INZO Italian Kitchen ~ Roanoke, Texas

Latest visit: Apr 2018

First visit: Mar 2012 (as Brix)

So what was the final destination for the RJG before leaving DFW? Yep - INZO. Strange choice, but once again, it's somewhat random I guess. You can tell as I update this blog for 2018, we revisited a lot of our favorites before going back to Colorado. And it was for dinner - which as the note below explains - is something we hadn't done with INZO before recently. Bye-bye DFW, we'll miss you!

---7/24/17 update

For years we've been going to INZO for pizza at lunch. This time we went for dinner and Italian. We've been missing out! Now we have a new Italian favorite!

On this visit, we started by ordering a bottle of Cabernet. At $20, it's too cheap to pass up (yes, of course we know we can get it cheaper at the grocery store, but that's not the point). This was accompanied by fresh baked artisan bread that was served with an olive oil/black pepper mix, red wine vinegar, and fresh soft butter. We weren't hungry enough for an appetizer, but there were plenty of attractive choices. Straight to the menu we went, and both us were in a Secondi mood. I went for my staple dish - Chicken Parm, and Mrs RJG went with one of her standby's Chicken Cacciatore. Both of us settled on a Caesar Salad for starters. We both liked their version, which featured a light, not too powerful dressing, and fresh romaine lettuce with shaved parmesan cheese. And just the right amount of salad. As for the main meal, Hooray, an Italian restaurant that actually knows how to make Chicken Parm in DFW! The lost art. It's a simple dish rarely made correctly. INZO gets it right. A healthy portion of a thin cutlet, breaded properly, and baked crisp in the pizza oven. This comes with a zesty and smooth red tomato sauce. Served with a side of al dente spaghetti. Absolutely perfect! Meanwhile, a sideways glance at Mrs. RJG demonstrated her own glee with her Chicken Cacciatore, that featured a light sauce, plenty of mushrooms, and well cooked chunks of chicken breast.

Tarrant County has been ill served by Italian restaurants in the past, primarily only offering two types of Italian in the past (a Yugoslavian variation of New York Sicilian pizza-pasta, and high-end old fashioned "Northern Italian" restaurants with $$$$ prices). That seems to be changing rapidly, and INZO has been at the vanguard of this movement. No longer does one have to trek all the way to Dallas to get decent Italian food. (yes, we know Roanoke is in Denton County, but it's right over the county line)

INZO's menu looks loaded with RJG favorites like Penne Arrabiata (which has the right ingredients if the menu holds true) and old school spaghetti and homemade meatballs. More than that of course. We'll be back to try them all!

According to their website, they've been open since 2007. And we've been going on and off since then. Hard to believe it's been that long! You'll find INZO right in the heart of Roanoke's "Restaurant District", that is rapidly expanding. There's outdoor seating and a bar area that features a nice selection of craft beers and fine wines.

---original 3/10/12 review (as Brix)

This past summer while in Denver, Mrs. RJG had a craving - a craving for the kind of pizza you get in Italy, and really all throughout Europe. Fortunately artisan pizza places are starting to crop up all over in America, one of which is Campania Pizza in Southlake (RIP) So we visited a few places in the Denver area, and our favorite ended up being a small local chain called Proto's Pizza. (We specifically went to the Lafayette location for a nice drive - and a long way from our former townhome in southeast Denver). We by no means exhausted the area, and all of the restaurants in this category were satisfactory.

I wasn't quite sure where to go, as Campania is the only Neapolitan pizza place I'm aware of in NE Tarrant. There are other inventive pizza places like Coal Vines, which pays homage to the old New York styled coal oven places like Lombardi's. Cavalli's is receiving high praise over in Irving, close to Las Colinas. I was about to head over there, when my eye caught INZO. In fact, I had just been up in Roanoke to try Outlaw Burger, so why not head back and this time go to the main street and try it? INZO has a fairly simple menu of appetizers, pizzas, salads, calzones and Italian pasta dishes.

Obviously they double as a wine bar, though the Mrs. and I weren't in the mood and settled on a beer (they feature one Texas micro - Real Ale's Fireman #4, which is refreshingly becoming somewhat easy to find).

