Fort Worth Magazine - August 2024

LINDON VICTOR Is Vying to Become

THE BEST ATHLETE IN THE WORLD

From Grenada to Kansas to Cowtown, this decathlete's path to competing in the Paris Olympics has been anything but ordinary.

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Left to Right: Stephen Jimenez, GM, Spur Chevrolet Buick GMC, Daniel Arceneaux, GM, Pegasus Chevrolet, Justin Rudd, GM, Platinum Chevrolet, Stephen Gilchrist, Dealer Operator, Gilchrist Automotive.

Up & Eat ’Em

Sizzling bacon, pancakes dripping with butter and syrup, steak and eggs.

Twenty-three of our favorite breakfast spots, from holesin-the-wall to top-tier hotel restaurants.

By Malcolm Mayhew

30 V For Victor

Two-time Olympian Lindon Victor is going for gold in Paris as a decathlete representing his native Grenada, but he’ll do it as a Fort Worth resident.

By Shilo Urban

48 Top of the Class

Nine teachers across the Greater Tarrant County area all share a passion for what they do for young people. These are our city’s best educators.

By Brian Kendall

DEPARTMENTS

THE FORT

14 City Dweller

Robert Ratliff will always believe in the power of one special baseball season.

20 Calendar

Dickies in August: Santana, Counting Crows, Kings of Leon, and Barry Manilow. Yes, please.

22 Fort Worthian

For Kendall Smith, curiosity is the key element as graphic designer at the Fort Worth Zoo.

24 Cowhand Culture

Fran Fullenwider: Fort Worth heiress and popular romantic-comedy star in Italy.

26 State Lines Canyon, Texas, pop.: 15,771.

28 The Reverie Musings, commentary, and insights about the people, places, and things that make our city.

CHOWTOWN

72 Dining News for Fort Worth foodies: Pulido’s is back!

79 Dream Home 2025

the FortWorthMagazineDream

Instilling the Love of Learning

Itook on a project this summer for our digital editions profiling some of the area’s high school valedictorians and salutatorians.

The project is, ahem, a work in progress. I’ve got a couple more to go as of this writing.

The process of talking to these curious minds with ideas as numerous as stars in the sky and plans they’ve been working on for years now has been fun. All of them are eager for the opportunities that lie ahead yet grounded in the knowledge that achieving will require both discernment and hard work.

There was not an ounce of presumption. Quite frankly, I was somewhat surprised by that.

All of them have been grateful for their classmates, vowing to never let the days spent together be a passing memory but one ever living and vibrant.

Under all of them is a steady foundation of good families and, of course, teachers. They are successful because of the love and care — the nourishment — of good mentors.

In this edition, we shine a light on our city’s top teachers. You can find those on page 48. There are nine of them in all.

It all brought back memories for this former student, one who was neither a good nor willing student as a teenager.

It wasn’t until college that I discovered a true love of learning. Two quite serious men of letters were probably most responsible.

Drs. Idris Traylor and Camilo Martinez, both history professors at Texas Tech University.

Dr. Traylor was my professor of “Revolutionary Russia.” He was fascinating from start to finish. Before he retired, Traylor was the director of Texas Tech’s International Cultural Center and the first executive director of International Affairs.

He was also a confidant of Margaret Tutwiler, who worked in the administrations of Reagan, Bush, and Bush II.

If he caught you napping during a lecture, he would also take a figurative nun’s ruler to the knuckles.

Camilo Martinez left a mark not so much for what he conveyed, though it was much as a teacher and researcher of Texas and Mexican history, but how he arrived as a college professor.

He joined the Navy in 1955, retiring in 1976 as a meteorologist. He traveled the world in the service, and he told me that he picked up a love of reading while on extended deployments in the Navy.

While in the Navy, he also attended University of Maryland and Old Dominion, and after retiring from the service, he continued to pursue higher education. He eventually earned a Ph.D. from Texas A&M. In addition to Texas Tech, he taught at A&M and Pan American University.

He told me all this while sitting in his office over the course of a semester talking about whatever William F. Buckley Jr. was stirring up that week, all while Camilo took drags off cigarette after cigarette.

I often think about those guys.

It just takes a spark to inspire a life of learning, but the real moral of the story is that the work of teacher and learner is never done.

ON THE COVER: In partnership with Fort Worth Camera, photographer Crystal Wise taught an editorial photography workshop for the annual Funkytown Focus. This year’s subject was Olympic decathlete Lindon Victor. While one of Crystal’s photos graces our cover, a photo by Kelly Stark received a full spread on pages 34 and 35.

CORRECTIONS? COMMENTS? CONCERNS? Send to executive editor Brian Kendall at bkendall@fwtexas.com.

NEXT MONTH

Women Who Forward Fort Worth

The Shooting at Wedgwood Baptist Church (an Oral History)

Ballet Folklorico

If the Olympics were to come to Fort Worth, what sporting event would be appropriate to add?

Cowtown steeplechase. It’s like a normal steeplechase except the “obstacles” are mine-like cow patties and downing a bowl of calf fries and white gravy after every lap.

Cow patty curling. Think cornhole but a different, altogether unique, bag.

Olympic rodeo, of course! Cowboys and cowgirls riding for Olympic gold.

The 1000-meter tornado/ hurricane dash. All participants are racing to a storm shelter before they get blown off the field.

owner/publisher hal a. brown

president mike waldum

EDITORIAL

executive editor brian kendall

contributing editor john henry

digital editor stephen montoya

contributing writers malcolm mayhew, shilo urban

copy editor sharon casseday

ART

creative director craig sylva

senior art director spray gleaves

advertising art director jonathon won

ADVERTISING

advertising account supervisors

gina burns-wigginton x150

marion c. knight x135

account executive tammy denapoli x141

account executive jim houston x158 territory manager, fort worth inc. rita hale x133

senior production manager michelle mcghee x116

MARKETING

director of digital robby kyser director of marketing grace behr events and promotions director victoria albrecht

project manager kaitlyn lisenby summer intern nic korzeniewski

CORPORATE

chief financial officer charles newton

founding publisher mark hulme

CONTACT US

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subscriptions 817.766.5550, fwmagsubscriptions@omeda.com

Smoking meats. Imagine pitmasters from around the globe lined up with a cloud of smoke hanging overhead.

