16 March 13-19, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents your ticket to the bar and they’ll validate it for up to four hours. La Vuida Negra 2513 N Fitzhugh Ave. The “bridal shop” next to El Come Taco in East Dallas will have you saying yes to the drink, not the dress. This agave bar shakes up some creative cocktails that don’t shy away from non-traditional flavors and ob- scure spirits. Its shared kitchen with El Come Taco means the traditional flavors of Mexico City aren’t only served in cocktail glasses. The entrance is projected on the floor of the bridal shop with the vuida negra (black widow) in a wedding dress. No code (or prenup) necessary. Ayahuasca 334 W. Jefferson Blvd. Ayahuasca is a bar that takes you out of Dallas and into a mystical interpretation of ancient Mexico. Ironically, it could almost imbue the feeling of an ayahuasca ceremony with the dim lights, deep bass from the speakers and burning incense swirling around the space. This place is all vibes, with the drinks to match. Behind the bar are spirits and wines from a diverse selection of Mexican distillates, which they use to create themed cocktails based on Mexico’s historic eras. The vibes ex- tend to a full Contempo-Mexican menu with housemade churros you can’t help but be curi- ous about. It’s not just a spot, it’s the spot. Magnum 215 E. Dallas Road It’s fitting that Magnum parallels the 1920s Grapevine Vintage Railroad. Disguised as a retro telephone booth inside the Hotel Vin, this hidden bar features a true Prohibition Era theme and a seasonal cocktail menu with both approachable and rare spirits. Ask for the Dealer’s Choice and they’ll make you a unique cocktail based on your spirit and flavor preferences. Midnight Rambler 1530 Main St. One reason to visit Midnight Rambler is be- cause it’s The Joule’s edgy and glamorous subterranean cocktail lounge. The other is that veteran Dallas bartender Gabe Sanchez oversees the ever-changing cocktail pro- gram. The New York Times reported on their Miami Vice, which, stay with me here, is a Jell-O shot that looks like a deviled egg, but tastes like a piña colada. The seasonal food and beverage menus here are a staple of Dal- las, which is why it’s on our list of Top 100 Bars in Dallas. Bourbon & Banter 1914 Commerce St. What was once The Statler Hotel’s old bar- ber shop is now a hidden bar in Dallas with a library of bourbon bottles. The trend may be bourbon and yap, but they encourage us to Bourbon & Banter. The space is dimly lit, void of windows and has that signature dis- creet speakeasy feel. The barrel-aged Amer- ican whiskey does take the helm for a lot of the cocktail menu, but they don’t shy from offering vodka, gin and tequila in a handful of drinks. To get in, step into the vintage telephone booth to the right; pick up the phone to reveal the passcode, dial and the door magically opens. Ginger’s 2115 Jackson St. You haven’t lived until you’ve hunkered down in one of Ginger’s bar stools. This sub- terranean cocktail lounge knew that ample back support, custom ice cubes and some- one worthy of the aux cord could make any- one linger til the lights come on. It’s a glamorous destination, although they en- courage a come-as-you-are vibe and say, “Ginger’s is a place where anything can hap- pen, and all bets are off!” The Blood Moon house cocktail here is a lovely introduction to sotol, an agave-based spirit. Otherwise, the classics are great because they never go out of style. P.S. After the bar stools, the staircase is the second favorite feature of this hidden bar. Atlas 408 N Bishop Ave. Despite welcoming globetrotters, Atlas re- minds us to check into local cocktail menus. Behind the back bookshelf is its speakeasy, which remains unnamed and carries the same theme as the bar. The “well-traveled” section of the cocktail menu features iconic drinks from around the world, like Peru’s pisco sour, a Dutch martini from New York and the U.K.’s own espresso martini. Fur- ther down, their staff has created a roster of original drinks with more global themes. Happy hour runs weekdays from 4-6 p.m. and offers $7 classic cocktails and $5 light bites from the food menu. Apothecary 1922 Greenville Ave. Rye may have won The Most Exceptional Cocktails Award in the 2024 Michelin guide, but it goes without saying its cocktail lounge next door is also a local haunt for some stellar mixology. In the past, Apothe- cary has created themed menus inspired by Alice in Wonderland and all twelve Zodiac signs, but right now, the offerings are a re- flection of the team and the boundaries they pushed to create this free-spirited menu. It’s a James Beard Most Outstanding Bar Semi- finalist, Best New Bar Nominee from the Spirited Awards and beloved by just about everyone who sinks into its velvet seats for a sultry nightcap. The bar is sort of hard