Yogi's and Groupons

If you're a Groupon user, today they have an offer for Yogi's on Hulen. The Star-Telegram had an article this weekend about how business is suffering for Yogi with the traffic on Hulen. So now is the time to get in and get some cheap food.  Yogi's has recently changed the subtitle of his restaurant so it's not longer just a bagel place (not that it ever was).  If you haven't been recently, go help our local people out so we don't become overrun with...gasp...cracker barrels.

EDIT:  Just as a note - I went to the Groupon page and it also shows Zeke's Fish and Chips as the Groupon of the day.  Either way, they're both local and you should go to both regardless of dietary concerns.



Do they sell pancakes at Yogi's?



The Bottom

Yes I know, due to a prolonged absence, the clout of this blog has deteriorated.  However, after seeing the news about a multi-billion dollar IPO for Facebook, it has become apparent that FortWorthHoleInTheWall is next for that gravy train.  Therefore, in celebration of hitting the Bottom in the blogging world (I lost my #1 status at Urbanspoon), lets talk about the restaurant of the same name.

The Borrom, Formerly Rock Bottom, Formerly Ocean Rock -
don't blame me for being afraid to do a real GIS for "The Bottom"

Note:  The Bottom should not be confused with Bottoms Up, the establishment catering to a certain male clientele and SMU grads.  The Bottom took the place of the former Rock Bottom which was the former Ocean Rock down on the Bluebonnet Circle at the South end of University.  As far as I can tell, its the same restaurant, but with an american/seafood/quasi-tex-mex flair.  Not wrestling star flair (i.e., Nacho Libre) but somewhat funky - like a cool college bar/restaurant.  The restaurant still has a very nice, covered patio facing the circle and the inside is not cavernous like many restaurants - leading it to have a cozy feel at most tables.

Being a romantic, I took Mrs. FWHITW out for a cheap brunch a few weeks ago to Bottoms Up.  That ended poorly so the next week we tried The Bottom on the advice of the radio.  The radio told me to order the quesadillas and ask for the brisket inside - which is not a menu option.  Everybody loves to get something that seems like a secret right?  Isn't that why you eat at these restaurants - because they're your little secret.  Well, I think The Bottom could be considered a little Fort Worth secret.  I don't know that the food is all that spectacular or that there is anything so unique that makes it a must-go place.  But from my experience, the service is good, the food is good and the setting is great.

As alluded to, I had the quesadilla with brisket.  The quesadilla - possibly the most boring item to order - was good.  The brisket was tender and flavorful and the 'dilla had a good combination of inside ingredients. One of the best ways to screw up a dish this simple, is to go cheap on cheese or add too many items so that you end up eating a mexican lasagna.  This one had a nice balance.  Key to the 'dilla, however, was a delicious salsa which really hooked me.  It tasted fresh and had a nice amount of spice.  The Mrs. selected the breakfast burrito which appeared to be the same thing as a quesadilla, just wrapped instead of folded.  Both burrito and 'dilla came in a jalapeno cheddar tortilla which added a nice Nacho Libre flair. 

Although our orders were exceedingly boring, the food we saw leaving the kitchen looked delicious.  The burgers appeared full of delicious fillings and the meat didn't look charred.  Their bar also seemed oriented to a large consumption crowd, with mimosas served in large schooners and over 20 beers on tap, including some local options.  This place is probably a great place to take a group where everybody wants something different and you don't have to worry about finding something good to eat.  In other words - this is the place you can select when you're afraid to impose your will of some unusual restaurant on others. 

According to their website the Bottom has become a mecca for sports and college related activities.  The little Ticket hosted a night at the Bottom, which I think I remember good comments coming from the crew.  There are lots of college girls so if you're a single TCU guy, save your dollars, skip Bottoms Up and talk to a girl who is actually working on getting a degree.  And now that TCU is joining the Big 12-?, you'll need a game watching location for the those games against the horns if they decide to air the game on the Longhorn Network (trademark and availability pending).

The Bottom is located at 3468 Blue Bonnet Circle and can be found online here.  If you've been, share your experiences with the world and email me to get more information about investing in the future of our billion dollar IPO planned for later this year.

8.0's Closing

The Star-Telegram has reported that 8.0's in downtown is closing and being replaced by a bigger Flying Saucer. The Land Title Block Building is getting a renovation with the addition of the new eastern building of the new plaza in Sundance Square.

Flying Saucer (8.0's) is going to become a large beer hall with an outdoor area just as with 8.0's. The article says concerts will still be held on the patio. 

Future Oktoberfest celebrations in Fort Worth



George's Has Reopened!!!

For those of you who have sorely missed your sub sandwich and delicious Greek food from George's Specialty Foods - I bear good news.  The small shop on White Settlement has reopened after a long and painful period of hunger for us fans.

I can report that the sub sandwich is still better than any other sandwich in town and with the gorgeous weather expected for this weekend, you can bet those doors will be open.  If you haven't been to George's, you're only hurting yourself.  The rest of us appreciate the available seating. 

Originally, I was introduced to George's by way of their Greek Sandwich which is a turkey sandwich with a Greek salad combined for maximum amazingnessitity.  But then one day, a friendly old chap in front of me ordered the sub sandwich.  He ordered with such delight that I had to follow.  The sub sandwich has the Greek dressed lettuce and tomatoes, on a sub sandwich and something mysterious.  I'm not sure what it is, but that doesn't matter.  Because it makes the Greek Sandwich taste like the second best option at George's.  Which isn't saying much.  But it's filler for this page.  Don't you hate that you just wasted time reading that sentence and now this one? 

Now that George's has reopened, FWHITW is back in operation.  Hope you haven't found a new "useful" restaurant resource.  Welcome Back!

