There’s an old southern idiom my grandparents used all the time. When I hadn’t seen them for a couple of weeks, they would tell me: “you sure are growing like a weed.” The same can be said for Fort Worth. Over the last several years, Panther City and its surrounding areas have exploded with growth and activity. With people moving to Texas in droves, entertainment and dining options are also popping up all across the area.
On the west side of town, near the hyper-exclusive Montserrat neighborhood, a new dining experience has hit the scene, with a retro feel and food that will make it a tour de force on the Fort Worth foodie landscape.
The Mont, which is the creation of co-owners Jason Cross and Jeff Payne, opened in early August to great acclaim, with glamorous 1950s-inspired décor to accompany the contemporary American style dishes. The first thing you notice as you enter The Mont is the inspiring view of the treetops beyond the massive windows at the rear of the restaurant. This view can also be enjoyed from the large patio at The Mont, which is perfect for those date night cocktails or an open-air meal, once the fall weather sets in.
The interior offers a unique color palette of olive greens, pinks and animal prints with gold and dark wood accents that really offer a trip back in time. Servers are also decked out in the olive green, with most wearing modern Nike Air Force 1s or Low Dunk Retro shoes to complete their unique ensemble.
The cocktail and wine programs at The Mont deliver exactly what you would expect when enjoying a fine dining experience. An on-site sommelier can guide you to the perfect bottle for your meal. The wine list is extensive – including whites, reds, rosé, burgundy, sparkling, and champagnes – ranging from around $60 a bottle, to the 2021 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru at $2,069. So, you can safely assume there is a little something for everyone when it comes to The Mont’s wine list.
Cocktails vary by season, and for late summer, they offered specialties like the Freezer Martini, which combines The Botanist Gin with Carpano Dry Vermouth, orange bitters, lemon peel and olive. Although I went with a standard iced tea, my wife chose the Pimm’d and Proper – their take on the classic Pimm’s Cup, a cocktail made popular at Wimbledon. The Mont’s version uses Pimm’s No. 1, lemon, Ginger Beer, lemon-lime soda and has plenty of fresh fruit to add some great summer flavors. It’s a can’t miss for happy hour during the sweltering Texas summer.
As with the cocktail program, The Mont offers changes to their menu seasonally, so you may check their website to be sure some of the dishes mentioned are still available if you plan to make a reservation. However, the rotating menu does provide variety from season to season, giving you plenty of reason to go back several times a year to see what Culinary Director Michael Artis has up his sleeve.
If you are a seafood fanatic, then The Mont offers something for everyone. Even if you are shellfish intolerant, there are several sea-faring options that will offer the taste of the ocean without having to worry about a reaction. We sampled the red snapper ceviche, which combines the succulent fish with a combination of pickled red onion, cilantro, and some jalapeño to add a little kick. This dish is like a Batman comic in your mouth. “POW”, you get some of the zesty lemon. “BAM”, here comes some orange as well. “ZAMM”, a little spice from the jalapeño. The whole thing is electric with flavor but doesn’t overpower the flavor of the snapper. And the crispy tostadas served with it offer a great crunch that hold up to the delicate fish. It’s light, bright, and perfect as summer begins to wind down. You could easily convince me to belly up to the gorgeous bar at The Mont, have a crisp cocktail and share the ceviche as a post round snack.
In addition to the ceviche, The Mont also offers cured fjord salmon, oysters on the half shell, and a smoked fish dip. Any of them will scratch your seafood itch and are perfect as a starter for the table, or to share while enjoying some cocktails or a cold beer at the bar. If you are looking for the ultimate trip to the coast, then go for the Fruits de Mer, which is a glorious combination of oysters, crab claws, Maine lobster, shrimp, ceviche, smoked fish dip all served with the traditional accompaniments. Although this will run you $125, it is enough for everyone at the table to sample some of The Mont’s seafood offerings and is a perfect way to begin your meal if you are celebrating a special night out among friends or business associates.
In addition to all the raw and chilled options, there are also a handful of snacks and small plates that can also serve as apps for your party. The deviled eggs took a stroll by our table with one of the servers and looked stupendous, with some shallot, chive, toasted breadcrumbs, and topped with caviar and smoked fish roe. There is also a great charcuterie that rotates meats and cheeses based on season. It also comes complete with pâté, house pickles and grilled bread. It’s everything a great charcuterie should be.
One of the small plates I couldn’t leave without trying was the lobster hush puppies. This combo of two favorites comes out piping hot, and the light, fluffy corn batter combined with the delicate, sweet lobster meat is the perfect meeting of flavor profiles. They come on a little dollop of mustard and truffle aioli, which add a little creaminess to these little fried balls of greatness.
Main courses and Butcher’s Cuts are stupendous and flavorful. If you are sticking with seafood, then the Cobia is a great option. It comes with summer beans, garlic emulsion, some grilled lettuce and a great chicken jus. Grouper and Monkfish tail are other fish options on the mains menu.
If you like chicken, then the Cluck is a great choice. It’s a juicy roasted breast with a fried thigh, some squash, foie gravy and hot pepper sauce. It’s the best of both world’s when it comes to the yard bird, and the gravy is to die for. It’s a rib sticking option, but well worth the extra calories, and the whole dish ties together wonderfully.
If you are fiend for red meat like I am, then The Mont offers you multiple options. You can go with one of the Butcher’s Cuts and then a la carte your sides, or, if you are like me, you can go for the Beef Strip Au Poive. This wagyu strip came with some creamy potato purée and a savory green peppercorn sauce. Steak and potatoes with a silky sauce. You simply can’t go wrong. Butcher’s Cuts include the eight-ounce filet, a 20-ounce ribeye, or a 16-ounce strip. Each steak is Irodori wagyu, which offers some of the best marbling you can find when it comes to beef.
There is one more option on the Butcher’s Cut portion of the menu that must be brought to your attention. Often times, pork chops are overlooked on fine dining menus, as diners go for a great steak or seafood options. But the double long bone pork chop at The Mont is a serious player on their already fantastic menu. Juicy with a wonderful char, it’s one of the better chops I have sampled in the City of Fort Worth. It comes with some dressed greens and some of their “Mont Sauce”, which is a sticky-sweet steak sauce for dipping. Add some potato puree, summer squash, Brussels sprouts or roasted mushrooms as a side to complete the meal.
No fine dinner is complete without dessert. There are a few to consider at The Mont, like the chocolate sesame cake or the cinnamon sugar doughnuts. But in August, we had to go for the ice cream sandwich, which dazzled with salted vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two chocolate pecan cookies. If you loved Pecan Sandies as a kid, the cookie on the outside is similar, with a little hint of chocolate mixed in. It also comes with some additional chocolate sauce on the plate for dipping.
Service at The Mont is as efficient as any restaurant I have ever seen. You might expect a place only open a few weeks to experience some growing pains with service, but not at The Mont. Service was like a Swiss watch, as water, tea, and cocktails will remain full throughout your visit, and orders are placed all at once, and then staggered by the kitchen staff. Watching their staff work was a thing of beauty. Everything came out perfect from the apps to the way our meats were prepared.