to find since the only sign is a small plaque on a fence in front. Good luck. ▼ TV & FILM PLATINUM SPIKES SEEN ON LOWER GREENVILLE RYE FILMS AN EPISODE FOR DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES. BY MELANIE HERNANDEZ R ye, the highly praised seasonal and small-plates restaurant and cocktail bar will be featured on an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives titled “Sauer- kraut, Shoyu and Shank” alongside host Guy Fieri, set to air March 7. Rye, located along pedestrian-friendly Lower Greenville, will host a watch party for the episode on March 12. The collabora- tion emerged after Tanner Agar, creative di- rector and co-owner, received a call in October 2024 saying the Food Network wanted them to be on the show. “I thought it was just somebody messing with us, or, you know, some kind of scam call, because I didn’t really expect them to know who we were or be excited to feature us, but obviously we were super excited,” Agar said. Agar and Taylor Rause, the executive chef and co-owner, grew up watching the Food Network: regulars on the network like Alton Brown, Bobby Flay and Fieri were in- fluential figures. The globally inspired, locally sourced restaurant will feature its duroc pork belly lollipops, which have been a menu item since the first location in McKinney. The meat is braised with charred oranges, bour- bon and orange juice and then cut into little discs to resemble lollipops. Finally the meat is seared with a sugar rub for crispiness. The plate takes two to three days to prepare, and its has continuously sold out. The second, more eccentric plate is the sauerkraut chocolate cake, which is the first chocolate cake to be featured in all of Triple D’s 18-year, 51-season run. For those who are apprehensive, the sauerkraut functions sim- ilarly to shredded carrot or coconut, provid- ing moisture. Acid is added to balance out the rich, sweet flavors of the dark chocolate, cherry and Swiss meringue. Both plates were selected by Fieri. “They said, ‘Hey, pick five or six things that you think are really different and unique, and then we’ll pick,’ and it’s funny they said no desserts, one of the rules was no desserts,” Agar says. “We said, ‘Hey, we gave you the five we’re gonna give you [and] one bonus one because we think this would be really good,’ and even the person was like, ‘Guy hates dessert, Guy’s never done choco- late cake he’s not going to want to do this. I’ll write it down, maybe.’ Then she called back and said, ‘Chocolate cake is in!’’’ They were unaware of how logistically demanding the process leading up to filming was. Several phone calls and multi-hour- long promos detailed the exact recipe and the pan used for it. Their fast-paced experience while film- ing was made better because of Fieri’s curi- ous attitude toward their cooking process, mixed with the off-camera praise. “Really great experience to have under our belt and just really fun,” Rause says. “I’ve been a Guy Fieri fan for a long time, and he was exactly what you expect, nice guy. Overall, it was jam-packed with crazy. It was go, go, go, go, go, the second they showed up and especially the second he walked in the building, they don’t have sec- onds to waste.” The feature is another star on Rye’s belt since bar manager Julian Staffer received an Exceptional Cocktail Award from the Mi- chelin Guide. Rye also made the 2024 Mi- chelin Guide recommended list, boosting its popularity. “It’s not that this award changed who we are, it’s that we feel very strongly about who we are and the uniqueness and the quality,” Agar says. “I think it means even more to have won this first year because they were doing it before we knew anybody was watching. You know, we didn’t say, ‘Oh, now that there’s the standard, let’s go try to win it,’ we said, ‘Let’s do something excellent for the sake of personal satisfaction,’ and then receiving the award is, of course, incredibly validating, and we’re really honored to have gotten it.” Triple D is not the only thing they are working on. Rye is planning to add a five- course tasting menu available Tuesday through Thursday for those who might not have time to try their 11-course tasting menu but still want to experience what their menu offers. They are also gearing up to open a new French, Italian and Spanish-inspired bar and bistro named Flamant (French for Fla- mingo). They want to make this concept a bit more affordable with more approachable food while maintaining the quality. Secretly, they have been using their food and drink specials as a way to get guests to taste test the new menu; so if you’ve been by, you may have already gotten a taste of Flamant. Tune into the new episode and Rye’s so- cial media to see what they do next. Rye The pork belly lollipops have been on the menu since Rye first opened. City of Ate from p14
