This Week in Gluttony

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

Pappasito's Cantina is celebrating 40 years with tasty specials.

Pappasito's Cantina

Halloween is just two weeks away and a few of this week’s events provide for some spooky fun. There’s a Halloween-themed wine flight night and a “Fall-O-Ween” beer pairing dinner. Also on the list, a popular downtown craft brew festival, a wine dinner for a good cause, and a chance to shoot clays with top culinary talent. Finally, fajita lovers, take note: there's an anniversary special on some of the most popular in town.

Tuesday, October 17

5-Course J. Lohr “Touching Lives” Charity Wine Dinner at B&B Butchers & Restaurant
Fort Worth steakhouse will partner with J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines for a five-course pairing dinner that will benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. On the menu is a Colorado lamb chop paired with J. Lorh “Carol’s Vineyard” cabernet sauvignon, named for founder Jerry Lohr’s late wife who lost her battle with breast cancer in 2008. Other menu highlights include lobster tail en croute, seabass ceviche, and bread pudding with blueberry and vanilla bean sauce. The dinner is $155 per person, plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 6:30 pm.

Wednesday, October 18

Pappasito’s Cantina 40th Anniversary
Houston-based Tex-Mex chain – with locations in Fort Worth, Arlington, Dallas, and DFW Airport – is celebrating its 40th birthday through October with food and drink specials. Visit on Wednesdays and get 40 fajitas (enough to feed 2-3 people) for $40 starting at 4 pm for dine-in or to-go. Order the Fiesta Fizz cocktail, with tequila, blueberry, and sparkling wine, and keep the commemorative ceramic mug. Folks can also enter to win one of 10 $400 gift cards.

Thursday, October 19

Spooky Wine Flight Night at WineHaus
Taste three wines with creepy labels or haunting backstories during this Halloween-themed flight night. Costumes are encouraged, and there’ll be a contest to determine the best. The flights will be offered from 6–9 pm or until sell-out.

Saturday, October 21

17th Annual Flying Saucer Beerfeast
Beer tasting extravaganza is back on the Flying Saucer patio. Guests can choose from more than 80 Beerknurd-approved brews to sample along with live music (Mike Randall is the headliner) on the 8.0 stage. Tickets are $35 and include a souvenir tasting glass and a tasting card good for 12 two-ounce samples. Or pay $75 for early entry at 1 pm, access to the patio lounge and exclusive tastings, a BeerFeast T-shirt, and hors d’oeuvres and non-alcoholic beverages. Regular entry begins at 2 pm and the event will run until 6 pm.

Sunday, October 22

Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival Shooting with the Chefs
Break bread and break clays with some of Fort Worth’s most popular chefs during this clay shooting event that will benefit the Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation. (The signature multi-day Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival will be held April 4–7, 2024). Participating chef shooters include Travis Heim of Heim BBQ, Brandon Hurtado of Hurtado Barbecue, and Preston Paine of the upcoming new Crescent Hotel. Registration is $600 for a team of four (that’s $150 per person) or pay $25 to simply watch and enjoy lunch, which will be catered by Del Norte Tacos. The event will take place at Defender Outdoors Clay Sports Ranch. Shooters can start checking in at 9 am for a 10 am shotgun start. Food and drinks will be served at 12:15 pm with awards to follow at 1 pm.

Pups & Pints at Panther Island Brewing
Pints and puppy kisses – the perfect pairing. Visit the downtown brewery for a fundraiser that will benefit Apollo Support & Rescue for Abandoned Dogs. Wristbands will be sold for $20, which are good for three beers, and Apollo will receive half of all wristband sales. The event will run from 12–4 pm.

Monday, October 23

Fall-O-Ween Beer Dinner at Lazy Dog
Gastropub chain will offer a fall-themed four-course beer dinner Monday, October 23 through Wednesday, October 25. Highlights include ghost pepper spicy chicken sandwich, “graveyard” queso, and s’mores brownie sundae. Each course comes with a beer pairing. The dinner is $75 for two, plus tax and gratuity. Reservation times vary by location, which include Euless, Arlington, Addison, Allen, and Plano.

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Pop-Up News

Downtown Fort Worth pop-up Anna's Table serves tacos and tasty bites

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Anna's Table

A pop-up is doing tasty small bites and Mexican eats in downtown Fort Worth: Called Anna’s Table, it's a combination caterer and pop-up that sets up shop every weekend at Basic Bar at 904 Houston St., next door to Son of a Baker Pizzeria.

The location is no coincidence: Anna's Table founder is Anna Villegas, sister of Joshua Villegas, who opened Son of a Baker earlier this year.

Her pop-up is open on Friday and Saturday nights with a rotating selection of tacos and small bites. A typical menu might include a Mini Iron Skillet Mac & Cheese, Jalapeño Poppers, Fried Chicken Skins, Mozz Blocks, and Tater Tots.

She frequently offers a 3-for-$15 deal so that customers can create a little mix-and-match meal with, say, a burger slider, fried mozzarella, and shrimp cocktail mini tostadas.

Anna is a longtime caterer and chef, who is mostly self-taught.

“I started out in my kitchen, realized I had a knack for cooking, and went to YouTube University to learn some of the skills,” she says.

Her pop-up has caught the attention of former NFL player and chef-owner of Not Just Q BBQ David Hawthorne, who introduced here to an idol: Aaron Sanchez from MasterChef.

"David FaceTimed him from my pop-up and Aaron answered," Anna says. "David introduced me as 'an up-and-coming chef in Fort Worth.' It was a really cool experience."

For her catering business, she schedules one or two events per month such as weddings and quinceañeras.

"I love having one thing to focus on for two weeks — I like to cook and come up with all the concepts," she says.

When she started her pop-up in 2023, she was helped by Joshua; she now returns the favor at Son of a Baker. While she is not slinging pies, she creates most of the sauces, such as a recent tzatziki yogurt sauce for a Greek pizza.

"I really look up to my brother,” Anna says. “He's doing the everyday in and outs of a business. And family is the backbone to everything we do."

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