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Arizona: Bloody Mary Bar at Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill

Posted: March 21, 2014 in Uncategorized
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In my Arizona Bloody Mary research, Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill kept popping up. With locations in Arizona, California, Texas and Utah, one thing Z’Tejas is apparently known for, in addition to its frozen margaritas, is its Bloody Mary Bar on the weekends, part of the “Weekend Fun Bar”:

Ztejas (4)

The review from AZ Central really built this one up in my head:  “The Tempe location in particular boasts an incredible Sunday brunch (order off the menu) deal: $3.50 Bloody Marys, with your choice of vodka, even top shelf. A chilled glass and your shot of spirits are delivered to your table, and then it’s off to the Bloody Mary bar, where you’ll find four different tomato juice mixes, hot sauces, horseradish, pickled veggies, celery and meat, as in, you know, beef jerky or a Slim Jim.

Z’Tejas is expanding their Bloody Mary Bar. For only $3.50 per drink, Z’Tejas is now also offering a Mimosa Bar, Bloody Maria Bar and a Screwdriver bar. The adult beverage bar will be available at all Z’Tejas location Saturdays and Sundays only. Chandler and Phoenix locations from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Scottsdale and Tempe locations from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.”

Plus, their photo was amazing.

Since the review I had read was now almost 3 years old, however, I had braced myself for change.

I was able to make it to the Scottsdale location before 3 p.m. on a Sunday. (ProTip: If you time your visit to arrive in that magic 2-3p.m. hour, you can take advantage of BOTH the Weekend Fun Bar AND Happy Hour!). Since the review I had read was now almost 3 years old, I had braced myself for change.

Indeed, the price had risen, but only $.50, to $4 for a build-your-own Bloody Mary, still a steal.

And, while the bar wasn’t quite as impressive as the one I saw in my research phase, it was still a place with the best options for fixin’s.

Mix:  Z’Tejas offered three different mixes—Original, Horseradish and Chile & Pepper. I chose horseradish.

Note that you can either choose the Bloody Mary (with Tito’s Vodka) or the Bloody Maria (with 1800 Silver Tequila). Don’t like Bloody Marys? Not sure why you’re reading this, but Z’Tejas also offers Mimosas and Screwdrivers.

Chaser:  None offered.

Fixin’s: While lacking the many options of Wisconsin Bloodies, (especially the beef/cheese options more native to our neck of the woods), the selection of olives alone was impressive.

Price: $4

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Arizona: The Windsor

Posted: March 7, 2014 in Uncategorized
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As I noted in my previous post, I’ve been traveling to Arizona recently and sampling Bloodies in the Southwest.

Of course, I did my homework in advance of my trips and one Bloody Mary that I specifically sought out was the Verde Mary at The Windsor in Phoenix.

Tucked into its namesake historic Phoenix neighborhood, Windsor is a neighborhood bar and restaurant with a backyard-style patio,high-quality wine and beer on tap, a robust selection of prohibition cocktails and a menu that features casual bar food with an upscale twist.

Windsor Bloody Mary AZ

 

I was tipped off to the Verde Mary at the Windsor from an article in Arizona Foothills Magazine. The Windsor offers a traditional Bloody Mary, which features red tomatoes, roasted vegetables, Fresno chilies and fresh horseradish, in addition to the Verde.

Of course, I wanted to try the Verde. I’ve never had a GREEN Bloody Mary before.

Mix: The Verde uses green tomatoes, cucumbers, roasted poblanos, cilantro and watercress–all incredibly fresh.

Chaser: None

Fixin’s: Two green olives, a lime and celery (all green!)

Price: $9.50

I visited The Windsor on a Saturday evening. Initially, I was told that they only serve this drink on Sundays, but since it was Saturday evening, I guess they were already prepping for the morning rush (or the bartender saw the look of disappointment in my eyes) and I was served this delectable delight.

This Bloody Mary was very different, but tasted amazing. I highly recommend you check it out, your taste buds will thank you. The food at The Windsor was also very good.

