Tonight at Garden Café there will be a screening of the movie "Viva Les Amis," a documentary about the funky, small coffee shop in Austin, Les Amis, that was part of the actual real weird movement prior to everyone figuring out 1) Austin was, in fact, a little weird and 2) weird is "okay," despite what we've been told all our lives. Problem is, when weird succumbs to ubiquity, it looses its appeal. Weird when everyone else is weird is normal. And there's no parking.

Tonight Mark Wootton of Garden Café, a locally-driven East Dallas neighborhood spot that is backed up by a huge garden, will screen the movie in what he hopes is the first in a series of films.

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Mesa's Blackberry Margarita

This Sunday there's a mission to make the best margarita in Dallas at the 3rd Annual Margarita Meltdown in the Bishop Arts District between 7th and 8th Street (408 N. Bishop). Just after you arrive by taxi, you'll work your way along the street while imbibing in two-ounce samples of margaritas from more than 30 local restaurants.

Competitors (in the nicest sense of the word) include Mesa, La Duni, Whiskey Cake, Urban Taco, Meso Maya, El Ranchito, Veracruz Café, Outpost American Tavern, Ten Bells, Boulevardier, La Calle Doce and many more. It's a virtual margarita paradise.

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Deep Ellum Brewing Co. will host its Third Annual Brew-B-Que this Sunday, an event that was a launch party of sorts back in 2011. It will a chance to pack the brewery and courtyard with hopheads, sip local beer and have Pecan Lodge barbecue, all while listening to tunes of Cody Foote (who hopefully covers Islands in the Stream again), Grant Jones, The Pistol Grip Lassos and The Vic Duncan Band.

Guest brewers at the event include Armadillo Ale Works, Rabbit Hole Brewing and Martin House from Fort Worth. Check out the specifics and ticket info here.

See also:
- Tracing the Hops in Deep Ellum Brewing Company's Newest Beer
- Texas Lawmakers Vote to Lift Restrictions on Craft Breweries

We tracked down Tait Lifto at DEBC to chat about the brewing business for our biweekly-ish "One Year Out" interview (although, it's been a year and a half since they started brewing). Lifto turned in his starched-button-down-shirt-job for this gig at the brewery, where he's the Brand Ninja and is charged with making sure beer drinkers far and wide know of DEBC.

Working at a brewery is just a big party, right?
Ha! I wish, although it truly is the perception of many people. I personally work about 60-70 hours a week, yet mostly people see me just at events. I may look relaxed, but most often my mind is going a billion directions; meeting everyone, talking about our beers, answering questions, staying on point, etc.

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The documentary Cafeteria Man lays out the uphill battle faced by Tony Geraci as he took on Baltimore school system bureaucrats to overhaul the school lunch program. Geraci's plan was a simple one, focused on the same local ingredients that many chefs have embraced over the years to build a centralized, local food distribution system. "Maryland has more chickens than people," Geraci said when trying to explain the core of his proposed program. "Why the heck are we buying chickens from Arkansas?"

You missed a chance to hear the answer to that question if you didn't make Tuesday's screening and post-movie panel discussion about similar efforts at Dallas-area schools. The screening was held at the Angelika Film Center, co-hosted by Edible DFW and Chipotle and donations collected there went straight to Hunger Busters, a program that supplies after-school meals to children in need.

But don't fret -- you still have a chance to munch popcorn (not sure if it's locally harvested), talk about food issues and do good as the same group will show In Organic We Trust on Tuesday, May 28, the last in a four-film series of food-related docs. In Organic ... challenges the notions that organic food is synonymous with healthy and is a be-all solution to our food woes.

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Cuban Dulceria in Carrollton is having their 4th Annual Cuban Nostalgia event this weekend.

In addition to the weekly line up of culinary and drink-ary events, it's American Craft Beer Week. There are so many things to do, you're head will spin. Let's get to spinning.

