This week in gluttony

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

Miriam Cocina Latina will host a four-course dinner featuring Mijenta Tequila.

Raynor Brumfield

Oktoberfest season is in full swing with multiple places participating in the German celebration of food, music, and culture. There are also two tequila pairing dinners, a chili cook-off, and an anniversary party at a risqué restaurant known for its desserts.

Wednesday, September 25

Mijenta Tequila Dinner at Miriam Cocina Latina
The Klyde Warren Park eatery will host a tequila-paired dinner featuring four courses and four tequila expressions. Menu items include choice of lobster aguachile or ribeye aguachile; crispy chicken with poblano pepper sauce and cilantro wild rice; grilled mahi mahi filet with coconut sauce and coconut rice; and chocolate cake with Mexican vanilla ice cream. Tickets are $100, plus tax and gratuity, and dinner begins at 7 pm.

Friday, September 27

McKinney Oktoberfest
Historic Downtown McKinney will host three days of German-themed fun featuring food, beer, music, games, and more. There’ll be authentic brats, German pancakes, schnitzels, and jumbo pretzels, along with stein-hoisting competitions, dog races, and more. Admission is free, or pay $45 for a free food voucher, one beer from the VIP tent, and access to discounted premium beers and food. The event will run 5-11 pm Friday, 11 am-11 pm Saturday, and 12-5 pm Sunday.

Oktoberfest Dinner at TLC Vegan Café
The Richardson restaurant will host a six-course Oktoberfest-themed dinner benefiting CoPilot Animal Rescue. Highlights from the vegan menu include chicken schnitzel, potato pancakes, and German chocolate cake. Tickets are $90, plus tax and gratuity. Add a wine pairing for $35 or beer flight for $20. Seating times are 5:30 pm or 7:30 pm.

Better than Sex 5th Anniversary
The provocatively named dessert restaurant in Plano will mark its fifth anniversary with a two-night party. Visit Friday and Saturday night for toasts every hour on the hour starting at 6 pm and a cherry cheesecake dessert special aptly named Pop My Cherry that’s topped with Pop Rocks candy. The party runs until midnight both nights.

Saturday, September 28

4th Annual Chili Cook-Off at the American Legion Post 597
Taking place in downtown Carrollton, this chili cook-off and community event will support veterans and their families. Tasting tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Enter to compete in the cook-off for the same fees. A flag-raising ceremony by a local Girl Scouts troupe will take place at 4 pm, with the cook-off to follow at 4:30 pm. (Check in is between 3-4 pm for competitors.)

Beer & Brats at Monument Realty PGA District
The Frisco entertainment district will host a walk-around tasting event featuring a dozen local beers from Rollertown Beerworks, Martin House Brewing Company, and Deep Ellum Brewing Company. Tickets are $30 (plus tax and a small fee) for beer only or $42 to add a brat with choice of topping and a side of chips. The event will run from 6-9 pm; only those 21 and up are permitted.

Culpepper’s First Rodeo
Culpepper Cattle Co. will host its inaugural parking lot party featuring food and drinks, live music, custom hat making, cigar rolling, a photo wagon, and face painting. Admission is free and the party will run from 6-10 pm.

Monday, September 30

Taste of Central Mexico at The Mexican
Guest chef Ricardo Munoz Zurita of Mexico City (praised by the likes of Time magazine) will visit The Mexican on Turtle Creek Boulevard to present a four-course menu highlighting the flavors of Central Mexico. The menu includes goat cheese-stuffed zucchini blossoms, pork belly with purslane in green sauce, beef tenderloin in chocolate sauce, and strawberry tamale. Wine pairings are included in the $195 price, plus tax and gratuity. Arrive by 6:30 pm for cocktail hour before dinner at 7 pm.

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Opening News

Dallas diner & music venue will open in former Ferris Wheeler space

Courtesy

Pancakes

A new restaurant has been unveiled that will take over the former Ferris Wheeler space near Dallas' Design District at 1950 Market Center Blvd.: Called AM/FM, it'll be an all-day diner and lounge with a big backyard and a stage for live music, and it's from Spune Productions, the music and event production company.

According to a release, it'll open in early January initially with evening hours, cocktails, and a few afternoon soccer matches. Music acts are already booked beginning January 8. More hours will be added down the road.

Ferris Wheelers BBQ, which was also a restaurant with a big backyard and a stage for live music, closed in November after eight years. Spune had already been involved since 2023 to help ramp up the live music side. Now they'll take it over with a fresh new personality and long hours.

They were famous for having a Ferris wheel on-site; an inquiry on its status went unanswered.

The diner will open daily at 7 am, serving "musicians coming off late nights, workers heading into morning shifts, and neighbors who want a place that remembers their name," says the release very poetically.

They've redecorated the interior with a new bar and banquettes that wrap the room. Alongside the renovations inside, the set-up outdoors will evolve over the coming weeks, with extra care given to the concert experience,

Menu
The food at AM/FM will be rooted in elevated Diner classics, with a menu overseen by chef Anastacia Quinones-Pittman (Oh, Hi! Hospitality) that's influenced by Mexican-American kitchens and Nuevo Southern traditions.

Breakfast offerings include huevos rancheros, breakfast tacos, breakfast empanadas, French toast, avocado toast, pork belly toast, and an intriguing twist on pancakes called masa pancakes, made using masa harina AKA corn flour.

Lunch includes a chicken Milanesa Caesar salad, Sonoran hot dog, fried catfish po'boy, kale salad, Cobb salad, and a Mexican twist on chicken noodle soup with fideo noodles.

Entree plates include pot roast, meatloaf, fried chicken, and a weekly pot pie.

The beverage program will aim for accessibility with coffee, cocktails, and craft beer, says Victor Rojas, Quinones-Pittman's partner at Oh, Hi! Hospitality.

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