The Spread.

Boozy Cake Balls Are Here, And Small Brewpub Hopes You Don't Choke On Its Strangolapreti.

Welcome to The Spread, our weekly feature that aims to share all the area restaurant, food and beverage industry news that's fit to print. Except, this is the Internet, so space isn't a concern. Also: Good thing, because this is Dallas and this town always has breaking restaurant news going down like whoa.

According to the adage, you're not supposed to play with your food.

Of course, that hasn't stopped us from having fun with the way some restaurants name their dishes. A prime example of this? A new item at Small Brewpub called the Strangolapreti. The dish, which in Italian translates to “priest strangler,” is a large dumpling made with preserved winter squash, Ricotta and Nufenen cheeses.

“The dish came about when I was researching pasta shapes and traditional Italian dumplings,” says Small chef Misti Norris. “I found the name interesting… I loved the translation mostly because it was interesting. This has nothing to do with my upbringing in private Catholic schools all my life.”

Right.

Anyway, origin tales of the priest strangler vary by region. One explanation claims that the dumplings were so good that priests often ate them too quickly and then choked. Another story says that they were used as a form of taxation when a household could not pay, so women would make dense dumplings in hopes that the clergy members would choke.

Regardless of its roots, Norris promises a “much more delicate application” with her restaurant's version. The dish will be available for the next few weeks or, Norris says, until the winter squash runs out. It's featured alongside other new menu items such as a lamb coppa with an Oak Cliff Coffee red eye jus, heritage pork belly and tongue.

Carrying on the trend of fun with names, Zoli's NY Pizza Tavern has a new pie called Normal White Girls, named after the classy broads featured in that whole Kessler Theater debacle. For the dish, zucchini, spinach, ricotta and grilled chicken top a New York-style white pie in true “normal white girl” fashion. Unfortunately, the pie is only available in the hood, babe.

In Plano, a new dessert shop called Amazeballz is now open. The shop specializes in cake balls with various flavors like s'mores and orange creamsicle, as well as cake balls made with liquor appropriately named “boozeballz.” Hours run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

Balls. LOL.

The fun names continue out in McKinney, too, where chef Jon Thompson (Stephan Pyles, Stampede 66) is opening a place called Sugarbacon Proper Kitchen. The restaurant will focus on New American cuisine, where the signature “sugar bacon” dish is a cold-smoked pork belly with a barbecue glaze and spicy bread and butter pickles. Look for it to open in June.

Meanwhile, CBD Provisions is taking fried poultry to another level with fried rooster. The bird is slow-cooked, seasoned and then deep fried. It comes courtesy of new chef Richard Blankenship's (Nick and Sam's Grill Park Cities) spring menu.

Over at Velvet Taco, on the other hand, the featured taco for the week is The ELVIS, which is made cashew butter, fried banana, applewood bacon, arugula, green apples and a cinnamon vinaigrette in a flour tortilla. It's available now through this Sunday, May 24.

Elsewhere, Hypnotic Donuts is expanding its brand to include a soda fountain and ice cream shop called Hypnotic Emporium. No details have been given on the location, but hints lead towards the possibility of being within walking distance of the original White Rock location, according to Eater Dallas. In other opening news, the long-awaited Uchi is finally set to hit Maple Avenue on June 1.

Finally, in craft beer news this week, Deep Ellum Brewing Co. is hosting its fifth annual Brew-B-Q this Sunday, May 24. Like in years past, guests can drink from year-round, seasonal and limited edition brews, with food from Rudy's BBQ and live music being a part of the action, too. The event takes place from 5 to 10 p.m. Also: The Brew Bus returns for a partnership with The Dallas Opera for a special event on Saturday, June 6. The tour begins and ends at Four Bullets Brewery in Richardson, with stops at Peticolas Brewing Co. and more.

Cover photo via Amazeballz' Facebook page. Got a tip for The Spread? Email us!