Odds Bar + Bistro

Food Network Host John Green Opens Sports Lounge Odds Bar & Bistro in Round Rock | Eater Austin

"Opened in mid-December by John Green, a restaurateur and the host of the Food Network’s series On the Rocks, this new sports-bar–meets–bistro was conceived to stand apart from the dozen-plus typical sports bars in Round Rock — as Green puts it, "Round Rock lacks sports bars that appeal to a wide audience." The space has high ceilings and an airy loft aesthetic with a bespoke, black walnut wood bar at its center, kitschy wallpaper depicting monkeys toting vodka bottles and cigars, a cheeky Highland cow painting, eccentric monkey light fixtures, gilded swan faucets in the restrooms, and a faux ostrich head near the bar; a small, glass-enclosed whiskey vault reserved for special events houses rare bottles such as Blanton’s Gold, Van Winkle, and Antinori Tignanello Sangiovese. Chef Donnie Forehand, a 28-year culinary veteran and formerly the executive chef of Swift’s Attic in the Warehouse District, serves a mix of traditional sports-bar fare with modern twists: the salt-and-pepper chicken wings are soaked in a 24-hour garlic brine before frying and served with a choice of homemade sauces including chile lime, barbecue, or the signature Crazy Hot sauce, described by Green as "a vibrant mix of chilis, habaneros, and serranos for a bold kick." Starters include a poke tower made with tuna, mango, radish, cucumber, and avocado served with crispy homemade wonton chips; there are also handmade pastas, tender five-hour braised short ribs punched up by a rich demi-glace, and velvety garlic hummus accompanied by warm pita. Cocktails are “riffs on classic cocktails” that aim to surprise by incorporating ingredients diners might not use at home — "These days, everyone’s done every combination you can think of with cocktails, and cocktails aren’t cheap," Green says, adding, "I just wanted to make it interesting." Standouts include the vodka-based Miss Baker, a spicy Cosmopolitan-style drink with paprika and green apple vodka; a gin-based Negroni infused with homemade vermouth and Caffo Red Bitter liqueur to impart a more delicate citrus flavor (versus Campari’s traditionally spicier, bitter bite); and a tangy gin-and-tonic variation called the Cure-All that features a zip of blood orange. The bar’s crown jewel is a glass absinthe fountain that streams a mixture of chilled water and bittersweet, herbaceous absinthe used for Sazeracs, a rye-based Snake Eyes, the herbal-meets-citrus Hallucinogenic Monk, and the Green Fairy, which can be prepared in the "Czech method" with an absinthe-soaked sugar cube set on fire and melted into the cocktail. Rather than a high-profile downtown site, Green chose an inconspicuous strip-plaza corner off Interstate 35 to offer an accessible form of luxury in a sports-bar environment; he sourced "odd and weird things" through online antique shops to achieve a whimsical, collectible-filled decor, and — with more than 20 years of hospitality experience across Manchester’s Four Seasons Hotel and Hong Kong’s China Jump — says he envisions the operation becoming a staple for the growing Round Rock community, which he calls "a growing community with a thirst for cool places." - Gabrielle Pharms