Paco and John - Dinner

I have a secret. I have a crush. A restaurant-crush. If you've read this blog before, and the quotes in the Fort Worth Foodie magazine, you've probably picked up on my hints. Or maybe you don't sit around all day thinking about me and my thoughts. For those of you that do, you know my secret.

I have a crush on Paco and John, Mexican Diner.

I'm afraid to tell it because it might reject me. But I can't stop staring at it and driving by just to see if its with somebody else. It always is. Maybe its just a tease. But whenever I go in, its so nice to me. I think I'm in love. That awkwardly named place has stolen my dining heart.

You've already had a chance to read my review on the lunch and breakfast at P&J. But now I've got a review of dinner for you.

My other love, Mrs. "Not a restaurant" and I went to Paco and John's for dinner recently on the advice of me. It was her first trip but my second. That day. She was intrigued because of all she had heard. Our friends had promised her that it was delicious and I wasn't just making this up for some elaborate joke. To be honest, I almost had to hide my secret crush. Can you imagine that, keeping a secret, like a crush, from your wife?

If you haven't been at dinner, the menu is different from their lunch menu. That's important to know because if you're going for all of the delicious lunch options, you have to select from the delicious dinner options instead.

But more importantly (for those of us that work during the day), at dinner you can get away with drinking with your meal. Conveniently, there is a gas station next door that sells beer. Rumor has it that they've seen an increase in the "single-beer-buyer" market. I doubt that. I imagine their "single-40oz-buyer" market has been strong for awhile. The "single-yuppie-beer-buyer" market has probably increased ten-fold. So, if you don't feel comfortable having a drink in front of your coworkers, go at dinner because some of these entrees just need a good cold mexican beer or a glass of wine.

Now, about our meal. We started with the queso to go with our chips and salsa. The queso was creamy with a very nice spice. Definitely worth a try if you're a queso-ficianodo.

My meal was the red snapper cooked in a guajillo sauce and served with sauteed bell peppers and onion slices. The red snapper was a large fillet served on a plate in the sauce and covered in the veggies. Each bite was a delicious scoreboard over what my wife ordered. The red snapper was a great dish that had a casual feel, but was really well prepared.

She ordered a chicken with a banana/avocado stuffing. She wasn't a huge fan of the texture - it was thick and creamy, but with little chunks, and tasted like bananas and avocado.... The chicken, however, was cooked great and the meal was prepared wonderfully. She was hooked, despite this setback, and has since made a return trip for lunch. She had the salmon tortas at lunch and says they get two thumbs up. She also offered to trade me for a bag of chile-lime potato sticks.

The two entrees and appetizer cost about $30. That's a bit high for a normal hole in the wall. But, for a place like this, it's a steal. Plus, if you don't like the dinner prices, go at lunch when prices are under $10 for a meal plus tip. Or go somewhere else.

I would suggest that you all try Paco and John's for dinner, but I can't stand to see more of you with it. That just breaks my heart and I don't want to wait in a line just to experience my favorite street tacos, tortas, guacamole, or red snapper dishes. Oh well, it probably wouldn't like me anyways. Some popular kid in the food-review world has probably already caught its heart. Ciao Baby or Bud Kennedy has probably already taken it to a movie and invited it to prom. Well, Paco and John will soon realize that I'm better in the long-run. Until then, Mrs. "Not a restaurant" will do. I hope she doesn't read this.

If you haven't been, you're obviously not a serious FWHITW reader. Stop dragging your feet and try this place out. Everybody I've taken loves it and has gone back numerous times. But what would they know, they are just tons of people that have good taste....

Let me know what you think.

Paco and John is at 1116 8th Avenue and their website is on my link list.

100,000 Hits

A year ago FortWorthHoleInTheWall was giddy over the possibility of nearing 25,000 hits. Now, thanks to my mom, and her refresh program, there are almost 100,000 hits. Thanks to everybody who keeps reading despite the useless posts, address-less locations and quasi-posting lags. It's been fun and I hope you think so as well. If not, start your own blog and do "real" reviews that are "helpful". Just kidding, don't leave me...I didn't mean it...come back baby...

Below are a couple of changes as well as a new blog you should check out.

First, Fort Worth Foodie put out its summer issue of Fort Worth Foodie Magazine, the Hole In The Wall edition. The writers were kind enough to ask for some input from FWHITW and even published a few quotes. Check it out and take six or seven home to tape on your wall.

Second, you may remember that I added Urbanspoon tags a few weeks back. Well, as of this moment, Urbanspoon has FWHITW listed as the number one FW/D Blog. Basically that means we beat dallas. You can all take part of the pride in this ridiculously small achievement.

Thirdly, I added a map to the left side. If you're at home or work and need a close hole in the wall, just click on the map, find your location and see what is nearby. I'm working on making the address pins appear on the iphones but I have as much computer knowledge as Spiral Diner has beef.

Finally, Linguine and Dirty Martinis is run by a culinary student here in Fort Worth. Because she actually knows about food she has some great insight into local restaurants and also some delicious looking recipes. If you're a foodie or just enjoy food beyond your Golden Corral love, check it out.

