This Week in Gluttony

Cultivate Festival and Texas Veggie Fair top best food and drink events in DFW

Brace yourself, foodies. Not only is this week fully loaded with festivals and other tasty celebrations — from annual favorite Texas Veggie Fair to the new Cultivate Festival — but many of the events are free. You have no excuse not to dig in.

Thursday, October 16

Savor Las Colinas at AMLI at Escena
This annual event features food, drinks and shopping at one Las Colinas address for an evening of fundraising. Visitors can taste foods, desserts and wines from more than 18 Las Colinas restaurants. The goal is to raise $10,000, and all proceeds help grant a wish for a selected "Wish Kid." Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for kids, and you can buy them online. The festivities start at 6 pm.

Market After Dark at Dallas Farmers Market
Every Thursday, the Dallas Farmers Market hosts Market After Dark, a chance to shop artisan food vendors, feast from food trucks, sample beer and wine, and listen to great music. The event kicks off at 6 pm, and admission is free.

Friday, October 17

10-Year Anniversary Celebration at State & Allen
State & Allen welcomes fans for food, cocktails and dancing to help celebrate 10 years in the State Thomas neighborhood. Enjoy a DJ, shot luge and drink specials all night starting at 8 pm.

Saturday, October 18

2014 Cultivate Food, Idea & Music Festival at Lake Carolyn
The inaugural Cultivate Food, Ideas & Music Festival features performances by Amos Lee, O.A.R., MS MR, Sylvan Esso, DJ Christopher Golub and others, as well as demonstrations by chefs Sean Brock, Amanda Freitag, Matt McCallister, Paul Qui, Kent Rathbun and Omar Flores. Additionally, there is food from title sponsor Chipotle, beer and wine tastings from assorted local breweries and wineries, samplings of regional artisanal food, a kids zone, and more. The fun starts at 11 am, and admission is free.

Sunday, October 19

2014 Texas Veggie Fair at Reverchon Park
At Texas Veggie Fair, thousands come together to celebrate, learn about and experience plant-based lifestyle options. The free annual event features vegan food and product vendors, a local beer garden, live music, chef demos, yoga, and speakers from across the country. The fun starts at 11 am.

Monday, October 20

Greater Dallas Restaurant Association Fall Dine-Around at Trinity Groves
At this mystery dine-around, guests can meet up with friends and colleagues for appetizers at 3015 @ Trinity Groves. Then they're off to dinner and drinks at a surprise location only to return to 3015 for dessert and a nightcap. The event is $65 for GDRA members and $75 for non-members. The event starts at 6 pm, and you can buy tickets online.

The 2014 Texas State Veggie Fair is happening October 19 at Reverchon Park.

Photo by Sylvia Elzafon

The 2014 Texas State Veggie Fair is happening October 19 at Reverchon Park.

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Saucy Summer

Loro Asian Smokehouse bottles fan-favorite sauces for summer in Dallas

Photo courtesy of Hai Hospitality

This lively salsa can now dress up dishes at home.

You can't bottle famed Texas pitmaster Aaron Franklin's meat-smoking skills, but you can bottle the sauce at Loro, his popular Asian Smokehouse founded with Uchi chef Tyson Cole. Three of the restaurant's signature sauces will be available for a limited time this summer, starting June 21 and ending July 5.

A press release promises "bold, smoke-kissed flavors" on offer during the restaurant's "Saucy Summer" event. Guests can pick them up from all Loro locations across Texas. In Dallas, that means 1812 North Haskell Ave. in East Dallas and 14999 Montfort Dr. in Addison. There are also locations in Austin and Houston.

Fans of Loro probably already know these flavors from dipping wonton chips and slathering fried chicken sandwiches.

Loro Hot Sauce Loro's smoked hot sauce and chicken are a perfect match.Photo courtesy of Hai Hospitality

The three sauces for sale are:

Tamarind BBQ: A sweet sauce that's "a little wild" thanks to spicy and fruity flavors. Ingredients include tamarind, honey, soy, pineapple, Thai sriracha, mesquite, and nam tok seasoning — usually a mix of lime, chili flakes, and other standard seasonings like salt and sugar. This one is recommended for brisket, grilled chicken, or brushing ribs in the last five minutes of cooking.
Loro Hot Sauce: Described as "buttery" and "chili-forward." It's also made with Thai sriracha and augmented with dried Thai chili flakes, vinegar, butter, and tallow. The recipe was made with eggs, tacos, fried rice, wings, sandwiches, and spicy spreads in mind.
Green Chili Salsa and Marinade: Be careful with this spicy sauce, which has a "sneaky heat." The overall tone is bright and herbal thanks to green tomato, cilantro, garlic, lime, and ginger, with soybean paste and Thai chili adding oomph. This sauce is great for marinating chicken or shrimp, but it can also be poured right on top of tacos and rice bowls or used to finish veggies and grilled fish.

Each sauce sells for $8, but shoppers can bundle three of them for $20.

Purchases can be made for dine-in or takeout via Toast. Deliveries are available via Door Dash and Uber Eats while the promotion is running. To stay on top of stock, only a certain number of sauces will be sold each day.

Loro Tamarind BBQ Sauce Sauce-lovers can bundle all three sauces for variety.Photo courtesy of Hai Hospitality

Whether or not guests purchase a sauce, they can use the code SAUCYSUMMER to take $10 off to-go orders placed July 3 and 4.

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