Restaurant news for January
Saikou Sushi & Ramen now open
Just in time for January’s chilly temperatures, far north Fort Worth has a new spot for ramen. No, not the instant noodles sold in cellophane packages, but the Japanese soup that just a couple years ago was hard to come by locally. Saikou Sushi & Ramen opened in December in the Presidio Towne Crossing shopping center, serving not only ramen (eight varieties) but sushi, sashimi, and tasty starters like caramelized Brussels sprouts, charred shishito peppers and beef tataki. But the ramen is the standout here. From the full-bodied pork broth tonkotsu ramen to the vegetable ramen with kale noodles and black garlic oil, the steamy soups are sure to keep patrons warm this winter. The restaurant is a sister concept to the nearby Noodles at Boba Tea House and is open daily for lunch and dinner.
8825 Tehama Ridge Parkway, Fort Worth, , www.saikousushiramen.com
Taste the change
Pay what you can afford; pay what you would typically pay; or pay what you would typically pay, plus a little extra. That’s the premise of Taste Community Restaurant, Fort Worth’s new nonprofit eatery whose mission is to help feed, educate and serve those in Tarrant County who might not know where their next meal will come from. But the restaurant is far from a soup kitchen. Chef Jeff Williams, who founded the nonprofit Taste Project, is preparing fresh dishes with seasonal ingredients. Diners from all backgrounds are flocking for starters like farro salad with broccoli rabe and lemon vinaigrette, and cream of carrot soup, along with entrees that range from a traditional burger to cornbread-stuffed quail served over pureed cauliflower. The bright and airy space is open for lunch (for now), 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
1200 S. Main St., Fort Worth, 817-759-9045, www.tasteproject.org
Olenjack flies again with Eagle Mountain Tavern
After a nearly three-year hiatus, chef Brian Olenjack is cooking again — this time in northwest Fort Worth at the newly opened Eagle Mountain Tavern on Boat Club Road. Olenjack’s namesake restaurant in Arlington operated approximately eight years before he parted ways with investors in 2015, and the venue closed shortly thereafter. Now he’s brought back his signature jumbo Gulf shrimp and creamy grits, along with salads, burgers, sandwiches and several libations made with Texas spirits. Eagle Mountain Tavern is open daily for lunch and dinner, with a bar menu available late night Thursday through Saturday. Expect live music to come.
7255 Boat Club Road, Fort Worth, 817-720-5355, www.eaglemountaintavern.com
Positively 3rd Street
After taking a shot at the cursed corner space in Montgomery Plaza with the opening of M Bistro last year, Steve Mitchell is back as the executive chef of 3rd Street Bar & Grill, set to take over the former Frankie’s space in Sundance Square this month. The concept is owned by All Abboud, a restaurant veteran whose resume includes Z Grill and Sonoma Grill. Early glimpses of Mitchell’s lengthy menu revealed everything from crab-stuffed mushrooms and steamed mussels to red snapper with crawfish buerre blanc and chicken-fried steak. The bar and grill looks to attract downtowners with weekday happy hours, televised sports and live music.
425 W. Third St., Fort Worth, 817-882-0514, www.facebook.com/3rdStreetBarandGrill
Twigs branches out into Fort Worth
December’s opening of Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar in the Shops at Clearfork marked the Washington-based concept’s debut in Texas. As the restaurant’s name implies, martinis (all 36 of them) are big here. Options include the classic dirty gin martini, a cucumber lime martini with fresh basil, and the French 75 with gin, lemon and a float of champagne. Then there’s the food. Menu items range from truffle-scented parmesan cream sauce over penne pasta with steak, grilled chicken or Portabella mushroom to blue crab mac and cheese. Sandwiches, salads, pizzas and kids’ items round out the lengthy menu. Twigs is open for lunch and dinner daily, with happy hour also daily 3 to 6 p.m.
