This week in gluttony

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

Cheers to a busy week of events, including a tequila-pairing dinner at La Neta.

La Neta Cocina y Lounge/Facebook

Events leading up to Independence Day are busy, ranging from a free mixology class to Manhattans paired with magic shows. Speaking of July 4, revelers can celebrate the holiday a day early at one of two fireworks watch parties. (A complete list of top July 4 events and fireworks is here.) Note that our neighbor to the north – Canada – will also celebrate an Independence Day this week, and there’s a restaurant planning an all-day party for the occasion.

Tuesday, June 27

Texas Lighting Classic at Midnight Rambler
The Joule’s underground cocktail lounge will host three top Texas bars for a craft cocktail tasting for a cause. Bartenders from Nickel City (Austin, Fort Worth), DrinkWell (Austin), and Bandista (Houston) will visit to mix up drinks for the event, which will benefit Southern Smoke Foundation, a nonprofit that provides assistance to food and beverage industry workers. Tickets are $30 and include drink samples from all four participating bars. Chef Josh Harmon will be on site to serve his signature fried chicken favorites for purchase. The event will run from 7 pm to midnight.

Wednesday, June 28

Old World, New World Wine Tasting at Terroir – A Place for Wine
The Garland Road wine shop will host a complimentary come-and-go wine tasting of new additions to their inventory. Wines to be presented will come from France, Turkey, Argentina, and Spain. Light hors d’oeuvres will be served for pairing. Visit anytime between 5-7 pm. Reservations are encouraged to help ensure there’s enough wine to go ‘round.

Osadia Tequila Dinner at Te Deseo
Enjoy a three-course dinner paired with Osadia tequilas at the Harwood District restaurant. After dinner, plan to stay for Havana Night featuring rooftop salsa dancing and complimentary cigars rolled on-site. The dinner is $75, plus tax and gratuity. Arrive by 6 pm for a cocktail reception with dinner to follow at 7 pm.

Casa del Sol Tequila Dinner at La Neta Cocina y Lounge
The very vibey Las Vegas-based La Neta Cocina y Lounge will host a four-course tequila pairing dinner featuring Casa del Sol. Menu highlights include octopus tacos with habanero salsa and avocado mousse, and masa crusted lamb with cauliflower puree. Tequila representations will include blanco, reposado, anejo, reserve anejo, and a welcome cucumber mint margarita. Dinner is $75, plus and gratuity, and begins at 8 pm.

Saturday, July 1

Canada Day at Maple Leaf Diner
The Canadian-owned restaurant will celebrate Canada’s Independence Day with menu specials and extended hours. Visit all day from 7 am-7 pm for various poutines, pierogies, butter tarts, and more. Free t-shirts will be given out with purchase from the special menu at 7 am and 3:30 pm, while they last. Don’t forget to wear red and white.

Monday, July 3

Ida Claire’s Kaboom Town Block Party
Catch a great view of Addison’s July 4 Kaboom Town fireworks show from the Ida Claire parking lot. They'll serve backyard barbecue family-style favorites, including grilled chicken, ribs, potato salad, grilled corn, and mac and cheese; along with red, white, and blue frozen cocktail flights. Entry is $10 at the door for first-come, first-serve seating, or make reservations now for a table, which comes with complimentary valet parking. A Fleetwood Mac cover band will provide live music, and the party will run from 4-10 pm.

Kaboom Town Watch Party at Oak’d BBQ
The Addison barbecue spot will host a Kaboom Town watch party where patrons can stay cool, fed, and hydrated. The $65 ticket is per vehicle and includes a parking lot for prime fireworks viewing and one trip through the buffet for each person inside the car. Buffet will include items like sliders, tacos, chips, salsa, and more. There’ll also be drink specials, live music, a bounce house for the kids and yard games. Lots open at 4 pm and closes promptly at 8 pm.

Mixology Mondays at The Parlor
The upscale lounge bar inside the Sheraton Dallas has launched Monday mixology lessons. The best part: the lessons are free and open to the public. Come and go between 5-7 pm for complimentary demonstrations on how to make classic summer cocktails with a few tricks of the trade. Upcoming lessons will feature sangria (July 3), raspberry gin smash (July 10), watermelon margarita (July 17), and blackberry whiskey lemonade (July 24).

