I acquired a little culinary education this week while chatting with Doug Cappleman, the co-owner of Pop-Pop Feducchi’s Italian Ice & Ice Cream. He told me black licorice ice cream is big in Canada and the northwestern United States. I must say, it’s comforting to know I’m not the only one in Cowtown longing for regional sweets.
Where I’m from, we’ve got something called birch beer soda — usually just called birch beer, though it’s often nonalcoholic. It’s like sarsaparilla, but instead of sassafras tree bark, it’s made with syrup derived from birch tree sap and tastes like liquid Life Savers.
There’s red and white birch beer. I’m partial to red, but others are entitled to their own wrong opinions. Either way, I need your help finding birch beer in Tarrant County. If you know where I can get it in person, please let me know, ’cause this gal has a thirst A&W cannot quench.
Licorice and Southeast Asian flavors on special at Pop-Pop Feducchi’s Italian Ice & Ice Cream
Pop-Pop Feducchi’s Italian Ice & Ice Cream has new flavors every week, which means the food truck’s visitors are usually in for some creative or unusual flavors, co-owner Doug Cappleman said. This week’s flavor is pandan, a Southeast Asian plant which the business described in a social media post as tasting “vanilla-y,” “slightly floral” and “a little nutty” with a coconut-like scent. Special flavors last until they sell out, and Cappleman expects the pandan to stick around for another weekend or two.
They’ve also brought back Black Licorice Eclipse in answer to public demand. Cappleman said black licorice ice cream is popular in the Pacific Northwest and Canada but isn’t common here. He said even he was surprised the confection did so well in Fort Worth.
“Black licorice was requested by more people than you would expect,” he said.
They have 12-14 regular ice cream and Italian ice flavors. For ice cream, they’ve got the usual vanilla and chocolate along with less typical options like banana pudding. Cappleman’s co-owner and wife Kristy Tonkin’s flavor creation, the Check Mate, sees sweet cream ice cream combined with chess pie squares, caramel pretzels and Ritz crackers. Their Italian ice flavors include lemon-lime, watermelon and raspberry-cherry. Customers can also purchase ice cream or Italian ice in pints for $10 and $7 respectively.
The business is named in honor of Tonkin’s grandfather, whom her family affectionately called “Pop-Pop.” They are open 5-10 p.m. Friday-Sunday.
4621 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth; 662-322-0686
Construction underway for Mexican eatery in Keller
There’s a new Mexican restaurant coming to Keller. The city posted an announcement on their Facebook page welcoming Luna Loco to the neighborhood. The eatery is slated to open in December and will occupy approximately 2,000 feet of a 3,200-square-foot building currently under construction in Old Town Keller, co-owner Cary Moon said. He and co-owner and longtime business partner Greg Polson are also the minds behind Keller Tavern, a pub on the same western stretch of Main Street.
He and Polson saw a need for Mexican dining in Keller, he said, as other cities in the area like Roanoke have popular and successful Mexican spots.
“We just recognized a void in Old Town Keller and decided to pursue a Mexican food concept,” Moon said.
They’ll have all the classics, from tacos and enchiladas to fajitas and margaritas, and Moon said tequilas will be a major focus of their liquor offerings. The space will have a patio, and they are working with the city to expand parking.
228 S. Main St., Keller; 817-296-2895
Six courses of Italian wines and dining at Loews Arlington Hotel
Those looking to indulge in a six-course “culinary experience” can check out the upcoming wine dinner at Farena, an Italian restaurant in the Loews Arlington Hotel 6:30 p.m. Sept. 4. The evening will focus on Massolino wines and kicks off with a reception featuring a selection of cheeses and meats beside aperol spritz and gin fizz cocktails. The first course of the night is heirloom tomato carpaccio and chardonnay.
Poached red prawns and arancini with saffron and Parmigiano-Reggiano are next on the menu alongside dolcetto d’alba. The first red wine of the evening, a langhe nebbiolo, appears next paired with taleggio risotto with porcini and thyme.
The final two savory courses are seafood linguine featuring mussels, clams and capers served with barbaresco, and prime beef filet with porcini, truffle, carrots and Italian lardo. The latter is met with a barolo wine. Dinner concludes with a peach gelee dessert with apricot tuile and orange blossom gelato alongside moscato d’asti.
A reserved seat at the table costs $165 plus tax with valet parking included.
888 Nolan Ryan Expressway, Arlington; 800-235-6397
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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