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Contributors Questions What is the one cookbook that you cannot live without?

Issue 26 | Eat, Drink, and Be Merry November/December 2021 Publisher Editor Associate Publisher

Victoria Wise Lee Virden Geurkink Jennifer Kieta

Lee

Sarah

Hannah

Elisabeth

The 1975 edition of The Joy of Cooking.

The cookbook my Aunt Wendy made me 15 years ago.

The Deﬁned Dish Cookbook by Alex Snodgrass.

The Fanny Farmer Cookbook

Contributing Writers Sarah Angle

Elisabeth Ivy

Edward Brown

Tricia Jenkins

Hannah Bush

Caroline Pierce

Buck Elliott

Julie K. Rhodes

Gretta Hendricks

Contributing Photographer Jeremy Enlow

Edward

Trish

Caroline

Victoria

I don’t own a cookbook. Maybe I Should Probably Buy a Cookbook?

The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen. The illustrations make it irresistible.

Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Giada De Laurentiis.

Vegetable by Nitty Gritty Books because my husband thinks meat is a complete meal.

Illustrator Trish Wise

Lead Design

Cover Design

Conor Dardis

Victoria Wise

Madeworthy Magazine is an extension of Tanglewood Moms, LLC., and serves to tell community stories for a family audience. For website and magazine advertising opportunities, please contact: Victoria@MadeworthyMedia.com Looking for more copies Madeworthy Magazine? You can subscribe at TanglewoodMoms.com for free or pick up copies at Central Market in Fort Worth or Whole Foods in the Waterside shopping center.

by Sarah Angle Sticky fingers. Gingerbread houses. And lots of laughter. That’s been the very merry scene of a 20-year Christmas tradition in Fort Worth called Cookies & Castles. Not only does this Fort Worth tradition look good, taste good, and smell good (hello, gingerbread!), but it’s also raised $1 million for Cook Children’s Hematology and Oncology Department since its inception over two decades ago. “We are so grateful for the support that the Fort Worth Alumnae Chapter of Delta Delta Delta provides to our Hematology and Oncology Center,” said Wendy Eubank, Community Partner Fundraising Coordinator at Cook Children’s Health Foundation. “Since 2001, Cookies & Castles has given over one million dollars to help us treat children who have been diagnosed with a variety of cancers. Gifts like this are what allow us to pursue the most innovative therapies such as our Cellular Immunotherapy Program and provide our patients with excellent care and improve their quality of life.” The event was started by the Fort Worth Tri Delta Alumnae Chapter in 2001, and the gingerbread house decorating celebration has grown bigger — and sweeter — ever since. The two-day event at the beginning of December consists of four different decorating extravaganzas: a ladies’ luncheon, two family party nights, and a tween decorating party. Each event can hold about 300 people, and the fabulous creations are made inside University Christian

Julie

Buck

Tricia

The cookbook my grandmother’s church put together many years ago called Symbols of Sharing. I love looking up the recipes she contributed from many generations back in our family.

Fuel Your Body: How to Cook and Eat for Peak Performance by Angie Asche. There are many approachable recipes that are both prep or cooking, and Asche is also a Registered Dietician and Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics.

I can live without cookbooks but my two favorite are Nigella Lawson’s How to be a Domestic Goddess and my 1970s Better Homes and Garden cookbook because it has the absolute best chocolate chip cookie recipe!

Church. But what is really made with all that icing, M&Ms, and food coloring are memories. For the nearly 1,200 families that join the festivities each year, they are connecting with the community, giving back financially to our city, and taking a moment to create joy with the people who matter most. Today, that matters more than ever because joy has been harder to find as the pandemic rages on and continues to impact lives and change the traditions we’ve all come to love — which is why Cookies & Castles is extra special this year. “We started going as children,” said Mary Katherine Clarke, the 2021 event co-chair. “I can remember going when it was held at Texas Christian University (TCU). It was in the building by the stadium, but it’s a very messy event! So, we couldn’t stay there very long,” Clarke laughed. Clarke says it’s an “all hands-on deck community event” that’s created a bond between members of the community, TCU, and Cook Children’s for all these years. So, what’s the secret to creating a dazzling and deliciously adorned gingerbread house? “It’s helpful to go into it with a plan so you know what type of candy to get for your house. Using lots of icing is key to making those heavier candies stick and spending some time on the ‘yard’ around the house

adds a lot to the finished product,” said Clarke. “Most importantly, have fun and make sure to eat some candy along the way!” Part of the sweet success of the event is its ability to contribute to the Jean Wiggen Roach Scholarship Fund, which provides financial assistance to an outstanding TCU member of the Tri Delta sorority each year. Giving back to TCU students and Cook Children’s is why the founders, Page Doby and Kelley Hanley, started getting their hands sweet and sticky in the first place. “In the late 1990s, Tri Delta was looking for a way to raise funds for the hospital. Kelly and I were talking about event ideas knowing we wanted to make sure the event would be multi-generational and fun for the whole community, while raising a lot of funds for the hospital,” said Doby. “Cookies & Castles met all the criteria! It started off small and each chair has put their own improvement on the event to build it to where it is today. We are blown away by the women, who as children, attended the event with their mothers and are now bringing their children. It has become a family event that kicks off the holiday season in Fort Worth every year.” Photo by Jason Munford

Fairmount’s Festivus: It Really Is for the Rest of Us

“At first, it was just a neighborhood thing” that wasn’t organized, said Lori Gallagher, who has co-organized the events with Kelly Bowden since 2018.

by Edward Brown Fun, off-kilter, slightly goofy events like Festivus are a natural fit for the Fairmount community. The tight-knit Near Southside neighborhood is home to newer, young couples and older residents who remember when the historic neighborhood wasn’t the desirable hotspot that it is today. While most people know of Festivus from the famous Seinfeld episode “The Strike.” Frank Costanza claims he created the secular holiday as a response to the commercialization of Christmas. In reality, Festivus was conceived in the 1960s. Author and editor Daniel O’Keefe envisioned the holiday as a nonreligious celebration that includes the outward trapping of Christmas but none of the commercial baggage. The Festivus pole, for example, consists of a lone aluminum pole that leaves Charlie Brown’s tree appearing comparatively decadent. (It’s interesting to note that Daniel O’Keefe’s son, Dan, co-wrote “The Strike,” thereby bringing Festivus to the rest of us.) Since 2014, Festivus has become a beloved part of the holiday season for Fairmount residents. Brandon Garrett and his wife Christa started the annual tradition in 2014.

