This week in gluttony

These are the 9 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

It's Hatch chile time.

Central Market

August brings the start of two important culinary happenings in town: Hatch chile season and DFW Restaurant Week. Both kick off this week with multiple events. Also on the list: a steak dinner starring Wagyu, two wine events including the grand opening of a wine storage facility, and a day-long festival starring wonderful watermelons.

Wednesday, August 3

Rat Pack Wednesdays at Sfuzzi
The Italian dive is bringing back its fan-favorite Rat Pack Wednesdays with live music and cocktails. Visit late night from 8-10 pm to hear a Rat Pack tribute by Ricki Derek while sipping on martinis. Try The Good Life made with bourbon, vermouth and bitters, or the Big Dill, shaken with gin, dill, and beet onion. The specials range from $12-$13 and will only be available starting at 8 pm.

Thursday, August 4

Frank On Thursdays at Blue Mesa Addison
Beverage manager and mixologist Frank Valles will begin a weekly showcase on Thursdays at the Blue Mesa in Addison featuring cutting-edge tequila and mezcal cocktails. This Thursday will feature two concoctions: the Hatch Choo made with Hatch-Cello (a play on limoncello) and Hatch chile chunks; and the Four Play, with Casamigos mezcal, egg white, and filthy cherries. Customers can taste complimentary samples or purchase a full cocktail. Pair with the restaurant's official street taco for August, the Hatch steak relleno taco. Frank on Thursdays will run every Thursday from 5-9 pm.

Wine Tasting at Tricky Fish
Start with a glass of prosecco upon arrival during this summertime wine tasting, featuring three rose and white wines paired with Tricky Fish apps and bites. The tasting is $30 per person and begins at 6 pm.

Cowboy Waygu Dinner at Knife Plano
Visit John Tesar’s Plano steakhouse for a five-course pairing dinner featuring wines by Napa's Frias Vineyards. The menu will highlight Cowboy Waygu, a ranch that produces Japanese Waygu in Center, Texas. There’ll be beef tartare, oxtail ravioli, 72-hour sous vide short rib, and 90-day dry-aged A5 ribeye. Finish with cheesecake tart with fresh berries. Dinner is $180 per person, plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 7 pm.

Friday, August 5

DFW Restaurant Week
The 2022 edition of the annual dine-out fundraiser debuts its preview weekend on Friday, with the official week running August 8-14. Dinners are $39 or $49 per person, while a two-course lunch option is for $24. New this year: a $99 signature experience with an elevated menu, as well as a $29 weekend brunch. Some restaurants are extending their specials through September 4.

Vinum 55 Allen Grand Opening
Arizona-based Vinum 55 will celebrate the opening of its first Texas location with a party for wine lovers. The membership-based wine storage and concierge company invites guests to visit its newest outlet in Allen for a wine tasting experience led by Vinum 55 sommeliers. There’ll be a ribbon-cutting with champagne toast and small bites for wine pairing. The event runs from 4-8 pm and is complimentary, but reservations are encouraged.

Hatch Chile Tasting Event at Central Market
Grocer celebrates its 27th annual Hatch Chile Festival August 3-23, showcasing dozens of Hatch chile-infused products with a free tasting event on August 5 from 5-8 pm, with 10 stations of Hatch chile goodness, including Hatch chile crab cakes with Hatch buttermilk ranch dressing, Hatch meatballs with Hatch queso, spicy cheese on Hatch brioche, wine pairings and more. Register in advance on the Central Market Cooking School page. The tasting will be held at all Central Market stores, and each customer receives a $10 coupon to use that evening.

Saturday, August 6

Watermelon Day at Dallas Farmers Market
From Sugar Babies to Desert Kings, watermelon varieties will be aplenty this Saturday at the Dallas Farmers Market. Enjoy live music and family-friendly activities while perusing peak season picks harvested by local farmers. The market will be open from 9 am-5 pm.

Fletcher's Corny Dogs Pop-Up on Knox Street
Get a preview of the State Fair of Texas' iconic corny dog plus lemonade, and support Community of Partners of Dallas' annual Back-to-School Drive. Donate calculators, colored pencils, composition books, construction paper (9×12, 100 count or less), 24 count crayons, glue, highlighters, index cards (100 count), markers (10 count), and more. Donations accepted at BodyBar, Lululemon, Pottery Barn Kids, and Room & Board. 11 am-3 pm at 3311 Knox St., near the corner of Travis Street by Village Baking Co.

event-planner wine

Chicken News

Dallas-area McDonald's to get buzzy new chicken version of a Big Mac

McDonald's

McDonald's Chicken Big Mac

Fast-food chain McDonald’s is doing the unthinkable: serving a chicken sandwich.

According to a release, the burger chain is "dropping" a new Chicken Big Mac at participating restaurants in North Texas for a limited time beginning October 10.

The Chicken Big Mac features the same toppings found on a Big Mac, but with two tempura battered fried chicken patties in place of beef burgers. Those toppings are as follows: special sauce, lettuce, cheese, and pickles on a sesame seed bun.

The sandwich was first introduced in 2022 for a limited run in the United Kingdom and in Miami. Now it's hitting the U.S., and more specifically, Dallas-Fort Worth.

“With the introduction of the Chicken Big Mac, we’re excited to pay homage to one of our most iconic menu items, the Big Mac, and introduce it to a whole new generation of fans,” says Tariq Hassan, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer at McDonald’s USA.

The release relays a story about a promotional event that took place last weekend in Los Angeles with a one-day pop-up dining experience by Chain, an online entity known for its "chef-driven takes on chain restaurant classics," wherein they served an item called "The Chicken Sandwich."

Many a fan was hoodwinked by the premise that the sandwich was a fake — but ba-zing, McDonald’s was behind it all. How is that for some next-level viral buzz-generating hype. (Chain is so proud of the promotion that they have it pinned on their Instagram account, and rightfully so! They really perpetrated quite the charade.)

The chain has also enlisted "internet star" Kai Cenat who will try the Chicken Big Mac on his livestream to determine whether a Big Mac with a chicken is, in fact, a Big Mac. Does McDonald's know how to work this social media stuff or does McDonald's know how to work this social media stuff?