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