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West is Among the Best for Culture and Shopping-and-Dining Delights As long as we’re “out where the West begins,” as an iconic figure in Fort Worth’s history described this Cowtown, then we might as well look even further westward within the city itself. Pioneering publisher and civic booster Amon Carter may have intended to give Dallas the razz when he coined that phrase — but the West hardly could have picked a keener starting point than Fort Worth. And Fort Worth, in turn, hardly could have picked a site more right for its burgeoning west side Cultural District. Rippling with heavy-duty commercial, artistic and residential growth since the dawn of the 21st century, the west side overall has seen its very skyline change with the transformation of a busy West Seventh Street into a streamlined conduit connecting the downtown area’s Sundance Square development with the Cultural District. Heading west (naturally) from downtown Fort Worth, one finds the Cultural District radiating from the intersection where Seventh Street crosses University Drive and, in the process, morphs into the historic, brick-paved Camp Bowie Boulevard. Visitors in search of western-style discoveries — from plain-and-fancy dining to fine art and varied entertainment — will find such delights in volume on the west side. Cultural attractions, restaurants, mainstream and special-interest shopping, and lavish natural gardens flourish as a reminder of how Fort Worth has built upon its frontier origins. Several of the world’s finer museums, playhouses and galleries anchor a vast Cultural District. The hand-laid red-brick pavement of Camp Bowie Boulevard is an attraction in itself, lined with an ever-expanding array of art galleries, stage-and-screen auditoriums, boutiques, scholarly museums, restaurants and lounges, and shopping malls. The Cultural District Fort Worth’s celebrated nod to Broadway, Casa Mañana Theatre, has been modernized since the turn of the century with a glistening exterior dome and an auditorium revamp to give all showgoers a best-seat-in-the-house vantage. Casa Mañana heralds the University Drive edge of the Cultural District. A still newer landmark, the Fort Worth Museum of Science & History, commands the westward view of the district from Montgomery Street. Just northward are additional cultural touchstones: An expanded and redesigned Amon Carter Museum, houses a definitive collection of American paintings, photography, and sculpture, from essential historic works by Charles M. Russell and Frederick Remington to a new acquisition of last-century Native American photography by Edward S. Curtis. Close by is the Kimbell Art Museum, itself preparing for an expansion and still living up to Newsweek’s description as “arguably the most beautiful museum in America.” The neighboring Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth is the oldest such museum in Texas — housed in a work-of-art 2002 building designed by world-renowned Japanese architect, Tadao Ando, and featuring bold gallery exhibitions, concert attractions and, every weekend, leading-edge independent-studio films. The Museum of Science & History, anchoring a campus within the Cultural District, has been designed by similarly renowned architects Ricardo and Victor Legorreta to connect with the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame. Inside the Museum of Science & History, one finds vast galleries of Texas-bred dinosaur specimens and the state’s oil-and-gas heritage, in addition to the Cattle Raisers Museum, the Fort Worth Children’s Museum, Stars Café, and a new digital Noble Planetarium. The Omni Theater, an IMAX® superscreen dome, links with the Museum of Science & History and boasts a new digital sound system and enhanced lighting. The Cowgirl Museum celebrates hundreds of women, from working riders and cowpunchers to western-movie heroines, who have left indelible marks on history. When the museum meanderings trigger an appetite for fine dining, two long-established, museum-based cafés stand ready to serve. The Kimbell Buffet Restaurant offers indoor or patio lunch and a light evening menu within one of the most beautiful modern buildings in America. The Modern Art Museum’s 250-seat Café Modern, with an outdoor terrace, overlooks a serene reflecting pond. The Modern’s full-service kitchen delivers superb cuisine for lunch, Sunday brunch, and scheduled seasonal dinners. The Fort Worth Community Art Center, at the district’s western edge, showcases work by the city’s homegrown community of artists, in addition to live-theater venues. Neighboring the museum community is the city’s landmark Will Rogers Memorial Center, a versatile 85-acre entertainment complex — with 45 acres housing the Will Rogers Coliseum & Auditorium. Its majestic Pioneer Tower dates from the Texas Centennial Celebration of 1936. Still the most imposing site within the district, the coliseum holds pride of place as the first domed structure of its kind in the world. The complex also boasts an equestrian center and exhibit halls, home to the annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. Showplaces of Heritage and Artistry and Nature Galleries galore complement the cultural district, allowing a more intimate view of new and historic artworks. Galerie Kornye West features 19th and 20th century masterworks. William Campbell Contemporary Art spotlights artists of today whose works reflect historic influences. The Alpine Art and Edmund Craig galleries offer a mixture of styles. Studio Sabka features local, national and international artists. Texas-bred art and photography, dating from the dawn of the last century, grace Dow Art Galleries — Fort Worth’s oldest art venue, specializing in works dating from the 1930s. Shoppers can find a broad selection of merchandise in the Cultural District’s specialty shops. European antiques and upholstery can be found at Domain XCIV. The Artful Hand boasts the city’s largest selection of eclectic hand-made furniture and accessories. Southward off University Drive, visitors can experience the glories of nature at Trinity Park, a pristine oasis bordered by a fork of the placid Trinity River. Here, picnickers, joggers, and strollers can explore meandering pathways or travel on a miniature railroad. Opposite the park, across University Drive, Fort Worth’s Botanic Garden beckons — the oldest such