The Best Chef-Driven Food Events in Fort Worth

Taco Omakase Dinners, Sous Chef Spotlights, and More Must-Try Dining Experiences

By Edward Brown // Sep 17, 2026

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Like successive movements in a ballet, each dish served at Dos Mares countered and parried the previous presentation. (Photograph by Dos Mares)

We were recently invited to a wine- and cocktail-pairing dinner headed by Riemenschneider, who worked the evening’s multi-course menu like a knife-wielding virtuoso. (Photograph by Beren Meze & Grill House)

Emilia’s striking Blue Room at The Crescent Hotel Fort Worth will host a four-course Clase Azul pairing dinner on September 23. (Photography by Jason Dewey)

Savor four seasonal courses at Ellerbe Fine Foods, a farm-to-table favorite on Magnolia. (Courtesy)

Kirk Oldham (second from left) joins fellow chefs and cooks to bring meals to those in need through his nonprofit. (Courtesy)

Don Artemio hosts regular wine pairing dinners that highlight the food and culture of Mexico and Texas. (Photograph by Don Artemio)

Any evening at Paris 7th, Grace, or Emilia’s affords the opportunity to enjoy refined cuisine and exceptional service, but Fort Worth’s less frequent chef-led dinners are a special treat. With notable newcomers offering omakase tacos, charity-minded events, and multicourse menus from Michelin-starred chefs, we’re highlighting the best special dining experiences bringing something different to Cowtown’s culinary scene.

Taco Omakase Dinners at Dos Mares

We were recently invited to preview Dos Mares’ Omakase Taco Experience, where up to 10 guests gather barside for a seven-course lineup of tacos, crudos, and masterful small plates. The omakase evening opened with a grilled oyster with foie gras foam and caviar, followed by yellowtail crudo and a 15-day cured yellowtail tostada.

Like successive movements in a ballet, each dish countered and parried the previous presentation. Dos Mares’ sister restaurant, Don Artemio, presents wine pairing dinners that highlight the food and culture that tie Mexico and Texas, and we can’t wait to revisit their annual Día de Muertos wine pairing dinner next month.

Four Courses at The Usual

The Usual’s Four Courses series puts our city’s often-unsung sous chefs in the spotlight, giving them the freedom to step out from behind their executive chefs and create a four-course menu of their own. Each one-night dinner at Fort Worth’s oldest craft cocktail bar pairs the featured sous chef’s dishes with cocktails created by a local bartender. The series returns September 27 with Ellerbe Fine Food’s Sous Chef Kyle Baker. Earlier this year, we spoke with The Chumley House’s Adam Krajewski about the concept ahead of his featured dinner.

“Sous chefs are the backbone of a restaurant,” Krajewski told PaperCity about the series in February. “We keep our heads down and do the hard work to make sure the kitchen runs smoothly. I am so grateful to The Usual and excited for this dinner series.”

EllerbeFineFoods_RestaurantHeader — Savor four seasonal courses at Ellerbe Fine Foods, a farm-to-table favorite on Magnolia. (Courtesy)

Ellerbe Fine Foods Farm-to-Table Experiences

Led by Chef Molly McCook, a 2020 James Beard semifinalist, this farm-to-table restaurant regularly hosts special events that partner with winemakers, purveyors, and farmers to create memorable pairings for McCook’s cuisine. Recent events include a Champagne education dinner featuring Skurnik Wines and a three-course dinner paired with Blackland Distillery spirits and guided by distillery founder Markus Kypreos. September 24’s Oktoberfest-themed dinner will feature three courses paired with beer.

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Meals With Meaning Supper Club

Founded by Chef Kirk Oldham and supported by a dedicated team, Meals With Meaning provides free meals to individuals and families across Tarrant County. To raise funds and awareness of their charitable work, Oldham invites local chefs to lead supper clubs at Brewed on West Magnolia Avenue. We’ve been to several, and the events offer an intimate experience guided by some of the best culinary artists in town. On Sunday, October 4, Cafe Mirador’s Manuel “Manny” Gutierrez takes the helm of this popular wine-pairing dinner series. The chef has an evening centered on crab and shrimp toast, beef cheek French onion ravioli, black cod with dashi, and a decadent Basque cheesecake planned.

Emilia’s Blue Room

This strikingly beautiful private dining room within Emilia’s hosts monthly ticketed dinners led by Executive Chef Sean Malek. Past evenings have focused on coveted wine producers and imaginative themes — including one inspired by The Modern’s artwork — that challenge Emilia’s kitchen to craft transcendent pieces that measure up to the room’s inspiring environs. September 23 will see a four-course evening built around Clase Azul spirits, and we can’t wait to see what Malek and his team cook up next.

Crescent Ft Worth — Emilia’s striking Blue Room at The Crescent Hotel Fort Worth will host a four-course Clase Azul pairing dinner on September 23. (Photography by Jason Dewey)

The Devil’s Den

Located in an adjacent room to the venerable Star Café, The Devil’s Den has become a popular backdrop for ambitious multi-course dinners led by Chef Victor Villarreal. An upcoming six-course collaboration takes a playful approach to fine dining, reimagining nostalgic favorites including fish sticks and ketchup, spaghetti and meatballs, a Wagyu “Hot Pocket,” and a pot roast “TV Dinner.” Dessert riffed on a Little Debbie ice cream cake. Villarreal partners with notable chefs for these must-try events.

Beren Meze & Grill House

Beren Meze & Grill House’s monthly dinners give its kitchen team an opportunity to venture beyond the Turkish restaurant’s regular menu. We recently attended an omakase-themed evening led by consulting Chef Michael Riemenschneider, whose career includes Michelin-starred restaurants in England and Germany. Riemenschneider delivered unexpected and delightful combinations, including pressed watermelon with crab, peas, and cherries, and a rich poultry course with liver, sweet corn purée, and raisins.

The monthly dinners offer optional wine and cocktail pairings and showcase the evolving talents of Beren’s kitchen as owner Charlie Unlu continues his pursuit of Michelin recognition.

Beren Fort Worth — Chef Michael Riemenschneider has led multiple Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe and now advises hospitality projects, including one at BEREN. (Courtesy)

Taste Project Supper Club

Taste Project’s mission-driven approach to dining takes an elevated turn during its Supper Club series, when chefs create seasonal multicourse menus and personally introduce each course to guests. The September 26 dinner, led by Chef Danielle Mindieta, features pimento cheese and tomato tart, chilled sweet corn and buttermilk soup with crab, grilled strip steak over Gouda grits, and grilled peaches with buttermilk pound cake. The event is BYOB.

The Napa Valley Wine Experience

This is a one-off event, but we had to include it! The Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation is bringing a taste of Napa Valley to Cowtown with a one-night-only gathering of more than 30 acclaimed wineries. Each winery will be represented by its winemaker, proprietor, or estate principal, giving guests the opportunity to sip their way through Napa while hearing directly from the people behind the bottles. The $159 tasting takes place on October 29 from 6 pm to 8 pm and includes curated light bites. Proceeds support the Foundation’s scholarships, educational programs, grants, and assistance for local food and beverage professionals experiencing hardship.