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January 7-13, 2026 FREE fwweekly.com

The network brings to life Stranger Things, Squid Game, and more as part of a new immersive attraction in Dallas. B Y

EATS & DRINKS It’s an Indian food restaurant, it’s an American sports bar, it’s Peak charm. BY ANTHONY MARIANI

SCREEN Fallout Season 2 takes the long, winding road. BY COLE WILLIAMS

D A N N Y

G A L L A G H E R

BUCK U As the Frogs marched to victory in a thriller, the CFP was mostly dud-tastic. BY BUCK D. ELLIOTT

MUSIC Monthly country night at MML, Jambaloo, and more are on tap. BY STEVE STEWARD

No talking. No food and drinks. No experiments. Come break the rules and say “yes!” to new art experiences at the Carter’s Second Thursdays! Every Second Thursday is different than the last. You’ll never think of museums in the same way again.

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CONSERVATION & COCKTAILS

DON’T MISS OUT!

Learn all about Georgia O’Keeffe and the interesting things we’ve discovered about her technique through the conservation of these delicate artworks.

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Second Thursdays at the Carter is generously supported by:

Remember the Alamo Bowl Cour tesy TCU Athletics

TCU fought hard as the CFP largely petered out. By Buck D. Elliott

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Peak brings together Nepalese fare and American sports in North Fort Worth. By Anthony Mariani

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Notes

As Cory Cross starts a monthly residency at MML, Jambaloo takes over town. By Steve Steward

Editor: Anthony Mariani Publisher: Lee Newquist General Manager: Bob Niehoff Art Director: Ryan Burger Marketing Director: Jennifer Bovee Regional Director: Michael Newquist Sr. Account Executive: Stacey Hammons Account Manager: Julie Strehl Account Executives: Tony Diaz, Wendy Maier, Wyatt Newquist, Sarah Niehoff, Biz Thames Proofreader: Emmy Smith Brand Ambassador: Clint “Ironman” Newquist CONTRIBUTORS

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Kickin’

In Dallas, Netflix House is quite the themed attraction. By Danny Gallagher

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INSIDE

J an uar y 7- 1 3, 2026

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The College Football Playoff continues to purge brand-name squads on its way to the semifinals.

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And just like that, the gargantuan and long-suffering fanbases of Texas A&M and Texas Tech are eliminated from the expanded College Football Playoff with only three combined points to show for their hopes, efforts, and millions of dollars invested. As promised last year, I’m not inviting ridicule to the Aggies and Raiders, as we Horned Frogs have endured much after losing the most lopsided national championship in modern history, but the facts remain that the Frogs had to win a semifinal game to be able to play Georgia, something that only the Longhorns have also been able to accomplish within our state. The trash talking between the College Stationers and Lubbockites in the offseason will center on who performed worse, and the Aggies — in true SEC fashion — will be rooting for the Miami Hurricanes to go the distance so the maroon’s shortcomings can be justified to a greater degree. Poor Texas Tech succumbed to what has become the curse of the bye: a traditional bowl layoff without game speed against a team who might be more banged up but is demonstrably battle-hardened. The Red Raiders are in good company, as only one of the eight teams who enjoyed an extra week off finished the quarterfinal round with anything left to play for. (More on that later.) Tech’s defense performed as advertised, staunchly preventing a plucky Duck offense from finding the endzone until the second half and allowing only two field goals through the first. It was the offense for TTU that couldn’t and wouldn’t find a rhythm, no matter how badly the situation demanded they do. In addition to missing a field goal in the second quarter, the Raiders committed four total turnovers, three of which quarterback Behren Morton (#2) was directly responsible for (two interceptions and a lost fumble), which spelled irreparable damage in a game against a capable opponent. Oregon wasn’t perfect, but quarterback Dante Moore (#5) was remarkably efficient, completing 79% of his passes and tossing only one interception. The Oregon pass rush proved too much for Morton, and the Ducks advanced to a rematch with Indiana in the semifinal, leaving a historic Tech season in the ashes of an — I’d venture to assert more so than

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Cour tesy TCU Athletics

Hoosier Daddy

Ken Seals reminded us what college football should be about during the Valero Alamo Bowl.

