Last weekend, after working many days and nights to finish my final studio project for the fall semester (resulting in well-deserved success, I might add), I treated myself to a vegan gourmet pop up dinner at a new restaurant in Denton, 940’s Kitchen and Cocktails. I came to the event with my sister and her boyfriend, and we ran into a few friends, including some fellow bloggers, Christina from Kind Gourmet and Molly from Fashion Veggie!

This pop up was hosted by The Harvest Hands–an exciting new venture by my lovely friends, Courtney Garza and Zak Shelton. Their goal is to create delightful experiences for the community, while raising awareness of a compassionate, vegan lifestyle.

The Harvest Hands has many more events on the way, so I recommend liking their Facebook so you don’t miss any updates!

If you couldn’t tell already, I took some artistic liberty in editing these photos! I emphasized blue and purple tones to reflect the atmosphere I experienced at the event–a cozy, yet elegant gathering on a cold December night.

Introductions were made, new friendships and connections were formed, and we all enjoyed a delicious dinner and wine pairing prepared by 940’s Kitchen, with dessert from the Dallas local food truck, Vegan Noms.

course no. 1
roasted apple potato soup + homemade bread
Savory and creamy, with an unexpected fragrantly tart twist due to the apples! I couldn’t decide what I loved more, the soup or the fluffy bread. They certainly went well together.

course no. 2
chickpea corn fritters + chipotle remoulade
Crispy hush puppies, dressed up! I enjoyed these fritters, especially with the remoulade, but my sister and I both agreed something was missing for us–perhaps they needed to be paired with more spice and tartness!

course no. 3
smoked oyster mushrooms + butternut squash puree + braised leeks
From the sight and smell of this dish alone, I knew it would be my favorite dish of the evening. The smoked mushrooms were tender and umami-rich. Combined with the smooth butternut puree and the sweetness of the braised leeks–this was the highlight of dinner for sure.

course no. 4
lemon glazed gingerbread cookies + dark chocolate peppermint fudge + red velvet cupcake
I love ginger, so I was pleased that these gingerbread cookies had an extra sharp bite of that spice. The fudge was delightfully decadent, and the luscious red velvet cupcake was the best part of dessert!

Each course was also paired with different wines, but I don’t drink, so check out my friend at the Kind Gourmet blog for her thoughts on the pairings.

At the event, I met and befriended James Coreas, who is a photographer and filmmaker based in Denton. We started chatting because we both noticed we were holding cameras. He’s a pro! Check out his work here, and his stunning photos of the 940’s event here.

I had a great night and connected with some awesome people. I want to recognize and thank the people who made the event possible:
The Harvest Hands
940’s Kitchen and Cocktails
Vegan Noms

I hope you are enjoying the holiday season with your loved ones!

I have another vegan pop up recap post on the way, and I’m hosting a giveaway on my Instagram–check it out and you could win this adorable Cykochik tote! I’m so excited to have this opportunity to give something back to my audience. Thanks so much for reading!