Cow tipping.

Fort Worth weightlifting, where contestants bench press bales of hay, squat with saddles, and deadlift oversized belt buckles.

Goat milking. It’s udderly challenging and bound to separate the “goat” from the great.

A rodeo sporting event that includes bull riding and steer roping would be a fun idea.

DIGITAL EDITION:

The virtual editions of both current and previous issues are available on our website. Flip through the pages to read more about the great city of Fort Worth by visiting fwtx.com.

©2024 Panther City Media Group, LP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

FortWorthMagazine(ISSN 1536-8939) is published monthly by Panther City Media Group, LP, 6777 Camp Bowie Blvd., Suite 130, Fort Worth, TX 76116. Periodicals Postage Paid at Fort Worth, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send change of address notices and undeliverable copies to Panther City Media Group, PO Box 213, Lincolnshire, IL 60069. Volume 27, Number 8, August 2024. Basic

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December 2017

Far from your typical positive, bubbly holiday issue that promotes Christmas shopping and brownie recipes, the December 2017 issue of FortWorthMagazine had a very different tone.

Dubbed “The Crime Issue,” this volume’s feature well included four long-form pieces, each covering eight pages, around the topic of crime in North Texas. Like flipping through the primetime lineup of A&E, the subjects of the features included a convicted killer serving a life sentence, a Fort Worth attorney who got an innocent

person exonerated after 22 years in prison, a Star-Telegram reporter starting a cold case podcast, and advances in forensic technology.

Two of the stories were written by Linda Blackwell Simmons, “A Friday in January” and “To Hell and Back.” The latter followed a Fort Worth attorney, Mike Ware, who in 2016 became the executive director of the Innocence Project of Texas, which investigates cases of defendants who claim actual innocence, even after all appeals have failed.

One such person was Anna Vasquez, who, along with three other women, was convicted in 1997 of aggravated assault of two young sisters. Despite inconsistencies in the sisters’ testimonies, the four women were ultimately convicted, thanks to evidence of a healed genital scar brought forth by a San Antonio pediatrician. Yet, there was zero evidence as to the source of the scar or even how old it was. But this did not stop the pediatrician from speculating that the scar was the result of something “satanic related.”

“Junk science often plays a part in wrongful convictions,” the article states. “The analysis of a ‘forensic expert,’ sometimes in a white coat using medical jargon, may have no real scientific basis.”

Another aspect working against their favor is that each of the women had come out as gay not long before their arrest in 1995. According to Ware, this made them vulnerable targets for the police and prosecution.

For 22 years, Vasquez and the other three women, known collectively as the San Antonio Four, claimed their innocence. “There is a common misconception that everyone in prison claims he or she is innocent,” Ware told Simmons. “It is my experience that most convicted inmates own up to what they did.”

Ware and the Innocence Project of Texas would get involved in 2010 when they began a full reinvestigation. Later that year, one of the victims would recant her testimony, saying she and her sister were pressured by their father. Upon further investigation, the pediatrician’s testimony was also thrown out after an independent expert, using photographs from the district attorney’s office, concluded that there was no physical evidence of any trauma. The women were released on bail in November 2013.

In April 2016, a documentary about the investigation and court proceedings, titled “Southwest of Salem,” was released. Seven months later, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals vacated the convictions of the four women.

Star-Telegramreporter Deanna Boyd.

Star-Telegramphoto illustration of Donald Rodgers, who died on Aug. 7, 1973

photography by Julien & Lambert

Photo // Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Y

a r s

The San Antonio Four

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Photo features Colormatch™ Pacific, Pearl White & Iceberg on the wall with Outlander ™ Marine Grande on the floor.

THE FORT

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AND THE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO

14

STILL BELIEVERS

Robert

is already making lasting memories at the Westside

fields with his son, just as he and his late father did a generation ago.

Ratliff

Little League

by Stephen Montoya

More Than a Game

Westside Little Leaguers still believe.

It’s half past three, that hour when the sun is relentless and few should be outside, but onto the Westside Little League fields walk Robert Ratliff and his 3-year-old son Wyatt.

They are here to reminisce, play a little ball, and talk about a new film, “You Gotta Believe,” that’s soon to hit theaters and streaming platforms about a team of young ball players and the human story that girded them on the way to an improbable run to the Little League World Series.

“These boys lived the All-American dream by playing in the 2002 Little League World Series,” reads a plaque at the field honoring the team. “They worked hard, they played harder, they performed as a team and looked out for each other while enjoying every moment of the journey. Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’.”

These fields still hold a sacred bond for the Ratliff family. This is the site, after all, where Robert Ratliff’s best memories are kept, a place he says he feels closest to his late father.

“It’s special to me because my dad died when I was 13,” Ratliff says. “Before that, I stopped playing here

when I was 12. So, I mean, if we think of where I have the most memories of my dad, this is the place for me.”

It was 22 years ago when the underdog Westside Little League AllStars rallied around Ratliff’s father, Bobby, who had received the heartbreaking diagnosis of cancer. Bobby Ratliff was a coach on the team, which dedicated its season to its mentor. To show their solidarity as a unit, each player had the name “Bobby” stitched on their baseball hats.

Robert Ratliff, 34, who would later attend Nolan Catholic High School before playing quarterback at University of Mississippi, played first base on that team.

“Most of our practices were in the afternoons since the coaches and everyone worked day jobs,” he says. “No matter what, Dad would be here teaching us the fundamentals of the game along with the coaches and team manager.”

Bobby was diagnosed with melanoma, a form of skin cancer that started out as a small spot on his left arm.

After his father went through a bat-

tery of tests, Ratliff says his parents came home with an update on his condition.