We were there for pizza, and on both visits we each tried a different one. I've had the Meat Lovers and a simple Margherita with Italian sausage added. Mrs. RJG tried the chicken and onions as well as one with Italian sausage, which I'm not finding on their internet menu. We also shared a garden salad, which is mixed greens with an excellent vinaigrette dressing. A small pizza is plenty for one, and the Mrs. had to take the last one home. For our money, we prefer the pizza here to Campania. The key is the crust, which has a wonderful flavor with the right amount of crisp to chewy ratio. I believe the sausage is homemade and is excellent as well. The only negative was the chicken pizza, and that was really our fault as we didn't realize it was a "white" pizza (no tomato sauce). And that's what we wanted. So our bad - the crust and the cheese were still cooked to perfection.

3/10/12 (new entry); 11/9/13; 1/24/16; 7/24/17; 4/28/18

Magic Springroll ~ Watauga, Texas

Latest visit: Apr 2018

First visit: sometime in 2004

This was our last visit to our cherished NE Tarrant Thai restaurants. Sigh.

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We had mentioned in the Casa Milagro update that their timing had been fortuitous in regards to this blog. Magic Springroll had a similar fate, but in reverse. Magic Springroll was originally one of our "rotation" Thai restaurants, not long after we moved to NE Tarrant. Not necessarily a weekly, or even monthly destination, but one we frequented often. According to my personal database, in early March of 2008 we had a poor experience, and decided to drop the restaurant from our regular routine. Later that month, I started this blog, and never revisited again.... until late last year, not long after we stopped (again) writing. We saw that the reviews were very positive, and Mrs. RJG and I said we must go back. So we did and what we learned is that there had been a change of ownership since we last had been. In fact, not long after our not-too-positive experience. So, as we like to state, timing is everything. And since that visit in late 2015, we've been regulars ever since! Magic Springroll is one of the finest of Thai restaurants in the area, in regards to the food that is. And the owner couldn't possibly be nicer.

One of the reasons the RJG loves going out for Thai food is that each place has unique recipes, where a similar dish can be completely different at each establishment. And so once again, my favorite Thai Basil is treated differently here than other places we rave about. And I order it "Thai style" and he knows exactly what I mean: Ground chicken, fried egg, peppers, chiles, copious basil, and Thai hot. Delicious every time. The rice is always cooked to perfection as well. Mrs. RJG recommends the Red Curry, a dish she first fell in love with in Amsterdam, of all places, back in 2004. She says this is the best she's had in DFW! She also loves their Garlic Chicken and Drunken Noodles. As an appetizer we love their fried shrimp rolls, which honestly taste like the very best a legendary Southern restaurant could come up with.

It's BYOB, and they provide glasses. Otherwise, they have a refrigerator filled with canned and bottled drinks for you to purchase. I'm sure they have Thai coffee/tea as well, but we haven't taken advantage of that.

Magic Springroll is the Webster's dictionary entry for "Hole in the Wall". It shares an old concrete building with an insurance office next door. The floors are concrete and the walls are white painted brick, and there's about 7 tables total. Despite this, the restaurant is surprisingly quaint, and has a strange romantic vibe after dark (preferably a cold winter night), especially if you're there alone with your date. Very noir. Magic Springroll is popular for take out, so there's usually a steady stream of people walking in and out. You'll find Magic Springroll behind the OC Burger (auto parts store), on the northeast corner of Watauga Rd and US 377.

5/11/06; 3/6/08; 2015; 6/2/16 (new entry); 4/27/18

Niki's Italian Bistro ~ Keller, Texas

Latest visit: Apr 2018

First visit: 2003

There's always that "odd" visit before one moves out of town. For whatever reason we hadn't been to our local Niki's in a long time - and this post hasn't been updated since 2010. But we were hankering some local Italian food, and we'd already said goodbye to Tony's. So off we went. I also just noticed TripAdvisor had it spelled wrong (as Nikki's). I just sent in a correction.

The NRH location is no longer associated with the one in Keller. We had visited awhile back, and here's our entry.

---original 9/4/08 review

Mrs. RJG and I have been regular, albeit infrequent, visitors to Niki's since we moved back to Texas in 2003. In fact, I think they're the first Italian restaurant we visited upon our arrival.

