Wine & Magic with Trigg Watson at Checkered Past Winery

I recently got invited to check out Wine & Magic with magician Trigg Watson at Checkered Past Winery. I love magic shows! However, I don't drink wine, so I made sure to bring a friend who did. :P This is my first time at the winery, cuz duh, I don't drink. It's a cute little place in South Side on Lamar. They have a little stage set up in the back for the show.

A little bit about Trigg Watson. I had never heard of him but he's been on several TV shows such as Penn & Teller's Fool Us, and CW's Masters of Illusion. He was also really funny! I liked that. You can find more info on Trigg and the Wine & Magic show here. The shows occur one weekend a month. The next show dates are 9/28, 9/29, and 10/20.

Checkered Past Winery
1409 S. Lamar St. #008
Dallas, TX 75215
(214) 242-0411
www.checkeredpastwinery.com
www.wineandmagicdallas.com
Price: $$+

Since I'm a food blogger... I'll be focusing on the food. I don't want to give away any parts of the show anyways... You'll have to see it to believe it yourselves!

We arrived a little early before seating. So my friend, serious about repping for the wine drinkers, hehe, starts off with a glass of Rose (Ch Vingtineres, Provence, FR) $11~ a glass. She enjoyed it, and later moved on to try several other different wines. The Malbec from Checkered Past (locally Dallas) was highly recommended by 2 other friends of mine who were also in attendance.

 

I was starving! And everything sounded good. So we started with the Walnut & Cheddar Spread (served with seasoned toasted flatbread wedges and pretzel bread) $8~ 

OMG. The breads here are spectacular. I don't know how they make the dough, but everything we had that night with dough was amazing. The texture was perfect! I loved the sliced pretzel bread too. All the slices were toasted, slightly crispy on the edges and warm! The dip was rich and creamy, and paired really well with the breads.

All 3 of my friends raved about this dish. Smoked Salmon & Herb Cream Cheese Bruschetta (smoked salmon served on seasoned toasted focaccia with cheese spread, capers) $13~ 

I'm not a fan of smoked salmon but I said I would try it if they ordered it. It's good! I wouldn't order it for myself just cuz of my preferences but the salmon was tender and overall a very good bite. Plus it looks quite sophisticated doesn't it? If you like smoked salmon, you'll love this.

Cajun Pizza (crawfish, cajun spices, fresh tarragon, fresh mozzarella) $13~ 

Available on Fridays only. I was eyeing this one. Sounded so interesting! And this turned out to be my favorite dish of the night. Again... perfect texture on the flatbread. The crawfish were nice and plump. Loved it all! I highly recommend this if you go on a Friday!

White Pizza (garlic, oregano, fresh mozzarella) $10~ 

We added Duck Salami to it. Guess it's pizza night! Cuz that's what we kept ordering. We added meat to this cuz... why not? Meats are gooood. I wished there was more meat on the pizza. It was good... but I wasn't able to tell that it was specifically duck... Plus I was still on a high with that crawfish pizza. Haha.

Rudi's Double Meat (hot capicola, pork salami, marinated tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, pesto) $13~ 

Now if you like meats, this is for you! I was full by now so I wasn't blown away, but it's a good pizza. Bold flavors and I loved the pops of tomato as you bite into it. And of course... the bread texture was ON POINT! We had SO much carbs that night. Haha.

I was full. But desserts are a must!

It happened to be National S'mores Day when we went, so natually we had to get the S'mores Pizza - $12~ for a whole. 

This thing was GOOEY AF! And SO rich! One slice was plenty for me. So if you have less than 4 people, I'd say the half order is enough. Chocolate sauce, melty sticky marshmallow.. what's not to like?

We also got the NY Style Cheesecake (with choice of topping) $8~ We got the cherry preserves on top. It's a good cheesecake. I normally don't prefer NY style cheesecakes because I find them wayyy too dense, but this one wasn't. It was a good ending to a good meal.

