This week in gluttony

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

Salud! It's Cinco de Mayo time.

In an explosion of social activity this week, Cinco de Mayo, the Kentucky Derby, and Mother’s Day fall within the same week — or really, within four days of each other. Cinco festivities range from a delightful three-course lunch to tequila tastings via an ice luge. (They don’t call it “Cinco de Drinko” for nothing.) There’s also a Derby Day wine and whiskey walk along with a rooftop watch party for “the most exciting two minutes in sports.” And, Find Mother’s Day dining options here.

Thursday, May 5

Cinco de Mayo at Te Deseo
Start Cinco early at the Harwood District’s Latin hot spot. Te Deseo will offer a prix-fixe three-course lunch menu with highlights including skirt steak fajitas, coconut rice, and churros. There’ll also be live mariachi music in the courtyard from 1-3 pm and a taco station featuring tinga de pollo, carnitas, and smoked brisket. Drink specials will go on all day. Stay late for live DJ music starting at 9 pm.

Cinco de Mayo at Primo’s MX Kitchen & Lounge
The Mexican restaurant’s location at The Statler in downtown Dallas will host a party with pop-up mariachi music and a Tex-Mex buffet, which is $25 per person. Or pay $35 and get margarita tastings at participating bars all around The Statler. Snag your reservation early — the first 100 can participate in a pinata-hitting station. The party starts at 4 pm.

Cinco de Mayo at Mexican Sugar
Charge the cellphone and visit either location of the stylish hacienda-inspired Mexican restaurant (there’s one in Plano and one in Las Colinas) to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with tasty Instagram-able opportunities. Visit the Smoke & Mirrors selfie station to get your image “printed” onto the MexPresso Martini. Or shake up your own margarita with a custom shaker in front of the restaurant’s photo wall. Also sample tequila via an ice luge. Live marimba music (at the Las Colinas location) will play all day, and DJ music will start at 6 pm.

Garrison Brothers Dinner at Urban Seafood
UPDATE: The event is now taking place on May 10. The Plano seafood restaurant will host a four-course bourbon pairing dinner featuring the Texas Hill Country’s Garrison Brothers Distillery. Charlie Garrison — one of the Garrison brothers — will be on-hand to share stories about the bourbon-making business. The dinner is $95 per person and begins at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 7

10th Annual Frisco StrEATS Gourmet Food Truck & Music Festival
Visit the Rail District in Frisco for live music, shopping, craft beer and wine, and food trucks. There’s no admission fee and the event will run all day from 11 am-8 pm. Chairs, blankets, and pets on a leash are welcome.

Derby Day Wine & Whiskey Walk in McKinney
Dress to the nines in Derby attire (think colorful hats, bow ties, and bright colors) and stroll along the streets of historic downtown McKinney for wine and whiskey tastings. The wine-only walk ticket price is $30 and includes 12 tastes from Lone Star Wine Cellar and a souvenir glass. The wine and whiskey ticket price is $45 and adds four whiskey cocktail samples from area restaurants. Note that specific time slots must be selected — either 12-3 pm or 3-5 pm. Or go VIP with a $55 ticket and check-in anytime.

Henry Derby Day
The Henry in Uptown will celebrate the biggest horse race of the year with a rooftop party. Cheer on your favorite thoroughbred and enjoy a buffet, Maker’s Mark cocktails, and DJ music. The $65 per-person price includes the buffet and choice of a mule or mint julep. The event will run from 1-7 pm (the race is set for 5:57 pm) and seating is first-come, first-served.

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Ice Cream News

Global gourmet ice cream chain debuts in U.S. with 2 Dallas-area shops

Dumont Ice Cream

An ice cream concept from India has made its U.S. debut, right here in Texas: Called Dumont Creamery & Cafe, it's an ice cream chain founded in Hyderabad that now has two locations in the Dallas area.

Their first location was Frisco, which opened at 1951 FM 423 at the end of 2023; a second location opened in late October in Coppell at 1535 S. Belt Line Rd. #160.

Dumont was founded in 1999 by brothers Vivek and Bhashkaar, and currently has 23 locations in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Vijayawada listed on their website.

Bringing the concept to Texas are local franchisees and friends Sai Sashank and Tarang Tirumala, who moved to the U.S. in 2005 to attend college.

Both have successful consulting careers, but craved a taste of home.

Ice cream is the centerpiece at Dumont with more than two dozen flavors, ranging from gourmet to classics to flavors boasting global influences: from Italian-inspired sorbet to a New Zealand-inspired honey ice cream called "hokey pokey."

There is vanilla, chocolate, and mint chocolate chip — but also unique options such as cake and jam, an ice cream with a vanilla base, bites of cake, and spiced jam; and kheer, a coconut ice cream studded with dried fruits and nuts — a nod to the kheer rice pudding that's one of India's favorite desserts.

A single scoop is $4. They have cups and a cute version of waffle cones: shorter and fatter than usual, to provide a greater ratio of ice cream-to-cone.

In addition to ice cream, they have a beverage program with coffee and espresso drinks such as lattes, plus boba tea. There are also special drinks like falooda — an exotic Indian milkshake with rose syrup and vermicelli — as well as limited-edition drinks like iced kheer, a cool beverage version of that same popular rice pudding dessert.

Both locations are spacious, bright, and clean, with pale green banquettes at Frisco, and pale blue chairs and tables at Coppell. Both feature an astronaut theme with statues and framed photos and cartoons on the wall. The Coppell location also has a mural dedicated to great moments in Coppell history.