This restaurant got off on the wrong foot with Fort Worth. They tried to impress with chef Casey Thompson’s Top Chef celebrity then proceeded to lecture guests on the ins and outs of local, seasonal cuisine, right down to detailed answers to the unasked what-is-Kobe-beef question. Apparently the owners believed this town hosting some of the area’s top destination restaurants is full of rednecks—who like to pay Dallas prices (witness the $13 appetizer of three biscuits and three thin sausage patties or $15 for a burger).

The setting is faux Sheraton lobby—a corporate hospitality vibe. Set in neutral tones, it strives for urban sleek. Yet there’s a conspicuous grandfather clock on on wall. What sense does that make? Thompson’s cooking is assured and precise, though. Braised Texas Wagyu—what they call Kobe—dissolves on your tongue, tracing delicate, meaty flavors across the palate. Pork shoulder puts up only the slightest resistance to the fork. When they served ravioli, it was a rare moment when pasta matched the trite “perfectly al dente” phrase people toss around so casually. Fried okra is surprisingly light and airy.

What’s lacking is a passionate understanding of Southern cooking, the inspiration for much of Brownstone’s menu. Chef Thompson understands it, but tries too hard to perfect a cuisine that is at its best when served mistakes and all.