This Week in Gluttony

Driftwood Seven Sous Dinner tops best food and drink events in Dallas

Seven Sous Dinner at Driftwood on February 24 features courses from some of thebest sous chefs in Dallas.
Photo courtesy of Driftwood
Boxwood hosts Garrison Brothers for a bourbon dinner on February 18.
Photo courtesy of Garrison Brothers Distillery
Shrimp and grits is just one delicious course at the Bread Winners beer dinnerwith Abita on February 21.
Photo by Teresa Gubbins
Abacus hosts Siduri for a wine dinner on February 21.
Abacus Restaurant/Facebook

This week there are multiple opportunities to eat and drink amply — notably in the form of beer and winner dinners. The biggest feast of them all goes down at Driftwood on February 24, when seven of our beloved Dallas sous chefs get together for a night unlike any other.

Here's a list of what's cookin' in Dallas this week in the world of food and drink events:

Tuesday, February 18

Garrison Brothers Featured Bourbon Dinner at Boxwood
Every month Boxwood celebrates a special craft beer or spirit. This month the restaurant has teamed up with Garrison Brothers Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey for a four-course paired dinner experience by chef Jason Wade starting at 7 pm. Courses included bourbon-glazed Texas quail with apricot and cherry compote and mushrooms; wild boar ribs with sweet onion rings and butterscotch BBQ; New York strip with root vegetables, bacon jam and whiskey peppercorn sauce; and whiskey cake with coffee creme anglaise. Cost is $55 a person, and you can RSVP by emailing info@boxwoodtg.com.

Real Ale Beer Dinner at Social House
Starting at 7 pm, get your Real Ale fix by attending this $45 five-course beer dinner. (Yep, that's 45 bucks for five courses — with beer.) Dishes include lobster fritter, corned beef, chile-lime tilapia, braised short rib and fried ice cream. Reservations can be made by calling 214-999-0046.

Wednesday, February 19

Grape Beer-Paired Dinner at The Grape
Chef de cuisine Danyele McPherson and Community Beer Company host a dinner showcasing four craft brews — in addition to a welcome beer — complemented by a four-course dinner. Dishes include grilled ham and cheese, caramelized scallops and steamed mussels, roasted pork tenderloin, and chocolate-expresso-hazelnut shortbread. Seating is limited, and reservations are required. Cost is $55 per person, and you can reserve your spot online. Dinner starts at 7 pm.

Friday, February 21

Siduri Wine Dinner at Abacus
Abacus welcomes Siduri Winery to Dallas for a special collaborative dinner. Chef Kent Rathbun and his team prepare delicious starters and a four-course menu to be paired with Siduri’s California wines. Dishes include Ivory King Salmon with barley risotto, large wrapped pheasant roulade, roasted goat vindaloo and crispy sweet polenta with heirloom apples. While diners enjoy this decadent feast, winemaker and proprietor Dianna Lee, who used to work in the Epicure Department at Neiman Marcus in Dallas, discusses each wine being served.

Abita Beer Dinner at Bread Winners Uptown
Starting at 6 pm, Bread Winners welcomes Abita brewmaster Leo Basille for a five-course beer dinner. Created by executive chef Adam Kovac, courses include arugula salad with grapefruit, goat cheese and Marcona almonds; Gouda and brown ale fondue; shrimp and grits; Akaushi strip loin; and chocolate Bundt cake made with Abita Purple Haze. Each course is accompanied by an appropriate Abita beer. Tickets cost $77 per person, and you can reserve your spot by calling 214-754-4940.

Monday, February 24

Seven Sous Dinner at Driftwood
Now this is fancy. Seven sous chefs prepare a course at this special dinner at Driftwood. Chefs include Thomas Seargeant (CBD Provisions), Dina Fernanda (Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek), Cody Sharp (Casa Rubia), Misti Norris (FT33), Gmo Tristan (Boulevardier), Rose de la Rosa (The Joule) and Justin Holt (Driftwood). Courses include beets with quinoa, fennel, citrus, smoked blue cheese and Texas honey, as well as beef belly with tortellini, spicy greens, wild mushrooms and crème fraiche. This dinner costs $130 per person and includes beer and wine pairings. Call 214-942-2530 for reservations.

Burgundy Wine Dinner at the Wine Poste With Chef Scott Gottlich of Bijoux
Chef Scott Gottlich takes over the Wine Poste for a Burgundy wine dinner starting at 7 pm. Burgundy wines are paired with courses such as oysters with black truffles and persillade; split pea soup with smoked lobster; Texas quail with chocolate waffle, sour cherries and dates; Wagyu beef cheek with rutabaga and baby turnips; and Robiola la tur with leeks and black garlic. Tickets are $125 and can be purchased here.

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Taco News

California restaurant Casa Comal debuts in Irving with standout tacos

Casa Comal

Shrimp taco at Casa Comal in Irving

A restaurant from the West Coast with a fresh approach to Mexican food has made its Dallas-area debut: Casa Comal Cocina, a Mexican restaurant founded in Santa Barbara in 2021, has opened at Cypress Waters in Irving, at 8701 Cypress Waters Blvd. #150, in the former Chilli Thai space, with a menu that is decidedly not run-of-the-mill.

Casa Comal, whose roots lie in Mexico City, specializes in tacos, with a wide variety that encompasses everything from traditional Mexico City-style offerings like carnitas and al pastor, to upscale tacos like lemon pepper chicken with arugula.

There's a taco filled with pork rinds, green sauce, and rice; quesa-birria, the trendy taco with shredded beef and crisped jack cheese; and taco Sonora with carne asada and a cheese-stuffed Anaheim pepper.

Seafood tacos include shrimp and tempura-fried fish; and there are vegetarian options such as zucchini with corn, or hibiscus flower with mushrooms — two ingredients commonly used in vegetarian tacos.

Everything's served on corn tortillas which they make in-house. With a few exceptions such as the shrimp tacos for $7.75, most of the tacos are $5.75.

In addition to tacos, there are nachos, quesadillas, empanadas, sopas, gorditas, and a torta sandwich filled with meat, refried beans, lettuce, and tomato. Appetizers include queso fundido, tostadas, and flautas filled with shredded chicken and beans.

One of their signatures is the "wet burrito" — sort of a cross between a burrito and an enchilada, featuring a burrito covered with choice or red sauce or verde green.

They also serve a full bar with about 16 cocktails including margaritas, a paloma, and their Mezcal de Pacifico, made with mezcal, coconut water, and lime, says co-owner Bachir Ramadam, who grew up in the Santa Barbara area. He has opened the Irving location with his wife, Elisa, and their partner, Alejandro Vera.

"We combine traditional preparations with local ingredients for dishes that are authentic to both their Mexican origins while incorporating local flavors," he says. "A lot of the recipes come from my family. My father is from Mexico, and this is the food I grew up with."

"But we always try to present the plates with a different touch," he says. "A lot of taquerias do tacos with the filling, salsa, and lime, and that's it. We try to do something a little more complex."

While Irving, Texas is a long way from Santa Barbara, Bachir says they have friends and family here, and are learning the ropes of Tex-Mex, which is more meaty and saucy than what you find on the West Coast.

"California has good Mexican food, but I've tried some Tex-Mex — we went to a couple restaurants, and I like it," he says. Good answer!

tacos openings