Dates for Chefs for Farmers, Dallas Restaurant Week now set

Two important opportunities to eat and do good are set.

Chefs for Farmers, the annual outdoor food and beverage festival that raises money and awareness for local chefs and farmers, will hold their big bash on October 25 at Lee Park, says Iris McCallister, who founded the fundraiser with Matt McCallister of FT33. A pre-fest fete will go down at the Joule Hotel on October 24.

DFW Restaurant Week is on the books for August 10-16 as the core dates; expect many restaurants to extend the eating discounts on either or both ends of that week, As far as I can tell, RW mostly benefits the company that organizes the event and throws some money to the North Texas Food Bank and Lena Pope Home, the named beneficiaries. (The organizers charge participating restaurants a surprisingly large amount to be involved in a charity event; many restaurants tell me they lose money or barely break even on the meals but participate because its good PR and keeps their service staff busy during a traditionally slow period.)   Restaurants offer a prix-fixe dinner menu for $35-$45 (beverage, tax and gratuity not included), donating 20% of each meal to the North Texas Food Bank (Fort Worth restaurants will donate to the Lena Pope Home).

For at least the past two years, Pappas Bros. Steakhouse has been the event’s rainmaker, selling the most Restaurant Week meals and cutting the largest check to the NTFB.