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.

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BBQ News

Dallas sauce guy opens Hump's BBQ restaurant in Arlington

Hump's BBQ

A Dallas sauce purveyor has opened a BBQ restaurant in Arlington: Called Hump’s BBQ, it’s at 2503 W. Pioneer Pkwy. in Pantego in a space that was previously home to Jambo's Barbecue Shack where it opened in early June.

Hump’s is from restaurateur and pitmaster Antionne Ivory, a former real estate and mortgage professional who began his barbecue journey in 2017, when he started making and selling his own BBQ sauces. He opened a vendor booth at the Dallas Farmers Market in 2019.

Ivory took the next step in 2022, when he opened the first Hump's BBQ, a takeout and drive-thru in Oak Cliff at 4367 S. Hampton Rd. It closed in April after a fire, though Ivory says they're working to rebuild it.

"I grew up cooking and watched my grandfather cook, who was a World War II military vet," Ivory says. "I named the sauce and restaurant after him."

The menu includes brisket, pulled pork, beef and lamb sausage, smoked turkey legs, and pork rib tips, sold by the half pound or pound, $11 to $30, or as a sandwich for $11-$13. They also serve whole chicken wings for $3.50 each. Meats can be paired with Ivory's sauces, which include original, spicy, and honey sweet.

There's also a whole Southern side to the menu, with fried catfish baskets, turkey legs stuffed with toppings such as mac & cheese or greens & rice, plus baked potatoes you can order with one meat for $18. On Wednesdays, they do a special: their signature chopped beef sandwich with a side and drink for $13.50.

Desserts includes peach cobbler bread pudding and banana pudding. They also serve alcohol, namely margaritas, but will be adding beer.

Ivory describes his barbecuing as Texas style, but says there's also some Cajun influences woven into dishes like the fredo sauce (an alfredo sauce with Cajun spices) on stuffed turkey legs.

The space had a perfect BBQ house feel to it, with a built-in smoker. The interior is small and homey, with a walk-up counter and wood everywhere, from the walls to the ceiling to the tables and floors. There's one TV on the wall for watching games.

"My previous place didn't have seats, but I needed seats," he says. "It's a family business and we want to create a nice family vibe and have fun doing it."

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