This Week in Gluttony

Pecan Lodge at Wine Poste tops best food and drink events in Dallas

Yes, we all had loads of fun celebrating St. Patrick's Day, but one thing is for sure: No one is sad to see the corned beef and cabbage go.

Thankfully, this week is filled with much tastier morsels. Savor Dallas returns for the 10th year, barbecue favorite Pecan Lodge gets matched up with Malbecs, and Canary chef-owner Mansour Gorgi celebrates 11 years with a cooking class and book signing.

Here we go:

Tuesday, March 18

Ladera Winery Dinner at Abacus
Abacus hosts a four-course dinner paired with Ladera Winery's California wines. Dishes include smoked oyster, snail shooter, ahi tuna, braised rabbit buckwheat ravioli, and cotes du boeuf with Roquefort “dauphinois” parsnips and chanterelles. Dessert is a soufflé with salted cocoa sable and muscat grape-rose petal sorbet. The dinner begins at 6:30 pm and costs $130 per person, plus tax and gratuity. For reservations, call Sarah Danzell at 214-520-0151.

Oak Cliff Cellars Wine Dinner at Baboush
Baboush welcomes Oak Cliff Cellars for a wine dinner starting at 6:30 pm with passed appetizers. Dinner officially begins at 7, with courses such as slow-roasted vegetable tagine, Moroccan-spiced lamb chops and chocolate marquise. It costs $60 per person, plus tax and gratuity. For reservations, call 214-599-0707.

Thursday, March 20

Rosé and Cheese Pairing at Cork Wine Bar
Cork is hosting a rosé and cheese pairing featuring a large lineup of wines, including Birichino Vin Gris, Cep Vineyards Rosé, Fable Rosé of Charbono and Mark Herold "Flux" Rosé. Also enjoy a bevy of complimentary cheeses from Molto Formaggio. The event runs from 7-9 pm and costs $40 a person. Buy your ticket here.

Debut of Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer at Ginger Man
The Ginger Man and neighbor Crushcraft team up to celebrate the first day of spring with the debut of Crabbie’s Spiced Orange from 6-8 pm. Attendees can enjoy Spiced Orange served chilled over ice with a slice of citrus or Crabbie’s Ginger Beer Float with vanilla ice cream. Complimentary soft pretzel bites paired with Crushcraft dipping sauces help soak up the beer.

Friday, March 21

Pecan Lodge Brisket and Malbec Dinner at Wine Poste
The Wine Poste continues its special food and wine tasting events with a matchup between Pecan Lodge barbecue and Argentinean Malbecs. The Wine Poste pours six highly regarded Malbec-based red wines to accompany Pecan Lodge brisket and all the fixins'. Cost is $30 per person. To reserve your spot, call 214-272-3221 or email james@wineposte.com.

Savor Dallas Arts District Wine Stroll
The annual Savor Dallas Arts District Wine Stroll features wines from 23 different wineries, food stops at Nasher Sculpture Center and Meyerson Symphony Center, and a variety of food trucks so you can imbibe and nosh while you enjoy the arts. This is just one of the many Savor Dallas events happening around town March 20-22. Visit the Savor Dallas website to purchase tickets and see the full schedule.

Saturday, March 22

White Rock Local Market
Find the best of local produce, meats and cheese, bread and pastries, pickles, jams, tamales and more at this popular farmers market. You can also shop for handmade furniture, toys, clothes, soaps and more made my North Texans.

Savor Dallas International Grand Tasting
This year Savor Dallas celebrates its 10th anniversary. This is the grand finale, featuring a variety of food from local restaurants, hundreds of wines, and a nice selection of beers and spirits. A VIP Tasting Package gives you entry to both the Reserve Tasting earlier in the day and early entry into the International Grand Tasting. Visit the Savor Dallas website to purchase tickets and see the full schedule.

Monday, March 24

Canary's 11th Anniversary Cook and Book Event
Celebrate 11 years of delicious food with Canary chef-owner Mansour Gorji. This special event includes a cooking class; a three-course meal with wine; and a signed copy of his new cookbook, Zing! By Gorji. The fun starts at 6 pm and costs $99 per person. For reservations, call 972-503-7080.

Savor Dallas events are happening all weekend.

Photo courtesy of Savor Dallas

Savor Dallas events are happening all weekend.

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Coming soon

Chinese restaurant from celeb chef to debut in Dallas Design District

A table spread at Night Rooster with tea smoked duck, noodles, and steamed redfish

Samantha Marie Photography

Tea-smoked duck, steamed redfish, and more await at Night Rooster

A new Chinese fine dining restaurant from a celebrity chef will debut in Dallas’ Design District later this month: Called Night Rooster, it will open at 1000 N. Riverfront Blvd., taking over the first floor of the building that's home to Italian steakhouse The Saint.

A Saint-sibling concept from Hooper Hospitality Concepts, Night Rooster is the culmination of 20 years of conversations between restaurateur Andy Hooper and Los Angeles chef Shirley Chung, the Beijing-born chef who’s appeared on food competition shows such as Top Chef and Food Network’s Tournament of Champions.

This is the first Dallas restaurant for Chung, whose kitchen experience includes working alongside culinary heavy-hitters like Thomas Keller and Jose Andres.

“Shirley and I have talked about building something together for over 20 years, and Night Rooster is the realization of that dream,” Hooper says in a release. “Night Rooster tells a story — of friendship, perseverance, and starting fresh — and we’re incredibly proud to bring that story to life.”

Chef Shirley Chung.Photo by Samantha Marie Photography

Chung, dubbed the “Dumpling Queen of Los Angeles,” brings her own brand of perseverance to the restaurant. In 2024, Chung was at the top of her culinary game when she was diagnosed with stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, says the release.

After undergoing an “intensive” treatment regimen, her cancer is now in full remission, and she’s been busy dreaming up a menu of Texas-inflected Chinese dishes ranging from orange quail, a play on the classic Chinese-American orange chicken, to cheeseburger-stuffed potstickers.

Elsewhere on the menu, diners will find creative, shareable dishes like jasmine tea smoked duck, tequila-marinated Drunken Yellowtail, and multiple noodle options, including the Cacio e Sichuan Pepe, a tingly riff on the classic Italian pasta with Sichuan peppercorn.

Many dishes will be made with ingredients from local purveyors, like beef from Outpost 76 Ranch in Sulphur Springs and mushrooms from Arlington’s Texas Fungus.

Night Rooster dumplings Chef Shirley Chung is known as the "Dumpling Queen of Los Angeles."Photo by Samantha Marie Photography

Night Rooster's cocktail menu will have a similar focus on blending Texas ingredients with Chinese flavors and techniques, all with a modern twist. Drinks like the East Meets West, mixed with Nikka Coffey malt whisky, bourbon, black sugar, bitters, and cherrywood smoke, await.

When it debuts on January 31, Night Rooster will be open for dinner service only. The restaurant will serve dinner Sunday-Thursday from 5-10 pm, and Friday-Saturday from 5-11 pm.

chefs chinese restaurant design district openings