The Magnolia Avenue Restaurant Series marches on. Today we look at Scampi’s Mediterranean Cafe, one of my favorite comfort food spots.

Scampi’s Mediterranean Cafe

The Vibe
Warm and cozy bistro setting with dark colors and comfortable booths and tables.  Painted brick and Italian Posters provide the decoration in this modest but chic spot. I would also deem this spot family friendly, which I’m always on the lookout for.

The Food
This family run establishment offers an interesting array of Greek influenced and classic Greek dishes as well as Italian entrees.  Owner Anne Shaw’s father runs the kitchen and he turns out some seriously soul and stomach satisfying food.

The Service
The service here is spot on, possibly the best service I’ve had.  The waiter was genuinely friendly and helpful, but not overwhelmingly so.  Water glasses were filled.  Questions were answered.  We were checked up on, but not intruded upon.  We felt like the waiter’s new best friends.  I could go on and on, but our waiter truly contributed to a great meal.

Eat This
Indulge yourself in the Italian Nachos at Scampi’s.  Fried pasta chips are liberally doused with alfredo sauce, Italian sausage, chicken, banana peppers, and olives.  Yes, this dish is as good as it sounds!  You could make a whole meal out this for two, if you also order salads.

Also try the Penne Gorgonzola with Tenderloin Tips, they have a pleasantly tart flavor without being too creamy.

The lamb dish was well prepared with a nice grilled crust. Nothing beats well prepared lamb and Scampi’s did it justice. BYOB makes Scampi’s a good deal as well ($5 corkage fee).

I love how Scampi’s is truly a family affair. Here’s a pic of owner, Anne Shaw (top left), and her family enjoying a great meal.

Scampi’s Mediterranean Cafe
1057 W. Magnolia
Fort Worth TX 76104

Friday November 13, 2009

Glass on the Tracks 7:00PM
Vetro Art Glass Studio – Grapevine
701 S. Main Street #103

Main Street in Grapevine is such a quaint little spot, tucked in with antique shops, boutiques, and restaurants you’ll find an amazing glass blowing studio called Vetro. Vetro is located right next to the train station on Main Street Grapevine. They have a glass blowing studio and offer live demonstrations on a regular basis, check their website for hours.

On Friday they will be celebrating their 10 year anniversary and hold their annual “Truth or Consequences” auction. At 7:30PM they begin an auction of their glass art pieces. First the item is offered to someone selected from a drawing, they are asked a question and if they answer correctly they win the item. If they get the question wrong the glass art piece is then immediately up for auction, if the item does not fetch a bid that exceeds the reserve price within 30 seconds the glass piece is then smashed to bits. It’s quite a thrilling process when a piece is “saved” and when it’s lost to meet its fate with the concrete.

Arrive early to register and participate in this fun event. The event costs $5 per raffle ticket. Print out a sheet from their Facebook fanpage and get $10 worth of free raffle tickets. Live music, wine, and food will add to the festivities.

There are plenty of spots to eat and drink nearby on Main Street. South Prairie Oyster Bar, Big Fish, Tolbert’s and Esparza’s along with several wine bars that include Into the Glass, Su Vino, Tastings, and D’Vine Wine

Friday November 13 – Sunday November 15, 2009

Fort Worth Greek Festival
St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church
2020 N.W. 21st Street
Its time for Fort Worth’s annual celebration of Greek food and culture. Check the website for all the details. If you’ve got any sort of a hankering for some gyros head on over to this bluffside church on the Northside of town. Look for other Greek favorites such as moussaka, lamb, and spanokopita, the full menu can be found on their website.

Friday October 9 and Saturday October 10

Musicarte
10AM – 11PM Free

This Festival takes place in Sundance Square and celebrates Latin culture through its music, dance, art, and food. Performance schedules can be found on the website.The Mercado de las Americas features artists from around the world, so visit the booths of this juried fine arts and crafts exhibition.

The Pueblo de las America’s promises to be a gastronomical feast featuring food from Ocho Rios Jamaican and Caribean Grill, embargo, Qdoba Grill, and Cantina Laredo Mexican Grill. The menus include jerk seasoned meats, empanadas, carnitas, tacos al pastor, and tortas cubanas. Beer will also be available to accompany the festival food. Bring the kids and stop by the Fiesta Kids Zone for arts, crafts, and games. Also join local artist Jo Dufo in painting a collaborative mural.

Friday October 9 and Saturday October 10

Bistro Lightcatcher Restaurant Round-up
Bistro Lightcatcher Winery showcases Texas ingredients to pair with their Texan wine made on site with Texas grapes. The menu features Texas ingredients such as Texas 1015 onions, gulf shrimp and oysters, check out the website for all the details. Restaurant Round-up is sponsored by the Texas Department of Agriculture and part of the proceeds of this event benefit The Tarrant Area Food Bank. 6925 Confederate Park Rd/FM 1886
Fort Worth, Texas 76108

Friday October 9, Saturday October 10, and Sunday October 11

Mid-Cities Greek Festival
11AM – 10PM, 11AM – 4PM Sunday
Opa! Fall means it’s time for the annual Mid-Cities Greek Festival. The pastoral grounds of St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Euless make the perfect backdrop for enjoying delicious Greek food and cultural performances.

Check out the website for all the menu details. I’m craving the comforting goodness of Pastitsio and Moussaka but spanokopita, gyros and other Greek favorites are on the menu as well. The food is plentiful and you will NOT leave hungry. 303 Cullum Drive, Euless TX.

King Tut may conjure up ancient images for some.  In the landscape of Fort Worth, King Tut is more of an “original gangsta”.  King Tut’s longtime presence in an otherwise deserted spot on Magnolia earn it some serious street cred.  Thankfully, Magnolia has experienced a resurgence beyond the Mad Hatter’s heydeys of the early 90’s (let’s pour one out for those homies now). Vegetarians of Fort Worth must also give props to King Tut as being one of the first and few places to include vegetarian fare on it’s menu.