Texas A&M — embarrassing shutout. Speaking of Indiana, the Hoosiers proved their top ranking by becoming the first team in the expanded era to not only survive the bye but thrive. They absolutely curb-stomped Alabama 38-3 during a game that was even more impactful to IU’s national perception than the Heisman Trophy or their win over Ohio State in the Big 10 Championship. Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza (#15) was the model of efficiency, missing only two of his 16 passing attempts and accumulating three throwing scores. The Hoosiers completely controlled the game by rushing the ball 33 times between their two feature backs alone and accumulating close to 200 yards between them. The Hoosier defense simply stuffed the Tide. A 38-3 score would suggest many turnovers, but one fumble lost by Bama was the only miscue outside of turnovers on downs. They simply couldn’t find any continuity against the swarming Hoosiers. IU continues their historic streak on Friday in the Peach Bowl, where their ability to run the ball effectively and Mendoza’s decision-making should neutralize the Duck pass rush and catapult Coach Curt Cignetti’s group to the national championship. On the other side of the bracket, the Hurricanes did something rare, and that is deliver Ohio State consecutive losses. This U group reminds me of the 2007 New York Giants, who famously ruined Tom Brady and the Patriots’ perfect season: disruptive defensive line, opportunistic secondary, and an offense good enough to take advantage at the perfect moment. The U picked off Buckeye quarterback Julian Sayin (#10) twice, and the offense built a 14-0 first-half lead on their way to holding onto a 24-14 victory. Miami’s opponent is coming off the most exciting quarterfinal contest. In a 39-34 win over Georgia in the most back-and-forth affair of the weekend, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (#6) tossed the ball 46 times,

connecting on 30 of them while racking up 362 yards — including the game-winning 45-yard drive for a field goal with less than a minute remaining. Chambliss seems like the most exciting quarterback in the playoffs right now, even if not the most efficient. The Rebels are simply a wildcard and exciting to watch. The Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night will go as he does. Miami will need to account for his elusiveness plus his vision down the field. If Chambliss plays a clean game, one in which he commits one or fewer turnovers, the Rebels should head to the national title game against Indiana, and Lane Kiffin will keep receiving bonuses for games he isn’t coaching. While their season is over, there might have been more relevant Horned Frog news in the last week than the entire latter half of the regular season. As discussed previously, former OC Kendal Briles is now a Gamecock, signaling a major shift in the coaching staff. Gordon Sammis is heading to the Fort from UConn, and as a former offensive lineman myself, I couldn’t be more excited for a trench-warfare specialist to be calling the plays. Sammis was consistently successful in Connecticut and is a former collegiate lineman for UVA. Known for developing offensive lines and vaunted rushing attacks, he represents a paradigm shift that’s badly needed and will hopefully fix the lack of time of possession, short-yardage foibles, and consistency problems that plagued the Briles era. Josh Hoover is out. The soon-to-be-senior slinger opted out of the Alamo Bowl, and multiple reports indicate he’ll transfer to Indiana to contend for Mendoza’s soon-to-be vacant position. As much as the timing seems suspect, Hoover committed to IU in high school before flipping to the Frogs. Respect should be paid to one of the most prolific passers to wear purple and white. Hoover set the single-season record for passing yards and is third all-time behind Trevone Boykin and Andy Dalton, edging out Max Duggan by 11 career yards through the air. That said, Hoover had a knack for

untimely turnovers and a devil-may-care approach to passes over the middle, and he was not an effective runner or practitioner of the read option. His strengths combined with shortcomings left fans excited about the possibilities of the offense but often disappointed with the results against better opponents. The most likely replacement for Hoover is Jaden Craig, who is transferring from Harvard for his final season of eligibility. Craig is the Crimson’s all-time passing leader with more than 6,000 yards through the air in the Ivy League and 52 touchdowns. Already considered an NFL prospect, Craig will be part of the process to rebuild the offense with Sammis. In Hoover’s absence, backup Ken Seals lined up under center for his final collegiate football game in the Alamo Bowl. The Azle native spent three years playing at Vanderbilt and has been the backup in Funkytown for the last two seasons. A star quarterback not starting in a mid-level bowl is becoming more of a common tale across collegiate football, but it’s more specific to TCU, who were dealing with this before it was trendy for transfer-portal reasons. While USC had some of their elite receivers opt out, what resulted in San Antonio was another fantastically fun and tension-filled fight between the Frogs and another financially privileged fanbase from the Left Coast. TCU’s offense started slow, gaining only 11 yards in the first quarter before warming into back-to-back touchdown drives to begin the second. A first-quarter field goal by the Trojans and a second-quarter score left an almost even 14-13 advantage for the Frogs at the half. Disaster struck to begin the third quarter as Seals was picked off on the second play, awarding the Trojans a short field and what felt like an assured score. The TCU defense — the best unit of the game — bailed out their senior quarterback by picking off USC in the endzone. The Los Angelenos found their stride, though, and converted for a touchdown and field goal for a 10-point lead with barely five minutes remaining. The Frogs responded with two long drives for a touchdown and field goal, respectively, to even the score and force overtime. The Frog defense stymied USC one final time for a field goal. After what seemed like an amazing pass and catch by Joseph Manjack was ruled incomplete, Seals took a 10-yard sack to set up a third and 20 and a likely field goal attempt. Seals dropped back, scanned, and hit a dump pass to running back Jeremy Payne (who dazzled with 19 combined touches for 123 yards and two scores), who wriggled, shimmied, and shook three would-be tacklers to take the pass down the left sideline to paydirt and cap a 30-27 overtime victory three days before the 10th anniversary of Bram Kohlhausen (who was in attendance and an honorary captain) leading TCU from a 31-point deficit for an overtime victory against Oregon on the same field. All “homership” aside, the TCU-USC game might have been one of the best bowls of the entire season. Not only because it was a back-andforth slugfest that ended on a spectacular play in overtime, but because it’s a staunch reminder that these are still just young men who love football and whose playing careers are culminating. Yes, the transfer portal and big-money contracts are here to stay and the meta of collegiate football has been irreparably altered, but for that shining moment, we saw a small bit of history repeat itself for two quarterbacks where that game in the Alamodome is something they’ll carry with them forever, and we’re all better for it, not because of a bank account or trophy but for the love of competition, memories sweet, and comrades true. l

