This week in gluttony

Chill out during 7 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

There's a whole day devoted to cool, refreshing watermelon this week.

Photo by Rens D on Unsplash

This week's events will help bring on the chill during a hot week. Have a sweet slice of summer at a watermelon fiesta, find refreshment during a spritz sip-and-stroll, then keep cool at a gelato party. For those who like the heat, Hatch chile season is officially underway.

Friday, August 1

29th Annual Hatch Chile Festival launch at Blue Mesa Grill
It’s one of the longest-running Hatch chile festivals in existence, and it happens at Blue Mesa Grill every August. The Southwestern-inspired restaurant will serve a lengthy menu of specials using the piquant New Mexican pepper all month long. Highlights include fried Hatch chile strips, Hatch chile rellenos, Hatch brownies with cajeta swirl, and a pineapple Hatch margarita with grilled pineapple. Hatch chiles will also be featured at all weekend brunches throughout the month, or whenever the last crop arrives.

Saturday, August 2

Dallas’ Original Watermelon Day at Dallas Farmers Market
Have a sweet slice of summer at Dallas Farmers Market’s seventh annual Watermelon Day, this year featuring 15 different varieties of Texas-grown watermelons. Bring the whole family for kids' workshops, face painting, watermelon carvers, cooking demos, live music, and tastings all day. The event will run from 9 am-5 pm.

National Spritz Day Stroll in Bishops Arts
Sip spritzes of all sorts – from Aperol to limoncello – during this boozy stroll in the Bishop Arts district. The $15 ticket includes one Campari cocktail, spritzy samples, party favors, and discounted drinks from six-plus stops, including Casablanca, Paradiso, and Bar Eden. The event will run from 12-5 pm and check-in is at Bishop Lane’s.

Dallas Taco & Margarita Festival
At the Dallas Taco & Margarita Festival, presented by Casamigos Tequila, guests can sample some of the best tacos and margaritas that Irving has to offer. General admission ticketholders will receive five (two food and three drink) sampling tickets for margarita samples, tacos, elote, and other items, while VIP guests receive seven (three food and four drink) sampling tickets. There will also be live music and a beer garden, and a portion of the proceeds benefits Alexiam Foundation. The event runs 12-6 pm at Ferris Wheelers; tickets are here.

Sunday, August 3

Gelato Festa at Eataly
The NorthPark Italian gourmet grocer and dining destination will host a gelato party featuring 15 sweet, savory, and boozy flavors across the entire the store. Varieties range from gelato affogato and Caprese gelato to prosciutto di parma and melon sorbet. Tastes require tickets, which start at $3 for one, or spend $40 and get access to all stations, plus drinks. There’ll also be live entertainment. The event will run from 3-6 pm.

The Giving Table: Love For Kerrville
More than 20 area chefs will come together to prepare a family-style dinner benefiting Mercy Chefs, an organization currently in Kerrville that is provides hot, chef-prepared meals to victims, first responders, and volunteers. Set to take place at Profound Foods in Fairview, the dinner will include four to five courses paired with complimentary beverages. Chefs include Katherine Clapner, Dean Fearing, and Sharon Van Meter. Tickets are $150 or go VIP for $175 and get entry to cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres. Dinner begins at 6 pm with cocktail hour at 5 pm.

Monday, August 4

Uncommon Ramen at Uchiba
There are only a few very late-night reservations left for this monthly series at Uchiba featuring innovative ramen dishes. This month's bowl is black garlic and truffle tonkotsu ramen ($22.50, or $19.50 for vegetarian) from guest chef Jon Stevens, chef and owner of Stock & Barrel, in collaboration with Uchi and Uchibā chef de cuisine Rhonda McCullar. An abbreviated regular menu will be offered. Reservations are available from 9:30 to 11 pm on the patio, but hurry.

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Back in Business

Garland restaurant from Bobby Flay winner to reopen in downtown Dallas

Photo courtesy of Pangea

Chef Kevin Ashade has found a new home for Pangea.

Pangea, the popular Garland restaurant which closed in January 2025, has found a new home. A new iteration of the restaurant will open in downtown Dallas, at 1910 Pacific Ave., Ste. 1400, in a location that was once vegan restaurant Belse.

According to restaurant personnel, it will open at 4 pm Friday, February 13.

Pangea is from chef and restaurateur Kevin Ashade, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America who won Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay in 2016 with his signature coq au vin, which will be served at the new restaurant.

Ashade has a strong culinary background in Dallas, which includes Craft at the W Hotel, Nana at the Hilton Anatole, The Oceanaire Seafood Room, and his GourmEats catering business, before opening Pangea in January 2020.

In this new chapter of Pangea, which is defined by Ashade as “elevated and globally inspired," the menu will expand past the original restaurant's upscale Southern eats to include new flavors and fusions from Italian, Nigerian, Japanese, French, and Caribbean cuisine.

“The focus will be on a true definition of what Pangea is, with new dishes and a true cultural approach to food,” Ashade says.

The menu will feature about half of the dishes from the original location, including the popular jerk roasted lamb shank, stuffed salmon, and crab cakes. It will expand to include more fish options, like a branzino plate, and more cuts of steak, in addition to the New York strip, filet, and ribeye that were served in the Garland location. Entrees will range from $35 to $50, with more casual options such as burgers and sandwiches available as well.

The new restaurant will also feature a full raw and sushi bar, including an omakase option starting at $85. They will also be serving brunch on weekends, with options such as chicken and waffles, eggs Benedict, omelets, steak frites, pastry baskets, and a full coffee menu.

Pangea downtown Dallas The menu is globally inspired. Photo courtesy of Pangea

The 240-seat space is upscale with a lounge vibe, with warm lighting creating a sophisticated but welcoming look. It features a full bar, a private dining room, and an ample climate-controlled patio. It is centrally located, across the street from Pacific Plaza Park and on the same block as the Majestic Theatre.

“This relocation means a better spot for us, an opportunity to be part of the business district. We want to create a vacation feel, a place that makes you feel like you are traveling in Mykonos, Tulum, or Ibiza,” Ashade says.

Pangea will be open for dinner seven days a week, as well as offering lunch on Fridays and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. The restaurant will stay open late — until 2 am — on weekends.

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