Niki's, like almost all of NE Tarrant's Italian restaurants, are of a Balkan heritage. So there isn't much deviation of taste from others we've written about before on these pages like Oggi Italia, Cafe Italia and Bellisimo's. All the familiar telltale signs are there: A tomato based vinaigrette house dressing, similar desserts, a familiar menu with a mix of chicken / veal entrees and tradition pasta, including baked dishes - and pizza of course. On the latter, of the restaurants we mentioned above, we've only tried Oggi Italia's pizza, and if the others follow suit, we'd be very happy. Mrs. RJG's co-workers swear by Niki's pizza, and we've vowed to try it sometime. (4/18/10 update: Tried, and while it's good, there are better pizza places nearby like My New York Pizza and Marco's).

There is one major difference between Niki's and the others: They have a liquor license. That can be seen as a plus for many, but we like the savings of BYOB. We're spoiled in these parts, as most of the country's restaurants want the juicy margins that alcohol can bring. Still, we don't see that as a show stopper, and we'll dutifully order a 1/2 carafe of vino to go along with our meal. Or a nice cold beer at lunch.

Both the wife and I recommend sticking to the baked dishes, or basic red sauce pasta concoctions like chicken parm. They have a nice smooth textured and tasteful red sauce, and the pasta is always cooked al dente and steaming hot.

We probably frequent Niki's about 2 to 3 times a year, and it's consistently good, though not exceptional. It doesn't have to be.

The Keller location is at Rufe Snow and North Tarrant Parkway, set inside a newish strip center on the SE corner. The decor is excellent, in a darkened room with nice lighting and plenty of murals of Italian scenery. It's rather capacious, with two distinct rooms, ideal for large parties of people.

2003; 2/19/05; 7/31/06; 9/4/08 (new entry); 2/5/10; 2/17/12; 10/2/14; 4/25/18 

Taverna Rossa ~ Southlake, Texas

Latest visit: Apr 2018

First visit: Feb 2017

Taverna Rossa was our favorite discovery of 2017. If you recall the RJG is a huge proponent of craft  beer, and combine that with artisan pizza, and you darn near have the perfect mix. This is the type of restaurant we're starting to seek out when traveling out of town like Pies and Pints in West Virginia (both Charleston and Morgantown) and Lucky Pie in Denver.

They have a wide variety of pizzas and pastas, all excellent. Personally I like their Spicy Pig pizza, because I'm in fact, a spicy pig. Their All-American is great as well (mostly these are meat pies). The pizza is appropriately crispy, with a great sauce. Their lunch special is the way to go: A personal sized pizza and a salad for $9.99. I personally think their Caesar salad is one of the best I've had - not drenched in a thick gooey overpowering monstrosity. This is a lighter blend, with crisp and cold romaine lettuce and fresh shaved parmesan cheese, and they don't skimp on the portion (or the cheese). And the beer taps are not wimpy or predictable, it's truly craft, with beers you may not see anywhere else. And they actually rotate them. They even have their own brewery now known as Union Bear.

Taverna Rossa is a great place to hang out. Sit at the bar and chat with the bartender, or take a seat in the large spacious restaurant. Comfortable digs. You'll find the restaurant in one of the zillion new retail spaces in Southlake on the NW corner of Carroll and Southlake Blvd.

They have another location in Plano that remains open as of May 2022.

2/16/17; 12/27/17 (new entry); 4/24/18

Pho in the Box ~ Keller, Texas

Latest visit: Apr 2018

First visit: Dec 2017

First out of the shoot is Keller's newest Vietnamese restaurant, cleverly named Pho-In-The-Box. No two for 99 cent tacos here, but damn the pho is good. This is a Mrs. RJG discovery (she's gotten good at it since we've been traveling)!

Here we have some fantastic Vietnamese fare. The meatball pho I tried is some of the best I've had, with a wonderful broth, filled to the brim with cilantro and onions. The crispy eggrolls are awesome as well. I must try their stir fried chicken soon! Mrs. RJG is hooked on their tender brisket soup. We still like Big Bowl too, but Pho-In-The-Box is offering a serious challenge. And it's closer to us, truth be told.

To drink, it's the fountain for sodas. I imagine it's also BYOB, if you bring your own supplies. But we've only been for lunch.

