Reservations Here

Women chefs lead the 6 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Trinity Cider will host a cupcake pairing this week.

Trinity Cider/Facebook

Mother's Day is on Sunday, but there's plenty of options for moms who want to start the party earlier, including a women's chef dinner, a hat party paired with cocktails, a brunch and bubbles sip-and-shop, and a cupcake and cider pairing. Note: You don't have to be a mom to join in. (And for where to celebrate Mother's Day itself, check out this list.)

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 & long beans, and tiramisu. There's also a vegan option with 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.

WRLP Capstone Dinner Nicole Gaskins of Lush Vegan, culinary student Jasmin Baker, and pastry cook and Dallas College alumni Aranzuset Benitez at the 2024 Capstone Dinner WRLP

Tuesday, May 6

Mix & Make: Trucker Hat Bar + Mixology Class at Hall Park Hotel
Toast to ACM week in Frisco with this a hands-on cocktail class paired with a high-end trucker hat bar activation, taking place at Palato Italian Kitchen and Lounge inside the Hall Park Hotel. Learn how to craft two signature cocktails: the Sunset in Milan Italian spritz and the Pink Cadillac, Palato’s ACM-inspired cocktail made with Bacardi Rum. The $55 ticket price includes a premium trucker hat from Unbranded Brim hat bar that will allow guests to choose their own curated patches. The event will run from 6:30 – 8 pm.

Wednesday, May 7

Bedrock Wine Dinner at Nuri Steakhouse
This master class in old vines will feature one of the few winemakers in the US that hold the esteemed title of Master of Wine. Morgan Twain-Peterson, co-owner of Bedrock Wine Co., will visit the prestigious steakhouse for an elevated multi-course dinner. Menu highlights include dry-aged Australian lamb chop, butter-poached 44 Farms strip loin, and miso sesame dark chocolate tart. The dinner is $225, plus tax and gratuity, and will begin at 6 pm.

Thursday, May 8

Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Dinner at Wine a Little
This four-course whiskey pairing dinner in McKinney will feature 12-year rye, 10-year bourbon, blenders select, and bottled in bond expressions of Bulleit Whiskey. Menu items include smoked salmon tartare, whiskey-glazed chicken thighs, grilled ribeye with bourbon-glazed vegetables, and dark chocolate whiskey mousse. The dinner is $99, plus tax and a service fee, and begins at 7 pm.

Saturday, May 10

Bubbles and Brunch Bites Wine Walk in Downtown McKinney
This garden-themed sip-and-stroll though 20-plus boutiques around Historic Downtown McKinney will begin with a brunch spread and a welcome mimosa to start. Then enjoy 12 wine tastings from Lone Star Winery while perusing the square. Tickets start at $30 for just the wine tastings, or $45 for the brunch, too. Check-in times include 11 am, 12 pm, and 1 pm.

Sunday, May 11

Mother's Day Cupcake & Cider Pairing at Trinity Cider
Sweet Bri’s Bakery in Allen will team up with Dallas’ Trinity Cider for a cupcake pairing mom will love. Visit for four gourmet cupcakes baked to pair with four different ciders. The cost is $30 and guests may enjoy the cupcakes on-site or take them in a pre-packaged box for gifting. The pairing begins at 1 pm.

chefs event-planner

New sushi spot

Kichi Bar rolls out sushi and late-night happy hour in Carrollton

Photo courtesy of Kichi Bar

A spread at Kichi Bar.

A hidden-gem Japanese restaurant and bar is serving late-night happy hour in Carrollton’s Koreatown neighborhood: Called Kichi Bar, the restaurant showcases elevated sushi, sashimi, hand rolls, and seasonal cocktails.

Located at 2630 Old Denton Rd. #130, in Carrollton’s lively Asian dining, retail and entertainment hub, Kichi offers a modern atmosphere for social and shareable dining. Chef-owner Chris Han says it starts with strong technique in the kitchen and focusing on quality guest experience.

“From the beginning, our goal was to create a place people could come to often, not just for special occasions,” Han, a first-time restaurateur, says in a release. “We focus on consistency, quality, and making sure guests feel comfortable every time they walk in.”

Since Kichi Bar opened in August 2025, the restaurant has garnered praise online from patrons and local food social media influencers for its artistic plates and happy hour deals.

The chef at work.Photo courtesy of Kichi Bar

Sushi and sashimi menu items start at $4 and $10, or diners can opt for shareable set menus, such as the $69 Kichi sashimi set, which comes with miso soup, salad, maitake or chicken, and sashimi for two.

In addition to a range of sushi and sashimi, Kichi's menu features savory dishes such as $12 creamy uni pasta and $28 chopped lamb with truffle soy tomatoes. Han recommends their nigiris and the black cod dish.

“We go through an aging process for all our fish anywhere from 24 hours to 72 days,” Han says. Aging fish is a technique that enhances the umami flavor fundamental to Japanese cuisine.

For something sweet, Kichi serves ice cream flavors including coffee, cinnamon, and ube. And the drink lineup includes a sake martini, seasonal cocktails, and a variety of alcohol-free options such as a pineapple mint cooler.

Han began his culinary journey in college working as a server in a Japanese restaurant. At the encouragement of the owner, Han began training in the kitchen, working his way from dishwasher to learning how to make tempura and perfecting sushi rice. Since then, he’s worked at other Japanese restaurants in Dallas-Fort Worth including Bluefish, Edoko, and Uchi.

Han says he appreciates Japanese cuisine for its simple flavors that allow quality ingredients to shine. His culinary philosophy, which is “guests eat with their eyes first,” informs the techniques and aesthetics at Kichi.

“My focus is to make sure to do the basics. Clean plates, clean presentation,” Han says.

Late-night happy hour starts at 9 pm, Sunday-Thursday.Photo courtesy of Kichi Bar

Kichi serves dinner seven days a week. Late-night happy hour, when select drinks start at $4 and kitchen menu items start at $5, is on tap Sunday through Thursday from 9 pm to close. Reservations are encouraged on weekends and holidays.

“We try to make our restaurant more guest focused, being near the Asian community where everything is fast paced can be a bit complicated concept for some,” Han says. “But I hope that when people dine [at Kichi Bar], they take their time to enjoy their meal. We don't push out all our food at once … we want them to enjoy their time here.”

Kichi is open for dinner service 5-11 pm Sunday through Thursday, and 5 pm-midnight Friday and Saturday.

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