Again, thanks to everybody for reading and I hope we can keep this going for at least another 100,000 hits.

King Tut

dallas recently had the King Tut exhibit in downtown for viewers to come and see ancient Egyptian artifacts. "Well whoop de doo" said Mayor Moncrief, allegedly. Fort Worth has had its very own King Tut exhibit for over 15 years and ours comes with lunch specials, chicken shwarma, and all the Egyptian decorations you need for a Bangles' music video.

You're thinking, "what kind of food does King Tut serve?" Egyptian, obviously. "What is Egyptian food," you continue. Sand.

Actually, according to my acute culinary distinction skills, Egyptian food is Greek food, is Mediterranean food. Sure, the Egyptians and Greek share a sea, but I would have expected a different menu. The food that I saw at King Tut seemed very similar to the food at Scampi's and Chadra Mezza. That isn't to take anything away from those two restaurants which both have delicious food and amazing atmospheres. But they don't have Egyptian decorations. Seriously, there are sarcophagi, pyramidal things, and hieroglyphics everywhere. Even the menu is in ancient hieroglyphics.

I went for lunch recently and had the Chicken Shwarma. This dish is a mixture of chicken pieces, tomatoes and onions, cooked together with a side of rice. The lunch specials are all $6.95 and include a salad, however, no substitions are allowed. If you, like a certain Hole In The Wall father, suggest beef instead of chicken in your shwarma, you'll spend the rest of lunch in a sarcophagus.

The chicken was tender and flavorful and the onions and tomatoes made for a healthy feeling meal. My rice had good flavor but was a bit dry. Egypt is mostly desert though, so that makes sense. However, with the salad this was a perfect sized lunch meal that will satiate your appetite without making you feel stuffed. King Tut also has some vegetarian options, but you'll have to wait until the Nile flood waters recede.

At dinner time, the prices rise significantly so head over at lunch for the better value. As an example, hummus was about $5 and most dinner entrees seemed to range from $10-$15.

If you missed the King Tut exhibit, remember that the Fort has all the essential ingredients of Egyptian history right here on Magnolia Avenue. If you've been, let me know what you think. If you haven't, walk like an Egyptian on over there. Admit it, you were expecting that at some point...

King Tut is at 1512 West Magnolia Avenue, and is closed on Sundays.

Tim Love on Top Chef

For those of you Bravo fans, did you see Chef Love tonight?

Tim Love, Iron Chef and owner of our very own Lonesome Dove, represented Fort Worth well this evening on Top Chef Masters. He made a strawberry dessert three ways for some girl scouts and lost points because he didn't make a bunny or mouse. Apparently it was a craft contest and not a cooking show. He made a chicken fried strawberry, chocolate covered strawberry, and a strawberry milkshake. Are we going to see the chicken fried strawberry at Lonesome Dove or Love Shack?

For the second contest, the chefs had to use a microwave and hot plate to make their meal. Chef Love made some amazing on-the-fly changes when it turned out they didn't have the ingredients he needed at Whole Foods (more like, Incomplete Foods). But, he fell just short of moving on.

Chef Love, you represented us well. I think the judges were blinded by the frenchness of your competition. Also, the Tuaca chef's jacket is sweet.

Excitement, Joy, Tears

You might notice something new on some of the posts below. I have added an urbanspoon tag in hopes that they will gleefully accept my drivel as useful reviews.

There are two main reasons for this. First, I started this blog to share the greatness of our hole in the walls and I think this will give some new ideas to people who don't know about this blog. Second, the urbanspoon app on the iphone will probably become the most amazing app ever if you can read these reviews when shaking up random Fort Worth holes.

If you've got any other hints, ideas, or suggestions for making this blog more user friendly, iphone friendly, or legen...wait for it...dary, please let me know. Comment here or email me at fortworthholeinthewall@yahoo.com

Swiss Pastry Shop

Until a couple days ago, I thought this was just a bakery. Turns out, that's just part of their business. Don't get me wrong. I didn't think it was just any bakery. I knew it was The Swiss Pastry Shop. But I thought they just served cakes and cookies. Apparently they also serve huge, delicious breakfasts, at low prices.

The Swiss are notoriously famous for their Pope Patrol, neutrality, and country omelettes (French for omelet). Because I couldn't convince the waitress to dress in a swiss guard outfit, and because I had no wars for them to step aside from, I had the country omelette for breakfast. Unfortunately, since it was my first time at the SPS, my knowledge of the portion sizes was limited. I ordered a pastry to go along with it and had enough food to feed the entire population of Swissies here in Texas.

When you walk into the SPS, you will instantly be taken over by the essence of baked goods. Instinctively, you will gain five pounds of anticipation weight. It's like the bars that pre-clear your credit card for $300. I heard about them from a friend.... The breakfast crowd was sparse on the day I went, so I didn't have to share the smell with many people. But I imagine there is a crowd on weekends, so plan accordingly (nostril funnels so you can bring in more scent).

