This week in gluttony

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

A popular Dallas taco shop will host a pop-up ahead of its reopening.

Glimpses of fall appear on this week’s event list. There’s a “fall tasting series” that launches at a Dallas hotel restaurant, a restaurant special to celebrate National Red Wine Day, and one of the first big food and wine festivals of the season. But it’s still officially summer, which means warm weather flavors continue to dominate. A seafood and wine pairing dinner, taqueria pop-up, and a special on a famous frozen beverage round out the list.

Wednesday, August 24

Dallas Symphony Orchestra Wine and Food Festival
One of the first big foodie festivals of fall is presented at the Meyerson Symphony Center as a fundraiser for the DSO. Festival passes are $250, Weekender passes are $700, and individual tickets vary by event. The events include:

August 24: Hall VIP experience (intimate dinner at the home of wine purveyors Craig and Kathryn Hall at Hall Arts Residences, 6 pm)
August 25: Summer Wine Down Dinner (Chef-driven, multicourse meal at the Meyerson's Opus Restaurant, 7 pm
August 26: Whiskey Tasting and Mixology Seminar (6 pm), BBQ, Bourbon, and Beer Tasting (7 pm)
August 27: Riedel Wine Seminar (11 am), Symphony of Flavors Grand Tasting (12 pm), Chocolate Seminar (3 pm), La Stella Wine Dinner at La Stella Cucina Verace (5 pm), Musume Sake Dinner at Musume (6 pm)

Season’s Peak Wine Dinner at Carraba’s
The Houston-based Italian chain will share summer flavors at their peak during this four-course wine dinner. Menu highlights include fontina and prosciutto-stuffed chicken with basil lemon butter sauce and berries and butter cake with vanilla ice cream. Dinner is $55 per person, plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 6:30 pm, at participating locations. Reservations required.

Thursday, August 25

Fall Tasting Series at Hotel ZaZa
The glitzy Uptown hotel will kick off a monthly wine and spirits tasting series on Thursday at its restaurant Dragonfly, featuring a different theme each month. August’s theme is white wine, and four wines will be paired with accompanying hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are $75 per person, plus tax, and the tasting will run from 6-8 pm.

Trompo Homecoming
A popular Dallas taco shop will host a pop-up ahead of its reopening this fall. Trompo owner Luis Olvera has relocated his taqueria more than once in recent years, and says he feels like his upcoming new Oak Cliff location at 337 W. Jefferson Blvd. will be a great fit. Until then, satisfy your cravings this Thursday starting at 6 pm at 626 W. Davis St., where Olvera will serve tacos al carbon, fajita tacos, aguas frescas, and more.

Saturday, August 27

Bring Your Own Cup Day at 7-Eleven
If it fits in a cup, fill ‘er up. The convenience store chain is reprising Bring Your Own Cup Day by encouraging its rewards members to bring in any vessel to fill with their favorite Slurpee flavor for $1.99. From fishbowls to cookie jars, all creative containers are welcome. "We want customers to build the Slurpee drink of their dreams while having fun with their vessel of choice — and we can't wait to see some of the creative cups they come up with,” Dennis Phelps, 7-Eleven proprietary beverages senior product director, said in a statement. The special is valid at participating locations.

Fat Straws 20th Anniversary
The Dallas-based boba tea and mochi doughnut shop will celebrate 20 years in business with an all-day special at all five area locations. Visit any Fat Straws outlet for 20 percent off all doughnuts and drinks from 11 am-9 pm and enter for a chance to win a $200 gift card. Menu offerings include milk teas, smoothies, milkshakes, coffee, and Fat Straws’ signature mochi doughnuts — chewy pastries fried with mochi powder. Fat Straws has locations in Dallas, Plano, Richardson, and Arlington.

Sunday, August 28

National Red Wine Day at Cantina Laredo
Visit the Frisco or Addison locations of the Tex-Mex chain for half-price bottles of red wine all day to celebrate National Red Wine Day. But don’t forget that all glasses and bottles are always half-price every Wednesday from 4-7 pm in the bar.

Sunday, August 28

California Dreamin’ Wine Tasting at Zin Zen Wine Bistro
The McKinney wine bar and bistro invites guests to explore the different wine regions of California during this afternoon tasting. Guests will get to sample five wines paired with charcuterie. Tickets are $45 and the tasting begins at 3 pm.

Monday, August 29

Foley Wine Dinner at Sea Breeze Fish Market & Grill
The Plano seafood destination will partner with the popular Santa Rosa, California wine brand for a five-course wine pairing dinner. Wines to be featured will come from the labels Banshee, Chalone, High Haven, and Chalk Hill. Menu highlights include seared tuna au poivre with Banshee “Ten of Cups” brut, sous vide crispy skin duck breast with Chalk Hill Estate red, and pinot noir-poached king salmon paired with High Haven pinot noir. Dinner is $125 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Arrive by 6 pm for cocktail hour before a 7 pm dinnertime start.

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Hot Chicken News

Lava Hot Chicken opens in Rowlett with a different approach

Lava Hot Chicken

There’s a new hot chicken concept in Rowlett that's taking a unique approach: Called Lava Hot Chicken, it’s located in a former ice cream shop at 6310 Dalrock Rd. #900 in Dalrock Crossing, where it opened March 8.

Lava Hot Chicken is from restaurateur Sam Sakhleh, who opened it with his two sons in mind. Both are allergic to peanuts, and some frying oils use peanuts. To solve the issue, he uses beef tallow to fry the chicken and fries.

“We fry everything in beef tallow — we don’t use oil or have any peanut product,” Sakhleh says.

Sakhleh, who has been in the industry since 2003, decided to start a hot chicken restaurant because he wasn't impressed with the conventional flavor at most hot chicken restaurants.

He connected with a distributor who offered a 27-spice mix imported from India which had a far more complex flavor profile.

"It made a big difference in the taste, and that's what we use in our spice mix," Sakhleh says.

The spice mix also gives the chicken a deep, ruddy color, unlike the neon orange tint of other hot chicken options.

Lava's menu features sliders and tenders with five heat levels. The sliders are on 4-inch thick buns from Martin's Famous Potato Rolls. Also, they use one big tender so big that Sakhleh says it's sometimes mistaken for a chicken breast.

They're marinated with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and buttermilk before being fried.

They’ve also recently added wings, with the same heat levels as sliders and tenders. Other dishes include chicken & waffles, and loaded fries topped with cheese, mac & cheese, pickles, coleslaw and "Lava sauce," a sweet and smoky sauce with honey and mustard. Homey desserts include sukseh, also known as "lazy cake," a rich no-bake dessert made with condensed milk and chocolate that's a little like fudge.

Prices range from $6 for a tender to $16 for two sliders with fries.

To-go orders are common but Sakhleh devoted two years to transforming the former ice cream shop into a bright cheerful space with colorful cartoon murals on the walls, plus a patio, so diners who want to eat on-site are covered.

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