This Week in Gluttony
These are the 6 best food and drink events in Fort Worth this week
The biggest wine festival in the Southwest takes place this week, and it’s a four-day event. Also on the list are two opportunities to pair eating with activity in the form of a post-run brunch and a tasting tour by bike. A local brewery will celebrate sourness by week’s end, a high-end restaurant will host a clam bake, and in what’s likely a first for Fort Worth, one Louisiana-inspired bar and restaurant will roast a gator from head to tail and invites everyone over for a plate.
Thursday, September 12
33rd Annual GrapeFest: A Texas Wine Experience
The largest wine festival in the Southwest will take place in Historic Downtown Grapevine Thursday through Sunday. The best of Texas wines are always represented here, but this year’s event will also feature wineries from the Piedmont region of Italy and the Traverse wine coast in Michigan. Patrons can also enjoy craft beer, live music, festival food, and a shaded champagne terrace for sampling premium bubbly. Admission is $8 for adults, and $5 for seniors and children 6 to 12. Admission is free Thursday, September 12, and until 5 pm Friday, September 13.
Friday, September 13
Patio Clam Bake at Grace
It’s a patio party at the downtown fine-dining establishment. Chef Blaine Staniford will prepare a seafood smorgasbord including three kinds of clams, diver scallops, Maine lobster, jumbo prawns, mussels, King crab, and calamari. There’ll also be New England clam chowder, rolls with house-churned butter, and fried bourbon-vanilla ice cream. All courses will be paired with wines, which are included in the $145 per-person price (plus tax and gratuity). A champagne reception starts at 6:30 pm and dinner follows at 7 pm.
Saturday, September 14
Run and Brunch at Social House
“Will run for chicken and waffles.” That’s the premise behind this social run through the West 7th Street district, which ends with brunch and mimosas at Social House on Crockett Row. The untimed 5K (that’s 3.2 miles) will start promptly at 9 am. The $35 fee ($40 day-of) includes food, drinks, photos, and an event shirt. Online registration closes at 10 pm on Thursday.
Salty Lady 5-Year Anniversary at Martin House Brewing Company
It’s a celebration of sour beers. The Riverside brewery will throw a backyard party serving more than 15 variations of their famed, tart German gose, along with 10 sour beers from the cellar. The $15 ticket covers the pint glass and four 8-ounce pours. Tickets will be limited, and the event will run from noon to 5 pm.
Sunday, September 15
Bikes & Bites
Take a leisurely Sunday ride around the Near Southside while sampling breakfast and brunch bites from four local restaurants. The $42 ticket price includes a bike rental from Fort Worth Bike Sharing, so no need to bring your own wheels. Participants will meet at 10:30 am at Salsa Limon on West Magnolia Avenue and partake in a three-mile ride. Note that alcohol is not included, and the event will end by 1 pm.
Who Dat Gator Roast at Twilite Lounge
It’s not too often (if at all) that a Fort Worth restaurant roasts an entire alligator from head to tail. That’s what the New Orleans-inspired Twilite Lounge (crowned Bar of the Year in the 2019 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards) will do Sunday in honor of the New Orleans Saints’ first home game. Patrons can get a plate of roasted gator, bacon-wrapped gator, and stuffing made from gator innards, along with house-made red beans and rice, for $7 a plate. The roast will begin at 1 pm, and even non-Saints fans are welcome.