Tag Archives: fort worth

A Rahr Occasion Meat Up

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Dried meat is a southern staple when done right. Jerky, as its properly called, is the bite of salty and chew that really makes us crave more. But hey, what would pair well with said meat more than a ice cold brew from a local joint? Well, I’ve got an answer that satisfies all that and more.

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In celebration of National Jerky Day this Thursday, June 12th, Rahr & Sons Brewing Co., (www.rahrbrewing.com), has partnered up with Krave Jerky (www.kravejerky.com), a line of gourmet all-natural artisan jerky with flavors such as Basil Citrus, Black Cherry, and Lemon Garlic to create custom beer pairings. Here’s a line up of what they’ll be offering and if you can’t make it in on the day of celebration don’t worry because the pairings last a while longer!

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1ST PAIRING

  • The Beer: Summertime Wheat – A lightly hopped, German-style Hefeweizen that has unique banana and clove-like characteristics
  • The Jerky: Garlic Chili Pepper Beef – Tender slices of top round sirloin domestic beef, soaked in a robust garlic and chili marinade, and finished with real chili flakes
  • Together: The jerky is a mix of sweet and spicy, with the up-front stickiness quickly giving way to the chilies; the beer calms that heat with its tropical fruit characteristics

2ND PAIRING

  • The Beer: Rahr’s Blonde – A medium-bodied, Munich Helles-style pale lager that features a rounded maltiness without being overly heavy
  • The Jerky: Basil Citrus Turkey – Sliced turkey breasts infused with rich basil and tangy citrus, which leaves clean, crisp notes on the palate
  • Together: The jerky has intense aromas of onion and sweet basil, making the Munich Helles-style lager a great palate cleanser

3RD PAIRING

  • The Beer: Ugly Pug – A black lager that is surprisingly light bodied — drinkable on even the hottest Texas summer days; has hints of bitter chocolate and coffee
  • The Jerky: Sweet Chipotle Beef – Made from authentic Mexican chipotle, this jerky brings together natural smokiness, moderate heat and a hint of honey to create a perfect balance of sweet and smokey
  • Together: These two are very similar to experience, as each has lots of flavor up front, but dissipates on the finish; the jerky has a light chipotle flavor with a clean finish, and the beer gives a light roast flavor up front without the elevated mouthfeel on the back end

4TH PAIRING

  • The Beer: Texas Red – Amber lager that has notes of caramel and a bold malty character, perfectly balanced with hops; also known in Texas as the beer to drink with BBQ
  • The Jerky: Black Cherry BBQ Pork – Tender slices of pork with a sweet and peppery, Sonoma-style, black cherry BBQ sauce
  • Together: The jerky has a clean sweetness and the depth of the meat flavor goes perfect with the Amber lager, bringing out its light toasted grain flavor

5TH PAIRING

  • The Beer: Stormcloud IPA – A traditional India pale ale with a German influence; has an assertive bitterness, a light malty sweetness, and fruitiness
  • The Jerky: Chili Lime Beef – Knuckle-cut domestic beef teamed with medium-hot chili, then balanced with zesty lime
  • Together: The taste of the jerky gives off Asian flavors — more of a sharp, bright heat; the beer accentuates these flavors with the aromatic qualities of the earthly English hops

Rahr & Sons

701 Galveston Ave

Fort Worth, Texas 76104

Cowtown Cravings: Brunch at AF + B

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Industrial, modern and chic are the first descriptive words that come to mind when you step inside Consilient Hospitality’s latest opening, AF + B. This Fort Worth newcomer is detailed in style and appeals to the eye in every way. With small touches of its surrounding city worked in, the space really lends itself to the local offerings on the menu and overall rustic feel of Fort Worth. 

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AF+B is a lively neighborhood tavern that thrives off the celebration of American food and beverage today. I was invited in for brunch recently, and I found that celebratory spirit to live true. Comeback Creek Farm, Black Rooster Bakery items and more give diners a glimpse into the localized efforts of Chef Jeff Harris and his team.

