This Week in Gluttony

Chefs for Farmers Big Oyster Bash tops best food events in Dallas

Oh, so you thought because the State Fair is over you get a breather from the food fests? Not so much. This week is jam packed with wine dinners, culinary competitions, Farmers Market fun and much more. Unlike last week, when the majority of the events were free, you will have to cough up some cash to eat your way through this week’s lineup.

Wednesday, October 22

Family-style Beer Dinner at Victor Tangos
Join Victor Tangos for a five-course Belgian beer dinner with Duchesse De Bourgogne and St. Bernardus. Dinner starts at 7:30 pm, and courses include black bass with celery root broth and oxtail stew. Cost is $65 per person, and you can make reservations by calling 214-252-8595.

Thursday, October 23

Come As You Are Wine Dinner at The Grape
In honor of the restaurant’s 42nd birthday, chef Sarah Snow creates a three-course dinner to complement wines from the Old World (think France, Italy, Spain and Portugal). The dinner costs $64 per person, and reservations are available from 5:30-9:30 pm. Reserve your spot online.

A Celebration of Louisiana in Texas at The Foundry
Join Garden & Gun and the Louisiana Office of Tourism for a Louisiana culinary and musical throwdown of Texas proportions. This unforgettable evening features Louisiana chef Cory Bahr of Cotton and Dallas chef Tim Byres of Smoke, as well as live music by The Deslondes and Feufollet. The event runs from 7-10 pm. Tickets are $125, and you can buy them online.

Friday, October 24

42nd Anniversary Celebration at The Grape
Chef Sarah Snow prepares a special anniversary menu for $42 per person with an optional wine pairing upgrade. Courses include oxtail ravioli with celery root puree, roasted mirepoix and beurre rouge; pork Milanese with onion risotto, cassava, watercress and lemon-caper beurre blanc; and caramel pot de crème with bourbon sabayon, charred fig and bacon candy. The à la carte menu is also available nightly, and reservations are recommended. Call 214-828-1981 or visit the website.

Saturday, October 25

The Dinner Detective Dallas at Crowne Plaza
Make your weekend one to remember with the Dinner Detective, an interactive murder mystery dinner show. Actors are hidden among the customers, making everyone a suspect. Admission is $59.95 per person and includes a four-course meal and dinner show. Reserve your spot online.

Sunday, October 26

Chefs for Farmers Big Oyster Bash at Dallas Farmers Market
Join Chefs for Farmers at the Dallas Farmers Market from 2-6 pm for oysters from Texas and the coasts shucked onsite, an oyster-slurping contest, wine and cocktails, tarot card reader, tunes from DJ Souljah, and more. Participating chefs include Jon Alexis of TJ’s Seafood Market, Matt McCallister of FT33, Kyle McClelland of Proof + Pantry, Jack Perkins of Slow Bone, Stephen Rogers of Gemma, Jon Stevens of Stock & Barrel, John Tesar of Knife, and Randy Rucker of Briar and Bramble. The event is BYOG (bring your own glass) and costs $85. A portion of proceeds benefits Chefs for Farmers and Foodways Texas. Buy tickets online.

XXII Annual Caesar Salad Competition at Westin Galleria
Nine chefs serve their renditions of Caesar salad accompanied by an amuse-bouche while you, the judges, assess the creativity, presentation and taste. Participants include Thomas Holt of Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Chad Kelley of Cafe Pacific, Andrea Maricich of Second Floor, Antonio Marquez of Lazaranda Modern Kitchen, Mark McDaniel of ReMARKable Affairs Catering, Kenny Mills of Chop House Burger, Brandon Moore of Ocean Prime, Stan Rodrigues of Whiskey Cake, and Julio Peraza of Komali. The fun starts at 2 pm, and tickets are $70 each or $600 for a table of 10. Buy them online.

