One of the greatest pleasures of downtown Ft Worth is Reata Restaurant. It reflects the spirit and vitality of Sundance Square, captures the essence of Southwestern cuisine, and radiates a laidback and welcoming Lone Star State attitude. It’s a fantastically executed dining concept – showy enough for tourists with an over-the-top Texas theme, but dedicated to quality fare that keeps the locals coming back.
A Ft Worth favorite for ten years, Reata first opened on the 35th floor of what is now The Tower in 1998. The devastating tornado of 2000 destroyed the restaurant, but Reata proved as tenacious as its hometown, re-opening after only a couple of months and subsequently moving to its present location on Houston Street in the middle of Sundance. Since its inception, Reata has focused on superb cuts of meat and even boasts its own cattle ranch, ensuring high quality.
The food and atmosphere is a wonderful mix of gourmet steakhouse and home-style cookin’, and it seems like almost everything on the menu has a little kick of jalapeno. This is TEXAS food, ya’ll – bold and big! Steak lovers are in luck at Reata, but there are also game choices like buffalo, wild boar, and quail as well as the standard chicken and pork. Perhaps most impressive are the starters and sides. The perfectly cooked bacon-wrapped shrimp, flavorful smoked quail, tender wild boar ribs, and unbelievably creamy and rich jalapeno cheese grits are my personal favorites. If you don’t mind a crowded plate with gravies and grits running together, the starter platter is fabulous. It’s a fun (and more economical) way to savor the best of Reata, and when paired with a shared salad and drinks, it’s more than enough food for a full dinner.
Reata has definitely found what works and is dedicated to its traditional menu. Its reputation, however, has been built on the laurels of some incredibly talented and inventive chefs (Grady Spears, Brian Olenjack, and Todd Phillips to name a few), and I would like to see Reata continue to place a premium on innovation, not just familiarity and name recognition, lest it be accused of living on the aforementioned laurels. That’s not to say that the current offerings aren’t bold (not every fine dining restaurant has the cajones to put calf fries on its menu). That goes for the wine list as well. While offering some great bottles of steak-loving varietals from California and abroad, Reata only lists one Texan wine (Becker Vineyard’s Viognier – one of my favorites.) Many Texas winemakers have come into their own, and sommeliers need to start giving them a chance on their menus. With its established reputation and celebration of all things Lone Star, Reata could, and should, lead the way by showcasing some local wines.
Reata’s crown jewel is its wonderful Rooftop Bar. Always lively and sometimes overcrowded, this is one of my favorite places to eat and people watch. The views of downtown are spectacular and make me fall in love with Ft Worth over and over again. With over 100 varieties of tequila alone, patrons have no trouble finding their drink from the well-stocked bar or choosing a fun Reata signature. (Beware that you are paying for location, though. The drinks are pricey, but the atmosphere is worth it.) The wait staff on the roof continually impresses me. Attentive, knowledgeable, casual and patient despite the bustle, they add to the fun ambiance and blend into the party. I was especially impressed with Brandon last week – he was absolutely swamped, yet managed to carry on a running joke with us while seamlessly taking our orders without flinching at the splits, questions, and the “this and this, hold this” annoyances.
I hope to see you up on the roof at Reata soon – I’ll be the one stuffing my face with wild boar ribs and harping on to the waiter about Texas wine. $$$ (Note that Reata entrées are served a la carte.)
A Ft Worth favorite for ten years, Reata first opened on the 35th floor of what is now The Tower in 1998. The devastating tornado of 2000 destroyed the restaurant, but Reata proved as tenacious as its hometown, re-opening after only a couple of months and subsequently moving to its present location on Houston Street in the middle of Sundance. Since its inception, Reata has focused on superb cuts of meat and even boasts its own cattle ranch, ensuring high quality.
The food and atmosphere is a wonderful mix of gourmet steakhouse and home-style cookin’, and it seems like almost everything on the menu has a little kick of jalapeno. This is TEXAS food, ya’ll – bold and big! Steak lovers are in luck at Reata, but there are also game choices like buffalo, wild boar, and quail as well as the standard chicken and pork. Perhaps most impressive are the starters and sides. The perfectly cooked bacon-wrapped shrimp, flavorful smoked quail, tender wild boar ribs, and unbelievably creamy and rich jalapeno cheese grits are my personal favorites. If you don’t mind a crowded plate with gravies and grits running together, the starter platter is fabulous. It’s a fun (and more economical) way to savor the best of Reata, and when paired with a shared salad and drinks, it’s more than enough food for a full dinner.
Reata has definitely found what works and is dedicated to its traditional menu. Its reputation, however, has been built on the laurels of some incredibly talented and inventive chefs (Grady Spears, Brian Olenjack, and Todd Phillips to name a few), and I would like to see Reata continue to place a premium on innovation, not just familiarity and name recognition, lest it be accused of living on the aforementioned laurels. That’s not to say that the current offerings aren’t bold (not every fine dining restaurant has the cajones to put calf fries on its menu). That goes for the wine list as well. While offering some great bottles of steak-loving varietals from California and abroad, Reata only lists one Texan wine (Becker Vineyard’s Viognier – one of my favorites.) Many Texas winemakers have come into their own, and sommeliers need to start giving them a chance on their menus. With its established reputation and celebration of all things Lone Star, Reata could, and should, lead the way by showcasing some local wines.
Reata’s crown jewel is its wonderful Rooftop Bar. Always lively and sometimes overcrowded, this is one of my favorite places to eat and people watch. The views of downtown are spectacular and make me fall in love with Ft Worth over and over again. With over 100 varieties of tequila alone, patrons have no trouble finding their drink from the well-stocked bar or choosing a fun Reata signature. (Beware that you are paying for location, though. The drinks are pricey, but the atmosphere is worth it.) The wait staff on the roof continually impresses me. Attentive, knowledgeable, casual and patient despite the bustle, they add to the fun ambiance and blend into the party. I was especially impressed with Brandon last week – he was absolutely swamped, yet managed to carry on a running joke with us while seamlessly taking our orders without flinching at the splits, questions, and the “this and this, hold this” annoyances.
I hope to see you up on the roof at Reata soon – I’ll be the one stuffing my face with wild boar ribs and harping on to the waiter about Texas wine. $$$ (Note that Reata entrées are served a la carte.)
1 comment:
What a well written review. Sounds like a great place!
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