The Spread.

Noble Rey Acts Cool, And A Liquor Distribution Monopoly Is A Brewing.

Welcome to The Spread, our weekly feature that aims to share all the area restaurant, food and beverage industry news that's fit to print. Except, this is the Internet, so space isn't a concern. Also: Good thing, because this is Dallas and this town always has breaking restaurant news going down like whoa.

Good deeds often go unnoticed, but a feat of kindness from Noble Rey Brewing caught the ever-watching eye of the internet this past weekend. After setting up a makeshift coat rack outside of their business for those in need, a picture of the good Samaritan act gained traction on Reddit and The Chive.

The brewery's founder, Chris Rigoulot commented on the attention via email: “We are really surprised at the response we have gotten from the coat rack. We thought that a few people would notice it or hopefully use it, but there's been a steady stream of people and coats rotating through and it's awesome! I have to give credit to our friends at Taco Stop down the street for the idea. [We] saw what they were doing and thought it would be a great thing for us to do too! Our brewery's slogan is to Be Noble Drink Noble, and this is a pretty good start.”

Similarly, the Upper Greenville Pluckers location has re-opened for business after months of renovations. The new digs include a doubled version of just about everything, from the dining room size and staff, to the amount of TVs and bathroom stalls, according to the Lakewood Advocate.

Lower down on Greenville, Green Grocer is calling it quits. After not receiving enough business over the last few months, the neighborhood market will close its doors this coming Monday, January 18. Until then, they're offering a 25-percent off sale on products throughout the store.

In other closing news: North Dallas' Spork has closed down after less than a year of business. But not all hope is lost for the trendy, renovated Sonic building, as chef Eric Justice told Nancy Nichols of SideDish that there is a possibility of re-opening.

Moving West, Arlington will soon be home to an outpost of Blaze Pizza. The nationwide chain specializes in made-to-order pizzas cooked for 180 seconds in a “blazing hot” oven. Hence the name. Customers can go for the build-your-own option, or choose from signature pizes like the art(ichoke) lover, bbq chicken, or the green stripe made with pesto, grilled chicken, arugula, roasted red peppers, garlic and mozzarella. The restaurant is slated to hit 841 E. Lamar Boulevard in the coming weeks.

Even farther West, in Fort Worth, Melt Ice Creams has plans to relocate. Per Eater, the ice cream purveyors will be moving to a larger space on Magnolia Avenue, in the Fairmount-Southside Historic District. Look for the new space to open sometime this spring.

At this point, we should tip our caps to the Dallas Observer as they welcome their new food editor, Beth Rankin. Rankin takes over the space left by noted food critic, Scott Reitz. Prior to this gig, she covered the food scene in Beaumont, Texas for Beaumont Enterprise's Cat 5.

In other news, Southern Wine & Spirits has joined forces with Dallas-based Glazer's. The merger creates the largest North American wine and spirits distributor in 41 states, according to DMN's Biz Beat Blog, and will cover nearly 90-percent of the legal drinking age population in the U.S.

Finally, in craft beer news: Texas Ale Project is hosting an official release party for The Caucasian on Friday, January 15. The Caucasian is a White Russian Imperial Stout that comes in at a whopping 9-percent ABV and 75 IBUs. The event takes place from 5 to 9 p.m.

On Saturday, January 16, Oak Highlands Brewery is hosting a Paws & Pints event, in conjunction with Paws For Irving Animals. Dogs will be available for adoption, with the brewery giving out spent-grain dog biscuits and OHB dog bandanas. The event takes place from 1 to 4 p.m., with regular brewery hours from noon to 6 p.m.

Cover image via Reddit. Got a tip for The Spread? Email us!