Branding irons and hyacinths?
What prompted this post?
- Use what you have.
- Honor your heritage.
- Recognize beauty in design.
- Celebrate success.
- Promote worthy endeavors.
The Clay Pigeon is a relatively new restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas. When the new owner/executive chef leased the vintage building on White Settlement Road, the previous tenants left behind a collection of old, maybe antiques, but probably not, branding irons.
The kitchen in the background is state-of-the-art where the staff creates delicious meals using fresh ingredients and mouth-watering combinations of flavors. But the view that greets patrons as they enter is this stunning display of old branding irons that reflect the history of Cowtown, USA... Fort Worth, Texas is the beginning of the Wild West known for cattle drives and BIG ranches.
What a great combination of textures! White painted brick wall to showcase the irons, a partially wainscoated wall with molding to frame the irons above, an old weathered wooden table, a rustic basket, a trio of hyacinths... Yet not cluttered...
There is a lot to learn about design from this simple showcase of branding irons including...
Symmetry in the placement of the irons and in the vases of hyacinths...
Contrasting wall paint colors with white to highlight the branding irons...
Overhead spotlight that creates a focal point on the branding irons...
Filling the vertical space so the tall ceilings are grounded...
How did I discover this restaurant with its eye-catching display of branding irons? A former colleague organizes periodic lunch outings for 8-10 of us retirees who worked in administration over the years at a high school in nearby Arlington, Texas. She discovered The Clay Pigeon and suggested one of our lunches be there. When we learned that the Executive Chef/Owner graduated from the high school where we all worked, we all wanted to eat at The Clay Pigeon to help celebrate the success of a former student that most of us knew when he was still in high school.
Marcus Paslay, Executive Chef/Owner, studied in well-known culinary schools and had been an assistant chef in very successful restaurants from New York City to Alaska, before deciding to open a restaurant in Fort Worth. He returned to his roots in North Texas to raise (rear) his children near his extended family and to offer "the best from scratch dining in the Fort Worth metroplex".
If ever you are in the Fort Worth area, I recommend eating at Marcus' restaurant.
The Clay Pigeon
2731 White Settlement Road
Fort Worth, Texas
Visit The Clay Pigeon website for more information,
including Marcus' personal journey to become a chef.
Celebrating success and promoting a former student who recognizes his heritage...
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On a personal note...
Thank you to all my readers who
have written such comforting words at the loss of my mother.
Your comments and emails have been such a blessing to me at this time.
As we work to settle Mother's affairs in Alabama,
I will once again be without Internet access for an extended period.
Thank you, dear readers, for understanding.
I look forward to returning to blog writing late this summer.
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