August 19-25, 2026
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Desert Folk
The Fort Worth Americana duo’s new single, “Little Love,” hits all platforms at midnight Friday. B Y
S T E V E
S T E W A R D
METROPOLIS In this week’s News RoundUp, praise City Council while blocking the Flock. BY ANTHONY MARIANI
EATS & DRINKS Next to sister restaurant Don Artemio, Dos Mares delivers divine Mexican coastal cuisine. BY C O DY N E AT H E RY
EATS & DRINKS The Anthony Bourdain biopic Tony has some local correlatives (kinda). BY KENA SOSA AND ELAINE WILDER
MUSIC Grungy, sludgy punk by clowns? That’s Channel Planet.
BY STEVE STEWARD
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Vo l u m e 2 2 | N u m b e r 1 7 | A u g u s t 1 9 - 2 5 , 2 0 2 6
I N S I D E
METROPOLIS
4 Metro Opinion // News Roundup, GTFO Edition: Some cities say, “Get the Flock out,” while Fort Worth City Council deserves praise. By Anthony Mariani
STUFF
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7 Cowboys // All In for Real This Time: Though it may seem cliché, it’s time to jump aboard the Cowboys Hype Train. By Patrick Higgins
CALENDAR
9 Big Ticket // Cowtown Classic: The charity pickleball event returns in October. By Living Local 10 Night & Day // Closing Out Summer: Some laterAugust events will help you stay cool indoors during these final dog days of summer. By Elaine Wilder
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E AT S & D R I N K S
13 Restaurant Review // Lovely Dos Mares: In the Cultural District, Don Artemio’s next-door sister restaurant focuses on coastal Mexico to much delight. Story & Photos By Cody Neathery 17 Ate Days of Dinner and a Movie // Kitchen, Confidentially: As we tackle the new Anthony Bourdain biopic Tony, we also offer some of our own celebrity chefs worth checking out. By Kena Sosa & Elaine Wilder
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MUSIC
20 Profile // Sane Clown Posse: Catching up with sludge-punk trio Chanel Planet. Story & Photo by Steve Steward 21 Hearsay Music Notes // Desert Folk, Stem Afternoon: Two new amazing recordings arise from the Fort. By Steve Steward
BOOKS
Cover image by Austin Clay Cox
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CLASSIFIEDS
23 Products & Services // Notices 24 Bulletin Board // Class Listings
Owner / Publisher: Lee Newquist Director of Operations: Bob Niehoff Director of Sales: Michael Newquist Director of Marketing: Jennifer Bovee Account Manager: Julie Strehl Sr. Account Executive: Stacey Hammons Account Executives: Tony Diaz, Wendy Maier, Sarah Niehoff, Wyatt Newquist Brand Ambassador: Clint Newquist COPYRIGHT The entire contents of Fort Worth Weekly are Copyright 2025 by Ft. Worth Weekly, LP. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the express written permission of the publisher. Please call the Fort Worth Weekly office for back-issue information.
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22 The Dock Bookshop // White Privilege: With a new book series, the Meadowbrook retailer is leaning into the hard conversations. Story & Photos By Mal Collins
STAFF Editor-in-Chief: Anthony Mariani Art Director: Ryan Burger Special Projects Manager: Jennifer Bovee Calendar Editor: Elaine Wilder Film Editor: Kristian Lin Music Editors: Patrick Higgins, Steve Steward Proofreader: Emmy Smith Editorial Board: Anthony Mariani, Emmy Smith, Steve Steward, Elaine Wilder Contributors: E.R. Bills, Jennifer Bovee, Jason Brimmer, Todd Camp, Amber Chadwick, Jess Delarosa, Buck D. Elliott, Danny Gallagher, Ozzie Garza, Juan R. Govea, Mark Henricks, Patrick Higgins, Laurie James, Patrice Jones, Kristian Lin, Cody Neatherly, Rush Olson, Jeff Prince, Emmy Smith, Kena Sosa, Steve Steward, Jennifer Zooki Sturges, Teri Webster, Ken Wheatcroft-Pardue, Elaine Wilder, Cole Williams
AUGUST 19-25, 2026 FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY 3
METROPOLIS News Roundup, GTFO Edition
Is Flock Safety anywhere it is needed? As if you had to ask.
Some cities say, “Get the Flock out,” while Fort Worth City Council deserves praise for other matters. B Y
A N T H O N Y
M A R I A N I
Too many of us are way too accepting of Flock Safety cameras and others like them. Too many of our family, friends, and neighbors abide by the old saying: “If you’re not doing anything wrong, who cares who’s watching you?” And that’s true to an extent. Is it really problematic if the cops spy you driving to Race Trac for a cold, refreshing Modelo Michelada tallboy at 2:34 p.m. on a Tuesday? (No. No, it is not.) The thing is: Laws change and not always sensibly, especially in this era of dumb, boneheaded decisions from the federal government on down. Case in point: Abortion, which was legal for decades and rightfully so, is now illegal in 13 states, including Texas, though the often lifesaving procedure remains protected in states like Washington, Illinois, and 35 others. Into the gray area arrives the flock. Operated by John Law, the cameras situated on roadside poles, traffic lights, and street signs can follow women seeking reproductive health care out of state. In Johnson County recently, a sheriff used Flock cameras to track a woman allegedly seeking an abortion across state lines, based on a tip from her lover. (Wow. What a guy.) They never caught her. Now, maybe Johnson County, the Meth Capital of North Texas, could kindly ask the sheriff ’s department to do some actual policing that matters and keeps the citizenry safe instead of working overtime to win some sort of stupid Donald-J.Trump-Ass-Kisser-of-the-Month award (which is still more valuable than the FIFA Peace Prize). This utter nonsense underlines the debate: What that woman did was — technically — illegal but not wrong. The mother’s life, including
FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY
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Flock of See-Grills
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Though 54 cities in 23 states have said get the Flock outta here, only two counties in Texas have, including Hood.