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Open-world games like the Fallout ones are well known for letting the player go almost anywhere and do almost anything. They’re also famous for having players get sidetracked from the main storyline by coming across new side-quests, which Season 1 poked fun at. But in something linear like a TV show, those distractions can slow down narrative momentum. And while Season 2 of Fallout remains as chaotically entertaining and darkly funny as the first season, it so far lacks punch. Episode 1 picks up a little while after the end of the first season, with Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell) and the Ghoul (Walton Goggins) in the desert searching for Lucy’s villainous Vault-Tec corporate stooge dad, Hank (Kyle MacLachlan), with his trail leading them out of the remains of Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Maximus (Aaron Moten) is reaping the rewards of his reclamation of the Vault-Tec relic and serving as a power-armored knight in the Brotherhood of Steel. And on the horizon, Hank’s trail leads to New Vegas, a city that escaped nuclear devastation thanks to the prewar efforts of billionaire Robert House ( Justin Theroux), last seen in 2010’s Fallout: New Vegas game very much alive long after the atomic holocaust.

Lucy (Ella Purnell) guards the entrance to New Vegas in the slow-going but still entertaining Season 2 of Fallout.

And so far, as of Episode 3, they’re all still trying to get there. That’s not to say that Lucy, the Ghoul, and Maximus don’t have stories. Lucy and the Ghoul tend a tenuous peace between her cheery good and his pragmatic evil, while Maximus is dealing with the perils of rising in rank in the technology-hoarding Brotherhood. But what happens in the first two episodes feels like it could have been covered in just one. There is action — don’t get me wrong — from Lucy and the Ghoul fighting giant mutant scorpions to Maximus slaughtering frenzied ghouls. And in the most recent episode, Lucy and the Ghoul have a run-in with everyone’s favorite historical cosplayers, Caesar’s Legion. But it’s action that feels largely there to ensure something happens per episode instead of something that drives the plot forward. Only Maximus’ plotline and his interactions with an envoy from the Commonwealth Brotherhood (played with gusto by Kumail Nanjiani) feel like they’re propelling things forward with any speed. Then there are subplots, like the goings-on with Lucy’s brother Norm (Moises Arias) back in

Vault 31 that feel like they hold back more than how Season 2 moving forward adapts more of move the main pieces forward. And that’s on top of the games’ well-known lore and monsters, with the flashbacks to the Ghoul’s previous life as actor previews for Episode 4 featuring an appearance Cooper Howard, now being sent on a mission to by the aptly named mutant lizard Deathclaws. Pacing issues aside, the show isn’t lacking eliminate Robert House himself. Season 2 also has a much trickier path to its familiar charms. There’s enough gory action walk than the first season, which took place to satisfy viewers and fun needle drops on classic in and around the ruins of Los Angeles, places tunes (the moment in Episode 1 with Marty largely untouched by the games. But the setting Robbins’ “Big Iron” being a favorite) to entertain. of New Vegas was covered extensively in what And the show’s pitch-black humor remains, in the many consider the best game in the series. And form of everything from cartoonish violence to due to the open-ended nature of Fallout: New hilarious guest stars. (Wait until you see who plays Vegas, players could side with numerous factions, a Legionnaire in Episode 3.) While it sounds like I’m being harsh, that’s leading to vastly different endings. The show does a great job never acknowledging which ending re- only because of how good Season 1 and the games ally happened, but this also leads the proceedings are in comparison. There are still five episodes left to feel like they’re dancing around larger story in this season, plenty of time for things to get movpossibilities, including whether or not Mr. House ing, and the show is still as entertaining as ever, from thrilling action scenes to himself is alive beyond the Fallout prewar flashbacks. However, Starring Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, seeing how the characters grow when pushed up against one this also keeps the show from and Walton Goggins. Created by another. Let’s just hope as the disappearing into game lore Graham Wagner and Geneva group reaches New Vegas, they and alienating new viewers. Robertson-Dworet. Streaming on cash in on deeper stories. l And it’ll be interesting to see Amazon Prime. Rated TV-MA.

