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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!!*
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Sixty Vines... quickly becoming one of my favorite places in Plano. It's just such a beautiful space, and of course the food is fantastic. I was invited to come check them out for lunch and I was ecstatic! Luckily I had a doctor's appointment in Plano in the morning so I took half a day off work and had a long lunch with a friend.
Sixty Vines
3701 Dallas Pkwy.
Plano, TX 75093
(469) 620-8463
https://sixtyvines.com
Price (for lunch): $$
Did I mention I love the decor and space? We were initially seated by the kitchen which was an open space so you can see them work. While I love that, it was a little dim. So we moved to their covered patio seating. The weather was cool and kind of overcast, perfect for taking photos!
Our waitress was Kirsten. She had only been working there for a few months but was extremely knowlegeable of the menu and their VERY extensive wine menu. The name IS Sixty Vines... meaning they have 60 wines on tap. Yes. ON TAP. And tons more by the bottle. So naturally they feature a lot of drink specials. :)
Bubble Monday - Half Off all bubbly
Rose All Day Tuesday - Half off all sparkling and still Rose
Wino Wednesday - Half off all premium and super premium wines
They also have an ipad for all the wine options which is really helpful if you want more information on certain wines, which dishes on their menu pairs best with which wine, and flights for those who want to try multiple types. You can probably spend a whole day going through and reading their selections.
Kirsten told us they also have a Frose (frozen rose with a splash of Rosa Regale). I don't really drink, but I do love sweet wines like moscato... and Rosa Regale is one of my favs. So I got the frose to try, plus it's really pretty.
My friend ordered the Rosa Regale per Kirsten's recommendations (and mine. hehe). She loved it. Had a 2nd one! :P
We started with the Garden Vegetables (fresh chilled vegetables, pears, lettuces, green goddess dressing) $11~
The veggies change depending on the season. I knew we were going to order a bunch of carbs for the main dishes so this is my attempt to be a little healthier. ha! It IS super healthy. The bowl was so colorful and pretty. You can just FEEL the freshness by looking at it. Other than the celery, I loved all the different veggie selections. My favorites if I had to choose... the tomatoes and asparagus. But they were all good. And that green goddess dressing was absolutely necessary!
For the entrees we got several different things to share. And I wanted to get things that I haven't tried before.
Tonnarelli (coconut and cilantro infused noodle, jumbo gulf shrimp, spinach, basil, cracked black pepper, pecorino romano) Full Order $15~ You can also get half order for $8.
I freaking love pasta... I will always choose pasta over pizza. The coconut and cilantro infused noodle sounds so interesting. However, neither of us could taste those flavors. The shrimp, while super plump, overpowered the entire dish imo. I did like the hints of basil throughout. Their pastas are made fresh daily, so our pasta was literally made like 2 hours before we got there. So fresh!
Weekly Pizza: Autumn Flatbread (acorn squash and sage infused white sauce, provolone, halloumi cheese, butternut squash, herb roasted turkey, cranberry, arugula, freshly grated Pecorino Romano)
When Kirsten started describing this to us... we kept nodding our heads cuz we knew we had to get this. I love anything with butternut squash. This is fall in pizza form. The acorn squash and butternut squash made it sweet and savory. The dough had a nice chewy texture. I loved the arugula on top to add a little peppery-ness. Our only complaint was it was a little dry. A drizzle or dipping of sauce of some kind would be perfect.
Short Rib Sourdough Melt (red wine braised short rib, basil pesto aioli, tomato, fresh mozzarella, balsamic, sourdough, duck fat lemon potatoes) $15~
Y'all. This dish stole the show! Not only did it look and smell amazing. It tasted even better. I'm not even a sourdough fan. But the bread was nice and crispy. The short rib was tender. The aioli and cheese and balsamic added so much flavor. And my friend extra loved it cuz it was saucy. Definitely an extra napkin sandwich if you are going to pick it up. hehe. Huge portion too. We each ate half and it filled us up! The duck fat potatoes were great too.. but we had too much food to pay that much attention. haha. Highly recommend this!!
