This Week in Gluttony

Massive margarita bash tops best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Dallasites are likely dusting off their lawn chairs and firing up their grills in preparation for the Memorial Day weekend. They may also be hunting down the brand new Cousins Maine Lobster food truck — recognizable from Shark Tank, The Chew, Food Network and the Today Show — which is serving lobster rolls and more all this week. (Check out full schedule here.)

For those who hate to break tradition, here is your usual roundup of the week’s tastiest food events:

Tuesday, May 19

Deschutes Beer Tasting at Whole Foods Plano
A representative from Oregon brewery Deschutes brings some wonderful goodies to celebrate the end of American Craft Beer Week. He also has a few brews to share. Admission is free, but you have to register. The event kicks off at 7 pm.

Thursday, May 21

Craft Beer and Artisan Cheese Pairing at Community Beer Company
Rare Edibles cheesemonger Ali Morgan continues her quest to bring together our favorite fermentables: cheese and beer. The event features four select craft brews, each paired with complimentary and contrasting cheeses. That’s four beers and eight cheeses for only $30. The event kicks off at 6 pm.

Deep Ellum Wine Walk
Pick up a glass and a passport for $10 outside of Kettle Art Gallery and embark on a sip-and-shop tour of this historic neighborhood. Starting at 5 pm, enjoy wine samplings at each participating venue; get your passport stamped at five or more destinations to be entered for a chance to win gift certificates at the drawing held at the check-in table immediately following the event.

May Dinner at Urban Acres Farmstead
Be a part of this local, organic and sustainable culinary event celebrating spring and the early bounty of local farmers and purveyors. The five-course, BYOB meal costs $85 per person and begins at 6:30 pm.

Raymond Vineyards Wine Dinner at Ser Steak + Spirits
Executive chef (and Tastemaker Rising Star Chef nominee) Anthony Van Camp teams up with French chef Michou Cornu from Raymond Vineyards for a decadent five-course dinner. Courses include day boat sea scallops with cauliflower, lamb tenderloin, Comte tuile and Manchego with endive and beets, and chocolate crème brûlée. Another special guest, Raymond Vineyards winemaking director Stephanie Putnam, shares her passion with guests. Dinner is $149 per person and starts with a 6:30 pm reception. Call 214-761-7479 for reservations.

Friday, May 22

La Marzocco on the Road at Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters
Love good coffee? This event is for you. Your favorite espresso machines and grinders are on display, specifically the Linea Mini and the Lux-D Grinder; baristas are welcome to come and try them out. Guests can also enjoy snacks and beer throughout the night. The event lasts from 6-9 pm, and it is free to attend, but you have to register.

Saturday, May 23

Thai Culture & Food Festival at Buddhist Center of Dallas
Experience Thai culture through authentic cuisine (including vegan options), dance performances, fruit carving and Muay Thai demonstrations, handcrafted Thai arts and gifts, and tours of the temple. Best news ever: Admission and parking are free. The festival runs through Sunday. Hours are Saturday, 11 am to 9 pm, and Sunday, 11 am-7 pm.

Sunday, May 24

Dallas Margarita Meltdown at Bishop Arts District
Witness a mixology throwdown between some of the best restaurants and bars in Dallas. Starting at 4 pm, competitors concoct their finest margaritas and offer tastes to the public. Tickets includes samples of more than 20 different libations from more than 30 establishments, and you can vote for your favorite. Participants include El Fenix, Vagabond, Komali, C’Viche, Meso Mayo and more. Tickets start at $25.

Monday, May 25

Nickey’s Week at RA Sushi
During this week of giving, the restaurant plans to donate 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of special Nicky’s Week menu items to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The menu includes edamame, Tootsy Maki, shrimp nigiri, pork gyoza, sesame garlic chicken, garlic citrus yellowtail and certain beverages. Nicky’s Week was developed in memory of St. Jude patient Nicholas “Nicky” Mailliard, of Scottsdale, Arizona. Nicky, the nephew of RA Sushi’s founder, lost a long battle with brain cancer in 2005 at the age of 13. The menu is available at both the Addison and Plano locations through Sunday, May 31.

