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Good Grub
Bakery
Readers’ choice: Swiss Pastry Shop, 3936 W Vickery Blvd, FW Staff choice: Blue Bonnet Bakery-Harpers, 3905 Camp Bowie Blvd, FW Even those not big on sweets would be hard-pressed to resist Blue Bonnet’s scrumptious sour cream donuts or those huge, chocolate-covered, custard-filled éclair concoctions. Need we mention the best gingerbread men on the planet, or the 30-odd other cookie choices available? How about the plethora of cakes, some of which we’d never heard of but certainly want to try now. All of that plus savory, fresh-baked breads, pies, and other goodies make it nearly impossible to resist this venerable Fort Worth institution. Hint: Show up early. The favorites go fast.
Breakfast Readers’ choice: IHOP, various locations Staff choice: Jamba Juice, 400 Main St, FW Where is it etched on the Chisholm Trail mural that a filling breakfast requires the slaughtering of a blue-butt sow or the cracking of a hen’s egg? Don’tcha reckon there’s enough cholesterol coursing through your arteries from your lifetime’s indulgence in BBQ and Tex-Mex? If you listen to the sage of 400 W. 7th St., Fort Worth is too busy on most mornings to even bother reading its daily newspaper, much less sit down to a full morning meal. Our choice for a quick, nutritious break increasingly is Jamba. With a market of fruits from which to choose, dairy and non-dairy bases, and optional nutritional supplements, what’s not to slurp? Plus, few perches are more pleasant on a cool morning than the Main Street tables outside the Sundance Square location.
Coffee Readers’ choice: Starbucks, various locations Staff choice:Krispy Kreme, 5745 S Hulen St, FW, and 2700 S Cooper St, Arl OK, so we hate chains. But if this town’s dwindling number of locally owned diners and all-night hangover havens would go back to making a decent cup of joe instead of serving up brown water, some of us wouldn’t have to pay a buck and a half to get our caffeine fix when we’re away from the old drip pot at home. Krispy Kreme may be adding to the girth of the nation, but it sure has found the secret of a good jolt of java. KK buys and roasts its own beans and ships them off daily from their home port at Winston-Salem, N.C. to their donut shops. The aroma alone is enough to make a coffee addict drool. But the taste — ahhhh. Deep, dark, rich, and glorious. For real coffee drinkers they make a roast called bold — very dark, very strong, but not bitter; for only the slightly obsessed there’s rich roast, less strong, but still tasty; and for sissies there’s mild (forget it). You can buy a cup at the counter or take the beans home for $9.99 a pound. Starbucks, take a hike.
Brunch Readers’ choice: (tie) Lucile’s Stateside Bistro, 4700 Camp Bowie Blvd, and Renaissance Worthington Hotel, 200 Main St, both FW Staff choice: Bistro Louise, 2900 S Hulen, FW Just the thought of Bistro Louise’s Sunday spread might give you the rent-is-due willies, but at $25 per person (just $10 more than Blue Mesa), you’ll wonder who’s the real brunch cheat in town. An assortment of six gourmet cheeses is only the beginning. There are enough bagels and lox to feed a convention of rabbis. There’s also seared Ahi tuna and four carving meats, including pork tenderloin and tea-smoked duck. By the time you finish your third plate, that Burberry carpet beneath your feet starts looking mighty comfortable.
Late Night Dining Readers’ choice: Ol’ South Pancake House, 1507 S University Dr, FW Staff choice: Ol’ South Pancake House Some of us get all sentimental about our late-night college gabfests at Waffle House in Denton. They offered excellent people-watching opportunities, greasy breakfast food to sponge up booze and/or defeat the munchies, and rivers of caffeine to keep the conversation jittering along. The veterans at Ol’ South Pancake House may give you a strange look if you request the hash browns “scattered, smothered, covered, and chunked,” but they serve up a fatter, fluffier grade of pancake while pleasing the TCU insomniac crowd. While students use it as a hangout, you’ll see all kinds of people here in the dark a.m. Bring a book or a newspaper, and you won’t feel weird dining alone so late.
Kids’ Dining Venue Readers’ choice: Purple Cow, 4601 W Fwy, FW Staff choice: CiCi’s Pizza, various locations CiCi’s has figured out what kids like and what parents want. They have all-you-can-eat pizza, pasta, a salad bar, and some weird desserts (pudding on pizza dough?). Kids like the food, the big-screen tv, and the game room. Parents like the prices and the salad bar (kids’ meals, $1.99; adults, $3.99). You can find better food elsewhere, but on a weeknight when a parent is feeling chewed up and spit out by work and home life, CiCi’s gets the kids fed without busting the wallet. Now, if they could get a margarita machine in there, it would be perfect.
Romantic Atmosphere Readers’ choice: Italian Inn 6323 Camp Bowie Blvd, FW Staff choice: Randall’s Gourmet Cheesecake Co., 907 Houston St, FW A softly lit red-and-brown interior that envelopes a quaint, old-world dining room is just the tip of the sultry iceberg that is Randall’s. If the path to your beloved’s heart is through the stomach, then Randall’s is definitely your starting point. Norwegian smoked salmon with cream cheese, capers, and red onion has been known to send couples into the backseats of cars. That’s near-criminal behavior, however, since it means such folks never make it to dessert. Randall’s offers more than 40 cheesecakes, including Mocha Irish Cream Almandine, Mango Strawberry à la Crème, and Minted White Chocolate Pistachio. Come fly with me, indeed.
