Best of Fort Worth, 2009. (and a few worst).

The "Best Of Fort Worth" is a once a year post. It is my take on things, along with a few comments from friends that occasionally contribute to the blog (text in red).

It is kind of a random observation, but since returning from our two year stay in Philadelphia, I have noticed that Fort Worth residents seem to be happy with their city, or happy to be here. They aren't trying to be Dallas (perish the thought) or New York. Fort Worth does have its share of super-parochial types who think venturing past its borders is going to a "lesser" place. But most Fort Worthians have lived other places. In Fort Worth one can live in a city that has the gentility of the country. We have some of the nation's best art museums, the world's premier piano competition, one the world's top ten opera halls, in Bass Hall, and we host top horse, dog, and livestock competitions. All in the same city. Not to mention, the NASCAR racetrack, and now the Dallas Cowboys (of Tarrant County). Not too shabby.

Fort Worth is the seventeenth largest city, by population, in the country. The DFW area is the 8th largest metropolitan area in the USA. It's a big place, but it is open and comfortable to live in. Our city's greatest asset is the fact that people try make things work here -- for everyone. It is not a factious city. The amenities we all  share: a model downtown, well-maintained parks, good roads and infrastructure, are all things we take for granted because they are always working. But it is not that way everywhere.

As for food, you won't go hungry here.  The list of top restaurants has tripled since I have been gone, but you can still get three tacos with rice and beans at a corner taco stand for about 4 bucks. And it's as good and fresh as you can get. I find some of the best food is made on the street. In Philly, it's the corner-store cheesesteak, in Fort Worth it's the taco. And I love them both.

I should mention that I have a few "Worst of 2009" here. As I have said before, if I don't like a restaurant I usually don't write anything. But there are exceptions. I have a feeling I will be criticized for one of my "worst of," but I am convinced, so it stays.

Food and Fort Worth's 

"Best of 2009" 

for Fort Worth and area:

Italian: Nonna Tata's and La Piazza. Honestly, I do not frequent the Italian restaurant often because I grew up with home-made Italian food and I am almost always disappointed. This is true not only in Fort Worth, it was also true in Philadelphia, with a few glowing exceptions. Nonna Tata's and La Piazza produce authentic Italian food and are the best in Fort Worth. Sardines isn't bad, either.

"La Piazza is really good but for a good Italian restaurant experience I would say Sardines." BeccaJ

Mexican: Mi Cocina - downtown is still my favorite place to eat. Mi Cocina and its parent company have had well publicized owner/management problems, but by all appearances the restaurants are doing well and serving the same consistently good dishes. I also like Cantina Laredo - downtown, and for just good food, service, and good people, La Familia.

But as I have said before, right now, today, if someone is visiting from out of town and asks for the local fare, and by that I mean not the standard chain restaurant, they will be taken to a Mexican restaurant or a barbecue restaurant, or possibly, a family run Thai or Vietnamese restaurant. But what is selling on the street corners? Tacos and occasionally barbecue. And it's usually good.

Worst Mexican: Yucatan Grill. God-awful. I don't know what part of Mexico these boys think they are representing, but it's none I have ever been to. Yes, the place is cool looking, in a great location, and has a good vibe but the food is second-rate. Sorry. I hear they are building one in Southlake, which proves to me once again, that growth is no proof of success.

Pizza: Rocco's in Fort Worth, but Cavalli's in Irving is the best I have tasted in the area. Also, I think Carrabba's makes a pretty good thin crust pizza. Joe's on Berry is good and has pizza by the slice.

Frozen Yogurt: Yogolait and Menchies.I like the self-serve. I could eat their frozen yogurt every day. 

Bread:
Whole Foods - Arlington. The Dallas-Fort Worth area does not have many old stand-alone bread bakeries. I wish we did. Artisan Bakery is new to the area, or at least to me, but to be honest, I have not been. Forget Corner Bakery. Panera's has some decent breads, especially when they are fresh. Central Market's breads all taste the same to me.

Bagels: Yogi's on Hulen. They are good. The breakfasts are a little expensive for what you get but the bagels are still good.

Donuts: Pauls, off Magnolia. Good people, good donuts. Dale's gets lots of "Best of" awards. I love Dunkin' Donuts but the closest is in Hurst, I believe.

