Foundation Room- 5 Stars

Showtime is an hour from now. Your favorite band is set to perform this evening at the House of Blues and you and honey are all spruced up and ready to party. With time to spare, you’ve decided to wet your whistles. But special evenings aren’t made for just any type of boozy beverage. This is a night that deserves classier concoctions.

Enter the new and improved Foundation Room. Each and every part of the décor weaves touches of global influence. From the Artist and Buddha rooms, to colorful pillows placed on cozy outdoor seating. It’s definitely a place you wouldn’t mind going before the show or happy hour.

But the relaunch doesn’t end with a few pretty pillows. It extends right over to the craft cocktails like the Hot Daughter, a combination of Maestro Dobel Diamante tequila, Cointreau, fresh basil, serrano pepper, and lemon and lime juice. Light and fresh, with a fiery ending from the serrano’s the Hot Daughter definitely puts some burn in your belly. A little sweeter and richer, the Night Cap is a friendly marriage of Bullet rye, a sprig of rosemary, demerara, Angustura and grapefruit bitters. However, my favorite rookie is the Cucumber Chill. Extra refreshing, made with Grey Goose, St Germain, fresh cucumber and a little lemon and lime juice. It goes down smoother than smooth, and one could easily forget they’ve already had three.

Of course after your show, you may be hungry. “We’ve launched a lot more small plates that people can share and try, as appose to a straight dinner menu. We do still have some of the same dinner menu items, like the shrimp Thai Curry, which is a great dish. But we really wanted to make it more of a lounge feel, and have things you can share with your friends instead of a big dinner,” General Manager Brian Carp explained. Like the Japanese yellow tail tartare bruschetta, where fish is tender and bountiful mixed with avocado, micro cilantro, chili garlic, and aji Amarillo, and bursting with flavor. Two other addictive plates are the lightly battered market cauliflower tempura, and the Korean fried chicken and bao buns. There’s something simple and wonderful about the cauliflower, it’s not especially seasoned, but takes my cravings somewhere they need to go.

Whether you’re attending a show, or just in the mood to have a nice cocktail while enjoying a few DJs, the Foundation Room is worth checking out. “I think it lends to a lot of different experiences, because it is so versatile,” Brian reiterated. See a show, enjoy a few bites and cocktails all without hoping back in the car. Nothing like a one stop shop for partying and satisfying your stomach. TxMb

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Foundation Room Dallas (Located inside the House of Blues)

Where to find them- 2200 N Lamar St, Dallas, TX 75202

Phone- (214) 978-4867

That whole parking thing-Well, it’s downtown Dallas. Either choose valet, or park at some of the lots in the surrounding area. If you do that, be prepared to do a little walking.