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74 AIN'T IT A KICK T he Charles, the Design District's Italian-ish supper club, has been swinging since it opened almost two years ago. Now it's added a speakeasy-style champagne bar to the mix, with a menu of light snacks, cocktails, and wine. The bubbles are the thing here, though: two dozen bottles ranging from a demi of Billecart-Salmon Rosé to a magnum of Taittinger Brut. Leave it to co-owners Chas Martin and chef J Chastain to fi gure out that chicharrones make an outstanding pairing: Theirs are spicy and crisp, dabbed with paddlefi sh roe ($18) or served on the side of a 1-ounce jar of royal ossetra caviar ($99). And, if you're a fan of Sees Design's madcap decor at the Charles, you'll be just as tickled by the interior here, from the ceiling mural lighted in pink neon to the custom wallpaper lining a hallway, stamped with imprints of the breasts and buttocks of the owners' wives. Cheers, ladies. Bar Charles, 1632 Market Center Blvd., 469.917.9000, thecharlesdallas.com. Michalene Busico FOOD MATTERS A s I walk into Drake's, Dean Martin is crooning, "How lucky can one guy be?" And how right he is: Scoring a reservation at this new hot spot in Bluffview had been tougher than spotting a Democrat at Dallas Country Club. With velvet curtains and crescent- shaped leather banquettes, all in warm red tones, Drake's brings back the classic Hollywood steakhouse — the kind of place that we glimpsed in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time in Hollywood and that serves up sizzling hunks of red meat, caviar and blinis, wedge salads, and "classique" mac 'n' cheese. Order up a spicy Sunset Boulevard from the cocktail list and conjure Gloria Swanson. No turban needed, but it would defi nitely make you the most enigmatic girl — or, better yet, boy — in the room. Drake's, 5007 W. Lovers Lane, 214.651.4114, drakeshollywood.com. Billy Fong THE CHARLES' BUBBLY BACKROOM I t was a surprise to learn that this year's winner of the Nasher Prize, the Iraqi-American sculptor Michael Rakowitz, is also the author of a cookbook, A House With a Date Palm Will Never Starve. This month, the entire city is invited, free of charge, to a lunch cooked by Rakowitz featuring traditional Iraqi dishes and Texas barbecue. Presented by the Nasher Sculpture Center, with partners Dallas caterer Break Bread Break Borders and F.A.R.M. (Farmers Assisting Returning Military), the event will be held at F.A.R.M. Urban Park, near the Dallas Farmer's Market, Saturday, February 8, 11 am to 2 pm, and will include live music and dancing. "Since the beginning of the second Iraq War in 2003, Michael Rakowitz has devoted a signifi cant portion of his work to shining a light on his heritage as a descendant of Iraqi Jews," says Nasher director Jeremy Strick. "Michael was keen to present a meal here in Dallas, which has a large Iraqi population but also a strong community of Iraq War veterans, to create dialogue and foster healing through food." Registration is required. Nasher Prize Community Barbecue with Michael Rakowitz at F.A.R.M. Urban Park, 700 S. Good Latimer Expressway, nashersculpturecenter.org. Michalene Busico AN IRAQI BBQ AT THE NASHER Drake's Michael Rakowitz Bar Charles champagne lounge Drake's Troubadour cocktail