site in Texas, a lush 109-acre tapestry of dappled shade accented by vibrant splashes of color. The Garden is home to thousands of species of native and exotic plants in 21 specialty gardens. The European-designed Rose Garden features more than 3,400 roses, and the 10,000-square-foot Conservatory houses tropical flowers and foliage from around the world. An on-site Gardens Restaurant serves light lunches and refreshments — with a view of the Garden and a varied gallery that often displays the work of local artists. A short distance southward lies the illustrious Fort Worth Zoo, nationally ranked among the finest. The Zoo is home to thousands of animals, both native and exotic. Viewing facilities and natural habitat exhibits are set up for optimal views of the animals, often separated from their observers by only a river, a waterfall, or a large window. Shaded rest spots and picnic tables are available, with several on-site eateries. Across from the Zoo, Log Cabin Village offers another view of the city’s rich frontier history. The Village boasts seven authentic log homes, dating from the mid-to-late 1800s. Each is decorated with museum-grade antiques and artifacts. Period-dressed interpreters greet visitors inside each cabin, offering a living history of the home and its origin. The Seventh Street Boom West Seventh Street, once a sleepy strip of light industry and neglected property despite its heavy traffic, has become a hotbed of new commerce and constant construction. The 1928 landmark Montgomery Ward store has been preserved as an architectural gem while becoming the gateway to Montgomery Plaza — a residential development and open-air mall area, boasting both big-box retailing and distinctive specialty shops. Montgomery Plaza’s array of distinctive shopping — from Edible Arrangements’ decorative fruit baskets, to the Dolce Vita boutique to Uncommon Angles’ showcase of handcrafted decorative-functional artworks — is studded with such atmospheric dining experiences as BoomerJack’s Grill & Bar (terrific banana pudding to top off a meal); Gloria’s Restaurant with its savory array of Latin-manner dishes; Mac’s on 7th with its hand-cut steaks and fresher-than-fresh seafood; versatile Planet Smoothie Café with its signature smoothie recipes complemented by breakfast and luncheon selections; and the Old World-flavored WineStyles Montgomery Plaza with its custom wine-chilling service. To say nothing of such mass-market favorites as Baker Brothers Deli, Starbucks and Pei Wei Asian Diner. Complementing the dining scene are such destinations as M Lounge and its sophisticated martini-bar scene. Capital Bar offers a festive gathering-place with a splendid high-angle view of the Cultural District. Esoterica Salon & Lounge offers styling magic by day and celebrations by night. Chimy’s Cerveceria keeps the beer chilled and the good times rolling. The Pour House, relocated to the west from its original downtown site, is a classic-style pub. La Familia Mexican Restaurant, meanwhile, has built a reputation on family recipes developed over several generations. J. Rae’s, a top-shelf dessert bakery, boasts a distinctive white-chocolate cheesecake. Pioneering Harper’s Bluebonnet Bakery operates a side-room light-dining café with a standout Reuben sandwich recipe. The dh collection boasts progressive furniture designs in an appetite-whetting environment, and Backwoods caters to outdoorsy interests. Eddie V’s combines fine seafood-specialty dining with nightly blues and mellow jazz. Lanny’s Alta Cocina Mexicana sizzles with soul-satisfying main courses and appetizers. Pacesetting Michael’s Restaurant & Ancho Chile Bar has set a standard for contemporary ranch-style dining since 1992. Newly branched into the urbanized west side from several suburban locations, Movie Tavern offers full-menu table service in combination with the newest Hollywood films. Tillman’s Roadhouse is a high-energy update of the classic Texas roadhouse concept of food, drink, and music. Fireside Pies is a cozy pizzeria, with a made-from-scratch menu. Love Shack treats classic burger tradition with the inventive touch of master chef Tim Love. Longtime favorite Pop’s Safari Room is a fine-wine and cigar lovers’ mecca, with an intimate café area, weekend jazz performances, and special-occasion dining. Fred’s Texas Café, another fixture that anticipated the more recent surge of development, lives up to its name with old-fashioned hamburgers tops on the menu. Southward and Westward South of the Cultural District, along University Drive, University Park Village affords a delightful stroll through an open-air mall. The village is home to a broswer’s paradise of shops and restaurants, including the popular Southwestern-styled menu of Blue Mesa. To the west, off Interstate 30 at Hulen Street, Chapel Hill offers another outdoor complex with an adobe-styled Southwestern décor. Signature restaurants include Mi Cocina, with a varied Mexican menu; and Buttons Restaurant, blending Deep Southern soul food with a Deep Southern soul-music soundtrack. Central Market, with a world-class inventory of wines, also boasts delicatessen service and indoor-outdoor dining, with an amphitheater for live music. Rising just south of the complex stands Chapel Hill’s namesake, the eye-catching Marty Leonard Community Chapel designed by E. Fay Jones. Westward along Camp Bowie, hamburger purists can enjoy the traditional beef-and-bun mastery of Kincaid’s Burgers here, and Tommy’s Hamburgers, there. The Camp Bowie thoroughfare offers another taste of BBQ and steaks at Riscky’s, a family owned chain offering fine food and attentive service. The Village at Camp Bowie includes shops, boutiques, and restaurants. South and west of the Village, on the Southwest Boulevard and Highway 377 Traffic Circle, is a seasonal Farmers Market, featuring local fruits, vegetables, handicrafts, and floral gifts. Farther west on Camp Bowie, just north of Interstate 30, Ridgmar mall features more than 100 stores in addition to moviegoing and a mixture of short-order dining. The mood to explore might be triggered by art, casual or elegant dining, serious shopping, the wonders of nature — or just the urge to browse through a variety of settings. Fort Worth’s west side meets all these interests and then some. Once the West has begun, there’s no stopping its westward progress. Current
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