Chinese: I have no idea. Really. PF Chang's is good but expensive and the "I'm hip so I can charge triple retail" vibe drives me batty these days. My family generally goes the Pei Wei way. It is relatively inexpensive, the portions are good, and it is served hot. The appetizers aren't bad either.
 "I Love Pei Wei." BeccaJ.

Sandwich: Carshon's makes a good sandwich. Whichwich sandwich is a pleasant surprise sometimes. When Central Market opened they had as good of a roast beef sandwich as you could ever get. Not so today. More on them later.

Burgers: Kinkaid's, Tommy's, Fred's. Love's. All good. Pappa's. I didn't care for. Dutch's. I don't get them. My burgers there have been dry and way overcooked. Jake's gets a lot of good reviews, and I agree, it's a good burger. I visit Kinkaid's more than any of the others. Is it still the best? Probably not. My favorite burger in the area is Five Guys in Southlake -- but we don't have an In-N-Out Burger. A good blog on hamburgers and the like is Regular Joe's Guide, who says "perhaps our favorite burger joint in DFW: Clown Burger." He also thinks a lot of Mooyah's in Southlake. A new blog from Raul and Rachel suggests the #1 burger in DFW is Mooyah's, but also includes Jake's and Five Guys.

Coffee: Starbucks on University. They are busy enough to have to make it fresh all the time. And nice folks as well. But their Pike's Place blend is terribly weak for my palate. Sumatra is good. The Via instant is as bad as I expected. They say you can't tell. I can tell -- and it's bad. We need more locally owned coffee shops. Since Eurotazza closed there are no real independents that I am aware of. I still think a coffee shop/bakery could make it on Magnolia. In the morning, when the coffee is fresh, I like McDonald's coffee. Seriously.

Steak and "Finer" Dining:  I hate to punt on this one but I am just not qualified to judge it anymore. A few years ago I had an opinion on the best steak in Fort Worth and Dallas but I just don't do it much anymore. Del Frisco's, Lonesome Dove, Grace, Bob's, Eddie V's., Bonnell's, Lanny's. Tillman's is new, off  7th Street and getting a lot of buzz. You can't say we don't have a lot of choices. My favorite place in Fort Worth for steak is the Chop House, downtown. It may not be the best -- I just like the place. 

Best Destination Restaurant: Reata. Good food, good atmosphere, meandering bars, and a great downtown to walk in when you finish your dinner. 

Best Traditional Fine Dining: Since 1985, Saint Emilion has been serving Fort Worth traditional French cuisine. Same owner, same location. Great food, honestly priced. If you like a quieter atmosphere, good food, and personal treatment, this is the place.

Barbecue: Angelo's on White Settlement is my favorite. I like Railhead, too, on Montgomery. My apologies to Jennifer who loves Cousins.

Dining Restaurant Downtown: The Chop House on Main Street. I still like going there. The food is good, the tables are spaciously placed, unlike Del Frisco's, and they aren't up-selling the whole time.

Beer Downtown: The Flying Saucer. Good selection, great location, nice outdoor patio for smoking. (Hey, who wants to drink if you can't smoke).

Beer elsewhere: "I like The Ginger Man for a pint." Jake. BeccaJ voted for Ginger Man, as well.

Ice Cream: Braum's, $1.50 for a single dip of pretty good ice cream.

Biggest rip-off ice cream: Marble Slab. Way over-priced and the novelty of M&M's in my ice cream has worn-off. 

Margarita: Mi Cocina.

Fajitas: Papasitto's on I30. Good beef, fresh flour tortillas. Cantina Laredo is a close second. Two for one Wednesday fajitas at Pappasito's is the best deal in town.

Sushi: Hui Chuan Sushi, on Camp Bowie.
"Sushi Yoko is hands down my favorite, great prices, fast service, and fresh sushi." Jake

Thai: Suk a Thai, in Arlington. Thai Tina gets some good reviews but BeccaJ says she prefers Suk a Thai.

Nicest Small Restaurant Atmosphere: Zambrano's downtown. Lili's on Magnolia. Both places: good people and good food.

Worst Chain Restaurant Meal of the Year: Gator's at Northeast Mall. So bad it's not worth going into. 

Best New-for-Me Chain Restaurant: Carrabba's at Northeast Mall. 

Best Wine by the Glass: Zambrano's. 

