The Spread.

Ben & Jerry's Is Making Dallas-Themed Flavors and Kolaches Have Come To Greenville.

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.

Ice cream lovers know that Ben & Jerry's is no stranger to experimenting with its trademark product. A trip down the grocery store's frozen food aisle readily reveal pint after pint ranging from the mild to the sometimes questionable, but all with at least some ability to tempt curious snackers.

And it's because of this creativity that Chipotle's Cultivate Festival enlisted the ice cream gurus to make some Dallas-themed flavors for sampling at its upcoming event.

If you're having a hard time imagining what in the hell kind of flavors could be spawned from a city like Dallas, you might be pleased to see that the company went the somewhat safe route with its Bourbon Pecan Pie and Bar-B-Que Peach flavors.

“We looked at some of the more traditional Texas desserts and then thought of different ways to turn them on their head,” a Ben & Jerry’s spokesperson says about the inspiration for the flavors. “How do you take a traditional pecan pie and spice it up a bit? With a bit of Bourbon of course. The same with peach cobbler — how do you take something that is usually nothing but pure sweetness, and create a completely new eating experience? We've created something really unique by taking peaches and combining them with ancho chiles, which creates a really warm peach flavor. Then we dialed it up a bit with some sweet heat by mixing in a little barbecue sauce in with our caramel swirl.”

The only time you can get your hands on the DFW flavors will be during the festival, where they will be handed out as free samples until supplies run out. The free event will also feature a special menu courtesy of Chipotle, plus live music, local food artisans and more. Festivities take place on Saturday, October 18, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Irving's Lake Carolyn.

Meanwhile, you can add Greenville Avenue to your kolache map with the opening of Bohemian Cafe. The new spot features a menu of kolaches and klobasneks (meat-filled kolaches) that range from traditional flavors to chicken cordon bleu and chicken and waffle to chicken and dumplings, hot dogs and more. It's open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with Friday and Saturday hours extending until midnight.

Elsewhere, in what's being called “a celebration of Louisiana in Texas,” chef Tim Byres (Smoke, The Foundry) is teaming up with chef Cory Bahr (Cotton) for Cotton & Smoke on Thursday, October 23, at The Foundry. Expect dishes like grilled oysters with green tomato butter, smoked rabbit sausage, kettle fried pork rinds with hot sauce and more for the Bayou-themed outdoor party. Tickets for the 21-and-up event can be purchased here.

Speaking of 21-and-up affairs: For the rest of the month of October, Henderson Avenue bars are hosting Cocktails for a Cure in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness month. Barcadia, Beauty Bar, The Gin Mill and Capital Pub will each be serving signature pink cocktails for a month-long fundraiser to benefit the Greater Dallas Arya Samaj (GDAS) Cancer Clinic. There will also be a public online auction on Monday, October 20, with all proceeds going to the clinic. The fundraiser wraps up on Friday, November 7, with a “street party” at each bar.

Down the street, however, things aren't looking so good for the still-pretty-new Glass Boot Biergarten, as it shut its doors after just five months of business. No words from the owners for the cause of the locked doors, but the prime location most likely won't be empty for long.

How can we be so sure? Well, the Knox-Henderson lunch crowd can now expected some new lunch service at Villa-O starting Monday, October 20. New specials include the Presto Piatti, an on-the-go dining option consisting of soup, salad, an entree and dessert. Other items available will be the breadless chicken Parmesan, the Villa-O burger and an expansive pizza list.

Moving on, North Texas will soon be home to another transplant food concept with the coming of Al's #1 Italian Beef from Chicago. The legendary Italian beef sandwiches will be making their way to Addison by November, so prepare to ask for extra giardiniera.

In the meantime, Dallas's own son-of-Chicago, chef Brian Luscher, is celebrating the 42-year anniversary of The Grape with four days of events. The first begins on Tuesday, October 21, with a “wine and cheese chat,” followed by a special wine dinner on Thursday, October 23, and wrapping up with an anniversary three-course meal on Friday and Saturday of that same week.

Over in Bishop Arts, chefs from Eno's, Lockhart Smokehouse, Bolsa and others are getting together for the Big Night, Big Table fundraising dinner to benefit the kids of Cafe Momentum and Reagan Elementary School. The event takes place on Monday, October 27, at 6:30, with tickets on sale here.

Finally this week, news broke earlier this week that the noted John Tesar supporters at Esquire have named the forever-shrouded-in-controversy former Top Chef contestant's Knife spot as one of the best new restaurants in America.

Who ever said there's such a thing as bad publicity?

Cover photo courtesy of Cultivate. Got a tip for The Spread? Email us!