Home Cooking Readers’ choice: Cracker Barrel, various locations Staff choice: Old Neighborhood Grill, 1633 Park Place, FW You can get anything you want at Peter’s res-tau-rant — if what you want is Mama’s meat loaf, black-eyed peas, mashed potatoes, cornbread, and for dessert, a scrumptious blackberry cobbler (in season) with vanilla ice cream melting on top. Or any of the dozens of other down-home goodies long-time restaurateur Peter Schroder offers at his popular diner in the Hospital District. Schroder is a hands-on owner/cook who oversees a kitchen that consistently turns out the old standards from breakfast through dinner six days a week, all cooked to mouth-watering perfection: ham and eggs, biscuits and gravy, super-sized cinnamon rolls, chicken-fried steak, grilled pork chops, roast beef (with carrots, potatoes, onions, and gravy just like you used to find on Grandma’s table after church), corn fritters, baked squash, greens, glazed carrots, home fries. It’s all there, plus good burgers, sandwiches, and even a juicy portobello mushroom burger as comfort food for the veggie crowd. Added comfort: Peter will always be behind the counter to wave you in and will stop by your table before you leave to make sure all’s well.
Delicatessen Readers’ choice: Jason’s Deli, various locations Staff choice: Carshon’s, 3133 Cleburne Rd, FW If you can get past the drab interior, off-the-beaten-path location, and crummy parking, this old-timers’ favorite is still the best deli bet in town. Order up a custom sandwich or pick a standard one from the menu. Match it with a bowl, when available, of the crunchy, cool gazpacho. There’s nothing fancy here, just soups, salads, and pies worthy of any establishment in Manhattan. The waitstaffers, who range in age from college kids to AARP members, are attentive and friendly. And nothing on the menu is over $8. Schloztsky’s and Jason Deli drones would find Carshon’s a pleasant change of pace.
Greasy Spoon Readers’ choice: Fred’s Café, 915 Currie St, FW Staff choice: Day Break Café, 2720 White Settlement Rd, FW A great greasy spoon must have not only good food, but good food available when you need it most. That’s why Day Break Café gets the nod. It opens at 4 a.m. Let’s say you’re out on Friday night, and Uncle Gary shows up wanting to hang outside the nightclub. At 2 a.m. you close the club, but Uncle Gary and your friends want to go to your house and do some PlayStation 2 or Stratego or Bong-gammon. Couple of hours later, Uncle Gary is telling everyone they need to eat. What to do? Take ‘em to the Day Break. All sorts of cheap breakfast sandwiches, very good burgers, Tex-Mex that ain’t too bad, and our favorite, the Mexican chicken fajita baked potato. And after eating, you can go outside in the parking lot with Uncle Gary and look at the mural with antelope and dolphins and whales, and know that life is good.
Indian Readers’ choice: Maharaja Indian Restaurant, 6308 Hulen Bend Blvd, FW Staff choice: Maharaja The seductive smells of curry, coriander, and cumin greet guests as they walk through the doors of this popular Fort Worth Indian eatery. Despite its location in a strip mall, this restaurant with Indian artwork decking the walls has a warm and hospitable atmosphere. It offers all the popular standards, such as chicken tikka, veggie samosas, and lamb vindaloo, as well as a selection of fresh mint, cilantro, and coconut chutneys. Order yourself a basket of naan — Indian flat bread — and dip it in the rich creamy sauces of your dish of choice. Or just treat yourself to a smorgasbord of flavorful Northern Indian fare at Maharaja’s lunch buffet, a sure cure for noon buffet boredom.
French Readers’ choice: La Madeleine, various locations Staff choice: St. Emilion, 2617 W 7th St, FW St. Emilion could be a contender in many categories — romantic atmosphere, desserts, wine list, waitstaff — but it’s a natural for this category. Never mind that it doesn’t have much competition here; it would win anyway. It’s not hard to believe that you’ve landed in France — perhaps a cottage-style restaurant in the the wine country — when you walk through the door. The place is a longtime Fort Worth favorite for special occasions. Where else in this part of the country are you going to find warm chocolate cake, rabbit dishes, and roast duck, all beautifully prepared and on the same menu?
Chinese Readers’ choice: Pei Wei Asian Diner, FW and Arl locations Staff choice: First Chinese B-B-Q, 2214 S Collins St, Arl More than just terrific roast pork and duck, this bright clean diner in an Asian strip mall is equally adept with Chinese standards (soups, noodle dishes, stir fries) and exotics (fish maw hotpot, marinated pig stomach).
Greek Readers’ choice: Ionian Grill, 3522 Bluebonnet Circle, FW Staff choice: Parthenon, 401 N Henderson, FW Confession: Proximity might have made us initially partial to the Parthenon, just a discus toss from the Weekly’s posh corporate headquarters. But the tasty seafood specials, spanakopita and moussaka standards, and attentive service have made us devotees. As a check on our judgment, we recently sampled the dolmas at two competitors. Both landed a notch or so below the Parthenon’s gold, one a little on the puny side and the other overpowered with a drenching of lemon sauce. Our only complaint is that Parthenon’s prices are sometimes a little stiff for a workday lunch, but we doubt a search of even Diogenean scope could find a customer with an honest complaint about its consistently well-prepared fare.