her future, should always come first. It makes no sense otherwise. Abortion is just one legally ambiguous, potentially lethal facet of this new flocking era, and if the White House succeeds in rigging the midterms like it’s trying to, lots of not-wrong stuff will become illegal — and trackable by the flock. Like protesting. Like being overcome by the First Amendment Holy Ghost and Hulking out at public government meetings. Like writing anti-fascism op-eds. The flock will trail us home. Then there’s a knock at the door. “If we do not resist tyranny now, we will be completely subject to the whims of the state,” the Libertarian Party recently posted. “This is America, land of the free. BLOCK FLOCK.” Flock Safety cameras and others like them exist as automated license plate readers (ALPRs). Used by law enforcement to track down missing people or criminals, allegedly, ALPRs aren’t traditional traffic cameras. The surveillance tech allows them to record and track every car in view. An AI algorithm catalogs the plate number along with the make, model, and color of the vehicle — plus any bumper stickers or even scratches — and uploads the information into a nationwide database accessible to and searchable by any law enforcement agency contracting with Flock or another ALPR company. How the data is used comes with little regulatory framework or oversight. ICE and Border Patrol regularly use Flock Safety cameras to target immigrants without
warrants. Way too many cops have used the tech to stalk exes or other romantic interests. A Kansan who wrote an op-ed critical of his local police department was pursued by the force using Flock cameras, and police held a mother and her children at gunpoint after ALPRs wrongly flagged her car as stolen. Is Flock Safety anywhere it is needed? As if you had to ask. The death of Black teenager Nolan Xavier Wells is still unsolved — has Flock Systems been able to help? What about Donald Trump’s would-be “assassins” who sneaked past security? Flock have any info on them? And between March 2025 and August 2026, 24 Black people have been found hanged in the Deep South, some so high up that suicide is not plausible. As nearly every Black activist has said, Black people do not publicly hang themselves, so where is Flock on this? Why have all these “suicides” been closed or labeled as unsolved? If these bodies belonged to young white women, Donald J. Trump would be leading the investigation on all fours with his nose to the ground and Flock Systems would be right behind him. The cops aren’t doing shit about these lynchings, because of course not, but has Flock even lifted a finger? No. The answer is no, they have not, to all the above. The ACLU says that less than 1% of cars scanned by policing ALPRs are connected to any crime and that one in 10 license plates scanned by Flock ALPRs misread the state. Though Hood County Constable John Shirley is a Trump sycophant and bootlicker
(how’s that D.C. dirt taste, Johnny?), he’s gone so far right on Flock Safety cameras that he’s done a hard left. In response to concerns from Hood County citizens and commissioners about privacy and mass-surveillance issues related to the ALPRs, Shirley blindfolded every single Flock camera in Hood County. “I spent 20 years as a Houston police officer and sergeant,” Shirley recently posted. “I know that technology can help officers find stolen cars, locate dangerous suspects, find missing people, and solve serious crimes. There is absolutely a legitimate place for technology in policing. But there is a difference between using technology to investigate a crime and building a network capable of keeping a searchable record of where ordinary people travel. One camera reading a license plate at one location is one thing. Thousands of interconnected cameras that can be searched to determine where a vehicle has been over time is something else entirely. That’s where I have a problem.” Shirley is not alone. Futurism says that at least 54 cities in 23 states have voted to get the Flock outta here. Fort Worth is not one of them. Along with thousands of other U.S. cities, “Cowtown” *index finger twisting up nose* still operates Flock Safety cameras. Hood County is one of only two Texas counties to discontinue their relationship with the ALPR company. Imagine Hood County as more progressive than a wannabe metropolis like Fort Worth. It’s hard, really hard, yet here we are. DeFlock Tarrant County will meet at 6:30pm Mon, Aug 24, at Spring Creek Barbecue in Bedford (1509 Airport Fwy, 817-545-0184).
Kudos, Council
Wait, are we in Fort Worth? *steps outside, sings* “The stars at night / Are big and bright …” *neighbors rush outside, clap three times* continued on page 5
continued from page 4
“Deep in the heart of Texas!” *neighbors rush back inside* Yep. Still here. (Thanks, Pee-Wee.) I ask only because City Council assumed some bold, progressive measures last week that got to make you wonder if, to all our redneck brethren and sistren, yon Fort is even Worth Fortin’ for anymore. (It is. Now more than ever.) One anti-MAGA move the council adopted is related to voting. As you News Roundup Hounds may recall (“News Roundup, Lonamania Edition,” Aug 13), not too long ago yours truly called for increasing polling sites as opposed to decreasing them as proposed by the county elections administrator. All the councilmembers must be Roundup Hounds because they voted unanimously across party lines to direct the commissioners court to increase the number of polling sites before the November midterms (with early voting starting Oct 19). The enthusiasm to cast ballots is there. Why not meet it? “Voting should be about access and not voter suppression,” Councilmember Chris Nettles said in a statement. “This step sends a clear message that this council will not sit idly while voting opportunities are stripped from our residents.” County commissioners will consider increasing or decreasing polling locations at the next commissioners court meeting, 10am Tue, Sep 1, downtown.
City Council was also unanimous in voting across party lines to begin a moratorium on data centers, which is a huge win for anyone who cares about, y’know, clean drinking water and functioning electricity. Council also went ahead and passed a resolution directing the city manager to create the Fort Worth Data Center and Infrastructure Commission. Comprising members of the business community, data center operations, environmental/natural resource management, local electricity providers, the Tarrant Regional Water District, and environmental advocacy organizations, the commission will also include five community members. One last facet of City Council telling data center operators to slow their roll is an ordinance establishing filing requirements for applications to develop data centers in Fort Worth. All this is not much, considering data centers are hated by everyone left, right, and center, but it’s still something. Lastly, City Council released a joint statement with the family of Atatiana Jefferson supporting the agreed settlement of $11.25 million with Jefferson’s family. “This settlement doesn’t replace the life of Ms. Jefferson but serves as a debt that we owe in her wrongful murder in 2019,” Nettles continued. “This has been a long fight, but justice has finally prevailed.” City Council will vote on the settlement on Tue, Aug 25. l This column reflects the opinions of the editorial board and not the Fort Worth Weekly. To submit a column, please email Editor Anthony Mariani at Anthony@FWWeekly.com. He will gently edit it for clarity and concision.
Sabrina Ball
Metro
Former State Rep. Lon Burnam was carried out of last week’s commissioners court meeting for arguing on behalf of voting rights, something Fort Worth City Council reportedly supports.
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FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 5:30-9 PM
BUY 1, GET 1
AUGUST 19-25, 2026
FRESH BLACKBERRIES 6 OZ.
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WEEKLY SAVOR
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SUNDANCE DAYS STOCKYARDS NIGHTS
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Ride wherever your day (or night) takes you on Trinity Metro! Explore downtown with the Blue Line or head to western fun on the Orange Line. Choose your ride at RIDETRINITYMETRO.org/ANYRIDE.
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All In (But for Real)
With the regular season almost here, even the most jaded Cowboys fans should hop aboard the 2026 Cowboys Hype Train. B Y
P A T R I C K
H I G G I N S
Though held to fewer than 10 snaps, actually seeing much-anticipated rookie Caleb Downs in action on Saturday is just the latest excuse to hop on the Cowboys Hype Train.
However, if anything is capable of piercing that protective shell of my purported sports fan protectionism, the last six months of Cowboys roster-building might be it. That’s certainly a cliché as worn as the tires of the ’89 Hyundai Excel hatchback I drove as a sophomore, but this year truly feels different. I have no answer as to what it is that is driving this year’s seemingly novel offseason approach, but I can unequivocally say it is different. Whether it’s 83-year-old Jerry Jones seeing the Grim Reaper out of the corner of his eye, the bewildering amount of influence that Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer seems to exert over front-office decisions, or the devil laying a golden fiddle at my feet to tempt my soul in exchange for a playoff run that extends beyond the Divisional round, the moves the Cowboys brass have made in the leadup to this season have been decidedly un-Cowboys and, thusly, seem smart, calculated, and thorough. Sure, Miller is 37, but his nine sacks on just 37% of snaps in Washington from last year would have led the Cowboys’ pass rush-deprived defense. It’s yet another move that indicates that Jerry is actually putting his duckets where the incoherent yammering comes from. He seems to finally be making good on the infuriatingly hollow “all in” proclamation he made after the franchise’s worst[-]ever playoff disaster against the Green Bay Packers nearly three years ago (the last time the team made the postseason). If you reach back to the decision to get out of the Micah Parsons business before Week 1 of last
season, the last 12 months have been completely devoted to overhauling that NFL’s-worst-ever defense from 2025: Via trades for four potential starters in D tackles Kenny Clark and (newly extended) Quinnen Williams, edge rusher Rashan Gary, and linebacker Dee Winters, plus signing at least two others in defensive backs Jalen Thompson and Cobie Durant, followed by winning the lottery and the ability to select Downs, the Ohio State standout commonly considered “best defender in the draft,” as well as four other defensive depth pieces, Dallas has churned nearly two-thirds of their defensive roster. Additionally, in perhaps the most un-Cowboys move of all, they’ve put a young, creative, cutting-edge defensive mind at the helm to coach them in new 34-year-old DC Christian Parker. Adding this to running back the Top 5 offense from a year ago that still boasts the league’s best wide receiver duo in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, and I’ve taken my equally imaginary copy of Junior’s Guide and thrown it right into a highway-side Texas summer wildfire. Whether the defensive revamp will prove to be enough to finally end a three-decade NFC title game drought is still anyone’s guess, but there’s no question that the front office has made every effort to make it so. If there ever was a time to buy in, this year just might be it. Maybe say a prayer for Dak’s clavicles. l
AUGUST 19-25, 2026
the Silver and Blue faithful are “glazing” the ’Boys heading into the regular season. And I am leading the charge. I haven’t been this pumped for a Cowboys season since going into 2015, when I thought for sure they were primed for a Super Bowl run. After all, they were a bad call away from the NFC Championship game the previous winter (#dezcaughtit). I’m choosing to ignore, however, just how quickly one’s enthusiasm can be torpedoed by your team’s star QB breaking his collar bone twice in a single season. Those who’ve regularly consumed local sports talk radio over the last 20 years are likely familiar with The Ticket morning show host Craig “Junior” Miller’s imaginary bestselling self-help book, Craig Miller’s Guide to Never Again Buying into the Cowboys. Like many a disillusioned Cowboy fan, after more than 30 years of underachievement, perpetual mediocrity, and endlessly missed opportunity, I’ve joined the bit, picturing myself dutifully analyzing and absorbing the enlightening text with the same fervor and obsession that douchey, high school incel-lectuals afford to Atlas Shrugged. Perhaps even highlighting passages and making notes in the margins. Like the John Galt wannabes, I’ve used Junior’s teachings to slowly steel myself against the emotional dependency of sports fandom and embrace the rugged individualism of a man void of a team that can break his heart, the stoic observer, unmoved by the annual Cowboys cycle of inflated hype to crushing defeat.
