This week in gluttony

These are the 7 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Start the New Year with a new Sunday supper tradition at Monarch.

Monarch

January means it’s citrus season and Girl Scout Cookie season, and there are tasty events featuring both this week. It’s also a good time to take up a new skill, like stretching your own hand-made mozzarella. Finally, bring back the tradition of the family-style Sunday supper at a sky-high restaurant in Dallas this week.

Friday, January 12

Dallas Farmers Market Drink Dash
Stroll through The Market, The Shops at Harvest Lofts + Taylor Lofts enjoying delicious drinks like an Espresso Martini, Champagne, or Hot Cider plus small bites. Each shop will offer a drink or bite (or both!) from their origin helping to toast to a new year of longevity, abundance, good fortunes, and lots of fun. Abundantly Aromatic will serve Bubbling Cider, JuiceBabe will serve Flu Fighter, Rex’s Seafood will serve Spiked Frozen Lemonade Tea, and more. It's 5-8 pm. Tickets are $35 and include 16 drinks and six bites, souvenir DFM glass, and koozie.

Girl Scout Cookies + Cocktails Launch Party at Sweet Tooth Hotel
Sweet news from the Sweet Tooth Hotel immersive art experience: Girl Scout Cookie cocktails and mocktails are back. Visit Sweet Tooth’s Calirosa Cocktail Lounge for drinks inspired by the coveted cookies, including the Lemon-Upper (a nod to Lemon-Ups), Thicc Mint (inspired by Thin Mints), Tagalonging (inspired by Tagalongs), Trefoiled (a nod to Trefoils), and Stanning Samoas (inspired by the fan-favorite Samoas). The menu will be available starting Friday at 7:30 pm with a launch party and will run through February 16. Admission to the cocktail lounge is free, and entry to the art exhibits is $25.

Saturday, January 13

Hands-On Cheesemaking Class at The Mozzarella Company
Fresh mozzarella is a game changer in the kitchen, whether added to bruschetta, pizza, pasta, or simply sliced for a salad or snacking. Learn to make and stretch your own during this hands-on class that starts with a cheese factory tour and ends with a wine and cheese tasting party. The class is $85 and there are two start times: 12 pm and 3 pm.

Citrus Stroll at Central Market
It’s a “tart-y party” at the gourmet grocer, which will kick off its annual Citrus Fest with a citrus sampling stroll at all locations. Stations throughout the store will feature bites like coriander lime pork chops, citrus spring rolls, pink lemonade cake, and more. The free event will run from 2-5 pm. Register in advance and receive a $5 coupon.

Sunday, January 14

Martin Luther King Indoor Food Festival
Celebrate Martin Luther King's birthday over soul food and live cultural performances. Eat from the best caterers and shop with small business in the area. 12-6 pm. Hosted by Jus4U, at Lofty Spaces, 816 Montgomery St. Free entry with RSVP ticket at www.TexasFoodFest.com or $10 at the door.

Sunday Supper at Monarch
The wood-fired modern Italian restaurant, led by two-time Michelin-starred chef Danny Grant, will launch a new weekly Sunday Supper. The family-style, three-course menu will rotate weekly. Highlights from the kick-off menu include panzanella salad, King crab deviled eggs, veal osso buco, seafood cioppino, and warm berry crispy with vanilla ice cream. Reservations are $85 and begin at 5 pm.

Five Course Citrus Dinner at Central Market
Central Market's Lovers Lane location will host a five-course wine pairing dinner inside its cooking school. But prepare to sit back and relax because this is not a cooking class. Patrons will indulge in citrus-infused menu featuring American and Filipino influences. Dishes include Hamachi crudo, king crab salad, Filipino barbecue pork tenderloin, duck breast with blood orange sauce, and a calamansi tart with meringue and toasted coconut. The $120 price includes Napa Valley wine pairings by a sommelier. Dinner begins at 6 pm.

dinner desserts wine

Hummus News

Revered family-owned Mediterranean restaurant debuts in North Dallas

Samantha Marie Photography

Zon Zon food spread

An upscale Mediterranean restaurant is coming to North Dallas from a trusted name: Called Zon Zon, it'll open at 5455 Belt Line Rd. #130, in the Work/Shop center, and it's from hospitality group Yela Concepts, led by Yaser Khalaf (Darna, Baboush), together with his son Mak Khalef in their first collaboration.

According to a release, it'll open on December 22.

Named for Mak's sister Zaina (“Zon Zon”), the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner with a refined take on Mediterranean dining, rooted in tradition but with modern influences.

"We tried to merge what embodies Mediterranean cuisine with dishes that people in Dallas love," Mak says. "A lot of the dishes we have on menu are Mediterranean but have American and Texan influences."

Mezze favorites include hummus topped with green shatta and extra-virgin olive oil; baba ghanoush with charred eggplant, tahini, dukka, and pomegranate; crispy cauliflower with saffron labneh; tuna neya with tahini, mixed pickles, and Aleppo pepper; and kibbeh with ground lamb, onions, pine nuts, and dill labneh.

Salads include seared tuna salad with freekeh and golden beets; Tahini Caesar with tahini–Caesar dressing and za’atar croutons; and roasted beets with burrata, oranges, and pistachios.

Entrées include roasted chicken with garlic-batata and pomegranate jus; chicken shish kebab over saffron rice with almonds and raisins; hanger steak shawarma frites — a clever twist on steak frites with hand-cut fries; ZZ’s Wagyu cheeseburger with smoked provolone and house pickles; Prime ribeye with za’atar chimichurri and heirloom carrots; and apricot lamb couscous.

The beverage program complements the menu with a Mediterranean-focused wine list and creative cocktails such as the coffee-kissed Midnight Istanbul and ZZ’s Margarita, with burnt pineapple and ras el hanout.

Designed in collaboration with Dallas-based Coeval Studios, the restaurant features a 2,130-square-foot interior with an expansive 735-square-foot patio that seats 76, for a total occupancy near 100.

The restaurant boasts an open kitchen, while decorative finishes include modern woodwork, rich textures, and Middle Eastern-inspired details — stylish yet inviting, with a setting that feels like home.

“The inspiration behind Zon Zon came from wanting to create the kind of place we’ve always wished existed — a neighborhood Mediterranean spot that feels both familiar and exciting," says Yaser in a statement. "We wanted to create a comfortable space where guests can meet up with friends or neighbors on a regular basis."

Mak went to college to study biomedical engineering, but says he couldn't resist the lure of the restaurant world in which he grew up.

"Zon Zon is a reflection of everything we love about food," Mak says. "What makes this especially meaningful is building it with my dad — bringing our family’s story and passion to the table."

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