Crystal Wise
With menu items that included this colossal meatball, Tre Mogli had earned its fair share of accolades, including being named one of this publication's Best New Restaurants in 2022.
One of Fort Worth's best modern Italian restaurants has closed. Tre Mogli Cucina Italiana, the high-end Italian restaurant opened last year by local chef Stefon Rishel and his Trident Restaurant Group, has served its last plate of pasta, according to the restaurant's Facebook page. Another Trident restaurant, Parker County Ice House, located in Aledo, has also closed. Misty Vento, Trident's Director of Sales & Marketing, says the closures were unexpected. “It’s a heartbreaking time for us as employees,” she says. “We’re losing the connections we have formed with our valued customers and colleagues.” Neither Rishel nor Trident partner Kyle Bryson would comment on the closures.
Tre Mogli opened last summer at 401 South Main St., in a historic, two-story building that dates back to the early 1900s. The restaurant was known for its romantic atmosphere, impressive wine and cocktail list, cool upstairs lounge, and handmade pastas. Built from the ground up, Parker County Ice House opened in 2021 in the burgeoning Willow Park area of Aledo. The mostly outdoor gastropub was a spinoff of the similarly named Berry Street Ice House, a shortly lived Trident concept located in the West Berry St. space where Lola’s Saloon now resides. Trident's other properties include Wishbone & Flynt and its accompanying bar, The Amber Room.
*
While the Fort Worth Food + Wine Fest is still a few months out, some smaller spinoff events have started to pop up. First up is a seated dinner at the Fort Worth Club on Nov. 8 called Far Out Feast, so named because it’ll be hosted by Felipe Armenta and Graham Elliot of FAR Out Hospitality, the duo’s restaurant group. The four-course dinner, which will be open to 150 guests, will spotlight fare inspired by Far Out’s many concepts, from French restaurant Le Margot to the recently opened barbecue spot F1 Smokehouse. Wine pairings will be offered by Alexander Vineyards. Tickets are $195 and will go on sale on the fest’s website Sept. 20. The actual FWFWF is happening April 4-7. Info: fortworthfoodandwinefestival.com
*
La Onda, a hip, Latin-inspired seafood restaurant that won national accolades before abruptly closing in April, has found a new home at the Hotel Revel, where it’s open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. The hotel’s bar, Sugarman’s, has been phased out and transformed into a raw bar, where diners can pick out their own oysters. The Hotel Revel rendition of La Onda is considerably smaller than owners Victor and Misty Villarreal’s original location on the east side, but many of their menu staples remain, such as caviar and ceviche. New lunch specials have been added, including salads, bowls and pitas stuffed or topped with seafood of your choice. La Onda won the Best New Restaurant award in CultureMap's 2021 annual Tastemaker Awards, and Texas Monthly awarded it for best cocktail program. It was also the only restaurant in the North Texas area to appear on Bon Appetit's list of America’s 50 Best New Restaurants for 2022. laondaftw.com
*
A new wine bar has opened downtown, courtesy of Fort Worth chef Dena Shaskan. Cheekily named Wines from a Broad, it features wines made exclusively by female winemakers. Shaskan taste-tested and approved each of the wine bar’s 150 wines, which are available by the glass. There are also non-boozy cocktails, plus a small food menu, with items such as cheese and fruit plates. This is the third downtown concept from Shaskan and her husband Trent, who also own 3rd Street Market and the nearby snack bar, Hopscotch. Wines from a Broad is open 3-11pm Wednesday-Saturday. 317 Houston St.
*
Another local food truck has made the jump to a brick-and-mortar location. Cafecito recently opened in the food hall below Wabi House on the Near Southside, in the space recently vacated by a Nashville hot chicken spot. Run by Cinthya Duran and her mom Yaneth Sanchez, Cafecito specializes in breakfast burritos and tacos, made with fresh tortillas. They’re open 6am-3pm daily except Sunday, when they’re closed. 1229 Eighth Ave., cafecitofw.com
*
The Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel is hosting a fundraiser for those affected by the fires in Maui. Taking place October 12, on the hotel's mezzanine terrace, the event will feature a Hawaiian BBQ-themed dinner, followed by a screening of the film 50 First Dates, as part of the hotel's Rooftop Cinema Club. Tickets are super-cheap, just $25, and what's even better, $10 from every ticket sold and 50% of all alcoholic beverage purchases will go to the Marriott Disaster Relief Fund, which provides assistance to those affected by the Maui fires. More info: https://linktr.ee/helpinghandmaui
