Thursday, February 7 Bolsa Mercado is reviving Meet & Eat this Thursday. Chef Jeff Harris is creating a dinner in honor of the Meridian, Texas-based Red Caboose Winery, which was recently selected as a Top 10 Hot Brands by Wine Business Monthly. Dinner includes Gulf Coast red snapper, roasted and braised cabrito, Muscovy duck breast and Caprino Royale cheesecake. Dinner is $75. To purchase tickets, call or email: 214-942-0451 or [email protected].
The Flying Saucer on the Lake will have a Sierra Nevada Beer Dinner starting at 6:30. Brewery manager Brett Preston will act as tasting guide for five craft beers, which will be paired with a four-course dinner. Braised beef street tacos and herbed rabbit with sweet potato grits are some menu highlights. Plus, a Narwhal Imperial Stout milkshake! Tickets are $45 for U.F.O. members and $50 for you loser nonmembers. Call (972) 226-0725 for tickets.
Now through February 12, all Razzoo's Cajun Cafes in the DFW area will run Mardi Gras specials, like boiled crawfish for $4.99 a pound, frozen hurricanes ($3.50), Abita drafts ($3) and a few other food specials.
Saturday, February 9 This weekend is Mardi Gras Oak Cliff. It starts with a Dash for the Beads, which is just a little jaunt through OC to raise money for a dog park. Do it for the dogs, dang it! It's followed by a masquerade ball at the Kessler Theater, with live music, Creole cooking and hurricanes. Tickets are $50 and include dinner, but it's a cash bar. Then, Sunday is the Mardi Gras parade at 4 pm on Davis Street, which starts at Montclair and ends at Madison in the Bishop Arts District.
Chef Nicole is hosting a private dinner in Deep Ellum and is boasting that they "managed to get our hands on a nice Black Truffle straight from Italy and will be making pasta from scratch!" Local ingredients include Nitschke beef, The Dallas Mozzarella Co. goodies and romanesca (a type of cauliflower) from a Grand Prairie garden. Dinner is at 7:30, $55 per person, BYOB. RSVP at [email protected].
Oak Cliff's CocoAndre Chocolatier is hosting a Champagne and chocolate paring this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. for $35 per couple. The tasting will include rose petal truffles, the chocolate floral collection, DiAmore truffles, strawberry Champagne truffles and dark chocolate truffles infused with pear and ginger. All of it comes with complimentary champagne. RSVP at www.cocoandre.com under the "orders" tab or call 214-941-3030.
Sunday, February 10 The Granada is playing matchmaker this weekend with a special Dating Game, hosted by comedienne Chelsea Hood and Mavs ManiAAC/Serenity guy Drew Lyons. It's a trimmed down version of The Bachelor, minus 20 make-out sessions. Well, actually ... who knows. You could win gift cards for dinner at Sundown. So, all night you can say, "I'm really just doing this for the free food." We'll believe you. Promise. http://granadatheater.com/2013/uncategorized/the-xx-dating-game/
PhD (Pour House Dallas) is having a Mardi Gras crawfish boil this Sunday at 2:30 with $6.50 24-ounce hurricanes. The Cliff Blues Funk and Soul Band will be playing.
Tuesday, February 12 The Media Bar and Grill in the Hilton Anatole (think SER's sporty little brother) is hosting an Abita Brewing Co. beer dinner at 6 p.m. Tuesday for $60 per person. That's actually an amazing deal because chef Anthony Bombaci is creating the five-course dinner. You need reservations; call 214-761-7439.