“The neighborhood always goes all out when decorating,” she continued. “That’s kind of our thing. We have these historic houses and front porches. Brandon came up with the idea of doing a bus tour.” That first year, Festivus revelers met at BREWED where they could board buses which then toured the Fairmount neighborhood. Along the pre-planned route, residents reenacted scenes from popular holiday traditions and movies. The Nutcracker, Christmas Vacation, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas are perennial favorites. Residents also had the opportunity to vote on the best-decorated homes — a tradition that has carried to this day. Another annual tradition has

been the donation of gifts to One Safe Place, a nonprofit that prevents violence in Tarrant County’s neighborhoods, schools, and homes. “The next year, we moved [Festivus] to The Space,” Gallagher said. “People bought tickets and got a tour. That worked for a few years.” Bowden’s Rosen House Inn, a bed and breakfast, served as a kid-friendly Festivus stop that featured choirs, hot chocolate, and meet ‘n greets with Santa Claus. After 2017, the Garretts opted out of organizing the events. In 2018, a “couple of people came and said we are not having Festivus,” Gallagher recalled. “[We said] ‘Oh, we have to have Festivus.’ It ended up that Kelly and I took over as cochairs. She is the doer. I’m the one taking notes.” Despite the pandemic, Festivus and the donations to One Safe Place continued in 2020 with public health accommodations. In lieu of a bus, participants drove themselves through the pre-planned route, and gifts were dropped off

with minimal physical contact, the co-organizers said. This year’s Festivus festivities will take similar precautions, they added. Bowden said that, for Fairmounters, Festivus kicks off the season of giving. “It’s an all-inclusive Christmas spirit,” she said. Gallagher added that the celebration brings the neighborhood together through friendly rivalries via the house decorating contest. In the weeks leading up to Festivus (which is typically held the first weekend in December), the co-chairs canvass Fairmount to see who needs help decorating their homes. If a family is in financial need, the Festivus crew will donate time and resources, even if it occasionally ends up helping the wrong home. “One couple contacted me about light decorations,” Gallagher recalled with a laugh. “They weren’t home. I put all the lights up, and it was the wrong house. I had to take them all down. They were like, ‘We were waiting for you!’” Fairmount residents “take great pride in” their home decorations, Gallagher said. “They want people to show off our neighborhood.” NUSA, a national neighborhood advocacy group, recently awarded Fairmount’s Festivus event with its Neighborhood of the Year Award in the Social Revitalization/Neighborliness category. As for any changes to this year’s festivities, Gallagher would only say that there are some “big surprises planned.” So, stay tuned. After all, even if you don’t live in Fairmount, Festivus really is for the rest of us. Photo courtesy of Historic Fairmount

Fresh Family Recipes

Vegan Ceviche A good host will want to have options for all their guests. (Okay, that sounds like something straight out of Miss Manners!) This is a great appetizer for holiday parties, courtesy of Wero Kitchen’s Nathanael Gassett. It’s delicious and healthy, and it will please the palates of vegans and carnivores alike!

Ingredients

Lanny Lancarte shares an easy, healthy recipe for this holiday season. The subject of our cover story, Lancarte has brought the ghost kitchen concept to Fort Worth. This recipe can easily be scaled up for a party or just for a hungry family!

½ cup fresh lime juice 1 fresh coconut 2 teaspoons kosher salt 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 1 summer squash (calabaza, yellow, or zucchini may be used), diced 2 Roma tomatoes, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced 3 to 5 fresh tomatillos, husks removed, halved and thinly sliced 2 stalks celery, cut into thirds ¼ of a large red onion, thinly sliced Cilantro leaves 1 avocado, sliced 1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced into rounds Tortilla chips or tostadas to serve

Ingredients

Directions

For the sauce 1 cup hazelnut oil (Editor’s Note: you can substitute avocado oil, but the flavor will be different) 12 ounces unsalted cashews 2 to 4 chipotles in adobo, to taste 4 to 7 cloves roasted garlic 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth Juice of two limes 2 tablespoons salt plus more to taste 1 bunch chives, minced

To prepare the fresh coconut: Using a screwdriver and hammer, carefully create a small hole in one of the “eyes” of the coconut and drain all the water into a bowl. Set the coconut water aside.

By Lee Virden Geurkink

Beef Skewers with Chipotle Cashew Sauce

Wrap the coconut in a kitchen towel and, using the hammer, break the coconut into smaller pieces.

For the skewers 1 pound skirt steak or tenderloin, cut into 2-ounce pieces

Directions For the sauce Put the oil and cashews into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and set aside. Add the chipotles, chicken or vegetable broth, lime juice, and 2 tablespoons salt to the blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return the cashew butter to the blender or food processor and blend with chile puree until fully incorporated. Put into a bowl and stir in most of the chives. Adjust seasoning as needed.

Use the back of a knife blade to separate the meat from the shell. Remove the hard brown layer from the white coconut meat with a vegetable peeler. Cut into thin slices and set aside.

For the skewers Thread the beef onto either soaked bamboo skewers or metal skewers. Don’t pack too much onto each skewer! Grill on a hot grill or in a hot skillet until all sides are seared brown. Season with salt and drape some of the sauce over before serving. This will serve 4 as an entrée.

Mix the fresh lime juice with ½ cup of the reserved coconut water, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 2 cloves of garlic. Set aside. Combine the squash, tomatoes, tomatillos, and red onion with the coconut. Using a vegetable peeler, make long shavings of celery and combine those with the vegetables. Toss with the lime and coconut water mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes or up to overnight.

Sweet Potato Pie This recipe, referenced in Elisabeth Ivy's article on page 12, is the first published recipe for a sweet potato pie. It is perhaps scant on directions, but like all good recipes, it allows the cook to decide how to personalize it. So get creative and experiment!

To serve, slice the avocado and arrange on tostadas or on a serving plate. Add the ceviche and top with cilantro leaves and thin rings of serrano pepper. This serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer.

I promise that you’ll be pleased with the results. (The recipe is reproduced here as it appears in the cookbook.) "Two pounds of potatoes will make two pies. Boil the potatoes soft; peel and mash fine through a cullender [sic] while hot; one tablespoonful of butter to be mashed in with the potato. Take five eggs and beat the yelks [sic] and whites separate and add one gill of milk; sweeten to taste; squeeze the juice of one orange, and grate one-half of the peel into the liquid. One half teaspoonful of salt in the potatoes. Have only one crust and that at the bottom of the plate. Bake quickly."

Illustration by Trish Wise

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Hopeful Expectations: The 2021 Lone Star Film Festival by Tricia Jenkins Ethan Hawke. Richard Linklater. Channing Godfrey Peoples. Krys Boyd. Michael Martin Murphey.

These are just a few of the outstanding artists and personalities who will participate in the 15th annual Lone Star Film Festival and Gala this November 11 through 14 in downtown Fort Worth. The festival’s centerpiece event, billed as a “vintage Western” gala, will be held on Saturday, November 13, at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. KERA’s Krys Boyd will host a Q&A with Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater. The Oscar-nominated pair will discuss their numerous

collaborations over the years, including Boyhood and the Before film trilogy. The event will also honor Fort Worth native Channing Godfrey Peoples for her direction of the critically acclaimed Miss Juneteenth.

Michael Martin Murphey, a Bass Hall favorite, will be honored for his work in film scoring. Further guaranteeing that guests have an epically good time, the gala will also feature an open bar, dinner by Café Modern by Wolfgang Puck, and a lively after-party featuring DJ Vinyl Ranch. While gala tickets are sold separately (and function as the major fundraiser for the non-profit), the rest of this year’s festival is dedicated to film buffs who want to enjoy a relaxed, communal, and unique movie experience. Badge holders for this year’s fest will enjoy unlimited screenings at both the Modern Art Museum and the Downtown Cowtown theater, along with VIP Lounge access where drinks and Q&A sessions with filmmakers will be held. Individual tickets for specific films will also be available. “After not hosting a single in-person event last year,” says the festival’s Director Chad Mathews,

