ZestFest Celebrity Chef Stage
Chef Mark Hitri is the new executive chef at Fort Worth’s Paris 7th restaurant. It’s not as much a changing of the guard at one of North Texas’ most notable French restaurants. It’s more of a return of the guard.
Hitri tells PaperCity Fort Worth that he started cooking at a Dairy Queen in 1989, but his career has crossed paths with Paris 7th owner Bernard Tronche many times. The duo opened Belgian-inspired Sapristi! Bistro and Wine Bar (in the space Enchilada’s Ole occupies now) back in 2000. Hitri also helmed the kitchen at Tronche’s beloved Saint-Emilion taking it to the top of Fort Worth restaurant ratings.
The name for Paris 7th is a nod, of course, to Paris’ Seventh Arrondissement neighborhood, as well as the restaurant’s address along Fort Worth’s Seventh Street.
In the intervening years, Chef Hitri took time away to sharpen his knives, and those of many other burgeoning local chefs. He says he helped move The Culinary School of Fort Worth from a “hobbyist program to more of a professional career development program.”
Brent Deen
The smells wafting from a former feed barn and tire shop on S.H. 205 in McLendon-Chisholm are more appealing these days: Eddie Deen’s BBQ and catering opened a new location at 11139 Texas 205. Hours of operation are Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. until the food is all gone. Menu items include brisket, ribs, sausage, chicken, brisket tacos, fresh buns, and sides like beans, potato salad and cole slaw to name a few.
“We always thought this would be a great location,” said pit master Brent Deen, the son of franchise owner Eddie Deen. “Every time we drove by here we thought this (barn) would make a great barbecue restaurant.”
Brent Deen, a Wills Point graduate, said opening a location in a smaller town gives the business a more personal touch.
Some of the items at Eddie Deen’s newest location are also a nod to the barn’s country-like setting. Not only can customers eat a barbecue lunch, but they can also pick up a dozen, cage-free eggs for $4.
Carlos Fuentes
A social steakhouse Bricks and Horses
John "Cajohn" Hard
CaJohns is moving, although CaJohn is not.
Founder John “CaJohn” Hard sold his 22-year-old hot sauce business to Charlotte, North Carolina-based Hot Shots Distributing Inc. and production has moved.
But the “Godfather” of hot sauces, as he’s known in the industry, isn’t backing away from local retail or recipe development. It isn’t quite retirement for Hard. In his telling, the sale is a “gateway to retirement.”
Flavor & Fire, the North Market shop that sells CaJohns, is owned by his wife, Sue Hard, and will remain open.
Hard said he will spend more time there and might open a second Flavor & Fire shop, ideally in Westerville, where CaJohns was based. He said there’s a good customer base there that he doesn’t want to lose completely.
He also will continue to be a consultant to the industry, working with Hot Shots on possible extensions to the CaJohns lines, as well as with other, smaller companies and startups on products, with the potential of connecting them to Hot Shots.
“That’s in our best interest,” said Hot Shots President Matt Heald, citing Hard’s stature in the industry.
Crunchy Mama Farms
Home of Texas’ Be the Butcher Classes
Crunchy Mama Farms is a family farm located in Alvord, Texas. As our name implies, we at Crunchy Mama Farms enjoy nutrient-dense, delicious meals. We’ve always been foodies, and we value the work and effort it takes to care for and harvest precious resources. We want to teach others the techniques and wisdom that seems to have skipped our generation. Our grandparents and great-grandparents were more connected to where their food came from. Grocery stores are valuable and convenient, but they just can’t compete with the depth of flavor in meat or produce you’ve raised or grown yourself.
Join us in spreading the knowledge and skills to strengthen families and communities…all while eating really tasty food!
Cecilia Lopez
Cecilia Lopez is a Fort Worth native with a lifelong passion for food and cooking that dates back to her earliest memories of peering into the backs of kitchens as a child. Growing up in a family that valued creativity and resourcefulness, Cecilia learned to prepare delicious meals, sparking a love for culinary innovation. Her grandmother, a catering chef in the 80s, further fueled her passion, teaching her the art of cooking and the joy of sharing meals with others.
After cutting her teeth in the industry with her first restaurant job at 13 at The Fernandez Cafe, a beloved Fort Worth eatery, Cecilia went on to work in a variety of kitchens, from family-owned restaurants to fine dining establishments. She refined her skills through culinary school and a stint in New York City's vibrant food scene, where she discovered the power of bold flavors and innovative techniques.
Upon returning to Texas, Cecilia brought her experience to the Fort Worth and Dallas culinary landscapes, working for incredible local chefs and furthering her skills and love for farm to table dining. With a deep love for her craft and a commitment to creativity and quality, Cecilia brings warmth, expertise, and a dash of Texas charm to every dish she creates.
Jason Goodman:
Born and raised in New York City, Jason has worked in finance, magazine publishing (including as the owner and publisher of Chile Pepper Magazine), event production (he is currently one of the owners of ZestFest), and comic book publishing (Jason’s Grandfather founded Marvel Comics). Chile Pepper Magazine and ZestFest have cemented Jason’s love of spice and he considers many foods and meals to just be hot sauce delivery mechanisms, eggs, pizza, bagels, meats, pasta… you name it!
Jason is an avid tennis player, a pilates enthusiast, and he enjoys theater and dining out in New York City.
Jason is making his public cooking debut on the chef’s stage at ZestFest 2025. Could this be an exciting new direction for Jason? You be the judge.
Brittany Brewer
Brittany Brewer is the cofounder of Sauced App, the #1 hot sauce tracking app helping spice lovers everywhere discover their next fiery favorite. Before diving into the tech world, Brittany hit the road—literally—traveling the U.S. in a converted school bus, cooking her way across the country and soaking up regional flavors.
Her passion for food didn’t stop at the border; she expanded her culinary horizons with adventures from Mexico to Bulgaria and everywhere in between, sampling global cuisines and fiery fare at every stop. With years of experience in restaurants, catering, and food entrepreneurship, Brittany now runs Sauced alongside her husband Ethan, bringing the heat to your fingertips.