This Week in Gluttony

These are the 9 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

UPDATE: Due to threat of rain, the main event for Chefs for Farmers is moving to Gilley’s. The story has been updated to reflect this change.

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Six food festivals over three days, plus three more food happenings. If you don’t attend at least one of these Dallas events, can you even call yourself a foodie?

Friday, September 23

Greek Food Festival of Dallas at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
This three-day festival is in its 60th year and features the usual array of all things Greek, including a variety of authentic foods and treats made with love by church volunteers, using recipes passed through the generations. Also expect entertainment from Thymios and the Holy Trinity Hellenic Dancers, a marketplace with Greek and Greek-American artists and artisans, and much more. Gates open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 11 am, and tickets are $6.

Saturday, September 24

Chefs for Farmers presents Street Food Night Market at Dallas Design District
The night before the main event, Chefs for Farmers is throwing an epic street food fair in the Dallas Design District, sponsored by CultureMap, where attendees can take a trip around the world in one magical night. Leave your passport at home, but bring your appetite, as chefs from Texas and the nation gather together to dish out street food favorites. Tickets are $75, and noshing begins at 7 pm.

Chocolate and Cheese Heaven Tour
Two of our favorite foods come together in this tantalizing tour, which begins at Krispy Kreme on Greenville Avenue at 1 pm. Enjoy decadent chocolate and cheese samples at many of the finest purveyors in Dallas, including Mozzarella Company and Oak Cliff’s Cheese & Chutney, featuring CocoAndre Chocolatier pairings. Tickets are $43, and that includes transportation via bus, samples, beverages, and a tour guide. Additional venues are announced post purchase via email.

Dallas’ Most Amazing Patios Tour
Discover the joy of dining al fresco on this tour, with stops at Ozona, an Asian streets eats haven, and the home of some nationally ranked chicken wings. Tickets are $59 and include private transportation via bus, samples, beverages on the bus, and a tour guide. Additional information on the vendors are announced post purchase via email. Meet at Krispy Kreme on Greenville Avenue at 2:30 pm.

Mornings and Mimosas Tour
This boozy breakfast-centric adventure starts at Krispy Kreme on Greenville Avenue at 10 am and includes stops at places such as Village Baking Company. Tickets are $56, and that includes transportation via bus, samples, beverages, and a tour guide. Additional venues are announced post purchase via email.

Smoked Dallas at Main Street Garden Park
Pitmasters from all over the state — including Fort Worth’s Heim Barbecue and Dallas’ Slow Bone — descend on downtown Dallas to show off their barbecue skills. There is also a stellar lineup of live music, with performances by the Toadies, Shinyribs, Dirty River Boys, the Roomsounds, and Dean Fearing’s Lost Coyote Band. Tickets start at $28, and general admission starts at 2:30 pm.

Taste of Firewheel at Firewheel Town Center
The all-day family food festival features delectable tastes, free live music, Kidgits Kid Zone, and shopping. Walk up and down the street as you sample fare from local restaurants such as Siciliano’s A Taste of Italy, Flying Fish, Panera, Ain’t No Mo Butta Cakes, and Steel City Pops. Score 10 tastes for $20, or 20 tastes for $35. Wristbands are available at guest services, and the event starts at 11 am.

Sunday, September 25

Chefs for Farmers
This annual event is all about chefs and farmers coming together to provide good food to passionate attendees. More than 120 food vendors from all over the country set up shop alongside DJs and other live entertainment. The venue has changed from Lee Park to Gilley’s. Tickets are $100, and the fun starts at 2 pm.

Sunday Funday Festival and Market at Light Farms
This quarterly event is free and open to residents of the master planned community in Celina, as well as the general public. It features local vendors from across North Texas and food trucks like Easy Slider Truck and Kona Ice. The festival also showcases live music by Vincent Neil Emerson & the Old Souls; fun, interactive activities for kids; and pet adoptions from Collin County Animal Service. The festival begins at 1 pm.

The Greek Food Festival of Dallas is September 23-25 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.

Baklava from Greek Food Festival of Dallas

Greek Food Festival of Dallas/Facebook

The Greek Food Festival of Dallas is September 23-25 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.

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Chai News

Dubai tea chain Filli Cafe steams into Carrollton for Dallas debut

fillicafe.com

Snack and coffee from Filli Cafe

An international tea house chain from Dubai has made its Dallas debut: Called Filli Cafe, it just opened softly in Carrollton at 1205 W. Trinity Mills Rd. #101, in the same center as Al Markaz Restaurant and Groceries.

Dubbed "Dubai's most loved tea cafe chain," Filli Cafe is known for its signature Zafran chai tea and creative South Asian street foods including chaats and wraps.

The chain was born in Dubai in 2004 when founder Rafih Filli took over his father's small cafeteria in Dubai and rebranded it, using his high school nickname "Filli." He created Filli Cafe's intriguing menu and also established its laid-back culture, emphasizing it as a place for friends to hang out, with a motto of "global street bites, chai moments, and a whole lot of Tea n' Talk."

It has since grown to more than 74 cafes across 14 countries, and made its debut in the U.S. in 2022 with the first location opening in Sugar Land near Houston. There are now nine locations in the U.S. including Chicago, New York, Virginia, and Columbus, Ohio.

The DFW location is from the same group of friends and family that brought it to Houston, led by food & beverage veteran Sajid Iqbal, who says they plan to open at least one or two more locations in the DFW area.

Beverages
The signature Zafran Chai is a rich milk tea with saffron, sugar, and "secret" spices, while the Karak Chai is a traditional, strong spiced milk tea.

These are a departure from typical chai which contains a mix of spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Karak chai opts for fewer spices — often just cardamom or saffron — and relies on extra-strong black tea simmered with evaporated or condensed milk.

Filli also sells regularly spiced masala chai; traditional pink Kashmiri chai with cardamom and almonds; and milk with zafran — like their signature Zafran Chai, but minus the tea.

Beyond chai, there are espresso-based drinks such as cappuccino and latte; matcha lattes; hot chocolate; coffee drinks like dalgona, the trendy whipped coffee with steamed milk; iced coffees; frappuccino-style frozen drinks; iced tea and herbal teas of all kinds; lemonades in various flavors; and even mocktails like fruity mojitos.

Food and drink at Filli Cafe. www.visitdelohio.com

Food
The food is a creative, well-executed fusion of familiar dishes like breakfast and burgers with South Asian spices. For example, the Shawarma Jalapeno Melt with marinated shawarma chicken, jalapenos, and cheese.

There are also

sliders — in five varieties including beef burger, fried chicken, and Aloo Tikki Sliders featuring a crispy fried Aloo cutlet — aka potato patties — all served on Hawaiian buns
paratha rolls — a South Asian street food featuring kebabs or vegetables enclosed in a flaky, pan-fried flatbread called a paratha
samosas — fried dumplings with a variety of fillings
chaat — a street style snack with chickpeas, potatoes, yogurt, and tamarind-mint sauce, topped with crispy wafers, onions, green chillies, tomatoes, cilantro, and chaat masala
rice bowls
loaded fries
pizza, in a long oblong format, in varieties such as one topped with Indian butter chicken

The menu is entirely halal, meaning that all ingredients are processed according to Islamic guidelines. Food prices range from $8 to $20, while the beverages range from $2.50 to $8.

Iqbal notes that Filla Cafe has wide appeal, whether it's people seeking halal foods, people who crave fusion flavors, or people who love coffee.

"We have a motto on the wall, 'Uniting cultures, one cup at a time,'" he says.

coffee openings