This week in gluttony

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

Live! by Loews Hotel tailgate, Go Rangers

Live! by Loews Hotel hosts a Texas-sized tailgate on Rangers' opening day.

The reigning World Series-champion Rangers officially kick off their new season this week, and one Arlington hotel will celebrate with a Texas-sized barbecue tailgate party. Also on the list, a collaborative dinner with an award-winning guest chef from Oklahoma City, a tequila tasting, sangria dinner, and a Vietnamese-inspired crawfish boil. Easter also arrives this Sunday - find ideas for brunch options here. And the 2024 Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival is a little over a week away; find out more here.

Tuesday, March 26

Guest Chef Diner at The Blue Room
Fort Worth’s most opulent dining room (hidden inside Emilia’s at The Crescent Hotel) will welcome chef Garrett Hare of Oklahoma City’s Nonesuch for a collaborative dinner with chef Preston Paine. The two-night event, taking place both Tuesday and Wednesday, will offer eight courses prepared by both chefs. Nonesuch was named best new restaurant by Bon Appetit magazine in 2018. The dinner is $200, including tax and gratuity, and seating times are at 6:30, 7, or 7:30 pm.

Bubbles & Bites at Fitzgerald
The monthly wine tastings at this Camp Bowie BoulevardGulf Coast-inspired restaurant typically sell-out, so get tickets quickly. This month will offer four sparkling wines paired with chef-prepared light bites. Tickets are $35, plus tax and gratuity, and the tasting will run 6:30-8:30 pm.

Wednesday, March 27

Cooking with My Friends at Hot Box Biscuit Club
The name says it all: Hot Box co-owner and chef Sarah Hooton will share the kitchen with her pal and special guest chef Kevin Martinez (Tokyo Café, Heirloom) to create a Viet-Cajun style shrimp boil with a few surprises. JR Clark, aka “The Wine Wrangler” of Vinoco Wines, will be on hand for expert pairings. Reservations are $55 per person, plus tax and gratuity, and the dinner begins at 6:30 pm.

Sangria Dinner at Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Four different sangrias (rose, peach, classic red, and blackberry) will be served with three courses during this spring-inspired pairing dinner at the Italian chain. Menu items include shrimp and ricotta focaccia, spring salad with wood-grilled scallops, chicken Bordeaux with goat cheese and cherries, and mixed berry olive oil cake. The dinner is $65, plus tax and gratuity, and will be served both Wednesday and Thursday at 6:30 pm. Carrabba’s has locations in Hurst, Dallas, and Plano.

Thursday, March 28

Opening Day at Live! by Loews
The World Series Champion Texas Rangers will kick off baseball season with their home opener against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday at 6:35 pm, and Live! by Loews Hotel is ready to celebrate. Fans can pregame at the Clover Club Lawn with a Texas barbecue tailgate party featuring yard games, live music, and menu items like brisket sandwiches ($20 with a side), brisket hot dogs ($16 with a side), and barbecue plates ($32 for two meats, two sides). Fans can also sample beer, seltzers, and tequila. The festivities will run from 12-6 pm, with live music and performances, 3- 5 pm.

Meet the Maker at Toro Toro: Herradura
The last Thursday of the month means it’s time for Toro Toro’s monthly “Meet the Maker” series, where guests can sample fine spirits from 5-7 pm. This month will feature Herradura tequila. The event is complimentary, as is valet parking.

Saturday, March 30

11-Year Anniversary Party at Martin House Brewing Company
The Riverside brewery is one of the oldest in Fort Worth and will celebrate its 11th birthday with a party. The event will include live '90s country music, local vendors, special beer releases, food trucks, and alpacas on site. Wristbands for those partaking in beer are $25 and good for four pours and a souvenir pint glass. The party will run 12-5 pm.

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Empanada News

New restaurant in Roanoke treats diners to tantalizing Dominican eats

FrituWhaaa

A ghost kitchen serving vividly flavored Dominican food has settled into a permanent location in Roanoke: Called FrituWhaaa, it specializes in Cuban sandwiches and empanadas and is now open at 206 N. Oak St. in a food hall called The 206.

FrituWhaaa is owned by couple James and Rosa Brunder, who wanted to bring Dominican food to the Fort Worth area. The name itself is a play on the dish fritura, which is a medley of fried meats (like salami and sausage), cheese, and plantains.

The couple moved from the Northeast to Justin in November 2023 to venture into the food industry. They started out by cooking and selling food from their house. By spring, they had moved on to preparing takeout meals from a catering kitchen in North Richland Hills.

“We went into a ghost kitchen in March, and doors just started opening for us,” Rosa says. “We found this place in Roanoke, and now we’re here.”

Their menu doesn’t slack on variety, with sandwiches, rice dishes, empanadas with various fillings, and handmade drinks. Signature dishes include:

Cuban sandwich, which they dub "the ultimate grilled sandwich experience," featuring layers of pork, ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, and pickles, nestled between slices of toasted bread
Empanadas, which can be ordered in a choice of fillings including beef, pizza, cheese, and chicken and cheese
Arroz con gandules, a rice dish with pigeon peas and pernil, which is pork shoulder.

There are many delectable dishes — such as the patacon, a fried plantain sandwich that replaces bread with thin slices of plantains that are smashed and deep-fried until they're crunchy and crisp. They offer three options: ground beef, chicken, or pork, topped with sliced tomato and slaw. They come in regular "burger" size or in minis, four to an order — an exotic and irresistible little slider.

The Chimi is the Dominican version of a burger, featuring a ground beef patty topped with thinly sliced onion, tomato, and shredded cabbage, drizzled With special sauce and served on a bun that's similar to French bread. And Mangu Con Los 3 Glopes — mashed plantains with fried salami, cheese, and eggs with sautéed onions — is a dish that could be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Desserts include cheesecake and mousse in flavors such as pumpkin, Oreo, and mango. Drinks have a Dominican flair, including hibiscus lemonade, made with brewed hibiscus and passion fruit juice.

Dominican food is far more commonplace in Pennsylvania, where the couple spent 18 years, Rosa says.

“That's what made us want to open a restaurant with Dominican food, because it’s very hard to find that here,” she says.

Beyond sharing a taste of the Caribbean with customers, FrituWhaaa is dedicated to making the dining experience more personal and share their passion for the cuisine.

“The one thing that we are really big on is building a rapport with customers," Rosa says. "We want them to feel what we feel when we’re cooking. We want to transport them to either a memory they have of their childhood. It’s not just food, it’s an experience, it’s memories that are coming back.”