This week in gluttony

These are the 9 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

It's Hatch chile time.

Central Market

August brings the start of two important culinary happenings in town: Hatch chile season and DFW Restaurant Week. Both kick off this week with multiple events. Also on the list: a steak dinner starring Wagyu, two wine events including the grand opening of a wine storage facility, and a day-long festival starring wonderful watermelons.

Wednesday, August 3

Rat Pack Wednesdays at Sfuzzi
The Italian dive is bringing back its fan-favorite Rat Pack Wednesdays with live music and cocktails. Visit late night from 8-10 pm to hear a Rat Pack tribute by Ricki Derek while sipping on martinis. Try The Good Life made with bourbon, vermouth and bitters, or the Big Dill, shaken with gin, dill, and beet onion. The specials range from $12-$13 and will only be available starting at 8 pm.

Thursday, August 4

Frank On Thursdays at Blue Mesa Addison
Beverage manager and mixologist Frank Valles will begin a weekly showcase on Thursdays at the Blue Mesa in Addison featuring cutting-edge tequila and mezcal cocktails. This Thursday will feature two concoctions: the Hatch Choo made with Hatch-Cello (a play on limoncello) and Hatch chile chunks; and the Four Play, with Casamigos mezcal, egg white, and filthy cherries. Customers can taste complimentary samples or purchase a full cocktail. Pair with the restaurant's official street taco for August, the Hatch steak relleno taco. Frank on Thursdays will run every Thursday from 5-9 pm.

Wine Tasting at Tricky Fish
Start with a glass of prosecco upon arrival during this summertime wine tasting, featuring three rose and white wines paired with Tricky Fish apps and bites. The tasting is $30 per person and begins at 6 pm.

Cowboy Waygu Dinner at Knife Plano
Visit John Tesar’s Plano steakhouse for a five-course pairing dinner featuring wines by Napa's Frias Vineyards. The menu will highlight Cowboy Waygu, a ranch that produces Japanese Waygu in Center, Texas. There’ll be beef tartare, oxtail ravioli, 72-hour sous vide short rib, and 90-day dry-aged A5 ribeye. Finish with cheesecake tart with fresh berries. Dinner is $180 per person, plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 7 pm.

Friday, August 5

DFW Restaurant Week
The 2022 edition of the annual dine-out fundraiser debuts its preview weekend on Friday, with the official week running August 8-14. Dinners are $39 or $49 per person, while a two-course lunch option is for $24. New this year: a $99 signature experience with an elevated menu, as well as a $29 weekend brunch. Some restaurants are extending their specials through September 4.

Vinum 55 Allen Grand Opening
Arizona-based Vinum 55 will celebrate the opening of its first Texas location with a party for wine lovers. The membership-based wine storage and concierge company invites guests to visit its newest outlet in Allen for a wine tasting experience led by Vinum 55 sommeliers. There’ll be a ribbon-cutting with champagne toast and small bites for wine pairing. The event runs from 4-8 pm and is complimentary, but reservations are encouraged.

Hatch Chile Tasting Event at Central Market
Grocer celebrates its 27th annual Hatch Chile Festival August 3-23, showcasing dozens of Hatch chile-infused products with a free tasting event on August 5 from 5-8 pm, with 10 stations of Hatch chile goodness, including Hatch chile crab cakes with Hatch buttermilk ranch dressing, Hatch meatballs with Hatch queso, spicy cheese on Hatch brioche, wine pairings and more. Register in advance on the Central Market Cooking School page. The tasting will be held at all Central Market stores, and each customer receives a $10 coupon to use that evening.

Saturday, August 6

Watermelon Day at Dallas Farmers Market
From Sugar Babies to Desert Kings, watermelon varieties will be aplenty this Saturday at the Dallas Farmers Market. Enjoy live music and family-friendly activities while perusing peak season picks harvested by local farmers. The market will be open from 9 am-5 pm.

Fletcher's Corny Dogs Pop-Up on Knox Street
Get a preview of the State Fair of Texas' iconic corny dog plus lemonade, and support Community of Partners of Dallas' annual Back-to-School Drive. Donate calculators, colored pencils, composition books, construction paper (9×12, 100 count or less), 24 count crayons, glue, highlighters, index cards (100 count), markers (10 count), and more. Donations accepted at BodyBar, Lululemon, Pottery Barn Kids, and Room & Board. 11 am-3 pm at 3311 Knox St., near the corner of Travis Street by Village Baking Co.

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Tex-Mex News

Anaya family rallies together to open new seafood restaurant in Frisco

Anaya's Seafood

Frisco is the latest city to net its own location of Anaya's Seafood, a wonderful family-owned DFW seafood restaurant chain, opening what will be its fourth location in the Legacy Crossing center at 4350 Main St. in Frisco, where it's set to debut in late 2023.

Anaya's was founded in 2020 by four brothers — Miguel, Bobby, Alfredo, and Serafín Anaya — who make up the backbone of the company. Originally from Guanajuato, Mexico, they've been in Dallas for more than 20 years, learning the ropes by working at other restaurants such as Fish City Frill and Rockfish.

"But we always wanted a restaurant of our own," says Alfredo.

They finally pulled the trigger in the middle of the pandemic when they opened their first restaurant in Richardson in December 2020. They've since opened locations in Addison (in 2021), and Plano (in 2022).

"We are opening a location in Frisco in response to customer requests," Alfredo says. "We had patrons who were coming over to our restaurants in Plano and Richardson, asking us to open in their area so they would not have to make the drive."

The menu stars seafood, with a Tex-Mex Cajun theme that seems tailor-made for the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Entrees include:

Lightly blackened trout with artichokes and capers
Cedar plank salmon with mango salsa
Flounder with lump crab and tomato basil cream sauce
Fish & chips, with beer-battered cod and house-made colesalaw

Seafood dishes come with sides such as garlic whipped potatoes and seasonal veggies, and are priced from $15 to $23. Thy also offer tacos, sandwiches, and appetizers including coconut shrimp and a unique hybrid item called Crab Mac N Cheese Cakes. They make everything themselves, including the beer batter for the fish and chips. (They use Shiner bock.)

A chalkboard fesatures daily specials. "We offer a Tex-Mex Cajun menu that is fresh and changes daily," Alfredo says.

A full bar features crafty cocktails such as a jalapeno mezcal margarita, a jalapeno-cucumber martini, and a rosemary grapefruit mule. An extended Happy Hour runs from 12-7 pm on weekdays and all day Saturday and Sunday, and features $8 bites including oysters, shrimp nachos, and dynamite shrimp. Monday and Tuesday, they offer half-price bottles of wine all day.

And their weekend brunch on Saturday-Sunday is a bargain, with chilaquiles, chicken & waffles, Benedicts, and seafood omelets ranging from $11 to $17.

The fun part of the story about Anaya's is the Anaya family themselves. It's rare to find a family business like this where pretty much every family member is involved.

In the kitchen are Miguel and Bobby: Miguel is the oldest brother, with 25 years of experience working at seafood restaurants, both running kitchens and as general manager. Bobby, the second-oldest, has 21 years of experience, starting as a cook, then lead cook, then kitchen manager.

Alfredo is Brother #3, with 16 years of experience, mostly front of the house. He's the brains behind the cocktail program and runs the bar. Youngest brother Serafin oversees the service.

"Our sisters work in the restaurants, too," Alfredo says. "Even my mom, she is walking around and bussing tables. Everyone chips in."

tex-mex openings

This week in gluttony

These are the 9 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

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Tex-Mex News

Anaya family rallies together to open new seafood restaurant in Frisco

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