This week in gluttony

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

Dover Sole Meuniere will be served for Bastille Day at Villa Azur.

Photo courtesy of Villa Azur

Bastille Day — a French holiday marking the fall of the Bastille in Paris on July 14, 1789 — lands on Thursday this week, and many establishments are celebrating with French-inspired bites, beverages, and festivities. There’s also a chance to engage in some cocktails and conversations at a chic hotel pool and try out uncommon ramen from two visiting Nashville chefs. Also, beat the heat with a summer cocktail series kick-off party.

Monday, July 11

Uncommon Ramen at Uchibā
The July installment of Uncommon Ramen, a monthly collaboration at Uchibā featuring innovative chefs from around the country, will host two chefs from Nashville. Gracie Nguyen and Chad Newton of East Side Bahn Mi will work with Uchibā chef Rhonda McCullar on two special dishes: BBH Ramen made with pork belly roll, shrimp, and pork meatballs, tonkotsu broth, sun noodles, and toasted chili-garlic-lemongrass crisp; and the Shrimp Skewer dish made with chili crisp butter served with a lime wedge. The dishes will be available from 5-10 pm or while supplies last. Reservations are strongly encouraged.

Wednesday, July 13

Bonne Fete Nationale Tea at The French Room
The French Room inside The Adolphus hotel will host a five-day celebration of Bastille Day with a special afternoon tea. Running Wednesday through Sunday (note that reservations are going fast), Bonne Fete Nationale Tea will feature a French twist on the typical tea menu. The event is $65 per person, plus tax and gratuity, and includes two courses of sandwiches with tea pairings, a glass of bubbly, and French sweets.

Cocktails & Conversation at The Pool Club at Virgin Hotels Dallas
The chic downtown hotel is combining arts and culture with poolside sips during this new twice-monthly evening event. A different Dallas-based tastemaker, retailer, or entertainer will be featured as a special guest to spark conversation. The event is free with a reservation, which includes access to the popular pool deck. The event will be held July 13 and 20 from 5-8 pm.

Thursday, July 14

All Things French at Villa Azur
The France-inspired culinary and entertainment destination inside the W Hotel will celebrate Bastille Day with a festive "dinner party" of a la carte menu items. Themed “All Things French,” the event will feature can-can dancers, patriotic décor, and costumes, along with an a la carte menu of classic French dishes. Patrons can expect baked French goat cheese, Dover sole prepared tableside in traditional fashion, and French ravioles with truffle cream and shaved truffle. Reservations are encouraged.

Bastille Day at Melt Ice Creams
Visit the Bishop Arts location of the Fort Worth-based gourmet ice cream shop for a Bastille Day special featuring Bisous Bisous Patisserie. Bisous’ signature macaron shells will be served in sandwich form stuffed with Melt’s custom Salted Caramel Honey — which is mixed with pieces Bisous’ buttery croissants. The scrumptious special will be served starting at 5 pm for $6.50.

Bastille Day at Mercat Bistro
The Harwood District European bistro will offer a three-course special to celebrate Bastille Day. Menu highlights include mushroom onion tart; entrée choice of bouillabaisse, duck confit, or steak frites; and crepes Suzette. The dinner is $65 per person, plus tax and gratuity, with the option to add wine pairings for $30. Reservations begin at 5 pm.

Bastille on Bishop
This evening street festival in the heart of the Bishop Arts District celebrates Oak Cliff’s unique French roots with festive food, drinks, and live music. Taking place from 5-10 pm, the party is free, but tickets must be purchased to receive tokens for beverages. General admission is $35 for a branded wine glass and two tokens for beer or wine. Or go VIP for $60 and get two drink tokens plus a wristband good for six cocktail competition samples.

Summer Distillery Series Kick-Off Party at Terra
Four local distilleries — Desert Door, Balcones, Lalo, and Treaty Oak — will be featured in new custom craft cocktails at Terra, Eataly’s popular rooftop restaurant. Mixologists will update the cocktails every two weeks until September 15. To kick off the summer series, Terra will host a party where guests can indulge in unlimited cocktails paired with light bites and live music. Tickets are $75 per person and the party will run from 5:30-8:30 pm.

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Cedars News

Dulce Nina hopes to be Dallas Cedars' neighborhood restaurant

Dulce Nina

Dulce Nina is coming to the Cedars.

A hip food truck team is bringing a cool restaurant-bar to Dallas’ Cedars District: Called Dulce Nina, it’s at 1800 S. Ervay St. #A, in a former car battery warehouse from the owners of Tacos, Bites & Beats, a food truck catering business.

Owners Vo Singhal and Jorge Castellanos previously founded Tacos, Bites & Beats in 2017 as a food truck serving Mexican food along with high-energy music — kind of like a party in a box, with Singhal overseeing marketing, while Castellanos runs the kitchen.

The food truck menu features street tacos, burritos, quesadillas, with an unusual combination of Mexican and Indian influences — carnitas alongside chicken tinga and paneer cheese — that reflects the two owners' heritage.

They started out at Harry Hines Bazaar, then opened a restaurant spinoff in the former Taco Stop at 1900 Blvd. But at the end of 2023, they closed to focus on catering for clients like the Dallas Mavericks, and they'll continue catering after Dulce Nina opens.

Dulce Nina — full name, Dulce Nina At the Cedars, or "ATC" — is their next step to fulfill a dream that Castellanos has fostered ever since he started out as a waiter at Mariano's: to open a neighborhood restaurant and bar, serving a mix of casual and upscale eats.

"The food truck business was going well, and we felt ready to expand," Singhal says.

They'll open with a compact menu featuring bites and entrees. There's hummus, gourmet and vegan burgers, and wings with gourmet rubs.

The food will be under the direction of Bharat Bala, a chef from Mumbai India, who has serious experience working at places like St. Regis and JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar hotels in India. Singhal put out the word that they were looking for a chef and Bala, who'd been cooking at Michelin-rated Vina Enconta in California, applied.

Though the menu verges on fine-dining fare, they're going for a profile of an approachable neighborhood watering hole, with outdoor seating and a full bar with cocktails, wine, and beer.

They chose the Cedars District because they liked the neighborhood, and worked with agent Susan Griffin to find a building they could repurpose.

They brought in a familiar design name to renovate: Hatsumi Kuzuu, who has worked on numerous Dallas eateries over the years, including Tei An, FT33, Red Stix, and more. Kuzuu's team has been in the process of transforming the warehouse into a counter bar and dining room with TVs for sports and an outdoor jumbotron screen to stream local artists.

One nice touch: They incorporated some found materials from the space.

"That building was owned by the same family for 100 years, so when you go there, you're going to see a table we made out of a compressor to pay homage to the Butler family that owned the shop," Singhal says.

Another nice touch: Dulce Nina is named for the founders' wives. "They've supported us through all this," Singhal says.

They hope to be open in January.

“This is going to be a special place for so many reasons, we have poured our hearts and souls into this place," he says.

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