommy Bahama

The May edition of Where to Drink, CultureMap's monthly roundup of suggestions of the alcoholic variety, departs slightly from the usual theme, the usual theme being Happy Hours, IE where to drink on the cheap.

This list does include a new Happy Hour or two. But the prevailing theme is more about "new" rather than "cheap." Also seasonal: Just as restaurant kitchens have seasonal menus of food, these restaurant-based bars are introducing seasonal menus of drinks. One restaurant's patio bar is giving itself over to a summer theme entirely.

Here's where to drink for May:

Al Biernat’s
Steakhouse with two locations has new cocktails for spring through the end of summer. The Oak Lawn location has Paloma, Honey ($17) with Lalo Blanco, honey syrup, grapefruit, & lime; Elite Vesper ($18) with Stoli Elit. Farmers Botanical Gin and Lillet Blanc; and Tequil-A Mockingbird ($18) with Casa Noble Reposado, Licor 43, watermelon puree, lime, and mint. Al Biernat’s North has the Killer Bee ($15) with Siete Misterios Mezcal, honey water, lemon, & grapefruit; Planter’s Punch ($15.50) with Don Papa Rum, OJ, Monin Pomegranate, and Angostura Bitters; The Last Dance ($25), a tequila twist on the espresso martini with Cincoro Anejo Tequila, Espresso, Monin Organic Agave, and a gold rim; and Danae’s Delight ($15.25) with Villa Massa Limoncello, Pama Pomegranate, and Cava Brut.

Bulla Gastrobar
Spanish-style restaurant in Legacy West has launched two new Spring cocktails: The Punch it Up ($13.50) features Flor de Caña rum, Amarena cherry syrup, and other tropical notes; and the Passion Jalapeño Margarita ($13.50) with jalapeño passion syrup, Lunazul Blanco tequila, triple sec, and lime juice.

Elm & Good
American restaurant at the historic Kimpton Pittman Hotel in Deep Ellum now offers happy hour Tuesday-Friday from 4-6 pm with $5 local beers, $6 house red and white wines, and $7 select appetizers.

The Henry
Fox Restaurants Concepts restaurant at the Union building near downtown Dallas has transformed its rooftop bar into a "seaside" getaway through July 2, called Hamptons at The Henry, with cocktails, bites, and an elite party milieu. Drinks include Southampton Sangria ($14), with guava, pineapple, lemon, brandy, and white wine; Hamptons Pool Party ($150, serves 6-8), a large-format drink that's a mashup of margarita-meets-sparkling wine punch; and Sag Harbor Old Fashioned ($17). Beachy snacks include Mini Lobster Rolls ($23) with salt & vinegar chips, Crab Cake ($25) with tarragon remoulade & corn salad, and Seafood Platter ($51) with shrimp, oysters on the shell, spicy tuna, and avocado tartare cocktail sauce.

Monarch
Destination restaurant in Downtown Dallas has a new happy hour menu featuring $10 wines by the glass and cocktails, including favorites such as the refreshing Lemon Drop Martini with a sugar rim, the Vesper Martini with a twist of lemon and the always-in-style Cosmopolitan. Snacks include Island Creek Oysters with cucumber mignonette, the Seafood Tower with oysters, prawns, and crab claws ($35), and Black Truffle Arancini with crispy fried black truffle risotto topped with kaluga caviar ($12).

III Forks
Recently honored for its wine program with a Tastemaker Awards nomination, this Frisco steakhouse has a new "summer of sidecars" cocktail collection for summer, with sparkling mixers complemented by citrusy flavors, available through September 11: The Classic Sidecar with Remy Martin VSOP, Cointreau Orange Liqueur, and lemon juice, $15; Strawberry Rose Sidecar with Remy Martin VSOP, Cointreau Orange Liqueur, Monin Strawberry Rose Syrup, lemon juice, and Lunetta Prosecco, $16; and the Grand Sidecar with Grand Marnier Louis Alexandre, Longbranch Bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup, $17.

