This week in gluttony

These are the 10 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Happy 104th to El Fenix.

El Fenix

Oktoberfest events: the unofficial sign that fall is has arrived. This week brings the first of several German-themed festivals sure to dot the calendar soon, and it’s a big one that’ll draw around 50,000 guests. There are also two chocolate pairing events, two Tex-Mex restaurant birthdays (one turns two and the other, 104), and three eat-and-stroll tasting events. Practice balancing that drink and small plate now.

Wednesday, September 14

Hispanic Heritage Month at Central Market
Are you really into comida? The Texas gourmet grocer will showcase top-rated Hispanic brands from around the world for this month-long festival that kicks off Wednesday. New and noteworthy items available for purchase are Spanish-tenderized octopus, Chorizo de San Manuel from Edinburg, Texas, pastel de elote with buttery corn bread, sweetened condensed milk and white corn, and Mexican wedding cookies. The festival will run through October 11.

Thursday, September 15

El Fenix 104th Anniversary
Visit the downtown Dallas location of this Tex-Mex institution for a 104th anniversary lunch special not to be missed. The first 104 folks to arrive starting at 11 am will receive $1.04 enchiladas (up to two enchiladas). There’ll be mariachi music and Mexican dancers from 11 am-1 pm. Visit any El Fenix location for all-day happy hour and $1.04 sopapillas.

Addison Oktoberfest
Approximately 50,000 folks are expected to visit Addison Circle Park for Addison’s 35th annual four-day festival of German culture, food, music, and beer – named one of the country’s most authentic Oktoberfest celebrations by Forbes and USA Today. Expect oompah music, sing-alongs, stein-hoisting and lots of sausage, schnitzel, strudel, and sauerkraut. Admission is free Thursday and Sunday, and $10 per person on Friday and Saturday. Kids nine and under are free all weekend.

An Evening with Desert Door Sotol at Dude, Sweet Chocolate
While sotol comes from a wild plant related to agave, the spirit is not tequila and it’s not mezcal. Try Desert Door’s version in several cocktails paired with chocolate during this tasting at Dude, Sweet Chocolate’s factory. Drinks will include ranch water, old fashioned, paloma, and straight sotol paired with chocolates, sopes, and empanadas. The tasting is $45 per person and begins at 7 pm.

Friday, September 16

Time 2 Fiesta – El Patio’s 2nd Birthday Party
The Lewisville Tex-Mex restaurant, loved for its tableside trompo al pastor, will celebrate two years with birthday party. Visit from 5-9 pm for DJ music, face painting, and even a bounce house. The party will continue on Sunday with El Patio’s all-you-can-eat brunch ($25 per person, plus tax and gratuity) from 11 am-2 pm with live mariachi music. Don’t miss sopes de mariscos, green enchiladas, and an action station with Cincoro tequila infused carnitas.

Saturday, September 17

Taste of Oak Cliff
Returning for its third year, the two-day food-centric event celebrates the restaurants and eateries of the diverse Oak Cliff neighborhood. There will be more than three dozen food vendors, featuring everything from tacos and turkey legs to ice cream and snow cones. General admission is $20 per person ($13 for kids 2-12), or $35 for both Saturday and Sunday ($20 for two-day admission for kids). All food and drink items will be available for purchase from each individual vendor. The event will run from 11 am-7 pm Saturday and Sunday.

Mexican Independence Day Tea Party at Dude, Sweet Chocolate
The popular Dallas chocolatier will host a tea party with Mexican flair at its “mothership” headquarters. Menu highlights include pozole, pork tamales, chicken mole with Mexican rice, tres leches cake, and of course, chocolate. Tickets are $59 per person and the event will run from 12-2 pm.

World of Foodies at Historic Downtown Carrollton
Stroll through multiple culturally diverse food vendors during this downtown Carrollton foodie festival. A $30 “foodie passport” is good for 10 food samples and one drink from the bar with a souvenir glass. There’ll also be live performances celebrating multiple nationalities along with yard games and craft vendors. The event will run from 3-9 pm.

