This Week in Gluttony

Tons of tastings and tours top best food and drink events in Dallas this week

We hope you didn't overdo it with champagne and chocolate this past weekend, because there are many food events this week, and it all starts with Fat Tuesday. It continues with tastings, tours and a special meal during which you can learn all about Japanese table manners.

Tuesday, February 17

Places around town offering Fat Tuesday specials:

Capitol Pub. Abita Purple Haze and hurricanes for $4, plus shrimp po' boys and chicken and sausage gumbo.
Hard Rock Cafe. Shrimp po' boys, hurricanes, traditional Mardi Gras king cake, $3 draft beers, $4 house wines and $5 well cocktails.
Henderson Tap House. Live music by Big Mike, plus hand grenades and hurricanes, New Orleans-style gumbo, and free beads.
McFadden's Addison. Crawfish, $5 hurricanes and $10 "McFadden's-style" grenades, and $3 Miller Lite and Coors Light all day long.
Sundown at Granada. Live music from Club Wood and $3 jambalaya all night.

Herradura presents Tequila Appreciation Society Social at 3015 at Trinity Groves
This is your chance to learn everything there is to know about tequila. From 6-8 pm, Casa Herradura global tequila ambassador Ruben Aceves share his knowledge while attendees challenge their palates during this exclusive Herradura tasting. The culinary team at 3015 at Trinity Groves is whipping up savory bites, and proceeds benefit Cafe Momentum. You must be 21 to attend. Tickets are $20, and you can buy them online.

Thursday, February 19

Deep Ellum Wine Walk
During this regular event, the Deep Ellum Community Association and neighborhood merchants combine two great things: wine and shopping. Visitors can purchase a collectible Wine Walk glass for $5, raise it and repeat as they enjoy wine samplings while exploring. The event, which takes place on the third Thursday of every month, features different venues each time. Meet at Kettle One Gallery at 5 pm.

George Dickel Whiskey Tasting at The Library
From 5:30-7:30 pm, The Library is hosting a tasting of George Dickel #12, which is considered to be the gold standard of Tennessee whiskey, plus George Dickel Rye. Samples of these two premium whiskeys are complimentary; cocktails made with either are offered for a special price of $6 each.

Old and New World Small Production Wine Dinner at Grace
For this dinner, chef Blaine Staniford makes dishes such as marinated Dungeness crab, saffron risotto, lacquered duck and egg confit, rib-eye cap, and brioche pain perdu. The event starts at 6:30 pm and costs $145 a person. Call 817-877-3388 to reserve a spot.

Saturday, February 21

Community Beer Company Goes on Tour
Craft beer lovers can get on a bus and head out to explore a handful of establishments that serve Community Beer. Attendees enjoy a beer sample and food at each stop. The $45 ticket includes all samples and food, plus a T-shirt and a glass. Meet at Community Beer Company at noon and explore Cold Beer Company, Nickel & Rye, Scotch & Sausage and Rodeo Goat. The event ends at Community Beer Company around 4 pm. You must reserve in advance because no tickets will be offered at the door the day of.

Taste of Trinity Groves Walking Tour
This walking tour, 11:30 am-3:15 pm, includes nibbles at Trinity Groves eateries such as Souk, Chino Chinatown, Luck, Four Corners Brewery and Kate Weiser Chocolate. Food is included in the $55 ticket price, but drinks are not. A minimum of eight is required to make the event a "go," and the maximum number of walkers is 20. Buy tickets here.

Sunday, February 22

Academy Awards Viewing Party at Messina Hof Winery
Dress up and head to Messina Hof Winery to watch the Academy Awards with friends. Enjoy an open wine bar, endless appetizers and amazing desserts from 5-10 pm. Call 817-442-8463 to reserve a spot.

Japanese Table Manner Brunch at Tei-An
Tei-An welcomes Yasuko Robinson, a master of Japanese high arts (painting, flower arranging and tea ceremony), who is teaching Japanese etiquette at the dining table. The meal starts at 11:45 am and costs $75 a person. RSVP to George Kaiho at 214-220-2828.

Sunday Super at Urban Acres Farmstead
Join Urban Acres for a hearty meal of local, organic and sustainable food served family-style, including turkey pot pie (with turkey pasture-raised at Richardson Farms in Rockdale) winter greens salad and dessert. This event is BYOB, and there are 30 seats available at $30 per person. It lasts from 6-9 pm. Reserve online.