My research indicates that the restaurant hosts a fully loaded Bloody Mary bar available Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Garnishes include cocktail onions, caper berries, pickled green tomatoes, jalapeno-stuffed olives, olives, citrus, celery salt, old bay seasoning, pimento peppers and more.

On my way out, I noticed a line stemming out the door of a nearby establishment. Since it was almost 10 p.m., my curiosity got the better of me and I went to check it out. Imagine my delight when I stumbled upon Churn, a quaint but AMAZING ice cream shop, so named for its freshly CHURNed ice cream. With a line out the door, I knew it had to be good, so I did the only thing I could–I got in line.

After much deliberation, I settled on the peanut butter ice cream on a pretzel cone. Yep, pretzel cone. Totally worth the $1 upgrade.

CHURN Ice Cream AZ

I know you’re reading this for the Bloody Mary review, but let me tell you…. if I never eat ice cream again, I will die satisfied after my visit to Churn. Hands down best cone I’ve ever consumed (and full disclosure, I returned a week later to get another!).

Highly recommend you check out the Verde at the Windsor, but be sure you leave room for dessert next door.

Cheers!

Arizona: Cowboy Ciao

Posted: March 7, 2014 in Uncategorized
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Lately I have been spending a lot of time in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area of Arizona and, as such, sampling Bloody Marys along the way.

My first stop on a recent trip was Cowboy Ciao, a restaurant that features “Modern American food with global influences.” According to its website, “Bold flavors are balanced to pair with our 1800 (and counting) wine selections offered by the glass, bottle and tasting flight. restaurant in downtown Scottsdale.”

That being said, I should have known better than to order the Bloody Mary. Read on.

Cowboy Ciao

I happened upon Cowboy Ciao after multiple recommendations from friends familiar with the area. I was told repeatedly that I had to try the Chopped Salad.

I arrived on a Friday evening with a group of friends. We immediately decided to order a wide variety of menu items and share among the group–but that we each had to try our own Chopped Salad.

The salad, and every single menu item we sampled, was amazing as promised.

The Bloody Mary? Eh. Not so much. I definitely recommend you visit Cowboy Ciao if you’re in the area (and that you get the salad so you can try it for yourself!),  but I’d stick to wine next time around (their phone number is 480-WINE-111 for pete’s sake!)

Here are the stats:

Mix: Pretty plain.

Chaser:  None offered.

Fixin’s: Lime.

Price:$?

Saloon on Calhoun (with Bacon!)

Posted: February 17, 2014 in Uncategorized
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On a Sunday, I checked out the Saloon on Calhoun, a sports pub and grill with the slogan “Everything’s better with bacon.”

True to form, you’d be hard-pressed to find a menu item here that doesn’t include the delicious cured meat from a pig; in fact, their Happy Hour (Monday-Friday, 4-7pm) features FREE BACON. 

Thus, it was no surprise that two of  their Bloody Marys were bacon-themed as well. They have: the house Bloody Mary (boring!), the Bakon Bloody Mary (featuring Bakon vodka) and the Bakon and Egg Bloody Mary (read on).

Saloon on Calhoun

 

Their “house standard” Bloody Mary is made with their own receipt pepper-infused vodka; it costs $4.00 on Sunday ($5.00 any other day).

The “Bakon” Bloody is made with premium bacon-infused Bakon vodka and is supposed to come with a couple of strips of bacon It is $6.00 on Sunday ($7.00 any other day)

Of course, I ordered their most extreme Bloody Mary, the “Bakon & Egg” Bloody Mary, pictured above. Served on Sundays only, it contains all of the features of the Bakon Bloody, but with  a couple of deviled eggs added on on top for $7.00 .

Here are the stats for my Bakon & Egg Bloody Mary: 

Mix: A nice, sweet mix with Bakon vodka

Chaser:  Miller Lite

Fixin’s: A pickle, bacon, 2 deviled eggs, and a lemon.

Price:$7

Now a couple of notes here:

1. After this Bloody Mary, I decided to downgrade to the  Bakon Bloody Mary for my second drink (I didn’t need any more eggs.). However, when it arrived, it didn’t have any bacon strips in it, as billed. I inquired about this and the waitress said she would bring some; however, none ever arrived.

