Cafe Modern is the type of place that has every right to be pretentious–the food is delicious, ridiculously unique and occasionally downright bizarre (Duck PB&J Sandwich, anyone?) and the view out over the reflecting pond is beautiful. But Cafe Modern is about as far from pretentious as you can get, and in contrast to many arty gourmet type places who serve dime-size portions of confounding concoctions, then charge $50 for the privilege of occupying their establishment, Cafe Modern serves hearty portions of comfort food-inspired cuisine with an artistic twist, and for the caliber of food you’re getting, their prices really aren’t bad.

Since I noticed they changed their menu recently, I stopped by on my lunch break this week. I didn’t even have to wait for a seat, and I got to sit right by the window overlooking the reflecting pond. It was a windy day, so the water was unusually active. It was a lovely sight.

Whenever I go to Cafe Modern, I have to order the iced tea. Their iced tea just might be the best in Fort Worth . . . or no, maybe even in all of Texas . . . and it’s well worth the $4 they charge (the refills are free, so drink up!).

I ordered the Spaghetti Squash, a surprisingly spicy vegetarian dish. The spaghetti squash was mixed with red quinoa, a high-protein, slightly nutty grain, and topped with Thai peanut curry cream and roasted vegetables. If you’re a fan of super spicy curry, this dish is your dream come true. My nose started running just a few bites in, but the spiciness still didn’t overpower the other flavors in the dish. In the background you can taste the nuttiness of the quinoa and the slight sweetness of the roasted spaghetti squash. There’s also a little smokiness lingering around in there. The squash was served with caramelized pearl onions, grilled carrots, red bell peppers, snow peas and Swiss chard. The caramelized onions were out of this world–soft, sweet and melt-in-your-mouth. In fact, I think the dish would be even better if they’d ditch the snow peas and replace them with more of those sweet, delicious onions. Overall, this is a great dish for a cold day. I had no idea what to expect from it flavor-wise, and I’m not normally a big fan of curry, so all around it was a pleasant surprise.

I skipped dessert on this outing (the Gastrognome still needs to fit in her clothes), but I’ve had their desserts many times before and I’ve never been disappointed. A past favorite of mine was the S’mores Cheesecake - a rich chocolate cheesecake with a graham cracker crust topped with broiled marshmallow gooiness. Amazing! Their current dessert selection includes the Root Beer Float Cupcake and Chipotle Chocolate Lava Cake.

Cafe Modern’s menu changes with each season, so if you see something you want to try, get over there soon before it’s gone. Their current lunch, brunch and dessert menus can be downloaded off The Modern’s website. Their current menu includes the Duck “PB&J” Sandwich (Bernie can vouch for its awesomeness), Shiner Bock Chili, Vegetable Samosa, and Pumpkin-Ginger French Toast. They also have a wide selection of wine and beer to choose from.

Join the Discussion: Most Commented Posts

• March 12, 2009 -- City Council Elections Shape Up
• August 17, 2008 -- A Conversation with Jerry Horton
• June 30, 2008 -- Eighth Avenue Showdown Postponed
• March 7, 2008 -- Stop Drilling on Eighth Avenue, Sign the Petition
• July 29, 2008 -- Discuss: Wendy Davis vs. Kim Brimer
• January 9, 2008 -- Will There Be A Lone Star International Film Festival In 2008?
• March 13, 2008 -- More West 7th Tenants Announced
• May 11, 2009 -- Goodbye To A River
• April 4, 2008 -- Berkeley, Mistletoe, and Ryan Place: Are You ready for this?
• September 25, 2008 -- Fort Worth Weekly Best of 2008 Awards