Near Southside bakery Stir Crazy Baked Goods has spent the past few weeks moonlighting as a pizza joint. During the day, you can still load up on all your baked goods needs. But on select Monday and Saturday evenings, new local pop-up kitchen Black Cat Pizza takes over, dishing out terrific New York-style pizza by the slice. You should remember Black Cat chef Jamie Fernandez from his memorable stint as executive chef at nearby 44Bootlegger, which closed in April. He now divides his time cooking at Ellerbe Fine Foods and running his popular pizza pop-ups at Stir Crazy. "The idea came from my kids. They absolutely love pizza," he says. "Anyone who makes pizza will tell you: It's just a lot of fun." Fernandez keeps it simple, offering gargantuan slices of pizza topped with pepperoni, cheese and mushrooms, and variations thereof. He also offers at least one unusual specialty pie. A recent offering: a pizza with a salsa verde base. His next pop-up is scheduled for Stir Crazy on Saturday, Aug. 4.
1251 W. Magnolia Ave., Follow Black Cat Pizza on Instagram for more events @black_cat_pizza
Guatemalan food hasn't exactly been easy to come by in Fort Worth. But a charming new family-run restaurant on Sylvania Avenue is filling the void nicely. El Meson Chapin specializes in authentic Guatemalan fare - dishes such as kak"ik, a turkey soup made with puréed tomatoes, tomatillos and garlic; pache de papa, a Guatemalan tamale made with potato, chicken, chili peppers and tomato sauce; and pepian, a chicken stew in a spicy pumpkin and sesame sauce. Also on the menu are enchiladas, which aren't of the usual Tex-Mex variety. Rather, Guatemalan enchiladas are more akin to what we call tostadas. They're comprised of flat, crunchy tortillas topped with ground beef, lettuce, mayonnaise, sliced beet and a boiled egg. All entrees come with an order of excellent corn tortillas, made in-house. Many of the drinks are handmade, too, including the must-try atol de elote, a creamy, hot beverage made with sweet corn. The restaurant is run by Guatemala native Rolando Son and his family.
1560 N. Sylvania Ave., 682-385-9246.
Fort Worth's charmingly old-school pizza joint Parton's Pizza will celebrate the big 5-0 this year by expanding its dining room into the space next door - a huge deal for the Cherry Lane pizza spot, which has remained virtually unchanged since opening in 1968. The last location standing in what was originally a local mini-chain, the restaurant specializes in thin, crispy pizza, served by the whole pie or by the slice as part of the restaurant's massively popular buffet. The pizza's good, but people also pile in to awe at the scenery: flashing lights and over-the-top decor trumpeting the next major holiday, red-and-white tablecloths, sparkly red booths. "There will be much more of that," laughs owner Jody Parton. "Much, much more." Parton says construction should be finished in the next month or so.
2813 S. Cherry Lane, 817-244-5152.
If all goes according to schedule, much of the Texas Live! entertainment complex in Arlington will open on Thursday, Aug. 9. This will include Troy Aikman's self-named restaurant and sports bar, Troy's.; the third location of North Texas barbecue joint Lockhart Smokehouse; Pudge's Pizza, a pizza spot from Hall of Fame baseball catcher Iván "Pudge" Rodríguez; and the tentatively named Guy Fieri's Taco Joint, a tacos and margaritas-driven restaurant from celebrity chef Guy Fieri. Located between the Texas Rangers" Globe Life Park and Dallas Cowboys" AT&T Stadium, the $250 million dining, entertainment and hospitality district is being developed in partnership between the Texas Rangers, The Cordish Companies and the City of Arlington.
1650 E. Randol Mill Road, Arlington,texas-live.com.
The march of Dallas restaurants into Fort Worth continues with the arrival of Tricky Fish, a new concept from Addison-based Razzoo's. Slated to wash ashore at the Waterside development early August, the casual spot takes its cues from the Cajun-style food of New Orleans and the coastal cuisine of the Gulf. Menu items will include peel-and-eat shrimp, crawfish étouffée, po"boy and muffuletta sandwiches, fish and chips and lemon pepper shrimp tacos. For weekend brunch, there will be praline pancakes with orange cream and praline whiskey syrup, fried green tomatoes, and shrimp and grits made with bacon, corn and Shiner Bock barbecue sauce. There will be a full bar, too, with seasonal cocktails and craft beer. The first location of Tricky Fish opened last year in Addison.
5917 Convair Drive, Fort Worth,tricky-fish.com.