Where to Eat
Where to eat in Fort Worth right now: 6 new restaurants to try in June
Cubano sandwich from Heirloom FW. Pickles look divine!
It's time for the June edition of our monthly column Where to Eat, featuring our favorite dining recommendations for the month, and there is plenty of fodder. Fort Worth's restaurant scene keeps on kicking, with promising new places debuting every week.
This month's edition is heavy on food-truck-related news: There's a brand new food truck from an acclaimed chef, plus two food trucks that have taken the big step to brick-and-mortar locations. There's also new pizza, vegan, and Southern food.
Here are our suggestions for six new places to try in June:
Acadia Parish Crawfish
Authentic Cajun food arrives on the west side, courtesy of the first brick and mortar from a longtime Cajun cook. Opened earlier this year at 7709 Camp Bowie West Blvd., in the spacious building once occupied by Billy’s Oak Acres and Poppin’ Fresh BBQ, Acadia is run by Daniel Demaline, who, for the past several years, has offered excellent Cajun food out of a food truck, as well as other restaurants with whom he shared kitchen space. A native of Minden, Louisiana, Demaline offers Cajun staples such as chicken & sausage jambalaya, fried gator tail, and po' boy sandwiches filled with choice of fried shrimp, catfish, or oysters. There are also nice surprises, like smoked boudin sausage and King Cake beignets. Demaline goes the extra mile, importing many of his ingredients from Louisiana.
Chicago Deep Dish Pizza
Chicago-style deep dish pizza is the signature item at this newly opened spot in south Arlington, at 4407 Little Rd. #610. Running the show is Ashraf Ghousheh, who owned a similar restaurant in Las Colinas from 2009 until last year, when he sold it. His menu is made up of 15 specialty pies, each named after Chicago culture. The Chicago Bulls pie comes with pepperoni, salami, sausage, and bacon; the Great Chicago Fire is dressed with sausage, sport peppers, garlic, cilantro, and mozzarella cheese; and the White Sox pie comes with alfredo sauce, fajita chicken, red onion, bacon, and jalapeno. While pizzas are his bread and butter, he also offers a handful of other Windy City staples, such as a Chicago hot dog and Italian beef sandwiches.
Heirloom FW
New food truck at Archie's Gardenland on the west side, at 6700 Z Boaz Pl., is the latest project by Kevin Martinez, executive chef at Tokyo Café and Yatai Food Cart. The menu is a change of pace from the type of food for which Martinez is best known. Here, he offers a small rotating menu of American classics with colorful, chef-inspired twists. Made up of only three to four dishes, the menu rotates daily, except for the namesake dish — a beautiful salad consisting of heirloom tomatoes, watermelon, housemade mozzarella, pesto, and balsamic glaze. There’s usually a sandwich, such as a smoked bologna or muffaletta, made with high-quality meats, and at least one dessert, such as herbed vanilla cake with lemon curd, rosemary, thyme, and granola.
Lola’s Cuban Food
After running a Cuban food truck near downtown for several years, husband-wife owners Miquelin Herrera and Linaim Morin have upgraded to a brick and mortar in southwest Fort Worth, at 4608 Bryant Irvin Rd. #440. The restaurant is named after Herrera’s grandmother Lola, whose own recipes inspired many of the restaurant’s dishes. Items include oxtails, stuffed plantains, empanadas, bistec encebollado (steak with onions), and pork chops. Thanks to having an actual kitchen, the couple has been able to expand their menu with new items such as stuffed squid and lobster in salsa. Lola’s also offers classic Cuban sandwiches, along with desserts such as flan and pastries.
Maiden: Fine Plants & Spirits
Texas’ first vegan tasting menu restaurant comes from Amy McNutt, founder of vegan chain Spiral Diner, and is located in the PS1200 mixed-use development in the Near Southside, at 1216 6th Ave., next to Dreamboat Vegan Donuts & Scoops, McNutt's new vegan doughnut shop. Dinner consists of eight courses for $150, drink pairings extra, and it takes two to three hours. McNutt is not revealing the menu, but dishes shared by diners online include poached cream of cauliflower with zucchini peanut pasta, lemongrass grapefruit consomme, and olive oil cake. Those who don’t want to do the tasting menu can get cheeseboards and drinks at the bar, first come/first serve.
Spice and Gravy Southern Eatery
Cool new family-owned home-cooking spot is now open in far south Arlington, at 7401 Matlock Rd., where mom-and-pop restaurants are hard to find. S&G’s strip mall façade masks a homey atmosphere that perfectly reflects the menu. Owners Mary Sholars and Reginald Williams serve dishes such as shrimp & grits, blackened catfish over collard greens, chicken & waffles, and lemon pepper chicken over grits. There are vegan dishes, too, plus those tailored for those on Keto diets.
