This Week in Gluttony

Farm-to-table dinner at Dallas Farmers Market tops best food and drink events

UPDATE: The Matthew Jennings dinner at FT33 has been canceled.

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Brace yourself for another packed week of Dallas food events, ranging from a farm-fresh dinner to a brisket-and-Bordeaux tasting. If you like to learn, head to Scardello or Sur la Table for some fun foodie classes. But don’t dawdle: Seats to most are going fast.

Thursday, June 12

Farm-to-Table Caucus Dinner at Dallas Farmers Market
This dinner kicks off the “Texas Farm-to-Market Tour,” which aims to build awareness and raise funds for the Texas House Farm-to-Table Caucus. Chefs Sharon Hage, Graham Dodds, Adam West and Mark Wootton prepare a meal using ingredients from local farms. Dinner is served with local craft beer and spirits. The feast starts at 6:30 pm and costs $100 per person. Reserve your seats online.

Charcuterie and Cheese Class at Scardello
Whether you prefer salami, prosciutto or pâté, Scardello shows you how they are made and matches them with incredible handmade cheeses. Tickets are $35. They are going fast and can be purchased online. The event starts at 7 pm.

Friday, June 13

Pecan Lodge Brisket and Wine Tasting at Wine Poste
At this laid-back wine dinner, the Wine Poste serves four highly regarded Cabernet-based Bordeaux blends alongside half-pound portions of Pecan Lodge brisket and mac and cheese. In addition to the tasting, each guests chooses his favorite wine from the tasting and receives a full 4-ounce pour to appreciate with his food. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online.

What We Would Drink Tasting at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse
Master Sommelier and Tastemaker Award winner Barbara Werley and her associate sommeliers share their favorite wines from around the world. The event starts at 6 pm and costs $55 per person, including seasonal hors d’oeuvre by chef James Johnson. Call 214-366-2000 for reservations.

Sunday, June 15

Cooking With Dad at Sur La Table
This Father’s Day, work alongside Dad to create a menu of family favorites that are as fun to prepare as they are to eat. The instructor walks participants through the steps of making everything from sliders and fries to homemade guacamole and a decadent dessert. It’s happening from 10 am-noon, and tickets are $39 per person. You can reserve seats online.

Monday, June 16

Guest Chef Series With Matthew Jennings at FT33
Matthew Jennings joins chef Matt McCallister for an eight-course collaborative dinner showcasing local ingredients. Jennings is a two-time finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef Northeast. He has also been named one of America’s Most Sustainable Chefs and was selected as one of Food & Wine’s “Big thinkers, changing the way Americans eat.” The event begins at 6 pm and costs $125 per person, plus an additional $65 for wine pairings. For reservations, call 214-741-2629.

Barbara Werley leads a wine tasting at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse on June 13.

Photo courtesy of Pappas Bros. Steakhouse

Barbara Werley leads a wine tasting at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse on June 13.

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Taco News

Upscale Dallas taqueria Velvet Taco to open first McKinney location

Courtesy of Velvet Taco

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A Dallas taco chain is opening a new location in a booming Collin County metropolis: Velvet Taco, which specializes in globally inspired tacos, will open its first location in McKinney at 8565 W. University Dr. #150, on Monday, April 14.

The restaurant will open with 20-plus tacos and bowls, plus a signature rotating Weekly Taco Feature. Their number one seller is the Spicy Tikka Chicken Taco, but the Bacon Smash Burger Taco is also a popular dish, according to a release.

Everything is prepared in-house, including brisket roasted for 18 hours and their popular Backdoor Chicken marinated for 48 hours.

The menu features unexpected foodie-level ingredients like cilantro basmati rice, candied pepitas, and Thai basil — unusual in the fast-casual restaurant world.

They also serve alcohol, including margaritas, local, and Mexican beer, and they have one notable signature dessert: Red Velvet cake.

The chain was founded in 2011 with a location on Henderson Avenue at the intersection of US-75 — a location that's now closed. But there's no shortage, with 16 in the DFW area, stretching from Fort Worth on the west to Rockwall on the east, and more than 50 locations across the U.S.

The McKinney location, which is new 2,939-square-foot restaurant will feature indoor seating for 64 guests and an additional 48 seats on its patio. The space will feature a mural by local artist Paxton Grigsby, a 15-year-old freshman at McKinney North High School.

They'll open at 11 am with giveaways: The first 50 dine-in guests will get free Velvet Taco hats.

Monday April 14 seems to be a big day for tacos, as Velvet Taco will not be the only restaurant with tacos opening that day: Booming Cilantro Taco Grill from Chicago will make its Texas debut in Prosper just seven miles away.

tacos openings