This Week in Gluttony

These are the 6 best food and drink events in Fort Worth this week

This sweet treat has finally rolled into Fort Worth.

Photo courtesy of Cinnaholic

Two grand openings, a sake sipping party, and a citrus fruit festival are just some of the tasty events that kick off the new year in Fort Worth. Even more, one of the nation’s best bartenders comes to town to sling drinks, and a Sunday supper will provide comfort by week’s end. Here’s to resolving to eat and drink well in 2019.

Wednesday, January 9

Central Market Citrus Fest 2019
“Peel” the love and “un-rind” at the gourmet grocer’s annual celebration of citrus fruit, which spans well beyond the produce aisle. Through January 22, customers will find colorful citrus from around the world. Think limequats, bergamots, and satsuma tangerines, but also unique culinary finds like orange-rosemary sausage, preserved lemon slices, and fruit-infused craft beers galore. There’ll be sampling party on January 11 throughout the Fort Worth store from 5-8 pm.

Thursday, January 10

5 Year Anniversary Party at Proper on Magnolia
Special guest Paul Gustings, a legend in the New Orleans bartending community described by Esquire magazine as possibly “the crustiest bartender on earth,” will be on site with his very own drink menu to share at the bar named best in Fort Worth at the 2018 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. Gustings’ goodies will include his version of Planter’s rum punch and a gin and black raspberry concoction called El Diablo. There’ll also be a saxophonist blowing some Crescent City-inspired tunes. The party starts at 6 pm.

Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival Sipping Series: Sake
Tickets are very limited for this premium sake sipping party, which will include six different styles. Be prepared for a little education, as a certified sake professional will talk through sake history, components, and food pairings. Tickets are $30 and the event will take place from 6:30-7:30 pm at Winehaus on Park Place Avenue.

Friday, January 11

Cinnaholic Grand Opening at Crockett Row
Made famous on the show Shark Tank, Cinnaholic finally has a location in Fort Worth. The gourmet cinnamon roll chain will reward its first Fort Worth customers at its new Crockett Row outlet with $1 cinnamon rolls from 9 am-1 pm. Choose from frosting flavors like cake batter, marshmallow, and caramel; and toppings like brownie bites, coconut, and cookie dough. Bonus: All ingredients are vegan. There’s a limit of one $1 roll per customer, but additional rolls may be purchased at regular price.

Saturday, January 12

Dwell Coffee & Biscuits Grand Opening
According to the folks at Dwell, the best day ever always starts with a biscuit. Now the Burleson-based breakfast dive will bring their biscuits to Fort Worth with the opening of their second location. The TCU neighborhood spot is in soft opening mode, but visit early Saturday for giveaways. Customer number one will receive $100 gift card. The first 100 will receive a free matcha beverage, and the first 500 get a free bottle of Topo Chico. Doors open at 7 am.

Sunday, January 13

Sunday Supper Series with Stefon Rishel & Hao Tran
Patrons of the now-shuttered Max’s Wine Dive will remember former executive chef Stefon Rishel, both for his mouth-watering menu and for his Mohawk. He’ll partner with pop-up dinner diva Hao Tran of Lost in the Sauce for a multicourse menu paired with LangeTwins wines. The dinner will take place at the historic Rosen House Inn in Fairmount. Seats are $60 per person, and dinner begins at 6 pm.

openings news-you-can-eat

Scones News

Fort Worth baker pops up around town with fresh baked scones

Sunrise Scones

Scones from Sunrise Scones

Fort Worth has a pop-up baker dedicated entirely to the wonderful world of scones: Called Sunrise Scones, it's a mobile bakery that pops up twice a week, selling scones ready to eat or take home and bake.

Sunrise is from baker Gretchen Seegel, who has been baking and selling scones since 2021. Fans seek her out every Saturday at Clearfork Farmers Market at 4801 Edwards Ranch Rd. And during September, she's popping-up every Wednesday from 10 am-2 pm at Sweet Lucy’s Pies, inside Bluebonnet Circle Park at 3520 Blue Bonnet Cir.

Sunrise's signature item is the blueberry lemon scone, a golden-brown pastry featuring whole blueberries and lemon zest. Other scone flavors include double chocolate, vanilla cream, and s’mores topped with graham cracker crumbles and a chocolate square.

Seegel also does savory flavors such as parmesan pesto that almost resembles focaccia, with its topping of dusted herbs and melted cheese.

Single scones look like a pie-shaped wedge, a couple inches high. Most of her flavors come with icing or sprinkled toppings, which add to their visual appeal. A single scone is $5, although the more popular order is a four-pack for $20. Orders can be made during markets or through preorder on the site.

In addition to already baked, she also offers a take-and-bake — "so people can buy frozen scones, bring them home, and bake them when they want a fresh scone," she says.

Seegel began baking scones because she could never find ones she liked.

“I love bakeries but more often than not, I was disappointed in the scone,” Seegel says. “They were either overworked, over-mixed, or super sweet.”

Scones were a fun pivot for Seegel, a creative soul who previously designed and sewed children's clothes under her brand called Beatrice Tuley, which she closed when she launched her baking business.

The biggest challenges in the scones operation have been finding quality ingredients while keeping prices reasonable, but she loves the process of creating flavors, with an eye towards seasonality. She's already working on apples and pumpkin for the fall.

"I just think about what would pair well with other flavors and try to find some unique pairings," she says.