This Week in Gluttony

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

The Friends of James Beard Benefit Dinner is Sunday, October 21, at The French Room.

Photo courtesy of the Adolphus

Coming up this week, Dallas is hosting its first Friends of James Beard benefit dinner, and the French Room will surely represent us foodie folks well. Which event tops your list?

Wednesday, October 17

Dream Builders Dinner at The Statler
Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity presents a fun, baseball-inspired evening, featuring a seated dinner and ballpark treats. The night is capped off with a conversation with MLB Hall of Fame catcher and Texas Rangers icon Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez. Tickets start at $175 and the program starts at 7 pm.

Freemark Abbey Wine Dinner at Perle on Maple
Freemark Abbey estate manager Barry Dodds leads guests through an intimate, four-course dinner created by executive chef Wade Burch. Courses include slow-cooked lamb shank tortellini, seared Texas quail breast, Broken Arrow Ranch venison medallions, and Merlot-braised beef short ribs. Tickets are $100 and the evening begins at 6 pm.

Friday, October 19

Smokin' Blues and BBQ Festival at Armstrong Park Duncanville
This KCBS-sanctioned barbecue competition and live blues music festival is hosted by the Duncanville Lions Club and the City of Duncanville. In addition to mouthwatering barbecue, guests can expect various other food vendors, live music, and arts and crafts for purchase. There is even a kids cook-off competition. This year’s live music line-up includes the All Star Charity Blues Jam, Jay-B & The Zydeco Posse, Larry Lampkin, Ally Venable Band, Beth Garner Band, and The Peterson Brothers. Tickets are $10 and this two-day festival starts at 5 pm on Friday, October 19, and 10 am on Saturday, October 20.

Plano Steinfest at Haggard Park
Downtown Plano presents its fourth annual Fall Festival that celebrates outstanding beer, great food, and the right kind of polka music to get you and your friends dancing in the street. The festival will include beer from Karbach Brewery, German-inspired cuisine, live music, contests, games, more than 40 Marktplatz vendors, the annual Wiener Dog Fashion Show, and more. The festival is free to attend and starts at 5 pm on Friday, October 19, and 10 am on Saturday, October 20.

The Art of Wine Blending Tasting at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse
Pappas Bros. Steakhouse presents an exclusive wine tasting as the wine team explores the limitless possibilities of the art of blending. From renowned Old World classics of Bordeaux and the Rhône Valley to the bold visionaries of Australia and the United States, blending is associated with both tradition and innovation. Tickets are $80 and the event starts at 6 pm.

Date Night Under The Stars at Messina Hof Grapevine Winery
This Friday night, the late-night happy hour features beautiful music with a great purpose. Guests can enjoy award-winning Texas wine on the bandstand and in Liberty Park while Texas Chamber Music Project plays classical music. This event is free to attend and kicks off at 7 pm.

Saturday, October 20

McKinney Wine and Music Festival at Adriatica
Enjoy wines from Texas and California, McKinney musicians, talented artists, local restaurants, a beer garden, demos from North Texas culinary experts, a play zone for kids, and more than 60 boutiques and shops. This event is free to attend with wine tasting tickets starting at $15. The festival lasts from noon to 4 pm.

Tipsy Tea Party at La Duni
Do not miss this afternoon of tea tipples, savory nibbles, and fine fashion. The afternoon is led by Hendrick’s Gin brand ambassador Mattias Horseman, who plans to lead a discussion about the history, etiquette, style, and essentials of a proper British afternoon tea. Admission is free and the tea party starts at 3 pm.

Sunday, October 21

Friends of James Beard Benefit Dinner at The French Room
The French Room hosts the city’s first Friends of the James Beard Benefit dinner, supporting the next generation of great American chefs. The evening begins with a Champagne reception in The French Room Bar followed by an eight-course seated dinner in the dining room, featuring exquisite wine pairings by The French Room’s sommelier, Leslie Hartman. For this special evening, each participating chef creates a course highlighting the ingredients of fall, ultimately creating a menu that is a true culinary collaboration by some of the country’s best chefs. Participating chefs include Anthony Dispensa (The French Room), Peja Krstic (Mot Hai Ba), Angela Hernandez (Fine China), and many more. Tickets are $225 and the evening begins at 6 pm.

Monday, October 22

Red Mare Wine Dinner at Lark on the Park
Red Mare Wines proprietor Jim Striegel leads guests through a four-course paidiné paired with food by chef Ryan Barnett. Courses include a late fall melon and ham salad, seared sea scallops, grilled lamb loin, and roasted sweet potato cinnamon rolls. Tickets are $75 and the evening kicks off at 6:30 pm.

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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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