Fred's Texas Cafe

Lost in the middle of all that development. Fred's didn't sell out! One moderately warm weekend in the middle of winter, we decided to venture outdoors for dinner, to the inviting patio available at Fred's Texas Cafe. The vegetarian option is the Portabella Mushroom Burger - "sauteed to perfection with all the trimmings". I ordered this burger with a twist, adding sauteed onions instead of the raw in the fixins. This burger is fairly plain all the way around - easy on the seasoning, almost none on the mushroom - if I hadn't opted for the sauteed onions the burger would have been so bland a baby could have eaten it. The fries are what makes the "basket" worth the money. Hand cut, thick-style, skin on potatoes. No extra breading - the potato and a mix of seasoning added while the fries are still warm. I ate all mine, plus hubbies, and probably would have eaten more if they had offered. Options in the "basket" include turning your fries into some their famous Cheese Fries or Cheese Fries with all the fixins - bacon, chives, sour cream, etc. If your goal is to have an artery clogging dining experience then you have to have the cheese fries. Layers of cheese on the thick cut fries, brown to perfection... add a side of ranch and mix with some ketchup and you have a well dressed fry. Fred's is moderately priced for what you are eating. The Portabello Mushroom with fries only will run you almost $10.00. Don't be fooled - it's worth it to eat on their patio, have a beer and enjoy some music if it's a band playing weekend. Rating: 3 Carrots

Love Shack - So.7 style

So did you know that The Love Shack has weather related specials? We went one weekend and everything was 50% off because the temp was below 40. Yeah, I know, crazy!?! We had two burgers w/ fries and beers for under $12.00 Make sure you check out the specials.... Anyways, for those of you that have been to the original stockyard version of the Love Shack know that it's all out doors, order on the street and hope you find a chair or place to rest your basket of food. The So.7 location is great - built to support both the warm weather months - with roll up garage doors, outdoor ordering and large patio, or for those colder months - indoor eating and some heat. Minimalistic is the look with great food to eat. All Veggies can eat at this joint. Enjoy the Boom Boom - a marinated Portabella mushroom that is battered and fried with the fixings (remove the cheese if you like - that's how I like it). Juicy, tasty and unhealthy like a normal burger... I do have to say that I prefer the fries at the original location. The fries at So7 are super thin and have an identity crisis - they can't decide if they want to be crispy or mushy. The onion strings are great to eat (super thin, just the right amount of breading and volumes of flavor) and can add that extra crunch to any of your burgers. This veggie burger ranks high on my list. Rating: 3 Carrots

Chadra does Fort Worth South Annual Dinner

I don't normally write about weird eating experiences, especially those the reader could never duplicate, but I have to say that the veg friendly meal I was served at the Fort Worth South annual dinner last night complements of Chadra Mezza was quite tasty.

So, I haven't ever really written anything about Chadra - it's just one of our normal standbys. They have a great buffet that could put any Chinese buffet to same (they should all come and take notes). I enjoy it for the moderately prices items and the high amount of vegetarian options, hubby just likes the buffet of food on Friday nights.

Even though I don't really comment on their "ordinary" meals, this dish was just too original to pass up.

We attended the Fort Worth South Annual dinner and I of course am the odd man out at the dinner table - requiring a green table topper so they could find me the lone vegetarian in the room. The tabouleh and the dessert were just ho-hum, but I couldn't stop eating my main course. Cinnamon flavored rice topped with a marinated portobello mushroom with roasted & almost candied pistachio, almond and walnuts. I have never cooked with cinnamon outside of dessert and cinnamon & sugar toast for breakfast, but this was fantastic. It was like having a healthy dessert for dinner. The flavor was sweet, but not overpowering.

Delightful.

Cowtown Diner

This is Fort Worth's newest spot. Don't expect to find much here that is Veg friendly - mostly breakfast. But for those of you that eat meat - expect to be wowed.

Cowtown Diner has remodeled the old La Madeline in downtown to a Texas worthy - chic friendly hang out. The interior is leather and animal hide meets shabby-chic. Well done to the decorator - I was impressed. I am still baffled that they did not utilize the great outdoor space that comes with their space...

Hubby has eaten here multiple times (mostly without me, you'll see why in a moment). Each time he he has been overwhelmed by the creative use of "traditional" Texas mixed with upscale "cafe" style food. Don't be shocked though if you dish comes out missing items or not "put together" as the menu is written. Each visit has included a few faux paux.

