This Week in Gluttony

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

Combine cocktails and sushi with Japanese flower arranging at Kessaku this week.

Kessaku

Lots of holiday events this week as Santa makes multiple brunch appearances, gathering intel on who’s naughty and nice. There’s also holiday cheer to be had in the form of a holiday wine walk, ugly Christmas sweater shindig, a doughnut tasting, and tamale party. Definitely check out Saturday, December 9, as it's a huge day for foodie events.

Tuesday, December 5

Old Forester Repeal Day Dinner at Whiskey Cake Plano
Celebrate the 90th anniversary of the end of Prohibition with a four-course dinner featuring the oldest bourbon in the U.S. Menu items include seared pork belly, crispy fig burrata, mesquite-smoked shrimp and grits, and white chocolate bourbon bread pudding with bourbon-soaked cherries. Dinner will be paired with Old Forester whiskey served neat and in cocktails. The price is $120, plus tax and gratuity, and dinner begins at 7 pm.

Wednesday, December 6

Ugly Sweater Party at Punch Bowl Social
The Deep Ellum entertainment destination will host a holiday party with complimentary play (up to one hour), including bowling, karaoke, ping pong, and more. Wear your ugliest (or cutest) Christmas sweater, or shop from the sweater pop-up now on-site through December 24. While there enjoy libations like Yule Shoot Your Eye Out made with bourbon and spiced tea, and Not Ovaltine made with hot chocolate and candy canes. Admission is free and the party will run from 6:30–9:30 pm.

Holiday Doughnut Omakase at Detour Doughnuts
Satisfy your sweet tooth with this four-course doughnut tasting featuring Christmas-themed creations by chef Jinny Cho, founder of Detour Doughnuts. Varieties will include cranberry orange, chocolate with peppermint bark and pomegranate, gingerbread cheesecake, and a 24K gold garnished concoction inspired by the Ferrero Rocher hazelnut-stuffed chocolates. Tickets are $70, plus tax and a small fee. The omakase (which means “I’ll leave it up to you,” in Japanese) begins at 7 pm.

Saturday, December 9

Caffeine Crawl
Caffeine Crawl is a nationally organized guided tour of independent caffeine spots where attendees get a sample drink, plus a backstage time with owners and baristas. Participating shops include Berni Bean, Civil Pour, JuJu's Coffee, Noble Coyote, Davis Street/Oak Cliff Coffee, Opening Bell, Sugar & Sage, and White Rhino. There are 3 different routes: Route 1 has 5 stops and runs from 9:30am-1:20 pm, for $36.50. Route 2 has 4 stops and runs from 9:30 am-12:35 pm, for $31.50. Route 3 has 3 stops and runs from 12:30 am-2:50 pm, for $26.50. Size uy tickets online; size is limited.

Tamales Day at Dallas Farmers Market
It’s officially tamale season and the Dallas Farmers Market is ready to celebrate. Visit for more tamale varieties you can shake a husk at, from traditional and vegan to banana leaf-wrapped and dessert. The big sale goes on from 9 am–5 pm, but word is tamales sell out every year, so arrive early. Bonus: Santa will be on-site from 11 am–3 pm.

Santa Brunch at The Westin Dallas Stonebriar Golf Resort & Spa
Frisco hotel will host Santa for a ticketed brunch, which comes with a full buffet along with cookie decorating, gingerbread house building, and photos with the big guy himself. Tickets $45 for adults and $35 for kids 3–12. Seating times are from 10 am–12 pm, and the brunch will also be held on Saturday, December 16 and Saturday, December 23.

12 Wines of Christmas Wine Walk
Like a scene from a real-life Hallmark movie, historic downtown McKinney will come alive with lights and wine flights. Sip and shop while sampling 12 wines from Lone Star Cellars, to be distributed at more than 20 boutiques on the square. Complete your wine passport and return to Santa’s Wine Workshop (back at Lone Star Cellars) for a bonus taste. Tickets are $30 (plus tax and a small fee) and include a wine glass, glass lanyard, and passport guide. Or pay $45 and get three bonus wines. Check in at either 12 pm or 2:30 pm, or anytime all day with the VIP ticket. The event will run until 6 pm.

