Monday, December 19, 2011

“Happy Holidays Mom and Dad! Sure, I’m doing great and yes, I come here all the time…” Impressive Places To Take Visiting Parents, For Cocktails, Over The Holidays.









 




Holy crap! The holiday season is here and that means that Mom and Dad will soon be coming to town to “visit” (check up on you).

 

So, you frantically put dirty dishes into the dishwasher and kitchen cabinets, you cram questionably “still wearable” underwear into dresser drawers, you shove the bong and rolling tray under the couch, and pull out the industrial-size bottle of Ozium to disperse the aroma produced by your day-today living.


 

Now, where to take the parental units to make them think that their copious quantities of college cash have not been wasted upon booze, broads, boys, clothes, cars, CD’s, DVD’s, video games, skateboards, makeup, pizza, and weekend trips to Austin which, of course, it has…







Here’s a list of several places around town that the folks will think fondly of and will give the impression that you are well grounded, have “nice” friends, and are happily successful in your wonderful new job which, by the way, has huge earning “potential” (wink, wink)! These places are even better if the folks are picking up the tab!


-The Library Bar at the Warwick Melrose Hotel, Dallas



A nice quiet sophisticated bar with live jazz and/or a piano player and great martinis. Antique furniture and classic books on the shelves make you look well read.

- Vernon’s Bar and Grill, Addison




Vernon’s looks like the kind of bar that your parents took you to as a kid. Low key lighting, dark wood, brass fixtures, and a slate stone wall make it feel vintage and comfy. The food is good, the drinks are strong, the service is great, and you can smoke.

- Old Monk, Dallas






We’ve taken a number of our group’s folks here to meet “the gang” and it’s always been very accommodating. The Monk really feels like a small British pub and serves up some great food with a broad variety of brews.

- Abacus, Dallas


While the restaurant may be a bit out of the price range for treating Mom and Dad, happy hour at the bar is a great deal with inexpensive hors d’oeuvres and well mixed cocktails. The lobster shooters are one of the best appetizers in Dallas!

- Glass Cactus, Grapevine








A signature concert and dance club venue, the Cactus at the Gaylord-Texan resort on Lake Grapevine, is one of the best bars to watch a sunset in all of DFW. Plus the Gaylord always puts on a heck of a Christmas Carved Ice display and serves an amazing brunch.

- The Rosewood Mansion Bar, Dallas


Infamous for the David Bowie ”butt-biting” incident of the 1987 Glass Spider tour, the Mansion is one of the highest rated hotels in Dallas and deservedly so. The bartenders know their stuff and happy hour prices are downright affordable!

- Trinity Hall, Dallas





Just up the road from the S.M.U. campus sits Trinity Hall, a nice well-lit Irish-style pub. They have an ambitious, well presented menu and a great selection of beer and Scotch. It’s right next door to the Angelica theatre if you want to take the parents to a movie, to kill some time.

I offer these places as alternatives to usual hang-outs and dives hoping that it helps you get through the holidays as unscathed as possible. If the folks spring for the bill at any of these spots consider it a merry Christmas and start hinting about the 60” 3-D TV! Happy holidays!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Ty Pennington's "Great Big American Auction" Premiere Watching Party at Vernon's Grill in Addison, TX with Greg and Lisa Holman!


great big american auction


Chris, over at Vernon's Grill in Addison, TX (one of my hangouts), has graciously offered his establishment for our "Great Big American Auction" watching party. The show airs this Thursday (December 8th) on ABC at 9:00 pm CST. They'll be showing the pilot on two big screens.













Vernon's has strong drinks, good prices, great food and an incredible staff! Come on out and have a beer and some munchies and watch the premiere with us. We'll start the festivities around 7:00 pm.












Vernon's is located at 5290 Belt Line Rd. Dallas, TX 75254 Phone: (972) 661-3707
http://www.myvernonsgrill.com/index_files/Page300.htm













No, Ty won't be there, but we certainly hope to see you all there!

Sinerely,
Greg Holman

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

EatDallas Writer Greg Holman Co-Starring With Ty Pennington In New ABC Pilot Airing in December!

As many of you know, I've been a Company Director for Heritage Auctions (the third largest auction house in the world) for over 5 years now as a "Pop Culture" expert, and earlier this year was asked by them to do a screen test for Cineflix, a TV production company out of Toronto.
I was incredibly fortunate, and was somehow chosen for a co-starring role on a new ABC TV Pilot with Ty Pennington (former Guess Jeans Model and host of "Extreme Makeovers"). We spent April and May shooting in Beverly Hills, Ventura, at the Rose Bowl, and on the Queen Mary, in Long Beach.
 The show is titled "Great Big American Auction" and was sent to three test markets, where it received the highest test ratings of any show in ABC's history! I finally got notification yesterday that the pilot has officially been picked up by the network and is scheduled to air on ABC (Channel 8 here in Big "D") on December, 8th (Thursday) at 9:00 pm.