Deviled Affogato (devil's food cake, salted caramel ice cream, coffee caramel, nitro cold brew coffee shot) $7~
We got a dessert to share. I haven't had their desserts yet and this sounded so good. I recently started loving affogato. I don't really like coffee so it wasn't something I normally order, but since Starbucks Reserve in Legacy West, I've discovered that I LOVE affogatos. Mixing ice cream sure makes the coffee better! haha. This also is on a chocolate cake. It was wonderful. The coffee, caramel and ice cream gets soaked up into the cake. YUM!
It was a fabulous lunch. I got to catch up with my friend, have delicious food, and enjoy the nice fall weather. The food was great, just as I expected. And Kirsten was a fantastic waitress. We were given plenty of attention, she was extremely knowlegeable, and super nice. Also, at some point during the meal, everyone came to greet us, the manager, the chef, etc. We definitely felt very special. So get over there if you haven't yet. And keep in mind that Monday - Wednesday are great for drink specials! Ohhhh... and they told us that they are getting ready to roll out some new lunch menu items too. So keep an eye out for that!
Thank you so much, Sixty Vines, for having us. We will definitely be back soon! :)
*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*
Quality of Food:
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Value: (comped)
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Last weekend my fiance and I went down to Austin to attend our first ever Austin Food + Wine Festival held at Auditorium Shores! I've always wanted to do a FW Festival and I've heard great things about this one. It's close to us and his sister lives there! We got to crash with them so we saved some money there. Thanks!! The festival isn't cheap you know... We got the Weekender Pass ($250 a person) which allows you admission into the day festival on Saturday and Sunday. There you can sample as much food and alcohol as you want for the duration of the event. There are also chef demos you can sit in on as well as music and various vendors.
Saturday (4/24).
We arrived as soon as the gates opened at 11AM. There was a pretty long line but it moved quickly. While standing in line, we saw a food truck for Thomas' English Muffins. They were passing out Thomas' English Muffin Sandwiches. Recipe created by Tim Love. Bacon, fried egg, American cheese, citrus aioli, butter lettuce, tomato, on a Thomas' English Muffin. You can find this recipe at thomasbreads.com. This was nice starter before we event went through the front gate. I was able to get one straight off the griddle. Nice and hot, soooo yummy!
Upon entering, they handed everyone a bag with some goodies, including a Food + Wine Festival cup that you can use to get drinks. :)
Michelle - Rosecato. I don't particularly like wine. The only ones I drink are Moscatos... they're like juice! :)
We wasted no time at all and started going around the Grand Tasting Tents. Rows and rows of food/wine/liquor stands and crowds of people trying to get some samples. I tried my best to take note of the name of the vendor as well as what they were serving, but sometimes it was difficult not eating it immediately because they all looked so yummy! I've included as much info as I know. :)
Paul Qui & Jorge Hernandez - Filipino Fruit Stand (grilled and glazed tropical fruit, fermented shrimp toffee, shaved ice, shiso) It had mango so I couldn't try it. Fiance said it was aight.
Farmhouse Delivery - Watermelon Radishes (topped with feta, yogurt, pickled shallots, mint). Very refreshing. And the watermelon radish is so beautiful
Finn & Porter - Braised Lamb Shank (breaded and fried, served on a spring pea puree). I don't like lamb but I tried it anyways. There was no gamey-ness! It was a nice little bite, and I loved the presentation!
Celtic Seafare - Smoked Salmon (on rye with dill, and chive butter). Usually not a fan of smoked salmon. This was buttery and delicious.
Walton's Fancy & Staple - Strawberry Goat Cheese Macarons. Chocolate Cream Puffs. The macarons surprisingly did not taste like goat cheese, which was a relief. haha. Usually not a fan. The cream puffs suffered from the heat and were too dry.
Daily Greens - I've realized I do not like to drink my veggies. haha. Guess I can't jump on that juicing bandwagon... Haven't had a "green" drink that I've liked yet. My fiance, on the other hand, loves them.
Fork & Vine - Scallop Ceviche (with fire roasted scallops, elote-style corn, tortilla chip, and cilantro). One of the best bites by far on Saturday. Full of plump scallops and the flavors and textures were amazing. We kept going back for more. And towards the end of the day, they kept filling those cups fuller and fuller. haha. I think we got 5-6 samples there. That alone maybe covered part of the cost of our tickets. :P
Jacoby's Mercantile - House Pork Sausage (topped with celery marmalade and cornbread crumble). This was my favorite of the day. The pork was so tender and balanced so well by the mini salad on top. The addition of the cornbread crumble was pretty genius. They ran out before the day was over.