The country omelette is named so, because it is the size of the country of Switzerland. Inside it are unaccounted for funds, chocolate, and great skiing. Plus some potatoes, cheese and ham. It also comes with a side of toast or biscuits. I chose toast but never made a dent in it. I'm sure it tasted toasty (this type of description is probably what has kept the Star-Telegram from asking me to take over as restaurant reviewer).

The omelette was terrific, with perfectly prepared eggs (not overcooked, no runny juices) and the chunks of inside stuff were all appropriately sized. I think the total for the omelette was less than $4. All the money you save can go into your secret account.

I also had a fruit pocket or some similarly named item which is basically a pastry with fruit in it, but in a different form than a kolache. Mine was apple and it was great. An obviously fresh pastry is such a treat and it really washed down the omelette.

So to summarize, the food was good, the smell was good, the service was great, and the prices were cheap. There were some downsides, however. Nobody dresses like the Pope Patrol. And I think Dan Brown was in the corner, writing me into his next book. Somehow I helped the Catholics hide their secrets in fruit pockets.

If you've been to the Swiss Pastry Shop and have other recommendations let me know.

The Swiss Pastry Shop is located at 3936 W. Vickery.

Coming up, I've got reviews of King Tut and my dinner at Paco and John, Mexican Diner.

Grady's

This is the first of two new reviews so don't forget the information in the next post below.

I had an interesting experience with Grady Spears and I thought you might care since nobody else in my life does. Grady has a new restaurant in Fort Worth, named Grady's (rumor has it that he hired Michael's branding team to help him with the name). According to Chef Spears, he wanted to open up a small comfortable place where he could make his food, with an atmosphere that completely fits him.

This place, I've never seen. However, I did get to enjoy his food at a special dinner down in Comanche, Texas. About a month ago, Comanche, Texas hosted the Western Tales and Trails Festival to celebrate the writers, story tellers and people who make the stories of the west come alive through writing. As part of the event, Grady cooked a fancy meal at the Brennan Vineyards in Comanche and I was one of the lucky guests.

I know, this isn't in Fort Worth, but he makes all the dishes I'm about to talk about in his new restaurant so its akin to me eating in Fort Worth. Plus, trump card, I was wearing boots.

So what did I have? Quail tostados, some salad, beef tenderloin, green onion mashed potatoes and a bunuelo with ice cream. And wine. Delicious Brennan Vineyards wine.

The quail tostado was delicious and everybody at my table (except my mom) really enjoyed it. But Grady, when you read this, don't hate her. She doesn't eat birds with vice presidential last names - that's been a long standing issue with her. However, I thought it was delicious even though I felt like I had to eat it with a fork because of the fancifulness of the event. At Grady's, you can probably eat it with your hands. If people ask, just tell them I told you it was okay.

We then had a salad and it was good but if you'll notice, I don't normally give much information on salads. They're that thing you pay for so you don't feel so guilty for all the dirty food you eat later.

The beef tenderloin was the star though. Grady made this dish for 70-80 people and each piece at our table was perfectly prepared and so tender that I could cut it with my spoon. It was like ice cream tenderloin. With a port reduction. There were some carrots on the side and they were good, but I was too distracted by the pile of green potatoes under my meat. They looked like something from Dr. Seuss but they tasted like they came from Dr. Seuss' favorite chef, Grady (check wikipedia). The potatoes were great because they didn't have the bland quality most potatoes possess. And they were green.

Finally, came our bunuelos, which is spanish for "quail-less tostado". Mine came with ice cream, some liquor sauteed bananas, cinnamon and a dash of quail. Just kidding, I didn't really taste any cinnamon. We all ooo'ed and aah'ed the delicious dessert and most people decided it was a resounding success. I disagree. It was great, but I had the smallest ice cream scoop at my table. It was noticeable and embarrasing. I felt immasculated and empty. Later I told Grady I was going to try out his restaurant, but I hope he knows that I expect him to fix this problem. I want ice cream at the beginning of my meal just so I know he's going to make this right.

The meal was so delicious and everybody was so overjoyed with the excitement of the deliciousness that we all hugged, all 70-80 people, to show our joy. It was straight out of a movie.

I had the opportunity to chat with Chef Spears after dinner which is unusual because I don't normally talk with the cook/chef after a meal. It was great to talk with somebody who had such passion and care for what he did. Plus, he really seems to dig Fort Worth and tries to keep his focus on the city.

Grady, if you don't know, is the reason Reata is what it is. He has a style that matches Fort Worth perfectly - it's down-home, casual classics, with an upscale flair. It's a little Texas with style. It's like the love child of Robert Earl Keen and Queen Elizabeth. In fact, I think that should be put on his menus from now on ("My food is the forgotten love child of Robert Earl Keen and Queen Elizabeth"). I would probably steal that menu. And sue Grady for trademark infringement. Just kidding...buddy.

As a disclaimer, I am not actually friends with Grady, but merely a guy who has met him. He was incredibly nice but I don't want people to think badly about him due to an inaccurate belief that we are somehow associated. We just talked. But he swore he'll remember me.

We'll see if I get my ice cream or not.

Grady's is located at 2443 Forest Park Boulevard. It's at the northern end of the center on the east side of Forest Park Blvd.

If you've been to Grady's, let me know what you think.