This weekly roundup of dining events around Dallas is an exciting run-up the week before Thanksgiving. There's a cool star chef dinner, plus dinners featuring pairings with whiskey, tequila, and beer. There's also lots of art. Maybe everyone's getting geared up in anticipation of Thanksgiving. (Speaking of, we have a list of restaurants that are hosting Thanksgiving dining-in, as well as a list of restaurants offering Thankgiving to-go.)

Thursday, November 18

Tulum X Shinsei Dinner
"Infused with Tulum: A Chef Collaboration Series" is a new quarterly event series at Tulum, the upscale Mexican restaurant on Oak Lawn Avenue. This first installment features 2021 Tastemaker Awards Chef of the Year nominee Jose Meza with Chef Shuji "Elvis" Sugawara of Shinsei Restaurant, who together will bring a fusion of flavors extending beyond traditional Mexican and pan-Asian cuisine. The evening includes a five-course dinner with special dishes not found on the menu of either restaurant. Limited seating between 6-9 pm. Tickets are $100. Make reservation by emailing Tulum@thetulumexperience.com.

Nelson's Green Brier Whiskey Dinner at Knife Steakhouse Plano
Knife Steakhouse Plano has partnered with Nelson's Green Brier Distillery to host a whiskey and Belle Meade Bourbon pairing dinner. The evening will feature a cocktail reception followed by a four-course tasting menu paired with Nelson’s Green Brier Whiskey and bourbon. The meal begins with a mushroom risotto & duck confit paired with Nelson’s Green Brier Original Sour Mash Tennessee Whiskey. The third course combines braised beef cheek with polenta & mushrooms with Belle Meade Reserve Bourbon. Dessert includes an original cocktail using Louisa's Caramel Coffee Pecan Liqueur with a pecan tart. The reception starts at 6 pm sharp, in Knife Plano's private dining room. Tickets are $99 and reservations can be made online.

El Patio Mex-Tex Tequila Dinner Featuring Cincoro Tequila
Mexican/BBQ restaurant in Lewisville is hosting a three-course dinner created by chef Slvador Hernandez featuring the celebrity-backed tequila co-released by Michael Jordan. First course is citrus butter-poached sea bass on a fall green salad. The entree is braised short rib with roasted huitlacoche with corn tamale and a broccoflower medley. Dessert is a carpirotada, IE Mexican bread pudding with pistachio ice cream and Grand Marnier creme anglais. Tequilas poured will include the blanco, anejo, and reposado. Given what the tequilas cost, it's a pretty reasonable $95. Dinner starts at 7:30 pm. Call 972-410-2096 or email info@elpatiomextex.com.

"Let's Plant and Sip" at the Beeman Hotel
Show off your green spirit in an interactive workshop at the Beeman Hotel, in collaboration with Energy Gardens Terrarium, where you can design and plant your own succulent garden. The important part: The sipping. You do it with a glass of wine or Champagne. The workshop is from 7-9 pm. $40 gets you a glass of wine or champagne, one container and three succulents to take home. Tickets can be purchased online.

Friday, November 19

Community Beer Dinner at Virgin Dallas Hotel
Virgin is partnering with Community Beer Co. for a Community Beer Dinner, an intimate dining experience featuring five of their brews, served alongside chef-driven dishes from the Commons Club culinary team. The menu includes bacon mac & cheese bites, pork belly sope, zesty shrimp with smoked Gouda grits, quail with butter molasses glaze squash puree & puff sorghum, and panna cotta with snickerdoodle crumbs and caramel popcorn, paired with honey-citrus blonde, Mosaic IPA, and Snickerdoodle Ale. The Community Brewery team will guide the experience while sharing stories of their craft. It's $60 per person and runs from 7-9 pm. Make a reservation here.

Texas Ale Project Caucasian 2021 Release Party
Dallas Design District brewery introduces its latest limited release beer called The Caucasian. This White Russian Imperial Stout is brewed with Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans, Full City Rooster cold brewed coffee, and American Oak with a 9 percent ABV, perfect for winter. They'll also pour other year-round beers. It'll run from 3-10 pm at 1001 N. Riverfront Blvd. and entry is free, with food, live music, bowling (you're encouraged to wear your favorite bowling sweater). 214-965-0606.

Saturday, November 20

19th Annual Cedars Open Studios at Canvas Hotel
Check out an exclusive exhibition of works from some of Dallas' most loved artists while sipping on specialty cocktails from Canvas Hotel including a Lavender in Motion, and for the spice lovers, a Mango Jalapeno Margarita. The hotel reception is free and is part of Cedars Open Studios, a neighborhood-wide tour from 11 am-6 pm, with free performances and activities, including live music and painting demos.

Boba and Doughnut Tasting at TeaLatte Bar
Sample mochi chewy doughnuts while you sip on a boba flight from TeaLatte Bar at 7001 S. Custer Rd. in McKinney. Tating includes a flight of four 8-oz drinks, mochi doughnut samples, one regular size drink, and a goodie bag with treats from local bakers Classic Macaron, EJ Sweets, Meraki Baked, Cauly's Cakes, and Marshell's Sweets, plus boba-themed gifts. $30. 12 pm. Go to thebobatomytea.eventbrite.com for tickets.

Monday, November 22

Farm to Fork Showcase at The Ranch
Las Colinas restaurant celebrates its 13-year relationship with local vendors at its annual Farm to Fork showcase, with a complimentary farmers market-style tasting event featuring many of the partners that helped put the restaurant on the map. Guests are welcome to meet the farmers, growers, and ranchers while enjoying complimentary food and beverage samples. For some reason, they're also doing a petting zoo, which means transporting a bunch of hapless baby sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits, and piglets to an event that will also have live music. Come on guys, is it really necessary to trot out the animals to serve as props in a stressful, noisy show-and-tell?