Eats Beat: Max’s new year also brings a new Monday brunch

Max’s Wine Dive has new ideas to go with New Year’s plans.

The casual wine bar off West Seventh Street has extended brunch — all the way to Mondays.

The Houston-based Max’s, known for its “fried chicken and champagne” menu, now opens at 11 a.m. Mondays to serve chiles rellenos, chilaquiles, blueberry pancakes or tiramisu French toast.

The reason: “A lot of bar and restaurant workers aren’t off until Mondays, and we wanted to give them the option of brunch, too,” chef Stefon Rishel said this week between working up his New Year’s Eve menu.

The idea of a Monday brunch also works well on three-day holiday weekends.

Every Monday, Max’s has sangria and beer specials and wines at retail pricing. Plus fried chicken.

The immediate concern is New Year’s Eve and Day, and Max’s plans open seating in the bar with a few dining tables still available.

Rishel’s Eve menu features a prime rib-and-shrimp special ($30), but Max’s also will serve the regular menu at regular prices.

Holiday specials include black-eyed-pea hushpuppies New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, when Max’s will open at 11 a.m.

Max’s also is pouring champagne-tasting flights, including a flight with Dom Perignon.

It opens at 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. weekends and Mondays; 2421 W. Seventh St. (actually on Matisse Drive), 817-870-1100, maxswinedive.com.

Sushi for your sweetie

Many restaurants have specials Wednesday night, but one of note is Shinjuku Station.

Shinjuku, the flashy Near Southside sushi restaurant ranked highly by Dallas reviewers, will add a kushiyaki menu of skewer-grilled meats, quail eggs and veggies.

Shinjuku Station is nearly booked, but remember it for Valentine’s, and look for the owners to open the new Cannon Street shop.

Shinjuku is open for dinner nightly except Sundays and for lunch Tuesdays through Fridays at 711 W. Magnolia Ave.; 817-923-2695.

The same owners are close to a January opening for Cannon Chinese Kitchen, 304 W. Cannon St., facebook.com/cannonchinesekitchen.

A TCU lunch special

The TCU-Mississippi football game Wednesday will be on lunchtime TVs almost everywhere.

But if you’re looking for a serious sports grill, a couple of suggestions:

Brewster’s West 7th is hosting the official TCU watch party. It will serve its artisan “The Duke” bacon cheeseburger with pulled pork and TCU purple-red onions; 2837 Crockett St., 817-887-9233, brewsterswest7th.

Brewster’s has dropped “burger bar” from its name and changed the menu to add more salads and a Parmesan chicken sandwich. Gone are the far-out novelty burgers with peanut butter or pineapple.

Frankie’s Sports Bar and Grill is downtown’s lunchtime sports hangout with lots of bar munchies, above-average burgers and pizzas and an “unbelievable” tequila-toffee bread pudding; 425 W. Third St., 817-870-9090, frankiesbar.com.

Dutch’s Hamburgers, near TCU and named for the Frogs’ long-ago championship coach, opens at 11 a.m. daily and serves a wide variety of burgers, chicken, hot dogs, chili and salads; 3009 S. University Drive, 817-927-5522, dutchshamburgers.com.

Of course, the Railhead Smokehouse, Angelo’s Bar-B-Que and other barbecue restaurants will have the games on, too, along with familiar sports grills such as the Pour House Rodeo Goat or Flips Patio Grill.

This story was originally published December 29, 2014 at 1:58 PM with the headline "Eats Beat: Max’s new year also brings a new Monday brunch."