Howdy and Happy Holidays, readers! It’s the most wonderful time of the year during the craziest year ever, but we’ve nearly made it! What a time to be alive and witness so much history being made!
I think one of the many things to come from the pandemic is just how much we individually serve and feed our economy, seeing that one of the biggest ways to do this is by going and supporting restaurants safely in any way we can. So before closing out 2020 I needed to make a stop at a new outdoor, rooftop restaurant in cowtown…Branch and Bird.
In the heart of downtown on the twelfth floor of 640 Taylor St is this new restaurant that boasts all the health precautions diners look for in 2020, all the dining options, and a delicious and extensive menu to boot. Walking out onto the terrace you see the bright holiday lights of Fort Worth’s Sundance Square and feel as though you’re transported to New York City. The ambiance is lit with twinkling lights and warming heat lamps making eating outside bearable and enjoyably crisp.
The drinks menu is already exquisite but they had some exciting specials including this whiskey concoction and their house sangria, offered hot or cold. The starters of the menu are also intriguing, but none so much so as the toasted goat cheese, which our lovely server highly recommended. With warm apricot bacon jam and crostini’s, the goat cheese was delightfully warm giving sweet, salty, cheesy goodness in each bite.
With everything from roasted chicken to salmon agnolotti, the Branch and Bird menu evokes sophistication and class with what I believe to be reasonable prices. The quality can be seen just in the descriptions alone. With so many alluring options to choose from, I first turned to trusty social media where the gnocchi pork ragu appears quite a lot. I was further convinced when our server concurred and suggested the gnocchi…
The presentation is quite show stopping and very Instagram worthy (follow me @critiquingcarnivore!) Everything was cooked beautifully, the mountain of burrata cutting through the richness of the sauce and pork. My only complaint was seasoning, which in the large scheme is minuscule. A little more than a three finger pinch of salt was needed in my opinion and I would have loved to have seen and tasted some fresh basil. All in all for Texas I was satisfied with this Italian staple dish.
It was quiet when I dined here, but regardless our server was fantastic. She checked on the table often, nicely interrupting and kindly checking in. She made the table feel comfortable and she was pleasant and appeared happy to be working, even if we couldn’t see her smiling you knew she was. Food came out quickly and plates were cleared swiftly, which was handy at a smaller tabletop.
Branch and Bird met and exceeded my expectation in terms of how elegant and beautifully crafted everything from the menu to the vibe was. With so many downtown restaurants having to close their doors, I hope Branch and Bird flourishes because I think it will become my new favorite go-to spot in Downtown Fort Worth. It is perfect for future evening dinners before going to the ballet or for a chill girls night enjoying the view.
The Critiquing Carnivore 