“I just remember my mom saying, ‘Hey, boys, come here.’ And we sat down on our bunk beds, my brother and I, and he told us that he had cancer,” Ratliff says. “And when you hear cancer, when you’re at that age, I think I was 11, you think death, right?”

But Ratliff’s father wasn’t going to let this get his spirit down. Instead, he told his family that he was going to fight like heck.

His exact words: “You gotta believe.”

The credo, born out of optimism and faith, still resonates with the Ratliff family and anyone who has played or watched a recent Westside Little League game. These words can still be seen underneath the scoreboard at the field.

The movie detailing the experiences of Ratliff, his teammates, and his father is scheduled to be released on Aug. 30.

The film reunites Luke Wilson with director Ty Roberts, both of whom were involved in another Fort Worthbased sports drama, “Twelve Mighty Orphans.” Greg Kinnear and Patrick Renna also star.

Ratliff has seen a screening of “You Gotta Believe” and is grateful to the cast for how everyone is portrayed. He is especially grateful to Wilson, who takes on the role of his dad with dignity.

Bobby Ratliff did not survive his fight with cancer, dying at 51, almost a year after the team’s improbable World Series run.

As Robert Ratliff and his son Wyatt round the bases at the Westside Little League fields, both wearing the Bobbyinscribed hats Ratliff wore during that 2002 season, it’s clear Bobby’s legacy of love, baseball, and hope is in good hands.

“My dad left us a huge inheritance of great memories,” Ratliff says. “We had a lot of fun, and we learned the importance of always believing and knowing that everything and anything is possible.”

photo by

Stephen Montoya

To the Rescue

One of the largest animal rescue sanctuaries in the state is in Aledo.

One of the Lone Star State’s largest animal rescue sanctuaries is seeking to end animal neglect by touting the benefits of adoption in the face of animal overpopulation.

To the staff and volunteers at Saving Hope Animal Rescue, the mission is more than motto to combat a serious problem faced by Fort Worth and surrounding cities.

To that end, Saving Hope broke ground on a 14.8-acre, $2 million facility in Aledo last month.

The new state-of-the-art facility, at 14184 Aledo Iona Road, will have cage-free themed adoption rooms, climate-controlled bunk houses for mom and family litters, dog runs, and a Rainbow Bridge reflection pond.

Other amenities include turfed and fenced-in yards, a senior sanctuary chapel and building, a quarantine barn, and a main house.

The campus will also provide the types of services that’ll make it a one-stop shop for families wanting to foster or adopt, such as: intake housing, medical quarantine, a separate senior sanctuary, puppy pods for nursing, and an adoption center. A feline sanctuary is also planned as part of the new development.

Since the nonprofit’s inception in 2017, Saving Hope has rescued and facilitated the adoption of over 5,000 dogs and cats.

“It is said that animals are a reflection of our society,” says Lauren

Anton, executive director of Saving Hope. “We want Fort Worth to be better in terms of this and offer a safe haven for animals who wouldn’t normally be given that opportunity.”

So far, several bunkhouses have been moved into place on the property, along with the start of an on-campus animal clinic, but the rest is still in the planning stages at this point, according to Anton.

Saving Hope currently has more than 40 dogs on the newly opened property, utilizing select facilities already moved into place. Plus, Anton adds that she and her staff are overseeing more than 800 animals in foster care.

“This only highlights the dire need for places like this,” she says. “We render aid to animals who would normally be abandoned or euthanized.”

According to Anton, one out of every three animals in a shelter system is left behind without a home. This is where Saving Hope steps in to help, even going so far as to supply educational materials to anyone willing to learn.

“The main problem is overpopulation. Spaying and neutering these animals not only helps extend their lifespan but also addresses behavioral problems,” Anton says. “Providing spay and neuter surgeries as well as treatment for viruses such as distemper and parvovirus will elongate animal lives and reduce the spread of rampant diseases.”

With no clear solution in sight to create an end to animal abuse and neglect, Saving Hope’s newly opened campus is one that offers resources to many a helpless animal.

by Stephen Montoya

Photos by Dawn Richardson

by John Henry

Dry Those Tears

Funny Four Day Weekend finds new home.

Four Day Weekend, Fort Worth’s acclaimed improv troupe and precious jewel in the city’s arts and entertainment community, has found a new home.

The group will move to Stage West Theatre in the Near Southside at 821 W. Vickery Blvd.

The news comes a month after the troupe announced that it was leaving its almost storied home in Sundance Square, which declined to renew its lease at 312 Houston St. The group had been performing there since 1997.

Four Day Weekend’s first show at Stage West is set for Aug. 3. Its last in Sundance Square was the weekend of July 26.

“We are thrilled to keep the Southwest’s longest running show in Fort Worth by establishing a residency at Stage West Theatre,” said David Wilk, a founding member of Four Day Weekend, in a statement. “This is a great collaboration between two well-known brands in the Fort Worth community and ensures our performances continue uninterrupted for our fans. Exit Stage West!”

The origin of Four Day Weekend was a six-week trial run at Casa on the Square in 1997. It didn’t take long for the troupe to gather attention across the city, captivating audiences with its unique blend of comedy, improv, and

audience interaction.

“Stage West is just five minutes from Sundance Square and is an intimate venue in Fort Worth’s creative neighborhood of Near Southside,” Wilk said. “It feels a lot like Christmas and getting a shiny new toy! We can hardly wait to move into the theater to make people laugh, while making new friends and seeing old acquaintances.”

Tickets are now on sale at fourdayweekend.com for the inaugural performance in its new home.

Founded in 1979, Stage West produces a full season of stage productions featuring a diverse array of bold premieres and well-loved titles. Beyond its performances, Stage West also hosts monthly community events and educational programs that reach over 1,700 students and adults each year, according to a release.

“When we learned Four Day Weekend was losing its downtown space, the only response was ‘Come over here,’ said Dana Schultes, Stage West executive producer. “Simply put: A thriving arts scene makes Fort Worth better. Plus, we have multiple performance spaces. Finally, the Near Southside Arts district is a perfect landing spot. It was a no-brainer on our part to extend a helping hand to a fellow Fort Worth arts institution.”

