Eats Beat: A new oyster bar, and where to take guests
West Fort Worth got oysters for Christmas.
The Dive Oyster Bar, a new restaurant from seafood chef Josh Rangel and the owners of Oscar’s Pub, cracked its first shells this week and will be open limited hours Saturday and next week.
Don’t go yet. The Dive is too small to handle a crowd, and workers need to start slowly before regular hours begin Jan. 1.
But when full lunch and dinner hours begin, the Dive will draw diners to the Benbrook Traffic Circle for grilled oysters with bourbon-chipotle butter, Shiner Bock fish-and-chips or catfish and oyster po-boys, plus various grilled, fried or blackened fish and huge hush puppies.
Rangel worked in Waters’ kitchen, and the upscale-meets-dive style shows in the oyster choices and creamy gumbo.
Besides grilled oysters, the Dive also serves bloody-mary oysters with Tabasco or oysters “roc-a-fella” with spinach and bacon.
Entrees ranged from an $11 burger to a $21 fried combo (catfish, shrimp, oysters) or an $18 blackened redfish with étouffée.
The Dive is open nights only for now, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., and will be closed Christmas Eve, Day and Sundays. Lunch and dinner hours will begin Jan. 4.
It’s in the old, original Salsa Fuego; 3520 Alta Mere Drive, 817-480-4623.
Museum dining
Where to take guests for the holidays:
Café Modern will open for brunch Saturday and will open daily except New Year’s Day.
New chef Denise Shavandy’s menu is worth a try, particularly the new 44 Farms burger and stellar desserts such as a TX Whiskey flan with apple crisp or five-spice flourless chocolate cake.
The cafe is regularly open for lunch or brunch daily except Monday. Weekly Friday dinners will resume Jan. 8; 3200 Darnell St., 817-840-2157, themodern.org.
The Buffet at the Kimbell is open for lunch daily except Mondays, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
This week’s specials are sweet-potato-pumpkin soup, a broccoli-kale quiche with cheddar and a turkey-Muenster sandwich; 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817-332-8451, ext. 277, kimbellart.org/visit/dining.
In Dallas, the traditional Neiman Marcus Zodiac holiday turkey and prime-rib lunch buffet continues daily through New Year’s Eve; $42, 1618 Main St., 214-573-5800, neimanmarcus.com.
Café 43 at the Bush Center is open for lunch daily including Mondays (closing only Christmas Day). The exhibit is “Christmas at the White House”; 2943 SMU Blvd., 214 200-4302, bushcenter.org.
Bud Kennedy: 817-390-7538, bud@star-telegram.com, @EatsBeat. His column appears Wednesdays in Life & Arts and Fridays in DFW.com.
This story was originally published December 24, 2015 at 11:43 AM with the headline "Eats Beat: A new oyster bar, and where to take guests."