Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival’s Best New Experiences — Emerging Chefs, Non-Alcoholic Drink Partners, and More

Since 2014, the Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival has celebrated the city’s vast culinary scene, with beloved chefs, pitmasters, and foodies coming together to showcase tacos, burgers, barbecue, seafood, brunch favorites, and plenty of beer, wine, and spirits.

From April 3 through 6, Edwards Ranch at Clearfork comes alive as restaurateurs flex their culinary muscles across five events: Tacos and Tequila (April 3), The Main Event (April 4), Rise and Dine (April 5), Burgers, Brews, and Blues (April 5); and Ring of Fire (April 6).

This year, many newcomers will join along with old pros who are bringing lots of new dishes and talent to the event. At Tacos and Tequila, guests can get a sneak peek of Dos Mares, the soon-to-open coastal Mexican restaurant from the team behind Don Artemio. And at the Main Event, a slew of new talent is welcomed in, including Alessandro Salvatore’s scratch-made Italian food from Bocca Osteria Romana, craft meatballs and charcuterie from Omar Bernal’s and Landon Labarthe’s The Sicilian Butcher, and old Fort Worth fave Mercado Juarez with Tex-Mex bites.

Sure to draw a crowd, Celestina Blok, author of the anticipated Cowtown Comfort cookbook, joins Lindsey Lawing of Sweet Lucy’s Pies for a look at the cooking inspirations behind her cookbook’s 60 recipes.

At Burgers, Brews, and Blues, Marcus Paslay of Walloon’s will offer his beloved burgers that have become a Fort Worth favorite. The Ring of Fire event welcomes the newly opened Terrebonne’s Restaurant and Bar, which serves from scratch Cajun fare. For a taste of Michelin-recognized barbecue, Panther City BBQ will be in attendance.

There’s plenty of fun in the drink department as well at Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival, with seven new additions to the beverage lineup. Cazcanes Tequila brings its tequila, made from an Indigenous recipe found in a moonshine jungle still, as does Wild Commons, a tequila maker in Wyoming. Longtime participant I & A Agave Spirits showcases its new Jalisco Liqueur to the festival, and Angels & Cowboys enters the scene with California-infused French wines. Union Bear Brewing Company has local beers, as do Keyworth Brewing and Altstadt Brewing. At Ring of Fire, small-batch, micro-distilled vodka from Dripping Springs Distillery takes center stage, and hometown favorite TX Whiskey returns with new chef partnerships for its activation booth, where signature cocktails complement each chef’s dish.

For the first time, the festival is including a non-alcoholic beverage partner with every event, following the trend of increased interest in non-alcoholic drinks. JAS brings its all-natural, Latin-inspired, ashwagandha and yerba mate-infused mocktails, and TOST raises a toast to its elevated sparkling mocktail.

Of course, there are lots of returning favorites to each event, including Jon Bonnell’s concepts such as Waters Restaurant at Rise and Dine and Jon’s Grille and Burgers, Brews, and Blues. He’ll also have Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine at The Main Event, Tacos and Tequila, and Ring of Fire.

Purchase tickets for Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival here.