This Week in Gluttony

Barbecue and beer top the best food and drink events in Dallas

This week is definitely a house divided. Weeknights give us plenty of wine dinners and sophistication (a Master Sommelier leading a saké class) while the weekend is all about smoked meats and craft beer. Of course, you could dip your toes into both ponds. This is America. You have choices.

Tuesday, May 21

Private Social Open House
Private Social has revamped its menu (again) under chef Najat Kaanache, with Texas food and new craft cocktails. Enjoy the new patio with a complimentary open house on May 21 and 22, from 5 to 8 pm each day. The new menu samples include burly beef brisket, duck fat fried duck, ranch-style steak, and five-cheese mac and cheese.

Abacus Dinner with August Briggs Wines
Abacus hosts August Briggs Winery and winemaker Jesse Inman for a four-course dinner with wine pairings. Enjoy courses like achiote-lime rotisserie duck with Anaheim chile “pozole” and epazote with a 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma Valley. The meal begins at 6:30 pm with appetizers and costs $110 per person. Reservations are required. Call 214-520-0151 or email annj@kentrathbun.com.

Wednesday, May 22

Dish Argentinian Wine Dinner
Dish serves up a six-course wine dinner with Argentinian wines from Las Perdices Winery and Caelum Winery. Dishes include yuzu tuna ceviche with coconut and fermented bean, paired with a sparkling rosé, and plantain-stuffed quail with apricot mole with a Malbec from Caelum. The dinner begins at 7 pm with cocktails and costs $95 per person. Call 214-522-3474 for reservations.

Thursday, May 23

Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen with Beaux Frères Wines
The Oregon Pinot Noirs of Beaux Frères Wines are on display in this four-course meal featuring dishes such as seared Pacific salmon with fennel pollen-mustard crust and Pinot Noir-lingonberry jam. The meal begins at 6:30 pm with appetizers and costs $110 per person. Reservations can be made at 214-890-1103 or melissas@kentrathbun.com.

Saké Tasting at Whole Foods Preston Forest
Whole Foods and Master Sommelier Melissa Monosoff host this seminar on everything saké. Besides sampling several types of hot and cold saké, learn about ingredients and brewing methods of the ancient rice wine. The free class runs from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.

Saturday, May 25

Meat and Greet with Daniel Vaughn at Four Corners Brewing Co.
Texas Monthly barbecue editor and newly published author Daniel Vaughn is at Four Corners Brewing for some craft beer and barbecue from Lockhart Smokehouse, Pecan Lodge and Meshack’s to celebrate Vaughn’s new book, The Prophets of Smoked Meat: A Journey Through Texas Barbecue. The event runs from 6 to 9 pm.

Sunday, May 26

Third Annual Brew-B-Q at Deep Ellum Brewing Company
Not content to let Four Corners have all the meat, Deep Ellum Brewing Company and Armadillo Ale Works are throwing a Brew-B-Q from 4 to 10 pm, with live music, limited release beers and barbecue from Pecan Lodge. You can also grab brews from Rabbit Hole Brewing and Martin House Brewing. Tickets are $40 for general admission and $60 for VIP, which gets you in an hour earlier for special tappings and front-of-the-line access to Pecan Lodge.

Margarita Meltdown
The Bishop Arts District hosts a margarita extravaganza as more than 30 restaurants compete to create one margarita to rule them all. Competitors include El Fenix, La Duni and Standard Pour. The event runs from 5 to 10 pm with a winner crowned at 9. Tickets are $20 beforehand or $25 at the door and part of the proceeds benefit La Voz del Anciano, a non-profit for Hispanic elderlies.

Pecan Lodge is pulling brewery double-duty this weekend at Meat and Greet (May 25) and the third annual Brew-B-Q (May 26).

Pecan Lodge Catering Facebook

Pecan Lodge is pulling brewery double-duty this weekend at Meat and Greet (May 25) and the third annual Brew-B-Q (May 26).

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Tex-Mex News

New Dallas Tex-Mex Texano Cocina opens in former El Fenix space

Texano Cocina

The name may change but the Tex-Mex goes on: A new concept called Texano Cocina has opened at 5622 Lemmon Ave., in the Lemmonwood Shopping Center, taking over the space that was most famously El Fenix, but has seen a series of Tex-Mex concepts open and close in recent years.

The space was most recently occupied by Eddie's Cocina & Cantina, and prior to that was home to Tex-Mex restaurant Casa Rosa, which closed in 2024.

Eddie's was from Eddie Cervantes whose previous restaurants include Primo's in Uptown, now closed, and E-Bar Tex Mex in East Dallas, now owned by Ernie Quilantan. Cervantes also owns Eddie's Tex-Mex Cocina at 2018 Greenville Ave., which he opened in 2021.

The location at Lemmon and Inwood is adjacent to Park Cities, Preston Hollow, and the Medical District — all neighbors who desperately want a Tex-Mex nearby. El Fenix had been in that location for 60 years before it closed in 2020.

A release states that Cervantes and his former partners have decided to part amicably, and describes Texano as a rebranding, boasting an updated vision while continuing to deliver the restaurant's signature flavors and hospitality.

"We are incredibly grateful for Eddie's vision and contributions to establishing such a beloved spot on Lemmon Avenue," says managing partner Rick Castillo. "We wish him nothing but the very best in his future projects. As Texano Cocina, we are excited to build upon the strong foundation he helped create, introducing new recipes, fresh ideas and an enhanced experience that celebrates the vibrant culinary traditions of Texas and Mexico."

That means a menu fusing Mexican and Texan flavors with a commitment to exceptional food, outstanding service, and a memorable dining experience.

There are fajitas, chicken with mole, steak with onions, mushrooms, & peppers, guiso de res beef stew, chile relleno, and redfish, pan-seared or blackened. There's also a smashburger, a Mexican cheesesteak, and eight tacos with options such as carne asada, brisket, or shrimp.

There are lunch specials including combo plates with rice and beans priced from $12-$14; and appetizers like ceviches, queso, nachos, and Texas torpedos, stuffed with chicken and cheese, then deep-fried, grilled, or wrapped in bacon.

Guests can look forward to a new remodeled dining and bar area, along with a patio area for dining in the cooler months, and an expanded menu featuring more regional Texas-inspired dishes.

tex-mex openings