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.

lists craft-beer wine event-planner

Meatball News

Italian restaurant Sicilian Butcher preps meatballs for North Dallas

Sicilian Butcher

The meatballs are about to land: The Sicilian Butcher, the modern-casual restaurant known for meatballs, house-made pastas, and butchery-inspired Italian fare, has circled a date for the opening of its Addison-adjacent location in North Dallas at 5225 Belt Line Rd. #240, and the date is: August 7.

This marks their second Texas restaurant following the smashing debut of its Fort Worth location in July 2024.

The Sicilian Butcher was founded in Arizona in 2017 by award-winning Chef Joey Maggiore, and is popular for its build-your-own meal experience featuring gourmet meatballs and Sicilian-style bruschetta boards — alongside The Sicilian Baker, an Italian bakery attached to each Butcher location, which has its own innovative build-your-own cannoli bar experience.

It's part of the Maggiore Group, an Italian family-owned hospitality company that also includes concepts such as Hash Kitchen, The Mexicano, and The Italiano, which partnered with the Savory Fund in 2021 to expand the brand into neighboring states.

The North Dallas location will feature signature offerings including Chef Joey’s dishes, build-your-own pastas, Sicilian family platters, bruschetta boards, and more.

Other enticing menu items include

char-grilled artichokes
Neapolitan-style pizza
piadina — sandwiches, including chicken parm and eggplant parm, served on a thin, rustic Italian bread

They have all kinds of meatballs — Sicilian, sausage, eggplant — which you can order solo or in a variety, served on a meatball "wheel."

Salads include a Caesar, chopped, and a "Sicilian wedge" with iceberg, pickled fennel, tomato, crispy prosciutto, with creamy dolce gorgonzola and smoked bacon dressing. Pastas include pappardelle, tagliatelle, spaghetti, rigatoni, and gnocchi.

Like their other locations including Fort Worth, the restaurant will also house a location of The Sicilian Baker, which features a build-your-own cannoli bar, authentic Sicilian cannoli, rotating gelato flavors, and Italian pastry classics such as lobster tails and sfogliatelle, and espresso.

“We are so excited to bring a taste of Sicily to Dallas,” Maggiore says in a statement. “From our amazing house-made pastas and signature craft meatballs to our Build Your Own Cannoli Bar, we can’t wait to welcome guests into our kitchen and show them what true Sicilian hospitality is all about.”

North Dallas will be the fifth location across the Southwest, with a third Texas location set to open in San Antonio later this year. Hash Kitchen is also flourishing, with 10 locations across the Southwest, including Fort Worth and Pearland, both of which opened in 2024.

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