Tim Love
Chef/Owner—The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, The Love Shack

 

The unofficial mayor of Fort Worth, TX, Tim Love has become a nationally recognized culinary personality, known as much for his freewheeling personality as his signature urban western cuisine.   As chef and owner of The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro and The Love Shack in Fort Worth, he’s as comfortable cooking for the Dallas Cowboys as he is for his own kids, and his inspired and innovative dishes have earned critical and popular acclaim.

 

A Denton, Texas native, Love spent his summers growing up on his father’s farm, where he was schooled in all elements of farming, growing everything from apples to zucchinis and raising animals of all sizes.  Those summers instilled in Love a deep appreciation for how food makes the trip from farm to table, and ultimately would lead Love to pursue a life in the kitchen.  While earning a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Tennessee, Love worked in restaurants and learned both front and back of house operations.  After college, Love worked in kitchens across the country, and ultimately settled back in Texas. 

 

When Love opened The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro in 2000, he was met with overwhelming success.  The restaurant, with its locally sourced selection of steaks, game, seafood, and fine wines, has consistently achieved the highest Zagat rating of any restaurant in the Dallas / Fort Worth region.  The Lonesome Dove’s popularity also introduced Love to a national audience, and with that developed his reputation as a veritable “meat master.”  Whether he was demonstrating how to grill a whole lamb, offering tailgating tips for burgers and steaks, or showing people how to make the perfect pork chop, Love quickly became his fans go-to source for advice on all things meat.

 

In 2007, Love opened a classic burger joint called The Love Shack – a casual outdoor spot adjacent to The White Elephant Saloon, another Love property, in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards district.  The Love Shack was another instant hit, earning three stars from The Dallas Morning News, being singled out as having the "most perfect burger on the planet" by The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and was named by Condé Nast Traveler as a 2008 Hot List restaurant.

 

Through his restaurants and his work in the community for such causes as the March of Dimes and Spoons Across America, Love has become the de facto culinary ambassador for the state of Texas, always doing his fans proud.  Love has also conducted two traditional, cross-country “Trail Drives,” stopping at farms and greenmarkets throughout the U.S., on horseback, and spreading the word about the importance of local farming and ingredients.  Wherever he goes, his charm and genuine southern hospitality are always on display, and guests love watching Love cook whether it’s in The Lonesome Dove’s open kitchen, or with Paula Deen, Rachael Ray, Top Chef Masters, and Iron Chef America.   

 

When he’s not busy working in the kitchen or developing his line of cooking products, Love can be found spending time with his wife Emilie and their three children.

 

Chef Tim Love's Website

Lonesome Dove Bistro