S'mores No More

Tillman's Roadhouse Fort Worth closes to prep for radical reboot

Say see-ya to the s'mores: The Fort Worth branch of Tillman's Roadhouse will close, to be replaced by something new, something different: a hybrid concept called Fort Worth Market & Table.

According to owners Sara Tillman and Todd Fiscus, the last supper for Tillman's will be August 22. "We want to use these last two weeks to celebrate the last five-and-a-half years here," Fiscus says.

Fort Worth Market & Table, their new concept, will debut in October with celebrity chef "Kalen Jane" Morgenstern, who was a contestant on the 13th season of Hell's Kitchen, and who was Fort Worth Tillman's chef de cuisine.

"FW Market + Table will be an entirely new concept and remodeled space, but remain under the same ownership," Fiscus says. "We are excited for the new concept and think it will fit nicely in the West 7th area."

Market + Table will bring together three dining/food concepts: Market, The Living Room @ Market, and Table.

Morgenstern will serve as executive chef and general manager. "It’ll be updated, very modern, chic, completely different from what Tillman's was," she says. "No wooden deer heads or giant chandeliers. Those were beautiful, but this will be a different space."

They're not only reconfiguring the space; they're refashioning the entire model and menu into a combination restaurant and market, with a grab-and-go deli case in front and a more formal restaurant in the back.

Opening at 7 am every day and operating all day, Market will serve grab-and-go, or stay-and-enjoy foods, while also offering an edited grocery assortment including coffees, juices, prepared salads, entrees, sandwiches, cheeses, and pantry provisions such as sugar and olive oil.

The Living Room @ Market will serve craft cocktails, 16 local brews on tap, house-made juices, and barista-style coffees, while also featuring a menu for lunch or dinner. It will be ideal for a light meal, glass of wine, or cheese board in a comfortable, relaxing space.

The third concept, Table, will feature a 44-seat restaurant, with a separate entry from the street. Chef Morgenstern will try new and unique options, based on seasonality and creative preference. Diners can expect a regularly changing menu and market-fresh ingredients, with a dash of whimsy and imagination. Refined service in a casually elegant setting will be a hallmark. Table will be open Wednesday-Saturday for dinner only.

"Nothing of Tillman's will remain," Morgenstern says. "The front half, where the bar is, will be the 'market' side where you can come in and have a coffee or fresh-squeezed juice. There'll be cases with grab-and-go items, as well as a small menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

"But we'll also have some grocery basics like eggs, milk, and produce, for the people who live in the area. I think of it as a Central Market, but on a way smaller scale."

She'll be keeping the menu as Texas, local, and seasonally driven as possible.

Sara and Ricky Tillman were trailblazers when they opened Tillman's Corner in Bishop Arts in 1992, when it was still an area that made some visitors nervous. After Ricky died, Sara partnered with Fiscus and gave the restaurant a massive update: changing its name to Tillman's Roadhouse and executing a major redesign. It has prevailed in Bishop Arts as the neighborhood has mushroomed around it.

It was one of a number of Dallas restaurants that expanded to Fort Worth with the development of the West 7th complex, such as Fireside Pies, which is now Thirteen Pies.

S'mores fans can get their fill at Fort Worth for the next couple weeks, or at the Dallas original, which will continue as Tillman's Roadhouse.

Fiscus shares, "Tillman's has been a journey of sorts of top restaurants, appearances on The Chew, and continued 'best of items' in Fort Worth. All the while, the dining arena has changed around us. So, it's time for us to change.

"We need some fresh and clean eating around us, and offering a fine grocer element for the residences around us. This is what I want in my neighborhood."

Chef Kalen Jane Morgenstern will oversee the culinary journey at the new Fort Worth Market & Table.

Photo courtesy of Fox

Chef Kalen Jane Morgenstern will oversee the culinary journey at the new Fort Worth Market & Table.

openings closings

Blending cultures

Dallas Matcha Club brings community together over trendy green tea

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

Matcha

Members of a unique Dallas social club are bonding over the world's trendiest drink: matcha. The Dallas Matcha Club (DMC) aims to foster a community through a shared love of matcha, while supporting local businesses and making new friends.

Matcha is rapidly growing in popularity worldwide, with the global market projected to reach $6.35 billion by 2029. The tea has its origins in China, but it was developed and refined in Japan; tea leaves are ground into the green powder that's used for matcha lattes and smoothies, whose appeal has skyrocketed in recent years — especially among Gen-Z.

DMC Founder Aaliyah Iwamoto created the social club in October 2024 after moving to Texas from Hawaii.

“Since I'd just moved, I wanted to get to explore the city,” Iwamoto says. “I figured trying new cafes was the perfect way to do it ... I was hoping to meet new people."

Iwamoto, who is of Japanese heritage, says matcha had been a part of her life long before it became buzzy. Whenever she visits Japan, she brings back matcha tins from Nishio — and on a previous trip, even toured a matcha farm.

“When I first started [DMC], I didn't know that [matcha] was going to get as big as it did and have such a global impact,” Iwamoto says.

Now she is parlaying her love of matcha into a social experience with dozens of other matcha enthusiasts in North Texas.

On "matcha meetups," club members visit local coffee shops and matcha hot spots together, from downtown Dallas to Fort Worth to McKinney.

The group also hosts events at which members can gain new skills and hobbies. Matcha-specific activities have included classes where they've made chawans, or “matcha bowls,” as well as matcha-whisking workshops. They've also hosted more general-interest events such as paint and sips, Pilates classes, bracelet making, picnics, yoga sessions, and more.

Their most recent event was a Matcha Winter Market with La Maison Bleue Cafe, which included a Christmas toy drive for Children’s Health Plano.

The Dallas Matcha Club on one of their meetups.Photo courtesy of Dallas Matcha Club

While some events have drawn as many as 150 attendees, most see about 30 to 50 people. Members are a diverse group of primarily 20- and 30-somethings at various stages of life — from parents who come with their kids to college students.

“I feel like there's a good mix of people from all different places, too, not just Texas," Iwamoto says.

What makes matcha such a community connector is its ties to a culture, she says.

“'It’s not just a drink. There's a whole process that goes into making the matcha, and a whole process into making your latte at home,” Iwatmoto says. “People are learning about the different tools that you use to make matcha, which are all Japanese ... people are learning through enjoying matcha."

The club’s Instagram page, which has nearly 5,500 followers, proclaims, "Whether you’re an avid matcha lover or matcha newbie, the Dallas Matcha Club is the community for you!"

Iwamoto underscores that DMC is a welcoming group for anyone.

“Most of the people that attend like matcha, but there are some people who are new to it," she says. "There's also some people who just tag along with their friends and they're more of a coffee person. Anyone's welcome."

Anyone interested in joining the Dallas Matcha Club can follow their Instagram @dallasmatcha and fill out the membership form, which is linked in their Instagram bio. There is no fee to become a member of the DMC.

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