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It’s finally time to utter the best four-word sequence you can hear during the summer. No, not “high below 100 degrees,” though that’s pretty close, but the heavenly musical trill of “Football is back, baby!” We made it, kids. We’re safely on the other side of that unbearable gauntlet between the NBA and Stanley Cup finals and the NFL Hall of Fame game. That dark time where the closest thing to sports enjoyment is the exhausting midseason dog-day slog of the Rangers trying to stay in sight of .500. (At least it was until the TV broadcast bolted to BZZR, a streaming service literally no one knew existed with a name easily confused with that of a certain adult entertainment production company.) On Saturday, in the first of three Cowboys preseason games, we saw the debut of star rookie defensive back Caleb Downs. Though limited to just a handful of snaps, seeing the No. 13 jersey in action on the field was exciting. The subsequent 17-7 victory over the defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks has given Dallas their first 1-0 preseason start in nearly a decade. This, followed by the unexpected signing of the NFL’s active career sacks leader and DeSoto native Vonn Miller the next day, are all just the latest reasons that lately even the most bitter of
Cour tesy DallasCowboys.com
STUFF
I haven’t been this pumped for a Cowboys season since going into 2015, when I thought for sure they were primed for a Super Bowl run.
FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY 7
fwweekly.com AUGUST 19-25, 2026 FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY 8
The Gnome Knows...
How to save water. Check those sprinklers. Make sure there aren’t any leaks. And make sure you’re watering the grass, not spraying the street or sidewalk. I’ve spent a lot of years here in the yard and I’ve seen it all. Take it from me, make a few changes and you can save a lot of water.
Water is Awesome.com
RT Big Ticket: Cowtown Classic Returns
The second annual charity pickleball weekend pairs North Texas amateurs with touring pros to send campers with disabilities to a week at Camp Summit. B Y
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L O C A L
For more promotional information, visit CowtownClassic.org.
70 amateur teams, 12 PPA professionals, and an 80-lot auction. “Camp Summit gave Jackie a place where she is celebrated exactly as she is,” said Straten. “This weekend is Fort Worth’s way of handing that same week of belonging to the next 40 campers.” The 2026 weekend opens Fri, Oct 2 at 6pm with a 200-seat dinner and live and silent auctions at Blue Mesa Southwest Grill (612 Carroll St, Fort Worth). Tournament play runs Sat-Sun, Oct 3-4 at Picklr West (1705 S Cherry Ln, Fort Worth), with brackets for every skill level, a new 60-plus division, and Sunday afternoon’s signature PPA Pro-Am, where amateurs draw a touring pro as their doubles partner. At least seven pros from last year’s field have already committed to return. Every dollar raised goes to Camp Summit, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has served campers with disabilities since 1947. It costs $2,300 to send one camper for a week of swimming, fishing, horseback riding, and cabin life in a place built and staffed for them. “You do not have to play pickleball to be part of this,” said Matyastik. “Buy a dinner seat, donate an auction item, sponsor a court, or send a camper outright. Every dollar ends up in a cabin at Camp Summit.” Founded in 1947, Camp Summit is a nonprofit residential camp in Paradise, Texas, providing barrier-free outdoor camp experiences for children and adults with disabilities. Learn more at CampSummitTX.org. Player registration, dinner tickets, and donations are open now at cowtownclassic.org. Sponsorships run from a $500 dinner table to a $20,000 title package, including a $2,300 Camper level that covers one camper’s full week, and organizers are seeking auction items valued from $25 to $5,000. All gifts are tax-deductible.
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The Cowtown Classic returns October 2nd to 4th for its second year, a weekend that starts with a Friday night dinner and auction in the Cultural District, fills two days with tournament pickleball, and aims at one number: $100,000, enough to send more than 40 children and adults with disabilities to Camp Summit. The event traces back to one camper. More than 15 years ago, Paul Straten’s daughter Jackie attended Camp Summit for the first time, and the residential camp in Paradise, Texas became part of the family’s life. Straten spent years raising money for the camp through golf, then through a small pickleball tournament he launched in 2020 with about 30 teams. In 2025, tournament director Bill “Maty” Matyastik proposed something bigger: a Pro-Am pairing everyday players with touring professionals, anchored by an auction dinner. The Cowtown Classic was born, and its first edition raised $65,000 for Camp Summit with more than
Cour tesy iStock
CALENDAR
FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY
Cour tesy Cowtown Classic
AUGUST 19-25, 2026
“Camp Summit gave Jackie a place where she is celebrated exactly as she is,” said Straten.
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Night & Day
Some later-August events will help you stay cool indoors during these final dog days of summer. B Y
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W I L D E R
Xtreme Knockout returns to Billy Bob’s Texas (2520 Rodeo Plz, Fort Worth, 817-624Thu 7117). Tonight’s XKO Fight Night End of Summer Bash features talented Texas-based fighters doing Muay Thai, the combat sport called the “art of eight limbs” as it typically involves punches, kicks, knees, and elbows, along with clinching. Traditionally, Muay Thai is held in a roped ring, but XKO is the first MMA promotion to feature it in a squared cage. Doors are at
C o u r te s y X KO
CALENDAR Friday is Fight Night at Billy Bob’s.
