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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Hummus News

Upscale Mediterranean restaurant to open in Centrum Dallas building

Babel

A new upscale Mediterranean concept from a familiar Dallas name is coming to the Centrum building: Called Babel, it's a project from veteran restaurateur Mo Kamal, and it'll open at at 3180 Welborn St., in the former Steel restaurant, which closed a few months ago after many years in that space.

According to a release, it'll open in late November.

Babel will be rooted in generations of family tradition and inspired by the unique flavors of Lebanon, which is surely the best Middle Eastern cuisine of all. It'll build on the success of Kamal's popular restaurant Open Sesame — capturing the essence of Lebanese hospitality.

Open Sesame has been open since 2017, and has become a go-to for excellent Lebanese food with pita sandwiches and dishes such as kafta, which is ground beef with onions and parsley.

Babel promises to be its upscale sibling, with a more profoundly personal touch.

“Dallas has been missing a culturally authentic, upscale Mediterranean restaurant,” Kamal says in a statement. “With Babel, I wanted to create something that feels personal — a place that honors my family’s recipes, Lebanon’s rich culinary heritage and an elevated experience that guests will appreciate. Every detail, from the food to the atmosphere to the service, will tell that story.”

Details on the menu are still scant but the kitchen will be led by chef Zeina Kamal, Mo's sister, who will bring authentic Lebanese recipes passed down through generations.

She'll combine traditional spices and techniques with a refined presentation — featuring tastes from Beirut to Marrakesh including mezze, grilled meats, seafood, and vegetarian dishes.

Designed as a modern Babylonian retreat, Babel's interiors will feature soft curves, flowing drapery, and a warm neutral palette, evoking the beauty and the Mediterranean coast.

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