As for their location, remember Yu's Gold-In? Gone. That's too bad as they were our favorite Chinese place in the area. We had been as recently as of November of last year (not exactly regulars were we?). I can't believe I never got around to updating that entry from 2009. Well anyway, let's pilfer some language from it:  From what I can gather, Gold-In was once a small hamburger joint, that eventually evolved into a Chinese restaurant. When I first located the restaurant on Urbanspoon, it was listed as Betty's Gold-In and I later made the correction for them. You may recall our reference to this restaurant in the Little Joe's Pizza post (which is now closed), where we stated "Behind an ancient combo gas station/Chinese restaurant (and, yep, the two sure do go together), is another strip mall, that looks like an afterthought of planning." This is that Chinese restaurant. Kind of fun to reminisce here, as Little Joe's has been gone forever (there's a burger/bar there now). The gas station is gone, though the convenience store lives on. Urbanspoon? Old times, huh Uncle RJG? In any case, PITB didn't do anything with the interior, but it was good as it was. It's not fine dining - in fact they offer all to-go utensils - even the bowl for soup is plastic! It's practical, right?

Pho-In-The-Box first location is in Grapevine, which remains open as of May 2022.

12/27/17 (new entry); 4/24/18

Tolbert's Restaurant & Chili Parlor ~ Grapevine, Texas

Latest visit: Apr 2018

First visit: Jul 2006

Of all the restaurants the RJG covered in Dallas-Fort Worth, Tolbert's has to be considered the most "local".

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Have family from out of town, and not sure where to take them? Start right here with Tolbert's! You'll be known as the family know-it-all who has the "in" on all the good places in town.

Simply put, Tolbert's is our favorite place to bring out of town guests who are looking for something uniquely "Texan". The food, naturally enough, has a traditional Texas focus with chili, Tex-Mex, chicken fried steak, beef steak, and hamburgers dominating the menu. I like to start with a bowl of red, and ask for it 5 alarm. In the old days, they use to serve it straight-up spicy. Nowadays, they provide the mix for you to add to your heat tolerance - apparently they received too many complaints about it being too hot. Obviously, the RJG dumps the whole thing in! Mrs. RJG prefers the North of the Border, which basically adds beans to the mix. In addition, we like to get the Henderson County burger with fries as our main meal. Mrs. RJG will tell you that Tolbert's has the best burgers in town, and while I might not go that far, it does underscore how good it can be. We've brought friends and work colleagues alike, and they all go home happy. Some swear by the chicken fried steak.

When Tolbert's started out, the craft beer movement hadn't yet taken hold here in Texas. So we always took advantage of their $1 Lone Star longnecks. That deal is over, but in its place is a very healthy craft beer selection. They have 32 micros on tap, and half of those are from Texas! None are real obscure, but it's just cool they have a good selection of beers on tap from Real Ale, Saint Arnold, Franconia, Rahr, Revolver, Spoetzl, and more. And their selection of out-of-state micros is also well researched. In fact, they give full descriptions of everything they serve. In addition, they carry Texas made wines and hard liquor as well.

The setting simply could not be more perfect. The restaurant is set as the cornerstone of one of the many old buildings lining the old town, this one from 1911. Tolbert's sits in a large space, with a fireplace, full bar, multiple open rooms, and now a concert stage (though I personally preferred the old closed room, which presumably was for rehearsal dinners, conference gatherings, and the like - guessing business for this wasn't brisk). The music can be a distraction if you come here for conversation, so file that away for the appropriate audience. In any case, one imagines riding in on horseback, roping the steed to the hitchin' post, slamming through the saloon doors, and demanding some chili and a beer. Extra points if you go in looking like Clint Eastwood circa 1967.

Tolbert's was originally started by Frank X. Tolbert, the legendary journalist who co-founded the Terlingua Chili Cookoff. In 1976, Tolbert opened a chili-themed restaurant in Dallas that eventually closed down. Fast forward a few years later, and his daughter and her husband reopened the restaurant, but in a far more appropriate locale: Downtown old Grapevine.

7/19/06; 7/3/08 (new entry); 6/8/09; 4/6/10; 1/10/12; 6/25/15; 4/23/18

Sea Siam ~ Keller, Texas

May 13, 2022: We've learned that Jam and Eddie did eventually sell the restaurant. It's still open with great reviews, but we can't be sure until we go back.