6pm, and the fights start at 7pm. Tickets start at $66.77 at BillyBobsTexas.com.
yeeeears of pressure from 21-23 After animal-welfare advocates, PETA
among them, the world-famous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus finally relented and phased out the animal acts in its traveling show. Their elephants were allowed to retire in 2016, then the whole show shut down the next year. Now, they’re back with people doing #StupidHumanTricks as of 2023. Are we ready to forgive them for their past grievances against animal-kind? I think I kind of am. Would be nice to support cruelty-free entertainment. Now, how do we get them to ditch the clowns? So creepy! See them and the rest of the traveling circus at Dickies Arena (1911 Montgomery St, Fort Worth, 817-402-9000) at 7pm Fri, 11am/3pm Sat, or noon/4pm Sun. For tickets starting at $33.05 plus fees, visit Ringling.com. Fri-Sun
Dream City PAC, a local political action committee focused on building progressive Wed civic participation, invites the community to a screening of 2016’s Backpack Full of Cash at LOOK Dine-In Cinemas (5727 W I-20, Arlington) at 6:30pm. This feature-length documentary explores the growing privatization of public education and its impact on public schools and some of America’s most vulnerable students. Seating is first-come, first-served, with tickets available by suggested donation of $10 or more per ticket, with a portion of the proceeds donated to the Arlington and Mansfield school districts’ education foundations.
Cour tesy BackpackFullofCash.com
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Detailing the destruction of public schools, Backpack Full of Cash screens next Wednesday in Arlington.
Sixth Annual Fort Worth 28-30 The Fall Home & Garden Show goods, gourmet foods, home décor, and specialty
returns with a hall full of ideas, shopping, education, and family-friendly activities for homeowners, gardeners, and DIY enthusiasts at Will Rogers Memorial Center (3401 W Lancaster Av, Fort Worth, 817392-7469). Visitors can catch gardening seminars from local experts covering everything from growing tomatoes and companion planting to edible landscaping, propagation, vegetable gardening, irrigation, and fall planting. Food lovers can check out live cooking demonstrations with bestselling cookbook author and Chef Kayla Butts, plus a $5 cooking class with Chef Dazore Bradford. There are also $5 Terrarium Make & Take classes with Gisella Kaendler, free crafts including birdhouses and a Tree of Thanks, and a Tree Discovery Experience with the master gardeners. Families and pet lovers can explore pet adoptions, K9 obedience demonstrations, training tips, and pet treats, while shoppers can browse plants, artisan Fri-Sun
products. Exhibitors will showcase everything from landscaping and outdoor living to home remodeling, kitchens and baths, smart-home technology and more. Admission is free all weekend. Parking is $15. Visit FortWorthHomeShow.com for the full schedule and additional details. of Tarrant County’s NOW Forty-three finest dining destinations are
thru gearing up for a major milestone Mon, Sep 7 this summer: the historic 30th anniversary edition of DFW Restaurant Week. When folks dine out at participating local restaurants, 20% of their meal will benefit Lena Pope, the 96-year-old Fort Worth nonprofit dedicated to strengthening children and families through counseling, education, and behavior intervention programs. For the full dish on DFW Restaurant Week, visit DFWRestaurantWeek.com and follow them on socials.
FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY
AUGUST 19-25, 2026
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HALF-OFF RIDES
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FULL-ON FLAVOR
Celebrate Fort Worth Burger Week with 50% off a Trinity Metro Local Day Pass! Ride the bus or take On-Demand to your favorite local restaurants. Grab your GoPass promo code at RIDETRINITYMETRO.org/BURGERWEEK.
MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH 3200 Darnell Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76107
themodern.org
Pictured: Rashid Johnson, Antoine’s Organ, 2016/2026. Steel, grow lights, ceramic, plants, wood, shea butter, books, monitors, Persian rugs, and piano. 189 × 338 × 126 3/4 inches. Collection of the Artist. © Rashid Johnson. Installation view, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY
March 8–September 27
AUGUST 19-25, 2026
A Poem for Deep Thinkers
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Rashid Johnson
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fwweekly.com AUGUST 19-25, 2026 FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY 12
Happy Hour in the Kimbell Café EVERY FRIDAY | 5–7 pm | Live music | Beer | Wine | Food Admission to the permanent collection is always free. View the full schedule of exhibitions, events, and programs at kimbellart.org.
kimbellart.org Support for the Kimbell is provided in part by Arts Fort Worth and the Texas Commission on the Arts. Pensionante del Saraceni, Still Life with Melon, Watermelon,and Other Fruits (detail), c. 1610–20, oil on canvas. Kimbell Art Museum
EATS & drinks
Lovely Dos Mares
In the Cultural District, Don Artemio’s nextdoor sister restaurant focuses on coastal Mexico to much delight. Dos Mares, 3260 W 7th St, Fort Worth. 682-4802143. 10am-8pm Sun, 11am-9pm Tue-Thu, 11am10pm Fri-Sat. S T O R Y A N D P H O T O S C O D Y N E A T H E R Y
B Y
Pearlescent powder-blue tiles mark the entrance to relative newcomer Dos Mares, the seafood-centric sister restaurant of the much-lauded Don Artemio, conveniently located next door. Whereas Don Artemio focuses on cuisine from Northeast
The rich, fishy broth gave a taste of the ocean without submerging your face into the Gulf of Mexico. Dos Mares’ prime skirt steak was cooked to medium-rare perfection, as ordered, velvety and succulent.
Mexico, sibling Dos Mares rides a wave of inspiration from coastal Mexican states like Baja, California; Sur; Veracruz; and Quintana Roo. At the entrance, a vestibule with seagrass walls welcomes guests while tropical Latin music serenades and seashells hang overhead, giving a slight tiki vibe. But don’t expect to walk into a bar loaded with rum and Polynesian artwork. What awaits through the second door would fit comfortably in Puerto Vallarta. More handmade blue and green tiles form the interior walls complemented by natural wood
dining sets trimmed by more seagrass under a palapas roof. Hanging globe light fixtures and scattered potted tropical plants add more detail to the dining room’s coastal composition. Though I’d only been to the soft opening about a year ago, my recent visit had me content at the bar. If one needs to break up life’s monotony Dos Mares DFW Restaurant Week (thru Labor Day) Four courses ............................................... $99 Three courses ............................................. $59
with some escapism, Dos Mares offers just that. One TV aired scenes of comida de mar, or “seafood,” being prepped and cooked traditionally. Stenciled paintings of marine life by Gaby Cardenas, daughter of co-founder and Chef Juan Ramon Cardenas, bring a nuanced aesthetic behind the bar. The happy hour hooked me with $7 mini martinis, $4 off-menu cocktails, and 25% off glasses of wine. East Coast oysters, tacos, and tostados round out the food offerings. This dining experience was lifted by bartender Even (rhymes with “Steven,” which is his brother’s name — no lie) guiding us through the menu with recommendations while making a continued on page 15
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Happy Hour Punta Brava ................................................ $14 Pomegranate martini ................................ $7 Prime beef taco .......................................... $8 Shrimp tostada ........................................... $6 Shrimp taco ................................................ $6
We also picked up the Texas red fish ceviche, which, again, tasted like the other ceviches and tostadas, making all of them relatively linear options. After two visits of ordering several ceviches and tostadas, more definitive flavor profiles were in order. Our first main was a mound of diced pulpo drenched in a sauce of the octopus’ own rich ink, next to a bed of garlic rice with zigzagging aioli across the grains, partnered with slices of plantain and Dos Mares’ blue corn tortillas. When wrapped together, it made for a delectable taco, especially if using verde tomatillo salsa or roasted roja salsa, but alone, the plate didn’t provide much excitement since it was so straightforward. The second entrée was a humdinger: 10 ounces of prime skirt steak cooked to medium-rare perfection, as ordered, velvety and succulent. Under the slices of beef rested a toasty tomatillo chipotle sauce that upped every bite, accompanied by roasted golden potatoes. Other notable items on the regular dining menu are the garlic shrimp La Reina del Comal, covered with ranchera sauce, a scoop of black beans, avocado mousse, and queso fresco; and, if money is no option (lucky), the sensual grilled lobster, or langosta tikin xic, for *gulp* $69. l
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Most of Dos Mares’ ceviches are relatively linear options.
