This Week in Gluttony

These are the 7 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Head to Fort Worth to check out their annual Food + Wine Festival happening April 4-7.

While this week in Dallas is certainly not a snore, we are heading to both Fort Worth and Frisco for a taste of their food and wine festivals. Who else is in? Here are highlights of the delicious week all over DFW.

Thursday, April 4

Whitcraft Wine Dinner at The French Room
Drake Whitcraft of Santa Barbara's Whitcraft Wines visits The French Room for a four-course tasting dinner to explore his exclusive collection. Courses include scallop ceviche, poached cod cheek, beef Bourguignon, and cheese. Tickets are $200, and the evening kicks off with a 6:30 pm reception followed by a 7 pm dinner.

Belle Gloss Wine Dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House
Belle Glos, a California-based winemaker that produces distinctive Pinot Noirs, invades Dallas for a five-course dining experience with wine pairings. Courses include roasted heirloom carrot salad, chorizo white bean and spinach soup, baked goat cheese crostini, filet with gorgonzola and Dairyman caramelized onions reduction, and a dark chocolate cherry brownie. Tickets are $105 and the meal starts at 6:30 pm.

Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival at the Heart of the Ranch at Clearfork

As seen in Fort Worth's weekly food events round up ... Tickets are going fast for the annual four-day smorgasbord, most of which will take place under the stars (and a few tents) at the Heart of the Ranch at Clearfork. Festival proceeds go toward local grant programs and culinary scholarships. Here’s the lineup:

The festival begins with Tacos + Tequila ($50, 8-10 pm Thursday), bigger this year with more restaurants participating like Bartaco, Grapevine’s Mi Dia from Scratch, Wild Salsa, and non-taco spots like Four Sisters and McKinney’s Patina Green Home and Market.
The Main Event ($125, 6:30-9 pm Friday) features wines from around the world, craft beers, and spirits along with hefty bites from nearly every notable restaurant in town.
Desserts After Dark ($60, 9-11 pm Friday) is back at Whiskey Ranch, where pastry chefs and mixologists will share their sweet somethings while guests dance the night away. Participants range from Dough Boy Donuts to Kate Weiser Chocolates.
Replacing Rise + Dine this year is the Culinary Corral ($75, 11 am to 3 pm Saturday). Entry includes access to the tasting tent, beer garden, and “corkyard,” plus an artisan marketplace with live music all day. Guests will get bites from Café Modern, Nonna Tata, and Cannon Chinese Kitchen to name a few.
The festival continues at Burgers, Blues + Blues ($70, 6-9 pm Saturday), when burger joints like Rodeo Goat, Fred’s Texas Café, and Knife Burger will partake in a burger battle voted on by the people. Wash it all down with craft beer from all over Texas.
Sunday’s new grand finale — Ring of Fire: A Next-Level Cookout ($65, 2-4 pm Sunday) brings together a couple dozen chefs to barbecue, roast, and grill everything from exotic meats to pizza over live fire. Expect most of the usual local barbecue suspects, as well as regular participant Black’s Barbecue from the Hill Country.

Saturday, April 6

Sushi Speed Eating Contest at Kabuki Japanese Restaurant
In celebration of its one-year anniversary, 10 contestants will compete to see who can eat a five-foot sushi roll the fastest. The winner receives a $300 gift certificate to Kabuki, along with tickets to a Live Nation concert at Toyota Music Factory, and a one-night hotel stay. All participants will receive a Kabuki T-shirt and Japanese bandana headband, along with a $25 gift certificate to Kabuki. After the contest, guests can enjoy all-night happy hour at Kabuki with discounts on sushi, rolls, small plates, beverages and more. The competition starts at 6 pm and interested participants can register here.

Frisco Uncorked Food and Wine Festival at Frisco Square
This inaugural event features four bands, food from local restaurants, wine tastings, shopping, a play zone for kids, and a grape-stomping competition. Performers include The Warehouse Band, Gun Powder and Lead, Hannah Kirby, and the High Definition Band. Restaurants include Dee Lincoln Prime, Tri Tip Grill, Dilla’s Quesadillas, Rye Craft Food & Cocktails, Pizzeria Testa, Howard Wang’s, Nerdvana, and more. Tickets start at $20 and the event kicks off at noon.

Candytopia at The Hill
This candy-coated experiential adventure is bringing its confectionery wonderland to Dallas for a limited-run engagement through July. It features more than a dozen rooms with larger-than-life interactive art installations and full sensory experiences. Candytopia Dallas features the most popular attractions from its past locations along with new elements inspired by local culture and landmarks unique to the city. Tickets start at $20 and kids under three get in free. It opens at 10 am daily.

Sunday, April 7

Uchibā Whiskey & Wagyu Dinner
Uchibā is hosting a one-night-only special Whisky & Wagyu event featuring cocktails and a six-course dinner from chef Alex Astranti, paired with spirits selected by Rashidi Barrett of Beam Suntory Cocktails, who will educate attendees on the history and flavors of Japanese Whisky. Tickets are $175 and the event goes from 6-9 pm. 214-855-1354.

