Celebrity Chef News

Celeb chef Graham Elliot digs into barbecue in his new hometown Fort Worth

Chef Graham Elliot walks among us.

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It’s been exactly one year since culinary TV celeb and two-time Michelin star recipient Graham Elliot made a permanent move to Fort Worth, and the self-proclaimed Navy brat (who’s traveled through all 50 states) has no plans to leave.

He left Chicago last year to link up with tenured Fort Worth chef and restaurateur Felipe Armenta and his Far Out Hospitality Group, a gig he found through a headhunting search initiated to help plan the next stage of his career, he says.

“I really wanted to get back into the kitchen,” says Elliot, who was named to Food & Wine magazine’s “Best New Chefs” list in 2004. “Felipe was looking for somebody to partner up with on some new concepts and have a hand in the design of the menus, website – all of those things I love to do.”

The duo hit it off immediately and has since launched a slew of new restaurants at breakneck speed. The first was Cowboy Prime, a high-end steakhouse in Midland opened last December that will debut a second location in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Next came Le Margot, a splashy French fine dining destination (think oysters, escargot, and caviar) that harkens Moulin Rouge in design and atmosphere. It opened this summer in the Trinity Commons shopping center on Hulen St.

Most recently in September the pair opened F1 Smokehouse (517 University Dr.), an upscale spinoff of the barbecue food truck that’s been parked outside Armenta’s Press Café. (Speaking of Press, Aledo gets its own location by year’s end, says Elliot.)

While Cowtown is no stranger to barbecue, F1 is far from the typical joint.

“F1 is more of a refined experience that’s built around the idea of a great smoker,” says Elliot. “It’s not coming in and getting plastic silverware and a big tray. We’re using China and glassware and have great service – an experience that’s kind of in line with what we do with the other places, but smoke-inspired.”

Tempting barbecue from F1 SmokehouseFacebook

Among the unique touches include $8 sides like white truffle potato salad, celery root coleslaw, and charred broccolini, the latter of which accompanies a Korean-style double cut pork chop ($27) – a favorite entrée of Elliot’s. He also recommends the whole smoked prime rib ($35), which comes with garlicky fingerling potatoes, and the jalapeno Wagyu sausage ($8).

“We thought, ‘How do we redefine the barbecue experience?’” says Elliot. “Because there’s no shortage of incredible barbecue places that we love to go and eat. We’re really trying to make sure people know how to align their expectations. We’re not a place where you go in and order 50 pounds of sausage to-go. You come in knowing that it’s a Felipe property experience.”

Like Armenta’s other concepts - which in Fort Worth include Maria’s Mexican Kitchen, Pacific Table, The Tavern, and Towne Grill in Alliance - F1 Smokehouse makes a statement in design. A large black-and-white houndstooth pattern is featured in the outdoor signage. Inside consists of blue-and-yellow seating along with a thick, black-and-white marbled bar with black-and-white checkered barstools. There’s also a shady patio hidden by greenery and adorned with string lights.

Now that Elliot is a fixture in Fort Worth, spotting him and his signature white-rimmed glasses around town has become more common. (Central Market is a frequent stop, and he and Armenta are teaming up for a special Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival dinner on November 8.) But the former cooking show judge, who built a national following on MasterChef, MasterChef Junior, and Top Chef, isn’t a complete stranger to DFW.

After attending culinary school at Johnson & Wales University, Elliot’s first internship was working for Dean Fearing at the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas. He says folks are still surprised to learn he now lives in Fort Worth full-time.

“People ask ‘How often do you come down here? Are you filming a TV show or something?’ I’m like, ‘I live downtown,’” Elliot says. “You used to have to go to the big city to open a restaurant, like Chicago or New York, but don’t have to do that anymore if you’re in Fort Worth. And when you’ve got like four projects that you can express yourself in different ways, it’s really exciting.”

Closure News

Tropic Lady restaurant-bar on Fort Worth's Race Street says aloha

Tropic Lady

The dip trio at Tropic Lady.

A chill restaurant and bar in Fort Worth's River East district has closed: Tropic Lady, which opened in the former Fuzzy's Taco space at 2719 Race St. in 2023, has closed.

The restaurant, which closed in mid-December, was a sibling to Bearded Lady, the popular gastropub in Near Southside; their last Facebook post was on December 10. Their phone number is not working, and their website is no longer active. Owner Shannon Osbakken was unavailable for comment, but a Bearded Lady employee confirmed the closure.

Tropic Lady was a tropical-themed gastropub opened by a trio of friends: Bearded Lady owner Shannon Osbakken, her business partner Sarah Allen, and general manager Amanda Yunger. It offered a similar menu as Bearded lady but with more tropical-inspired fare, including shrimp tacos, bacon-wrapped grilled pineapple bites, and guacamole dotted with mango.

For a gastropub, they did interesting food with dishes like watermelon salad with feta and cucumber; or their Dip Trio, with mango guacamole, tomatillo salsa, and queso blanco served with house-made tortilla chips. Definitely not run-of-the-mill. They also had great lunch specials like a smashburger with curly fries for $10.

Food did not seem to be the problem.

Decor featured artwork and murals created by local artists. A beautifully landscaped patio wrapped around the building’s facade. So the setting did not seem to be a factor.

It's tempting to point the finger at its location on Race Street, which has witnessed a round of closings in the past two years including buzzy birria taqueria Caliscience, which closed in February 2024; as well as The Post at River East, a restaurant and live music venue that shut down the same month.

In 2023, three other restaurants on Race Street closed: Tributary Cafe, the Bon Appetit-lauded La Onda, and vegan burger spot Zonk Burger. But separate reasons can also be found for each of those closures, whether that be inexperience or lease issues.

For years, the city and neighborhood advocates have been trying to turn Race Street into a trendy hotspot. As part of the city’s Urban Villages program, the city of Fort Worth invested $5.6 million in revitalizing the area, making improvements to traffic flow, sidewalks, landscaping, and outdoor lighting.

When Osbakken opened the bar, she said she loved the area, stating "it reminds me of Magnolia when were first were on it 10 years ago in our old location. It's a great community and the neighbors have been friendly and reaching out."

And there are still restaurants along the street, including a popular Mexican restaurant called Tesoro, the Dough’d Up doughnut shop, and Kingyo Sushi & Ramen House, as well as a coffee shop, Race Street Coffee.

The Bearded Lady continues to flourish. Osbakken originally opened the popular gastropub on Magnolia Avenue in 2013. Six years later, she moved it to the South Main, where it’s still going strong.

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