Every couple of years, a new chef opens a restaurant at the legendary Nutt House Hotel in Granbury. Some have done a good job and sustained business for a while at this century-old landmark on the historic Hood County square, and others have packed up and moved on fairly quickly.</p><p>After a couple of visits to the newest edition, Cafe Nutt, it&rsquo;s clear that chef Tom McGrath stands a pretty good chance of sticking around. A talented and popular Fort Worth caterer, McGrath has put together a lovely menu and appears to have assembled a staff that&rsquo;s willing to please.</p><p>For the most part, the food&rsquo;s good. At moments, it is way better than expected, in fact. The salmon BLT ($12) I had at lunch last week struck me as simple but stellar: a piece of seared fish sat atop crusty bread planks swept with Dijonnaise with three crispy pieces of smoky bacon, slices of juicy tomato and green leafy lettuce. Alongside, crispy shoestring fries were flawless.</p><p>Chef Tom&rsquo;s Greek wedge ($12, plus $4 for grilled chicken on top) provided flavor and texture in an even balance. A section of bibb lettuce was topped with chopped red tomato, cucumbers, kalamatas, crumbled feta and chopped bacon with a scattering of fried capers. The lemon-oregano vinaigrette was light but tart, a nice foil for the bacon. </p><p>A signature, the chicken-fried tenderloin ($10 at lunch, $16 at dinner) seemed especially heavy for a lunch dish, but we saw at least eight other customers digging into them, as we did ours, at the noon hour. The steak was easily cut with a knife but was cloaked in a fairly thick batter, which became a little more dense beneath the weight of the cream gravy made with bacon drippings. The mashers alongside were addictive, however, when paired with the rich gravy. A kitschy element was the lighted wooden stake extending from the steak, demonstrating McGrath&rsquo;s flair for stylish food.</p><p>At dinner, we found the beef tenderloin ($32) to be a lovely cut, but it was cooked a couple of degrees beyond our request. Alongside, the mushroom ragout and fingerling potatoes were properly cooked, but these seemed like strangers sharing the same plate; there was no bonding element that a reduction might have provided. A California cabernet from Terraces ($63, a surprisingly high price for a Granbury dining venue) proved to be a good pairing.</p><p>Among the appetizers, our favorite was the plate of figs stuffed with a mild Spanish blue cheese and wrapped in serrano ham (three for $9), although the figs seemed tiny compared to the big, fat jewels that I&rsquo;ve seen at the grocery store lately. Served with a dab of quince preserves to play against the musty cheese and salty ham, this is a good palate primer.</p><p>Crab cakes ($13) were also tiny, though we liked the cool tzatziki sauce on top, but the Parmesan-crusted salmon ($12) was so heavily battered that the fish was overwhelmed.</p><p>There&rsquo;s much to love on Cafe Nutt&rsquo;s dessert menu, starting with the lemon panna cotta ($7), a feather-light, cool and creamy sweet drizzled with a blueberry compote. Easily as winning was the berry crisp ($5), full of juicy fresh strawberries, peaches and blueberries, topped with a crunchy, grainy crust and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.</p><p>Rounding out the menu are the kids&rsquo; selections, such as a grilled chicken and roasted corn quesadilla ($7) and the open-faced PB&J ($7), both served with baby carrots. And for weekend escapists, there&rsquo;s a brunch menu offering Belgian waffles with sausage ($14), chicken-mushroom crepes with grilled asparagus ($17) and seared salmon Benedict ($20).</p><p>If McGrath can keep a good staff and build steady traffic, we think he&rsquo;ll have a long stay at Cafe Nutt.</p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="infobox-head">Cafe Nutt </span></strong><br /> 121 E. Bridge St.</p><p>Granbury</p><p>817-579-6868</p><p><strong>Hours: </strong>Lunch, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; dinner, 4-9 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; brunch, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.</p><p><strong>Cuisine: </strong>Texas and New American favorites</p><p><strong>Essentials: </strong>Full bar; no smoking; major credit cards; wheelchair-accessible.</p><p><strong>Entrees: </strong>Lunch, $9-$12; dinner, $14-$36; brunch, $14-$20</p><p><strong>Signature dishes: </strong>Chicken-fried tenderloin; salmon BLT</p><p><strong>Recommended for: </strong>Daytrippers and weekend escapists</p><p><strong>Good to know: </strong>About 40 minutes from Fort Worth; kids&rsquo; menu offered</p><p></div>