Cane Rosso isn’t the only new wood-fired pizzeria opening in Fort Worth. The Rock Wood Fired Pizza & Spirits, a Seattle-based pizza joint with a gritty, rock ‘n’ roll vibe, will open three Dallas-Fort Worth locations early next year, including one in Fort Worth. Using almond wood to create cooking chamber heat as hot as 900 degrees, The Rock boasts hand-tossed, golden-crusted pizzas named for classic rock songs with ingredients such as cherry peppers, andouille sausage, peppered bacon and sliced almonds. The restaurant is also known for its “Rocktails,” cocktails named after old-school tunes such as “Purple Haze” and “Godzilla” and served in small, sometimes salt-rimmed, plastic buckets that are not unlike the classic beach pail toy. Locations for the D-FW area haven’t been determined but the expansion to Texas is part of national growth for the chain into Southern California and parts of Alaska and Oregon. The Rock first opened in Tacoma, Wash., in 1995.
Octoberfest at the Omni, plus partnership with Dallas chef The Omni Fort Worth Hotel is celebrating Octoberfest all month with traditional German dishes offered at its onsite restaurant Cast Iron and its Whiskey & Rye bar and lounge. Menu items include crab and leek potato cakes, braunschewiger – a German-style sausage pate – veal schnitzel and plum tarts paired with German beers. Folks can learn to cook German dishes, too, during the Omni’s monthly cooking and cocktails class Oct. 19 at 4 p.m. ($38). Omni Hotels & Resorts also has partnered with Dallas chef and restaurateur Nick Badovinus, known for Dallas hotspots Neighborhood Services, The Tried and True and Off-Site Kitchen. Badovinus will consult with the hotel brand to “lend his expertise in freestanding dining concepts,” beginning with menu consultation for Kitchen Notes in the new Omni Nashville Hotel.
Greasy Bend Burgers new on Race Street Burger joints abound in carnivorous Cowtown, and now new Greasy Bend Burgers can be added to the list. Owner George Palmer, who formerly ran three area Cici’s Pizza locations, was encouraged by friend and Race Street Barber Shop owner Linda Wise to open a restaurant in an open space next door to her business. Palmer says he’s aware that competition in the Fort Worth burger realm is fierce. “And I love every one of them,” Palmer said of longtime burger hot spots. “I love Kincaid’s, Dutch’s, Fred’s and Charley’s. I grew up in Cleburne, so I learned from the Burger Bar and Morris Neal’s.” Palmer is “keeping things simple” by serving only third-pound burgers (the patties are fresh), and BLT ($3) and grilled cheese sandwiches ($2.50). Potatoes are cut daily for french fries ($1.50) and a fountain drink machine is on the way. The name Greasy Bend is what the area of Riverside was called before eventually acquiring the name Six Points, which refers to the intersection of Race Street, Riverside Drive and Belknap Street. Basic burgers start at $3.95 and go up to $4.95 for a bacon cheeseburger. Extras include mushrooms, avocado and grilled onions. Palmer describes his burgers as “hot and fresh” and always served on a toasted bun. “We toast the buns on the grill,” he added. “That’s part of a greasy burger.” Greasy Bend Burgers is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2919 Race St.
Pearl Snap Kolaches new addition to Fort Worth’s breakfast scene Greg Saltsman admits he and buddy Wade Chappell knew nothing about baking before they launched their own kolache business. But they did know good kolaches, and wanted them closer to home. “Wade and I are kolache guys, and we didn’t want to drive an hour south to West,” said Saltsman, referring to Texas’ famed kolache shop, the Czech Stop, located in West. After receiving an MBA in entrepreneurship from Texas Christian University, Saltsman embarked on a Hill Country road trip with Chappell, a former investment banker, to learn from some of Texas’ best kolache connoisseurs. Now, more than a year of recipe testing and trial runs has resulted in Pearl Snap Kolaches, named for the country classic pearl-snap button-down shirt. The duo is selling their baked goods out of The Lunch Box at 6333 Camp Bowie Blvd. starting Oct. 7, using the cafe’s kitchen space during less-busy morning hours to bake their sweet and savory breads. “We’re starting with a very limited line, including cream cheese, sausage and cheese, and sausage, cheese and jalapeno,” Saltsman said. “Over time we’ll add more and do some more creative things. We wanted to start lean and use as few ingredients as possible to stay as cost-effective as possible.” According to traditionalists, true kolaches are the Czech pastry made from sweet bread and filled with fruit or sweet cream cheese; the small, sausage-stuffed loaves of bread, also often referred to kolaches, are actually klobasnek. Saltsman is aware of the inconsistency in definitions but has chosen to use “kolache” to encompass both types. He said he and Chappell have worked to address a common problem found with the savory version. “You know how you bite into a sausage kolache and you end up pulling the sausage out and end up with a big cheesy hunk of bread?” he asked. “We wanted to stop that. So we started using a casing-less, all-beef sausage specially made for us by Chappell Hill Sausage outside of Brenham. So every bite you take, you’re going to get that flavor.” Pearl Snap Kolaches are sold by the dozen for $25 and orders are taken in advance as early as the morning of pick up. Saltsman says he’s aiming to prepare extras for walk-in orders. He and Chappell will also deliver within Fort Worth city limits and hope to grow enough to open their own retail storefront sometime next year. (817-233-8899, www.pskolaches.com)
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