Tailgate party tops 9 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

CultureMap Dallas invites sports fans to The Tailgate this week.

Photo courtesy of CultureMap Dallas

CultureMap Dallas invites Dallas sports fans to the city's biggest tailgate party of the year, happening this week at The Empire Room and featuring bites from more than 20 restaurants and a big-name special guest sports star. But first, Oktoberfest events are still in full swing for more tastes of German culture and cuisine, a free class on beer styles that comes with tastings, and a tequila dinner purposely coinciding with the next full moon.

Thursday, October 2

Beer Styles 101 at Grrrowler's Tap Room & Beer Garden
The Colony destination for brews and pub grub will host its first-ever “beer school” offering an intro to beer styles. Explore lagers, ales, stouts, IPAs, and pilsners with a certified cicerone, and enjoy guided tastings along the way. The class is free and begins at 6:30 pm. Reservation required.

BubblyQ at The Ritz-Carlton Dallas
There are just a few tickets left for this 17th annual foodie fundraiser benefitting the American Cancer Society. Led by chef chair Dean Fearing, the tasting event features a dozen of Dallas’ top restaurants, including Shin Sei, SER Steak + Spirits, The Saint, and Beverley’s. Tickets are $175 and include craft cocktails, live music, and a silent auction. The event will run from 7–10 pm.

Friday, October 3

The Po'Boy Shop Grand Opening
Dallas’ new go-to for Louisiana-style po’boys will host its grand opening weekend with giveaways, photo ops, and the debut of a new menu item – chicken and andouille sausage gumbo. The Preston Center shop will give away golden tickets randomly placed inside orders Friday-Sunday, good for free po’boys for a year. Guests can also drop their business cards for a chance to win po’boy trays for the office. Grand opening festivities hours are Friday-Sunday 11 am-4 pm.

Fall Into Flavor Wine Dinner at Landon Winery
Downtown McKinney winery will host a fall pairing dinner featuring three courses. The menu includes smoked tomato bisque paired with pinot noir, Texas beef with Cajun creamed corn and wild herb chimmichuri paired with tempranillo and signature reserve blend, and Texas olive oil cake with grapefruit, brown butter glaze, and smoked pecans paired with Riesling or Texas tawny port. The dinner is $90 plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 6:30 pm.

Saturday, October 4

Oktoberfest at The Toyota Music Factory
This plaza celebration of German culture, in partnership with Hop & Sting Brewing Co., will feature live music, German food and drink from Jaxon, and festive competitions like stein hoisting, keg rolling, and more. Games will begin at 2 pm with the free concert to start at 7:30 pm.

Celebration Party at Coupes
Champagne bar in Oak Lawn Dallas is celebrating its recent achievement being listed as one of the “Top 10 Destinations for Champagne in the US” by the Bureau du Champagne USA with a party from 3-10 pm with 25 percent off any bottle of true Champagne.

Sunday, October 5

Laketoberfest at Flying Saucer Draught Emporium
Lake Ray Hubbard location of the brewpub chain will host its annual lakeside Oktoberfest celebration. Taste local, national, and international Oktoberfest brews from (512), Altstadt, Manhattan Project, Saint Arnold, Warsteiner, and more. Tasting cards can be purchased at the restaurant for $20 and include six flight-size pours. Bavarian food specials will include Jaeger schnitzel with German potato salad, Sheboygan sandwiches, pretzels, brats, and apple fritters. The fun begins at 11 am, with the annual stein hoisting competition set for 3 pm.

The Tailgate at The Empire Room
CultureMap welcomes fans of local sports and local food to this annual tailgate-themed party at The Empire Room featuring tailgate-inspired bites, premium cocktails, a silent auction of sports memorabilia, and special guest, former Texas Rangers pitcher Derek Holland. More than 20 participating restaurants include JOA Grill, STK Steakhouse, Dee’s Table, and Loro. There's still time to vote for your favorite taco in our Top Taco Tournament; the winner will be revealed at the event. Tickets are $50 and the party starts at 12 pm.

Monday, October 6

Harvest Moon Celebration at Kessaku
There’ll be a full moon for this five-course dining experience at the 50th floor Japanese restaurant, which will feature pairings by Mijenta Tequila. Juan Coronado, Mijenta’s co-founder and mixologist, will guide guests through their tequila journeys. The dinner is $150 plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 7:30 pm.

tailgate event-planner

Sweet life

Dessert and wine pair up at new Bordeaux & Creme lounge coming to Plano

Photo by Sobremesa Studios

Bordeaux & Crème's Pistachio Romance features a Sicilian pistachio macaron layered with raspberry confit, pistachio ganache, fresh raspberry, and rose sugar.

A unique new lounge that gives wine and dessert equal billing is coming to Plano: Called Bordeaux & Creme, it will open this fall in The Shops at Legacy North, 5840 Legacy Circ., Ste. D165, joining notable neighbors including The Capital Grille and Seasons 52.

Noting that traditional wine bars often treat dessert as an afterthought, founder Shanice Williams says Bordeaux & Crème is designed around the pairing experience.

"Wine and dessert are often treated separately, but they're capable of creating something truly memorable when they're thoughtfully paired," Williams says in a release.

Her wine and dessert lounge will offer "curated wine flights, house-made desserts, table-side experiences, and an atmosphere designed for everything from date nights to celebrations with friends," she says. "Some of life's best conversations happen after dinner and there should be a space worthy of them."

The intimate, 1,426-square-foot lounge will seat about 40 guests. It will debut with approximately 30 wines by the glass and bottle, with plans to expand more selections. Williams says sparkling, white, rosé, and red wines, alongside curated wine flights, will encourage guests to discover and explore.

Desserts will be made in-house, seasonal, and created specifically with pairing in mind, she says. Among the offerings will be a brûlée cheesecake: a vanilla bean crème fraîche cheesecake layered atop a brown butter sablé and finished with a brûléed sugar crust and transparent sugar dome. It will be paired with a sweet wine, whose honeyed notes complement its rich, caramelized finish, the release says.

Another standout, the owner says, will be the Pistachio Romance: a Sicilian pistachio macaron layered with raspberry confit, pistachio ganache, fresh raspberry, and rose sugar. The dessert will be paired with a sparkling rosé wine, balancing fruit, texture, and freshness in a single experience.

“A glass of wine, something sweet, and music that sets the mood is an evening experience I always wanted but could never quite find," Williams says.

They're aiming for mid-November opening; updates will be posted on their Instagram page. Hours will be 4-10 pm Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday, and 4 pm-midnight Friday-Saturday. The lounge will be closed Mondays.

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