One hundred percent of proceeds from designated Ra Sushi menu items benefit St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital May 25-31.

Photo courtesy of RA Sushi

One hundred percent of proceeds from designated Ra Sushi menu items benefit St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital May 25-31.

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Spring Arrival

West Dallas gets new Spanish-Peruvian restaurant with big-name chef

Photo courtesy of Ulloa's

Paella will be on the menu.

A new restaurant with a high-profile culinary director will bring Spanish and Peruvian flavors to West Dallas: Called Ulloa’s, it is coming to 727 Fort Worth Ave., with a projected opening in March 2027.

The concept is from philanthropists Susan and Woodrow Gandy, who were previously investors in the historic Belmont Hotel just around the corner. They've teamed up with Dallas celebrity chef Kent Rathbun as culinary director, along with Christopher Tunnell as general manager to lead the front of the house.

Rathbun is a name Dallas diners know well, with a resume that includes The Mansion on Turtle Creek, the Landmark Restaurant at the historic Melrose Hotel, Seventeen Seventeen at the Dallas Museum of Art, Abacus, Jasper's, Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen, and more. He's won numerous awards and made multiple appearances on Food Network. He was most recently behind the launch of On The Rocks, an Italian bistro in Burleson.

Chef Kent Rathbun will be the culinary director of Ulloa's. Photo courtesy of Kent Rathbun

Tunnell’s background spans both culinary direction and front-of-house operations. He worked at Los Angeles hot spots Ketchup, Geisha House, and Les Deux, as well as the Mandalay Bay and The Mirage in Las Vegas, before moving to Dallas to open The Mexican, the upscale restaurant in the Design District.

“I am truly excited to partner with Chef Kent Rathbun, whose reputation is amazing — not only in the DFW Metroplex, but in the culinary world,” Tunnell says. “He has been with this project since the beginning, helping develop it; this will be a very chef-driven, culinary-forward restaurant.”

The team's vision for Ulloa’s is both culinary and urban, with hopes of anchoring the corridor and attracting other businesses to Fort Worth Avenue — a stretch connecting downtown Dallas with Oak Cliff that remains somewhat underdeveloped despite its panoramic skyline views.

The restaurant is named for Spanish explorer, astronomer, and scientist Antonio de Ulloa, who spent extensive time in the Mexican peninsula before becoming Louisiana’s first governor. During his travels, Ulloa documented a fogbow — a circular rainbow formed when sunlight meets mist that causes silhouettes standing between the sun and fog to appear ringed in light, a phenomenon known today as “Ulloa’s Rings.”

That vibrant phenomenon inspired both the restaurant's identity and logo. The concept promises "bold, worldly flavors in a welcoming neighborhood setting inspired by exploration and discovery,” the owners say.

Ulloa's Rendering of Ulloa's.Rendering courtesy of Ulloa's

While the menu remains in development, Tunnell describes the culinary direction as “Spanish soul with a Peruvian heart.” The kitchen will merge the coastal flavors of both traditions — ranging from paellas and ceviches to crafted cocktails and signature adaptations by Rathbun.

The 200-seat, two-story space will feature a downstairs dining room, a large bar, and an outdoor patio. Upstairs, plans call for a secondary bar, a private dining room, a patio, and an expansive balcony patio, offering views of the city's skyline and of the Margaret Hunt Hill and Margaret McDermott bridges.

While the upstairs space will be available for private events, the owners intend for it to operate primarily as an organic extension of the main restaurant. The buildout will include a guest elevator along with ample parking, including both self-parking and valet options.

The team says the restaurant will have have an aesthetic that's “warm, theatrical, generous, elegant but alive, with the energy of a great Spanish tapas bar and the soul of Peruvian hospitality.”

Ulloa’s plans to launch with dinner service first, followed by lunch and weekend brunch.

restaurants bars peruvian flavors west dallas oak cliff kent rathbun