Uchi Declared 2015 DMN Restaurant of the Year; Free DART Rides On New Year's Eve

DALLAS – The results are in, and Uchi is the Dallas Morning News Restaurant of the Year for 2015. Selected by Dallas Morning News critic Leslie Brenner, Uchi was an obvious choice (and her only 5-star review of the year) thanks to its “eminently easy to share” plates, creative preparations (like arctic char crudo and duck confit hot pot) and the guiding hand of Uchi exec Nilton “Junior” Borges. Honorable mentions for the Restaurant of the Year nod include Rapscallion, Cafe Momentum, Small Brewpub, and 18th & Vine BBQ. [GuideLive]

FORT WORTH – The Fort Worth Food & Wine Festival officially has dates for its third annual event next year. The festival, billed as the largest consumer wine event in North Texas, will take place March 31-April 3 and feature six signature events. Look forward to a BBQ Showdown between some of Texas’ best pit masters, a Grand Tasting featuring more than 100 Texas wines and spirits, and a Saturday brunch featuring fare from local restaurants. VIP passes, which include admission to all events, starting now. [EaterWire]

DALLAS – This New Year’s Eve, drunken revelers have no excuse to drive under the influence. As CultureMap reported yesterday, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) will offer free rides to every passenger on New Year’s Eve as part of Miller Lite’s Free Rides program. As an added bonus, the DART rail will run until 2:30 a.m. on January 1, so you won’t have to cut your evening too short to make it safely home. [CultureMap]