Tex-Mex Readers’ choice: Mi Cocina, 509 Main St and 4601 W Fwy, both FW Staff choice: Las Lomas, 8216 Bedford-Euless Rd, N Richland Hills The Southwestern-chic décor is a lovely setting for Las Lomas’ artful Tex-Mex dishes — tasteful twists on the usual enchiladas and tacos, plus specialties native to Guanajuato, the home of owners Luis Ramirez and Moises Hernandez. Impeccable service is just the icing on the cuatros leches cake.
Italian Readers’ choice: Nizza Pizza & Pasta, 1430 S Cooper St, Arl Staff choice: Prima’s, 6108 S Hulen St, FW This is as close to New York as you can get here in the Lone Star State, with food made like Nonna just sent it over from Italy and a BYOB policy that we just love. It has a touch of Little Italy with its red, green, and white décor, and the bread is deliciously warm and just perfect for dipping in your extra marinara sauce. It’s a family-run joint with lots of love, where you can laugh as loud as you want and drink as much as you can carry in.
Thai Readers’ choice: Top Thai, 5710 Rufe Snow Dr, FW Staff choice: Sweet Basil, 977 Melbourne Rd, Hurst
If an ethnic restaurant can’t dish up a culinary staple, it’s a good bet that little else on the menu will please anyone who can tell a curry sauce from a currycomb. That’s why, when it comes to Thai, pad thai is our first try. Sweet Basil’s rendition of this light, basic dish of rice noodles, fried egg, bean sprout, and green onion would plaster a smile across the face of the King of Siam. If you want something a little more substantial, have the chef stir in cubed tofu or the animal protein of your choice. Sweet Basil’s pad-see-ew, a stir-fried toss of flat brown noodles and Chinese broccoli, is equally memorable. Basil is easy on the debit card as well: Few items are over $10, and many are $7.50 or less. A warning: Thai spices can be hotter than dragon breath. Try “mild” before you scorch your tongue with medium or better. Not since the long-shuttered Royal Thai on East Lancaster has there been Thai food this tasty in Tarrant County.
Vietnamese Readers’ choice: Pho Nam, 4045 E Belknap St, Haltom City Staff choice: Thahn Thahn Vietnamese Cuisine, 2515 E Arkansas Ln, Arlington This place could be to Fort Worth-area Vietnamese restaurants what Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel was to Florentine art. This tony new addition to the Vietnamese culinary scene is truly distinctive in its modern architectural flourishes. With its exotic hothouse orchids, golden streaked marble tabletops with lazy susans, and a lush water garden with cascading waterfall to welcome visitors in the lobby, Thahn Thahn’s décor matches its food. The menu boasts an array of 116 items that range from lemon grass, chili, hot pot, rice vermicelli, and pho to lobster, calamari, and Vietnamese crepe dishes. The grandeur of the place accommodates Vietnamese weddings as well as folks happy to partake of a $5.50-to-$6.50 lunch special in a lavish setting.
Middle Eastern Readers’ choice: Byblos Lebanese Restaurant, 1406 N Main St, FW Staff choice: Byblos
Come for the spicy falafel, the mouth-watering chicken shwarma, or sweet baklava, or simply to bask in the ebullient smiles and skills of the belly dancer with midriff-baring blouse and pantaloons. Perhaps you’d like to skip straight to your after-dinner smoke in the hookah bar, which is funky casbah chic with embroidered cushions, hanging tapestries, exposed brick walls, and high ceilings, and just relax. The “hobly bobly hookah” can be spiked with nearly as many flavors as a Baskin Robbins cone: cherry, pineapple, cantaloupe, coconut, or mango, to name a few. For you first-time hookah-ers, never will you have smoked out of anything so exquisitely ornate. Be sure to bring singles to tip the dancer.
Vegetarian Readers’ choice: Spiral Diner, 1314 W Magnolia Av, FW Staff choice: Spiral Diner Tarrant County’s only all-vegan restaurant has a new location, an eye-catching atomic-space age décor, and an expanded menu of scrumptious salads, wraps, “burgers,” and hot plates. It’s heaven for herbivores, and carnivores won’t feel a bit deprived.
Barbecue Readers’ choice: Cousin’s Pit Barbecue, various locations Staff choice: Angelo’s, 2533 White Settlement Rd, FW
The other day we went to Angelo’s for a cold beer (they have some of the coldest and biggest mugs around). We weren’t the least bit hungry, but any meat-eating fool knows it’s impossible to resist the sight and smell of the best ribs ever yanked from a pig’s chest and tossed on a grill. So we ordered a half-pound. And ate them all. And ordered more. And then more beer. All afternoon long. It was one of the greatest and most Viking-like dining experiences of our life. Thank you pig, thank you beer, thank you Angelo’s.
Hamburger Readers’ choice: Kincaid’s Burgers, 4901 Camp Bowie Blvd, FW Staff choice: Kincaid’s You can’t beat the Fort Worth classic in this category. Head over to Kincaid’s, where an 8-oz. mouth-watering patty with all the fixings goes for $3.60, and it comes out fresh and steaming hot. Eat standing at one of the three 30-foot-long counters or sit at one of the oversized family-style tables covered in red-and-white checkered oilcloth. Excellent O-rings, fries, freshly deviled eggs, stuffed jalapeños, ice-cold beer or soda, and for dessert pecan pie or banana pudding. Impossible not to dig the homespun atmosphere of this joint. Best of all, starting Oct. 4 they’ll be open ‘til 8.
