Big-name chefs and a prime steakhouse left West Seventh Street.
But that left Monty's Corner with more west-side diners.
When other name restaurants downscaled or moved, chef Shawn Horne stayed, and he has built a busy weekday and Sunday crowd for his work-in-progress in Montgomery Plaza.
Still billed as a continental restaurant, Monty's now serves panko-crumb meatloaf, roast chicken, pork ribs, smoked stuffed baked potatoes and appetizer pizzas.
"I knew Fort Worth would want meat-and-potatoes, but I had no idea how much, so we're getting back to roots and doing some of the home-style dishes I've always done," Horne said as a lunch crowd filled Monty's one day this week.
Monty's now seems more like his much-lauded Kitchen 1924 from years ago in Lakewood, or like a Fort Worth version of one of Dallas' upscale comfort-food restaurants.
The older crowd from the former Mac's on 7th has given way to younger diners coming for $3 cosmos and martinis, nightly surprise specials, and half-price salads on Tuesdays.
The new pizza menu features choices such as a barbecued duck pizza with gouda and cilantro and a double-mushroom pizza with thyme. Lunch sandwiches include a towering club and a bacon-lettuce-and-fried-green-tomato sandwich.
The weekend brunch and lunch menu has always drawn a crowd for watermelon gazpacho, egg scrambles and bread pudding made from Monty's homemade biscuits with bourbon-caramel sauce.
Monty's Corner is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday and for brunch Sunday at 2600 W. Seventh St., in the middle of Montgomery Plaza near a bank; 817-877-0087, montyscornerfortworth.com.
The Arlington Steak House is back in good hands.
The 80-year-old landmark roadhouse on historic West Division Street has a fresh look and a new paint job, and the same fluffy yeast rolls and honey that made it a regular lunch and dinner stop for generations.
New owners Dick and Lynn Brink gave the steakhouse a much-needed scrubbing and restored a menu of steaks and home cooking, including the restaurant's distinctive chicken-fried steak with old-fashioned yellow cream gravy flavored with chicken broth, or a more familiar white cream gravy.
The simple menu also includes fried catfish, pork chops and inexpensive steaks.
Sunday's turkey-and-dressing special ($8.95) is also back.
For 40 years, the then- Triangle Inn was a hideaway where gamblers from Top O' Hill Terrace on Division would come for steaks and gaming in a secret upstairs room. That was also where Arlington leaders hosted the first regional meeting of city officials in 1951.
The steakhouse is open for lunch and dinner daily; 1724 W. Division St., 817-275-7881, www.facebook.com/TheArlingtonSteakHouse.
Bud Kennedy's Eats Beat appears Wednesdays in Life & Arts and Fridays in DFW.com Weekend. 817-390-7538
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