Tastemaker Awards top 11 best food & drink events in Dallas this week

Spring has arrived and so have spring events, as is evident by this extra-long list of Dallas foodie festivities. The list boasts the debut of not one, but two multi-day culinary festivals. There are also Kentucky Derby parties, a Cinco de Mayo margarita crawl, and a deluxe 5-course dinner that will benefit culinary students. But the uncontested highlight of the week is surely CultureMap's 2025 Tastemaker Awards, honoring all of the best in Dallas food and drink. Tickets are still on sale, it promises to be a feast, everyone's going to be there.

Tuesday, April 29

Villa Spendida Olive Oil Dinner at Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse
The Grandscape dining destination will host a four-course wine pairing dinner featuring Villa Splendid olive oil. Partake in hand-rolled basil gnocchi with Maine lobster, 55-day wet-aged prime strip steak with olive oil potatoes, and olive oil cake with olive oil gelato. Dinner is $105 (add $55 for wine pairings), plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 6:30 pm.

Thursday, May 1

Savor at the Omni PGA Frisco Resort
The inaugural four-day culinary celebration will take place Thursday through Sunday at the Omni PGA Frisco Resort featuring an array of Food Network stars and James Beard Award winners. Guest chefs include Aarón Sánchez, Stephanie Izard, Antonia Lofaso, Kwame Onwuachi, Dean Fearing, and John Tesar. The four-day fete consists of four exclusive dining events, ranging from $550 Masters of Taste dinner Thursday night to a $195 Margaritas & Mariachis brunch on Sunday.

2025 CultureMap Dallas Tastemaker Awards
Our signature tasting event and awards ceremony will take place at the Astoria Event Venue, 3216 Royalty Row in Irving, bringing with it chef-driven bites and sips prepared by nominees in categories such as Restaurant, Chef, and Bar of the Year. See the menu here, including delicacies such as chicken kofta meatballs from Goodwin's, Peking duck wraps and spicy tuna cones from Komodo, and truffle Wagyu dumplings from Nuri Steakhouse. Tickets start at $75 for general admission at 7 pm, or go VIP for $125 and get early entry at 6 pm along with a dedicated bar and valet parking.

Heritage & Heat: A Mentor & Protégé Dinner at SER Steak + Spirits
SER chef Aubrey Murphy will reunite with his first mentor, legendary chef John Tesar, for an exclusive collaboration dinner. This five-course menu will showcase mentor and protégé dishes like coral trout with wasabi flowers to flash seared snow beef with osetra caviar. Dinner is $190, plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 6 pm.

Derby Dinner Party at Tupelo Honey Frisco
This Derby-themed dinner party will feature three courses of Tupelo Honey’s best-selling dishes along with drink pairings. The menu includes fried green tomatoes, bone-in honey-dusted fried chicken, and heavenly banana pudding. Dinner is $50, plus tax and a small fee, and begins at 6:30 pm.

A Taste of Country: Duckhorn Wine Dinner at Hall Park Hotel Frisco
To kick off the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards weeklong list of festivities in Frisco (the big show is set for Thursday, May 8), the Hall Park Hotel will pair Duckhorn Wines with Southern cuisine for a special dinner. Menu highlights include fried green tomatoes with pickled okra pico de gallo, chicken fried quail, and banana cheesecake with vanilla bean caramel. Dinner is $125, plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 6:30 pm.

Friday, May 2

Lone Star Smokeout
Making its Texas debut is this three-day outdoor barbecue and country music festival, an expansion of the award-winning Windy City Smokeout held in Chicago. The parking lot party will be held outside AT&T Stadium Friday through Sunday featuring country music headliners Cody Jinks, Jon Pardi, and Midland along with more than a dozen other bands. Tickets include access to barbecue from 13-plus pitmasters from across Texas and the country, including local favorites Dayne’s Craft BBQ, Hurtado Barbecue, and 2025 CultureMap Fort Worth Tastemaker Award winner Panther City BBQ. Single day tickets start at $73.

Saturday, May 3

13th Annual Frisco StrEATS Gourmet Food Truck & Music Festival
Touted as Texas' longest-running food truck festival, the event promises gourmet eats from DFW food trucks, live music, and craft beer, wine, and local whiskey tastings along with family-friendly activities. Admission is free and the event will run from 11 am–8 pm in Frisco’s historic Rail District.

The Harwood District’s Cinco de Mayo Margarita Crawl
Sip your way through the Harwood District and enjoy live mariachi music and discounted margaritas and tacos at participating venues, which include Tequila Social, Dolce Riviera, Elephant East, and many more. The crawl ends at Te Deseo, where the party keeps going on its rooftop, La Terazza. Attendees must check in at Tequila Social between 1 and 2 p.m. Tickets are $25.

Derby Day at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas
Get dressed in your derby best for this patio party at the Ritz in downtown Dallas. The $49 ticket includes access to the party and race live stream viewing area, live music, passed canapes, tasting station, and two drink tickets. The party will run from 4:30–6:30 pm.

Monday, May 5

Women in Restaurants Leadership Program Capstone Dinner
Enjoy an 8-course dinner prepared by culinary students in a program established by Restaurant Beatrice chef Michelle Carpenter, with Julia Fleming of Duro Hospitality supervising the service team. Courses include deviled quail egg, a salad with roasted carrots, beets, spring peas, and radish salad, blue cornmeal-crusted Gulf shrimp, mini beef Wellington with Duchess potatoes and long beans, and tiramisu. There's also a vegan option with courses such as blue cornmeal-crusted maitake, ratatouille on angel hair pasta, and strawberry coconut panna cotta. Tickets are $89 online and go towards the students' tuition. The dinner is from 5:30-8:30 pm at Dallas College - Culinary Pastry and Hospitality Center, 11830 Webb Chapel Rd. #1200.