A hick goes downtown

In spite of my complaining about cabin fever and a solitary existence, I do get out fairly often to have lunch or dinner with friends. We seem to be in a rut, though. There are many wonderful choices in restaurants in West and Southwest Fort Worth, and we have our favorites, plus looking for new places. What we don’t do, sad to say, is visit downtown Fort Worth.

Today I had lunch with an old friend with whom I’ve recently reconnected. She lived smack in the middle of downtown for thirteen years and now lives on the fringes. Downtown is her stomping grounds, and she knows the one-way streets, the parking opportunities, and, especially, the restaurants.

We parked in one of the many valet stations around Sundance Square and had lunch at P. F. Chang’s. People ate at outdoor tables, though we elected to sit inside. Still, I could stare at the buildings and marvel at all the restaurants she mentioned—many I’d heard of but never visited and a few I’d never heard of.

It was Saturday, so the streets weren’t exactly bustling, but there was a sense of life. As we stood waiting for the car, I thought that one thing Fort Worth has done very well is to blend new architecture with old. New buildings don’t shout out at you in contrast to the venerable old—they blend and complement. The valet stations and Sundance Square itself are other things the city has done well. Valet stations are located so that you seldom have to walk more than a block to your destination.

Sundance Square is located in the midst of the north end of downtown, an open plaza with tables, chairs, and fountains which spray from the ground occasionally, offering youngsters a great chance to run in the sprinklers. Many restaurants have outdoor seating opening onto the square, although new office buildings face on the other side. It’s almost always bustling with people.

Downtown Fort Worth is electric, alive, a wonderful place—but then so is the whole city. I love living in Fort Worth, safe and secure in my little corner and yet with that whole world of opportunity available to me if I’ll just venture past my secure, known neighborhoods. I love living in Fort Worth, and I resolve to see more of it.

Fort Worth: What a wonderful place to live

  Lunch downtown today with Nancy O’Shea (we go back more years than either of us want to talk about). It was a real treat. Nancy has lived downtown and now lives on the outer edges, so she is familiar and comfortable in what to me is often strange territory. First neat thing—Del Frisco’s has a “lift” for people like me. Like an elevator in a waist-high cage, it takes you from the foyer to the ground floor, where you can walk out to the outdoor tables.

I love eating outside there, looking at Sundance Square and all the people who daily take advantage of the benches, umbrellas, and wonderful views. It’s almost time for kids to be frolicking in the fountains, but still a bit cold. The square is surrounded by fascinating architecture, a blend of new, old, and faux old. There’s the building that houses Jamba (I’m sure it has a name), a tiny building dwarfed by its neighbors but made large by the cattle drive mural on its exterior. I can’t name all the others, but you need do no more than sit there and look up and around to realize that ours is a wonderful city.

For years, Fort Worth’s slogan has been, “Cowboys and Culture.” Nancy said she read there’s a move afoot to take the cowboys out of it because they no longer reflect Fort Worth as it is. I really hope that doesn’t happen. Cowboy culture—trail drives, particularly—shaped our city and gave it is distinct heritage. Today, Fort Worth is made special by that surprisingly comfortable blend of contemporary sophistication with western history. You can go downtown for upscale dining and music, and you can go to the North Side for stockyards history and chicken-fried steak. No other city like that.

Scattered throughout our city are pockets and bits of history—homes and buildings that have been saved from demolition, neighborhoods that have been lovingly preserved, a sense of treasuring the past that made us what we are today. Yes, we have lost some important buildings to demotion and new construction, and yes, we are building new, so many apartments I wonder who can possibly fill them, but I understand 40 families a day move here. But overall I think we’ve done a better job than many cities of maintaining the balance.

Shhh. Do you think I could discourage some of those 40 families? I don’t want our city to reach 10 million y 2020, which is apparently where it’s headed. I want folks to live in bungalows set back from the street, with carefully tended gardens and neighborhood stores. For years in my neighborhood, I was greeted by name at the cleaners, the vet, the liquor store, the grocery, even several restaurants. It’s still true a bit, but it’s fast slipping away.

I don’t think I’m a luddite. I don’t want to cling to the past and ignore progress, but I do like a happy blend of the two.

Go downtown soon. Eat in one of the restaurants that offer patio space on Sundance Square, or bring your own picnic and feed the pigeons while you eat. Gaze around you. We do indeed live in a wonderful city.

