Gezellig
2010 Greenville Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75206
214.826.1700

"gezellig" is a Dutch word that is untranslatable into English. So with the magic of the Internet I found the Wiki listing: "The words "cosy" and "delightful" in English probably have the closest meaning, but gezellig means much more...one is with family and/or friends, light is right, people are right, music is right, conversation is right, then the atmosphere is "gezellig". So, a fantastic combination of cosiness, enjoyment, relaxation, well laid-back at home or chilled-out in a bar, while being in good company, is "gezellig".

The owners of Gezellig bar on Lower Greenville made it a point to visit many, and I mean many, bars and pubs on a trip to Amsterdam last year. What they found besides a high Amex bill and many hard morning-afters, was a sense of what they wanted to bring back to the states; a place where the beer was center-stage, but had other components that would keep people coming back: simple, but great food, live music (but not so loud that you couldn't talk to your friends), and a casual yet upscale vibe.

Lower Greenville suffered for many years as a place to avoid if you were over a certain age (think 30+). But Gezellig is an oasis from the SMU youth/Plano slumming crowd that has made so many other places in the area not worth visiting.

Beer: gezellig has 12 great beers loaded onto custom-made frozen taps that keep the beer ice-cold. Nick, our bartender, recommended the Affligem Blond, which is now my favorite beer...at least this week (I of course will have to go back and try them all). Nick took a glass from the stack and, before filling, turned it upside down onto a small black disk set into the bar and pressed the glass onto it. The glass was filled with water sprayed from a jet below the disk, rinsing the glass free of dust and dishmachine residue, prepping it for the golden liquid. A bit of theatre perhaps? But I like what it promises: a clean tasting beer full only of the flavors I wanted...and it delivered. The Affligem had a smooth initial mouthfeel with just the right amount of hoppiness and a small final bite. Wow.

They also offer a huge list of bottled beers such as Trappist ales, fruited import beers, Belgian ales and many others. Along with a wine list and full bar, you will not bore easily of their beverage selections.

Food: one of the owners has a cooking background that includes stints as a private chef as well as corporate management. So it comes as no surprise that the food is of a higher quality than expected from a bar. Remember the brewpub craze about a decade ago, and how the big draw of those places (besides the homegrown beer) was fresh, high quality food...the perfect compliment to great beer? Well, this place delivers a menu of sandwiches that hold their own against some of the best I've eaten. The best of these is their Rueben: tender corned beef sliced thin and piled high onto chewy rye bread with a secret dressing and sauerkraut. Ohmy...Many is the day that Laura called me to ask what I was doing only to find me stuffing "in the face" a Gezellig rueben. Another sandwich that delivers, and is a great reference to a very funny move, is "the McDowell". (Those who remember the movie this is from will get it. Those who are too young to know this ref are probably too young to go to Gezellig anywho..). And it tastes just like a Big Mac, without all of the preservatives, calories and social angst. Come'on...eating a Big Mac is like sleeping with an ugly friend...ultimately it is very satisfying, yes? As long as no one sees you do it... Just try it (the sandwich...not the friend) If you don't like it, I will buy you one of their Ruebens...

Live Music: one of the nights we went, Common Folk was playing, a very good blues band. They have also had many other local acts play in the bar's short history, as well as such regional faves as the Reverend Horton Heat. Again, the music merely adds to the experience and doesn't detract from a laid-back good time.

Atmosphere: a small patio greets you as you approach the front, just big enough for you and some friends to watch Greenville go by. As you enter, you notice a large plasma on the right wall, some tables, and then the bar, which seems to stretch forever. There are tall tables/chairs that line the left wall, upon which hang local artist renderings of such varied musicians such as Kurt Cobain and Johnny Cash. The stage is along the back wall, which also happens to hide a screen which partners with an LCD projector and comes down for non-music times (mainly sports :). There are several panels of muted light that slowly change color without bringing attention to themselves. It all adds to a very relaxed vibe.

Give gezellig a try. Its a place for singles, couples, after-work jaunts, neighborhood friends...you name it.

Enjoy.