This week in gluttony

GrapeFest sparkles in the 9 best Fort Worth-area food events this week

Grapevine hosts its 40th annual GrapeFest this week.

GrapeFest

All eyes are on Grapevine this week as GrapeFest - the largest wine festival in the Southwest - arrives for its 40th edition. But the week is deliciously busy with many other food events, including the launch of a new kind of omakase experience, several pairing dinners, and a game day pre-party happy hour. End the week with a relaxing sip session featuring floral arranging and wine flights.

Wednesday, September 16

Omakase Tacos at Dos Mares
Dos Mares, the coastal Mexican seafood destination (and sister restaurant to Don Artemio next door) launches Omakase Tacos this week. The experience will take place on Wednesday evenings to start, with the addition of Thursday nights in October. The chef-led, seven-course dinner happens at the bar with an open kitchen view and is limited to just 10 seats. Menu items (which will change seasonally) range from house-cured tuna tostadas and caviar-topped red snapper tacos to lobster tacos and Rosewood Ranch striploin tacos on house-made butter flour and blue corn tortillas. The omakase is $99, with an optional $45 wine pairing, and seating is at 6:30 pm.

Thursday, September 17

40th Annual GrapeFest
The largest wine festival in the Southwest returns for its milestone 40th edition on historic Main Street in downtown Grapevine this Thursday through Sunday. The four-day festival includes grape stomp competitions, wine seminars, tastings galore, live music on multiple stages, an artisan marketplace, carnival, midway, and more. GrapeFest opens at 11 am daily. Admission is free all day Thursday and on Friday until 5 pm. After that, adults are $12 ($6 for 62-plus and children 6-12). Admission does not include tasting experiences and certain events, including the popular People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic, which is $28 (in advance) and booked in 90-minute increments throughout the weekend. (Note that the TEXRail conveniently drops off passengers at the GrapeFest entrance, and there's enhanced service this week just for the occasion.)

The Game Day Edit at The Crescent Hotel
TCU fans can kick off Family Weekend with a taste of Texas hospitality at the Cultural District hotel. Open to the public, this hotel happy hour will feature Western fashion and shopping (including a Chazlyn Boot pop-up), live music, TCU-inspired cocktails, and complimentary passed bites from Emilia’s. Guests can also take advantage of free branding for hats, boots, handbags and other leather goods by TX Branding Bar, plus branded leather luggage tags while supplies last. The event will run from 4-7 pm.

Blackland Distillery Dinner at Ellerbe Fine Foods
Blackland Distillery founder Markus Kypreos will be on-site to guide guests through this three-course cocktail pairing dinner featuring Blackland spirits while sharing insights on the distillery and its growth. Menu items include sweet corn and crab custard with a Blackland vodka cocktail of tomato and olive brine, lemon, and egg white; grilled tasso pork belly with fried greens served with Blackland Prairie Ember Texas Straight Triticale Whiskey; and pecan toffee cake with buttermilk ice cream served with Blackland Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon. The dinner is $98 and begins at 6:30 pm.

Hispanic Heritage Supper Club at Magdalena’s
Supper club dinners at Magdalena’s are a hot ticket, and this week provides two opportunities to snag a spot for a Hispanic Heritage-themed menu to be served both Thursday and Friday. Highlights from the five-course menu include shrimp and blue crab tacos; ribeye with yucca fries and chimichurri; and blue corn cookies with rice ice cream and mango-cinnamon swirl with chamoy and tajin. Tickets are $95 and include a welcome cocktail. Guests may BYOB. Dinner begins at 7 pm.

Saturday, September 19

“Oktoberfeast" Beer Pairing Dinner with Altstadt Brewery at Central Market
Fredericksburg’s Altstadt Brewery will be featured during this five-course beer-paring dinner inside the Central Market Fort Worth Cooking School. Experts from the Hill Country brewery will be on-site to guide guests through German-style beers and a menu of German dishes, from house-made sausage and cucumber salad to sauerbraten and stone fruit strudel. Tickets (which are selling fast) are $80 and the dinner begins at 6:30 pm.

Garden Fiesta at Fort Worth Botanic Garden
This 21-and-up late-night garden party coincides with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month and will take place at the Horseshoe Garden inside the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. Guests can groove to DJ sets and live music while sipping mezcal and tequila cocktails and indulging in bites by the garden’s soon-to-open new on-site restaurant, Flora House. Admission is $25 ($20 for members) and the party will run from 8 pm-midnight. (Food and beverage sold separately.)

