This Week in Gluttony

Chicks mix drinks for charity and more top food and booze events in Dallas

This is a unique week, with not one but two events dedicated to cocktail creation and the kickoff of an annual dinner series at FT33. If you like to learn, Urban Acres can help sharpen your knife skills.

Save us a seat.

Tuesday, January 13

Death & Co Book Party at Midnight Rambler
Celebrate the new Death & Co book, Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails, which pays homage to the contemporary cocktail movement sweeping the country. Tickets cost $55 and include admission, a copy of the book ($40 value) and free Death & Co cocktails poured by their crew. Since its opening in New York City in 2006, Death & Co has been a must-visit destination for serious drinkers and cocktail enthusiasts to enjoy some of the modern era’s most iconic drinks. The event lasts from 6-9 pm. Buy tickets online.

Three-Year Anniversary “Kale & Ale” Celebration at Sundown at Granada
The Lower Greenville restaurant celebrates its third anniversary with $2 bottled beer and half-price salads from open until close through Thursday, January 15. In addition to “Kale & Ale,” there are weekly specials such as half-price draft beer on Tuesday, half-price whiskey on Wednesday and half-price bottles of wine on Thursday. On Saturday and Sunday, celebrate the occasion with $2 mimosas.

Wednesday, January 14

Speed Rack Dallas at Life in Deep Ellum
Texas’ top female bartenders pour straight and fast in Deep Ellum in Dallas’ first-ever Speed Rack competition — a global all-female speed-bartending tournament that raises money for breast cancer charities. Bartenders compete in timed heats to complete rounds of cocktails from a list of 50 classic recipes, and they are judged on their speed and accuracy. The winner is crowned Miss Speed Rack Dallas and invited to compete in the national finals in New York in June. North Texas competitors include Simone Elizabeth Springer, Haydee Hernandez and Kiyoko Kinoshita from Midnight Rambler; Alexis Rolon from The Rustic; Nicole Marie DeGroot and Jenna De Long from Whiskey Cake in Plano. The event starts at 6 pm; tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.

Healthy Kosher Tour and Tasting at Whole Foods Preston Forest
Join healthy eating specialist Lacey Baxter for a special store tour, discussion and tasting focused on kosher foods. At this event, discover products that are both kosher certified and good for your heart and health, based on four pillars of healthy eating: plant strong, healthy fats, whole foods and nutrient dense. The class is free, but space is limited, so you must RSVP.

Thursday, January 15

Deep Ellum Wine Walk
Pick up a passport when you purchase a glass for $5 (or mug for $8), and embark on a sip-and-shop tour of Deep Ellum. Get stamps on your passport at any five of the 16 participating locations, and enter the drawing for gift certificates from neighborhood merchants. Wine Walk venues include Akola Project, B4, Dallas PinUp, Dallas School of Burlesque, Deep Ellum Trading Company and many more. Check in at 2650-B Main at 5 pm.

Basic Knife Skills Class at Urban Acres Farmstead
Do you love to cook but wish you could slice, dice and chop with ease? Now’s your chance to learn. Urban Acres CEO Joe Chou shows you how to safely master basic knife skills in the kitchen. This class is hands-on, so students need to bring their own knives and cutting boards to chop and dice produce such as carrots, onions, garlic and potatoes. Students also learn how to choose the best knife for their cooking needs and receive resources for maintaining knives. 18 and up only. Cost is $55. Buy tickets online.

Friday, January 16

Exotic Mushroom Dinner at Grace
Executive Chef Blaine Staniford is ushering in 2015 with an exotic mushroom dinner. Diners are graced with Hon Shimeji, Trumpet Royale, Hen of the Woods and many other mushrooms during this six-course dinner which includes wine pairings. A vegetarian and vegan menu is also available. The cost for dinner is $125. There is a reception which starts at 6:30 pm and dinner starts at 7 pm. Call 817-877-3388 for reservations.

Monday, January 19

Guest Chef Ed Lee at FT33
The FT33 guest chef series has returned. Matt McCallister welcomes some of the nation’s most progressive chefs into his kitchen for a night dedicated to innovation and collaboration. First up is Ed Lee of 610 Magnolia and Milkwood in Louisville, Kentucky. Cost is $105 per person for eight courses; add $55 for wine pairings. Reservations are required, so call 214-741-2629.

Learn basic knife skills at Urban Acres on January 15.

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Learn basic knife skills at Urban Acres on January 15.

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Coming this spring

Florida restaurant with self-serve beer taps McKinney for Texas debut

Photo courtesy of Oak & Stone

Oak & Stone features craft beer, artisan pizzas, wings, and more

A beer-centric restaurant from Florida called Oak & Stone is set to make its Texas debut in McKinney later this spring, with a full wall of self-service beers on tap.

According to a release, Oak & Stone will open its doors at 8575 W. University Dr., Suite 150 in McKinney, in a development that’s also home to Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, Paciugo Gelato Caffe, and Velvet Taco.

The restaurant will occupy an approachably designed, 6,000-square-foot space with seating for 200 diners. It will have an “open, social” layout, with a sprawling, tech-driven tap wall that allows beer enthusiasts to pour their own pints.

Oak & Stone’s signature tap wall will boast as many as 50 different beer, wine, bourbon, and cocktail options, along with multiple non-alcoholic options. Above each tap is a tablet, which will display information about each option on offer, including alcohol by volume (ABV) and tasting notes that will help drinkers select libations according to their preferences; a "tap card" will help make decisions.

About 50 different beer, wine, bourbon, and cocktail options will be on the tap wall.Photo courtesy of Stone & Oak

To help soak up all that beer and bourbon, Oak & Stone serves a menu of artisan pizzas that range from a minimalist classic cheese pie to the over-the-top Winger, loaded with buffalo chicken tenders, cheddar cheese, hot sauce aioli, blue cheese crumbles, and ranch. Appetizers include garlicky spinach dip, wings, and Philly cheesesteak rolls. Heartier fare includes sandwiches and sides like smoky gouda mac n’ cheese.

To help make themselves at home in Dallas-Fort Worth, Oak & Stone says that it will source “select ingredients” from local vendors across North Texas, along with bringing in beers and other beverages from local breweries and distilleries.

The McKinney outpost of Oak & Stone joins eight locations of the chain in Florida, the first of which opened its doors in 2018 in St. Petersburg. In a statement, brand president Sam Aguilar said that expanding into Texas was a “natural next step for the brand.”

“Texas has an energetic food culture that perfectly aligns with who we are - a vibrant, community-driven experience centered on great food, great drinks, and hospitality,” Aguilar says in the release. “We’re excited to become part of the communities that make the state so special.”

Oak & Stone is set to open its doors in McKinney in spring 2026. When it arrives, the restaurant will be open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.

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