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Dos Mares’ pomegranate martini balanced sweet, tart, and crisp.
Hanging globe light fixtures and scattered potted tropical plants add more detail to the dining room’s coastal composition.
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pomegranate martini that balanced sweet, tart, and crisp, plus a fiery punta brava — a Mexican riff on the pina colada with rum-like Uruapan Charanda, which bridges the gap between rhum agricole and mezcal, along with pineapple liqueur, coconut syrup, and peppery bitters. Wanting to capitalize on the happy-hour food, we checked the boxes for a shrimp tostado, shrimp taco, and gaonera de res, or seared prime beef. The topping of the tostado was reminiscent of shrimp ceviche. A layer of summery sliced cucumber, spicy jalapenos, and sweet red onions mingled over a bed of diced carrot and serrano chile, then dotted with avocado mousse. It might sound convoluted, but the flavors were freshly balanced. The tempura fried shrimp taco wasn’t as flavor-forward and was slightly less thrilling. The batter lost crispness under an overwhelming heap of garlic aioli that rendered the other ingredients useless. Here, less would be more. The standout was the prime beef taco. Browned cheese covered the handmade tortilla before a hearty cut of meat was laid on top, furthered by caramelized onions, pico de gallo, and an amount of earthy chile de arbol sauce that didn’t smother the dish, merely encapsulated it. Juices dripped when eaten. Reservations fell on the third day of DFW Restaurant Week with a $59 three-course option and $99 four-course option — both different, though each menu provided a sample of Dos Mares’ regular dinner selections. Before we started, a cup of caldo dos mares, or seafood soup, was delivered. The rich, fishy broth gave a taste of the ocean without submerging your face into the Gulf of Mexico. A medley of shrimp, octopus, fish, mussels, clams, and scallops blended with no real flavor distinction other than visual recognition. It was good but best for those who appreciate the pungency of seafood. Next, the tostada de colifor. A cauliflower ceviche complete with aguachile caviar and cubed mango, similar in flavor to the other ceviche and tostadas, though it accommodates guests of the vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free lifestyles. Fortunately, there are plenty of other gluten-free options, which makes Dos Mares less constricting when deciding upon restaurant options.
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EATS & drinks
Cour tesy Pantr y on Magnolia
Ate Days of Dinner and a Movie
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As we tackle the new Boozy Peach Cobbler is back on the Anthony Bourdain biopic weekends at The Pantry on Magnolia, Tony broods and imagines where he should be in the fast-paced world of a working kitchen. featuring spirits from Acre Distilling. Tony, we also offer some of our own celebrity chefs stick around and see where you can dine with some Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers, Oh. What. Fun.) world, a completely fictional Tony would have been local award-winning chefs as we revisit former Best masterfully portrays the beloved culinary bad boy in frustrating as a completely invented character. After bombing his fellowship hearing, Chef winners from past Best Ofs. — Elaine Wilder the ’70s as a moody and angry 19-year-old Vassar worth checking out. B Y K E N A S O S A A N D E L A I N E W I L D E R
A new movie about Anthony Bourdain opens in theaters next week, and it got us to thinking about all the rockstar chefs we know in Fort Worth, many of whom have upcoming culinary events on the books. After you read Kena’s review of Tony,
Kitchen, Confidentially
An inspired slice of life from Anthony Bourdain’s 2000 memoir, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, the biopic Tony opens with a quote that serves as a disclaimer: “I was — to be frank — a spoiled, miserable, narcissistic, self-destructive, and thoughtless young lout, badly in need of a good ass-kicking.”
student on a quest to be a writer. He is convinced his journey is on paper, but just like the proposal he submits to the school’s fellowship committee, he has little more to show than bravado. He lies to just about everyone he meets, which karmatically results in many interpersonal conflicts. Had it not been for this quote and the knowledge that Bourdain would turn out to be an infamously flawed yet lovable personality in the culinary
Tony secretly follows Nancy (Emilia Jones) to Provincetown, Massachusetts, to win her over with more fabricated boasting but instead trips over his own ego, landing him on the street and onto the hammock of the man who would serve as his savior. Written and directed by Matt Johnson (The Dirties, BlackBerry), Tony is seasoned with a few cinematic liberties in the characters of Chef continued on page 19
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Hot Deals At Cool Prices
Stock your Kitchen at Mission! Small wares, pots & pans, and all kitchen essentials available to the public. Come see our showrooms! MON-FRI 8am-5:30pm
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2524 White Settlement Road Fort Worth • 817-265-3973
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(Antonio Banderas) and Sal (Leo Woodall). Chef serves as a mentor, taking Tony in and giving him purpose in the kitchen, being an all-knowing and forgiving angel on the shoulder. Sal does his best to lure Tony further into the dark side with drugs, booze, and an enviable success with women. Tony’s head swishes from one influence to the other as he struggles to hold on to the wild ride he stewed up. The A24 film is beautifully shot, the lighting and contrasts nicely providing ambiance that depict Tony’s inner turmoil. The sound design was also lovely. There is music, but instead of a standard soundtrack, it feels more of a mood voyage. Deep tones and poignant notes strike, as if viewers are inside the protagonist’s head and heart as he carries the weight of his actions into the next scene. What felt too tied up in a bow was that despite all the arrogance and costly mistakes, he is forgiven too quickly by everyone he wronged. That aspect felt too Hollywood because the amount of grace given is questionably generous. Despite this, watching Tony is witnessing the birth of purpose for Bourdain, discovering his love for food and merging it with his love of words. That alone is worth a contemplative watch. We know how Bourdain’s fantastic life and conflicted journey ends, and if the character Tony is redeemable, we are all redeemable. We project and celebrate his redemption not because the film protagonist deserves it but because Anthony Bourdain does. Bourdain was honest in the epigraph, making no excuses for himself. His willingness to be exposed
instead of glorified makes him real, enhancing his jagged charm that enamored the world. What the film does right is provide a metaphor for context. After a spontaneous tuna fishing trip, Tony and Chef return to cook the fresh fish onshore. As they revel in the experience, Tony at one point claims the fish cooked on the seaside fire is burnt. Chef responds, “Black doesn’t mean burnt.” After an open-minded taste, Tony is astounded to find that what was underneath that layer was actually delightful. At this stage of his life, Tony appeared charred, but deep within him lay exquisite taste, passion, and charm, just beneath the fictional veil he thought he needed. Like the problematic novel that Bourdain pitched to the fellowship committee, Tony is a cinematic bildungsroman. The film’s purpose is not to give him a free pass for character flaws but to experience him in a moment of pivotal growth — and perhaps, as Bourdain did in life, see past what appears burnt or odd and look for good taste in the world and in others. — Kena Sosa
Ate Days of the Best Chefs
Fort Worth has its own share of celebrity chefs, not famous for their antics but rather for their amazing food. Here are some past winners from our previous Best Of editions over the last 10 years and what’s happening at their joints this month.
Boozy Peach Cobbler at The Pantry on Magnolia
Chef Natasha Bruton, the 2024 Readers’ Choice for Best Chef, is still closely identified with Pantry on Magnolia (713 W Magnolia Av, Fort Worth, 682224-2381) and its pastry and globally influenced comfort-food program. For the end of summer, the focus is more local in influence: Boozy Peach
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Eats & Drinks
Tony and Sal bond over food and high-temperature bad habits.
Cobbler! The peaches are “swimming in cinnamon, nutmeg, and a bunch of Acre Distilling whiskey,” as a recent social post goes. Three whiskies to be exact: cinnamon, peach, and smoked flavored. The boozy, fruity concoction is then topped with house-rolled laminant dough and finished with The Pantry’s popular POM Caramel Sauce. A limited supply of this small-batch offering is available every weekend.
