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

Supermarket news

H-E-B to open 2 new stores in Garland, including Joe V's Smart Shop

newsroom.heb.com

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Texas grocery chain H-E-B is expanding into the Dallas suburb of Garland, with not one but two stores in the works.

A February 24 news release breaks down the double projects:

Joe V's Smart Shop
"First, the company will revitalize a vacant shopping center located on the northeast corner of Centerville Road and LBJ Freeway," the release says. "The approximately seven-acre site will soon be home to North Texas’ fourth Joe V’s Smart Shop, an innovative price format that focuses on offering fresh, high-quality products at the lowest prices in the marketplace."

Joe V’s Smart Shop is an H-E-B spinoff that operates 14 stores in North Texas and Houston. The first one in DFW opened in Dallas in June 2024 at 4101 W. Wheatland Rd. A second opened in far east Dallas in March 2025. The third opened on Airport Freeway in Irving in November 2025.

Products include fresh produce, organics selections, in-store cut meats, in-store made tortillas, breads, and sushi made daily.

"Construction is expected to begin in the coming months," the release says.

H-E-B grocery store
"The second project involves H-E-B’s intent to develop an H-E-B store on a 21-acre site located between Crist Road and Firewheel Parkway off President George Bush Turnpike," the release says. "The purchase of that property is not yet final."

The Garland location will join H-E-B stores that have opened in Forney, Plano, Frisco, Allen, McKinney, Melissa, Prosper, and Rockwall, plus two in Tarrant County: Fort Worth/Alliance, and Mansfield. Stores in Irving, Denton, Dallas, Carrollton, and the Mid-Cities are in the works.

Although details of the Garland store have not been revealed, if it's like other H-E-B stores, it could include a full-service H-E-B Pharmacy with drive-thru, Curbside and Home Delivery service, Wellness Primary Care clinic, and a True Texas BBQ restaurant with drive-thru.

San Antonio-based H-E-B has been in Dallas since 2001 when it opened its first high-end chain Central Market, which now has six locations in Dallas, Plano, Southlake, and Fort Worth. The regional supermarket chain is consistently rated among America's best grocers by industry and consumer reports.

Additional details on the Garland projects will be shared as they develop, the company says.

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Teresa Gubbins contributed to this story.

garland grocery stores h-e-b