Lots going on this weekend, so get out and enjoy all that Fort Worth has to offer!

Friday September 10 and Saturday September 11, 2010

Jazz by the Boulevard, $5
Get all the details online for this 2 day festival. Highlights include Trombone Shorty and The Orbans. Also look for demonstrations from the Culinary School of Fort Worth on the hour every hour from 2PM-7PM on Saturday.

Saturday September 11, 2010

Rahr Brewery Tour Noon-3PM, $7
After a roof collapse in February Rahr Brewery is back in action. This will be their first brewery tour since February! Just for this Saturday the brewery tour hours will be extended. Check Rahr’s website for more details.

Saturday September 11, 2010

Fall Gallery Night
A great night to get out and check out all the art venues in Fort Worth.

This is also quite the social event, so visit a few galleries sip some wine and take it all in. The Fort Worth Art Dealers Association (FWADA) has all the details for each venue online. I’ve done several write-ups on all my favorite spots if you want some suggestions on where to go: Fall 2009 Gallery Night Picks & Spring Gallery NIght 2010.

Friday January 22, 2010

The Moon Bar
Rivercrest Yacht Club
Check out the Rivercrest Yacht Club’s hilarious and nerdishly hip rap stylings at the Moon. Grab some Fuzzy’s Tacos before or after the show. 2911 W. Berry Street.

Friday January 22, 2010

The Ginger Man
Rahr Pint Night 6PM – 9PM
Here’s a great deal and another excuse to drink Rahr. It’s Iron Thistle (brewed by Rahr) Pint Night at The Gingerman. If you buy a pint of Iron Thistle you’ll get to take home a Rahr and Sons Pint Glass. 3716 Camp Bowie.

Saturday January 23, 2010

Gallery 414 – Artist Reception 6:00 – 9:00PM
Lance Jones - There’s a feeling that lingers in the afterward
I first saw Lance Jone’s work in the now defunct Gallery Art Cafe on Jennings about 7 years ago and his work still lingers in my memory-beautifully organic pieces that draw you in. I’m excited that he’s got a solo show here in The Fort. Don’t miss this one, this one will draw a crowd as Lance has quite a local following. 414 Templeton.

Saturday January 23, 2010

Artspace 111 – Artist Reception 6PM – 9PM
Greg Miller – On The Road
Make it a mini-gallery night with another artists opening exhibition. Greg Miller’s work consists of bold and eye-catching images, some have a slightly vintage feel to them. Sip some pinot and mingle with the art crowd at this unique gallery space. Don’t forget to stroll around the outdoor sculpture garden as well. 111 Hampton Street.

Sunday January 24, 2010

Visit the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. Sunday’s weather promises to be perfect for hitting the midway, pleasant weather is a rare treat during Stock Show season. Check out my guide to Stock Show area eats if you’re seeking something besides festival food.

I’m not a beer girl, but I do like parties, music, barbeque, and hanging out with all the fine folks of Fort Worth on a Saturday afternoon.  Every Saturday afternoon you’ll find a party going on at The Rahr Brewery on the Near Southside of Fort Worth.  The Rahr Brewery provides unexpected festivity in an otherwise industrial area of Fort Worth.

$5 buys you a Rahr Glass which allows you to sample all the beers they are pouring.  They also collect donations for charity at the door.  There are several stations where you can get your glass filled.  We sampled Ugly Pug and Rahr Red. Despite not being a beer girl, I’m being converted.  I enjoy every Rahr brew I try, my current favorite is the Oktoberfest.

For a few dollars you can get yourself a tasty barbeque sandwich to pair with your beer.  Sandwiches are basic, just shredded brisket or sausage. They were a little on the greasy side for me, but all the better to soak up the alcohol.  I loaded my brisket sandwich up with jalapenos and onions.  Once you’re set with food you can find a place to kick back and listen to some twangy Texas tunes.

Remember the party atmosphere, I mentioned- well it gets crowded, real crowded.  There are picnic tables, but those fill up fast.  Old pros bring in their own camping chairs and set them up on the back dock-nice, next time I’ll have to do that.  Speaking of the crowd, it’s the wonderful mix that I love about Fort Worth.  Motorcycle dudes, a Rugby Team, families, guys in kilts, TCU students, and hipsters.

We fell into the family category and brought our two boys under the guise that the brewery tour would be “educational” for them.  There’s science involved in making beer, right?  Of course no beer for them, but they seemed to enjoy their sandwich, chips, and Sprite.  We did stick around for the actual tour of the facilities and I tried to nudge my older son every time a scientific or mathematical detail was mentioned. Parents of the year I know – hold your applause.

The cool fall weather we’ve been having lately makes it a perfect time to visit the Rahr Brewery on a Saturday.  Since it is a warehouse it can get quite hot and stuffy in there, but that doesn’t seem to stop people from having a good time.  I’m looking forward to enjoying a big ol’ stein of Oktoberfest on my next visit.

Rahr Brewery Saturday Tour and Tasting
Saturdays 1PM – 3PM
701 Galveston Avenue
Fort Worth 76104

Today is Texas Independence Day! I started the festivities early by judging a Chili Cook-Off at The Ginger Man last Saturday.  The Ginger Man hosted a Texas Independence Day Celebration & Chili Cook-Off benefiting Kids who Care on Saturday February 28th.  Local bands The Great American Novel, and one of my favorites Dovehunter  provided some great music.  The Kids Who Care gave a cute performance as well.

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Texas and being a Texan than beer and chili.  12 teams participated in the cook-off and started cooking at 11AM that morning to make some amazing chili.

The judging panel consisted of Louis Sheppard (local chef and Panther City Bandit band member, Tony Diaz (The Good Show producer and Goodwin band member), and me (local food blogger).  Once the containers of chili started stacking up at the judges table it looked as if we had taken on a dare or were part of a food eating contest.  We were given our scoring sheets where we scored each chili sample on a scale of 1-10 for aroma, color, taste, consistency, and bite.  We briefly discussed what makes good chili and decided it’s truly a matter of personal preference, this became especially clear once the tasting started.

I was stumped on what beer to order drink with the 12 containers of chili that awaited my tasting and was recommended a Franconia Lager (from McKinney TX) which was absolutely perfect.  I enjoyed every bowl of chili I sampled and my hat’s off to all the folks who worked so hard.  As the tasting and scoring went on I found that I want a chili that’s not too chunky and not too fine, the meat should be tender, beans are alright if it’s super spicy or if the beans stay firm, and an unexpected flavor twist or a slow burn is always welcome.

Some chili stood out more than others.  One of my favorites had hints of cinnamon and I could see myself devouring bowls of it on a cold day.  Another one grew more addicting with each bite as the heat kicked in.  Other interesting touches I tasted were peppers which I recognized from my mom’s Mexican cooking, large chunks of meat, shredded brisket, and tomatoes.  I’m now inspired to come up with my own chili recipe.  We judged truly according to our preferences because we found big differences in our scores as we compared notes at the end and even we were surprised at the winning results.

If you can’t score yourself a bowl of chili in celebration of Texas Independence Day – Tex Mex, or any other form of meat should do just fine.  Don’t forget to wash it all down with some Texas beer and cheers to being Texan!