Latest visit: Apr 2018

First visit: 2007, not long after they opened

Of all the restaurants in DFW, we'll miss Sea Siam the most. Over the years we became good friends with Jam and Eddie. But it was time for us to move...

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So much has changed since we wrote this review just over 10 years ago. Sea Siam was just starting out, and so was the RJG. In fact, Sea Siam was the first Thai restaurant we reviewed for the blog, so we had to introduce where we were coming from in regards to the cuisine. Today, Sea Siam is one of the most popular restaurants in NE Tarrant County, and deservedly so. And for our part, we have remained loyal customers for the entire time. Their children were just young teens, and now they have graduated from college! It doesn't seem that long, and yet here we are.

With that prelude, I'm going to leave our original notes as stated, even though many of my comments you no doubt have already figured out if you've peeked on this site before. But for those new to the blog, it does provide some context. And if for some reason you haven't been to Sea Siam, or it's been a long time, be sure to visit. They have only gotten better with age!
Want to know the RJG's favorite food destination? Thai food. Why? Because that's Mrs. RJG's favorite food - and pretty close to my favorite as well. And we've been to every, or just about every, Thai restaurant in NE Tarrant (with multiple ventures into Ft. Worth and Arlington as well).

Before I get started here on Sea Siam, I want to tell a little story. A couple of years ago, I walked into a Southlake based pizza joint (that is now closed), and mentioned to the owner that I was glad he was still here, and the food is great. His response to my magnanimous comment? "Yea, well no thanks to YOU". He didn't say it rudely, but matter of factly, with a slight smile. I was a bit taken a back by his comment, paid up, grabbed my pizza and got out as fast as possible. On the way home I realized he had been right. Truthfully, as someone who tries as many restaurants as possible, I'm not what you would call a reliable customer. If the business counted on folks like me to make a living, they'd all be broke quickly!

The two paragraphs above are there to set the stage for this important statement: We go to Sea Siam every single week. Almost without exception. If that doesn't underscore how great this place is, then I'm not sure anything else I say will.

For me, the battle I have at Thai restaurants is getting the heat level to where I need it - scorching hot. See, I'm a fair skinned blond, with blue eyes. Naturally, Mrs. RJG is dark haired with brown eyes, so usually on first visits she gets the hotter plate, even though I ask for it spicier than her. Preconceived notions? You bet your sweet biscuits on it! Perhaps it's because Jam ran a restaurant in southern California, but right away when I asked for it hot, I got it HOT. Thai hot - and I don't mean the menu Thai Hot, but what the locals consider as such. It doesn't take long for Mr. RJG to hear that the only other person who eats it as hot as he, is the cook himself. Yes, it makes me proud! And Mrs. RJG is no wimp either, as she's right behind me on the heat scale, maybe one or 2 notches less.

Thai basil chicken is my standard fare. It's a core Thai dish, and I could eat it every night. I prefer ground chicken, to really accentuate the Thai authenticity, but most Thai places don't have it. Sea Siam doesn't either, but they always cut the chicken very fine (on my request), thus allowing the spices to penetrate the meat better. Mrs. RJG loves her vegetables with her chicken, and her dishes are loaded with the greens. The other barometer is the rice, which many local Thai restaurants think should be mushy. Wrong! Mrs. RJG will quit going to a Thai place on the spot if they offer mushy rice. Sea Siam always has firm and fluffy rice!

We've tried many of their appetizers and they're all uniformly great. Mrs. RJG has had the Pad Thai on many occasion, and she says it's the best she's had. Prices are insanely cheap (not to mention the extra savings with it being BYOB), and the ambiance is perfect for the setting. Best of all, maybe, is that Jam and Eddie are great folks, who have a lot of fun. It reminds me of the good old days when customer service was authentic and an essential part of the business.

As mentioned above, it's BYOB, so a great opportunity to save there. They provide chilled glasses for wine, and an opener if you need it (we always bring our own - it's easier!). If for whatever reason you forgot to bring your own bottle or cans of beer, you can always go to the Kroger next door and load up! For you non borrachos, there's the usual Thai coffees and teas, as well as "fizzy drinks" as the Brits like to say.

