After a decade of showcasing Cowtown’s culinary talent, the 10th annual Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival proved Fort Worth foodies can’t get enough of the four-day feeding frenzy.

Held April 4-7, the milestone festival sold out in record time with all five events hitting capacity by Thursday morning. A total of 6,500 hungry guests embarked on the Heart of the Ranch at Clearfork – the sole site of the festivities this year – for tacos, burgers, barbecue, and more from local chefs and restaurants (many of whom are Tastemaker Award nominees), as well as a few out-of-town special guests.

Things kicked off Thursday, April 4 with perhaps the festival’s most popular event, Tacos + Tequila. The $55 general admission ticket ($89 for early entry) was the first to completely sell out, nearly two weeks prior.

Sunset over tacos.Photo by Nancy Farrar

Nearly two dozen chefs and 17 tequila vendors shared their best taco-centric bites and tequila-based beverages during the event, where guests were greeted by mariachis upon arrival. Standout dishes included Café Modern’s mushroom-based “Texas fungus barbacoa” served with beetroot masa, Oaxaca cheese, and poblano crema.

Feasting on Friday and Saturday
While Tacos + Tequila sold out the fastest, it’s the Friday night Main Event that’s recognized as the festival’s premier experience. The $135 ticket ($199 for early admission) granted access to cuisine from two dozen chefs, including several high-profile newcomers like Antonio Votta of Bricks and Horses, Preston Paine of Emilia's and The Blue Room, Jake Morgan of Plank Seafood Provisions, George Ortega of Quince, and Patrick Ru of Teddy Wongs – the latter of which maintained one of the longest lines of the evening for his hot oil Wagyu wontons. Special guests included Stephan Pyles, who was repping The Seeker at Interstate Inn, a modern motel opening in Stephenville this summer. High end spirit participants included Caymus Vineyards, Oak & Eden Whiskey, Socorro Tequila, and Trefethen Family Vineyards.

Brunch was the thing at Rise + Dine.Photo by Nancy Farrar

There was no sleeping in on Saturday morning as festival goers met as early at 11 am for Rise + Dine, a brunch-themed event for the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed – or those looking to nurse their hangover from the night before. Admission included coffee, cocktails, and brunch bites from 22 chefs, including Jenny Castor of Luckybee Kitchen, Trey Smith of Dusty Biscuit Beignets, and Gigi Howell repping festival restaurant newcomer, West Side Café.

Hot burger competition
Speaking of Howell, the burgeoning restaurant mogul (now of Margie’s Italian Kitchen, Pulido’s, West Side Café, and JD’s Hamburgers) won “best burger” as voted on by fans during Saturday night’s Burgers, Brews + Blues. The beefy event pitted 17 chefs against each other in a burger battle for best slider. The Saturday night soiree is the only event that involves a competition format, and guests used their phones to access a QR code to choose their favorites.

While Howell took the prize for her Wagyu patty slider made with marinara sauce, fried basil, and a mozzarella crisp – a nod to Margie’s – Kincaid’s triumphed as the judges’ favorite for their black angus burger topped with bacon, rosemary-orange-black pepper cream cheese, and grape jelly chili sauce. Fort Brewery was crowned king of craft beer for the evening by guests, who listened to live blues under the stars.

Brix BBQ brought the meat to Ring of Fire.Photo by Nancy Farrar

The festival commenced in true Fort Worth fashion with a Sunday afternoon barbecue. Ring of Fire, a campfire-inspired cookout, featured more than 20 pitmasters and chefs who served everything from paella to pork porchetta. The event showcased some of Texas’ best barbecue joints, including Heim, Dayne’s, Panther City, and Terry Black’s. Guest chef Steve McHugh of Cured, a charcuterie-focused restaurant located at The Historic Pearl in San Antonio, served whiskey-cured cecina (a term for salted and dried meat) in partnership with Still Austin Whiskey. McHugh also sold copies of his cookbook called Cured: Cooking with Ferments, Pickles, Preserves & More. The book journeys the six-time James Beard nominated chef’s battle with lymphoma, giving the title dual meaning. Live music by Mitchell Ford and Squeezebox Bandits kept guests lingering well beyond food coma status.

Fundraising efforts
Produced by the Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation, the festival and other culinary events leading up to it raises money for local grant programs and culinary scholarships. While numbers still need to be tallied for this year’s events, the foundation has awarded more than $325,000 to date.

New initiatives this year included a big focus on eco-friendly materials: all plates, cups, napkins, and cutlery were switched to compostable items. Also new is the The Kirkpatrick Visionary Award, named in honor of the festival co-founder Russell Kirkpatrick, a longtime member of the Reata management team who now works with Mercardo Juarez. The award was launched in January and will recognize innovative concepts in the Fort Worth culinary industry.

  

Photo by Nancy Farrar

Some guests got into the cowgirl spirit at The Main Event.