FROM THE WIRES
The concept, spearheaded by Fort Worth’s noteworthy restaurateur/chef duo, Adam Jones and Chef Blaine Staniford, will offer traditional Italian food with a focus on seasonality
FORT WORTH, TX – 61 Osteria, an upscale Italian restaurant created by the well-known Fort Worth restaurateur, Adam Jones and award-winning Chef Blaine Staniford, will open in Downtown Fort Worth at 500 W 7th St., Fort Worth, TX 76102 in early 2023.
The name 61 Osteria derives from the building’s completion date in 1961 and the celebration of its 61st birthday this year. Owner, Adam Jones was also born in 1961, leading the name to be a perfect fit for the restaurant.
The origin of the word Osteria comes from Italy and means a place serving wine and simple food with a focus on local specialties.
Jones states, “After many years of Blaine and I discussing creating an Italian concept we decided now was the right time to make our vision come to life. Blaine has been with us for 14 years as culinary director for Grace and then Little Red Wasp where he has continued to introduce local diners to innovative and inspiring dishes, contributing to the evolving Fort Worth restaurant scene.”
61 Osteria will offer guests traditional Italian dishes with a focus on simple, seasonal ingredients sourced from the best quality and local farmers. The menu will be in constant rotation with the seasons in addition to a few stand-alone staples.
Chef Staniford says of the menu, “I believe truly exceptional Italian food comes from the source and when products are in the peak of their season. 61 Osteria won’t focus on a specific region of Italy but more on the traditional foods that come from all twenty regions.”
Chef Staniford has spent years cultivating relationships with local purveyors such as Mill King Dairy located in McGregor, TX to source milk for the restaurant’s fresh mozzarella made in-house daily. The pasta program features handmade and extruded pastas with wheat products from Barton Springs Mill located in Austin that will be made in a pasta room underneath the restaurant. 61 Osteria will also offer a rotating housemade salumi program to feature items such as fennel crusted lomo, black truffle salami and oregano-Calabrian chili coppa.
The essential refined culinary elements of the restaurant include a custom-made wood-burning hearth where grilled meats and fish are prepared alongside local and seasonal vegetables.
The beverage program will offer New World and Old World sparkling, white and red wines by the glass and bottle, with an emphasis on Italian producers. Classic and modern cocktails will be hand-prepared with fresh-squeezed juices, house-made simple syrup, and the finest spirits, always giving a nod to the Italian classics. Bottled and draft beers from local, domestic, and imported Italian producers will also be available.
The space is situated on the ground floor of what was originally known as the First National Bank building facing Burnett Park where guests can look out of the restaurant and see Jonathan Borofsky’s iconic “Man with a Briefcase” sculpture known as the western entrance to Downtown. The historic building was designed by the notable Skidmore Owings & Merrill of New York City and brought a Park Avenue sophistication to the prominent location when it opened in 1961.
Designed by Fort Worth-based architecture firm, Ibañez Shaw Architecture, the restaurant embraces the classic modern aesthetic of clear, elegant spaces defined by walls of lush natural materials. A sensuous, marble-clad form will be placed to define the bar and dining areas while allowing space to flow freely around it. While there is an overall unifying aesthetic, the bar is characterized by a bright, sunny palette of materials and fabrics, while in the dining room the tone is set by oak paneling and darker upholstery. Hovering above the central array of banquettes is a series of rectangular sculptural elements composed from a reflective metallic fabric.
Gregory Ibañez, Co-Principal of Ibañez Shaw Architecture explains, “The design of 61 Osteria takes full advantage of the transparent nature of the jewel box space, not only with views to Burnett Park, but also by creating a compelling image when viewed after dark. There is also outdoor seating on a plinth in the plaza containing one of the Noguchi sculptures, with dining tables and sofas surrounding a set of fire tables.”
The space is 7000 square feet with seating in the main dining room for 120 people, bar seating for 50, and an additional 30 outdoor dining seats and 15 lounge seats.
61 Osteria will open early 2023 for lunch, dinner, weekend brunch and Italian Sunday dinners served family-style.
61 Osteria
500 W 7th St.
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Instagram: 61osteria