The sad truth is that many of the family-run institutions we’ve known and loved aren’t around anymore. Times and tastes have changed, and there is a long list of now-defunct bakeries and restaurants that looked like they had been, and would be, around forever. Though the Swiss Pastry Shop runs a brisk business serving breakfast and lunch to a loyal clientele, you can imagine the time capsule of a little bakery slipping slowly down the long path to extinction, wood-paneled walls in tow.
Since the Muller family opened the doors in 1972, the Swiss Pastry Shop has been a stalwart and sentimental favorite in a city that’s on the move — but the shop itself seemed like the sort of place that would die off rather than adapt. Fortunately, second-generation owner and head baker Hans Peter Muller has taken over the family store with a mind to build on a legacy and expand the brand. Together with Chef Peter Kreidler, Muller seems committed to keeping everything that works (which is quite a lot) while adding some bold touches of his own. Whether it’s chocolate chip cookies by the dozen or the legendary Black Forest “uncake,” the old favorites are still on display — but diners can now enjoy a selection of gourmet Akaushi beef burgers and a recently added dinner service.
[box_info]
Swiss Pastry Shop
3936 West Vickery Blvd, FW. 817-732-5661. Tue-Sat 5pm-9pm. All major credit cards accepted.
[/box_info]
German cuisine is underrepresented in our part of Texas, generally, but it is the centerpiece of Chef Kreidler’s dinner menu. Our server gushed as he explained the kitchen’s focus on preparing classic family recipes using locally sourced ingredients and the best meats available. The result is a chef-driven portfolio of German-Texan dishes that is as vibrant and exciting as anything found in Fredericksburg or New Braunfels. A respectable selection of local beers makes the experience complete.
The menu doesn’t screw around with a lot of false modesty. The Alpen Macaroni appetizer is billed as the “world’s best,” and I can’t say with any confidence that it wasn’t. A bubbling terrine of pasta and Gruyère, spiked with bacon and potatoes, arrived under a crisp dome of breadcrumbs. There was plenty to share. With a bit of salad, this decadent dish could have been a meal in itself. And I can’t tell you what potatoes were doing in my mac ’n’ cheese, but I can tell you it worked.
The potato pancakes weren’t as flashy. In fact they were a bit soft, with a delicate herbal flavor and served with homemade apple compote and sour cream. Had they been a little crispier, they might have been a contender for “world’s best” in their class, too.
Leading the list of entrées was a classic wienerschnitzel, a beautiful slice of Niman Ranch pork loin pounded thin and pan-fried until perfectly crispy. It was served with homemade herbed spätzle — a squiggly mound of pasta-like dumplings — and braised red cabbage, tangy and sweet.
Even better was the weisswurst, coins of veal and pork sausage sautéed with mushrooms, piled high on a bed of thyme mashed potatoes, and drowned in a white wine sauce that will make you wonder why you hardly ever see white wine sauce on menus anymore.
On the off chance that Teutonic dining isn’t your thing, the kitchen also offers its full lunchtime menu of gourmet hamburgers during dinner. The Texas Akaushi beef is worth a try, and the green chile bacon cheeseburger is a great way to try it — though it’s more salt and fat than anyone needs. The chopped Hatch chile was fiery and fresh, and the bakery roll it was served on was toasted almost to the point of being charred.
If the menu has a weakness, it’s that there isn’t much for a vegetarian to get excited about. It would be nice to see something other than a veggie burger and a couple of salads. But until that happens, our vegetarian friends can fend off starvation by doubling up on any of the bakery’s near-perfect desserts.
Stuffed to the gills, my guests and I still managed to polish off (in no particular order): a mammoth wedge of banana cream pie, the most beautiful slice of peach pie I have ever seen (served cold and better for it), and — because tradition still matters — a towering, teetering block of Black Forest “uncake.”
[box_info]Swiss Pastry Shop
Potato pancakes $7
Alpen Macaroni $7
Wienerschnitzel $12
Weisswurst $12
Green chile bacon cheeseburger $11
Black Forest cake $2.95[/box_info]
Haven’t tried their dinner yet, but their burgers & Texas cheese steak rank right at the top of the food chain here in Fort Worth.
Some of the best food there is. I’ve been dining at SWP for 25 years (minus the 12 I spent in exhile in Seattle). My first stop when I finally came home, tormented by photos on SWP’s Facebook page. I was not disappointed.
Not much of a carnivore, I almost fainted with delight with the Fort Worth Cheesesteak. It is that delicious!