Now a little bit about the show... I won't give any spoilers. But WOW! We were all blown away. It was so so good. I don't think I've ever seen a magic show up close (we were sitting in the 2nd row), plus he had a GoPro and a TV to projecting certain things. I have seen plenty of magic shows on TV though. But still... it was incredible. We could guess and speculate all we want, but NO idea on how the tricks were done. And since I can't give anything away... "OMG, the thing with the thing, and then he did that thing?!?! What?!?!" hahaha. :P And Trigg was hilarious! We laughed a lot! He had a lot of interaction with the audience... asked several people to go on stage to help with certain tricks. We were certain these some of these people were planted, until... MY friend was picked for the last trick! How fun!

It was such a wonderful time. I HIGHLY recommend checking out this show... what a unique thing to do! And I would go again in a heartbeat!

**The show is $20 a person and food/beverage purchases are not included in ticket price. There are only 45 tickets per show.. it's a really intimate setting. Children over 12 years old are permitted but have to have be accompanied by an adult. There are 2 showings each night: 7PM and 9:30PM.**

Thank you SO MUCH to Checkered Past Winery for hosting us. Sandro, the owner, was the nicest man. He checked on us a lot and made sure we were having the greatest time. And shoutout to our waitress, Natalie, you're awesome! Thanks for being patient with me while I sample a bunch of wines to see if I find one I might like. hehe. And thanks to Trigg. It was such a mind blowing experience. I'm not even going to try and figure out how he did those tricks. I'll just enjoy it and marvel at the wonder.

*The whole experience was comped but all opinions are my own. Now go buy a ticket NOW!!*

Quality of Food: 

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Value: (comped)

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

LOCAL Celebrates 15 Years!

I feel so special to have been included in LOCAL's media peek for their 15th Anniversary. 15 years, y'all. Just think about that. It's an enormous feat to have lasted so long in the ever changing Dallas food scene. It was my first time there (I dunno why I never went... kicking myself for that). But those who have been dining there for many many years says it's just as good as ever. Apparently LOCAL was among the very few to do locally sourced ingredients back in the day.

LOCAL's 15th Anniversary promotions will kick off February 1st and last the whole month. Perfect for Valentine's Day, y'all! *hint*hint*
"Guests dining at LOCAL in the month of February can toast to the restaurant’s decade and a half of success with a complimentary champagne cocktail, available to anyone who dines at LOCAL between February 1st and February 28th.
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Additionally, Chef Tracy Miller will offer a special anniversary tasting menu all month, featuring remarkable French wine pairings. Adding in a complimentary course to her standard seven-course tasting menu, the eight-course tasting menu will be available for $75, with optional wine pairings for an additional $35." 

Scroll to the bottom of the post to see what's in store for the 8 course tasting menu.* :) This is such a steal! Most chef tastings of this caliber generally costs well over $100. Jump on it!

LOCAL - Deep Ellum
2936 Elm Street
Dallas, TX 75226
(214) 752-7500
www.localdallas.com
Price: $$$$+

If your interest hasn't been peaked yet, just you wait. There's a feast heading your way! We had an EPIC dinner... we didn't know what or how many courses we were having, the chef just kept bringing stuff out! I kind of overdid it right off the bat... was struggling at the end, but I made sure to taste EVERYTHING!

Champagne Cocktail (with grapefruit rosemary sorbet). Their flavors change from time to time. And as the sorbet melts in the champagne the flavor changes as well. Very cool! I don't really drink so I just tried the sorbet. So refreshing and the rosemary really takes it to another level. Herbacious and fragrant. Yum!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (with sweet potato crisp). These are the cutest little cups for a soup taster. I'm so glad she did tasting portions cuz I would've had the whole bowl given the opportunity. It was sooooo good. I loved the contrast in texture with the crisp.

Our Fried Green Beans (thyme scented dipping sauce) $14~ I think these are a staple at LOCAL. Those who have dined there were already anticipating it. These are like crack, y'all. So freaking crispy and delicious. I just kept eating... and telling myself they're vegetables.. so... yea. :P

Cheese & Crackers (LOCAL's evolving cheese collection, apple savoy cabbage slaw, fruit conserve, crostini, warm baguette) $22~ If you love cheese boards... theirs is ever changing! 

