This Week in Gluttony

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

The Dallas Arboretum's annual Food & Wine Festival arrives this week.

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden/Facebook

Spring officially arrives this week and events inspired by the season are right on cue. Makes plans for not one, but three food festivals, a rib-smoking class, brewery crawfish boil, and multiple wine dinners. Save room for free soft-serve cones to start the week.

Tuesday, March 19

Free Cone Day at Dairy Queen
This year’s first official day of spring is March 19 and DQ restaurants in Texas are ready to celebrate the impending arrival of warmer weather. Visit any location for a complimentary small plain soft-serve cone, no purchase required. Customers can also enjoy this month’s featured Mint Brownie Blizzard, blended with brownie pieces and chocolate chunks.

Inglenook Wine Dinner at Monarch
Inglenook dates back to the late 1800s in Napa Valley, and reps from the vineyard will visit Monarch to talk through the winery’s heritage while sharing six of its wines. The four-course dinner will include sea scallop crudo, French white asparagus with sea urchin, duck confit, Texas Wagyu strip loin, and salted caramel-filled mousse. Tickets are $300, plus tax and gratuity. Arrive by 5:30 pm for a champagne reception.

Thursday, March 21

Butcher’s Cut with Ziata Wines at Wicked Butcher
Recently opened steakhouse in downtown Dallas will host Ziata Wine founder Karen Cakebread for a five-course wine pairing dinner. The industry leader will guide guests through her selections to match up with dishes like Spanish Hamachi tartare, Atlantic salmon with brown butter and matcha cream, and roasted dry-aged ribeye. Dinner is $150, plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 6 pm.

Beyond Jameson Whiskey Tasting
Keep the St. Patrick’s Day festivities going with this Irish whiskey tasting that will take patrons on a journey beyond Jameson. Hosted by local bourbon steward Jeff Underwood, founder of Bourbon in Black, the tasting will highlight single grain, single malt, and blended malt Irish whiskies. Tickets are $45 plus tax and the tasting will take place at The Algiers Club in the Design District from 6–8 pm.

Italian Wine Pairing at Gorji
The Mediterranean restaurant will celebrate its 21st anniversary with a three-course pairing dinner featuring wines from Tuscany and Sicily. Menu items include three-cheese spinach lasagna, grilled avocado with prawns, and prime beef tenderloin with gnocchi gorgonzola. The dinner is $179 plus tax and begins at 6:30 pm.

Dallas Arboretum Food & Wine Festival
Seventh annual event will host more than 40 restaurants and chefs, serving small plates to pair with wines from two dozen wineries. Participating restaurants include Petra & the Beast, Encina, Meridian, Asian Mint, and more. Taking place at the height of the Arboretum’s Dallas Blooms display, the festival is $149 ($129 for members) with entry at 7 pm.

Saturday, March 23

McKinney Asian Festival
Historic downtown McKinney will host its very first Asian festival featuring more than a dozen street food vendors, traditional performances, dragon dances, shopping, and kids activities. Authentic dishes will range from Vietnamese noodle soup, Japanese obanyaki, and Thai sticky rice to fish cakes, bubble teas, and Chinese barbecue. The event will run from 11 am–6 pm.

Sunday, March 24

RibsU at Deep Ellum Brewing
It’s officially backyard barbecue season. Hone your rib-smoking skills during this pitmaster class that will cover the six types of ribs: beef plate short ribs, beef chuck ribs, beef back ribs, St. Louis style pork ribs, pork baby back ribs, and lamb ribs. Participants will learn how to butcher a rack, use a candy, dry rub, and sauce. It's $139 ($129 for additional participants), and takes place at Deep Ellum Brewing Company from 9 am–12 pm.

Vegan Soul Food Festival
Vegan food vendors from Houston, Kansas, Arkansas and more will embark on Dallas to serve soul food favorites, from fried chick'n to mac & cheeze. Admission is free with an RSVP. The event will take place at Lofty Spaces (816 Montgomery St.) from 12–6 pm.

Crawfish Boil at Tupps Brewery
It’s the first crawfish boil of the season at this downtown McKinney brewery. (Last summer’s extreme heat wave has delayed the harvest of the crustacean this year.) Tickets start at $25 for two pounds served with corn, potatoes, and choice of beer, seltzer, or non-alcoholic beverage. Serving times are 12 pm, 2 pm, 4 pm, and 6 pm. Future boil dates at the brewery are Saturday, April 20 and Saturday, May 25.

wine event-planner

Ramen News

Dallas' acclaimed Ten Ramen to open in Cru Wine spot in West Village

Ten Ramen

A highly acclaimed ramen spot is coming to Dallas' West Village: Ten Ramen, one of Dallas' most celebrated ramen spots, will open a location in the former Cru Food & Wine Bar space at 3699 McKinney Ave. #107.

According to a release, Ten Ramen will open in spring 2026.

In related news, the concept was acquired by Vandelay Companies (Hudson House, Jack & Harry's, East Hamption Sandwich Co., El Molino), led by CEO Hunter Pond, who counts himself a big Ten Ramen fan.

“I’ve been a longtime fan of who is arguably one of Texas’ most respected chefs — founder and creator Teiichi Sakurai — and what Ten Ramen embodies,” says Pond.

Vandelay also owns Tei An, the award-winning authentic Japanese restaurant and Ten Ramen sibling which Sakurai opened at One Arts Plaza in 2008.

Ten Ramen debuted in March 2015 at the Sylvan | Thirty mixed-use project in West Dallas — a pioneering concept at the time, and one that quickly earned a devoted following with its tiny 10-seat setup and uncompromisingly authentic flavors.

Back then, it was a ground-breaking concept for Dallas and is still one of the most beloved ramen spots in the city. Diners flocked to wait in long lines for its menu of Mazemen, Shoyu, Tonkotsu, and Lobster Ramen — recipes that will remain intact, Pond says.

“We haven’t touched the recipes, they’re perfect just as they are,” he says. “After many months under our ownership already, it remains clear that the magic is in the food, the service, and the experience. Our goal with this new location is simple: bring what we feel is the best ramen in Dallas to more people, in a space that feels both fresh and familiar.”

Ooooooh, so Vandelay has owned it for many months. Well well well.

“When the opportunity came to bring this incredible concept into our family of restaurants, I jumped at it," Pond says.

He's the one shepherding it into the West Village — a location he says will give more diners the chance to experience the concept.

The location has an impressive track record: Cru Wine Bar closed in August 2025 after an unparalleled 23 years at that address.

The new 1,480-square-foot space will be a fresh take on the Ten Ramen experience, with a full-service bar that seats 7, and an intimate dining room seating 28 — versus the impromptu stand-up situation at Sylvan Thirty.

Their goal is to make a space that feels approachable and lively while staying true to the dishes that made Ten Ramen a local favorite.

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