Steak Readers’ choice: Del Frisco’s, 812 Main St, FW Staff choice: Over $30: Bonnell’s, 4259 Bryant Irvin Rd, FW Under $10: Rusty Spur Western Bistro, 5322 Trail Lake Dr, FW If price is no object, the steak of choice is Bonnell’s ribeye or strip steak. Bonnell’s meat source is Bradley beef from the B3R Ranch in Childress, which feeds its cattle an all-natural diet with no growth hormones, steroids, or antibiotics. The proof is in the eating: Bonnell’s perfectly cooked steaks are beautifully marbled, wonderfully flavored, and mouth-meltingly tender. For penny-pinchers, the 8-oz. sirloin at Rusty Spur is a marvel at $9.95. Whether the secret is in the marinade or the dry rub, the result is a tender and tasty piece of beef that can sizzle with pride next to its higher-pedigree cousins.
Chicken-Fried Steak Readers’ choice: Lucile’s Stateside Bistro, 4700 Camp Bowie Blvd, FW Staff choice: Chop House, 301 Main St, FW The clubby atmosphere here is New York, New York: dark paneled walls, white tablecloths, leather chairs, understated elegance. The chicken-fried steak is pure-dee, road-house Texas. Top-quality round pounded to fork-tender, dipped in an egg-buttermilk-flour batter and cooked semi-rare. The well-seasoned crust is crispy-tender, not too greasy, and stays with the meat all the way to the mouth. It’s served with the gravy on top. For all those “gravy on bottom” fanatics, the Chop House’s version is so dang good it won’t matter. Garlic mashed potatoes, veggies du jour, and hot homemade rolls round out the meal. Don’t let the classiness of the place fool you. This is Cowtown comfort food at its best. Nap required afterward.
Tamales Readers’ choice: Hot Damn Tamales, 713 W Magnolia Av, FW Staff choice: Esperanza’s Bakery and Café, 1109 Hemphill St, FW A few millennia ago some Pre-Columbian women created what may be the first MREs (“meals-ready-to-eat”) for their warrior sons and lovers: a tasty concoction that could be easily packed over long distances, warmed in its own wrapper or eaten cold on the run. To the great good fortune of all who came afterward, the tamal was born: a simple mix of masa, meat, and chilies wrapped tightly in a corn husk, a dish that long ago left the battlefield to grace the tables of the have-nots, the haves, and the have-mores alike. For purists in Cowtown who want their tamales the way the Mayan mamas intended, with nothing inside that steaming-hot corn husk but a layer of spicy masa enclosing some highly seasoned shredded meat (chicken or pork) mixed with generous scoops of hotter-’n-hell red chilies, Esperanza’s is the place to go. You can eat them on the spot or order them by the dozen. (At holiday time, get your order in early.)
Sushi Readers’ Choice: Tokyo Café, 5121 Pershing Av, FW Staff Choice: Piranha Killer Sushi, 851 NE Green Oaks Blvd, Arl
Piranha and Sushi Zone, Arlington fish snapperies off 157 just north and south of I-30, have made the Weekly’s “Best of” list for the last two years; the more traditional Zone won the cigar in 2002, and the fusion-esque Piranha got the thumbs-up in 2003. We revisited both recently and concluded that it’s hard to go wrong with either. But the restaurant named for a meat-eating fish gets our recommendation this year again for a single reason: its fleet. For a little more than $20 a head, a smorgasbord of raw delicacies sails to your table on a boat-shaped platter. Among the standout selections: a rich and scrumptious salmon roll and sesame seared tuna with a chili aioli. With its brightly colored interior and translucent lighting, Piranha’s ambience is conducive to a relaxing lunch or evening with your favorite carnivore. (The piranha, we mean. But you can bring a human meat-eater with you, too.)
Pizza Readers’ choice: Mama’s, various locations Staff choice: Rush Street, 929 University Dr, FW Are you sick of fancy pizza, where a chef drizzles some sauce over leafy stuff and goat cheese? How about pizza buffets that shove really bad dough down your throat for a cheap price? If you want really good pizza and don’t care how much it costs, head to Rush Street on University Drive and get a real deep-dish Chicago-style pizza. It’s a couple of inches high, with wonderful, life-affirming gooey filling (we love the sausage-mushroom) and a tasty crust to hold it all together. There is usually enough to take home for later munchies. It fills you up and makes your mouth happy. Each pizza costs more than $20 (feeds about four), but it’s well worth it.
Seafood Readers’ choice: Red Lobster, various locations Staff choice: Zeke’s Fish & Chips, 5920 Curzon Av, FW A local legend since 1971, Zeke’s offers nothing fancy, just scrumptious, typically heavily fried seafood at reasonable prices. (Don’t mistake anything you get here for either health food or high-class cuisine. This is seafood the way the people who catch it know it.) Unlike several other Cowtown food institutions — hello, Joe T. Garcia’s! — Zeke’s remains popular not for its hipster cachet, but for its great food.
Red Salsa Readers’ choice: Joe T. Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant, 2201 N Commerce St, FW Staff choice: La Familia Restaurant, 2729 W 7th St, FW
There’s lots of good food on the menu here, but if you don’t watch out, you’ll fill up on this fresh, bright-tasting salsa before the server — quick as he might be — even gets to your table. It’s just spicy enough, however, that you don’t want to do that without something more substantial than chips to eat with it.
