Stories and photos by Janie Pace (unless otherwise indicated)
The Wicked Butcher in the new Sinclair Hotel
Feast on steaks and seafood at the Wicked Butcher, a modern steakhouse inside historic downtown Fort Worth’s Sinclair Hotel, led by culinary team Chefs Richard Triptow and Austin Carlson. Walk into the hotel lobby and take the stairs down to the lower level where you will find sleek, art deco influences with emerald colors, and glossy white brick and tile. Marble features, windows lined with wine bottles, and brass fixtures with low lighting anchor the luxurious space.
Appetizers are steak tartare, jumbo shrimp cocktail, salmon and tuna tartare, or artisanal cheese and charcuterie board along with main dishes of seafood with an assortment of oysters, crab, lobster, salmon and swordfish on the menu, with a feature filet mignon or a 32-ounce dry-aged tomahawk chop at the top of the list. Sides include corn crème brulee, grilled asparagus, yukon mashed potatoes or mushroom mélange. Select from a creative cocktail list like The Sinclair, Urban Cowboy, or the Smoking Barrel and an extensive wine menu.
512 Main Street
Reata at Sundance
Reata at Sundance, named for the majestic ranch in the 1950s epic movie “Giant” starring James Dean, Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor is one of my favorites. This is a great place to take out-of-towners for a full flavor of Fort Worth ambiance. You’ll find legendary Texas cuisine like the Tenderloin Tamales, famous steaks like the Blackened Buffalo Ribeye, or the pan-seared Pepper Crusted Tenderloin with port wine sauce, exquisite wines and one of the best margaritas anywhere.
Chef James Gaines is following in the footsteps of famed Chefs like Chef Grady Spears, Brian Olenjack, Tim Love, Todd Phillips, and Juan Rodriquez. Order a Fort Worth Old Fashioned made with Fort Worth Firestone & Robertson TX Whiskey before dinner on the rooftop bar. For dessert, try the West Texas Pecan Pie, or Dessert Tacos with Caramelized Bananas and Chocolate Gravy. Don’t pass up the pecan biscuits and jalapeno cornbread with whipped butter.
310 Houston Street
ToroToro
ToroToro is a new Pan Latin Steakhouse in the Worthington Hotel downtown led by acclaimed Chef Richard Sandoval. ToroToro is a play on the Japanese word for tuna and the Spanish word for bull. Celebrate the vibrant flavors of Central and South America, with a twist of the Churrasco contemporary steakhouse and creative Pan-Latin small plates, all intended to be shared family style.
Blend classic Latin cocktails like the mojito or margarita, with hand-muddled fresh fruits, herbs and vegetables. For dinner, enjoy Brazilian barbeque and Churrasco, where waiters carve charcoal and wood grilled steaks and seafood tableside served with shared small plates of ceviche, tiraditos, and empanadas. Sides include lobster mac and cheese and crispy brussel sprouts.
200 Main Street
Grace
Grace, a New American restaurant at 777 Main features prime steaks and creative cuisine, created by Chef Blaine Staniford and paired with fine wines in an elegant contemporary décor, presented by Adam Jones, known as the city’s host for upscale hospitality and service. Enjoy small plates, happy hour food, and seasonal cocktails on the outdoor terrace or cozy up in the spectacular bar with separate menu for bar snacks and more creative cocktails. Dining tables with a romantic ambiance surround the glass-enclosed temperature-controlled wine cellars with Old and New World wines.
For private events, four private dining rooms with multimedia electronics seat 10 to 48 guests. Grace accommodates larger parties utilizing the 777 Main lobby for cocktail parties of 200-400 guests or a seated dinner for 150. Indulge in the Chef’s eight course Tasting Menu with wine parings or partake in selections of oysters, caviar, blue prawns, lamb belly dumplings, prime rib, prime dry aged bone-in ribeye or bacon wrapped stuffed filet. Or select the Maine Diver Scallops, Maine lobster, mac and cheese or Japanese eggplant. Locally owned and operated since 2008.
777 Main Street
B&B Butchers & Restaurant
B&B Butchers & Restaurant at the Shops at ClearFork near Neiman Marcus specializes in appetizers, shellfish tower and oysters from the raw bar, Cellar beef cuts like the 55-day Dry-Aged Wagyu Ribeye from Marfa Texas, or the A5 Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, from Japan, the rarest and most exclusive beef in the world, headed up by Chef John Piccolio. Select from Texas Wagyu, Dry-aged USDA Prime with a variety of toppings, or lobster, ocean sea bass or wasabi crusted tuna. Side dishes like classic creamed spinach, B&B Mac & Cheese, or sautéed mushrooms serve two. Enjoy daily Butcher Plate Specials from Swordfish Ribeye to Chicken Fried Wagyu. For dessert, don’t miss the flaming baked Alaska, Key Lime Pie, or The Bacon Cookie.
Reserve your seat on Rare Force One, a personalized ride provider by B&B Butchers when you reserve dinner at the restaurant. The custom-designed Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van is available to shuttle guests seven days a week to and from downtown venues and hotels to the restaurant located in The Shops at ClearFork, west of downtown, at 5212 Marathon Ave. The van holds 14 people and includes WiFi and phone chargers at every seat, complimentary when you make your reservation for dinner.
5212 Marathon Avenue
Lonesome Dove Western Bistro
Lonesome Dove, headed up by Chef Tim Love has won numerous awards and acclaims from Wine Spectator, Food & Wine, Zagat Survey, Southern Living, Esquire, The New York Times, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and the Dallas Morning News. Glamorizing innovative southwest cuisine, Lonesome Dove opened in 2000 in the Fort Worth’s Historic Stockyards District as the city’s premiere dining establishment.
As one of Fort Worth’s culinary treasures, Chef Love incorporates ingredients and cultures of Goodnight-Loving and The Chisholm Trail with an added modern sophistication melded with steaks, seafood, wagyu Tomahawk, Kangaroo Carpaccio, Rocky Mountain Elk Ribeye, Wild Boar, rabbit and rattlesnake. A native Texan, Tim was the first chef invited to James Beard’s House in New York. Order a creative cocktail like The Willie, Jalapeno Cucumber Margarita or Comanche Moon made with Opihr gin, Domain de Canton, lime juice, green tea syrup, ginger bitters, cardamom bitters and Topo Chico.
2406 N Main Street in the Stockyards
Waters Restaurant in Sundance Square
Waters Restaurant in Sundance Square combines flavors with a hint of Louisiana and the southwest, sourcing the freshest wild, seasonal and sustainable seafood available. Chef-owner John Bonnell and Executive Chef Anthony Felli formulate a well-seasoned kitchen team with over 40 years of culinary experience.
The signature Gumbo has Creole roots when John cooked in the French Quarter in New Orleans; and Chef Anthony exploits his Wagyu beef. Diver Scallops from Maine get a Tex-Mex golden seared enhancement while jumbo crab cakes are a product of just large lump crabmeat, void of typical fillers from the Maryland style. Choose from appetizers like the wild-caught gulf shrimp, crispy fried oysters Texafeller, lump crab and avocado salad with mango pico, or the heirloom tomato and fried goat cheese salad.
For entrees, indulge in the duck confit and shrimp pasta, Cajun sea scallops, creole artic char, or an 8 oz filet mignon. Sharable sides include Kennebec fries, dirty rice, main lobster macaroni & cheese or oyster mushrooms. John, with over 15 Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence, has accumulated wines from around the world. Enjoy Happy Hour from 4-6 pm daily on the patio and in the main bar featuring small plates and discounted bar drinks and the dirty dozen, a flight of premium oysters.