Sea Siam sits peacefully in a strip center location anchored by a Kroger grocery store at the southwest corner of Keller Parkway and Rufe Snow. The decor is cordial. It's not a big restaurant, and it fills up quickly - especially on Friday and Saturday! (they are closed Sunday). They took over a former home cooking place (that came and went so fast, we never tried it). Prior to that there was a Wings-N-Things, that was pretty good actually!

Jam and Eddie are veterans of the restaurant industry. For years they had a similarly named restaurant in Huntington Beach, California (and, would you believe it, Mrs. RJG and I tried it while there in May of 2008! It clearly wasn't as good as our Sea Siam). Relocating to the Keller area, they brought their expertise in Thai cooking right here to Northeast Tarrant, and I think the local denizens have benefited ever since from that decision. In addition to the restaurant, Sea Siam now have their own line of product that you can buy at the grocery store! They started with their famous Peanut Sauce, and I believe they have introduced (or will soon) their Green Curry sauce. These are distributed at Central Markets in both the DFW and Houston areas!

If you live anywhere in the DFW area, and love Thai food, make a beeline to Sea Siam. You won't regret the trip I assure you.

4/30/08 (new entry); 4/17/18

Mi Pueblo ~ North Richland Hills, Texas

Latest visit: Apr 2018

First visit: sometime in 2003 (the location near the Northeast Mall). We started going to the one on Davis and North Tarrant right after they opened in 2004.

This was our very first post for a Mexican restaurant. As is often the case, it was just a timing issue, more than a preference. We'll miss Mi Pueblo!

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There are a couple of distinctive characteristics of Mi Pueblo, that make it a recommendation for those that don't live in the area. One is the margaritas. I'm always dubious when someone recommends a restaurant based on their alcoholic drink selection. The RJG has found that the restaurant that serves the most alcohol content per drink, is generally referred to as "the best". At which point the half-in-the-bag claimant will also mention they have "the BEST food". Hmm-mmm. Well, I'm here to say that Mi Pueblo does indeed have a great frozen margarita - something that when we travel, we realize that most of the DFW restaurants do better than their counterparts across the nation. And they also have more Happy Hours than usual, so there's a better than average chance you'll get that drink at a favorable price too! More important than the booze, though, is that Mi Pueblo has unique combo platters. I've often wondered why most Mexican restaurants only serve variations on the taco, enchilada, burrito, tamale, and tostada when making up their combos. Mi Pueblo will also throw in items like quesadillas and flautas. I mean why do flautas have to be an expensive, one-food-only option on the menu? They also have a pork and rice dish I like quite a bit (al pastor platter). Mrs. RJG really enjoys the green enchiladas. Of late, I've been fond of their Pollo a la Plancha, which comes out in a sizzling plate similar to fajitas, with a fantastic guajillo pepper sauce. I would also add their fajita chicken enchiladas as a favorite with the RJG. In addition, their chips and salsa are excellent. Very thin corn chips (perhaps too thin) that are easy to douse into the 3 salsas they provide. They will only bring out the mild red (which is good but...), so be sure to ask for the hot (spicy) green, and the hot (temperature) red. Both are outstanding.

This is Mi Pueblo's second location, the original is over by Northeast Mall, in what their website calls Richland Hills, but I think it's still NRH. You'll find the location we're talking about on Davis near the Super Wal-Mart, which is back to back with a Super Target, and across the street from a Kroger Marketplace. That's just insanity right there. I can understand putting a bunch of used record or book stores next to each other, since they all might have something different. But 3 big box discount stores/groceries offering more or less the same crap? Wow. For the record, we prefer Kroger Marketplace. Anyway... the restaurant is large with 3 rooms + a full sports bar area. Popular with families, so be prepared for screaming babies and kids. Fair enough, that's their core business. Get a second frozen margarita, and the screaming babies actually start to sound good.

BTW, the same owners run Los Molcajetes, which is almost exactly the same in every way to Mi Pueblo.

5/6/08 (new entry); 9/24/11; 8/13/17; 4/16/18

Kincaid's Hamburgers ~ Southlake, Texas

Latest visit: Apr 2018 (Southlake)

First visit: Jun 2005 (Southlake)

Kincaid's maintains 5 Fort Worth area locations including the one below in Southlake and also one in Arlington.