Taste of Bishop Arts Walking Tour
From 1-4:30 pm, visit spots like Dude, Sweet Chocolate; Eno's; Veracruz; and Lockhart Smokehouse. You also learn about the history of Oak Cliff as you stroll past hangouts of Bonnie and Clyde, rekindle memories of Dallas' busiest trolley stop, and slip into the area's many boutiques and galleries. Food samples are included in the $40 ticket price; you're on your own for drinks. A minimum of eight people is required; the maximum number of walkers is 15. Buy tickets here.

Monday, February 23

KidLinks presents Symphony of Chefs at Hilton Anatole
This event starts with a cocktail reception at 6 pm, featuring an intimate performance by members of the Dallas Chamber Symphony. At 7, renowned area chefs — including Mico Rodriguez, Chad Houser, John Franke and Brad Phillips — prepare five-course dinners tableside for tables of 10. Proceeds provide funding of therapeutic music initiatives for critically ill and special needs children across North Texas and the United States. Individual seats start at $1,000; tables of 10 range from $5,000-$15,000.

Learn all about tequila at the Tequila Appreciation Society Social presented by Herradura on February 17.

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Italian News

New restaurant at Hall Park Hotel in Frisco will do house-made pastas

Hall Park

Palato at Hall Park

A new Italian restaurant is coming to Frisco: Called Palato Italian Kitchen, it will open at the Hall Park Hotel, at 3220 Internet Blvd. where, according to a release, it will open in the fall.

Hall Park Hotel is a 224-room hotel slated to be the first Marriott Autograph Collection property to open in Frisco. In addition to well-appointed guest rooms, the hotel will offer The Reserve suites: four private floors designed for extended-stay business travelers and those seeking apartment-style accommodations with the services of an Autograph Collection hotel.

Inspired by the Hall family’s love of wine and expert food pairings, Palato Italian Kitchen and Lounge embraces an Italian concept with seasonal menus, house-made pasta, cocktails, and an extensive list of Old and New World wines, including selections from Hall Wines.

The restaurant will feature an exhibition-style kitchen, open-air design, stone hearth oven, central bar, and outdoor patio. Adjacent to Palato is the Lounge, an intimate space for happy hours and nightcaps.

In addition to Palato Italian Kitchen and Lounge, guests can also experience the Parkside Pool & Bar at Hall Park Hotel’s seventh floor rooftop with panoramic views of Kaleidoscope Park, cocktails, and bar bites.

Food & drink
Palato's menu highlights include delicacies such as:

Fritelle di Baccala, Ligurian-style salt cod fritters
Bigoli with Valpolicella Braised Duck, featuring the traditional pasta shape and ingredients from Veneto
Bonet with dark chocolate, amaretti, rum and pistachio, an iconic dessert from Piedmont

The cocktail menu is presented in four distinct categories — Spritz, Shaken, Stirred and Garibaldi — a unique twist unlike any other cocktail bar. Cocktails include the Oasis of Venice Spritz, featuring l’aperitivo nonino, rum, roasted pineapple syrup, prosecco, and Fever Tree sparkling lime + yuzu; and the Sicilian Breakfast Garibaldi, with Aperol Averna amaro and fluffy blood orange juice.

Cast & crew
Palato Executive Chef is Eric Sakai, who has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants Rubicon and Acquerello in San Francisco, the Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole, and the Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas, as well as studying pasta in Italy.

Executive Pastry Chef is Sophie Candia, a native of Argentina who has spent the past decade perfecting her craft. Her role on-property will include creating an artisan bread program and creating exclusive pastry offerings and catering menus, including bespoke wedding cakes for couples who choose to host their nuptials at the hotel.

There will also be an on-site cheesemonger, and General Manager is Hans Ritten, who says they are excited to add Chef Sakai and Chef Candia to the team.

The credits
Hall Park Hotel, Autograph Collection, will open next door to Kaleidoscope Park where it will offer a premier hotel experience as the first Autograph Collection hotel in Frisco, with 60 suites, world-class contemporary art, approachable dining and international wine program, and luxury amenities and accommodations for both short-and-long term stays. The property is owned by Dallas-based Hall Group and operated by Coury Hospitality.

The Hall Park development in Frisco encompasses 2.2 million square feet of office and retail space throughout 15 buildings. One-third of the park is dedicated to green space and includes three miles of walking trails, over 200 works of art including the Texas Sculpture Garden, the largest private collection of contemporary Texas sculpture available to the public. In October 2021, its developer, Hall Group, commenced construction on the first phase of its new masterplan development that will evolve Hall Park into a dynamic mixed-use community.

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