This week in gluttony

These are the 8 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

A high-rise steakhouse will debut its new chef this week.

SER Steak + Spirits

It’s a week of wine dinners, with at least half the list featuring themed meals paired with various vino at dining destinations all over town. Also on the list is a cocktail dinner for those who prefer spirits to Sauvignon Blanc, an anniversary party at a girl-group hot spot, and a guest chef who became an internet sensation for his salting skills will make an appearance at a local steakhouse.

Don't forget: The CultureMap Dallas Tastemaker Awards are coming up soon, on May 4. Get your tickets here before they're gone.

Monday, April 17

Salt Bae at Nusr-Et Steakhouse
The guy who makes seasoning things look ever so fancy will make an appearance at Nusr-Et Steakhouse. Nusret Gökçe, aka “Salt Bae,” is a Turkish butcher, chef, entertainer, and restaurateur who went viral a few years ago thanks to a meme showcasing his sleek salt sprinkling skills. Meet him during dinner with a reservation at the premium steakhouse.

Tuesday, April 18

Wine Dinner at Baonecci Ristorante
The authentic Italian restaurant in Frisco Heights will host a wine dinner featuring Tuscan cuisine and Italian wines. Highlights from the five-course meal include crostini with Tuscan chicken liver pate and ribollita soup. Dinner is $170 and will begin at 5 pm.

Lockwood Distilling Co. Cocktail Dinner at Urban Rio
The Plano cantina and grill will host a four-course dinner featuring cocktail pairings made with local spirits from Lockwood Distilling Co. Each course will come with a different cocktail. Dinner is $70, including tax and gratuity, and begins at 6:30 pm.

Wednesday, April 19

Orin Swift Wine Experience at SER Steak + Spirits
The upscale steakhouse atop the Hilton Anatole hotel debuts a new executive chef this week. Born and raised in Dallas, Aubrey Murphy trained under chefs Dean Fearing and John Tesar, then spent several years cooking at the five-star Grand Wailea resort in Maui before serving as culinary director for Trinity Groves restaurant group. Murphy will pair exclusive small plates with rare wines during this multicourse tasting experience. Items range from Hamachi carpaccio and crispy sweetbread to bavette of beef and strawberry rhubarb. The experience is $150 and will be available Wednesday through Friday by reservation.

Thursday, April 20

“Elvis Slept Here” Wine Dinner at Le Meridien Dallas, The Stoneleigh
As part of The Stoneleigh hotel’s centennial year celebrations, this four-course winner is inspired by “The King” himself, who stayed in the hotel in 1956. All menu items – which are themed after famous musicians – will be paired with Chateau Ste. Michelle wines. Highlights include Jimi Hendrix smoked salmon tartine, Judy Garland Over the Rainbow salad, and Frank Sinatra My Way eggplant involtini with ground veal. The event is also sponsored by Live Nation, and word is there’ll be a special surprise guest. Tickets are $105, plus a service fee and tax, and the event will run from 6-9 pm.

Saturday, April 22

Chef Tiffany Derry at Sprouts Farmers Market
Dallas chef Tiffany Derry (Roots Southern Table, Roots Chicken Shak) will make a special appearance at the new Trinity Mills Sprouts Farmers Market location. Visit from 11 am-1 pm to sample her spring fruit and coconut rice pudding in-store. Derry’s accolades include appearing on season 7 of Bravo’s Top Chef and cooking for President Obama at The White House. One lucky guest will win a $250 Sprouts gift card and $250 gift card for Derry’s merchandise.

Sunday, April 23

XOXO Dining Room 3-Year Anniversary Party
The pink palace known for its endless photo ops and girl groups who arrive in droves will celebrate its third birthday with a bougie brunch. Expect live music, entertainment, and custom photo installations. Dishes will be served family-style and will come with complimentary cocktails for cheers-ing. The prix-fixe menu is $50 and the party begins at 12 noon.

Monday, April 24

Farm-to-Table Eco Wine Dinner at Urban Seafood Company
Enjoy four eco-friendly wines paired with four courses highlighting farm-fresh ingredients at the Plano seafood destination. Dinner is $95, including tax and gratuity, and begins at 6:30 pm.

dinner chefs news-you-can-eat

Dumpling News

Momo2Go restaurant from Canada debuts in-demand dumplings in Frisco

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A fast-casual restaurant starring momos has debuted in Frisco: Called Momo2Go, it's part of a well-regarded chain from Canada.

The restaurant recently opened at 5500 Preston Rd. #102, in the Preston Lebanon Crossing shopping center, taking over a space previously occupied by Lalo's Cocina Mexicana, which closed in July.

Momo2Go specializes in momos — the dumpling that's a foundation of Himalayan cuisine — and is a spinoff of a family-owned restaurant called Himalayan Kitchen, which debuted in Toronto in 2012. Their momos were so popular that they launched Momo2Go in 2016. They now have 10 including one in Irving, which franchisees Karma Gurung and Tashi Chetan opened in 2023. Frisco is their second location.

The menu features traditional steamed momos, filled with choice of beef, chicken, or veggie; plus fun fusion momos, inspired by momo stands chef Tenzin Dharpo saw while on trips to India and Nepal.

All of their momos can be served "dry," IE pan-fried, without sauce, although the more popular option is to get them with sauce, for a highly comforting bowl.

Signature dishes include:

Butter Chicken Momo, dumplings that summon the traditional Indian dish, with a creamy butter chicken sauce
Delhi Masala Momo, fried dumplings sauteed in a Himalayan sauce topped with mint chutney
Momo65, deep-fried dumplings with a sweet, spicy, and buttery taste, topped with spicy mayonnaise and curry

They offer many vegetarian and vegan non-momo dishes, such as spicy Schezwan Tofu Gravy, with fried cubes of tofu, crunchy and tender, in a spicy hot sauce and gobi Manchurian, which consists of battered cauliflower florets stir-fried with ginger garlic paste. There's an entire section dedicated to "chaap," a chicken-nugget-like alternative made with soybeans.

The menu also has some intriguing fried rice and noodle dishes such as stir-fried noodles with scrambled eggs, as well as a Himalayan-spiced take on chow mein, the classic Chinese stir-fry dish.

And because no restaurant these days can not-have French fries, Momo2Go has them in three options: plain fries; chili fries featuring spiced French fries sauteed with garlic, onions, and special sauce; and honey chili fries, featuring spiced French fries sauteed with garlic, onions, and honey garlic sauce topped with sesame seeds.

The Frisco location has plenty of seating, although they use disposable containers. (To their credit, much of it is paper-based rather than plastic.) A mural of blue sky and puffy clouds with the slogan "I followed my heart and it led me to momo" takes up an entire wall, adding some energy to the space.

According to a spokesperson, the owners chose Frisco for their second location because of its booming Asian population as well as its increasing demand for halal food preparation, meaning that the animals are raised and butchered in accordance with Islamic guidelines — a growing trend in Dallas-Fort Worth.

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