This week in gluttony

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

Urban Seafood takes patrons on a road trip around America for seafood and wine.

Photo courtesy of Urban Seafood

It’s a week to treat yourself – caviar, poolside cocktails, free iced tea, and tequila are all on the list. Also, break out the holiday flair because Christmas in July is here.

Tuesday, July 18

Caviar Dinner at Monarch
An exclusive five-course dinner at the downtown Dallas restaurant will feature caviar in every bite. Menu highlights include Wagyu tartare with black truffle and caviar, and scallop and uni beurre blanc with elite reserve Osetra caviar. Fine sake and wine will be paired with each course. Tickets are $350, plus tax and gratuity, and dinner begins at 6 pm.

Wednesday, July 19

The Joule Blonde Ale Launch at CBD Provisions
Manhattan Project Beer Co. (recently named CultureMap Tastemaker Awards' Brewery of the Year) has partnered with The Joule to launch The Joule Blonde Ale exclusively for its hotel restaurant, CBD Provisions. To celebrate, CBD Provisions will offer $3 draft pours of the new brew and complimentary bites from 5-7 pm. Or indulge in a burger pairing with the ale for $16, which comes with the Southern Juicy Lucy burger, made with 44 Farms beer, Swiss cheese, jalapenos, applewood smoked bacon, barbecue sauce, and a poppyseed bun topped with onion rings. The burger pairing is available all summer.

Thursday, July 20

Free Tea Day at McAlister’s Deli
The national sandwich chain will celebrate its 15th annual Free Tea Day by offering customers a free, 32-ounce iced tea all day long at all locations. Choose from sweet, unsweet, half-and-half, half tea-half lemonade, tea with one flavor shot, or the new limited-time flavor, PassionBerry. Limit one per person in-store and four per online or app order.

Friday, July 21

National Tequila Day at Mexican Test Kitchen
UPDATE 7-18-2022: Organizers have canceled this event.
Celebrate National Tequila Day a little early with a pop-up at West Village’s new upscale pop-up, Mexican Test Kitchen, led by chef Matt McCallister. Open for a short window from 5:30-8:30 pm, the pop-up will feature a sneak peek of what the concept will serve when fully opening later this year. Enjoy light bites like mini enchilada bowls, mini caramelized mushroom sopes, and chilled corn soup shooters with shrimp elote relish along with $1 margaritas, $1 tequila shots, and live music. It's located at 3699 McKinney Ave., #307.

Saturday, July 22

Christmas in July at Isla & Co.
The weather outside is frightful. But that’s not stopping this Australian-inspired Bishops Arts restaurant from getting into the Christmas spirit – Aussie style. Celebrate Christmas in July with a traditional Aussie family-style Christmas lunch including Australian wine and beer, outdoor games, DJ music, and a visit from Santa himself. The holiday party is $110 ($39 for kids) and also includes welcome bites and an open bar. Wear something Christmas-themed for a chance to win prizes. The event will run from 3-7 pm.

Sunburn Lounge Pool Party with 818 Tequila at Canvas Hotel Dallas
Dallas hotel pool parties are on trend this summer with their bumping DJ music, pretty cocktails, and pretty people-watching. The Canvas Hotel Dallas is jumping on board with a rooftop soiree featuring Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila. (But alas, Kendall won’t be present.) Purchase the 818 Summer Vacation cocktail and get a free bottle of Vacation Sunscreen (while supplies last). The partnership is one of only seven happening across the country, and the only one in Texas and the South. Tickets are $35 in advance, or $50 at the door.

Monday, July 24

National Tequila Day at Cantina Laredo
Create your own tequila flight at Cantina Laredo. For $15, guests can choose any three anejo, reposado, or joven tequilas, or any mezcal to build their own personalized tasting flight. Take your time, as there are more than 40 tequilas and mezcals to choose from. The tasting experience will be offered at Cantina Laredo locations in Addison and Frisco.

Tequila & Tacos at Omni PGA Frisco Resort
Sip and stroll The Monument Realty PGA District at the brand new hotel resort in Frisco while sampling Casamigos cocktails, including margaritas, ranch waters, and more. Tickets start at $50 and include 10 tequila cocktail tastings and a souvenir tasting glass. Or pay $65 and get a taco plate, too. The event will run from 6-8:30 pm.

Road Trip Wine Dinner at Urban Seafood
Take a tasty trip around the country without leaving Plano. Urban Seafood will host a four-course wine pairing dinner featuring dishes and wines from around the US. Tickets are $75, plus tax and gratuity, and dinner begins at 6:30 pm.

cocktails beer news-you-can-eat

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."

barbecue openings