While the next few weeks will be very lovey-dovey and Valentine’s Day-centric, we’re not quite there mentally. Meanwhile, here are eight upcoming food and booze events happening before and after V-tine’s Day.
1.) At 6pm Thu, Donnis Todd — the master distiller at Garrison Brothers Distillery (@GarrisonBros) — is partnering with Cafe Modern (Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St, 817-840-2157) to present a five-course Chef Pairing Dinner with each dish paired with a cocktail or neat pour of bourbon whiskey. For a full menu description, see the event page at Facebook.com/GarrisonBros/Events. Tickets are $185 at TheModern.org/Program/Bourbon-Dinner.
2.) From 7pm to 10pm Fri, Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. (701 Galveston Av, 817-810-9266) is celebrating the New Year with Lucky You Chinese New Year Pop-Up. Tickets are $22-25 and include two pints of Rahr beer (or soft drinks for the teetotalers), a souvenir Chinese New Year pint glass, and a bao-bun sandwich of your choice. It comes with mixed greens, pickled vegetables, and edamame hummus and is garnished with green onions and sesame seeds. Sauce options are BST (black pepper, salt, and Togarashi), Death Sauce, Ninja Sauce, or peanut satay curry.
3.) Panther Island Brewing (501 N Main St, 817-882-8121) is also vying for your attention Friday by bringing back its OG Friday Tours. On the last Friday of each month, head to Panther Island at 5pm for three beers and a souvenir glass for $10, followed by a brewery tour at 7pm. Panther Island will feature different musicians, food trucks, and special beer releases each month.
4.) If you can’t put down the beer or the Girl Scout cookies, you might need help. By help, I mean, Do you know how to pair them? Legal Draft Beer Co. (500 E Division St, Arlington, 817-962-2210) is here to guide you. From 1pm to 5pm Sun, come to the Girl Scout Cookie Pairing event, where you’ll enjoy five different cookies and a flight of five 5-ounce beers for $20. For the under-21 (or sober) crowd, there’s a $15 option with nonalcoholic root beer. For tickets and more info, visit LegalDraftBeer.com.
5.) One of the events at the 2022 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is a special brunch. At 11am Sun, head to Bubbles & Bites Brunch Tasting, in which area chefs pair food with sparkling wines from around the world. Tickets are $60 on EventBrite.com and include general admission to the stock show grounds. For updates on participating restaurants, keep an eye on the event page at Facebook.com/FWSSR/Events.
6.) For this month’s special dining event, World of Beer (3252 W 7th St, 682-708-7021) invites you to Breakfast in Bed Brunch at 11am Sat, Feb 5. Pajamas are highly encouraged. Along with its regular brunch menu, cereal donut bites and blueberry wheat French toast will be available for purchase, along with Pillow Fight Shots and other brunch cocktails. For more information, visit WorldofBeer.com/Breakfast-in-Bed-Brunch.
7.) From 10:30am to 2:30pm Sat, Feb 12, St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church (2020 NW 21st St, 817-626-5578) hosts its Fifth Annual Big Fat Greek Fair, featuring vendors of crafts, food trucks, and Greek pastries for sale. Admission and parking are free.
8.) Are you really into gumbo? From 5pm to 9pm Sat, Feb 26, sample gumbos made by 20 amateur, home-cook, and expert competitors at the Third Annual Gumbo Cook-Off at Twilite Lounge (212 Lipscomb St, 817-720-5483). This event is free to attend. If you’re interested in competing, email GumboCookOff22@gmail.com.
