Il Cane Rosso is My New Favorite Brunch Spot

I hate it when my favorite restaurants get all crowded. Yes, I love that they are successful and will continue to be around, but the waiting part sucks. Everyone knows about Cane Rosso in Deep Ellum. And for those other people who don't, they will after the Diners, Dive-Ins, and Drives airs this week. We're lucky to have these great places that get their time in the national spotlight, but as a pre-DDD customer, I cringe at the thought of the throngs of people toting their misbehaving children into restaurants I love. But this isn't about how happy I am to be 1/2 of a DINK couple (Dual Income, No Kids), it's about the amazing brunch the Sig-O and I had on Sunday.

Cane Rosso recently decided to change it up and  be open for Sunday brunch, which made me a happy camper. Yes, they had previously done Saturday brunch, but that just wasn't terribly convenient. Yes, I've been known to drink on patios before noon on Saturday, but I don't make it a regular practice because, too often, there's just a bunch of stuff I need to get done on Saturday so we can drink on a patio and become worthless for the rest of the day on Sunday. Fortunately, Cane Rosso is now open on Sunday and has a great patio, which just so happens to be dog-friendly. If the Sig-O would get around to training the demon in fur to stop being such a jacka$$ with other dogs, I'm sure we would have taken him and enjoyed it.

Moving on to brunch. The full menu is available, but the real reason to wake up and head over to Deep Ellum is the brunch menu. I started with a mimosa (duh) and the Sig-O opted for a Michelada, which is basically a bloody mary made with beer instead of vodka. We rationalized that this could actually be a healthier version of a bloody mary when done with light beer. With eight choices on the brunch menu, it's not the number of choices that makes you wonder what to order as much as the number of freaking amazing choices available. Everything sounded good. For real. So we asked our friendly waitress for her thoughts, which turned out to be a great call since she let us know that the hash wasn't going to be with hot sopressata and braised pork, but rather in-house smoked brisket. Sold! 1 million times sold! Seriously, the Sig-O was all over that like white on rice. Me, I was still debating several options, but I'm a believer that a good brunch must have good eggs benedict, so I went with the Cane Rosso Benedict.

After just a few minutes of enjoying the sunshine on the patio with our cocktails, our brunch arrived. The brisket hash was brisket(duh), 2 over easy eggs, fonduta and crostini. The Sig-O went for the first bite and it was like I had been completely replaced. I think I might have even heard proposals of marriage to that brisket hash from that side of the table. I had to try it. Reluctantly, the Sig-O let me take a bite, but only after repeating, "you know the fact that I'm sharing this with you at all means I love you, right?" I was like, "yea, yea, whatever. Less talking, more food sharing." And then I took that bite. OMG! That brisket hash was totally proposal worthy. The flavors came together perfectly. The smokiness of the brisket, the spiciness of the chilies in the gravy, the eggs. Seriously, this is the kind of brunch food that keeps a restaurant at the top of your brunch choices even when the suburbanites and their broods invade your brunch patio.

The Cane Rosso Benedict was not about to play second fiddle to some hash. With the over easy eggs on top of crispy pancetta and fried polenta, topped with Calabrian chile gravy and complemented by delightful oven-roasted breakfast potatoes, this benedict is a force to be reckoned with that most assuredly puts Cane Rosso on my list of best brunches in town. There was even Jimmy's crumbled sausage in that chile gravy. I get pancetta, sausage, eggs, fried polenta, and breakfast potatoes with that amazing gravy all in one dish? This isn't brunch, this is amazing. In case you're not already full from licking your brunch plate clean, they do offer dessert. Sig-O and I just couldn't manage that one for brunch, but I highly recommend the S'mores calzone as I've shared it with coworkers at lunch and we found ourselves fork sparring for the last bits of chocolate and marshmellow goodness.

It's been quite some time since the Sig-O and I found ourselves both saying Wow to a brunch, but Cane Rosso deserves it. And they deserve to be featured on Triple-D. I just hope I can still snag a patio table after it airs.

