This Week in Gluttony

Okra Palooza tops the best food and drink events in Dallas

It’s freakin’ hot right now, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that several places are incorporating heavy tequila use in their events this week. We’re certainly not complaining. If tequila reminds you of your undergrad spring break days, then double down with a pub crawl through the Camp Bowie District in Fort Worth.

There’s also a vegan beer dinner, an okra festival and a beer class for women only, which means that the brewery rule demanding that every person be in possession of a gigantic, bushy beard will not be enforced.

Wednesday, June 26

Libertine Vegan Beer Dinner
The Libertine hosts its second vegan beer dinner of the year with a five-course meal paired with five vegan beers for $55. Courses include grilled rainbow chard with blackened green beans, olive oil-poached heirloom cherry tomatoes and black garlic paired with Crispin Bare Naked Cider, and Seitan Roulade with balsamic-marinated mushrooms and leeks, creamer pea risotto and crispy shallots paired with Coney Island Barrel-Aged Blockhead.

Ladies Only: We Can Drink It at Deep Ellum Brewing
The Dallas craft beer scene is as busy as ever, but it’s pretty heavy on the dudes. Deep Ellum Brewing Company is hoping to balance the gender scales a bit with a Ladies Only night. The brewery’s Tait Lifto and Farah of the Dallas Diva host a class on breaking down beers by taste, smell and touch while pairing DEBC beers with Whole Foods bites. Tickets are $15, and the tour and class begin at 6:30 pm.

Thursday, June 27

Komali Tequila Dinner
Komali is pouring the Patron with a tequila dinner beginning at 7 pm. The four-course dinner features plates prepared by Anastacia Quinones, including corn soup with crab taquito paired with Patron Silver. Tickets are $65 and can be purchased at 214-252-0200.

Friday, June 28

Camp Bowie Pub Crawl: West Edition
Rahr & Sons hosts a pub crawl with the Camp Bowie District along the west side of the Camp Bowie Boulevard, and proceeds benefit beautification efforts on Camp Bowie. For $10, you get a pint glass; $3 refills; and stops at Riscky’s BBQ, Buffalo West, Cowtown Bar & Grill, and an after party at the Rebecca Low Sculptural Metal Gallery and Studio. The crawl begins at 5 pm, and the after party kicks in at 8.

Shinsei Margarita Class
Summertime requires margaritas, so Milagro tequila and Shinsei are teaming up for an interactive margarita demonstration on how to get the most out of your margs with combos like cilantro and cucumber, pineapple and basil, and blueberry and sage. There are also luau-themed hors d’oeuvre including roasted pig and steamed buns. Tickets are $25 and can be reserved at 214-352-0005 or shinseirestaurant@mac.com.

Sunday, June 30

Okra Palooza at The Lot
The Lot hosts Okra Palooza 2013 to benefit the Promise of Peace Community Garden. Local chefs, including Graham Dodds, Janice Provost and Chad Houser, are serving their best okra recipes as attendees sample okra dishes from each station. There is even a “home cooks” division with one skilled okra cooker being crowned champion based on voting. Tickets are $30 for the event that runs from 11 am to 2 pm. That includes two beers, a concert with Russ Hewitt and all the okra you want.

Fried okra is clearly the best okra, but the competitors at Okra Palooza might want to think outside the fryer.

Photo by Natalie Maynor

Fried okra is clearly the best okra, but the competitors at Okra Palooza might want to think outside the fryer.

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Coffee News

Dallas coffeeshop chain queues up new location at Cypress Waters

White Rhino Coffee is craft and will always be craft.

Photo courtesy of White Rhino Coffee

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A coffee concept is expanding its Dallas reach with a new space near DFW Airport: White Rhino Coffee, known for craft coffee and pastries, is opening a nw location at 3121 Olympus Blvd., in the Cypress Waters mixed-use development.

According to a release, it’s set to open in spring 2025.

The new shop will be attached to a Cypress Waters conference center with room for events, corporate training, and meetings. This also makes for the 14th location of the chain.

White Rhino Coffee was founded by Chris Parvin in Cedar Hill in 2007. According to the release, Parvin wanted to create a space where community members could get a cup of craft coffee and connect with neighbors.

“We are always looking for ways to enrich the Cypress Waters experience, and the pairing of White Rhino Coffee and our new conference center in the middle of Salazar Park is one more step towards achieving that vision,” says Lucy Burns, Partner at Billingsley Company.

Guests at Cypress Waters can expect White Rhino’s menu featuring drip coffee, espresso shots, cold brew, lattes, cappuccinos, matcha lattes, and chai. They even have a seasonal selection, with cozy flavors like the chumpkin, a pumpkin spiced chai latte, or the spiced Mexican mocha. Some of their food items include cinnamon rolls, breakfast tacos, and maple-glazed chicken biscuits.

They chose this latest location because of its proximity to the business professional community.

“Cypress Waters is a great spot for visitors, and this White Rhino Coffee will offer a great patio and café space for professional meetings, coffee with friends, or logging a few hours of work while getting your caffeine fix,” says Parvin in a statement. “We’re excited to continue building community around coffee across the DFW metroplex.”

Set within a park at the center of Cypress Waters, this location will have a modern, airy design with a 1,553-square-foot interior and 887-square-foot covered patio. Once the coffee shop opens, it will join the 16 other restaurants in the development, including Fogo De Chao, Cinnaholic, and Eno's Pizza Tavern.

White Rhino Coffee has decided to expand to even more communities across North Texas, adding to their 13 shops in Cedar Hill, Dallas, Forney, Fort Worth, Midlothian, and Waxahachie, plus the roastery. There are plans to open five more by 2025.

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