Holiday News

6 places in Dallas doing holiday afternoon tea for Christmas 2021

Tea during the holidays is a respite from the fray.

Hotel Crescent Court

Holidays are hectic and sitting down for tea might seem like the last thing you need. But that's precisely the point. Afternoon tea, with all of its refined traditions — the tiny bite-sized snacks you are required to nibble instead of devour, and yuck, the word nibble is annoying — is designed to serve as a respite from the fray.

Christmas tea is most often found at grand hotels, but in addition to those standbys, Dallas has a few other teas from which to choose.

(Note: These sell out fast. For example, all of the seats at the Hotel Crescent Court are already sold out.)

Here's where to find holiday tea in Dallas in 2021:

The Adolphus
Wednesday–Sunday (except Christmas Day and New Year's Day) 11 am–2:45 pm, through January 15 - $75 or $35 for 12 and under
Holiday Tea at The Adolphus in The French Room features a glass of Champagne and a three-course menu of tea sandwiches, scones, and pastries paired with loose leaf teas from Zatki, who create a custom tea blend just for The Adolphus. New in 2021 is their caviar service, featuring Regiis Ova Siberian Reserve Caviar, which can be eaten solo or added to buckwheat blini with crème fraîche and shaved yolk.

A special holiday tea will take place December 23-24, featuring the holiday tea menu along with Victorian Carolers, a photo opportunity with The Great Tree in The French Room, and a small gift upon departure.

Book online through Resy.com or call 214-651-3615 Wednesday-Sunday 10 am-4 pm. For parties of 8 or more, email azeppa@adolphus.com.

The Alexander Mansion
December 8-9, 12 noon - $65
The historic C.H. Alexander Mansion at 4607 Ross Ave. is transformed into a tearoom with elegant decorations, sweets and treats, tea, and sparkling champagne. This event hosted by the Dallas Woman's Forum is an annual tradition, and is already nearly sold out, but limited openings are still available December 8-9. Catered by The Chocolate Menu, the menu includes white chocolate cranberry scone, egg salad tea sandwich on pumpernickel bread, cucumber on white bread, chicken salad tartlet, ham and Gruyere cheese puff pastry, tomato basil soup, brownie bits, holiday linzer cookie, and meringue drop cookie. Call Holly Hall at 214-751-2300 to reserve.

Dallas Arboretum
Daily through December 31, except for Christmas Day - $53 or $63 with Champagne
Holiday tea at Arboretum takes place in a heated tent on the patio, with two seatings at 11 am and 2 pm. (It also takes place in the DeGolyer restaurant, but seating there is already sold out.) It includes soup, assorted tea sandwiches, and a third course of sweets, plus scones with clotted cream, jam, and seasonal tea selections. Price includes tax, gratuity, complimentary garden admission and parking; they recommend you plan extra time to park and get through the garden on time. Reservations are required at least 24 hours in advance, and can be made online; some days are already sold out. For info, call 214-515-6511 or teas@dallasarboretum.org.

Elm & Good
December 11 and December 18, 2-5 pm - $35
Restaurant at the Kimpton Pittman Hotel in Deep Ellum has debuted a holiday afternoon tea on Saturdays leading up to Christmas. Chef Graham Dodds comes by his tea knowledge first-hand since his mother is English. His menu includes tea sandwiches, Scottish shortbread, and scones. At $35, this one's a bargain. For reservations, call 469-498-2525.

Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas
December 12, December 19, December 26, 1-4 pm - $32 with a 4-person minimum
Holiday tea is held every Saturday in December in the Lobby Lounge, featuring Ikaati hot teas paired with sweets from pastry chef Yudith Bustos and savories from chef Paolo Gama, including caramel apple tart, opera chocolate cake, orange blossom Éclair, holiday cookies, lemon blueberry and brown butter pecan scones, lemon curd, orange marmalade, and tea sandwiches including smoked salmon with avocado crema, cucumber-mint-cream, chicken profiteroles, and a lobster roll. Reservations must be made 48 hours in advance; call 972-717-2420.

