This Week in Gluttony

Beer for breakfast and sweet Easter pop-up top best Dallas food events this week

This coming Sunday is Easter, and that means brunch. But there are more food-filled events to be had, from a beer breakfast to a wine dinner to a lunch break at Sammons Park. Or if you just want to hang on a patio, we feel you.

Tuesday, March 31

Kibble & Cocktails at 3015 Trinity Groves
Hosted by Barking Hound Village, this event benefiting DFW Rescue Me’s Voice of Justice Fund features food from some of Dallas’ top restaurants, including Nick & Sam’s, Gemma, Rodeo Goat, Luck, Amberjax, Kitchen LTO. To wash it all down, there are Stoli vodka cocktails, Argentinean wines from Bottled Poetry and beer tastings courtesy of Texas Ale Project. Also expect live music by David Cote, raffle, live auction and puppies for adoption. Tickets are $100 (all of it goes to the fund), and the fun lasts from 7-10 pm.

Wednesday, April 1

Hirsch Vineyards Wine Dinner at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse
Hirsch Vineyards is recognized as one of the premier U.S. sites for Pinot Noir, and the California winery’s Jasmine Hirsch hosts this special dinner. Dishes include seared Hawaiian tuna, pheasant consommé, crisp five spice beef short rib, hoisin-glazed roast rack of lamb and rosemary pound cake. Dinner starts at 7 pm and costs $275. Reserve your spot by calling 214-366-2000.

Thursday, April 2

Sammons Lunch Jam at Sammons Park
Join AT&T Performing Arts Center for this exciting event supported by Neiman Marcus, featuring performers from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Fill up during your lunch hour at Dallas’ best food trucks, or bring your own picnic to the park located right outside the Winspear Opera House. The fun starts at noon, and it is free to attend, but you need to RSVP.

Saturday, April 4

Easter Pop-up Shop
Sucre Sucre by Lucia, Bark Chocolate, Val’s Cheesecakes, Dallas Caramel Company, Miss Naughty Brownie and others are teaming up for a pop-up shop the day before Easter, in the old Big E’s convenience store at 3001 Gaston Ave. Pick up macarons, pies, caramels, decadent layered brownies — even organic dog treats. For a feel-good twist, the companies are donating proceeds to their favorite charities, including Emily’s Place, Body & Soul, DFW Rescue Me and Operation Homefront. The shop is open from 10 am-3 pm.

Healthy Mediterranean Cooking Class at Sur la Table
An instructor takes you on a journey through Italy, Spain, France and Greece for healthy dishes that burst with flavor. Recipes include Moroccan carrot salad, grilled prawns with chermoula sauce, quinoa tabbouleh salad, and citrus in rose-scented syrup with yogurt and pistachios. Class starts at 10 am and costs $69 per person.

Jester King Beer Breakfast at Meddlesome Moth
Join the Moth crew for a beer breakfast as unorthodox as Jester King, with host and brewery founder Jeff Stuffings. Enjoy five beers and four courses starting at 10:30 am. Dishes include tamagoyaki with pork belly, bonito, nori and sea bean salad; foie gras on a rhubarb croissant; mascarpone pot de crème; and Texas pastrami biscuits with beef jerky marmalade. Tickets are $65.

Sunday, April 5

Marriage Equality Brunch at W Dallas Victory
This new monthly Sunday brunch, in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign, helps support the fight for marriage equality. The first Sunday of every month, enjoy brunch classics and live entertainment in the hotel’s Living Room Bar from 11 am-2 pm.

Meddlesome Moth is partnering with Jester King for a beer breakfast on April 4.

Meddlesome Moth restaurant and bar in Dallas

Photo courtesy of Meddlesome Moth

Meddlesome Moth is partnering with Jester King for a beer breakfast on April 4.

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Coming attraction

J. Alexander’s to debut in Plano with famed steaks and carrot cake

Courtesy J. Alexander's

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Tennessee-born upscale dining chain J. Alexander’s is set to make its Dallas-Fort Worth debut in Plano, with an extensive menu of hand-cut steaks, sandwiches, Asian-influenced appetizers, and its famous carrot cake.

J. Alexander’s will open the doors at 3980 Dallas Pkwy. on Monday, January 26, marking its first location in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

For those who are unfamiliar with J. Alexander’s, the chain opened its first location in Nashville, Tennessee in 1991, and has since expanded to nearly 40 outposts across the country. It is known for an upscale vibe and classic American cuisine, similar to a spot like Houston’s or Perry’s Steakhouse.

The Plano location is the 39th for the chain, which was acquired in 2021 by SPB Hospitality, which also operates Logan’s Roadhouse and fast-food chain Krystal, among other eateries.

“Bringing J. Alexander's to the Dallas-Fort Worth area is a meaningful step in our continued growth and reflects our confidence in the state,” says G.J. Hart, SPB Hospitality CEO, in a release. Hart added that the chain already has plans to open a second location, in Prosper, later this year.

When it opens in Plano, J. Alexander’s will serve a “polished yet approachable” menu that’s mostly centered around its wood grill. A number of beefy options will be on offer, including teriyaki-marinated Steak Maui and slow-roasted prime rib, along with lighter options that include trout almondine, seared ahi tuna, and a shrimp Louie salad.

Shareable snacks include deviled eggs and the “Avocado Bomb,” a striking dish of hand-cut ahi tuna and crab salad with thin slices of avocado wrapped around it to resemble the whole fruit.

It's also known for its icing-topped carrot cake, which many insist is the best they've ever had — numerous copycat recipes for the treat exist online.

On the boozy side of the menu, J. Alexander’s will serve an extensive list of wines, plus cocktails like the Midnight Margarita, mixed with black cherry jam, reposado tequila, and pink Himalayan salt. A lineup of handcrafted martinis will also be available, including the cheekily-named Red Headed Rita (mixed with pomegranate juice and blanco tequila) and the Fleur-de-Lis, made with sparkling wine, St. Germain, and grapefruit juice.

When it debuts on January 26, J. Alexander’s will be open Monday-Saturday from 11 am-10 pm, and Sunday from 11 am-9 pm. As part of the opening day festivities, J. Alexander’s says that it will make a donation to the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County, a nonprofit that provides assistance to those impacted by child abuse.

steakhouse openings j. alexander's plano