FWTX Staff
We all have that friend who, when eating out at a restaurant, watches the plates being delivered to nearby tables, agonizing over all the possible choices on the menu before ordering. This is also the person who might want to sample “just a bite” from everyone else’s plate. Let’s call it Food FOMO. There are simply too many tempting items on the menu and it feels wrong to be limited to one choice on any given night out.
Well, good news, my foodie friends. The Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation has a fall lineup just for you. These events feature an array of specialties prepared by a variety of celebrated local chefs, paired with cocktails and drink selections from local makers and mixologists. Ticket sales support Fort Worth’s food and beverage industry through culinary education scholarships and grants, a high school career conference, and the Southern Smoke Foundation yearly grant, which funds medical, mental health and emergency financial support needs for DFW culinary workers.
Shooting with the Chefs, Oct. 20
The season starts with a bang at this competitive skeet shooting event where the chefs themselves are the star attraction. Teams of four shooters rotate through 12 stations, with each station featuring a local chef as a guest shooter. Teams compete for team and individual prizes designed to spread the wealth with awards for highest and lowest scores, as well as The Posh & Powdered prize for the most creatively dressed team and The Timeless Treasure for the oldest shooter. Everyone’s a winner at this event, though, with lunch catered by JD’s Hamburgers, music by the Jeremy Young Band, swag bags and raffle drawings.
Fête of Four Seasons, Oct. 23
Guests at the Fête of Four Seasons, hosted at The Fort Worth Club downtown, will feast their way through an entire year of seasonal specialties presented by four locally renowned chefs. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will celebrate the tastes of spring and summer, while the dinner and dessert menu will feature fall and winter flavors. Chef Tim Prefontaine from The Fort Worth Club will serve up Warm Maine Lobster with Corn Brûlée for the first dinner course, followed by Capra Farms Braised Lamb & Dumplings, Pumpkin Ricotta Gnocchi and Ricotta Salata from Antonio Votta, the executive chef at Bricks and Horses. Chef Preston Paine from Emilia’s will round out the dinner courses with Filet Mignon, and Coal Roasted Squash with Sour Cherry and Black Truffle. Chef Deborah Williamson will complete the evening with Yuzu Olive Oil Cake served with Caramelized Plums, Elderberry & Plum Coulis, and Crème Fraîche. Guests may buy individual tickets, or purchase a table reservation for eight that includes a meet and greet with the chefs during the cocktail hour.
Night Market, Nov. 14
Chefs from seven local restaurants will contribute cuisine, including Vietnamese fare from Four Sisters, Baja style mariscos from Mariscos el Cachanilla, Lao and Thai street eats from Zaap Kitchen, gourmet pizza from Cane Rosso, global bites from Atlas, and
American favorites from Dusty Biscuit Beignets and Tailgaters BBQ.
Cocktail pairings will feature specialities from 15 mixologists representing some of Fort Worth’s favorite bars, lounges and watering holes. Circle back to your favorite food and drink discoveries as many times as you’d like. As with all FWFWF events, your ticket covers “all the food and drink you can (responsibly) consume at the event.”
The Gospel Brunch, Nov. 17
The press release for this one got me when it called the atmosphere “easy like Sunday morning.” Now that I’ve got my favorite Commodores song on loop in my headphones, I can tell you about this blessed brunch event designed to nourish guests, body and soul. While a gospel choir fills the Shack at Panther Island Pavilion with praise music, guests will sit at communal tables enjoying dishes created by Reggie and Cedric Robinson from Lil’ Boy Blue BBQ, Katrina Carpenter from Carpenter’s Cafe & Catering, and Marcus Paslay from Scratch Hospitality. A three-time James Beard nominee from Mineral Wells, Second Bar + Kitchen’s executive chef David Bull, will join these local chefs to create a unique, collaborative dining experience that will never be repeated.
“The inspiration for The Gospel Brunch came from the desire to create an event that not only celebrates the rich traditions of Southern cuisine but also fosters a sense of community,” said Julie Eastman, executive director of the Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation, in a statement. “The combination of family-style dining, soulful gospel music, and talented chefs is a perfect reflection of our mission to bring people together through food all while supporting our local culinary talent.”
We’d love to hear from you! Send your restaurant tips and hot takes to thedish@fortworthreport.org.