I’m not sure what the difference between a wine bar and a wine dive is, but I do know one thing: this minichain with the “Fried chicken andChampagne?! Why the hell not?” slogan whipped up a howling tornado of pre-opening publicity. When they opened the doors, the 50-foot bar and 175-seat dining room and 85-seat patio filled to capacity. The left side of the menu, Max’s Classics, is the same in all locations (Houston,Austin, andSan Antonio). The right side is determined by the local chef. InDallas’ case, it’s Patrick Russell, a former sous chef at Craft Dallas. The classics include deliciously crisp deep-fried chicken battered in jalapeño buttermilk. It pairs perfectly with a bottle of Henri Billiot Brut Rose Champagne.
[Max’s former GM, Paul Pinnell, has, once again, disappeared from Dallas.]
