City of Fort Worth
Brent Hines
Chef Brent Hines is out to smash the “rubber chicken luncheon” metaphor that’s been the bane of group meeting planners at hotel and convention centers ever since Fred Flintstone attended his first Water Buffalo Lodge meeting.
Hines, executive chef at the Fort Worth Convention Center since July 2021, not only aims to elevate a conference dining experience with euphoric flavor blends but also to make the convention center a culinary destination in its own right.
“My vision is for Fort Worth Convention Center cuisine to become a destination for groups looking for a particular food and beverage experience,” he said. “I’m designing new menus infused with local flavors and locally sourced ingredients. We want people to leave remembering the food and requesting the recipes.”
Hines, a native Texan, grew up in Chico in Wise County on an exotic game ranch for lease to deer hunters. Farm to table was part of his upbringing and daily life, where his family harvested livestock, fish, and game as well as a two-acre garden. Their closest neighbor was three miles away.
However, he was not isolated from the world. His father was an American Airlines pilot, so Hines traveled the world and became a foodie, always selecting a random — yet unbeknownst to him the most expensive — item on a foreign menu.
After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin, he landed at Keystone Ranch in Colorado, a Zagot-rated top fine dining restaurant, where he coursed out the menu, oversaw prep and served as lead line cook.
“I credit 90% of my education to Chef David there,” Hines said. “Products were sourced from around the world and everything was made from scratch.”
Moving back to Texas to be closer to family, Hines was 27 years old in his first executive chef job at Sky Creek Ranch in Keller, which received multiple awards of best new restaurant and best steakhouse. He then moved to global hospitality giants Gaylord and Benchmark before serving as executive chef at Winewood Grill in Grapevine and executive sous chef at Park House Dallas. Hines joined Trinity Food and Beverage, an arm of Omni Fort Worth Hotel, as the Fort Worth Convention Center's executive chef in June of 2021.
How does a chef produce 1,000 exquisite meals for a conference or gala, you ask?
“Planning, timing. It may take four days to receive, prep, stage, involving three other chefs and other staff for a 45-minute event,” said Hines. “It’s an uber-organized assembly line with people assigned to ovens, people assigned to plate and garnish, then the hot box, then out to event.
“It’s a different type of rush and mass production than a restaurant. You know what your week’s going to be like, menus are planned. And we can relax and enjoy after it’s all done.”
Chef Hines and two other sous chefs he recruited to the convention center from a previous employer are designing new menus for Trinity F&B. Clients can expect presentations with natural colors, such as bright orange from a carrot or a variety of reds and pinks from radishes.
Hines blends his own spices from scratch, as well as all dressings and sauces, to create unique flavor combinations with infused Texas, French, Asian, Italian, Caribbean, and Mediterranean influences. Marquee dishes include tenderloin bruschetta with arugula pesto and tomato jam, which he describes as “Italian with a Texas twist.” Other new menu items include grilled Texas watermelon with hydroponic mix greens, local goat cheese and smoked blueberry dressing; lobster mac & cheese with brandy cream, truffle essence and chervil; and duck quesadillas topped with poblano crema and corn pico de gallo.
“I’m an artist with a blank canvas, and your taste buds are the intended impression. When the flavors are well-balanced, when everything comes together in your mouth, you should have a euphoric feeling.”
The Fort Worth Convention Center, originally built in 1968 and expanded in 2002, is planning a $450 million phased expansion over the next five years that will include a new, state-of-the-art catering kitchen that will provide the ability to serve larger shows with 5,000-10,000 people attending events.
With two sons ages 6 and 11, Hines enjoys camping, fishing, grilling and the outdoors, making cooking a multi-generational affair. His grandparents Bobby and Wadene Hines had several restaurants in Fort Worth: Anne’s Café, Bobby’s, Fleetway on 28th St., and Wadene’s, which is now the Star Café in the historic Stockyards District. In fact, Wadene was an active business supporter in the restoration of the Stockyards in the 1970s and ‘80s, and Chef Hines’ great grandfather owned Drive In Cattle Commission company in the 1900s.
“My grandparents both had a passion for Fort Worth and for sharing food, and although my grandfather passed away before I was born, I feel it in my blood.”
Andra Bennett works in the city of Fort Worth's Public Events Department
