Adventures in and Around Fort Worth

American Food and Beverage just opened in Fort Worth across from the Brownstone and Waters on Crockett Street completing a trifecta of elegant dining experiences. Its open and airy space feels as fresh as its menu. I caught up with AF+B 's executive chef Jeff Harris about his passion for food, his story that ends at this restaurant, and why he left Bolsa in the Dallas Bishop Arts District. Jeff grew up in East Texas on his grandparents' farm. His grandmother prepared southern meals with fresh vegetables from the garden. His whole family—cousins, aunts, uncles and parents—would often eat these home-cooked meals together. They didn't need a special occasion, they had good food. He loved watching his grandmother throw things together in the kitchen. He said she didn't even use measuring spoons because she knew how to make most things by heart. Later he went to college changing his major until he finally got his real estate license and a desk job at a bank. But he ...

I stumbled upon this beautiful fledgling food blog when researching for a story I'm working on. I loved its best-new-restaurants-in-Fort Worth list. I will definitely refer to this list when trying to think of a new place to try! It has beautiful photography. Check it out. Food, Fort Worth Blog: Best New Fort Worth Restaurants of 2013 Beautiful food photo from blog Food, Fort Worth Also, check out Food, Fort Worth Blog's list of most anticipated new restaurants of 2014. 

By Jocelyn Tatum  Ready, set, GO! The big screen TVs reveal the stove top at the front of the room. Chef Christine bellows information to get the class started, and the first glass of wine is poured. It's time to play. If you haven't guessed yet, I am at a Central Market cooking class. I tried this because it appeals to many passions—my love for cooking and learning new things, and my love for meeting new people and hearing their stories, and my love for doing something different. Each group of four sat at one of the four assigned tables. That equals 16 people, which means the intimate feeling wasn't lost. We sipped wine, whisked egg whites until they held peaks, delighted in each other's stories, and learned things like "cooking light is about concentrated flavors [and] egg whites must be room temperature and in a metal bowl before they can hold peaks." Who salad ingredients knew? Before we prepared each course, Chef Christine demonstrate...

Yet another trip to Marfa, Texas. This time I got to sleep in a teepee. For 2014, dare to do something different than usual. Stretch yourself. I left my comfort zone when I entered the community outdoor showers and slept in a fabric hut with only a zipper between me and the rest of the world. I hope to finish my article about this weekend getaway soon and will post. I just need to find the time to write it and pitch it to a travel magazine! Stay tuned... Our front door had a zipper.  I loved this so much I had artist Kristen Soble paint it for me in watercolor. We rented bikes. 

Hi readers! I am working on a Fort Worth coffee shop review. Comment below, or email me (foodtravelfortworth@gmail.com) to tell me all about your favorite coffee shop in Fort Worth.  I will help get you started by listing a few local watering holes for the caffeine addict.  Avoca: friendly, loud music, hipster, love the bright atmosphere, great coffee, purists, no toaster oven for their baked goods (just a toaster, which the bagel weenie doesn't fit in), fast internet, have milk alternatives*. Brewed: very friendly, business as mission, warm and inviting atmosphere, good coffee, expensive, music at reasonable volume, fast internet in bar area, food too expensive for what you're getting, have milk alternatives.  Buon Giorno: strip center, fast internet, friendly, quiet, good coffee, not-so-good atmosphere, have milk alternatives.  The Cup:  amazing frozen hot chocolate, don't bring your messy toddler because the owner might say so...

I don't care how cool or mature you think you are, you have a little kid inside of you that loves to play. If you don't, he or she has run off and you need to find them.  Mine is hyper and needs fun things to do often, so naturally my sister and I gathered a group of willing grown kiddos to go see Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker at Bass Hall .  We left the boyfriends, husbands and actual children at home. Before the show our group met at Del Frisco's Grille for some bar snacks and wine. It is always great to catch up with friends no matter the occasion. This is a Fort Worth event I recommend for everyone, except my husband, father, son and father-in-law.  Parents who look at this like a burden you must endure year after year with your child, stop. The music is more sophisticated and beautiful than anything you will hear on your favorite top 40 station. They sell adult beverages if you need a little help with your restless leg syndrome, and the dancers with Te...

The ice starts to melt, and I'm not sure I'm ready to go back to the way things were before.  For three days we’ve lived in a city laminated in ice. The temperature never climbed above freezing until this easy Sunday afternoon. The sheets of freezing rain that fell Thursday begin to soften.  For reasons still unknown, this North Texas ice storm enchanted me. Maybe it’s that the world slowed down long enough for me to see it passing. Or the time I spent with my new little family. Maybe it's the  desolate roads, taking me to another place or time. Whatever it is, it prodded me to stop and think about why this weekend was so different from most. Please allow me  this platform to make a few guesses, and see if it means anything to you as a person probably wondering the same. The world stopped. But our overly productive selves never stop except on those rare holidays—Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Black Friday started on Thanksgiving...