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Fallout’s second season takes a slow road toward its main quest.

Cour tesy Prime

Viva New Vegas

Open Netflix House

The network brings to life Stranger Things, Squid Game, and more as part of a new immersive attraction in Dallas. B Y

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North Texas is morphing into a fierce competitor in the interactive-entertainment industry. The region is already the birthplace of massive video game franchises, including DOOM, Duke Nukem, and Borderlands. In Arlington, Six Flags Over Texas is updating some of its most historic rides and expanding with a new, record-breaking

Cour tesy Allied Global Marketing

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Visitors to Netflix House’s Stranger Things experience can visit familiar spots like Eddie Munson’s trailer while touring the town of Hawkins.

giga-coaster. Frisco hosts one of three Peppa Pig theme parks in the world, and it’s about to welcome one of the first new Universal Studios theme parks outside of Florida and California. Now Dallas is home to one of two initial locations of a new interactive-entertainment venue concept based on two hit TV franchises and a host of other movies and TV shows. It’s not the typical

themed coaster park or dark-ride collection. In fact, it’s hard to categorize. Netflix House is a 100,000-square-foot entertainment complex inside the Galleria Dallas which opened in December with two main experiences based on the network’s Stranger Things and Squid Game, plus interactive games, stores, and restaurants inspired by other Netflix shows.

The other Netflix House is in the King of Prussia Mall in Philadelphia, with two main experiences based on the comedy-drama Wednesday and the live-action remake of the popular anime series One Piece. North Texas’ Netflix House is anchored by two walkthrough attractions that incorporate innovative new forms of immersive storytelling, live-action games, and dark ride-style entertainment that’s hard to pinpoint to one exact genre. It’s hard to really describe each in a single sentence. Imagine something that lets you experience the thrill of competing in the deadly Squid Game or investigating the dangerous secrets in the town of Hawkins without ending up horribly mutilated or eviscerated by some gruesome being from an alternate dimension. Both anchor attractions are housed in a makeshift recreation of Netflix’s studios on the ground floor of this massive two-story facility. As you walk in through the massive red square covering the façade, you’re bombarded with decorative images of Netflix’s most popular shows and franchises, an indication that maybe Stranger Things and Squid Game won’t be the only popular properties to become part of the facility. There are even tiny Easter eggs strewn about the place that reference other Netflix shows that could also become part of the experience, like the tech frightfest Black Mirror and the romantic period drama Bridgerton. Squid Game: Survive the Trials is the more straightforward of the two main attractions. It takes you through the deadly world of the South Korean economy drama that pits people with massive, never-ending debt against one another in a series of childhood recess games with deadly continued on page 7

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THIN LINE FEST

Mar 18-22 Downtown Denton

Documentary Films, Bands, Photography 100% Free - register at thinline.us Book your hotel by Feb 18 for the best rate! presented by

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a cooperative reaction game inspired by the animated sci-fi anthology Love, Death & Robots, carnival-style electronic games from the animated comedy Big Mouth, and an illuminated reactive floor-based dexterity game based on the reality game show Floor Is Lava. They even turned the reality series Love Is Blind into an arcade game. No visit to a theme park is complete without some kind of walk through a concession stand and gift shop. This Netflix House is full of both

Sit back, relax, and watch the clouds go by as you cruise past airport construction on Trinity Metro TEXRail! Skip the stress of parking and ride traffic-free right to DFW Airport Terminal B. It’s how the pros do it! Plan your trip now at RIDETRINITYMETRO.org/TEXRAIL.