Brunch with Santa at Hall Arts Hotel
Enjoy a brunch buffet in the gallery of this downtown Dallas hotel featuring a hot cocoa bar, a mimosa bar, and time with jolly ol’ St. Nick. There’ll also be holiday crafts, music, and a reading of The Night Before Christmas by Santa himself. The $50 price ($30 for children 3-12) includes a service fee, and brunch will run from 12:30–2 pm.

Tipsy Ikebana at Kessaku
Ikebana is the centuries-old Japanese art of arranging flowers, and Kessaku will host a class combined with cocktails, sushi, and 360-degree sky-high views. The class will include hands-on instruction and a finished product to take home. Tickets are $200, plus tax and gratuity, and the class will run from 1–3 pm.

cocktails holidays event-planner

Deep Ellum News

Trinity Cider partners with Picadera street food in new Dallas venture

Trinity Cider

An exciting new food & drink venue is coming in Deep Ellum: Called Trinity Cider X Picadera, it will combine two great tastes — Trinity Cider, the sophisticated craft cider maker; and Picadera, the award-winning Dominican street food concept — under one delicious roof.

The new spot will be located at 2721 Main St. in Deep Ellum, in the former Crowdus Bar and, before that, home of Drugstore Cowboy, and is scheduled to open in December.

Trinity Cider is the laid-back bar that's been serving house-made craft ciders, sake, and beer at their current location at 2656 Main St. since 2018. They'd already been thinking about a larger space, and jumped at the opportunity when Crowdus Bar closed. The new bar will be triple the size of their current spot, and it comes with a kitchen, which allows them to have a consistent food offering, as opposed to the pop-ups they currently host.

For Trinity Cider owners Evan Kalstad and Brian Meyer, Picadera was the perfect choice.

“We have had over 20 companies who do pop-ups, and a lot of them were interested in running our kitchen, but it came down to the food I liked," Kalstad says.

Picadera is from Michael Tavarez, who started the concept as a pop-up in 2020, doing Latin street food, setting up camp at buzzy spots around town, creating a space where he could give Dominican people a taste of home. He drew a large and loyal following not only for his authentic and heartfelt dishes but also for the festive patio party experience that always arose.

Trinity Cider Picadera Trinity Cider X PicaderaPicadera

In 2023, Picadera moved from pop-up model to ghost kitchen, with three Latin food concepts at Commerce Fork Food Co. While this expanded the business, it also diluted the street parties Picadera was known for. Cooking in a closed kitchen focusing on to-go items took out all the fun.

“Mentally, I was done, so I had to close it," Tavarez says. "But I got a lot of positive comments and support, so I knew I could not let my brand die."

It was a breath of fresh air when Tavarez got a chance to participate at the State Fair, and real validation when he helped work on the dish that won the Big Tex Choice award for Best Savory item, the Dominican Fritura Dog. (Tavarez partnered with the Martinez family who've been at the state fair of Texas since 1977.) The positive energy continued when he got the chance to partner with Trinity Cider.

They're still finalizing the menu, but it will include favorites like empanadas, croquettes, tostones rellenos, Dominican smashed burgers, a bodega chopped cheese sandwich, and a Wagyu hot dog.

They're also working on dishes that can be enjoyed while dining in and paired with draft cider. The star dish will be a Dominican twist on steak frites, with skirt steak, plantain fries, and Wasakaka sauce, a herby sauce resembling chimichurri. This plate will be also available with camarones al ajillo as an add-on, for a surf and turf option.

Options include mofongo, a traditional Puerto Rican dish of mashed plantains, served with proteins such as pork belly, churrasco, camaron al ajilllo, and queso frito as a meatless option. Dessert will include a tres leches cake made with famous Entenmann's pound cake; and Yaniqueque, a Dominican dessert similar to buñuelos, cut into strips, with dulce de leche ice cream.

The food menu is designed to complement the all-natural, gluten-free hard cider provided by Trinity Cider. Seasonal cider flavors will include pineapple, passion fruit, watermelon, peach tree, and slightly spicy mango, which they will rotate regularly. Their drink menu will also include non-alcoholic cider, as well as their famous sake bombs.

“Hard cider and Dominican food go very well together. A lot of the things that pair well with cider are ingredients that Dominican food is based on. It is a match made in heaven," Evan says.

deep-ellum openings