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This weekend, hit up the tail end of Tiki Week, take a cocktail class or gorge at a brunch festival:
Dallas, your prayers are finally being answered. No, the potholes are still there and Jimmy's Food Store is still closed on Sundays. We're talking about the other prayer — the one with grass skirts and shark-tooth shaped glassware. That's right, it's Dallas Tiki Week. Catch the last of the events this Thursday. Soak up some sun and some rum at Fraternal Order of Eagles during the afternoon and then head to Lounge Here for a rousing round of beach blanket bingo. Your squint-and-it's-paradise day can then wind to a close at Pilikia, where tiki drinks will be served until 2 a.m.
What it be: Dallas Tiki Week
When it do: 1 p.m. Thursday, June 22 - 2 a.m. Friday, June 23
Where dat is: Locations vary
Like Jiro, do you dream of sushi? Of silken fish met with forged steel? Of having your own rice dealer? If so, we may have found the class for you. Join Chef Paul None at Naan's Sushi University, where you'll learn how to make sushi like a pro. You'll also learn tips along the way on how to order and eat sushi, as well as how to pair sake with sushi. The class is $35 per person; email naansushi@hotmail.com to RSVP.
What it be: Sushi University
When it do: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 22
Where dat is: 7161 Bishop Road, Plano
If there are two things a Dallasite can appreciate, they're Neiman Marcus and a stiff vodka cocktail. If there's room for a third appreciable thing, it's a toss-up between a traffic-less tollway and complaining about Deep Ellum not being the same since succulents moved in. But we digress. Join celebrity Dallas chef Omar Flores (Whistle Britches, Casa Rubia) for a four-course, Southern-inspired dinner paired with Witherspoon Distillery bourbon cocktails and Four Corners beers. The dinner will be held at the Willow Bend Neiman Marcus, so in your tipsy state, try to remember to not mace the furs. The cost is $95 per person.
What it be: Neiman Marcus Pop-Up Dinner with Chef Omar Flores
When it do: 7 p.m. Thursday, June 22
Where dat is: 2201 Dallas Parkway, Plano
All the Windex in the world couldn't clean up 1888 Olive Press. You see, that's where 1888 Dirtiest Martini Mix is made. It's also where chef Tim Byres (The Theodore, Smoke) will lead a cocktail class and pop-up dinner. Guests will dine on four courses and also learn how to make the perfect dirty martini and Mexican martini. A $75 ticket also includes a tour of the facility.
What it be: Cocktail Class and Pop-Up Dinner
When it do: 7-9 p.m. Friday, June 23
Where dat is: 11411 Plano Road
World of Beer's (WoB) Can-O-Beer-Run is a self-described "all day beer drinking adventure." Basically, it's like the choose your own adventure books only with less nostalgia and more potential doom-spirals. But beer, though. So much beer. Enjoy beer from six breweries, along with three meals, a private bus shuttle, trivia, games and even a t-shirt to remember this God-forsaken event by. Registration is
$125 and may be paid for in person at WoB.
What it be: World of Beer Can-O-Beer-Run
When it do: 9 a.m. Saturday, June 24
Where dat is: 3252 W 7th St., Fort Worth
Is there anything more wholesale than an ice cream competition? Maybe a crochet-off or a candle-dipping marathon, but we couldn't find any of those happening this weekend. We did find the Chestnut Square Historic Village's annual ice cream contest, or crank-off as it is affectionately called. Home cooks will compete for People's Choice Award, which historically has favored the bold; past winners include bacon and waffle and habanero mango. Admission is free, while tasting tickets cost $1 each.
What it be: Cream Crank-Off
When it do: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, June 25
Where dat is: 315 S. Chestnut St., McKinney
Brunch squad, activate: It's time to bust out the Brunch Bunch crop-tops and head to the Addison Conference center because Southwest Brunch Fest is here. All the brunch stand-bys will be there: eggs, bacon, chicken and waffles, pancakes, waffles, Bloody Marys, mimosas, etc. But there will also be brunch surprises like island-inspired Jamaican fair. Tickets start at $35 per person.
What it be: Southwest Brunch Fest
When it do: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24
Where dat is: 15650 Addison Road, Addison
Sake, like rosé, is having moment. Unlike rosé — which desperately calls out to millennials like a pink siren song — sake has retained an air of of equanimity. You too can celebrate this beloved drink, and also learn a great deal about it, at Sake Sunday. Hosted by George Kaiho, Sake Sunday will serve as a drinkable history of sake, with Kaiho providing both context and tasting notes along the way. The tasting will be accompanied by a selection of authentic Japanese bites. Entry is $25 per person.
What it be: Sake Sunday - Tasting & Dinner
When it do: 6-8 p.m. Sunday, June 25
Where dat is: Niwa Japanese BBQ, 2939 Main St.
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