Dallas Observer Iron Fork

Only slightly better than a good Saturday at Sam’s Club. Noisy, no place to sit. Mostly ho-​hum food. And a free glass sponsored by a crematorium? Whole Foods and Ken Rathbun normally travel in better circles.

I was on the fence between a 3star and 4star, but I’ll give it a 4star for all the awesome swag we got! Unfortunately, we started off a bit rocky because the check-​in area was hectic and disorganized. Hoping for the food and experience to make up for it — I suppose it did. As soon as we walked in, we were overwhelmed by all the people and vendors. It looked as if we’d have to wait in long lines and bust our elbows out to move along the crowd, but we were ready with our brown boxes! Hunger will make any person prevail!
We started off with a cold beer and headed onto our first food vendor, Rafain. Delicious meat on a stick — off to a good start! Next up and the vendor after that? I have no idea. we were going from vendor to vendor and once we got halfway through, we couldn’t remember who we visited and what we ate. All we know is that the food was good and the lines weren’t too bad! Sad to say, some of the food wasn’t all that great and some vendors made us wait 10+ minutes because they ran out of food. Oh well, it happens.
Overall, we were pretty full at the end of the night and brought home some awesome swag from FC Dallas, Dallas Observer, and Sunstone Yoga. And while all this mayhem of eating and drinking was going on, there was a cooking contest between two chefs. All we knew was that there were 2 chefs cooking something and someone won — congrats to whomever that was! Unfortunately, we couldn’t hear the person on the mic and it was a bit rushed. Also, I have to agree with William M. that the place was stuffy & uncomfortable at times because there were not enough tables. I guess I’ll go for the VIP tickets next time!

The Dallas Observer Iron Fork is the epitome of a foodie event.
The event was held at Fair Park in a spacious indoor venue that accommodated the crowd comfortably with plenty of room to spare. Parking options included valet or free general parking.
Some of the best restaurants and food and beverage vendors were present providing generous samples. Sampling is included in the price of admission giving access to tacos, salads, chocolates, steak skewers, tequila shots, Indian cuisine, bourbon drinks, wine, cupcakes, sliders, and much more. There was rarely a wait and the lines moved quickly. The vendors were welcoming and eager to share information about their companies.
Entertainment included a photo booth, DJ, and the main event, which was a cooking competition between two Dallas chefs moderated by chef and restaurateur Kent Rathburn.
As if all of that wasn’t enough, proceeds from the event were donated to charities.
Tip!
Discount tickets were available when purchased in advance.

What a great night for a foodie. The chefs and foodies were out in full force. If you like great food, this event is to be put on your calendar.
The main event was two head chefs that were to go toe to toe in the kitchen. Hell, I was so busy sampling all the different booths, snapping food porn photos, and getting great food info, that I had just made it to the contest area when they announced the winner.
I love being around folks that are passionate about food. Most all of these booths had a spokesperson and would describe the foods or drinks which is a big plus. It was not like going to a normal restaurant where they might just want a high turnover. I would do that again in a New York minute. Most of these booths would have a signature dish or two, even three.
Next time my advice is to spend the extra money and get the VIP tickets just to get in the door early. The VIP’s did have a nice room that you could put your drink on a table, while you ate your samples from the booths.
This was a great advertisement to real foodies; and foodie want to be’s like me, he hehe.
The down side: It became a little hot half way through the event. Next year, they need to add a better cooling. Also, there should have been a bag that was given out to everyone entering, so they could hang on to all of the literature. I would have loved to have picked up more of the menus and literature from the different booths, but then again I’ve got Unilocal,he hehe
See you next year at the Dallas Observer Iron Fork!