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Cocktail Time

Where to drink in Dallas: 7 holiday drink specials for December

Courtesy photo

Festive drinking at the Miracle Bar.

Dallas in December is brimming with holiday festivities, and that includes cocktails: from over-the-top pop-up bars to extravagantly priced cocktails to drinks with a festive Christmas theme.

We're covering all that and more in this edition of Where to Drink, our monthly column recommending the best places to have to drink in Dallas:

The Charlotte
American bistro and bar recently opened on Henderson Avenue has three specialty holiday cocktails starting at $14. There's a butterscotch espresso martini with Revel Stoke Butterscotch, Baileys Espresso Cream, and espresso; cranberry paloma, with Don Julio tequila, grapefruit, cranberry, and a splash of Squirt; and a twist on hot chocolate. Called The Charlotte's hot chocolate, it features house-made cocoa with red wine and Mozart Dark Chocolate liqueur. The space has also been decorated with red hanging ornaments and wreaths and bows on the walls to enhance the holiday vibe.

The Mansion Bar
Don't come to this swanky bar inside the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek if you're looking for a happy hour. For holiday high-rollers they have a crazy special “Elf on the Top Shelf” menu of four cocktails priced at $75 each — not kidding. There's the Evergreen Elixir with Macklowe Gold Whiskey, L.N.Mattei Cap Corse Rouge Quinquina, and Fot-Li Vermut; the Midwinter Manhattan with High West A Midwinter Night's Dram Rye Whiskey, Alessio Vermouth di Torino Rosso, and Angostura Bitters; the Golden Hearth with Casa Del Sol Angel’s Reserve Añejo Tequila, prickly pear cordial, lime, orange bitters; and the Shiver & Shine with Belvedere 10 Organic Vodka, Mulassano Vermouth di Torino Bianco, and orange bitters.

Miracle at Aussie Grind
Australian-inspired cafe in Frisco has transformed into a “Miracle” pop up bar with a variety of specialty cocktails including the Christmasaurus, a tropical drink with pineapple rum, mezcal, apricot liquor, coconut milk, and coffee; Rudolph’s Replacement, with vodka, coffee liqueur, orange curacao, chai syrup, almond milk, and aromatic bitters; and hot buttered rum. True to form for a Miracle bar, the drinks come in collector cups like Santa pants and boots that can be purchased. The drinks range from $16-$18.

Omni PGA Frisco
Resort and PGA District has holiday-themed cocktails at six of its dining outlets through December. Trick Rider has a Pecan Manhattan with Brown Butter Woodford Reserve, Carpano Antica, pecan bitter and candied pecan. The Ice House has Bourbon & Bells with Bourbon, apple, cinnamon, and torched rosemary; Lounge By Topgolf has Down the Chimney, with Jameson Irish Whiskey, Baileys Original Irish Cream, vanilla ice cream, and Oreo. The Lookout has a Sugar Plum Sparkler featuring an edible shimmer, Gingerbread Old Fashioned, and Milk & Cookies, with espresso martini mix and Baileys Irish Cream.

Red Lobster
Seafood chain is cutting us a break with a newly launched weekday Happy Hour from 3-6 pm featuring $5 drink specials and $2 off select starters. Drink specials include margarita, Long Island iced tea, Tito's Twisted Strawberry Lemonade, 14-ounce Blue Moon draft, 14-ounce Bud Light draft, 6-ounce Mark West pinot noir, and six-ounce Ecco Domani pinot grigio. Discounted starters include lobster flatbread, seafood-stuffed mushrooms, crab queso, lobster dip, and mozzarella cheese sticks.

Sanjh
Indian restaurant in Irving has four holiday drinks with wonderfully exotic flavors: The Autumn Old Fashioned has Bulleit bourbon, amaretto, maple syrup, and almond flakes; Golden Glow has turmeric-infused Ketel One vodka, velvet falernum, and orange bitters; Harvest Spritz has Tanqueray gin, spiced cranberry syrup, lime, and cranberry dust; and the Negroni Royal has jasmine tea-infused Tanqueray, saffron-infused Campari and rose petal-kissed sweet vermouth. Cocktails are $16.

Very Merry Village at The Village Dallas
Mixed-use community in East Dallas is hosting a pop-up on the second floor of The Village Country Club Wednesday-Sunday until December 29, all decked out with Christmas trees. The menu has seven festive cocktails, including Mrs. Claus’ cranberry spritz, with La Marca Prosecco, cranberry juice, and ginger beer; Santarita, with Patron Reposado, Raspberry Liqueur, Cointreau, Agave, Lime; and a salted caramel espresso martini. There’s also a selection of draft and canned beers, wine, and champagne. Drinks range from $12-$14. Entry is free.

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