This week in gluttony

These are the 8 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Hattie B's is here for a tease.

Photo by Joseph Woodley

This week includes a celebration of Dia de los Muertos and a celebration of farmers. Save room for Nashville hot chicken pop-ups, a virtual wine and cheese pairing class, a tequila dinner, and an outdoor grilling soiree under the stars.

Tuesday, November 2

Dia de los Muertos at Taqueria La Ventana
Visit the downtown Dallas location of the popular taco spot for free pan de los Muertos (traditional Mexican bread) for the first 150 guests, live DJ music, hot chocolate and churros, tequila tastings, and giveaways. Each Taqueria La Ventana location will create its own altar paying homage to deceased family members and friends in shrine-like fashion.

Thursday, November 4

Central Market Online Class: Cheese & Wine Pairing
Wine and cheese expert Janet Fletcher, who’s written more than 25 books on food and beverage, will lead participants virtually through a tasting of five cheeses paired with wines. Varieties include goat, buttery camembert, and creamy blue cheese, and Fletcher will discuss how to pair wine and cheese. The $70 class includes a tasting kit that serves two to four, and the $20 options provides access to the class only, which will run from 6-7:30 pm.

Azunia Tequila Dinner at Cantina Laredo
The Frisco location of the Mexican restaurant will offer a four-course dinner paired with Azunia tequila cocktails. But first, start with a tequila flight during an opening reception to sample all options. Dinner is $59.99 per person and begins at 7 pm.

Friday, November 5

Hattie B’s Texas Tease
The Nashville-based, family-founded and operated hot chicken spot will open its first Dallas location by spring 2022. Hold over the hunger pangs at three upcoming pop-up events, when Hattie B’s food truck, a 1974 Airstream, will serve a sampling of menu items. On Friday, head to Peticolas Brewing Company (5-9 pm or until sellout) for hot chicken sandwiches and fried pickles. Saturday, visit Klyde Warren Park (1-5 pm or until sellout) for samples of the Dirty Bird Fries topped with pimento mac and cheese and dark meat tender bites. On Sunday, the truck will be BrainDead Brewing (1-5 pm or until sellout) for hot chicken and Belgian waffles and hot chicken and bacon-cheddar grits.

World Food Championships
There’ll be more than 20 tasting experiences at this three-day culinary competition, where more than 1,500 chefs will compete for best in their category. To be held inside Centennial Hall at Fair Park Friday through Sunday, the event will feature bourbon and rib tastings, brunch and bubbly, barbecue sampling, “Grilling Grannies,” and more than 8,000 dishes to be judged. Ticket prices vary per event, but general admission starts at $15 and includes lots of opportunity for sampling.

Saturday, November 6

Chefs for Farmers
Highlighting local and regional farmers over three days with four different events, Chefs for Farmers is back after taking a year off. While Thursday’s Mot Hai Ba Dinner is sold out, tickets are available for two events on Saturday: The Farm Tour ($125, 10 am-4 pm) aboard a bus that will make three stops at area farms for drinks and seasonal dishes; and the Devour Street Food Festival ($85, 3-6 pm) at the AT&T Discovery District, featuring street food from more than a dozen restaurants. The Main Event ($125, 3-6 pm) will cap things off Sunday at Dallas Heritage Village, featuring Dallas chefs and restaurants with bites and drinks throughout the park.

RARE at Bear Creek Golf Club
Dine under the stars at the newly updated Dallas golf club during this dinner event featuring eight culinary action stations. Start with tray-passed oysters and pork belly bites before indulging in grilled specialties, from bison to redfish. The $99 all-inclusive price per person includes wine selections and craft cocktails, too. Doors open at 7 pm.

Sunday November 7

Dot's Hop House Five-Year Anniversary
Craft beer bar and beer garden in Deep Ellum opened in 2016, which feels like a lifetime ago in Deep Ellum years. Their creation of a sprawling outdoor space now feels clairvoyant in these post-pandemic times, and probably helped them survive. They'll celebrate the occasion by tapping some rare beers, with drink specials and giveaways including an anniversary T-shirt to the first 150 people. Party starts at 1 pm, live music starts at 2 pm.

dinner chefs wine

Opening News

New restaurant The Gibson fills needs of its North Dallas neighborhood

The Gibson

A swanky new restaurant has debuted in North Dallas after overcoming some major obstacles: Called The Gibson, it opened in November at 17552 North Dallas Pkwy., in the space previously occupied by Maguire's Bistro & Bar, after three years in the making.

Husband-and-wife Carl and Carrie Britton first purchased the building in 2022, intending to open a spinoff of The Funky Door, their fine-dining restaurant in Lubbock.

Carrie is a big wine buff who's certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers and is also a French Wine Scholar. She opened The Funky Door in 2010 — a rare fine-dining haven in Lubbock at the time. More recently, she's turned her attention to the Dallas area, opening a French restaurant called Vieux Carre in Flower Mound in 2023 (which is currently closed temporarily).

The Gibson was slated to open sooner, but in mid-construction, they were dealt a serious blow.

"In 2023, The Gibson was devastated by thieves," Carrie says. "They destroyed the building, doubling the remodeling budget in damage by stripping copper from the walls, stealing all the electrical wiring and components, stealing equipment, and destroying everything from the AC to the floors."

To make it worse, insurance wouldn’t cover the loss because it was theft.

"It was a blow that left me truly shaken, and for a long time I couldn’t even look at the pictures of the damage," she says. "Emotionally and financially, I had to really pray about whether I was going to get this done or not. But I really felt like it was something that I needed to do. I want to be victorious. I'm not going to be a victim."

She regained her passion, returning to the vision she had for the space.

“The building had its own personality — I felt like a kind of Hollywood glamor with a new Dallas edge would be perfect," she says.

The GibsonThe Gibson

The facade and decor have an Art Deco flavor with chandeliers, a color scheme with polished black surfaces and bronze accents, and a swooping bar in the center. They've added a patio, helping to make the space right off the Tollway feel more friendly and approachable.

The menu is American with steakhouse touches. There's a tomahawk for two, ribeye, filet, and NY Strip. Plus short ribs, salmon, a burger, vegetarian risotto, and sea bass with an unexpected white chocolate strawberry buerre blanc.

There are deviled eggs, crab cakes, shrimp cocktail, and fried pickles. Entree prices start at $20 and top out at $59 for the sea bass.

Cocktails include a pear martini and a Gibson with gin and dry vermouth, garnished with an onion. A large wine list includes what Carrie describes as “unicorns” — bottles that are hard to find, including a 1982 Lafitte.

"There are very rare wines, but we also have everything, starting from $40 a bottle," she says.

They're currently open for dinner with plans to add lunch, and there's definitely an audience. Maguire's had a big following and when The Gibson got vandalized, the neighbors came out in support.

"The neighborhood has been really awesome," Carrie says. "They would alert me when things were going on, and they were really great to help watch over it. That was a big motivation."

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