By Olaf Growald
With our local culinary options constantly expanding, it’s easy to get caught in the whirlwind of trying a new restaurant every week. But as far as local dining goes, it’s always necessary — in the event of house guests, the desire to return to a local staple, or to quench your weekly thirst for Kincaid’s — to keep those old favorites in your back pocket. Here are some of Fort Worth’s most crave-worthy and cathartic culinary delights.
Café Modern
Few chefs have to worry about competing with world-class architecture for attention, but Denise Shavandy, head chef at Café Modern, takes it all in stride. Denise turns out temptingly artistic plates that can hold their own against anything hanging on the museum’s walls. Her dining room has a view like no other, overlooking the mesmerizing reflecting pond, and her everchanging and seasonal menus rise to the occasion.
With global influences, often brought back from her recent trips, you never know what to expect. From Middle Eastern-inspired za’atar seared rack of lamb to French classics like coq au vin riesling, it’s a global tour featuring flavors from every corner of the world. Also one of the top cocktail destinations in town, Café Modern provides a serene backdrop to wind down and catch up with friends.
Paris Coffee Shop
The Near Southside has been home to the Paris Coffee shop since 1926. The business set up shop on Magnolia Avenue in 1974, but its original location was on nearby Hemphill Street. While the old Coca Cola sign is now mostly hidden behind the overgrowth of an oak tree, there is still the classic neon sign and a huge mural that runs along the entire Hemphill side of the building to point the way.
With soda fountain swivel stools and a prominent pie case, constantly reminding patrons to save room for dessert, nostalgia is at the top of the menu at Paris Coffee Shop. As one would expect, the diner is consistently brimming with locals for breakfast — sipping their coffee out of brown mugs and polishing off every possible variation of breakfast plate — eggs cooked your way with a choice of a biscuit, pancake or toast, and meat options ranging from steak and pork chops to sausage and bacon. The brisk lunch crowd enjoys comfort foods like chili smothered enchiladas and chicken-fried steaks.
Bird Café
Overlooking the action on Sundance Square, Bird Café picked a prime perch to roost. It opened in 2014 and has hosted a few capable head chefs over the years. Most recently, Brian Olenjack, previously of Reata Restaurant and Worthington Renaissance, has decided to feather his nest at Bird, and he brought his famous shrimp and grits along for good measure. English pub staples like fish and chips take a Texas spin, featuring catfish instead of cod, while Belgian mussels arrive steamed and doused in lemon, sauvignon blanc, thyme, and butter.
The bar area is attractive in shades of avocado green, opening to the covered patio and Sundance Square beyond. Sporting exposed red brick walls, vintage stained-glass accents, and mesmerizing prints from Fort Worth artists, the space is as inviting as the menu.
Tokyo Cafe
When Tokyo Cafe was lost to a fire in June 2014, locals and regulars were devastated. Even though the new and improved version would not emerge from the ashes for two long years, that fire couldn’t destroy our passion for this beloved westside Japanese restaurant. With chef Kevin Martinez running the show, Tokyo Café has cemented its credentials, providing some of the truest Japanese in town. The chef hops over to Tokyo on a regular basis and brings back new inspiration, so his specials are really special. Martinez is, in his own words, “obsessed” with Japanese culture and the cuisine, and we’re all the better for it.
The sushi is fresh and creative, the ramen impeccable, and the hard-to-find okonomiyaki (savory pancakes) are some of my personal favorites. A common street food in Japan, their Tokyokonomiyaki version adds noodles to the batter (Hiroshima style), and it is served with tangy teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, and sprinkled with dried bonita flakes that appear to dance over the top.
Swiss Pastry Shop
Hans Peter Muller’s father opened the famous bakery in 1972 and introduced Cowtown to its first taste of European pastries (at a time when the bakery case at the local Piggly Wiggly offered only a handful of choices). His Swiss version of Black Forest Cake with its layers of almond meringue and lightly sweetened whipped cream was revolutionary. Nearly 50 years later and many locals cannot imagine a celebration or birthday without it. And, although Muller himself is a trained baker with plenty more up his sleeve than churning out endless Black Forest Cakes, he embraces the cake that put his bakery on the map.
More than a bakery, Swiss Pastry serves breakfast and lunch, as well. Regulars in the know show up early on Saturday to score a couple of Grandma Bunion’s dense whole-wheat pancakes, filled with oats, flax, millet, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and raisins with a hint of molasses and cinnamon. When Muller added burgers to the lunch menu a few years back, they were instantly among some of the best in town. But, don’t forget, the bakery case is calling your name.
Lucile’s Stateside Bistro
This unique restaurant began in 1927 as Steve’s Restaurant on the bricked section of Camp Bowie Boulevard. Its green-tiled roof and awnings and its perpetual “lobster fest” sign are hard to miss. The space reopened as Lucile’s Stateside Bistro in 1993, and it has become a local legend, serving fresh seafood, steaks, and delicious brunch offerings on the weekends. The green-checkered tablecloths and breezy café curtains give the space a charming New England feel.
The Lucile’s Classic Salad, a scrumptious combo of mixed greens, shaved carrot, red onion, cucumber rings, and tomato wedges topped with blue cheese crumbles, has been on the menu from the very beginning. Another specialty of the house is Lucile’s Crab Cakes, which are straight up Chesapeake Bay lump crabmeat, formed without unnecessary binders and pan-fried until golden brown.
Joe T. Garcia’s
What began in 1935 as a family-run Tex-Mex spot in a tiny converted home on the city’s Northside has morphed into one of the city’s most popular destinations. Beginning in the 1970s, a massive expansion got underway, which resulted in the addition of a small patio with a pool and cabana. Additions to the lush and sprawling gardens occur almost annually, and the outdoor space — which now spans a full city block — now includes many unique patios, party rooms, and al fresco dining areas.