2. The Saloon’s website also mentions “the Squeeler,” their”Cheesy-Piggy” Bloody Mary, which features the characteristics of the Bakon Bloody, but adds two grilled cheese pig sandwiches to the rim for $8.00 on Sundays only. This Bloody Mary was not advertised in the bar itself, nor was it brought up by our waitress when we inquired as to the Bloody Mary specials. Disappointing.

All in all, I really liked the flavor of both  Bloody Marys that I tried. I’ve had the Bakon vodka before and really, it’s only good in a Bloody Mary and even then, you have to tread lightly. Saloon on Calhoun did a great job with theirs, which works well with the bacon thing they’ve got going on.

I liked this place and I’d definitely go back, I just wish that restaurants and such would all be on board with what’s supposed to come in/with their specialty drinks.

 

 

Ward’s House of Prime

Posted: February 17, 2014 in Uncategorized
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Over the weekend, I dined at Ward’s House of Prime in Milwaukee for the first time. Ward’s is one of Milwaukee’s top steakhouses and since I’ve noticed that steakhouses tend to have great Bloody Marys, I was very excited to see that Ward’s boasts three different varieties on its menu:

Wards House of Prime (1)

Naturally, I had to try the Ward’s House of Prime Bloody Mary.

Unfortunately, it did not arrive as billed on the drink menu:

Wards House of Prime (2)

 

Okay, so the important parts–the prime rib piece and the shrimp were there, but the blue cheese stuffed olives were missing and instead of a lemon, I got….an orange and a cherry? That’s a first.  I immediately removed those–had to be a mistake on the bartender’s end, I’m guessing?

Anyway, here are the stats

Mix: Ward’s homemade mix with Grey Goose Vodka

Chaser: None offered

Fixin’s: A pickle, prime rib slice, shrimp, lime and…cherry and orange?

Price:$12

Besides the obvious snafu, which I could normally overlook and chalk up to a busy night at the bar, I’m sad to report I just wasn’t impressed with this Bloody Mary. Sure, the prime rib piece was delicious, but other than that, I could barely finish the drink itself. I like spice, but this was overly peppery and the alcohol was overpowering as well.

In addition, dinner here was just okay; I was expecting a lot more for the price and from what I’d been hearing from others. I don’t think we’ll return anytime soon. So many bloodies, so little time.

Unfortunately, they can’t all be winners.

Sobelman’s Bloody Beast

Posted: February 17, 2014 in Uncategorized
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What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with the one you love?

We’re talking about Bloody Marys, of course! We’d been seeing photos of Sobelman’s “Bloody Beast” popping up across the interwebs–with a special heart-shaped pretzel for the holiday–so we decided to check it out.

Sobelmans Bloody Beast (3)

This photo doesn’t really do it justice, but the “Bloody Beast” is a behemoth beverage–the vessel that it comes in is actually a pitcher. Yes, that’s right, a pitcher of Bloodies! (Sobelman’s says it’s the equivalent of five Bloody Marys.) It was even featured on The Chive.

It is served with four chasers and contains a buffet of fixin’s including: 2 sliders (on buns), 4 shrimp, 4 pickles, 4 olives, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, cheeses, beef sticks…and bacon-wrapped tater tots.

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tot

 

Here’s another closeup, more of an aerial view:

Sobelmans Bloody Beast (1)

 

The pretzel is courtesy of Milwaukee Pretzel Company.

Sobelmans Bloody Beast (2)

 

Sobelman’s uses Jimmy Luv’s as their mix and local vodka from Great Lakes Distillery.

The Bloody Beast will cost you $35, but that’s pretty reasonable considering we couldn’t finish the pitcher and walked away full.

I definitely encourage all Bloody Mary aficionados to try this at least once–fun for a group, too!

Cheers!

 

Bloody Mary Book Review: The Drunken Tomato

Posted: February 13, 2014 in Uncategorized
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I’ve never met her in person, but something tells me Shelley Buchanan and I are kindred spirits.

