This Week in Gluttony

These are the 5 best food and drink events in Fort Worth this week

Bird Cafe celebrates Repeal Day in style.

Photo courtesy of Bird Cafe

Just like that, December is here. But the only holiday-themed event on the list this week is an observance of Repeal Day, when Prohibition ended in the United States. One local bar and restaurant is throwing a party to celebrate. Also on the list, a collaboration dinner with two popular pop-up chefs, a tasting of wines from historic vineyards, a Napa wine dinner with a TCU tie, and the launch of one local brewery’s most adventurous beer yet. Think barbecue, in stout form.

Tuesday, December 3

Montagu Wine Dinner at Next Bistro
Texas Christian University alum and winemaker Weston Eidson founded his Napa Valley wine operation, Montagu Wines, in 2012 after traveling the world to learn from the best in the business. He’ll be on hand to talk through five of his very limited production wines during this four-course dinner. Menu items range from veal-stuffed quail with squash risotto to lamb chops. Seats are $99 per person, plus tax and gratuity, and guests should arrive by 6:45 pm.

Wednesday, December 4

Napa Heritage Wines at Off the Vine
Wines produced from vineyards planted in the late 19th century are often referred to as “heritage” wines. Taste six of them from three different Napa Valley vineyards — including Silverado, Burgess, and Inglenook — at this Grapevine wine bar. The $50 per-person price includes light charcuterie. Reservations are required at the tasting begins at 7 pm.

Thursday, December 5

Bacon Burnt Ends Stout Launch at Martin House Brewing Company
Barbecue and beer always go together, but a barbecue-flavored beer? The Riverside brewery has partnered with Heim Barbecue to try it with inspiration from those famed bacon burnt ends. The collaboration follows other wildly successful beer launches with local flavors from Best Maid Pickles, Melt Ice Creams, Swiss Pastry Shop, and more. Visit the brewery from 4 to 8 pm for a pint glass and four pours for $10. There will be about two dozen other brews available, but note that the Bacon Burnt Ends beer will be available only at the brewery, meaning you won’t find it in stores. Heim Barbecue will be on site to serve the real deal via its Meat Force One catering truck.

Repeal Day at Bird Café
Celebrate the right to imbibe at this fourth annual event. Enter the secret speakeasy and casino complete with poker, craps, and blackjack with $10 admission. Pick your poison from the wall of whiskey and enjoy classic cocktails and a spread of hors d’oeuvres from chef Brian Olenjack. The party will run from 9 pm to 12 am, and at 10 pm, there’ll be a complimentary champagne toast. Costumes are encouraged (there’ll be a photo booth), as is dancing to the music of the Chris Milyo Band.

Sunday, December 8

Pop-Up Dinner with Scotty Scott & Hao Tran at The Table
He’s a personal chef with a massive Instagram following. She’s a dumpling pop-up queen and partner in The Table retail market and culinary studio. Together they’ll whip up a fusion of flavors, including Thai chicken thighs, brown butter bok choy, squid ink quail and shiitake dumplings, and Singapore crab. Reservations are $60 per person and dinner begins at 7 pm. Alcohol is BYOB.

craft-beer dinner wine news-you-can-eat

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