I was recently invited to attend a Wine and Magic night at Checkered Past Winery in Dallas. It was my first time there, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Honestly, I figured the wine would be good and the magic would be ok. Holy moly, was I in for a surprise! Check out why in my Checkered Past Winery Dallas Review below.
Checkered Past — Wine, Food and Magic
Spoiler alert! The venue was charming, the wine was divine, the food was delicious … and the show had us amazed, perplexed (how did he do that!?) and laughing out loud throughout the evening. It was a great experience! I plan to take another friend soon who could use this kind of good-for-the-soul night out.
That’s the high-level take. Read on to get more details on what to order, favorite wines and why the Wine and Magic Show with Trigg was so amazing. Plus, get details on the next magic show … and grab a special coupon code!
First Things First — The Wine
First, we sampled several wines. You can order wine flights (always a fun option, in my book!) or wine by the glass or bottle.
Checkered Past’s wine list is extensive and includes Checkered Past wines (all the grapes are grown in Texas!) plus carefully selected wines from around the world and the U.S. If you’re a beer fan, a nice selection of Texas beers is also available.
I always prefer red wines, and my favorites I sampled that night were the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from Italy and the Sangiovese from Texas.
Small Plates and Pizza
The food selection at Checkered Past ranges from cheese and charcuterie boards to bruschetta to salad to flat bread pizzas and paninis. It’s the perfect menu for sharing and sampling as you savor a glass or two of wine.
First, we selected the goat cheese stuffed pappadew skewers pictured above. They packed a little spice, which was cooled down by the creamy, tangy goodness of goat cheese. These are definitely in the “I would order again” category.
Next, we ordered one of the two bruschetta options on the menu — the duck salami with walnut, cream cheese, cheddar and basil spread bruschetta. The duck salami was served on a seasoned toasted focaccia with a thin layer of cheese spread. It was finished with an arugula salad, tomatoes, walnuts and balsamic drizzle.
This one belongs in the “OMG” category!
Not only was the duck salami divine, but the arugula and tomatoes were bright and fresh. The whole thing was a delightful combo, and if we had to pick a food winner for the evening, this one won the prize!
Checkered Past Flat Bread Pizzas
You have several flat bread pizzas to choose from at Checkered Past Winery.
Options range from a double meat to a veggie to an herbed goat, margherita, white pizza and more.
I ordered the herbed goat, and my friend ordered the margherita pizza, which she said was delicious. My goat cheese pizza was good as well. I particularly enjoyed the pappadew peppers.
A Magical Night of Wine and Magic Fun
We arrived before the 7pm show and got a head start on eating and drinking in the bar area before moving into the dining room for the rest of our dinner and the show.
I won’t spoil the magic show by giving too much away. But I will say that unlike magic and illusion shows on a large stage where you sit far away and assume there are tricks and strings and such that you just can’t see … this Checkered Past Wine and Magic Show with Trigg takes place in an intimate setting.
Trigg, quite literally, pulls off logic-defying magic just a few feet from your eyes. His show made us gasp, scratch our heads in amazement and laugh obnoxiously out loud. Sometimes all of the above within the span of two seconds.
A Sweet Ending
Miraculously, we had room for dessert and ordered the s’mores dessert pizza and the cheesecake. My friend devoured her cheesecake before I could get a good photo, but the camera always gets to “eat” my food before I do. 😉 Melted marshmallows on top of flat bread pizza dough, topped with a chocolate drizzle made a sweet ending to the night!
Catch the Next Show!
As of this writing, the next shows are June 22nd – at 7pm and 9:30pm – and the tickets are only $20 each. There are only 45 tickets available per show, so snag yours before they sell out. You can use the coupon code “TellAFriend” to get 10% off.
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