Michael White’s All-Star Chefs Meet Gaja Wines in Dallas
Dinners built around a single collaborative menu tend to promise more than they deliver, five chefs, one plate each, everybody smiling for the group photo. What’s set for Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at Lion’s Den inside The Stoneleigh in Uptown Dallas is a version of that idea with real weight behind it: chef Michael White convening the executive chefs from across his BBianco Hospitality portfolio, Santi in New York, Levant in Puerto Rico, Paranza in the Bahamas, Mika in Coral Gables, and Lion’s Den itself, each preparing a signature course inspired by their own restaurant. Alongside it, a lineup of wines from Gaja, the Piedmont estate that has spent more than 160 years defining what serious Italian wine can be.
It’s worth saying plainly what this costs, because the number is part of the story. Tickets run $850 per guest before tax, and once an 8.25 percent Texas sales tax and a customary 20 percent gratuity are added, a single seat lands somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,200 out the door. That places this dinner among the more expensive single-night tasting menus EscapeHatch Dallas has covered in the city, well above the going rate for even Dallas’s top tasting counters.
It’s also worth saying plainly what isn’t yet known. The specific dishes haven’t been released, and there’s no confirmation of which of Gaja’s bottlings will be poured or whether a member of the Gaja family will be on hand, a detail Italian wine events of this caliber sometimes build the entire evening around. White himself is described as bringing his executive chefs together and meeting guests throughout the night, but as the chef overseeing five restaurants across four cities and two countries, whether he’s the one actually cooking any of the five courses on October 7 is an open question the announcement doesn’t answer.
The name on the marquee, though, carries real weight. White has held six Michelin stars across his career, two of them at Marea, the Central Park South seafood-and-pasta destination that made his name in New York before its stars lapsed after his 2021 departure, with additional stars earned at Alto, Convivio, and Ai Fiori.
His cooking style is often described as Riviera Italian, shaped by nearly a decade spent living and working in Italy and the South of France, and it tends to favor bold, indulgent pairings over restraint: sea urchin with lardo, langoustine carpaccio, a rosemary sea salt bistecca alla fiorentina built for sharing. His most-ordered dish, at Marea and across several of his restaurants since, is a fusilli with red wine braised octopus and bone marrow, a combination of meat and marine flavor White has called practically inevitable once you taste it together. It’s the kind of dish a five-restaurant collaborative menu would be built to showcase, whether or not it actually shows up on October 7.
Gaja is the rarer name to see on a Dallas wine list, and the reputation is earned rather than inherited. The estate has farmed in Barbaresco since 1859, but it was Angelo Gaja, who took over from his father in 1961, who changed Italian wine’s trajectory entirely: cutting yields, aging in French barriques, and in 1967 releasing Italy’s first single-vineyard Barbaresco, a wine that argued a specific hillside in Piedmont deserved the same reverence as a specific parcel in Burgundy. That argument won.
Gaja’s flagship bottlings, Sori San Lorenzo, Sori Tildin, and Costa Russi, now anchor serious Italian wine collections worldwide, and the estate holds one of the strongest records of Tre Bicchieri awards of any Italian producer. Now run by the fifth generation of the family, Gaja has expanded well beyond Piedmont into Montalcino, Bolgheri, and Mount Etna, but the Barbaresco estate remains the reason collectors chase the name in the first place. Pouring it alongside a five-chef tasting menu is a serious pairing on paper, whatever the final lineup of dishes and bottles turns out to be.
The dinner takes place inside Lion’s Den’s dining room at 2927 Maple Avenue, with valet parking included in the ticket price. Given the format, the price point, and a portfolio of restaurants most Dallas diners have only read about, seats are expected to move quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where and when is the Michael White and Gaja wine dinner?
The dinner takes place Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at Lion’s Den, 2927 Maple Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75201, inside The Stoneleigh hotel in Uptown Dallas.
How much does the dinner cost?
Tickets are $850 per guest plus tax, with a customary 20 percent gratuity bringing the total to roughly $1,200 per person.
What is included in the ticket price?
The ticket includes a multi-course tasting menu prepared by executive chefs from Michael White’s restaurant portfolio, paired wines from Gaja, and complimentary valet parking.
What is chef Michael White known for?
Michael White has held six Michelin stars across his career, is best known for founding Marea in New York, and built his reputation on Riviera-style Italian coastal cooking, including his signature fusilli with red wine braised octopus and bone marrow.
Why are Gaja wines considered among Italy’s best?
Gaja has farmed in Barbaresco, Piedmont since 1859, and Angelo Gaja’s introduction of single-vineyard bottling in 1967 is widely credited with establishing the modern standard for fine Italian wine, a reputation the estate has carried through five generations.
Is parking available?
Yes. Complimentary valet parking is included with the ticket price.
How can I reserve a seat?
Seating is limited and expected to sell out; Lion’s Den can be reached directly at 469-375-5843 to reserve, as a specific ticketing link was not provided with the event details.