This week in gluttony

Wine dinners, Russians and four kinds of chili: The best food and drink events in Dallas this week

If one of your resolutions is to drink more wine, we've got you covered this week. But say your resolution is to be more adventurous in your cuisine. Well, you're also in luck, because we've got a Mediterranean feast at Samar, a Russian winter festival and a chili fest with four types. Let's dig in.

Wednesday, January 23

Maharaja’s Feast at Samar by Stephan Pyles
Enjoy a shared-plate, four-course meal with dishes such as cashew crusted lamb kebab, short rib dum cook, saffron salmon tikka kebab and spinach pakora for $35 per person. Act quickly, as there were fewer that 12 spots left for their 9:15 pm seating when we called to inquire. For reservations, call 214-922-9922.

Merriman Wine Dinner at TJ’s Seafood
Enjoy paired dishes like seafood paella and rose from Oregon’s Merriman Winery beginning at 7 pm. For $85 you are treated to a five-course meal, and each dish is selected by chef Scott Hoffner to match one of Merriman’s award-winning wines. RSVP at 214-219-3474.

Thursday, January 24

A Sampling From Burgundy at The Grape
Chef de cuisine Danyele McPherson prepares a three-course tasting menu to highlight wines from Burgundy in The Grape’s first Come As You Are wine dinner of the year. For $48, you get a relaxed dinner and a one-on-one wine expert consulting at each table. Reservations are available from 5:30-9 pm and can be made at 214-828-1981 or online.

Friday, January 25

Russian Winter Festival at Hôtel St. Germain
Sure, the weather's nice and warm right now, but by Friday, it could be cold again. Enjoy the infused vodka shots outside before moving indoors for a five-course meal with Russian dishes such as blinis with smoked salmon, piroshky and orange chicken Kiev. The evening includes artwork from St. Petersbrug’s Hermitage Museum and Russian party and card games. The food and fun starts at 7 pm on January 25 and 26 and is $75 per person. For reservations, call 214-871-2516.

Saturday, January 26

Chili Pa Looza at the Holy Grail Pub
It’s safe to say that people have strong opinions on chili. We’ll abstain from sharing our preferences, but the Holy Grail Pub is hosting its second annual cook-off with four different varieties: smoked brisket chili, Indian spiced chicken, seven bean and green chile pork shoulder. We have opinions about several of those just reading them, but we’re chili snobs. Reach your own conclusions from noon to 9 pm.

Monday, January 28

Italian Wine Maker of the Year John Matta at Max’s Wine Dive
Four-time recipient of the Italian Wine Maker of the Year award, John Matta of Castello Vicchiomaggio, will be at Max’s at 7 pm for a complimentary tasting of his Ripa Delle More and Vigna La Prima. The evening includes pairings with Italian cheeses.

January Wine and Food Dinner at Sevy’s Grill
Sevy’s serves wines from Amici Cellars of Napa Valley in a four-course menu that includes dishes such as salt-crusted striped bass with fennel and green olive slaw and beef tenderloin filet with creamed spinach. White wine reception begins at 6:30 pm; dinner starts at 7. It is $69 per person and reservations can be made at 214-265-7389 or by email.

People can be very adamant that they know the right way to cook chili, but they're only right if they follow our grandfather's recipe.

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Supermarket news

H-E-B to open 2 new stores in Garland, including Joe V's Smart Shop

newsroom.heb.com

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Texas grocery chain H-E-B is expanding into the Dallas suburb of Garland, with not one but two stores in the works.

A February 24 news release breaks down the double projects:

Joe V's Smart Shop
"First, the company will revitalize a vacant shopping center located on the northeast corner of Centerville Road and LBJ Freeway," the release says. "The approximately seven-acre site will soon be home to North Texas’ fourth Joe V’s Smart Shop, an innovative price format that focuses on offering fresh, high-quality products at the lowest prices in the marketplace."

Joe V’s Smart Shop is an H-E-B spinoff that operates 14 stores in North Texas and Houston. The first one in DFW opened in Dallas in June 2024 at 4101 W. Wheatland Rd. A second opened in far east Dallas in March 2025. The third opened on Airport Freeway in Irving in November 2025.

Products include fresh produce, organics selections, in-store cut meats, in-store made tortillas, breads, and sushi made daily.

"Construction is expected to begin in the coming months," the release says.

H-E-B grocery store
"The second project involves H-E-B’s intent to develop an H-E-B store on a 21-acre site located between Crist Road and Firewheel Parkway off President George Bush Turnpike," the release says. "The purchase of that property is not yet final."

The Garland location will join H-E-B stores that have opened in Forney, Plano, Frisco, Allen, McKinney, Melissa, Prosper, and Rockwall, plus two in Tarrant County: Fort Worth/Alliance, and Mansfield. Stores in Irving, Denton, Dallas, Carrollton, and the Mid-Cities are in the works.

Although details of the Garland store have not been revealed, if it's like other H-E-B stores, it could include a full-service H-E-B Pharmacy with drive-thru, Curbside and Home Delivery service, Wellness Primary Care clinic, and a True Texas BBQ restaurant with drive-thru.

San Antonio-based H-E-B has been in Dallas since 2001 when it opened its first high-end chain Central Market, which now has six locations in Dallas, Plano, Southlake, and Fort Worth. The regional supermarket chain is consistently rated among America's best grocers by industry and consumer reports.

Additional details on the Garland projects will be shared as they develop, the company says.

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Teresa Gubbins contributed to this story.

garland grocery stores h-e-b