Tommy Bahama
Restaurant at Legacy West in Plano is always good for summer sipping and for 2023, has introduced seven new cocktails: Espresso Martini ($16) with Vanilla Vodka and Creme De Cocoa; Quiet Gardner ($13.50) with rum, strawberries, grapefruit juice, club soda, and lime; Pine For More ($15.50) with Don Q 7 Year, Giffard Caribbean Pineapple, lime, orgeat, and a pineapple cube; Mango Nada ($15) a spicy fruit-infused drink with Milagro Reposaadoo, Cointreau, mango, and a Tajin rim; and the Zero-Proof Sicilian Peach ($8), an upgraded peach lemonade with real fruit, Fever Tree lemonade, lemon wedges, and a jalapeno.

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Where to drink in Dallas right now: 5 bars with new happy hour specials

Where to drink

With April already halfway done, we're long overdue for the April edition of Where to Drink, our monthly column focused on bars, happy hours, new cocktails, and other things of a drinky nature.

This month includes new happy hours, a new bar menu, and a new spot with discounts on drinks.

Here is our Where to Drink for April:

Bar Louie
Upbeat pub chain is throwing down happy hour discounts Monday-Friday from 4-7 pm. Beer-wise, they're pouring $4 domestic pints and $5 craft pints. Cocktails start at $6 for single-pour premium call liquor cocktails, and $7 premium cocktails, including margaritas, mojitos, and martinis. All the M drinks! Wines by the glass are $6, and you get half-off on flatbreads, wings, Bavarian pretzel with mustard, spinach artichoke dip with chips, and a chip & dip trio with salsa, queso, and guacamole. Four locations include Shops at Park Lane in Dallas, plus Allen, Arlington, and Las Colinas.

Elm & Good
Restaurant at The Kimpton Pittman Hotel Dallas in Deep Ellum has a new weekday happy hour Tuesday-Friday 4-6 pm at its cool in-house bar with $5 local beers, $6 house red and white wines, and $7 select appetizers. On Tuesdays they stretch it out from 4-10 pm with Texas-themed specials including local beer, local wine, and cocktails made with Texas spirits.

Leela's Pizza & Wine Bar
Lower Greenville wine bar has spawned a spinoff which also includes "pizza" in the name, in Uptown at 2355 Olive St. They're in the old Malibu Poke space, across the street from the Ritz-Carlton, in the same parking-challenged complex as Starbucks and Roti Grill. Their happy hour runs Tuesday-Friday from 4-6 pm and is limited to $7 champagne cocktails and $7 house wines. For what it's worth, they don't take cash.

Oddfellows
Casual comfortable community hub in Bishop Arts is there for your coffee, breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner needs, as well as happy hour, Monday-Friday, 3-6 pm, with a new slate of discounts on wine, beer, and cocktails. More specifically, they have $7 cocktails, $5 draft beer, $6 glasses of wine, plus half-price shared plates including their deviled eggs, white bean hummus, fried Brussels sprouts, and shrimp ceviche.

Villa Azur
Venue at the W Hotel has a new bar menu and, while it's not discounted, it is new, and surely worth a look, maybe even a try. New cocktails include Let’s Get Guava with gin and guava purée; Purple Rain with Avion Reposado, grapefruit juice, lime, and blueberry purée; and Touch of Azur with gin, infused butterfly pea tea, lavender, and prosecco. Bites include crab spinach & artichoke dip with focaccia toast, and flatbreads with toppings such as spicy capicola, eggplant, shiitake mushroom, spinach, and lobster.

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Leggy crane flies land atop this week's 5 most popular Dallas stories

This week's hot headlines

Editor's note: A lot happened this week, so here's your chance to get caught up. Read on for the week's most popular headlines. Looking for the best things to do this weekend? Find that list here.

1. Crane flies have landed ever so lightly in Dallas, which means one thing. The crane flies have arrived in Dallas, and this year, they're here in droves. Fragile, leggy, and whisper-light, crane flies are most often found around streams and lakes. But at certain times of year, they show up in urban areas, hovering and bobbing around houses and doorways.

2. Site of former Valley View Mall in Dallas meets sad unfortunate end. A once-beloved North Dallas mall is meeting its timely ending: The former Valley View Mall at LBJ Freeway and Preston Road saw demolition begin on March 16, putting an end to nearly a decade of inept waffling. The mall closed in 2015, with big plans for redevelopment that never happened.

3. Grab this '60s East Dallas home with only one owner before flippers get it. A '60s house in East Dallas with only one owner that's basically untouched is on the market at a great deal of a price. Located at 2323 Homeway Cir., it's a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home built in 1969, with 1,802 square feet and an attached two-car garage.

