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

Matcha News

Calif bakery-cafe with creative drinks and snacks makes Dallas debut

Smoking Tiger

Garlic cheese bread and matcha latte from Smoking Tiger

A buzzy coffee shop and cafe from Southern California has made its Texas debut: Called Smoking Tiger, it opened in June in Carrollton, at The Great Oasis plaza at 2225 Old Denton Rd. #100, where it's serving Korean pastries, breads, coffee, and beverages.

Adored by Korean-Americans and possibly everyone on Instagram, the cafe is part of a chain founded in 2020 in Buena Vista, California, that encompasses both coffee shops as well as bakeries. The Carrollton location — full name "The Smoking Tiger Bread Factory" — is one of their most expansive, offering coffee, pastries, breads, and sandwiches.

Carrollton will be the first in the DFW area, but a spokesperson says it won't be the only, although they do not have specifics on other locations or timetable for opening.

Drinks
Their beverage menu is notably rich and creative, leading with the Tiger Latte, their signature brown sugar latte with caramel and frothed oat milk. The Smokin Spaniard is a twist on latte combining espresso, condensed milk, hazelnut, and cinnamon.

Other options summon favorite Korean flavors such as

banana milk latte
honey bori latte with barley milk and salted honey cold foam
sweet corn latte, with sweet corn milk and corn cold foam
chai latte
misugaru — a roasted rice latte served slightly sweetened over choice of milk

… plus matcha lattes including strawberry matcha latte; jeju matcha latte sweetened with maple syrup; hojicha latte, featuring jeju green tea — a green tea grown in South Korea — sweetened with vanilla.

Latte prices average about $6.50.

Other irresistible-sounding drinks include the Pineapple Express, featuring jasmine tea and pineapple concentrate, shaken with ice for a smooth texture; and "YSL" — Yuzu Sparkling Lemonade, featuring yuzu syrup, sparkling water, and lemon.

Garlic cheese bread at Smoking TigerSmoking Tiger

Food
Food options are equally as creative, led by three signature goodies:

Cream Cheese Garlic Bread — a large round roll with a heavy dose of garlic and cream cheese baked inside
Original Salt Bread — sort of like a cross between a roll and an everything bagel
Kimchi Musubi Croissant, featuring a croissant filled with a slice of Spam and kim chi, with a sheet of seaweed baked onto the top of the croissant

Plus "sconkies" — a cross between a scone and a cookie — in flavors such as Oreo or lemon earl grey. For Texas only, they also introduced a special menu of breakfast sandwiches such as a slider with scrambled egg, cheese, and habanero aioli on grilled King's Hawaiian rolls.

According to marketing director Andy Lee, part of its appeal is the way it channels similar cafes in South Korea offering both bread and coffee.

"We wanted to essentially create a space where people could experience modern Korean culture in a very authentic and approachable way," Lee told The Dallas Morning News.

That extends to the decor: They've outfitted the Carrollton location with vertical mahogany wood panels, often seen in cafes in South Korea and traditional Korean houses called hanoks.

coffee openings