This week in gluttony

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

Hattie B's is here for a tease.

Photo by Joseph Woodley

This week includes a celebration of Dia de los Muertos and a celebration of farmers. Save room for Nashville hot chicken pop-ups, a virtual wine and cheese pairing class, a tequila dinner, and an outdoor grilling soiree under the stars.

Tuesday, November 2

Dia de los Muertos at Taqueria La Ventana
Visit the downtown Dallas location of the popular taco spot for free pan de los Muertos (traditional Mexican bread) for the first 150 guests, live DJ music, hot chocolate and churros, tequila tastings, and giveaways. Each Taqueria La Ventana location will create its own altar paying homage to deceased family members and friends in shrine-like fashion.

Thursday, November 4

Central Market Online Class: Cheese & Wine Pairing
Wine and cheese expert Janet Fletcher, who’s written more than 25 books on food and beverage, will lead participants virtually through a tasting of five cheeses paired with wines. Varieties include goat, buttery camembert, and creamy blue cheese, and Fletcher will discuss how to pair wine and cheese. The $70 class includes a tasting kit that serves two to four, and the $20 options provides access to the class only, which will run from 6-7:30 pm.

Azunia Tequila Dinner at Cantina Laredo
The Frisco location of the Mexican restaurant will offer a four-course dinner paired with Azunia tequila cocktails. But first, start with a tequila flight during an opening reception to sample all options. Dinner is $59.99 per person and begins at 7 pm.

Friday, November 5

Hattie B’s Texas Tease
The Nashville-based, family-founded and operated hot chicken spot will open its first Dallas location by spring 2022. Hold over the hunger pangs at three upcoming pop-up events, when Hattie B’s food truck, a 1974 Airstream, will serve a sampling of menu items. On Friday, head to Peticolas Brewing Company (5-9 pm or until sellout) for hot chicken sandwiches and fried pickles. Saturday, visit Klyde Warren Park (1-5 pm or until sellout) for samples of the Dirty Bird Fries topped with pimento mac and cheese and dark meat tender bites. On Sunday, the truck will be BrainDead Brewing (1-5 pm or until sellout) for hot chicken and Belgian waffles and hot chicken and bacon-cheddar grits.

World Food Championships
There’ll be more than 20 tasting experiences at this three-day culinary competition, where more than 1,500 chefs will compete for best in their category. To be held inside Centennial Hall at Fair Park Friday through Sunday, the event will feature bourbon and rib tastings, brunch and bubbly, barbecue sampling, “Grilling Grannies,” and more than 8,000 dishes to be judged. Ticket prices vary per event, but general admission starts at $15 and includes lots of opportunity for sampling.

Saturday, November 6

Chefs for Farmers
Highlighting local and regional farmers over three days with four different events, Chefs for Farmers is back after taking a year off. While Thursday’s Mot Hai Ba Dinner is sold out, tickets are available for two events on Saturday: The Farm Tour ($125, 10 am-4 pm) aboard a bus that will make three stops at area farms for drinks and seasonal dishes; and the Devour Street Food Festival ($85, 3-6 pm) at the AT&T Discovery District, featuring street food from more than a dozen restaurants. The Main Event ($125, 3-6 pm) will cap things off Sunday at Dallas Heritage Village, featuring Dallas chefs and restaurants with bites and drinks throughout the park.

RARE at Bear Creek Golf Club
Dine under the stars at the newly updated Dallas golf club during this dinner event featuring eight culinary action stations. Start with tray-passed oysters and pork belly bites before indulging in grilled specialties, from bison to redfish. The $99 all-inclusive price per person includes wine selections and craft cocktails, too. Doors open at 7 pm.

Sunday November 7

Dot's Hop House Five-Year Anniversary
Craft beer bar and beer garden in Deep Ellum opened in 2016, which feels like a lifetime ago in Deep Ellum years. Their creation of a sprawling outdoor space now feels clairvoyant in these post-pandemic times, and probably helped them survive. They'll celebrate the occasion by tapping some rare beers, with drink specials and giveaways including an anniversary T-shirt to the first 150 people. Party starts at 1 pm, live music starts at 2 pm.

dinner chefs wine

Blending cultures

Dallas Matcha Club brings community together over trendy green tea

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

Matcha

Members of a unique Dallas social club are bonding over the world's trendiest drink: matcha. The Dallas Matcha Club (DMC) aims to foster a community through a shared love of matcha, while supporting local businesses and making new friends.

Matcha is rapidly growing in popularity worldwide, with the global market projected to reach $6.35 billion by 2029. The tea has its origins in China, but it was developed and refined in Japan; tea leaves are ground into the green powder that's used for matcha lattes and smoothies, whose appeal has skyrocketed in recent years — especially among Gen-Z.

DMC Founder Aaliyah Iwamoto created the social club in October 2024 after moving to Texas from Hawaii.

“Since I'd just moved, I wanted to get to explore the city,” Iwamoto says. “I figured trying new cafes was the perfect way to do it ... I was hoping to meet new people."

Iwamoto, who is of Japanese heritage, says matcha had been a part of her life long before it became buzzy. Whenever she visits Japan, she brings back matcha tins from Nishio — and on a previous trip, even toured a matcha farm.

“When I first started [DMC], I didn't know that [matcha] was going to get as big as it did and have such a global impact,” Iwamoto says.

Now she is parlaying her love of matcha into a social experience with dozens of other matcha enthusiasts in North Texas.

On "matcha meetups," club members visit local coffee shops and matcha hot spots together, from downtown Dallas to Fort Worth to McKinney.

The group also hosts events at which members can gain new skills and hobbies. Matcha-specific activities have included classes where they've made chawans, or “matcha bowls,” as well as matcha-whisking workshops. They've also hosted more general-interest events such as paint and sips, Pilates classes, bracelet making, picnics, yoga sessions, and more.

Their most recent event was a Matcha Winter Market with La Maison Bleue Cafe, which included a Christmas toy drive for Children’s Health Plano.

The Dallas Matcha Club on one of their meetups.Photo courtesy of Dallas Matcha Club

While some events have drawn as many as 150 attendees, most see about 30 to 50 people. Members are a diverse group of primarily 20- and 30-somethings at various stages of life — from parents who come with their kids to college students.

“I feel like there's a good mix of people from all different places, too, not just Texas," Iwamoto says.

What makes matcha such a community connector is its ties to a culture, she says.

“'It’s not just a drink. There's a whole process that goes into making the matcha, and a whole process into making your latte at home,” Iwatmoto says. “People are learning about the different tools that you use to make matcha, which are all Japanese ... people are learning through enjoying matcha."

The club’s Instagram page, which has nearly 5,500 followers, proclaims, "Whether you’re an avid matcha lover or matcha newbie, the Dallas Matcha Club is the community for you!"

Iwamoto underscores that DMC is a welcoming group for anyone.

“Most of the people that attend like matcha, but there are some people who are new to it," she says. "There's also some people who just tag along with their friends and they're more of a coffee person. Anyone's welcome."

Anyone interested in joining the Dallas Matcha Club can follow their Instagram @dallasmatcha and fill out the membership form, which is linked in their Instagram bio. There is no fee to become a member of the DMC.

club matcha tea coffee

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Blending cultures

Dallas Matcha Club brings community together over trendy green tea