This Week In Gluttony

Derby parties and massive tailgate top best food and drink events in Dallas

Whether you care about the Kentucky Derby or not, chances are you like to celebrate it, because the parties always involve booze and big hats. For all you philanthropic football fans out there, Taste of the NFL celebrates its 11th year at a new venue, AT&T Stadium.

Take a look at the variety of events that are sure to keep you full of food and good spirits.

Tuesday, April 28

Tequila Dinner at Mexican Sugar
Chef Tony Zamora prepares a five-course dinner paired with cocktails made with Clase Azul tequila. Dishes include ancho spiced pork empanadas, chipotle shrimp and watermelon salad, blue corn-crusted sea bass, anejo-braised short rib, and prickly pear and guava paleta. The event kicks off at 7 pm and costs $75. Call 972-943-0984 for reservations.

Thursday, April 30

Craft Beer and Artisan Cheese Tasting at Lakewood Brewing Company
Lakewood Brewing Company welcomes cheesemonger Ali Morgan from Rare Edibles as she continues her quest to bring together cheese and beer. The event features four select craft brews paired with a complementary and contrasting cheeses, plus descriptions of taste profiles and styles from brewers and industry experts. The event kicks off at 6:30 pm and costs $30.

Saturday, May 2

Kentucky Derby Bash at Library Bar
Celebrate horse racing’s biggest event at this party featuring Woodford Reserve bourbon cocktails, prizes for best dressed (including hats) and several raffle prizes. The Library’s “cocktail jockeys” are handcrafting mint juleps featuring Woodford Reserve bourbon for $20, with all sales benefiting Equest Therapeutic Horsemanship. The event lasts from 3:30-6:30 pm.

Kentucky Derby Party at Del Frisco’s Grille
Celebrate the Kentucky Derby with a live watch party featuring a red carpet selfie station, step and repeat, best dressed and best hat competitions, mint juleps, and live music. The fun lasts from 3-6 pm.

Fourth Annual Jockeys & Juleps Derby Party at Sissy’s Southern Kitchen
The Jockeys & Juleps event is back and better than ever. Expect a best dressed competition, raffle prizes and the derby broadcast live. The event runs from 3-6 pm, and reservations are required. Call 214- 827-9900.

Kentucky Derby Watching Party at Gin Mill
Celebrate the derby at the Gin Mill with $6 mint juleps. Guests are encouraged to wear their best derby attire. The bigger the hat, the better.

Sunday, May 3

Taste of the NFL at AT&T Stadium
North Texas Food Bank supporters are invited to huddle up with Dallas Cowboys past and present and 20 of the area’s hottest chefs for a tailgate party unlike any other. Indulge in gourmet tailgate fare with sports legends, sip signature cocktails, enjoy live country music by the Rusty Brothers, and bid on exclusive luxury prizes at the live and silent auctions. The event kicks off at 6 pm; tickets start at $150.

Finalist Cook-off at Kitchen LTO
It’s time to unveil the chef and artist finalists for the fifth pop-up at Kitchen LTO. Outgoing chef Blythe Beck is the emcee for the evening, and a portion of the proceeds benefits Cafe Momentum. Taste the chefs’ creations; review proposed artwork; grill the contestants; and enjoy beer, wine and specialty cocktails. The event runs from 5-8 pm, and tickets are $75.

Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Gin Mill
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo early with drink specials from 11 am-3 pm: $5 bloody Marys and mimosas, $3 Mexican beers, and a bottomless mimosa option for $14. There are also food specials, including house made pozole and shrimp flautas.

Head out to Lakewood Brewing Company for a craft beer and cheese tasting on April 30.

Photo by Marc Lee

Head out to Lakewood Brewing Company for a craft beer and cheese tasting on April 30.

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Breakfast News

Florida breakfast chain First Watch opens new restaurant in Carrollton

Photo courtesy of First Watch

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Today is the day when North Dallasites get a new place for breakfast: First Watch, the breakfast, brunch, and lunch chain, is opening a new location in Carrollton, at 3204 E. Hebron Pkwy, where it will brings a menu of breakfast and lunch classics plus rotating seasonal offerings. According to a release, it opens April 14.

The restaurant is located in a new-build shopping center in a 4,000-square-foot space that includes a covered patio with an indoor-outdoor bar — so key for brunch — with seating for more than 120 people.

First Watch is headquartered in Bradenton, Florida, but was founded in California in 1983 by two former employees of the Le Peep breakfast chain. Hey, Dallas used to have Le Peeps.

Dishes are made to order without heat lamps, microwaves, or deep fryers. So no deep-fried hash browns. They start each morning juicing fresh fruits and vegetables to make their signature fresh juices.

The menu has your basic breakfast, omelets and such, plus specialties such as the quinoa power bowl, lemon ricotta pancakes, avocado toast, and "signature" Million Dollar Bacon. Bacon, that is so 2012.

Breakfast is available all day. Lunch items includes sandwiches and salads such as the Superfood Kale Salad. The restaurant will offer its first seasonal menu in Summer of 2025.

First Watch operates more than 570 First Watch restaurants in 30 states. This marks the 10th in the DFW area, joining locations such as Addison, Grand Prairie, Lake Highlands, Richardson, Coppell, and Plano.

The chain is calling this location "Prestonwood," even though it's nowhere near the Prestonwood neighborhood of Dallas. It is however across the street from the Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano. Prestonwood Church was recently in the news after its assistant pastor Scott Turner was appointed by President Trump to head the Housing and Urban Development — an appointment that the Houston Chronicle called "the latest addition to Trump's overwhelmingly conservative Cabinet." The point is, don't blame the restaurant for trying to grab some of that Prestonwood cachet, blame the church.

brunch breakfast openings