 Fort Worth: A mix of cowboy and culture
Fort Worth, Texas, is known for its historical significance in the development of the Wild West. It is said that Fort Worth is where the West starts. But the North Texas city is quickly becoming identified for its cultural impact and urban living experience as well as its abundant offerings of memorable dining establishments.
Within a 2.5-mile radius, Fort Worth residents and visitors can enjoy many different activities: from kayaking in the Trinity River to watching real cowboys herd cattle along Exchange Avenue in the Stockyards National Historic District.
The downtown and notable Sundance Square entertainment area is infiltrated with hip urban dwellings, majestic performance halls, historical markers, and fine dining locations. The country’s 18th most populated city proves you can combine the essence of country cool and trendy metropolitan with noteworthy results.
Fort Worth’s Cultural District is a popular gem, dense with an eclectic array of contemporary, western, and European art collections sure to please all art lovers. The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth showcases the oldest collection of art in Texas in an ultra-hip glass and concrete building, designed by legendary Japanese architect Tadao Ando. The Kimbell Art Museum houses a wide-ranging collection of works by Rembrandt, Monet, Picasso, and Rubens, and includes the only Adam Eisheimer painting displayed outside of Europe.
 American West art lovers will enjoy the Amon Carter Museum, named for Amon G. Carter, the Fort Worth newspaperman and philanthropist whose collection of sculptures and paintings, including pieces by Frederic Remington, serve as the museum’s permanent collection. The museum has gone on to be an epicenter of true American art, ranging from landscape paintings from the 1830s to images from over 400 photographers.
Fort Worth’s culinary palate is as varied as the melting pot that is Texas culture. From true Tex-Mex favorites like Joe T. Garcia’s to French staples such as Saint-Emilion, the city has its local culinary heroes. Tim Love, who was featured on the Food Network’s Cowboys on the Trail and Iron Chef, centers his meals around steak and game. With three distinct Fort Worth locations—urban- tinted Duce, formal-yetrustic steakhouse Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, and fun music-and-burger joint Love Shack—the beloved Fort Worth native chef reigns in Cowtown.
The James Beard Foundation named Jon Bonnell a “Rising Star of American Cuisine.” You can sure taste it at his namesake restaurant, Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, where the chef focuses on comfort food favorites with a regional twist, such as buffalo tenderloin stroganoff and crawfish beignets. Grady Spears, who developed Reata’s notable “cowboy cooking” menu and released The Texas Cowboy Kitchen in 2007, recently branched out on his own with Dutch’s, a beer and burger café near the Texas Christian University campus.
The city’s nightlife craving is as varied as its appetite for food. Looking for an authentic honky tonk? Look no further than Billy Bob’s Texas, a 3-acre venue that includes an infamous stage for big country names and its own bull-riding arena.
But Fort Worth features more than traditional western entertainment. Enjoy a mellow set at the city’s new Scat Jazz Lounge, a night of dancing at Aqua Lounge or Bent, or an evening of martinis and lounging at über-hip Bar 9. |