This week in gluttony

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

Fat Tuesday celebration and Mardi Gras party

Crawfish is on the menu at several Mardi Gras celebrations.

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A quick lesson relevant to this week’s events: Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday" and is the celebratory Carnival that leads up to the beginning of Lent, the season of fasting and repentance. Mardi Gras officially falls on Tuesday, which means it’s high time to let the good times roll. (King cake not your thing? Here are some sweet alternatives.) Regroup the rest of the week with soul food, margaritas, and a dinner for lovers.

Tuesday, February 21

Fat Tuesday Mardi Craw at The Rustic
Take the day off. The Dallas live music venue will host a crawfish boil on the patio all day long complete with live music, Bacardi rum drink specials, Cajun cuisine, and Lone Star beer buckets. The party will run from 11 am-11 pm.

Mardi Gras at Fish City Grill
Let the good times roll at this festive seafood chain, which will host live music for Mardi Gras at all of its DFW locations. Crawfish will be on the menu for $9.99 per pound, and other New Orleans specialties will include the classic hurricane, gumbo, and plenty of beads to go ‘round.

Fat Tuesday at Quarter Bar
The McKinney Avenue bar and restaurant inspired by the French Quarter will host a Fat Tuesday party to let the good times roll. Patrons can enjoy $6 frozen hurricanes, $4 Abita bottled beers, gumbo, crawfish etouffee, po’ boys, Cajun fries, and more on the rooftop deck overlooking downtown. Stay late for DJ music starting at 9 pm. The party starts early at 3 pm.

Fat Tuesday Crawfish Boil at J. Gillian’s
An Arlington establishment iconic for its St. Patrick’s Day celebration every year is testing the waters with an inaugural Mardi Gras party. J. Gillian’s will host a cornhole tournament that coincides with Fat Tuesday. Go for free crawfish, live music, drink specials, and giveaways. The party is sponsored by Shiner Bock and begins at 5 pm.

Mardi Gras at Jaxon Beer Garden
In typical Fat Tuesday fashion, this celebration features a crawfish boil, drink specials, and live music. But stay late for something not so typical: a king cake eating competition. Reservations are recommended. The party will run from 6-10 pm.

Fat Tuesday Cocktail Dinner at Urban Rio
The Plano cantina and grill will host a Mardi Gras-themed dinner offering four courses paired with cocktails. While the menu is yet to be revealed, a recent special of crawfish tamales might just reappear for the event. The $70 price includes tax and gratuity. Dinner starts at 6:30 pm.

Crazy for Crepes and Wine at Landon Winery
Both sweet and savory crepes will be paired with Texas wines during this tasting in at Landon Winery McKinney. Crepes will be prepared hot to order by Crepes on the Go. Limited tickets are available for $45, and the pairing will run from 6:30-8 pm.

Wednesday, February 22

National Margarita Day at Texas Live
Here’s a National Margarita Day bar crawl worth taking the day off. Visit the Arlington entertainment complex for $5 margarita specials all day long. Plan ahead for the following stops with these specialty drinks: jalapeno margarita at the Texas Live arena, frozen strawberry and classic rocks at Rangers Republic, pomegranate margarita at Troy’s, and watermelon margarita at Lockhart Smokehouse. The $5 specials will start at 11 am.

Saturday, February 25

Taste of Soul Food Cook-Off
Head to the MLK Jr. Community Center for a soul food cook-off. Local chefs will compete for a cash prize by showcasing their best soul food for guests to sample. Admission is only $2 for adults and $1 for seniors. Children get in free. The cook-off will run from 11 am-3 pm.

Monday, February 27

Aphrodisiac Wine Dinner at Urban Seafood
Why should the romance end on Valentine’s Day? Make plans for this four-course “aphrodisiac” dinner paired with four wines at Urban Seafood in Plano. Dinner is $95 per person and includes tax and gratuity. Start time is 6:30 pm.

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This week in gluttony

Buzzy new bagels top 6 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

PopUp Bagels

PopUp Bagels will pop up permanently in Dallas this week.

Wine dinners dominate this week's list with varietals for every palate, from Champagne to Bordeaux. But it's a Northeastern bagel chain grand opening that leads the list for its highly anticipated Dallas arrival this week. Also find details on a second annual three-day barbecue cookout with live music from big name acts.

Thursday, April 23

Pommery Golden Hour: An Elevated Tasting at Ser Steak + Spirits
Champagne lovers won’t want to miss this pairing experience at the Hilton Anatole’s 27th floor steakhouse featuring five Pommery Champagnes from Reims, France. The menu will include Hiromasa crudo, caviar churro, pork collar with cheddar grits, elk lollipop with cherry gastrique, and foie torchon with blackberry gel. The tasting is $119 and begins at 6 pm.

Icons Around the World Wine Tasting at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse
Taste wines from producers in America, South America, Burgundy, and Bordeaux during this interactive experience where guests will sip and stroll from table to table. A dozen wines are included in the $150 ticket price, and the tasting will run from 6-8 pm.

Women Who Run the Cellar Wine Dinner at Shinsei
This five-course wine dinner will feature female leadership from two Sonoma County wineries: Sheree Thornsberry, co-owner of Innumero Wines, and Kimberly Matson, head of operations at Valette Wines; along with Lynae Fearing of Fearing Restaurant Group. The menu will include tuna tartare with tempura shiso leaf, teriyaki meatballs, garlic chili butter shrimp with Thai basil, char siu-style black cod with fried rice and clams, Kobe short rib with black garlic jus, and dark chocolate tarto with miso caramel. Tickets are $200, and $50 of each ticket will support the American Heart Association. Dinner begins at 6:30 pm.

Friday, April 24

PopUp Bagels Grand Opening
The highly anticipated Dallas outlet of Connecticut-based PopUp Bagels will open Friday at 5450 Lovers Lane with DJ music, free goodies, and a limited time partnership with Wingstop featuring the chicken wing chain’s popular lemon pepper flavor as a “schmear.” The store will be open from 8 am-4 pm with grand opening festivities to run through 11 am.

Lone Star Smokeout
Back for a second year is this three-day outdoor barbecue and country music festival, an expansion of the Windy City Smokeout held in Chicago. The parking lot party will be held outside AT&T Stadium Friday through Sunday featuring country music headliners Koe Wetzel, Riley Green, and Shaboozy along with more than a dozen other bands. Tickets include access to barbecue from 13-plus pitmasters from across Texas and the country, including local favorites Dayne’s Craft BBQ and Hurtado Barbecue, and Chicago spot Bub City. Single day general admission tickets start at $69.

Sunday, April 26

Knife Sommelier Series: Domaine Paul Blanck Wine Dinner at Knife Italian
Philippe Blanck of Domaine Blanck biodynamic wines will join chef John Tesar at his Italian restaurant inside The Ritz-Carlton, Las Colinas for a five-course pairing dinner. Highlights from the menu include spring pea and ricotta dumplings, bigeye tuna with sturgeon caviar, lobster puttanesca, and 45-day dry-aged ribeye with truffle jus and artichoke bearnaise. Dinner is $165 and begins with a 6 pm meet-and-greet with Blanck followed by a 6:30 pm seating.

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