This Week in Gluttony

These are the 10 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

LAW Restaurant celebrates the release of Perrier-Jouët’s non-vintage Blanc de Blancs Champagne this week.

Photo courtesy of Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas

It feels like we were just sitting in the pool, eating watermelon, and drinking rosé, and now we are suddenly in full fall mode, learning to smoke brisket and inhaling brews at Oktoberfest. Wouldn't it be nice if someone would alert Mother Nature to get on board by blessing us with some cooler temps? We'll keep hope alive as we eat our way through this delicious week.

Tuesday, September 24

A Taste of the Finer Things at The French Room
Bite into luxury with a guided caviar and champagne tasting featuring five unique breeds and grades of caviar from Regiis Ova. Founder Shaoching Bishop will guide guests through the tastings of caviar, infused into a selection of gourmet bites from The French Room. Each dish will be complemented by champagne pairings from sommeliers Ryan Tedder and Leslie Hartman. Tickets are $250, and the tasting begins at 6:30 pm.

BBQ Pitmaster Class at Hutchins BBQ
Learn to make brisket that tastes just like the meaty goodness that is offered at Hutchins BBQ. This class allows participants to hang with the pitmasters while learning how they prep, season, and smoke the brisket. The evening concludes with a delicious meal. Tickets are $80, and the class starts at 6:30 pm.

Wednesday, September 25

Folds of Honor Wine Dinner at Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Enjoy a four-course food and wine pairing and support a great cause at the same time. For every wine dinner purchase, $2 is donated to the Folds of Honor Foundation, which raises money for scholarships for children of U.S. service members. Courses include berries and burrata, penne Marconi, Tuscan-grilled sirloin Marsala, and toasted nut brownie. Tickets are $40, and the dinner starts at 6:30 pm. Reserve your seat here.

Thursday, September 26

Perrier-Jouët Dinner at LAW Restaurant at Four Seasons Resort Dallas
Celebrate the release of Perrier-Jouët's newest Cuvee Blanc de Blancs Non Vintage at the favorite Irving hotel. The evening begins with a reception followed by a five-course dinner led by Champagne ambassador Elise Cordell and LAW Restaurant chef Paolo Gama. Courses include escolar crude, summer figs, duck roulade, 54° Venison, and mascarpone panna cotta. Tickets are $160, and the event starts at 6 pm. Call 972-717-2420 to reserve your spot.

Foodiepalooza at The Filter Building
This 10th annual event includes food-tasting stations, drinks galore, a silent auction, music, and lots of fun for the East Dallas Boys & Girls Club. This year, expect bites and brews from Lakewood Brewing Company, Hard Eight BBQ, Marcona Kitchen, Dallas Mozzarella Company, and more. Tickets start at $75, and the event starts at 6 pm.

Friday, September 27

Oktoberfest Beer and Music Festival at Legacy Hall
This three-day beer and music festival celebrates all things beer, brats, and bands on all three floors of Legacy Hall. The Box Garden is being transformed into a biergarten atmosphere, complete with yodeling, accordion players, oom-pah music, and more. Enjoy German bratwurst, jumbo soft pretzels, and Degenhardt's schnitzel plates while drinking Paulaner Oktoberfest Marzen. The free event starts at 4 pm on Friday, 1 pm on Saturday, and noon on Sunday.

Brews Bites & Beats at Sammons Center for the Arts
This craft beer event is back for its second year and is highlighted by samples of premium brews and bites from local eateries. Think Tupps Brewery, Ellen's, Scardello Artisan Cheese, Snooze, Sushi Axiom, and more. Stockton Helbing Band will provide live music. Tours of the historic Turtle Creek pump station and prize drawings are also on the agenda for this full-sensory experience. Tickets are $20, and the event starts at 7 pm.

Saturday, September 28

Oktoberfest at Frisco Square
Nine Band Brewing Co. presents a one-day, family-friendly festival that celebrates all things October. It kicks off with a traditional keg tapping ceremony from Mayor Jeff Cheney and continues with music, dancing, a 100-shop marketplace, and German cuisine galore. There will also be live music, a keg-rolling contest, an official brat-eating contest, and more. Admission is free, and the festival begins at 5 pm. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Frisco Fastpacs.

