Dear Fashionistas,

I’d have to say that one of my main passions in life is The Arts.  Specifically, Fashion, Home Décor and the Culinary Arts.  Obviously, today’s post fits into the last category, and all three restaurants featured today are great places for the fashion-friendly to see and be seen.  Now I may be a serious Fashionista, but I’m an even more serious Foodie.  Therefore, I’m more forgiving about fashion faux pas (it’s all in good fun) but when it comes to food, I don’t play around!  I LOVE breakfast foods, and could enjoy them anytime of the day.  What’s better than breakfast for dinner?  I am constantly looking for the best brunch spots, wherever I am: California, Texas, Washington, D.C.- it doesn’t matter.  Today, though, I’m focusing on Fort Worth, Texas, and three restaurants: 1) Café Modern, 2) Taverna and 3) Café Brazil.  Here’s how they stack up.

Café Modern

Highly recommended by an artist friend of mine, and I had high expectations for Café Modern, located inside the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.  I skimmed the menu online and immediately spotted the Eggs Benedict with Crab- done.  However, when I arrived at the restaurant, that particular item was not on the menu (the online menu needed to be updated).  Disappointed but still optimistic, I ordered the Modern Benedict and my guest ordered the Pancakes. 

I found the Modern Benedict to be good, but not great.  Traditional with smoked ham, I prefer the more delicate crab in lieu of cumbersome ham slices.  The Lemony Hollandaise was nice, but it wasn’t the best citrus hollandaise I’d ever had.  The Fingerling Home Fries were nothing special.  Again, a good meal, but somehow the flavors just didn’t come together for me.  The Pancakes were rather good.  I’m not a fan of chocolate on pancakes and have never ordered them with chocolate chips, but I was pleasantly surprised how well the strawberries and Callebaut chocolate sauce complemented the light, spongy,  generous pancakes.  Overall, an extraordinary place to have an ordinary brunch.  Café Modern= C+

 Taverna

I’ve been going to Taverna for years, and I order the same thing each time, the Classic Eggs Benedict with Crab.  My other favorite item is the Vanilla French Toast.  Hmm, where do I start…the English muffins are always fresh and toasted to a crispy-chewy perfection.  The crab and poached eggs are an ideal duo but the Hollandaise is the star.  A skillful balance of egg yolk, butter and salt, the Hollandaise is plain and just plain delicious.  Often you find patrons scraping the plate in an attempt to leave none of this rich, buttery sauce behind.  The Breakfast Potatoes are a great companion to (and a great way to finish off ) the Hollandaise. 

As for the French toast, again Taverna achieves an effortless balance of simple flavors- the result- an empty plate.  Fresh, thick slices of bread with a whisper of vanilla are served with a dollop of Mascarpone cheese, rather than the usual staid butter, and a side of mixed fruit.  Finally, I think what makes Taverna special, besides the food, is the atmosphere and dedicated staff.  Fun, friendly and fashionable, Taverna Fort Worth has never disappointed.  (Taverna Austin take note- your Eggs Benedict, Breakfast Potatoes and Vanilla French Toast fall short.)  Taverna Fort Worth= A-

Café Brazil

First, let me say I’ve been going to Café Brazil before either Café Modern or Taverna entered the picture.  Both Dallas locations are great.  Café Brazil is a great after-hours hang out once the clubs have closed.  It’s not unusual to have a line out the door and into the parking lot at 2AM.

I was ecstatic to discover a Fort Worth locale just across the street from TCU.  But whatever magic lives at the Dallas locations, it didn’t survive the move west.  To change things up, I ordered an Iced Chai Tea and French toast.  The eggs, bacon and chai were ok, but the French toast was thoroughly disappointing.  I suppose the profusion of cinnamon was meant to over-compensate for the stale bread, but there was nothing that could save this plate of mediocrity.  I hope that as time goes on, the Fort Worth Café Brazil will live up to the fond memories I have of the Dallas locations.  Café Brazil Fort Worth= D

Fashionably Yours,

Nik