According to the Star-Telegram, Cafe Piola has suffered massive damage in an overnight fire.
You can read the article here.
If you'll remember, I went to Piola last fall and loved it. Hopefully they can get things going again although the owner doesn't appear too optimistic for a quick return. Good luck Piola.
Note: Since this post was made, Piola has rebuilt the restaurant and is back in business. See this review for addtional information.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Zambrano's
I am embroiled in a never ending quest to pretend to be classier than I am. I read the Panache section of the Star-Telegram. I watch Frasier and recite the Crane boys' quips. I even go to fancy places in a nice suit and judge everybody I see. But sometimes I really have to confirm my faux-fancy by heading to a wine bar, eating some dish with obscure ingredients like olives and basil, and drinking wine that tells people, "you would drink this if you knew what it was but you are probably ordering an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon because you think the label is cute, and that's why you will never be me." All of that, just in the bottle.
So the wifey-poo (Muffy) and I (Biff) went to dinner at Zambrano's in an effort to reconnect to our superiour lifestyle. So great is it, that I used an extra 'u' in superiour.
Zambrano's is a wine bar just north of the new luxurious Omni Hotel that truly exemplifies what Fort Worth is all about (Mr. Omni, please email me at fortworthholeinthewall@yahoo.com to contact me about me free stay so that I may review you). Its on Houston street in the hip area known as SoDo. You know its hip because its far enough from the main parts of Sundance Square that only hip, dangerous people venture there. Also, there is a coffee shop that's rarely open. All the area needs is some converse shoes, decorated with the art of some brooding, crying teenager.
But amidst all the hip dripping off the building in SoDo, is a fancy little wine bar with a patio and an intimate interior. As we entered, Seth (pronounced and spelled, Cef) greets you and corrects you politely for calling him Seth eight times. You have the option of sitting at a table outside, a table inside, or the bar. Cef, being very aware of our importance sat us in the VIP section that I cannot tell you more about.
The place was a bit empty with one other couple but it wasn't so quiet that the people could hear us judging them. We were delivered a wine menu that exceeded the regular menu and received excellent advice on a wine by our wine steward, Gaston. Gaston is not his name, but he didn't give me a name to call him by.
Gaston presented us with a pleasant wine and after conversing expertly in Vino (the language of wine), he was convinced that we weren't one of...those people. You know, the people at the other table who were "enjoying" their cab. I guess they wanted to upgrade from their jug of white zinfandel.
We started with the tomato bruschetta and a side of smoked gouda. Those of you who have had bruschetta are thinking in a sarcastic tone, "wow, you had bread with tomatoes on top, how fancy are you." I'm serrano jamon, tomatoes, melted brie and basil fancy. How is that for you? That's bruschetta from the Planet Fancy, here to upscale your life from "US Weekly" to "The New Yorker". And the smoked gouda came with a collection of what us in the society life call, olives and bread. Muffy and I greatly enjoyed both dishes. In fact, the bruschetta was terrific and easily blew away any other bruschetta that has or ever will exist. I know, somebody is going to comment with, "I had a good bruschetta at Olive Garden...." ... ... Sure you did, Rhonda.
We were then convinced by Gaston, to order the Signature Pizza. The Signature Pizza comes with all sorts of things I generally avoid - artichoke hearts, mushrooms and black olives. Why would somebody eat something containing the word 'choke' in it? Because apparently they first ate it on a pizza from Zambrano's and never realized how amazing it could be. The pizza dough at Zambrano's is made daily and is fantastic. The crust is thin, crispy but pastry-esque. Muffy described it as though she were eating a pastry angel. It was delicious.
Many of you are thinking, "A-ha, you are a fraud sir, because fancy people don't eat pizza." We used forks made of gilded c-notes. So there.
At this point, the restaurant had become quite full. The place had a number of tables full, yet the place was not overly loud or distracting. Muffy and I could discuss the merits of the need for a working class without yelling. I am telling you this because I believe it would be an ideal date place. Plus you may see me there and you can feel like a big player when you say, "I know that guy, he's from the internet." That'll impress her.
Running into micro-celebrities aside, Zambrano's is a cool place to go. As I said before, its just north of the gorgeously built, icon to Cowboy Culture, Omni Hotel (fortworthholeinthewall@yahoo.com). You can sit on their large patio and watch conventioneers stumble by, have a nice date, or go with a group and enjoy a casual meal in a nice setting.
I know I have probably given you the idea that Zambrano's is some stuffy place where you have to wear 7 Jeans or tuxedos to get in. You can wear neither. Cef and Gaston prefer you wear something, and personally I wouldn't be seen out after dark in anything less than my black tuxedo, but you're not me.
