This Week in Gluttony

Sissy's derby drinking party and more must-attend Dallas food events

Brace yourself, Dallas. This Week in Gluttony is a doozy. The weather gods are smiling down upon us, and there is plenty of eating and drinking to be done.

For starters, Sissy's is hosting its third annual Jockeys & Juleps party, and Kitchen LTO needs your vote for version 3.0 at Trinity Groves. Plus, Tastemaker Best Chef nominee Dean Fearing is signing copies of his new cookbook at Barnes & Noble.

But enough chatter. Let's get this food event roundup started.

Tuesday, April 29

Domaine Serene Winery Dinner at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
Enjoy a five-course menu crafted by chef Bruno Davaillon paired with selections from Domaine Serene Winery. Starters include mini truffles, grilled cheese sandwiches and beef tartare crostini, followed by pea ravioli with morel ragout, veal cheek with celeriac and rhubarb reduction, chicken with spring casserole, venison loin with red cabbage compote, and an artisanal cheese course. The event starts at 7 pm and costs $250 per person. Call 214-443-4747 for reservations.

The History of Crown Royal and the Craft of Blending Dinner at Grace
Grace is hosting a five-course Crown Royal whiskey dinner, with a history lesson on the side. Dishes prepared by chef Blaine Staniford include Peking duck, dry-aged strip and cola-braised pork cheek. The event starts at 6:30 pm; seats are $89 a person plus tax and tip. Call 817-877-3388 for reservations.

Kibble and Cocktails at 3015 Trinity Groves
At this dog-friendly event, partake in food from all your favorite Trinity Groves restaurants and support the Voice of Justice program at DFW Rescue Me. The program educates children on how to take care of animals in order to prevent future abuse. The event also features music, live auction and raffle. Tickets are $100 a person; you can reserve your spot by calling 214-939-3015 or order online.

Dean Fearing Cookbook Signing at Barnes & Noble
Celebrity chef Dean Fearing discusses and signs The Texas Food Bible: From Legendary Dishes to New Classics at Barnes & Nobles on Northwest Highway. Beginning at 9 am, present your Barnes & Noble receipt for the book, and receive a wristband to save your place in line. Those without a Barnes & Noble receipt may get their wristbands beginning at 5 pm.

Wednesday, April 30

Central Texas Beer Dinner at Libertine Bar
Libertine Bar celebrates Central Texas brews with five courses paired with perfect beers. Dishes include apple pie with chilled apple soup, salted caramel gelato and sharp cheddar flatbread; venison blood sausage and bourbon-poached pear with vanilla-chile vinaigrette; banana 3 ways (roasted, smashed and crispy with deep dark chocolate); Texas sturgeon with collard greens, crispy skin and quail egg; and the Kitchen Sink with chocolate, citrus, cream, avocado and cheese. The event starts at 7 pm and costs $60 a person. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 214-824-7900.

Thursday, May 1

Best Cellars Dinner at Hotel ZaZa
Some of the top wine collectors come together to highlight and share wine from their personal cellars. The evening features a gourmet four-course meal prepared by chefs Dan Landsberg (Dragonfly), Bradford Hodgkins (FT33), Cody Sharp (Casa Rubia) and Lance Smith (Smoke). Proceeds from the dinner benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation, whose mission is to fund the combined team of lung cancer experts at UT Southwestern and MD Anderson Cancer Center. The event starts at 6 pm and costs $500 per person. For more ticket information, contact Courtney Edwards at 214-728-2918.

Friday, May 2

Peter Michael Winery Dinner at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
Chef Bruno Davaillon brings the goods to this five-course dinner and reception featuring selections from Peter Michael Winery. Menu highlights include peeky toe crab with crispy quinoa; Chatham cod with spring blanquette casserole; duck breast with cherry marmalade, parsnip and ramps; and lamb loin with smoked potato and yogurt. Pastry chef Nicolas Blouin whips up the sweets. Dinner costs $250 per person and begins at 7 pm. Call 214-443-4747 for reservations.

Saturday, May 3

Third Annual Jockeys & Juleps Derby Watching Party at Sissy’s Southern Kitchen & Bar
Come dressed in your best derby day attire and indulge in derby day specials from 11 am to 2 pm. Sissy's mint julep, grapefruit julep, Kentucky punch and Presbyterian bourbon press are $8. The Red Carpet Special and Kentucky Derby play on the big screens behind the bar from 3 to 6 pm, and a prize of $200 is awarded to the best derby outfit in the house. Call 214-827-9900 to reserve your table.

