Photo: Mark Anthony Pratt
Food in Wok
Sometimes it feels like Fort Worth opens a new restaurant every time someone breathes. Burgers and barbecue are a dime a dozen. So are taco joints. But we also have pho, sushi, steak, seafood, and all sorts of fare to keep foodies happy.
There are, however, some cuisines in which the local food scene comes up short. Here are a few we’re currently craving for.
Indian
You can probably count the number of Indian restaurants in Fort Worth with your fingers. There’s Bombay Grill on Donnelly Avenue, Maharaja on Hulen, Namaste on Seminary — but if you’re not anywhere near those areas, there’s hardly a place to grab a chicken tikka masala in the middle of the day and bring it back to your desk for lunch.
French
Unless you’re going to La Madeleine, French cuisine for Fort Worthians is typically reserved for special occasions. Saint-Emilion, Paris 7th, Rise No. 3 — places whose price ranges are not exactly midday lunch material. Fort Worth could use a locally owned little French café, where you can enjoy a croque monsieur and cappuccino and pick up a baguette on the way out.
African
Samson's Market Bistro on Camp Bowie is practically an institution here, but aside from that, Fort Worth is a desert when it comes to African food. You’ll have to head outside the loop for more options.
Dim Sum
Dim sum is an experience. Imagine — dumplings of various varieties served in little baskets coming to your table on a little rolling cart. Sadly, a dim sum craving typically means a trip east — namely, the area around Arlington’s Ben Thanh Plaza. Pioneer Parkway between Arlington and Grand Prairie alone has at least three dim sum spots just minutes from each other. Fort Worth has no such culinary experience. At least, not yet. Make it happen, foodies.
Boba
On the dessert scene, Fort Worth is lacking in a treat near and dear to my heart — boba tea, a sweet drink filled with chewy tapioca pearls. And while you can find boba in various Vietnamese restaurants and regular tea shops, there aren’t too many of those cute, Instagrammable boutique-esque spots whose specialty is boba. Fruitealicious over by TCU and 1102 on Camp Bowie are good examples. Sadly, we recently lost 85ºC Bakery on Left Bank, so now I have to drive all the way to Carrollton for my beloved sea salt green tea.