Pan Seared Maine Lobster Cake (crispy baby beet, carrot & frisee slaw, meyer lemon dill cream) $17~ One of the most beautiful dishes of the night, imo. And freaking delicious. The lobster cake was delicate, yet crispy on the outside. I love the brightness from the frisee.

Honey Nut Squash & Chevre Ravioli (delicata broth, young spinach, crispy prosciutto, snowing parm) $17~ I love a good pasta. The ravioli was cooked perfectly, not too soft. It's got goat cheese in it, which I normally cannot stand. But it was mild, and I didn't mind it. Gasp!

Charred Radicchio & Torn Lacinato Kale Caesar (roasted yellow teardrops, pecorino shaved, toasted crumbs, white anchovy dressing) $16~ My new favorite salad! I love a good warm salad cuz it makes you feel less like you're eating rabbit food. haha. The charred radicchio had SO much flavor. It was soft from the cook and paired well with the sturdy kale. I can have this for a meal any day.

Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese. Another mini soup! So cute! The grilled cheese was buttery and rich. It paired so well with the soup by dunking it in there. This is just a tasting version... their normal portion is a bowl of soup with 2 grilled cheeses I think. Great for the winter!

Cornflake Panko Crusted Seabass (creamy parmesan reggiano risotto, herb beurre blanc, haricot vert) $36~ This was one of my favorites. Seabass is one of my favorite fish... next to cod. They're both so flaky! The crust on this was perfect. You can even see it from the photo. It balanced so well with the tender flaky fish. The risotto was the star though... so creamy, but not mushy.

Anson Mills Grit Cakes (fennel tomato relish) $9~ So pretty. I love all the plating she's done with her dishes. All so clean and simple, yet lots of contrasting textures. The fry on this was nice. It's a good side to have with fish or meat.

Pinot Noir Glazed King Salmon (parsnip whip, flash fried spinach, green apple pinot finish) $31~ I love salmon, but I underestimated this. I thought... oh salmon is salmon. But nooo... one of the most tender salmon I've ever had. The cook was spot on and that glaze made it slightly sweet. It was a lot of people's favorite. The parsnip whip was also really great. The only thing I would change is to cook the spinach a bit more. I know it was flash fried but I think I would've preferred mine sauteed.

Panko Crusted Tator Tots (house ketchup) $9~ Really fancy fries basically. I thought they were mozzarella sticks at first because they were the size of them! Perfectly crispy.

Are you keeping count btw?? Cuz at this point most of us were about to tap out. So full! But we can't stop!

Roasted Root Vegetables. I only had a small bite, but it was so good. Super tender. And whatever glaze was on those things... yum!

Herb Marinated Seared Scallops (yukon gold acorn squash risotto, citrus glaze) $32~ Oh man... I can't pass up a good scallop. These were seared well and so big and plump! I loved the potato and squash risotto underneath. So delicate against the buttery scallops. Another one of my favorites of the night.

Grilled All Natural Tenderloin (grilled stone ground polenta, brussels sprouts, roasted garlic butter). This is only on their normal tasting menu. They really did save the best for last. Not only was it plated beautifully. I love it when foods are stacked. The beef was super tender. I freaking LOVED the polenta cakes. And you KNOW Brussels Sprouts are my jam! It's a pretty perfect dish. I just wished I had more stomach room to eat more!

And of course there's dessert! Everyone got their own sampler plate... I have to say, I didn't finish. I'm so sad.

Deep Ellum Honey Cake
Cardamom Scented Donut Holes
Fresh Fig & Port Ice Cream

Chocolate Milkshakes. I found out that they make their ice cream in house too. Wow!

*Special 15th Anniversary 8 Course Tasting Menu*

"Also, throughout the month of February, LOCAL will collect socks as part of the Socks For Sandwich initiative, a non-profit that collects socks for those in need. Additionally, for every bottle of Lord Sandwich Red Table Wine sold, a new pair of socks is given to someone in need. Keep an eye on LOCAL’s social media pages for more details on this initiative."

Thank you, LOCAL, for having me. It was such a phenomenal dinner and I'm so grateful to have been a part of your 15th Anniversary celebration. Here's to 15 more! :)

*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*

Quality of Food: 

Service: 

Ambiance: 

Value: (comped)

Overall Experience: 

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~