Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 29, No. 6, Ed. 1 Friday, June 22, 2012 Page: 38 of 80
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pSjp
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2&00 Routh St. Suite 140
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Prime example
Gastropub or meta-gay sports bar? Uptown's Prinnebar sn't even certain
ARNOLD WAYNE JONES I Life+Style Editor
jones@dallasvoice.com
It hasn't been around too long, but already
Primebar — which opened in the Magu ire's Up-
town space on the distaff side of Cedar Springs
— has become that curious but frequently more
common hot spot: One that boasts a mixed
crowd of straight-guy beer bubbas elbow-to-
elbow with faboo gay brunchers while sports
play on the TVs.
If s said that the most segregated day of the
week i America is Sunday, when churches be-
come bastions of different races worshipping in
isolation. It is kinda that way at Primebar's week-
end brunch, with gays and straights establishing
bulwarks across from each other but living in
peaceful cohabitation.
There's something gratify ing about the mixed
customer base, which on each visit has appeared
an almost 50-50 split of hetero and homo couples.
It might not be the same as sharing the Eucharist,
but it warms my spirit nonetheless.
So, what is Primebar? Ecumenical Uptown
eatery? Sports bar-cum-gastropub? Meta-gay bar
wi th cool hetero clientele?
I haven't figured it out yet. I doubt it has, ei-
ther.
You sense that despite the word "bar" in its
name (and not, notably, the ubiquitous "and
grill"), Primebar wants to be more than a tavern
where folks gather for a brew and a bowl of
peanuts. Uptown — especially this finger of: t,
with The Common Table, The Stoneleigh P and
Nick & Sam's Grill all within shoutin' distance —
is a competitive neighborhood for bars that serve
better-than-average pub-grub and want to be
considered foodie destinations. Televisions visi-
ble from every cranny, blaring sports and news
without abatement, have become de rigueiir even
at high-end steakhouses like A1 Biernaf s and Hi -
biscus. Tickling the taste buds has become essen-
tial.
Pr imebar makes inroads into that realm with
several items that take a step above the usual bar
food. The loaded kettle chips ($7.99), with bacon,
a melt of tart, chunky bleu cheese and spr inkled
of giardmiere (pickled cauliflower, carrots and
chives). On several occasions, its appeal has de-
pended on how quickly it comes from kitchen to
table. When fast, if s fine, likable pub grub, with
tangy flavors under the crisp warmth of crunchy
but thin discs of pota to; when slow, the chips get
cold and soggy. Try ordering them anyway; you
might luck out.
Much of the menu — especially the brunch
menu — is better than expected, such as the cala-
mari ($9.99). It's a dish often overdone and
under-delivered, but Primebar gets its version
right: Crisp as a corporal's dress shirt with a fla-
vorful lemon aioli and spicy cocktail sauce for
dipping. With caramelized bananas foster and a
garni sh of nuts, the French toast ($10.99) stands
out; the bananas wi th syrup manage not to be
sickly sweef in part probably because the bread
— thick-cut and grilled with a lovely edge — is
so hearty and well-prepared.
The braised beef hash ($9.99) sounded satisfy-
ng and unique: Hash with tender cuts of meat?
I'm there. But the presentation was a disappoint-
ment. It came not really hash-style but with
chunky cuts of skillet potatoes that never melded
with the beef. The choron sauce (a bearnaise
turned red by the addition of tomato) merely
overwhelmed It. On the other hand, the braised
beef itself was fatty and moist, with just enough
smokiness. (The carnivore's omelet seemed to
a- SEWSU
CARDIAC BURGER | If you take the time to make a gourmet burger with bacon, gouda and fried egg on
top, why not also grill up a thick-cut single patty?
38 dallasvoice.com 06.22.12
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Wright, John. Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 29, No. 6, Ed. 1 Friday, June 22, 2012, newspaper, June 22, 2012; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth308872/m1/38/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.