4. Country music bad boy Morgan Wallen headlines ACM Awards benefit show in Dallas-Fort Worth. Dallas-Fort Worth will be the center of the country music universe on May 11, when the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards are broadcast from The Star in Frisco. As with any worldwide, Super Bowl-level event, there'll be many happenings leading up to it. First up: a benefit concert headlined by Morgan Wallen.

5. Where to drink in Dallas right now: 5 bars with cool cocktail specials. It's always good to support your local watering hole but sometimes the heart wants something else, and even better when it's something cheap. For our March edition of Where to Drink, we spotlight five drinking opportunities around Dallas that include a seasonally-focused happy hour, a one-day drink special, a new happy hour for the summer, and a new happy hour at an Arts District hotel bar.


Jinya

Where to drink in Dallas right now: 5 bars with cool cocktail specials

Where to Drink

It's always good to support your local watering hole but sometimes the heart wants something else, and even better when it's something cheap. For our March edition of where to drink, we spotlight five drinking opportunities around Dallas that include a seasonally-focused happy hour, a one-day drink special, a new happy hour for the summer, and a new happy hour at an Arts District hotel bar.

Here's Where to Drink in March:

Jinya Ramen Bar
The Dallas location of this sophisticated national Japanese chain joins in on their national "Hanami Hour," which honors the Japanese custom of celebrating cherry blossom season. Starting March 22, they'll be offering a special combo of Nigori Sake and a Spicy Tuna and Salmon Cone for $18. Not exactly sure what that has to do with cherry blossoms? Maybe lost in translation. But a sake special is always a yes. March 22-April 5

New Artisan Distillery
On March 30, the makers of Roxor Gin & Botanical Bourbon are launching a budget-friendly new program for the spring/summer, with a weekday happy hour featuring $5 gin and bourbon cocktails, because gin and bourbon is what they make. Stick around for trivia, karaoke, and a Friday Piano Series on their in-house Steinway Piano. Fancy! The March 30 opener debuts with Trivia Night from Sporcle, whom they say is the leading trivia company in the U.S., and who are we to disagree. Monday-Friday 4-7 pm

Nobu Dallas
Japanese restaurant-bar at the Hotel Crescent Court is part of an international sushi chain from celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa that opened in Dallas in 2005. Their happy hour, launched in 2019, has a special name — Tanoshi Hour — that features four cocktails including a lychee & elderflower martini, priced from $12-$14. Sake is $12, wine by the glass is $9, Japanese beer for $7-9, and there's a menu of snacks. Available in the bar area only, Sunday-Wednesday 5-7 pm

Pyramid Lobby Bar
The bar at the Fairmont Dallas hotel in the Dallas Arts District has a new Texas Happy Hour, with delicious bites and great deals on brews and other beverages, plus live acoustic country music by Tyler Hammond on Thursdays 5-8 p.m. The drink lineup includes $6 Texas draft beers, $10 glasses of wine (house Cabernet, Chardonnay, and Prosecco), and $12 margaritas and Texas mules. Appetizers are $8 and include sweet potato fries, shishito peppers, lamb sliders, and chicken fried deviled eggs. Monday-Friday 2-6 pm, Thursday 11 am-12 am

Sky Blu Rooftop Bar
Design District venue is hosting a cheap-drinking day on March 24 from 4 pm-2 am with a quartet of classic cocktails — the Aperol Spritz, Manhattan, Negroni, and gin martini — for $10. It's just for that day but it's a Friday which is a plus. You do need to pay $10 for valet. As discount drink experiences go, this one has its limitation. But hey, rooftop views, and a discount is a discount. March 24, 4 pm-2 am

Photo by Brad Murano

Acclaimed restaurant's closure tops this week's 5 most-read Dallas stories

This week's hot headlines

Editor's note: A lot happened this week, so here's your chance to get caught up. Read on for the week's most popular headlines. Looking for the best things to do this weekend? Find that list here.

1. Top Dallas restaurant Homewood closes following death of co-owner. One of Dallas' most acclaimed restaurants has closed: Homewood, the restaurant led by creative and award-getting chef Matt McCallister, closed on February 14. The closure followed the death of its co-owner Michael Barnett, who died on February 13, confirmed by the Dallas County Medical Examiner's office.