“It’s exciting to be reopening with a varied yet compact line-up of films. More than ever, the movies that have come out of the last twenty months of this pandemic reflect timely themes coupled with hopeful expectations, and this year’s film festival is the perfect setting to experience them all. I can’t wait to share these films in auditoriums with live moviegoers and filmmakers, where movies on the screen turn into conversations in the lobby.” The Lone Star Film Festival continues to diversify its programming. Working in collaboration with the festival, the Denton Black Film Festival is curating a block of short films by black artists for Sunday afternoon. On Saturday, another block of short films will feature the work of high school filmmakers. The festival will also include over twenty feature-length films from a host of independent filmmakers, as well as Q&A panels with those creators. Attendees can also see Sony Pictures Classic’s new documentary Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America (a recent audience winner at SXSW), in addition to the studio’s feature film Jockey, written and directed by Clint Bentley. The festival is an important event for the city, as Fort Worth has hosted an increasing number of major film and television productions in the last few years, including 12 Mighty Orphans, Miss Juneteenth, and Y:1883 (the prequel to the Paramount Network series Yellowstone). The Lone Star Film Society (‘LSFS’) has been central in helping Fort Worth build its creative class and encourages film production, tourism, and art appreciation. Indeed, 12 Mighty Orphans was partially conceived at the society’s film festival, as the film’s director Ty Roberts first connected with producers Michael DeLuca and Angelique DeLuca at the event. As part of its mission, the LSFS also runs several film education programs in order to spark Fort Worth teens’ interest and technical expertise in cinematic storytelling, creating a new and vibrant generation of filmmakers. In addition, the society hosts public screenings, networking events, professional workshops, and film discussions year-round.

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My love for flour tortillas cannot be over-embellished. There is no hyperbole to do my love for them justice. I also adore Nacho Cheese Doritos and can annihilate a Family Size bag. And cheese? A life without cheese is a life without meaning. When I fell ill last year with a long form of COVID-19, no doctor could give me a magic pill for a host of symptoms. I turned to a good friend who recommended I connect with a functional medicine nutritionist. I had already read about functional medicine in Sarah Ramey’s fascinating book, The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness, and was sold on the concept. In theory. But how did functional medicine work, anyway? How did functional medicine nutrition work? And would the lifestyle changes be worth it? Since August of 2020, I’ve been partnering with Katie Garrott, founder of Wise Wellness here in Fort Worth. In that time, I’ve regained energy, my lungs have made a full recovery, my heart has stopped racing, my head is clearer, and my bowels have gotten right with the Lord. A combination of time, dietary overhaul, a tailored supplement regimen, exercise, and sleep has helped me make great progress under Katie’s guidance. Would these things have righted themselves anyway within the course of a year? Let’s put it this way: I’m not willing to go back in time and find out. (Plus, losing 10 pounds hasn’t been a half-bad side effect, either.) I asked Katie to give us a wee crash course in her approach and methods. Who knows, maybe you’ll be willing to trade in your Doritos, too — at least for now.

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How would you deﬁne functional medicine? Functional medicine aims to get to the root causes of health issues. It’s evidence-based, meaning that recommendations are derived from the scientific literature. But it’s also holistic, acknowledging that mind, body, and soul all play a part and that everything is connected. The goal of a functional medicine practitioner is to find out what you’ve been exposed to throughout your life that is causing your body to malfunction, and what needs to be added in that will allow it to function better. It’s patient-centered rather than diseasecentered, so it focuses on customizing treatment to the individual and optimizing health rather than following a protocol for a disease. What part does nutrition play in functional medicine? The four foundations of wellness are nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress recovery. Of these, nutrition can make the most significant difference! Our diet can create and add to dysfunction in the body, or it can provide the building blocks and healing compounds to improve how you function. With your body functioning well, it has an incredible ability to self-heal. Who is most likely to beneﬁt from functional medicine? Functional medicine is for those looking to optimize health for prevention or to resolve symptoms that aren’t lifethreatening. Common conditions we help people heal from are gut issues, headaches, allergies, joint pain, autoimmunity, fatigue, hormonal imbalances, high cholesterol and blood sugar, anxiety, and depression.

Are we experts in every one of these? No. But we’re experts at how the body works and how to restore it. You do have to be willing to change your lifestyle and address these issues, though! OK, be real. How will my diet need to change? I’m always real! A healthy diet starts with eating as much food as you can from your own kitchen and from whole foods. You’ll focus on plant-based fat and fiber, such as olives, avocado, nuts, seeds, fruits, and veggies. And you’ll want to get clean, lean proteins to support your metabolism such as chicken and fish. Then based on your particular issues, we’ll let you know which foods may be exacerbating your symptoms that you would want to remove to feel better. What are the beneﬁts of an antiinﬂammatory diet? Some foods by their very nature can increase inflammation, such as fried foods, high sodium, refined sugars, and flours, etc. Certain foods, which are different for each person, can trigger a myriad of symptoms such as migraines, allergies, or heartburn. So, when we eat an anti-inflammatory diet, we maintain a healthier weight, experience fewer symptoms, and have better labs. Studies also show that a healthy diet reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and dementia.

For many of us, the holidays revolve around family recipes that while they might be good for the soul, aren’t quite so good for the body. Katie has some suggestions for easy ingredient substitutions to make your holiday recipes a little healthier. Photo by Yvonne Elizabeth Photography

Photos by Jeremy Enlow

The Ghosts of Kitchens Past and Future Halloween might be over, but Funkytowners can expect regular visits from ghosts. Ghost kitchens, that is. by Buck Elliott Fort Worth’s North Side will soon be home to a kitchen serving up dinners with a familiar culinary pedigree, prepared and delivered differently from anything to which we’re accustomed. This kitchen, which most of its patrons will never see, much less set foot in, lies less than a mile away from its roots. Joe T. Garcia’s indubitably is the most famous restaurant in Fort Worth. That fame is due in large part because of their strict adherence to tradition and steadfast commitment to bucking change. Surprisingly, the continuing popularity of Joe T’s culinary legacy is challenging and changing the landscape of our city’s restaurants. Lanny Lancarte, Jr. (known to many as Little Lanny) is the scion of the Lancarte family who continues to run their iconic restaurant at Commerce St. and 23rd, where customers happily pass margarita pitchers while waiting in line to sit on what is possibly the most recognizable patio in Texas. The only son of the oldest of the Lancarte siblings, Lanny sees the restaurant as much as his childhood home as his family’s business. “My great-grandmother and grandmother lived in the back there in the apartment [on the property], and with how much my parents worked, if we wanted to see them, that’s where we were. I slept at Joe T’s most nights.” Lancarte laughed when remembering his great-grandmother making enchilada gravy in the small apartment kitchen. Now living in the Overton Park area, Lancarte attended Arlington Heights High School before graduating from TCU, and his culinary personality is a hybrid of his childhood at Joe T’s and his education at the Culinary Institute of America in New York.

Lancarte ventured out of the stone walls of his families’ establishment when he opened a standalone fine dining restaurant, Lanny’s Alta Cocina Mexicana, in 2005. The restaurant, located on West 7th in the Museum District, served high-end yet traditional Mexican cuisine combined with classical European preparations, a far cry from the fajitas and enchiladas of Tex-Mex. The dishes were inspired by years of Lancarte’s tasting pilgrimages in Mexico, as well as time spent externing in Chicago with Rick Bayless, the father of modern Mexican cuisine in America.

