This Week in Gluttony

These are the best 7 food events in Dallas this week

Join Al Biernat's North for its CEO Spotlight Breakfast Series featuring Craig Hall on May 29.

Photo by Gustav Schmiege

Get your week started on an inspiring note with the Al Biernat's North CEO Spotlight and end it with an aesthetically pleasing one at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden's garden-to-table dinner. If ever a food event lineup deserved an award for being well rounded, this week would win.

Wednesday, May 29

CEO Spotlight Breakfast Series at at Al Biernat’s North
Join Al Biernat for the second installment of his inspiring morning meetup that features Craig Hall, chairman and founder of Dallas-based Hall Group. Hall formed this company at age 18 with $4,000 he had started saving at the age of 10. He will be signing copies of his book Bridging the Opportunity Gap to Reignite Startups after a panel discussion moderated by David Johnson of KRLD 1080. Tickets are $50, and the program lasts from 7-8:30 am. The event includes breakfast, a short Q&A session, and a raffle drawing.

Thursday, May 30

Come-As-You-Are Wine Dinner at The Grape
This monthly dinner series returns with a "classic Italian varietals" theme and features three courses from chef Brian C. Luscher, all complemented with hand-selected wines. Special guest John Mark Cleveland with Southern Glazers will speak to each table about the selected wines. Tickets are $55, and reservations can be made starting at 5:30 pm. Call 214-828-1981 to secure your seat.

Friday, May 31

Taste Addison at Addison Circle Park
The festival features dozens of Addison restaurants serving samples of their signature dishes, plus talented chefs dishing their insider secrets. Event-goers can also listen to some of the country’s favorite entertainers, including Walker Hayes, Josh Abbott Band, Deep Blue Something, Spin Doctors, Plain White T's, Smash Mouth, and The All American Rejects. For the first time since its inception, guests can pay at any booth with cash, credit card, or Tasty Bucks. Tickets start at $15, and the weekend festival opens at 6 pm on Friday and at 11 am on Saturday and Sunday.

Cigar and Whiskey Social at Haywire Plano
Guests are invited to the restaurant’s third-level, rooftop patio to sip on TX Whiskey while enjoying puffs of the new Haywire Signature Cigar. Cigars will be hand rolled on site by Cuban master blender Noel Rojas from Rojas Cigars. Additional whiskeys are available for purchase. Admission is free, and the event kicks off at 6:30 pm.

Saturday, June 1

Sip Cider with Pups at Mutts Canine Cantina
Mutts Canine Cantina in Dallas is partnering with Austin Eastciders for a fun-filled day of sipping cider and helping homeless dogs find their forever homes. The event benefits Operation Kindness. The day of philanthropic fun starts at 10 am, and admission is free.

Rosé Garden Party at The Stoneleigh
Who can resist a day of play and rosé? The outdoor garden soiree features rosé and frosé wines and signature cocktails, a Paint and Sip station, Henry's Handmade Ice Cream Station, delicious bites from executive chef Wade Burch of Perle on Maple, and a live DJ. Attire is "garden party best." Tickets are $50, and the fun starts at 11 am.

Sunday, June 2

Garden-to-Table Dinner at Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden kick off the summer with a four-course meal in A Tasteful Place, presented by Beyond the Box, overlooking White Rock Lake and the Dallas skyline at sunset. Tickets are $99 and include beer and wine. The event begins at 6 pm.

chefs dinner news-you-can-eat cocktails

Omakase News

Downtown Dallas restaurant Sauvage expands with new dining twist

Sauvage

A downtown Dallas restaurant famous for its multi-course tasting experience is letting its hair down: Sauvage, the high-end mom-and-pop restaurant near the Statler Dallas hotel, has a new dining option that gives a smaller, more casual taste.

The restaurant opened in September with a set menu featuring 16 to 18 courses — wild game, seafood, vegetables, and dessert — all cooked via grill and smoker.

While 16 courses might sound like a lot, the courses are mostly small bites. However, owners Casey and Amy LaRue received feedback from diners wanting a smaller option.

"We were getting a ton of messages from guests who want to stop by just to try one dish, a bite, or a specific pairing without committing to the full tasting — so we built something for exactly that," Casey says.

They've introduced a new three-course "Cocktails & Bites hour" featuring three dishes, each paired with its own cocktail, served from 5–6 pm on weekdays.

Last week’s menu consisted of:

dry-aged red snapper crudo with La Chinola Way, a cocktail featuring passionfruit, mezcal, lime, and ginger
foie gras & truffle on house-baked croissant with Pendennis Club, a gin sour with apricot liqueur bitters
jerk-spiced shrimp with Clarified Paper Plane, a bourbon cocktail with Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice

The new offering continues their pattern of pairing courses with cocktails rather than wine — an approach they've embraced since opening. "Limiting pairings to wine can get boring — it so often ends up being one expensive red after another," Casey says.

You can make a reservation on Tock, or just walk in and grab a seat.

Caviar
They've also added a new version of their classic menu: no caviar.

"Some love having caviar integrated into the menu, but others prefer to skip it, whether for taste or dietary reasons, but still want the full value of the experience," Casey says. "With such a small counter, this put us in a strange position: do we give everyone caviar whether they want it or not, or do we remove it entirely and lose a core part of our menu?"

Thus, a new menu without caviar, priced at $195, with an optional caviar course available for those who want it for $245.

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