This Week in Gluttony

This week's best Dallas food events succumb to global influence

It’s a busy week for Dallas foodies, from Cinco de Mayo celebrations to Central Market’s Passport Greece, which ends May 12. Plus Shinsei is introducing its Sakaya Room and TACA’s beloved Party on the Green returns to the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek.

Pace yourself out there.

Tuesday, May 5

Smashing Plates with Maria Elia at Central Market Lovers
As part of Central Market’s Passport Greece, Maria Elia smashes outdated notions of traditional Greek food in this cooking class. By the time it’s done, you’ll recognize the flavors of the Mediterranean in updated dishes such as moussaka-spiced popcorn, carrot keftedes with carrot tabbouleh and tahini sauce, chicken and orzo soup, and more. The event starts at 6:30 pm, and tickets are $65.

Cinco de Mayo Party at Fearing’s
Chef Dean Fearing’s new Barrel Select Patrón Tequila begins pouring on May 5, coinciding with the restaurant’s first-ever Cinco de Mayo party. The custom añejo tequila is smooth and slightly sweet, offering distinctive caramel and smoky notes. Fearing’s introduces three new añejo cocktails created by Patron’s lead mixologist, Andres Ismael Moran Gutierrez. Also expect live mariachi music and a south-of-the-border menu with brisket empanadas, two-bite smoked chicken tacos and Patrón shrimp campeche cocktails.

Find more Cinco de Mayo fun at the following places:

Abacus. Patron tequila dinner at 6:30 pm for $95 a person.
Capitol Pub. $14 buckets of Coronitas, $20 buckets of Modelo Especial, $5 Casamigos tequila shots, $6 margaritas and Mexican fare.
The Dubliner. $3.50 Mexican beers and $5 Hornitos from 4 pm-2 am.
The Gin Mill. All day happy hour with $3 Mexican beers and food specials.
San Salvaje. Happy hour pricing all day with $2 tacos and $5 drink specials.
Taqueria La Ventana. Live music and Day of the Dead craft beer samplings.
Wild Salsa. Drink specials and tequila tastings.

Friday, May 8

Grand Reveal of Izakaya-inspired Service at Shinsei’s Sakaya Room
In Japan, izakayas are cultural cornerstones for conversation, noshes and enjoying drinks with friends in a convivial, unpretentious atmosphere. Shinsei is embracing that social sensibility in its new Sakaya Room, weeknights from 5-6:30 pm. The restaurant is serving wine, cocktails, Japanese and domestic beers, and grand cru sakes alongside inspired gratis small plates crafted by new executive chef Jeramie Robison, a nominee for Tastemaker Rising Star Chef of the Year.

TACA Lexus Party on the Green at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
This Dallas tradition showcases the culinary talents of the city’s top chefs plus Rosewood toques from around the world. Also enjoy live music, wine cork pull and silent auction, all on the grounds of the historic hotel. The event starts at 7 pm, and tickets start at $350.

Wine Spectator’s Grand Dallas Tour at Hyatt Regency
This unforgettable wine tasting experience features more than 200 of the world’s finest wineries pouring their best bottles. Sample some of the world’s hard-to-find wine and discover new favorites — without having to step outside of Dallas. Event starts at 7:30 pm, and tickets start at $225.

Saturday, May 9

Chocolate Cheese and Bubbles Class at Scardello
What more can be said about three of life’s greatest pleasures? Join the Scardello staff as they explore each of these delights individually and try out some interesting pairings. The event begins at 8 pm, and tickets are $40. If the event is sold out, call 214-219-1300 to get on the waiting list.

Untapped Festival at Panther Island Pavilion
This Fort Worth festival features nine performers, headlined by hip-hop legends De La Soul. As always, the beer gets equal billing with the music, and this Untapped features more than 70 breweries doling out samples of more than 250 beers. The event starts at 2:30 pm, and tickets start at $25.