Best New Restaurant or Bar: Ellerbe's & Eddie V's. are both getting great reviews.

"My new favorite is The Usual -- up scale prohibition era bar, non-smoking, top shelf liquor, and a fantastic atmosphere." Jake. BeccaK considers Buttons, on Hulen, her favorite. 

Best Developing Street: Magnolia is number 1 and 7th Street is number 2.

Best Place for coffee, cookie, and wifi: Panera Bread on University. Okay, the coffee is a little weak, but the pastries and the wifi are good. 

Best View of Fort Worth: From the hilltop at Channel 5. 

Best Bicycling: the bicycle/walking path on the north side of downtown. 

Best Bicycle Shop: Colonel's, on University and Panther City on Magnolia. Both locally owned and well run. 

Best Bookstore in North Texas: The used Bookstore in Denton. For theology and philosophy: Theological Pursuits, on McCart. Run by a Southwest Seminary guy who tolerates us Catholics browsing around (as long as we don't talk to anyone). The days of the quirky, independent bookstore are all but over. The bookstore in Denton is an exception.

Favorite Place to buy vegetables: Fiesta Market on 8th Street.

Best Addition to Downtown Transportation: Molly the Trolley.

Best Radio Sports Talk: The Ticket, 1310 am. 

Best Pool Tables: Fox and Hound, Downtown.

Only Great Pool Tables in DFW: Dave & Busters / Dallas (also, real snookers table) 

Best Movie theater: Rave at North East Mall and Ridgmar. Movie theaters have reached a kind of perfection at Rave. Big seats, leg room, great views. I don't know how it can get much better, unless they figure a way of seat-ejecting the loud-talker.

Most Under Appreciated Great Amenity: Trinity River Park, Botanical Gardens, Trinity River Trail. About 30 miles of paved walking and bicycling along the river and improving every year. Parks along the way. Tough to beat and not used much except along University.

Most Impressive New Development: Uptown. Take a drive through. Now let's pray that it works.

Favorite Architecture: Modern Art Museum 

Architecture We're All Hoping For the Best: TCC Downtown. Jury is still out. But it is looking better than I thought it would. 

Most Dependable Good Meal: Charleston's on Hulen. Okay, it seems no one under 40 is allowed in, but the food is still good.

Best New Building: Omni Hotel. Not exactly the nouveau Texas brick style, but I like it.  

Biggest Disappointment since the Last "Best of": Central Market. The gourmet is gone. It is looking run down, and it is being run like an Albertson's. Sorry. I was one of the first and biggest supporters of the concept, the company, and the management, but something is rotten in HEB land.

Notes to management:
1. Fire the guy who painted the men's bathroom. Have you been in there lately?
2. The wood patio tables have been a bust. They look terrible and there are too many of them.
3. Salad bar. Looks like something from a run down Steak & Ale
4. Sandwiches. When your accountant decided that the meat portions had to be weighed I knew we were in trouble.
5. Who decided that the side of the building was a good place to store things? 

What I wish we had.
A Whole Foods like the one they have in Austin. Great concept and execution. 

What I am glad we don't have:
Austin. Just kidding. Really, I love Austin. (weirdos) 

Most Enjoyable "I thought I would never see the day" Dallas Cowboys Stadium coming to Tarrant County. No offense to our cousins to the east, but you guys really blew it. The Cowboys are always ranked as the first, second, or third most valuable sports franchise in the world -- and you let them leave Dallas. Unbelievably stupid. 

Places that deserve more support:
1. Fort Worth Opera Festival 2010 -- Don Giovanni. Go see it. It'll make you laugh and cry. Trust me, you'll love it.
2. Cowtown Farmer's Market.

Final comment: A vibrant downtown needs business, residents, and conventions. People driving in from the suburbs on weekends is not the stuff of a thriving downtown. We are getting closer every year. The building of Tarrant County College and of the Omni Hotel convention hotel is another step forward towards that vibrancy -- if they are successful. Nothing is certain but, even given this economy, the signs are good. 

PLEASE -- comment at will.

