Cooking News

Fun new hands-on cooking school opens in Fort Worth's Near Southside

The school's curriculum includes a class on making pasta.

Photo courtesy of The Cookery

A new cooking school and culinary experience is coming to Fort Worth. Called The Cookery, it will open at 710 S. Main St., #130, in the Near Southside, right by Rahr Brewing and Locust Cider.

Opening is scheduled for mid-July.

This is a spinoff of the first Cookery that was opened by founder Kelly Huddleston in Dallas in 2016. It's not a chef-training academy like The Culinary School of Fort Worth but is more the kind of school where you learn to cook with your pals while sipping a glass of wine.

This is not to say you will not learn how to make a great meal. Huddleston, who moved to Texas from the West Coast, limits her classes to 14 students to guarantee a hands-on cooking experience. Classes are available by reservation only; private group classes can also be scheduled.

Classes run three hours and feature three courses, along with beverage pairings related to the theme.

She accepts novice and expert cooks alike, for uniquely themed classes ranging from "Gourmet Everyday," with chicken cacciatore and crème brûlée, to "Bahn Thai," with dishes such as pad Thai, traditional soups, and sticky rice with mango and coconut cream.

Seasonal classes showcase flavors of the moment such as "Farm to Table: Summer," featuring heirloom tomato gazpacho and chipotle spiced pork tenderloin with seasonal fruit salsa.

Some of her classes get into skills such as sushi and pasta making, while an "Evening in Paris" is designed for a date night.

The Fort Worth location is a 1,300-square-foot space with an urban farmhouse vibe that includes rustic wood-paneled walls, a granite cooking counter with steel siding, and exposed ceilings.

When cooking is finished, students enjoy their dishes family-style at a custom-built farm table. The space also has a retail section with ingredients and utensils used in the classes.

Huddleston says in a statement that she's already accepting reservations.

"I believe that the most meaningful connections are made over great food," she says. "I'm very excited to open our unique space in the Near Southside neighborhood. Together, we’ll create, converse, and connect over wonderful meals."

openings

Closure News

Tropic Lady restaurant-bar on Fort Worth's Race Street says aloha

Tropic Lady

The dip trio at Tropic Lady.

A chill restaurant and bar in Fort Worth's River East district has closed: Tropic Lady, which opened in the former Fuzzy's Taco space at 2719 Race St. in 2023, has closed.

The restaurant, which closed in mid-December, was a sibling to Bearded Lady, the popular gastropub in Near Southside; their last Facebook post was on December 10. Their phone number is not working, and their website is no longer active. Owner Shannon Osbakken was unavailable for comment, but a Bearded Lady employee confirmed the closure.

Tropic Lady was a tropical-themed gastropub opened by a trio of friends: Bearded Lady owner Shannon Osbakken, her business partner Sarah Allen, and general manager Amanda Yunger. It offered a similar menu as Bearded lady but with more tropical-inspired fare, including shrimp tacos, bacon-wrapped grilled pineapple bites, and guacamole dotted with mango.

For a gastropub, they did interesting food with dishes like watermelon salad with feta and cucumber; or their Dip Trio, with mango guacamole, tomatillo salsa, and queso blanco served with house-made tortilla chips. Definitely not run-of-the-mill. They also had great lunch specials like a smashburger with curly fries for $10.

Food did not seem to be the problem.

Decor featured artwork and murals created by local artists. A beautifully landscaped patio wrapped around the building’s facade. So the setting did not seem to be a factor.

It's tempting to point the finger at its location on Race Street, which has witnessed a round of closings in the past two years including buzzy birria taqueria Caliscience, which closed in February 2024; as well as The Post at River East, a restaurant and live music venue that shut down the same month.

In 2023, three other restaurants on Race Street closed: Tributary Cafe, the Bon Appetit-lauded La Onda, and vegan burger spot Zonk Burger. But separate reasons can also be found for each of those closures, whether that be inexperience or lease issues.

For years, the city and neighborhood advocates have been trying to turn Race Street into a trendy hotspot. As part of the city’s Urban Villages program, the city of Fort Worth invested $5.6 million in revitalizing the area, making improvements to traffic flow, sidewalks, landscaping, and outdoor lighting.

When Osbakken opened the bar, she said she loved the area, stating "it reminds me of Magnolia when were first were on it 10 years ago in our old location. It's a great community and the neighbors have been friendly and reaching out."

And there are still restaurants along the street, including a popular Mexican restaurant called Tesoro, the Dough’d Up doughnut shop, and Kingyo Sushi & Ramen House, as well as a coffee shop, Race Street Coffee.

The Bearded Lady continues to flourish. Osbakken originally opened the popular gastropub on Magnolia Avenue in 2013. Six years later, she moved it to the South Main, where it’s still going strong.

closings