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closeWednesday, Oct. 28, 2009
Eats Beat: Grocery shopping gets finer with Ellerbe market
Eats Beat: a new market at Ellerbe, great food at Aventino and the new Pour House.
BUD KENNEDY
Ellerbe Fine Foods
Ellerbe Fine Foods is already growing.
The little restaurant on West Magnolia Avenue won big praise in Texas Monthly and Gourmet magazines.
Now, Ellerbe has added a market.
The front counter sells baking kits, syrups, olive oils and specialty crackers and breads, either separately or in gift baskets for $35 to $100.
Next year, Ellerbe will add "takeaway" fine-dining dinners to cook at home.
The latest menu features creamy corn soup, New Orleans barbecued shrimp, veal picatta and a side dish of shrimp with the restaurant’s signature maque choux corn relish.
The lunch menu still features shrimp po-boys made on genuine Louisiana bread, or venison burgers.
It’s no surprise that Ellerbe has been such a success. Chef Molly McCook is new to Fort Worth, but general manager Richard King used to manage restaurants for Le Chardonnay chef Michael Baudouin, now in North Carolina.
Ellerbe is open for dinner Tuesdays through Saturdays and lunch Tuesdays through Fridays at 1501 W. Magnolia Ave.; 817-926-3663, www.ellerbefinefoods.com.
Aventino, the Italian restaurant in the Ridglea neighborhood of Fort Worth, also has a new market.
The Paez family updated its restaurant last year. Now, the family has added a salumeria with in-house cured meats such as venison salami and wild boar prosciutto.
Aventino also serves a $14 Sunday brunch and a $12.50 weekday lunch buffet Tuesdays through Fridays. Recent lunch offerings included leg of lamb and pumpkin risotto.
Chef Derrick Paez, son of founder Al Paez, concedes that his original menu overreached the market. Aventino aimed for the top of the Italian restaurant competition, comparable to Ristorante La Piazza.
"I wanted to do something unique," Derrick Paez said. "But these are tougher times. We are going to do what people want. If Fort Worth will give me the blessing to continue, I will do my best to make it fun."
He has added his own version of his father’s spaghetti carbonara, plus a penne arrabiata.
Aventino is at 3206 Winthrop Ave., on the corner at Camp Bowie Boulevard; 817-731-0711, www.aventino.us.
The former owner of Sapore in Fort Worth has opened the fine-dining Wild Mushroom Steak House and Lounge in Weatherford.
It’s in a location that has hosted several steakhouses, 1917 Martin Drive; 817-599-4935, www.thewildmushroomrestaurant.com.
The Pour House Sports Grill is back.
Owner Eric Tschetter of the old downtown Fort Worth burger grill and sports bar expects to reopen Saturday in the new location: 2725 W. Seventh St., across from Montgomery Plaza; pourhousefw.com.
Bud Kennedy’s Eats Beat appears Fridays in GO! Follow @eatsbeat on Twitter
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