Old Rip's Mexican Restaurant

My son and I were going to have lunch at Fuzzy's today, but as we were walking across Berry from the College of St Thomas More we noticed a restaurant just behind Fuzzy's named, Old Rip's Mexican Restaurant. It looked good. So we stopped in. I won't put Old Rip's in the "great" Mexican category but it was pretty good. The service was good, and the salsa was thick and spicy-hot the way I like it. And retired Speaker of the House, Jim Wright was dining there when we arrived. A few years ago, the third most powerful man in the United States. Eating right there at Old Rip's. Made my day -- and I'm not even a Democrat.

3105 Cockrell Ave.
Fort Worth, TX 76109

www.oldripsfw.com

(Almost forgot -- I promised the folks over at Chipotle that I would mention the new store opening in south Arlington at 5001 S. Cooper (just south of I20). Wednesday, December 9.  Tell them I sent you and maybe they'll give you a free burrito or something, or maybe they'll kick you out, I'm not sure. But they do have some free t-shirts and drawings.)

How to Refinish a Hardwood Floor.

To regular readers who stop by for food and restaurant updates: this post has nothing to do with food, except that you get very hungry if you refinish a hardware floor. The purpose of this post is to assist anyone who is attempting the devilish project called "refinish a hardwood floor."  If you are here from a web search you will have seen plenty of links and articles and ads. It is hard to pick through them but I did get some good advice. I have added a section at the end that details what I learned by doing it that I didn't read through a web search.

First an abbreviated sequence or steps to completion.
1. Start with the idea: "Hey, I can refinish my hardwood floor myself."
2. Grab hammer, extend finger, hit finger with hammer. That is the equivalent pain to the project you are about to begin.
3. Accept pain or call a professional.
4. If you call a professional you can stop reading, if you accept the pain, begin:
5. Remove carpet, nails, tack, staples, fill holes, remove baseboards. For me that took about 24 man-hours. Here is were you have to take time and make sure you are ready to sand before renting the machine.
6. Drum sander first pass with 36 grit.
7. Sweep or blow away sawdust
8. Drum sand with 80 grit.
9. Sweep or blow away sawdust.
10. Use edging sander along floor's edge. Sweep or blow away dust.
11. Conclude that it this is too much work and call a professional, or:
12. Attach a sanding attachment to an everyday electric drill and finish the edges. The tornado edger doesn't get all the way to the edge, which makes you wonder why they call it an edger. They should call it an almost edger.
13. Use vibrating sander in corners.
14. Sweep, blow and remove all sawdust. Do it again. Rub your hand on the floor. See any dust on your hand? When you don't you can start the finish work.
15. First application of polyurethane
16. Lightly sand
17. Second application of polyurethane
18. Lightly sand if doing a third application.

A. Here is a list of the necessary equipment for rental or purchase.
I looked at three different rental places. Home Depot, Lowes, and an independent renter. Home Depot was by far the most helpful and had the newest equipment. Also, Home Depot made renting and returning a seamless process.

1. If the floor is carpeted you will need a couple of good pry bars to get up the carpet tack. And several pair of screw drivers and pliers for pulling nails and staples. My floor had hundreds of staples and hundreds of nails that needed to be pried and pulled. Get the right tools for it, it's worth it.
2. Brooms. Push and kitchen type.
3. Yard leaf blower (I'll tell you why later)
4. Drum sander -- rent -- not too hard to operate
5. Edging sander -- rent -- a hellish beast
6. Vibrating sander -- purchase
7. Drill attachment sander -- purchase
8. 36/80/100 Grit sand papers -- I did about 1400 square feet and used a total of 20 rolls of sandpaper for the drum sander and 20 sheets for the Edging sander
9. Leather gloves. I suggest wearing gloves when pulling up the tack, it'll save your knuckles and decrease the number of nail punctures in your hands.















B. What most information websites WILL tell you.

1. They are serious when they say the drum sander starts the minute you release the drum to the floor. Don't do this unless you are ready to start moving. You have to coordinate the release of the drum to the floor and moving while you are letting the drum down. It's as difficult as juggling but it does take some coordination.
2. Sand WITH the grain of the wood. Very important, especially on the first pass with the 36 grain paper.
3. The 36 grain takes off the old polyurethane and gets you to the wood. The finer grain papers are for the wood itself.
4. Overlap rows with drum sander and start at a different point for each row. This keeps a pattern from developing that you will notice when you first drop the drum down to the floor. Eventually, I got to where I would slowly and gradually release the drum so as not to have that drop down line.
5. Lightly sand after each application of polyurethane.
6. Apply the polyurethane in long even strokes. Not as easy as I thought it would be.