We began with an assortment of fresh breakfast pastries that included scones and a delicious nutty banana muffin. The pastries paired well with deliciously whipped butter and seasonal strawberry preserves. It was really a treat to have a bite of warm scone and really taste the bits of strawberry running throughout the jam. The pastry spread was truly a fresh and wholesome start to the meal. Of course, any good brunch has it’s beverages and the table side french press was a delightful partner with the basket of carb filled goodness. A rich and dark blend of beans made for a great pot of joe.

Next we sampled the Chorizo Scotch Eggs which came with a confetti of oil cured chiles and cilantro. A bitter bite of pepper went well with the salty egg and chorizo. I assumed this appetizer would spoil my appetite, but it was a shared plate that left enough room for more.

For mains, we decided upon the classic french toast with whipped creme fraiche, strawberries, rhubarb, toasted hazelnuts and maple syrup. Gigantic slices of local brioche took center plate and with each slice, the smooth tart-sweet blend of rhubarb and strawberry worked nicely. Crunchy hazelnuts and a dab of syrup caused this indulgence to be well worth every calorie. A recommended second main dish, the American breakfast was the savory punch I was looking for.  Comprised of soft scrambled farm eggs, house-made bacon and to-die-for rosemary hash browns, the plate was simple yet the modification and addition of local herbs and produces into the components made it quite perfectly different.

I know I’ll need to try the Smoked Brisket Hash and Egg Sandwich next time I visit, but AF + B has a way of charming during this quintessential weekend meal.

The service (ask for Jen!) was enjoyable and knowledge filled about purveyors used and the overall brunch experience is worth the drive from Dallas or around the corned in Fort Worth. Don’t miss this new favorite of mine, and browse the city while you’ve got the chance.

 

Sweets to Eat Now: January 2014

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Nothing satisfies my hunger like something sweet. I am a self-proclaimed addict of all things dessert, so I am particular about which sugary dishes I deem ‘the best’. While I am constantly amazed at how the Dallas pastry scene has grown to be one of the best in the country, I do have my favorites. Here are my ‘must eat’ sweets of the moment, try not to drool.

Buttered Popcorn Créme Brulée: This savory and sweet treat comes to us courtesy of Village Kitchen in the posh Highland Park Village shopping district. Complete with Popcorn Pretzel Praline and Malt Ball Ice Cream, it’s a combination of salty popcorn and crunchy brûlée that can’t be beat.

Buttered Popcorn Créme Brulée

Chocolate Avocado Cake: Take a trip north to Plano and uncover one of the newest additions to the scene, Mexican Sugar. This place is serving a delicious chocolate dessert that’s made with avocado. That’s right, avocado. I was a little skeptical too, but after tasting the flavors of the ancho spiced chocolate cake, cinnamon meringue, chocolate avocado mousse & ganache I was sold.

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Mexican Chocolate Cake: Another newcomer to the Dallas area, Chino Chinatown has a Mexican Chocolate Cake on the menu that is lick the spoon good. Topped with mole ganache, pecans, coconut ice cream this Latin and Asian inspired sweet indulgence is certain to hit your sweet tooth target spot on.

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Coffee Toffee Apple Pudding: A F + B may have a strange name, but pastry chef Laurel Wimberg is not messing around behind the dessert line. Taking this ramekin full of goodness and pairing it with crème fraiche and maple pecans is a must. This Ft. Worth gem is a destination to stop into and warm up with this dish.

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Worlds Most Expensive Violin Comes to Fort Worth

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Renowned violinist Anne Akiko Meyers is coming into town for her concert with Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra this week which will be the first time Fort Worth has heard the Vieuxtemps. The Vieuxtemps, on lifetime loan to Anne Akiko Meyers, is the most expensive violin in the world, surpassing the previous record of $16,000,000. Its local debut will be this Saturday.

With shows beginning tomorrow evening and running through Sunday, this is certainly something that any arts lover would be sad to miss. A little background on the concerts: “His music has been described as “viscerally-thrilling” by the New York Times – join FWSO Composer-in-Residence Donnacha Dennehy for a performance of Crane, a single-movement symphonic work composed in 2009. We continue with the graceful violin melodies of Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2, and close with the sweeping harmonies of his monumental Symphony No. 7.”

