This week in gluttony

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

Learn to make a few new dishes with the chef at Asian Mint.

Photo by Kathy Tran

Holiday parties are popping up early, with one local brewery hosting one of the first Christmas-themed soirees of the season. There are also wine dinners aplenty, including one that comes with five glorious courses of truffle-infused dishes. Also on the list: an Asian cooking class, a famous cookbook author chat, and an anniversary party where everyone is encouraged to wear white.

Monday, November 14

Staglin Wine Dinner at Gemma
The modern American bistro on Henderson Avenue invites wine lovers for a five-course dinner paired with California’s Staglin wines. Two Chardonnays and two Cabernet Sauvignons will be paired with jumbo lump crab salad, fall squash risotto, chicken porchetta, Wagyu beef cheeks, and almond cake with cardamon, orange blossom, and pistachio. The dinner is $250 plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 6 pm with cocktails and appetizers.

Wednesday, November 16

Be Our Guest Chef Series at The French Room
The French Room will open its doors for limited dinner service to welcome guest chef Tom Cunanan, a James Beard Award recipient who hails from the Philippines and who’s worked in renowned kitchens across Washington D.C. Cunanan’s five-course tasting menu will include exotic flavors with ingredients like squid, prawns, clams, and soft-shell crab. The tasting menu is $150 plus tax and gratuity, and will be offered through Saturday. Wine pairings or a mix of wine and cocktail pairings may be added for $68. Reservations are limited.

Hall Wines Dinner Series at Ellie’s
The Napa-inspired restaurant at the Hall Arts Hotel will feature the popular Hall, Walt, and Baca wines during this four-course pairing dinner from executive chef Anthony Hsia. Dinner is $125 plus tax and begins at 6:30 pm.

J. Lohr Wine Dinner at Hotel Vin
Cynthia Lohr, co-owner of California’s J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, will visit the Grapevine hotel for a four-course wine-pairing dinner in the Bordeaux Ballroom. Chardonnay, two Cabernets, and a Petite Syrah will be paired with a seafood starter, lemon, basil, and fontina tortellini, Wagyu prime rib, and red velvet cake with cheesecake mousse and chocolate glaze. Dinner is $200 plus service charge and tax, and begins with a reception at 6 pm. Also note that Hotel Vin’s Winter Wonderland pop-up begins Friday for the holiday season, featuring the hotel’s popular igloo bubbles available for happy hour or dinner reservations. (This year they’re decked out with après ski lodge décor.) Reservations start at $150, plus tax and gratuity, for a bottle of wine and fondue to share during happy hour.

Thursday, November 17

Asian Cooking Class at Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
Spend your lunch hour (or two) learning how to create flavorful Asian dishes from chef Nikky Phinyawatana of the Bangkok-inspired restaurant group Asian Mint. The hands-on class will feature crispy egg rolls with sweet-and-sour sauce and Thanksgiving Thai Fried Rice. The class is $89 ($79 for Arboretum members) and will run from 11 am-1:30 pm.

An Evening with Nigella Lawson
Food writer, author, and TV cook Nigella Lawson will sit and share in tasty conversation with Good Morning Texas host Jane McGarry during an evening at the Eisemann Center, Hill Performance Hall. Lawson will talk about her latest book, Cook, Eat, Repeat, which compiles a combination of recipes and narrative essays. She’s written 12 books total that have sold more than 12 million copies worldwide. Seats range from $35 to $60, and the event begins at 7:30 pm.

Friday, November 18

First Anniversary of Villa Azur
The South-of-France-inspired eatery and entertainment destination, which originated in Miami Beach, will mark its first anniversary in Dallas with a theme party. Guests are invited to light up the night and wear all white for dinner and a show. Entertainment will include live music, dancers, and DJ tunes from 6:30 pm-2:30 am. Mediterranean dishes for the evening will feature truffle burrata and the Instagram-worthy pates a la meule – pasta prepared tableside in a wheel of parmesan cheese flambeed in cognac. Dinner is a la carte.

Saturday, November 19

Holiday Party Kick-off at Pegasus City Brewery
Christmas has arrived early at this downtown Dallas brewery, which is now serving wine and cider alongside its lineup of 18 craft beers on tap. Celebrate with a holiday party to include live music and games like wreath toss, wrapping competition, and holiday music bingo. Food and artisan gift vendors will add the to fun. The event runs from noon to 11 pm.

Sunday, November 20

Truffle Wine Pairing Dinner at Trova Wine + Market
Truffle lovers, this one's for you. The Dallas wine shop and bar will present its newest dishes, each kissed with the tantalizing treat that is truffle. Menu highlights include leek and sweet onion focaccia with whipped ricotta and butter board and shaved truffle, shaved truffle-topped lamb chops, truffle artichoke soup, and red wine poached pears with truffle honey ice cream. Each course will be paired with wines. The dinner is $135 plus tax, and begins at 7 pm.

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Design District News

Baja California style restaurant to open in Dallas Design District

Courtesy rendering

Puerto Cocina

A new restaurant celebrating California's Baja coast is coming to Dallas' Design District: Called Puerto Cocina & Bar, it'll be a seafood-forward restaurant opening at the new 155 River Edge development in early December, with a coffee program, breakfast, lunch, grab-and-go items, and dinner.

According to a release, the restaurant is from culinary entrepreneurs and restaurateurs Mauricio Gallegos and Gerardo Barrera, following the success of their other concepts, Xaman Café and Ayahuasca Cantina.

“When we partnered up years ago, we wanted to create culturally aware new brands that highlight the richness and diversity of our Mexican culture,” Barrera says in a statement. “Puerto Cocina & Bar is yet another extension of our Mexican heritage, offering guests a menu of dishes with highly curated flavors, works of art and design that enhance awareness, and music to complete the full, sensory experience.”

Gallegos calls it "the next chapter of the work we started at Xaman Café and Ayahuasca Cantina."

“The spaces we create illustrate our passion for our cultural heritage and community," Gallegos says. "They help us pass down our experiences and highlight our roots through storytelling, all while capturing the places of our travels through design and world-class hospitality.”

Puerto Cocina & Bar will celebrates the relaxed sophistication of the Baja California coast, with a focus on craft, culture, and community.

The culinary program and operations are being developed in partnership with Oh Hi! Hospitality, a new hospitality and consulting group launched earlier this year by award-winning culinary veterans Chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman, Victor E. Rojas, and Carlos Marquez. The menu will feature seafood including a raw bar, crudos & tiraditos, house-made tortillas, and an emphasis on various shellfish and roe/caviar.

The wine list will spotlight the depth and diversity of Mexican winemaking, with 100 percent of the offerings coming from producers in Mexico including winemakers from Valle de Guadalupe and Baja California Sur, Queretaro, and Coahuila.

The cocktail program will blend regional Mexican flavors and contemporary techniques — a continuation of the innovative program employed at Ayahuasca Cantina.

The interior design led by Dallas-based Coevál Studio will feature an elegant-yet-relaxed space echoing the contemporary coastal direction of the concept as envisioned by Barrera and Gallegos, with handmade ceramics, natural textiles, and a warm color palette of ocean greens, sand, and coral.

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