Adventures in and Around Fort Worth

Scotland: Food, Edinburgh and the Highlands

picture from The Feast website "Ace of Cakes" Duff Goldman tries Mike Smith's coconut pie at Paris Coffee Shop for his new show "Sugar High." Click here for more information .

The best fish and chips I've ever had anywhere in the world is right here in Fort Worth at Zeke's on Camp Bowie. I'm serious. I don't know what the secret is in their batter, but it's so light and crispy that I can't get enough. A blogger for Forbes magazine agrees . In July they published a piece stating Zeke's is one of the top 20 restaurants in the country for value "with food scores no lower than 25 and an average price per head no higher than $27." Translation: the best bang for your buck. I wasn't aware of this article when I dragged five of my friends there a few Friday nights ago. I had warned them that they will have to shower once finished and their diets must be left at home. They were still intrigued ... after all, you know it's good if you have to shower afterward. Fried cod and shrimp combo As we waited in the slow and inefficiently constructed line we overheard an older couple from Fort Worth saying this was their...

Buckshot Fort Worth just got a little luck. No really, Bailey's Prime Plus in Fort Worth is getting a new cocktail menu created by their bar director Eddie "Lucky" Campbell and creative consultant Michael Martensen. This is something to look forward to if you're already a fan of The Usual's anomalous and matchless creations. I met "Lucky" a little more than a year ago when he was a bartender at Bolsa in the Dallas Bishops Arts District. His enthusiasm for his concoctions reminded me of a child with a new magic trick, or like Tom Cruise in the movie Cocktail . He volunteered to make my friend and me samples of his favorites, and the drinks were an experience in themselves. It's great when the drinking is a culinary experience and less of a "how-drunk-can-I-get" experience. They were all unique with fresh and new flavors. Below is a list of what you will find on the newly available cocktail menu. The Trophy Wife Grey Goose, St...

"YES!" Chris Kruger shouted from his seat in the Commercial Board of Adjustment meeting Wednesday morning. After an intense hour-long debate Aug. 3 at Fort Worth's City Hall, and months of pushing through red tape, the board gave 7 out of 9 votes (the minimum required) in favor of Fort Worth's first food park. But not without hesitation. After applicant Chris Kruger made his case,  a long series of concerns verbalized by the opposing side and the Board made things uneasy. Questions like:Where are people going to park? Should a park be set up in a chemical-heavy industrial neighborhood where large trucks move to and fro? Will the traffic disrupt the existing businesses? Is it safe for kids to be roaming the streets in this area? The three people opposing the food park all represented manufacturing companies in the area. "My first reaction was, 'what a neat concept.' My second reaction was, 'where is everyone going to park?'" M&M...

The only things sprouting in this 105-degree desert atmosphere are food trucks. Not the dirty, fried-everything food trucks but creative gourmet trucks that won't have you reaching for the Imodium. Soon there may be a place where a bundle of these can park and grow their businesses together. It's not new news. I'm sure you've read on the other Fort Worth blogs there is a potential food truck park moving in behind the Target on West Seventh and Carroll.  I sat down with the man behind the idea, Chris Kruger, to ask him about the park and the upcoming Fort Worth City Council meeting where the park's fate will be decided.   First, what can we expect to see at this meeting? Nine board members will hear Chris' case, which he has seven minutes to present. The people opposing have seven minutes as well. The board members will vote right then and there.  Chris needs seven out of nine votes to have his food park approved. There will also be time where you can add ...

I'm a picky eater. Don't get me wrong ... I'll eat anything, but I won't eat it cold if it's supposed to be hot and vice versa. My thing is that a restaurant has a very specific job: food. If that is your specialty, all I ask is that you prepare it well, serve it hot and in a timely manner.  This is like climbing Everest for some restaurants. I also prefer a suitable atmosphere and service minus the side of attitude. You serve so get over it! This is what you do! Ray's Prime Steak and Seafood got it right. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was warm and cozy. The carpeted floor absorbed a lot of the noise so I could hear my twin sister, brother-in-law and my husband talk. Most importantly, the food was delicious and just the right temperature. And the best part was that it isn't crazy expensive for what you're getting. It's hard to find a nice steakhouse that doesn't blow up your wallet. However I was a little thrown off by the ...