Green Salsa Readers’ choice: Mijo’s, 2304 Park Row Dr, Arl Staff choice: Los Alamos Café, 1446 N Main St, FW Some variance occurs when fresh jalapeños are blended daily in a family recipe to make some of the North Side’s tastiest green salsa. The japs at Los Alamos aren’t scientifically cloned to perfection, so their spiciness fluctuates. Occasionally the green salsa is too hot. Once in a blue moon it’s downright mild. Sometimes it’s too thin. Most of the time it’s just right — thick, green, spicy, and flavorful. When it’s right, it’s the best in town.
Fried Chicken Readers’ choice: (tie) Babe’s Chicken Dinner House, 104 N Oak St, Roanoke, and Kentucky Fried Chicken, multiple locations Staff choice: (tie) Babe’s and Helen’s Diner, 1409C Evans Av, FW This might be the best argument in the whole issue. On the one hand, Babe’s has the hype, a livelier atmosphere, better surroundings, and gives you more food to go with the chicken. On the other, Helen’s has entrées besides chicken on the menu, plus more reasonable pricing, and you don’t have to wait 45 minutes for a seat. The chicken itself at both places is perfectly crispy and flavorful on the outside and juicy and tender inside, which is why we’re considering other factors in the first place. Try both establishments and join the great fried chicken debate.
Sandwich Readers’ choice: Subway, various locations Staff choice: Hoagies, Sandwiches Etc., 1500 Magnolia Av, FW Located only a couple of blocks away from a Subway, this humble little shop with inadequate parking offers foot-long sandwiches, but they’re stuffed so gloriously that a 6-inch one makes a complete meal. The hot cheesesteak sandwiches are the shop’s specialty, and while they’re every bit as good as advertised, we prefer the cold club and Super Sub entries.
Wings Readers’ choice: Wingstop, various locations Staff choice: Jazzy Wings, 3201 Vaughn Blvd, FW The location may be a bit daunting for our suburban readers, but make your way to this spot by Hwy 287, and you’ll find an immaculately kept space with elegant steel lighting fixtures hanging from the ceiling and pictures of great jazz musicians lining the walls. The wings themselves are everything you’d wish from those little pieces of goodness, the lemon pepper ones slightly crunchy on the outside and the honey barbecue ones with exactly the right tang. Even the side items (french fries, onion rings, etc.) are given distinctive touches.
Bread Readers’ choice: Central Market, I-30 and Hulen St, FW Staff choice: Central Market There are a lot of bakeries that do some specific things well but falter on others. At the Central Market bakery, everything they do is pretty good. The loaves of bread — from hearty and healthy nine-grains to pumpernickel — are very tasty and can be sliced fresh. The baguettes are very thin and perfect with a good soup. The tortillas are solid, especially the spicy jalapeño kind. But one of the best things about this bakery is that it does so much business that the breads move quickly, so you’re assured of getting a very fresh product — and at a good price.
Bagels Reader’s choice: Einstein’s, various locations Staff choice: Boopa’s Bagel Deli, 6513 N Beach St, FW Thick, dense knots of boiled dough hardly seem worthy of worship, but eat a good bagel, one that has neither been frozen nor littered with pesto, and you’ll stand a step closer to heaven. Boopa’s bagels are darned near perfect. They’re dense, soft, and so generously sprinkled with toppings like sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and garlic that we forgive the Boopsters for producing a signature bagel with flecks of oatmeal and dried cranberry. It’s a popular mom hangout, so you may have to dodge the strollers for a salt bagel with a schmear of black-pepper-flecked smoked salmon cream cheese.
Dessert Readers’ choice: (tie) La Madeleine, various locations, and Swiss Pastry Shop, 3936 W Vickery Blvd, FW Staff choice: Paris Coffee Shop We love pies, and around here they disappear at a rapid pace thanks to the delicious fluffiness of the baked goods from Paris Coffee Shop. They are light yet filling, and oh so darn good. We personally recommend the chocolate pie, but every delicious flavor satisfies the inner sweet-tooth in all of us.
Ice Cream Readers’ choice: Marble Slab, various locations Staff choice: Bangkok Cuisine, 4613 Denton Hwy #35, Haltom City Light and fluffy as a little cloud, Bangkok Cuisine’s housemade coconut ice cream — with bits of real coconut meat — is a nippy touch of heaven on earth.
Wine List Readers’ choice: Ridglea and Vine Wine Room, 6100 Camp Bowie Blvd, FW Staff choice: Bistro Louise, 2900 S Hulen, FW Bistro Louise doesn’t have the largest stock in town, but so what? What Louise and GM Cody Hickman are concerned with is the taste and exclusivity of their wine list, as opposed to congratulating themselves for being the place to blow some cork. Prices drift in and out of orbit, from a $25 Jean Ernest to a $65 Guigal Hermitage 2000 vintage (rated No. 1 last year by Wine Spectator) all the way to an $825 bottle of ... something only Pepe Le Pew could pronounce. Whether price is (or isn’t) an issue, the staff will find the fitting choice for your meal — without looking at your brand of handbag.
Nonalcoholic Drink Readers’ choice: Jamba Juice, 400 Main St, FW Staff choice: Boba Tea House, 4045 E Belknap St #13, Haltom City It’s an odd sensation: You’re slurping green jasmine milk tea and suddenly, via your jumbo straw, a sweet chewy ball of tapioca pops into your mouth. The exotic teas, coffees, and fresh-fruit smoothies at Boba Tea House are delicious in their own right, but it’s the bobas at the bottom of the glass that make drinking them fun. Sip, chew, laugh, repeat.