Shelley writes a Bloody Mary brunch blog called “The Drunken Tomato”. Shelley and her guest reviewers travel around, giving their Bloody Mary reviews, much like we do here at Out For Bloodies. 

And now, she’s published a book: The Drunken Tomato: A Definitive Guide to the Best Bloody Marys in Los Angeles and Orange County. 

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Each chapter of this comprehensive, unique city guide focuses on one area of the city, providing contact information for each bar and restaurant, along with reviews and pictures. The establishments range from well-known restaurants to the lesser-known “dive bars.”

I haven’t spent a lot of time in Los Angeles overall and in fact, I’ve only ever reviewed one Bloody Mary there on my most recent trip last March (Kitchen 24) which is not listed in the book; however, after perusing this guide, I’m definitely looking forward to my next visit.

Even if you’re not planning on visiting the area anytime soon, you’ll find that this book is put together so beautifully and the photos are so gorgeous (yes, I’m biased, I know, but I think Bloody Marys are amazing and photograph fantastically) that it could just as easily serve as a coffee table book and/or conversation piece.

Be sure to give Shelley’s blog a follow, follow her on Twitter @TheDrunkenTomato (and us, if you’re not already following– @OutForBloodies), and pick up this book if you get the chance.

in this “business,” we don’t consider ourselves competitors, but rather co-conspirators, searching for that ever-elusive perfect Bloody Mary and having a blast trying.

Cheers!

Dallas: Wolfgang Puck’s Five Sixty

Posted: February 13, 2014 in Uncategorized
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The best Bloody Mary I had in Dallas was at Five Sixty, a Wolfgang Puck restaurant inside Reunion Tower.

The restaurant earns its name by being a 560-foot landmark with a distinctive glowing ball. Upon ascending 50 stories, diners depart from the elevator at the center of the restaurant. With floor-to-ceiling windows that line the restaurant, it offers 360-degree views of Dallas as the room revolves. (The marketer in me suggests that they adopt a “560 with a 360” slogan; hey Wolfgang, you can use that for free!)

With a trendy, modern feel, the drink menu was eclectic and extensive, but I had to first order a Bloody Mary. Yes, I’ve had one at higher altitudes (cheers to in-flight bloodies), but once I heard that all of their beverages were made from natural ingredients, I was intrigued.

Five Sixty

 

Mix: Homemade from natural ingredients with Sobieski vodka

Chaser: No (spoiler alert—none of the Dallas bars offered a chaser)

Fixin’s: Three olives, a cucumber slice and a lime

Price:$9

This Bloody Mary lived up to the expectations billed by our waitress–it was natural, fresh and delicious. I would definitely dine in Five Sixty again; the atmosphere, the view and the experience was top notch.

Cheers!

Hooters, Dallas, Texas

Posted: February 13, 2014 in Uncategorized
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While in Dallas, we also stopped for drinks at the Hooters in Addison. Like Outback, I think I’ve only ever been to a Hooters once in my life.

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Mix: Unknown

Chaser: No (spoiler alert—none of the Dallas bars offered a chaser)

Fixin’s: One lime

Price:$unknown

This was by far the worst Bloody Mary I’ve had in some time. Even though I was asked if I wanted it spicy, I found the overall flavor to be quite bland and I was extremely underwhelmed with the fixin’s. I guess that’s why they are known for their wings, not their Bloodies… anyway, I don’t need to go back here any time soon.

Outback Steakhouse, Dallas, Texas

Posted: February 13, 2014 in Uncategorized
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While in Dallas, I had dinner at Outback Steakhouse. I’ve only been to Outback once in my life (the Milwaukee location) and I never had a Bloody Mary there, so I gave it a go.

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Mix: Homemade, I believe

Chaser: No (spoiler alert—none of the Dallas bars offered a chaser)

Fixin’s: Three olives, bacon

Price: $?

I can’t speak for all Outbacks, but the Bloody at the Addison location was pretty tasty. The bacon and the mason jar were nice touches and the drink had the slightest hint of sweetness.

From experience, I know that the Bloody Marys in Australia aren’t great, but the ones at the Australian-themed steakhouse aren’t half bad. 

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