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If you venture to Ft. Worth for the art, stickbraround for the artisan food. Café Modern, thebrupscale eatery situated inside the Modern ArtbrMuseum of Fort Worth, is a gem of a restaurant.brIt offers a treasure trove of artfully crafted cuisine and cocktails all served in one of the city'sbrmost beautiful settings: the Ft. Worth CulturalbrDistrict. And, because the menu changes eachbrseason, there's always something new and freshbrto discover.br
Café Modern has been commended by Gourmet Magazine as “one of America's best restau-brrants,” and it's easy to see why. You get the bestbrof both worlds here: culture and cuisine. Thebrfood is topnotch and the atmosphere is elegantbryet relaxed. And don't forget about the incrediblebrview—this alone makes it worth a visit. The cafébris situated above a tranquil reflecting pool, andbryou almost get the feeling that the restaurant isbrafloat. Curved, floor-to-ceiling windows providebrthe perfect panoramic view. There's not a badbrseat in the house.
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But don't just sit there taking it all in; orderbrsomething to eat. Everything on the menu,brwhether you visit for weekend brunch, lunch orbrFriday-night dinner (the venue's only dinner offering), is made from scratch using fresh, localbringredients. Executive Chef Denise Shavandybrsays this focus on ingredients is what makesbreach dish special. “You get the best flavor frombrbeing local, seasonal and sustainable,” she says.br“We utilize as many local vendors and growersbras possible.”br
When you peruse the menu, you won't bebrleft to interpret what the Achiote Pork OssobrBuco or the Smoked Bone Marrow Custard is allbrabout. Each item on the menu is carefully detailed, so you can order with confidence. Andbrwhether you have a question about the Antipasto Plate or you just want some extra sweetenerbrfor your tea, the staff at Café Modern is friendlybrand attentive.br
On the brunch menu, an order of the Tiramisu Crepes with Kahlua Syrup is a sweet celebration of vanilla mascarpone, Kahlua,brwhipped cream and chocolate. It's essentiallybra rich, decadent dessert that's acceptable to eatbras a meal. We won't argue with that.
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For those who prefer savory items, we recommend the Mushroom Gouda Omelet. It'sbra melty merging of cage-free eggs, creminibrmushrooms, chives and Eagle Mountain gouda. The Edamame Hummus Wrap is anotherbrfull-flavored choice for brunch. Chef Shavandy keeps it local by incorporating Dallas Mozzarella Co. Goat Feta Cheese in this spinachbrwrap loaded with healthy fillings like avocado,brroasted pepper and greens.br
Café Modern's dinner menu is smallish, butbrit offers enough variety to please most tastebrbuds. There are gourmet soups and salads, asbrwell as heartier dishes including Steak andbrPotatoes and Crispy Striped Bass. Chef Sha-brvandy's personal favorites include the SearedbrTuna Salad and the Lemon Grass ChickenbrBanh Mi, which is “not quite traditional withbra Gochujang mayo, Asian mint sauce and pickled vegetables,” she says.
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The dessert menu is also small but mighty.brOne of our favorites for spring is the PistachiobrSponge Cake and Yuzu Citrus Curd. This con-brfection is sweet and light, with a delightful cit-brrus fragrance you can almost smell across thebrroom.br
When it comes to beverages, the café offersbran admirable selection of red and white wine,brplus a variety of house cocktails inspired bybrworks of art in the museum. The “Allegory” bybrShahn, for example, is a bright concoction ofbrGrey Goose Orange, Chambord, lemon, sugarbrand ginger. If the masterpiece had a flavor,brwould it taste like this? It's up to your own in-brterpretation. That's part of the fun.br
For those looking to try something new onbra night out, Café Modern offers wine dinnersbronce a month. These evenings include four tobrseven courses, and occasionally feature guestbrspeakers and visiting chefs. And if you want tobrmake a trip to The Modern a family affair, thebrcafé welcomes all. It has a brunch and lunchbrmenu for children with plenty of kid-friendlybrchoices such as Crispy Chicken Tenders andbrGrilled Cheese. There's even a Peanut Butterbrand Grape Jelly Sandwich on the menu. Finebrdining? More like comforting kid classics youbrknow they'll want to eat.br
Overall, Café Modern is supremely chic andbrclassy, but it's not pretentious about it. You canbrabsolutely bring your kids over Spring Breakbrto enjoy a meal and some modern art. Culturebrnever tasted (or looked) so good.
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CAFÉ MODERN
3200 Darnell St.
Ft. Worthbr817.738.9215 TheModern.org/cafe