This Apple Cider Cured Smoked Salmon on Crostini by Chef Daniel Pittman was quite scrumptious.
Gorgeous crispy rye toast with eggplant marmalade, charcuterie, and pretty pansy flowers. Created by Chef Andrea Shackelford of Harvest Seasonal Kitchen.
Red Wattle Meatballs with Spring Onion Salsa Verde by Chef Matt McCallister.
Cedar Social passed out an interesting quesadilla sample.
A piece of the view.
Another taste of South America.
Chatting about wine.
Country Fried Quail Karaage served with Spicy Pickled Vegetables and Ginger Remoulade from Grayson Social.
Live music was heard throughout every region.
More delicious wine samples.
Salad time!
Preparing goat cheese stuffed collard greens in Pan Asia.
A little something sweet.

Visiting the Dallas Arboretum already feels like an escape. Blooms and blooms of flowers and greenery, plus views of White Rock Lake. It’s easy to think that you’ve left the city, with no plans on returning. On March 16th, the Dallas Arboretum hosted their first ever Dallas Food and Wine Festival, taking food and vino lovers on an international culinary adventure that they won’t soon forget.

A backdrop of over 500,000 spring blooming flowers greeted event goers to the sold out affair as they traipsed the grounds, with navy blue and gold passports in hand. The adventure was categorized by four different regions: Pan Asian, South American, American Bistro and Mediterranean. I began my travels in the American Bistro. Chef Andrea Shackelford from Harvest Seasonal Kitchen delighted with her Charcuterie, Pansy Flowers and Eggplant Marmalade on Rye Toast.  I couldn’t get enough of the Apple Cider Cured Smoked Salmon on Crostini from Chef Daniel Pittman of LUCK. The apple cider flavor seemed to shine through in the salmon. During my rendezvous in the US, the evening was made more pleasant by live music and wine.

Next up was a trip to South America. Cedars Social made an appearance with a rather interesting quesadilla. Savory, slippery Scallop Crudo laced in black onion, lemon and gooseberries by Chef Junior Borges & Chef Josh Sutcliff were light and zesty. The Red Wattle Pork Meatball with Herb Salsa Verde by the infamous Chef Matt McCallister was a must try.

Glass in tote, wine and music still flowing through the evening, I took a quick trip to Pan Asia and the Mediterranean where I was entertained by a dragon dance, intrigued by goat cheese stuffed collard greens and gluttonously filled by mussels and crusty bread. At this point, I couldn’t eat another bite, but then dessert happened.

As the sun set and the evening came to an end, sweet tooth tingles began. An array of desserts at the Martin Rutchik Concert Stage & Lawn awaited. Some of the city’s best pastry and dessert chefs handed out samples including Chef Samantha Rush of Rush Patisserie, Chef Doumas of Pop Star Handcrafted Popsicles and Dude Sweet Chocolate’s, Chef Katherine Clapner.

Blooms, music, bites and vino, the first Dallas Food and Wine Festival was a delight for the senses. It was an escape through the palate and around the world. I’m already looking forward to next year’s tasty escapade. TXmB