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