A First Taste of The Mont, Now Open Near Montserrat

On August 7, The Mont opened as one of the first fine dining restaurants on Fort Worth’s far Westside. The swanky new eatery by Jeff Payne and Jason Cross is located just outside the Montserrat neighborhood at 4729 Saint Amand Circle. With so much growth of high-end homes in this sector of town, Payne and Cross seem to be positioned slightly ahead of the curve. More will follow. Here’s our first taste of The Mont, and what’s in store for Westside diners.

The view from the valet stand is clean and fresh in this new build space. Its metal and glass façade is sleek, reflecting a row of Montserrat homes, and lined with new plantings. The only hint at what awaits inside is the mid-century font welcoming you to “The Mont”.

Inside The Mont, you’ll find that many of the parking lot-facing windows have been draped by floor-to-ceiling rust-colored velvet drapes, adding depth and coziness to the massive dining room and bar. This is where Kellye Raughton of Maven Interiors worked her magic on this blank box.

The lavish space is filled with plush banquettes and scattered tables with upholstery hinting at a midcentury staple palette of orange and avocado tones (yet the colors she has chosen are elevated). It’s a nod, not an homage to the Mid-Mod era. Warm wood tones, wavy tile underfoot, and lighting choices, including sputnik elements, add to the Rat Pack period ambiance. It’s a yummy space.

The patio will be a coveted roost with a sweeping view during cooler months. The main dining has a central U-shaped bar, topped with swirling green marble, and a waterfall of metallic mesh draped overhead. It’s dramatic and inviting.

Fine Dining Vision A Success

We were seated in the smaller dining room with a glass wall view into the kitchen, where Chef Michael Arlt was busy giving every dish a once-over and wiping rims on their way out the double doors. The room can also be enclosed for private dining.

The Mont’s cocktail program lends a bit of Mad Men mystique with recipes drawn from a list of classics. The Freezer Martini is made with Nolet’s silver gin, Dolin dry vermouth, orange bitters, and served with a lemon peel and olive.

The pricey Mont Old Fashioned ($35) is prepared with The Mont’s own barrel of Garrison Brothers’ single-barrel bourbon. I enjoyed the Fighter Plane, made with Blackland Texas rye, Amaro Nonino, Solerno blood orange, and lemon, served with a tiny paper plane in the rim.

Shared Plates Set The Tone For a Memorable Meal

Several tables were noshing on an array of seafood from the Fruits de Mer sampler. The centerpiece bowl is iced down and filled with oysters on the half shell, crab claws, Maine lobster, ceviche, and smoked fish dip. Perfect for sharing.

The fine dining event began with an amuse-bouche. It was a tomato and ginger gazpacho shooter. Next, we sampled the cured hidden fjord salmon for starters. Two generous slices of uncured salmon were surrounded by spoons of smoked tomato relish, fresh baby tomato slices, herbs, and a dollop of chile lime espuma (foam), which was just slightly spicy. It was both clean and rich, but not my favorite dish of the evening.

House-made rolls are served with cultured butter churned in-house, and dusted with sea salt and fennel pollen.

We also ordered the scallops, which were served in a small bowl. The scallops were so hearty that they were cut in half for plating, with crusty tan tops and firm texture. The base of the sweet corn puree was delicious. The dish was topped with a bit of chow chow and a brown butter-lemon nage with a hint of sweetness. It had a balanced flavor and was a lovely presentation.

Mouthwatering Main Courses and Excellent Steaks

Unfortunately, our table for two couldn’t order one of the items listed under “Feast for the Table,” including a whopping 42-ounce Irodori Wagyu Tomahawk ($225), or the black garlic-glazed duck served whole ($99) or half ($51). But that would be a lot of fun for a larger group, on a return visit.

The grouper was a thick piece plated atop wilted greens. The dish was surrounded by steamed black mussels and dressed with a pine nut pesto, which added a brightness to the grouper. The dish was resting in a fumet broth.

The star of the show was an Irodori wagyu New York Strip sourced from Creekstone Farms in Kansas. The superior cut of meat is renowned for its richly marbled beef from their cross of black angus and Japanese wagyu, fed a corn-based diet.

In a steak city like Fort Worth, this one is simply a cut above, not quite fork-tender but very close. And the flavor was perfect, evenly marbled throughout, simply seasoned, and served up medium rare. The 16-ounce New York strip runs $80, and is served with a side of greens and a bit of tangy Mont sauce.

We added the baby lettuce salad for a side dish and could not have been happier. The garlic and almond vinaigrette, layered with freshly grated goat cheese, made it sing. Before dessert, a palate cleanser arrived ― a refreshing basil and cantaloupe ice pop.

Save Room For Dessert

Pastry Chef Camilla Payet served up some lovely desserts, too. The buttermilk tart was sided by strawberry jam and unsweetened whipped crema. Simple and classic. And the chocolate cardamom cake was a spongy, smoky, and not too sweet slice. It was decorated with tiny dollops of caramel, sweetened toasted coconut, and a spoon of lime and coconut sorbet on the side, along with a crispy flat cookie.

Owner Jason Cross tells Fort Worth Digital Diary that as the chefs came into place, along with the elevated design of the space, it just needed to be fine dining. “It’s fine dining, but the atmosphere is not stuffy.” An elevated dining experience, with a laid-back vibe ― no jacket required.

He says Beverly’s Mexican, which they are completing in downtown Fort Worth, will hopefully be open before the end of the year. It promises more fine dining ― this time, elevated Mexican cuisine.