Around Cowtown in 8 Seconds

A smattering of things you might’ve missed

1. It’s a Bird, It’s a Flame? The bright green fireball seen from four states ziplining the night sky at 58,000 mph was a meteor, NASA says. It was first seen near Malakoff, traveling 61 miles northwest in 3.8 seconds, disintegrating over Dallas, home to all sorts of out-of-left-field things.

2. Like Anyone Would Know That: The New York Times crossword puzzle puzzled players recently with a four-letter clue: — “Worth.” “Lake,” naturally. Go, Bullfrogs.

3. The Glass Class Lives: SiNaCa Studios, which specializes in the art of glass, needed $75,000 to stay open, and donors and Fort Worth citizens got them $84,000. It’s a win for the “Glass Station” and the arts community.

4. From the Files of Working Smarter, Not Harder? A study has found that 78% of Fort Worth residents drive short distances because they’re lazy. Have you ever tried to get around after a plateful of enchiladas and margaritas?

5. War of the Roses: Texas Gardens Club Inc. says it owns 10 acres in the 120-acre Fort Worth Botanic Garden. The city of Fort Worth, which owns the Botanic Garden, says, “No, you don’t.” It all stems from a 1959 negotiation. This has litigation and lawyers written all over it.

6. Postal Blues: If you think dogs are postal carriers’ worst enemies, think again. Carriers have been subjected to increasing incidents of armed robbery across Fort Worth-Dallas. Thieves are after the keys to blue collection boxes to steal mail, checks, credit cards, among other sensitive things.

7. The Stockyards in Legos: Nineyear-old William Hicks won the title of 2024 North American Mini Master Model Builder with a 6,000-piece recreation of the historic Stockyards. His details include a saloon, cattle drive, and a figure running away from a horse that’s rearing up and down. Nifty.

8. That’s Real Scratch: The TSA says that in FY2023 it scraped up more than $57K in mostly nickels, dimes, and pennies left behind at security checkpoints at DFW Airport. They’re on pace this year to find more than $80,000! Holy mackerel.

August

1–24

Imposter! Hypocrite! Tartuffe!

A punk rock take on the famous 17th century play, “Tartuffe,” by Moliere, who’s often cited as the Shakespeare of France. Written and directed by Circle Theatre’s own Ashley H. White. Circle Theatre circletheatre.com

2–4

‘Pippin’

For its annual production, Casa Mañana’s Apprentice Program is performing “Pippin,” a musical comedy about a young prince’s existential crisis.

Casa Mañana casamanana.org

8

Songwriter Showcase

Four local songwriters, Simon Flory, Tommy Luke, Ginny Mac, and Keegan McInroe, take the stage at Tulips, where they’ll banter with the audience and play some original tunes. Tulips tulipsftw.com

15

Santana and Counting Crows

An eclectic pairing of bands that have 11 certified platinum albums between them. You’ll hear plenty of radio-friendly tunes when this crossgenerational duo comes to Cowtown.

Dickies Arena dickiesarena.com

15–18

‘Sister Act’

The popular film about a lounge singer taking refuge in a convent received the Broadway treatment in 2011. However, unlike the film, don’t expect any renditions of “I Will Follow Him.”

Bass Performance Hall basshall.com

17

Kings of Leon

One of the most popular rock outfits of the 2000s, the Nashville-based band is touring behind its ninth studio album, Can We Please Have Fun, which was released in May of this year.

Dickies Arena dickiesarena.com

21

Barry Manilow

While it’s doubtful the “Mandy” crooner will get through all 51 of his Top 40 singles when he plays Dickies, we’d sure love to see him try.

Dickies Arena dickiesarena.com

24

Taco & Margarita Festival

This town loves its tacos and its margaritas so dang much that it has dedicated an entire festival to this food and libation combination. The event will also include live wrestling and over 20 local vendors.

Dickies Arena dickiesarena.com

Aug. 23–24

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Led by renowned conductor Arnie Roth, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will perform new arrangements from the soundtrack of one of the most influential video games of all time.

Bass Performance Hall basshall.com

29

Texas Wesleyan vs. Lindsey Wilson College

While TCU is on the road for its first game of the season, you can still enjoy some live college football as the Texas Wesleyan Rams kick off their season against the Blue Raiders of Lindsey Wilson College. Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium ramsports.net

photos provided by Circle Theatre // Casa Mañana // Tulips// Dickies Arena // Bass Performance Hall

“Sister Act”

Barry Manilow

Carlos Santana

Kendall Smith

By

Graphics Manager, Fort Worth Zoo

Brian Kendall Photo by Crystal Wise

Yes, the Fort Worth Zoo has a lot going for it: a robust and diverse array of species; incredible conservation efforts; top-shelf animal enclosures; and a baby [fill in blank with almost any animal]. These are all reasons the zoo consistently ranks as one of the best in the nation. But something we might take for granted, it’s also one of the best-looking zoos in the nation.

Much of this is thanks to Kendall Smith, the zoo’s graphics manager. All the impressive signage you see, info cards you read, or decorations you admire that immerse you in a particular space, well, Kendall likely had a big hand in that.

And, since he’s been at the zoo for eight years, his artistic fingerprints are quite literally all over the place.

Born and raised in the East Texas town of Lufkin by two creatives, a graphic designer and an interior designer — the proverbial apple does not fall far from the tree — Kendall says he grew up in a highly artistic environment that promoted creativity. But, like many small-town kids, he was ready to leave by the time he reached college age and headed to the bright lights of Fort Worth and TCU in 2012.

Electing to do a one-eighty from his childhood, Kendall initially pursued a degree in business entrepreneurship. “I kind of just freaked out after about a year,” Kendall says. “So I transitioned into graphic design and finished out in 2016. And then I think a month later, I started [at the Fort Worth Zoo].”

So, this was your first job after college?

“Yeah, I moved two miles from where I went to school.”

