This Week In Gluttony

Scandalous afternoon tea at The Joule tops this week’s best Dallas food events

Valentine’s Day is over now (thank goodness), so we can focus on spoiling ourselves again. This week we have a mix of gluttonous events, including one rather risqué tea that might make you blush.

Tuesday, February 16

Bourbon Thru Bluegrass at III Forks
At this educational and musical presentation with host Bernie Lubbers, attendees can experience tastings of the American Whiskey Collection from Heaven Hill Distilleries while snacking on bites from executive chef Chris Vogeli. Tickets are $45, and the event lasts from 6-8 pm. Call 972-267-1776 for reservations.

Wednesday, February 17

Chef Collaborative Dinner at Central Market Fort Worth
Join the Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival as it welcomes chefs Blaine Staniford (Grace and Little Red Wasp), Kevin Martinez (Tokyo Cafe and Yatai Food Kart), and Sarah Hooton (Central Market) for a collaborative cooking experience. Throughout the evening, guests learn cooking tips from these three culinary talents, and Central Market wine experts pair each dish with the perfect vino. Tickets are $65, and the event lasts from 6:30-8:30 pm.

Thursday, February 18

Birds and Brew at Trinity River Audubon Center
Explore the center and its trails at night while sampling beers from Shannon Brewing Company and Nine Band Brewing and enjoying snacks from Easy Slider Food Truck. Guests can look at the butterfly gardens and wetlands, and interact with live birds from Window to the Wild. Tickets are $10, and activities last from 6-8:30 pm.

Winter Whites Education Class at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House
The casual, come-and-go event focuses on winter whites, and sommelier and wine director Courtney Keeling explains the wine and food pairings. Dishes include ahi tuna tartare, jumbo crab cake with Cajun lobster sauce, and Wagyu corn dogs with chipotle ketchup and honey Creole mustard. Tickets are $30, and the event lasts from 5-6:30 pm. For reservations, call 972-490-9000.

Saturday, February 20

Naugh-Tea with Dian Hanson at The Joule
Enjoy sweets and savories at the Taschen Library during this afternoon champagne tea service with author and publishing maven Dian Hanson, known for such sexy titles as The Art of Pin-Up, The Little Book of Butts, and The New Erotic Photography. During the tea, guests receive 10 percent off purchases in library. Tickets are $59, and the events starts at 2:30 pm. For reservations, call 214-748-1300 x 4363, or email tea@thejouledallas.com.

Monday, February 22

Four-course Margarita Dinner at Meso Maya
For National Margarita Day, chef Nico Sanchez is doing a special dinner with courses such as ceviche de atun, chicharron prensado, carne Oxaca, and Veracruz coffee flan. Margarita pairing flavors include cucumber, serrano berry, azul y verde, and el viejo. Tickets are $75, and the fun starts at 6:30 pm with an avocado margarita tasting.

Enjoy a Naugh-Tea at Taschen Library at The Joule on February 20.

Photo by Mei-Chun Jau

Enjoy a Naugh-Tea at Taschen Library at The Joule on February 20.

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Food and Drink News

Artsy eatery Allegory Kitchen makes for a night out in Grand Prairie

Allegory Kitchen

Shrimp at Allegory Kitchen

An artsy restaurant and bar has debuted in Grand Prairie: Called Allegory Kitchen and Bar, it’s in a former event venue space at 2601 W. Jefferson St., where it opened in February.

Founders Ronnie Harris and Anthony Griffin have pooled their extensive hospitality experience on this new venture. Harris spent the past 30 years in airport concessions at airports such as DFW Airport, while Griffin comes from hospitality in Alabama.

"We kind of stumbled on doing the restaurant by default because we wanted to open a hookah lounge and serve liquor," Harris says. "We couldn't serve liquor and no food, so it transitioned to us becoming a restaurant."

To that end, they retained Atlanta-based chef and restaurateur Carlos Brown who helped create the menu. Harris and Griffin are now leading the concept which continues to evolve.

It started as a fine dining concept with brunch, but they’re adding more casual Southern and comfort food dishes. Menu items include Southern fried catfish, a half-pound burger, grilled pork chop, and roasted half chicken. There are also vegan options such as roasted butternut squash tabouli with caramelized onion vinaigrette, chili flakes, mint leaves, almonds, and arugula, served with wild mushrooms and herb quinoa.

Small plates include three cheese lobster mac & cheese, Carolina pan-seared crab cakes, and collard green spring rolls filled with collard greens, onions and peppers, then deep-fried.

Sides are on upscale: pork belly Brussels sprouts, garlic parmesan truffle fries, sauteed haricot vert (French green beans), and sweet potato apple hash.

They have a full bar with domestic and imported beer, wine, and signature cocktails.

“My number one specialty is the Sexy Allegory — it has a cognac base and mix of blueberries and blackberries,” Harris says. “We can satisfy any palate with our beers, and we have a wine wall with the best of the best, such as pinot grigio and cabernet."

The atmosphere is lively and colorful with plush seating and floral wall murals. There’s booth and table seating with white marble tables and jewel-toned chairs and booths. The chandeliers over the bar are a visual treat, have white feathers arranged like a blooming flower.

As if food and drink are not enough, they offer more reasons for a night out with events almost nightly, including poetry night, live jazz from a saxophonist, and more.

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