“”

Things changed as Fort Worth started to grow… it brought more diners to the table. “That was before I knew anything about public relations or marketing, I was just doing what I liked to do and hoping somebody noticed,” Lancarte said. He took on fine dining because he loved traveling to learn about food, and he wanted to experiment with the foods of different regions in Mexico. Lancarte remembers the late 1990s and early 2000s as a time when creativity was widely

embraced. Food writers like Anthony Bourdain were educating the public as to what chefs really do to transport their customers to a different world through their inventive dishes. But the high didn’t last. “In 2009 or 2010, fine dining seems like it hit its zenith, and just died. It seemed like everything [after] that was being done was regurgitated and plagiarized.” At the turn of the century, Lancarte said that Fort Worth was a city with a small-town feel. There were few independent restaurants in town. The restaurant “scene” was such that even chain openings seemed like a big deal. Lanny’s Alta Cocina Mexicana was an expression of its owner’s creativity, and it filled a void in Fort Worth. “Things changed as [Fort Worth] started to grow… it brought more diners to the table. We were still kind of a sleepy town when we opened. [Alta Cocina Mexicana was] was closed on Sundays and Mondays because there was absolutely no reason to be open. There were no diners out there. We could probably have been closed on Tuesday and Wednesday also.” Lancarte knows that Fort Worthians have always been interested in food but have traditionally patronized the same few restaurants that they have gone to since they were children. Compared to markets like Los Angeles or New York, Fort Worth’s restaurant industry is still in its infancy, but as new and more residents arrive, Lancarte expects to see more diversity and creativity in the food scene. “When your audience is small, you can only have so much fun,” he said. “[In bigger cities] you can do something totally unique and funky, and you’d have an audience of people who’ll get it and be into it.”

on house-made thick or thin crusts garnished with plays on classical Mexican ingredients. These three concepts (for now) make up Lancarte’s Fantasma Kitchens. Lancarte, despite his hectic lifestyle of parenting, partnering, and running his expanding restaurant empire, is still a big sports fan. While the TCU alum doesn’t consider himself a Frog Football fanatic because he doesn’t have season tickets, he admits that’s only because he used to spend so much time working weekends that he didn’t have the opportunity to attend many games. Now he and Raven, who is a Texas Wesleyan alumna, try to take their kids to as many football games as possible.

Photo courtesy of Lanny Lancarte

When Lancarte got married, he had to take a break from extended international tasting trips, but staying closer to home rekindled his passion for outdoor sports. The avid snowboarder and cyclist also changed his restaurant. Righteous Foods emphasizes innovative healthy dishes which cater primarily to breakfast and lunch diners. Righteous Foods doesn’t require the late nights commonly associated with running a restaurant. “I didn’t want to work late every night, weekends, and holidays anymore.” Both Lanny’s Alta Cocina Mexicana and Righteous Foods were and are primarily focused on traditional sit-in dining, with catering and pickup as afterthoughts. As his family life evolved, the chef evolved as well, spending time training for endurance racing on his road bicycle and pouring himself into new dining possibilities. The idea for his first ghost kitchen grew out of another major life transition as the parent of two children. Lancarte and his wife Raven noticed that they were ordering food out more frequently. The father of two, who in his free time coaches his daughter’s soccer team, saw the need for something fans of good food can partner with their parenting lifestyles. The concept of a ghost kitchen is new to Fort Worth but has been around for several years. “They’ve been on the coasts… [they] started as a real estate play from tech investors who were buying… locations and carving them into small spaces for 20 or 30 micro kitchens to operate,” Lanny explained. “They were leveraging the technology to exclusively deliver through thirdparty vendors like Door Dash, mostly in the fastfood genre.” The ghost concept is geared towards the busy weekday diner. After all, our busy lives tend to make it easier to go through a drive-thru even if we’re craving our favorite restaurant. “During the week most [traditional] restaurants are kind of slower, so during the weekdays [a ghost kitchen] provides an option for people who are leaving work for their kids’ practice or rehearsal that isn’t ChickFil-A or Whataburger.” The food is also intended to

be more approachable, to be enjoyed on the go, and to feed a group watching a football game or a hungry soccer team. Lancarte was intrigued by the idea of a ghost kitchen and decided it was just what Fort Worth needed. “I began working on Eat Fajitas back in 2017,” when Raven was expecting their second child. The chef knew a kitchen offering high-quality food for delivery was something other parents would want in their lives. The problem was finding a space from which to launch Eat Fajitas permanently. COVID-19 sped up the plans for Eat Fajitas. Like many restauranteurs, Lancarte wanted to keep as many of his employees working as possible through the shutdown. Every staff member became a potential delivery driver for either Eat Fajitas or Righteous Foods. “It’s different having a friendly, trained, and uniformed employee of the restaurant you’re ordering from to deliver your food… it makes for a better experience.” While the original ghost kitchens were born to partner with third-party delivery services, Lancarte sought a different, and according to him, better design. Everything from his kitchens is delivered by the kitchens’ employees, with all accoutrements branded for a consistent experience. “We saw a lot of questionable things with pick-up services. One driver picked up an order from Righteous and took it into the bathroom with her… when she came out, we had to stop her and remake the entire order,” Lancarte recounted in horror. He wouldn’t specify which service the driver worked for, but he said they tried to train ones that regularly picked up to preserve the best possible customer experience. Eat Fajitas might seem like a natural progression for someone from the Joe T’s family, but additional ghost concepts are coming, and they’re coming quickly. Lancarte has secured a location near his family’s restaurant on the North Side, and is preparing to deliver chicken and pizza as well. The facility, located in a former Methodist church built in the 1930s, received its final inspections the day before we spoke, and he’s preparing to migrate the fajita concept from Righteous Foods to join his other micro kitchens. El Pollo Tocayo will feature smoked or fried chicken with sides cooked with a Mexican flair, while Pizza Zapasta will offer pizza

The family frequents TCU basketball games, for which they do have season tickets. While he obviously enjoys football and basketball, Lancarte’s eyes lit up when our conversation turned to hockey. He energetically described trying to rig a television to watch the Dallas Stars’ Stanley Cup games on the Joe T’s patio, and he reminisced about the restaurant’s recreational hockey team. “In the late 90s, we had a hockey team for three seasons. One of the Fort Worth Fire [a semi-pro team which played from 1992-1997] coaches was friends with a guy who worked there.” When his life slows down, if it ever does, he’s hoping to pick up permanent seats for the Stars’ games in the American Airlines Center. Gameday eating, even from an award-winning chef, is typically unremarkable. Lancarte said if his family is at home watching a game alone, they’ll probably order food to avoid cleaning the kitchen. If they’re entertaining, the menu is largely dependent on their guests’ tastes. “We make wings and traditional things but might make little tweaks like cooking it over a live fire, or lamb ribs instead of pork ribs.” Lancarte admitted that he’s gotten carried away with some high-end modifications to traditional spreads when they hosted Super Bowl parties in the balmy pre-pandemic days. He is, after all, a chef, and chefs tend to go a little crazy when they’re cooking for friends. Ever the entrepreneur, Lancarte has his eyes on promoting his new concepts through TCU athletes. Now that the NCAA’s Name, Image, and Likeness rules have changed, he’s planning on opening his doors to Horned Frogs to sample his dishes and possibly develop a promotional relationship. Lanny Lancarte grew up in the Fort Worth restaurant world, but he feels he’s just getting started in the ghost kitchen world. But he’s already planning on expanding his ghostly dynasty and hopes to carry as many as five concepts out of his repurposed church on the North Side. There is even the possibility for an event space or even a small dine-in patio. “To me, [the North Side] is home – it’s cool, it’s funky, and it’s been largely ignored.” Fort Worth is an old city, and like many old cities, it has its fair share of ghosts. Now it seems that kitchen ghosts (or ghost kitchens) are carrying new life into an old neighborhood.

