This week in gluttony

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

Get your brunch on at Electric Shuffle.

Photo courtesy of Electric Shuffle

From brunch with Santa to a holiday burlesque dinner, events are wide-ranging this week, but all share a common theme: holiday merriment. Ugly Christmas sweaters are still a thing, so hang onto yours for a multi-level bar crawl. Also save room for seven nights in a row of holiday buffet dining with a garden view.

Tuesday, December 14

Woodford Reserve Dinner at Ida Claire
A whopping six courses, each paired with a unique Woodford Reserve whiskey cocktail, are included in this very merry pairing dinner at the Addison Southern-inspired restaurant. While the menu is impressive with its chanterelle mushroom bisque with black garlic, prime rib, and classic buche de Noel for dessert, the libations might be the showstoppers. Highlights include the Naughty & Spice made with chai simple syrup, and the Up to Snow Good with crème de cacao and raspberry simple syrup. Dinner is $110 per person and begins at 7 pm.

Wine & Cheese Pairing at Legacy Hall
Set to take place in the Plano food hall’s Tonic Bar & Lounge, this tasting class comes with four wines paired artisan cheeses. Wines will be from Napa Valley and Burgundy, France. The class is $65 per person and begins at 6:30 pm.

Wednesday, December 15

Clink & Drink Wine Dinner
Clink Wine Bar + Bites in Flower Mound will host its final wine dinner of the year, this one featuring Australia’s d’Aernberg wines, a favorite of Clink’s owner Laura Black. Four courses, including roasted Gulf shrimp, fennel-mascarpone ravioli, Australian lamb lollipops, and red wine poached pear, will be paired with wines. Dinner is $95 per person and begins at 6 pm. Call 469-240-1660 for reservations.

Friday, December 17

Holiday Buffet Dinner at the Dallas Arboretum
Friday kicks off seven nights of holiday buffet dining at Arboretum. Menu items range from carved sirloin with horseradish cream sauce to herb-crusted halibut and cheesecake with wild cherry sauce. Dinner is $75 per person (Children 2-12 are $45) and seating times are at 6 and 7:30 pm. The buffet will run nightly through December 23.

Naughty or Nice: A Holiday Burlesque Dinner at Virgin Hotels Dallas
Missy Lisa and her ladies from Ruby Revue Burlesque will entertain guests during this theater-style dinner, which will include bubbly, boozy hot cocoa, and food stations. The price is $125 per person or $175 for premium seating and a bottle of sparkling for the table. Note that seating is communal and there are two seating times, 7 or 9:30 pm.

Saturday, December 18

Santa Brunch at Electric Shuffle
The brand new Deep Ellum bar, restaurant, and electric shuffleboard destination will host Santa himself this weekend for a holiday brunch at a special price. Normally $50 per person, the brunch will be $35 per person both Saturday and Sunday and includes bacon jam pizza, brunch boards for sharing, and a bottle of bubbly per person. Electric shuffleboard games also are included. Brunch will be served from 10 am-3 pm and reservations are recommended. Don't forget to don your most festive Christmas attire.

Ugly Sweater Bar Crawl at Legacy Hall
Here’s a bar crawl that keeps all stops within easy distance. Navigate Legacy Hall’s three floors for five bars and have a Christmas cocktail at each. Tickets are $45 per person and include a holiday glass and admission to an Elton John tribute show. Dress in your holiday sweater best. The crawl starts at 8:30 pm.

Un-Tipsy Days at The Tipsy Elf
The Bishop Arts District holiday pop-up bar will host a family-friendly afternoon of Christmas festivities. Bring the kids for cookies, hot cocoa, coloring, and crafts. Parents can stay sane with a Tipsy Elf cocktail. The event is free, first-come, first-serve, and will run from 1-4 pm.

holidays cocktails news-you-can-eat brunch

Now brewing

New Love Field-area coffee shop brews matcha and community in Dallas

Instagram/Go Culture Cafe

A matcha drink from Go Culture Cafe.

A new coffee shop and gathering space is coming to the Dallas Love Field area. Called Go Culture Cafe, it will be located at 5606 Maple Ave., Ste. 110, near Inwood Rd., and will open after the Fourth of July.

The concept comes from Farhan Fallahi, an Iran-born fashion designer who has lived in Dallas for 11 years and owns the wedding and event planning company Wedding Erah.

The 1,000-square-foot coffee shop is designed to be a collaboration hub, he says, outfitted with benches, chairs, small tables, and a large coffee bar.

The drink menu will include traditional espresso options like lattes, macchiatos, and mochas, alongside a variety of matcha beverages. Specialty drinks will feature a saffron matcha, saffron latte, fig matcha, fig latte, and an extra-creamy matcha made with heavy cream. They will also offer a mocha latte topped with a cold matcha foam. All coffee drinks will be priced under $9.

To source their beans, they have partnered with Eiland, the Richardson-based artisan roaster.

Additionally, Go Culture Cafe will serve specialty, high-protein smoothies packed with nuts, dates, fruit, and other premium, health-conscious ingredients. The 16-ounce smoothies will retail for around $18.

An iced mocha latte topped with cold matcha foam, one of the signature specialty drinks at Go Culture Cafe.Photo courtesy of Go Culture Cafe

For food, Fallahi is partnering with several local bakeries to offer pastries such as a banana bread cookie, red velvet cookie, and matcha muffins, as well as savory items like avocado toast and cottage cheese toast. All food items will be priced below $10.

The idea for the coffee shop came up unexpectedly, he says.

“I started doing a lot of events and flower pop-ups in front of restaurants and cafes," Fallahi says. "It was cool to see how people would connect over pastries and coffee."

He initially looked into launching a coffee truck before finding the brick-and-mortar location next to a RaceTrac gas station. The building previously housed a coin laundry and a vacant storefront before the landlord divided it into smaller retail spaces.

Fallahi admittedly has no prior background or experience in the coffee industry, which is actually the inspiration behind the entire concept.

“When you start a business from the ground up, it can be very lonely,” he says.

He designed Go Culture Cafe to be a destination for anyone starting something new and seeking inspiration or motivation. The “Go” in the name is a direct invitation for people to “go for it.”

“Whatever it is you’re going after, go for it, even if you don’t feel completely ready," Fallahi says. "Nobody knows exactly what they are doing. Go Culture Cafe is a space for people to gather, collaborate, and make connections.”

Hours of operation will be 7 am-7 pm Monday-Saturday an 9 am-5 pm Sunday.

A grand opening is planned for mid-July, featuring live music, a balloon artist, and other surprises, he says. True to the cafe's roots, the space will host future pop-up events and collaborations to foster community connection.

coffee shop dallas love field matcha coffee