This Week in Gluttony

Savor Dallas and St. Patrick's Day top this week's best food and drink events

Chances are if you like to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, you have already been there, done that, along Greenville Avenue. But we presume you like to honor the holiday officially, and there are plenty of opportunities to do so — even at Tex-Mex and sushi joints.

Much of the rest of the week is devoted to Savor Dallas, so we hope you’ve saved room. You’re going to need it.

Tuesday, March 17

Capitol Pub. Enjoy corned beef, cabbage and fried shepherd’s pie, along with Irish music from Seamus Stout and Fingerless Ghost. Doors open at 11 am.
Del Frisco’s Grille. Get into the Irish Spirit from 3-7 pm with bar specials such as $4 draft beers, $5 Irish whiskey, $5 Guinness and $8 specialty cocktails like the Kilt Lifter (gin, St. Germain, a splash of Tabasco and a squeeze of lemon). Food specials include $6 chips with Guinness cheese spread, $10 flatbreads, and $12 corned beef and cabbage tacos.
The Dubliner. Starting at 1 pm, enjoy live entertainment with Irish classics such as corned beef, cabbage, shepherd’s pie and Guinness beef stew.
El Fenix. At all 22 restaurants, guests receive a complimentary shamrock-shaped, green-sugar-covered sopaipilla at the conclusion of their meal. Entrée purchase required.
The Gin Mill. Enjoy signature Irish specialties such as corned beef and cabbage with colcannon and Guinness beef stew. Drink specials too.
Hard Rock Cafe. Enjoy Irish fare such as corned beef and cabbage, Irish Reubens and Irish Mules.
Henry’s Majestic. Special $7 cocktails include Celtic Rickey, Irish Chocolate Bomb and Irish Duke.
Hibashi Teppan Grill and Sushi Bar. Enjoy special rolls like the Lucky Four Leaf Clover Roll (crab, tempura salmon and cucumber, wrapped in avocado and topped with wasabi mayo for $16) or the Lucky Clover Path Roll (crab, tempura salmon, avocado and spicy mayo for $15).
J. Gilligans Bar & Grill. The 36th annual celebration features green beer, world-famous Irish nachos and live music from a variety of bands. Starts at 11 am.
Omni Forth Worth. Special lunch buffet in Cast Iron or party menu at Whiskey & Rye. The special menus include shepherd’s pub pie, slow roasted beer corned beef and a Guinness pot de crème (Irish cookie) for dessert. Drink specials include $3 Rahr, and guests keep the glass.
Renfields Corner. Irish drink specials all day starting at 4 pm.
Staggering Irishman. Drink specials, green beer, Irish food, live music and good times.
Wild Salsa. Signature avocado margaritas and house margaritas (frozen or on the rocks) are priced at $5 all day.
Whiskey Cake. Five selections of Irish whiskey paired with a five-course Irish menu featuring traditional dishes with a twist, like the corned beef hash samosa. Dinner stars at 7 pm and cost is $65. For reservations, call 972-993-2253.

Wednesday, March 18

Oak Cliff Cellars Wine Dinner at Stock & Barrel
Oak Cliff Cellars releases its 2013 Rhone with the help of Stock & Barrel’s Jon Stevens at this exclusive wine dinner. Dishes include diver scallop crudo, crispy braised pork cheeks, wood-grilled bacon-wrapped quail, caramelized pear and huckleberry crisp, and pink peppercorn ice cream. Guests can also taste 2013 hearty red wines such as Rogues blend, Mourvedre and Syrah. Cost is $95 per person, and dinner stars at 6:30 pm.

Thursday, March 19

Savor Dallas: Arts District Wine Stroll
This is the kickoff to the popular four-day fest. Guests can embrace art while tasting samples from local culinary stars and the finest in wine, spirits and beer. Venues include the Crow Collection of Asian Art, Meyerson Symphony Center and Nasher Sculpture Center. The event starts at 5 pm, and tickets are $40.

Friday, March 20

Savor Dallas: Savor the Arboretum
Foodies and Dallas Arboretum members gather in one of the most beautiful settings in the city for a laid-back sampling experience at sunset. Tastemakers mingle with chefs and explore gardens while savoring sips, sights and sounds. Proceeds benefit the education department of the Dallas Arboretum. Tickets are $59, and the event starts at 6:30 pm.

Saturday, March 21

Drink Local, Give Global at Deep Ellum Brewing Company
As part of International World Water Day, which raises awareness about the importance of freshwater and sustainable management of freshwater resources, Deep Ellum Brewing Company hosts Ten for 10 | Water Africa’s Drink Local, Give Global. Tickets include beer tastings, live music, brewery tour and commemorative beer glass. Proceeds go toward providing clean water for someone in Rwanda. The event kicks off at 3:30 pm, and tickets start at $20.

