Category Archives: Dallas Events

Pie Day with Fireside Pies

Every pizza lovers’ favorite holiday—March 14 (3.14), aka PIE DAY—is coming up!

Fireside Pies is having an awesome special on March 14 you can buy one pizza pie and get your second for only $3.14*! Now the real question is, are you going to share your second pizza with someone, or keep it all to yourself?

While you mull over that question, here are some ideas of what to order … The Bruschetta with goat cheese, diced tomatoes, cremini mushrooms on a toasted crostini is a refreshing appetizer to start your meal off right! The Texas Bibb salad is a great side dish to compliment any pizza with the freshness of avocado, hearts of palm, and some zest from the red wine vinaigrette.

Up next: Triple ‘Roni pizza with pepperoni, mozzarella, and a hint of truffle oil that absolutely takes this pizza to the next level. It’s even delicious the next day … where my cold pizza lovers at?!

The Neapolitan with mozzarella, diced tomatoes, and basil is a great Vegetarian option. We had this one made gluten-free for my mother’s sensitive stomach; the GF crust is more of a thin crust, but is still delicious with all the great toppings they pile on top. As a slightly gluten-intolerant person myself, I know more than most that it’s tough to find a good GF crust.

 

There are libations a’plenty here. They have a great wine and beer selection along with some fresh cocktails. I really enjoyed the Peroni Spritz (Aperol, grapefruit, lemon, Peroni). It made me feel like I was sitting at a cafe in Italy watching the old nonnas chatting with each other.

Stop in on 3/14 for this amazing BOGO deal!!!

 

FIRESIDE PIES
FiresidePies.com
Locations in Dallas, Fort Worth, Grapevine, and Plano

*dine-in only

The State Fair of Texas

Howdy, folks! The State Fair of Texas is in full swing and I got the low down on what you should eat, including some classic fan favorites and some fried bites that are new to the scene this year. 

While the meteorologists are telling us a cold front is giving us a respite from the heat, the temps are still pretty high, so I definitely suggest starting at what the Fair calls a “soft space”—an area where people can sit and relax in the shade, maybe with some water-mister action going on. Try the Magnolia Beer Garden, located just southeast of Big Tex himself. Here you can delight in a Deep Fried Cuban Roll or a a full Cuban sandwich, which is packed with loads of juicy meat. My favorite from this spot is the Cowboy Corn Crunch (fried balls of corn casserole stuffed with bacon and cream cheese). Don’t forget to dip it all into the mojo sauce for an extra kick. And with what should you wash it all down, you ask? The Best Maid Sour Pickle Beer by one of our friendly Fort Worth breweries Martin House Brewing. 

Moving from one cool location to the next, the food court is a stop you never want to miss at TSFOT. Here you can find countless stands with food of all varieties conveniently placed under the same roof with some really strong AC. From the “It’s All Greek to Me” stand with some of the best salad and gyros in Dallas to the classic Cinnamon Roll stand that will top your roll with extra icing … if you ask very politely. But there’s one stand that has been around for so long, you might not even think to consider spending your coupons there. Under a red awning that reads Ruth’s Tamale House, you’ll find some of the best tamales in Dallas as well as some delicious Thanksgiving Stuffing Egg Rolls that will blow your mind. But that’s not what we’re here for this year—2019 is a special year for Ruth because she won the Fair’s food competition for Best Tasting in the Savory category with her Stuffed Fried Taco Cone. If Ruth’s sweet smile doesn’t warm your heart, her prize winning taco cone surely will! 

New to the scene this year is Smokey John’s Stuffed Turkey Leg. The turkey leg is topped with dirty rice, Cajun cream sauce, grilled shrimp, and loads of parmesan … be sure to bring your appetite for this one! A food stand that is new to me (for some odd reason) but has actually been there since 2013 is Chef Cassy’s stand, which features her famous Fried Collard Greens. These delicious pieces of culinary artwork come with or without ham and have just the right amount of seasoning to keep you wanting more. I will be making a stop at her stand every year from now on just for those! 