When I was a little girl, Thanksgiving was my favorite time of year. It usually signaled the first significant snowfall in southern Ohio, and it was the season of my Aunt Gail’s sweet potato pie, a moist pastry shell filled with a rich, spicy, mahogany custard. It was a pie that proudly sat on the dessert table next to its watery, pale, pumpkin cousin. I’m obviously Team Sweet Potato. I wondered why Aunt Gail arrived at Grandma’s house every Thanksgiving with those pies packed in brown paper boxes, still cold after the drive from Cleveland. No one in my family cared for those pies. Mincemeat and pumpkin were the stars of the holidays. But I could eat an entire pie on my own over the course of the holiday week. The others were eaten by Aunt Gail’s husband and daughters. I was much older before I understood that those sweet, spicy pies were Aunt Gail’s way of embracing the Southern heritage that is embedded in the fabric of the big Northern cities – courtesy of the six million African Americans who migrated north between 1916 and 1970. There is no question that the sweet potato pie has roots in the Southern tradition, but I have often wondered why. Sweet potatoes originated in Central America and spread northward

SWEET POTATO PIE: a testament to history and to family by Elisabeth Ivy

during the Spanish Conquest of the 1500s. When enslaved people of the Southern states encountered the orange, soft fleshed tuber, they immediately connected the sweet potato to the yam, a West African staple. As a result, Americans often refer to sweet potatoes and yams interchangeably, although they are quite different. As most African preparations of yams are savory and not sweet, it is reasonable to question how the sweet potato became a pie. And although I imagined sweet potato pies as food to salve my enslaved ancestors’ souls, the truth is the sweet potato pie was a product of European influence. In England, it was common to wrap various roots and veggies in pie crust. It is suggested that Henry VIII loved sweet potato tarts. There is, however, no additional historical record of the sweet potato pie in the European tradition until the 1700s when Hannah Glasse published The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy. One recipe involved taking boiled and mashed root vegetables, combining them with butter, sugar, milk, and eggs, before baking in a single pie crust. Subsequently, this dessert became popular in colonial America. In the Northern states, pumpkins were easier to grow, while in the South, sweet potatoes reigned supreme. And who was in those Southern kitchens? Americans of African descent. It was in those pre-Civil War kitchens that agricultural convenience, societal hierarchy, and culture converged. Enslaved Africans in the South had neither the access to the ingredients nor equipment necessary to perfect the sweet potato pie in their cramped quarters. The first sweet potato pies were requested by and perfected for the slave owners in the Big House as a way to imitate European traditions.

After the Civil War, Southerners continued to favor the sweet potato pie to thumb their noses at the Northern pumpkin pie. African Americans contributed to the narrative because the sweet potato was preferable to their palates. By 1881, a Black woman named Abby Fisher published a cookbook with a recipe for sweet potato pie, possibly the first recipe of its kind (see page 6). Over time, the sweet potato pie became an integral part of the identity of the involuntary African immigrant. Just as there is no definitive source for the origin of the sweet potato pie, there is no one definitive recipe for it. I have asked my Aunt Gail for her recipe, and she shares it, never fully quantifying how much spice to add, qualifying what kind of crust to use, or clarifying which type of milk to include. Apparently, baking a sweet potato pie doesn’t conform to an exact set of rules. The process is unique to the baker; a fact wholly supported by the recipe found in my mother’s 1965 edition of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, which is exceedingly sparse in its instructions. Maybe the unrestricted nature of sweet potato pie is the reason it is of importance in the Black family tradition. For many, it is a testament to the way their African ancestors took a new American cultural icon and reinvented it with a slightly different substance and more vibrant flavor. For others, it is one of a few examples of something that is uniquely theirs. For me, it is a reminder of my “dual-lens perspective” of the world and a testament to why that additional perspective should always be cherished and remembered. I understand Pumpkin. I identify Sweet Potato. I think I like it that way.

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Ol’ South Pancake House

by Caroline Pierce

What comes to mind when I say German pancakes, fresh coffee, and latenight conversations? Most Fort Worth residents know that could only mean one thing: Ol’ South Pancake House. Founded in 1962 by brother and sister David and Bette Benson, the unassuming restaurant with the best breakfast in town has become a Fort Worth institution. People of all ages flock to the restaurant for the tasty food, strong coffee, and the blast-from-the-past decor. Generations of Fort Worth folks have celebrated birthdays, christenings, weddings, and just about any other life event over Dutch Babies or chicken fried steak and eggs. Business deals are struck over blueberry pancakes or a Big Ol’ Breakfast Burrito. Recently, I interviewed owner Rex Benson, son of David, to find out what makes Ol’ South Pancake House so special. How has Ol’ South seen Fort Worth grow over the years?

What is the most eclectic dish served at Ol’ South?

We have seen the extreme growth of Fort Worth over the years. When TCU went to the Big 12 years ago, that seemed to be the initial growth spurt for the city.

I would say our Skillet is our most eclectic item on our menu. It really has everything in it. It’s an open-faced biscuit, with hash browns, scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, meat choice of bacon/ sausage/ or ham, all topped with our cream gravy… it’s really good.

What is the most popular dish at Ol’ South? Our signature dish is our world-famous German pancakes (some know it as our smaller version named the Dutch Baby.) It’s an egg-based crepe with lemon, powdered sugar, and lots of butter.

What is the restaurant’s main demographic and has it changed over the years? Truly, our demographics are widespread – from

has been a tremendous help with more folks coming in the door!

babies all the way to [senior citizens] … we have celebrated someone’s 102-year birthday. We are a place where all of Fort Worth has eaten. We take pride in having such a diverse customer base.

Who are some famous people who have eaten at Ol’ South?

How does being in close proximity to Texas Christian University aﬀect the business of Ol’ South? We have always enjoyed our close partnership with TCU for many, many years. TCU is a part of who we are. [TCU’s entry] into the Big 12 conference with increased attendance to all of the football games

We have had many famous folks eat with us from famous athletes to dignitaries, onto several others. Athletes [range] from lots of Dallas Cowboys to pro basketball players… UFC fighters as well as politicians. Van Cliburn, the famous pianist, has a seat in the restaurant with a plaque on the booth.

What are some challenges Ol’ South has faced over the years? We face challenges as any business does. However, the clear challenge is simply COVID-19 and the devastation it caused since the beginning of the pandemic. We have suffered massive setbacks with staffing as well as the soaring food costs that we are facing. Historically you would typically only deal with raising food costs or labor costs. Not both problems at the same time.

So, we have had our work cut out for us. Luckily, we have great customers and very loyal ones, and they are the reason we have been able to make it through this crazy time. We love our customers; they are like family to us. How did the name Ol’ South come about? The name was to personify good southern home cooking with family values, and it’s been the core of what we are at Ol’ South. Family first! Photos courtesy of Ol' South Pancake House

According to the shared calendar observed by major craft supply retailers everywhere, it’s the holiday season, and you’re already behind. There’s overpriced fall foliage to buy for your tablescape, gourd scented candles needed in the guest bathroom, a 10k to train for, presents to buy and wrap and arrange in an Instagram-worthy way, and half of your holiday guests have food allergies. With so many pinecones to juggle, is it any wonder that you’re feeling burned out?

