Wednesday, March 22, 2006
"Ten" fills a FW gap!
FWJoey and I checked out a new "lounge" in Fort Worth. It is called "Ten" and coins itself as a bar and cigar lounge. As we were sitting at the bar, FWJoey summed up the place well....he said it felt less like a lounge and more like an upscale bar. I tend to agree. It has a lounge feel because of the cool, lounge music and because of the black leather couches scattered about the large interior. However, it has the feel of an upscale bar because there are numerous tables (both high tops and regular tops) available for seating as well. When I think of "lounge", I think of nothing but plush couches and oversized chairs.
Whatever you want to call it - one thing is for sure - you will want to revisit this place again and again. The bar's owner, October Pennington, was super friendly and pleasant. We chatted about how badly FW needed an upscale bar where adults can go enjoy an after work drink and good conversation. She stated she does not intend to have live music at "Ten" because it makes it too difficult to carry on conversation. I completely agree!! I have come to hate live music unless I am at a concert. If the venue is small, live music often makes you want to cover your ears (think Ridglea Wine Room which thanfully has now been purchased by David, the owner of Cafe Aspen, and best I can tell, he has axed the live music - good choice, David).
Pop's Safari and Cigar Lounge is a personal favorite of mine, but many friends do not enjoy going because you leave smelling like a cigar. Plus, another potential downside is that there is not a full bar so no pommegrande martinis ladies and no scotch men. At "Ten" - you can enjoy a cocktail of your choice, or wine or beer. Plus, there is a separate room (that reminds me of a huge humidor) that is available for persons smoking cigars. In the bar area, there are top of the line ventilators that are said to do a great job of keeping the patron's clothes from smelling like an ashtray.
We went during happy hour and FWJoey enjoyed $1.50 Shiner drafts. I enjoyed a couple yummy dirty martinis ($8) made by Tyler (he adds a special ingredient that made them extra fabulous). Everything during happy hour is $1.00 off the regular price.
Ten also serves a handful of hors d'ouvres such as spanakopita and chesse boards. We haven't tried them yet, but they are incredibly reasonable in price at $5.50 per item.
We will definitely be checking this place out again and again!! You should do the same!
Whatever you want to call it - one thing is for sure - you will want to revisit this place again and again. The bar's owner, October Pennington, was super friendly and pleasant. We chatted about how badly FW needed an upscale bar where adults can go enjoy an after work drink and good conversation. She stated she does not intend to have live music at "Ten" because it makes it too difficult to carry on conversation. I completely agree!! I have come to hate live music unless I am at a concert. If the venue is small, live music often makes you want to cover your ears (think Ridglea Wine Room which thanfully has now been purchased by David, the owner of Cafe Aspen, and best I can tell, he has axed the live music - good choice, David).
Pop's Safari and Cigar Lounge is a personal favorite of mine, but many friends do not enjoy going because you leave smelling like a cigar. Plus, another potential downside is that there is not a full bar so no pommegrande martinis ladies and no scotch men. At "Ten" - you can enjoy a cocktail of your choice, or wine or beer. Plus, there is a separate room (that reminds me of a huge humidor) that is available for persons smoking cigars. In the bar area, there are top of the line ventilators that are said to do a great job of keeping the patron's clothes from smelling like an ashtray.
We went during happy hour and FWJoey enjoyed $1.50 Shiner drafts. I enjoyed a couple yummy dirty martinis ($8) made by Tyler (he adds a special ingredient that made them extra fabulous). Everything during happy hour is $1.00 off the regular price.
Ten also serves a handful of hors d'ouvres such as spanakopita and chesse boards. We haven't tried them yet, but they are incredibly reasonable in price at $5.50 per item.
We will definitely be checking this place out again and again!! You should do the same!
Lonesome Dove is hard to beat!
My father, ARDad, came to visit last weekend so I wanted to take him somewhere wonderful for dinner. I quickly narrowed my choices to (1) Lonesome Dove and (2) Bonnell's because these are two of the best, if not the best, places in Fort Worth to enjoy a wonderful meal. I ended up choosing Lonesome Dove because the thought of its garlic stuffed tenderloin makes my mouth start watering excessively!
When we walked into the restaurant, I was happy to see a familiar face behind the bar...it was Brian (formerly of Blade's Chophouse). Brian and Bill (also formerly of Blade's) are the best bartenders in town so I knew I was going to start with a perfectly prepared dirty martini! Which I did. Dad opted for a glass of wine.
We started with the Wild Boar Ribs ($14) for an appetizer. I was worried they would be so messy that I would be annoyed, but I was pleasantly surpised. The meat was so tender and yummy that it came right off the bone with your fork. The dish is also served with some sort of special pickles that did not sound too impressive, but were yummy to eat. They complemented the boar ribs perfectly. The boar ribs were bursting with flavor. Our server informed us that the ribs are flash fried for 1-2 seconds prior to serving. That is probably what makes them so good!
We skipped the salad because I have tried both the caesar and the spring mix in the past and neither were memorable. At $10 for a salad, I would like it to blow me away. If it doesn't, I won't be getting it again.
For an entree, I highly recommend the garlic stuffed tenderloin ($33). It is the BEST thing on the menu. I have had the deer chops and the duck and while both were good, neither of them compare to the tenderloin. The tenderloin is the best steak in town and possibly one of the best in the state. ARDad ordered the duck and enjoyed every bite! Personally, I thought the sauce was a little too intense to eat throughout the entire meal, but it was great for a few bites. We shared the truffled mac & cheese ($12) side item which was wonderful. Instead of using traditional macaroni pasta, this cheesy side dish was made with orzo pasta. It was "gourmet" mac & cheese!
Lonesome Dove is a great place to take guests who appreciate fine Texas cuisine! If I had to choose a favorite in Fort Worth for steak - Lonesome Dove is the winner!
When we walked into the restaurant, I was happy to see a familiar face behind the bar...it was Brian (formerly of Blade's Chophouse). Brian and Bill (also formerly of Blade's) are the best bartenders in town so I knew I was going to start with a perfectly prepared dirty martini! Which I did. Dad opted for a glass of wine.
We started with the Wild Boar Ribs ($14) for an appetizer. I was worried they would be so messy that I would be annoyed, but I was pleasantly surpised. The meat was so tender and yummy that it came right off the bone with your fork. The dish is also served with some sort of special pickles that did not sound too impressive, but were yummy to eat. They complemented the boar ribs perfectly. The boar ribs were bursting with flavor. Our server informed us that the ribs are flash fried for 1-2 seconds prior to serving. That is probably what makes them so good!
We skipped the salad because I have tried both the caesar and the spring mix in the past and neither were memorable. At $10 for a salad, I would like it to blow me away. If it doesn't, I won't be getting it again.
For an entree, I highly recommend the garlic stuffed tenderloin ($33). It is the BEST thing on the menu. I have had the deer chops and the duck and while both were good, neither of them compare to the tenderloin. The tenderloin is the best steak in town and possibly one of the best in the state. ARDad ordered the duck and enjoyed every bite! Personally, I thought the sauce was a little too intense to eat throughout the entire meal, but it was great for a few bites. We shared the truffled mac & cheese ($12) side item which was wonderful. Instead of using traditional macaroni pasta, this cheesy side dish was made with orzo pasta. It was "gourmet" mac & cheese!
Lonesome Dove is a great place to take guests who appreciate fine Texas cuisine! If I had to choose a favorite in Fort Worth for steak - Lonesome Dove is the winner!