Sunday, September 20

Bar Method x Hotel Vin
Start Sunday Funday with an energizing outdoor barre class hosted by The Bar Method Southlake on the lawn at Hotel Vin in downtown Grapevine. The $30 ticket includes a complimentary Hendrick’s gin cocktail and 20 percent off brunch inside the hotel’s Bacchus Kitchen + Bar. Class begins at 9:30 am. Mats provided.

Sips & Stems at Saddlerock Wine & Beer Co.
Enjoy a red and rose wine flight while creating a fresh floral bouquet during this interactive afternoon tasting. Flower arranging will be led by Vivian James Events. Tickets are $75 and the event will run from 2-4 pm.

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Where to Eat

Where to eat in Fort Worth right now: 5 hot restaurants for September

fortworth.culturemap.com

With September here, it's time for the latest edition if Where to Eat, CultureMap's monthly column offering tips on new or buzzy restaurants that absolutely must be checked out.

This list is the opposite of ordinary, boasting an international flair: from Mediterranean to Chinese, from tacos to dumplings, to a sports bar that encompasses all those cuisines and more.

Here are five restaurants around Fort Worth to try in September.

Frezko Taco Spot
Acclaimed family-owned chain founded by Elizar Salinas likes to say (with a little tongue in cheek) that they do "true Chicano cuisine" — however you describe it, they're doing it right, using family recipes from the Nuevo Leon province with authenticity and fresh ingredients. Fan favorites include Baja fish tacos, birria ramen, stellar nachos, and "Chicano fries" — like a French fry version of nachos topped with white queso and choice of carne asada, pollo asada, barbacoa, or carnitas. Portions are generous and at a sweet price. There are currently three locations — Medical District, North Tarrant Parkway, and Bedford — but they're days away from opening a fourth in White Settlement at 110 Jim Wright Fwy. #C, on the west side of Fort Worth.

Gyrova Mediterranean Grill
Fast-casual Mediterranean mini-chain is a small, locally owned Chipotle knockoff featuring make-your-own bowls, pita sandwiches, and wraps made with a special unleavened flatbread called a saj. Owner Bǎker Jaber, who previously helped expand the Stop N Go Gyros chain, has opened two locations in rapid succession, at 8561 N. Beach St., and at 301 Clifford Center Dr. west of White Settlement. True to Chipotle form, there's a buffet-style line from which you choose options such as chicken or beef shawarma, kafta, falafel, beef or lamb gyro meat, plus dips and spreads such as hummus, tzatziki, baba ghanoush, garlic whip, or harissa.

Hong Jie Special Noodles And Dumplings
Ultra-authentic Chinese restaurant in Hurst is a hidden find that's aptly named. They do alllll the dumplings: steamed, pan-fried, potstickers, and xiao long bao, AKA soup dumplings, so-called because they have lots of liquid inside the dumpling, giving them the "juicy" quality fans crave. Dumplings come in typical savory options such as pork or shrimp, but also a sweet dessert version filled with sweet red bean paste and a molten chocolate center that turns liquid when heated. And there are oodles of noodles, as well: stir-fried, noodle soups, or noodles mixed with kung pao chicken or mapo tofu. Plus stir-fry veggie dishes, fried rice, chow mein, spring rolls, kinds of Chinese comfort food, not to mention the sweet owners, charming service, and reasonable prices.

Kitchen Master
Oddly named Asian restaurant is now open in Southlake — a spinoff of the original which opened in Frisco in 2020. Their specialty is xiao long bao AKA soup dumplings, plus noodle dishes and stir-fries. The Southlake restaurant has a bigger menu with dishes such as pork wontons, lamb chops with chimichurri, hamachi crudo, and sushi including a nigiri tasting sampler, described as a mini omakase experience featuring chef-selected fish and toppings. But they also cover all the familiar Chinese-American staples that DFW diners love: orange chicken, kung pao chicken, broccoli beef, offered at dinner or in $15 lunch specials with choice of hot & sour or egg drop soup.

Shark Club Sports Bar & Grill
Canadian-born chain owned by Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi has opened a location in Northlake, inside the Children's Health StarCenter Multisport complex, to serve the families, athletes, coaches, and sports fans visiting the Dallas Stars-affiliated sports center. The place has tons of TVs, an outdoor patio overlooking the pickleball courts, and an appealing menu with global touches, from tacos to butter chicken to Thai chili chicken bowl. There are burgers, salads, Detroit-style pizza, steak frites, Frito pie, and fried cheese curds, a Canadian trademark. Plus a separate brunch menu and a full bar. Northlake is the second U.S. location, following a Plano outpost that opened in 2019.

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