From One Chef to Another: An Empowering Chat and Chew at El Centro College
This tea is an empowering opportunity for women seeking a career in the food service industry. Attendees hear from successful women chefs such as El Centro Food and Hospitality Institute’s Kimberly Brock Brown and Shari Carlson. The event is free and takes place from 1:30-4 pm.

Savor Dallas: Reserve Tasting
This exclusive and elegant event sets the stage for the Grand Tasting, and both take place in Fair Park. Sample wines, spirits and craft beer, along with gourmet fare from the area’s premier restaurants, while you listen to live music and chat with industry experts. Proceeds from a silent auction benefit a range of causes that support the hungry and homeless in North Texas. Tickets are $150, and the event starts at 5:30 pm.

Savor Dallas: Grand Tasting
Dallas-Fort Worth’s star chefs and culinary artisans offer tastes of signature dishes, which are paired with sips from winemakers, distilleries and breweries. There are also interactive experiences, social lounges and live music, all within historic Fair Park. Tickets are $125, and the event starts at 7 pm.

Sunday, March 22

Savor Dallas: Community Brunch
This outdoor, community-style dining experience showcases local flavors curated and served by Cafe Momentum, along with tastes from The Joule and Wild Salsa. Also expect cocktail bars featuring signature sips from Korbel, Chambord and Skyy Vodka and live music from Dallas’ own Larry g(EE). Proceeds benefit Cafe Momentum. Tickets are $100, and the event starts at 11 am.

Sample food from TNT Tacos and Tequila and dozens of other Dallas restaurants at Savor Dallas on March 21.

Savor Dallas Facebook

Sample food from TNT Tacos and Tequila and dozens of other Dallas restaurants at Savor Dallas on March 21.

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Joie de vivre

New Bishop Arts bistro brings French elan to historic Oak Cliff home

Photo courtesy of Trapèze/Peter Novotny

Trapèze is serving French fare in a laid-back bohemian yet deeply thought-out atmosphere.

Transforming historic Oak Cliff homes into dining destinations is an art, and a duo known for their Deep Ellum hot spots has a new work on display: Trapèze, a French bohemian bar and bistro, that has quietly opened at 240 W. 8th St. in a repurposed bungalow on the west end of the Bishop Arts District.

Owners Peter Novotny and Dan Murry, who operate Ruins on Commerce and Armoury D.E. on Elm Street, told CultureMap in February that they envisioned Trapèze as “an old-fashioned bohemian artist’s enclave.”

Now in the soft opening phase eight months later, they say, by "drawing inspiration from the old French bohemian bars and cabarets,” they've accomplished their goal of creating "a place where people can enjoy a great meal and drinks, listen to some music, and just lose track of time a little.”

Trapèze has been welcoming guests discreetly the last couple weekends, as they complete a few finishing touches both to the building — they are excited about the near-complete patio — and to the food: “We have a limited but very solid menu available now, and should have the full menu, brunch and all, ready very soon,” Novotny says.

A grand opening date is still in the works.

Novotny has said that inspiration for Trapèze came from Oak Cliff’s historical French influence. Bishop Arts once was home to the French utopian community La Reunion, which settled in the mid 1800s. The neighborhood pays homage to these roots at its annual Bastille on Bishop celebration.

“We’re trying to do a tribute to the French history of Oak Cliff and Bishop Arts, and our goal is to capture the things we love about regional French cuisine and culture,” Novotny said earlier this year.

trapeze Designed by local artists at Decotron, the front-porch sign at Trapèze offers a taste of what's inside. Photo courtesy Trapèze/Peter Novotny

Novotny and Murry hired New York-bred chef Jeremy Spector to direct Trapèze’s culinary program. He’s worked in famous kitchens such as Balthazar and Gramercy Tavern and has owned and operated restaurants in NYC. The owners have told CultureMap that Spector's menu represents different regions of France, along with flavors inspired by France’s once-vast colonial empire, including Moroccan cuisine.

The bar menu is full of classic French and New Orleans-esque cocktails made with French spirits and liqueurs like absinthe and chartreuse; an extensive list of cognacs; French Caribbean-rooted Rhum Agricoles (or Agricole rums), and French and “French-adjacent” cider and beer.

The house that is now a restaurant underwent a massive revamp, which lasted months due in part to weather-related delays. To make matters more challenging, Trapeze is located in a conservation district, which means construction had to be done in a specific way that would preserve the home’s original look.

“It’s basically a complete renovation,” Novotny says. “They had to rebuild the entire structure. The whole exterior is all new.”

The new sign out front reads Bien Mangé, Bien Bu, which translates roughly to good food, good drink. Made by the sculptural artists at Decotron, an Elm Street-based signage fabrication company, it creates curb appeal and offers a preview of the attention to detail, whimsy, fine craftsmanship, and French flavor found inside.

Hours have been slightly fluid. At this time Trapèze is open 4 pm-"late" Wednesday-Thursday and 4 pm-2 am Friday-Sunday. Updated days and hours will be posted on Instagram along with information about live music performers, they say.

bar food drink craft cocktails french food live music bishop arts restaurants