Shop Small, Shop Local

Feel-good reasons to shop at the Dallas Farmers Market this holiday season

If it's the season to be busy, Dallas Farmers Market is right there with you. The city's go-to place for fresh produce and artisanal finds has a calendar that's jam-packed through the rest of the year, full of everything from a tasty tamale celebration to visits from Old Saint Nick himself.

It's also a good time of year to remember the impact that shopping local has, especially when it comes to the farmers and makers that populate the Dallas Farmers Market.

There are several woman- and family-owned businesses at the DFM, and each and every vendor is local to Texas. Instead of shopping local just one weekend a year, you can do it 52 times.

So mark your calendar for these events, and make sure to keep DFM in mind when planning your holiday shopping. While you're there, pick up a coveted Mama Ida shopping bag to hold all your purchases.

November 30, Shop Small Saturday and The Boho Market
The holiday shopping tradition celebrates small businesses like those you'll find at the DFM, and you can take part. You will find unique items from local makers, curators, and artisans along with local music, games, and more. Get your holiday shopping done early and support your local community by shopping local at this dog- and kid-friendly event (that also has free admission!). The Boho Market is open from 10 am-5 pm, The Market is open 11 am-7 pm, and The Shed is open 9 am-5 pm.

November 30, December 7, December 14, visits with Santa
Make way for the merriest man of the hour — Santa Claus is coming to the DFM for three days only, from 10 am-2 pm. Bring the whole family — pets and all — to tell Santa who's been a good boy and girl this year. Get prints for $15 to capture your holiday memory forever and write Santa a letter inside The Market.

December 7, Tamale Day
Get a taste of a Texas Christmas at the Dallas Farmers Market. Get cozy as you eat tamales from local vendors and shop 'til you drop in the holiday market.

December 14, The Boho Market and Victorian carolers
Feel a little extra festive as you listen to the Victorian carolers that will be roaming the DFM from 11 am to 2 pm while you shop. A return of The Boho Market means even more goodies to choose.

Wondering where to park for all these fun times? Check the DFM website for a parking map, which outlines the street, lot, and garage options. In addition to your Mama Ida reusable bag, there are also wagons you can borrow from the information booth to help cart all your finds out to the car.

Dallas Farmers Market has plenty in store for the holiday season.

Photo by Ashley Tobar

Dallas Farmers Market has plenty in store for the holiday season.

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Omakase News

Downtown Dallas omakase restaurant Sauvage offers new dining twist

Sauvage

A downtown Dallas restaurant famous for its high-end omakase experience is letting its hair down: Sauvage, the wood-fire omakase restaurant near the Statler Dallas hotel, has a new dining option that gives a smaller, more casual taste.

The restaurant opened in September with a set menu featuring 16 to 18 courses — wild game, seafood, vegetables, and dessert — all cooked via grill and smoker.

While 16 courses might sound like a lot, the omakase style features mostly small bites. However, owners Casey and Amy LaRue received feedback from diners wanting a smaller option.

"We were getting a ton of messages from guests who want to stop by just to try one dish, a bite, or a specific pairing without committing to the full tasting — so we built something for exactly that," Casey says.

They've introduced a new three-course "Cocktails & Bites hour" featuring three dishes, each paired with its own cocktail, served from 5–6 pm on weekdays.

Last week’s menu consisted of:

dry-aged red snapper crudo with La Chinola Way, a cocktail featuring passionfruit, mezcal, lime, and ginger
foie gras & truffle on house-baked croissant with Pendennis Club, a gin sour with apricot liqueur bitters
jerk-spiced shrimp with Clarified Paper Plane, a bourbon cocktail with Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice

The new offering continues their pattern of pairing courses with cocktails rather than wine — an approach they've embraced since opening. "Limiting pairings to wine can get boring — it so often ends up being one expensive red after another," Casey says.

You can make a reservation on Tock, or just walk in and grab a seat.

Caviar
They've also added a new version of their classic omakase that can be ordered without caviar.

"Some love having caviar integrated into the menu, but others prefer to skip it, whether for taste or dietary reasons, but still want the full value of the experience," Casey says. "With such a small counter, this put us in a strange position: do we give everyone caviar whether they want it or not, or do we remove it entirely and lose a core part of our menu?"

Thus, a new menu without caviar, priced at $195, with an optional caviar course available for those who want it for $245.

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