If you're into beer, bar food or both, Dallas has a new restaurant called Blatt Beer & Table that might interest you.
If you like a good story, though, there's much more to know.
Blatt Beer & Table is named for the beloved Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium, former home of the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. In the Midwest -- and among college baseball fans across the country -- Rosenblatt is famous. It's also just a memory; a shiny new stadium took its place in 2011. "It was really hard for people when they decided to tear it down," says Nebraska restaurateur Anthony Hitchcock.
He's one of many with personal ties to Rosenblatt. Hitchcock's grandfather pitched to Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig inside that stadium. So when his company decided to open a new restaurant near the new home of the College World Series in Omaha, of course they named it Blatt Beer & Table.
The first Blatt outside of Nebraska is now open near Walnut Hill and 75 in Dallas. Its owners considered changing the name, wondering if anyone in Texas would "get" what Blatt refers to. They decided it was worth the gamble. "It's a story," says Hitchcock.
As for food, here's the approach: "What goes good with beer?"
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The answer is fried chicken and jalapeno-corn-bread waffles; Bavarian pretzel bites; and burgers, says corporate executive chef Tony Gentile. Blatt serves 32 beers on draft, keg wine and a short cocktail list. Local beers from Revolver Brewing, Deep Ellum Brewing Company, Franconia Brewing and Community Beer Company made the cut.
Ultimately, Gentile hopes Blatt is seen as a German-inspired, elevated bar food restaurant -- but not one that takes itself too seriously. Plus, its position as a beer-focused restaurant at the shiny, new Preston Hollow Village might make the area a little more fun after dark.
Blatt Beer & Table is open now. It's located at Preston Hollow Village, which includes Blue Sushi Sake Grill (owned by the same parent company as Blatt); as well as Trader Joe's, Modern Market, Frost Gelato, Pakpao Thai and Matchbox American Kitchen + Spirit. Blatt Beer & Table is located at 7949 Walnut Hill Lane, Dallas. blattbeer.com.
Look inside the new restaurant, now open:
