March 2016 – Food & Wine Column
Mod Bakehouse
502 Grand Ave., Suite A
www.modbakehouse.com
Nha Trang Vietnamese Cuisine
1504 W. Magnolia Ave.
www.facebook.com/nhatrangvietnamesecuisine/
Tom+Chee
8901 Tehama Ridge Parkway, Suite 137
www.tomandchee.com
West Seventh farmers market
2913 Crockett St.
www.west-7th.com
Lina Biancamano has an impressive resume. She worked in Dallas at both Wolfgang Puck’s Restaurant Five-Sixty and at Stephan Pyle’s as executive pastry chef, before joining the award-winning culinary team at The Fort Worth Club as executive pastry chef. She spent over three years in that position before creating Mod Bakehouse.
The menu includes one-of-a-kind, special-occasion creations as well as gluten-free, vegan and even raw food offerings. You can order cakes, pies and cookies for smaller occasions too, and Mod offers free delivery on $30 orders within Fort Worth.
“We want to redefine pastry as people know it, but remain approachable,” Biancamano said. “Mod is classic and rustic with a modern twist.” She is currently using kitchen space at Magdalena’s Cocina Mexicana Local to craft her astounding pastry creations. Biancamano’s artistry and experience are highly sought after. “Wedding cakes and catering are our bread and butter as we try to get the word out, but I am hoping to open a bakery/cafe to serve breakfast in the future,” she said.
NHA TRANG VIETNAMESE
REPLACES TEMAKI SUSHI
Owner Alex Huang introduced his Temaki Sushi to Magnolia Avenue back in 2011. But in February he decided to shift gears and swap the Japanese menu for his native Vietnamese cuisine, whose popularity has exploded around Fort Worth in recent years. After ending his run with Temaki at the end of January and rebranding as Nha Trang Vietnamese, Huang was ready for a soft opening by mid-February. The grand opening is still awaiting city approval and installation of new signage. Luckily desserts such as his French macaroons and outrageously good fried ice cream made the cut and remain on the menu.
“We didn’t want to focus on pho noodles … which people are already familiar with. We don’t serve pho at Nha Trang,” said Huang. Instead he is pushing the envelope and introducing diners to authentic Vietnamese dishes. “Nha Trang is a central coastal city, north of Saigon, where I was born. The recipes are my mother’s. I think people are ready to embrace new ideas and flavors. True Vietnamese has simple but balanced flavors. I wanted to introduce people to Vietnamese with higher quality meats and vegetables,” he said.
TOM+CHEE TAKES OFF
WITH ALLIANCE LOCATION
Cincinnati-based restaurant Tom+Chee celebrated the opening of its second Texas location on March 2. Specializing in tomato soup and grilled cheese, Tom+Chee is known for its fresh ingredients and quirky takes on comfort food classics. From the vegetarian Hippy+Chee to the offbeat Grilled Cheese Donut, Tom+Chee offers over 20 grilled cheese sandwiches, plus fresh salads and three versions of tomato soup.
The Alliance location is the second in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with 74 seats inside and 20 on the patio. “Since our first location opened in Richardson this past July, we’ve seen the community dive into this fun, fresh menu, and we’ve received a very positive response to the comfort food concept,” said local franchisees Greg and Wendy Sippel.
WEEKLY FARMERS MARKET
IN WEST SEVENTH DISTRICT
The West Seventh District has begun hosting a weekly farmers market. Stop by 2913 Crockett St., between WATERS and Dude, Sweet Chocolate every Thursday for three hours only, from 4-7 p.m. You can shop local farmers, chefs and artisans to find fresh food, foliage and hand-made items. The list of vendors changes weekly but past vendors have featured organic meats and free-range eggs, herbs and succulents, olive oils, jams, relishes and candies, and even craft beer pickles. Each week promises a new batch of artisans and growers to explore.
UPDATE: THURBER MINGUS
ADDS FARMERS MARKET
Owner/chef Coby Baumann kicked off a farmers market last winter on the grounds of his Thurber Mingus restaurant, located at 4400 White Settlement Road. “The market is going great,” Baumann said. “The weather has been surprisingly great during all of the markets, so we will be bumping the market up to every Saturday on March 12.” Vendors and food trucks will be on site from sun-up until about 1 p.m.