Place To Buy Gourmet Food Readers’ choice: Central Market, I-30 and Hulen St, FW Staff choice: Central Market From its origins in Austin to its adoration by Dallas’ elite and Fort Worth’s foodies, Central Market reigns as the premier place for the finest grocery items. From mountain-made cheeses to fine steaks and exotic beers, they have it all and then some. And while your fresh mozzarella cheese or lavish pastries won’t come cheap, they’re certainly bound to impress.
Place to Buy Ethnic Food Readers’ choice: Central Market, I-30 and Hulen St, FW Staff choice: Bombay Bazaar, 528A Fielder Rd, Arl Although the front part of the store next door to Tandoor is devoted to Indian videos, other shelves are chock full of wondrous edible goodies. You’ll find mysterious exotics (tins of fried cuttlefish, for instance, and yummy Marmite), but also a fine array of peppers, nuts, dates, spices, coconut, peas and beans, and hundreds of jars of pickles. In the bulk section at the very back are beautiful cloth bags of basmati rice. The smell of incense permeates everything. Prices are cheap; service is aloof but cordial enough.
Place to Dine Al Fresco Readers’ choice: Central Market, I-30 and Hulen St, FW Staff choice: Café Modern, The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St, FW So what if you didn’t see the memento mori motif in that installation of broken light bulbs and pumpkins or understand the anti-imperialist critique the artist was making with that giant toenail clipper? You can still enjoy a tranquil meal surrounded by the reflecting pool’s rippling water washing over silvery green rocks. The museum’s pavilions hover over the water’s surface like the “swan floating over a lake” that Japanese architect Tadao Ando envisioned when he designed the place. Here is the ideal spot to have that intense aesthetic discussion over chicken and brie wontons and black bean-chorizo ravioli and a nice glass of Chablis, or just sit back in zen-like silence and reclaim yourself in this hidden oasis.
Place to Buy Fresh and Vegetables Readers’ choice: Central Market, I-30 and Hulen St, FW Staff choice: Market Street, 5605 Colleyville Blvd, Colleyville Imagine a produce section with the variety of a gourmet market, the prices of a megamart, and the friendliness of a chain based in Lubbock. Then just drive a ways out Texas Highway 26 and there you are. The Farmer’s Market section of this grocery store features ultra-fresh fruits and vegetables from local and global growers — more than 700 items, from the exotic to the everyday.
Organic Fruits and Veggies Readers’ choice: Central Market, I-30 and Hulen St, FW Staff choice: Sunflower Shop, 5817 Curzon Av, FW After diligent comparative research, we find the Sunflower Shop lettuce heads above its competition — all chains whose names you know. (We ixnayed Central Market only on the basis of price and the threat of gelato, which might wipe out all your good intentions in one decadent moment.) That research revealed a huge gap in what’s available: One store had broccoli and potatoes. Period. We set out with a shopping list of everyday items — carrots, lettuce, and apples. One store noted for organics had, in the apple column, only a small pile of bruised Delicious. Sunflower Shop tempted us with that stalwart variant, along with Fuji, Gala, and Pink Lady, all fresh and pretty. Here, if you’re tired and not into reading every bit of signage, you can take off your glasses, relax your mind, and shop secure in the knowledge that every morsel of produce on display is organic. Another discovery: Carrots cost the same everywhere.
Meat/Seafood Market Readers’ choice: Central Market, I-30 and Hulen St, FW Staff choice: Country Meat Market, 6899 E Lancaster, FW Vegan alert! Read no further! Country Meat Market, outside Loop 820, is dead serious about meat. Their hand-cut ribeyes and T-bones are the absolute ultimate. Also in the butcher’s case: chili meat, filet mignons, briskets, sausage, pork chops, deli meats, and roasts. Exceptional service, including cooking advice. Got a big freezer? Fill it up with great deals on packaged assortments of delicacies. There’s also a case of frozen veggies, so if you’re on one of those diets, you can consider the market one-stop shopping.
Soda Shop Readers’ choice: (tie) Purple Cow, 4601 W Fwy, FW, and Steak N Shake, various locations Staff choice: The Burger Box, 201 E Mansfield Hwy, Kennedale This old standby is about as wholesome as Main Street America gets in the little burg that’s become better known of late for its “adult” entertainment venues. Family-owned and run, the BB with its whitewashed brick walls and green-striped awnings, its spit-and-polish red, white, and Elvis-decorated interior is located in the heart of Kennedale’s tiny old town where it’s been dishing out burgers and ice cream sodas, malts, sundaes, and banana splits to all who pass through for almost 30 years. The sodas are delish, the root beer floats delectable, and the sundaes and banana splits de-lovely — all made with Blue Bell ice cream, of course. The burgers are huge, old-fashioned, and juicy-greasy, made to order, and are about as good as they get. Even at 6 a.m., when the BB unlocks it doors for breakfast, the ice cream bar is open for business.
Wait Staffer Readers’ choice: Shannon at Penalty Box Sports Bar, 7120 South Freeway, FW Staff choice: Linda “Lulu” Farris at Ginger Brown’s Old Tyme Restaurant & Bakery, 6312 Lake Worth Blvd (Jacksboro Hwy), Lake Worth Her voice is as raspy as a drill sergeant’s, but no waitress has a bigger heart or more eagerness to please than Lulu, who’s become a living institution at Lake Worth’s most popular restaurant. Lulu is friendly, efficient, and grandmotherly, sprinkling her conversations with “baby,” “sweetie,” and “honey,” and there is not a question about the menu that she can’t answer.
