Dining in Fort Worth

Mike Smith’s PARIS COFFEE SHOP is a Fort Worth landmark, with the invitation “come on in” at its entrance. The Coffee Shop is open for breakfast 6 days a week and lunch 5 days. Choices for your morning meal include eggs any style including omelets-plain, Denver, Greek or vegetable, French toast, pancakes, cereals (means oatmeal too), biscuits & gravy and hashbrowns. Sides include bacon, sausage, breakfast steak, ham, or a pork chop. The lunch menu starts off with a daily special, à la carte, sandwiches, fish, soup, or salads. Desserts include mile-high meringue pies, fruit pies, cobblers, and home made cookies. Hrs. are Mon.-Fri. 6 a.m. until 2:30, Sat. 6 a.m. until 11 a.m. For more info call 817-335-2041. 704 W. Magnolia, www.pariscoffeeshop.net.

REATA RESTAURANT - Choosing from the best that Southwestern food has to offer, Reata (Spanish for rope), offers a menu that ranges from steaks to Creole to Southern dishes. An example for the first course is Field Greens with Texas Goat Cheese, San Saba pecans with Sherry Wine Vinaigrette. The main course could be Reata’s Chicken Fried Steak with Cracked Pepper Cream Gravy and a couple of sides like Jalapeno and Cheddar grits and bacon wrapped asparagus. End with Texas Pecan Pie. Reata has a carefully selected wine list that “complements” its Texas cuisine. Reata is the name of the ranch in the movie Giant made in 1956, based on the novel by Edna Ferber. 310 Houston St. in Sundance Square, 817-336-1009 or www.reata.net.

RODEO GOAT - Recently, in a contest between Rodeo Goat and some other really good burger places the Rodeo Goat got “Best Burger in D/FW.” Some of the choices at Rodeo Goat are Nanny Goat with herb goat cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and garlic herb mayo; the Ravi Shankar features red curry, coriander, chutney, carrots, lettuce, tomato, onion and peanut butter. The Neil Young is a homemade vegetable patty with sprouts, tomato, avocado and green goddess dressing. Musthave sides can be Hand Punched Fries, Homemade Goat Chips, the Rodeo Side Salad and Texas Caviar. Desserts include Apricot, Cherry or Chocolate fried pie. A wide range of beers includes Texas Craft Draft, American Craft, and Rodeo Regulars. 2836 Bledsoe at Currie St., 817-877-4628 or www.RodeoGoat.com.

THE ROSE GARDEN TEA ROOM - is located inside The Mercantile, a carefully curated marketplace of 200+ dealer booths with an impressive collection of gifts, home décor, antiques, fashion, furniture, and more. The Rose Garden is a delicate blend of English tradition and old southern charm. Choose from an assortment of soups, salads, fruit and sandwiches. Their entrées are the very popular Rose Garden Variety which is a sampler plate of chicken salad, fresh fruit, quiche, soup & a pumpkin bread sandwich; the Quiche du Jour or the Southern Chicken Crepes which include salads and “toasties.” There are several delectable desserts and specialty teas, coffees and soft drinks. Mon.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. & Sun. noon-3:30 p.m. 7200 Camp Bowie Blvd. 817-731-7673, www.the-mercantile.com.

ST. EMILION - Le restaurant Français de Fort Worth. Since 1985, St. Emilion has been serving classic French cuisine such as Les Escargots in garlic butter and French Onion Soup as a precursor to a main course of prime beef, duck, pork and fresh seafood accompanied by sauces such as a black peppercorn or sour cherry sauce or Black Truffle Demi-Glace. Desserts include Crème Brulée, Brandy Ice, or Raspberry Tarte. A full wine list is available as well as Red or White wine by the glass. Nightly Blackboard Specials lists additional appetizers and main courses. St. Emilion will also customize a vegetarian plate. The Zagat Guide listed St. Emilion as one of the top five restaurants in the Dallas/Fort Worth area since 2010. 3617 W. 7th Street, 817-737-2781, www.saint-emilionrestaurant.com.

