Feeding frenzy

Culinary connoisseurs get their fill at 2023 Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival

The 2023 Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival filled up plates (and filled out waistlines) over four days, March 30-April 2. The city's biggest feeding frenzy, the festival showcased Fort Worth's culinary stars and some out-of-town guests, too.

Photo by Nancy Farrar

Ring of Fire was a rather meaty affair.

Click or swipe, above, to relive the delicious weekend through dozens of photos. Below is a quick recap of the whole event.

Things got started Thursday, March 30 with a special seated dinner, Noche del Soul, featuring collaborative cuisine of Fort Worth chef Juan Rodriguez and Dallas chef Tiffany Derry. The special ticketed dinner at the Fort Worth Club saw the popular chefs cooking with soul and heart to showcase their heritages; guests couldn't get enough of Rodriguez's carnitas and Derry's beef tenderloin (among other spectacular dishes).

Across town at Heart of the Ranch at Clearfork (where most events took place), a sold-out Tacos + Tequila had 18 chefs and 12 tequila vendors share their tastiest creations. It was such a gut-busting kickoff to the festival that some attendees said they were still full the next day. Good thing belts can be loosened because the biggest event of all came next ...

The Main Event, the festival's showcase event, featured more than 100 wines, craft beers, and spirits paired with dishes from 27 chefs, restaurateurs, and food artisans. So. much. food. One popular stop? Luckybee Kitchen's unexpected and delightful Smoked Black Garlic Cotton Candy. (Who'd expect anything less from the 2022 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Chef of the Year, Jenny Castor?) A first-timer to the annual festival was TV-celeb chef Graham Elliott, who recently joined chef Felipe Armenta's restaurant team and was serving up steak frites on their behalf.

Those eager to make a late night of it headed to Whiskey Ranch for the first-ever Night Market. Previously a desserts-and-cocktails only event, the new-and-improved extravaganza featured savory dishes (such as shrimp tacos from Coco Shrimp, pecan-smoked "Smokey Gnocchi" from Gnocchi Dokie, and eggrolls and dumplings from Hao's Grocery & Cafe) along with scrumptious desserts (lines were long for waffles from Mama Llama Sweets' food truck). Mixologists got creative concocting drinks featuring TX Whiskey, and there was even a competition. Runner-up was cherry blossom-inspired Neon Bullet from Clay Pigeon, and winner was a boozy cream soda from Nickel City. (Reata's butteredpPecan-themed Buttered TX Whisky was a fan favorite.)

There was no snoozing Saturday; it was time for the brunchy Rise + Dine, back at Heart of the Ranch at Clearfork. Those who'd nursed their Friday night hangovers and were up and at 'em by 11 am got to enjoy classic breakfast favorites, seafood dishes, pastries, and more paired with cocktails, coffee, craft beer, and of course, lots of bubbly.

Always one of the most popular tickets of the festival, Burgers, Brews + Blues was the beefiest event of all. Thirteen chefs grilled their best burgers in slider form for celebrity judges and guests to select their favorite. The competition was heated, but in the end, Tommy's Burgers + Brews triumphed as judges' winner with their Thai Tommy burger (100% Nolan Ryan beef, Thai sauce, kimchi, cheese, and purple onion); and Gigi Howell's JD's Hamburgers won the fan vote for their “Pig & Pico” (a burger smothered in pico and garlic cream cheese and topped with crispy bacon).

Sunday brought tornado warnings and quick bursts of hail all around North Texas, but that didn't stop the Ring of Fire event from bringing the festival to a sizzling finale. The event gathered the best pitmasters in Fort Worth and let them loose with live fire for the ultimate backyard barbecue. The Babes of Que podcast stars even brought an onsite activation featuring women in the world of barbecue.

Produced by the Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation, the festival is more than a good time – proceeds raise funds for local grant programs and scholarships for culinary students in Fort Worth. To date, the non-profit has raised more than $325,000 for the cause. This year's totals are still being tallied.

fundraisers chefs festivals

Hot-to-trot party

Former Fort Worth mayor helps corral big bucks at New Hope Equine gala

Photo by Savanna Romano

Betsy Price, Scott Murray

As the sun set over expansive pastures north of Fort Worth, hundreds of city slickers headed up to the country, to Lucky Spur Ranch Retreat in Justin for the 2024 Hope Gala.

