This Week in Gluttony

Pie and beer rule this week's food and drink events around Dallas

This Week in Gluttony can be summed up in two words: pie and beer. The latter, of course, refers to North Texas Beer Week, which runs through Sunday, November 9. A few events are listed below, but you can get the full list here.

If pie — or pastry, for that matter — is more to your taste, then grab a fork. And BYO mug for coffee.

Tuesday, November 4

Brooklyn Brewery Beer Dinner with Garrett Oliver at Meddlesome Moth
Author and Brooklyn brewmaster Garrett Oliver hosts a seven-beer, six-course dinner as part of North Texas Beer Week. The event starts with a meet-and-greet pint with Oliver; dinner follows with courses such as truffle pudding, scallop sausage and fried tofu prepared by chef David McMillan and team. After dinner, guests can get their books signed. Dinner costs $80 and starts at 6 pm. Buy tickets online.

Wednesday, November 5

"Thai Me Up" Dinner at Malai Kitchen
Chef Paul Singhapong of CrushCraft Thai joins the Malai team to create a six-course dinner paired with house-brewed, Asian-style beers. Courses include Vietnamese crepes, grilled quail salad and oxtail soup. Dinner begins at 7 pm and costs $60 per person. Reservations are required and seating is limited. Call 214-599-7857 to secure a spot.

Wednesday, November 5

Lazaranda Third Anniversary Celebration(s)
On November 5, chef Antonio Marquez hosts a celebratory five-course dinner featuring seasonal Mexican cuisine paired with Roca Patron Tequila. A champagne toast kicks off at 7 pm, followed by dinner. On November 6, guests can attend Lazaranda's anniversary party and enjoy $4 house margaritas, $3 Dos Equis, $4 rib-eye tacos and $8 pomegranate margaritas. To purchase tickets for the chef dinner, call 972-866-8900.

Thursday, November 6

Epic Brewing Company Beer Dinner at Flying Saucer on the Lake
This dinner features four courses — beef tartare, cayenne-dusted apples with pulled pork, brisket popovers and pumpkin s'more bread pudding — paired with five beers. The event includes an appearance by special guest Michael Malachowski of Epic Brewing Company. Tickets are $60 each, and you can buy them by calling 972-226-0725. The fun begins at 6:30 pm at Flying Saucer's Garland location.

Friday, November 7

Slow Food Dallas Second Annual Coffee and Pie, Oh My! at Davis Street Espresso
Baristas from Davis Street Espresso pour coffee while Emporium Pies offers two flavors not found in their Oak Cliff store: The Trifecta, a chocolate chip bourbon pecan pie with shortbread crust, and Drop Dead Gourdeous, a spicy pumpkin pie with gingerbread crust. Tickets are good for a piece of pie and all the coffee you can drink. Ticket holders are encouraged to bring their own mugs to cut down on waste. Tickets cost $20 per ticket or two for $35, and you can buy them online. All proceeds benefit Slow Food Dallas and its food literacy education efforts. The event goes down from 7-10 pm.

North Texas Beer Week Brewer's Ball at Renaissance Dallas Hotel
Approximately 40 breweries from Texas and beyond are participating in this first-time event. Brewers provide one unique or debut beer, plus one of their staple beers. Dallas restaurants — including Meddlesome Moth, East Hampton Sandwich Company and Malai Kitchen — whip up small bites to be served throughout the evening. The event kicks off at 7 pm, and tickets cost $125. Buy them online.

Saturday, November 8

Pop-Up Celebrity Pastry Chef Bake Sale with Nicolas Blouin at Empire Baking Company
Empire welcomes Tastemaker Award-winning pastry chef Nicolas Blouin of the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek for a charitable event featuring Blouin's French-inspired pastries. This ongoing pop-up series give the public a chance to meet the masters behind the creations, and each chef selects the beneficiary for the event. This time, 100 percent of the proceeds go to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. The events runs from 10 am-2 pm at Empire's Lovers Lane location — or until it sells out.