Monday, May 11

Food From Crete: The Origin of the Mediterranean Diet at Central Market Lovers
In another Passport Greece class, former Kandra Kitchen Crete owner Rosemary Barron introduces Dallas to the traditional dishes of the Greek island. She discusses the rich culinary heritage and traditional ways of dining while introducing students to dishes such as smoked trout salad with cucumbers and olives, allspice beets and watercress, Paximadi salad, bay-scented sweet figs and more. Tickets are $65, and the event starts at 6:30 pm.

Texas Monthly Talks Food at Pirch
Chefs Dean Fearing, Robert Del Grande, Stephan Pyles and author Anne Lindsay McCann join Texas Monthly food editor Patricia Sharpe for a lively discussion on how the Southwestern Cuisine movement came to be — and what it’s meant to the Texas culinary landscape in the decades that followed. Their discussion is preceded by a mix-and-mingle hour, featuring Southwestern-inspired bites and cocktails. The event is from 6-9 pm, and tickets cost $25.

Central Market's Passport Greece runs through May 12, with several cooking classes.

Mezze at Central Market's Passport Greece

Courtesy photo

Central Market's Passport Greece runs through May 12, with several cooking classes.

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Closure News

Deep Ellum sushi tops 5 surprising restaurant closures in Dallas

Deep Sushi

In the cyclical world of Dallas restaurants, January is often a time for closures — not only because it's the beginning of a new year but also because the post-holiday lull, with all its New Year's resolutions and diets and dry spells, can make January a challenging month for business.

These five closures all come as a surprise: from a longtime location of a bakery chain to a BBQ startup to a veteran vegan spot. Two closures involve restaurants that have been open in Dallas — one in the Park Cities, the other in Deep Ellum — for decades.

Here are five sad closings that just occurred around Dallas:

Bread Winners Cafe & Bakery
Revered local cafe chain closed its location in Plano at 4021 Preston Rd. after 20 years. In a post on Instagram, the bakery said that their lease had come to an end, and they closed on December 24. The chain has three other locations: NorthPark Center, Allen, and the original on McKinney Avenue in Uptown Dallas.

Casa del Vegano
Popular vegan Mexican restaurant on Jefferson Avenue in Oak Cliff closed on January 2, after five years. On their Instagram post, they said that they fought hard to stay alive. "We pushed, adjusted, sacrificed, and held on as long as we could. Unfortunately, after falling two months behind and facing heavy fees and penalties, we reached a point where we could no longer continue," they said. They may offer some of their dishes at their more casual sister restaurant, Vegan Food House, also in Oak Cliff.

Deep Sushi
Longtime sushi restaurant in Deep Ellum has closed after 30 years — impressive for any restaurant, but especially in Deep Ellum. A notice on their website says "closed until further notice," but a spokesperson for the ownership confirmed that it has closed for good. Deep Sushi opened in 1996, just as the neighborhood was shifting from an underground rock nexus into a broader entertainment zone with restaurants and bars. It was founded by a group of physicians with sushi savvy, at a time when there were only a handful of sushi spots in the city. They engaged Tetsuji Yamaguchi, who had his own eponymous restaurant on Inwood Road, to consult on the menu, and for a few years, it was one of the hottest destinations in town.

New York Sub
Park Cities sandwich shop that's been open at 3411 Asbury St. across the street from SMU since 1974, is closing at the end of February. According to an Instagram post, owners Andrew and Edith Kelley were in the middle of negotiating another 10-year lease when their landlord sold the building. "While the new owners have been kind, we simply can’t make the new financial terms work," their post says. Their goal is to find a new location nearby or else find someone who wants to take over the shop.

Tejas Brisket Co.
Fast-casual BBQ takeout spot in East Dallas is closing its storefront at 1318 N. Peak St. Owners Tifany Swulius and Antonio Guevara gave it their all, including adding breakfast tacos, but to no avail. In a Facebook post, they said they were no longer able to continue to operate a storefront with their current hours -- not even after a tout in November in TX Monthly. They'll maintain a catering operation, and meanwhile will keep serving brisket until they run out, which they predict will be on or around January 16.

deep-ellum closings