This week in gluttony

These are the 7 best food and drink events in Fort Worth this week

Central Market's famous buttery tortillas get a cilantro-lime makeover during Citrus Fest.

Photo courtesy of Central Market

Nix those post-holiday season blues with these zesty events around Fort Worth, one of which features a month’s worth of fresh citrus goodness. Also on the list is a mixology class, a complimentary wine tasting, and a drag show brunch sure for some fun entertainment. Keep those resolutions with an outdoor yoga class followed by brunch by week’s end.

Tuesday, January 11

Annual Citrus Fest at Central Market
Now through January 25, all locations of the gourmet grocer will be bursting with fresh flavor during their annual Citrus Fest. The event features not only 55 citrus items in the produce department from around the world, but specialty foods like cookies, sauces, sparkling waters, and citrus-infused baked goods. Even those buttery house-made flour tortillas get a new flavor this month — cilantro lime. Central Market is also helping to keep the January mood bright with its own Citrus Fest Spotify playlist, appropriately titled "Feeling Zesty."

Wednesday, January 12

Mixology with Maria at Harvest Hall
Visit Third Rail, the Grapevine food hall’s indoor music venue, for this monthly cocktail class that leads participants in creating two drinks — one classic and one craft. This month’s theme is tiki drinks, and featured drinks will be the Mai Tai and the mojito. The class is $35 per person and begins at 5 pm.

Thursday, January 13

Wine Tasting at Neighbor's House Grocery
The downtown boutique grocer and gift shop is hosting every-other-week wine tastings. This week features Trinchero Family Estates. The tasting is complimentary and will run from 4:30-6:30 pm.

Greek Wine Tasting at WineHaus
Greek wine enthusiast Eric Dirting of Victory Wine Group guides a tasting of some "hidden gem" Greek wines. Come and go for a tasting flight of three wines (one white, two reds) available for purchase, plus a Brut Rose by the glass and Greek-themed snacks. Arrive between 6 and 7:30 pm for the full experience.

Friday, January 14

Girl Scout Cookie Season begins in Dallas-Fort Worth
Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas kicks off the 2022 Girl Scout Cookie Season on January 14, allowing consumers to participate in the very charitable act of supporting local Girl Scout entrepreneurs by purchasing cookies. There's also a new flavor: Called Adventurefuls, it's a brownie-inspired cookie with caramel-flavored crème and sea salt. Visit www.girlscoutcookies.org, text COOKIES to 59618*, or use the official Girl Scout Cookie Finder app on iOS or Android devices to find socially distant or contact-free cookie booths if they are available in your area.

Saturday, January 15

Brunch + Yoga at Sanford House Inn & Spa
Visit the lush, green courtyard of the downtown Arlington inn and spa for a rejuvenating outdoor yoga class. The all-levels practice will be followed by a mimosa toast. Tickets are $20 per person, and participants will receive 10 percent off brunch. (Reservations for brunch are recommended.) Bring your own mat and water. Class begins at 10 am.

Funky Picnic Drag Show & Brunch
Dining and drag shows are quite the hot ticket lately, and Funky Picnic is joining in the fun with a monthly version of their own. There’s no cover, but cash for tipping the performers is welcome. Choose from the brewery and restaurant’s regular lunch menu along with a few select brunch items — normally served only on Sundays. Seating opens at 11 am and the show starts at 11:30 am.

supermarkets news-you-can-eat cocktails brunch

Chicken Sandwich News

Fort Worth-area McDonald's to get the ultra-buzzy chicken Big Mac

McDonald's

McDonald's Big Mac on the left, Chicken Big Mac on the right.

Fast-food chain McDonald’s, best known for its burgers, is doing the unthinkable: serving a chicken sandwich.

According to a release, the burger chain is "dropping" a new Chicken Big Mac at participating restaurants in North Texas for a limited time beginning October 10.

The Chicken Big Mac features the same toppings found on a Big Mac, but with two tempura battered fried chicken patties in place of beef burgers. Let us list the toppings here: special sauce, lettuce, cheese, and pickles on a sesame seed bun.

The sandwich was first introduced in 2022 for a limited run in the United Kingdom and enjoyed a test run in Miami the same year. Now it's hitting the U.S., and more specifically, Dallas-Fort Worth.

“With the introduction of the Chicken Big Mac, we’re excited to pay homage to one of our most iconic menu items, the Big Mac, and introduce it to a whole new generation of fans,” says Tariq Hassan, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer at McDonald’s USA.

The release relays a story about a promotional event that took place last weekend in Los Angeles with a one-day pop-up dining experience by Chain, an online entity known for its "chef-driven takes on chain restaurant classics," wherein they served an item called "The Chicken Sandwich."

Many a fan was hoodwinked by the premise that the sandwich was a fake — but ba-zing, McDonald’s was behind it all. How is that for some next-level viral buzz-generating hype. (Chain is so proud of the promotion that they have it pinned on their Instagram account, and rightfully so! They really perpetrated quite the charade.)

The chain has also enlisted "internet star" Kai Cenat who will try the Chicken Big Mac on his livestream to determine whether a Big Mac with a chicken is, in fact, a Big Mac. Does McDonald's know how to work this social media stuff or does McDonald's know how to work this social media stuff?