Head to Zambrano's and let me know what you think. With the Omni opening up, this place is probably going to start getting a lot busier so get there soon so you can look down on those who go later as cliche and trend followers.
Zambrano's is located at 910 Houston Street. There are a few clubs nearby that provide valet parking and I think you can use them for the restaurant. You can also have your chauffeur drop you off at the front or park around the corner.
So the wifey-poo (Muffy) and I (Biff) went to dinner at Zambrano's in an effort to reconnect to our superiour lifestyle. So great is it, that I used an extra 'u' in superiour.
Zambrano's is a wine bar just north of the new luxurious Omni Hotel that truly exemplifies what Fort Worth is all about (Mr. Omni, please email me at fortworthholeinthewall@yahoo.com to contact me about me free stay so that I may review you). Its on Houston street in the hip area known as SoDo. You know its hip because its far enough from the main parts of Sundance Square that only hip, dangerous people venture there. Also, there is a coffee shop that's rarely open. All the area needs is some converse shoes, decorated with the art of some brooding, crying teenager.
But amidst all the hip dripping off the building in SoDo, is a fancy little wine bar with a patio and an intimate interior. As we entered, Seth (pronounced and spelled, Cef) greets you and corrects you politely for calling him Seth eight times. You have the option of sitting at a table outside, a table inside, or the bar. Cef, being very aware of our importance sat us in the VIP section that I cannot tell you more about.
The place was a bit empty with one other couple but it wasn't so quiet that the people could hear us judging them. We were delivered a wine menu that exceeded the regular menu and received excellent advice on a wine by our wine steward, Gaston. Gaston is not his name, but he didn't give me a name to call him by.
Gaston presented us with a pleasant wine and after conversing expertly in Vino (the language of wine), he was convinced that we weren't one of...those people. You know, the people at the other table who were "enjoying" their cab. I guess they wanted to upgrade from their jug of white zinfandel.
We started with the tomato bruschetta and a side of smoked gouda. Those of you who have had bruschetta are thinking in a sarcastic tone, "wow, you had bread with tomatoes on top, how fancy are you." I'm serrano jamon, tomatoes, melted brie and basil fancy. How is that for you? That's bruschetta from the Planet Fancy, here to upscale your life from "US Weekly" to "The New Yorker". And the smoked gouda came with a collection of what us in the society life call, olives and bread. Muffy and I greatly enjoyed both dishes. In fact, the bruschetta was terrific and easily blew away any other bruschetta that has or ever will exist. I know, somebody is going to comment with, "I had a good bruschetta at Olive Garden...." ... ... Sure you did, Rhonda.
We were then convinced by Gaston, to order the Signature Pizza. The Signature Pizza comes with all sorts of things I generally avoid - artichoke hearts, mushrooms and black olives. Why would somebody eat something containing the word 'choke' in it? Because apparently they first ate it on a pizza from Zambrano's and never realized how amazing it could be. The pizza dough at Zambrano's is made daily and is fantastic. The crust is thin, crispy but pastry-esque. Muffy described it as though she were eating a pastry angel. It was delicious.
Many of you are thinking, "A-ha, you are a fraud sir, because fancy people don't eat pizza." We used forks made of gilded c-notes. So there.
At this point, the restaurant had become quite full. The place had a number of tables full, yet the place was not overly loud or distracting. Muffy and I could discuss the merits of the need for a working class without yelling. I am telling you this because I believe it would be an ideal date place. Plus you may see me there and you can feel like a big player when you say, "I know that guy, he's from the internet." That'll impress her.
Running into micro-celebrities aside, Zambrano's is a cool place to go. As I said before, its just north of the gorgeously built, icon to Cowboy Culture, Omni Hotel (fortworthholeinthewall@yahoo.com). You can sit on their large patio and watch conventioneers stumble by, have a nice date, or go with a group and enjoy a casual meal in a nice setting.
I know I have probably given you the idea that Zambrano's is some stuffy place where you have to wear 7 Jeans or tuxedos to get in. You can wear neither. Cef and Gaston prefer you wear something, and personally I wouldn't be seen out after dark in anything less than my black tuxedo, but you're not me.
Head to Zambrano's and let me know what you think. With the Omni opening up, this place is probably going to start getting a lot busier so get there soon so you can look down on those who go later as cliche and trend followers.
Zambrano's is located at 910 Houston Street. There are a few clubs nearby that provide valet parking and I think you can use them for the restaurant. You can also have your chauffeur drop you off at the front or park around the corner.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Tres Joses
Do you remember my struggles with the Three Joes? Noes? Well read up here and then come back to this post.
Welcome back. As you will recollect, I attempted to go to Tres Joses, only to be foiled by their quick retreat from the parking lot...claiming to be out of breakfast burritos. This was obviously a textbook case of denial and avoidance. They knew the wrath of my word and they were scared. Fair enough.
My adventures in breakfast burrito acquisitions continued the other day as I drove by the Three Joes on my way to redeem a free chik-fil-a sandwich. I had my usual look of snubbery on as I drove by the place that so often broke my heart but something was unusual on this fateful day. Outside, standing all alone, was Jose Uno. And he was waving as if to say, "FWHITW guy, we're so sorry, please come and buy one of our non free chik-fil-a breakfast sandwiches." It was all in the wave. You had to be there to see it.
As I spun my official FWHITW issued vehicle around (thanks to all my readers who routinely send in money), nearly sideswiping a vehicle who got in my way (somebody who was apparently unaware of the importance of the moment) a thought came over me: What if these burritos aren't any good? A previous commentor warned me of that the burritos were over-hyped. But there were so many reasons that this to be a special day: Jose Uno waved at me; I was in the area and they had burritos; I was prepared to eat something unhealthy that morning; I was hungry; I had already turned around. It was fate. That burrito was calling me.
I pulled up to Jose Uno, who was obviously taken aback by my carefully performed emergency maneuver, and asked what he had. Jose Uno stared at me. I stared back. Jose Uno spoke no English. Despite my in-depth research of Mexican restaurants and everything Mexican, I speak very little Spanish. I can order a beer. But, alas, Tres Joses has no Bohemia breakfast burrito...yet.
Jose Uno began to rattle off the list of breakfast burritos in broken English and two things caught my ear: 1) bacon and eggs; and 2) chorizo y jalapeno. Well, I had made up my mind. I ordered in Spanish, "bacon and eggs, y eggs, chorizo, y jalapeno". I was so excited. I threw my money at Jose Uno and nearly peed myself as Jose Dos came out while Jose Uno ran in to get my bacon and egg burrito and my egg, chorizo y jalapeno burrito. Jose Dos and I got to talking about the business, his family, the cold and then he told me what he really enjoyed. He enjoyed the chorizo and egg burrito. I told him I was excited about the egg, chorizo y jalapeno burrito. He looked confused. He obviously didn't speak English either.
Jose Uno returned and I gleefully took my burritos and hot sauce. Every second of the drive to work was filled with egg, chorizo, bacon y jalapeno anticipation. The first burrito came out of its delicate foil wrapper and the smell of bacon wafted up to my nose. Why we haven't created bacon flavored cologne, I don't know. I instantly fell in love with my burrito. I dipped it in the delicious looking hot sauce and took a bite. Mmm...egg...tortilla...hot sauce... ... ... No bacon. Maybe the bacon wasn't evenly spread through the burrito. I anxiously took another bite. Again. No bacon. The bacon smell was there. The bacon essence was there. But the bacon...it was not there.
The eggs had apparently been exposed to bacon at one point in there preparation and by Jose Uno's standards, that was a bacon and egg burrito. By my standards, that a Deceptive Trade Practices Act Violation and I will be reporting this to the proper authorities. However, the bacon fiasco was only the beginning.
You're thinking, "have you seriously gone on this long about one $#*$% #$^#$% burrito?" Yes. And please stop cussing while reading my family friendly blog.
It was time for the highly anticipated egg, chorizo y jalapeno burrito. I decided to skip the hot sauce so I could taste the burrito in all its glory. Mmm...egg...tortilla...jalepeno... ... ... No chorizo. No Chorizo flavor, no chorizo smell, no chorizo chunks...Nada. I inspected my burrito with my highly trained eyes which reported that the burrito consisted of eggs, tortilla, y jalapeno. Surely Jose Uno understood me... "Eggs, chorizo, y jalapeno". I went over this statement for hours after consuming the rest of my lie...or burrito...or whatever we're calling it these days.
Throughout the day I would look over my shoulder thinking I heard Chorizo or Bacon running down the hall. They weren't there. But I knew I heard them. I knew they were in my office. It turns out they were never really there. It was all in my mind. But had I dreamt Jose Uno telling me about chorizo y jalapenos? And what about my bacon?
I spent three dollars on lies. The lies tasted fine. But I expected more. I don't blame Jose Uno or Dos. Maybe Jose Tres should take the blame. I don't know. But what I do know is this: the burritos taste fine, the hot sauce is outstanding, Jose Dos is interesting to talk to, and their burritos may work for some but have left a hole in the wall in my heart (which is probably good for blood flow).
Tres Joses will get another review when I've had a chance to eat in the restaurant at lunch or dinner. But until then, my chorizo and bacon lust will continue.
Tres Joses is at 4004 White Settlement Road, by the intersection with Virginia.
Please let me know if you share my sadness or think I'm an idiot.