While the restaurant’s original seating capacity of 16 has now expanded to well over 1,000, most things remain exactly the same. The potent margaritas are still batch-made from simple ingredients, and Joe T’s still accepts cash only — no credit cards. The idyllic patio serves up a killer brunch, too. The traditional chilaquiles combine sautéed strips of corn tortilla with eggs and tomato sauce; the dish is then baked with yellow cheese and served with refried beans and Mexican-style potatoes.
By Olaf Growald
Rodeo Goat
Shannon Wynne’s sense of humor is on full display at his original Rodeo Goat location in the West Seventh district, a burger joint that indulges in excesses. You might want to check your expectations if you’re imagining a burger with the traditional lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion toppings, and condiments limited to mustard and ketchup. Rodeo Goat takes the you-can-literally-put-anything-between-two-slices-of-bread approach, and its creative concoctions have made it a local gem. My personal go-to is the Sugar Burger with candied bacon, grilled peaches, caramelized onion, arugula, and jalapeño jam. Other options appear contained only by the creativity and imaginations of the chefs — there seem to be few synergistic combos they have yet to try.
Pacific Table
One of Felipe Armenta’s creative restaurants (the others being Cork & Pig, Press Café, and The Tavern), Pacific Table never disappoints. This one is a nod to the Pacific Northwest with plenty of modern flourishes. A snug sushi bar toward the back serves up seasonal oysters and colorful fresh sushi creations. Pro tip: If there is a wait for a table on weekends, you can always head back to the sushi bar.
The central cocktail bar is also a comfortable spot to take in the crowd, and the covered patio is an ideal al fresco option. The menu, as you might expect, is modern and seafood-forward, ranging from arctic char and branzino to Scottish salmon and filet of sole. Their classic trout almondine is grilled with fresh herbs and almonds and topped with brown butter sauce.
Taverna
Serving true Northern Italian fare like thin, wood-stone oven pizzas and fresh pasta dishes, Taverna sets itself apart from other generic Italian restaurants. Try the Carciofini Gratinati for starters. Topped with garlic, parsley, cream, fontina cheese, and golden brown bread crumbs, these baked artichoke hearts capture all the quintessential Italian flavors.
But, Taverna’s true claim to fame is being a risotteria, whose reputation is earned from cooking with the right rice — they use imported Carnaroli rice and nothing else. It maintains its characteristic toothsome texture and never becomes mushy. If you’re not a fan of risotto, you probably haven’t experienced an authentic version like this.
By Olaf Growald
Saint-Emilion
Bernard Tronche opened Saint-Emilion in 1985, five years after moving to Texas from his native France. Housed in a vine-covered A-frame house on West Seventh Street — at the point where it begins to slowly dissolve into a residential neighborhood, Saint-Emilion has been transporting diners to a relaxed yet refined French dining experience for decades. Where else can you find escargot à la provençale, pate de campagne, and steak tartare in town?
Saint-Emilion, which takes its name from the centuries-old village of Saint-Emilion in southwestern France — where Tronche grew up — has long been famous for its chalkboard specials and traditional touches like tableside preparations. In 2018, he moved the fine dining component to the nearby Paris 7th restaurant and recrafted the original restaurant into more of a French country bistro. Delightful new menu items await long-time patrons, but, don’t worry, many of the old favorites remain.
Clay Pigeon
Opened by chef Marcus Paslay in 2013, Clay Pigeon has proven to be one of the city’s most inventive restaurants. Executive chef Bria Downey, who helped launch its crosstown, sister restaurant, Piattello Italian Kitchen, now runs the seasonal kitchen with a menu that ranges from steaks and lamb chops to fresh fish and pasta. Fall and winter comfort food includes grilled duck spooned with a red wine reduction sauce and served with roasted beets and an arugula salad with candied walnuts.
The main dining room is broken into two sections. One side has a patio view, weathered red-brick walls, and a glass-enclosed wine cellar, and the other side has a view of the cocktail bar with its massive mirror reflecting all the activity. The patio is a great spot to enjoy one of their stellar cocktails or shared plates under string lights.
Kincaid’s
Charles Kincaid’s Grocery and Market opened as a grocery store in 1946 on Camp Bowie. The first grocery store in the area to have specialty departments, Kincaid’s included a full-service meat market, and O.R. Gentry was its head butcher. He began cooking burgers on a small grill in the back for the neighborhood locals in 1964, and word spread quickly. Soon, the lunchtime line began to form — so much so that the grocery store shelves were cut down to countertop height just to accommodate the carnivorous crowd, who began beating a path to Kincaid’s for one of those butcher-paper-wrapped beauties.
Eventually, Kincaid’s had to accept the fact that they were no longer a grocery store — it had become a local hamburger institution. Today, there are five Tarrant County locations turning out the same, never-frozen Angus chuck patties, which are ground fresh in-house daily and cooked to perfection on flat-top griddles.
Angelo’s BBQ
Some readers may recall shuffling through inches of sawdust that once covered the floor on their way to order at the old wooden counter. Those were the days. Luckily, the wide assortment of taxidermy and the ever-present, 7-foot-tall black bear are still in place at Angelo’s. In 1958, Angelo George opened what was then a tiny window-service joint. Over 60 years on, and Angelo’s (North Texas-style) hickory-wood-smoked meats and frosty schooners of beer have never gone out of style. Famous for their brisket with perfectly charred bark, this is where we learned from our grandparents how to order the burnt ends.
