Now that you’ve had a full week to recover from that Fourth of July hangover of burgers and booze, reward yourself with a weekend of prix-fixe menus and one of the largest food festivals in Texas. Summer is just underway and there are plenty of ways to enjoy the sun with a drink in one hand and grub in the other.
Friday, July 11th
This year, Taste of Dallas gets even better with an expanded indoor restaurant tasting experience in addition to music from The Spazmantics and Vanilla Ice. The largest tasting event in DFW, Taste of Dallas will feature over 70 restaurants, the Culinary Marketplace, Sweet Factory, Taste of Town, Health & Wellness and plenty for the kids to do. Don’t worry if you can’t make it Friday, because the event runs for three days. Tickets run on the cheaper side with discounted prices at Walgreens for only $8 for an individual ticket. Proceeds will benefit the American Heart Association.
I don’t care how old you are, you will always find solace in a 711 Slurpee. Though it may not go down as a nationally recognized holiday, I like to think it’s one of my favorite days of the year when 711 hands out Slurpees for free. Take a break from this unbearable Texas heat and grab yourself a frozen slush of nostalgia.
As mentioned in our Tipsy Tuesdays feature, Asador will host their first five-course Harvest Dinner tonight for $60. Call 214-267-4815 for reservations.
Saturday July 12th
Though the beach may be a little far away, you can still enjoy some creatures of the sea at GRACE in Fort Worth this Saturday. This summer party is GRACE’s first ever Clam Bake on the Terrace. Chef Blaine Staniford compiled a menu perfect for warmer weather with a variety of seafood options, such as House Smoked Canapes, East and West Coast Oysters, New England Clam Chowder and of course the much anticipated “Clam Bake.” Each course will come with either wine or beer to compliment the dish. The dinner with wine comes is $95 and the beer pairing comes in at $75. The night starts at 6:30 pm.
Kitchen LTO’s new chef Brooke Egger brings her Santa Barbara culinary roots to Dallas with the beginning of a prix-fixe menu from 11:30-2:30 PM featuring fresh seafood from her hometown as well as Seattle’s Pike Place. Don’t worry about getting tired of the food (even though that won’t be an issue): Santa Barbara Saturday will change menus each week. Pricing runs $45-$60 per person with wine pairings for an additional $15.
Sunday July 13th
Today is the day we have all been waiting for. Whether you are sick of hearing about soccer or you couldn’t wait to see who will take the champion spot in World Cup 2014 (all hail Germany!), get in brunch early and fight for a seat at the bar to catch the battle between Argentina and Germany. The match begins at 2 pm, which means brunch drink specials may be winding down, but most bars will have their own game specials going on through playing time.
Lauryn Bodden is a DMagazine.com summer intern and a goalkeeper for the SMU women’s soccer team.
