This Week in Gluttony

Dallas brewery's birthday bash tops best food and drink events this week

Well, foodies, we hope you like vino, because this week is jammed with wine dinners. But there are options for craft beer enthusiasts too, as Lakewood celebrates its third birthday, and the vegan beer dinner returns to Libertine Bar.

Wednesday, July 29

Vegan Beer Dinner at Libertine Bar
It’s back! Start off the night with a refreshing amuse bouche paired with a Veev Acai champagne cocktail. The five-course dinner starts at 7 pm and includes watermelon caviar, spicy tempeh nori rolls, vegan charcuterie boards, "bbq ribs," and fudgy blueberry brownies with green tea ice cream. The meal costs $65 and includes the beer and liquor pairings. Reservations are required; call 214-824-7900.

Oak Cliff Cellars Wine Dinner at Bridge Bistro
Enjoy a pre-release wine dinner of Oak Cliff Cellars’ 2014 Napa Pinot Noir featuring chef Eric Shelton of Cafe Momentum. He cooks up four courses to show off this wine and other recent releases. Cost is $65, which is due at the end of the dinner. Register here.

Texas Sous Chef Dinner at CBD Provisions
CBD Provisions and Lucia sous chef Justin Holt co-host this annual event, where Texas sous chefs collaborate to prepare a 10-course plated dinner. The menu focuses on fresh, seasonal ingredients, with beverage pairings from CBD, FT33 and Bolsa (plus wine and beer). Participating chefs include Patrick Feges of Southern Goods, Nick Hurry of Proof & Pantry, Christian Koelling of Ten Ramen, Joshua Sutcliff of FT33, Carolanne Treadwell of Knife and more. Tickets are $100 for food and $145 for food and beverage pairings. Dinner begins at 7 pm. Call 214-261-4500 for reservations.

Thursday, July 30

Come-as-you-are Wine Dinner at The Grape
Enjoy wines from Spain as chef de cuisine (and Tastemaker Award winner) Sarah Snow creates an intimate three-course meal to complement selected wines. Special guest host Chelsey Rothe of Republic Beverage is slated to speak to each individual table about the wines selected. Dinner is $52, and reservations are recommended. Reservations can be made anytime between 5:30-9 pm.

Saturday, August 1

Sausage Fest 2015 at Main Street Garden
At this tongue-in-cheek event, each show from 105.3 The Fan has its very own unique sausage plate for purchase, while a cash bar supplies all of your favorite mixed drinks and cold beers. DJ Melissa Richey spins tunes, and Velcro Pygmies perform live on the main stage. Don’t miss sausage games for the chance to win an assortment of cool prizes, and go head and decide who you are going to soak in the dunk tank. Tickets are $15, and the fun lasts from 4-10 pm.

Lakewood Brewing Company’s Third Anniversary
This beloved Dallas brewery is celebrating another birthday with two days of fun. The festivities kick off on Saturday from noon-6 pm with a private party in the taproom, where your $30 ticket gets you a limited-edition, souvenir day one glass plus four 10-ounce pours of your choice. Live music and food trucks are also on the agenda. On Sunday, join the Lakewood Brewing Company crew at Goodfriend Beer Garden and Burger House for a different limited-edition, souvenir day two glass to collect as well (while supplies last). This event is free and lasts all day.

Sunday, August 2

Uncork for a Cause at Max’s Wine Dive
Texas Ranger Prince Fielder and his wife, Chanel, host this fundraiser from 7-9 pm that also serves as the release party for Fielder’s 2012 Sonoma Reserve red wine. Only two barrels of this limited-edition blend were bottled for the charity program. All guests enjoy food from executive chef Patrick Russell, wine and beer, plus an auction packed with Rangers gear, local and national sports items, and wine lots from many of California’s elite producers. Tickets are $125 for general admission and $250 for VIP. Funds go to support Promise House and the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation.

Lakewood Brewing Company celebrates three years starting on August 1.

Lakewood Brewing Co. Facebook

Lakewood Brewing Company celebrates three years starting on August 1.

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Joie de vivre

New Bishop Arts bistro brings French elan to historic Oak Cliff home

Photo courtesy of Trapèze/Peter Novotny

Trapèze is serving French fare in a laid-back bohemian yet deeply thought-out atmosphere.

Transforming historic Oak Cliff homes into dining destinations is an art, and a duo known for their Deep Ellum hot spots has a new work on display: Trapèze, a French bohemian bar and bistro, that has quietly opened at 240 W. 8th St. in a repurposed bungalow on the west end of the Bishop Arts District.

Owners Peter Novotny and Dan Murry, who operate Ruins on Commerce and Armoury D.E. on Elm Street, told CultureMap in February that they envisioned Trapèze as “an old-fashioned bohemian artist’s enclave.”

Now in the soft opening phase eight months later, they say, by "drawing inspiration from the old French bohemian bars and cabarets,” they've accomplished their goal of creating "a place where people can enjoy a great meal and drinks, listen to some music, and just lose track of time a little.”

Trapèze has been welcoming guests discreetly the last couple weekends, as they complete a few finishing touches both to the building — they are excited about the near-complete patio — and to the food: “We have a limited but very solid menu available now, and should have the full menu, brunch and all, ready very soon,” Novotny says.

A grand opening date is still in the works.

Novotny has said that inspiration for Trapèze came from Oak Cliff’s historical French influence. Bishop Arts once was home to the French utopian community La Reunion, which settled in the mid 1800s. The neighborhood pays homage to these roots at its annual Bastille on Bishop celebration.

“We’re trying to do a tribute to the French history of Oak Cliff and Bishop Arts, and our goal is to capture the things we love about regional French cuisine and culture,” Novotny said earlier this year.

trapeze Designed by local artists at Decotron, the front-porch sign at Trapèze offers a taste of what's inside. Photo courtesy Trapèze/Peter Novotny

Novotny and Murry hired New York-bred chef Jeremy Spector to direct Trapèze’s culinary program. He’s worked in famous kitchens such as Balthazar and Gramercy Tavern and has owned and operated restaurants in NYC. The owners have told CultureMap that Spector's menu represents different regions of France, along with flavors inspired by France’s once-vast colonial empire, including Moroccan cuisine.

The bar menu is full of classic French and New Orleans-esque cocktails made with French spirits and liqueurs like absinthe and chartreuse; an extensive list of cognacs; French Caribbean-rooted Rhum Agricoles (or Agricole rums), and French and “French-adjacent” cider and beer.

The house that is now a restaurant underwent a massive revamp, which lasted months due in part to weather-related delays. To make matters more challenging, Trapeze is located in a conservation district, which means construction had to be done in a specific way that would preserve the home’s original look.

“It’s basically a complete renovation,” Novotny says. “They had to rebuild the entire structure. The whole exterior is all new.”

The new sign out front reads Bien Mangé, Bien Bu, which translates roughly to good food, good drink. Made by the sculptural artists at Decotron, an Elm Street-based signage fabrication company, it creates curb appeal and offers a preview of the attention to detail, whimsy, fine craftsmanship, and French flavor found inside.

Hours have been slightly fluid. At this time Trapèze is open 4 pm-"late" Wednesday-Thursday and 4 pm-2 am Friday-Sunday. Updated days and hours will be posted on Instagram along with information about live music performers, they say.

bar food drink craft cocktails french food live music bishop arts restaurants