Fort Worth

(From April 2009) A recent renovation has resulted in a quieter and warmer dining space off the lobby of the Ashton Hotel, and chef Ismael Rojas has designed the menu with Southwestern palates in mind. The Tlalpan Salad (named for a district in Mexico City) featured assorted greens, toasted pistachios, and sliced cucumber tossed in a chipotle vinaigrette, while the grilled fourteen-ounce ribeye came with whipped Yukon potatoes, baby carrots, a poblano with corn sauce, and a topping of fried onions. The experienced and knowledgeable servers are a real asset. Bar.

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(From October 2009) Southwestern decor is the backdrop for a menu heavy on Texas meat, fish, and game. The Chicken Stack is creative, nicely executed—and fiery! Watch out for the guajillo chile sauce and salsa verde tucked in the layers of smoked chicken, queso fresco, and corn tortillas. Assuaging our numb taste buds was a lush pecan-crusted redfish filet topped with artichokes, capers, tomatoes, and a white wine butter sauce, served with smoked-Gouda mashed potatoes. An apple crisp sprinkled with Texas pecan crumble and served with cinnamon ice cream was a delight. Bar. 4259

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(From July 2009) Chef Keith Hicks is movin’ on up (previous stints include Gunsmoke and Ovation), and this sprawling venue, with its swanky bar, live music, and great food, is a home run. The irresistibly named Let’s Get It On oysters feature bruschetta topped with creamed spinach and a crunchy fried oyster drizzled with béarnaise, while the Wild “Shroom” Pasta sports shiitakes, criminis, portobellos, and porcinis tossed with fettucine in a roasted shallot butter. And yes, the famed chicken and waffles have their rightful place on this menu too. Bar.

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(From August 2009) The nicely seasoned half pound of meat is smothered with a pile of blue cheese and a tangle of bacon. A goodly spread of chipotle mayo bridges the flavors, and fresh toppings seal the deal. The fries are fresh-cut and sprinkled with sea salt, and that just never, ever gets old. The high-ceilinged cafe and beer bar is named after Leo “Dutch” Meyer, a TCU grad who became the most successful football coach in Horned Frog history.

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(From August 2009) Half a pound of ground beef is grilled and topped with taste bud–searing chipotles, heaped with Swiss cheese, and crowned with onion, pickles, tomato, lettuce, and mustard. The spicy elements play off perfectly against the cool and leafy ones; melted cheese provides the glue that holds it all together. Note: Don’t even think about wedging yourself into this popular, boisterous cafe and bar at rush hour.

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(From May 2009) Owner Adam Jones has been honing his restaurateur skills on Main Street for fifteen years, and that unrelenting attention to detail has found a new home in this high-end space helmed by chef Blaine Staniford, a CIA grad who spent a decade in the culinary trenches of New York, San Francisco, and Dallas. His artistry with modern American classics has produced a varied menu, with appetizers like a marvelous beef carpaccio with sun-dried tomatoes and a beet-and-watercress salad with toasted shallot vinaigrette and a crispy sphere of goat cheese. Indeed, we were so taken with the appetizers that we made a whole meal of them, ordering the zesty fried oysters atop sautéed spinach and the challenging Seafood Tower composed of shrimp, oysters on the half shell and Rockefeller, crab, and tuna. Bar.

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(From July 2009) This outpost of the Austin favorite is classy but rustic, with a decor that incorporates leather saddles and taxidermy peering down upon diners as they enjoy oak-smoked steaks, seafood, and game. We found the broiled Gulf oysters tough (though nicely seasoned), but we were delighted with a chopped salad loaded with toasted almonds, sesame seeds, and Parmesan cheese; sole drizzled with a piquant tarragon sauce; and a more-than-generous serving of spicy red snapper veracruzana. Bar.

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(From November 2009) Daniel Badillo and his wife, Rose, picked up the 7th Street Station Grill, moved it next to the Leonard’s Department Store Museum, and gave it a new name. Now customers have access to a fun gallery of memorabilia from the old Leonard Brothers’ retail venture along with a tasty roster of burgers, fries, and milk shakes. There are salads too (we like the Subway Car Trio, with chicken salad, tuna salad, and a tasty cup of either chicken tortilla or tomato basil soup), as well as daily specials (we give the hand-breaded chicken-fried steak a score of 9.5).

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(From March 2009) Owner Mike McMahan brings 25 years of restaurant experience to Montgomery Plaza with this sleek steak and seafood house, complete with glass walls to observe the pedestrian traffic. We’d been advised of the existence of a large and outstanding chicken-fried steak, but we could not resist the char-broiled halibut served with wild rice and the zippy blackened orange roughy with étouffée, a generous serving of fish and shrimp that proved to be not too spicy, just well-supplied with creole oomph. Bar.

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(From December 2009) For decades this Texas-friendly cafe has served up farmhand-size breakfasts and home-cooked soul food—liberally spiced with lively debates on sports, politics, or the weather—to several appreciative generations, and it has the long lines to prove it.

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