Photo courtesy of Wine Haus

by Hannah Bush

Putting the Win in Wine This Holiday Season There is some good news. Holiday season means it’s wine season! And with a few pro tips from local connoisseurs in your back pocket, you will be pairing and pouring with confidence this year like the holiday hero you are. You can’t please everyone. But bubbles can. The tricky part about hosting is that you’re hosting people. And people have opinions, especially when it comes to what’s in their glass. Mom likes chardonnay, Brother thinks white wine is Mom Juice, Dad strictly drinks Napa cab, and Nana likes her sweet wine. But no one can argue that fizz is fun. Champagne is the poster child for celebrations, after all. And according to Monica Wright, manager at WineHaus, sparkling wine “is the best to start any meal with family and friends.” Her go-to is often a sparkling rosé because, “that little pop of pink makes it feel more festive.” Mikey Riojas, sommelier at The Magnolia Wine Bar, shares Wright’s sentiment. “[Sparkling rosé] is a way to kick off the holidays with a big family. We all have different tastes, but this wine comes in handy because it makes everyone happy.”

Monica’s Holiday Picks WineHaus offers more than 16 wines on tap. Wine lovers can fill up a growler (750 ml bottle) to take home and enjoy or peruse their wine wall.

“”

For reds, pinot noir can sometimes be the fresh cranberry note that tops off turkey or ham.

2019 Trefethen Dry Riesling Napa Valley, CA / $30 2019 Pratsch Rosé Austria / $27 2018 Round Pond Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, CA / $45

Acidity keeps things interesting You know that swirly sensation you feel under your earlobes when you eat a lemon candy? That’s your sensory response to acidity, which is a necessary component to the ultimate balance of a wine. And although white wines are generally perceived to have more acidity than red wines, don’t overlook certain red varietals such as Pinot noir, Sangiovese, or Gamay. Offering a selection of both red and white will surely please the table and hold up to whatever dish is on your menu, says Riojas. “A lot of people are coming around to the idea that wines with a healthy acidity are the key to heavy food or food with a lot of fat. White wines like a fresh Burgundy chardonnay will give the palate a refresh between bites. Sauvignon blanc from Sancerre is usually fresh and zingy and will do the trick as well. For reds, Pinot noir can sometimes be the fresh cranberry note that tops off turkey or ham.” I know what you’re thinking. Turkey and ham are overrated. And if you’re like my family, you smoke a brisket instead. Not to worry. Bringing a little France to your Texas feast is just the ticket. Wright is a sucker for Pinot noir’s fair cousin, Gamay. “I like a good clean Beaujolais with the hearty stuff because it offsets that weightiness of it.”

Let it breathe Just like you need a breather after trying to navigate Central Market’s aisles the week before any holiday, taking a breath helps wine, too. In addition to adding an elegant flair to your table, decanting red wine serves multiple purposes. And it’s not just for expensive bottles. According to Riojas, “you can decant a wine if you have sediment forming in the bottle and you want to separate the two. Sediment can come from age, but it can also appear if a wine

Photo courtesy of Wine Haus

is unfiltered. You can also decant a wine when you want air to get in contact with the wine. Sometimes younger wines, wines with heavy oak usage, or a combination of both benefit from getting a little oxygen in the wine.” Oxidation and evaporation open the wine, allowing for a smoother and often fruitier drinking experience. Decanting time can get very technical depending on the style of wine, but Riojas says, in most cases, to leave the wine for an hour or two before serving. “I like to taste a little bit of the wine straight out of the bottle and put the rest in the decanter for comparison. Checking back frequently is part of the fun.”

Drink what you like Certain wines and foods go together like, well, turkey and gravy. (I know I said turkey was overrated; however, I still respect the tradition.) But your glass is your prerogative. Wright loves Burgundy. Riojas loves Syrah. I love a different wine every week. The point is to enjoy your holiday season, whether it comes in a bottle, can, or dare I say, box. If you want to preserve your strength for other tasks, Monica and Mikey have shared their favorite wines to feature with any celebratory brunch, lunch, or dinner.

Photo courtesy of The Magnolia

Mikey’s Holiday Picks The Magnolia Wine Bar has an extensive list, with over 200 wines that are available for purchase. 2018 RAEN ‘Royal St Robert’ Pinot Noir, Fort Ross-Seaview, CA / $68 Domaine Robert Serol ‘Turbullent’ Sparkling Rosé, Loire Valley, France / $38 2019 Pascal Jolivet Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre, France / $45

Fort Worthies

Our Community’s Movers & Shakers | by Lee Virden Geurkink

Photo by Trevor Sales

Texas barbecue is hot stuff, and no one is hotter than Brix Barbecue. Recently awarded the Critics’ Choice for Barbecue in Fort Worth Weekly’s Best of 2021, Trevor Sales and his rescue dog/inspiration Brix are riding high. While Sales may be from the Chicago area, his barbecue is pure Texas. Right now, Sales serves up his incredible barbecue and mouthwatering sides from an Airstream (the “Smokestream” to those in the know) across from HopFusion every Saturday and Sunday. However, he has announced that Brix will be moving into a brick-and-mortar location in 2022. Congratulations, Trevor and Brix!

There are few treats more comforting and more delicious that Portugal’s pastéis de nata. Now Fort Worthians can experience Portugal’s favorite snack right here. Young entrepreneur Elliott Holloway, a senior at Paschal High School, along with a few of his friends have started Mimos, a baking company that produces these delightful custard tarts. They are available at The Table Market and at the Clearfork Farmers Market. Be sure to get to the farmers market quickly, however; they sell out quickly!

Photo by Angela Hudson

In a town with numerous outstanding craft breweries, Neutral Ground Brewing Company is quickly making a name for themselves. The brainchild of Texan Stan Hudson and Louisianian Sean Doublet, the brewery is named for the area of land between Texas and the Louisiana Purchase where, until the official borders were drawn, free trade and fun flourished. The brewery hosts a delicious variety of food trucks and a range of events from yoga to salsa dancing. As Hudson and Doublet say, let’s meet in the middle!

Established in 1989, the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition has been leading the drive to find a solution for homelessness in our communities through community change. One of the ways you can help the Coalition is to fill a “Welcome Home Basket.” Fill a new laundry basket with essentials such as cooking utensils, cleaning supplies, and bedding. These baskets will help turn an empty apartment into a home for someone moving out of homelessness!

Courtesy of The Pink Cactus Courtesy of Jon Bonnell

Photo by Justin Anderson

Did you know that Central Market’s first store in the Metroplex opened right here in Fort Worth twenty years ago? Fort Worth foodies quickly adopted the store, making Central Market a favorite place to meet, eat, learn, and shop. “Fort Worth immediately embraced Central Market and we immediately embraced Fort Worth,” said Stephen Butt, president of Central Market/H-E-B. “I’ve said from the beginning that this city has soul. It’s unique personality and warm, friendly, generous residents have helped shape our store into what it is today. Our customers feel a sense of ownership and community when they enter our doors. Our partners know them, and they know our partners.”

Photo by Hyph Studios

The global pandemic hit the fitness industry hard, shuttering many studios. But indoor cycling and yoga instructor E’Lyn Taylor saw an opportunity, and Studio E, the first mobile cycling studio in the DFW area, was born. Instead of going to the studio, Studio E comes to you! Specializing in spin and yoga classes, E’lyn’s goal is to promote “diversity and inclusion… by introducing fitness as a safe space for the mind and body.”

