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The Fort Worth culinary scene has been on the up and up for so long that one has to wonder whether it’s finally made it — whether it’s crossed a threshold and entered the stratospheric culinary heights of our cross-Metroplex neighbors, Dallas, or dare we say, New York. While we remain unwilling to go quite that far, thanks to some stellar restaurant openings and tried-and-true chefs continuing to churn out delectable menu items, Fort Worth’s culinary community is no doubt worthy of praise.
And, well, praise has come in the form of both a slew of James Beard Award nominees and a recent event, dubbed the Colonial Culinary Classic, held at Colonial Country Club celebrating Cowtown’s culinary scene.
The event, which is the first of its kind in Fort Worth, was an exclusive affair (only 260 attendees) that included a 20-station, 90-minute cocktail party before a sit-down six-course meal. Both the cocktail party and dinner featured dishes from a dozen of the city’s finest chefs, including previous and current James Beard Award-nominated kitchen masters. Those preparing the mouth-watering fare included Jon Bonnell of Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, Jenny Castor of Luckybee Kitchen, Tiffany Derry of Roots Southern Table, Jeremy Lamb, Lanny Lancarte II of Righteous Foods, Naveesh Laul of Omni Fort Worth, Molly McCook of Ellerbe Fine Foods, Martin Meadows of Colonial CC, and many more. (Yes, there were Dallas chefs, too, but it’s important we stress that the majority of participants were Fort Worth-based.)
And the cocktail party included 12 libations prepared by local critically acclaimed mixologists, including Iluggy Recinos of Exxir Hospitality, Markus Kypreos of Blackland Distilliong, and Doug Wright of Republic National Distributing Company.
While the event, which took place under a lot of people’s noses, showcased some of the city’s quality cuisine, the ultimate purpose was to raise money for charity. Beneficiaries of the event include Birdies for Charity and the James Beard Foundation.
To view the full menu and all of the chefs involved, click here.