Last but certainly not least is the timeless classic Fletcher’s Corny Dogs that has been a mainstay of the Fair since 1942. Everyone knows how good their original corn dog is, but they have some other options that not everyone might be aware of. These include the Bird Dog (a turkey-filled corn dog), the Cheesy Dog (a (you guessed it!) cheese-filled corn dog), a Veggie Dog and a Jalapeño Dog. So no matter what your corn dog preferences are, Fletcher’s is sure to have one for you. Just know that they firmly believe the only true condiment for a corn dog is mustard. 

No matter what you eat at TSFOT, it’s bound to be deliciously fried and leave you looking forward to next year’s creative creations. Just be sure to wear comfortable shoes so you can walk it all off and make some room for one last bite before it closes for the year on October 20th.

Susie’s note: If you’re after “cheap beer”, seek out Icehouse on the Midway, the home of the cheapest beer since 2014!

THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS
bigtex.com
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
2019 season: September 27 - October 20

#statefairoftx #bigtex

Get Ready to Rumble with Balcones

Balcones, Texas’s original whisky*, and Dude, Sweet Chocolate, Dallas’s signature chocolates, are teaming up. Starting in September, you can now find whisky-infused chocolates at DSC. Our team was invited to be some of the first to check out the partnership … and this was what Tiffany found …

I knew it would be a good time when I was greeted at the door of Dude, Sweet Chocolate with a cocktail. Considering that the late summer Texas humidity was particularly heavy and thick that evening, the refreshing Balcones Baby Blue Corn Whisky concoction was more than welcome.

Toné Castillo, Balcones brand ambassador extraordinaire, was present to tell us more about the Original Texas Whisky from Waco, Texas. Balcones takes great pride in being the first whisky to be legally produced and legally sold in Texas since Prohibition. The distillery has become quite the destination, and tours are constantly at capacity during tasting room hours. I’ve personally never visited the distillery, but after sampling the welcome cocktail and eyeing the whisky pairings that I had yet to try, I felt compelled to plan a trip.
*Note from Susie: I’ve visited. It’s amazing. It’s wonderful. Go. Taste all the things.*

As far as events go, anything that involves pairing Katherine Clapner’s chocolates with the Balcones portfolio you KNOW it’s going to be good. This is especially true when Katherine refers to one of Balcones’ spirits as “the magical unicorn”—not surprisingly, the eponymous Rumble, which is intriguingly made out of fermented Texas wildflower honey, Mission figs, and turbinado sugar. I had never heard of such a creation! And true to the name of the event, the Rumble didn’t just get one pairing this evening; it got TWO: DSC’s Flower Child truffle featuring Earl Grey tea flavors, and the FDA Salami, a playful chocolate comprised of California marizpan, dried figs, dates, cocoa nibs, and chocolate rolled to resemble a savory salami.

Katherine paired the Texas Rye 100 Proof whisky with her Vietnamese coffee house-style Hanoi fudge. I am a sucker for Vietnamese coffee, so this was an easy favorite. The TX Single Malt paired exceptionally well with Dude, Sweet’s Rooibus Chai chocolates with its toasted malt and honey notes and hints of cinnamon and cloves.

However, the showstopper was the last tasting pair: Balcones Brimstone, which tastes of campfire, brûléed sugar, and pepper, paired with BACON. FAT. CARAMEL. SKULLS.

Take a moment to let that sink in.

Brimstone’s intensity was tempered beautifully by the bacon fat and caramel, which coated the tongue like velvet.

The crowd got to walk around from station to station and taste the pairings at their leisure while Katherine and Toné walked around to answer any questions we had. The vibe was super casual and fun, with music, conversation, and laughter punctuating the subsequent hours.

I left with a warm belly, a happy spirit, and of course, a Dude, Sweet bag of goodies that I just couldn’t leave without purchasing. Sweet, indeed.