Sunday, September 18

Gelato Fest at Eataly
Explore 12 gelato stations across the store, featuring frozen favorites like classic gelato, boozy sorbetto, affogato, sweet focaccia with gelato, and more. Admission is free, but each taste requires a ticket. Get one ticket for $3, five tickets for $12, 15 tickets for $30 or taste all of the gelato with 24 tickets for $45. Complimentary gelato-making classes will be held at 3:30 pm, 4:30 pm and 5:30 pm, and the event will run from 3-6 pm.

Monday, September 19

Battered & Brewed Beer Dinner at Urban Seafood
Embrace all things fried. This four-course dinner at Plano’s Urban Seafood will feature four fried seafood courses paired with beer. Dinner is $75 per person and begins at 6:30 pm.

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Boots & Booze

New Deep Ellum venue vows to win hearts with food, fun, and wedding chapel

Photo by Kathy Tran

The Window at Boots & Booze will serve Deep Ellum early morning through late night.

A new all-day hangout will soon bring comfort food and cocktails, a dog-friendly courtyard, live music stage, and even a whimsical wedding chapel to Dallas' Deep Ellum. Boots & Booze, a new concept from Dallas-based Wush Hospitality Group, will debut its first phase on Friday, October 23 at 3014 Main St., across the street from Terry Black's Barbecue.

The first phase includes The Window, a walk-up kitchen; The Courtyard, an outdoor bar and gathering space; and its signature Shotgun Wedding Chapel.

“This is meant to be a place where you can grab breakfast or coffee before work, bring your dog for the afternoon, meet friends for a drink, catch live entertainment or celebrate something completely unexpected,” Sherry Hazrati, co-founder of Wush Hospitality Group, says in a release. “You don’t need a special occasion to come here. We want people to feel welcome the minute they walk in.”

The Window will serve coffee and breakfast starting at 6:30 am on weekdays, with brunch beginning at 11 am on weekends. The menu, developed by Hazrati and the group's culinary team, changes throughout the day.

Breakfast options include the Crispy Potato and Egg Sandwich and Quick Shift Meals. Lunch brings the Golden Honey Chicken Breast Sandwich, Double Onion Chopped Beef Sandwich, Main Street Philly, and Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese. Dinner offerings include Hearty Chicken, Crispy Potatoes, and After Hours Potatoes.

Weekend brunch features Hot Honey Chicken French Toast and shareable brunch boards, along with lighter and gluten-free options.

The beverage menu includes coffee drinks, sodas, cocktails, wine, and beer, including a gluten-free option. One signature drink is the Cold Fashioned, a frozen take on the Old Fashioned made with Still Austin Whiskey.

Guests can grab to-go meals or settle into The Courtyard, which has a bar, stage, and flexible seating for everything from game-day gatherings to live entertainment and community events.

The Shotgun Wedding Chapel is a "playful” element, says the press release, which is not to say it isn’t a functional wedding venue for couples eager to tie the knot. The team expects ceremonies and other pageantry year-round inside Shotgun.

Sherry Hazrati Boots & Booze Sherry Hazrati and her Wush Hospitality Group are behind Deep Ellum's new Boots & Booze venue.Photo by Kathy Tran

Hazrati says the goal is to make guests feel welcome and give them a reason to return.

“We want people to leave remembering how we made them feel and come back because they feel like they belong," she says.

Hazrati, who has more than 20 years of experience developing and consulting on entertainment spaces, is joined by Wush Hospitality Group COO Noor Jehangir, whose experience includes overseeing the openings of Hyde and The Pinky Ring at Las Vegas' Bellagio. Co-founder David Alex Owusu has a background in video production and technology and owns a production company.

The group plans to expand the concept with Boots & Booze Scratch Kitchen, a full-service restaurant led by executive chef José Luis Rodriguez Perez, former owner of Dallas restaurant Mixtitos Kitchen. Details and an opening date have not been announced.

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