This Week in Gluttony

These are the 10 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Big Al's will celebrate 50 years of hickory-smoked 'cue this week.

Big Al's Smokehouse BBQ/Facebook

This week's Dallas food events include a boozy tea party, a cupcake and cider pairing, and a Lebanese wine dinner - making for a busy and deliciously diverse week. Don't miss a 50th anniversary happy hour party at one of Dallas' barbecue institutions this weekend.

Wednesday, April 24

Watercolor & Wine at Ellie’s
Join Dallas artist Jessica Farrell of Agate Arts on Ellie’s Terrace at Hall Art Hotel to learn the art of watercolor with a glass of wine in hand. The workshop is $75 and includes wine, light bites, paint supplies, and valet parking. Class will run from 6:30-8 pm.

Thursday, April 25

Wine Tour of the World with Paul Botamer at Fearing’s Restaurant
Restaurant inside the Ritz-Carton Dallas will host a five-course wine pairing dinner led by sommelier Paul Botamer. The dinner is part of a wine education series, this one focusing on Italian wines including varietals from the regions of Lombardy and Campania. Dinner is $149 and begins at 7:30 pm.

Friday, April 26

Big Al’s Smokehouse BBQ 50th Anniversary Happy Hour
The Inwood Road barbecue joint, which has been smoking meat with hickory wood since 1974, will celebrate 50 years in business with one eventful happy hour. Visit from 5 – 7 pm for barbecue samples, an outdoor class on the art of smoking beef, pork, and poultry (led by Pedro Garcias, Big Al’s pitmaster since 1979), giveaways, and even a state proclamation honoring the restaurant by Texas State Representative Rafael Anchia. The event will also launch two new cocktails: Big Al’s Margarita and Spiked Sweet Tea.

Flavors of Spain Wine Dinner at III Forks Frisco
Frisco steakhouse will showcase European flavors during this elaborate six-course dinner dedicated to Spanish cuisine and wine. There’ll be croquettes, gazpacho, ceviche, garlic prawns, roasted lamb, beef roulade, bread pudding, and more all paired with six classic Spanish wines. The even is $200 plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 6:30 pm.

Saturday, April 27

11th Annual Crawfish Boil at Aw Shucks Lewisville
Parking lot party will feature live music, contests, and all-you-can-eat crawfish, sausage, corn, and potatoes for $50. The event will run from 11 am–5 pm.

Frisco Uncorked
Taking place at Frisco Square and presented by H-E-B, this fifth annual tasting event will feature hundreds of wines to sample, bites from local restaurants, a beer garden sponsored by Four Corners Brewing Co., artisan vendors, grape stomping, and more. Tickets are $45 for 20 wine tastings; pay $80 and you get 15 food tickets, too. More than a dozen participating restaurants include Truluck’s, Loro, and Sixty Vines. Food tastings run from 12–4 pm and wine tastings run until 6 pm.

Boozy Tea Party at Locals Craft Beer & Fine Wine
Farmers Branch wine shop and lounge will host an afternoon high tea featuring tea-inspired cocktails paired with tea sandwiches, pastries, and desserts. Tickets are $55, and the event will run from 2- 4 pm.

Sunday, April 28

Cupcake & Cider Pairing at Trinity Cider
Trinity Cider will partner with Sweet Bri’s Bakery for a sweet cider pairing. The $28 ticket includes four cupcake pairings: Strawberry Lemonade with Nola Punch Cider, Dirty Chai Latte with Naughty Grandma Cider, Blueberry Waffle with Peach Green Tea Cider, and Chocolate Hazelnut with a new cider arrival. Gluten-free options available. Visit anytime from 1- 5 pm.

Halal BBQ Pitmasters Grill for Gaza
Sixth annual barbecue cookoff, set to take place at Green Vine Market in Plano, will feature 15 teams competing in three categories: brisket, brisket “plus,” and skewered meat grocery games. Tickets are $100 with proceeds going to Human Development Fund, a nonprofit that benefits orphans in Gaza. The event will run from 2-4 pm.

Monday, April 29

Chateau Ksara Wine Dinner at Salum Restaurant
Four-course wine dinner will feature Lebanese winery Chateau Ksara. Menu highlights range from roasted duck breast to braised lamb with zucchini, feta, and pine nuts. Dinner is $102 plus tax an gratuity, and begins at 6:30 pm.

Supermarket News

Tom Thumb debuts 2 new supermarkets in the Dallas area

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Venerable supermarket chain Tom Thumb is celebrating the opening of two new stores in the Dallas area.

Sanger
A new Tom Thumb opened in Sanger at 1413 W Chapman Drive in Sanger on December 12. The long-awaited store spans 50,000 square feet with tens of thousands of items plus more than 1,000 local products.

The store features a bakery, deli, meat & seafood, produce, and floral, as well as an in-store Starbucks coffee kiosk, pharmacy in store plus drive-thru lane, and Drive-Up-N-Go grocery pick-up.

“We are so excited to open this Tom Thumb for the Sanger communities," says Division President Bill Neve in a statement. “Tom Thumb is excited to showcase our full-service grocery store and fresh new items that customers in Sanger will love."

Sunnyvale
On December 17, a Tom Thumb will open in Sunnyvale at 3400 N. Belt Line Rd. The first 300 shoppers will receive a bag of groceries, and all shoppers will enjoy the incredible deals and sensational offerings.

The Sunnyvale store is slightly larger, spanning 59,000 square feet, but with a similar lineup of bakery, deli, meat & seafood, produce, and floral. The store will also feature an in-store Starbucks coffee kiosk, pharmacy in store plus drive-thru lane, and Drive-Up-N-Go grocery pick-up. The Sunnyvale in-store Starbucks kiosk is the first for Tom Thumb to offer mobile ordering in addition to in-store ordering.

Division President Bill Neve says that they're "incredibly grateful to the town of Sunnyvale for their support of this new store and have been looking forward to meeting our newest customers and welcome them into their Tom Thumb!"

Store details
Store details include:

Prepared foods: Sushi made in-store, full-service salad case, hot line offerings, 400-plus cheese and charcuterie items, and what they call "the best fried chicken in town"
Bakery: Bread baked daily, deserts, five-star cake decorator on staff, in-store fried doughnuts, and exclusive items such as Christie’s cookies and Blue Bell ice cream cakes
Floral: Texas grown poinsettias for the holidays, bouquets, and arrangements, FTD service, balloon bar
Meat & Seafood: USDA choice and prime beef, organic and grass-fed, plus seafood purchases steamed at no additional charge
Wine and Beer: More than 1,000 wines and 85 local Texas craft brews

Starbucks coffee baristas are ready to make customers’ favorite beverages whether they are hot or cold, including Nitro and Cold Brew, along with Starbucks brand pastries.

supermarkets openings