In This Week's Food Events

NY's Eve tops 10 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

The champagne will flow at Monarch on New Year's Eve.

Monarch Dallas/Facebook

The final week of 2025 is here and whether you're looking for-last minute New Year's Eve reservations or planning ahead for 2026, this list has you covered. There's something for everyone, from a class on king cake (Mardi Gras will be here before we know it) and an iconic annual chili cookoff to demonstrations on healthy juices, kombuchas, and teas.

(If you're making plans for New Year's Day brunch, find that list here.)

Wednesday, December 31

Restaurants and bars across Dallas will be celebrating New Year's Eve in one way or another, some with elaborate menus and opulent extras like caviar and champagne. The following still have limited reservations available:

Elaine’s Cocktail Kitchen
Frisco restaurant will host a Great Gatsby-inspired fete with two seatings: 3-course meal from 5–6:30 pm for $55, or a smaller event (limited to 30 guests) at 9 pm featuring a four-course menu with cocktails and midnight champagne toast with party favors for $175.

Georgie
Prix-fixe menu will offer bluefin tuna tartare, foie gras, truffle marbre, striped bass, and extras such as caviar, lobster, and truffles. Conclude with artful desserts like warm riz au lait or a citrus-kissed pavlova. The menu is $150 and it runs from 5–9:30 pm.

Fire & Ice Fantasy Ball at Monarch & Kessaku
Sister restaurants on the 49th and 50th floors of The National will host a glamorous party with food stations, seafood ice tower, sushi rolls, desserts, open bar, champagne, and caviar. Tickets are $350 and it runs from 9 pm–1 am.

Nuri Steakhouse
Asian steakhouse will host two seatings with a prix-fixe menu. Limited reservations are available for the early timeslot from 5–7:45 pm ($175) and the later seating from 8–10:30 pm ($225). Each includes a Moet split.

Sushi by Scratch Restaurants
Omakase destination downtown will host a 17-course dinner with caviar and champagne. Limited seatings are available at 5 pm and 9:30 pm, and tickets are $325.

Thursday, January 1

17th Annual Chili Cookoff at Strokers Ice House
Legendary Dallas biker bar and restaurant will host its annual chili cook-off where guests get to judge which chili is best. Pay $5 to taste all entries and enjoy drink specials. Judging starts at 3 pm but patrons can arrive as early as 12 pm to start sampling. The cookoff will run until 4 pm.

Saturday, January 3

New Year, New Cleanse at Dallas Farmers Market
Start 2026 with a visit to the Dallas Farmers Market for some healthy inspiration. Featured products will include juices, teas, and tonics. plus demonstrations on mocktails and kombucha, live music, and activities for the kids. Hours are 9 am–5 pm on Saturday and 10 am–5 pm on Sunday.

Mimosas with Meaning at Café Momentum
Non-profit restaurant will host an inspiring New Year’s brunch, featuring a one-day-only menu crafted by their creative chefs. Between sips and plates, you’ll be invited to join the restaurant's interns in setting intentions and goals for 2026. It's from 11 am–3 pm and prices are a la carte.

Uncorked: Natural Wines at Eataly
Learn about natural wines from Italy during this class lead by the beverage experts at Eataly, the Italian market at NorthPark Center. Topics covered will include regions, history, and grape varietals. The ticket is $55 plus tax and service fee, and includes the tasting and traditional Italian pairings. Class will run from 3:30–4:30 pm.

Monday, January 5

Make & Take: French King's Cake at Central Market
The traditional puff pastry dessert called galette des rois is enjoyed throughout the month of January leading up to Mardi Gras which is on February 17. Learn how to make it during this hands-on class at the Lovers Lane location of Central Market. Participants will leave with an unbaked cake to finish at home or freeze for the future. Class is $85 and begins at 6:30 pm.

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Boots & Booze

New Deep Ellum venue vows to win hearts with food, fun, and wedding chapel

Photo by Kathy Tran

The Window at Boots & Booze will serve Deep Ellum early morning through late night.

A new all-day hangout will soon bring comfort food and cocktails, a dog-friendly courtyard, live music stage, and even a whimsical wedding chapel to Dallas' Deep Ellum. Boots & Booze, a new concept from Dallas-based Wush Hospitality Group, will debut its first phase on Friday, October 23 at 3014 Main St., across the street from Terry Black's Barbecue.

The first phase includes The Window, a walk-up kitchen; The Courtyard, an outdoor bar and gathering space; and its signature Shotgun Wedding Chapel.

“This is meant to be a place where you can grab breakfast or coffee before work, bring your dog for the afternoon, meet friends for a drink, catch live entertainment or celebrate something completely unexpected,” Sherry Hazrati, co-founder of Wush Hospitality Group, says in a release. “You don’t need a special occasion to come here. We want people to feel welcome the minute they walk in.”

The Window will serve coffee and breakfast starting at 6:30 am on weekdays, with brunch beginning at 11 am on weekends. The menu, developed by Hazrati and the group's culinary team, changes throughout the day.

Breakfast options include the Crispy Potato and Egg Sandwich and Quick Shift Meals. Lunch brings the Golden Honey Chicken Breast Sandwich, Double Onion Chopped Beef Sandwich, Main Street Philly, and Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese. Dinner offerings include Hearty Chicken, Crispy Potatoes, and After Hours Potatoes.

Weekend brunch features Hot Honey Chicken French Toast and shareable brunch boards, along with lighter and gluten-free options.

The beverage menu includes coffee drinks, sodas, cocktails, wine, and beer, including a gluten-free option. One signature drink is the Cold Fashioned, a frozen take on the Old Fashioned made with Still Austin Whiskey.

Guests can grab to-go meals or settle into The Courtyard, which has a bar, stage, and flexible seating for everything from game-day gatherings to live entertainment and community events.

The Shotgun Wedding Chapel is a "playful” element, says the press release, which is not to say it isn’t a functional wedding venue for couples eager to tie the knot. The team expects ceremonies and other pageantry year-round inside Shotgun.

Sherry Hazrati Boots & Booze Sherry Hazrati and her Wush Hospitality Group are behind Deep Ellum's new Boots & Booze venue.Photo by Kathy Tran

Hazrati says the goal is to make guests feel welcome and give them a reason to return.

“We want people to leave remembering how we made them feel and come back because they feel like they belong," she says.

The group plans to expand the concept with Boots & Booze Scratch Kitchen, a full-service restaurant led by executive chef José Luis Rodriguez Perez, former owner of Dallas restaurant Mixtitos Kitchen. Details and an opening date have not been announced.

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