Festival News
Fort Worth's top food festival reboots with creative and tasty deals
The 2020 version of the annual Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival, the city's top culinary event, turned out to be a COVID-19 casualty, canceled back in June. But organizers devised a madly creative new event that sustains the foodie fun and supports the Tarrant County culinary commuity.
Called Eat. Drink. Cowtown., it's a week-long celebration that runs from October 19-25 with COVID-conscious alternatives such as curbside and delivery specials, unique pairings, and offerings that connect directly with participating restaurants.
"2020 gave us lemons, so Eat. Drink. Cowtown is making lemonade — and a whole lot more," the organizers say.
Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival executive director Julie Eastman says in a release that this new event will highlight "the robust talent and hospitality in Cowtown," while allowing participants to visit as many local restaurants, bars, breweries, distilleries, and wineries as safely as possible.
Restaurants have created special deals including food-and-drink pairings and inventive to-go family meals that you can have delivered or pick up curbside.
Dozens of local establishments are on board, including:
- Big Kat Burgers
- Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine
- Brewed
- Brix Barbecue
- Dayne’s Craft Barbecue
- Del Norte Tacos
- Dough Boy Donuts
- Ellerbe Fine Foods
- Fixe Southern House
- Four Sisters-A Taste of Vietnam
- FunkyTown Donuts
- Grace
- Joy Macarons
- Little Red Wasp
- Mac’s on Main
- Magdalena’s
- Melt Ice Creams
- Pearl Snap Kolaches
- Proper
- Rack Attack BBQ
- Rahr & Sons Brewing
- Reata
- Stir Crazy Baked Goods
- Tributary Café
- Waters
The offerings are listed on this page, and all sound divine.
How about Grounds & Gold Co., the newly opened coffee shop in Arlington whose special Menu served from 4-6 pm features Bourbon Marinated Beef Bulgolgi Tacos served with a Maple Bourbon Pecan Salad with Sesame Soy Vinaigrette.
Or how about a special six-course dinner on October 25 at Black Kat Pizza prepared by three F&B pros — Black Cat owner Jaime Fernandez, Brix Barbecue pitmaster Trevor Sales, and Rahr & Son's Erin Rahr — ranging from charcuterie, to aged tomahawk steak, to dessert, with beer pairings, some limited-edition. Tickets are $125 and in limited quantity; order here.
"The pandemic has been particularly cruel to the service industry, and we want to take a moment to support them for all they do for the Festival, for local patrons, for non-profit events year-in and year-out," says Festival cofounder Russell Kirkpatrick. "Now is the time to let your local restaurants and bars know that you want them to stick around."