During what he considers his first stint at the zoo, he’d start off as a graphic artist right when the zoo kicked off its Wild Vision campaign — a $130 million, 10-year overhaul and renovation of the entire zoo. But, as he explains it, such ambitions at a nonprofit means your job entails far more than graphics.

“Our being a nonprofit, I think that there’s a great opportunity to wear many hats,” Kendall says. “And I would say every department really thrives on getting the chance to be an asset in many different ways.”

But, when working on graphics, Kendall works in tandem with a larger advertising agency, Schaefer, to make sure there are consistencies in art. Some projects, however, are done entirely in-house. One of the examples he provides is the Savannah logo, which welcomes visitors to the African portion of the zoo.

In 2020, when the pandemic hit and the Fort Worth Zoo temporarily shut down, Kendall took the opportunity to fulfill a dream. He and a friend bought a bus with some COVID relief money, flipped it, and “headed out west with no real direction.” With the zoo allowing him to do freelance work remotely, Kendall would spend 11 months on the road and visit 17 national parks.

“It gave me the chance to see a lot of things I never thought I would see.”

And, once he returned Fort Worth, he returned to work at the Fort Worth Zoo.

“It’s a really special place to be,” Kendall says. “It’s been a blast and a dream come true. I’m so stinking grateful, and it’s been a wild and magical ride.”

BY THE WAY....

Kendall’s Favorite Local Bites

Quesataco with Consome Birreria Y Taqueria Cortez

Fried Frog Legs, Caviar and Vodka Paris 7th

Rebecca Sandwich Carshon’s

Gyro, Babaganush, Cigar Borek

The Flying Carpet

Fried Chicken, Collard Greens Drew’s Place

1. Smith Fam on the road to Hana in Maui. 2. Baby me at the Fort Worth Zoo. 3. Conrad in the redwoods. 4. Colby and me at the Grand Canyon. 5. My sisters. 6. Latest great meal at St. Martins in Old East Dallas (get the Champagne Brie Soup!). 7. The most magical zoo crew.

by Michael H. Price

Italian Jobs

When a Fort Worth heir to a $6 million estate became one of the biggest movie stars … in Italy.

The newsroom could not have been more star-struck if Meryl Streep or Sylvester Stallone had dropped in. The occasion was a visit from one of Italy’s more popular romantic-comedy stars — known to Fort Worth as a Harlingen-born millionaire heiress, but as prominent in Europe as any made-in-Hollywood personality could be in America.

Fran Fullenwider made her entrance as unobtrusively as any 5-foot-2-inch, 250-pound beauty could manage. She and Star-Telegram drama critic Perry Stewart and I maneuvered toward the entertainment department. (Back then, every daily newspaper had its own staff of credentialed film-art-music reviewers, attuned to a local readership.)

The murmurings arose: “I know her — she was in that Rocky Horror

thing!” — “I hear she’s famous in Italy!” Celebrity-gawking of a high order. Only one voice sounded rude: “Hey, Perry!” shouted one loudmouth. “Who’s your girlfriend? Betcha she’s an armful!”

Fran Fullenwider paid no heed. Perry Stewart responded, with slow-burn indignation: Offering the lady his arm, he approached the offending editor: “Nice of you to say as much, chief. I don’t believe you’ve met my fiancée…”

The culprit, humbled, went slinking away. Fran Fullenwider thanked Perry Stewart and added: “Well, I could have decked the fool, or just ignored him, but you managed to deck him with a polite word.” (Perry Buck Stewart [19422018] was a quick-witted treasure among Star-Telegram staffers.)

The event, in 1988, involved Fran Fullenwider’s visit to help a favorite stage company, Johnny and Diane Simons’ Hip Pocket Theatre, to raise production funds. Most actors who visited my office would come because they had new movies to promote. Fullenwider’s pictures seldom played America. One such film, Piero Schivazapa’s Una Sera C’incontrammo (or “One Night We Met”) proved typical. That runaway hit had outdrawn the 1975 Italian opening of Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws.”

Fullenwider explained: “I sing and I dance in my films … Very like the Doris Day romantic comedies, and no mention is made that I am fat,” she said, inverting the term to her advantage. “Invariably, I get the leading man in the last reel of a picture.”

In 1988, the immediate Hollywood romance was Norman Jewison’s “Moonstruck,” a tale of hit-and-run romance among Italian American families. If “Moonstruck” had been produced in Rome, leading lady Cher could have expected formidable casting competition from Fullenwider, who practically owned the genre and the territory.

Fullenwider remained comparatively unknown in America — except for her real-life role as an heir to the $6 million estate of a Fort Worth banker. Her audience at the Hip Pocket benefit

raised contributions that co-founder Diane Simons reckoned at $5,000. Fullenwider made the event a marvel of lyrical, improvisational comedy.

Fullenwider’s star-making strategy was to specialize in sympathetic, glamorous roles of a type seldom seen stateside. Americans more likely would have noticed Fullenwider in 1974’s “The Great Gatsby”; 1975’s “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”; and 1987’s “Eat the Rich,” portraying the Queen Mother.

Her starring pictures represent an essential component of Italy’s moviegoing fare. Although the nation has propelled the worldwide appeal of Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni and made lucrative exports of its horror and frontier pictures, Italian romances and comedies seldom leave the country.

“[My pictures] hold a great deal of charm for the Italians,” Fullenwider said, “but might not exercise that much appeal, otherwise.”

It was in 1982 that Fullenwider was summoned to claim part of the estate of Fort Worth banker Raymond McGee. The settlement led to a division of wealth among two nephews and Fullenwider.

“Here I was, playing well-to-do parts — and suddenly, I’m wellto-do,” Fullenwider had said at the time. “It’s really too much. But the inheritance has enabled … a very nice lifestyle.”

Her talents and ambitions buoyed Fran Fullenwider along into the 1990s, with acting assignments persisting in London and Rome. Fullenwider died of a heart attack at age 52 in 1997.

