FORT WORTH
A European chef with a history of Michelin Guide success has moved to Texas and will consult on upgrades at the new Beren Meze and Grill Turkish restaurant, Beren owner Çaglar “Charlie” Unlu said Thursday.
Chef Michael Riemenschneider, who opened three restaurants in Istanbul, will advise Beren on changes with a Michelin Guide listing as the goal, Unlu said.
Beren, an Unlu family restaurant that began as a Stock Show baklava stand, has been open on the Near Southside since February 2025 and moved in April to a beautiful new location at 1216 Sixth Ave., near West Magnolia Avenue.
Riemenschneider “is going to be our main guy,” Unlu said.
“He’s going to help us set our goals higher. Our goal is to be Michelin-recommended. Fort Worth deserves it.”
Riemenschneider trained under celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and went on to become chef at Michelin-recognized restaurants in Manchester and Cornwall, England, and Frankfurt, Germany.
He moved to Frisco in April and opened his new business, Micel Consulting.
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The decor at Beren Meze & Grill House, a handsome new restaurant on the Near Southside. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com
Beren has achived high ratings from customers since moving into a stylish dining room that was formerly a vegetarian fine-dining restaurant.
It is rated 4.9 on a 5-point scale by customers posting on Google.com and 4.6 from customers on Yelp.com.
Readers on both sides praise the grilled Adana kebab or wrapped Beyti kebab, along with the baba ghanoush, gyro, hummus and the flan-like Cyprus Gold dessert.
Pink Sultan red beet dip with yogurt at Beren Meze & Grill House. Courtesy of Beren Meze & Grill House
After selling baklava at the Stock Show, the Unlus rented their first resraurant space in a small Eighth Avenue food hall.
The move two blocks east to Sixth Avenue took Beren from a casual takeout grill to a full-service restaurant with craft cocktails.
Riemenschneider visited and “loved it,” Unlu said. Riemenschneider complimented the cleanliness and the family’s passion, Unlu said.
Beren is open daily for lunch and dinner; 682-246-7501, berentexas.com.
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Bud Kennedy is celebrating his 40th year writing about restaurants in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He has written the “Eats Beat” dining column in print since 1985 and online since 1992 — that’s more than 3,000 columns about Texas cafes, barbecue, burgers and where to eat.
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