Restaurant Readers’ choice: Chisholm Club, 200 Main St, FW Staff choice: Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, 2406 N Main St, FW For a restaurant to win this honor, it must embody the spirit of Fort Worth. The food must sparkle, and the décor must shine. Lonesome Dove speaks to the city’s past — the décor is cowboy rustic, with brick walls and a tin ceiling. Although it’s very loud, the boisterous energy of the restaurant is infectious. We like the window treatments made of chamois cloth and brown burlap. The food, on the other hand, is flashy and modern — white chocolate and white truffle risotto, kangaroo carpaccio, and seared wild boar tenderloin share the menu with hand-cut prime steaks.
New Restaurant Readers’ choice: Green Lantern, 3405 W 7th St, FW Staff choice: Shiraz, 3431 W 7th St, FW After a somewhat rocky start, the 7-month-old Shiraz has settled nicely into its inventive multiethnic/ecletic/fusion menu, with inspiration taken from Jamaica to Japan, from Buenos Aires to the good ol’ USA. Adding to the delightful dining experience: a large, reasonably priced wine list, friendly helpful service, and a fine gallery’s worth of local art on the walls.
Host Readers’ choice: LaQuintha Robinson Staff choice: Albert Diaz Cavazos, La Familia Restaurant, 2729 W 7th St, FW Perhaps you’ve seen an ad, perhaps in this very paper, where a Gandhi-like man is taking a relaxing dip in a bowl of salsa. Well that adorable bald man is our choice for best host in Cowtown. At the exact moment you walk in, if Al can get to you, he’ll shake your hand and find you a seat as fast as possible. His warm, welcoming “every customer is a friend to me” attitude makes dining at La Familia a real treat. And on top of that, the restaurant has deliciously refreshing salsa and a super-friendly waitstaff. Chef Readers’ choice: (tie) Jon Bonnell and Brian Olenjack Staff choice: Jon Bonnell, Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, 4259 Bryant Irvin Rd, FW
While the city (and the Weekly) buzzed about Grady’s whereabouts and gossiped about Tim Love’s land grab, Jon Bonnell was quietly making a name for himself by serving unapologetically fancy Texas cuisine. Although his venison, quail, organic Texas beef, and grits are all worthy of a C&W song, it’s not a tune that modest Bonnell will sing. This summer, he’ll cook at the prestigious James Beard house. He’ll do so without any tacky publicity stunts or cattle drives. He’ll wow them with great food. This fall, he’ll compete in the American Institute of Wine and Food Caesar salad competition against seven of Dallas’ finest chefs. He’s working on a cookbook, and his numerous television appearances may lead to a cooking show of his own. We love Jon Bonnell for his open kitchen, approachable attitude, down-home goodness, and f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s cuisine.
Nontraditional Burger Readers’ choice: Tommy’s Hamburgers, various locations Staff choice: Fred’s, 915 Currie St, FW Ask Fred’s chef Terry Chandler what makes his portobello sandwich so good, and he’ll answer mockingly: “We put luuuv in it.” Actually it’s olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a good grilling that turns this monster mushroom into a tender, super-juicy, wholly satisfying alternative to a burger. Available in two sizes — jumbo and extra jumbo — to fit all appetites.
Soul Food Readers’ choice: Drew’s Place, 5701 Curzon Av, FW Staff choice: John Carter’s Place, 5309 E Lancaster Av, FW Soul food conjures images of chitlins, greens, and ribs, but at heart it’s nothing but simple, filling, all-American grub. This kind of red, white, and blue fare has been cluttering the tables at John Carter’s neat little place for nearly 12 years. On a recent visit, $5.90 bought a choice of cornbread or rolls to go with either chicken and dumplings, chicken-fried steak, beef tips, or barbecue hot links. Also included was a choice of three veggies from a list of green beans, buttered corn, mashed potatoes, marshmallowy yams, rice, cabbage, or pickled beets. See, variety really is the spice of life. For this, plus quality, price, and great service, John Carter’s is hard to beat in any category.
Cheap Groceries Readers’ choice: Wal-Mart, various locations Staff choice: Fiesta Mart, 2700 8th Av, FW Fiesta could be a contenda in several categories, including ethnic groceries and good produce. It’s the fruits and veggies that shine the brightest. Not just the onions, jalapeños, and Roma tomatoes we expect from other bargain markets, but white Rainier cherries, fava beans, and English cucumbers. Some meats are packaged, and there’s a real guy behind the real meat counter as well. You’ll find everything you regularly shop for at good-to-great prices. You’ll pause thoughtfully to read the labels of the Vita Fuerte and Volcanic Oil Liniment — but that’s another category.
Taqueria Readers’ choice: Ernesto’s, 2603 8th Av, FW Staff choice: Melis Taqueria, 4304 W Vickery Blvd, FW Looking for a cheap meal? The tacos here are a thrifty and tasty way to fill up, plus the place caters to folks who are actually from Mexico, so you know you’re getting the real deal. The tacos al pastor are recommended, and there are cheap tortas, too. The only thing missing is somewhere to sit down to eat — the place is take-out oriented, and there’s only one table.
Staff choice only: Fries Fred’s, 915 Currie St, FW None of that fancy battering and spicing. None of that fancy potato-peeling, either. At Fred’s you get plain ol’ skin-on fresh-cooked good greasy fries, with cheese on top if you ask real nice.
