Dallas Restaurants and Bars Pay Homage to the Leaning Tower of Dallas

Everyone loves it when the underdog, the little man — the old and forgotten — takes one on the chin and keeps standing. The city, and possibly world, have developed an odd and curious fascination with this elevator shaft and it’s little wrecking ball sidekick. It’s an ode to endurance and grit.

It's reminiscent of the 1996 Olympics when gymnast Kerri Strug stuck that landing despite her injured ankle and Bela Karolyi carried her off all like, “Not going down today.” This has Rocky and Rudy written all over it.

(For anyone not in the know: the accidental attraction is part of the 11-story Affiliated Computer Services building, in Cityplace east of North Central Expressway, that withstood the Feb. 16 implosion.)

If there were a fight song, it’d be Elton John’s "I’m Still Standing."

On Wednesday the wind even stepped in, gusting up to 20 mph to ground that tiny wrecking ball for the day.

There are shirts and an online petition to keep it up:

“Making this a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Texas Historic Landmark is essential for ensuring that the landmark is not only saved, but maintained.”

This is collectively a healthy exercise for us. Every city needs a hero to get behind. And to that end, a few restaurants and bars have taken note and are providing us all with a way to celebrate the Leaning Tower of Dallas.

Pecan Lodge sent the picture above of their pitmaster sandwich, which we can all now call the Leaning Tower sandwich.

Peticolas Brewing Company has been known to throw down a good name, like their Sit Down or I’ll Sit You Down imperial IPA. Owner Michael Peticolas said there are actually a lot of intricacies that go into their beer-naming process. Or sometimes it just comes to them out of nowhere.

“Sometimes it comes like a bolt of lightning, and those are the best ones. Others take time to simmer. Like this one,” Peticolas wrote in an email to me this week when I asked if he’d consider naming a beer after the leaning tower. "But, since we never know when this thing is coming down, if at all, I submit Still Here, a Perpetuity IPA.”

“We could also name it after what’s holding it up when people keep trying to tear it down: SHAFT.” A beer we could all toast to.

Maricsa Trejo of La Casita Bakeshop really had no idea her titled cruffin would channel the Leaning Tower — until I suggested it to her recently. The dollop of churro cream at the top is without any doubt the perfect metaphor for the wrecking ball. 

And it wouldn't be Dallas without fancy cocktails. Trick Pony has an “Is It Still Standing?” cocktail with mezcal, yellow Chartreuse, peach and lime.

Strangeways is hosting “Lean on Me” specials on Sundays through Tuesdays with $5 Manhattans and the Strangeways' special: a beer and a shot of whiskey for five bucks. 

Cosmo’s invited some chefs to their kitchen for a French bistro take over. The French onion tater tot poutine had me channeling Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The poutine was the perfect glue. Once it hit me, I couldn't stop building.