In Fort Worth, it’s always the season of Love.
Or more specifically, chef Tim Love.
With 10 different restaurant concepts (and counting) in Fort Worth alone, his influence on the city’s hospitality scene can be felt around every corner. Add to that a boutique hotel, and you could easily spend an entire weekend doing nothing but Love-related activities.
Trust us, becuase we did just that.
In February, we spent a few days with fellow journalists as Love’s guests to immerse ourselves in his varied concepts throughout Cow Town. It was all to promote a celebration of the 25th anniversary of his iconic Lonesome Dove Western Bistro.
We’d like to share highlights from our trip so you can plan your own indulgent commemoration of the celebrity chef’s milestone silver anniversary in Fort Worth.
Where to Stay
We’ve heard of Hotel Otto for years, but always assumed it was named after a beloved German grandpa or something. Instead, it’s Italian for “eight.” It references the cozy bungalows made from eight storage containers (which has grown to nine, but why change the name to Hotel Nove now?)
Similar to the accommodations at Getaway Piney Woods, these compact overnight accommodations provide an intimate space for a romantic weekend or a chill solo retreat to Fort Worth. Each bungalow features a rooftop deck with fire pit, a super-comfy bed, wonderful bath amenities, and a complimentary build-your-own-Aperol-Spritz kit mere steps from the front door.
In fact, Aperol branding can be seen throughout the property, so if you love yourself and Aperol Spritz, you’ll be in pure heaven, whether lounging poolside or staring at the Trinity River from your rooftop.
On-site, you can enjoy your first taste of chef Tim Love’s culinary creativity at Gemelle, an Italian bistro with incredible pasta dishes and to-die-for pizzas (pictured above). It’s also the kitchen where incredible room-service breakfasts help you start your day off deliciously.
With Hotel Otto as your home base, it’s now time to explore some more Love concepts around town.
Where to Eat
From May 2-6, Chef Love will create a special 25-course meal that reflects on the two-and-a-half decades of Lonesome Dove menus. We got to preview it last month and it features one winner after the other.
Reserve a table NOW, though, because spots for the $250-per-person tasting will certainly sell out.
Before you fret over a 25-course meal stretching out for hours, put your fears aside. Rather than a true 25 courses, one after another, this is more like five courses with five tastings during each. The menu is broken down into Sea, Air, Land, Beef and Sweet with a quintet of delectable options with each round of service.
Highlights include snapper ceviche with corn nuts; duck pozole with duck bacon; kangaroo larb tacos; snow-aged Wagyu with mole; and a mini Tuaca cappuccino flan.
It’s quite the extravagantly special meal and well worth booking an entire weekend around.
What to Do
It wouldn’t be a proper trip to Fort Worth without at least a couple of hours in the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District. We recommend kicking things off during the first of two cattle drives for the day at 11:00 a.m. and follow that up with lunch around the corner at Love’s Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall. Of course, you could do the 4:30 p.m. cattle drive and follow it up with happy hour and dinner (plus live music!) and that would be a splendid use of time, too.
Tannahill’s Tavern takes guests on a culinary journey through classic Texas fare, from chicken fried steak and barbecue to fun twists such as the can’t-miss smoked crab and green chili dip. Cocktails are excellent, too, so come as hungry and thirsty as possible to share several options among the table.
Work off a little of your meal by popping across the street to the Ariat Brand Shop for a pair of cowboy boots. Then, bring them back across the street to the Love Collection inside Tannahill’s. There, you can get them branded with your initials and/or favorite Texas-themed icons. We chose our initials and a star (pictured above) to butch up our purple boots.
Head back to Hotel Otto for a little rest, then come back to the Music Hall at night for a show. It’s a large enough venue for some really cool acts, but intimate enough that you’ll have a great view from anywhere in the music hall.
Even if you can’t make it specifically for the 25th-anniversary celebration of Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, you can easily build a weekend itinerary by leading with a whole lot of Love.
Chef Tim Love Restaurant Concepts
cheftimlove.com
Hotel Otto
hotelottoftw.com
