Duchess Restaurant - Olive oil poached blue prawans with fried crackers and citrus kosho Louie sauce. (Photo by Drew Gorrie)
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Chef Marcus Kopplin's pretty platings include this Basque cheesecake with micro greens and blackberries. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)
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Duchess Restaurant - Gigli and Cheese side dish, served piping hot in a cast iron casserole dish, topped with bruleed brown sugar crust. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)
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Now that the newly restored and recently opened Nobleman Hotel has arrived in Fort Worth’s Near Southside, guests are flocking in to get a taste of the hotel’s signature restaurant. The menu was concepted by Top Chef alum, and chef of the former Brownstone, Casey Thompson. Duchess has now been passed into the capable hands of its newly named executive chef, Marcus Kopplin, who worked with her on the opening menu. Here’s a peek at Duchess inside The Nobleman Hotel.
Fort Worth Digital Diary joined a packed house at Duchess to get our first taste last weekend.
Marcus Kopplin is a 2012 graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, with experience that spans from Utah to Austin, Dallas, and Fort Worth. He served as Executive Chef at Clay Pigeon Food & Drink, and served as sous chef alongside Chef Preston Paine during the opening of Emilia’s inside The Crescent Hotel Fort Worth. Kopplin helmed the kitchen at Lyla Restaurant in Dallas, as well. Now he takes the lead inside The Nobleman Hotel’s Duchess Restaurant.
“Building on the foundation Chef Thompson laid, I’m committed to our focus on a seasonal, locally driven menu,” says Marcus Kopplin. “We partner with nearby farms and ranches and frequent area farmers markets to create our weekly specials — I’m passionate about using fresh, vibrant ingredients to create dishes that feel both sophisticated and familiar.”
Kopplin, who is famous for his attention to detail and plating lovely dishes, tells Fort Worth Digital Diary that the menu at Duchess will change seasonally, and that Casey Thompson will still collaborate as new items are conceived.
The ground floor dining room is found just past The Nobleman Hotel’s restored section where you’ll find the check-in and lobby, inside the circa 1911 Sanguinet & Staats designed building, formerly known as Fire Station No. 5.
If you arrive early, you can duck into the lovely and bright hotel bar for a little pre-game cocktail at its massive marble bar top. Or avail yourself of the comfy lounge seating.
The Duchess Ranch Water is described as a “bright, mango-kissed take on the Texas classic, and the Lucchese Craftsman, a vibrant blend of tequila, orchard apricot liqueur, strawberry, and ginger.”
Along with a selection of wines and beers, including some from Fort Worth’s local craft breweries, you’ll find a collection of classic and signature cocktails.
The Smoke & Glass features Buffalo Trace Bourbon, syrup, and bitters served under a glass cloche filled with a gentle (not overpowering) smoke. The Station No. 5 is a refreshing Bombay Sapphire-based creation, with fresh lime juice and strawberry puree, elderflower syrup, and a ginger beer float.
The modern and cozy dining room of Duchess awaits just across the hallway, where you’re likely to bump into friends like we did. The breezy patio will extend dining seating seasonally as well.
The big question has been what’s on the menu? Since it has not been released online yet, it’s remained a bit of a mystery. Kopplin explains that the restaurant website is in the works and will be launched soon.
Shareable starters also include a Gulf snapper crudo, beef carpaccio on hashbrowns, an avocado pizza with scallion aioli, a Niman Ranch beef tartare, and chilled oysters. There is a popular charred eggplant and fried onion dip as well as a fried burrata served with tomato butter, too.
Our meal began with three plump, tail-on, olive oil-poached blue prawns. The dish had a pool of citrus Kosho Louie sauce for dipping, a nibble of shredded lettuce salad and a fan of boldly seasoned fried crackers.
We split the A La Wedge salad as well. The half baby iceberg salad is topped with fried shallots, micro chives, dehydrated tomato raisins, and a savory buttermilk ranch dressing. One of the best and most unusual summery wedge salads in town.
On our first trip, we opted for the rainbow trout and a prime filet. The trout was a hearty butterflied portion, served in a classic brown butter sauce. The fish was tender and clean tasting, topped with French-style green beans and roasted peanuts, with a lemon wedge and fresh herbs. It was hard to beat.
Likewise, the filet was the tenderest cut, topped with compound truffle butter, and a side of lightly tossed watercress. Fort Worth is known for its steak snobbery. Rest assured this filet one is up there with some of the best. Steak sauces include a garlicky green sauce, a fresh horseradish crème fraiche, and a miso Bearnaise. We can highly recommend the light and flavorful miso Bearnaise.
You also have the choice of a buttermilk-brined roasted chicken with crispy potatoes, The Lucky Pig, which is salt-brined pork belly served with fresh tortillas, pickles, and sauces, or an interesting fried eggplant schnitzel in a Ritz cracker crust with poblano chimichurri, savory yogurt, and wilted greens. Other mains include a blue crab agnolotti with morels, English peas, pancetta, and lemon butter, and a griddled jalapeño-onion burger.
Desserts include a light mango sticky rice and a toffee date cake. We sampled the Basque cheesecake. It was not a sweet dessert. In fact, without the tres leches style caramel sauce on the plating, the cheesecake was more of a savory. It’s Basque because it is crustless and has a burnt exterior, which imparts interesting notes when paired with the rich sauce. And, what a beauty.
Duchess inside The Nobleman Hotel is only open for breakfast and dinner seven days a week. Make your reservations through Resy.
