Nutcracker Ballet Tickets for Only $10!

From the Cut & Paste Via Travelzoo Holiday Division:

Enter a holiday dreamland filled with sugarplums and sweets with Texas Ballet Theater’s performance of “The Nutcracker." With this Local Deal, save up to 50% on tickets to see the holiday classic in Dallas over Thanksgiving weekend or in Fort Worth in December.

The following seating levels are available for all performances Nov. 23-Nov. 25, Friday-Sunday, at Winspear Opera House in Dallas:

• Dress Circle ... $10-$24 (reg. $20-$30)
• Mezzanine ... $17.50-$36 (reg. $25-$40)
• Orchestra Terrace ... $24.50-$40.50 (regularly $35-$45)
• Orchestra ... $31.50-$49.50 (regularly $45-$55)

Note: The lowest priced tickets are available for the Friday, Nov. 23, performance. Dress Circle seats are not available for the Sunday, Nov. 25, performance.

The following seating levels are available for the 7 p.m. performance Sunday, Dec. 9, at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth:

• Parterre seats … $17.50-$20 (reg. $35-$40)
• Orchestra seats … $22.50 (reg. $45)
• Corps Circle seats … $25 (reg. $50)

Hear the sounds of one of Tchaikovsky’s most famous scores and see Texas Ballet Theater's beautiful costumes, sets and choreography.

Click here to get your tickets.

Taylor Swift Presale Password for Cowboys Stadium

I'm not going to lie, I hate myself a little bit for even posting this, but I know there are people out there who like her music, so here's the Taylor Swift presale password. Talk about a concert that we are never, ever, ever, EVER going to.

 

Taylor Swift: The Red Tour
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Cowboys Stadium

Taylor Swift's "The Red Tour" will stop at Cowboys Stadium on May 25, 2013.

Tickets for this event will go on sale to the general public Friday, November 16, 2012 at 10:00am.

But because we love you, YOU have the opportunity to purchase tickets starting on
Thursday, November 15, 2012 at 10:00am.

To purchase tickets, use the corresponding link and password below:

Password: COUNTRY

Save Big on DSO's Aida Tickets!

From the Cut & Paste Via Travelzoo Division:

Dallas Opera opens the 2012-13 season with Verdi's masterpiece "Aida," which the Dallas News calls one of "the grandest of grand operas." Tickets are now 40% off, starting at $11, for Travelzoo subscribers to see this staging of the famous 19th century opera. Use code TZOO to take advantage of this great deal.

You can also save 20% and see additional dates of Aida by using promo code Egypt20 to save 20% on tickets.

See you there!

Diving in Head First to Max's Wine Dive Dallas

I was fortunate enough to score an invite to Max’s Wine Dive Dallas’ friends and family evening Tuesday, and from the looks of the bustling dining room and bar, Max has no shortage of friends or family.

While many soft-opening nights can have an air of chaos, Max’s hostess greeted us warmly and took us to one of their high top tables in the center of the room that gave us quite the view. We could see the kitchen working at a rapid pace to keep turning out delicious fried chicken, mac and cheese, fried brussel sprouts and more; patrons on the patio enjoying a glass of wine while their dogs had a bowl of water on a warm evening; and a restaurant full of happy people enjoying food and wine.

While I was a Max’s virgin, my friend is well-versed in the Max’s menu and recommended a number of menu items and wines that would work well. Who was I to argue? We started out with a glass of bubbly, of course. Max’s wine list is impressive, varied and wallet-friendly. Even better, you can peruse their wall of wine if you want to select something not on the list. Order two glasses, they’ll open the bottle. Buy a bottle while you’re there and one to take home and you’ll even get a discount. The folks at Max’s aren’t dummies and they’ve done their homework to make sure their prices are competitive, even with the discount retailers around town. While you won’t find any two-buck-Chuck here(thank goodness!) you can get a case of wine for only $99. That’s tough to beat, even at the big box stores down the road.

