Food Events Of The Week

Fun festivals top the 6 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Tomatoes

Photo by Michael Bradley/Getty Images

Tasting events are a theme this week, in a fun and surprising array of flavors — from tacos to Japanese cuisine to a festival dedicated to tomatoes. There's also a bakery anniversary with free cinnamon rolls not to be missed.

Wednesday, May 28

Izakaya Dinner Party at Kessaku
Sake-cocktail lounge atop the 50th floor of The National in downtown Dallas is hosting its first izakaya dinner party featuring a chef’s tasting menu with 12 dishes including matcha mousse, hand roll dozo with osetra caviar, and their signature duck shio & Wagyu ramen. The $125 price plus tax and gratuity includes a welcome cocktail. Seating times are 5:30 pm or 8:30 pm.

Thursday, May 29

Tomahawk & Tequila Festival at Fogo de Chao
Enjoy tastings of dry-aged tomahawk ribeye paired with tequila and cocktails. Tickets are $45 and include tasting of the tomahawk ribeye and regular ribeye, plus two tequilas or cocktails and passed bar bites such as empanadas and chicken sliders. Cocktails include a special drink called the Paper Flame with blanco tequila, Aperol, banana iqueur, pineapple, lemon zest, and torched flash paper to create a flashy flame. The event runs from 6-8:30 pm at all locations including Addison, Uptown Dallas, Irving, and Plano.

Saturday, May 31

The Tomato Jam at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
Celebrate the world of tomatoes at this Dallas Arboretum event featuring a vendor market with tomato-inspired products like salsas, jams, and candles, garden chef demonstrations, a guided tomato walk (10 am), a tomato talk with horticulture experts (2 pm), a michelada bar, and even a 12-foot tomato arch. The festivities will run from 9 am–3 pm.

Ruby Baking Co. 1 Year Anniversary
Rockwall bakery specializing in vegan and gluten-free cupcakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls, brownies, and cakes — opened by vegan baker Chelsea Gannon last summer — celebrates its first anniversary with giveaways and specials. Visit for one free cinnamon roll per transaction and $2 cupcakes all day. Hours are 10 am–4 pm.

Texas Monthly Taco Fest
Texas Monthly is taking its Taco Fest on the road, and the first stop is Grand Prairie. The lineup includes 15 taco joints from across the state, including Jimenez Y Friends (Lubbock), Zavala’s Barbecue (Grand Prairie), and Don Artemio (Fort Worth.) Tickets are $50 (or $75 for entry 30 minutes earlier) and the event will run from 5:30–8:30 pm.

Taste of West End
Find food, drink, and live entertainment throughout this tasting event showcasing the diversity of Dallas’ iconic West End. Restaurants, vendors, and food trucks will be on site to serve their best bites anchored by a main stage for multiple bands and DJs. General admission tickets are $10 (kids 10 and under get in free), or go VIP for $60 with a ticket that includes a buffet, one cocktail, premium view of the stage, and a swag bag. The event will run 12 pm–12 am.

Pie News

White Rhino Coffee acquires Dallas bakery chain Emporium Pies

Photo courtesy of Emporium Pies

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A Dallas pie company has a new boss: Emporium Pies, a small chain of pie shops founded in 2012, has been acquired by White Rhino Coffee, the Dallas-born coffee company known for its community-driven cafés and craft-focused approach.

Emporium Pie owners and sisters Landon Perdue, Jen Abohosh, and Addie Roberts say in a release that the transition reflects a natural alignment in values.

"Part of our shared mission is hospitality and giving people a reason to celebrate," Roberts says. "We love the team, who I’ll continue working alongside, and I’m excited for this next chapter together. There’s something about dessert that brings people joy in a way nothing else can, and we’re thrilled to see that legacy carried forward."

Emporium began as a small operation selling pies from a 1930s bungalow in Bishop Arts. A second location opened in McKinney in 2013, followed by Deep Ellum which opened in 2016, and Fort Worth which opened in 2021, for a total of four shops. This is the second time the chain has changed hands; the original founders sold the company in 2022.

White Rhino was founded in 2007 and currently has 12 locations, the most recent being a location at Cypress Waters, inside a conference room, which opened in 2025.

“Emporium Pies has built an extraordinary legacy,” said Sara Escamilla, CEO of White Rhino Coffee. “Their products are consistently excellent, impeccably crafted, and beloved. Every pie is made with the highest quality ingredients. To be able to support and grow a concept of this caliber is an honor.”

The bakers and Addie Roberts will remain on staff, ensuring that the recipes remain unchanged. While the businesses will operate as usual for now, White Rhino Coffee plans to explore expanding Emporium Pies’ footprint across the Dallas–Fort Worth area.

They'll also introduce collaborations and menu integrations such as signature pie-and-coffee pairings.

“For now, it simply means coffee and pie - two of life’s best comforts - can be enjoyed across both brands,” Escamilla says.

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