Sunday, September 29

Sammie Sunday at Bisous Bisous Patisserie
This monthly pop-up features the bakery's signature croissant waffle ice cream sammies for guests to sample, along with ice cream in State Fair-themed flavors like kettle corn and pumpkin spice. Top the sandwich off with nut crunch, chocolate, and a variety of sauces, and you are good to go. Get your sammie starting at 10 am.

Orin Swift Wine Dinner at Tulum
Join chef Nico Sanchez and TJ Frank of Orin Swift Cellars for a special five-course dinner and pairing event. Menu is still TBD. Tickets are $95, and the event starts at 6 pm. Call 972-677-9747 to reserve your spot.

chefs festivals news-you-can-eat dinner

Chai News

Dubai tea chain Filli Cafe steams into Carrollton for Dallas debut

fillicafe.com

Snack and coffee from Filli Cafe

An international tea house chain from Dubai has made its Dallas debut: Called Filli Cafe, it just opened softly in Carrollton at 1205 W. Trinity Mills Rd. #101, in the same center as Al Markaz Restaurant and Groceries.

Dubbed "Dubai's most loved tea cafe chain," Filli Cafe is known for its signature Zafran chai tea and creative South Asian street foods including chaats and wraps.

The chain was born in Dubai in 2004 when founder Rafih Filli took over his father's small cafeteria in Dubai and rebranded it, using his high school nickname "Filli." He created Filli Cafe's intriguing menu and also established its laid-back culture, emphasizing it as a place for friends to hang out, with a motto of "global street bites, chai moments, and a whole lot of Tea n' Talk."

It has since grown to more than 74 cafes across 14 countries, and made its debut in the U.S. in 2022 with the first location opening in Sugar Land near Houston. There are now nine locations in the U.S. including Chicago, New York, Virginia, and Columbus, Ohio.

The DFW location is from the same group of friends and family that brought it to Houston, led by food & beverage veteran Sajid Iqbal, who says they plan to open at least one or two more locations in the DFW area.

Beverages
The signature Zafran Chai is a rich milk tea with saffron, sugar, and "secret" spices, while the Karak Chai is a traditional, strong spiced milk tea.

These are a departure from typical chai which contains a mix of spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Karak chai opts for fewer spices — often just cardamom or saffron — and relies on extra-strong black tea simmered with evaporated or condensed milk.

Filli also sells regularly spiced masala chai; traditional pink Kashmiri chai with cardamom and almonds; and milk with zafran — like their signature Zafran Chai, but minus the tea.

Beyond chai, there are espresso-based drinks such as cappuccino and latte; matcha lattes; hot chocolate; coffee drinks like dalgona, the trendy whipped coffee with steamed milk; iced coffees; frappuccino-style frozen drinks; iced tea and herbal teas of all kinds; lemonades in various flavors; and even mocktails like fruity mojitos.

Food and drink at Filli Cafe. www.visitdelohio.com

Food
The food is a creative, well-executed fusion of familiar dishes like breakfast and burgers with South Asian spices. For example, the Shawarma Jalapeno Melt with marinated shawarma chicken, jalapenos, and cheese.

There are also

sliders — in five varieties including beef burger, fried chicken, and Aloo Tikki Sliders featuring a crispy fried Aloo cutlet — aka potato patties — all served on Hawaiian buns
paratha rolls — a South Asian street food featuring kebabs or vegetables enclosed in a flaky, pan-fried flatbread called a paratha
samosas — fried dumplings with a variety of fillings
chaat — a street style snack with chickpeas, potatoes, yogurt, and tamarind-mint sauce, topped with crispy wafers, onions, green chillies, tomatoes, cilantro, and chaat masala
rice bowls
loaded fries
pizza, in a long oblong format, in varieties such as one topped with Indian butter chicken

The menu is entirely halal, meaning that all ingredients are processed according to Islamic guidelines. Food prices range from $8 to $20, while the beverages range from $2.50 to $8.

Iqbal notes that Filla Cafe has wide appeal, whether it's people seeking halal foods, people who crave fusion flavors, or people who love coffee.

"We have a motto on the wall, 'Uniting cultures, one cup at a time,'" he says.

coffee openings