This week in gluttony

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

Lamb lollipops at Rye.

Rye

International culinary influences abound this week, with flavors from Germany, Canada, South Asia, and Spain appearing on event menus. For those who want a taste of the State Fair of Texas paired with cocktails, there’s a four-course dinner just for you. Also plan for a tongue-in-cheek fundraiser event that will support the reopening of a popular McKinney restaurant that was recently damaged by a fire.

Wednesday, October 5

Munich Street Garden
Downtown Dallas’ Main Street Garden will transform into Munich Street Garden for a celebration of German culture in partnership with Pegasus City Brewery. There’ll be barrel racing, beer tastings, lawn games, food trucks, and live performances. The event will be held on three Wednesdays this month: October 5 with music by AlpenMusikanten, October 12 with The Dogensteins, and October 19 with Brave Combo. All concerts will begin at 7 pm, and the event will run from 5-9 pm. Entry is free, but an RSVP is required.

Thursday, October 6

Mad Hatter Movie Night at Ida Claire
Don’t be late for this very important date. The Southern-inspired Ida Claire will screen Alice in Wonderland on the patio with themed cocktails, appetizer, and desserts. Apps will include pimento cheese, smoked chicken salad, and marinated cucumber tea sandwiches, “Very Important Dates” with goat cheese and bacon, and an “Off with their Heads” array of desserts. Try a Queen of Hearts cocktail with gin and crème de violette, or Forbidden Fruit made with red wine, orange liqueur, ginger, lemon, and pineapple. The special menu will start at 4 pm and movie will start at 8 pm.

Paso Robles Wine Tasting at On The Levee
Experience Paso Robles Wine Country at a walk-around tasting of 100-plus wines from 20 producers such as J Lohr and Ancient Peaks Winery, plus a showcase from Travel Paso, featuring Paso-based goods such as olive oil, honey, and spirits. A food truck by Crown Catering Authentic Mexican Food will be onsite selling wine-friendly fare. The tasting is from 6-8:30 pm, at 1108 Quaker St. Tickets are $65 and can be purchased here.

Molino Olōyō Fall Tasting Dinner at Dude Sweet Mothership
Acclaimed mom-and-pop known for its handmade tortillas is hosting a dinner at the headquarters of Dude Sweet Chocolate, located at 1340 Inwood Rd., with seven courses and an invitation to BYOB. The meal includes lobster soup, rockfish with chanterelle mushrooms, Wagyu huarache with eggplant, chicharron on heirloom corn tortillas, pommegranate sorbet, and persimmon tamalito with toasted corn ice cream. It's at 7 pm and it's $140 per person. For reservations, contact Molino through their Facebook page.

Saturday, October 8

Canadian Thanksgiving at Maple Leaf Diner
For those who can’t wait for Thanksgiving, Canada’s version of the holiday arrives Monday, October 10. Maple Leaf Diner – the Canadian-themed restaurant in Dallas owned and operated by an Ontario native – will celebrate for three days with a Thanksgiving plate special. The $17.50 deal includes turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, brown sugar carrots, pepper squash, and a sweet potato tart. The plate will be available Saturday through Monday, including during special dinner hours Sunday and Monday. Reservations encouraged.

Sunday, October 9

International Fall Soul Cooking at the Dallas Arboretum
The pinnacle of pumpkin patches may be currently found at the Dallas Arboretum, and this weekend there’s a cooking class on-site to match. Chef Jamaal Johnson will showcase fall flavors with a menu of pumpkin and potatoes, including pumpkin chicken curry, sweet potatoes with bacon and bourbon, and patatas bravas – olive oil fried potatoes with a spicy sauce. The class is $65 for Arboretum members and $75 for non-members. Class will run from 11 am-1 pm.

Monday, October 10

State Fair & Spirits Dinner at Urban Crust
The Plano wood-fired pizzeria will pay homage to State Fair of Texas cuisine during this four-course dinner, which will come paired with cocktails by local Lockwood Distilling Co. Reservations are an exact $64.90 per person and dinner will begin at 6:30 pm.

Fyrefest at Rye Dallas
After experiencing a devasting fire in August, the McKinney location of Rye Craft Food & Drink is working to rebuild for a 2023 reopening. Customers can help support the efforts at Rye’s Greenville Avenue location during Fyrefest, a fundraiser and play on the infamous music festival that went awry in the Bahamas in 2017. The event will feature a special guest DJ, specialty cocktail menu with guest bartenders dressed as superstars Nelly, Ricky Martin, Billy Joel and more, along with complimentary bites and a silent auction. The party will run from 5-10 pm.

dinner festivals news-you-can-eat

Where to Drink

Where to drink in Dallas right now: 5 new happy hours for February

Even Coast

The Frozen John D at Even Coast.

The February edition of Where to Drink, CultureMap's monthly column on restaurants and bars you can get a drink at, travels far and wide to find the best and most exotic happy hours around: From sushi deals in downtown Dallas to $5 margaritas in Collin County to Indian bar bites in Irving.

(If you're in a more date-night frame of mind, be sure to consult our list of places where you can share a sweet Valentine's Day meal.)

Here are five happy hours to try in February:

Cafe Gecko
Laid-back perennial favorite in Richardson has just unveiled a brand new happy hour menu featuring their delectable versions of classic bar food treats including pizza fries, pretzel bites, chicharrones, onion rings, and fried pickles, priced from $5-$7, plus $1 off everything in the bar. It's served Monday all day, and Tuesday-Friday from 3-7 pm.

Dozo Omakase
Omakase sushi restaurant which opened a year ago at Trinity Groves with a compact menu that includes the trendy multi-course omakase style of dining, available in small or large versions. They do a cool approach to happy hour by introducing a new menu nearly every month. For February, it includes items from the sushi bar and the kitchen including half-price nigiri, sushi hand rolls for $8, gyoza for $6, crispy rice tuna for $10, and miso soup for a bargain $2.50. Cocktails include sake for $9 and a Kyoto highball cocktail for $11.

Even Coast
Neighborhood restaurant from chef Omar Flores opened on the Addison-Dallas line in 2024 with seafood, pastas, and steaks — and now happy hour. It's a good one, served from 2-6 pm every day with its own menu of $3 oysters, $10 cheeseburgers, and salmon dip. House cocktails are $9, including a rotating flavor frozen drink; a pint of beer is $6, and wine by the glass is $9. The only restriction is where: On Friday-Saturday, it's available only at the bar; Sunday-Thursday, it's also available in the dining room and on the patio.

Neon Cactus
Congenial Mexican restaurant in Fairview has a happy hour with deals that surely seem worth driving for: They run Monday-Friday from 3-6 pm and include margaritas for $5, domestic beers for $4, wine by the glass for $5, and well drinks for $4. They also have daily food specials that run all day, such as queso blanco and chicken tinga flautas, $10 each on Thursdays, and taco plates with rice and beans, $10 to $12 on Tuesdays.

Nirvana
Sultry Indian lounge at Toyota Music Factory with DJ, dance floor, and rooftop patio has what may be the worst website in the world — but buried beneath the PTSD flash graphics and music is a worthy happy hour, served from 4-7 pm featuring $2 off all cocktails, including the Hunan Heatwave with tequila and tandoori pineapple, and the Beijing Berry mocktail with mixed berries and ginger ale. Plus Indian-themed bar snacks such as "drums of heaven" AKA chicken lollipops; street-style chow mein, and crispy chili corn.

cocktails where to drink