The Sinclair Hotel rooftop bar
A Marriott Autograph Collection property, the Sinclair Hotel will open this fall on Main Street in the Sinclair Building. Up 17 flights will be a rooftop bar.
Downtown will soon be home to a new luxury hotel and an equally luxurious steakhouse. A Marriott Autograph Collection property, the Sinclair Hotel will open this fall on Main Street in the Sinclair Building. The hotel’s primary dining option will be a chef-driven steakhouse, called Wicked Butcher, from Dallas-based DRG Concepts. The company is also behind Chop House Burger and Wild Salsa, both located in the northwest pocket of downtown. Wicked Butcher’s menu will feature domestic and international premium cuts of beef, including showboaty items such as double-rib steak for two, served tableside. Seafood will also be prominently featured, with items such as sushi, oysters, lobster, and swordfish. A wine program will feature bottles from around the globe. Up 17 flights will be a rooftop bar, offering drinks, light bites, and Insta-worthy views of downtown. 512 Main St., marriott.com.
Also coming to downtown, possibly late September/early October, will be Neighbor’s House Grocery, a chef-driven grocery store located on the ground floor of the First on 7th building. Owners/chefs Ashlee and Kyle Cowan will offer fresh produce, prepared meals, cold-pressed juices, and specialty items, along with products from national brands. For breakfast, look for tacos stuffed with eggs, brisket, and grilled veggies; egg sandwiches with Pearl Snap kolaches for buns; and breakfast quiche. Lunch items will include rotating soups and sandwiches. Toasts, smoothies, and grain and fruit bowls from Rollin’ and Bowlin’ will also be up for grabs. 500 W. Seventh St., neighborshousegrocery.com.
A restaurant devoted to Cajun-style seafood boils is now open in north Fort Worth. Krab Kingz started out nearly four years ago as a food truck, which developed a following for its huge platters of snow crab, sausage, shrimp, corn on the cob, and potatoes, all cooked in a ridiculously good garlic butter sauce, then dusted with seasoning. Their new brick-and-mortar features an expanded menu that includes fried lobster tails, po’boys, gumbos, pastas, and salads. The Fort Worth outpost is part of the expanding Krab Kingz empire, founded by Florida native-turned-Texan Brandon Martin. The company now has nearly a dozen trucks and restaurants. 5250 North Tarrant Parkway, 682.760.9003.
I’m a big breakfast guy — figuratively, literally — so this bit of news hits home: Spiral Diner has expanded its breakfast hours. Breakfast is now being served daily, starting at 7 a.m. (except Monday, when the restaurant is closed). In other words, you no longer have to wait until the weekends to enjoy their incredible pancakes. Other breakfast items include housemade biscuits (with or without gravy, although always get it with), breakfast tacos, veggie bowls, tofu scrambles, and various pastries.1314 W. Magnolia Ave., spiraldiner.com.
A second location of gourmet comfort food spot Chef Point has opened in Colleyville in the old Gator’s Café building. The original Chef Point, opened by Franson Nwaeze and Paula Merrell in a gas station in Watauga, became a sensation in 2011 following an appearance on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” The new location will offer the same menu, including “Better Than Sex” fried chicken, duck l’orange, lobster mac and cheese, and a $35 Bloody Mary, which comes decorated with fried chicken, grilled shrimp, waffle fries, bacon, and hamburger sliders. 5200 Highway 121, chefpointcafe.org.
My editor is starting to get irritated with me for writing about barbecue so much, so of course I’m going to continue. Panther City BBQ’s new home — a cool indoor/outdoor shed built by Near Southside architecture firm 97W — could be up and running by September/October. It’ll be next to where their truck is parked now, in the empty lot next to Republic Street Bar.Dayne’s Craft BBQ has nixed moving into the old Americado building and will instead serve out of Lola’s Saloon every Saturday. And finally, major kudos to Derek Allan’s Texas BBQ, the latest Fort Worth ‘cue joint to wow BBQ Snob Daniel Vaughn. Vaughn wrote a long and highly favorable review of the new Near Southside spot, zeroing in specifically on the restaurant’s Wagyu brisket and sausage. Vaughn called the lean brisket “incredible.” 1116 Eighth Ave., derekallansbbq.com.