Tim Love News
Fort Worth chef delivers Italian-American Love letter with new restaurant
Tim Love, Fort Worth's most prolific chef, has yet another new restaurant: Called Caterina's, it's an Italian-American place opening at the Fort Worth Stockyards, in the Mule Alley Redevelopment at 128 E. Exchange Ave., #620, right between Melt Ice Creams and Cowtown Winery. According to a release, it's opening on July 27.
Caterina's is an ode to Italian-American food, with a kitchen helmed by chef de cuisine Lance Willis.
"Caterina's is our homage to the sophisticated mid-century Italian-American restaurants I've always loved," Love says in a statement. "Caterina's is a place where everyone will feel special—whether that's a 10-person party with family or friends or just date night for two."
Diners will be greeted with a glass of prosecco rosé, and meals will begin with three varieties of focaccia and a platter of cured meats and aged Parmigiano Reggiano.
The menu includes starters such as:
- Fried Zucchini
- Asparagus and Artichoke Carpaccio
- Caprese salad
- Tableside Caesar
- Chicken & Gnocchi Soup
Pastas are made in house and include:
- Bucatini Cacio e Pepe
- Spaghetti Al Pomodoro
- Rigatoni Alla Vodka
- Linguine Alla Vongole
Entree type dishes include roasted Chicken and Veal Chop, and desserts include an Italian Hangover Cake.
The wine list is exclusively Italian with selections from prestigious regions such as Piedmont, Tuscany, and Friuli, but also lesser-known varietals and regions to show the full range of possibilities represented across the Italian peninsula.
Cocktails follow an Italian theme, with six signature drinks including a Negroni, Hugo, Americano, and Angelo Azzuro — each made tableside and accompanied by a small bite that elevates the flavors and essence of the drink.
Decor marries Old World and modern touches, with classic Italian nods such as a sweeping wraparound banquette, brass-framed barstools, vintage-inspired black-and-white mosaic tile, and crystal light fixtures that hang from the catwalk above the dining room.
The restaurant has two floors, with a 40-seat dining room and 6-seat cocktail bar on ground level, and a mezzanine with a private dining room for 14 guests.
But this is sad: the kitchen will be visible only to bar patrons. If you want to see the action, you'll need to eat at the bar, which will also display a wheel of premium-aged Prosciutto di Parma.
Music will include fun cornball classics like Louis Prima or Frank Sinatra.
Staff uniforms will include white shirts and red vests for servers, although some will wear white tuxedo jackets. Bartenders will wear black suspenders.
Dress code for customers will be jackets required for men, and cellphones will not be allowed in the dining room.
"When guests arrive, their phones are placed in a bag which they then take with them to their table," a spokesperson says. "So, they have access to their phones if they need but the goal is to create a phone-free dinner environment where diners simply enjoy their company, the food, the drinks, and the ambiance."
Caterina's is open Sunday-Thursday from 4-10 pm, and Friday-Saturday from 4-11 pm.
Tim Love's Love Management, Inc. includes Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Woodshed Smokehouse, Love Shack, Queenie's Steakhouse, White Elephant Saloon, Gemelle, Atico, Hotel Otto, and Paloma Suerte. He also recently formed a partnership with Live Nation, where he will debut Woodshed Smokehouse outlets at select venues, including Dos Equis Pavilion in Dallas.