This week in gluttony

These are the 8 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

You don't need to go all the way to New England to get this lobster roll.

Photo courtesy of The Henry

July is the time to celebrate all things summer, from ice cream and peaches to barbecue and the beach. While Dallas is landlocked, one downtown hotel is bringing a seaside experience to its rooftop bar this week. There’s also an ice cream social, brisket-smoking class, a chef-prepared vegan dinner, and a peach festival worth the drive. Lastly, don’t miss a quick tour stop of an iconic Chicago restaurant food truck making an appearance in DFW this week.

Tuesday, July 5

Cajun Fried Fat Tuesdays at Razzoo's Cajun Café
It’s Mardi Gras all summer long at Razzoo’s during the restaurant's new Cajun Fried Fat Tuesdays. From July 5 through September 4, the bayou-inspired eatery will serve festive specials, including Cajun fried steak and Cajun fried chicken, each for $10. Wash down the spice with $5 frozen Hurrycanes, $5 Mardi Ritas, and $5 22-ounce select draft domestic beers. The Tuesday specials are good at all Razzoo’s locations.

Wednesday, July 6

The Hamptons at The Henry
Escape to the beach without leaving Dallas during The Henry’s Hamptons-inspired pop-up experience. The Uptown restaurant will transform its rooftop bar into breezy, seaside-themed getaway serving coastal-inspired cocktails and fare. Specials include the New England lobster roll with salt and vinegar chips and jumbo lump crab cakes with roasted corn salad. Sip like a socialite with the South Hamptons Sangria made with guava, pineapple, lemon, brandy, and white wine; and the Lavish Pina Colada made with two kinds of rum. The pop-up will last until September 5. Reservations are encouraged.

Friday, July 8

Tiki Loco Vegan Dinner By Chef Justin Box
Deep Ellum cantina is hosting a fine-dining-style vegan dinner by chef Justin Box, featuring four courses, plus cocktails and mocktails for purchase. The dinner will feature Texas Sweet Corn Bisque topped with lemon marshmallow fluff & Thai basil crumb; Smoked Mushroom Toast with fried chili aioli & wild herb chimichurri; Roasted Beet Risotto with pimenton-dusted cashews and local farm greens; and Dulce de Leche sheet cake with charred pineapple, cinnamon whip, and blueberry compote. The dinner begins at 6 pm, and is $60. Reservations are required, with a $25 deposit, and are non-refundable. Reserve here.

Saturday, July 9

Grand Opening of Summer Moon Coffee in Midway Hollow
The Austin-based coffee shop — known for its Texas oakwood-roasted beans and its sweet cream “Moon Milk” — will celebrate the grand opening of its newest location with lots of giveaways. Visit for a free cup of drip coffee (while supplies last), and if you’re one of the first 50 customers, you’ll also get a free swag bag. There’s also a free-to-enter raffle drawing for one of three prizes: a golden ticket good for a year’s supply of coffee, a Summer Moon gift card, and a prize pack with Summer Moon merchandise and coffee. Note that the drawing will take place at noon, but you don’t need to be present to win. The grand opening party will run from 7 am-12 pm.

37th Annual Parker County Peach Festival
It's a ways out of Dallas, but worth the trek. The historic downtown Weatherford tradition is back in peachy fashion. Last year, 40,000 attended the one-day event, and this year there’ll be more to explore in an expanded space with at least 200 booths featuring artisan goods, crafts, and tasty treats. Go for all things peach, including peach ice cream, peach cobbler, peach tea, and juicy peaches by the barrel. The event will run from 8 am-4 pm and tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 5-12.

Ice Cream Social at Central Market
Beat the heat at Central Market stores with cool ice cream samples. Customers can peruse the store for stations featuring milkshakes, ice cream sandwiches, churro ice cream bowls, root beer floats, Vietnamese coffee with ice cream, and even breakfast ice cream. Shoppers can also take advantage of 25 percent off all ice cream and 20 percent off all cones and toppings, July 6-12. The social will take place at all Central Market stores from 2-4 pm.

Sunday, July 10

Brisket U at Manhattan Project Beer Company
The experts of Backyard Pitmasters will host its popular barbecue class at the Dallas brewery. Newbies and pros alike will learn techniques for smoking brisket from start to finish. Students will learn about pit types, choosing the right cut, how to trim, rubs, wood selection, smoke profiles, managing the fire, timing, and properly slicing when complete. The class is $89 per person and will run from 10 am-1 pm.

Monday, July 11

Portillo’s Beef Bus Tour in The Colony
Ahead of its fall opening in the Grandscape development in The Colony, Portillo’s Restaurant is sending Texas a tasty preview via its traveling food truck. Called the Beef Bus, the Chicago-based hot dog chain’s restaurant on wheels will make several appearances in North Texas, starting with a stop near its future sight on July 11. Folks are sure to line up early, as there’s even a Facebook group dedicated to bringing the cult-favorite eatery to DFW. The menu will include its famous Chicago-style hot dog served with mustard, relish, celery salt, chopped onions, tomatoes, kosher pickles, and sport peppers on a steamed poppyseed bun. Also on the menu will be Italian beef sandwiches and Polish sausages. The Beef Bus will be present from 1:30-5 pm.

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Hummus News

New Mediterranean restaurant in McKinney spotlights Greek and Lebanese

Ilio's

Chicken shawarma plate at Ilio's Greek & Lebanese

A new Mediterranean restaurant starring two cuisines has debuted in McKinney: Called Ilio’s Greek & Lebanese Restaurant, it's now open at 210 N. Custer Rd. #130, with a collection of Middle Eastern favorites like gyros, shawarma, kebabs, hummus, falafel, and pita wraps.

The restaurant, which opened in mid-May in a center on the newer west side of McKinney, is from a pair of restauraunt veterans, Anas Abu-Ziad, nicknamed "Ziad," and Talal Hammad, who owned a similarly-themed and similarly-named concept in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Managing the front of the house is Ziad's affable wife Jessica Gardener, whose doting customer service has quickly made her a diner favorite.

"The idea with combining Greek and Lebanese was to make the restaurant inviting to everyone," Gardener says.

Baton Rouge has a reputation for good Greek and Lebanese food, even boasting a few restaurants that feature "Greek & Lebanese" as part of their name. Those two cuisines are slightly less common in Dallas, where the Middle-Eastern restaurant scene has been dominated mostly by Turkish and Syrian places.

Ilio's, which was the ancient Greek name for the city of Troy and is a popular moniker for Greek restaurants across the U.S., specializes in sizzling grilled kebobs, which are available in chicken, beef, shrimp, and kafta, the Lebanese favorite consisting of ground meat — often a combination of beef and lamb, with spices, onions, and herbs — molded into a long cylinder.

Greek dishes include dolmas (stuffed grape leaves with rice), spinach pie, and lamb shank — all dishes that can appear on many Middle Eastern menus but are most closely allied with Greek cuisine. That includes moussaka, the homey casserole dish made with eggplant, meat sauce, and bechamel — although Ilio's version is deconstructed, which is easier for restaurants to execute than the traditional layered version favored by home cooks.

Hummus comes in three options: traditional, Mediterranean, and Sultan, topped with chunks of meat. Other Mediterranean classic dishes include chicken shawarma, gyro plates, falafel, and fried halloumi cheese.

Most dishes come in under $15 and the restaurant is also BYOB.

There are extra-healthy dishes including salads, lentil soup, and pita wraps, made with pita that's a little softer and less doughy than many pitas in town. And there's also a fusion twist that's very Texas: a "Greek quesadilla" with your choice of grilled meat stacked between pita bread.

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