If you grew up in Garland and live in Dallas, sometimes it’s hard to admit when the weekend’s tastiest event is going on in… Addison. But with the city’s inaugural Fork & Cork festival coming up, we’ve never been so hungry to head north. Friday and Saturday are looking to be hell on a diet with dish sampling from Casa Rubia, Belly & Trumpet, Oak, Smoke, Pakpao Thai, and many others. Plus, there’s craft brew, wine, and spirit sampling. Demos include a pork cook-off judged by Harlem’s charismatic and beloved celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson (as seen on The Taste and Chopped), a “Hands-On” event including tastings of Samuelsson’s dishes, a grilling session with Tim Byres, and lots more. There’s even live music. The best part, though? All proceeds benefit the deserving Café Momentum, which gives post-release, at-risk youths the opportunity to learn the various responsibilities of restaurant work. So grab those tickets ($65 for Friday’s kickoff, $35 for Saturday admission, $100 Saturday VIP) and get to Addison Circle Park, 4970 Addison CircleDrive, next weekend. For tickets and event specifics, visit addisonforkandcork.com.
Fri., May 16, 6 p.m.; Sat., May 17, 12-11 p.m., 2014