5289 Marathon Ave., Fort Worth, 817-764-0025, www.twigsbistro.com
Smallcakes brings big ideas to Keller
Made famous by Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars” as well as daytime talk show “The View,” Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery has opened a location in Keller, with another to come in Fort Worth. The franchise is known for its ice cream-infused cupcakes, meaning customers can order everything from jarred layers of ice cream and cupcake to handheld “pushpops” made with mini cupcakes and either ice cream or icing. Ice cream in a cup can also come garnished with cupcake tops, for those who prefer just the top. Popular cupcake flavors include key lime pie, hot fudge sundae and peanut butter cup. Co-owners Yvonne Shores and Cecilia Vindiola are currently seeking space for a Fort Worth location.
721 W. Keller Parkway, Keller, 682-593-8100, www.smallcakestx.com
New menu items at Del Frisco’s Grille
The new year means new menu items at Del Frisco’s Grille. The Sundance Square restaurant, which also has a location in Southlake, is tantalizing diners with updated options like coffee-braised pork shank with bacon ends, collard greens and toasted Sea Island heirloom red peas along with artichoke beignets with fontina and parmesan cheeses and sweet basil dressing. The indulgences don’t end there. Other new dishes include roasted baby beet salad, pan-seared scallops with goat cheese polenta, and Quinn’s Filet Burger (named for the restaurant’s regional executive chef Shawn Quinn) made with house-ground filet mignon. Both locations are open for lunch and dinner daily, as well as Sunday brunch.
154 E. Third St., Fort Worth, 817-887-9900; 1200 E. Southlake Blvd., Southlake, 817-410-3777; www.delfriscosgrille.com
The Near Southside becomes a Twilite zone
Folks looking for a taste of New Orleans, be it in the form of a swanky bar with live music, a Sazerac or authentic po’ boy, can find it at the Twilite Lounge, which quietly opened in the Near Southside in December. The location is second to the original in Dallas’ Deep Ellum. Patrons can visit for a Louisiana Bulldog (Tito’s Vodka, Kahlua, milk and Abita Root Beer) or a New Orleans Pimm’s Cup along with shrimp and catfish po’ boy sandwiches, red beans and rice with andouille sausage, and fried green tomatoes. There’s an expansive patio as well as a dimly lit interior with leather seating, candles and chandeliers. Sports enthusiasts who listen to Sportsradio 1310 The Ticket will find it noteworthy that the bar was founded in part by producer Danny Balis. The Twilite Lounge opens at 4 p.m. weekdays and at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
212 Lipscomb St., 817-720-5483, www.knucklesandwichco.com
Notebook
Customers of longtime west Fort Worth favorite The Lunch Box can now indulge in artisan pastries, breads and desserts from The Black Rooster Cafe, which opened right next door at 6333 Camp Bowie Blvd. last month. Imran Khan owns both concepts and says diners can order off both menus at either storefront, for dine-in or carryout, seven days a week beginning at 8 a.m. through lunch. Black Rooster also has locations at 2430 Forest Park Blvd. and downtown at 910 Houston St. www.roosterbakery.com
Mercury Chophouse has opened in Arlington on the ninth floor of the Brookhollow Two office tower, where Cacharel sat for 30 years. The spinoff of a downtown Fort Worth steakhouse serves lunch and dinner in the renovated space, with menu items ranging from classic escargot to cowboy-cut bone-in rib eye. Don’t miss the expansive wine list or Sunday brunch. 2221 E. Lamar Blvd., Arlington, 817-381-1157, www.mercurychophouse.com
Tickets are now on sale for the fifth annual Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival, set to take place April 5-8. Guests who purchase the $450 weekend pass receive early admission to all six signature festival events at a discounted price. Events include the new Tacos + Tequila at Brik (501 S. Calhoun St.); the Main Event tasting and Rise + Dine brunch event at the Pier 1 Imports corporate headquarters building; Desserts after Dark at Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co.’s new Whiskey Ranch; Burgers, Brews + Blues; and the new Pitmasters Picnic at the Heart of the Ranch at Clearfork. The festival is a nonprofit organization that raises funds for local grant programs and scholarships. www.fortworthfoodandwinefestival.com
This story was originally published January 4, 2018 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Restaurant news for January."