This Week in Gluttony

Free tacos and fancy wine dinners top the best food and drink events in Dallas

It’s an eclectic week in gluttony, as we jump from free tacos and free beer (though not at the same place) to $100 wine dinners to organically keeping bugs out of the garden. Let’s dig in.

Wednesday, June 12

Merriman Wine Dinner at Spoon
Chef John Tesar hosts a five-course wine dinner beginning at 6 pm with pairings from Merriman Wines. Dishes include potato gnocchi, Maryland blue crab and black truffle emulsion with rosé of Pinot Noir and swordfish steak with wild mushroom crust and red wine squid ink sauce paired with the Merriman Estate Pinot Noir. Reservations are $100 and can be made at 214-368-8220.

Freebirds Grand Opening in Frisco
Freebirds World Burrito opens their newest area location at 10:30 am in Frisco. The 10:30 am part is important because the first 25 people that walk through the door receive free burritos for a year. Considering that the Super Monster burrito weighs nearly 7 pounds, you could conceivably feed yourself for a year and not spend any money.

Thursday, June 13

Torchy’s Tacos Giveaway in Southlake
Torchy’s opens its Southlake location on June 13. To commemorate the occasion, the restaurant is giving away one free breakfast item from 7 to 10 am to anyone that stops by. There will also be a chance to enter to win free tacos for a year. That is a good deal right there.

Saturday, June 15

Organic Bug Management at Deep Ellum Urban Gardens
Amanda Vanhoozier, the community programs supervisor for Coppell and the founder of the Coppell Farmers Market, leads a class at Deep Ellum Urban Gardens from 9 to 11 am on how to organically manage the bugs in your garden. The event is $10 for DUG members and $25 for non-members.

Sunday, June 16

Free Beer Samples at Jack Mac’s Swill & Grill
Jack Mac’s hosts a free beer tasting from 6 to 8 pm for Dead Cowboy Brewing, a new joint in Royse City. The brewery is bringing its Double Dead IPA and the Grapefruit Wheat. It’s free beer and Game of Thrones is off the air, so spend your Sunday night wisely.

Bishop Arts Walking Tour
Dallas by Chocolate hosts this walking food and historical tour of Bishop Arts from 1 to 4:30 pm. Stops include Ten Bells Tavern; Veracruz Cafe; Dude, Sweet Chocolate; and Bolsa Mercado. History lessons include background on Bonnie and Clyde and the old trolleys that used to run in the neighborhood. Tickets are $40.

Monday, June 17

Live Demonstration with Chef Gorji at Whole Foods Preston Forest
Chef Gorji of Canary by Gorji leads a class on how to prepare pan-seared shrimp in puttanesca sauce and kale salad with pomegranate dressing, Parmigiano Reggiano and pumpkin seeds. The $15 class runs in the upstairs mezzanine from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.

Dude, Sweet Chocolate is one of the stops along the Bishop Arts Walking Tour on June 16.

Photo courtesy of Dude, Sweet Chocolate Facebook

Dude, Sweet Chocolate is one of the stops along the Bishop Arts Walking Tour on June 16.

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Shawarma News

Kebab concept Doner Shack comes to Texas with location in Prosper

Doner Shack

A new doner kebab chain is coming to town: Called Doner Shack, it's a quick-service restaurant concept based in the U.K. which is opening its first location in Texas in Prosper. The restaurant has yet to be built, so the opening date is still TBA. But according to a release, it will open in a shopping center at the intersection of Teel Parkway and University Drive, on the northwest corner, kitty corner from the PGA Golf Resort.

Doner Shack says it was built with one goal: to become the world’s leading kebab brand. No mention of the food, but what they're really pushing is franchising. Founders are chef Sanjeev Sanghera and Laura Bruce, who own three stores in the U.K., and who were inspired after an "epic 48-hour trip to Berlin" where the culture and kebabs blew their minds "in the best way possible." Hopefully that means the food is good.

Doner kebab is the dish of Turkish origin made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. It's popular in Germany because there's a large Turkish population there. Competitors — many of whom have expanded to DFW — include Halal Guys, Nick the Greek, The Great Greek, Spitz Mediterranean Grill, Soulard Gyro, and German Doner Kebab.

Doner Shack's menu features the original doner kebab with beef on Turkish bread and salad, and then varieties such as chicken, or beef with chili sauce, or a vegetarian with fried halloumi cheese.

In addition to doner kebabs, there are also chicken tenders served with crinkle cut fries; slider-size sandwiches with fried chicken or with shaved beef; and loaded fries, topped with the same assortment of meats.

Bringing it to Texas is franchisee group Gyro N Philly LLC, led by Hassan Zaman who says in a statement that they're delighted to bring Doner Shack to Prosper.

"With the new PGA headquarters across the street, a high school with over 30,000 students, and the upcoming Universal Kids Theme Park just minutes away, we believe this is a home run location," he says. For good food, one hopes.

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