This Week in Gluttony

These are the 8 best food and drink events in Dallas-Fort Worth this week

Seemingly endless food and beverages await at the 2016 Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival, running March 31-April 3.

Photo by Tracy Autem

This week truly caters to all tastes, with informal wine dinners, a charitable lunch, a cheese tasting, and some solid food festival fun. Dig in:

Wednesday, March 30

Duckhorn Wine Dinner at Nosh Bistro & Bar
The North Dallas bistro is hosting an intimate wine dinner with Napa's Duckhorn Vineyards. Courses include seared diver scallops, rabbit confit, herb-crusted beef medallion, roasted rack of lamb, and dark chocolate ganache with raspberry coulis. Dinner is $99 a person and starts at 6:30 pm. For reservations call 972-701-0277.

Thursday, March 31

Come-As-You-Are Wine Dinner at The Grape
This month's dinner, hosted by Audrey Getman from Bottled Poetry, features a sampling of wines from Spain and Argentina. Chef Sarah Chastain creates a three-course dinner to complement the wines chosen for the evening. Dine anytime between 5:30-9:30 pm for $52 per person. Call 214-828-1981 for reservations.

Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival's Barbecue Showdown at W.R. Watt Arena
This beloved food and wine festival kicks off with the cuisine that lies closest to the hearts of most Texans: barbecue. Pit masters from across the state come together to share their smoked treasures with guests. Confirmed participants include 18th and Vine, Lockhart Smokehouse, Heim BBQ, Blacks Barbecue, and many more. Look for lots of great barbecue-worthy beverages too. Tickets are $60, and the event lasts from 6-9 pm.

Sammons Lunch Jam @ Sammons Park
Want to see the next Erykah Badu? Then head to this free event supported by Neiman Marcus, which features performers from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Spice up your lunch hour with Dallas' best food trucks, or bring your own picnic. Big Band is also set to perform, and the fun starts at noon.

Friday, April 1

April Fool's Cheese Class at Scardello Artisan Cheese
Scardello is comparing handmade cheeses with its factory-made counterparts so that you can taste the difference. Of course, there also will be some delicious libations. This once-a-year class is not to be missed.Tickets are $40, and class starts at 8 pm. If it's sold out, you can call 214-219-1300 to get on the waiting list.

Big Texas Beer Fest at Fair Park
This two-day festival, taking place in the Fair Park Automobile Building, features more than 120 breweries pouring 500-plus beers. The festival is well-known for its rare beers and one-offs and focuses heavily on the emerging North Texas craft beer scene. Plenty of food is available from food trucks or local artisanal food vendors when you get hungry. Also expect performances from a variety of local and national music acts on the outdoor stage. Doors open at 6:30 pm on Friday, April 1, and 2 pm on Saturday, August 2. Tickets start at $39.

Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival's Main Event at Pier 1 Imports Building
Themed "Taste the New Texas," this year's main event features more than 100 wines, craft beers, and spirits from near and far, as well as bites created by North Texas chefs. Tickets are $125, and the event lasts from 6-9 pm. Can't make it? There are plenty of other events to check out, including Desserts After Dark; Rise + Dine brunch tasting; Burgers, Blues, and Brews; and more. Check out the complete list of event participants.

Saturday, April 2

Taco & Margaritas Tour by Dallas Bites Food Tours
Sample both gourmet and street tacos on an adventure through East Dallas, Lake Highlands, and Oak Cliff. Stop to sample award-winning margaritas, then journey across town to taste tacos at Desperado's and Fuel City. Tickets are $59 per person and include transportation, food, beverages on the bus (soft drinks and water), and a tour guide. Itinerary and meet-up location are emailed to participants one to three days before the event.

craft-beer tacos wine festivals event-planner

Escargot News

New all-day French bistro in downtown Rockwall is all from scratch

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Belle View Bistro Rockwall

An all-day French bistro has made its debut in Rockwall: Called Belle Vie Bistro, it’s a new mom-and-pop in the charming historic downtown district, at 112 E. Rusk St., the former home of The Fatted Calf restaurant, where it opened its doors on November 12.

Belle Vie is from Luis and Iliana Marquez, a hard-working couple who also own Los Marquez, a popular taco--themed food-truck-turned-restaurant in Rockwall they first debuted in 2019. In May, the couple took over the former Fat Chicken space to open a brick and mortar location of Los Marquez, where they serve well-made Mexican food like tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, but also burgers & fries. They open for breakfast with breakfast tacos, and run a daily lunch special, often creative, always popular, such as birria ramen with choice of beef or lamb for $11.

But the couple had a bigger vision of creating a place where chef Luis could stretch and showcase his skills.

"Luis has a lot of culinary experience, and it’s something that he’s been putting aside,” Iliana says. “We were just waiting on the perfect time to bring this to life.”

"This is something exciting and new for us, it’s something that we always wanted to make,” Luis says.

Like Los Marquez, Belle Vie is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, serving classics like French onion soup, moules frites, escargot, and duck confit. There are also comforting and American dishes like spinach-artichoke dip, crab cakes, and fish & chips.

Lunch features Cobb salad, a French dip, and chicken & Brie panini, while an extended breakfast -- which runs from 7 am to 4 pm — includes pancakes, waffles, eggs benedict, beignets French toast, and crepes, plus pastries and breads made from scratch.

Mural on the wall at Belle Vie Bistro RockwallFacebook

The bakery counter is a delight, with eclairs, croissants, scones, fruit tarts, and cake slices in flavors like carrot cake and white chocolate raspberry. There's also a serious coffee program with espresso drinks such as lattes.

"We pride ourselves on making everything from scratch," the duo says. "Our bread—whether for sandwiches, paninis, hamburgers or anything listed on our menu is made fresh just for us by our incredibly talented pastry chef and baker. The same care goes into our pastries and desserts ensuring every bite is special and crafted with love."

The dining room is warm and cozy with dark wood chairs and plush booths and a full-wall mural depicting a street in Paris. They also have a full bar, with cocktails and beer on tap. Prices are reasonable, ranging from $9 for a Belgian waffle during breakfast to $45 for prime ribeye at dinner.

For now, they're not taking reservations — it's first come, first serve.

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