Also, while we’ve all seen enough small plates meant for sharing around town that aren’t shareable at all, Max’s gets it right with small plates that are actually designed to be shared, as well as prices that will let you order several to try out. For small plates, we stuck to the classic dishes found on the left side of the menu when we ordered the Max n’ Cheese and the Pan Borracho. The piquillo peppers were also highly recommended and the sliders looked great as they passed by. Classics can be found at all Max’s locations where the other side is populated with seasonal selections from the local chef.

The mac and the pan borracho arrived at our table piping hot. The creamy mac and cheese had been tossed with a truffle cream sauce that was complemented with gruyere and parmesan cheese. So many critics whine about truffle oil, but the reality is people love it. And really, if you’re looking to make really good mac and cheese into really great mac and cheese, why not just add truffle oil. They did and it’s fantastic. The pan borracho is one of those dishes that will easily make it on to the list of must-orders for every trip to Max’s. Sourdough baguette, prosciutto and thyme are baked in a white wine custard sauce with the aforementioned cheeses and the result is a drunken bread dish that I’m already craving again. Health food this is not, but it’ll be worth the extra run on the Katy Trail you’ll need to do in the morning.

For our entrée, we headed to the right side of the menu, which features creations from Chef Patrick Russell. The first thing you’ll notice on that side is the fried brussel sprouts. Order them. These are not those gross little cabbage looking things your mother made you eat. These are delightfully crispy magical sprouts that will have you fork sparring for the last one. Word on the street is that these are one of the few non-classics that may be able to jump across the menu and become classics. We also tried the lamb shoulder, which had been perfectly cooked and was literally fork tender as you cut through this normally tougher cut.

I wish I could remember the names of the delightful Pinot Noir and other wines we tried, but wine often has a funny mind-erasing effect. Not to worry, the knowledgeable staff and bartenders can certainly steer you in the right direction. Max’s team has literally scoured the globe to bring new and interesting wines to their customers. From trips to the Northwest to South Africa, I’m still trying to figure out how I can join that team.

For a kitchen’s virgin night, Max’s had no problem converting this virgin to a big fan of Max’s. The Sig-O has already decided we’ve got weekend plans to hit up their brunch, featuring red velvet pancakes, French toast, mimosas, man-mosas and more. See you there.

RW Report: Abacus is Still Amazing

First off, I have to give the Sig-O credit for getting us some of the best RW reservations in town - Abacus, the French Room and Bijoux. All on prime days. Seriously, the RW list comes out, I make a matrix of restaurants and dates (yes, this is the only time learning about matrices in calculus has ever helped me), I hand it to the Sig-O and magical things happen. Like a Friday night reservation at Abacus or a Saturday night at Bijoux. Reservation day is pretty much like sending my wishlist to Santa.

But on to more important things, like Abacus. The folks at Abacus on Friday night outdid themselves again. The Sig-O, Sibling, the Brit, the pseudo-aunt, and I went to Aacus on Friday night and were reminded of why Abacus is still at the top of the favorite restaurant list. The charming Ryan T. was our server and he made it such a fun evening for all 5 of us.

Ryan was happy to explain that we were better off ordering a bottle of wine rather than the pairings, particularly since none of us were big dessert wine fans. A lovely Meomi Pinot Noir went well with everyone’s dishes and it was thanks to his knowledgable recommendation that we chose it.

Our favorite appetizers were the duck gnocchi and the buffalo potstickers. Since each of us had a 4th course certificate, we each had 2 of the lobster shooters. Yes, we’ve all had them before, but they really are that good. I'm curious how many lobster shooters they make during Restaurant Week because there were a number of them on every table.

For the entrees, the most popular at our table were the shrimp and girts, the Kobe hanger steak and the pork tacos. The winner for that was definitely the steak. The three at our table each ordered it to a different doneness and they all came out perfectly. The sibling insisted the pork tacos were best, but we're pretty sure that was ego defending her dinner choice. Kobe beef really can't be beat and I found myself trying to get an extra bite of it from the Sig-O.

Desserts were a sampling of several, but the standout was the Burundi Coffee Ganache. It was incredibly decadant and the first thing to disappear off the plates. There was also a great lemon cornmeal poundcake that was very good, but the once we tried the chocolate, we pretty much forgot there was anything else on the plate.