Fort Worth’s favorite chef Jon Bonnell has written several cookbooks, but his latest is more personal. Carry Out, Carry On: A Year in the Life of a Texas Chef recounts how Bonnell and his restaurants navigated the COVID-19 shutdown of 2020. The restaurant business was hit hard by the shutdown, but Bonnell was able to pivot to offer what became his beloved $40 “home meals,” as well as helping other restauranteurs through the pandemic.

Photo by Anthony Mosley

After a virtual year, the GM Financial Parade of Lights will once again illuminate the streets of Downtown Fort Worth for the 39th year on Sunday, November 21, at 6 p.m. This year’s “Making Spirits Bright”themed parade will mark the city’s official kick-off to the holiday season with more than 100 festive floats, each adorned with holiday decor and over half a million sparkling lights. Once again, families can enjoy this beloved Fort Worth tradition as marching bands, floats, horse-drawn carriages, and Santa and Mrs. Claus wend their way through Downtown, officially kicking of the holiday season in Cowtown.

Who doesn’t love a picnic? North Texas native Kellie Seville does. She also recognized that, while people are still leery of dining in a restaurant, picnics are a wonderful way to get together with loved ones, so she created The Pink Cactus. She and her husband Carlos design luxurious picnics in your choice of location for date nights, showers, anniversaries, Girls’ Nights Out, and more. They provide everything you need to create beautiful memories.

Courtesy of The Rabbit Hole Photo by Crystal Clear Photography

On a beautiful Saturday in September, some of Fort Worth’s most inspiring women gathered at The Magnolia to celebrate a birthday. Instead of focusing on herself for her birthday, Katrina Carpenter wanted to create a cozy space for these community leaders from all over our city to start a courageous conversation about race and sisterhood. Because racial equity cannot be attained without open, honest dialogues. Happy birthday, Katrina!

Photo by Rambo Elliot

While Scotty Scott, the genius behind Instagram’s Cook Drank Eat, always loved to cook, he originally planned to be a lawyer. However, his passion for cooking was such that after graduating from law school, he realized that cooking was more than just a hobby. In January of 2022, Scott’s first cookbook, Fix Me a Plate, will be published. “This has been without a doubt the most challenging yet rewarding experience of my culinary career. It involved the academia of law school, the creativity of food photography and the meticulousness of recipe development all in one.”

When the old V.I.P. Lounge on White Settlement closed due to the pandemic, Chris Jordan, Kristin Thomas, Bailey Batts, Deandre Young and Jywon Young saw an opportunity. The friends renovated the space, and The Rabbit Hole Pub opened to the public last summer. Featuring the same whimsical spirit as its sister tavern, The Mad Hatter on Carroll Street, the Rabbit Hole has been well-received by West Siders looking for a neighborhood haunt.

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Inﬂuencing with Purpose:

Josie Villa-Singleton Social media influencers are everywhere. However, not all influencers were made equally. Some use their platforms for more than just advertising themselves. This issue’s Influencing with Purpose focuses on Josie Villa-Singleton of the beloved blog and Instagram account, “Eat This Fort Worth.” - by Madeworthy Editorial Team When did you begin your blog, and what inspired you to blog about the Fort Worth food scene?

What is the one piece of advice you would give aspiring bloggers/writers? Be authentic to yourself and your point of view. My most successful pieces that resonate are when I write something as if I’m having a conversation with a friend. Find your voice and stay the course.

I began my blog in 2008 as a fun way to document the places I was dining in Fort Worth. I was the friend everyone would text when they needed a restaurant recommendation, so I ﬁgured I’d start a blog and at least have a handful of friends that would read it. Once more independent restaurants started emerging on the scene, I wanted to highlight them to encourage Fort Worth diners to check them out.

What’s your favorite book and why? Kitchen Conﬁdential. Anthony Bourdain is a huge inspiration to me as a writer, a food enthusiast, and traveler. That book showed me how storytelling and personal experience absolutely have a place in food writing. The behind-the-scenes look of restaurant life provided a peek into what the average diner is usually unaware of, and I still adhere to his tips on eating out. I bought a Global knife after reading his book, and it’s still one of my favorite and most-used purchases.

How has the food scene in Fort Worth changed since you started blogging? I feel like the food scene has been on a dynamic trajectory over the past 13 years. It’s been wonderful to see Fort Worth nurture food entrepreneurs like Sarah Castillo and Milo Ramirez who both started as food truck businesses and now both have multiple brick and mortar restaurants. There are more independent restaurants than we had when I ﬁrst started, and we have a vibrant pop-up scene. The emergence of the craft BBQ movement in Fort Worth has the potential to put us in more of a national spotlight, as do our 12 craft breweries. Fort Worth’s many holein-the-wall spots also contribute to the culinary scene in unsung ways.

What political or social issue motivates you to take action? Hunger in our communities. Food insecurity in Tarrant County and beyond became painfully apparent during the Covid shutdown. Volunteering at the Tarrant Area Food Bank takes a commitment of just a few hours and is an immediate way to take action and to help distribute food in our community. Readers of this publication love their pets. Tell us about yours...

What are the hallmarks of a great food experience?

We have a nine-year-old golden retriever named Blanco who still thinks he’s a puppy and loves everyone who walks through our door. He’s happiest chasing squirrels and catching frisbees. My boys are happiest snuggling with him.

Anything that takes you out of your everyday routine. It could be a sinfully delicious homemade pasta, or an exceptional service experience, unique ambience, the perfect bottle of wine, or a meal with friends that lingers on for hours. We rely on restaurants to not only feed us but to give us something we can’t have at home. Also, any meal where you took a risk and it paid off.

What is the greatest thing you think Fort Worth is missing? More ethnic eateries like dim sum and chaat houses. A restaurant incubator similar to Trinity Groves in Dallas.

What are some of your favorite Fort Worth memories? Dining at the top of Reata when it was in the Bank One building was always a hallmark experience. When I was a kid, eating a burger from Griff’s after spending a day at Burger’s Lake was always supremely satisfying. When traveling, how do you plan your culinary stops? Through recommendations or by chance? For foodie destinations like Mexico City, I plan based on recommendations and blog and news articles. Despite all the research and planning, one of my favorite meals in Mexico City was at a streetside food stall with the vendors making blue corn tacos with homemade salsa that we happened upon while walking. I also love to crowdsource or look at groups like Tanglewood Moms for suggestions. I usually take a cooking class or go on a food tour when I travel overseas. When people invite you to a party, what’s your signature dish to bring?

Argentinian empanadas that I learned to make in Buenos Aires. When did you begin your Eat This Fort Worth Food Tours, and what do you and your guests love about them? I began Eat This Fort Worth Food Tours in the spring of 2019. I love creating a unique and memorable experience for people, and guests love connecting with other food-loving folks and having a whole afternoon planned for them. What’s next for Eat This Fort Worth and for Josie? I’m creating new experiences for Eat This Fort Worth and incorporating walking tours into the tour calendar. I’m exploring additional mediums for storytelling like podcasting and YouTube.

