Eats Beat: Burrito bowls join food bank benefit

Most years, the Empty Bowls charity benefit comes on a good, cold winter day for hot soup.

That’s not the case this year. But the best bisques, stews, cookies and pies from 25 restaurants will be ready Friday for the annual lunchtime soup festival.

For a $60 gift to the Tarrant Area Food Bank, patrons get unlimited servings and a chance at a selection of special, hand-crafted bowls by local artists.

This year, the “bowls” include something new and hearty: burrito bowls by Los Vaqueros Restaurants and also by Pegaso Mexican Diner.

Pegaso will serve both its brisket and vegan burrito bowls, adding a more filling lunch item to the menu of chilis, soups and stews.

Eddie V’s Prime Seafood will serve a sweet-potato-coconut-curry soup with spicy chickpeas and fresh crab.

Chef Jon Bonnell of Waters Texas and Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine counters with a bloody Mary shrimp cocktail and a roasted spicy root-vegetable winter soup. Fred’s Texas Cafe will serve its green chile pork stew.

The steakhouses bring their best appetizers, including Bob’s Steak and Chop House’s lobster bisque, and other offerings from Grace and Reata.

Riscky’s homemade chili con carne (traditional, no beans) will have new competition from Juice Junkies’ three-bean version.

Other Southwestern or Tex-Mex restaurants serving sides or salsas include Mariposa’s Latin Kitchen, which drew the longest lines last year, along with Blue Mesa Grill and event newcomer Taco Diner.

Desserts include pies, cakes and cookies from Blue Bonnet Bakery, serving its new Dobos torte, along with McKinley’s Fine Bakery & Cafe and the Paris Coffee Shop.

The event is at 11 a.m. Friday in the Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibits Hall, 3400 Burnett Tandy Drive.

The deadline to buy tickets online was Tuesday afternoon, but the Food Bank often has tickets for latecomers; 817-857-7100, tafb.org.

Pizza and Tom+Chee

The newest huge chain restaurant has arrived in far north Fort Worth.

Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom, a deep-dish pizza restaurant from the company that also owns the Gordon Biersch and Rock Bottom Brewery concepts, is open for lunch and dinner daily at 8933 North Freeway in Presidio Junction; 817-847-7170.

That center is also scheduled for a Red Robin and an Uncle Julio’s.

Coming March 1 to Presidio: a Tom+Chee specialty grilled-cheese-and-tomato-soup restaurant, the investment project from TV’s Shark Tank.

Tom+Chee has expanded from Cincinnati to about 30 locations. Look for it at 8901 Tehama Ridge Parkway; tomandchee.com.

Old Chicago comes only weeks after the arrival of 54th Street Grill, a Kansas City-based grill and tavern concept now open at 9251 Rain Lily Trail in Alliance Town Center.

A new Chipotle is also open nearby at 2901 Heritage Trace Parkway.

This story was originally published February 16, 2016 at 10:07 AM with the headline "Eats Beat: Burrito bowls join food bank benefit."