12 May 22 - 28, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Ghost Donkey Spirit Palma opens in Deep Ellum with a speakeasy side hustle. BY AAREN PRODY P alma was just settling into its new home in Deep Ellum and we dropped by expeditiously to try out the drinks and extended happy hour. Palma is another 2-for-1 special: a restau- rant with a speakeasy. Within Palma is Ghost Donkey, a vibrant neon bar that’s all about agave spirits. Both are from Flagship Restaurant Group, an Omaha-based hospi- tality company behind Blue Sushi Sake Grill and Plank Provisions. Dallas is the only city where these con- cepts are united. Palma only has one other location in Phoenix, its flagship, while Ghost Donkey has locations all around the U.S. and even Australia. Bringing both together was a no-brainer for what’s going on in the city’s dining scene right now. The Tex-Asian fusion menu at Palma is served in a tropical, “hidden oasis” atmo- sphere. They contradict, but it works. You walk through a breezy patio to get to the main dining room, which has circular booths, bar seating and lounge-style table and chairs. A Cinco de Mayo opening was spot on for the concept since it’s an ideal place for late- night dinner and drinks when the weather is right. Even if the weather is wrong, the patio is covered, so the vibes can and will con- tinue. The tagline on Palma’s Instagram ac- count reads: “Normalizing longer happy hour.” Theirs runs Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. During this time, cocktails range from $7 to $ 9 and draft beers go for $5. We ordered the frozen blood orange margarita, prickly mojito and a Vibe Check. They rank about halfway between expert mixology and plas- tic cup cocktails on a lawn. So, they’re not doing anything crazy, but there’s more oomph than your average drink. For $7, you can’t beat that. If you’re with a group, a party platter (photo at top) is an obvious starter since it features five of Palma’s eight appetizers: charred edamame, hatch chili queso, yummy fries, crab rangoon, and popcorn chicken. It can feed three or four people with moderate appetites, so order accord- ingly. Our favorites were the hatch chili queso and the popcorn chicken. The edamame is forgettable, but few places serve it well enough for it not to be (Editor’s Note: Ouch! But not arguing). There wasn’t anything crazy going on with the crab rangoon and the Yummy Fries (sweet potato waffle fries with chilli, aioli, soy, furikake, scallion, gin- ger and bonito) were decent, but if you aren’t first to the capitalist-style pile, you’re eating plain sweet potato waffle fries. For $30, though, it’s a fun way to try a bunch of things. For an extra oomph, ask for loaded queso and they’ll add achiote minced pork, guacamole, corn and jalapeño salsa, tomato and scallion for a small upcharge. Appetizers are half the focal point of the happy hour menu and the other half is a va- riety of maki rolls. Prices start at $5 for a simple California roll and cap out at $13 for the yellowtail habanero roll. Whoever priced the menu knows their audience because these are some solid deals they run practically all day during the week. These are some 2017 prices they’re dishing out. You can’t even get a California roll at the grocery store for $5. The kitchen plated our yellowtail haba- nero, macha maki and spicy tuna maki rolls on the same plate. Similar to the drinks, they’re somewhere in the middle for taste and quality. We wouldn’t return specifically for the sushi, but it can be a clean start to the night. We think the platos fuertes could be the main event here. They serve a KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) sandwich, a signature smash burger, and queso birria beef tacos, all of which are priced under $20. More restaurants should try to execute things like Palma, in the sense of reasonable pricing and on-par food for the occasion. While all these other new concepts are shooting for the stars in grandeur, Palma wants to tap the brakes a bit and create a dining environment where people can have an elevated night out without spending $20 per drink and above that just for an appe- tizer. Connected to Palma is its speakeasy, Ghost Donkey. We didn’t go in for drinks, but we did pass through to get a vibe check. It’s upbeat with an extensive agave spirit list that will meet drinkers where they’re at, but allow them to explore beyond their palettes. There’s some interesting stuff here we’ll most certainly be back to try. Palma, 2625 Main St., Monday - Wednes- day, 11 a.m. - 12 a.