Thursday, May 16
Cuban Dulceria International Bakery is hosting their 4th Annual Cuban Nostalgia event Thursday through Saturday. The three day event is for those "who remember the island's glamorous times and those who never experienced them" and will highlight the bakery's family recipes and some hard to find products. The party is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Friday, May 17
Patriot PAWS is a group that provides service dogs to disabled veterans. This Friday they are hosting the 2nd Annual Grand Hall Summer Grill Out, which pits military veterans (who are now enrolled in the culinary school at the Art Institute of Dallas) in a Top Chef-style cook-off. All you'll need to do is show up from noon to 2 p.m. at 3838 West Miller Road in Garland and try the fare. Then, maybe buy a new grill from Barbecues Galore and all of the proceeds will go Patriot PAWS.

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Paul Quinn Farm

The Dallas chapter of the Slow Food Movement and Greenling are getting together to host a workday at the "We Over Me Farm" at Paul Quinn College this Saturday. Several years ago the college transformed its football field into a massive garden. Farm manager Andrea Bithell squeezes as much as she can out of the space, tilling and toiling to the farthest reaches of land that is bordered by thick woods. With rows of greens, boxes of fresh herbs, watermelon patches and beehives, this is a very busy farm.

Each semester students help at the farm through a work-study program. We met a few of them last year and it's hard not to get caught up in their stories. Digging in the dirt is therapeutic work, "It takes my mind off of things. It's relaxing. I like to get my hands in the dirt," said Quinnite Benito Vidaure when we spoke last year. A lot of the produce is used in the school cafeteria and some of it is sold to the local community, which is considered to be in a food desert.

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Alice Laussade

Chef Scott Romano food fights with chef Matt McCallister at Iron Fork 2013.

Last night at Iron Fork, a bunch of hipster food people got together and ate food at each other while wearing fashion clothes at the Dallas Contemporary. It was fun.

See also:
- The 11 Best Bites from the Dallas Observer Iron Fork 2013
- The People and The Food of Iron Fork 2013

I heard it was also hot. (I was definitely sweating like a pregnant pig, but I'm a pregnant pig. For me, it was so hot, even the balls I'm currently creating were sweaty. But, like I said, that was just me. Maybe everyone else was super cold. At one point, chef Scott Romano did ask for a fan to be turned off. So, I guess he was chilly.)

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Here's pulling for great weather next Friday. Students from the culinary program at the Art Institute of Dallas are planning an outdoor event to raise money for Patriot PAWS. The nonprofit organization provides service dogs free of charge to disabled veterans. The event will pit two teams from the culinary school in a Top Chef-style event sponsored by Grand Hall USA and Barbecues Galore.

Retired Marine Corps Master Sergeant John J. Eager is a member of the Student Veterans Association at the culinary school. He's leading up one of two teams that will compete for glory in the outdoor cooking competition.

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This Saturday is the third annual North Texas Beer and Wine Festival at the Irving Convention Center from 2 to 7 p.m. Organizer Darrell Faircloth started this event three years ago, back in the old days when craft beer festivals were unheard of.

Most of the local North Texas brewers will be there, including Cedar Creek, Lakewood, Community, Franconia, Firewheel, Peticolas, Revolver, Four Corners and Rahr. For those of you whose are counting, a total of 16 Texas breweries, more than two dozen U.S. breweries and international labels as well. All of that amounts to hundreds of beers to choose from.

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Wednesday, May 8

It's a culinary showdown at the Dallas Contemporary as Scott Romano battles Matt McCallister of FT-33 in the Iron Fork chef challenge. The King Bucks will perform as guests (you!) sample food from different restaurants along with wine, beer and cocktails. Tickets are on sale at observerironfork.com.

The Gin Mill is having a blind beer tasting with Stone Brewing Co. of San Diego and local brewery Franconia. It's $30 per person for four rounds of four different beers. There will also be light bites to cleanse your palate. It's always good to start with a cleansed palate.

Craft and Growler will tap a keg of the highly sought-after (512) Whiskey Barrel Aged Double Pecan Porter today at 6 p.m.

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