This Week in Gluttony

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

DIFFA hosts Burgers & Burgundy at The Eye at The Joule on Friday, October 5.

Photo courtesy of DIFFA Dallas

If you are a fan of philanthropic eating, this is your spirit week. Plano is also debuting a food and wine festival that is sure to be a smash. So grab your boo and bask in the beauty that is Dallas' food scene in October.

Thursday, October 4

Grand Opening Chefs' Tasting at The Shops at Willow Bend
The Shops at Willow Bend celebrates the opening of its first five new restaurants and helps support the important work of the Junior League of Collin County. Guests can enjoy a cocktail reception followed by a progressive dining experience by Mexican Bar Co. Cocina, Whistle Britches, Knife, Terra Mediterranean, and Ascension. The evening will also feature desserts, coffee, and music by Georgia Bridgewater Orchestra, and more. Tickets are $125 and the event starts at 5 pm.

Opus One Wine Dinner at Abacus
Chef Chris Patrick has created a menu to pair with this superior California wine. The evening begins with passed appetizers, and then there is a seated meal featuring slow-smoked veal breast ragout, coriander seared Rohan duck breast, and whole roasted A Bar N Ranch beef tenderloin. Tickets are $350, and the event starts at 6:30 pm.

Friday, October 5

TACA Lexus Party on the Green at Elaine D. and Charles A. Sammons Park
Enjoy signature dishes by local chefs such as Stephan Pyles of Flora Street Café, Janice Provost of Parigi Restaurant, and Sebastien Archambault of Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek — plus creative cocktails and wine by local mixologists — at this food-centric fundraiser for the North Texas arts and cultural community. Expect a silent auction, wine cork pull, entertainment by Lucy Wrubel, and live performances by some of TACA's 2018 grant recipients. Tickets are $350, and the events starts at 6:30 pm.

Artful Pairings at Dallas Museum of Art
This new program is a series of exclusive tastings with local distilleries, breweries, and wineries followed by a tour of the DMA collection connected to the history of the alcohol. This particular event focuses on Crooked Fox bourbon. Tickets start at $55, and the event begins at 7 pm.

Burgers & Burgundy at The Eye at The Joule
Terri Provencal and chef John Tesar bring DIFFA's culinary fundraiser to The Eye at The Joule for a night of, you guessed it, burgers and burgundy. Participating burger makers for the 10th anniversary edition include Coner Seargeant (Wheelhouse), Blaine Staniford (Grace), and Bruno Davaillon (Bullion). Tickets are $150, and the event starts at 7 pm.

Saturday, October 6

Plano Food and Wine Festival at The Shops at Willow Bend
This inaugural food festival at The Shops at Willow Bend will showcase more than 100 wines, food from 20 different restaurants, and food trucks in a lively environment. There will also be live music, local artists, culinary demonstrations, a play zone for kids, and even grape-stomping competitions. Tickets start at $20, and all proceeds benefit North Texas Performing Arts.

fundraisers news-you-can-eat chefs

Patio time

5 best restaurant patios in Dallas to hit on a warm spring day in 2026

Taco Y Vino

Award-winning patio at Taco Y Vino

Dallas is facing a sunny and warm spell, and that can only mean one thing: It's time to hit the patio. In a search for the best patio, deciding factors include sunshine, comfortable accommodations, an engaging view, and something good to eat and drink.

You'll find all of that at these five Dallas hotspots — one for every neighborhood, whether you're in Oak Cliff or Uptown Dallas, Plano or Addison, or good old Greenville Avenue.

Here are five patios to check out now that the weather's good:

Libertine Bar
Venerable low-key bar has an impressive selection of beer; great food like their irresistible battered portobello fries with jalapeno ranch; a bountiful brunch; and endless specials including steak night on Tuesdays, trivia night on Thursdays, and a generous happy hour Tuesday-Friday. Their street-facing patio has a fun chill vibe, and there is truly no better ringside seat to the action, sometimes rowdy, on Greenville Avenue.

Rose Cafe
Uptown cafe is an indoor-outdoor restaurant which transitions throughout the day, from pastry and coffee at breakfast to cocktails after work. (They also have some of the best made pastries in town.) The surprising decor features florals and soft pink hues pastry or brunch, and enjoying vibrant cocktails with friends. It's located right off the Katy Trail so the views are a given.

Taco y Vino
The patio at this beloved taco-and-wine restaurant in Oak Cliff is so spectacular, it has won awards: namely, a CultureMap Tastemaker Award for Best Patio in 2024. For tacos, they have 11 varieties, which you can get in a killer special: A bottle of wine and six tacos for $35, available any time. Or try one of their cool cocktails such as the frozen Kalimoxto, a refreshing combination of red wine and Coca Cola. In 2025, they opened a second location in downtown Garland, bringing their primo patio action to the east side of town.

Far Out
Restaurant in renovated Quonset hut near Dallas' Fair Park has become known in the past year among the foodie set as the place for whom acclaimed chef Misti Norris has created a new menu with dishes like crispy pig ears and lemongrass duck confit salad. (It has earned two nominations, in fact - for Chef of the Year and Best New Restaurant - in the 2026 Tastemaker Awards.) But Far Out also has a charming patio that runs along the exterior, with a Southwestern/Santa Fe vibe that includes tasteful furniture and a big collection of cacti and other desert-style plants — a serene spot in the middle of the city.

Stix Icehouse
Restaurant-bar in McKinney sitting on a 14-acre spread is really more like a park and event center with a restaurant attached. With their extensive outdoor facilities, they're a family-friendly getaway, with a second-story deck for food and drink, and a sprawling backyard area with a basketball hoop, lawn, and trees. Their menu is quintessential Texas, with burgers, Frito pie, chicken-fried steak, nachos, and loaded fries. Drinks, including a frozen margarita and a salted caramel espresso martini, top out at $12.

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