For a chance to listen to Meyers and her $16 million dollar instrument/timepiece serenade the masses, you can purchase tickets here or visit the box office at Bass Performance Hall. With upper gallery seats beginning at just $12, these performances are accessible and will truly showcase the Fort Worth arts scene.

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Fort Worth Food & Wine Festival Q & A

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The Fort Worth Food & Wine Festival will showcase the many culinary talents of Fort Worth during its four-day spring celebration next year, March 27-30, 2014. The event plans to infuse historic venues and homegrown flavor with celebrated local chefs, culinary professionals, and wine makers into twenty events throughout the weekend. The festival honors the distinctive nature of Fort Worth cooking, food, beverage and culinary traditions and aims to bring national attention to the Fort Worth food scene.

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I recently chatted with Festival front man, Reata’s Assistant General Manager and president of the Tarrant County Restaurant Association, Russell Kirkpatrick to get his thoughts on the highly anticipated event.

I see that you all have a great line up for the festival. How’d this all come about?

RK: Right now we have out executive committee of business leaders, restauranteurs and chefs whose input we really trust to really shape the festival. The event is running Thursday – Sunday. The kickoff event is at Billy Bobs on Thursday night. As we open it up throughout the weekend, we’ve got some wine dinners around the city. We definitely hope to bring in chefs from outside the city as well, be it Dallas, San Antonio, Houston or Austin. You know, 5 years down the road, is it possible to have 75-percent of the chefs come from outside the DFW area? Yes, but we understand that this first year a lot of those chefs won’t be in the Fort Worth area. The goal for us for the Fort Worth residents to have the Tim Love and Jon Bonnell, Lanny Lancarte and those are chefs that you can go to their restaurant any night. It would also be great to bring in some Dallas talent like Rathbun, Pyles or Fearing, then locals are able to eat their food with out driving all the way to Dallas and we can have a couple of things for Dallas residents as well. We’re able to showcase our best restaurants like Lonesome Dove or Reata or Grace. You come for the weekend and you’re able to eat the food from restaurants in Fort Worth!

Why has it taken so darn long for something like this to come along?

RK: (Laughs) And you know, I get that question a lot. It took us a couple years to really nail some things down. I took part in the Buffalo Gap Food and Wine summit and after a few years of doing that, I decided it was time for Fort Worth to get in the mix. There’s obviously competition between the two cities, but when it comes to great restaurants, amazing winemakers and venues…the DFW metroplex is blessed with some of the best.

You all have so much talent out there, how will FWFWF attendees be able to pack in all the sights?

RK: We are going to do three grand tastings. One on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday during the day. Friday night will be our big tasting around the newly renovated Sundance Square. It’s a beautiful area where we will have cooking demos, retail and merchants. Let’s say you’ve got the grand tasting and cooking demos on Saturday or a winemakers dinner on Sunday… There’s so much to do. We want to highlight as many parts of the city as possible. Sundance, The Stockyards, there are so many parts of the city that might not normally be seen and we want to showcase those areas. We MIGHT do mimosas at the Modern Art Museum or a Sip and Stroll on Magnolia Avenue.

The first ever food truck park in North Texas came out of Fort Worth. Any chance that could be incorporated into the weekend as well? 

RK: We are actively pursuing an avenue for which to highlight that community. We want to be creative with it and we know it’s a different demographic. You’ve got so many different kinds of demos when talking about food & wine. There’s the high-end crowd that wants to partake in a wine dinner at Del Friscos and then you have the food truck connoisseur and craft beer enthusiast. The programming goal around the festival is to keep it simple while really proving that we are a city full of culinary talents.

Any events in the mix leading up to the FWFWF? 

RK: We’ve got a few things up our sleeves that I’m not at liberty to talk about just quite yet. Possibly a sneak peak party in the Fall when tickets go on sale…