My first visit included ordering a dish that they don't even serve on the menu anymore. It was a breakfast play on King Ranch Casserole - eggs, tortilla, cheese, tomato, corn, and tortilla strips. I made sure to ask the waiter that the menu was printed correctly and it had no meat product - after being assured, I ordered what I thought would be an unhealthy breakfast treat. When it arrived it was chalked full of CHICKEN - what?? I then proceeded to return it, only to have it return missing half the items on the menu. It came back as tortilla on the bottom, soggy and covered in this nasty cheese sauce and nothing else... no egg, no tomato, no corn... at this point I was a little annoyed. Hubby had already licked his plate clean and so what was the point in me eating now. But after a side of eggs was brought I attempted to enjoy my breakfast. It was so thick, heavy and creamy - a few bites later I was finished. I learned my lesson - stick to the waffles or pancakes.

Hubby enjoyed his Short Rib Benedict so much that he needed dessert at 10:30 in the morning. He swears that the short ribs alone were the best he has ever had, much less on his favorite breakfast/brunch item. The menu has either changed - or they didn't get the order right when we were there, but it was short ribs served on a homemade potato cake, with a poached egg and the tabasco hollandaise. After eating that manly meal - a slice of homemade pie was ordered. The inside was underwhelming, but the homemade crust was to die for. Get the pie for the crust.

Rating for veg-friendly & getting it together: 1 Carrot

Rating for my husband: 3 Carrots

Spiral Diner - Mucho Grande Nacho's

So for the month of January, one of my guilty pleasures - Spiral Diner - feed us a blue plate special full of Mexican food. For those of you that don't know, Spiral Diner is a strictly Vegan restaurant. They try and buy local and organic and never feed us meat, meat-byproducts, dairy, eggs, etc.

Back to the Mexican Blue Plate Specials -

The dishes were a wide variety of quesadillas and nachos. I had a rare weekend visit with my BF, and for many weeks we had been eying the nachos. I know you are thinking, Nachos?? Who cares about Nachos?? Well need I say more than it was Mexican heaven on a plate. Their warm, "cheezy" sauce, quinoa, corn, black olives, tomatoes, jalapenos, beans, and I'm sure I'm missing something covering hearty corn tortilla chips was to die for.

The "cheezy" sauce is made from raw cashews and nutritional yeast flakes and other yummy-ness - you can't tell it's not real nacho cheese sauce. I can't explain to you how good these are. They are so good they need to be a permanent fixture on the menu. Hello Amy, please add the nachos to the menu... I'd be there all the time just to eat nachos.

I don't know about any of you all, but it's super hard to find veg-friendly mexican food. I eat their ate-layer burrito just about every time I go. Why can't I have a nice vegan nacho alternative all the time.

We never made it back to try the quesadillas - we ate nachos every time we went - but I am slightly sad, because they were trying out the new "cheese" fad in Daiya cheese. If the nachos were any sign, I am sure that Spiral had a winner in the quesadillas too.

Rating: 5 Carrots

Mamma Mia Italian Grill & Pizza

Let me start off by saying that their website is of no help. It appears that they rarely update the information.

There are two locations - the original on East Belknap & the newest on West Magnolia in the old Palermo's location.

Having Mamma Mia so close - is both a blessing and curse. We eat there at least once a week (sometimes multiple, especially if you include left overs). I know it can't be that healthy for you to eat rich Italian food every night of the week, but it's so good I can't help it.

I have tried just about every vegetarian dish on the menu - and created a few of my own. If I am in the mood for something a little lighter, I lean toward the Traditional Cheese Pizza. Fresh made dough, cornmeal on the crust, fresh red sauce and cheese overflowing... yum, it's making my mouth water just thinking about it.

The Eggplant Florentine is a great choice if you are in the mood for something to "put meat on your bones". Thinly sliced eggplant, breaded and baked, then rolled with cheese and spinach, covered in red sauce and cheese and served with a side of pasta. WOW is right!

I was in the mood for something a little different and ordered the "build your own" Stromboli - they will put anything you want in here. I had spinach, mushroom, and cheese. Oh it was so tasty... I ate the whole thing!

Of all the dishes I have ordered, my least favorite has been the Eggplant Parmesan. The Eggplant is cut super thin for the Florentine dish and it was just too mushy after it is cooked and covered in the sauce and cheese.

All the entrees come with a dinner salad (the house dressing is wonderful - spicy, oil & vinegar, red dressing). They always start you out with their garlic knot bread - and have oil & vinegar on the table. We have ordered calamari, fried mushrooms, cheese bread and all other kinds of goodie appetizers...

I can't think of a BAD thing I have had there.

I'll have hubby post another for all the meat dishes he has tried.

Rating: 5 Carrots

The Fizzle of 2009

Oh to my two followers...

2009 ended in such a rage. I will do better in 2010 to get my food outings posted. I have slept many many hours since I had some good eats.

Stay tuned...