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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This week in gluttony

These are the 8 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Maple Hospitality Group

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The Fourth of July arrives this week with an extra dose of patriotism as it's also America's 250th birthday. Some restaurants are offering weekend deals to mark the occasion (find that roundup here) while others are hosting special multi-course dinners during Saturday night's fireworks displays. Other items on this week's list include an Italian wine tasting during World Cup watch party, the second edition of a Napa wine dinner, a popular Christmas in July kick-off, and the grand opening of a new Torchy's Tacos.

Tuesday, June 30

Duckhorn Vineyards Wine Dinner at Princi Italia
After a successful four-course Duckhorn wine dinner at Princi Italia’s Plano outlet last week, the Dallas location will host its own. Menu highlights include ahi tuna and salmon tartare, Fuji apple and grilled peach salad with corn flan, Chianti braised short rib ravioli, cherry wood smoked pork loin, and a peaches-and-cream dessert, all paired with Napa's Duckhorn wines. The price is $85, and the dinner begins at 6:30 pm. Call 214-739-5959 for reservations.

Wednesday, July 1

Torchy's Tacos Uptown Grand Opening
Torchy's Tacos will celebrate the grand opening of its new Uptown Dallas flagship at 2305 Cedar Springs Rd., Ste. 100 - its most prominent Dallas location yet. Festivities begin at 10 am with a ribbon-cutting, plus a DJ, photo booth, giveaways, and appearances by the Torchy's mascot. Per tradition, the first 100 guests in line will have a chance to win free Green Chile Queso for a year. The restaurant officially opens at 8 am, serving the chain's signature tacos, breakfast tacos, queso, and margaritas.

Thursday, July 2

Italian Social: An Evening of Wine, Bites & Soccer at Eataly
The fine Italian market at North Park Center will host an outdoor evening of wine, bites, and World Cup on the big screen. The ticket includes a guided tasting of four Italian wines with expert tips on how to pair, along with light bites for noshing in a casual format. Tickets are $65, and the event will run from 5:30-7:30 pm.

Friday, July 3

Ice Cream Party for America's Birthday at Firewheel Town Center
Firewheel Town Center in Garland will kick off the holiday weekend with a free community celebration. From 3-4 pm, visitors can enjoy free ice cream while supplies last, followed by Stars, Stripes & Summer Fun from 3-6 pm featuring live music by the Justin Russel Band, free face painting, crafts, photo opportunities, and family-friendly activities. The event takes place in the park area at 305 River Fern Ave.

Christmas in July at Harvest Hall
Back for a third year is the Holly Jolly Bar, a holiday bar takeover located in Harvest Hall’s Third Rail bar in downtown Grapevine. (Harvest Hall is connected to Hotel Vin.) Guests can take in a little summertime Christmas cheer via themed cocktails and over-the-top décor. New libations this year include the frozen Hot Grinch Summer blended with pineapple juice, lime juice, melon liqueur, and Malibu coconut rum; and the Blue Christmas pina colada tinged with blue Curacao. The pop-up will run through July 30.

Saturday, July 4

Make & Take: American Cobbler, Crisp & Hand Pies at Central Market
Wow guests at your July 4th get-together with make-and-take desserts in hues of red, white, and blue. This hands-on class Central Market Cooking School (Dallas Lovers Lane) will teach participants how to produce the perfect dough to roll out blueberry-filled hand pies in addition to biscuit-topped cherry cobbler and gluten-free apple crisp. The class is $85 and begins at 11 am.

Stars, Stripes & Skyline at Monarch
The 49th floor restaurant atop The National will host an Independence Day prix-fixe dinner featuring sky-high fireworks views. The menu will include dishes like Wagyu filet, wood-grilled branzino, hamachi crudo, hearth-grilled lamb ribs, and a shared s’mores dessert. The dinner is $150 ($55 for children 12 and under), with seating times from 5:30-10 pm. (Note that Monarch’s sister restaurant, Kessaku, (located one floor above) will also offer exclusive window tables with a $250 deposit starting at 8 pm.)

250 Year Celebration at JW Steakhouse
The JW Marriot Dallas steakhouse will mark America’s 250th with a four-course dinner highlighting American culinary traditions. The menu includes buffalo bison “cigars,” shrimp ceviche tostadas, toasted farro salad with Fredericksburg peaches, pepper-crusted 44 Farms tomahawk steak with charred cippolini onions and black garlic truffle puree, and chipotle chocolate cake with Garrison Brothers bourbon cherry sauce for dessert. Priced at $195 per couple, the dinner has seating times available between 5:30-9 pm. Optional wine pairings available.

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