It’s time for the lightning round! Give us the name of your Fort Worth favorites... Coffee shop - 5AM Drip Breakfast/brunch place - Esperanza’s in the Northside for chilaquiles Hangout with friends - The patio at Tulips FTW Place to relax and recharge - The Botanic Garden Museum or gallery - The Modern Artist or musician - Ariel Davis Yearly event - Fall Gallery Night Boutique - Honeysuckle Rose Vintage Best bartender/cocktail - Tia Downey and Pam Moncrief are both shaking up the cocktail scene Sweet treat - Anything from MELT Ice Creams Hamburger joint - Hooker’s Grill in the Stockyards Barbecue - Brix BBQ Mexican restaurant - Paco’s Mexican Cuisine Photos courtesy of Eat This Fort Worth

F O R T W O R T H R E A L E S TAT E

4404 Overton Terrace Court | 76109 |$859,000

3824 W 5th Street |76107 |$960,000

The Bluffs at River East |76111 NEW CONSTRUCTION $395,000+

JOSEPH BERKES

joseph@williamstrew.com 817. 266 .1355

2024 Wilshire Blvd | 76110 | SOLD

4013 Sarita Drive | 76109 | $995,000 | PENDING

6828 Middle Road | 76116 | SOLD

CARLEY J. MOORE

CHRISTA HOLBERT

carley@leaguere.com 817.734.8185

christa@leaguere.com 214.734.0285

Hulen Dental serves the community with a combined 35 years experience, and now we’re making two big changes to serve you better.

WE’RE MOVING OUR OFFICE We’re thrilled to announce we’ve broken ground at our new location at 4000 Bryant Irvin (next to Waterside), which will be open early 2022. Continue to visit us at our Hulen location through 2021. We’ll will make sure you know when to head to the new location.

WE’RE REBRANDING On January 1, 2022, Hulen Dental will become Fort Dental. This name better represents you — our family of patients from all over Fort Worth.

From Photography to Food:

by Lee Virden Geurkink

The Genius Behind Wero Kitchen

How does a photographer become a chef? More to the point, how does a boy from a small town in Mississippi grow up to become an Instagram darling in Fort Worth? If you’re Nathanael Gassett, you do it by following what brings you joy. During the Great Shutdown of 2020, a lot of us turned to social media for inspiration, a laugh, or simple camaraderie. We shared memes, made snarky comments, got righteously indignant, and tried to keep a sense of humor while we were sheltering in place. Nathanael started filming his cooking experiments and uploading them to his Instagram account, @werokitchen. (Remember that. It will come up later.) Now I know what you’re thinking. Food blogging can get a little tiresome. Everyone knows someone who thinks they’re a foodie and a photographer and a writer. Nine times out of ten, they’re wrong. Not Nathanael. For one thing, Nathanael’s Instagram reels were largely silent. There was no poorly written script, no forced jocularity, just the comforting sounds of cooking. Also, Nathanael used his talents as a photographer to great effect. The reels are beautifully lit; they have a chiaroscuro effect with a single source of light reminiscent of a Vermeer or a Rembrandt. That, combined with the ambient cooking sounds, created a Zen-like quality that resonated greatly with viewers trapped at home. “I started those videos during a very stressful, very uncertain time,” he remembered. “The world felt like it was upside down, and I needed structure to my day… in a lot of ways, it was relaxing for me to have a process where I knew what the outcome would be. If I put these ingredients together, I know what it will make. It was like meditation.” For a lot of people, cooking can be stressful. For others, the kitchen is a place of both creativity and peace.

Photos by Nathanael Gasset

There’s an almost liturgical sense of ritual when we’re cooking. That’s the peace that comes across in Nathanael’s videos. But let’s go back to the beginning. Nathanael Gassett grew up in Natchez, Mississippi. Natchez is a small town on the banks of the Mississippi River. He admits that while there wasn’t a whole lot to do in Natchez when he was growing up, that wasn’t always a bad thing. “It’s really kind of a positive,” he admits. “Since there wasn’t a lot to do there, I could hyper-focus on things that interested me. I’d come home from school and kind of dive into things. I learned Spanish in about a year because I would study so much.” Ah, yes. Spanish. Nathanael’s Instagram handle is a play on the Spanish phrase el güero (wero), which translates as “blonde” or “pale” but affectionately means “whitey.” You see, Nathanael is fluent in Spanish and has a deep and abiding love for the culture and cuisine of Central and South America. “I took Spanish in school, but I really learned it on the soccer fields,” Nathanael said. “I played with a lot of Mexicans, Hondurans, kids from Puerto Rico, and that’s where the nickname came from… There’s a strong Latin American presence in Mississippi. People forget that the U.S. is an international destination, and a lot of people end up where the work is.” While Nathanael was playing soccer and learning Spanish, he was also taking pictures. “I started shooting pictures when I was about 15,” he said. “Then I was doing professional, paid gigs when I was 16. I actually had a business license before I had my driver's license.”

After high school, he worked as a professional photographer, shooting weddings and events, and working for local publications, before getting a degree in foreign languages and international trade from Mississippi College. “I started out taking pictures around town of my friends. Then they wanted me to take their senior pictures… then weddings, and it just grew from there.” When I asked how he got from southern Mississippi to Fort Worth, Nathanael chuckled. “I was working as an international trade specialist, but that really wasn’t for me,” he said somewhat sheepishly. “So I started looking around to see what else I could do, but there wasn’t a whole lot of options there.” Nathanael’s older sister lived in Dallas, and he had spent time with her and enjoyed North Texas. So he upped and moved. “I didn’t really have a plan other than ‘I need to find a job.’” He stayed with his sister for a couple of months before deciding to come to the other side of the Metroplex. He was applying for every job that he could when Central Market called him back. “I had applied for a job in produce… but during the interview process, the cooking school manager pulled me aside.” The manager said that Nathanael’s skills weren’t professional, but he had the qualities the cooking school needed. “It was the best on-the-job training. I learned all the skills I need to work in a kitchen… it was really the start of this journey.” And this is where Instagram comes back into the story. “When I moved to Fort Worth, I really didn’t know anyone at all,” Nathanael remembered. “I didn’t know where to go. I mean, you can Google places to eat, but those are usually big chains. I’d just get in the car and drive around. If a place was busy at lunch or dinner, I’d try it.” Not only would he try the restaurant or food truck, he’d take photographs of his meals and post them to Instagram. “A lot of those places I tried in the first year, I looked a little out of place,” he said. (Nathanael is a lanky strawberry blond with a red beard and startlingly blue eyes.) “The owners would ask where I was from, and a conversation would start… I’d ask if I could take some pictures to share on social media…” “There are a lot of small places in town that are great. They’re not very fancy, but the food and the experience are always great, and they deserve to be respected and recognized just like the places that have a marketing budget and a social media person.” His photos and stories on Instagram started gaining followers. People started going to these little mom-and-pop restaurants. And Nathanael cooked his way through kitchens across Fort Worth. But then, in what has become a familiar refrain, COVID-19 shut the city down. And Nathanael started making his videos. Now Nathanael is working at La Onda, Victor Villareal’s seafood-focused, Latin-inspired restaurant on Race Street. He’s back in the kitchen, which means that his Instagram reel posting has slowed down a little. But don’t worry, Wero fans! He will be back! “I’ve got a notebook full of ideas of things I want to do,” Nathanael said. “It’s been good creatively to have a break, but I’m ready to get back into it.”

P.O. Box 101704 Fort Worth, TX 76185

DELUCCA FW, LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE SEEN BEFORE

At Delucca, you will find an elegant and lively neighborhood pizzeria where you can enjoy the exciting theater of an open kitchen with its wood-fired oven and sexy bossa nova. Come by and unwind over terrific wines, classic cocktails, and the most delicious pizzas! 3010 S. HULEN ST. FORT WORTH TX 682-224-5194 WWW.DELUCCA.COM