This week in gluttony

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

Toast to the end of summer with tequila this week.

Courtesy photo

Summer officially ends on Saturday, and this week’s event lineup provides for a perfect farewell. There’s a sunflower festival with floral-themed cocktails, a tropical island-themed birthday celebration, and two tequila-themed parties. Cheers to surviving another Texas summer.

Tuesday, September 19

Tequila Dinner at Chido Taco Lounge
The Frisco taco hot spot will host a four-course dinner paired with ArteNOM tequilas, including blanco, reposado, and anejo. Menu items include chicken tinga sopes, sopa con albondigas, crispy carnitas with elote sweet potato, and Mexican chocolate cream pie. Dinner is $165, plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 7 pm.

Wednesday, September 20

Harvest Season Wine Dinner at Bonefish Grill
A four-course dinner paired with select varietals from Napa Valley's Duckhorn Vineyards will include: spinach salad with goat cheese, cranberries, and apples; linguine with clams; apple chutney pork tenderloin & swordfish with pumpkin ravioli: and pumpkin spice lava cake with a cream cheese molten center, served warm. Starts at 6:30 pm, $55 per person, at 190 E. Stacy Rd. in Allen. Call 972-737-3018 to RSVP.

Thursday, September 21

Sunflower Festival at Haywire and The Ranch at Las Colinas
Celebrate the Texas sunflower with menu specials at both Haywire locations in Plano and Dallas and The Ranch at Las Colinas. From Thursday through Sunday, the sister restaurants will offer sunflower-inspired cocktails, including The Western Wildflower with lemon vodka, and the Sunflower Sour with bourbon. They're also serving sunflower seed hummus made with herb-infused olive oil. All guests who purchase a sunflower menu item will receive a complimentary packet of sunflower seeds to take home and plant.

Caymus Vineyards 4-course Wine Dinner at LVI at the Statler
special four-course dinner featuring wine pairings from Caymus Vineyards in Napa Valley. The menu by chef Leo Morales includes Lobster Truffle Arancini, greens with figs & goat cheese, Frenched lamb chops with black garlic chimichurri, and white-chocolate-lemon tart. Caymus Brand Ambassador Robert Tousley will be the featured speaker. Cocktail Hour begins at 6pm, followed by dinner at 7pm. Tickets are $125.

Beviamo Italian Wine Dinner at Knife Plano
Chef John Tesar’s Plano steakhouse will host a multicourse Italian-themed wine pairing dinner with Texas touches on the menu. Think figs with ricotta, honey, and Texas pecans; cacio e pepe; and 45-day dry aged beef from 44 Farms. Wines will be paired with each course. Dinner is $150, plus tax and gratuity, and dinner begins at 6:30 pm.

Kick Back Dinner Series at LORO
Both the Dallas and Addison locations of the Asian smokehouse and bar will host a five-course, family-style dinner paired with beers from a local brewery. In Dallas, it’s Community Beer Company and in Addison, it’s Manhattan Project Beer Company. Menu items range from pineapple tuna poke and green curry mussels to smoked spatchcock chicken and charred prawns. Tickets are $75 per person, plus tax and gratuity, and dinner begins at 7:30 pm.

Friday, September 22

The Island Spot’s 13th Anniversary Celebration
The Carrollton location of this Jamaican-inspired gem will host a birthday party to kick off the weekend. It will include live reggae music, rum specials, giveaways, and dishes like jerk chicken, plantains, and fried dumplings. The fun will run from 7-10 pm.

Saturday, September 23

Sugar Fest at Mexican Sugar
Both locations of the festive Mexican restaurant (Las Colinas on Saturday and Plano on Sunday) will host an afternoon of sampling agave-based spirits, with a special focus on tequila and mezcal. General admission is already sold out, but there are $65 VIP tickets available that include complimentary premium tastings, hand-crafted cocktails, and Mexican Sugar cuisine in a private area. The event will run from 2-6 pm both days.

Monday, September 25

Pints & Pies Beer Dinner at Urban Seafood
Indulge in four courses of both sweet and savory pies paired with pints of various brews at the Plano seafood destination. Tickets are $65, including tax and gratuity, and dinner starts at 6:30 pm.

86 Cancer at The Adolphus
Makeready’s annual fundraiser to benefit cancer research will feature a Chopped-style culinary competition at The Adolphus. Dallas chefs will compete alongside culinary students from El Centro College for a panel of judges. Participating chefs will come from Monarch, Circle T Ranch, Fearing’s, Bistro 31, Billy Can Can, and SER Steak + Spirits. The $130 ticket includes hors d’oeuvres from participating chefs, along with food, beer, wine, and signature cocktails from The Adolphus. The event will run from 6:30-10:30 pm.

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This week in gluttony

These are the 9 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Photo by Kelsey Knight on Unsplash

Clink glasses at a Merlot event this week.

