November in Dallas: You never know what you're gonna get. One day, you're leaving the house in cut-offs and flip-flops, wondering if the FOE pool is still open. A day later, warm weather seems a dim memory, as you trudge outside with a spatula to scrape frost off your windshield.
This November, we're seeing more of the latter than the former. Mercifully, the team at Sundown at Granada has just released a new fall-to-winter dinner and drink menu to complement the low temps and long midwinter nights.
Mixologist Ben McCracken's 12 seasonal cocktails range from the light, lunch-appropriate Chilled Sundown Cider to the dark and murky midnight special, Flip Out.
House infusions include an apple-cinnamon bourbon and candied pecans with peppercorns and rum, and much of the menu appears to be drawn directly from a Thanksgiving menu: pumpkin, black walnut, sage.
Of the three Great Gatsby-themed cocktails, the Nick Caraway (pumpkin-infused bourbon, thyme bitters) was unavailable, and the Daisy Buchanan (vodka, lavender and champagne) seemed too fussy for a wintry evening.
However, the Fitzgerald, employing the aforementioned apple-cinnamon bourbon, maple syrup and bitters, was just right: warm and comforting. Another standout was the eponymous McCracken: Lakewood Temptress Stout, sharing a glass with Jameson and black-walnut bitters.
Sundown's Seasonal Margarita sounded perfect, and tasted good, but the Canton ginger liqueur erred on the shy side. Not so the allspice dram, which shone in the wonderful, citrusy Local Martini.
Even on Dallas's coldest night of the month, sitting outside on the weather-proofed patio wasn't a problem, thanks to well-situated space heaters. And Sundown's exterior doors do a decent job of keeping the nightly live music inside, for those who'd rather talk than dance, whether they're wearing mukluks or summer sandals.