Kincaid's is as great as ever. Their location in Southlake is probably as close to a "regular" burger stop as can be for us. And why is that? Because this is Mrs. RJG's favorite in the area, and she's really picky about hamburgers. I finally made it to the original Camp Bowie location in Fort Worth last November (2015), and I have to say that the Southlake locale did a fantastic job of replicating the original.

---original 12/31/08 review

What better way to end the year than a writeup about one of Fort Worth's most endearing institutions? Officially known as Kincaid's Grocery Market and Hamburgers, the Gentry family has been delighting visitors with their unique blend of seasoning for over 40 years. Kincaid's opened in 1946, and as the name suggests, as a local grocery. Starting in 1965, O. R. Gentry began grinding up excess beef and cooking hamburgers for a few cents each. The legend began.

You don't need the Regular Joe's Guide to learn about Kincaid's, and this is one reason I haven't rushed to write about it, even though we eat here at least once a month. Everyone from Texas Monthly to Frommer's to numerous newspapers have recommended Kincaid's to travelers and locals alike who visit Fort Worth. It is frequently mentioned in Top 10 lists for Best Hamburger - sometimes in national polls. Sometimes as "#1 Best in the USA".

And I'm sure my Fort Worth readers are aghast that I highlight the Southlake location when, after all, it is a Fort Worth icon. But since the RJG is based in NE Tarrant, we're quite proud of our local branch. The Southlake location was the local chain's first excursion beyond the original store, opening in late 2004. They did a great job of simulating the original, with shelves of canned goods, long picnic style benches, and the walls painted in a 1950's Chevy Mist Green color. And the "ego walls" are filled with accolades and awards from all corners of the world. It's a large place, and the line moves fast. They even take credit cards now.

And there's good reason why Kincaid's is so popular - it's just flat out a great hamburger. Is it the best we've ever had? Well, maybe not, but it certainly deserves consideration. It's a thick burger, with plenty of unique seasoning that seeps through the entire patty, which is no small feat. The Ore-Ida style fries are also a big favorite.

When arriving, just order at the counter, grab you a park bench, and wait until they scream out your name when it's ready. Pay close attention, as the place is often crowded and noisy. The Southlake location is at the NW corner of Southlake Blvd. and Kimball. Hard to imagine this corner shopping center once housed a humble (not Super) Wal-Mart and its parking lot.

Southlake was Kincaid's first outlet, but they have since grown to 6 stores, including Arlington, Weatherford, and two more in Fort Worth (Alliance and Hulen).

6/5/05; 9/11/06; 12/31/08 (new entry); 12/7/09; 11/6/15; 8/11/17; 4/15/18

Southlake; Fort Worth

Sweet Basil Thai ~ Hurst, Texas

Latest visit: Apr 2018

First visit: Nov 2004

As we now have moved to Colorado Springs, this is the restaurant I may miss most. I have yet to encounter anyone here who can compete with Sweet Bail when it comes to Thai Basil Chicken - Thai style!

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Not long after the RJG relocated from Denver to NE Tarrant in 2003, we discovered a place in North Richland Hills called Top Thai. It quickly became our favorite, and remained so until they closed sometime in 2005. To set the stage, my first exposure to Thai food was while in San Francisco on business sometime in the mid 1990s. It was love at first taste, and most of the Thai restaurants I tried on the left coast were of a similar style. Unfortunately Denver seemed a wasteland for Thai food. Oh sure, we had Thai restaurants, but none reminded me of the flavors of Northern California. Then we found Top Thai and that was it! The taste I had remembered so fondly.

Of all the Thai restaurants in the area, Sweet Basil reminds me most of Top Thai. That is, what I would consider more traditional Thai cooking. Thai style means ground chicken, not cut up chicken breast. Spicy means spicy, not "are you sure?". Thai style means simple ingredients, not stir fried with whatever you can find in the garden. Sure, Sweet Basil has those kind of dishes as well, but you have the authentic option here. And the spice levels here are serious. They say 4 stars is "super spicy" and indeed it really is! I've gone hotter than that in the past, but 4 stars is enough for even the most adamant of fire seekers (which includes me). Though lately I discovered I've been getting it at "6 level", and it's very hot my friends. VERY hot. Oh - what dish am I referring to? That would be Pad Graphow (Thai Style). That's all I ever get. I couldn't even imagine having anything else. It's heaven on a plate.

