The Spread.

Celebrate International Bacon Day and Embrace The Return of Pumpkin Beers.

Welcome to The Spread, the weekly feature that aims to share all the area restaurant, food and beverage industry news that's fit to print. Except, this is the Internet, so space isn't a concern. Also: Good thing, because this is Dallas and this town always has breaking restaurant news going down like whoa.

As summer begins its long journey into fall and swimsuits eventually give way to sweaters and oversized coats, we can at least bask in the deep-fried glory that is the State Fair of Texas. Yesterday's unveiling the eight heart-attack inducing finalists participating in the ninth annual Big Tex Choice Awards is enough to warm anyone's insides, we think.

Seriously, though: These folks are not messing around: They've deep-fried an entire Thanksgiving dinner for fuck's sake!

While the winners of that competition will be announced on September 2, any would-be gluttons will have to wait until September 27 when the fair officially opens up to the public to try any of this year's deep-fried additions.

Don't feel like waiting for the fair to open? You can always drown your sorrows with bacon. That always seems to work for us, at least. This Saturday, in honor or International Bacon Day (because yes, this is a real thing that people actually celebrate), the folks behindDallas Bites Food Tours are offering a three-hour tour of all things bacon in Dallas. Patrons will be whisked away in a private bus on a journey to sample some of the craziest bacon creations the Dallas culinary scene has to offer. Hey, they don't call it the “candy of meat” for nothing! Climb aboard for some bacon-infused Bloody Marys, a quick bacon-cooking lesson from Chef Mark Wooton and a taste of the perpetually sold-out Elvis Killer donut from the folks at Glazed Donut Works.

If all else fails — or in the case that you don't have an extra $55 laying around to take the tour — maybe you can just celebrate by grabbing a package of bacon and your favorite beer, then heading home and see how many proteins, veggies or even desserts you can wrap in bacon? Seems legit, right?

Well, on the off-chance that shoving handfuls of delicious bacon and/or other animal products into your mouth doesn't sound like your idea of fun, Four Corners Brewing Company has you covered elsewhere with its popular vegan beer dinner, which will be held this Friday at Whole Foods on Park Lane from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The dinner will feature some amazing vegetarian dishes paired with some of the brewery's more popular and seasonal brews.

In other beer news: Deep Ellum Brewing Company will help Quarter Bar celebrate its 13th anniversary with an all-out horror-themed birthday bash. Fittingly enough, the soiree will fall on Friday, September 13. Patrons are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite slasher film villain for a chance at some amazing prizes, and to drink and dine on half-priced taps and appetizers while they do. This might also be your chance to taste DEBC's rare seasonal brew, Wealth and Taste.

On the subject of seaonal beers: Lakewood Brewing Company recently announced that its delicious Punkel beer will soon be making a triumphant return this fall. The dark, German-style brew, which you may remember from last year, is infused with pumpkin spices and will be once again be available starting on August 31 at the The Bottle Shop on Lower Greenville, with sales beginning promptly at 6 p.m.

Ah, yes, the return of pumpkin spiced beer is yet another reason to celebrate the end of summer — but not before Rahr and Sons can get in one last summer-inspired firkin. The Fort Worth-based brewing company will be releasing its very popular and rare Hatch Chile Blonde today during its mid-week tour and tasting, which starts at 5 p.m. The folks at Rahr have infused their Munich-style Helles lager with hatch chiles, giving the celebrated blonde brew a nice little kick.

Moving back to the food world: The Dallas pizza connoisseurs behind Cane Rosso have recently announced plans for westward expansion in the form of a new location on Fort Worth's West Magnolia Avenue. Other announcements from this week? The popular taco food truck Salsa Limon will be among the trucks slanging Mexican food at the soon-to-be-opened Truck Yard; The Shell Shack will open up in Uptown in Rock 'n' Taco's old spot; Taqueria Habanero has opened its doors out in Oak Cliff; and Sundown at the Granada will unveil a new late-night menu with food options that will be served until 1 a.m., seven days a week, beginning this Friday.

In other news: Culture Map recently reported on the unfortunate closing of beloved Uptown vintage shop Ahab Bowen — a blow to thrift-shop loving fashionistas of Dallas to be sure. The vintage theme will hold steadfast, however, in the form of a new restaurant and bar that will be opening up in the spot sometime in October. The concept, called Bowen House, will focus heavily on the renovation of the residence to restore it to its former glory. And, yes, the bar is set to feature vintage-inspired cocktail recipes straight out of the 1800s. Sounds like great news for steampunk enthusiasts and history buffs alike.

Speaking of steampunk: The recently opened Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters is home to North Texas' first ever Alpha Dominche Steampunk brewing system, which, according to the manufacturer's website, promises the best, most flavorful cup of coffee by using advanced controls to empower specific brew parameters per cup. The coffee shop enthusiastically encourages patrons to literally sit down and enjoy their coffee without the distractions of television or WIFI and in a ceramic mug. That's right: You won't find any paper cups at this spot.

Cover photo via WIkiCommons. Got a tip for The Spread? Email us!