Fort Worth -- Cowboys and Culture

Fort Worth is so many things, and you'll enjoy a trip here, no matter what your interests. If culture is your passion, we have everything you could desire.

The Bass Performance Hall in downtown Fort Worth is a beautiful, high-tech opera house, featuring everything from Broadway shows to George Jones to the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The downtown area is safe and lively, with wine bars, coffee shops, book stores, movie theaters, and fine dining all within easy walking distance of several great hotels.

The cultural district includes four major museums within walking distance -- the Kimbell Art Musuem, the Amon Carter Museum of Western Art, the Fort Worth Museum of Modern Art, and the Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. All four are housed in architecturally significant buildings, and are surrounded by beautiful grounds.

If the cowboy mystique is more your thing, visit the Northside area for great steaks and Mexican food, Billy Bob's ("the biggest honky-tonk in the world"), and a herd of longhorn cattle that is wrangled through the streets daily. Kids love it, and they also enjoy the world-class zoo, Log Cabin Village, and Botanic Gardens, located near each other on University Drive.

Only the brave visit during the summer, but the weather can't be beat the rest of the year.

Quick Tips:

Have a steak! Fort Worth isn't called Cowtown for nothing.

Best Way To Get Around:

Take the trolley from the downtown area to the museum district, zoo, Northside, and other points of interest. The Intermodal Transportation Center downtown services Amtrak, the Trinity Railway Express (providing service to Dallas and points in between), the trolley service, and the bus line. Cabs are safe and clean.

What a find! This incredible Italian restaurant is housed in a former Dairy Queen in the TCU area. The decor is very casual and no liquor is served, but you'll be lucky to find a parking space on a Friday or Saturday night. Filled with professionals, families, and college students, the atmosphere is friendly and welcoming. And the food is truly extraordinary.

We discovered Bella a week ago, and have already been back twice more. The pasta dishes are excellent, particularly the manicotti and lasagna. Chicken Castalini, a chicken breast sauteed in wine sauce with artichokes and mushrooms, was superb. The homemade bread and garlic rolls, house salad dressing (a spicy tomato vinigrette), and sinfully delicious cheesecake and tiramisu were all delightful.

In addition to a good variety of pasta dishes, the menu includes several veal and chicken entrees, brick oven pizza, subs, salads, soups, and intriguing appetizers, such as artichokes oreganata and mussels marinara.

You are welcome to bring your own bottle of wine, and take-out is fast and efficient. Bella is also a member of the American Airlines dining program, and you can earn 10 miles per dollar spent. It is difficult to earn very many miles, since the prices are so reasonable. For $20, we had a very filling dinner for two, plus enough to take home for lunch the next day.

Lunch specials are available from 11:00 to 3:00 each day, and include salad and a huge homemade roll. Hours are from 11 am to 10 pm Monday through Friday, and 4 pm to 10 pm Saturday. Major credit cards are accepted. Ciao!

The Bangkok House is located in a strip center, tucked into a neglected corner of White Settlement, a suburb of Fort Worth. In my opinion, it's the best oriential restaurant in the area.

The lunch buffet is a great bargain, and offers a nice sampling of the cuisine. But at night, more adventurous dishes are available. The vegetable egg rolls are wonderful. They are served with a mellow peanut sweet and sour sauce. The corn patties are served with a sweet peanut cucumber sauce, and are not to be missed. Good versions of the expected soups are available (egg drop, won ton and hot & sour), but try the Tom Yum -- lemon grass soup with lime, mushrooms, and Thai herbs, with a choice of tofu, chicken, shrimp, or seafood. Very unusual taste.

Main dishes include various versions of fried rice, and more authentic Thai dishes -- pad Thai, pad ginger, garlic pepper with broccoli, and other stir fry combinations that can be ordered with chicken, tofu, beef, shrimp or squid.

The decor is comfortable, welcoming, and cheerful, and the service is attentive but unobtrusive. The lunch buffet is served from 11:00 to 2:30, and dinner is available from 5:00 to 9:00 Monday through Friday, and until 10:00 on Saturday. Closed Sunday. Take-out menu is available.

If you're an Atkins addict, stay away from this place. The pastry cases are the first sight you see when you walk in, and they are full of the most tempting carbohydrates you can imagine. Cakes, pies, cookies, pastries -- and they are all delicious. The shop is across the street from my office, and is a constant temptation.

Breakfast and lunch are served, and there is a good-sized dining room. But get there early, because it fills up fast, and they tend to run out of the most popular items very quickly. I normally run over to pick up a sandwich, which means standing in front of the pastry cases until my order is ready. I always end up with a bag of cookies or an eclair to take back for an afternoon snack.

Many of the patrons are greeted by first name by the busy ladies behind the counter. At this time of year, a constant stream of people come in to pick up their special orders -- black forest cakes, Christmas cookies, and a wide variety of pies. In fact, they are open the Monday before Christmas this year only for the purpose of distributing the black forest cakes that will be baked fresh over the weekend. These cakes are a wonder and have become a holiday tradition for many Fort Worth families.

For a casual breakfast or lunch, or a quick stop to grab something to go, you can't go wrong here. The Swiss Pastry Shop also participates in the AA dining program and you receive ten AAdvantage miles for every dollar you spend.

As you might expect, King Tut Restaurant serves Egyptian cuisine, a variation on Middle Eastern. Although there are several good Middle Eastern restaurants in town, King Tut is my favorite. Generous lunch specials attract the local workers from nearby hospitals, and eclectic neighborhood regulars. Dinner brings a relaxed, friendly crowd.

Appetizers include the expected: hummus, tabouli, falafel, sambosa, dolma, feta, olives, and various dips. A combination plate of four, six or eight items makes a generous appetizer or small meal. And everything is incredibly fresh and flavorful. Soups and salads are delicious, and popular demand has led to the house salad dressing becoming available for sale.

There are several vegetarian entrees, along with chicken, lamb or beef kabobs, gyros, moussaka, all served with a choice of rice or fries. PICK THE RICE. It is a unique, tasty pilaf that perfectly complements every dish.

Top off your special meal with some thick, sweet Turkish coffee and baklava. Friendly service, fabulous food, and great prices. You'll be back.

The holiday season is the busiest time of year at the Vending Nut Company. All the bakers in town are lined up for fresh pecans, peanuts, pistachios, and dried fruit for their holiday baking. The retail store is tucked away in the back of the factory, and is a wonderful choice for gift shopping and stocking up for holiday cooking.

The store carries their own freshly roasted, shelled, and unshelled nuts of all varieties, along with peanut butter, almond and pecan meal, and nut mixes. The offerings also include dried fruits of the normal variety, along with figs, mango, payaya, and fruit cake mixes.

There are a variety of candies available (including Texas-shaped pralines), along with gift tins, baskets, boxes, and nut dispensers for the true addict. Prices are very reasonable, since the merchandise is factory direct. The store also carries a full line of Mrs. Renfro's salsa, jellies, and other products, also made in Fort Worth.

The store itself is small, but interesting. An old Wurlitzer juke box plays 45s, and there is some interesting memorabilia decorating the walls. The mood is always cozy and friendly, and the employees are helpful and knowledgeable. You can order a catalog by calling 800-429-9260, or 817-737-3071 in you're in the area. Their motto is "Nobody can beat our nuts," and I have to agree.