Grace - Fort Worth

Our first visit to Grace was probably a little over a year ago right after our little veggie was born.  We had a Groupon and decided, what the heck, we'll give it a try.  Shocking!  The ambiance is posh, but the people are friendly and the chef is fantastic.
The items on the menu don't rotate like some of the other "local" style restaurants, but because the menu is simple and the items aren't ridiculously off the wall, it's easy for them to seem "in season" all year round.  But, it seems that they did learn that not all Fort Worth locals eat just meat and potatoes.  On our first visit the chef was so kind as to create a vegetarian dish from scratch.  With this last visit there was a vegetarian item on the menu (beside the salad).
I started with the Organic Local Greens (from Tassione Farms in Stephenville, TX) - crispy potatoes, Texas goat cheese and beets.  I know, some guys are afraid of those "local greens", but come on - who can resist a Texas goat cheese and beets.  The salad is worth that alone.  Hubby had the Shaved Asparagus.  This comes topped with something they call the "black hole" - it is a sort of egg, bacon and hash bake.  Shockingly tasty, and he said should have been a dish of it's own.
The veggie dish on the menu is a fresh made Five Cheese Tortellini - english peas, ramps and green onion emulsion.  I thought I could talk the chef into making something "off the menu", so I was slightly disappointed when this came to the table.  First bite taken - disappointed no more.  A great "warm" summer dish that was the perfect balance of both light and heavy.  And not overwhelming, so have no fear I had room for dessert.
One of the guests that joined us got the Meyer Ranch All Natural Beef - grass feed, antibiotic free, no growth hormones.  The fat structure in the beef just seems so unnatural from what we normally see, but it so smooth that you can cut it with a fork.  Sauce choice originally was just good 'ol original horseradish, but the waitress talked him into trying the chef's special preparation of Espresso Horseradish.  If you are a true horseradish connoisseur - steer clear of this - the flavor combination is unlike an other, but not in a good way.

Local Organic Greens

Five Cheese Tortellini

Meyer Ranch All Natural Beef

3 diners, 3 desserts - Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake topped with Henry's organic vanilla bean ice cream - Pain Perdu with butter pecan ice cream, bruleed bananas and salted carmel - Chocolate Walnut Milkshake made with homemade vanilla ice cream, Nochelle and dark Creme de Cacao.  I ordered the milkshake - the best combination of liquor and milkshake around (I drank the whole thing), then I tasted both the other desserts ordered and both were top notch.  But, if I had to put them in order 1. Milkshake, 2. Chocolate Pudding Cake, 3. Pain Perdu.  Would I recommend dessert - heaven's yes.

**Oh and please pardon the picture quality - I don't claim to be a photographer.  But I thought I had better get better about including photos of the meals.

Mini Veggie Joins the Group

Oh my I just saw that the last time I posted to this was 2 years ago!  Seriously, I know this must be wrong.  Well how much can happen in 2 years...  My husband and I know have a 1.5 year old - boy if anyone tries to say that having a kid(s) is a breeze, please just smack them.

So, now that we have added a third mouth to this table, I think I will start to cover some items that we make on a regular basis for the little one.  Of course I treat her like a mini veggie - and so far it's been quite a success.  Although not all the extended family members think this is a good idea (and make those opinions well known).

I'm going to have to spend some serious time updating - we have been to San Fran and had some fabulous food - oh my land of restaurants!  Some restaurants in the Southside have changed and opened and some local regulars have made some serious upgrades.  I am horribly awful about taking pictures - so please forgive - maybe it will give you a reason to go try it for yourself.

Tootles.

VegFortWorth

Allow me to make your day all you Veg eaters out there in wonderful Fort Worth. Posted to the iTunes store earlier this week, VegFortWorth gives you a basic list of Veg friendly restaurants in the immediate Fort Worth area. The 3 main areas of interest include Downtown, Near Southside, and the Cultural/Arts District. No genre of food is off limits. While the functionality is simple, easy and balanced - the information is rudimentary. Vague restaurant reviews are all that are available - leaving you wondering if it's giving you a review or helping you find a veg option restaurant. Some restaurants/food options are not veg friendly, so make sure you know your stuff when you go to certain places. Don't be afraid to ask questions of the waiter/waitress and/or make them ask the chef. One HUGE suggestion is to add the menu of the restaurant, or an abbreviated version of their menu with the veg options only. Don't try and review the restaurant - just let people know what they serve, unless you are going to rate all the restaurants on the app. Overall reaction: Fun to have, needs some work.

Rate Your Burgers

Burgers are personal to everyone. We debate all the time about who has the best. Do you like it thick or thin? What about the bun? Do you prefer all the fixings or just the burger, bun and maybe some cheese? Well in the world of veggie burgers it's no different. Do you like black bean patties, portabella mushroom or veggie patties? Do you opt for sauces, cheeses and fixings? What about that bun? Let me help you make an educated decision when it comes to choosing a burger joint that meets the veg requirements of some discerning diners. I don't eliminate one burger over another because of patty style, fixings, etc. I will rate them solely based on taste, quality, and consistency. I usually never have cheese or mayo on a veggie burger - so if it's on the menu with cheese or mayo it get's put on hold.

• #4: The Love Shack: The Boom Boom. See an earlier review for lots of details. This burger is a portabello mushroom that is deep fried and topped with all the fixings. Need I say more.

• #3: Jake's: The Veggie Burger. See an earlier review for lots of details. After lots of thought, I realized that Jake's homemade veggie patty really had it together. This place has potential!

• #2: Spiral Diner: Spiral Burger. Need I say more - Vegan all the way. A homemade traditional style patty topped with all the fixing. This is the most "meat-like" option out there.

• #1: Dutch's: The #7 - Portabello Veggie Burger. This marinated portabello mushroom has all the flavor - balsamic vinegar gives this burger the kick it deserves. I order with no mayo or cheese. You have to give this one a shot.

First Friday on the Greens Returns

This great event for the area starts back up the first Friday in April (2nd). Don't miss out on the food from Chadra (veg options available), drinks and great music.

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