This Week In Gluttony

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

Head to Greenville Avenue Pizza Company on October 9 to try a splice of the new Butcher's Revenge pizza and a glass of the Ghost of Alfred Ale by Peticolas.

GAP

This is one of those satisfying food weeks that leaves us feeling full before we even begin. Pours from Frog's Leap Winery, new pizza from GAPCo, and unlimited taco samples? We're going to need more plates and glasses.

Tuesday, October 9

GAPCo and Peticolas Collaboration at Greenville Avenue Pizza Company
The favorite Greenville Avenue pizzeria is teaming up with Peticolas brewery for a one-two punch of a food and beverage launch. The Greenville Avenue location is tapping the first re-released public keg of Peticolas' Ghost of Alfred Brown and offering pints for $5. GAPCo is simultaneously launching The Butcher's revenge pizza featuring Goodfriend Package's spicy Italian sausage for $23 (16-inch). These specials are from 7-10 pm, while supplies last.

Thursday, October 11

William Chris Vineyards Tasting at Whole Foods Uptown
Winemaker Chris Brundrett leads a guided tasting paired with charcuterie from Whole Foods. Expect tips for pairing wines with food and information on the origins of wines that will be tasted. The event also offers special pricing on bottles from William Chris Vineyards. Tickets are $20 and the event starts at 5 pm.

Mediterranean Winemaker Series at Zaytinya
This series kicks off with an intimate dinner and wine pairing featuring Château Ksara, which is one of Lebanon's oldest, largest, and most frequented wineries. Tickets are $95 and the event starts at 6:30 pm. To reserve your spot, email teaa@zaytinya.com and be sure to indicate the specific date you are interested in.

Saturday, October 13

CitySquare 5K and Celebration at Del Frisco's
The 5th annual Del Frisco's 5K Walk and Run starts and finishes at the Uptown Dallas location and benefits CitySquare, a nonprofit organization that fights poverty through service, advocacy, and friendship with 17 unique programs that address hunger, health, health, and hope. Post race, there is a VIP Patio Race Brunch at the restaurant with bottomless mimosas and bloody marys and red velvet waffles and smoked brisket chilaquiles. Registration starts at $20 and the race starts at 9 am.

Big Little Market at Gables Water Street Irving
This pedestrian-friendly mixed-use community with 60,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, green space, and views of Lake Carolyn is celebrating the grand opening of Big Little Market, the neighborhood’s pantry and beverage bar with a fall farmer’s market. The grand opening will include live music from Boxcar Bandits and a pumpkin patch with a pumpkin decorating station, potato sack races with prizes, and Water Street’s first Farmer’s Market. This event is free to attend and starts at 9 am.

Depressed Cake Shop at Nordstrom NorthPark Center
The goal of this atypical bake sale is simple and important — to sell gray-colored cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and other treats (all donated by local bakers) to raise awareness of and fight stigmas that often come with mental health issues. While they look sad on the outside, all the baked goods are colorful on the inside to symbolize hope. All proceeds go to the National Alliance on Mental Illness Dallas Chapter. The sale lasts from 12-4 pm.

Tacolandia at Dallas Farmers Market
This 4th annual terrific taco tasting comes in the form of an outdoor festival and features tacos, live music, and cash bars. There will also be awards for best tacos in various categories. Tickets are $35 and include unlimited samples. VIP options with drink tickets are available for $75 and can be purchased here.

Hope Fest: Live From Harwood at Happiest Hour
This wildly successful fundraiser is back for its second year, offering the best food, drink, and entertainment benefiting Connecting Point of Park Cities, Cornerstone Achievement Center, The Huckleberry Foundation, and Majesty Outdoors. This year's musical talent includes performances by Kyle Hutton and Cas Haley. And rumor has it, (ticket stub says) Cory Morrow is serving as the event's surprise entertainer. Tickets start at $45 and doors open at 4 pm. A $125 VIP ticket includes unlimited beer, wine, light bites, and concert viewing from the rooftop patio.

Sunday, October 14

Paella Palooza at Urbano Cafe
The International Wine and Food Society is putting on this Spanish experience with Chef Graham Dodds. It features a multicourse Spanish dinner featuring two kinds of paella paired with Spanish wines. Tickets start at $120 and dinner starts at 6 pm.

