This Week in Gluttony

These are the 6 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Join Thrillist for a Taco Takeover at The Foundry on Saturday, September 16.

Acenar Mexican Restaurant Facebook

The week has a nice flow. It starts out with champagne, charcuterie, and cheese, and then we get to the tacos, mezcal, and German beer. It all ends with a chill night at Knife for movies and scrumptious bites. Are you up for the challenge?

Tuesday, September 12

Colcombet Champagne Dinner at Dolce Riviera
Henri Colcombet comes to Dallas for an exclusive night showcasing four incredible Champagnes and a series of paired dishes from chef Michele Scarpa. Courses include oysters on the half shell; golden pan fried Atlantic cod, calamari, shrimp, and zucchini; housemade semolina and squid ink tagliatelle; and oven roasted wild loup de mer, deboned table side. Tickets are $140, and seating is extremely limited. To make reservations, call 469-458-6623.

Thursday, September 14

Charcuterie and Cheese Class at Scardello Artisan Cheese
Whether you are a fan of salami, prosciutto, pate or all of the above, find out how they are made and pair them with local, handmade cheeses, and tasty wines. Tickets are $40, and the class begins at 7 pm.

Addison Oktoberfest at Addison Circle Park
This festival celebrates 30 years of North Texans coming together for polka, German food, and beer. Addison's re-creation of the Munich Oktoberfest features much of the same music, folk dancing, singing, and great German food that regular event-goers know and love. Tickets start at $10, and the fun lasts through Sunday, September 17.

Saturday, September 16

Taco Takeover at The Foundry
Guests can party while enjoying tacos from their favorite local restaurants and wash them down with unlimited cocktails, beer, and tequila samples. Other activities include bobbing for churros, taking a swing at the piñata, dancing to a live Mariachi band, and more. VIPs enjoy half-hour early entrance and an exclusive guacamole bar. Tickets start at $45, and the fun begins at 11 am.

Mezcal Tasting and Dinner at Asador
In honor of Mexican Independence Day, guests can enjoy mezcal and farm-to-fire fare with a twist. Courses include a welcome margarita, snapper crudo, crispy pork belly, and blood orange flan. Tickets are $60, and the dinner is from 5-9 pm. Make reservations by calling 214-267-4815.

Sunday, September 17

Sunday Cinema Series at Knife
This culinary-themed film program kicks off its third year with a patio screening of Ratatouille. Your ticket includes gourmet bites by chef John Tesar and one beverage. Tickets are $35, and $10 of each sale benefits the Dallas Film Society. Call Knife at 214-443-9339 to reserve your spot. All screenings start at 7 pm.

festivals movies wine dinner craft-beer

Awards News

8 Dallas restaurants & chefs make James Beard Awards semifinalist list

Starship

Starship Bagel team winning award at New York BagelFest 2023.

The 2025 James Beard Awards have arrived, with a first list of semifinalists — a list that includes eight Dallas-area restaurants, bars, and chefs (or chef teams).

Among those semifinalists are two Dallas bars and one acclaimed bagel shop.

Five of the semifinalists have earned nods for national awards, competing against restaurants from across the U.S. The other three semifinalists are in the regional category of Best Chef in Texas — competing against other Texas nominees.

Note: These are just the semifinalists. The list will be culled down to nominees, announced on Wednesday, April 2. And then the final winners will be announced at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 16 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

The Dallas semifinalists are as follows:

RJ Yoakum, Georgie, for Emerging Chef. Georgie also made the list of recommended restaurants in the new Texas Michelin Guide.
Mabo Dallas, for Best New Restaurant. Preston Center omakase restaurant was the only restaurant in Dallas to make Esquire magazine's Best New Restaurant list for 2024.
Starship Bagel, Lewisville, for Best New Bakery. Starship is the winning-est bagel shop in Dallas, having previously won awards for Best Bagel and Best Schmear at the New York Bagel Fest, a national competition.
Apothecary, Dallas, for Outstanding Bar. Avant-garde bar on Greenville Avenue opened in 2021 as a spin-off of its sibling restaurant Rye.
Bar Colette, Dallas, for Best New Bar. Cocktail spot opened in 2023 in Dallas' West Village with bespoke glassware and marble tabletops, although they've lately shifted direction slightly with a sushi bar twist.

There are three Dallas semifinalists for Best Chef in Texas:

Fasicka Hicks and Patrick Hicks, Smoke'N Ash BBQ, Arlington. Wonderful owners of this Tex-Ethiopian Smokehouse, which also earned a Recommended from the Michelin Guide.
Anais Paniagua and Iris Rojas, Doña Maria. Irving restaurant specializes in Dominican cuisine.
Regino Rojas, Purépecha, Dallas. Repeat nominee earns another nomination.

Elsewhere in Texas, Houston boasts 12 nominees, San Antonio has eight, and Austin received six.

The full list of nominees is on JamesBeard.org.

The awards also include media categories that will be announced on May 7. Recipients of the coveted America’s Classic award will be announced on February 26.

The 2025 Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists are recognized across 25 categories. In recognition of the ever-evolving independent restaurant landscape, the 2025 Restaurant and Chef Awards expanded with a focus on beverages, introducing three new categories: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.

The Restaurant and Chef Awards—established in 1990, with the first Awards given in 1991—celebrate excellence across all types of dining experiences, from fine dining to casual establishments, and are one of several recognition programs of the Awards.

chefs awards