vegan restaurant in fort worth, texas (restaurant review )

[Guest guest]

i saw this review in the dallas morning news and

wanted to pass the info along...i know there are

several members on this list from the dfw area.

 

Spiral Diner and Bakery

1314 W. Magnolia Ave.

Fort Worth, TX 76104

Phone: 817-332-8834

website: http://www.spiraldiner.com/

 

By KIM PIERCE / Special Contributor Dallas Morning

News

 

Spiral Diner opened in the Fort Worth Rail Market in

August 2002. But there were limits to what a vegan

restaurant could do in the space, which had a common

dining area that was more like a food court.

 

Two years later, the restaurant has sprouted and taken

root on Magnolia in Fort Worth's South Side hospital

district. Here, it's finding ample audience for its

unique menu, which goes beyond vegetarian to omit all

animal and insect products, including eggs, honey and

dairy.

 

Now you might think that that would make for some dull

eating. Not so. In the right hands – and owner Amy

McNutt's got 'em – it shows what's possible with

healthful, mostly organic fare. In this new location,

she's expanded the regular menu and added more fruit

smoothies and an espresso machine for coffee drinks

(Fair Trade coffee only). Your meal begins when you

place an order at the counter. The drinks are served

right up; staff delivers the rest.

 

An appetizer of hummus ($4 and $5), which has always

been a vegan dip starting with chickpeas, was a lemony

version served with a side of olive oil and warm

flour-tortilla triangles. Chips and salsa ($2.50)

combined delicate organic white-corn chips with an

intensely tomatoey, not-very-hot sauce.

 

From there, the menu gyrates through salads (of

course), wraps, sandwiches and entrees that reflect a

variety of influences, predominantly Mediterranean,

Asian and Southwestern. You might find " Buenos

Rancheros " made with scrambled tofu or " Sketti and

Meatballs " made with soy " meat " balls.

 

Spiral masala, the most expensive entree at $8.85, was

a vegan version of Indian chana masala: chickpeas

cooked with masala spices, Yukon gold potatoes and

broccoli in a savory, tomato-onion sauce with a nice,

slow bite. It was served over fragrant jasmine rice

with a side of vegan sour cream that we mistook for

rich, full-fat yogurt.

 

Spicy peanut greens ($8.25) was a carpet of chopped

peanuts, a component of the house-made Thai sauce,

over baby spinach, broccoli, julienne bamboo shoots,

red bell pepper and carrots, all nested on a bed of

jasmine rice. Both entrees were delicious, interesting

and filling.

 

The McNutt burger ($6.85) patty was made from

sunflower seeds, carrot, brown rice and spices.

Sandwiched with fixin's, including vegan mayo, in an

organic wheat bun, it had a dense, satisfying texture.

It was partnered with smooth Yukon gold potato salad

laced with dill. The same salad came with the

Mediterranean wrap ($7): avocado, cucumber, carrot,

tomato, black olives and mixed greens bound with a

generous portion of the house-made hummus in a fresh

flour tortilla.

 

Specialty beers include domestics that ranged from

Colorado's Fat Tire Ale to delightfully fruity and

delicate Pyramid Apricot Ale ($3.75) from Washington.

One of the imports, Samuel Smith organic amber ale

from Yorkshire, England ($7 for 18.7 ounces), was a

fruity, golden palate-pleaser. There were also a

Trappist ale, Samuel Smith's oatmeal stout and more

than a dozen others chosen with the beer connoisseur

in mind.

 

Organic wines, though, like the six listed here are

problematic. Most vintners would argue that you can't

make a stable, long-lasting wine without sulfites

(they're a no-no if a wine is to be declared organic),

though many wineries do grow their grapes with organic

or sustainable farming techniques. The house white,

Frey Natural reisling ($18), showed nice fruit and

bright acidity, especially with the food, but was

characterized by a chlorine-ish off-tone.

 

Desserts ran to dense and luscious. The vibrant

strawberry cake ($3.75) had almost a cookie-dough

texture. Creamy frozen peanut-butter pie with

chocolate-cookie-crumb crust ($3.25) got better the

more it melted. And two crustless pies,

chocolate-bourbon-pecan ($2.75) and sweet potato

($3.25), were intensely flavored but not overly sweet.

 

 

In a rehabilitated 1932 storefront, Spiral Diner is a

little like Gen X meets the Jetsons. On the one hand,

you've got funky, retro black-and-white dinettes and

booths, and overhead fans that look like propeller

blades on stainless-steel blocks. But the gray walls

burst with modern art and a magenta-and-blue-spiral

mural that positively vibrates. Everywhere the green

message is conveyed, from the drink dispenser with a

big circle-with-a-slash over the " Coke " sign to

photographs of nuzzling cows.

 

Ms. McNutt, who grew up in the Southlake-Grapevine

area, says she got the vegetarian bug when she was 11

or 12. While attending the University of Southern

California film school, she became enamored of the

vegan way and vowed to return to North Texas and open

a restaurant. Two months after graduation, she traded

her camera for a chef's knife and staked her claim in

the heart of steak country. Talk about a maverick.

 

Food – 3 stars

Atmosphere – 3 stars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I've been there and it's every bit as wonderful as the review

claims:) A definate must DO if you're visiting DFW:) (I live in

Lewisville, so while it's a bit of a juant - it's WELL worth it!!) I

had the Spaghetti Tropico when I went, which was spaghetti with

marinara, black olives, pineapple, pine nuts, soy meatballs, and a

spiral of vegan pesto sauce. It was served with a wonderful olive

oiled rosemary bread, and was delicious:) I also had the bourbon

pecam pie, which was so rich I had to share it with others! For my

drink, I chose a coconut limeade - VERY yummy and not hideously

sweet. One of the others I went with had what they call a " steamer " -

a steamed forthy cup of almond milk, flavored with coffee syrups.