Olive & June - White Chocolate Gazpacho (with almond milk and almond crumbles). Some sort of sausage...
Barritt's Ginger Beer. This was a savior during the 90+ degrees that day. Ginger beer on ice, so refreshing. We definitely were not drinking enough liquids. Not as good as Maine Root, but was just what we needed that day.
St. Philip - Carrots (glazed with miso, beef fat, and topped with spices). Carrots... my most hated vegetable.. this was not appealing to me whatsoever, but my fiance loves them. He said it was amazing! Didn't taste like carrots at all. I do have to say it was one of the more interesting looking dishes of the day.
Cafe Mueller - Pork Ribs with Purple Cabbage Slaw. Ribs were good, slaw was too vinegary.
Stiles Switch BBQ - prime rib, brisket, turkey, jalapeno cheddar sausage, corn pudding. They gave so much food. Every tray they passed out had a piece of everything. The winners... the brisket which is literally fork tender and the corn pudding. Everything else was good too. The sausage was actually spicy! A little salty though.
Frank Hot Dogs - Kangaroo and Pork Sausage (topped with goat Gouda and jalapeno-peach chutney). Spicy!! Yum! Creole Gator (alligator sausage topped with slaw and creole remoulade)
Lonesome Dove - Chef Tim Love. Lamb Lollipops. One of the most popular dishes of the day. The line was always super long. I heard it's pretty amazing.
Hernan - Mole Poblano (with pineapple and jicama). I love mole. I've had better.
Barilla - Mac n Cheese. I love Barilla... I buy them from the store all the time. It was cooked perfectly al dente. And the spoon/fork/knife tool was so cool!
There were definitely no shortage of Desserts! Quite a few ice cream/gelato vendors which is perfect for the hot day.
Lick Ice Cream - Lemon Lavender Ice cream (with strawberry sauce). My fiance loved this... kept going back for more. Unfortunately I'm allergic to lavender so I have to take his word. I have been to Lick though. Pretty yummy!
Dolce Neve - Organic Pistachio Gelato. And Chamomile Infusion with Pistachio Crumble Gelato. Never heard of this place, but it's totally on my radar now. The pistachio gelato is one of the best I've ever had. Their other flavors were also delicious.
Baked by Amy's - Macarons (Mexican Vanilla (pink), Lemon Basil (blue), Salted Caramel (brown). Another highlight of the day. Freaking best macarons I've ever had. No joke. And I've been to Paris. They are bigger and totally comparable in texture to LaDuree. My fiance was addicted. I think he went back to them the most. I think about 7 or 8 times... hahaha. I told them they were the best and they gave me 2 coupons for free pastries! I will post those pictures later! :)
SocialIce - Wine Infused Ice Pops - Strawberry Daiquiri, Mimosa Orange. Refreshing but tasted watered down.
Here are some other items where I either don't know the description of the dish and/or the vendor:
Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce. It was super hot that day and I don't think the spring rolls held up well. It was quite mushy. But I did like the peanut sauce.
Noble Sandwich Co.
Hendricks - Cocktails. This is my favorite gin of all time. Their setup was really cool too.
Pig Ear Slider. My fiance grabbed this while I was talking to some friends, then we kind of lost each other for a sec and he ate it before I could try. He said the pig ear was too chewy.
Shrimp & Guac on a Cracker
Black Rice Risotto (with shrimp and jalapeno)
Pure Leaf - cocktail. Their teas are awesome. And they had the best tent/display at the festival.
The most exciting part of Saturday was the showdown between Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods) and Graham Elliot (Master Chef) for their "Mystery Challenge". They showed up as a WWE Wrestler (Elliot - Hulk Hogan) and a Lucha Libre Wrestler (Zimmern) and had a cook off.
It was mostly a show but they still each produced a dish at the end of the short 30 minutes. There was a lot of heckling, food throwing, singing, and dancing. haha. At one point, they even flung a whole eel over the shoulder of an audience member. :P Ew. hahaha.
The entire thing was nothing short of EPIC! Check out my CHOMP! Facebook page to see some video clips.
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