                             

Additional lessons I learned "from doing" or from the boys at Home Depot.

1. The drum can be calibrated so as to sand evenly. When the drum cylinder touches the floor you want each edge to touch with the same pressure. That needed to be reset on my sander, which I did myself. Test in a closet or area no one will notice.
2. When you notice the sandpaper becoming less effective on the drum sander, take it off and put it back on the opposite way. It still has some life in it if it is rotated.
3. Using the edge sander is like holding a tornado. It will move on its own, so get ready. That is real work.
4. Oil based polyurethane will stain the floor. Water based will leave a truer original color.
5. Use the lambswool applicator not the synthetic kind.
6. Get all the nails and staples pulled. They spark when you go over them with the sander and they degrade the sand paper quickly.
7. If you have to sand against the grain do so with a high number paper and not perpendicular to the grain but at an angle.
8. Sweep floor before sanding and after each sand -- otherwise you are sanding sawdust from the previous pass.
9. Stage your starting points. Start 18 inches in on one row, 24 inches the next and so on.10. Getting all the dust off the floor is difficult but necessary before applying polyurethane.
11. Do not use water on a sanded floor but you can once it has a coat of polyurethane on it.
12. I can't describe the use of the tornado like edge sander. I suggest trying it in a closet first. I hated that thing.
13. Before applying polyurethane the floor must be dust free. That is difficult to accomplish since you will have sawdust everywhere. I swept and swept and the floor looked good but when I ran my hand over the floor I still had a lot of sawdust and bits of sand from the sand paper. Eventually, I got my leaf blower and worked the room with that several times over several days and got the floor dust-free. Do not use a damp cloth on sanded wood. I was told after I had completed my floor that mineral water works well. I did not test it.
14. I rented the drum sander for a week. One day before the drum sander week was up I rented the edge sander for a week. My total cost: sanders, tools, sandpaper, and polyurethane was about $800. Total floor area: about 1400 square feet. Time: about 2.5 weeks, including several days of pulling carpet, nails and staples.

Conclusions:
Seriously, if you have the time and you want to do the job properlyI think the average guy can do this job. I have contracted the task several times and the pro's do it much faster and their machinery is better than the rental machinery. But -- the hardwood floor professional makes money by getting in and out fast and if there is a lot of prepping to do before sanding, you will pay extra. If your time is better spent doing something else, by all means contract it out, it is time consuming. But if you like paying attention to detail and don't mind some heavy-duty effort, looking at the floor after it is all done is very satisfying.

Finished Floor

It's Getting Worse . . .

I have always had an above average ability to lose things: keys, phones, and the like. But the time span between item last seen and item lost is getting shorter. I find myself looking for things that I have just laid down, sometimes seconds ago. Today, in fact, I was carrying a box into my office, coffee in one hand box in the other, and laid the coffee down in order to lift the box onto a shelf. After accomplishing said lift, I spent the next five minutes looking for the coffee.

Last week, my granddaughter and I were at a mall in San Antonio and I forgot where I had parked the car. She, a six year old, had to guide us back. Talk about embarrassing.

Not that I have ever been good at the incidentals of life, I haven't, but time is taking its toll on the short-term memory, or maybe it was the inhaled cannabis delecti from the 60's; whichever, at this rate it won't be long and I will be hanging my keys around my neck, wearing a stomach-pouch for my wallet and phone, and putting post-it notes on the dashboard. God help me.

Tempus neminem manet.

Austin Lovers . . .

The Travel section of the Sunday New York Times had a feature story on Austin, Texas. The story ran under their weekly "36 Hours" report. The idea of 36 Hours is to suggest ten local sites for travelers to consider on a brief trip to that city. The suggested sites could be restaurants, shopping, historical, or just something different about that city.

I don't know Austin that well and can't really comment on their suggestions, except to say that I liked the article. But it was rather funny to suggest that visitors first get a pair of cowboy boots in order to fit in. I love cowboy boots but a brief walk through the streets of Austin will reveal more flip-flops than boots. Also, of interest is that the NY Times suggested traveling by Jet Blue in December for about $300 from JFK to Austin.

Not a bad idea. For those interested in the entire article:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/travel

Please comment on their suggestions if you are familiar with Austin.