Salad Escargot, 3427 W 7th St, FW Whether in between courses or standing by itself, Escargot’s house salad makes — with a few exceptions — every other pile of roughage in town taste about as limp and withered as pre-packaged grocery store grass-in-a-bag. We’re dealing with fresh field greens here, dressed in silky-smooth French balsamic vinegar, topped with a couple of blocks of creamy goat cheese and thick bacon chips, then loaded with lightly baked croutons. At the more- than-reasonable price of $5.95, it’s a refreshing delight to the palate, the stomach, and, surprisingly enough, the pocketbook.
Field of One Chef Point Café, 5901 Watauga Rd, Watauga Gourmet meals in a gas station convenience store? Yes indeed. Underneath the Conoco sign, Chef Franson Nwaeze prepares blackened red snapper and duck à l’orange that will make you kiss your fingers.
Menudo Las Pericas, 915 E Northside Dr, FW Different folks have different criteria for what makes a bowl of sliced stomach lining a treat. For our money, menudo is best when the chili broth is a tasty and brilliant reddish-brown, the tripe isn’t slimy, the hominy is added in small doses, the bowl is big enough to satisfy a large man with a hangover, and the price is gentle on the wallet (getting a hangover, after all, usually requires spending a good portion of a paycheck the night before). Best of all, menudo is Pericas’ Saturday special, waiting like nature’s own aspirin for all of us Friday night bingers.
Buffet Tandoor, 532 Fielder Rd, Arl The restaurant is in a strip mall (yawn). The staff isn’t particularly warm and friendly. The lunch buffet pretty much offers the same fare, year in and year out. But you know what? We love it. The price is reasonable, the soups, entrees, and sides are always fantastic, and the bread is more addictive than chocolate-covered cocaine.
View New Orleans Nights, 7107 Calmont Av, FW Smoke-infested patrons on break from the car dealership. Neon purple flood lights flashing back and forth on your baked potato. Matted velvety seating on wheels. An obnoxious, giggling vocal echoing all through the high ceilings. Ah, the unforgettable ambiance of New Orleans Nights, a staple of Cowtown scenery. The Wednesday $8.95 prime rib special is more than enough to reel in the unsuspecting during daylight hours, but wait until you see the topless rock show: It beats out any setting sun, wave-filled lake, or baby kitten — in fact, the visuals here will entrance anyone with a pulse.
Best-Kept Secret Wieners Take All, 5829 Westcreek Dr, FW A recent splurge on Chicago-style pizza in the actual Windy City makes any Fort Worth equivalent pale in comparison. But a real-deal Chi-town-ish eatery run by bona fide Chicagoans does exist within our midst — and it meets expectations handsomely. Hidden away on Westcreek Drive and sharing space with the McCart Food Mart is Wieners Take All. Pizza the way God intended, Vienna beef hot dogs, Maxwell Street-style Polish sausages, Italian beef sandwiches — all to die for. And here’s a helpful hint: Top your sandwich with giardiniera (jar-din-air-a), a hot, spicy pepper mix, for that true-blue Chicago flair.
Fast Food Dan’s Seafood and Chicken, 6719 Bridge St, FW Dan’s offers tons of choices — there’s chicken, shrimp, egg rolls, fried rice, fish, and even a plate with a one-pound fillet of catfish for the so-hungry-they-could-eat-one-pound-of-catfish crowd. There are plenty of side items as well, including fried okra and hush puppies, and the corn fritters are a delicious alternative to trite fries. The food is prepared fresh, putting next-door neighbor Church’s Chicken to shame.
Mariscos La Playa Maya, various locations Dozens of places along Hemphill and on the East Side of Fort Worth sell seafood of good quality, so this isn’t an easy choice. But the small chain La Playa Maya seems to serve it with consistency, so they get our vote here. Ceviche, whole fried catfish, stuffed crabs, fried oysters, shrimp, and octopus abound, in plates that range from appetizers to soups and main courses. Service and setting are tops, while the price isn’t bad. Tapas (We Abstain) Traditionally, tapas are little plates of food the chef whips up and serves to bar clients in the afternoon. They’re frequently made from yesterday’s leftover specials, something that’s being worked on for that evening’s specials, or just things that might not last and probably won’t sell. They’re meant to both whet your appetite and eliminate throwing away good food. Well, as far as we can tell, nobody in Fort Worth actually serves tapas. The two places that use the word in their names are good, and they both serve delicious little appetizing noshes, but as they both charge for them, we can’t see how they can call them tapas. Movie Theater Concession Stand Cinema Latino, Fort Worth Town Center, 4200 S Fwy, FW M&Ms and Snickers are kept on hand for the gringos who come for English-subtitled, Spanish-language indies, like this summer’s Maria Full of Grace and Nicotina. But Cinema Latino’s prime directive is its Hispanic audience: Most of the screens at this eightplex are devoted to first-run, big-box-office Norteamericano movies that are dubbed or subtitled in Spanish. The concession stand completes the mood with south-of-the-border goodies like Vero Mango pops, Duvalín candy creams, and Pulparindo (spicy-salty tamarind pulp). Chocolate-marshmallow confections like Bubu Lubu and Paleta Payosa satisfy a sweet tooth in any language. Or for a bit of olé, get your popcorn topped with Valentina salsa instead of butter — then sit back and enjoy the película. l |
