BAR REVIEW: Donna's
Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines "verbosity" as: (noun) the quality or state of being verbose or wordy; the use of too many words. And honestly I have some thoughts about th... just kidding. I've had a lot of lengthy reviews lately, so let's do a quick one for a change.
Donna's is a recently-opened Heights establishment from the minds of Jacki Schromm, formerly of Reserve 101, and Bobby Heugel of Anvil fame, whomst many would consider the father of the modern Houston mixology movement (**SPOILER ALERT: both of those spots may or may not be featured in a list at the bottom of this page). Occupying the former Ready Room building on White Oak, the small interior houses a cozy, retro-designed space with a centerpiece vintage turntable behind the bar and eye-catching contemporary art adorning the walls. Apparently word has gotten out fairly quickly, because it was absolutely buzzing on a Kentucky Derby Saturday.
I know this is supposed to be a short review, but allow me to make it a bit less so with an unnecessary tangent... speaking of the Kentucky Derby, there are a few thoughts I need to get off my chest. Firstly, the clothes and specifically hats that people wear to the event have gone from cute and fashionable to completely ridiculous. I know I'm a bit of a curmudgeon as someone who hates dressing up in costume, but Churchill Downs now trails only the Met Gala as the most absurd outfit day of the year. Second, and much more importantly, the fact that the Derby winner is now routinely skipping the Preakness Stakes is a national crisis that is making a complete mockery of the Triple Crown. Instead of a horse continuing its run for all-time glory to potentially be remembered along the likes of Gallant Fox and Citation, they are practicing load management and rendering the second race of the three completely unwatchable. This needs to be fixed at once: I'm fully in favor of the trainer and owner of a horse that bypasses the Preakness and runs the Belmont Stakes being banned for life, or at the very least thrown in jail.
Anyway, there's a neat little menu with house cocktails ("Ours"), classics ("Olds"), a few curated shots, and of course some beer and wine for those weirdos who are going to a cocktail bar but ordering sheesh. If I had to pick one beverage descriptor that I most enjoy it would be "boozy", so it's no surprise that I was drawn to the Good Will, with bourbon, miso, banana, and chocolate bitters. And spiritous it was indeed, but with some tropical fruity notes and just a hint of umami. Best of all was the banana chip garnish, which I used to purchase by the carton (it would be gone in about a day) along with a handful of designer cultivars for apple tastings when I lived near Central Market. Alas, how I miss those days.
I had a hard time deciding between the above and the Fridge Cig (literally described as a boozy bonded rye and dark rum cherry cola old fashioned), but it didn't exactly take the waitress twisting my arm to convince me to order both. This wasn't quite as interesting, but still yummy, with a fun twist via the sugarcane liquor and a sweeter component courtesy of the fleshy drupe. I loved the toothpick topper which skewered both an Amarena and a Maraschino cherry, which coincidentally are only two types of that fruit that I enjoy. Probably because I don't mess with pits.
A refreshing option for the burgeoning summer is the Reset Button with gin, lemongrass, eucalyptus, aloe, lemon, and elderflower tonic. I'm not the usually not the biggest gin guy despite having experienced the world's largest collection of it in Ponta Delgada (as Ron Swanson said: clear alcohols are for rich women on diets), but it was balanced out nicely here, so I quite enjoyed this one. Lightly herbal and floral, this is an easy-drinker in a tall glass that you could sip on all day long.
There's no food at Donna's (though a Home Slice outpost is opening up next door soon), so you will just be drinking, but would you believe it if I told you the single best thing I tried was a spirit-free cocktail? Stunning, I know, but the Slow Fade was a heavenly concoction with zero-proof rum (there is apparently the option to use real rum if you're not pregnant or you haven't yet started the Twelve Steps or it isn't Lent or whatever), coconut milk, cinnamon orgeat, cayenne, and cold brew coffee. Bursting with nutty, creamy, spiced flavors, this reminded me more of my beloved chai than a coffee-based drink. If it had just been about 40 degrees cooler outside this might have been a contender for my First Annual Mocktail Of The Year Award.
Hard to find much to dislike here, other than a relatively small menu and the lack of grub. It's definitely worth checking out at least once, and if I ever happen to be in the area I'll certainly go back. And I wrote about it in less than one thousand words! The haters are furious.
RANKING UPDATE: I debuted the Best Fancy/Sophisticated Cocktail Bars and Best Casual Cocktail Bars sections of my Houston Drinking Guide back in October, but somehow have not had the chance to write about the third category that I promised, Best Mid-Range Cocktail Bars, until now. Donna's slots in at #8 on that list, which is presented below (though there is a decent chance that it eventually gets moved to the Casual section, as it is right on the borderline)...
Best Mid-Range Cocktail Bars:
- Julep
- Anvil
- Captain Foxheart’s Bad News Bar & Spirit Lounge
- The Toasted Coconut
- Hidden Bar
- Reserve 101
- Botønica
- Donna’s
- Aye Candy
- Kanpai Club
NEXT UP: A big-time new player in the Japanese scene from perhaps Houston's best hospitality group.