TABC Clears Deep Ellum Bar Bottled Blonde in Investigation Over COVID-19 Capacity Limits

Welcome to AM Intel in the time of coronavirus, a round-up of the city’s newest bits of restaurant-related intel. Follow Eater on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date details on how COVID-19 is impacting the city’s dining scene.

Bottled Blonde broke no rules, investigation finds

Bottled Blonde, the scandal-plagued drinking establishment in Deep Ellum that went viral in August after courting massive crowds in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, has not broken any rules, two Texas government agencies have found. Officials from both the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and City of Dallas Code Compliance visited the nightclub multiple times over the past few weeks, and found no violations, the Dallas Morning News reports.

Despite complaints that Bottled Blonde was exceeding occupancy limits, and photos on social media that showed massive crowds, officials from Code Compliance noted that the business, which has more than 22,000 square feet of interior space, was keeping occupancy below 50%.

8 Cloves owners to open new spot in Bishop Arts

The Nayeb family, owners of the beloved 8 Cloves modern Indian restaurant at the Dallas Farmer’s Market, have a new restaurant in the works. According to the Dallas Morning News, the tentatively-named Cloves will be a more upscale version of the stall, serving South Asian-inspired dishes like thali plates, spicy chopped beef keema, chicken tikka masala and biryani.

The restaurant will be located at 418 North Bishop Avenue, in the spot formerly occupied by Hattie’s. An opening timeline is still in the works, but the DMN reports it should be sometime in the next few months.

Fireside Pies teams up with Chef Stephan Pyles for new menu

Innovative North Texas pizza chain Fireside Pies has teamed up with chef Stephan Pyles to create a whole new line of menu items and seasonal dishes inspired by Pyles’ global travels. Fireside by Pyles sill include dishes like shrimp ceviche with passion fruit, coconut milk and basil, a Vietnamese “pizza” served on crispy rice paper and topped with sausage, carmelized onions and chile aioli, and two special crusts available for all Fireside pies — one made of chicken (that’s right, a meat crust) and one made of cauliflower. The new menu will be available starting Thursday, September 17, at Fireside’s location at 7709 Inwood Road.