Sunday, November 9

Sixth Annual Fall Pie Contest at Vickery Meadows Local Market
Think you can bake a pie as well as a pastry chef? Then this contest is for you. It's also for you if you like to eat pie. Contestants provide samples at a public tasting from noon until 2 pm. After that, market attendees judge the competition and decide winners in the categories of fruit, nut, chocolate, cream/custard, savory and youth. Pie crusts and fillings must be homemade. Winners in each category receive gift certificates for Vickery Meadows Local Market or White Rock Local Market. Contestants pay $10 per entry and must provide two pies per entry. Deadline for registration is November 7. To register, go online or call 214-797-4989. Tasting tickets can be purchased day of for $5 at the VMLM information desk.

Malai Kitchen hosts a "Thai Me Up" beer dinner on November 5.

Photo courtesy of Malai Kitchen

Malai Kitchen hosts a "Thai Me Up" beer dinner on November 5.

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Steamy shop

New romance bookstore-cafe brews up lattes and love stories in Arlington

Photo courtesy of Daydream

It is love at first sip in this quaint coffee shop and bookstore.

Like the setting of a Hallmark Channel rom-com, a new bookstore in downtown Arlington invites customers to sip, swoon, and stay awhile. Called Daydream, the shop specializes in romance books and features a cozy coffee shop nestled right inside the bookstore, located at 380 E. Front St., Suite 110, in the heart of downtown Arlington.

The charming concept is from Alma Sardas, graduate from University of Texas at Arlington who, after a couple of years working in public relations agencies, decided to pursue her dream of owning a romance bookstore.

As a longtime bookstore and coffee shop lover, Sardas explains, her idea for the shop came from wanting a space that felt like stepping into one of those stories.

“I’ve always loved bookstores and coffee shops individually, but I didn’t see many spaces that fully leaned into a specific genre and created an immersive experience around it," she says. "That’s where the dream started - building something that felt intentional, cozy, and unique.”

The book collection is entirely curated by Sardas and features a wide variety of subcategories within the romance genre, including cowboy, dark, fantasy and LGBTQ+ romance and romantic suspense. “There’s a little bit for everybody,” Sardas says.

The young entrepreneur cites It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, and Daydream by Hannah Grace (which inspired the name of her shop) as the romance novels that have shaped her love for the genre.

“They all show different sides of romance: emotional, escapist, and fun,” she says.

Daydream brings people together over their love of coffee and literature. Photo courtesy of Daydream.

The inviting shop pairs the quiet charm of a library with the aroma of a coffee house, in a brightly lit space featuring a palette of cream, blush pink, and light wood tones. There are circular marble-top bistro tables and rounded swivel chairs for customers to enjoy their books and coffee. They also have a dog-friendly outdoor space with a few pink chairs and tables.

Her offering aligns with the growing trend of younger generations that are craving real-life spaces, and opportunities to unplug, slow down and connect. “I think naturally younger people are going to start gravitating towards books again and the fun escapism that comes with it, rather than the never-ending vicious cycle of comparing themselves to their digital life”, Sardas says.

Sardas, who is half Cuban and half Mexican, draws on her cultural heritage for both her deep-rooted love of coffee and the inspiration behind the menu she created.

The menu includes classic drinks such as espresso, latte, and Americano, all served hot or iced, as well as tea - chai and matcha. They serve Cuban coffee, or Cafecito, a homage to her Cuban father.

The shop has a couple of signature coffees, including a honey vanilla oat latte, and The Havanna, a dulce de leche latte, and they are working on a Mexican-inspired latte in honor of her mother’s traditions.

The shop features a pink La Marzocco espresso machine.Photo courtesy of Daydream

For pastries, they have partnered with Richardson-based La Casita Bakeshop, a thriving women-owned business, to serve an assortment of croissants, cinnamon rolls, cookies and muffins.

They use beans from Alma Coffee (same name as hers though purely coincidental), a veteran and women-owned company that works closely with farmers in Honduras and roasts in Georgia.

Daydream's hours are 9 am-7 pm Tuesday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm Sunday; closed Monday.

Sardas says that starting in May, she plans to host regular events such as themed book clubs that tie into popular tropes and books, like contemporary, dark romance, and queer romance. There are also book discussions, meet-and-greets, author signings, midnight release parties, and themed café nights in the works.

They are also collaborating with local creatives on activities like candle-making workshops and cake decorating workshops to make the space feel more interactive.

“It truly is a dream,” Sardas says. “We are excited to be open and ready to be a stop for the Arlington community and beyond.”

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