This week in gluttony

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

First responders and teachers can get half-off their meal this weekend at STK Steakhouse.

STK Steakhouse

Labor Day is Monday, September 4 and many Dallas-area restaurants are taking advantage of the long weekend to expand their brunch service. But first, say “bye” to summer (unofficially) with a sip-and-stroll tasting and summer beer dinner, along with a homage to Sauvignon Blanc. And tell your favorite first responder that a snazzy steakhouse is offering 50 percent this weekend just for them.

Thursday, August 31

The World of Sauvignon Blanc at Tango Room
Experience a blind, three-flight tasting of summer’s perfect wine varietal: Sauvignon Blanc. The 60-minute guided tasting will come with the chef’s selection of small bites. Guests can also get 20 percent off their dinner reservation afterward. Tickets are $115, plus tax, and the event begins at 6 pm.

Bye, Bye Summer Beer Dinner at On Rotation
Celebrate the unofficial end of summer with a four-course saison beer dinner at the Lemmon Avenue brewery and kitchen. Menu highlights include watermelon salad, pan-seared scallops, and lemon-blackberry tart with hazelnut whipped cream. Dinner is $60, plus tax and a small fee, and comes with beer pairings for every course. Arrive by 7 pm.

Friday, September 1

Labor Day Weekend for First Responders at STK Steakhouse
Doctors, nurses, police officers, firefighters, EMTs, hospital workers, and teachers, take note: you’ll get half off your meal this weekend at STK Steakhouse. The “vibe dining” destination, known for its prime steaks and party atmosphere (there’s a DJ booth in the middle of the restaurant), will also give a $50 dining credit to all its Friends with Benefits members. (Sign up for that here.) The offers are good Friday through Monday.

Say Goodbye to Summer Wines & Spirits Tasting at Omni PGA Frisco
Savor the unofficial end of summer with an adults-only sip-and-stroll. Guests will get 10 drink samples to enjoy on The Monument Realty lawn at the flashy new Frisco resort. Sips will range from white and rose wines along with espresso martini ice cream pour-overs and prosecco with popsicles. Tickets are $62, plus tax and a small fee, and the event will run from 6-9 pm. Wearing white (and comfortable shoes) is encouraged.

Monday, September 4

The following restaurants are hosting special Labor Day brunch events:

Bulla Gastrobar
The Legacy West restaurant will host its Spanish-style brunch from 11 am-4 pm with mimosa towers and menu offerings like hazelnut waffles and “Huevos Bulla.”

Ida Claire
Visit from 10 am-4 pm for a Southern-inspired brunch featuring fried chicken and waffles, pull-apart cinnamon rolls, and Ida’s biscuits paired with brunch cocktails.

Mexican Sugar
The fancy Mexican restaurant will offer its brunch at all location Monday featuring dishes like cajeta French toast, steak and eggs, and Benedictos rancheros with masa cakes. The Plano location will host brunch from 11 am-3 pm and the Las Colinas and Uptown locations will run from 11 am-4 pm.

Whiskey Cake
Indulge in a Cold Old Fashioned 2.0 paired with lemon blueberry French toast, the Hangover Burger, or the Farmer’s Breakfast from 11 am-3 pm.

Fish City Grill
All locations of the upscale seafood chain will host a Cajun shrimp boil for $16.99 all day long. Wash it down with $5 Gold Margaritas.

wine brunch beer news-you-can-eat

Deep Ellum News

Mexican 'vibe' restaurant from California to open in Deep Ellum Dallas

Mama Por Dios

A buzzy concept from California is coming to Dallas: Mama Por Dios, a Mexican restaurant chain known for its vibe, will open its first location in Texas in Deep Ellum in the Epic development at 2525 Elm St., taking over the former La Neta space, which shuttered in May.

According to a spokesperson, the restaurant will open in early to mid-January.

Mama Por Dios was founded in Southern California in 2020 by chef Misael Guerrero, who famously got his start selling Mexican sushi out of his garage.

Since those early days, he's gone on to form a restaurant empire called Emme Group, with concepts that include Los Amores de Julia, El Rincon de Los Dolidos, and Culichi Town, a lower-priced chain known for Sinaloa-style Mexican sushi & seafood, which has a local presence: It opened a location in Mesquite in 2022.

Mama Por Dios — which translates to "Mother of God" — describes itself as modern Mexican, offering a unique blend of steakhouse, sushi bar, and seafood. The menu includes favorites like tacos and enchiladas, alongside luxe dishes like lobster with spaghetti, lobster enchiladas, and a surf & turf featuring a lobster tail balanced atop a skirt steak. Prices range from $18 for birria tacos to $48 for a bacon-wrapped filet mignon with mashed potatoes and asparagus.

But they also have a showy side that includes flamboyant presentations such as the bacon-wrapped shrimp which come strung on clothespins; or the trompito al pastor, served on a personal spit, as well as servers who walk around with shots while dancing with patrons.

There's a Gold Burger for $65 featuring Prime beef on a brioche bun garnished with 24k gold leaf, and a similarly gilded tomahawk steak for $400 that brings to mind the good old days of Salt Bae. Decor is swanky with low lighting, and there'll be a serious brunch offering on weekends.

Cocktails such as the Al Agua Pato — served in a mini bathtub with a rubber ducky — are made for Instagram. They offer margarita and mezcalita flights with flavors such as mango, tamarindo, and strawberry, and intriguing sips like Carajillo, a Spanish cocktail with Licor 43, espresso, and 43 different fruit, citrus, aromatic, and herbal ingredients.

There’s also a $20 per-person minimum spend, and the menu comes with a warning that everything is cooked to order — meaning some dishes may take 30 to 40 minutes. For many diners, waiting will surely be part of the experience.

deep-ellum tex-mex openings