This Week in Gluttony

Free tacos and fancy wine dinners top the best food and drink events in Dallas

It’s an eclectic week in gluttony, as we jump from free tacos and free beer (though not at the same place) to $100 wine dinners to organically keeping bugs out of the garden. Let’s dig in.

Wednesday, June 12

Merriman Wine Dinner at Spoon
Chef John Tesar hosts a five-course wine dinner beginning at 6 pm with pairings from Merriman Wines. Dishes include potato gnocchi, Maryland blue crab and black truffle emulsion with rosé of Pinot Noir and swordfish steak with wild mushroom crust and red wine squid ink sauce paired with the Merriman Estate Pinot Noir. Reservations are $100 and can be made at 214-368-8220.

Freebirds Grand Opening in Frisco
Freebirds World Burrito opens their newest area location at 10:30 am in Frisco. The 10:30 am part is important because the first 25 people that walk through the door receive free burritos for a year. Considering that the Super Monster burrito weighs nearly 7 pounds, you could conceivably feed yourself for a year and not spend any money.

Thursday, June 13

Torchy’s Tacos Giveaway in Southlake
Torchy’s opens its Southlake location on June 13. To commemorate the occasion, the restaurant is giving away one free breakfast item from 7 to 10 am to anyone that stops by. There will also be a chance to enter to win free tacos for a year. That is a good deal right there.

Saturday, June 15

Organic Bug Management at Deep Ellum Urban Gardens
Amanda Vanhoozier, the community programs supervisor for Coppell and the founder of the Coppell Farmers Market, leads a class at Deep Ellum Urban Gardens from 9 to 11 am on how to organically manage the bugs in your garden. The event is $10 for DUG members and $25 for non-members.

Sunday, June 16

Free Beer Samples at Jack Mac’s Swill & Grill
Jack Mac’s hosts a free beer tasting from 6 to 8 pm for Dead Cowboy Brewing, a new joint in Royse City. The brewery is bringing its Double Dead IPA and the Grapefruit Wheat. It’s free beer and Game of Thrones is off the air, so spend your Sunday night wisely.

Bishop Arts Walking Tour
Dallas by Chocolate hosts this walking food and historical tour of Bishop Arts from 1 to 4:30 pm. Stops include Ten Bells Tavern; Veracruz Cafe; Dude, Sweet Chocolate; and Bolsa Mercado. History lessons include background on Bonnie and Clyde and the old trolleys that used to run in the neighborhood. Tickets are $40.

Monday, June 17

Live Demonstration with Chef Gorji at Whole Foods Preston Forest
Chef Gorji of Canary by Gorji leads a class on how to prepare pan-seared shrimp in puttanesca sauce and kale salad with pomegranate dressing, Parmigiano Reggiano and pumpkin seeds. The $15 class runs in the upstairs mezzanine from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.

The new Torchy's in Southlake is giving away free breakfast tacos for its opening June 13.

ShaggyBevo.com

The new Torchy's in Southlake is giving away free breakfast tacos for its opening June 13.

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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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