Last night, before the opera, I was treated to dinner by the director of
the opera who has been a dear friend of mine for nearly 30 years. I've been to
GRACE before (www.gracerestaurant.com) and it's always special with
Darren as everyone greets him from the owners to the bus boys, and he is always
schmoozing with opera patrons, as well as being approached by folks to
congratulate him on the amazing job he has done here in Ft. Worth. I would head
to Grace no matter what, but to be there with one of Ft. Worth's "rock stars" is
truly a treat.
I saw several new dishes on the menu and was immediately attracted to them.
North Dakota BISON TARTARE with charred onion, quail egg, pickled teeny
mushrooms, and pecorino cheese was a delicate plate with superb, yet subtle
flavors. I asked our server Tyler which wine he recommended (by the way, anyone
would be attracted to him as well as the dishes on the menu!!) and he suggested
a smooth and bold Les Cadrans de Lessegue 2010 St Emilion Merlot from Bordeaux
that was ideal. The beautiful soft warm sourdough puffs of bread arrived with
irresistible butter topped with sea salt.
I also tasted Darren's superb KONA KAMPACHI with American caviar, yuzu, and
white soy, but since I had had this previously, I knew it was delicious, but not
too large. It's probably the lightest dish on the menu, perhaps even in
town!
For main courses Darren ordered the simple Meyer Ranch FILET with
horseradish sauce which also comes with a gorgeous head of roasted garlic. It's
a great steak, but I could not resist the ingenuity of the just on the menu
"PASTRAMI on RYE" which is a gorgeous presentation of Smoked BEEF CHEEKS with
mustard seed slaw, Brazos Valley Gouda and a Rye crumble on top. It was, as
Texas is, a large but amazingly exciting and tasty portion loaded with flavors
that impressed and filled my palate; Darren agreed. I chose the Emilio Moro 2010
Tempranillo from Ribera de Duero in Spain which was a perfect pairing as well,
recommended by the sommelier.
We bypassed dessert to head to the opera and still more people were
approaching with praise. How nice to have a great meal and be here at this
superb festival with a very special friend.
