More Fests

Inaugural food and wine fest blooms at Dallas Arboretum

Better known for flowers, Dallas Arboretum took on the foodie set with its inaugural Food & Wine Festival on March 16, with more than 1,300 people turning out to nibble on bites savory and sweet from 40 local chefs.

Guests strolled the Arboretum's lawn grazing from stands manned by Chad Houser (Cafe Momentum), David Gauthier (Smoky Rose), Rebecca Jolly (Grayson Social), Daniele Puleo (CiboDivino), and Anastacia Quinones (Oddfellows), among others.

On the sips side, options were wide and varied, including wines from Alexander Valley Vineyards, Dalla Terra wines, Gallo, Luna Vineyards, and more, and craft cocktails from Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. And of course, no trip to the Arboretum is complete without a music concert of some sort, and on this spring evening, it was provided by acoustic pop band Hobo Cane.

Special ticket holders were treated to a VIP area offering early admission and signature craft cocktails from Matt Orth, the craft spirits specialist/mixologist for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, as well as special treats from the likes of Junior Borges (Mirador), Matt McCallister (FT33), Jeffrey Hobbs (Slow Bone), and Louis Olvera (Trompo). VIP guests were also treated to reserved seating on the concert lawn with passed desserts and beverages.

"2017 is the year of culinary pursuits for the Dallas Arboretum,” says chef Sharon Van Meter, who chaired the event. “The chefs of Dallas were excited about not only the first Dallas Arboretum Food & Wine Festival that sold out, but beyond ecstatic about A Tasteful Place opening later this year.”

In the works since September 2016, A Tasteful Place will be a 2-acre garden, “inspired by the movement toward garden-to-table dining sustainability and healthier lifestyles,” says Mark Wolf, Dallas Arboretum board chairman. It will overlook White Rock Lake, and, in addition to showcasing and teaching how to cook with fresh, natural foods, the garden will feature an orchard, vineyard, and a garden pavilion with a teaching kitchen.

Janelle Gottlieb, Matt Gottlieb, Alina Walker, Julie Menefee

Photo courtesy of Dallas Arboretum

Janelle Gottlieb, Matt Gottlieb, Alina Walker, Julie Menefee

festivals

Ice Cream News

Global gourmet ice cream chain debuts in U.S. with 2 Dallas-area shops

Dumont Ice Cream

An ice cream concept from India has made its U.S. debut, right here in Texas: Called Dumont Creamery & Cafe, it's an ice cream chain founded in Hyderabad that now has two locations in the Dallas area.

Their first location was Frisco, which opened at 1951 FM 423 at the end of 2023; a second location opened in late October in Coppell at 1535 S. Belt Line Rd. #160.

Dumont was founded in 1999 by brothers Vivek and Bhashkaar, and currently has 23 locations in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Vijayawada listed on their website.

Bringing the concept to Texas are local franchisees and friends Sai Sashank and Tarang Tirumala, who moved to the U.S. in 2005 to attend college.

Both have successful consulting careers, but craved a taste of home.

Ice cream is the centerpiece at Dumont with more than two dozen flavors, ranging from gourmet to classics to flavors boasting global influences: from Italian-inspired sorbet to a New Zealand-inspired honey ice cream called "hokey pokey."

There is vanilla, chocolate, and mint chocolate chip — but also unique options such as cake and jam, an ice cream with a vanilla base, bites of cake, and spiced jam; and kheer, a coconut ice cream studded with dried fruits and nuts — a nod to the kheer rice pudding that's one of India's favorite desserts.

A single scoop is $4. They have cups and a cute version of waffle cones: shorter and fatter than usual, to provide a greater ratio of ice cream-to-cone.

In addition to ice cream, they have a beverage program with coffee and espresso drinks such as lattes, plus boba tea. There are also special drinks like falooda — an exotic Indian milkshake with rose syrup and vermicelli — as well as limited-edition drinks like iced kheer, a cool beverage version of that same popular rice pudding dessert.

Both locations are spacious, bright, and clean, with pale green banquettes at Frisco, and pale blue chairs and tables at Coppell. Both feature an astronaut theme with statues and framed photos and cartoons on the wall. The Coppell location also has a mural dedicated to great moments in Coppell history.