Bill Dees Kills 'em at Mercy

On Wednesday, October 3rd, we had the rare privilege of hosting one of the hottest and most prolific songwriters of the 60’s and 70’s. Bill Dees graced Mercy for nearly 3 hours of singing. This was a special night for us.

While Bill Dees may not be a household name, his songs sure are. Most famous is "Oh Pretty Woman", that Bill wrote with the legendary Roy Orbison.

The name “Mercy” comes from this song. In the second verse Roy sings: “no one looks as good as you……….MERCY”.

Bill performed "Oh Pretty Woman" twice that night at the audience’s request. Legendary hits such as: "It’s Over" and "Sleepy Hollow", were both huge hits for Roy. Bill also performed songs from his latest cd as well as a few, he and Roy co-wrote in the late 80’s but Roy never had the chance to record.

Bill sprinkled his performance with stories of Roy, Johnny Cash and other celebrity stars. Bill’s rendition of "Crying" brought the house to a standing ovation in the middle of the show. It was a night to remember and one we will not forget.

We were also fortunate to have Wesley Orbison in the house that night. Wes is Roy’s oldest son and a regular visitor to Mercy. It was an amazing experience to sit there and watch Wesley smile as his dad’s co writer belted out those huge, timeless hits from the 60’s.

Keep rockn’ Bill, you are awesome!

New Menu Debuts

On Monday, June 18th, Mercy debuts its new menu
designed by General Manager (Cellermaster,
Wine Buyer) and now Menu Designer,
Vincent Havard.

The Headhunter

August 3rd Mercy Wine Bar hosted a post screening party for the soon to be released movie, The HeadHunter. Dallas filmmaker, D. Edward Stanley, produced and directed this film about his life with the King, Elvis Presley. D. Edward / David is the HeadHunter and this is the story of his years on the road with the king. In from LA was actor Matt Barr who brilliantly plays David in the movie. Matt has appeared on the current hit show OC, as well as an episode of CSI, Miami. Peter Dobson, playing the King, drove in from LA to be with us as well. He is credited with playing Elvis in the very successful movie, Forrest Gump. It was a star-studded night for investors of the film. Mercy rolled out the red carpet and the star spotlight was shining all night with limos pulling up. One would have thought we were in LA! Look for the upcoming release of The HeadHunter, coming to a theater near you soon!

October 19th is Mercy Day

October 19 was declared Mercy Day by the City of Addison. Mayor Joe Chow was on hand to present the proclamation to owner Glen Agritelley.

In celebration of the wine harvest, Mercy offered all lady patrons the opportunity to jump into a wine barrel and stomp grapes. The Garden Spa and Gallery was there to provide foot massages for the ladies. The entire evening's proceeds were donated to the Red Cross to help Katrina victims. It was Mercy's way of continuing to provide a great experience for our guests and giving back to the community in a meaningful way.

Everyone had a great time!

Viva Las Vegas '05

Mercy boys make another great pilgrimage to Sin City for the largest men's clothing show in the world. Buying was our mission for next spring and fall for Sebastian's Closet. Wow, where to begin. 7 days in Vegas of wining and dining and a bit of gaming boils down to some of the finest culinary experiences yet! Before the decadence of food and drink there is fashion.......Here it is.......jeans, jeans and more jeans. Flip flops with jeans that are whipped and distressed, t-shirts and suit jackets! Just when you think you have seen all the jeans you can take there is another line to look at. We observed that patrons in the finest restaurants in Las Vegas are wearing jeans!

Now for the foodies and winos! Night one: 3950 at the Mandalay Bay. No more than 20 tables with a waitlist of weeks finds this great boutique hidden away in the corner and easily missed. 3950 is the address of the restaurant. Nuveau Americana cuisine is outstanding with elegant presentation. The restaurant's decor is modern Las Vegas red and black and walking in you escape the madness of the gambling crowds. You are pretty certain to find a celeb or two hidden away in here as this is one of their favorite haunts to get away and enjoy an incredible meal. Their business cards states "reservations are coveted". Gotta love it! After a great meal who swung over to the Flamingo to see George Wallace the comedian. George has been on the road opening for guys such as Tom Jones for over 30 years. He is better and funnier than ever! One of the Mercy boys got called and stage and berated. Very fun evening.

Night 2: One of the highlights of the week: Le Reve, the "Cirque like" show at the Wynn then dinner at Bartolotta's restaurant also at the Wynn. www.Wynnlasvegas.com is the website. Check it out. If you have a chance to dine at this establishment do not miss the opportunity to do so. It is like being on the coast of Italy eating seafood caught that day. Paul Bartolotta, chef and owner, has done an incredible job recreating and experience that one can only have by traveling to Italy. This is not to be missed! The entire wine list is Italian. Amazing experience!

Night 3: Bradley Ogden! What can you say about this 1st class experience in culinary delight. Everything is special about this restaurant and the experience you will have here. Service is over the top, as usual and the food is truly amazing. It is no wonder he was voted best new restaurant in Vegas. Book your reservation NOW for this place!