Hell or High Watermelon at Ellerbe
Chef Molly McCook, the 2020 Critics’ Choice for Best Chef, is still just fine at Ellerbe Fine Foods (1501 W Magnolia Av, Fort Worth, 817-926-3663).
This award-winning restaurant highlights the freshest local, seasonal ingredients in an elegant setting. One thing in season right now is watermelon. On Wed, Aug 26, Ellerbe will host Hell or High Watermelon, a guided tasting featuring Waterloo gins and specialty cocktails like the one pictured, which is made with Waterloo Prickly Pear & Rose Gin, watermelon, lime, and rose water. Complimentary passed appetizers will be served from 5 to 6pm, followed by the tasting from 6 to 7:30pm. The cost is $40 per person. Reserve your seat on Resy. continued on page 23
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MUSIC
Sane Clown Posse Theatrical flair underpins Chanel Planet’s sludgy punk.
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Concerning live music, I think some artists play great concerts, while others put on a great show. I’ve seen Radiohead and Insane Clown Posse and found both groups to be exciting and even occasionally transcendent, but they each fit solidly into one side of the “great concerts/great show” Venn diagram more than the other. The former rendered their material with near-album-quality perfection, replicating complicated instrumental work and electronic loops in ways I would not have imagined possible in a live setting. The latter performed to backing tracks and sprayed the ceiling of the Detroit Masonic Temple with orange soda. Guess which act I want to see again. Channel Planet, an Arlington-based two–tothree-piece sludge-punk outfit, is more interested in putting on a great show. This is not to say that they are sloppy or rudimentary musicians, as their arrangements are interesting and executed precisely and loudly. But Channel Planet puts on a show more akin to ICP’s than Radiohead’s, and it is only partly because the bandmembers are professional clowns. In an interview at a Fort Worth dive bar, the band’s drummer/co-vocalist Sydnee “Squid” Peralta and keyboardist/character actor Ely Sellers, who are, in fact, both instructors at the Flop School of Clown in Dallas, described how Channel Planet’s creative directive is more than just one thing. “We play music, but we also are kind of a full theatrical experience,” she said. “We have comedy. We have audio, parody advertisements. … We really like to give you something weird and bizarre and make it a whole immersive experience.” The first time I saw Channel Planet, where they played in front of that same bar’s green, pleather sectional couch, they raised “wtf ” facial expressions around the room with a satirical, between-song audio bit about an abortion, and at each show, there’s an appearance by a blobby, misshapen head named “Medical Waste” who is simultaneously repulsive and difficult not to stare at. They are amicably confrontational in an earnest, absurdist way that, for all the artifice of clown-y garb and fake audio commercials, feels completely sincere and authentic. Vocalist/bassist Nick Rainone, who was unable to make the interview, worked with Squid “as performance partners in circus and theater,” she said. “He’s been doing it his whole life. I’ve been doing it for about 10 years, and we just, you know, we wanted to do something a little more … something a little different.”
(From left to right) Channel Planet’s Squid, Medical Waste, and Ely Sellers (Nick Rainone not pictured) will clown you with absurdist, theatrical sludge-punk.
At first, they started with a comic book. Written by Rainone and edited by Squid and drawn by Argentinian artist Kokin Kokambar, Italian artist Andrea Menichini, and American letterer/illustrator Rob Cannon, Channel Planet No. 1 debuted in 2021. “It follows a band in space,” Squid said. “We were paying money to sell them at comic-cons, and no one wants to buy comics they don’t know … so we were like, ‘What’s a way that we can sell our comic books?’ ” Rainone had been in punk bands before, so he and Squid decided a band merch table would be
Ely Sellers
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S T O R Y S T E V E
Squid (shown with Nick): “We play music, but we also are kind of a full theatrical experience. We have comedy. We have audio, parody advertisements. … We really like to give you something weird and bizarre and make it a whole immersive experience.”
a more viable way to hock their comics, and thus the band began. Squid describes Channel Planet’s sound as “crusty, a little sludgy, kind of grungy.” She and Rainone produce their inter-song commercial content themselves, using royalty-free background music, resulting in fake advertising that sounds unsettlingly realistic, like some calming, palliative announcement you might hear while waiting in line to be turned into fuel or food by some nefarious, dystopian corporation. Since the band’s inception in 2022, Squid and Rainone have been the main characters of the Channel Planet show, though the band was originally a four-piece. Sellers, who described himself as a “theatrical person, music person,” has been involved in DFW theater for over 15 years. He originally played theremin and keyboards in Channel Planet, though of late, he has been doing “more character stuff.” Sellers used to play in a band called Super Mook that included “thespians to act out the songs, kind of,” he said, “and so I kind of just jumped right in and fit in with Channel Planet rather well.” For Sellers, Squid, and Rainone, the preposterous humor of their show is sort of a Trojan Horse for music that leans into darker territory. “We have a lot of songs that actually are more serious, right?” Squid said. “Songs about wanting to die or being hopelessly in love or being lost, but then there’s still that light comedy contrast that’s satirical, [but] our driving force has always been to entertain … to not just confuse [the audience] but leave them going, ‘Wow, I’ve never seen something like that.’ ” I remarked that during my first experience at a Channel Planet show, I thought that if I had seen them at the age of 16 or 17, they would’ve really blown my mind in a real “what the fuck did I just watch?!” sort of way. “Well, we want to do that to everyone,” Squid said. “We’re gonna make everyone feel like they’re 17, like they’ve never seen anything like us.” l
HearSay
Two Trips
playing music in church when we were young. I found my way into the post-hardcore, punk, [and] metal scenes, while Sawyer toured with Texas Country and Americana artists. Desert Folk has been an art project for us. The song is a mix of our love for ambient indie rock and alternative pop rock.” So, “Americana”? Sure, why not. — Steve Steward
Stem Afternoon’s Bonsai Lumberjack
Boy, talk about sleeping on something. Stem Afternoon put out a new album in April that I briefly conversed with drummer Mike Garcia about and then unfortunately forgot to mention in a then-contemporaneous column. My bad, guys! Back then, I asked him to describe the album and how Bonsai Lumberjack made me think of either a miniaturized forester or a person who just hacks away at something when more intentional care is required. Garcia replied, “I think it’s probably our most dense and cinematic-sounding record. The title just sounded cool and almost like [an] imaginary film title. … I think we touch on spy/Italian horror/getaway film vibes and the usual psychedelic [influences]. The last two songs were pretty much improv, and we switched instruments around, but somehow it worked.” Bonsai Lumberjack and Stem Afternoon’s entire back catalog are up at StemAfternoon. bandcamp.com. — S.S.