Go. Preferably tonight. www.ilcanerosso.com/

Things You Should Be Doing: Weeknight 5K's

You always mean to go do a 5K race or fun run, but the problem is that they happen on Saturday mornings. And Saturday mornings are rough because Friday nights are so much fun. The good news is, that worthless excuse of being too tired or needing to sleep in on the weekends is gone with two fabulous weeknight 5K's coming up. So register and mark your calendars for these two great weeknight runs that are right around the corner!

• The Man Run - Wednesday, May 2 - $20 - 6:30 p.m. at Reverchon Park - Ryan Harms is competing in the One Man Dallas competition and his service project is The Man Run. The Man Run will benefit Back on My Feet, a local nonprofit helping the homeless population of Dallas. Beneficiary: Back on My Feet is committed to creating independence and self-sufficiency within the homeless and other underserved populations by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem. For more information about Back on My Feet, please visit www.backonmyfeet.org. To register for this awesome run, visit  http://www.themanrundallas.com
• The 14th Annual Michelob Ultra Katy 5K - Thursday, May 10 - $40 - 7 p.m. at Reverchon Park - The Katy 5K is a great 5K, but more importantly, it's the best post-race party in town. You and 5,000 of your closest friends will run, drink free beer and enjoy free food from 50 of the best restaurants in town. Oh, and all the money benefits the Friends of the Katy Trail. They're the ones responsible for keeping the Katy Trail clean, safe, beautiful and AWESOME. Register at www.KatyTrailDallas.org 

There's no reason for you not to be there. There might be a reason for you to skip work after the Katy 5K.

Brad Paisley and The Band Perry Presale Password

Brad Paisley with The Band Perry and Easton Corbin Saturday, August 18 Gexa Energy Pavilion Presale starts: Fri, Apr 27 at 10am Presale ends: Fri, Apr 27 at 10pm Use Password: melody Public Onsale: Sat, Apr 28 at 10am

Free Crazy Tacos at Rock & Roll Taco Through May 5

Rabbit, wild hog, shark and "mystery" are among the taco flavors Dos Equis is bringing to Dallas for its Feast of the Brave promotion (the press release hints that the mystery involves iguana). Each taco comes with a "bravery score" and Dallas is facing off against five other cities to see which can get the most points.

James Quiñonez of Rock and Roll Tacos will be the chef behind the unusual offerings. A truck will be in Dallas today through May 5 at various locations (location info under the Feast of the Brave tab here). One free taco per person while supplies last.

Cirque Du Soleil KOOZA Presale & Discount!

Cirque Du Soleil KOOZA September 20 - October 7 The Grand Chapiteau at Lot E 500 Memorial Street, Dallas, TX 75202 Purchase your tickets early and get $10 off per ticket! Presale starts: Now! Presale ends: Fri, Apr 27 at 10am  No Password Needed Public Onsale: Fri, Apr 27 at 10am

Thursday Night Brewery Tours at Deep Ellum Brewing Company

Not going to lie. I totally just cut & pasted this from D, but it sounds awesome:


Starting this Thursday, Deep Ellum Brewing Company will host Thursday evening tours of the brewery from 5-7PM. They kick off their new program with live music by Whiskey Folk Ramblers. Food, for purchase, is available from Buzzbrews Deep Ellum. $10 at the gate which includes DEBC souvenir glass and DEBC beer. 972-439-2413.

$99 Spa Deal at the New Omni Hotel Spa

From the Cut & Paste Via Travelzoo Division:
The luxe Mokara Spa & Salon, inside the recently opened Omni Dallas Hotel, boasts some of the best views of the skyline from its fourth-floor perch. With this exclusive Local Deal for $99, regularly $210, Travelzoo subscribers can get pampered with a three-treatment spa package, including access to the infinity pool boasting views of downtown. 

This package includes: 
• Any 50-minute customized massage, such as Swedish, sports or deep tissue (up to $120) 
• An hourlong Texas Pecan manicure and pedicure, which incorporates crushed pecans mixed with massage oil to exfoliate, along with choice of polish 
• A complimentary glass of sparkling wine 
• Complimentary valet parking 
• Access to the heated infinity pool with views of the Dallas skyline 


Get it here and you better act fast.