Newly opened Fleur de lys in Mandalay Bay also is an incredible experience in French dining at it's best in Vegas. This is a beautiful restaurant that seats 100 so your evening is intimate, quiet and so incredibly comfortable. A great wine list with a real highlight of great wines by the half bottle. We spent 3 evenings here just having a drink to get tuned up before the night began! Stop in for a glass of wine to see this place or spend your evening here dining. You will not be disappointed! I promise.

Night 6, our last night found us back at Bartolotta's with design guru Arnold Zimberg and his lovely wife Giselle. Dining in the center cabana by the wading pool, chilled as to give you the feeling of air conditioning outside we looked back on this gorgeous restaurant and was taking care of by Chef Bartolotta himself! Doesn’t get much better than this. 2 bottles of Antonari's Tignanello capped off a feast that was fit for Caesar and his court!

Ok, have gone on long enough. Get the picture we had a good time. Gee, if I leave now I can be there by lunch……..Another great Mercy trip! Where to next?

See you are MERCY!

glen

Back to Nashville

Back to Nashville and recording, and look who yours truly gets to hang with: Bucky Barrett, Roy Orbison's lead guitar player, Scotty Moore, Elvis Presley’s lead guitar player, and Bob Moore. Now you certainly know the first two but Bob? Bob played bass for all of the Patsy Cline hits in the '50s. Also for such notables as Bobby Darrin, Elvis Presley, Conway Twitty - and as a partner in Monument Records, played bass on the original Roy Orbison hits of the early '60s. All three are Grammy Award winners, and Scotty is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Bucky is a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. I am not worthy, but wow did I have fun!

Now dining... two new spots were discovered on this trip. First, Zola. Voted Best Menu, Best Chef, and Best Restaurant in Nashville in ’02 and ’03. Great quaint little place with an outstanding wine list. The proprietors are a husband and wife team. Ernie mans the front of the house and was our host and Debra is chef extraordinaire! This couple has taken the name of Zola from a street in Paris. A beautifully appointed space and the food is reflective of the attention to detail and incredible flavors. They are also “winos”. Their list was varied from around the world and very well thought out. Congrats to Nashville. You are lucky to have such a great place. Check it out, www.restaurantzola.com.

Our last night we stumbled upon a real gem - tayst (pronounced, taste)! Like Zola, this is a one-stop restaurant, independently owned. Owner and GM Dan Morrissey was our host for the evening and a wonderful one at that. Deep red décor, simple but elegant, with B&W photos throughout the establishment. Dan says his place is “rustic elegance” and could not have said it better. Presentation of plates was some of the best I have seen. Everything we had was a home run and looked too good to spoil the presentation of the plate but guess what... we did and we cleaned our plates!

Back to Vegas in a few weeks... more then.

See you at Mercy!

glen

Charlie Trotter's

If there is a culinary "Mecca" in the U.S., one of them has to be Charlie Trotter's. Yours truly ventured to the Windy City last week for an experience of a lifetime: guest chef for a day in the kitchen. After several very fine offers from prominent chefs in Dallas to carry my bags, I decided to do this one alone. Charlie Trotter's has been voted best restaurant in the U.S. for three consecutive years, as well as Charlie having won numerous awards world-wide for his artistic talent in the kitchen.

The restaurant is in a brownstone home in a residential area of Chicago. Very understated from the outside; in fact, it would be easy to walk by without noticing the small brass plaque on the wall with the name of the restaurant on it. The moderately sized kitchen is home to 16 chefs. Yes, 16, all at one time. More kitchen chefs than front of the house people. Everything is spotless, since guests are invited to tour the kitchen as well as the wine cellars all evening. There is a constant parade of guests touring the kitchen throughout the evening's dining. This is a five-star experience at its best. Charlie has created an environment where sustained excellence is the norm, every day with every course and with every plate.

My journey began at 2pm with a lot of prep work. I became part of the team and was given the same tasks to do as any of the other chefs. As the evening approached you feel the momentum building, waiting for the first guest to arrive and that first order to come into the kitchen. In the dining room there is an eight course menu served with paired wines or alone. Every evening one table is set up in the kitchen for four to six guests to dine. Yes, the table is fully dressed and in the kitchen, where you have the opportunity to view all of the happenings. My wife and her party of four dined in the kitchen that evening at the early seating to watch yours truly work. And work I did! The kitchen menu is a 15-course tasting menu, which is a miracle to watch being prepared and served. THE most beautiful presentation one could imagine. I was given the honor of helping plate food that actually went to the guests; no, I didn't lose a finger! The chef I worked with told me, "It is perfect every single time!" Wow, what incredible standards. I was asked, along with the server from my wife’s table, to assist in serving the table and helping describe the dish.

The culmination of the evening was Chef Trotter walking into the kitchen and spending a few minutes with me. You can feel his passion and the level of excellence he commands in his presence. He was the most gracious host and made me feel like part of the team and thanked me for my contribution to the evening's success. What an honor to spend a few minutes with him and see for myself how the "best of the best" works.

At the close of the evening, my wife's server, Conrad, escorted our party outside, hailed a cab for us, opened the cab door and ensured that we took off safely. Right till the very last second, everything was an incredible experience.

Do yourself a favor and treat yourself this one time. It is well worth the price of the ticket to experience Charlie Trotter's! If you are a "foodie" then this is a dining experience that may only happen once in a lifetime!

Until we hit the road again...see you at Mercy!

glen