Food and Drink

Did someone say rooftop? Enjoy a drink with a view at these spots while the weather is still lovely.

It's springtime, that brief buffer season in North Texas when Mother Nature blesses us with a window of just-right temperatures and explosions of color (and yes, pollen).

• Here's a primer on some of the best ways to use this wonderful time.

The long-awaited Plano location of Black Rifle Coffee is up and running. The Utah-based coffee company, dubbed the "Red-state Starbucks," says it serves "coffee and culture to people who love America."

The big picture: Black Rifle already has several locations in Tarrant County, but the Plano store is the first one on the east side of D-FW.

Lee Daugherty, the owner of Alexandre’s in Oak Lawn, wanted to show his support for the Ukranian people. So he did what any good barkeep might: He concocted a shot in the colors of the Ukranian flag and dubbed it the "F--k Putin."

Yes, but: While the original shot looked good in pictures, it didn’t taste great. So he asked his mixologist, Eddie Hernandez, to put together something with the same color scheme, but also delicious.

Non-alcoholic beverages have come a long way from the days of choosing between a club soda or an O'Doul's.

Why it matters: Sales of the non-alcoholic alternatives increased 33% nationwide from October 2020 to October 2021. They total $331 million.

• 78% of people buying booze-free options also buy alcoholic beverages.

Is juice a cocktail? It is at Whiskey Cake, which has locations in Plano and Las Colinas.

• You can add gin or vodka, but we kept it nonalcoholic for Dry January.

Joshua Ray Walker is on the road more than 200 nights a year, but he told Axios that no matter how popular he gets, he doesn't want to move away from the neighborhood where he grew up in East Dallas.

If you don’t have tickets, the best place to watch a Cowboys game is any place that allows you to triumphantly cheer or sob in flustered defeat.

• So probably your own living room.

But if you want to share your love (or hate) of our fair football squad with strangers, we have you covered.