From the Fort Worth CVB From the

Fort Worth Food & Drink Tours By Laurie James, Visit Fort Worth

Whether you crave tacos or ’cue, there’s a tour for you in Fort Worth. The Distillery Trail - Five distilleries are keeping the spirits alive and well in Fort Worth. The selfguided distillery trail includes Acre Distillery & Coffeehouse (try the rum), BlackEyed Distilling for vodka and Blackland Distilling where you can purchase a barrel and craft your own spirit for a special occasion. Firestone & Robertson Distilling, which houses the largest whiskey distillery west of Kentucky, is a must-visit, and Trinity River Distillery, where you can belly up to the bar and sample cocktails made with their craft vodka or whiskey, is picking up steam. www.FortWorth.com. Eat This Fort Worth - Fort Worth food blogger Josie Villa-Singleton will tell you that there’s nothing more Fort Worth than tacos. Her original Taco & Margarita tour will take you on a four-hour excursion to four delicious taco joints. www.eatthisfortworth.com. Six Pack Bike Trail - So, we’ll admit, this is not for the faint of heart. But biking the bi-monthly 10-mile brew cruise around Funkytown reaps its own benefits. Bike to six of our best breweries, enjoy an 8-ounce pour in a souvenir beer stein, and cap it off with dinner at Brewed. You’ll be expending the same number of calories you’re taking in. www.6packtrail.com/fort-worth-tour.html. Texas Beer Tours - The group offers a Southside Brewery Tour organized by brew-loving locals offering residents and newcomers alike a chance to sample a variety of craft brews. It’s also the only walking tour in our bunch – distances will not exceed 10 minutes, but you will need to prepare with comfortable shoes. The best thing of all – tour participants can have a couple of full pours of their favorites, or sample a flight to find a new preferred brew. Texas BBQ Tour - The Texas BBQ Tour trips you through some of the town’s most historic and best BBQ locations, from the historic Angelo’s, which is now run by the third generation of the George family, to relative upstart Off the Bone. Your sampling pleasure is coupled with visits to some of our favorite spots in town, like the Water Gardens, Sundance Square and the Stockyards. The fivehour tours run almost every day. Fort Worth BBQ & Brews Tour - Finally, Visit Fort Worth’s BBQ & Brews Tour is the newest tour in town launching later this month. The guided tour of popular BBQ spots and local breweries will change every few months. On the inaugural tour, you’ll start at Panther City BBQ and get a guided bus tour of several of our local faves along South Main –– both popular and under the radar. www.fortworth.com.

Key Pointsof Interest

AMON CARTER MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART - Located in the heart of Fort Worth’s Cultural District, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art explores the breadth and complexity of American creativity through an important and dynamic art collection. The Carter opened in 1961 to benefit its community by sharing the wonder of American art, fostering the growth of a vibrant cultural spirit, and stimulating everyone’s artistic imagination. Housed in a building designed by Philip Johnson (1906- 2005), the Carter features one of the great collections of American art including masterworks of painting, sculpture, and works on paper by artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe, Jacob Lawrence, John Singer Sargent, Frederic Church, Thomas Eakins, Grant Wood, Alexander Calder, and Stuart Davis. The Carter is also home to a worldrenowned photography collection that spans the history of the medium from the 19th century to today. It is also home to Amon G. Carter Sr.’s collection of nearly 400 works by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, two of the most significant artists of the American West. Admission is free. Open Tues., Wed., Fri. & Sat. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Thurs. 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. noon-5 p.m. Closed Mondays and select holidays. www.cartermuseum.org.

FORT WORTH AVIATION MUSEUM’S motto is Preserve- Inspire- Educate. Designed as a community education resource, FWAM features 24 Warbird Airplanes, including OV-10A Broncos, an F-14D Tomcat, an F-5E Tiger II, a BT-13 Valiant, a QF-45 Phantom II, an A-7B Corsair II, a TF-102 Delta Dagger and a RF-8 Crusader. In addition to the air park with its 24 planes, FWAM has two museums, the B-36 Peacemaker Museum and the Forward Air Controller’s Museum holding more than 100 years of Fort Worth aviation history. In addition, there are cockpit simulators, an OV-10 Bronco Ready Room as well as historic aviation preservation projects. FWAM’s mission is to preserve and honor “the aviation heritage belonging to North Texas.” Hours are Wed. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-5 and Sun. 11 a.m.-5. General admission $7, students 6 to 16 $2, children under 6 free. Families $15. FWAM is located at 3300 Ross Ave. southwest of I-35 and I-820, three blocks west of Main St. on Long Ave. at the far end of Meacham Field. For more info call 855-733-8627 or visit www.fortworthaviationmuseum.com.