DUDE SWEET CHOCOLATE
dudesweetchocolate.com
multiple locations

BALCONES DISTILLING
balconesdistilling.com
225 South 11th Street (Waco)
(254)755-6003

2018 Dallas Chocolate Festival

“Chocolate Wasted” is an understatement. Prepare to get chocolate obliterated.

If you love chocolate, you are gonna love this. Dallas is lucky enough to have an annual chocolate festival. A yearly celebration of all things cocoa.

This year’s Dallas Chocolate Festival celebrates the “Future of Chocolate”, an exploration into where the chocolate industry is headed. A $35 ticket* gets you access to the main hub of the festival when all the demos and samples take place! 70+ exhibitors will be on show during the festival, which runs September 7th-9th at the Fashion Industry Gallery downtown.
Tickets to the main event on Saturday, September 8th can be purchased here.

The first night of the festival features a VIP Party with chocolate cocktails, treats, goody bags, and more. Most of the vendors will be at the VIP party so you can sample and purchase once you’re a little tipsy on the chocolate cocktails. (Make sure to Uber home!) Tickets to the Friday night VIP Party are $75, but you could buy a two-day pass that’s good for Friday and Saturday for $100.
You can purchase VIP Party tickets here.

The final day of the festival is when all the workshops take place. Here you can learn how to make chocolate from bean-to-bar and everything in between for just $100 per person, or you can take part in a very extensive tasting experience for $60 per person. If your tastebuds are still kicking, you could even do both for $150 for the all day pass. The workshops will all take place at the Preston & Forest Whole Foods.
Tickets to the workshops can be purchased here.

No matter what day you choose to go to the Dallas Chocolate Festival, you’re bound to taste some delicious chocolate made by local chocolatiers … and you may just learn something about the chocolate industry.

I was lucky enough to attend a preview for the Dallas Chocolate Festival, and there’s a lot to look forward to. Make sure to get your tickets online and plan to ramp up your sugar intake in the week before so your sugar rush isn’t a handicap at the festival. Because there’s a lot of chocolate to be had.

 

THE DALLAS CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL
The Dallas Chocolate Festival
September 7-9, 2018

Event being held at The Fashion Industry Gallery (FIG)
Fashion Industry Gallery
1807 Ross Avenue (Downtown Dallas)

*$5 for kids under 10)

Bar & Gardens St. Patrick’s Day Yoga

This past Saturday, Bar & Garden teamed up with Outdoor Voices, Gather Kitchen, Roots Juices, and VITAL Fitness to give Dallasites a chance for a St. Patrick’s day detox before they retoxed with all that green beer and Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey. If you’re anything like (most) of us writers on “staff” here, it was kind of necessary.

After a revitalizing yoga class taught by VITAL’s Bobby Candelas, we got to enjoy some treats by the various vendors.

Bar & Garden in East Dallas is known for selling all organic wine, which comes from chemical-free vineyards, as well as spirits that are free of anything artificial. Their focus is on transparency and passion products. Even better, the store sells everything you might need for a chic at-home bar. (Because you can never have enough cheeky bottle openers.)

Every Saturday they have complimentary product tastings so you can try before you buy. Paired up with Roots Juices, Bar & Garden provides you with options for better-for-you booze options and cocktails.

Gather Kitchen has only been open for 6 months, but they’ve completely mastered the art of delicious AND healthy food. The classic American recipes took two years to develop, and the entire restaurant is dairy free and gluten free. (Cue singing angels.) Most items are also vegan or paleo. We got to try their vegan and paleo matcha muffins (green for the holiday!) and they were not only better than expected, but quite delicious!

Outdoor Voices gave us a nice green preview of their collection. They offer men’s and women’s “athletic wear for recreation”. We’re not quite sure what that means, but if it makes drinking in yoga pants acceptable, then we’re all for it.

Stay tuned for more events like this by following the Bar & Garden social updates. Namaste, y’all.