The Cast Of "Great Big American Auction"














Please tune in and then let ABC know that you'd like to see more episodes of the show! It's been an amazing ride and I've made some phenomenal new friends along the way.
Thank you to Lisa, my beautiful, brilliant, and patient wife for sticking by me, and thanks to my father George, Natalie, my family, and all of my friends who have endured my foibles, faults, and my repeated absences throughout all of this! I love you all more than you can possibly ever imagine!
I'll try to send out a note when we have the logisitics for a watching party ironed out. Oh, I also just shot an episode of "Storage Wars" for A&E which should also air sometime in December, so keep your eyes out for that as well. I've added some production photos below. See you in the funny pages!
Greg

Stan Lee In The Audience On The Queen Mary (I'm in the background!)

Taking phone bids in the Grand Ballroom of the Queen Mary

My TV Partner Alissa Ford




Our Stage Set - Ventura, CA


Trying on Vintage Hats in Ventura


Ty Pennington And Me With A Bobblehead Collection




Ty and Me Valuing Some Comic Books








Comic Book Owner Happy With Our Appraisal!


Thursday, October 27, 2011

Hair of the Dog-Friendly Bars


Nazareth's "Hair of the Dog" album
















Dog has been man’s best friend ever since the domestication of the gray wolf, at least 15,000 years ago.

Man's Best Friend






































Humans have become so attached and accustomed to having dogs around that, in a study done some years back, it was estimated there were over 400 million dogs in the world!































Throughout the ages, dogs have helped man hunt, herd, pull loads, protect their homes and families, and provided companionship, loyalty, and unconditional love. They’ve even been known to get a few drunks home safely! Dogs have influenced our lives and been written about since Egyptian times. Here are a few of my favorite Dog quotes…


























"If dogs could talk it would take a lot of the fun out of owning one." and "The average dog is a nicer person than the average person." - Andy Rooney








"If your dog doesn't like someone you probably shouldn't either." and "In dog years I'm dead." – Unknown










"Better not take a dog on the space shuttle, because if he sticks his head out when you're coming home his face might burn up." - "DEEP THOUGHTS" - Jack Handy












"I love a dog. He does nothing for political reasons." and "No man can be condemned for owning a dog. As long as he has a dog, he has a friend; and the poorer he gets, the better friend he has." - Will Rogers













"I used to look at [my dog] Smokey and think, 'If you were a little smarter you could tell me what you were thinking,' and he'd look at me like he was saying, 'If you were a little smarter, I wouldn't have to.'" - Fred Jung Claus












and…















"You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us." - Robert Louis Stevenson















Europeans have been long-time practitioners of allowing their furry companions to accompany them to drinking and dining establishments. My wife and I love our little beasties, and have rescued and/or been foster “parents” for many dogs over the years, but had, until fairly recently, found ourselves barking up the wrong tree when it came to bars and restaurants that would allow our mutt menagerie to accompany us.















Recently a great number of Americans have taken a more relaxed stance on letting dogs set paw in public venues, and once again, Texas is leading the pack! Austin is currently ranked as the most dog-friendly city in America, and that overwhelming love for our canine cohorts has started spreading northward to the Metroplex, where we now have a plethora (more than 300) of dog parks and pooch-permitted patios, porches, and decks.















So, if you have a hard time leaving Fido at home, here’s a list of some pup-friendly places that welcome tail-waggers to their establishments. If they are marked with a “*”, they’re “Dallas-approved dog-friendly food establishments,” which are Dallas County businesses where dogs are allowed (typically just on their patios), but they must stay off of any furniture; they must be leashed, under control, and wear a rabies tag at all times; they cannot eat off of the establishment’s dishes or silverware; and they may only be given water or food in disposable containers. However, many of these restaurants/bars have complimentary water bowls and dog treats, and some even have special dog menus!

All Good Café
2934 Main St. Dallas 75226 – 214-742-5362

Bolsa
614 W. Davis St. Dallas 75208 214-943-1883

Dream Café











2800 Routh St. # 170 Dallas 75201 214-954-0486

Elevation Burger
8611 Hillcrest Ave. Dallas 75225 214-360-0088

Garden Café
5310 Junius St. Dallas 75214 214-887-8330

Ginger Man
2718 Boll St. Dallas 75204 214-754-8771

Lee Harvey's
  
1807 Gould St. Dallas 75215 214-428-1555 L.H.’s has dog day afternoon on Sundays when they close up the gates and allow the dogs to run around.

Molly Maguire’s Ale House
5815 Live Oak St. Dallas 75214 469-248-3080

On the Border
3130 Knox St. Dallas 75205 214-528-5900

St. Johns Wood
2908 McKinney Ave. Dallas 75204 214-880-1700

St. Pete’s Dancing Marlin















2730 Commerce St. Dallas 75226 214-698-1511

San Francisco Rose
3024 Greenville Ave. Dallas 75206 214-826-2020

Sfuzzi
2533 McKinney Ave. Dallas 75204 214-953-0300

State and Allen
2400 Allen St. Dallas 75204 214-239-1990

Uptown Pub
3605 McKinney Ave. Dallas 75204 214-522-5100

I’d like to send a nod out to the folks at Dog About Town, who keep a constantly updated list of new pooch-friendly places around the Metroplex. They have a great Facebook page for die-hard Dallas dog lovers and you can find their list of almost 200 dog-friendly patios, more than 100 other canine-compatible businesses, and a good number of pup-related attractions here…


May your bowl always be full, may all of your bones be big, and may the wind in your nose always smell like meat! Woof!