This Week in Gluttony

Tastemaker Awards headline the best food and drink events in Dallas

There are plenty of food events happening around town this week, and they are more interesting than your average beer or wine dinner. For example, you could swing by our Tastemaker Awards on Tuesday, as we honor the top talent in the local restaurant community.

So go ahead. Pick your poison:

Monday, May 5

The following restaurants are beckoning you with Cinco de Mayo specials:

Abuelo’s. Dos Equis draft beers for $2.50 and Mexican flag margaritas for $5.95.
Campuzano Mexican Food. Complimentary appetizer with drinks.
Cubiertos. Puebla margarita for $5 with melon, lime and pomegranate, plus menu specials such as $5 shrimp and pineapple salad and $23 chiles en Nogada.
On the Border. Special Cinco de Mayo drinks, including Angry Orchard Hard Cider blended with sweet and sour, topped with a shot of cinnamon whiskey on the rocks, plus frozen margaritas in mango, strawberry or wild berry.
Blue Goose. All-day happy hour includes $1 off liquors, $2.25 domestics, $3.25 premium beers, $3 top shelf frozen margaritas.
Mattito's Tex-Mex. Festivities include live band, Bob Armstrong queso-eating contest, mechanical bull rides, tequila tastings, games and prizes, and drinks specials.
Chuy's. Happy hour all day includes margaritas served in a commemorative cup, plus free fully loaded Nacho Car from 4-7 pm.

Tuesday, May 6

CultureMap Tastemaker Awards
We are proud to launch the Tastemaker Awards in Dallas, our annual tribute to the talent in the local restaurant community, with a kickass party in the Design District. From 6-9 pm, foodies can indulge in fine food and killer cocktails while toasting the winners in 10 categories, from Best Rising Star Chef to Best New Restaurant. You can also expect the famous CultureMap swag and other party tricks. Proceeds benefit Carry The Load and North Texas Food Bank. Tickets are $45 and include food, three premium drinks and valet. There are limited tickets at the door, so secure your spot online.

Herman Marshall Whiskey Dinner at Bone Daddy's Grapevine
Killer barbecue and Texas whiskey will come together for the Herman Marshall Whiskey four course dinner including bacon wrapped chicken jalapeno, chopped salad, 12 oz. bone-in pork chop topped with a Herman Marshal Bourbon Gravy with granny smith baked cinnamon apples and garlic mashed potatoes and housemade bread pudding with Herman Marshall Whiskey sauce. Seats are $50 per person, and reservations can be made by calling 817-251-0835.

Wednesday, May 7

Larry McMurtry Texas-themed dinner at the Dallas Museum of Art
Author Larry McMurtry discusses The Last Kind Words Saloon, his first novel in five years, with author/collaborator Diana Ossana. During the event, the DMA cafe is serving a Texas-themed three course dinner inspired by Texas settings in McMurtry's fiction. Dishes include Green Valley Farm’s snow pea shoot salad or roasted corn and poblano chowder, jalapeno and bacon stuffed free range chicken breast or spiced and braised beef brisket, and Dude Sweet Chocolate semi-sweet chocolate tart or pecan pie with soured cream. Dinner is $22, and you can purchase live simulcast tickets online.

Thursday, May 8

Taco Talk with José R. Ralat at Four Corners Brewing Company
From 6-9 pm, Slow Food Dallas presents a talk and taco fest with José R. Ralat, who starts with the taco's humble Mexican beginnings and ends with its place in Dallas food culture today. Admission includes the talk plus two tacos: one al pastor and one fried potato. Beer is available for sale before, during and after the presentation. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online.

Humane Hearts Hoedown at The Southwestern
The Humane League honors Rip Esselstyn, author of the bestselling book The Engine 2 Diet, with its first Humane Hero award. Join the nonprofit for a vegan buffet, including "chickn" and waffles. VIP cocktail hour starts at 6:30 pm; party follows at 7:30. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased online.

Saturday, May 10

5th Annual Boil for the Brave Crawfish Boil at The Foundry
Hosted by the Rosedale Group, the annual Boil for the Brave Crawfish Boil raises funds for the construction and renovation of veterans' homes in the Dallas community. Guests can indulge in unlimited crawfish, potatoes and corn, as well as beer provided by Andrews Distributing. Tickets are free to U.S. military veterans and $25 to all other attendees and can be purchased online. Fun starts at 1 pm.

Everyone and their mom is enjoying a margarita today for Cinco De Mayo.

Urban Taco Facebook

Everyone and their mom is enjoying a margarita today for Cinco De Mayo.

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Taking the field

Dak Prescott-backed Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux kicks off in Wylie

Photo courtesy of Walk-Ons

Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux is opening in Wylie on August 10.

A Louisiana sports bar chain that counts Cowboys QB Dak Prescott as a partner continues to build its fan base in Dallas-Fort Worth: Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux is set to open a new location in Wylie on Monday, August 10.

Announced earlier this year, the restaurant is at 906 FM 544, near the intersection of Highway 78 and FM 544. The opening marks the chain's 20th Texas location and its second operating restaurant in the DFW area.

Founded in Baton Rouge in 2003 by former LSU basketball "walk-ons" Brandon Landry and Jack Warner, Walk-On's has grown to more than 80 locations nationwide. The company is co-owned by former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (an Austin native), and franchise partners include Prescott, along with former NFL player Derrick Brooks, and college football coach Dabo Swinney.

Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux Wylie The new Walk-On's is at 906 FM 544, Wylie.Photo courtesy of Walk-On's

The menu is centered on seafood and classic Louisiana dishes: fried seafood platters, pastas, burgers, sandwiches, po'boys, fried oysters, gumbo, fried alligator, and boudin balls. Prices range from $10 to $20.

Starters include waffle cheese fries, fried pickles, boneless wings, cheeseburger sliders, spinach-artichoke dip, and venison nachos. They have a bread pudding made with Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

There's also a plentiful selection of beers on tap, plus margaritas and other crafty-ish cocktails.

The Wylie restaurant is owned by franchisee Cooper Thomson, who says the community made the city an appealing place to expand.

"I am thrilled to expand Walk-On's presence in Dallas, and particularly in the community of Wylie," Thomson says in a release. "To be a part of the growth in this area - to serve families and be a place where little league teams celebrate and football fans cheer on their team - is such a special opportunity."

Although Walk-On's has been in the DFW market since pre-pandemic times, Wylie will be its second restaurant in DFW open currently, joining a location at Grandscape in The Colony. Earlier Dallas-area locations in Irving and Arlington have closed, although the company has previously said it plans to reopen the Arlington restaurant at a new location.

The Wylie restaurant features a sports bar with dozens of TVs, a large outdoor patio, and a family-friendly dining room designed for game-day crowds.

Grand opening festivities will kick off at 10:30 am on Monday, August 10, with a ceremony featuring Walk-On's founder Brandon Landry, franchise owner Cooper Thomson, Wylie Mayor Matthew Porter, city officials, and representatives from Wylie High School and Wylie East High School.

The celebration will include donations to the two schools' athletic departments, followed by a ribbon-cutting at 10:45 am. Doors open to the public at 11 am, and the first 100 guests to dine will have a chance to win free Walk-On's for a year.

Walk-On's will be the second sports bar concept with celebrity cred to open in DFW within a few days' time. Shark Club, from Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi, opened Friday, August 7 in Northlake.

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