2. 4 Dallas-Fort Worth hotels praised among Texas' best in coveted U.S. News ranking. Four luxurious Dallas-Fort Worth hotels are among the best in the state this year, according to US News and & World Report. The publication collects its information through hotel ratings, customer reviews, and industry award analysis.

3. Dallas' Vegan Vibrationz brings tantalizing crunchwraps to Plano food hall. A super buzzy vegan concept from Dallas has expanded to Plano: Vegan Vibrationz, famous for its vegan version of the fast-food favorite the crunchwrap, has softly opened a location at Legacy Hall, the food hall at 7800 Windrose Ave., where it's serving an irresistible menu of sandwiches, wraps, burgers, and salads.

4. 3 Dallas neighbors lock in rankings as safest cities in U.S., report says. Real estate may be all about location, location, location, but when movers decide where to settle down within a large metro area in 2023, safety and security are huge factors, too. No wonder so many people are moving to Frisco, then. For the second year in a row, the Dallas suburb has been named the safest city in America by SmartAsset. Neighbors McKinney and Plano also land in top five.

5. Where to drink in Dallas right now: 5 bombshell cocktails for February. This February edition of Where to Drink, our monthly roundup of fun cocktails and drinks to try, is anything but run-of-the-mill. It's a quintet of unexpected sips you'll find in unexpected locations, none of which are traditional bars. Some of these drinks have alcohol, but some do not.


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DART releases schedule for Memorial Day weekend in Dallas-Fort Worth

Holiday Travel News

Memorial Day looms before us in Dallas on Monday May 29 with places to go and things to do.

Here's Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) addressing your planning needs with an update on its holiday weekend schedule:

The Trinity Railway Express (TRE). TheTRE will not operate on Memorial Day. What this means for people in Dallas:

  • No Memorial Day day trip to the Fort Worth Stockyards
  • No holiday escapade to Sundance Square
  • No shopping for Tim Love's new jeans

If you're relying on public transportation, then you'll want to be sure to plan ahead and make your pizza run to Pizza Verde, nominated for Best Restaurant of the Year at CultureMap's 2023 Tastemaker Awards, on Saturday May 27 or Sunday May 28.

DART Buses and Light Rail: Operating on a weekend schedule.

DART GoLink: GoLink service will be available in all zones except the Inland Port Connect (IPTMA) Zone.

Customer Information: DART's Customer Information Center will be open from 8 am-5 pm at 214-979-1111 for trip-planning needs.

Customer Service: The administrative offices, DARTmart, Lost & Found, and the Customer Care Center, which handles complaints, commendations, suggestions, will be closed.

DART Paratransit: Paratransit Services will run a Saturday schedule. The Paratransit Scheduling Center will be closed. Customers may call Thursday, May 25, to book their trips through Monday, May 29, and Friday, May 26, to book their trips through Tuesday, May 30. Customers can also now schedule, view and cancel trips 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at DART.org/paratransit.

Route and schedule information for DART and the Dallas Streetcar is available at DART.org or by calling 214-979-1111. TRE schedule information can be found at trinityrailwayexpress.org.

It only takes 3 steps to get medical cannabis in Texas

Easy As 1, 2, 3

As the Texas Legislature convenes for its 88th session, many patients, physicians, and advocates are pushing for expansions to the Compassionate Use Program, the state’s medical cannabis program.

Since 2015, the program has expanded twice, allowing for more than 150 conditions to qualify for medical cannabis.

For thousands of patients in the state, medical cannabis provides a safe alternative to opioid medications and effective relief for symptoms like pain, insomnia, anxiety, nausea, muscle spasms, and more.

Texas Original, the state’s leading medical cannabis provider, makes the process of getting a prescription easy. Receiving a medical cannabis prescription starts with a few simple steps:

Step 1: Find out if you qualify
The first step is to find out if you qualify by scheduling an appointment with a doctor registered in the Compassionate Use Program.

Several registered doctors offer convenient virtual appointments through telemedicine practices so patients can meet with the doctor from anywhere in Texas.

To set your appointment, visit Texas Original’s website and fill out the form. Veterans, first responders, teachers, and medical professionals are eligible to receive a free first appointment for a six-month prescription. If you belong to one of these eligible groups, simply check the box on the form.

Step 2: Talk to a doctor
During your appointment, the doctor will review your medical records and confirm if you are eligible for medical cannabis, then discuss your treatment plan.

