This week in gluttony

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

Birthday pie all around.

Photo courtesy of Emporium Pies

Halloween fans will be stoked about a super scary, immersive pop-up experience that’s set to debut at a popular Fort Worth bar this week. Less frightening festivities include a barbecue and beer pairing at a Tex-Mex hot spot, whiskey pairing dinner, boozy afternoon tea, and grand opening of a new outdoor bar. Save room for cake and pie, because two bakeries have big birthdays this week and they're hosting sweet celebrations for customers.

Wednesday, August 31

Birdie's Social Club Grand Opening
A veteran bar group in Fort Worth is debuting a new venue: Called Birdie's Social Club, it's in the Cultural District at a familiar address: 2736 W 6th St., IE, the space that was formerly Lola's. Birdie's is a casual, open-air concept, spanning the entire block between 5th and 6th streets, with three indoor and outdoor bars, multiple patios, food, drinks, and entertainment. The Grand Opening party on Wednesday will feature a live performance by the Powell Brothers, corn dogs from Fletcher's, and complimentary champagne from the Bubble Bus (while supplies last). It all gets started at 4 pm.

Thursday, September 1

Emporium Pies 10th Birthday
The Bishop Arts gourmet pie destination turns 10 years old on September 1, and there’ll be specials at all four DFW locations to celebrate. Visit for a slice of the limited edition Smorgasbord pie — a brownie pie with a graham cracker crust, marshmallow meringue, and festive sprinkles, available all of September. Emporium will also offer a one-day special Chicken Lickin savory pie, made with puff pastry filled with chicken, veggies and gravy. Emporium also has locations in Fort Worth, McKinney, and Deep Ellum.

Free Cake Day at Nothing Bundt Cakes
To celebrate the bundt chain’s 25th birthday, all Nothing Bundt Cake locations will give away free individually wrapped Confetti Bundlets to the first 250 customers. Nothing Bundt Cakes has locations in Fort Worth, Lake Worth, Southlake, Hurst, Burleson, and Arlington, as well as Dallas, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Lewisville, and Flower Mound, Allen, and .

Whiskey Dinner at Winewood Grill
The Grapevine steakhouse and fine wine destination will host a four-course whiskey-pairing dinner featuring Aberfeldy and Craigellachie brands. Courses include oysters Rockefeller, heirloom tomato and green apple caprese, rack of lamb with Brussels sprouts, and crème brulee. All courses will be paired with neat pours of scotch and whiskey. The dinner is $125 plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 6 pm.

Friday, September 2

Barbecue & Beer Pairing at El Chingon
The West 7th district Tex-Mex restaurant and late-night bar will toast to summer’s last hurrah with a barbecue and beer pairing special available all weekend long. Folks can order the Parrillada Chingon platter with carnitas, grilled steak skirt, grilled chicken breast and shrimp with peppers, queso fundido, and guacamole paired with a Dos Equis beer tower for $70. The entire ensemble serves two to four people and will be available Friday through Monday.

Saturday, September 3

Boozy Tea Party at Hooligan’s Pub
In conjunction with the final weekend of Arlington Museum of Art's "Disney Art from Private Collections" exhibition, Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter will visit nearby Hooligan's Pub for high tea and Disney trivia. The $59.99 per-person ticket includes a glass of bubbly upon arrival along with a tea tower filled with quiche, puff pastries, mini sandwiches, scones, tarts, macarons, and more, paired with a Earl Grey tea-infused old fashioned. End the evening with another glass of bubbly. The event will run from 6-9 pm.

Sunday, September 4

Black Lagoon at Nickel City
Cue the horror music. Halloween arrives early this year thanks to a spooky pop-up bar set to debut at Nickel City. Called Black Lagoon, the immersive experience will take place in nine cities across North America, from Montreal to New York City. Guests can expect horrific décor, mysterious music, and creepy cocktails. Don't miss the Screaming Banshee, with gin, Giffard L'Abricot, pineapple syrup, and Greek yogurt; and the Hellraiser, with Hornitos, Chairman’s spiced rum, Cointreu, and spiced oat orgeat. Drinks will be served in custom glassware that will be available for purchase. Get a super scary sneak peek of the pop-up this Sunday from 6-10 pm.

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Mex-Mex News

Milo's Cocina Mexicana brings margarita magic to North Richland Hills

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Enchiladas at Milo's Cocina Mexicana

A Mexican restaurant with mid-cities ties has debuted in North Richland Hills: Called Milo’s Cocina Mexicana, the restaurant is a cousin of Los Jimadores, the popular family-owned restaurant in Bedford, and it opened this summer in the former Garcia’s Latin Cuisine space at 8407 Blvd. 26 in Harwood Plaza.

Milo’s Cocina comes from Hermilo “Milo” Acosta, a restaurateur who leveraged his 25-plus years in the industry cooking and serving in restaurants to launch Los Jimadores Tequila Factory, his first restaurant, in 2010.

The menu at Milo's offers some of the same classic Mexican fare as Los Jimadores, featuring flavors and dishes from Acosta's mother's recipes such as the complimentary bean dip and salsa served before meals which customers have come to love.

Both restaurants also veer outside the Tex-Mex box. At Milo's, they dabble in authentic upscale Mexican dishes such as salmon Azteca, featuring salmon over shrimp chilaquiles with spinach, pineapple, and poblano cream, for $22. Quesadillas use tortillas made fresh in-house, with a choice of beef, chicken, shrimp, or vegetables for $13-$17.

Additionally, they offer salads and soups, fajita nachos, enchiladas, and desserts, such as sopapillas and fried ice cream.

"We have vendors that come every other day, to make sure that everything we serve is fresh," Acosta says. "And we try to keep it all organic and simple, like the fresh tortillas and the beans that we make everyday."

They also have a vast range of margaritas, which start at $10, with 15 flavors including peach, mango, and banana. The favorites are guava and Milo’s margarita, with Maestro Dobel Diamante Tequila and Cointreau, Acosta says.

Beyond the excellent food and drink, the restaurant has a patio and full bar with four TVs for game day viewing. They're open for lunch on weekdays from 11 am-3 pm. On weekends, they do a leisurely brunch that starts with breakfast at 8 am and extends all the way through the lunch hour until 3 pm, with omelets, breakfast tacos, omelets, steak & eggs, chicken & waffles, pancakes, huevos rancheros, and a bacon & eggs special for $7.

They also offer very popular private rooms for dinners and events with seating for 20-30 people.

Acosta credits a loyal staff who've helped keep both restaurants on an even keel.

“We have the same guys in the kitchen as when we started,” he says.”I see other places that sometimes change the kitchen, but when the staff changes, you risk the chance of things changing or declining. We've been able to keep that same quality.”