Funky Picnic
Funky Picnic Brewery & Café prides itself on its family-friendly vibe. But the owners recently opened a new concept strictly for the drinking crowd. The Back Room at Funky Picnic is a speakeasy-inspired bar and pizza restaurant located next door to Funky Picnic, in the space previously occupied by the much-missed Black Cat Pizza, which closed this past spring. Right now, The Back Room is open 3 – 11 p.m. on weekends only. Food is served in the form of 10-inch pizzas, made fresh by Funky Picnic chef Josh Rangel and sous-chef Parker Gordon. Similar to Black Cat, pizzas come in regular and vegetarian options, such as a steak pie and a mushroom and asparagus pie. Drinks include handmade craft cocktails, beers on tap from Funky Picnic next door, and crafty combos of the two. 401 Bryan Ave., Ste. 109, funkypicnicbrewery.com
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A new spot for healthy eaters has opened in the TCU area. Sweetgreen, a California-based chain that specializes in bowls filled with healthy ingredients, has opened in the old East Hampton Sandwich Co. space. To commemorate its opening day in October, the restaurant donated a bowl to the Tarrant Area Food Bank for every bowl it sold. Most of the bowls contain salad, veggies, tofu and chicken, and combinations thereof, with your choice of extras and dressings. 1605 S. University Drive, sweetgreen.com
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Southlake Town Square recently welcomed a new sushi restaurant. Nikko Southlake, opened in the old Sushi Zushi space on Southlake Boulevard, is a chef-driven restaurant led by Tomo Tamura, a long-running sushi chef and native of Japan who has worked in kitchens near and far. Most recently, he was lead chef at Mr. Sushi in Dallas. His menu includes sushi rolls, both fancy and traditional, sashimi and Wagyu cooked on hot stones. On weekends, there’s a tasting menu, or omakase, available by reservation only. 1420 E. Southlake Blvd., Ste. 168, nikkosouthlake.com
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Some sage advice for your next Monday night: Enjoy a complimentary meal at Finn MacCool's Pub. The south side Irish pub has been quietly serving dishes such as chicken and dumplings, submarine sandwiches, housemade sausage and shrimp gumbo, and jalapeno cream soup, with a grilled cheese on the side, to hungry drinkers on Monday nights. The food is free (and separate from their regular menu), but be sure to buy a few drinks — and tip well. 1700 Eighth Ave., facebook.com/FinnMacCoolsFortWorth