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If you still have the energy to walk upstairs (there’s also an elevator for people with old-man knees like me), the entertainment doesn’t end with the two main attractions. Netflix has packed this massive mall space with an interactive game or experience for just about every major Netflix franchise you can pull up on the app. The RePLAY Arcade room includes even more interactive games based on popular Netflix properties beyond just Squid Game and Stranger Things. There’s

with even more references to the network’s most famous and watched shows, including a Scoops Ahoy! ice cream stand, a bar complete with tasty concoctions inspired by more shows, and a gift shop with Netflix stuff you can take home by the armload. Yes, you can even buy your own Squid Game contestant uniform (assuming they have your size). You’ll need a reservation to experience the main attractions, and you should probably plan at least a week ahead of time if going on a weekend. It’s an impressive start in a new entertainment arena for any media empire, especially one that started as a mail delivery-based DVD rental service. l

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Trudge through a real version of Squid Game’s Red Light/Green Light field at Netflix House in Dallas.

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Danny Gallagher

outcomes for those who don’t win. Visitors take on the role of the competitors as they are guided through very detailed recreations of the Squid Game sets, from miniaturized versions of the players’ quarters to the viewing room where the world’s economic elite and the Frontman, the masked host of the deadly games, watch people play with their very lives in twisted amusement. Stranger Things: Escape the Dark is much more story-driven but just as impressive looking and sensorially immersive. This time, visitors are transformed into a search party thrown into the doomed remains of Hawkins, tasked with finding three missing residents in an escape room/haunted walkthrough that bridges some of the gaps between Season 4 and the final season that premiered in November. If you haven’t caught up with Squid Game as it’s about to move into its first American spinoff or Stranger Things as it sets off on its final season, the less specifics said, the better off you’ll be. Like all walkthrough attractions, it’s best to just go into them as cold as you can and let the experiences envelope your feelings and senses. However, both let you trudge through real versions of both franchises’ iconic locations like Squid Game’s Red Light/Green Light field and the Mingle room as well as Castle Byers and Eddie Munson’s trailer from Stranger Things. The producers do an amazing job of creating a competitive environment that encourages participation and exploration in ways that even the most advanced rides at Disney and Universal theme parks can’t.

Danny Gallagher

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Closing January 25

The exhibition is co-organized by the Art Institute of Chicago and Fondazione Torlonia, in collaboration with the Kimbell Art Museum, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and the Museum Box.

This exhibition is supported in part by Frost. Promotional support provided by American Airlines, NBC 5/Telemundo 39, and the Fort Worth Report.

Portrait of Hadrian (detail), Roman, Imperial Period (c. 130 AD), marble. Torlonia Collection, Rome. ©️ Fondazione Torlonia. Photos by Lorenzo De Masi

NIGHT & DAY Your New Year Should Include Great Art, Literature, and Music. Discuss. From banned books to weird movies, local art for sale to a deep dive into the techniques employed by national treasure Georgia O’Keeffe, there really is so much to talk about and experience.

The Amon Carter Museum of American Art (3501 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, 817Thursday 738-1933) will host an evening of cocktails, conversation, and live music from 5pm to 8pm. At this month’s Second Thursdays at the Carter: Conversations & Cocktails, singer-songwriter Jakob Robertson will perform. Purchase drinks, including a specialty lavender gin-fizz, and light bites from the Carter’s food cart. Head of Conservation Jodie Utter will conduct a tour of select works that highlight the museum’s efforts in caring for and preserving the collection. Learn about the techniques of painter Georgia O’Keeffe through the conservation of her delicate artworks and gain first-hand knowledge of her processes continued on page 10

Join the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra for an evening of charm, romance, and sweeping melodies at The Sounds of Paris this weekend.

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Cour tesy FWSO

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The secret-film series Weird Wednesday will hold its 50th screening, this one at Southside Wednesday Preservation Hall (1519 Lipscomb St, Fort Worth, 817-926-2800), for what’s sure to be a packed house of raving film fans who do more than sit in silence at some of the most bizarre flicks ever committed to celluloid. The

crowds always make some kind of collective noise during almost every frame of every movie, creating one of the most dynamic filmgoing experiences you can see in any theater. How will founder and curator Greg TeGantvoort top the last 49 screenings of bizarre classics? That’s easy. He’s keeping it a bigger secret, except that it will definitely be one of the weirdest things he’s ever screened for the biggest possible audience he can fit in the place. “For the first time, we’re not telling anyone the genre of the movie,” TeGantvoort said. “It’s definitely going to be one of the weirdest, most baffling movies we’ve ever screened, but it’s fun. It’s a lot of fun.” Arrive at 5pm for the Night Market and Macabre Alley (two rooms of vendors), then a vintage video preshow at 7pm followed by the main event at 8pm. For admission, the hall is requesting a pay-what-you-can donation, which will go toward the building’s restoration fund. — Danny Gallagher

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Cour tesy Michael Richardson

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Saturday marks the return of local Pink Floyd tribute band Puce Floyd performing Wish You Were Here and Animals in their entirety at Magnolia Motor Lounge.

with artist Brenda Melgoza Ciardiello. Inspired by “Red Cannas,” the first 200 people will capture images of flowers, then create watercolors of joyful floral abstraction. Then, Painting Conservator Gwen Manthey will share some of the remarkable discoveries she has made about O’Keeffe’s practice while conserving “Red Cannas.” An audience Q&A will follow her presentation. There is no cost to attend. RSVP for free at CarterMuseum.com.