Benefiting New Hope Equine Assisted Therapy, the October 25 fundraising party went all in on the horse theme, offering guests "A Night at the Races."

About 220 attendees arrived donning Derby hats and fascinators, bowties, fedoras, and cowboy boots - it was on a ranch after all, and not Churchill Downs. They mingled and posed with New Hope horses, browsed an impressive array of silent auction items, tossed horseshoes at whiskey bottles, and wet their whistles at an open bar alfresco.

When the dinner bell rang, folks moseyed inside and filled up on a buffet of Southwestern favorites, including beef skirt steak, grilled chicken, street corn, and Yukon Gold mashed potatoes. Nothing Bundt Cakes provided enough cake bites to satisfy any sweet tooth.

Master of ceremonies, former NBC5 sports anchor Scott Murray, welcomed guests and acknowledged New Hope leadership, including gala event chair Jason Hodson.

New Hope Equine Hope Gala 2024 Claire Messerle, Betsy Price, Katie MesserlePhoto by Savanna Romano

Moments later came a rousing "Howdy, y'all!" - the familiar greeting from former Fort Worth mayor Betsy Price, who served as the event's honorary chair. She underscored the importance of the organization's mission.

"New Hope isn't just a service, but it opens doors for those who think they don't have the strength, they don't have the courage or the connections to regain their sense of independence," she told the crowd.

Photo by Savanna Romano

Hope Gala honorary chair Betsy Price with emcee Scott Murray.

Since 2012, New Hope has been healing through therapeutic horsemanship for people of all ages with physical, intellectual, or developmental special needs. In 2022, they debuted the Natural Horsemanship program for veterans and first responders grappling with post-traumatic stress.

Funds raised at the gala support the “New Hope” that riders need for a better quality of life.

But the horses benefit, too. The majority of New Hope horses enjoy a second life with the organization; some were even on local kill lists.

"This is Texas, folks! We ride horses in Texas," Price concluded. "And every dollar that you give tonight or that you invest somewhere along the way will be doubled or tripled in the returns to these folks who need the therapy and the ones who work in the barns and help us."

New Hope Equine Hope Gala 2024 Guests bid in the live auction.Photo by Savanna Romano

Auctioneer Mike Trent got bidding going fast and furiously in a live auction for one-of-a-kind trips and experiences, including a vacation to Hilton Head (sold for $2,600), a dinner with several Dallas Cowboys legends (sold for $7,000), and a luxury suite concert experience at Dickies Arena (sold for more than $10,000).

In total, the gala raised $95,000 for New Hope programs.

"The annual cost to care for one horse runs about $6,000, so your generosity will help us care for our horses that provide vital therapy to our over 40 participants," organizers said afterwards.

New Hope Equine Hope Gala 2024 Champagne Yacht Club Band kept the dance floor lively.Photo by Savanna Romano

As some guests wandered outside to enjoy the fresh nighttime air, others got moving and grooving on the dance floor to the sounds of the Champagne Yacht Club Band.

Spotted in the crowd, enjoying the night were New Hope patrons, staff, board members, volunteers, and supporters, including Hamilton Sneed, Jennifer Kiedrowski, Nicole Matwijiw, Jennifer Morris, Pat Fultz, Red Fultz, Devan Peplow, Kathleen Beisly, Emily Rogers-Hicks, Susan Altshuler, Lauren Cobb, Ashley Cox, Mikenley Johnson, Blake Johnson, Kathleen Alexander, Melissa Howard, Claire Messerle, Katie Messerle, Sharla Kershen, Dave Kershen, Jason Hodson, Aaron Sturman, Jennifer Kiedrowski, Neal Bondy, Paul Barstad, Melanie Barstad, Mark Powers, DeAnna Powers, Kim Martin, Darlene Jacobs, Jim Jacobs, Debbie Thayer, and hundreds more.