Do you like what I’m doing this season with the headlines? I’m really zooming into ingredients, as I’ve found myself spotting lots of patterns and connected narratives among autumn specials. I’m not saying I’m the Taylor Swift of local restaurant columnists, but I’m also not not saying that.
We’ve obviously talked about pumpkins, sweet potatoes and squash thoroughly enough in this column to last us a year, but do you know what other flavors are everywhere right now? Green chile and pecans. And while those two are not usually paired up, I hope there is at least one creative chef reading this who is simmering up some wild ideas.
The Dish usually focuses on local or small-scale restaurants, but today we’re checking out what some of the chains have to offer for October. I really tried to not lean into the sweet treats here, but you can’t have October snacks without sugar creeping into the equation.
I will also have more Halloween-specific specials and events in the next Dish, so if that’s what you’re screaming for, stay posted.
Caramel apple lemonade and peanut butter pie at McAlister’s Deli
While Easter is definitely a candy-centered holiday, Halloween takes the Twix in this category, so it makes sense that Reese’s appears among the sweets at McAlister’s Deli locations this spooky season.
The peanut butter pie brings together milk chocolate and peanut butter mousse on a chocolate cookie crust and garnished with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, caramel and chocolate and peanut butter drizzles.
Want a cookie instead? They’ve got a pumpkin pecan one with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and white chocolate chips.
Beverage lovers can get either the Witch’s Brew or Franken-Tea with or without cold foam. The Brew sees McAlister’s traditional lemonade combined with caramel apple syrup, and the Twisted Witch’s Brew adds black cherry puree into the mix.
The Franken-Tea is McAlister’s themed version of an Arnold Palmer and crosses its caramel apple lemonade with sweet tea.
For a savory special, there is spicy green chile aioli nachos with shredded pork, tomato, red and green onions, jalapenos, cheese and green chile aioli.
3053 S. University Drive, Fort Worth; 817-924-3354;
9604 N. Riverside Drive, Fort Worth; 817-741-2901
Pecan cobbler at Cotton Patch Cafe
Diners wanting extra bang for their buck can find it at Cotton Patch Cafe in the form of personal chips and green chile queso for $2.99 per entree. But also on the menu are limited-time desserts, according to a PR email. Yep, you guessed it, pumpkin is one of the highlighted ingredients.
Find a Tarrant County location here.
Mediterranean bowl at Cheesecake Factory
Sure, Cheesecake Factory has their pumpkin and pumpkin pecan cheesecakes in season, but I’m not going to even mention those here. Instead, let’s talk about their latest menu additions.
Fans of chicken and waffles will find a skewered, thoroughly savory version among the latest dishes on offer here, with the waffle being cheese and green chile-based while served with hot honey and maple-butter syrup.
Double Smash Cheeseburger Bites are also rolling out at the Factory. Other savories include the Crispy Factory Fish Sandwich, which layers fried Pacific swordfish, cheese, coleslaw and tartar sauce on a sesame seed bun and a Mediterranean bowl. The latter features chicken kabobs, rice, tomato-cucumber salad, feta, garlic, onion, cilantro and pita.
There’s also a special cheesecake available. The Brownie Crunch Choc-a-Lot Cheesecake has a toffee brownie in place of traditional crust with a marbled white and milk chocolate center. The chain is donating 25 cents from every slice to Feeding America from now until next September, according to their website.
455 Commerce St., Fort Worth; 817-348-0810;
1440 Plaza Place, Southlake; 817-310-0050
We’d love to hear from you! Send your restaurant tips and hot takes to erin.ratigan@fortworthreport.org.
Erin Ratigan is a freelance journalist and writer specializing in narrative news features. You can find her on X @erinratigan.
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