ATE DAY8 a Week // Holidates

Here are our Top 8 food and booze events happening soon in North Texas.

1.) Join Chef Jeff Williams and his team at Taste Community Restaurant (1200 S Main St, Fort Worth, TasteProject.org) as they explore the new winter menu. Williams will prepare a series of small bites at the Winter Menu Tasting. “I have chosen a mix of healthy and hearty meals to accommodate the foodies in the neighborhood while also remembering this may be the only meal some of our guests eat all day.” You see, Taste Project is a nonprofit that aims to feed, educate, and serve people, one community at a time. The menu has no prices. Instead, guests are asked to pay what they can afford, what they would typically pay, or the typical amount plus a little extra to help the cause. Reserve your spot at Eventbrite.com.

2.) At 9am Sat, enjoy all-you-can-eat pancakes with Santa at Lava Cantina (5805 Grandscape Blvd, The Colony, 214-618-6893). Crazy and regular toppings and a juice/hot chocolate bar will be available. You can also take a picture with the big guy. Then, at 10am, stay for a screening of The Grinch (2000). Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for kids aged 12 and under on Eventbrite.com.

3.) From 1pm to 5pm Sat, TX Whiskey unveils its latest release. Sold exclusively at TX Whiskey Ranch (2601 Whiskey Ranch Rd, Fort Worth, 817-840-9140), the new TX Experimental Series Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey Double Oak can be purchased at this 21+ event, and samples will be available upon request. There will also be food trucks and live music, plus Airstyle Art will be on-site for complimentary bottle engraving with your bottle purchase. Tickets are $10 at FRDistilling.com.

4.) After you eat pancakes, watch The Grinch, and buy whiskey, cap off your Saturday night at Martin House Brewing Company (220 S Sylvania Av, Ste 209, Fort Worth, 817-222-0177). Starting at 6pm, three local metal bands — #FWWMA23 nominees One-Eyed Monsters along with Disarm and Ritual Abuse — will perform as part of Martin House’s inaugural Metal Fest. There is no cost to attend, but with a $15 wristband special, you will also receive a souvenir pint glass and four beers. Horns up!

5.) At 12:30pm Sun, the Farmhouse Christmas Cookie Decorating Class rolls into Aly’s Sweet Spot (3720 Convair Dr, Ste 416, Fort Worth, 682-231-1448). This beginner’s class can seat up to 16 people, and for the cost of $25 per person, everything you need is provided, including the cookies, icing, sprinkles, and a tray to transport them home. For more information, visit Facebook.com/AlysSweetSpot and then register on Eventbrite.com to attend.

6.) At 6:30pm Fri, Dec 8, at Indulge FW inside 3rd Street Market (425 W 3rd St, Fort Worth, 817-585-1931), the technique class Date Night: Seafood Paella Party will demonstrate how to make Paella Valenciana with seafood at home. This classic Spanish rice dish will be paired with ensalada de tomate (tomato salad) and pan con tomato (tomato bread), plus beer and wine will be available for purchase. Chef Nathanael Gassett of Wero Kitchen leads the class. Among his other accolades, Gassett has been a featured chef for events at the Kimbell Art Museum and Tastemakers, has hosted the web series Dining with Wero for Visit Fort Worth, and has made television appearances on NBC’s Texas Today and Telemundo’s Acceso Total sharing recipes and cooking tips. The cost is $170 per couple or $89 per person at IndulgeFW.com.

7.) What wine pairs best with lobster? WineHaus (1628 Park Place Av, Fort Worth, 817-887-9101) will gladly tell you Fri, Dec 8, when the Cousins Maine Lobster food truck is parked here from 5pm to 9pm. Lobster bisque, lobster grilled cheese, lobster rolls, lobster tacos, and more lobsteriffic goodies will be available for purchase.

8.) Every Saturday thru Dec 30, Texas Republic (945 Foch St, Fort Worth, 817-887-9797) hosts Old School Hip-Hop Brunch from noon to 4pm with a 30-item brunch buffet, mimosas, and a live DJ spinning old-school jams. Tickets that include one mimosa are $20 per person (21+), but you can also upgrade to bottomless mimosas for an additional $12. Reserve your tickets at Eventbrite.com.