Monday, October 15

Frog's Leap Wine Dinner at Sea Breeze Fish Market & Grill
Enjoy amazing wine from Frog's Leap Winery perfectly paired with five courses from Chef Ryan. Courses include citrus tea smoked hamachi crudo, seared sea scallop arugula salad, flounder schnitzel with chive spaetzle, dry aged New York Strip "Au Poivre," and a mixed berry tart. Tickets are $100 and the dinner starts at 7 pm. A $30 deposit is required.

dinner fundraisers news-you-can-eat wine craft-beer

East Dock development

'Chopped' champion opens Pan-Latin restaurant at Oak Cliff's East Dock

Photo courtesy of Barro y Fuego

Barro y Fuego specializes in parrilladas, or grilled meats.

A Latin American, chef-driven restaurant is one of the newest additions to Oak Cliff's vibrant dining scene: Barro y Fuego is now open in suite 100 of the refurbished historic East Dock, at 900 E. Clarendon Dr., joining Bite Sushi, Elevate Coffee, Kuluntu Bakery, and other neighbors.

The restaurant comes from longtime friends and business partners Robert Ramirez and Eric Spigner.

Spigner formerly was chef at Nova Oak Cliff, which won Restaurant of the Year in the 2018 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards; he was a Tastemakers Rising Star nominee in 2019. He's best known as champion of the Food Network competition show Chopped in 2021.

Ramirez is a 25-year veteran of the restaurant design business who also envisioned, designed, and developed East Dock, the mixed-use development that houses Barro y Fuego and an assortment of dining, retail, gym, and office spaces. The development is near the new five-acre Halperin Park, a bridge park spanning Interstate 35.

The partners named the restaurant Barro y Fuego — translating to “clay and fire”— to reflect their vision for the restaurant. The grill is always afire for parrilladas, or grilled meats, while decorative clay pots by artists from Peru and Mexico line the interior and are available for purchase.

Beyond a market area, the restaurant incorporates elements of a rustic cantina, with natural wood and earthy tones creating a cozy atmosphere. The indoor dining area accommodates up to 80 guests, with a communal table, booths, traditional tables, and bar seating along the open kitchen. An adjacent outdoor grill and patio overlooking a creek is open year-round and seats another 80.

“The open kitchen was important to us,” Ramirez says. “You can sit at the bar and watch the cooking; it's a natural gathering point. We focused on a design that is raw, minimal, and for everybody: dates, families, friends — come casual or come dressed up.”

The Pan-Latin menu draws on Ramirez’s upbringing and travels throughout the region, along with Spigner’s professional experience with Caribbean, Spanish, and Latin American flavors.

“Latin America is vast; my vision is to take it all in and present a concise statement of a broader culture — where you might not pinpoint a specific country, but rather a fusion of many in a single dish,” Spigner says.

This vision yields a unique menu spanning Latin America with subtle Spanish influences. The menu features shareable plates ranging from $20 to $40 and includes:

Gambas al Ajo Negro: Sautéed shrimp in a black garlic emulsion with charred okra and blistered tomatoes.
Costillas de Res Estofadas: Boneless beef ribs served with chimichurri crème fraîche, plantains, and charred zucchini.
Arroz con Pollo: Chicken confit over red rice, served with coconut milk collard greens and sauce africaine.
Panceta de Cerdo Estofada: Braised pork belly accompanied by chipotle-agave sweet potato puree and collard green chimichurri.

On weekdays, the restaurant offers a menu with items under $20, including sandwiches and smaller portions of main dishes. It’s designed for nearby business tenants, residents, and visitors to the Dallas Zoo and surrounding parks.

Brunch with live Latin jazz music takes places on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am-3 pm. The brunch menu includes clam, chorizo, and avocado tostadas; ropa vieja; torrijas, which are similar to French toast; and a pork belly and pisto manchego Benedict.

The full bar serves specialty cocktails such as a Negroni verde, caipirinha, and espresso martinis using ingredients from neighbor Elevate Coffee. The beer selection celebrates all of Latin America rather than focusing solely on Mexico, the proprietors say. They feature representative brands from nearly every country for $7. They also pour Mexican Lager from nearby, newly opened Smittox Brewery.

Looking ahead, the team says they plan to host ticketed community events, including paella nights, pig roasts, and live music showcasing local cumbia, rock en español bands, and DJs.

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