9-11 Fri - Sun

The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents The Sounds of Paris, a celebration of French musical artistry, at

7:30pm Fri-Sat and 2pm Sun at Bass Performance Hall (525 Commerce St, Fort Worth, 817-2124280). Led by Music Director Robert Spano and featuring acclaimed pianist Pedja Mužijević, this program opens with Maurice Ravel’s Pavane for a Dead Princess, continues with the finale of Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Hector Berlioz’s Love Scene from Romeo and Juliet, and concludes with Claude Debussy’s La mer.

For its first art show of the year, The Grackle Art Gallery (4621 El Campo Av, Fort Friday Worth, 817-615-0681) is hosting Art Out Loud: Selections from the Grackle Collection. From 7pm to 10pm, this look back will feature pieces from the permanent collection, including works by Sibyl Allenson, Thomas Bruner, Michelle Garrison, Jim Goodin, Dennis & Isabella Gonzalez, Linda Little, Matthew Sacks, Robert (Robbo) Standlee, James Surls, and more. There will also be live music by Strung, Drawn & Quartered and Paul Crow Willis. There is no cost to attend.

Tonight at 9pm marks the return of local tribute band Puce Floyd, who last perSaturday formed in the late 2000s doing a four-piece arrangement of songs from Pink Floyd’s 1967-1972 catalogue. Featuring Big Mike Richardson (guitar/vocals), El Hicks (bass/ vocals), Eric Hicks (drums), and Richard Zemcik (keys/vocals), plus Chris Holt (guitar/keys/ vocals) and Kris Luther (bass/guitar/vocals) occasionally sitting in, Puce Floyd will perform Wish You Were Here and Animals in their entirety, with Colby Belk (sax) and Graham Norman (guitar/keys) joining the original members, at Magnolia Motor Lounge (3803 Southwest Blvd, Fort Worth, 817-332-3344). Tickets are $20 at MMLBar.com.

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The annual Jan Noir series is starting at Texas Theatre (231 W Jefferson Blvd, Dallas, 214Sunday 948-1546). This year, they’re focusing on adapted graphic novels steeped in noir, a style defined by its dark, cynical tone and themes of crime, corruption, and moral ambiguity, rooted in the detective fiction of the 1940s and ’50s that reflected the post-war disillusionment of the time. The complete first season of David Lynch’s smash TV show Twin Peaks will be screened two episodes at a time every Sunday at 5pm starting today, then weekly at 6pm/7pm thru Sun, Jan 25. Tickets are $10 at TheTexasTheatre.com.

The Welman Project, a nonprofit that connects schools and other nonprofits with the Tuesday community, is committed to igniting creativity, environmental activism, and social responsibility. With this in mind, and guided by a deep love of reading, the organization has created a monthly Banned Book Club. Why were these books banned? What information is prevented from being shared with such a ban? And why is that important? The Wellies are inviting you to the conversation — “Get into the nitty-gritty with us!” — at Leaves Book & Tea Shop (1251 W Magnolia Av, Fort Worth, 682710-2253) at 5pm to discuss The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.

By Jennifer Bovee

EATS & drinks

This North Fort Worth spot blends decent Indian food with American sports to delightful effect.

Peak Restaurant & Bar, 2901 Fair Dr, Ste 190, Fort Worth. 682-250-3265. Noon-2am daily. A N T H O N Y

M A R I A N I

Anyway, Peak Restaurant & Bar. I love it, and the food is only a minor reason why. With a similar, older location in Irving, Peak is a year-old sports bar of sorts near the intersection of I-35N and Western Center Boulevard in North Fort Worth. “Of sorts” because burgers, pizza, and almost everything else normally associated with the televised display of in-shape people throwing,

Very nice!

catching, and shooting balls and pucks are not on the menu. Instead, think east of here. Like far east. If you asked me to locate Nepal on a globe, I’d be as clueless as the current White House occupant trying to find Missouri or Iowa on a U.S. map. All I know of the historically sacred place is mountains, and most of what I know of them stems from my 2007 reading of Pynchon’s Against the Day. Worldly, I am not. I grew up in the same Rust Belt house where my mother was raised. Intercontinental travel took us as far as New Jersey. I’d never tasted Indian food or similar cuisines until well into my 20s. I’m 54 now, and my Death Row meal would most certainly be Bombay Grill’s chicken tikka

It’s no Bombay Grill, but Peak’s fare gets the job done.