Population: 15,771 by

Canyon, Texas

After miles of hypnotizing flatness on the windswept plains in the Panhandle, the earth breaks open into a spectacular chasm with towering cliffsides, colorful hoodoos, and hiking trails to hidden caves. But this is no desert mirage: It’s Palo Duro Canyon State Park, a rugged natural treasure that’s rich in wonderment as well as history, and the

small town of Canyon is the gateway to it all.

Cut into the High Plains by a branch of the Red River, the Palo Duro Canyon is the second-largest canyon in America: 120 miles long, 800 feet deep, and up to 20 miles wide. Its steep, striated walls blaze with brilliant reds, oranges, and

ochers, especially around sunrise and sunset. Trees and meadows can be surprisingly green. Footpaths for every fitness level lead to secret slices of wilderness, or you can drive to the canyon floor and back on a 16-mile paved loop.

The Spanish explorer Coronado came upon the dramatic gorge in the 1500s and named it after the hard wood (palo duro) of the juniper trees he found. But prehistoric peoples and later nomadic tribes had already discovered the canyon’s many resources. During the Red River War in 1874-75, the Comanche and their legendary chief Quanah Parker took refuge in the canyon. Later it became the site of the first cattle ranch in the Panhandle, Charles Goodnight’s famous JA Ranch (still in operation today).

Delve into these illustrious stories at the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, located on the campus of West Texas A&M University in Canyon. Covering a huge timeline from dinosaur skeletons to ancient humans to frontier settlement, it’s the biggest history museum in Texas. It’s also one of the best, with copious interactive elements and smartly organized design. There’s a little bit of everything: chuckwagons and windmills, Western-themed lunchboxes, and World War I relics. You can stroll through Pioneer Town, a life-size recreation of an Old West outpost with 26 buildings including a jail, Chinese

Downtown Canyon

Shilo Urban

Photos by Brian Kendall

laundry, and two-seater outhouse. Play cards at the saloon or tap on the telegraph at the depot. Browse a standout collection of Wild West weaponry, like the Winchester Model 1873 repeating rifle owned by Quanah Parker and a Plains rifle that Charles Goodnight carried as a Texas Ranger. The latter is inscribed with Matthew 6:33: Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. Not overlooking the Route 66-era classic cars, Native American artwork, and antique oil rig — you’ll need at least two or three hours for a visit.

Near the museum, you’ll find shops and restaurants centered around a cute town square, making Canyon the perfect ideal jumping-off point to explore the outdoor adventures and soaring scenery of the magnificent Palo Duro Canyon.

Explore Canyon

Savor: Java junkies have a muststop in Canyon: Palace Coffee Co., which won first prize in America’s Best Coffee competition in 2014. Sip a perfectly poured cold brew latte, a golden chai with turmeric, or a bluebonnet breve with torched blueberry sugar. Drop into Bar Z Winery for flights of full-bodied reds and whites made with grapes from the Texas High Plains AVA (American Viticultural Area). Texas Rose Steakhouse reminds you this is still the land of beef, with top-notch steaks and serious ribs. But the real star might be the buttery, fresh-baked rolls and the complimentary cinnamon rolls for dessert. If you’re traveling with kids, they’ll get a kick from the kitschy decor and toy trains at Feldman’s Wrong Way Diner (and the tasty comfort food is a crowd-pleaser).

Shop: Peruse a smattering of locally owned shops including the charming Burrowing Owl Books, where a Narnia-style wardrobe leads to the children’s section. Thompson’s has been around since 1908 and is full of eclectic gifts, accessories, and home decor. Stock up on road snacks and homemade fudge at Canyon Popcorn Co. and pick up outdoor adventure gear at Palo Duro Canyon Outfitters & Bike Co. Just east of Canyon, Creek House Honey Farm is an apiary that sells raw honey, beeswax candles, and CBD skin care products. Sample carbonated mead (honey wine) on tap or visit the restaurant for cheese boards and nibbles. On hot afternoons, honey root beer and mead slushies hit the spot.

Enjoy: Go horseback riding in the canyon with outfits like Old West Stables, Palo Duro Riding Stables, and Los Cedros Ranch. You can also book jeep tours at Elkins Ranch or zoom across the chasm at the Palo Duro ZipLine Adventure Park. Dallas’ Fair Park may have Big Tex, but Canyon has Tex Randall. Only 8 feet shorter than the State Fair’s icon, he sports the outline of a can of chewing tobacco on his back pocket. Other quirky attractions include an RV museum, America’s tallest wind turbine, and Combine City (the farm equipment equivalent to Amarillo’s Cadillac Ranch). In summertime, don’t miss the musical “Texas,” set

in a natural outdoor amphitheater against the canyon cliffs. With dancing, fireworks, and hilltop horsemen, the ambiance is pure Texas magic.

Snooze: Sleep where painter Georgia O’Keefe did at the Hudspeth House, a historic bed and breakfast built in 1909 that’s just a few blocks from the town square. Elegant antiques adorn each of the six rooms, which feature original gas fireplaces and hardwood floors. Guests rave about the hearty breakfasts with green chile eggs, fresh-baked scones, and French toast. You’ll also find cute cottages and homes on Airbnb and Vrbo to choose from, as well as comfortable barn-dominiums and funky shipping containers. If you want to stay closer to Palo Duro Canyon (but don’t want to camp), Doves Rest Cabins provide luxury digs right on the rim and some of the most swoon-worthy sunsets in the state.

How to Get There: Leave Fort Worth driving north on I-35W. Exit to Highway 287 (about 10 miles from downtown) and head northwest. Stay on 287 all the way to Amarillo, through Bowie, Wichita Falls, and Childress — about 290 miles. On the eastern edge of Amarillo, Highway 287 merges with Interstate 40. Continue driving west on I-40 for seven miles, then exit to Interstate 27 and go south. Follow I-27 for 14 miles, then take a slight right onto US-87 S. Canyon is less than a mile straight ahead. The trip takes a little under six hours with stops.

Boxcar converted into an Airbnb

Tex Randall

by John Henry

Margaret Truman’s Off-Speed Pitch in Fort Worth

Acrowd gathered in the green space outside Will Rogers Memorial Center, all of them eager for the unveiling of the almost 10-foot-high, 3,200-pound sculpture.

Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, not yet president but being courted to run for the highest elective office in the land by Amon Carter and Sid Richardson, would do the honors on this November day in 1947.

“Will Rogers always regarded Fort Worth as a home of his heart,” said former U.S. Congressman Fritz Lanham, one of only five people to represent District 12 in the last 100 years. “He was always a cowboy — and here he found the expositions and friends of his heart.”

Said Ike, the hero of WWII: “He was an observer rather than profound thinker; entertainer rather than interpretive actor. But though he belonged to neither of those fields, he invaded both and in doing so gave to his contemporaries thought for everyday consumption; bits to spur our minds even as we smiled at the package in which we received the gift.”

With that, Ike stepped from the speaker’s platform and drew back the drape. There for the first time, Fort Worth saw “Riding into the Sunset,” the work of Electra Waggoner Biggs, showing Will Rogers atop his majestic steed, Soapsuds, heading west, naturally.

Mayor Edgar Deen accepted the gifts on behalf of the city. The portrait of Will by Seymour Stone, also uncovered by Ike and that still sits in the main lobby of Will Rogers, was the other.

Also in attendance that day and playing an active role in the festivities

was a representative from Harry Truman’s White House.

Margaret Truman, the president’s daughter and aspiring vocal performer, presented her rendition of “Home on the Range,” said to be Will’s favorite tune.

Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam. … Where seldom is heard a discouraging word.

That alone would have been worth taking the time to go down there.

No record exists of how that performance or the concert she gave at Will Rogers Auditorium the night before was received. The critics, however, were often left wanting the talent displayed at recitals.

In 1951, a German newspaper quipped that Miss Truman was going to make a concert tour of West Germany in order to “inspire German approval of rearmament.”

That could have blown the NATO alliance to pieces. The critics risked agitating the rage of a doting father, who famously knew how to give them hell indeed.

“I’ve just read your lousy review of Margaret’s concert,” the president wrote to a Washington Post reviewer, post haste and with the ire of a cape buffalo, three years after the Fort Worth unveiling. “It seems to me that you are a frustrated old man who wishes he could have been successful.”

Ticked-off Truman thundered: “Someday I hope to meet you. When that happens, you’ll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteaks for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below!”

Suffice to say, no one at Amon Carter’s newspaper, the Star-Telegram, would be spilling any opinions that

weren’t favorable to Miss Truman. So, it appears, they said nothing at all about her vocals.

At a news conference at the Fort Worth Club, where she and Ike and other VIPs spent the night, Truman charmed the socks off with her “sincerity and natural graces.”

She captured her host city’s heart from the moment she stepped in it, one writer said.

One reporter observed: “She looks straight into the eyes of any person addressing her. Her expression is one of only denoting kindness, but she has no hesitancy in expressing an opinion, and one knows that her naturalness and her ability to follow through on her desire to sing is the result of the Trumans’ insistence that their only child lead her own life.”

Of the presence of Secret Service agents protecting her, the 23-year-old said that she had her limits. “I put my foot down on the idea of having a Secret Service man go along on my dates, though. That was just carrying the idea too far.”

At her concert in Fort Worth was a group of the local Pi Beta Phi, her sorority. A luncheon was held in her honor at River Crest Country Club. Then it was off to Oklahoma City for another concert.

When you’re the president’s daughter, opportunities — and knives — abound.

“It is our studied opinion,” the reviewer of the Daily Oklahoman said, “after hearing the soprano on three different occasions that she is not equipped with a voice of artistic proportions.

“Her delivery is extremely throaty, and the voice could in no stretch of the imagination be classed as a coloratura. In the only song which attempted the coloratura gyrations, she was continually off pitch and executed cadenza very awkwardly.”

Will Rogers undoubtedly would have had something to say about those kinds of manners.

In Fort Worth, we’d have asked for an encore.

Lindon Victor is a contender. The decathlete will be in the mix for gold at the Paris Olympics. So, how did this Fort Worthian from Grenada become one of the World's Best Athletes? Lots of farming and adversity.

By Shilo Urban

Photos by Crystal Wise and Kelly Stark

“You don’t choose the decathlon — the decathlon chooses you,” says Lindon Victor, a Fort Worthian and two-time Olympian who will soon travel to Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics. He’s on the hunt for a medal in the decathlon, considered by many to be the toughest Olympic sport of all: 10 track and field events over two consecutive days. Victor will compete for his home country of Grenada but will also represent the Lone Star State, where he’s spent most of his adult life. “I consider myself a Texan,” he says. With tremendous resilience and determination that any Texan would be proud of, Victor has overcome countless challenges, ongoing injuries, and 25 college rejection letters. “I feel like all those experiences have prepared me to be ready for this Olympics,” he says. “Each step that I took has strengthened me mentally and taught me patience when things aren’t going right.”

Coming off a bronze medal at the World Championship last year, the 31-year-old decathlete has momentum on his side. During his career, he’s broken more records and won too many awards to list, including the NCAA Division 1 Championship (twice) and a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games (also twice). He competed at the last two Summer Olympics in Rio and Tokyo, and now he heads to France. Paris will host the 2024 Summer Olympics from July 26 through Aug. 11, with competitions taking place at iconic landmarks throughout the French capital: beach volleyball under the Eiffel Tower, fencing in front of the Grand Palais, equestrian events at the Château de Versailles. The Seine River will be the setting for the opening ceremony, where Victor will carry Granada’s flag alongside

the two other athletes from his country. One week later, the decathlon begins.

Decathletes must throw the javelin, shot put, and discus; they complete a long jump, high jump, and pole vault; and they run 110-meter hurdles plus 100-meter, 400-meter, and 1,500-meter races. Many decathletes could excel at other sports, but few other athletes could excel at the decathlon. It requires an incredible combination of endurance, strength, and agility — not to mention mental and emotional acuity. “Decathletes fit a mold and a prototype, and certain things you just have to be born with,” explains Victor. Representing the pinnacle of all-around athleticism, the decathlon’s Olympic gold medalist is awarded the title of World’s Greatest Athlete.