Welcome back. As you will recollect, I attempted to go to Tres Joses, only to be foiled by their quick retreat from the parking lot...claiming to be out of breakfast burritos. This was obviously a textbook case of denial and avoidance. They knew the wrath of my word and they were scared. Fair enough.
My adventures in breakfast burrito acquisitions continued the other day as I drove by the Three Joes on my way to redeem a free chik-fil-a sandwich. I had my usual look of snubbery on as I drove by the place that so often broke my heart but something was unusual on this fateful day. Outside, standing all alone, was Jose Uno. And he was waving as if to say, "FWHITW guy, we're so sorry, please come and buy one of our non free chik-fil-a breakfast sandwiches." It was all in the wave. You had to be there to see it.
As I spun my official FWHITW issued vehicle around (thanks to all my readers who routinely send in money), nearly sideswiping a vehicle who got in my way (somebody who was apparently unaware of the importance of the moment) a thought came over me: What if these burritos aren't any good? A previous commentor warned me of that the burritos were over-hyped. But there were so many reasons that this to be a special day: Jose Uno waved at me; I was in the area and they had burritos; I was prepared to eat something unhealthy that morning; I was hungry; I had already turned around. It was fate. That burrito was calling me.
I pulled up to Jose Uno, who was obviously taken aback by my carefully performed emergency maneuver, and asked what he had. Jose Uno stared at me. I stared back. Jose Uno spoke no English. Despite my in-depth research of Mexican restaurants and everything Mexican, I speak very little Spanish. I can order a beer. But, alas, Tres Joses has no Bohemia breakfast burrito...yet.
Jose Uno began to rattle off the list of breakfast burritos in broken English and two things caught my ear: 1) bacon and eggs; and 2) chorizo y jalapeno. Well, I had made up my mind. I ordered in Spanish, "bacon and eggs, y eggs, chorizo, y jalapeno". I was so excited. I threw my money at Jose Uno and nearly peed myself as Jose Dos came out while Jose Uno ran in to get my bacon and egg burrito and my egg, chorizo y jalapeno burrito. Jose Dos and I got to talking about the business, his family, the cold and then he told me what he really enjoyed. He enjoyed the chorizo and egg burrito. I told him I was excited about the egg, chorizo y jalapeno burrito. He looked confused. He obviously didn't speak English either.
Jose Uno returned and I gleefully took my burritos and hot sauce. Every second of the drive to work was filled with egg, chorizo, bacon y jalapeno anticipation. The first burrito came out of its delicate foil wrapper and the smell of bacon wafted up to my nose. Why we haven't created bacon flavored cologne, I don't know. I instantly fell in love with my burrito. I dipped it in the delicious looking hot sauce and took a bite. Mmm...egg...tortilla...hot sauce... ... ... No bacon. Maybe the bacon wasn't evenly spread through the burrito. I anxiously took another bite. Again. No bacon. The bacon smell was there. The bacon essence was there. But the bacon...it was not there.
The eggs had apparently been exposed to bacon at one point in there preparation and by Jose Uno's standards, that was a bacon and egg burrito. By my standards, that a Deceptive Trade Practices Act Violation and I will be reporting this to the proper authorities. However, the bacon fiasco was only the beginning.
You're thinking, "have you seriously gone on this long about one $#*$% #$^#$% burrito?" Yes. And please stop cussing while reading my family friendly blog.
It was time for the highly anticipated egg, chorizo y jalapeno burrito. I decided to skip the hot sauce so I could taste the burrito in all its glory. Mmm...egg...tortilla...jalepeno... ... ... No chorizo. No Chorizo flavor, no chorizo smell, no chorizo chunks...Nada. I inspected my burrito with my highly trained eyes which reported that the burrito consisted of eggs, tortilla, y jalapeno. Surely Jose Uno understood me... "Eggs, chorizo, y jalapeno". I went over this statement for hours after consuming the rest of my lie...or burrito...or whatever we're calling it these days.
Throughout the day I would look over my shoulder thinking I heard Chorizo or Bacon running down the hall. They weren't there. But I knew I heard them. I knew they were in my office. It turns out they were never really there. It was all in my mind. But had I dreamt Jose Uno telling me about chorizo y jalapenos? And what about my bacon?
I spent three dollars on lies. The lies tasted fine. But I expected more. I don't blame Jose Uno or Dos. Maybe Jose Tres should take the blame. I don't know. But what I do know is this: the burritos taste fine, the hot sauce is outstanding, Jose Dos is interesting to talk to, and their burritos may work for some but have left a hole in the wall in my heart (which is probably good for blood flow).
Tres Joses will get another review when I've had a chance to eat in the restaurant at lunch or dinner. But until then, my chorizo and bacon lust will continue.
Tres Joses is at 4004 White Settlement Road, by the intersection with Virginia.
Please let me know if you share my sadness or think I'm an idiot.
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