Fort Worth Weekly - News, Entertainment, Restaurants, Music

Critic's choice: Bryan's Brutal Tacos, Spiral Diner

Vegans are not afraid to take chances, at least not at Spiral Diner. At first glance, the seitan mixture on corn tortillas and the side of guacamole may not appear so intimidating, but biter be careful! The infusion of chipotles, red peppers, and spicy onions gives these tacos a kick you won't be forgetting.

Fried Chicken

Readers' choice: Babe's Chicken Dinner House, 120 S Main St, Burleson

Critic's choice: Babe's

Picking the "best" fried chicken, around here anyway, is a loaded question. This particular comfort food is an integral part of Southern life, and no place does it better than Babe's. From the storybook architecture to the extra-friendly service, Babe's is the place to go for  old-fashioned fried chicken. They buy the best meat on the market and batter it in their version of secret spices. Then, in a bow to healthier eating, Babe's fries the goodies exclusively in canola oil.  The staff  makes the chicken in small batches to ensure that the first piece of the day and the last taste the same. The locally operated chain started in Roanoake and now has nine locations around North Texas.

Wait Staff

Readers' choice: Scott Berkman, Lambert's Steaks, Seafood & Whiskey

Critic's choice: Scott Berkman

Scottie B, as he's affectionately known, has a following that would make most bands jealous. A veteran of the Fort Worth fine-dining scene, Berkman has been charming local foodies with effortless grace and boundless energy for well over a decade. He's one of a rare breed of servers who can read people - in other words, he's appropriately casual and funny or formal and efficient, as the guests dictate.

Car Food

Critic's choice: Taqueria Acapulco, 1515 N Main St, FW

Let's say you want lunch, but you're too lazy to get out of your pajamas, let alone the car. With those handicaps, you're pretty much limited to a fast-food chain, which will leave you with a huge bag of trash for your floorboards and the sheen of undercooked french-fry grease on your steering wheel. That's why you need to go to Taqueria Acapulco's drive-thru window. The tacos are delicious, filling, and cheap, and you can get a real Coke in a glass bottle - not to mention burritos and tortas, too. Better still, the tacos come in paper boats, which doesn't seem like a big deal until you realize you don't have lettuce and mustard all over your lap.

Place to Dine Alone

Readers' choice: Studio Movie Grill, 225 Merchants Row, Arl

Critic's choice: Zorro's Buffet, 4421 S Fwy, FW

Ever had one of those days, say, after a night of drinking, when you're so hungry you could eat an old work boot as long as it was fried and covered in gravy? On days like that, Zorro's is your place. Not because their food tastes like a work boot, but because there are tons of every kind of food imaginable. It ain't four-star, but it's quite good. But go alone if you're really planning to lower your head in the hog trough and gorge. It's less embarrassing.

Meat/Seafood Market

Readers' choice: Central Market

Critic's choice: Central Market

Yeah, we know. Too pat. Too expected. Ho-hum. Still, given that seafood in the Fort generally means tilapia, fried catfish, or popcorn shrimp, Central Market changes the game. You like mussels, oysters, clams, scungilli, calamari - and yup, we do - where else you gonna get them? Hankering for fresh lobster to kill or a nice slab of swordfish? How about Pacific halibut? Oh, partner doesn't like seafood? Cross the aisle and order up some black angus porterhouse, a rack of lamb, organic chickens, or homemade sausage. Get the picture? If you want a great selection of fresh meats and seafood, this is the joint.

Place to Buy Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Readers' choice: Central Market

Critic's choice: Sprouts Farmers Market, 225 Randol Mill Rd, Southlake

Central Market and Whole Foods can't win this category every year, and this place up in the northeast has a good selection of organic produce in season. The vibe isn't as aggressively hip (the store pipes in oldies music), but the prices are competitive, all the products skew toward healthy living, and Sprouts also has a good selection of meats and cheeses to go with your greens.

Pan-Asian Restaurant

Readers' choice: (tie) Taste of Asia (multiple locations); Thai Tina's, 703 N Henderson St, FW

Critic's choice: Hot Bowl Café, 4021 Reggis Ct, FW

Appearances can be deceiving: Step inside this place located in a strip mall on the eastern edge of the city, and it looks just like an ordinary sports bar, with lots of TVs and a stripped-down chain-restaurant décor. Yet the restaurant offers both a delicious selection of pho and a menu of Chinese dishes that are served up in manageable portions and just enough sauce to flavor the entrée without drowning it. Green tea on ice and the Cowboys' game on TV are excellent accompaniments to your pot stickers and orange chicken.

Presentation

Critic's choice: Wasabi Sushi, 5443 S Hulen St, FW

Sure, presentation is an important part of the sushi experience - everything has to be aligned and paired up and sauce-squiggled just right - but it's not something most diners pay much attention to. Our eyes were opened during a visit to Wasabi Sushi: Apparently the sushi chef had set down one of our plates backward, so that the decorative snail, or possibly bunny, that had been fashioned from a lemon slice was facing (omigod) to the left. Luckily the hostess spotted the problem from across the room and swooped in to set things right. Believe it, after that we sure noticed how perfectly aligned and paired up and sauce-squiggled every Wasabi Sushi plate was. And yes, it actually did make the food taste even better.

Restaurant

Readers' choice: Mi Tierra Latin Fusion

Critic's choice: Lili's Bistro

Three years ago, only the pretentious (and the Weekly) were calling Magnolia Avenue and its handful of good eateries "Restaurant Row." That changed fast when longtime Fort Worth restaurateur Vance Martin opened Lili's Bistro in spring 2007. Lili's handsome, cozy room of original brick walls and half-tin, half-exposed ceilings, along with its creative menu of delicious twists on retro (wedge salad), modern (tenderloin with grilled pears), and global (wasabi scallops) dishes, quickly cemented Magnolia's place on the foodie map. Convival host Martin and exuberant chef Heather Hogan keep customer spirits high with good humor, a lovely wine list, and homey yet dazzling desserts. We're not waiting until the fall opening of his highly anticipated Cat City Grill, just a block east of Lili's, to dub Vance Martin the King of Magnolia Avenue.