A Dallas cocktail bar that opened last month has already earned a spot on Imbibe magazine's list of 100 best places to drink in the South.
The Cedars Social, a swanky South Dallas lounge featuring cocktails by Michael Martensen and an elaborate punch service program, was named to the "Best Classic Cocktails" section of the list in the newest issue of the "liquid culture" magazine. Neighborhood Services Tavern, where Jason Kosmas briefly alighted before relocating to Bolsa, is included in the "Best Bar Food" section.
Two other Texas establishments -- Anvil and Catalina Coffee, both in Houston -- also made the list.
The March/April issue of Imbibe is devoted to Southern beverages: In addition to the "100 best" list, the issue includes features on Southern soda pop and bourbon.
"Aside from the South's long-standing drinks culture and history, it's a region that has been exploding with new creativity over the past few years," e-mails Karen Foley, publisher of Imbibe (and a native Southerner.)
Foley says she had no qualms about honoring a brand new bar alongside such Southern mainstays as McCrady's, Holeman & Finch, One Flew South, Blackberry Farm and Bourbon's Bistro.
"We've been eagerly anticipating the opening of Cedars Social for awhile and were so excited that they would be open in time for this issue," Foley writes. "It's such a fantastic addition to this country's cocktail landscape, not to mention to the local cocktail scene in Dallas, and they have a topnotch cocktail list, so we wanted to be sure they received recognition."
