Love and steak in Texas: Valentine’s is near, so book soon

January 25,2017

By Bud Kennedy

Until lately, DFW.com readers’ poll choices for “most romantic” restaurants were always steakhouses.

Beef is back as the big winner again this Valentine’s Day, with local steakhouses filling up quickly as Feb. 14 nears.

The downtown Fort Worth “beef block” on Main Street will be busy. Capital Grille, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle and Ruth’s Chris are filling.

Nearby, Grace and Reata are busy, but the Bob’s Steak & Chop House inside the Omni Fort Worth has better availability that Tuesday night. On the north end of downtown, the new Mercury Chop House location in The Tower also has tables available.

Most restaurants will offer a special menu. For example, Del Frisco’s will offer a steak-and-lobster-tail combo for $79.

The more casual Del Frisco’s Grilles in Fort Worth and Southlake will offer the regular menu plus a bone-in rib-eye with fried oysters ($65) or a crab-stuffed lobster tail with garlic grits ($49).

No word yet on specials at Fort Worth’s prettiest restaurants, such as Ellerbe Fine Foods (mostly booked), La Piazza, Le Cep or Saint-Émilion.

Hearts and art

Best bets for a table:

▪ Café Modern at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth will serve a $65, three-course menu; 3200 Darnell St., 817-840-2157, themodern.org.

▪ Both Silver Fox Steakhouse locations in Fort Worth and Grapevine have good availability, offering a shorter version of the regular-priced menu or a special $160 steak-and-lobster dinner for two with a “chocolate lovers’ ” dessert; 1651 S. University Drive, Fort Worth, 817-332-9060, or 1235 William D. Tate Ave., Grapevine, 817-329-6995. silverfoxcafe.com.

▪ Taverna by Lombardi will have specials and gluten-free choices; 450 Throckmorton St., 817-885-7502, tavernabylombardi.com.

▪ All the Southlake restaurants have availability, including Brio, Howard Wang’s, Il Calabrese and Kirby’s Prime Steakhouse, plus The Classic Cafe at Roanoke.

Budget romance

Once again, selected Waffle House locations will dim the lights, add tablecloths and serve a special Valentine’s dinner.

This year, the Lake Worth location will have the red-heart decor; make reservations at 6250 Lake Worth Blvd., 817-637-2728.

Ready, maybe

One of Sundance Square’s new restaurants should be open by Valentine’s Day, but that’s not certain enough to book reservations yet.

Istanbul Grill is getting close to a February opening. But no telling yet which day.

The Sensel family is expanding to Fort Worth from their current Arlington restaurant. Serdar “Sam” Sensel is also a parner in Dallas’ popular Pera Turkish Kitchen restaurants.

Look for it at 401 Throckmorton St.; istanbulgrilltx.com.

More openings

Also open by Valentine’s, if you want to plan lunch: The new NM Cafe in Neiman Marcus in the Shops at Clearfork.

(Waters Restaurant by chef Jon Bonnell will open March 1 at 301 Main St. After that, the new Bread Winners Cafe & Bakery in University Park Village is on track for a March opening at 1600 S. University Drive, near Pacific Table.)

Sunday wake-up

Downtown Fort Worth has a new Sunday brunch.

Mercury Chop House, reviewed on these pages, has resumed brunch at 11 a.m. Sundays, returning a favorite from its former location with both special dishes and the regular a la carte menu.

Mercury will be open for brunch and dinner Sundays; 525 Taylor St., 817-336-4129.

History in Hico

Chef Phil Greer, formerly of the old Cactus Flower Cafe in Fort Worth, has extended his restaurant empire to a historic hotel in Hico.

The Midland Hotel is restored and reopened, serving lunch and dinner daily and offering a $100-per-couple Valentine’s steak-and-shrimp dinner.

It’s at 103 N. Pecan St., Hico, 254-796-4604; historicmidlandhotel.com.

Greer also has Greer’s Ranch Cafe in Stephenville.

Magnolia Moose

The new Lazy Moose was supposed to be mostly a bar, but then Vance Martin and David Shaw got busy.

Their new partnership on West Magnolia Avenue is serving a pub menu of sandwiches, salads and sides, including a shaved-tenderloin sandwich with pears and Gorgonzola, sweet-potato waffle fries or green-chile polenta fries.

It opens nightly at 1404 W. Magnolia Ave., 682-708-3822, thelazymoosefw.com.