This week in gluttony

These are the 9 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Dumplings from Fortune House Chinese restaurant.

Photo courtesy of Fortune House

Call it a quirky week – a time when school is back in session for some while summer’s scorch is still on full blast. Food and drink-wise, a Chinese restaurant will take over an Italian eatery, another Italian restaurant will host a movie night, and a dive bar will have a garage sale. It’s also still August, which means Hatch chile season is still upon us.

Tuesday, August 15

Fortune House X Terra Grill Takeover
Fortune House Chinese restaurant will join forces with Eataly’s Terra Grill for a unique fusion four-course dinner. The communal style dining event will include agnolotti soup dumplings, braised pork belly with bok choy and mushrooms, burrata with peaches, and house-made moscato sorbetto. The $95 per person price also includes three cocktails. Dinner begins at 6:30 pm.

Thursday, August 17

Hatch Buffet Dinner at Blue Mesa
Visit any location of the New Mexican-inspired restaurant for a festive buffet dinner featuring the flavor of the season – Hatch chiles. The piquant pepper will be found in posole, rellenos, glazed salmon, shrimp and grits, stuffed chicken, carne asada, and even infused in brownies. The buffet is $25 per person and will run from 5-9 pm. Pair it with a pineapple Hatch margarita, on special for $7. Or visit anytime this month for limited time Hatch pepper specials like crispy fried Hatch strip with ancho crema, and smoked chicken stacked enchiladas.

The Stoneleigh Speakeasy Series
The historic downtown hotel is continuing its centennial celebration with the final installment of its Stoneleigh Speakeasy Series. Participants will get an exclusive tour of the hotel’s iconic 11^th floor Library bar with 1920s-inspired food and cocktails. Tickets are not available for purchase, but rather folks can enroll for a chance to attend. The evening includes valet parking, dinner, two drinks, and live entertainment, and will run from 5:30-8:30 pm.

Natural Grocers Anniversary Celebration
Largest family-operated organic and natural grocery retailer in the U.S. celebrates 68 years of promoting health, wellness, and sustainable living with a three-day Anniversary Celebration, August 17-19, featuring savings, freebies, sweepstakes and on Thursday August 17, every Natural Grocers store will also host an in-store annual Ice Cream Social, where customers can enjoy a free frozen treat.

Saturday, August 19

McKinney Sips of Summer
There are 20 stops on this late-summer tasting journey around Historic Downtown McKinney, where patrons can peruse shops and bars while sampling tasty beverages. Libations will range from craft beer and seltzers to margaritas and Mai Tais. Tickets are $35 per person and include a map and tasting cup. Tasting time ranges include 12-2 pm, 2-4 pm, and 4-6 pm.

Addison After Dark: Pints & Pups
Addison Circle Park will host a “pawty” for canines and adults alike featuring beer sampling, live music, a pop-up dog park, and food trucks. Guests can purchase a $15 tasting card that includes five 4-ouce pours along with a souvenir tasting glass. Participating breweries include Four Corners Brewing Company, Hop & Sting Brewing Company, Texas Ale Project, and more. There’ll also be a “Barketplace” featuring dog and people-friendly vendors. Admission and parking are both free, and the event will run from 6-10 pm.

Espolon Tequila Dinner at Cantina Laredo
The Addison outlet of the modern Mexican restaurant will host a four-course tequila-pairing dinner exclusively featuring Espolon. Guests will be treated to a flight upon arrival followed by a different cocktail with each course. Menu highlights include grilled baby back ribs with pineapple glaze, shaved Brussels sprouts salad, duck with mole poblano or carne asada with chimichurri, and flan with chocolate cake. The dinner is $70 per person, before tax and gratuity, and begins at 7 pm.

Sunday, August 20

Grapevine Bar Bids Farewell to Maple Ave.
The Grapevine Bar will commemorate its last day on Maple Avenue with a garage sale party. There’ll be a DJ, photo booth, food truck, and opportunities to purchase décor and furnishings that aren’t making the move 2213 Butler St. The bar’s last day is officially August 23.

Movie Night at MoMo Italian Kitchen
Lake Highlands restaurant will host a Sunday night screening of Bottle Conditioned, a documentary that explores the small Belgian community of lambic beer. The movie night is in partnership with nearby Vector Brewing, whose brewers will be on-site to discuss their brewing process before the show. Tickets are $30 per person, which includes the movie and a bottle of Vector Rubus Rex sour beer. Movie start time is 6:30 pm, but folks are encouraged to have dinner before the show.

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Bakery news

Paris Baguette bakes up bread and croissants for new Dallas suburb

Photo courtesy of Paris Baguette

Croissants, breads, fruit-filled pastries, cream tarts.

International bakery-café Paris Baguette is bringing sweet things to Richardson, with the recent opening of a new location at 7615 Campbell Rd., Suite 106.

The Richardson restaurant (which technically comes up as North Dallas in the locations list, but is being called "Richardson") is headed by franchisees Sweta Goyal, Puneet Mittal, Mamta Singhal, and Rajneesh Singhal, two Dallas-based couples who grew up in India and turned their shared love for Paris Baguette into a five-unit development agreement, according to a release. The Richardson-area café is their first, with four more locations on the way.

“Paris Baguette was always a place our families loved to visit — it felt like a true neighborhood café,” Goyal says in the release. “Our goal is to bring that same warmth and sense of connection to the Richardson community and create a space where people can gather, relax, and enjoy fresh, high-quality baked goods every day.”

The Richardson café is the fast-growing brand’s 25th Texas. The first Dallas-Fort Worth location opened in Lewisville in 2019. They're quickly conquering every city in North Texas, from Mansfield to The Colony, from Rockwall to Flower Mound. Welcome to the fold, Richardson.

Paris Baguette is a chain known for its cakes, pastries, croissants, and breads, founded in Korea. The brand was founded in 1988 by Korean businessman Hur Young-in, and has locations in South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, and China.

Their lineup includes classic French-style goods that sometimes incorporate Asian ingredients, such as buns stuffed with red-bean filling.

Many of their items are croissant-based, and more than a few are savory, filled with ingredients like sausage and crab croquettes. They also have doughnuts, cronuts, cream puffs, and cream-filled pastries of all kinds. People also rave about their cakes.

As is the case with this style of bakery, most of the pastries are self-serve; you load them onto a tray and head for the cashier.

“We’re on a mission to reestablish the neighborhood bakery café as the heart of the community and we’re excited to see Sweta, Puneet, Mamta, and Rajneesh bring this to life in their local trade area,” says Darren Tipton, CEO of Paris Baguette, in the release. “In our cafés, we like to say, ‘Happy to see you. Happier to serve you.’ And we know the Richardson team will wholeheartedly embrace this approach in their neighborhood.”

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