Ryan’s service was impeccable. Friendly yet not intrusive. We can’t wait to go back to Abacus and hope Ryan will help us again.

In Case You Didn't Know: Restaurant Week Is Still Going for Two More Weeks

Earlier this week, the Sig-O and I got a chance to hit our first Restaurant Week dinner. Along with the sibling and mom, we headed over to The Mercury for what turned out to be one of the better put together RW dinners we've had in quite some time.

The service was friendly and attentive, yet not intrusive. Since there were four of us, we were able to check out several different choices for each course. Winner winner, chicken dinner was really the chicken "oysters" appetizer which were fried chicken with a pea salad fantastic gravy. The Sig-O was a fan of the truffled sausage. Mom went the healthier route with the salad that featured heirloom apples and tomatoes. While that still looks like a typo to me, it was still a very good salad. The sibing went with the gnocchi appetizer that had a delicious lamb bolognese sauce. With a first course like this, The Mercury was a certainly off to a good start.

The optional 4th course was a four cheese, mushroom and shrimp spring roll. While we appreciated the creativity of the spring roll ingredients, half the table found it a bit too spicy. Not to spoil the rest of the write up, but this really was the only culinary misstep we found at The Mercury.

Entrees arrived shortly and I found an incredible braised oxtail and shortrib in front of me. This was the kind of dish that results in fork duels for those trying to take an extra taste from your plate. To top it all off, there was a soft poached egg on top. Seriously, oxtail, shortrib and egg on one dish. Life is good. Sig-O went for quail that was light and cooked perfectly. Mom opted for the lamb shank, which isn't showing on their menu online, but is certainly worth ordering if you happen to make a reservation. The sibling ordered the trout. Complete with a straberry soup and crabmeat, it elevated trout to a new level.

Desserts were also great from a light and delightful Tres Leches to the Crispy Napolean Wonton to the Apple Cobbler, and, of course, the Chocolate Mousse Cake. The four desserts made their rounds at our table and we each proclaimed our own the best choice. I guess that means they really are all that good or else the family has ego issues. I'll opt for the former in case they're reading.

While other restaurants may cheap out on RW, The Mercury certainly didn't and we'll be back again for sure. It may not be flashiest restaurant on the list, but this neighborhood gem is worth the trip north of Northpark.

Stay tuned as we still have Abacus, The French Room and Chamberlain's all to come!

What You Should Be Drinking: Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa

The Sig-O and I were fortunate enough to be invited to the recent Patron Cocktail lab event at Candleroom. Yes, we were pretty much sold at Patron. But this was not a tequila shot kind of night. We were going to learn to be mixologists.

While I've never been a fan of the lounges that have long lines and require bottle service, Candleroom is a tucked away venue that is perfect for private events. Patron took over for the evening, inviting us in with patron lemon mojitos which were just what was needed as we came in from the still sweltering heat at 7 p.m. Patron took a different, and much appreciated, route with their brand event. While there have been a number of brand ambassador events lately that were large events with 100+ people, Patron opted for a smaller, more intimate and interactive evening.

While the evening certainly included the usual Patron Silver, Reposado and Anejo, the standouts were Patron XO Cafe and Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa, which is exactly what you should be drinking. I wasn't familiar with the Cocoa, but immediately took a liking to it and decided that it would be included as I became a mixologist for the evening. Patron even brought in the "real" mixologists from Tate's, Oak and other local bars known for their unique cocktails. Not only do these guys know how to make a great cocktail, they know how to help you acheive the cocktail of your dreams.

Back to the Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa. I decided we'd make a drink that was what every girl wants to drink after diner but before being convinced to come up for a night cap - a chocolate covered strawberry. They showed us how to muddle the strawberries with a bit of rosemary, simple syrup and a splash of Patron Silver. We then added 2 oz of Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa, shook it with ice and strained it into a martini glass. Garnished it with a strawberry and proceeded to drink it. It. Was. Awesome.

And now Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa is on my liquor shopping list(stop judging me). Thank Patron.