@nerdvana.food+spirits Shrimp Diablo ($12) is three jumbo shrimp topped with diablo sauce.[/caption]

Despite its name, patrons do not have to be nerds to dine at @nerdvana.food+spirits, owner Kristy Pitchford said.


The restaurant, which celebrated its grand opening in January, celebrates video game culture through its menu, decor and console games stationed throughout the restaurant. Kristy said the restaurant caters to a variety of tastes.


“It’s very inclusive,” she said. “You definitely don’t have to be a gamer to enjoy the amazing cocktails and food.”


Kristy got the idea for @nerdvana from her husband Randy Pitchford, the CEO of Gearbox Software. After Randy visited a video game-themed bar in Australia, Kristy found the inspiration for the restaurant. She partnered with her brother and executive chef Mike Junio to bring the idea to life.


When it comes to food, @nerdvana is described as an “unpretentious upscale restaurant and bar.”


“The median age of gamers now is 35,” Kristy said. “We’ve grown up, and we have dispensable income. We want good food and good drinks. We don’t always want to have bar-style food.”


Several menu items reference well-known video games. Shrimp Diablo ($12), for instance, is three jumbo shrimp arranged to look like the “Diablo III” logo. The Hadouken Beef ($13) medallions are arranged like the sequence of controls used to create a Hadouken move in “Street Fighter.”




@nerdvana.food+spirits Diamond Butt Stallion ($10)
includes Luxardo limoncello and Smirnoff vodka.[/caption]

Kristy said the drink menu is even more playful than the food menu. Specialty cocktails include Diamond Butt Stallion ($10), with Luxardo limoncello and Smirnoff vodka, and Mad Moxxi ($9), with Hornitos Plata tequila and habanero-infused simple syrup. The Kristige ($10), the game handle Kristy has used since she was a teenager, includes Three Olives pineapple vodka and habanero-infused simple syrup.


Between the cocktails and a few of the featured games rated for age 18 and older, @nerdvana caters to an adult crowd, Kristy said.


“We’re really trying to make this feel like an adult playground,” she said.





@nerdvana.food+spirits
5757 Main St., Ste. 112, Frisco
214-618-9732
www.nerdvanafrisco.com/spirits
Hours: Tue.-Thu. 4-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 4 p.m.-midnight, Sun. 10 a.m.-10 p.m., closed Mon.