This Week in Gluttony

These are the 8 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

How about some scallops? Yes, scallops are good.

Photo courtesy of Tulum

We're seeing an epically busy week for food events this week, with big-name chefs in town, a fancy Cabernet event, and whisky, whisky everywhere. I mean, look at the number: eight events. That's 8. If you're looking for something fancy to eat, you have no shortage.

Here are the best food events this week:

Wednesday, October 16

Basil Hayden Bourbon Dinner at Knife Plano
Knife Plano at the Shops at Willow Bend hosts an exclusive pairing dinner in its private dining room featuring Basil Hayden Bourbon. The four-course meal includes a bacon tasting and pig's head tacos; oxtail ravioli; a chef's selection for the entree; and a banana, bourbon, & dulcey dessert. Each course is paired with with different varieties of Basil Hayden Bourbon. The dinner is at 6:30 pm and costs $125, gratuity and tax not included. 214-299-5943.

Thursday, October 17

East Meets Southwest: A Celebration of Wolfgang and Friends at Five Sixty
Celebrate the reunion of legendary chefs and friends Wolfgang Puck, Dean Fearing, Robert Del Grande, Jacob Williamson, and Hiroyuki Fujino. Guests will be greeted by champagne, passed hors d’oeuvres, and tunes by DJ Romi Q. Food and beverage include five culinary stations, five cocktail stations, and select Wolfgang Puck wines. Each station will be manned by one of the chefs who will create a dish using Texas wagyu, Chinese lacquered duckling, caviar, truffles, and more. The party is 6-10 pm. Tickets are $150, gratuity and tax included, and can be purchased on Eventbrite. For information, call 214-741-5560.

Widow Jane Distillery Dinner at Elm Street Cask & Kitchen
Downtown restaurant is hosting a three-course dinner paired with cocktails using Widow Jane's aged bourbon and whiskey. Crab cake is paired with a "new" Old Fashioned made with 10-year bourbon, peach, and blackberries. Second course is short rib with brown butter mashers and asparagus, paired with a Whiskey Smash featuring American oak aged rye mash whiskey. Dessert is bourbon pineapple upside down cake with pineapple sorbet, paired with a Manhattan made with rye whiskey. It starts at 7 pm, and tickets are $59, which includes all cocktail pairings, tax, and tip. Buy them here.

Black Restaurant Week presents Nosh: Culinary Showcase
Black Restaurant Week and Maker’s Mark will present Nosh, the second annual Dallas culinary showcase featuring premier Black chefs, caterers, and bartenders. The event will feature flavors of African, African-American, and Caribbean cuisine. It's at the Empire Room, and it starts at 6 pm. Tickets range from $30 for early bird general admission to $45 for the VIP/bartender competition to $75 for the chef's table, and can be purchased here.

Friday, October 18

The Whisky Extravaganza at Sixty Five Hundred
The Extravaganza is an annual showcase of whisky and cocktails, showcasing more than 100 whiskys including Texas spirits from Balcones Distilling, Garrison Brothers Distillery, and more.There are two ticket options: The Drams & Bites ticket ($95) features culinary pairings, a complimentary cigar, and nosing glass to sip and swirl. The Connoisseur ticket ($195) includes access to educational masterclasses, as well as a special lounge with high-end whiskies and culinary offerings. It runs from 6:30-10 pm. Tickets can be purchased here.

Fearing's presents A Legendary Chef Collaboration Dinner
This celebrity-studded event is presented by Wolfgang Puck, Cat Cora, Robert Del Grande, and Dean Fearing. The evening will begin with artisanal cocktails and chef-driven hors d'oeuvres stations. Guests will proceed into the harvest themed long table dining where they will experience a seasonally inspired family style menu. Each chef will take guests on a journey through their dishes, paired with world-class wine. Desserts will be stationed in the Live Oak Bar during a concert by Chef Fearing's band, The Barbed Wires. It starts at 7 pm. Tickets are $250 and can be purchased here.

Saturday, October 19

Pappy Van Winkle dinner at The Ranch at Las Colinas
Bourbon pairing dinner spotlights Pappy Van Winkle, the highly sought after brand whose distillery only releases product once a year, leading many retailers to have a waiting list or use a lottery for customers wanting to get their hands on a bottle. The night begins with Sazerac Rye Old Fashioned and Manhattan cocktails, then on to a four-course dinner created by chef de cuisine Mark Daverio. Each course will be served with a straight pour of Pappy Van Winkle including the 10-year, 12-year, 15-year, highly prized 20-year, and 23-year bourbon. Tickets are $375, tax and gratuity not included. Doors open at 6:30 pm and the dinner begins at 7 pm.

Sunday, October 20

Tequila Dinner at Tulum
Join Tulum chef Nico Sanchez and Global Ambassador of Herradura Tequila, Rubin Aceves, for a five-course dinner paired with tequila. Courses include smoked salmon toast, scallop and shrimp ceviche, cochinita pibil with black bean puree, short rib barbacoa with borracho peas and butternut squash, and red velvet tres leches cake for dessert. Tulum will be opening exclusively for the guests of this dinner, which begins at 6 pm. Tickets are $70, not including tax or gratuity. To make a reservation, email RSVP@TheTulumExperience.com or call 972-677-9747.

event-planner

THE FUTURE OF FOOD

Buzzy delivery app Wonder to launch in Dallas with food from celeb chefs

Di Fara Pizza/Facebook

Wonder offers pies from New York's famous Di Fara Pizza.

Fast-growing food platform Wonder is launching a Texas takeover. The upstart app, which describes itself as a “new kind of food hall,” is set to launch in Dallas in early 2027, as part of its Texas expansion.

Unlike traditional food halls or food delivery apps, the platform operates multiple “restaurants” out of one space. Diners can order fare from buzzy eateries, like Tejas Barbecue and Di Fara Pizza, as well as celebrity chef-driven concepts from Bobby Flay, José Andrés, and Marcus Samuelsson. Everything is precooked in a commissary space and finished in one central kitchen, prepared to order by one operations team.

The centralized approach "makes it possible for everyone at the table to get what they want," Wonder says. Its "Multi-Restaurant Ordering" feature lets customers mix and match dishes from a host of "restaurants," all on one order.

Wonder also operates storefronts, which offer pick-up service and limited dine-in space.

In 2024, Wonder also purchased struggling delivery service Grubhub, making it possible to order from other local restaurants from the same app. Faster than you can say “vertical integration,” the start-up also gobbled up food media company Tastemade in 2025, blending commerce and content. The food-focused company also owns meal kit pioneer Blue Apron, AI-powered restaurant rewards program Claim, and robot-powered restaurant Spyce, known for preparing food in “three minutes or less."

The corporation says Texas’ “suburban areas, characterized by densely populated communities and car-dependent infrastructure,” make it one of the nation’s most attractive markets. Wonder’s expansion will include storefront construction, kitchen buildouts, and technology infrastructure.

“We're excited to enter Texas and introduce more people to what makes Wonder unique — chef-crafted menus, unmatched variety, and seamless convenience," says Tony Hoggett, CEO of Wonder North America, in a release. "Texas' dynamic food culture, population growth, and suburban footprint align closely with our delivery-first model.”

While Wonder has not shared exactly when it will flip the switch on Texas service, it will first debut in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, followed by expansion in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. It plans to have more than 100 locations in Texas by the end of 2027.

technology innovation ghost kitchens delivery restaurants chefs apps