Sunday, May 4

Kitchen LTO 3.0 Voting Party at Trinity Groves
Head to Kitchen LTO at Trinity Groves from 5-8 pm as it debuts the chef and artist finalists for its third restaurant rotation. Voting starts at the event and continues through May 10 at 6 pm via Kitchen LTO’s website. Chef finalists include Rosanne "Roe" Dileo from Libertine Bar; Fitzgerald Dodd from Amberjax Fish Market & Grille; Brooke Eggers from Village Modern Foods in Santa Barbara, California; Daniel Tarasevich from Second Floor Bistro; and Scott Townend of Scott Townend Catering. Current chef Eric Shelton ends his tenure on May 31; the restaurant reopens on June 3 with the new concept. Tickets are $65 and can be purchased at brownpapertickets.com.

Home Brewing Classes at Weekend Coffee
Learn how to make the perfect cup of joe at Weekend Coffee's free monthly home brew classes. Learn the ins and outs of various brew methods, including how to use a French press, V60, Chemex and all of those other fancy things that intimidate you. Classes are held the first Sunday of each month from 3 to 5 pm. Space is limited, and registration is required. RSVP to nicole@ahhweekend.com, or sign up with your Weekend barista.

Monday, May 5

Raw Foods Expert Matt Monarch at Richardson Civic Center
Matt Monarch, owner of Raw Food World and host of the TV show by the same name, talks about top super foods and how they help combat diseases and other health conditions and how the raw food path can be a doorway into the spiritual. Admission is free, and all attendees receive a $10 gift card for Monarch’s online store. The event starts at 6:30 pm.

Head west to Grace for a whiskey dinner on April 29.

Photo courtesy of Grace

Head west to Grace for a whiskey dinner on April 29.

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Coffee News

East Dallas coffee shop Killer Joe crackles with sharp New York style

Killer Joe

Killer Joe Coffee

A hip new coffee shop is energizing a busy corner in East Dallas: Called Killer Joe, it's a new shop at 108 N. Fitzhugh Ave. right on the northeast corner of Columbia Avenue, next to (and in the same building as) Pupusas To Go.

Killer Joe is from Christine Sweet and Christian Napolitano, who moved from New York to Dallas in 2022 in search of entrepreneurial opportunity.

"We had been wanting to open up a business in New York for a long time," Christine says. “After the pandemic, it was really hard doing business there. We were looking for a good place to move that offered an opportunity to open our business."

Christine previously worked in travel/destination marketing, living in different places around the world. Christian was in hospitality, having worked in high-end restaurants in Manhattan, most recently at Bond Street Sushi in Soho.

Their goal: to bring a little New York culture to Dallas.

“We are more than a coffee shop — we're a place for foodies and musicophiles, we are really into music and rock & roll. Our shop is not a sleepy, quiet coffee shop," Christine says.

They serve notice of their intentions on the exterior with a quirky, personal mural by Anthony Z. Padilla, rendered in taxicab yellow, with elegant line drawings of the Statue of Liberty and highway-style signs that say "Now leaving New York" and "Welcome to Texas."

The interior is casual-chic, with pale wood furniture and an original cement floor that still sports intentional patches of old paint. The walls have a mix of B&W vintage photos and the occasional cowboy hat. The space was for many years a closed-in bar called Los Dos Reales; but now, the building boasts expansive windows that look out on Fitzhugh and create a bright and sunny space.

For their coffee program, they use organic espresso beans and make their drinks in an Italian Sanremo machine. They serve all the classics plus signature drinks such as French Toast Latte, Sea Salt Caramel de Leche, and Caliente Mocha with a hint of cayenne pepper.

Seasonal drinks include a pistachio caramel matcha latte — featuring toasted pistachios like a baklava, but balanced by the earthiness of the matcha. Other specialty drinks include rose water matcha, orange blossom matcha spritz, and cucumber lemonade.

Panini at Killer JoeKiller Joe

They also serve food, including breakfast all day: steak & eggs, avocado toast, and bagels with plain, scallion or vegan cream cheese. The "Spaghetti Western" is a twist on the traditional ham & cheese sandwich with spicy capicola, roasted tomato, Calabrian pepper sauce, and chimichurri on toasted ciabatta.

Bread is from Empire Baking Company and the bagels are from Shug's.

At lunch, they serve an umami tuna melt; a "K-Pop Cuban" with ham and cheese, plus kimchi pickles and wasabi mayo; and The Texican, with soyrizo spicy sausage, cheddar roasted poblano peppers, tomato, and avocado.

Reeves Family Farm in Princeton provides fruits and vegetables, and DiveDWN brings their microgreens. Pastries are baked in house and sauces such as black olive pesto and Killer chipotle sauce are made from scratch.

“We are trying to blend our edgy New York style with a Southern Texas flair," Christine says.

They're open daily from 7am-3 pm, with a late-hour program every second Saturday featuring live DJs; people gather inside and outside the shop for music, food, and drinks.

"This community is just so great, very eclectic, and has really embraced our style," Christine says. In fact, a few customers had a tattoo made at neighbor Franklins Tattoo and Supply with the coffee shop's skull logo.

"I had to follow and get one done too," she says.

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