place pays homage by keeping the original sign that hovered over the building for the last four decades. Binions opened earlier this year, and it’s ev- ident there is a lot of room to grow in this loca- tion. There’s a patio with a large courtyard (bocce ball space?), and the inside is spacious, with plenty of seating for patrons and a couple of pool tables to help occupy your time. If bil- liards is not your bag, there are plenty of TVs to watch the Cowboys and Rangers break our hearts again. Binions also has a stage for local acts and adventurous karaoke singers. From talking to the staff, it’s clear that Bin- ions hopes to mirror the magic of the former Oak Cliff establishment. Some of the cooks and bartenders who helped put Ten Bells on the map are here now. The menu has the usual brunch suspects such as a Country Breakfast ($14) with chicken fried chicken, taters, eggs your way and black pepper gravy. There’s also the classic eggs Benedict Hank Vaughn City of Ate from p21 a noodle puller, he dove headfirst into this art, practicing daily for weeks before finally preparing some noodles for friends at home. Eventually, tennis coaching took a back seat to the fine art of noodle pulling, and TeaGu Café was born using the pop-up model. We arrived at Moge Tee and found Gu in the back. He was pulling some noodles for what looked like several orders that had al- ready come in, even though we arrived 10 minutes before the official opening. The pop-up consisted of only Gu and a cashier. Because each order is prepared as it comes in, the longer you wait to order, the longer you’ll wait to eat. The simple menu varies a bit, with dishes such as yakisoba and cha- han, along with biang biang and somen noo- dles, being featured on any given day. On this Sunday it was biang biang and somen, and we went with biang biang. Biang biang are long, wide, wheat flour- based, hand-pulled noodles seasoned with a Chinese black vinegar base sauce and topped with garlic chili oil. Originally made in Xi’an in central China, these noodles, according to tra- dition, were made so wide because the work- ers did not have enough time to make thinner noodles. It’s as good an explanation as any. Bi- ang, furthermore, is a form of onomatopoeia, since the pronounced word resembles the sound of thick noodle dough hitting the work surface. There was plenty of that sound evi- dent as Gu worked. He removed the dough he had prepared the night before from a cooler and began the process of flattening and stretching each piece from a 3-inch segment to a long, wide noodle over a yard long. It was fun to watch, but would it be fun to eat? The biang biang comes either traditional 22 2 (vegan-friendly) or with braised pork added, and can be ordered in two sizes and with three degrees of spiciness playfully labeled “Be Gentle”, “Regular” or “Hurt Me.” We decided on an order of each, traditional and pork, both of the regular level of spice, and settled into our chairs to wait as we watched Gu knead and pull and plate in his dance of noodle creation. Meanwhile, the line began to grow longer and longer. After about 15 minutes our noodles were at last ready and we dug in. The noodles were Thomas Gu hand-pulling some noodles to order at his TeaGu pop-up. indeed long and wide, the chili oil clinging to them as we’d attempt to navigate the noodle goodness into our mouths, a task not made easy by our poor chopstick skills. The spice level was perhaps a tad higher than “regular,” but not quite “hurt me,” and the noodles had a nice bite to them as well. The braised pork had a perfect texture that melted in the mouth, but perhaps could have been sea- soned a bit more on its own. Still, the overall chili garlic flavor did make itself known and complemented the dish well. As we finished off our bowls, we learned that the wait was now over an hour. So, if you don’t have that kind of time on your hands, be sure to hit up Gu’s social media sites on both Facebook and Instagram to find out where and when his next perfor- mance will take place. @TeaGuCafe – Check Facebook or Insta- gram for pop-up locations and times. ▼ FIRST LOOK REPURPOSED LUMBER FORMER TEN BELLS CO-OWNER OPENS BINIONS IN ARLINGTON BY ERIC MAYNE L ove it or hate it, weekend brunches are a social movement, cemented in our frivolous culture and rapidly becom- ing a weekend institution. Whether a place drips with swanky sophistication or it’s a low-end dive joint, restaurants are bustling to create the best brunch menu and capture their piece of the pancake profits. Early this year, one of the best brunch desti- nations in Dallas was forced to close its doors due to gentrification in Oak Cliff. Ten Bells Tavern, located in Bishop Arts, was one of the premier spots to get your fill of brunch along with ample libations to wash it down. It’s been said that a phoenix rises from its own ashes, so Michael Hickey, former Ten Bells co-owner, opened up a new establishment in Arlington that is bigger and bolder than its predecessor, and now he wants to make it brunchier. Binions Ice House resides in the former lumberyard of the same name that was es- tablished in 1972 near downtown. The new with poached eggs on English muffins with a creamy hollandaise. ($12). If you need a heavy carb load to cure a hangover, you can also lean into a stack of pancakes ($5) or French Toast made from Texas toast ($5). The Egg Sammich seemed to be a popu- lar item. This mammoth sandwich defi- nitely needs two hands to handle. The buttery Texas toast can be filled with your choice of sausage or bacon and comes with a slathering of garlic aioli, lettuce and toma- toes. It’s shareable but is probably more dev- ilishly enjoyable for a party of one. There are also breakfast tacos ($10). For some, weekend brunch is just a proper excuse to sip cocktails to ward off the pending nightmare of returning to work on Monday. Binions serves up mimosas and a house-made Bloody Mary with your choice of tequila, gin or vodka ($3). PBR and Miller High Life are also just $3. During the week, check out the chalk- board for specials. Or choose from burgers, wings, nachos and other fare to soak up booze or soothe your troubled soul. This is Binions’ first week entering the ring for Best Brunch destination in Arling- ton, and things are off to a good start. Don’t be surprised to see some of the items that made Ten Bells a top-tier brunch destina- tion such as chicken and waffles, duck confit hash and S.B.L.T. (Shrimp, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato). Don’t knock it until you try it be- cause it will change your life. Binions Ice House, 205 N. West St., Arling- ton, 3 p.m.–2 a.m. Monday – Friday (kitchen 5–10 p.m.); 11 a.m.–2 a.m. Saturday and Sun- day (brunch 11 a.m.–3 p.m.) The Egg Sammich at Binions o Eric Mayne SEPTEMBER 8-14, 2022 DALLAS OBSERVER CLASSIFIED | MUSIC | DISH | CULTURE | UNFAIR PARK | CONTENTS dallasobserver.com MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2014 DALLAS OBSERVER | CLASSIFIED | MUSIC | DISH | MOVIES | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | SCHUTZE | UNFAIR PARK | CONTENTS | dallasobserver.com
