The section of Bryant Irvin Road that rests just across from Fort Worth Country Day School has had its own secret stash of baked treats and take-home meals for the past nine years. Now, Katherine Sasser, the owner of Hurley House, has completely reimagined her bakery with a fresh makeover to meet the demand of her clientele. It fulfills her vision of making Hurley House a one-stop shop for busy hosts and hostesses alike.
“This is our biggest expansion of products that you can take home for personal hosting,” Katherine Sasser, owner of Hurley House tells Fort Worth Digital Diary.
Sasser began the business by hosting in her own home, showcasing her elegant cakes, baked goods, as well as how to entertain with inviting tablescapes filled with a variety of her favorite recipes ― in her dining room. Friends and fans were hooked.
“Everything we make is something you would make at home,” she says. “Every single recipe came from my house.”
Her family has served as her in-house focus group (quite literally). They’ve taste-tested every dish. These are recipes Katherine would serve even if she didn’t run Hurley House. But she does! And we’re all better for it.
With all the news of local closures, it’s great to have a happy story to tell.
After three years hosting parties and pick-ups in her home, she found a location to plant her first brick-and-mortar nine years ago. It is tucked in the corner space of a strip center, just behind what is now Towne’s Coffee at 5512 Bellaire Drive South.
It was utilitarian, with a snug bakery case, coffee bar, and large communal table. Most of the action took place back of house, and most of the take-home meals were stored there as well. Now they are front and center, easy to peruse, and easier to grab-and-go, in shiny new refrigerated sections and displayed on powdery blue green wood shelving.
Katherine Sasser, tells Fort Worth Digital Diary, “Hurley House got a glow up. She’s older, wiser, more mature. But, it still feels familiar.”
“We don’t do fussy food,” Sasser says. “We do classics that bring home to life. We are here to equip and partner.” She shares recipes and hospitality advice on her blog as well.
New and notable stock in the completely refreshed space includes a Fort Worth-based jelly company, Vam’s Jam crafting fruit and herb jams. All the lettuces Hurley House utilizes are grown at nearby Timberview Farmstead.
The cold cases are filled with seasonal oven-ready take-home dishes, in case you are short on time, but have every intention of feeding your family a home-cooked meal. Life happens, Hurley House is there for you.
Ever-present dishes like Hurley House’s sour cream enchiladas and spaghetti pie are a specialty of the house, and they keep those casserole dishes at the ready year-round. You’ll also find housemade salads and dressing, ready-to-heat side dishes like roasted broccoli and green beans almandine. She’s added a new selection of drinks and mixers including mint tea, a paloma mix, and three types of lemonade ― regular, lavender, and strawberry.
For quick entertaining, grab some fresh pimento cheese, a pint of party dip, and prepared crudites, and lay them out with some fresh snack mixes and an array of crostini or cheddar cigars, and you’re cocktail party comes together pretty quickly.
You might as well take home a layer cake, some brownies, and Hurley House’s addictive buttercream-filled sparkle cookies just in case your guests might like something sweet. Just a suggestion. And, for special occasions, they stand ready with birthday cakes, and wedding and baby shower yumminess ― best to order those ahead of time.
Anyway, that’s the idea. Let Hurley House do the cooking so you can get back to entertaining. Katherine Sasser and her crew have been hosting open house events all week to invite guests to check out the new digs. Stop by Monday through Friday to check it out.
