Foodie Events / Restaurants

Two Downtown Fort Worth Hotels Bring in High-Profile New Chefs — See What’s Changing at Toro Toro and il Modo

Keeping It Fresh

BY // 03.11.22

Two powerhouse Fort Worth restaurants have new chefs taking over in the kitchen. Both are located downtown, and both are inside posh hotels. First, Toro Toro inside the Worthington Hotel is bringing in new executive chef Jonathan Esparza. Italian restaurant il Modo, located on the ground level of the new Kimpton Harper Hotel, also has a new chef in Greg Pawlowski.

Toro Toro landed in Fort Worth in the fall of 2019 as the first Texas location for chef and restaurateur Richard Sandoval’s international restaurant power. There are also Toro Toros in far-flung hotspots like Dubai and Istanbul. Each Toro Toro restaurant opening means the rock star treatment. In Fort Worth, guests got to walk through pillars of fire at the entrance. Another Toro Toro opened in Houston in November and the Dom Perignon flowed.

Sandoval will make two special public appearances in Fort Worth later this month. On Wednesday, March 30, he will will host a special Latin American Experience dinner in partnership with Clase Azul at Toro Toro to introduce Chef Esparza, who will continue to build on the contemporary steakhouse experience with the Pan-Latin flavors that Toro Toro is known for in many ways.

The special dinner begins at 6:30 pm and tickets are $220 with limited seats available via Open Table Experiences (click here for tickets). A portion of the dinner proceeds will additionally benefit humanitarian efforts of World Central Kitchen.

While he’s in town to promote his new Fort Worth chef, Sandoval will appear alongside chef Esparza for the very first time, representing Toro Toro at Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival’s Tacos + Tequila kickoff event at The Heart of the Ranch on Thursday, March 31.

Toro Toro’s new executive chef Jonathan Esparza will join Richard Sandoval at two events this month in Fort Worth.

“This year, Jonathan will offer his unique sense of creativity to Toro Toro’s menus and our seasonal programming and events,” Sandoval says in a statement. “We are excited to collaborate for the first time at the Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival and create one of our favorite taco and tequila pairings for Fort Worth foodies.”

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Well versed in Latin culture and cuisine, Chef Esparza is a culinary graduate of Universidad Tegnologica De Bahia De Banderas and Culinary School of Nayarit, Mexico. He comes to Fort Worth after serving as chef de cuisine and banquet chef for Four Seasons Rancho Encantado in Sante Fe, New Mexico, where he also created the menus.

Esparza will also join top Fort Worth chefs and as they show off their grilling talents at Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival’s grand finale — Ring of Fire: A Next-Level Cookout — on Sunday, April 3.

The Kimpton’s New Head Man

Fort Worth’s first-ever Kimpton hotel, The Harper, opened in June. Along with it came modern Italian restaurant il Modo and its penthouse level bar, known as Refinery 714. The menu was modest to begin with as the hotel opened just as the world was emerging from its COVID hibernations.

Now, the restaurant has a new executive chef who is expanding and re-envisioning the menus, and the possibilities. Pawlowski has rolled out new menus for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. I recently checked it out on follow-up visit. Read my first taste review here.

New executive chef Greg Pawlowski is now reaching aboard, expanding the menu at il Modo.

Born and raised in Michigan, Pawlowski learned many of his techniques from watching his native Italian grandmother cook for their family. He also brings an extensive resume. He began his studies at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, before going to work under Wolfgang Puck ― opening four restaurants over eight years. Pawlowski most recently ran kitchens for other notable hoteliers such as Westin Hotels & Resorts and W Hotels.

Pawlowski has expanded the pasta section of il Modo’s menu, which now includes six pasta dishes (notably the new linguine and clam sauce, and the new rigatoni with dry aged beef Bolognese), as well as a risotto dish featuring rock shrimp and creamy mascarpone cheese. He has also added to wood-fired pizzas to the menu ― a classic Margherita and a daily chef’s creation.

New braised lamb shank with parmesan polenta at il Modo. Photo by Courtney Dabney.

On a previous visit to il Modo, my party shared the grilled Branzino ― a lavish whole sea bass entree. The new shared main dish for the table is the show-stopping 42-ounce Florentine porterhouse. It’s a massive bone-in cut of meat served with roasted garlic and bone marrow butter ($120). Since our table only consisted of two, we took a pass on it for now, but will remember it when we return with a larger group.

Plus, we already had our eye on two other new menu items. The six ounce filet is served with blistered tomatoes and the most interesting side I’ve tried in quite a while. Grilled cippolini onions arrived positively blackened. The plate was painted with rich balsamic, hinting at the reason for their noir hue. Still, nothing prepared us for the sweet and silky flavor bomb, only a small forkful added to the perfectly prepared filet’s enjoyment.

il Modo’s new dessert – traditional cannoli filled with creamy mascarpone. Photo by Courtney Dabney.

The braised lamb shank is fall-off-the-bone tender, plated atop parmesan polenta and draped by a rich romesco and pan jus sauce, imparting its almond and red pepper notes. We enjoyed a side of brussels sprouts dressed in guanciale bits, and more cippolini onion and balsamic, topped with a snowdrift of fluffy parmesan.

For dessert, along with the stunning tiramisu, there’s now a traditional cannoli. Pawlowski also has plenty of seasonal programming planned. From elaborate themed wine dinners to private pasta making classes in il Modo’s pasta room.

These new chefs with impressive pedigrees are adding to Fort Worth’s downtown restaurant power.

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