This week in gluttony

These are the 9 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Women and whiskey pair for a female-friendly happy hour this week.

Haywire

Dust off the denim for a DIY upcycling happy hour this week. Also on the list: a sky-wine wine dinner benefiting the arts, a Shakespearean pub crawl, and a tasting event celebrating women in the culinary industry. Save room for bites and cocktails celebrating a renowned Japanese chef by week's end.

Tuesday, March 5

Women, Whiskey & Wranglers at Haywire
Upcycle your own denim with patches, paint, and rhinestones ($10 per person) during this artsy happy hour featuring specials on women-created whiskey cocktails. There'll be photo ops, permanent jewelry, and hat-making, too. The event itself is free to attend and will take place from 6-9 pm at Haywire Uptown on Tuesday, Haywire Plano on Wednesday, and at sister restaurant The Ranch at Las Colinas on Thursday.

Wednesday, March 6

Booker T. Flyinghorse Benefit Dinner at Mirador
The elegant restaurant on the fourth floor of Forty Five Ten will host a three-course dinner benefiting Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Menu highlights include black bass crudo, roasted lamb, and olive oil cake. All courses will be paired with Nickel & Nickel wines. The dinner is $125, plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 6 pm. Valet parking is complimentary.

Duckhorn Wine Dinner at Le Meridien Dallas, The Stoneleigh
Five Duckhorn wines will be paired with four courses by Le Meridien chef Esayas Estifanos during this Wednesday night dinner. Standout menu items include lobster risotto with black truffle, pink salt prime strip, and maple-glazed duck breast. Dinner is $132, plus tax and service charge, and begins at 6 pm.

Thursday, March 7

Festa della Donna: An International Women's Day Celebration at Eataly
The second annual event, in partnership with the women-focused culinary organization Les Dames d'Escoffier, will feature more than 50 food and drinks stations along with live entertainment, demos, and seminars. Special guests will feature women in the world of food, including Paula Lambert (Mozzarella Company), Nikky Phinywatana (Asian Mint), and Amber Fletcher (Fletchers Original Corny Dogs). Tickets start at $95 for general admission at 7 pm, or pay $125 for VIP entry at 6 pm and special perks like premium bites and pours and a dedicated lounge.

Casa Noble Tequila Dinner at Cantina Laredo Frisco
There'll be four courses paired with Casa Noble tequila during this Mexico City-inspired dinner. Menu highlights include posole rojo, coffee and chipotle crusted carne asada, and chocolate and caramel flan. The $79.99 price, plus tax and gratuity, includes a Casa Noble tequila flight upon arrival, along with Casa Noble tequila cocktails paired with each course. Arrive by 7 pm for a reception before a seated start time of 7:30 pm.

Friday, March 8

Querceto di Castellina Winemaker Dinner at Sassetta
Sassetta at The Joule will host its first winemaker dinner featuring the restaurant’s staple Italian wine, Querceto di Castellina. The winery's founder Jacopo Di Battista will be on-hand to talk about the family-run, organic winery and agritourism in the Tuscany countryside. Highlights from the five-course menu include tomato braised meatballs with whipped ricotta, and olive oil cake with strawberry coulis and candied lemon preserves. The dinner is $140, plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 6 pm.

Art Pop-Up at Punch Bowl Social
Sweet Tooth Hotel is popping up at Punch Bowl Social in celebration of International Women’s Day. Dallas Artist Sam Lao and her "Stay Sweet" tufted mural will be on hand for meet-and-greet reception. The first 20 guests will receive a complimentary cocktail sponsored by Topo Chico. The event will run from 6:30-8:30 pm and admission is free.

Saturday, March 9

Shakespeare Dallas 2024 Pub Crawl
Sip and recite sonnets during this Shakespearian-themed pub crawl through Bishop Arts hosted by Shakespeare Dallas. Stops will include Bishop Exchange (500 N. Bishop Ave.) with check-in at 2 pm, followed by Wild Detective (314 W. Eighth Ave.) at 3 pm for a performance by Shakespeare Everywhere. Finish at Taco y Vino (213 W. Eighth Ave.) for trivia, a raffle, and prizes. Actors will perform scenes from Shakespeare plays at each location. Tickets are $20 ($15 for Shakespeare Dallas subscribers).

Taste of Nobu
In celebration of 30 years of the Nobu brand this year, chef Nobu Matsuhisa will visit select locations of the upscale Japanese restaurant including Dallas' outlet at The Crescent. Guests will partake in bites from attended chef stations paired with cocktails made with Nobu's QUI Tequila. Tickets are $275, plus tax, and the event will run 6:30-9 pm.

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This week in gluttony

Watermelon fest sweetens 9 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Dallas Farmers Market/Facebook

Watermelon Day arrives this week at the Dallas Farmers Market.