RIDGLEA THEATER FRI 9/18 CITY OF SOUND FRI 11/14 SCALIA/GINSBURG AND
SAT 11/15 AN OPERA BY DERRICK WANG
RIDGLEA ROOM FOUR DAY WEEKEND FOUR DAY WEEKEND SAT 9/5 FOUR DAY WEEKEND
SAT 8/22 SAT 8/29
RIDGLEA LOUNGE FRI 8/21
FRI 8/28
FRI 9/11
HOUSE OF SILK AND SCANDAL: AN EVENING OF HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR AND NOIR TEASE HALF FOOT HOG, SECRET TUNNELS, GEMINI AND MORE! LAST REQUIEM, THE OOIDS, LARRY LADALE & CALEB RAINS BAND
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Desert Folk, the Americana project of local singer-songwriter Austin Clay Cox and drummer Sawyer McGee, is dropping a new single at midnight on Fri, Aug 21. “Little Love” will be the band’s sixth single in three years. The song is great, but I wonder if it will further confuse listeners’ ideas of what “Americana” is. I think “Little Love” has more in common with The War on Drugs than Tyler Childers or Uncle Tupelo. As a descriptor, “Americana” is almost as unhelpfully vague as “indie rock” — this substack called String Theories has an article called “30 Essential and Outstanding Americana Albums from 2025,” and it has one by blues-shredding rock ’n’ roller Samantha Fish, whom I probably wouldn’t call Americana, but whatever. Anyway, “Little Love” is big on emotive, soaring choruses and some very tasty country-rock guitar licks, so if that gives someone an idea of what Americana sounds like, whatever works, right? A good song is a good song, and “Little Love” has a hook that that will pop up in your brain all day long. Cox said he wrote the track almost 10 years ago after enduring a not-great relationship. “In hindsight, I was obviously being very melodramatic. Sawyer and I were going through my list of unrecorded and unfinished songs, and we both liked the idea of the poppier ‘Little Love’ chorus. Around that time, I found myself having strong feelings about yet another less than ideal relationship situation, so it felt natural to finally record ‘Little Love’ as a Desert Folk song.” Cox and McGee tracked it at Sunland Sound in East Dallas with engineer Michael Smith (Nelly Furtado, Taylor Young Band, All Clean), who also mixed it, with mastering by Austin studio Test Tube Audio’s Kevin Butler. As for the band’s influences and how they create Desert Folk’s version of Americana, Cox said the band’s sound comes from a wide variety of musical influences. “Sawyer and I started
Ar t by Stem Af ternoon
Desert Folk’s ‘Little Love’
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Courageous Conversations: Women, Race and Class 6:30pm w/City Councilmember Deborah Peoples and activist Patrice Jones at The Dock Bookshop, 6637 Meadowbrook Dr, Fort Worth. Free. 817-457-5700.
BOOKS
White Privilege
With a new book series, The Dock Bookshop is leaning into the hard conversations.
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The North Texas Indie Bookstore Crawl is an annual event involving more than 30 different bookstores and lasting the entire month of August. Crawlers can pick up a passport at any participating store and collect stamps, each worth a single entry into a grand prize raffle drawing at the end of the month. I recently crawled into The Dock, the 18-year-old independent, Black-owned bookshop in Meadowbrook. The co-owners, sisters Donna and Donya Craddock, have become a cornerstone of the literary communities of Fort Worth and Texas proper. During the book crawl, visitors to The Dock can purchase tote bags of varying sizes starting at $5 and fill them with used books in addition to other discounted materials. This is all leading up to the Trinity River Book Festival, a massive multicultural showcase celebrating its fifth year on Sep 12. The festival will be attended by more than 50 authors and feature live music, discussion panels, and family entertainment. It is preceded by the Run-to-Read 5K and 1K runs, which will serve as the shop’s primary fundraiser for the year. The purpose of these events is to honor National Literacy Month and spread the work of multicultural voices to audiences who may not have been exposed to them otherwise.
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S T O R Y A N D P H O T O S M A L C O L L I N S
When you enter the Dock, images and art of historical Black figures hang from the ceilings and walls, but the shelves are lined with books written by authors of all cultural backgrounds. The Dock is proudly and unapologetically Black while simultaneously telling all the stories that make up the greater tapestry that we are all part of. Although it is a Black-owned bookshop, the sisters make the distinction that The Dock is not a “Black bookstore.” The space acts as a meeting point for members of the community to exchange information and ideas regardless of race or culture. The mission is to connect the past to the present by telling important stories and viewing our shared histories through many different cultural lenses to be able to tear down divisive ways of thinking and behaviors detrimental to community. The sisters do this by challenging readers to step out of their comfort zones, piloting conversations, and presenting literature that will promote real growth resulting in lasting change. When the George Floyd protests brought racial inequalities to the national forefront, the sisters did not shy away from the difficult conversations but instead leaned into them and hosted them in their space. There have been many group discussions and book clubs since then, and the most recent evolution of that is the series Courageous Conversations. Hosted by Fort Worth City Councilmember Deborah Peoples and activist Patrice Jones, their inaugural meeting is Monday to discuss Women, Race and Class by Angela Davis. On Mon, Sep 21, the topic will be White Fragility. In the 2018 book, author Robin DiAngelo aims to dismantle the defensive response that white people have when confronted with racial inequalities that they feel they had no part in establishing. The meeting will serve as a space to build racial stamina and break down the defensive barriers that often stop cross-racial dialogue before any lasting change has been attained. In a political and social climate where conversations about race are deemed as polarizing and divisive, it is important that the community resists these efforts and continues to do the work that will result in lasting change. l
Dock co-owners, sisters Donna and Donya Craddock, have become a cornerstone of the literary communities of Fort Worth and Texas proper.
When the George Floyd protests brought racial inequalities to the national forefront, the sisters did not shy away from the difficult conversations but instead leaned into them and hosted them in their space.
CLASSIFIEDS
Eats & Drinks continued from page 19
notices / products & services / employment
Chef Marcus Paslay was the 2023 Readers’ Choice winner for Best Chef for his From Scratch Hospitality concepts: Clay Pigeon, Piattello Italian Kitchen, Provender Hall, and Walloon’s. All four places are alive and well, although Piattello is slated to move this November. Meanwhile, try housemade pasta, like the saffron linguine or handtossed pizza at Piattello’s current location at the Shops at Clearfork (5924 Convair Dr, Ste 412, Fort Worth, 817-349-0484), maybe on Mondays when wine by the bottle is 50% off. The restaurant’s blog suggests pairing wine with Italian cuisine elevates every bite and recommends Cabernet Sauvignon for hearty pasta or braised meats, Sauvignon Blanc for seafood and lighter dishes, and sparkling wine to go with appetizers and pizza.
Cour tesy Piattello Italian Kitchen
Monday Wine Nights at Piattello
Try housemade pasta, like this saffron linguine, at Piattello Italian Kitchen.
The Next Supper (club) at Magdalena’s
Chef Juan Rodriguez, the 2019 Readers’ Choice and 2024 Critics’ Choice for Best Chef, grew his Magdalena’s (502 Grand Av, Fort Worth, 817-7408085) into a thriving catering, event space, and supper-club model in the years between the one win and the next. Last October, the concept hit a milestone: the 10th anniversary of Magdalena’s Supper Club (“Full Stomachs, Happy Hearts,” Oct, 8, 2025). The next two supper club dates are Fri, Aug 21, and Sat, Aug 22. Tickets are $75 per person at ExploreToch.com/Magdalenas for a five-course menu of crispy-skin quail breast on a yucca nest; pineapple-kaffir grilled tiger prawn; an Oceania mosaic with three kinds of fish and dirty couscous; coffee-rubbed smoked rack of elk; and chocolate turtle mousse.
important to be a kind human.” On Mon, Aug 31, Tokyo Cafe has a special one-night-only dining experience: the Smoke & Fire Omakase. At 7pm, they are serving a curated multi-course menu of bold, smoked flavors paired with classic Japanese techniques, including grilled edamame, smoked octopus salad, grilled Spam musubi, Nigiri Duo (a smoked hamachi with jalapeno tare, tobiko, and cilantro alongside smoked duck and cheese with sweet tare), fried oyster, and grilled rice cake dumplings. Tickets are $86.60 per person at Toast. app/r/tokyo-cafe-5121-pershing-avenue.