The Vibe
Upon entering King Tut the small dining area looks like a modest diner when contrasted with the more open dining area.  The larger dining area is fully bedecked in requisite King Tut replicas and Egyptian themed linens. Egyptian “artifacts” complete the space, but alas none are doing the sand dance (don’t you know).  The dining area has an open lofty feel punctuated by a vintage tin ceiling and cement floors.

The Food
King Tut provides a mix of Egyptian, Middle Eastern, and Greek dishes that make it a great option for dining with a big group.  Classic dishes such as gyros, kabobs, schwarma, and moussaka are on the menu.  Everything I’ve tried always tastes exceptionally fresh.

Maybe it’s the veggie bohemian roots of King Tut that compel me to order vegetarian options when I’m here.  Perhaps it’s just my love of a snack dinner and an appetizing mezze platter.  Either way the mezze platter is the best way to start off a meal at King Tut.  The mezze platter comes in a small ($12), queen ($15), and king versions($18).  The king version could indeed serve as a full meal or be split between friends.  The mix and match options give you a nice sampling of the Egyptian slash Middle Eastern slash Greek appetizers.  The dolmas were refreshing and slightly sour.  The garlicky and creamy hummus is a must order item, all the better for enjoying the homemade pita bread, in fact order extra because it’s that good.  The sambosas from the appetizer menu are like Middle Eastern eggrolls and just as tasty with their rich, fried wrapping. On my last few visits to King Tut I also enjoyed the contrast of the feta cheese with the homemade pickles on the mezze platter.

The vegeterian naan crust pizza is a good option if you have the same illicit love affair with cheese that I do.  Somehow the homemade naan crust survives the deluge of cheese that covers it and makes for a wonderfully delicious dinner.  The naan crust pizzas range in price from $8.00 – $13.00.  Pilaf rice makes a lovely bed for the veggie shwarma.  The vegetables were good but just a tad too oily.  While the dish was good and filling I thought the $10.50 price tag was a bit high for sauteed vegetables and rice, but it does come with a nice house salad.  Other interesting veggie options include the falafel salad and faul madammus (fava beans, onions, and tomato).  Deserts are a bargain at $2.00.

The Service
It’s not uncommon for the owner, Amin Mahmoud, to be the one efficiently taking your order and bringing the food out.  At other times the waitstaff get the food out without alot of fluff and friendliness, which is fine.  Sometimes it takes awhile for the dishes to arrive, so if you’re in a hurry stick to the appetizers.

Overall
With all the dining options now available on Magnolia Avenue, King Tut’s reign as an original gangsta is still intact. The vegetarian menu and Greek and Middle Eastern classics served up at King Tut make this a favorite spot.  Lunch is always bustling with folks from the medical district and downtown.  The spot is not exactly first date worthy, a little too well lit (and no alcohol is served).  However, it is a great spot for larger groups or for grabbing a bite before catching a show at The Fairmount or The Chat Room Pub.

Eat This
Yes!  You’ll be walking like an Egyptian if you eat here.

I Eat This
Mad for the Mezze Platter

Hours
Monday – Friday 11AM – 2PM, 5PM – 9PM
Saturday 5PM – 9PM

King Tut
1512 W. Magnolia Avenue
Fort Worth 76104

Greek Festival
November 7-9, 2008
St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church
2020 N.W. 21st Street, Fort Worth
Friday and Saturday 10AM – 10PM, Sunday 11AM – 3PM, Free admission (food is purchased with festival tokens,$1/token)

Still going strong after 41 years, the annual Fort Worth Greek Festival is this weekend at St. Demetrios on the North Side of Fort Worth.  Greek gastronomy and cultural events welcomes festivalgoers.  The menu features a lunch service (10 tokens) from 11AM – 2:30PM, dinner service (15 tokens) is from 5PM – 9PM, and a la carte items are available at any time after 11AM.  Keep the festival going at home with an assortment of frozen foods available to go, such as a moussaka, pastistio, spanakopita, and dolmathes.

Bud Kennedy reports over at the Star T about the festival featuring a flaming Saganaki, and no he’s not talking about your gay Greek friend (not that there’s anything wrong with that).  The flaming Saganaki is drumroll Greek fried cheese, commence salivating…now.

If you can’t make it over to the festivities at St. Demetrios this weekend, never fear.  Visit some of the great Greek eateries in the area next time you’re out.

George’s Specialty Foods
4424 White Settlement Rd
Fort Worth, TX 76114
(817) 737-0414
My personal pick is George’s Specialty Foods way down White Settlement Road.  George’s is a Greek specialty foods store that also serves up Greek to go fare.  A few tables are available for dine in.

Jazz Cafe
2504 Montgomery St
Fort Worth, TX 76107
(817) 737-0043
This cute spot on Montgomery street serves up Greek fare in a slightly ramshackle but charming environment.  Their vegetable sandwich is my favorite thing there, not Greek but still good.  On the weekends they also feature Jazz and a Sunday Brunch.

Scampi’s Mediterranean Cafe
1057 W Magnolia Ave
Fort Worth, TX 76104
(817) 927-1887
Scampi’s is a wonderful hybrid of Greek and Italian cuisine on Magnolia, and I’m a fan.  And it’s BYOB, which saves some dinero.

Greek House
2426 Forest Park Blvd
Fort Worth, TX 76110
(817) 921-1473
Nestled on Forest Park the Greek House provides yummy Greek fare.  Though I’ve only gotten take out from here, they have plenty of tables for dining.  My only complaint is that it seems a tad more expensive than it should be for what you’re getting.