Events To Eat At

Tamale fest tops 6 best food and drink events in Fort Worth this week

Second annual Tamal & Atole Festival happens this week.

Magdalena's/Facebok

You know the holidays are coming when the tamales start showing up, and this week, there's an entire festival dedicated to showcasing some of Fort Worth's best. Other foodie events include multiple opportunities to enhance your entertaining skills with classes on charcuterie, Christmas cookies, and cabernet.

Tuesday, December 9

Chianti Wine Dinner at Caterina’s
Intimate Italian destination in Mule Alley will host its second Tuesday wine dinner featuring chianti and five courses. Indulge in pear and fig bruschetta, burrata with grilled nectarine, linguini with cockles (a small, sweet mollusk), herb-crusted lamb, and pistachio cannoli. Dinner is $165, plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 6:30 pm.

Wednesday, December 10

Very Merry Cookie Decorating Class at Cowtown Brewing Company
Cookies, beer, and holiday cheer are on the menu for this hands-on class where participants will learn how to decorate sugar cookies like a pro. The $41 ticket includes four cookies, decorating supplies, and a beverage. Class begins at 6 pm.

Saturday, December 13

Tamal & Atole Festival
Second annual event will bring together 10 Fort Worth chefs for a sabor showdown featuring a wide variety of tamales as well as atole, a warm beverage made of finely ground masa harina infused with various flavors. Participating chefs include Juan Rodriguez of Magdalena’s, Francisco Islas of Shogun Taqueria, Kimberlee Ovalle of Goldee’s BBQ, and more. Tickets are $45 ($15 for children) and include 10 tamal tasting tickets, 10 atole tasting tickets, and two spiked drink tickets. The event will run from 12–4 pm at the Mercado Event Center.

Holiday Elevated Tasting & Wine Pairing Experience at Lost Oak Winery
Burleson vineyard and winery will host a holiday-themed pairing featuring flavors of the season. Bites include spiced apricot with fontina cheese, deconstructed tamale, open-faced cranberry turkey slider, and pumpkin pie dip with cinnamon graham. A different wine pairing comes with each. Tickets are $35 and seating times are 3 pm or 4:30 pm both Saturday and Sunday.

Sip like a Sommelier: Know Your Cabs at Central Market Cooking School
Cab lovers, this class is for you. Explore the bold and smoky world of cabernet sauvignon during this sip session led by the wine experts at Central Market. Learn cab characteristics and how to select the perfect one. Class is $85 and includes light bites paired with five wines. Run time is 5–6:30 pm.

Monday, December 15

Cheese and Charcuterie Board Building Class at Crystal Springs Hideaway
Texas beer garden and bar doubles as a wine and cheese shoppe, and it’s popular for grab-and-go charcuterie boards. Chef and cheese connoisseur Kelly Burton will host a hands-on class on how to make an elegant board of your own to make and take home. The class also includes a fun holiday cocktail demo and drink to enjoy during class. Reservations are $100 and class begins at 5:30 pm.

festivals holidays event-planner

Biscuit News

Great Biscuit & Spice brings homey breakfast and lunch to Saginaw

Great Biscuit Co.

Saginaw has a sweet mom-and-pop cafe and market serving breakfast, lunch, and meals to go: Called Great Biscuit & Spice Co., it's located at 100 S. Hampshire St. #100, in a former florist shop near the library west of Saginaw Boulevard.

Great Biscuit is from husband-and-wife Jon Julien and Malinda Julien, who dedicated a year to renovating the tiny 1,100-square-foot space, including installing a commercial kitchen.

Malinda, a former private investigator, is the chef. She learned to cook at an early age from her grandparents and housekeeper. Menu mainstays at the cafe include biscuits & gravy, biscuit sandwiches, blueberry biscuits, and a $10 breakfast plate with eggs and sausage or bacon.

Lunch options include chicken salad sandwich, a BLT, a burger, and a rice bowl with choice of chicken or beef tips.

They also offer packaged meals to go with stick-to-your-ribs items like pot roast, meatloaf, pork ribs, chicken alfredo, and rosemary chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli, priced from $10-$20.

"I guess you would just call it home cooking," Malinda says. "It's not Texan. I'll throw some Mexican in there. We'll throw in some South Carolina."

She's also an accomplished baker who makes bread, cinnamon rolls, cookies, and occasional desserts like bread pudding.

“We really felt like there was a need for just some solid food that didn't have a lot of preservatives and stuff that was ready and affordable for people to take home,” she says.

The space boasts a warm, homey vibe, with pine wood cabinets, a wooden community table and chairs, a black-and-white checkered tile floor, and a metal baker's rack painted a cheerful yellow.

“Diners come in and say, 'This is like my grandmother's house,'" Malinda says.

There’s about 500 square feet of dining space, initially set up as a waiting area but now ready to accommodate dine-in patrons. Next door to the cafe is a photography studio that the Juliens own, called Julien & Lambert. Malinda hopes to use that space to host tastings, cooking classes, and other events.

“We just really want you to feel emotionally and physically nourished when you eat here,” she says.

breakfast openings