FORT WORTH BOTANIC GARDEN - 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd. The Rose Garden was started in 1933. It now has more than 3,400 roses with peak blooming times from April to October. Walk into the Fragrance Garden for the visually impaired, stroll through the Japanese Garden with its waterfalls, pools and Koi fish, smell the herbs in the Perennial Garden, examine the large collection of begonias in the Exhibition Greenhouse, and go into the Conservatory to see orchids and bromeliads. The main gardens are open daily from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Ticket prices are $12 adults, $6 ages 6-15, $10 ages 65+. Docent tours are offered for one additional dollar to regular admission prices and the tour takes about an hour. 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., 817-392-5510 or www.fwbg.org.

THE FORT WORTH HERD-TEXAS LONGHORNS - Daily cattle drives through the Stockyards National Historic District recall Fort Worth of the late 1800s. Twice daily, weather permitting, and it’s not a major holiday, cowhands, dressed in 19th century ranching gear, drive 10 to 15 Texas longhorn steers down Exchange Ave. Best viewing areas for the 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. drives are the front lawn of the Livestock Exchange Building

14 K E Y M A G A Z I N E Fe b r u a r y 2 0 2 0 or across the street near the RFD TV’s Gift Store. The Herd also offers education programs based on the trailing life of a cowboy for school groups and other organizations by appointment only. 817-336-4373, www.fortworthherd.com.

FORT WORTH MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY provides hands-on learning experiences for all ages. Discover the cosmos in the Noble Planetarium, unearth ancient fossils in DinoDig, imagine Jurassic creatures with DinoGlow, adventure in the Fort Worth Children’s Museum and immerse yourself in a giant screen adventure in the Omni Theater, an IMAX dome. Explore with us today for an unforgettable memory for the entire family! Hrs. Tue.- Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. noon-5 p.m. 1600 Gendy St., 817-255-9300, www.fortworthmuseum.org.

FORT WORTH WATER GARDENS - Built in 1974, Philip Johnson and John Burgee’s design for the Fort Worth Water Garden was to be a “cooling oasis in the concrete jungle.” The main elements of the design are three pools of water: the meditation pool; the aerating pool and the active pool where water runs over layers of rocks and steps to a small pool 38 feet below. Special lighting makes the night sparkle. Numerous plants and trees also decorate the Water Gardens. The site was used as the backdrop for some scenes from the film Logan’s Run in 1976. 1502 Commerce St. Hrs. 7 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Information: 817-392-7111; reservations 817-392-5718.

FORT WORTH ZOO - Ranked the No. 4 zoo in the nation by USA Today, a trip to the Fort Worth Zoo is an adventure where you’ll see animals from around the world that all seem at home in their lush, natural habitats. In many settings, visitors are only separated from the animals by a river or waterfall, and are often face-to-face with them through large viewing windows! Home to more than 7,000 animals, the Zoo is in the second of a four-phase, $100-million master plan. The first phase, African Savanna, opened in April 2018. The second, Elephant Springs, will open in 2020. Visitors can also explore Texas Wild!, a turn-of-the-century complex featuring seven regions of the state. Open 365 days a year! Hrs. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. See web site for holiday hours. Gen. Ad. $16, Seniors 65+ & children 3-12, $12, 2 & under free. Parking is $5 per vehicle. Half-price tickets on Wednesdays. 1989 Colonial Pkwy., 817-759-7555, www.fortworthzoo.org.

KIMBELL ART MUSEUM - One of the outstanding art museums in the U.S. The award-winning building was the last completed work under personal supervision of architect Louis I. Kahn. As well as an excellent permanent collection, the museum offers a full program of changing exhibitions, lectures, concerts, films, workshops and tours. Bookstore, lunch and snack bar (The Buffet). Open Tues.-Thurs. & Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Fri. noon-8 p.m. & Sun. noon-5 p.m. Closed Mondays. 3333 Camp Bowie. 817-332-8451, www.kimbellart.org.

LOG CABIN VILLAGE - 2100 Log Cabin Village Ln. (off University Dr. across from the Ft. Worth Zoo)- Set on 2.5 acres in historic Forest Park, Log Cabin Village consists of seven log homes dating back to the mid-1800s. Pioneer history comes to life through the authentic log homes and artifacts, a blacksmith shop, a one-room schoolhouse, a water powered gristmill and an herb garden. See historical interpreters demonstrate various pioneer chores such as candle making, spinning and weaving. Special tours avail