Once approved, your doctor will add your prescription to the online medical cannabis registry, where it can be accessed by licensed dispensaries.

Step 3: Receive a prescription
After your appointment, call 512-614-0343 to place your first order. Texas Original offers the state’s leading medical-grade cannabis products, including Texas’ first fast-acting medical cannabis gummies.

All products undergo rigorous testing and the results are published publicly on Texas Original’s website for patients to access anytime.

The dispensary team will help you select your products, then schedule you for a pickup at a location nearest to you or arrange home delivery.

Medical cannabis provides Texans an all-natural option that may help alleviate symptoms like pain, insomnia, and anxiety that are commonly associated with approved medical conditions.

If you or a loved one are ready to start your journey with medical cannabis, reach out to Texas Original to get started. Plus, enjoy a 20 percent discount on your first order at Texas Original.

3 buzzy Dallas restaurants and wine shop are relocating to new quarters

Relo News

When restaurants are leaving their locations, it's usually bad news, but this roundup has a more upbeat theme: relocation.

Relocation is suddently a new hot trend in the Dallas food & beverage world, with three epic names all leaving their current quarters for new digs. (It takes three to make a trend, or at least it takes three to make a trend story.)

One is a popular dive bar. One is an iconic longtime date-night restaurant. One is a cool one-of-a-kind wine shop.

Here's who they are and where they're going:

Bar and Garden
After six-plus years at 3314 Ross Ave., this truly unique wine and spirits store is relocating to 1900 N. Haskell Ave., across from Loro and E-Bar, and on the same side of the street as Dolly Python.

Co-owner Julie Buckner Lane says they're going to restore the building to its original glory with retail on the bottom floor and offices on top, with ample parking in back for both. They'll be doing construction this summer and hope to re-open in the next few months.

It's easy to take what they do for granted: specializing in organic and natural wines, featuring winemakers who embrace biodiversity, rely on minimal-intervention winemaking, and showcase the truest expression of the grapes and the land on which they are grown.

Natural wines use only native yeasts, and often avoid filtering, fining, or additives. What this means to the wine drinker: no headaches, no aftermath.

B&G were originally planning to leave their Ross location on June 30, when the lease is up, but Lane decided it made more sense to close down in May and allocate their resources to the new space.

They'll close up shop on Wednesday, May 31, but will be open one last weekend, including on Monday, Memorial Day from 12-6 pm. And definitely stop in on Saturday May 27 as they open a random selection of items left in their inventory.

"Our spirits are moving quickly, though we still have a lot of the basics in stock, and we still have a lot of wine to move through," she says.

St. Martin’s Wine Bistro
Longtime French restaurant at 3020 Greenville Ave., known for signature dishes such as champagne Brie soup and chocolate souffle, closed on May 20, after reaching the end of its current lease.

The restaurant had been in business for 46 years, which seems like a rather peculiar lease. In any case, they served as a gateway for many aging Dallasites who had their first fancy-dining outing and first exposure to French food at St. Martin's.

They've found a new location in Old East Dallas, at 4223 Bryan St. at the intersection of Peak Street. It's an extremely foodie corner, with restaurants on all sides including Bangkok City and Vietnam, plus Ciao! By Civello's pasta, Bryan Street Tavern, Ober Here Filipino Rice Bowls, I mean there is no shortage of eateries in this area.

They're taking over the former L&B Antiques space, which will require extensive renovations to get it restaurant-ready, according to a representative from the landlord, with a projected completion date in September.

The Grapevine Bar
One of Dallas' favorite dive bars which has been serving low-key drinks since 1996 is leaving its current address on 3902 Maple Ave., where the lease is expiring.

Owners Michelle and Ronny Honea have found a new location: The bar is moving to 2213 Butler St., previously home to Redfield's Tavern, which closed in December 2022.

The Grapevine is beloved for its laid-back atmosphere and diverse clientele, "from prom queens to drag queens." Their other trademark is their quirky decor with a motley assortment of vintage light fixtures and other items accumulated over the years, in a layer-by-layer evolution. They also feature a rooftop deck, basketball court, patio, and happy-hour specials on drinks.

The couple vows to recreate that patina and will definitely have a basketball court on site.

The move will take place sometime this summer, exact date still TBA.