Mrs. RJG is far more adventurous than I, and has dug deeper into the menu. She really enjoys their soups, especially the Tom Yum soup with shrimp. Cashew Chicken is another one of her favorite go-to dishes at Sweet Basil. Speaking of shrimp, do not miss their divine Butterfly Shrimp appetizer. They do it better than any of the Southern cooking places. This is my fried food allowance for the entire week, and it's worth it! Reminds me of the old Southern Kitchen in Dallas (who remembers them?)

As for drinks, at one time, Sweet Basil had beer and wine, but fortunately now it's BYOB. And no corkage fee - so it's savings city! They provide the glasses (and a wine opener if you need it), and you do the rest. How many great bottles of Chardonnay have we devoured here? Who knows, but we've saved a bundle being able to buy them at Goody-Goody rather than here at the restaurant.

Sweet Basil is one of the nicer Thai restaurants in the area. Mood lighting and sleek furniture add a sophisticated ambiance, rather than the usual divey fast food feel. That is, a good place to take a date and have a romantic dinner - or simply a place to take dear friends. Just don't forget to bring your own wine! Sweet Basil is on Melbourne, near Pipeline, tucked into a small strip mall, next to Northeast Mall.

Sweet Basil has had at least 3 owners since we first visited back in 2004. But the current owner is not only the longest lasting, but by far the best!

11/10/04; 11/10/05; 2/28/08; 3/2/09 (new entry); 4/14/18

Tony's Pizza and Pasta ~ Watauga, Texas

Latest visit: Apr 2018

First visit: Feb 2005

Another update here from the RJG archives. When we first moved to NE Tarrant in 2003, there were dozens of these places. I was anxious to try them all, until I realized they were all more or less the same: Eastern European owned, and stemming from the Moni's empire in Arlington. As time has moved on, most of these establishments have shuttered, moved on, shut down by the authorities, etc... The few that are left have carved out their own identity, and are the cream of the crop. And for us, Tony's is our go-to Italian in the area.

Tony's is very similar to most of the $ and $$ Italian restaurants in NE Tarrant, and you can read some samples of that here and here. All the same, unlike many of the Italian restaurants in this category that have closed recently, Tony's continues to be very popular. Their to-go pizza side of the house is doing a land office business, as dozens of folks come in for pickups, and no doubt just as many are going out for delivery. Mrs. RJG really loves their Capellini Pomodora, which always comes out blazing hot, and al dente every time. Even though it's more or less a vegetarian dish, I love it too. One of the best unique sauces in town, and a nice diversion from the norm. I like their chicken parm, of course it's not crispy enough for me (it rarely is), but you do get a big slab of pounded white meat chicken with a nice seasoning. And the pasta is al dente with an excellent fresh tomato sauce. As can be expected from a pizza joint, their baked dishes are a cut above as well. I usually get it with some meatballs stuffed in. Sure, they're right off the truck, but I have no higher expectation when I come here. I like the way they prepare their food. As with all of their dishes, the meal is still steaming hot even on the last bite! Huge plus there. Typical salad accompanies most meals, with a nice red win vinaigrette, as well as hot baked puffy rolls that are delicious.

For drinking, it's BYOB as per protocol, thus adding to the savings for us winos.  Bring a nice bottle of red and enjoy. They'll provide glasses and an opener, though we always bring the latter along because it's easier to use...

Tony's is set in a strip center in Watuaga, on the SW corner of Rufe Snow and Mid Cities/Watauga Rd. Their dining area is comfortable though hardly romantic. You don't go to Tony's for date night. You go there for reliably good food, usually with a mixture of typical suburban neighborhood folks - older and younger complete with whole broods in tow. Oh, and the waitstaff is consistent and very friendly.

According to their website, Tony's has been open since 2000, making it one of the older Italian restaurants in the area. Our first visit goes back to 2008.

2/16/05; 11/3/06; 12/19/09; 7/7/13 (new entry); 4/6/18