This week in gluttony

These are the 7 best food and drinks events in Dallas this week

Ferris Wheelers gets into the State Fair spirit this week.

Photo courtesy of Ferris Wheelers Backyard & BBQ

This week is all about competition. From stein-holding contests and Mexican bingo to an international tamale-eating competition, there’s lot of opportunity to showcase some skills. Break out the lederhosen for more Oktoberfest-style events, and get into the spirit of the State Fair, too.

Tuesday, September 21

One Year of Chimalma
The downtown Dallas taco bar will celebrate its one-year anniversary with menu specials and one lively bingo game. Visit Tuesday through Thursday for new enchilada plates, including verdes, queso blanco, and mole. On Thursday, plan for a game of loteria, also known as "Mexican bingo," starting at 6 pm. Patrons can pay $20 to get a game board, and small cups of Chimalma’s frozen margaritas will be placed on each game board image. Players will drink the margaritas if the caller says an image on their board. The first person to clear the board wins.

Thursday, September 23

Oktoberfest Beer Dinner at On Rotation
The brewery and kitchen will host its first beer pairing dinner in its spacious new Braniff Centre location. Plan for three German-inspired courses, featuring house-made sausage and schnitzel, paired with four craft brews. Tickets are $60 per person and dinner begins at 7 pm. Lederhosen welcome.

Thursday, September 23

Central Market Hispanic Heritage Month Virtual Cooking School Series
Over the next month, the gourmet grocer will host a series of online cooking classes featuring the stories and recipes of three experts in Hispanic cuisine. The series kicks off Thursday with longtime Central Market chef Michelle Rodarte, who will prepare picadillo de res, Mexican rice, and fresh jalapeño salsa. There are two options to participate: simply watch and learn ($20) or cook along at home ($65). Class begins at 6 pm.

State Ferris of Wheelers Themed Pop-Up at Ferris Wheelers Backyard & BBQ
To coincide with the Friday kickoff of State Fair of Texas, the carnival-themed outdoor barbecue joint will host a fair-inspired pop-up. It will include midway games and prizes, fair food vendors, carnival entertainers, and live music. Open at 11 am until late night. It's free to attend, but RSVPs are appreciated, at 214-741-4141.

Friday, September 24

Oktoberfest at ArtPark Trinity Groves
In true Oktoberfest fashion, the colorful beer garden at Trinity Groves will host live music all day and stein-holding contests and will serve specialty German fare and beer. Tickets start at $15 for entry, which includes a beer tumbler and two Sam Adams Oktoberfest beers. Upgrade to a stein for $20 or two-day admission with three beers for $25. The evening event will run from 6 to 11 pm on both Friday and Saturday.

Saturday, September 25

Fourth Annual Oktoberfest at Legacy Hall
The Saturday celebration of German culture will feature live music all day, brats, pretzels, stein-holding competitions, and plenty of beer. Tickets start at $15 for general admission, and seating is first-come, first-served. The $60 ticket includes access to VIP seating, a brat and pretzel combo with beer cheese from Degenhardt’s Brat Haus, a branded beer stein, and one beer. The event will run from 12-10 pm.

The Padrino Foods World Tamale Eating Championship
Major League Eating, the folks behind the nationally-televised Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, will host their tamale eating competition at high noon on the steps of City Hall in Lewisville. Last year Joey Chestnut, the No. 1 ranked eater in the world according to MLE, took the championship by inhaling more than 93 tamales — two shy of the world record of 95. While he won’t be at this year’s competition, the world recorder holder, Geoffrey Esper, will be. Spectators are welcome, as the event is part of Historic Old Town Lewisville’s Western Days Festival.

dinner festivals news-you-can-eat

Opening News

Dallas diner & music venue will open in former Ferris Wheeler space

Courtesy

Pancakes

A new restaurant has been unveiled that will take over the former Ferris Wheeler space near Dallas' Design District at 1950 Market Center Blvd.: Called AM/FM, it'll be an all-day diner and lounge with a big backyard and a stage for live music, and it's from Spune Productions, the music and event production company.

According to a release, it'll open in early January initially with evening hours, cocktails, and a few afternoon soccer matches. Music acts are already booked beginning January 8. More hours will be added down the road.

Ferris Wheelers BBQ, which was also a restaurant with a big backyard and a stage for live music, closed in November after eight years. Spune had already been involved since 2023 to help ramp up the live music side. Now they'll take it over with a fresh new personality and long hours.

They were famous for having a Ferris wheel on-site; an inquiry on its status went unanswered.

The diner will open daily at 7 am, serving "musicians coming off late nights, workers heading into morning shifts, and neighbors who want a place that remembers their name," says the release very poetically.

They've redecorated the interior with a new bar and banquettes that wrap the room. Alongside the renovations inside, the set-up outdoors will evolve over the coming weeks, with extra care given to the concert experience,

Menu
The food at AM/FM will be rooted in elevated Diner classics, with a menu overseen by chef Anastacia Quinones-Pittman (Oh, Hi! Hospitality) that's influenced by Mexican-American kitchens and Nuevo Southern traditions.

Breakfast offerings include huevos rancheros, breakfast tacos, breakfast empanadas, French toast, avocado toast, pork belly toast, and an intriguing twist on pancakes called masa pancakes, made using masa harina AKA corn flour.

Lunch includes a chicken Milanesa Caesar salad, Sonoran hot dog, fried catfish po'boy, kale salad, Cobb salad, and a Mexican twist on chicken noodle soup with fideo noodles.

Entree plates include pot roast, meatloaf, fried chicken, and a weekly pot pie.

The beverage program will aim for accessibility with coffee, cocktails, and craft beer, says Victor Rojas, Quinones-Pittman's partner at Oh, Hi! Hospitality.

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