Fort Worth Food Park Opening

You heard it here last!  The Fort Worth Food Park has set its opening date.  According to the internet, starting December 2nd, you can enjoy food truck delectables from such places as Good Karma Kitchen, YES! Taco, Nammi Truck, Lee's Grilled Cheese, Red Jett Sweets and Jake's Hamburger. 

Thanks to DFW.com for the information above (which I stole).  And if you check out the Fort Worth Food Park facebook page you can find further details including their hours of operation and the location.  (Press release from the food park)

I know many of you are worried about the negative impact food parks may have on the neighborhood but I want to allay some concerns.  The main concern I hear is "If I go to a food park, will I become a hippie?"  The answer is of course, yes.  You'll want to grow your hair longer, shower less and occupy something.  But to be fair, if you go to the food park, you always had a little bohemian in you.

And worry not dear reader.  If you catch too much hippie, the cure is simple.  Head over to the Fort Worth Club or Colonial and resume last week's conversation in one of the many backrooms, regarding how to secretly control the world's finances.

Other concerns include parking and roaming bands of gypsies.  The gypsies will come but only when the weather turns warm.  But parking will be handled like everything else.  There will probably be a valet stand within weeks of opening.  So parking your car can cost more than your meal (highly unsubstantiated rumor).

Thanks to Chris Kruger, the owner and creator of the Fort Worth Food Park for his efforts to get this going.  The Fort Worth Food Park is located at 2509 Weisenberger Street. 

The Tavern

OK, it's not so much of a hole in the wall since it has cousins from San Angelo, but its local enough since I believe the chef is also the owner.  But the Tavern is a newish venture that has taken over the old Snookie's on Hulen - and since I've been lax on posting, it's the first thing that popped into my head after the third email today about my lack of posting.

The Tavern seems quaintly, oddly, finally, reminiscent of what many foodie cities are seeing in the form of unique menu-ed restaurants, with quality chefs making good food - at a fairly reasonable price.  This place isn't cheap, but its also not budget busting.  You can come and share a plate which provides a ton of food, or you can have your own and make a nice date night out of dinner here.  Think of it as the replacement to the Covey, but without the brewery and some cheaper options. 

I've now been thrice and have a sufficient amount of information to have an opinion (unlike most of these posts which are quickly written before I finish my meal).

The first time out, I had the New Mexico burger which was filled with racetracks and sand.  Actually, it had roasted poblano peppers, chipotle mayo and cheese.  There may have been additional things but they were inconsequential.  The burger was large, messy and delicious.  Like many of these specialty burgers you can try across town, the meat often can be sub par as the chef overloads it with odd flavors that confuse your basic burger mind.  Not the case here.  The meat was tender, flavorful (on its own) and perfectly cooked (a good vet could sew it back up and make it moo).  I can't remember what else was ordered at the table because I generally ignore everybody else around me when good food is in front of me.  But I do remember an order of tomatoes and blue cheese that came with the burger (it was the side I selected, but you can get many others) and they was delicious, with ripe red tomatoes and good blue cheese.

On the second trip, I had the Original BLT Salad, which sounds like a cop-out, but if you haven't noticed, I eat a lot of bad food.  So every once in awhile I have to care for my heart and eat a salad, covered in bacon.  This was one of the best salads I've ever had.  It had chicken, the silent and often absent C in the BLT.  It had bacon.  Avocado.  Cucumber.  Some nuts.  And best of all, a secret sauce.  The server mentioned the secret sauce in a manner that would cause a juvenile FWHITW blogger to make many a joke.  But as a more seasoned writer, I'll pass on that and leave the locker room humor to the comments section.  The salad was tasty, without being over loaded on sauce, and large enough for two people to share if you wanted to start with a salad and also split a meal.

I can't remember what I had the third time, which was actually the second trip, but for transition sake, I left that out above.

Also good options, based on friends' opinions and from what appeared to be drool coming down diners' faces, are the crab cakes (crab cake salad minus the salad), deviled eggs, and brisket tacos.

The Tavern also serves Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 9-2.  There are no bottomless drinks, but I think you get a discount if you come in bottomless.

The Tavern is located at 2755 South Hulen and you can visit them here.

Let me know what you think - and again, sorry for the delay in posting.

Updates

Lots of Mexican Food updates today:

According to whatever amalgamation our daily paper and dfw.com have created, The Original is getting a renovation and will now be less dark.  Anybody been yet?  Rumor has it, the Roosevelt is still there but new things are being added as well.  Anticipation is high.  Hopefully it doesn't look like a Mi Cocina now.

New Breakfast Options

Follwing the trend of others opening for breakfast, La Familia is now open for breakfast on the weekends. Their website isn't updated but look for the flyers with the egg on it when you walk in. Also, my friends who are relatives of Sarah Palin introduced me to the flautas here. I'm not normally a big flauta fan, but if you get chicken in flour tortillas, you'll probably track me down just to marry me. Seriously. They're gooder than you can imagine.

Yep. Gooder.

No More Downtown Hot Dogs

In some sad news, the food truck push has killed the food cart business in Fort Worth.  The Star-Telegram has breaking news regarding Luwana Carver's hot dog stands which are seen outside City Hall and in the Tarrant County Adminitration Building.  Because of increased competition and onerous city regulations, she's shutting down her stand.  No new carts will be coming to downtown yet, but we'll keep you updated.  The Fort Worth Hole In The Wall Downtown Bureau Chief is working feverishly to find new information.

Finally, a real food reviewer, Eat This Fort Worth, is reporting that Salsa Limon is giving out free breakfast through September 5th.  They're located across the street from Fuzzy's on Berry.  Notice to all TCU freshman, these tacos will not contribute to the freshman 15.  That's a myth created by Hallmark.