Talk about YUMMY! Anyway - DO visit there if any of you get the

chance:)

 

Debra

 

, " artichoke72x "

<artichoke72x> wrote:

> i saw this review in the dallas morning news and

> wanted to pass the info along...i know there are

> several members on this list from the dfw area.

>

> Spiral Diner and Bakery

> 1314 W. Magnolia Ave.

> Fort Worth, TX 76104

> Phone: 817-332-8834

> website: http://www.spiraldiner.com/

>

> By KIM PIERCE / Special Contributor Dallas Morning

> News

>

> Spiral Diner opened in the Fort Worth Rail Market in

> August 2002. But there were limits to what a vegan

> restaurant could do in the space, which had a common

> dining area that was more like a food court.

>

> Two years later, the restaurant has sprouted and taken

> root on Magnolia in Fort Worth's South Side hospital

> district. Here, it's finding ample audience for its

> unique menu, which goes beyond vegetarian to omit all

> animal and insect products, including eggs, honey and

> dairy.

>

> Now you might think that that would make for some dull

> eating. Not so. In the right hands – and owner Amy

> McNutt's got 'em – it shows what's possible with

> healthful, mostly organic fare. In this new location,

> she's expanded the regular menu and added more fruit

> smoothies and an espresso machine for coffee drinks

> (Fair Trade coffee only). Your meal begins when you

> place an order at the counter. The drinks are served

> right up; staff delivers the rest.

>

> An appetizer of hummus ($4 and $5), which has always

> been a vegan dip starting with chickpeas, was a lemony

> version served with a side of olive oil and warm

> flour-tortilla triangles. Chips and salsa ($2.50)

> combined delicate organic white-corn chips with an

> intensely tomatoey, not-very-hot sauce.

>

> From there, the menu gyrates through salads (of

> course), wraps, sandwiches and entrees that reflect a

> variety of influences, predominantly Mediterranean,

> Asian and Southwestern. You might find " Buenos

> Rancheros " made with scrambled tofu or " Sketti and

> Meatballs " made with soy " meat " balls.

>

> Spiral masala, the most expensive entree at $8.85, was

> a vegan version of Indian chana masala: chickpeas

> cooked with masala spices, Yukon gold potatoes and

> broccoli in a savory, tomato-onion sauce with a nice,

> slow bite. It was served over fragrant jasmine rice

> with a side of vegan sour cream that we mistook for

> rich, full-fat yogurt.

>

> Spicy peanut greens ($8.25) was a carpet of chopped

> peanuts, a component of the house-made Thai sauce,

> over baby spinach, broccoli, julienne bamboo shoots,

> red bell pepper and carrots, all nested on a bed of

> jasmine rice. Both entrees were delicious, interesting

> and filling.

>

> The McNutt burger ($6.85) patty was made from

> sunflower seeds, carrot, brown rice and spices.

> Sandwiched with fixin's, including vegan mayo, in an

> organic wheat bun, it had a dense, satisfying texture.

> It was partnered with smooth Yukon gold potato salad

> laced with dill. The same salad came with the

> Mediterranean wrap ($7): avocado, cucumber, carrot,

> tomato, black olives and mixed greens bound with a

> generous portion of the house-made hummus in a fresh

> flour tortilla.

>

> Specialty beers include domestics that ranged from

> Colorado's Fat Tire Ale to delightfully fruity and

> delicate Pyramid Apricot Ale ($3.75) from Washington.

> One of the imports, Samuel Smith organic amber ale

> from Yorkshire, England ($7 for 18.7 ounces), was a

> fruity, golden palate-pleaser. There were also a

> Trappist ale, Samuel Smith's oatmeal stout and more

> than a dozen others chosen with the beer connoisseur

> in mind.

>

> Organic wines, though, like the six listed here are

> problematic. Most vintners would argue that you can't

> make a stable, long-lasting wine without sulfites

> (they're a no-no if a wine is to be declared organic),

> though many wineries do grow their grapes with organic

> or sustainable farming techniques. The house white,

> Frey Natural reisling ($18), showed nice fruit and

> bright acidity, especially with the food, but was

> characterized by a chlorine-ish off-tone.

>

> Desserts ran to dense and luscious. The vibrant

> strawberry cake ($3.75) had almost a cookie-dough

> texture. Creamy frozen peanut-butter pie with

> chocolate-cookie-crumb crust ($3.25) got better the

> more it melted. And two crustless pies,

> chocolate-bourbon-pecan ($2.75) and sweet potato

> ($3.25), were intensely flavored but not overly sweet.

>

>

> In a rehabilitated 1932 storefront, Spiral Diner is a

> little like Gen X meets the Jetsons. On the one hand,

> you've got funky, retro black-and-white dinettes and

> booths, and overhead fans that look like propeller

> blades on stainless-steel blocks. But the gray walls

> burst with modern art and a magenta-and-blue-spiral

> mural that positively vibrates. Everywhere the green

> message is conveyed, from the drink dispenser with a

> big circle-with-a-slash over the " Coke " sign to

> photographs of nuzzling cows.

>

> Ms. McNutt, who grew up in the Southlake-Grapevine

> area, says she got the vegetarian bug when she was 11

> or 12. While attending the University of Southern

> California film school, she became enamored of the

> vegan way and vowed to return to North Texas and open

> a restaurant. Two months after graduation, she traded

> her camera for a chef's knife and staked her claim in

> the heart of steak country. Talk about a maverick.

>

> Food – 3 stars

> Atmosphere – 3 stars

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>