Manhattans & Magic at Bourbon & Banter
Pair a Manhattan with a bit of mystique during Bourbon & Banter’s new Monday night magic shows. The intimate Prohibition-era lounge inside The Statler hotel will host a magician who’ll perform table-side tricks. The bar’s barrel-aged Manhattan made with Balcones Pot Still Bourbon will be on special for $15 until 8 pm. The event will run from 5-9 pm on Mondays.

holidays wine cocktails news-you-can-eat

Chai News

Dubai tea chain Filli Cafe steams into Carrollton for Dallas debut

fillicafe.com

Snack and coffee from Filli Cafe

An international tea house chain from Dubai has made its Dallas debut: Called Filli Cafe, it just opened softly in Carrollton at 1205 W. Trinity Mills Rd. #101, in the same center as Al Markaz Restaurant and Groceries.

Dubbed "Dubai's most loved tea cafe chain," Filli Cafe is known for its signature Zafran chai tea and creative South Asian street foods including chaats and wraps.

The chain was born in Dubai in 2004 when founder Rafih Filli took over his father's small cafeteria in Dubai and rebranded it, using his high school nickname "Filli." He created Filli Cafe's intriguing menu and also established its laid-back culture, emphasizing it as a place for friends to hang out, with a motto of "global street bites, chai moments, and a whole lot of Tea n' Talk."

It has since grown to more than 74 cafes across 14 countries, and made its debut in the U.S. in 2022 with the first location opening in Sugar Land near Houston. There are now nine locations in the U.S. including Chicago, New York, Virginia, and Columbus, Ohio.

The DFW location is from the same group of friends and family that brought it to Houston, led by food & beverage veteran Sajid Iqbal, who says they plan to open at least one or two more locations in the DFW area.

Beverages
The signature Zafran Chai is a rich milk tea with saffron, sugar, and "secret" spices, while the Karak Chai is a traditional, strong spiced milk tea.

These are a departure from typical chai which contains a mix of spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Karak chai opts for fewer spices — often just cardamom or saffron — and relies on extra-strong black tea simmered with evaporated or condensed milk.

Filli also sells regularly spiced masala chai; traditional pink Kashmiri chai with cardamom and almonds; and milk with zafran — like their signature Zafran Chai, but minus the tea.

Beyond chai, there are espresso-based drinks such as cappuccino and latte; matcha lattes; hot chocolate; coffee drinks like dalgona, the trendy whipped coffee with steamed milk; iced coffees; frappuccino-style frozen drinks; iced tea and herbal teas of all kinds; lemonades in various flavors; and even mocktails like fruity mojitos.

Food and drink at Filli Cafe. www.visitdelohio.com

Food
The food is a creative, well-executed fusion of familiar dishes like breakfast and burgers with South Asian spices. For example, the Shawarma Jalapeno Melt with marinated shawarma chicken, jalapenos, and cheese.

There are also

sliders — in five varieties including beef burger, fried chicken, and Aloo Tikki Sliders featuring a crispy fried Aloo cutlet — aka potato patties — all served on Hawaiian buns
paratha rolls — a South Asian street food featuring kebabs or vegetables enclosed in a flaky, pan-fried flatbread called a paratha
samosas — fried dumplings with a variety of fillings
chaat — a street style snack with chickpeas, potatoes, yogurt, and tamarind-mint sauce, topped with crispy wafers, onions, green chillies, tomatoes, cilantro, and chaat masala
rice bowls
loaded fries
pizza, in a long oblong format, in varieties such as one topped with Indian butter chicken

The menu is entirely halal, meaning that all ingredients are processed according to Islamic guidelines. Food prices range from $8 to $20, while the beverages range from $2.50 to $8.

Iqbal notes that Filla Cafe has wide appeal, whether it's people seeking halal foods, people who crave fusion flavors, or people who love coffee.

"We have a motto on the wall, 'Uniting cultures, one cup at a time,'" he says.

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