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.

Chef News

Chef and caterer opens Southern to-go cafe south of Dallas

Cedric Frazier

Cedric Frazier Experience Fruity Pebbles chicken & waffles.

A chef and caterer has opened an eponymous to-go cafe south of Dallas: Called The Cedric Frazier Experience, it’s an upscale soul food kitchen located at 103 Waller St., in Red Oak, where it opened on June 7.

The Cedric Frazier Experience is from chef and caterer Cedric Frazier, a graduate of Johson & Wales University with 30 years of culinary experience cooking and catering, serving celebrities as well as political figures. For a few years, he worked as a traveling private chef and boutique caterer, and still does a brisk catering business for birthday parties, celebrations, and the like. He also owns Luxuria, an event venue in DeSoto he opened in 2024.

The Experience is mainly a to-go restaurant, but it does have limited seating for diners looking for a quick bite or hosting small events. For those looking to drop by and pick up a meal, the kitchen is open Thursday-Sunday with lunch and dinner options.

"It will serve as a full-service catering kitchen, as well as a boutique cafe that offers to-go and limited dine-in options," Frazier says. "While the catering side is by appointment or event-based booking, the café will be open to the public during specific hours. No reservations needed."

Dishes are Southern-inspired "low country" — what Frazier refers to as “elevated comfort food": fried fish, wings, pasta, and salads. On Sundays, he does a special menu with homey meals featuring baked turkey wings, fried chicken, or oxtails, and sides of candied yams, collard greens, and cornbread.

The Cedric Frazier Experience kitchen is an extension of what Frazier was doing as a traveling chef across Texas. Red Oak seemed fitting because it’s a growing community that needed elevated, chef-driven fare while also being “accessible.”

“Launching my own brand allowed me to bring all of my experience together — pairing high-level service with heartfelt, soulful cuisine,” Frazier says. “Every plate I create carries pieces of my heritage, my training, and my passion for connecting with people through food.”

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