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. - 1 a.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 a.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. - 12 a.m. ▼ OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS THIS MARTINI CARTS AND CROQUET TIM LOVE’S LATEST, STEWART’S, OFFERS A FRESH TAKE ON LEISURE. BY AAREN PRODY D enton native and celebrity chef Tim Love has opened his 14th hospitality concept on Fort Worth’s Trinity Trail, Stewart’s Croquet & Cocktails, along White Settlement Road. The concept’s inspiration was drawn from English country clubs with a decadent Gatsby-era feel, but unlike other country clubs, everyone is invited to “Come Have A Rich Day” at Stewart’s by chef Love. It’s offi- cially open as of May 12, and Joe Jonas paid a visit last night at the restaurant’s opening party. Tim Love is best known for his urban western cuisine, which is featured at many of his other restaurants in Fort Worth: White Elephant Saloon, the Love Shack, the Woodshed Smokehouse and his flag- ship restaurant, Lonesome Dove Western Bistro in the historic Fort Worth Stock- yards. His vision behind Stewart’s was to create a luxurious yet approachable atmosphere that extends beyond food and drinks. He seeks to foster community, relaxation and sophisticated fun in an inclusive environ- ment, but by far the most intriguing thing about the concept is how it will introduce croquet to a new generation. In addition to the 28-seat interior with sound-absorbing ceiling panels and all cus- tom glassware, there is a 15,000-square-foot lawn with two croquet courts that accom- modate up to 12 players per court. In a tradi- tional game of croquet, you use a mallet to hit balls through six hoops in a strategic se- quence to win. Stop in for a leisurely experience playing croquet on the lawn or a brief luxurious re- spite. Either way, the menu accommodates. Elevated bar food and decadent bites are the overarching theme with highlights like the Silver Fin (Royal Ossetra caviar served with six chilled Grey Goose shots), Texas Blue crab cakes, lobster rolls, Stewart’s flat bun burger and fried cheese bites. They’ll also serve a variety of salads, sandwiches and entrees like steak frites and fish and chips. The venue’s signature Martini Cart is the center of its bar program. Verbatim from the menu reads, “Stirred (or shaken) with a house-made blend of dry vermouth, your personal selection of bitters and finished with olives or a twist.” A brief selection of vodka and gin spirits is listed below for you to have your base preference. One drink from the bar cart will set you back $29, but they have plenty of other house cocktails and martinis that average in the $18 range: Stewart’s Standard, made with Seagram’s VO whiskey, lemon-lime oleo, Earl Grey and citrus liqueur foam. Plus, the refreshing “Croquet Cup” with rosé, Lil- let, raspberry coulis, lemon, and mint. Stewart’s Croquet & Cocktails, 4424 White Settlement Road, Monday–Thursday: 4 p.m.–10 p.m.; Friday–Saturday: 10 a.m.–11 p.m.; Sunday: 10 a.m. –10 p.m. ▼ DRINK THIS DON DRAPER, PARTY OF 2 APOTHECARY IS KNOWN FOR ITS INVENTIVE MENU, AND YOU SHOULD GET FAMILIAR. BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS T he Apothecary on Lower Greenville is a funny little space. No bright lights mark the spot. No loud bangers spill out onto the sidewalk, luring customers to a boozy good time. If you pop it into your Google Maps, Siri will tell you you’ve arrived and you’ll wonder ‘Where?’ and grumble about how she’s a liar. The only sign that marks the spot at this upscale cocktail den is a bronze sign no more than four inches high, on a post out front. Our advice here is to persevere. Apothecary is a quirky little space in terms of its eclectic menu and bi-annual costume changes. Last year, it went liter- ally down the rabbit hole with an “Alice in Wonderland” theme. Before that, it cre- ated a cocktail menu based on zodiac signs. Now the menus have been reprinted, this time for a tour of the decades. In April, they started with the 1920s, of- fering a menu reflective of that time period. As cliche as this sounds, each drink tells a story. Take the Opium Den, made with Baiju rum and — since clearly opium is no longer available — the bar team got creative in find- ing a way to infuse the flavors of poppy seeds into a syrup. | CITY OF ATE | ▼ Dish Lauren Drewes Daniels The Cure is a 5-in-1 party platter where you can sample five appetizers. >> p13
