This week in gluttony

These are the 10 best food and drink events in Fort Worth this week

It's love at first sip during this spirits and chocolate pairing at Blackland Distillery.

Blackland Distillery

While the Super Bowl is over, the Super Bowl of date nights arrives this week. Valentine's Day is Wednesday (find that list of dining events here), but this week also brings the official day of Mardi Gras (Tuesday) as well as Galentine's Day, the unofficial holiday celebrating girlfriends (also Tuesday). There are events for all this week, including an ice cream launch, taco-eating contest, and Girl Scout cookie and beer pairing, too.

Tuesday, February 13

Mardi Gras at The Cajun Market at Bourbon Street Bar & Grill
An authentic Cajun Mardi Gras shindig will take place at this Bedford bar and restaurant, which - in true Mardi Gras fashion - will open at 8 am to let the good times roll. Good Morning Texas will broadcast live onsite at 9 am, and Hurricanes will be $1 until 11 am. The party will continue all day long, with food and drink specials and live music starting at 7 pm.

Fat Tuesday at Harvest Hall
The spirit of Mardi Gras will come to life at the Grapevine food hall and bar, which will host Fat Tuesday trivia and offer French Quarter-inspired drink specials. There'll be $10 French 75s, $10 Mardi Gras Floats, and $12 Hurricanes. The party will run from 5-11 pm.

Galentine's Party at Sweet Lucy's Pies
The Blue Bonnet Circle pie shop will host a gal-pal pie-making party. Learn how to make your own creme brulee pie (including Sweet Lucy's signature flaky crust) to take home, along with fresh chocolate-covered strawberries. The $100 ticket also includes a charcuterie board, heavy bites, wine, sparkling water, music, and a small bouquet of flowers for each participant. The party starts at 5:30 pm.

Fat Tuesday Taco-Eating Contest at El Chingon
When Taco Tuesday is also Fat Tuesday, a taco-eating contest seems most appropriate. The West 7th district bar and restaurant will pit teams of four against each other to see which can devour 42 tacos the fastest. Teams will have four minutes and 20 seconds, and the winner will receive a bottle of Don Julio 1942 to be enjoyed that evening. Check-in begins at 7:30 pm and the challenge starts at 8 pm.

Wednesday, February 14

Lovebug Cupcakes at Indulge
Get bitten by the "lovebug" during this cupcake class led by Loft22 Cakes at Indulge culinary studio downtown. Participants will learn how to fill and decorate six cupcakes into a little lovebugs. Class is $89 and begins at 6 pm.

Sip & Savor: A Guided Valentine's Day Spirits & Chocolate Pairing Event at Blackland Distillery
After dinner, end Valentine's Day with a sweet and spirited pairing at Blackland Distillery. Guests will partake in a distillery tour followed a guided pairing of spirits and fine chocolates with Carolyn Hudec, a craft chocolatier and sommelier recognized by Forbes magazine. The $70 ticket includes a welcome cocktail and a bottle of Blackland's Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon and some Texas spicy pecan chocolate to take home. The event begins at 8 pm.

Thursday, February 15

Crystal Creme Brulee Launch at Melt Ice Creams
Coinciding with the premiere of the Cirque du Soleil show Crystalat Dickies Arena, the local ice cream shop will debut Crystal Creme Brulee ice cream. Made with caramelized sugar "crystals" infused into vanilla ice cream, the treat will be available at all Melt locations through the run of the show (February 15-18).

Love & Hate: Dinner with the Wine Wrangler at Hot Box Biscuit Club
The Wine Wrangler, JR Clark, will be onsite to pour his favorite "love to hate" wines with this five-course dinner. The menu will be make up of dishes inspired by notorious celeb chefs Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsay. Highlights include Gordon's beef tenderloin stroganoff with fresh pappardelle and Marco's sticky toffee pudding. Reservations are $75 and dinner begins at 6:30 pm.

Beer & Girl Scout Cookie Pairing at Tanstaalf Pub
One of Arlington's oldest pubs (open since 1976) will host its 9th annual cookie and beer pairing party. Visit for $10 craft beer and cookie flights, which comes with four pours paired with four different cookies. The deal will run through Saturday.

Sunday, February 18

National Drink Wine Day at Hotel Vin
The downtown Grapevine hotel will host a Valentine's-themed wine tasting paired with sweet treats. Expect champagne and bubbly of all kinds. The tasting is $54, plus tax and a service fee, and will run from 12-1:30 pm. Arrive by 11:30 am for check-in.

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Doughnut News

Luscious doughnut shop Duck Donuts makes Fort Worth debut

Photo courtesy of Visit Addison

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A decadent new doughnut shop is coming to Fort Worth: Duck Donuts, a North Carolina-based chain known for serving doughnuts made to order, will open a shop at 6387 Camp Bowie Blvd. #A within the Ridglea Plaza Shopping Center in Fort Worth.

According to a release, the shop will open on Saturday December 21 at 7 am.

Duck Donuts opened its first locations in 2007 in the beach resort towns of Duck and Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with the intention to create an oasis for vacationers. They're now headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and began franchising in 2013, with more than 150 locally owned and operated shops across 26 states and international locations. There was previously a DFW location in Addison on Belt Line Road that opened in 2020 but it did not survive the pandemic.

The Fort Worth shop is owned and operated by husband-and-wife Justin and Morgan Thomas.

“We are delighted to be opening in Fort Worth,” Justin says in a statement. “The community has been patiently waiting for us to open our doors, and now we cannot wait to sprinkle happiness to all with our warm, delicious and made-to-order doubhnuts.”

The 1,035-square-foot shop reflects the franchise’s reimagined design which gives a modern twist on their iconic beach theme and family-friendly atmosphere. Upon entering the store, customers are greeted by the aroma of warm, light vanilla cake doughnuts.

Customers can create their own combination by choosing from coatings, toppings, and drizzles, including traditional favorites such as chocolate icing with sprinkles and more adventurous creations such as maple icing with bacon.

Key to their appeal is the viewing area where children and adults alike can watch their doughnuts being made.

Many of their flavors have a beachy theme such as the Beach, a cake doughnut with vanilla icing dusted with cinnamon sugar; the Sunrise with lemon icing and raspberry drizzle; and the Beach Ball with vanilla icing, rainbow sprinkles, and chocolate drizzle.

They rotate in seasonal offerings such as the current lineup of mint-flavored flavors including chocolate icing with mint buttercream. The doughnuts themselves are limited to vanilla and chocolate cake; the flavors come primarily from icing.

In addition to doughnuts, the Fort Worth location will serve coffee, doughnut breakfast sandwiches, doughnut sundaes — in which a doughnut is topped with ice cream and syrup — plus frozen beverages and milkshakes.

doughnuts openings