Summer is close. Maybe it's already here. And as the air thickens and becomes heavy, finding places to have a drink that aren't dark and super conditioned caves becomes more and more of a challenge. In my perfect life, I'd have a small house, somewhere in Oak Cliff or East Dallas, with a sizable front porch, outfitted with ceiling fans and a swing. I'd drink there often.
As it stands I'm relegated to an apartment building, built of paper and plastic. There's a balcony, but it sucks, worth one beer in fair weather at best. Enter Henderson Avenue's The Porch: a casual brasserie for those of us with no veranda at home. When the heat comes (and it will) fans blowing a cooling but oddly humid mist will do their best to keep despair at bay.
You could have a few pints here. Swill them down while enjoying a salad you wanted to be healthy but is definitely not. Other menu items were good enough to garner three of out 100 favorite dishes last year. (I have a feeling the restaurant will be featured on the list this year, too.) And then there's the burgers.
It was just over a year ago I first encountered the Stodg burger, named after Dallas lawyer Steve Stodghill. It's packed with tomato, onion, melted cheddar, and a fried egg on a bun smeared with foie gras butter. I don't know this Mr. Stodghill, but I fear for his well-being.
