This Week In Gluttony

Eat your vegetables and your barbecue at this week's best Dallas food events

If you’re on fried food overload (is there such a thing?) from the State Fair of Texas, a week chock-full of veggies might be exactly what you need. Also on the docket are champagne and oysters, wine, and tacos. But if you want to sneak in one last Fletcher’s corny dog before the fair closes on October 18, we’d understand.

Tuesday, October 13

Pappas Bros. Chef Collaboration Dinner
The steakhouse is hosting its first-ever five-course collab with chefs James Johnson and Yutaka Yamato, pairing Wagyu beef with wines chosen by Master Sommelier Barbara Werley. There are only 36 seats available, and dishes include seared Miyazaki A-5 strip loin, braised Australian Wagyu short rib, and Jack Daniel's apple spice cake. Dinner starts at 7 pm. The cost is $195 per person plus tax and gratuity, and for reservations call (214) 366-2000.

Wednesday, October 14

20th annual Hoedown at Dallas Farmers Market
Top local chefs, farmers, wineries, food artisans, and more share their culinary delights during this annual fundraising event for Dallas Farmers Market Friends. The event features live music, a silent auction, and tastings of local specialty foods. Tickets are $75, and the event starts at 6:30 pm.

Thursday, October 15

Deep Ellum Wine Walk
This recurring event (third Thursday of the month) combines two favorite pastimes: wine drinking and shopping. Visitors can purchase a collectible Wine Walk glass for $10, raise it, and repeat as they enjoy samples and explore Deep Ellum. Pick up a passport at the check-in table at 2650-B Main St. (starting at 5 pm). Have it stamped at five or more destinations — participating stores include Life of Riley, Akola Project, Epocha, and Elluments — and enter the drawing (located at the check-in table after the event) for a chance to win gift certificates.

Champagne & Oyster Thursday at Proof + Pantry
Every Thursday starting at 4 pm, enjoy special pricing on Delamotte champagne and East Coast oysters. Half flutes are $11 paired with three 25-cent oysters, or a full flute for $22 paired with six 25-cent oysters. This bubbles party is only happening through November.

Saturday, October 17

Texas Veggie Fair at Reverchon Park
This free, dog-friendly event is wildly popular in Dallas. So much so that 10,000 people showed up last year to celebrate a healthier, kinder, more sustainable way of eating. This is the largest veggie festival in Texas, and this year’s speakers include eco-lifestyle expert Ashlee Piper and Paul Shapiro of the the Humane Society of the United States. There are chef demos, live music, and vendors galore.

Tacolandia at Dallas City Hall
Mmmm tacos. This outdoor festival features a sampling of Dallas’ best tacos, ranging from urban contemporary to authentic street style. You can also enjoy live music, beer and cocktails (cash bar), and awards for best tacos in various categories. Tickets start at $25, and the event begins at 4 pm.

Sunday, October 18

A Brand New Start at C.H. Alexander Mansion
Enjoy an evening of delicious food prepared by Dallas chefs John Tesar, Omar Flores, Stephen Pyles, Joel Harrington, and more. This foodie function benefits the Dallas 24 Hour Club, a nonprofit that provides safe, sober transitional living for those suffering from alcoholism and drug addiction. The evening also has entertainment by Lost Coyote featuring Dean Fearing. Tickets start at $100, and the event begins at 5:30 pm.

Cafe Momentum Pitmasters Picnic at Slow Bone
Part of Cafe Momentum’s pop-up dinner series, this one features some of the best barbecue in the state. Participants include Jack Perkins (Slow Bone), Wayne Mueller (Louie Mueller’s), Nick Pencis (Stanley’s Famous), Travis Heim (Heim BBQ), Jeff Bergus (Lockhart Smokehouse), Stephen Joseph (Riverport BBQ), and Tim Hutchins (Hutchins Barbecue). Tickets are $65, and the event starts at 6 pm.

Enjoy oyster and champagne specials at Proof + Pantry every Thursday night through November.

Photo courtesy of Proof + Pantry

Enjoy oyster and champagne specials at Proof + Pantry every Thursday night through November.

tacos festivals barbecue deep-ellum event-planner chefs wine

Closure News

Deep Ellum sushi tops 5 surprising restaurant closures in Dallas

Deep Sushi

In the cyclical world of Dallas restaurants, January is often a time for closures — not only because it's the beginning of a new year but also because the post-holiday lull, with all its New Year's resolutions and diets and dry spells, can make January a challenging month for business.

These five closures all come as a surprise: from a longtime location of a bakery chain to a BBQ startup to a veteran vegan spot. Two closures involve restaurants that have been open in Dallas — one in the Park Cities, the other in Deep Ellum — for decades.

Here are five sad closings that just occurred around Dallas:

Bread Winners Cafe & Bakery
Revered local cafe chain closed its location in Plano at 4021 Preston Rd. after 20 years. In a post on Instagram, the bakery said that their lease had come to an end, and they closed on December 24. The chain has three other locations: NorthPark Center, Allen, and the original on McKinney Avenue in Uptown Dallas.

Casa del Vegano
Popular vegan Mexican restaurant on Jefferson Avenue in Oak Cliff closed on January 2, after five years. On their Instagram post, they said that they fought hard to stay alive. "We pushed, adjusted, sacrificed, and held on as long as we could. Unfortunately, after falling two months behind and facing heavy fees and penalties, we reached a point where we could no longer continue," they said. They may offer some of their dishes at their more casual sister restaurant, Vegan Food House, also in Oak Cliff.

Deep Sushi
Longtime sushi restaurant in Deep Ellum has closed after 30 years — impressive for any restaurant, but especially in Deep Ellum. A notice on their website says "closed until further notice," but a spokesperson for the ownership confirmed that it has closed for good. Deep Sushi opened in 1996, just as the neighborhood was shifting from an underground rock nexus into a broader entertainment zone with restaurants and bars. It was founded by a group of physicians with sushi savvy, at a time when there were only a handful of sushi spots in the city. They engaged Tetsuji Yamaguchi, who had his own eponymous restaurant on Inwood Road, to consult on the menu, and for a few years, it was one of the hottest destinations in town.

New York Sub
Park Cities sandwich shop that's been open at 3411 Asbury St. across the street from SMU since 1974, is closing at the end of February. According to an Instagram post, owners Andrew and Edith Kelley were in the middle of negotiating another 10-year lease when their landlord sold the building. "While the new owners have been kind, we simply can’t make the new financial terms work," their post says. Their goal is to find a new location nearby or else find someone who wants to take over the shop.

Tejas Brisket Co.
Fast-casual BBQ takeout spot in East Dallas is closing its storefront at 1318 N. Peak St. Owners Tifany Swulius and Antonio Guevara gave it their all, including adding breakfast tacos, but to no avail. In a Facebook post, they said they were no longer able to continue to operate a storefront with their current hours -- not even after a tout in November in TX Monthly. They'll maintain a catering operation, and meanwhile will keep serving brisket until they run out, which they predict will be on or around January 16.

deep-ellum closings