Peak summer in Texas means watermelons are at their ripest, and one farmers market will celebrate the seasonal fruit with a two-day festival featuring more than 20 varieties. On the pairing dinners front this week, tequila, mezcal, and wines from the largest Black-owned wine company in the US are on the menu. So is a classic fast-food ice cream treat from which sales on Thursday will benefit a good cause.

Wednesday, July 29

Chef Collective Series at Meridian
Meridian executive chef Eduardo Osorio will collaborate with chefs Joshua Zacharias and Brenda Perez of the intimate Vietnamese-inspired supper club, Restaurant Shua, for an exclusive eight-course tasting event. Guests will experience live-fire cooking, storytelling, and creative dishes from sea urchin and sweet shrimp canh chua tom soup to blue mussel Vietnamese crepes. Dinner is $185 and seating times run from 4:30-8:45 pm.

Stag's Leap Cellars Wine Dinners at Centrale Italia
The Preston Hollow Village destination for upscale Italian (and sister restaurant to Princi Italia) will host its first wine dinner. Centrale Italia’s three-course pairing dinner will feature Napa Valley’s Stag’s Leap Cellars. Menu items will include Laura Chenel goat cheese-filled zucchini flowers paired with a Sauvignon Blanc spritz, summer ravioli primavera paired with Chardonnay, Alaskan king salmon paired with “Artemis” Cabernet Sauvignon, and grilled peach shortcake. Dinner is $85 and begins at 6:30 pm.

Racho Mezcal Dinner at Crown Block
The sky-high restaurant atop Reunion Tower will host Racho Mezcal co-founders Matt Ornstein and Danial Ayala, who’ll guide guests through a four-course pairing dinner prepared by Crown Block executive chef John Pineda. Each course – like the main entrée of Akaushi Wagyu strip with roasted carrots, burnt onion soubise, guajillo demi-glace, and smoked bone marrow butter – will come with a unique mezcal cocktail. The dinner is $150 and begins at 7 pm.

Thursday, July 30

Miracle Treat Day at DQ
Have something sweet for a good cause. Buy a Blizzard Treat at participating DQ restaurants in Dallas-Fort Worth and $1 from each sale will benefit Children’s Miracle Network, an organization that supports patients at Children's Health and Cook Children's. Try one of the new limited edition globally inspired Blizzard varieties, including Biscoff Cookie, Mexican-Style Hot Chocolate made with ABUELITA, and Strawberry Mango-flavored Mochi. Miracle Treat Day has raised more than $195 million across the country over the last 42 years.

McBride Sisters Wine Dinner at Radici Wood Fired Grill
The Farmers Branch outlet of chef Tiffany Derry’s Radici will host a multicourse pairing dinner featuring wines from McBride Sisters, the largest Black-owned wine company in the U.S. Founded by sisters Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John, the company is popular for its Black Girl Magic portfolio, She Can canned wines, and the McBride Sisters collection. The dinner is $125 and begins at 6:30 pm.

Herradura Pairing Dinner at Whiskey Cake
The Plano outlet of the popular Southern comfort food chain invites guests to indulge in four courses (plus a tequila street corn amuse bouche) paired with four unique Herradura Tequila cocktails. Dishes include grilled octopus salad, compressed watermelon with prawns and peppers, tequila-ancho chile-glazed picanha, and fried strawberry ice cream. Tickets are $95 and the dinner begins at 7 pm.

Friday, July 31

Grand opening of Kroger Little Elm
Kroger will celebrate the grand opening of its new Marketplace store in Little Elm when doors open at 6 am. Festivities will include performances by the Little Elm High School marching band, drill team, and cheerleaders, plus product sampling, demonstrations, special guests, and giveaways including gift cards, small appliances, and breakfast items. Exclusive store discounts will continue through August 4, including 30 cents off per gallon at the store’s new Fuel Center with a Kroger Rewards Card during the weekends of July 31-August 2, 2026 and again on August 7-9. The address is 26857 E. University Drive, Aubrey (though it's called the "Little Elm" store.)

Saturday, August 1

Watermelon Day at the Dallas Farmers Market
The eighth annual two-day event will feature a juicy day of watermelon sampling, watermelon eating contests, live music, kids activities, and even photo ops with the Watermelon Queen. More than 20 varieties of Texas-grown watermelons will be available, from classics to heirloom varieties. The festival will run Saturday from 9 am-5 pm and Sunday from 10 am-5 pm.

Sunday, August 2

A Royal Tea with Cinderella
The Kalita Humphreys Theater will host Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella this week, and ahead of Sunday’s matinee performance, attendees 13 and under can partake in a special tea party with the star of the show. The experience includes snacks, tea, a princess or prince activity, character meet-and-greet, signed character card, and a professional photo with Cinderella. Tickets are $75 for children (parents may accompany their kids for free) and the tea begins at 12 pm before the 3 pm show. Note that the tea party appears as an add-on when purchasing show tickets, which are $20.

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