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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Taco News

Tacos and tequila restaurant takes over historic blue house in Rowlett

Ollie's

Tacos from Ollie's Azul House

The city of Rowlett has a fine new place for tacos and tequila: Called Ollie's Azul House, it just opened inside the historic Oliver House at 3410 Main St., taking over the space most recently occupied by Brick & Bones (which closed in January), where it's doing "elevated tacos" and "curated tequila."

Ollie's is from some of Rowlett's finest, including Michael Gallops, president of the Metrocrest Area Chamber, former Mayor Pro Tem, and six-year city council member; and Chris Kizziar, founder of hunger organization Life Message, located two doors down from the restaurant.

"I've lived in Rowlett for 22 years and Chris has lived here for 35," Gallops says. "We saw this as another opportunity to give back and do something fun."

That "something fun" includes tequila, a longtime passion and hobby for Gallops, who is a bonafide tequila connoisseur. The bar is stocked with 100 kinds, many of which come from high-end boutique distilleries.

"These are different from the shots you drank in college," Gallops says. "We felt like this was a new idea for Rowlett. We have a full bar and can mix anything you want. But on the tequila side, we have several specific tequila cocktails and we also do flights. The goal is to make it educational — to give people an opportunity to learn about tequila and how it's made."

Gallops' favorite tequilas are additive-free and use a natural process in distillation — El Tesoro, for instance. The focus on tequila also helped shape the direction of the menu, with an eye on affordability, as well.

"We have a couple of entrees and some shareable dishes like nachos, but it's primarily tacos — no enchiladas, no fajitas," he says. "We hoped to provide a place where someone can come in and get a couple tacos and a drink for less than $25."

Facade of Ollie's Azul HouseOllie's

Tacos can be ordered on soft corn, hard corn, or flour tortillas, and include:

Oliver — ground beef, lettuce
Miller — steak, onions, peppers, and chimichurri
Carnitas — slow-cooked pork with crisp edges
Elote chicken
Mushroom — a vegan option

They encourage diners to mix and match, adding whatever ingredients they want. They recently added breakfast tacos with eggs, chorizo, potatoes, and more, which can be ordered from 7-10 am from the back window and taken to-go or enjoyed on their expansive patio — a legacy left from the Brick and Bones days.

Beyond providing great food and drink, the restaurant afforded them an opportunity to give something back to Rowlett and celebrate its history, one in which the "azul" blue house — built in the early 1920s for early Rowlett residents Dee and Maggie Oliver — played a central role.

They've filled the walls with photos of Rowlett's founding families, old homesteads, churches, an old cotton gin, almost like a museum.

"It's all about the history of Rowlett," Gallops says. "We're big history buffs and are proud of our city."

tacos openings

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Taco News

Tacos and tequila restaurant takes over historic blue house in Rowlett