Bar & Garden
BarandGarden.com
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
3314 Ross Avenue, Suite 150 (East Dallas)

Gather Kitchen
GatherKitchen.com
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
1601 Elm Street (Downtown in Thanksgiving Tower)

Outdoor Voices 
OutdoorVoices.com
4539 Travis Street (Knox/Henderson)

Roots Pressed Juices
RootsPressedJuices.com
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
multiple locations

Must Visit Dallas Food & Drinks Events in March

The month of March is full of different activities and events all over the world. From the widely-observed International Women’s Day to series of other festivities, every country has its own local food events that are celebrated with pomp and of course, an abundance of food. We decided to put the spotlight on a well-known city for this year’s list of early spring food/drink carnivals.

The city of Dallas, Texas is usually acknowledged as the cultural and commercial hotspot of the northern region of the state. It is no surprise, then that a host of eye-catching food events would hold here. They go further to prove the fact that one can discover a ton of things to do in Dallas.

This year’s celebrations, particularly those in March promise to be colorful, exciting and food-packed for all occasions. Here’s a few must-visit, food-related events to look out for during March:

Red Mare Wine Dinner

March 1st

The III Forks Steak place will be hosting an exclusive wine dinner in partnership with the Red Mare Winery. This exclusive wine dinner will feature a host of exquisite courses along with the finest wine, plus an appropriate dessert to seal the event. It will be held in the evening hours of the day.
Tickets: $125.

Texas Independence Day

March 2nd

The Oak Highlands Brewery is proud to announce an all-open celebration of the 182nd Texas Independence Day with a cold beer and BBQ ribs Dallas style. The event will also feature the brewery launch their new brown ale brand, made from pecans grown exclusively in Texas.

Festival of Colors by Radha Krishna Temple of Allen

March 3rd

Better recognized as the Indian cultural festivity of ‘Holi’. This event serves as a commemoration of the oncoming spring. Celebration involves lots of colors, cultural music and Indian street food at all its spiciest! Get your taste buds satisfied with the feel of garam masala spices you’ve never tried before! The Festival of Colors kicks off at noon.
Entrance is FREE

Dallas Bites! Best Tacos & Margaritas Tour

March 3rd

Are you a lover of hot, spicy Mexican food? Then this food festival is for you. Food Tours is glad to host the March version of their Best Tacos & Margaritas Tour this year. For $64 you get to experience a bus adventure through the best gourmet and street taco places in East Dallas. Participants are allowed to bring their own drinks while savoring the tastes of award-winning margaritas across the city.

Poke & Sake

March 22nd

This event will be sponsored by the Dallas Fish Market. It will feature an unforgettable night experience as participants will search out unique poke cuisines. Each poke dish will be paired with the perfect sake tasting.
Tickets: $55

Dallas Arboretum Food & Wine Festival

March 22nd

Won’t it look like a great idea to taste all the dishes available in the world without traveling? This food and wine festival is designed to do just that. The event will feature an assorted choice of cuisines from four regions. You can also enjoy the finesse and expertise of chefs from some of the fun places to eat in Dallas.

Between the Buns

March 24th

This outdoor food event will feature the best sliders Dallas has to offer, alongside with fried chicken, burgers and many other bun-related cuisines. There will also be music and of course, cold drinks at cash bars. The food event is set for a kick off in the second half of the day.

Bacon and Beer Classic

Date TBD

This event features everything with bacon and beer. Nothing sounds more appetizing than cheesy bacon fries or bacon mac ‘n’ cheese inside a baseball arena. It is a cross-country festival, which is held in major baseball playing grounds across the USA.

To the tune of a host of interactive games plus exciting music, participants get to experience the evolution of bacon-inspired recipes. These foods will be made by the best local restaurants in the area. Although the date for the Dallas version is yet to be revealed for this March, our friends at Edubirdie recommend the experience and advise us to look out for this year’s date. It promises to be quite the gathering.

Without a doubt, a lot of other food events will be announced with time. These are our must-attend picks. We believe you will find an event suitable enough for your taste buds among the ones we picked. Have fun!

**Crystal Roman, the author of the post, is a blogger and a freelance writer for www.edubirdie.com. She is currently exploring the most fascinating places and events all around the globe to share her experience with readers.**