The family behind Terra Mediterranean will open a new Mexican restaurant, La Cabrona, at an area formerly called Crockett Row next year in Fort Worth.
“Our culinary journey takes you to Monterrey, North Mexico, where traditional dishes come to life inspired by cherished family recipes,” Leena Shanaa wrote in an email to The Dallas Express. “Our chef, Rosario, began her participation in the culinary world at the age of 10, learning to cook for her family and working in her aunt’s restaurant. Guided by generations of wisdom, she honed her skills and perfected her recipes, instilling in each dish the true essence of Mexican heritage.”
Leena and Adam Shanaa told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram earlier this year that they hope to open La Cabrona in June. About two months later, they plan to bring Terra back to Crockett Row since it closed in 2019. The restaurants will open opposite each other on Crockett Street.
“We decided to open La Cabrona right across the street from Terra because we felt we would be able to really contribute to the comeback for Artisan Circle, providing not only great fresh, authentic food and delicious cocktails but by giving the folks of Fort Worth and even the students of TCU a lively atmosphere and a new exciting experience for all,” Leena told The Dallas Express. “In addition, both restaurants will have private event spaces to host any and all types of events which we are very thrilled about.”
The restaurants are part of a wide-sweeping re-envisioning of a five-block area at University Drive and West 7th Street in the heart of Fort Worth’s Cultural District, already surrounded by concepts such as Social House and Mash’d, among others.
In November, Dallas commercial real estate firm Younger Partners announced a rebrand for the Crockett Row area as Artisan Circle after the urban in 2022.
“I’m not sure how much of a brand it really had,” Younger Partners Co-managing Partner Moody Younger said in an interview. “People knew the area as West 7th. Crockett Row was just a street, but that center is in the art of the Cultural District, which brings art, entertainment, and all of that to Fort Worth. We felt like tying into the Cultural District would make the name and brand much more powerful.”
The new name draws inspiration from what Younger Partners wants to deliver to loyal customers and gives a nod to a time gone by.
“If you look at the history of Fort Worth, it once had a group of artists who called themselves the Fort Worth Circle,” Younger said. “And then the restaurants and some of the shops we are trying to attract have more of an artisan feel. We’re not making a huge effort to get the national chains.”
And the Shanaa family bought into that concept.
“We chose Artisan Circle again because we felt like the new owners really share the same vision as us for what kind of environment and community we want to be a part of,” Leena said. “We strongly feel their support and commitment to improve the center. They have really embodied a positive impact to the center and have outstanding plans to achieve an attractive scene for friends and families to gather. The decision to reopen was a no-brainer, and we are so excited to be back.”
Younger called the re-opening of Terra “huge” and said he’s “overwhelmed” by how well the restaurant has been received.
“Terra had been there for 10 years,” he said. “COVID caused a lot of disruption. They have had a location in Plano for a while and a following in Fort Worth that never really waned. They do a lot of catering business in Fort Worth, too. I heard they wanted to come back to Fort Worth, so I got in contact with them and showed them what we are doing at the center and, fortunately, we were able to make a deal with them.”
Adam Shanaa and his brother, Jalel, opened their first restaurant, Ali Baba Mediterranean Grill, along Dallas’ Greenville Avenue in 1989. Ten years later, they expanded to Fort Worth with a new concept, Terra Mediterranean.
“Ali Baba on Lower Greenville Avenue quickly became a destination known for quality food and authentic Lebanese recipes created by their mother,” Leena said. “Since then, the brothers have rebranded and changed the name to Terra Mediterranean while still holding on to the same taste, the freshest of ingredients and flavors throughout the years. In addition, Terra has also become a well-known place to grab a quick, delicious lunch since the start of the lunch buffet.”
Terra’s return to Artisan Circle and the launch of the family’s new Mexican concept “really enhances the vibrancy of the entire development,” Younger said.
“People in Fort Worth love Terra, and we can’t get it open soon enough, honestly. It’ll bring back a tremendous amount of people to the center who had quit coming there. In respect to La Cabrona, it’s going to fill a niche in the market with a northern Mexico cuisine. Adam’s wife is from northern Mexico, and she has always cooked for her family. The food is fabulous, and I think it will be unique. We are thrilled.”
Terra’s other locations are in Plano and Richardson.
“We want to thank everyone who continued to support Terra throughout the years we’ve been absent in Fort Worth and making the drive to our Plano or Richardson location,” Leena said. “We are truly grateful to have such loyal patrons.”
Located within the Fort Worth Cultural Cultural District, Artisan Circle is near the Museum of Science & History, Kimball Art Museum, Modern Art Museum, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame and Cattle Raisers Museum, as well as the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens and Trinity Park.
