This Week in Gluttony

Lionfish dinner at Driftwood tops best food and drink events in Dallas

Researchers have determined that January 6 is the most depressing day of the year as people return to their jobs after the end of the holiday season and try to envision a month devoid of any actual celebration.

And while that’s a dark, dark way to look at it, we know that This Week in Gluttony has just what you need to turn that frown upside down. It mostly involves wine, as several restaurants are teaming up with some wine experts for dinners, while Pappas Bros. is eschewing food in favor of just more wine.

Of course, if that doesn’t sound like your glass of wine, there’s a vegan beer dinner, at the Libertine and Driftwood and TJ’s Seafood are joining forces for Dallas’ first lionfish dinner. If you make only one resolution this year, it should be to eat more lionfish.

Wednesday, January 8

Libertine Vegan Beer Dinner
The Libertine hosts its first vegan beer dinner of 2014 with a five-course meal beginning at 7 pm. Pairings include fried frisée salad with sage vinaigrette, grilled eggplant and cranberry compote paired with Revolver Mullet Cutter IPA, and jackfruit subzi with roasted squash and chickpea croquette paired with Community Trinity Tripel. Reservations are $60 and can be made at 214-824-7900.

Chef’s Table Wine Dinner at Bridge Bistro
Bridge Bistro teams up with Oak Cliff Cellars for a five-course wine dinner beginning at 6:30 pm. Pairings include juniper and porcini braised beef with Parmesan polenta, caponata and natural veal sauce with Oak Cliff Cellars 2011 Wild Diamond Mourvedre, as well as a duo of seared duck breast and duck confit with wild mushroom, olive and cavatelli pasta with Oak Cliff Cellars 2009 Firebrick Zinfandel. Reservations are $65 and can be made at 214-740-1985.

Thursday, January 9

Second Floor Wine Dinner With World Wine Discoveries
Second Floor Bistro welcomes World Wine Discoveries for a four-course, five-wine dinner beginning at 6 pm with a reception. Pairings include goat cheese gnocchi with pancetta, wild mushrooms and basil with Giacomo Vico Langhe Chardonnay, and charred beef with cambozola cream, grilled vegetables and gremolata with Giacomo Vico Barolo. Reservations are $65 and can be made at 972-450-2978.

Friday, January 10

Pappas Bros. Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting
Pappas Bros. Steakhouse breaks out the bottles for a Cabernet Sauvignon tasting beginning at 6 pm. Try out varieties from all over the world, including South Africa, Mexico, California and Australia. Seasonal hors d’oeuvre are served alongside. Reservations are $55 and can be made at 214-366-2000.

Monday, January 13

Driftwood Lionfish Dinner with TJ's Seafood Market
Driftwood and TJ’s Seafood Market are joining forces for Dallas’ first lionfish dinner prepared by chef Omar Flores beginning at 7 pm. Flores prepares lionfish four ways during the five-course meal, while Traditional Fisheries founder Dave Johnson discusses the negative impact of the lionfish on Atlantic and Caribbean ecosystems. Plates include salt baked with soft herbs, arbequina olive oil, crushed white grapefruit and cold smoked with aji amarillo, crispy capers, pine nuts, pickled mustard and Pedro Ximenez vinegar. Reservations are $80 with an optional $20 wine pairing and can be made at 214-942-2530.

The Libertine offers a five-course vegan beer dinner on January 8.

Photo courtesy of Armadillo Ale Works

The Libertine offers a five-course vegan beer dinner on January 8.

unspecified

Opening News

7 new restaurants open in Dallas in a single week

Kayla Enright

Le Bistrot Bar Sardine

Dallas is brimming with an unexpected bounty of openings this week. Who would have thought? From sweet crepes and rolled ice cream to a unique dual-restaurant in Frisco, these are the absolute newest places to check out, all in time for the holidays. (And if you want more ideas on where to take your out-of-town guests, we have that list right here.)

Here are the hottest brand new restaurants around Dallas:

Cream & Crepes Cafe
Dessert shop with crepes and ice cream opens on December 20 in the Shops at Turtle Creek Village, at 3858 Oak Lawn Ave #405 (near the now-closed Jalisco Norte). They do creative crepes in flavors such as Biscoff cookie butter, berry cheesecake, dulce de leche, and mango banana. They also do the once-trendy rolled ice cream in 10 flavors, such as brownie melt and spicy mango, plus scoops and pints, vegan ice cream, and milkshakes.

Donatos Pizza
Ohio-based pizza chain opened in Flower Mound at 1400 Long Prairie Rd. #160 on December 17. Known for their edge-to-edge toppings that stretch to the crusts, their menu features more than a dozen varieties of pizza, including veggie, four cheese, and pepperoni with hot honey. Their signature crust is a thin-crust but they also offer thicker alternatives as well as a cauliflower crust. There are also oven-baked wings, meatball subs, Italian cold cut sandwiches, appetizers, and salads.

Elephant Indian Bar and Grill
Indian restaurant opens on December 20 in a legendary spot in the former Buzzbrews space at 4154 N. Central Expwy., which closed in 2023. It's another concept from chef Praveen Prasanan, who also owns of Shiva’s Bar and Grill. The menu includes Indian classics, Indo-Chinese fusion, and vegetarian dishes, including chicken tikka masala, butter masala, tandoori, and a variety of biryani. Prasanan says, “it seemed to be a great location, so I picked it up.”

Stuffed French toast at Keke's Breakfast CafeKeke's

Keke's Breakfast Cafe
Fast-growing chain that's a sibling to Denny's just made its big Texas debut on December 10 in the Lincoln Park center at 7700 W Northwest Hwy. #600, across from NorthPark Center. They're open for breakfast, brunch, and lunch with pancakes, waffles, omelets, and an assortment of stuffed French toasts, plus sandwiches, wraps, and salads for lunch. This is the first of five new Keke's cafes coming to DFW (A second location in Fort Worth at the Victory Shops at Heritage Trace, 9821 North Fwy. #120, opened on December 20.)

Le Bistrot Bar Sardine
Parisian bistro concept from Vandelay Hospitality opens on December 20 at 6805 Snider Plaza with a menu of small plates and dishes that showcase chef Elliot Azoulay's mastery of French cooking techniques: escargot, salmon tartare, and scallops with leeks and Osestra beurre blanc. Their goal: to transport diners to the cobblestone streets of Paris.

Mudbugs and Revel Grill
Frisco seafood boil restaurant Mudbugs closed in November, and now they reopen on December 20 as a dual-concept with Revel Grill at 9305 Preston Rd. On the Mudbugs side, they'll have Cajun seafood eats — gumbo, po'boys, snow crab boil, shrimp etouffe, oysters, crawfish. On the Revel Grill side, they'll have burgers, quesadillas, and wings. They'll also feature live music, sports, and bar bites.

Seager & Sons
Retro-leaning restaurant just opened at the Boardwalk at Granite Park, at 5864 SH-121 #106 in Plano with a nostalgic '70s theme including decorative elements like vintage records, guitars, and lo-fi stereos. The menu features pizza and fried chicken, plus fun specials like cacio e pepe fritters. A full bar includes cocktails and their own craft beer. Seager & Sons is from 33 Restaurant Group, who also own Union Bear, The Yard, and Suburban Yacht Club.

lists openings