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

Buzzy opening

Buzzy Palladino's Steak & Seafood debuts in Preston Hollow after NYC raves

Photo courtesy of Palladino's

Cowboy Steak at Palladino's Steak & Seafood Dallas.

One of Dallas' most anticipated restaurant openings of 2026 has happened: Palladino's Steak & Seafood, the steakhouse that became the toast of New York before it arrived in Texas, has officially opened in Preston Hollow.

The restaurant from restaurateur Joseph Palladino opened Tuesday, June 16 at 5959 Royal Ln., in the former Spec's space at Preston Road and Royal Lane.

The opening marks a return to Dallas for Palladino, an ex-NYPD police officer-turned-restaurateur known for concepts such as Nick & Sam's Steakhouse and the Coal Vines pizza chain.

Palladino's Steak & Seafood is his newest creation, combining steakhouse, Italian, and seafood, particularly sushi.

Joseph Palladino, Palladino's Joseph Palladino inside Palladino's Steak & SeafoodPhoto courtesy of Palladino's

Palladino first announced the Dallas location in 2025, while simultaneously opening the original Palladino's Steak & Seafood inside New York's Grand Central Terminal. That restaurant quickly emerged as one of New York City's buzziest openings, earning praise from outlets including Eater, Forbes, and the New York Post, and drawing celebrity diners who gushed as lovingly as the critics did.

The Dallas version is described in a release as "a modern steakhouse menu featuring prime cuts, impeccably sourced seafood, Italian-inspired dishes, refined sushi offerings, and elevated tableside experiences."

Palladino has assembled a veteran team that includes executive chef Sam Hazen - whose résumé includes stints at Michelin three-star Le Gavroche, Tavern on the Green, and Tao - along with chef de cuisine Henry Johnson.

Palladino said the cuisine reflects both his New York roots and Hazen's experience working in fine dining and Asian concepts.

Highlights of their menu include:

Slow-Roasted Herb-Crusted Prime Rib served tableside from the restaurant's "Trolley Treat"
Bread Stick Veal Milanese
Miso-Glazed Chilean Bass
Maine Lobster Scampi
Sushi selections
Taste of Japan A5 Wagyu offerings

The Dallas location was designed by Rockwell Group, the internationally known design firm that also created the New York restaurant. "The Dallas location reinterprets Palladino’s signature sense of glamour through a distinctly Texas lens, blending the sophistication and energy of the brand’s New York roots with the warmth and character of Palladino’s longstanding Dallas legacy," says the release.

Palladino's also includes two private event venues: The Aria, a live-music-focused events space (complete with grand piano and stage) named for Palladino's daughter; and The National, an intimate private dining room named for Dallas National Golf Club, where Palladino is a member.

"Featuring photography from the club, The National celebrates Dallas’s deep ties to the sport while reflecting the restaurant’s broader themes of legacy, community, and elevated gathering," says the release.

The snazzy bar area.Photo courtesy of Palladino's

Palladino first landed on the Dallas restaurant scene in 1998 to partner up with the equally larger-than-life restaurateur Phil Romano, and went on to have a hand in the creation of Nick & Sam’s, the swanky steakhouse on Maple Avenue (now run by Sam Romano, Phil Romano's son), Nick & Sam's Grill, Dos Jefes, and Coal Vines, his homage to the casual neighborhood restaurants reminiscent of his upbringing in New York.

Palladino was approached by Preston Royal's landlords to open a restaurant at the center. Given his local following and celebrity draw, as well as the large local appetite for steakhouses, Dallas made sense as a second location, particularly at the highly desirable intersection of Preston and Royal.

“Dallas has played such an important role in my story as an entrepreneur," Palladino says in the release. “After opening the first Palladino’s Steak & Seafood in New York, it felt only right to bring it here next. This city understands hospitality at the highest level, and we’re excited to introduce a menu, ambiance and experience that reflects that.”

The Palladino's bar opens daily at 4:30 pm, with dinner service beginning at 5 pm. Hours are 5-10 pm Sunday-Thursday and 5-11 pm Friday-Saturday.

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Teresa Gubbins contributed to this story.

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