Dallas Dining Events

BBQ cookoff tops 6 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Pretzels at Central Market

Central Market

Tastes of Germany, Mexico, France, and Texas are all on the menu this week, including two pairing dinners that benefit good causes. One event runs for two weeks straight featuring tastings, classes, demos, and more, so get your stretchy pants ready.

Wednesday, September 10

Passport Germany at Central Market
Hold on to your lederhosen – Central Market is bringing a taste of Germany to Texas. For two weeks, the gourmet grocer will transform all locations into a German wunderland featuring imported food and drink, in-store events, classes, free tastings, and German music. Featured items will range from desserts, wine, beer, pretzels, sausages, and German-inspired chef-crafted dishes like schnitzel, käsespätzle, and sauerbraten. Kick off the celebration with an opening ceremony on Wednesday, September 10 at all DFW locations with a ribbon cutting, German beer and wine, and tastings, starting at 5 pm. (4 pm for Dallas Midway.) Passport Germany will run through September 23.

Garrison Brothers Whiskey Dinner at Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse
As part of the Texas Waterways Dinner Series and benefitting Gulf Trust, this Southern-inspired four-course dinner will feature pairings by Garrison Brothers Whiskey at Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse in Plano. The menu includes blackened redfish mini tacos, chorizo and Manchego toasts, grilled watermelon salad, prime New York strip steak, and bourbon butter cake. Dinner is $175 and begins at 6:30 pm.

Thursday, September 11

Don Ramón Tequila Dinner at Cantina Laredo
Cantina Laredo’s Frisco outlet will host a four-course tequila pairing dinner that will start with a flight of Don Ramón Tequila expressions. Courses include shrimp empanadas, spinach salad, choice of stuff pork tenderloin or redfish with roasted corn and shrimp cream sauce, and berries and cream for dessert. Each course will be paired with a unique tequila cocktail. Dinner is $80 plus tax and gratuity, and begins with a reception at 7 pm.

Saturday, September 13

FOE Barbecue Cookoff 2025
The 14th annual Dallas Fraternal Order of Eagles event will pit backyard barbecue teams against each other in a people’s choice competition to raise funds for the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center. The $20 ticket ($10 for kids under 10) includes sampling from 15-plus teams along with live music and a vendor showcase. Doors open at noon, with sampling to begin at 2 pm before the awards ceremony at 5 pm. The event will take place at 8500 Arturo Dr.

Monday, September 15

Chapoutier Wine Dinner at Sea Breeze Fish Market & Grill
Plano seafood restaurant will feature French winery Chapoutier during this five-course pairing dinner. Dishes will range from salmon belly tartar and butter-poached lobster to tuna au poivre with duck fat frites and leg of lamb ragu. Dinner is $140 plus tax and gratuity, and begins with a cocktail hour at 6 pm followed by seating at 7 pm.

Fana's Ethiopian Pop-Up at MoMo Italian Kitchen
Lake Highlands Italian restaurant will host a special four-course meal by Fana Yohannes (Carver Park), who will take over the MoMo kitchen and serve her trademark Ethiopian dishes. Dinner starts at 6:0 pm. Reservations are $50 for the meat option, or $40 for the vegetarian option plus tax and tip.

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Downtown News

Mom-and-pop Italian grocery in downtown Dallas closes after a year

Ari's

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A buzzy grocery store in downtown Dallas has closed: Ari’s Pantry, the small local chain specializing in Italian groceries and to-go foods, has closed its location in the heart of the Central Business District at 1800 Main St.#124.

A statement from the owners called it "a difficult decision." The closure is effective July 15.

"We are truly grateful for the welcome Ari's Pantry received from the downtown Dallas community. You have supported our business and shared in our passion for Italian food and hospitality. After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close our Downtown Dallas location effective today," their post said.

The closure comes a little over a year since they opened in May 2025.

Downtown was the third location for the small mom-and-pop market, which debuted in Winnetka Heights in December 2023 to fulfill owner Ari Lowenstein's passion for all things Italy, with pastas, gourmet goods, dried foods, produce, plus meals for dining in or to go.

They opened a second location in Trinity Groves in 2024, which is currently marked on their website as "closed for the summer," although it does not list a re-opening date. Lowenstein was unavailable for comment.

The downtown location was originally a joint venture between Lowenstein and Alan Kearney, a downtown enthusiast who owns businesses nearby such as The Crafty Irishman and Patrick Kennedy's Irish Pub, as well as Cannon's Corner Irish Pub in Oak Cliff. However, Kearney withdrew from the store after it opened.

To accommodate the needs of downtown workers and residents, Lowenstein added a coffee shop and gelato stand. It was open for coffee at 7 am and until 9 pm, with a dining area where customers could have wine and cheese.

The location at 1800 Main St. seems to be in a favorable spot, surrounded by residential buildings and hotels such as the AC Hotel and Statler Dallas. Who has not spent a night in a hotel and longed for a market nearby with snacks and wine? It's also across the street from Neiman Marcus, whose imminent closure in September has provoked some pearl-clutching about the prosperity of downtown. But the downtown population does not always support local businesses.

Ari's was not the first to find the location challenging: It was previously occupied by the well-mounted Berkley's Market, which closed in 2024 after six years in the space.

The owners stated that they would "continue focusing on our locations in Coppell and Bishop Arts as we look ahead to the next chapters of Ari's Pantry," before thanking "every customer who stopped in for coffee, lunch or gelato, picked up dinner, discovered a new favorite ingredient."

downtown closings