Much effort has gone into the décor, from the hallway to the restrooms realistically painted to look like lockers and the silhouettes of athletes in action beneath the west wall of TVs to the sports jerseys, equipment, and photos hanging up and the small stage outfitted with chairs, two mics, and a pastel-neon sign indicating “live music.” Very nice! Of all the entrees my family and I have tried since discovering Peak a few weeks ago, the butter chicken masala always hits the spot. Mixed with cumin, garlic, and other traditional spices, it’s cooked well and has a little zip. Another dish we love is the saag paneer, a creamy mélange of continued on page 13

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Peak Charm

masala with a ton of that fluffy naan they do so well. Peak’s Far East delights do not compare to Bombay Grill’s (my Indian food barometer), though never having tasted “authentic” Indian or Nepalese fare, I can say that Peak’s less buttoned-up take — lacking in bold, neat, complementary flavors — is more than made up for in ambiance. Peak sits in a strip mall set back from a massive Western Center-facing Race Trac. At night, with the white lights of the gas station burning as brightly as a thousand suns, Peak and its fellow tenants recede into shadow. To combat the darkness, neon lighting outlining the sports bar’s storefront windows glows prismatically. The trick works. You may not know what all those colorful lights mean — sports bar? smoke shop? Fight Club? — but it’s gotta be something fun. Inside is just as wonderful. Here you have an Indian restaurant geared toward American sports fans, and I can’t imagine there’s anything else like the Peak franchise in the Western hemisphere. That alone is reason to recommend the place. In all my visits, I’ve never seen any one of the 900 TVs on the walls tuned to soccer or cricket. It’s all the Big Four plus golf and combat sports, every shot, block, toss, swing, and head fake unwinding to a soundtrack of Indian pop music. (!) Yeah, there’s a little Borat vibe going on here, but it’s endearing, not grossly capitalistic.

A b e e k u Ya n k a h

Peak Restaurant & Bar Lamb bhunna .............................................. $14.99 Butter chicken masala .............................. $13.99 Saag paneer ............................................... $13.99 Momo ............... $13.99 (chicken), $15.99 (pork) Veg samosa (two pieces) ........................... $6.99

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A b e e k u Ya n k a h

continued from page 11

spinach and cheese cubes in assorted spices and other veggies, most noticeably fragrant garlic and onion. I’d also recommend the lamb bhuna, tender meat with gently fried onion and garlic in a zesty, brown semi-dry sauce. Can’t complain about the fluffy basmati rice and delightfully chewy garlic naan accompanying all our entrees.

For appetizers, the veggie samosa (two pieces) couldn’t be any more perfect, the deep-fried pockets stuffed with spiced potatoes, green peas, ajwain, and more tangoing especially well with the accompanying tamarind and mint sauces. The momo also get the gold. Fried dumplings tossed with the chef ’s special spicy sauce, they come in chicken (our preference) or pork. For adventurous eaters, Peak offers a range of dishes not to be found anywhere else under

the same roof, including the Tibetan noodle soup thukpa, assorted goat specials, and chicken, pork, or mutton sekuwa (Himalayan spices and barbecue in a clay oven, served with bhuja, bathmats, and aloo achar). Balancing out the exotics are kebabs, tandoori items, chow mein, and — all hail, sports bars — chicken wings. During happy hour (3pm-6pm Mon-Fri), domestics are only $2.50, and $3.50 gets you a 16-ounce draft, import bottle, or well/white tea

shot. Nepali bottled beer and Tito’s go for 5 bucks, while a house margarita will run you $7. The strip mall housing Peak is a kind of a Little Nepal. All the adjacent stores (clothing, nails, groceries) are also Nepalese. The only exception appears to be one of my Top 3 local sushi spots, MK’s, which has been in its corner location here for going on 20 years. In a part of town best known for macrobrews and burgers, a little diversity like this strip mall is much welcome. A little diversity aspiring to Americanness in all our brilliance and dreadfulness is just downright charming. l

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Eats & Drinks

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The hallway to the restrooms has been painted to look like lockers.

A lot of effort has gone into the décor at Peak.

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A b e e k u Ya n k a h

Here you have an Indian restaurant geared toward American sports fans, and I can’t imagine there’s anything else like the Peak franchise in the Western hemisphere.

