This Week in Gluttony

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

Whiskey Ranch is having a Fall Fling.

The largest wine festival in the Southwest starts Thursday, but it’s also a week for whiskey. Shop and sip or indulge in a steak dinner paired with fine whiskey cocktails. For those looking to learn something new, this week also includes opportunities to expand your knowledge of sparkling wine, make authentic Asian dumplings, and decorate cookies like a pro, just in time for fall parties.

Thursday, September 13

32nd Annual GrapeFest
The largest wine festival in the Southwest will take place in Historic Downtown Grapevine on September 13-16. While Texas wines are always the star here, this year’s event will also feature old world wines from California’s North Coast, as well as wines from the Rioja region of Spain. 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 through 5 pm Friday.

Bubbles and Bites at Cadillac Wines
Cruise into this classy car dealership-wine bar for some sparkling sips from around the world. The tasting is part of Cadillac Wines’ educational series, so expect to hear background on each wine from an expert. There’ll be hors d’oeuvre pairings, too. The tasting will begin at 6 pm and is $35 per person. When calling to make reservations, have your credit card handy as it’s required to reserve your spot.

Fall Cookie Decorating Class at Locavore
Leah Loose, formerly of the colorful cookie and cupcake haven Leah’s Sweet Treats on Camp Bowie Boulevard, will led this hands-on class. Participants will receive eight pre-made cookies to decorate during class, along with a royal icing recipe and 10 icing bags to take home. Bringing your own adult beverages is encouraged, but bringing children is not. (Loose has plans for kid-friendly classes down the road.) Tickets are $55 per person and the class begins at 6:30 pm.

WhistlePig Whiskey Dinner at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse
Sip fine-aged whiskey cocktails paired with a four-course Del Frisco’s dinner on a Thursday and you’re doing pretty well for yourself. The event will start with tray-passed hors d’oeuvres including pastrami cured smoked salmon and Tillamook beer cheese with soft pretzels. Rich dishes will include duck leg confit with sage brown butter crepes, a duo of Texas Rosewood Wagyu and 45-day dry-aged New York strip steak, and a chocolate ganache and orange marmalade tart. Each course comes with a unique WhistlePig whiskey cocktail. The dinner begins at 7 pm and is $195 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

Saturday, September 15

Fall Fling at Whiskey Ranch
Sip whiskey and shop local at Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co’s expansive Whiskey Ranch, where a pop-up market will feature food trucks, live music, and artisan vendors. The rustic cocktail bar will serve craft libations made with both TX blended whiskey and TX bourbon. A portion of the $5 general admission fee will benefit Hope Center for Autism through Foodie Philanthropy. The event will run from 10 am-5 pm, and kids are welcome, too. (Children under 12 are free.)

Sunday, September 16

Rolls & Rosé Cooking Class at Kent & Co.
Learn to make authentic dumplings just like the pros at this hands-on class led by bloggers and besties Hao Tran of Lost in the Sauce and Dixya Bhattarai of Food, Pleasure, and Health. Participates will make three different kinds of dumplings, then devour them with rosé pairings. The class is $50 per person and will run from 2-4 pm.

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Empanada News

New restaurant in Roanoke treats diners to tantalizing Dominican eats

FrituWhaaa

A ghost kitchen serving vividly flavored Dominican food has settled into a permanent location in Roanoke: Called FrituWhaaa, it specializes in Cuban sandwiches and empanadas and is now open at 206 N. Oak St. in a food hall called The 206.

FrituWhaaa is owned by couple James and Rosa Brunder, who wanted to bring Dominican food to the Fort Worth area. The name itself is a play on the dish fritura, which is a medley of fried meats (like salami and sausage), cheese, and plantains.

The couple moved from the Northeast to Justin in November 2023 to venture into the food industry. They started out by cooking and selling food from their house. By spring, they had moved on to preparing takeout meals from a catering kitchen in North Richland Hills.

“We went into a ghost kitchen in March, and doors just started opening for us,” Rosa says. “We found this place in Roanoke, and now we’re here.”

Their menu doesn’t slack on variety, with sandwiches, rice dishes, empanadas with various fillings, and handmade drinks. Signature dishes include:

Cuban sandwich, which they dub "the ultimate grilled sandwich experience," featuring layers of pork, ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, and pickles, nestled between slices of toasted bread
Empanadas, which can be ordered in a choice of fillings including beef, pizza, cheese, and chicken and cheese
Arroz con gandules, a rice dish with pigeon peas and pernil, which is pork shoulder.

There are many delectable dishes — such as the patacon, a fried plantain sandwich that replaces bread with thin slices of plantains that are smashed and deep-fried until they're crunchy and crisp. They offer three options: ground beef, chicken, or pork, topped with sliced tomato and slaw. They come in regular "burger" size or in minis, four to an order — an exotic and irresistible little slider.

The Chimi is the Dominican version of a burger, featuring a ground beef patty topped with thinly sliced onion, tomato, and shredded cabbage, drizzled With special sauce and served on a bun that's similar to French bread. And Mangu Con Los 3 Glopes — mashed plantains with fried salami, cheese, and eggs with sautéed onions — is a dish that could be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Desserts include cheesecake and mousse in flavors such as pumpkin, Oreo, and mango. Drinks have a Dominican flair, including hibiscus lemonade, made with brewed hibiscus and passion fruit juice.

Dominican food is far more commonplace in Pennsylvania, where the couple spent 18 years, Rosa says.

“That's what made us want to open a restaurant with Dominican food, because it’s very hard to find that here,” she says.

Beyond sharing a taste of the Caribbean with customers, FrituWhaaa is dedicated to making the dining experience more personal and share their passion for the cuisine.

“The one thing that we are really big on is building a rapport with customers," Rosa says. "We want them to feel what we feel when we’re cooking. We want to transport them to either a memory they have of their childhood. It’s not just food, it’s an experience, it’s memories that are coming back.”