This Week in Gluttony

These are the 6 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Your sweet tooth will thank you for attending the Dallas Chocolate Festival.

Photo courtesy of Dallas Arboretum and Botanic Garden

Is it hot in here, or is it just that this week's food events are completely on fire? No slow return to normal here, post Labor Day leisure. Foodies are hitting the following events at full throttle. Enjoy.

Thursday, September 6

Plano Magazine's Bite Nite at CityLine Richardson
This second annual event allows guests to sample some of the best cuisine and cocktails from 10 difference restaurants while enjoying live music and raffles in the plaza. Restaurants include Coal Vines, Char'd, Edoko Sushi & Robata, Top Pot Doughnuts, Tricky Fish, and more. Tickets are $32 and the event starts at 5 pm.

Friday, September 7

Dallas Pets Alive Brew Launch at Grapevine Craft Brewery
To mark National Beer Lovers Day, Dallas Pets Alive is launching a first-of-its-kind beer, Dixon's Pale Ale, that will benefit the animal charity. Fifty cents from every pint sold will directly benefit Dallas Pets Alive and its mission to make Dallas a no-kill city. The event is free and kicks off at 6 pm.

Dallas Chocolate Festival at Fashion Industry Gallery
The three-day festival brings in over 70 chocolate makers and chocolatiers from around the world for 2,400 attendees to learn, taste, and experience the artistry and craftsmanship of quality chocolate. The festival kicks off with a VIP party on Friday night, Saturday's main event and expo, and then a day of hands-on chocolate making and tasting at Whole Foods Market Preston Forest on Sunday. Tickets start at $5 and more information on start times can be found here.

Saturday, September 8

Party on the Patio at Rusty Taco Greenville Avenue
The restaurant is celebrating their roots with a return to its original name and a party on the patio. The party will feature $2 tacos, live music from Jayson Bales Music, and giveaways all night long (including limited-edition T-shirts). All proceeds benefit the North Texas Food Bank. Admission is free and the party starts at 6 pm.

The Delicious Debate: Pitmasters vs. Chefs at The Belo Mansion
As part of Texas Monthly's The Edge of Texas programming, guests can listen to a discussion moderated by barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn on the topic of pit masters being placed on the same level as chefs. Should they be? Or is it better to put them in another custom category? Panel members include chef John Tesar, pitmaster Ronnie Killen, and pitmaster Jordan Jackson. This event starts at 11 am and ticket prices for The Edge of Texas start at $65.

Sunday, September 9

Game Day BBQ Throwdown at Wheelhouse
Celebrate the return of NFL season and watch the Dallas Cowboys “smoke” the Carolina Panthers during a BBQ Throwdown and all-day tailgate with Community Beer Co. from 11 am to 7 pm. Enjoy $3 canned, seasonal beers and various barbecue dishes ranging from Carolina pulled pork sandwiches to Texas hot links.

news-you-can-eat barbecue craft-beer fundraisers

Times Square News

Dallas' buzzy Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley heads to Times Square

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Lobster tail at Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley

A downtown Dallas restaurant and nightspot is hitting the Big Apple: Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley, known for its Southern comfort food and clubby atmosphere, is opening a location in New York, in none other than Times Square.

According to a release, they'll occupy a 10,000-square-foot space that was formerly home to a restaurant called Pink Taco, at the corner of 42nd Street, Broadway, and Seventh Avenue. This will be their eighth location (with Boston also in the works), as well as the largest and most visible, and it's anticipated to open in summer 2026.

"Every city we've opened in has become home," Kelley says in a statement. "New York is where the world watches. Opening at Times Square isn't just an expansion — it's a statement. We built our way here, one city at a time, on our own terms. We can't wait to humbly welcome New York home."

Kelley was a driven entrepreneur and attorney new to the food & beverage world when he opened the first location in downtown Dallas at 1933 Elm St. in 2020. It immediately drew a refreshingly integrated crowd with its mix of Southern comfort food — shrimp & grits and fried catfish are specialties — with Kelley savoring his role as the man on the scene, walking the floor to welcome guests, which often include Black celebrities and athletes.

Kelley's culinary story began in the South, under the guidance of his grandmother who taught him not just recipes but reverence for good ingredients, Southern traditions, and the art of hospitality.

The menu is anchored by soul food traditions elevated with refined technique and bold flavor in dishes such as Fried Chicken and Waffles, Blackened Shrimp and Grits with Lobster Tail, and Jamaican Jerk Lamb Chops. Cocktails include Peach D'Ussé Frosé, Gold Old Fashioned, and a Blackberry Margarita.

Since the concept debuted in Dallas, Kelley has opened locations in Chicago, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Miami, with Boston also opening Summer 2026.

Every location features an iconic rose wall as well as live music — drawing celebrities such as Jesse Jackson, Tina Knowles, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Meg Thee Stallion, Klay Thompson, 50 Cent, Joseph Sikora, Phylicia Rashad, Malik Nabers, Dak Prescott, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Maxey, Kawhi Leonard, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and a host of entertainers, athletes, and cultural icons.

Reservations opened on May 5 at kitchenkocktailsusa.com/newyork.

celebrities openings