MUSIC

Music News Honkytonkin’, punkrocking, indie darling days are ahead. S T E V E

S T E W A R D

What a blast from the past. Not the bands or the venue. The flyer itself.

Jambaloo Is Back

Speaking of big ambitions centered on growing North Texas’ live music scene, the Mullen & Mullen Music Project is bringing back Jambaloo for a second year, now with even more bands and even more stages across Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, and Dallas between Feb 7 and Feb 15. Biggest-font headliners include Tripping Daisy, Low Cut Connie, and Catie Turner (I am personally very stoked about Low Cut Connie), but what moves my meter in particular is just how many local bands are booked for this — Christian Carlos Carvajal, Matthew McNeal, Levi Ray, Sheprador, Carly Tate, and Gracen Wynn are but a few out of the 30 or so listed — as well as a symposium moderated by KXT program director Benji McPhail. Check the website, mark your calendar accordingly, and stay tuned!

Friday Lovin’

C o u r t e s y H o n k y To n k Tr a d i t i o n s

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My apologies to Cory Cross & The Burden for getting this news out the day-of, but on Wed, Jan 7 (a.k.a. tonight, if you’re reading this paper the day of its release), the local honkytonk heroes begin their new, monthly residency at Magnolia Motor Lounge (3803 Southwest Blvd, Fort Worth, 817-332-3344), and I highly recommend blocking off your calendar for it. Whiskey Bent Wednesdays will happen on the first Wednesday of every month. These shows are free to attend and start at 7:30pm with Western dance lessons from country music preservationists Honky Tonk Traditions (@ honkytonktraditions) before Cross and his band take the stage. In a social post promoting this inaugural show, Cross’ exhortation pointed out that a city nicknamed Cowtown “should have the biggest, baddest country music dance/honkytonkin community in the state. My hope is this residency will grow into a cool regular party for Fort Worth to come together and dance and celebrate live music, eventually bringing in different acts and dancers. Let’s make it happen.” Sounds pretty fun, right? All he and his band need to realize this ambition is for you to show up and have a good time.

Steve Steward

B Y

There’ll be some mighty fine line-dancin’ going on at Whiskey Bent Wednesdays at Magnolia Motor Lounge with Cory Cross & The Burden starting Jan 7.

In other news, the cockles of my Epitaph-/ Fat Wreck-/Lookout-loving heart are warming like a morning in mid-July as a new punk venue called Stage 28 is opening Friday with a show by long-running punk bands Noogy, Samuel Caldwell’s Revenge, From Parts Unknown, and the Weigh Down. Stage 28 is located at 2671 28th St in the space formally known as Insomnia — I think that used to be a dance club — in the part of town near the border between Fort Worth and Haltom City. Doors open at 8, bands start at 9, and the cover to this 21+ show is $10. Another option for this Friday: Local production company Green Audio presents a show at Tulips FTW (112 St. Louis Av, Fort Worth, 817367-9798) headlined by a band called Guilford Manor, with Playtime Rabbit, Yandere, and

Pleasr in the opening slots. I have not yet listened to/watched any of these bands, but I am telling you about this show specifically because one of the dudes in Guilford Manor literally handed me an actual paper flyer about the show, and I was so touched by this decidedly antiquated move — a physical advertisement given in conjunction with a real, human interaction, something that bands used to do all the damn time until social media babbled and gibbered itself into its current mental-landfill-core existence, where show promotion has devolved into hasty Instagram posts featuring pee-pee-hued AI slop — that I felt that his effort absolutely deserved its flowers. It was Saturday night, and I was having a drink with my fiancée at Low Doubt’s bartop when this longhaired dude wearing a beanie waited for a break in our conversation to tell me about his band (influenced by Soundgarden, but with Weezer’s pop sensibility) and their upcoming show and hand me the aforementioned flyer, a literal handbill with all the relevant information. Do I enjoy being interrupted on a night out? Or ever? Not really, and by not really, I mean almost never, but it’s a new year, and I’m trying to be a “yes, and?” person rather than one who would prefer to live inside a forcefield made of frowns and scowls. This guy was very nice and informative, and he cared about his band’s show enough to approach a grumpy-looking stranger and tell him about it. The late, great Mitch Hedberg once joked that when someone hands you a flyer, it’s like saying, “Here, you throw this away,” but here I am, telling you that doors to Guilford Manor’s all-ages Tulips show open at 7pm, and the cover is $10. Hope to see you there! l

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See ancient Roman sculpture from the Torlonia Collection thru January 25th at the Kimbell Art Museum.

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