And Then, There’s Jon Bonnell
Smoke & Fire at Tokyo Cafe
NOTICE OF HEARING CASE NUMBER: 2025ES2900636
SEPTEMBER 29, 2026 10:00 A.M. LANCASTER COUNTY PROBATE COURT, COURT ROOM “C” 104 NORTH MAIN STREET, LANCASTER, SC 29720
PURPOSE OF HEARING* PETITION FOR FORMAL APPOINTMENT
Executed this 24th day of JULY, 2026
Signature: Print Name: Address: Telephone (Work): (Home): (Cell): E-mail: Relationship to Decedent/Estate:
T. ALSON DEVENNY POST OFFICE BOX 1657 LANCASTERE, SC 29721 803-286-6647
ATTORNEY
NOTE: Probate Court recommends that all interested parties be represented by counsel licensed to practice law in South Carolina. If any interested party wishes to represent him/herself, he/she will be required to adhere to the South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure and South Carolina Rules of Evidence. *When sending Notice of Hearing to interested parties upon whom pleadings were not required to be served, attached the petition or motion to be held. FORM #326ES (1/2016) 62-1-401
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Cour tesy Ellerbe Fine Foods
DATE: TIME: PLACE:
IN THE PROBATE COURT
AUGUST 19-25, 2026
On Wed, Aug 26, Ellerbe hosts Hell or High Watermelon, a guided tasting featuring Waterloo gins and specialty cocktails like this one made with Waterloo Prickly Pear & Rose Gin, watermelon, lime, and rose water.
Who’s the next Best Chef ? You tell us! Now thru midnight Sun, Sep 13, make your voice be heard by participating in our online-only write-in ballot to determine the Readers’ Choice winners for all our Best Of sections: Getting & Spending, People & Places, Arts & Culture, Good Grub, and On The Town. Best Chef is in Good Grub, BTW. For information, including the rules, all the categories, and how business owners can promote themselves, go to Bit.ly/FWW_BestOf2026. — Elaine Wilder l
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF: LANCASTER IN THE MATTER OF: TIMMY LEE WITHERSPOON (Decedent)
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Chef Kevin Martinez, the 2018 Readers’ Choice and 2025 Critic’s Choice for Best Chef, is still at the helm at Tokyo Café (5121 Pershing Av, Fort Worth, 817-737-8568) whipping up his popular Asian-fusion cuisine. The critic who chose him last year thought his philanthropic work set him apart. “The executive chef and part-owner of Tokyo Café fed hospitality-industry workers for free during COVID while continuing to cook for other noble charitable causes. Martinez proves it’s one thing to be efficient in the kitchen, but it’s more
Chef Bonnell has won five Best Of awards over the past 10 years, including four Readers’ Choice awards for Best Chef, plus one Critic’s Choice award for Best Pandemic Pivot in 2020. While his Jon’s Grille concept closed in July, Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, Buffalo Bros (both of them), and Waters are all still delicious local dining options. For an August/September outing, go with Bonnell’s (4259 Bryant Irvin Rd, Fort Worth, 817738-5489), take advantage of DFW Restaurant Week, and help a good cause now thru Labor Day (Mon, Sep 7). The three-course dinner is $59 per person. For the first course, choose either the house salad (mixed greens with baby heirloom tomatoes, jalapeno-garlic vinaigrette, and queso fresco) or roasted tomato-and-jalapeno soup. For the main course, there’s grilled salmon (with confetti rice, green beans, and lemon butter) or a 5-oz filet (with shoestring fries, green beans, and whiskey cream). Then for dessert, you have your choice of a slice of buttermilk pie or Texas sheet cake with pecans. If you’d like a signature drink with each course, upgrade to the Signature Experience for $99 per person. For the full dish on DFW Restaurant Week, visit DFWRestaurantWeek.com and follow them on socials.
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF: LANCASTER IN THE MATTER OF: IN THE PROBATE COURT TIMMY LEE WITHERSPOON CASE NUMBER 2025-ES-29-00____ x Decedent Alleged Incapacitated Individual Jamie Lee Witherspoon SUMMONS Petitioner(s), vs. Timothy Demarcus Witherspoon, Marquis Witherspoon, Bradley Coleman Witherspoon and Teshauna Witherspoon, Respondent(s).* *For Guardianship/Conservatorship matters, you must include the alleged incapacitated individual as a Respondent. TO THE RESPONDENT(S) LISTED ABOVE: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to Answer the Petition in this action, a copy of which is herewith served upon you, and to serve a copy of your Answer upon the Petitioner(s) listed above at the following address(es): Please Type or Print. T. ALSTON DEVENNY, Attorney for Petitioner (Name of Petitioner/Attorney for Petitioner) POST OFFICE BOX 1657 (Street Address or Mailing Address) LANCASTER, SC 29721 (City, State, and Zip Code) Your Answer must be served on the Petitioner at the above address within thirty (30) days after the service of this Summons and Petition upon you, exclusive of the day of such service; and if you fail to answer the Petition within that time, judgment by default will be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the Petition. s/ T. Alston DeVenny T. ALSTON DEVENNY Date: SEPTEMBER 30, 2025
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BULLETIN BOARD
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BEST-OF VOTING HAS BEGUN! Complete a ballot for the Readers’ Choice portion of Best Of 2026 now thru Sun, Sep 13 at FWWeekly.com. CONSUMER CELLULAR
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ELEMENT COCKTAIL LOUNGE Best Monday Happy Hour In Town!
We have Champagne, Silver Star Texas Mules, and vodka strawberry limeade on draft, along with over 20 varieties of beer.We offer specials every day and live music on the weekends. Sunday Funday kicks off with Mimosa Flights all day, starting at $12. Late Night Cocktail Hour is Mon-Thur 9pm-12am. Join us at 200 N Mesquite St in Arlington #105, Arlington!
EMPLOYMENT
Goosehead Insurance Agency, LLC seeks Principal Quality Assurance Engineer in Westlake, TX, (& various unanticipated locations throughout the U.S.) (Full-time telework permitted) responsible for leading & overseeing quality assurance initiatives across assigned products & systems. Salary w/i the range of $129,022 - $172,000 / yr. Send resume to jordan.benfield@goosehead.com and includereference RSPQAE
HISTORIC RIDGLEA THEATER
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THE RIDGLEA is three great venues within one historic Fort Worth landmark. RIDGLEA THEATER has been restored to its authentic allure, recovering unique Spanish-Mediterranean elements. It is ideal for large audiences and special events. RIDGLEA ROOM and RIDGLEA LOUNGE have been making some of their own history, as connected adjuncts to RIDGLEA THEATER, or hosting their own smaller shows and gatherings. More at theRidglea.com.
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PUBLIC NOTICE
The following vehicles have been impounded with fees due to date by Sega Tow (VSF0576658) at 2711 S Riverside Dr, Fort Worth TX, 76104, 817-572-7775: 2022 Cadillac XT4, VIN 1GYFZCR43NF109512 $374.20..
PUBLIC NOTICE
The following vehicles have been impounded with fees due to date by Texas Towing Wrecker, 205 S Commercial St, Fort Worth TX 76107, 817-877-0206 (VSF0000964): BBox Trailer, White, No Vin, No license plate, $1040.99; 2007 Wabash Trailer, Vin 1JJV532W77L092461, $11602.67; 1965 Autocar LTD, Vin CS137786, $2641.62; 2020 Sea-Doo Bombader, Vin BHNZZNF6411E797, $1177.20.
VETERAN CAR DONATIONS: Increase Your Tax Deductions!
Donate your car, truck, boat, RV and more to support our veterans! Schedule a FAST, FREE vehicle pickup and receive a top tax deduction. Call 1-844-450-1590 today!
WINE by OMAHA STEAKS!
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