It’s arts festival time in Fort Worth. Here’s where to eat, up Main Street and down
April 17,2023
See full Fort Worth Star-Telegram article by Bud Kennedy here.
Two tips for enjoying arts festival weekend in Fort Worth:
▪ Don’t drive. From the north or east, take a train to Central Station.
▪ Don’t stuff yourself on vendors’ food. Dine at local restaurants or their street booths along the Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival and Fort Worth Art Fair.
Main Street and Sundance Square are busy these days. Last weekend, the Yolk brunch cafe was on a 30-minute wait.
Book tables now for your favorite weekend brunch, lunch or dinner. Make sure you have a place to stop after a stroll through the two complementary festivals, one for touring vendors and the other for local artists.
“It’s amazing, all the people coming back downtown,” said Josh Scott of il Modo and Refinery 714, the modern Italian restaurant brunch and dinner restaurant and skyline bar at the heart of downtown in the Kimpton Harper, 714 Main St.
SUNDANCE SQUARE
At 3rd Street Market and Hopscotch, the former a new bakery-cafe and the latter a new bar on Sundance Plaza, co-owner Trent Shaskan said diners walk in the door and say, “What’s going on? Look at all these people!”
Live music is drawing crowds to the plaza and newer restaurants such as Paco’s, 156 W. Fourth St.; and Hopscotch, a drink stand at 101 W. Third St.
It’s only a short walk from the plaza to three Sundance Square anchors: the Flying Saucer Draft Emporium, 111 E. Third St.; Reata, 310 Houston St.; and Waters Restaurant, 301 Main St.
To the west of the plaza, it’s easy to park on the street or in a garage and walk to Buffalo Bros, 415 Throckmorton St., serving food nightly until 2 a.m.; Istanbul Grill, 401 Throckmorton St.; or 3rd Street Market, 425 W. Third St.
The newcomer is 3rd Street, a coffee-and-wine lunch cafe and sourdough bread bakery.
The menu of sandwiches and soups changes every day. It’s posted online at 3rdstreet.market.
Chef Dena Peterson Shaskan and baker Trent Shaskan also run Hopscotch, open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and featuring cocktails, lemonade, horchata, jamaica and desserts such as scones and mole-sauce brownies.
Both 3rd Street Market and Hopscotch also now serve cuatro leches cake, flan and other desserts from the La Duni bakery in Dallas.
ON MAIN STREET
Down Main Street, il Modo is thriving with one of the city’s best brunch menus. This weekend, brunch hours will be extended until 3 p.m.; ilmodorestaurant.com.
There’s also a new menu in the Refinery 714 bar on the 24th floor, featuring a burger, meatballs from il Modo, Cubano sliders and black-bean hummus.
Little Red Wasp Kitchen + Bar, 808 Main St., is the closest restaurant to Central Station and a convenient first or last stop near the Worth Square stage and food court.
Little Red Wasp’s fine-dining cousin, Grace, 777 Main St., will open at noon Friday through Sunday to serve its famous bar burger and appetizers.
It’s only a short walk west to their flashy new Italian cousin restaurant, 61 Osteria, 500 W. Seventh St.., open for dinner and weekend brunch.
If you ride the train, also consider using the T&P Station and dining at Tinies, 113 S. Main St., or another South Main Village restaurant.
Locations Mentioned: 3rd Street Market, 61 Osteria, Buffalo Bros, Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, Fort Worth Central Station, Grace, il Modo, Istanbul Grill, Little Red Wasp, Paco's Mexican Cuisine and Cantina, Reata Restaurant, T&P Tavern, The Kimpton Harper Hotel, Waters Restaurant, Yolk