This Week in Gluttony

82-cent cocktails fuel this roundup of Dallas’ best food and drink events

Just as one of the biggest food holidays recedes into memory, it's time to get back out there for This Week in Gluttony. From festive gingerbread house-decorating classes to multiple wine events and even a party featuring dirt-cheap cocktails, there is no shortage of food-and-drink fun.

Wednesday, December 2

Holiday Mini Tour Kickoff Party at Old Chicago
This celebration showcases the taproom’s 12 new, limited-time-only holiday beers. Sip on Texas beers like Lakewood's Holiday Bonus and Martin House's Sugar and Spice while playing games, winning prizes, and eating pizza. The fun starts at 7 pm.

Wine and Chocolate Pairing at Messina Hof Grapevine Winery
Enjoy decadent wine and chocolate pairings at this fun event that takes place the first Wednesday of each month. This happy hour event starts at 5 pm and costs $20 a person. Make reservations by calling 817-442-8463.

PlumpJack and Cade Estate Wine Dinner at Lark on the Park
Chefs Melody Bishop and Dennis Kelley pair an exquisite five-course menu with wines from the Napa boutique wineries. Courses include caña de cabra, pepper crusted yellowfin tuna, braised shortribs, grilled wagyu NY strip, and more. The dinner is $165 and starts at 7 pm. For reservations, call 214-855-5275.

Thursday, December 3

Valrhona Chocolate and Vineyard Brands Wine Dinner at Abacus
This unique dinner features six chocolate-inspired courses from Chef Kent Rathbun and team, and to up the decadence, each course will also be paired with chocolate and wine. Joining the Abacus team will be Carmen Cantu from Valrhona and Todd Ruback from Vineyard Brands, as they discuss their chocolates and wines with attendees. Dinner starts at 6:30 pm and costs $175. Reservations are required by contacting Stephanie Conder at 214-520-0151.

Saturday, December 5

Repeal Day Celebration at Victor Tangos
In honor of the 82nd anniversary of the 21st amendment ratification, this Henderson hot spot is offering 82-cent cocktails from 5-7 pm (or until the booze runs out). Cocktails on the menu include the Sazerac, Income Tax, and Hemingway Daiquiri. And, in true Victor Tangos form, Rum Cognac Punch will be flowing.

Checkered Past Winery Grand Opening
Come celebrate the opening of Dallas' latest winery. Starting at 4 pm, enjoy complimentary wine, beer, and appetizers while supplies last. Guests can also score freebies and win raffle prizes. DJ Mark Ridlen and ska band Boss Riot are providing the entertainment.

Gingerbread House Decorating Class at Whole Foods Plano
Get in the Christmas spirit by decorating your ideal gingerbread house with friends and family. This class includes the gingerbread house, candy, and icing along with a bakery team member on hand to answer any questions. Tickets are $30 and the fun starts at noon.

Sunday, December 6

Sunday School at Hotel ZaZa
This is the last Sunday School brunch of the year and the perfect place to let off a little post-Thanksgiving steam. There is always champagne, delicious food, and dancing on tables (really). Brunch costs $75 a person and starts a noon. To reserve your spot, call 214-550-9500.

Celebrate the grand opening of Checkered Past Winery on December 5.

event-planner

READY TO ROLL

Trendy Dallas sushi bar exports its handrolls to San Antonio

Nori Handroll Bar/ Facebook

Nori Handroll Bar will make its San Antonio debut in spring 2027.

A hot Dallas sushi spot is rolling toward San Antonio: Nori Handroll Bar will open in spring 2027 in the city's historic Pearl district.

It's landing at the Coopers Row apartment complex at 1118 E. Elmira St., San Antonio.

Nori specializes in hand rolls, otherwise known as temaki, which are a less exacting version of maki — the tightly rolled cylinders most Americans associate with sushi. The seaweed sheets enclose the typical fillings of rice, fish, and vegetables, but are wrapped in a looser cone or tubular shape.

Although several San Antonio restaurants offer the dish, it doesn’t yet have a dedicated handroll bar. The Dallas restaurant is about to fix that.

Nori Handroll Bar first debuted in the Deep Ellum neighborhood in 2018. Entrepreneur Mark Lee partnered with Jimmy Park, a former Nobu chef known for Pōk the Raw Bar in Dallas’ West Village. Originally, the spot only offered 12 hand rolls.

Now under the ownership of chef Deukbok Cha, the restaurant has since extended the menu to several à la carte options stuffed with king salmon, unagi, soft-shelled crab, scallops, and other seafood. The rolls are also offered in sets, ranging from I Could Eat (three hand rolls) to Hangry (six).

Nori's other offerings include sashimi, indulgent chef’s specials like truffle caviar nigiri, and fun appetizers like poppers made with jalapeño, cream cheese, red crab, and spicy tuna. Cha has also introduced Korean flavors that reflect his heritage.

The Dallas location is modeled after the neighborhood alleyway bars found on the streets of Tokyo, offering only 24 seats. The San Antonio outpost has not yet released renderings of the space, but at 2,995 square feet, it might offer a little more stretching room than the original.

“Pearl has such an incredible food culture, and it’s exactly the kind of place we want to be a part of," says Deukbok Cha, chef and owner of Nori Handroll Bar, in a release. “We want to create a gathering place where people can stop in for fresh hand rolls and Japanese-Korean flavors that are simple, approachable, and genuinely delicious.”

pearl sushi hand rolls temaki japanese cuisine korean cuisine openings