Okay, getting back to our time in Ft. Worth.
For lunch on Tuesday, we went to Riscky’s BBQ. There are several Riscky’s restaurants in Fort Worth, but this is the one in what’s called Sundance Square, which is a sort of shopping and dining district downtown. We had eaten there once before so it was an easy choice. I got pork ribs. Martha had brisket.
How was it? Delicious, IMHO. There are two things that Texas does sans pareil, grow flowers in spring (see the BlueBonnets in this state at least once before you die) and cook barbecue. Best meat going. No doubt.
Martha At Lunch
My problem is that I’m still a Texas BBQ novice. Most of the time, regardless of the restaurant or the setting, it all tastes really good to me. A real gourmet, who had spent a lifetime at the grill, would doubtless cringe in horror at some of the things I’ve wolfed down without complaint – the same way that those who love Italian food will react when they see some Philistine gobbling canned pasta. (“Spaghetti? In a can? A can? Argh!!!”) But, I’m still new enough to Texas that I’m not there yet. Maybe in a few decades I will develop a more sophisticated palate and know what isn’t best. Though, whether that would be a good thing or a bad is unclear to me. Right now, after all, I’m enjoying myself.
Anyway, we finished lunch and walked over to the actual Sundance Square. This is a largish, open area…a square, obviously…where the city’s residents can gather and sit under huge umbrella-like structures. It is hard to say exactly what the umbrella-things look like. I’ll post some pictures in the comments. But, basically, think of the mushrooms you’d see in a music video by a ‘90s Jefferson Airplane tribute band doing a cover of White Rabbit. With ‘srooms. Lots and lots and LOTs of ‘srooms. The size of redwoods.
Where was I? Oh, yes. Sundance Square. Under and around the ‘srooms, there are little tables and chairs, and places to get food and drink, and of course there’s high end shopping all about. We got an iced coffee at a handy Starbucks and spent some time wandering around. We looked at shops, did a bit of window-shopping, and generally made notes for future visits.
Among the S'rooms
It is funny. Fort Worth, like San Antonio and Waco, feels more like an Eastern City. There is a recognizable downtown. There are large buildings, and some of them pre-date the 1960s and the great transformation of American architecture into an endless succession of gigantic glass boxes. As a result, Martha and I are comfortable there. It reminds us of Boston and Cambridge.
That said, there is something odd about Fort Worth’s downtown. To wit, it feels empty. There are people about, going to and from work, but there are few crowds. The streets are, well, not vacant, but there are no teeming masses either. Why? I’m trying to find that out. But, my guess is that Fort Worth is like a lot of Western Cities. They grew up with the auto, and so while people may work downtown, and may go there for entertainment, not many actually live there. Thus, weirdly, you will have city centers that are crowded with office complexes, but whose actual population density will approach zero.
Though, for the dedicated urbanite, the result is close to utopia – an area with the amenities of a city, but no crowding.
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By this time, Martha had become tired so we headed back to the hotel for a rest. We dozed a bit, then got jolted back into wakefulness by a call to Martha’s phone by someone who had “ been trying to contact you about your car warranty.” (Mumbled obscenities here.) Then, the question was what to do.
We decided to head back to Downtown to have a drink. We were too full from our titanic lunch to eat supper, but we figured a snack and a cocktail would do nicely. So, after a bit, we headed on out. Full of confidence. Figuring we’d have a quiet evening and quiet drink and then go home for some well-deserved sleep.
Boy.
Were we wrong.
More to come.
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About the photos: the first is of Martha at Riscky’s, the second is of her standing under one of the big umbrella-things in Sundance Square.
And as for the White Rabbit, here you go:
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