11th Annual Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival Weekend Recap

If you or someone you know seems to be in a bit of a food coma this week, that’s fair. The 11^th Annual Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival welcomed foodies from near and far to taste their way through a weekend showcasing the top chefs and restaurateurs in the area, and sipping some of the best from distillers, breweries, and wineries. The events took place at The Heart of the Ranch at Clearfork, and the weather was a factor this year.

Tacos + Tequila Was Held on Thursday, April 3

Forecasts looked grim for this, the 11^th Annual Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival, but Thursday night the weather was sublime.

Chef Jett Mora with Café Modern and Wolfgang Puck Catering crafted a purple yam mulitas taco with its masa in an unexpected purple hue. It was filled with squash blossom, Oaxacan cheese, black beans, and a violet tomatillo salsa. Jenny Castor of Luckey Bee Kitchen catering also picked up on the seasonal squash blossom. Her creative “taco” was placed in a crispy tuille, stuffed with savory cheese, and drizzled with honey sauce.

Rodrigo Cardenas and his crew from Don Artemio Restaurant previewed their new seafood spot Dos Mares, which will be opening in June right next door. They brought along the eye-popping whole tuna on ice, which was caught two days prior in the waters off Vera Cruz, Mexico. The freshly sliced ahi taco was a hit.

Hao Tran of Hao’s Grocery and Café wowed attendees with her Vietnamese-inspired larb taco atop crispy rice. And, chef Ben Merritt’s of Fitzgerald perfectly seasoned redfish taco was another crowd favorite.

La Pulga Tequila sampled its newer Anejo as well as its mezcal and sotol, which was so surprisingly subtle and clean, it’s just perfect for sipping on a rock. Another showstopper was Socorro Tequila’s new Jalisco Orange Liqueur, which is made from agave. This could be your summertime margarita’s new best friend.

The Main Event was held on Friday, April 4 at the 11^th Annual Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival

With some of Fort Worth’s most notable chefs in attendance, foodies had plenty of photo ops with chefs who have earned notoriety from the likes of  James Beard, Michelin, Food Network, and Texas Monthly.

Chef Jon Bonnell’s of Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine greeted attendees at their first stop. I swore I was going to pace myself, and not eat the whole thing, but his shrimp jambalaya proved too enticing. Chef Marcus Paslay, representing his Walloons, served up the most beautiful, caviar-topped deviled egg you’ve ever seen, and chef Antonio Votta of Bowie House’s Bricks and Horses served up savory black truffle and ricotta-filled cannolis.

Reata grilled up some of its famous sliced tenderloin, and the new F1 Bar & Grill presented housemade sausage corn dogs with chefs Graham Elliot and Vernon Erickson in attendance. Tiffany Derry’s Roots Southern Kitchen offered her smoked leg of lamb over plantain rice.

Winewood Grill brought a tender and tangy, bacon-wrapped quail lollipop, and Sweet Lucy’s Pies sampled their salted honey or chocolate pie with pistachio crumble.

To wash it all down, there was an array of wineries, distilleries, and breweries to choose from, as well as San Pellegrino water varieties. We enjoyed a lovely Carneros Valley chardonnay by Far Niente Wine Estates called Post & Beam, as well as the La Boheme pinot noir by Elk Cove Vineyards.

The following morning, the brunch event, Rise + Dine, was cancelled due to flooding on April 5. While the festival has gone on in all kinds of weather over the years, the ground was simply too saturated to move forward safely. Ticket holders can redeem them at next year’s event.

Burgers, Brews + Blues Went Off Without a Hitch In the Afternoon of April 5

Early April temps were on the chilly side for the rest of the weekend, but as the festival moved forward, its most meaty events were filled with fun and musical acts.

By far, the longest line formed in front of Fort Worth’s newest burger joint, NADC Burger, to get a taste of what owner and professional skateboarder Neen Williams was serving up. His original NADC Burger won Judge’s pick for best burger as well.

The popular vote went to JD’s Burgers for it’s The Buford T ― topped with onion strings, bacon, cheddar, and a Dr. Pepper BBQ glaze. While chef Juan Rodriguez brought home that win, Gigi Howell was Westbound and down, busy opening Westland Hospitality’s new Margie’s Italian Gardens to the public.

Other notable burgers included Kincaid’s red hot ricotta, topped with chopped pistachios, bacon bits and habanero honey; Rodeo Goat’s honey bacon blues, a blue cheese butter-stuffed patty, with honeyed bacon bits, crispy fried kale and a curry mayo; or Cast Iron’s skillet burger topped with fried onions, bacon maple jam and habanero honey mayo.

Breweries of note were Union Bear Brewing, which won for its Union Bear North Coast IPA, and its light lager. Other favorite sips included Pather Island’s classic Allergeez;  Lakewood’s Sunburst; and I Am A Barfly Your Honor, the hazy pale ale by Keyworth Brewing.

Ring of Fire Was The Fest’s Big Finale on Sunday, April, 6

The Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival’s annual live fire tour de force did not disappoint. Bonnell’s grilled oysters were a classic garlic parmesan presentation topped with guajillo sauce. Heim Barbecue took their beloved bacon burnt ends to new heights, marinated in cherry Dr. Pepper, and Fort Worth’s legendary Toro Toro grilled octopus on a skewer.

The Original Roy Hutchins Barbecue of Trophy Club is moving even closer to Fort Worth, as its next location will land in Arlington soon. The pitmaster served fans a Texas Twinkie to die for ― a jumbo jalapeño filled with not only cream cheese, but also chopped prime brisket, and wrapped in thick-cut bacon.

Singular sips were provided by the likes of Acre Distilling, Martin House Brewing, and William Chris Vineyards, among so many others.

As the 11^th Annual Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival kicked the city’s springtime events into high gear, it also fulfilled its ongoing mission ― to foster, celebrate, and sustain Fort Worth’s food, beverage, and hospitality community.