Ritz Carlton Dallas
December 11-12 and 18-19 from 1-3 pm - $85
The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas hosts a holiday version of its high tea with a glass of Champagne and sandwiches such as roast beef with onion jam, smoked salmon, cucumber-boursin, and egg-truffle-watercress, plus savory bakes like red currant scones, madeleines, cheddar crackers, and parmesan-leek croissant, and sweet bakes such as macarons, opera torte, and Key lime tart. Email ki.an@ritzcarlton.com.

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Pizza News

California-based Burattino Pizza to bring pepperoni pies to Plano

dallas.culturemap.com

A small pizzeria chain from Southern California is expanding its presence in DFW: Burattino Pizza, known for its thin-crust pepperoni pies, is opening a location in Plano, at 6405 W. Parker Rd. #300, taking over a space previously occupied by Papa John's.

According to DFW franchisee George Gomiashvili, the restaurant is slated to open in December.

Burattino was founded in 2016 in San Pedro, California, then acquired by entrepreneur Emil Chiaberi, whose savvy use of social media transformed the concept into a viral sensation, with millions of followers across Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

The chain has five locations in California, one in Salt Lake City, and one in North Richland Hills, its first in Texas, where its opening in March was met with long lines, true to form considering its crazy social media following.

Gomiashvili, a veteran restaurateur and winemaker from California, says that Burattino embodies "California-style pizza," with a thin, crunchy-yet-chewy crust, edge-to-edge toppings, and bold, imaginative recipes.

”It’s a crisp, thin crust baked in brick ovens with a strong focus on high-quality pepperoni pies and unique ingredients like fermented black garlic," Gomiashvili says. "The goal has always been to keep the menu simple but do a few things extremely well."

Burattino is most famous for its pepperoni pizzas, with multiple pepperoni options including pork, beef, and wild boar; and for the crunchiness of its crust.

Other notable menu items include:

Dirty Pepperoni — pepperoni and black olives on Burattino's Black Garlic Sauce
White Clam — white garlic sauce, chopped clams, bacon, garlic, oregano, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese
120 Pepperoni — pepperoni pizza with mozzarella and marinara sauce. The 120 stands for 120 slices of pepperoni
Mexican Pepperoni — red and green chorizo, bacon, garlic, red onion, jalapeños, mozzarella cheese, on chunky mild salsa

The Mercedes pizza is a sampler, allowing you to order three of Burattino's classic pizzas in one: Meatlovers, Hawaiian and Margherita, XL size only. Pizzas start at $13 for a cheese pizza and top out at $28 for the Mercedes.

In addition to pizza, they offer calzones, mozzarella sticks, salads such as a chicken Caesar, and baked wings in four flavors: plain, hot, Korean BBQ, and garlic parmesan. Much of their approach is "extreme" including the Cheese Lava Pie, with a four-cheese blend — mozzarella, provolone, feta, and Parmesan — placed both inside and on top of the crust, creating a hot cheese lava that makes for outrageous social media posts.

"The response to our recipes in North Richland Hills has been amazing," Gomiashvili says. "The 120 Pepperoni has been a standout, and our fermented black garlic pizzas and Cheese Lava Pie are other signatures that show what makes Burattino different."

Gomiashvili says they're still getting to know their audience in Texas, but that the reception they've received has been encouraging.

"Our approach is the same: distinctive pizza people love, generous portions, everyday prices and genuine hospitality," he says. "We want to become a neighborhood favorite that people feel connected to and come back to regularly."

In addition to Plano, they're also opening a location in Arlington at 6204 S. Cooper St. #108, forecast to debut in February 2027.

When it comes to scouting locations, they look for second-generation restaurant spaces that are easy to convert.

"Plano was a Papa John’s, and Arlington was a Simple Simon’s," Gomiashvili says. "Both had much of the infrastructure in place, which allows us to reopen more quickly. We also like Plano and Arlington for their dense, diverse communities and large families. That’s a great fit for our generous pizzas and everyday prices."

He says that the core menu and operating hours will be the same at all three locations. They'll also introduce specials and rotating pizzas.

"The main differences will be the service format and beverage program," he says. "Arlington will have a full bar with a cocktail program. Plano will focus mostly on delivery and takeout, potentially with some beer and wine to go rather than an extensive beverage program."

Meanwhile, for North Richland Hills, they've applied to sell beer and wine and anticipate they'll have approval in about a month.

openings pizza

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