Monday, October 27

Poderi Aldo Conterno Wine Dinner at Knife
Starting at 6:30 pm, chef John Tesar and special guest winemaker Franco Conterno take guests through five courses such as beef cheek ravioli and skate piccata paired with six wines from the Poderi Aldo Conterno collection. The Conterno family has been making wine since the 19th century on a small farm in Italy’s Piedmont region. The dinner is $225 per person, and reservations are required. Call 214-443-9339.

Seventh Annual Pumpkin-carving Contest at Libertine Bar
At Libertine’s annual pumpkin-carving contest, winners get cash: $100 gift certificate for first place, $50 for second place and a $25 gift certificate for third. Sign-up is $10 at the bar for one pumpkin and one draft beer. Carving starts at 6 pm; the judging begins at 9. All proceeds go to Lindsley Park Community Schools.

The Grape celebrates 42 years in Dallas with various events throughout the week.

Cheeseburger at The Grape restaurant in Dallas

The Grape Restaurant Facebook

The Grape celebrates 42 years in Dallas with various events throughout the week.

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Burger News

Twisted Root Burger Co. closes original Dallas location in Deep Ellum

Twisted Root Burger

Twisted Root Burger Co.

An iconic burger joint in Dallas' Deep Ellum has closed: Twisted Root Burger Co., which helped usher in the "better" burger trend, has closed its original location at 2615 Commerce St. after 20 years.

The restaurant issued a statement, saying that, "After many memorable years, Twisted Root Deep Ellum has permanently closed."

"As our original location, this restaurant will always hold a special place in our story," their statement said. "We're incredibly grateful to every guest, neighbor, and team member who supported us along the way. Thank you for the memories and for being part of where Twisted Root Began."

Twisted Root founding chefs Jason Bôso & Quincy Hart ditched Wall Street to launch Twisted Root Burger Co. in Deep Ellum in 2006, serving up half-pound burgers with over-the-top toppings and a saucy attitude long before gourmet burgers were a thing.

The "better burger" trend began in the early 2000s, taking what was previously a fast-food item and gave it a chef spin, with gourmet ingredients and more upscale surroundings. Twisted Root was one of the pioneers in DFW alongside names such as John Tesar's The Commissary and the Liberty Burger chain.

Boso took an especially cheeky approach, adding ingredients like peanut butter and giving menu items humorous names like the Kevin Bacon burger stacked with three slices of bacon.

Their "Low Rider" features a burger with taco seasoning, avocado, pico de gallo, and tortilla strips, while their "Steak Me Home Tonight" is a beef patty with shaved roast beef, American cheese, provolone, grilled onion, and beer sauce. They have a worthy vegan burger; four robust salads including a Cobb salad and "My Big Fat Greek Salad"; and milkshakes you can customize with ingredients such as Oreos and M&M's. They also serve beer, wine, and cocktails at some locations.

Prices range from $11 to $16.

Things changed forever for Twisted Root in 2009 when the Deep Ellum restaurant was spotlighted by Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives — securing its continued success indefinitely (since Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives airs frequent repeats which bring another round of customers).

They went on to open many locations of Twisted Root across Texas and neighboring states. However, they struggled during the pandemic, with some locations declaring bankruptcy and some locations closing.

The chain was rescued by Local Favorite Restaurants, who acquired the concept in 2020. Local Favorites maintained Twisted Root's culinary stance as well as their resolve to "not taking ourselves too seriously." There are currently locations in Carrollton, Coppell, East Plano, Arlington, Mansfield, Bedford, Waco, Lubbock, Athens, and Abilene. (Local Favorites also recently acquired the Cotton Patch Cafe chain.)

Twisted Root is not the only restaurant to close in Deep Ellum: Zåtar Lebanese Tapas & Bar, a Mediterranean restaurant which has been open since 2016, just announced that it will close in late August. Like Twisted Root, Zatar is also located on Commerce Street, which is currently the victim of a multi-year conversion from one-way to two-way street, which has dragged on and on through multiple, unexplainable delays, with completion just getting pushed back again to 2027.

burgers deep-ellum closings