Things that never happened—and one wonderful one that did

Today I got dressed twice in “go out into the world” clothes only to pull them off and get back into my T-shirt and flannel pants. My oldest daughter, Megan, and her family were here and made a point of wanting lunch at the deli. But by the time they had picked up her new car (the reason they came to Fort Worth) and picked up the son who had gone home with Jacob, they were running out of time and had to cancel lunch. Megan was as apologetic as she could be, and I wasn’t heartbroken. I just put that T-shirt back on and fixed the sauce for tonight’s dinner sandwiches.

I was making Italian tuna sandwiches on ciabatta rolls with a sauce of parsley, olive oil, capers, anchovy, and garlic. The sandwiches would have that wonderful Totino’s tuna in olive oil with hard-boiled eggs and watercress. So I got it all ready, put on my company clothes—and my guest never showed up. I had a half a tuna sandwich, store-bought, with cherry tomatoes and hearts of palm. I may see if Jordan will eat the sandwiches tomorrow. I had planned to make her baked eggs on a bed of artichoke hearts and topped with Parmesan, but she is leery of anything but scrambled or hard-boiled eggs. We’re to have brunch after early church when Jacob is an acolyte. I fear she won’t like either of my offerings.

Other than that, it’s been a wonderful twenty-four hours. Megan and her husband, Brandon, came in last night with their two boys, Sawyer and Ford. Ford and Jacob are best buddies and were ecstatic to be together. We went downtown to Del Frisco’s Grille on Sundance Square for dinner. I don’t go downtown often, so I had forgotten how magical and electric with energy it is, especially at Christmas time. I felt more alive and optimistic than I have in months. Just thoroughly enjoyed the evening, the company, the restaurant, everything. Probably had an extra glass of wine. We were all so tired we went to bed shortly after we got home.

So now, I’m home, reading a book for a competition I’ve agreed to be part of, and perfectly content. But I may want to go downtown again sometime soon. Fort Worth is a wonderful place to live. Much as I love Texas and its history, I just sometimes wish we weren’t in the most conservative, redneck state in the Uniion.

The never-ending birthday celebration...and a glimpse of what makes Fort Worth so special

Today is Jordan's actual fortieth birthday, and we celebrated as we always do at a restaurant we both like. We went downtown over my protests about parking difficulties, long walk, etc. Jordan is so much smarter than I am. We parked at free valet parking a block from our destination, Del Frisco's Grille, and within minutes were settled on the patio which overlooks Sundance Square.
The specials of the day sounded heavenly but too rich and heavy. Jordan ordered salmon, and I split a deviled egg appetizer with her and then had a Caesar salad. The oh-so-nice waiter sent leftovers home with me, with extra dressing and anchovies.
Of course, celebrating, we had wine, and Jordan took a picture of the wine glasses against a backdrop of Sunday Square. it is the most marvelous space--I'm probably really late to the party praising this development in the center of our downtown. But it's a bright and sunny oasis (with umbrellas for some shade), fountains, trees, brick paving. The contrast of old and new, both in the materials used in the square and the design of the buildings around it, is amazing and so sophisticated. Today we heard bagpipes playing in honor of St. Pat's Day but couldn't spot them. It's a wonderful, sunny day with the temperature just right for sitting outside in the shade. Neither of us could have been happier.
Jordan wanted dessert--which I balked at until it came. The waiter said the chef had made a special cheesecake with whipped cream topping and curls of white chocolate, set in a raspberry sauce. Turned out that dessert was complimentary to the birthday girl. Here it is, after we had both eaten as much as we could. It barely looks touched. Wonderful and good, but so rich and filling. Jacob and I can nibble on it tonight; then we'll send it home for Christian. Jacob will stay here tonight, and we'll have our usual Tuesday night dinner at the Grill. His parents are going on a romantic date to celebrate her birthday.
Two best parts of the day to me: lunch with my ever-charming, considerate, loving, gracious daughter on her fortieth--I still can't believe that, but she's optimistically looking forward to her forties, and I believe they'll be great.
The other great reminder for me was what a fascinating city we live in. Planners have worked hard to move Fort Worth into the twenty-first century, while preserving our historical heritage. The result is an eclectic, diverse city with something for everyone. I learned again that it's not that hard to go downtown, park and walk to any restaurant in the city. I learned that my city's core is accessible to all who want to share in the  fun and excitement.
One thing I notics: There were obviously many businessmen in the crowd that crossed the patio or milled around it or stopped to eat at one of several restaurants. But there were few suits and ties. We've come of age as one of Texas' casual, informal cities...but don't dismiss us lightly. We're powerful competition for any city our size.