Buddy Zach asked me to join him in going to the VIP preview party of the Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant tonight all the way up in Plano. And like, furthest Plano. I’m not sure what exists after north after where we were but it was hella far. But I was happy to oblige.
After making the long drive to the Shops at Legacy, Buddy Z was running behind so I figured I’d check out the stores across the street at the busier part. I’ve been there once before only partook in a movie at the Plano Angelika and a couple of drinks and a bad Beatles cover band at Martini Park. The area is definitely the scene for Plano as the sidewalks were packed and restaurant patios full and music blaring from inconspicuous speakers in trees and the ground. Hell, there’s even a big lake or pond or whatever body of water term is appropriate with a fountain in the middle. It was almost heaven. That is if the air up north wasn’t so thin. Chuckle. If I can figure my new phone out, I’ll put the picture I think I took up on here in a bit.
Otherwise, the shops don’t seem so accessible as much as they should be. The problem with many of these boutique shopping villages that want to attract everybody is that they don’t put the obvious stores in. I might have an interest one day in a wrought iron bed or a fancy pastry but if I wanted to simply browse through books or check out some new CD’s, God forbid I do it there. West Village was similar but they put in a Border’s finally and Legacy Trading Company was actually good for that too. Why don’t these places put more time killers in there?
B Z finally made it and in we went to the packed house at Biersch. According to B Z, the place wasn’t opening until Monday but showing off its wares tonight. He had the inside track because he wrote this place up for his paper (the link isn’t up yet, I think tomorrow it should be) Kind of strange being that a mid-week preview would have been more suitable so they could start making some bank this weekend but then again, I ain’t no restaurant manager/owner. So, we check in, wait a while for a beer at the uber-busy bar (complimentary) and headed to find a spot.
Appetizers were on hand floating around on white platters supported by roaming waiters. Fortunately some pot stickers found our way and whatever was in those, was h-e-a-v-e-n. One waiter “had no idea” but he knew chicken was in there and I thought I tasted some horseradish and perhaps felt some slight cabbage shreds but the menu (PDF ALERT!). The outer pastry was both crusty and soggy; the latter I assume being an accident sitting just too long in its own sauces which was probably like two seconds because they were otherwise fresh.
We saw other food floating around but somehow they never headed in our direction. I was sad because I was most curious about their menu which Z described as variety in the sense of New American. After reading their menu, think fancy bar food a la TABC or Maguire’s.
But the selling point of the place is their beers. This is their pride and joy with good reason. They weren’t bad but you’re hearing that from someone who prefers to drink only one kind of beer and nothing else. Z recommended the Czech Lager as the closest in taste to my girl which it may have been but I don’t know since I’m not a beer expert at tasting. It wasn’t ice cold which might have made a difference but I could sense similarities however it had a stronger bitterness to it. Would I drink it again? Perhaps. Would I order it again? Not if Stella was in the house. Then the waiter gave me a Marzen which looked beautifully golden in its tall glass and nice head. Oh, it looked like haps heaven. That is until I tasted it. It has great and probably perfect body for a beer but its antiseptic taste threw me off. Big time. I felt like I was drinking my pediatrician’s office when I was a kid. Ironically, it’s their most popular beer. I tasted Z’s dark Shwarziber which was OK considering I cannot stand dark beers save for Shiner Black. It tasted like pretty much every other dark beer I’ve ever tried and didn’t like however it goes down smoothly.
No more food headed our way and clearly the party was starting to wind down. But when the lights went up at 9:30ish, I was like whoa, let’s jet! So off we went back across the street to Sal’s Pizza. I was hoping it was merely a coincidental moniker but it is the same as the Wycliff location and I was soon appropriately disappointed. Their pizza isn’t bad and hits the spot for pizza cravings but that place is never my first choice. But the pepperoni and green olives hit the spot…and definitely my arteries!
Double checked the site and yes, GB opens Monday. Try it and tell me how the rest of the food tastes.