The Java House Grand Prix of Arlington arrives this weekend, bringing IndyCar "street circuit" racing to the area for the first time. The district is ready to rev its engines with food and drink packages that offer streetside viewing. But first, it's Women's History Month and one Dallas restaurant will pay tribute to top female chefs with a special wine dinner. It's also the weekend before St. Patrick's Day, and several bars and restaurants will celebrate with Irish-inspired food and fanfare.

Wednesday, March 11

Wine Chat at Cru Wine Bar and Bistro
The Shops at Legacy wine bar will host March Merlot madness with this Merlot tasting. Guests can choose their favorite among three: Northstar “Polaris” (Columbia Valley), Château Lassègue “Les Cadrans” (Saint-Émilion Grand Cru), and Orin Swift “Advice from John” (California). The tasting is $35 and comes with three chef-prepared bites for pairing. The tasting takes place from 6-7 pm.

Women’s Gastronomy Dinner at Restaurant Beatrice
The second annual dinner celebrates Women’s History Month with six courses honoring female chefs. Menu highlights include a soup course of white gazpacho that pays tribute to James Beard Award winner Susan Spicer, Burgundy-style Texas quail as a nod to Michelin-starred chef Eugenie Brazier, and red velvet cake honoring James Beard Award winner Mashama Bailey. Even wine pairings come from female winemakers or owners, including singer Mary J. Blige. Tickets are $150, plus tax and gratuity, and seating times run from 5-8:45 pm.

Thursday, March 12

World of Whiskey at Al Biernet’s North
Sip premium pours from Scotland, Ireland, Japan, and the U.S. paired with steakhouse bites during this guided tasting at the Oak Lawn outlet of Al Biernet’s. Interactive tasting stations will feature nearly a dozen spirits. Menu highlights include bourbon-cured salmon crostinis, smoked brisket sliders, and pulled pork sliders, pimento cheese bites, and more. Tickets are $89, plus tax, and the tasting begins at 6:30 pm.

Friday, March 13

Grand Prix at Soy Cowboy
Soy Cowboy will offer race fans a front-row seat to the action with trackside dining experiences on the patio as the race zooms by. Buffet packages, available Friday through Sunday, include morning half-day tickets (8 am-12 pm, $95 for adults, $45 for children), afternoon half-day tickets ($145 for adults, $75 for children), and full-day tickets (8 am-6 pm, $195). The experience includes an Asian-inspired brunch buffet in the morning with steak, shrimp, lobster and breakfast classics; and in the afternoon, a buffet of sushi, sashimi, oysters, tenderloin station; Asian dishes like dumplings, ribs, and orange chicken; and desserts. A cash bar will be available. Guests can also reserve one of Soy Cowboy’s private “lotus flower” booths for up to six guests for $500.

Java House Grand Prix of Arlington at Loews
While the cars race by the Arlington hotel, guests can sip drinks like the Speedway Mexcalita, Pit Stop Paloma, and the Grand Prix Lavender Drop Martini at the bar. Texas-sized bites include the smoked brisket sandwich with cole slaw and French fries, loaded baked potato, and Texas chili. Across the street at Live! by Loews (accessible via an enclosed bridge between hotels), cocktails at Bar Bourbon including Running on Fumes espresso martini made with TX Whiskey and caramel cold foam, and Slipstream Shandy made with Garrison Brothers honeydew bourbon and Shiner Off Road IPA. The specials will run Friday through Sunday.

Saturday, March 14

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at Thirsty Lion
All locations of the gastropub will feature celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this weekend with specials like Guinness beef stew, bacon-cheddar potato cakes, and signature Scotch eggs. Irish bagpipers and Irish dancers will perform Saturday afternoon. Proceeds from featured cocktails, including Jameson Irish Whiskey mules, martinis, Irish coffee, and old fashioneds, will be donated to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to support childhood cancer research. Thirsty Lion has locations in Euless, Irving, and The Colony.

Lucky’s St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl
Wear green and go Irish during this Dallas bar crawl that will start and end at Stan’s Blue Note. Stops along the way include Hideaway on Henderson, Christies, Mayer’s Garden, and The Dubliner. Tickets start at $20 when purchasing with a group and include a couple drinks or shots, drink specials along the way, and a party cup, photo ops, swag, and more. The crawl starts at 4 pm.

Sunday, March 15

St. Patrick’s Day Bash & Crawfish Eating Contest at The Revel
The Frisco patio and grill will host a full day of live music, ice cold green-hued beer, and seafood boil with an inaugural crawfish eating contest. Pay $20 to enter and $750 will go the first to finish three pounds of crawfish. The contest will start at 4:45 pm, but party will run all day from 11 am-11 pm.

Monday, March 16

Mollydooker Wine Dinner at Sea Breeze
The Plano seafood destination will host a five-course wine dinner featuring South Australia’s Moolydooker wines. A lineup of bold reds will be paired with dishes like crispy barramundi, braised oxtail, smoked duck bao bun sliders, poached steelhead trout, and mixed berry pavlova. The dinner is $130, plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 6 pm with a cocktail reception before a 7 pm seating time.

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