“I am truly grateful because I know that I’m in this position because of the grace of God. There are not a lot of people blessed enough to be able to do 10 events, you know? I think about the guy that was given 10 talents,” he says, referring to the Parable of the Talents in the Gospel of Matthew. “That’s how I feel. God gave me these talents, and the best way to reward him is to maximize those talents, even when setbacks come.”

Island life Victor’s story starts in Grenada, a volcanic island in the southern Caribbean not far from the coast of South America. Ringed by pristine reefs and warm turquoise waters, Granada is known as the “Spice Island” for its copious production of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves — and for the sweet aromas that drift along its soft, powdery beaches and rainforest trails. “Compared to Fort Worth, it’s tiny,” says Victor. Granada covers 135 square miles and has a population of 125,000; Fort Worth covers 355 square miles and has a population of 950,000. “But it’s paradise because it has some of the best beaches in the world, some of the best waterfalls in the world, friendly people … it’s a beautiful, tropical island.”

When Victor takes the field at the Paris Olympics, his country will be watching. “There’s a huge time difference, and there are people getting up at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. just to watch me compete,” he says. “That’s what gets me going. It drives me to compete at a higher level because there are people who really care. I don’t take these things for granted, so I try my best to give it my all because I know that I have a whole country on my back.”

As a child in Grenada, Victor spent most of his time on the family farm with his dad. “We grew all the things that we ate. It’s the tropics, everything grows on the island.” They also raised animals: pigs, goats, sheep, and cattle. “I would use the machete to cut wood and cut the hay for the cattle all the time, so I developed a really strong arm just by doing that consistently as a young boy.” He would load bundles of hay on his back to feed the animals, sometimes carrying it for hundreds of meters — and often running. “I was always really competitive,” he says. “So I was training for the decathlon, but I didn’t know I was training for the decathlon because it was just farm work.”

Running and working beside him were many of his 10 siblings, like his older brother Kurt Felix. It was Kurt who first began competing in the decathlon and whose success has driven Victor to achieve new heights. “I started the decathlon because whatever my brother did, I wanted to do better. He got a scholarship, so I wanted to get a scholarship,” he says. “My whole goal was to get a university degree because I couldn’t just pay for it.”

Coming to America

But getting into school would be his most difficult challenge yet: More than two dozen colleges turned him down. “They told me that I wasn’t good enough; they told me that I couldn’t help their team,” he remembers. “And then … one college told me yes.” He secured a scholarship from Benedictine College, a small liberal arts school in the northwest Kansas town of Atchison. But where were the skyscrapers? “When I got there, my perception of America was New York. I thought everything was a big city with big buildings and lots of traffic.” But it

wasn’t Atchison’s small stature that shocked Victor the most. “In Grenada, it’s never cold. Coming from the Caribbean and experiencing winter for the first time … I didn’t know that it was possible to be that cold. I didn’t know that it could get to negative degrees. On TV, they make it seem like it’s only cold around Christmastime,” he laughs.

After a year in Kansas, Victor transferred to Texas A&M. “To have the opportunity to get an education at a school like Texas A&M to me was a big deal,” he says. “I went to College Station and I loved it. I was surrounded by some of the best athletes in the world, and it just kind of rubbed off on me. Before I knew it, I was one of the best athletes in the world.” The discipline that Victor learned on the farm served him well. “Growing up on the island, I had to get up at 6 a.m. to take care of all my animals before I went to school. So when I got to college and I had 6 a.m. weights or something, it was easy for me because I had already established a routine of getting all my stuff done before I went to school.”

When he initially arrived at A&M, nobody knew who he was. But all that changed during his first track meet in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), where he improved his decathlon score by 1,000 points — a giant leap forward that elevated him to No. 2 on the collegiate lists. “It pretty much shocked the world,” he says. Shoe companies started calling, and other coaches began asking about him. “That’s when I knew I had a chance to be really good.”

Victor’s brother Kurt had previously won the decathlon at the NCAA Division I Championship, so Victor aspired to do the same — and he won the title twice, in 2016 and 2017. Kurt had competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, and Victor joined him at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. The brothers went head-to-head on the field of play.

“I was a young kid, full of inexperience,” recalls Victor. “I was a medal favorite, but my mind was all over the place. I was thinking about 10 different things at a time.” He finished 16th. Over the next few years, he continued climbing in the world rankings and collected trophies and titles all over the globe. He graduated from A&M in 2017 and set his sights on the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, “a little bit more mature” than he’d been in Rio. But three months before the Games began (in 2021 due to the pandemic), he tore his oblique muscle throwing a javelin. Despite his injury, he still placed seventh in Tokyo and, amazingly, scored a new personal best in the javelin.

New coach, new team, new home But Victor knew he had more in the tank. He wanted a fresh start, so he cleaned house. “I fired everybody,” he says. “I changed my coach, I changed my nutritionist, I changed my medical staff.” He reached out to Chris Huffins as a potential coach; Huffins won the bronze medal in the decathlon at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and had coached at several top schools including Clemson and the University of California. Huffins’ wife had just accepted a job at TCU, and the couple was moving to Fort Worth, which is how Victor found himself here as well, training with the coach he wanted.

The rest of his team soon came together organically. “Everybody that I started working with here has really helped me

PHOTO BY KELLY STARK

PHOTO

take good care of my body. I’m healthier, I’m fitter,” he says. “And sometimes my team protects me from myself because I always want to do more and more and more and more.” Victor also credits his team with helping him stay motivated after setbacks. “As an athlete, you’re always expected to win. But the reality is that they only give out three medals. So having the right people around you is important to encourage you and to let you know that being an athlete is what you do, but it’s not who you are.”

Years of experience in the decathlon have also taught Victor a great deal. “In the decathlon you can’t get too low if you have a bad event, because you still have nine more. And you can’t get too high after one event, because you have nine more. So, it’s about just staying even-keeled and staying in the moment,” he says — sound advice not just for sport, but for life. “Because sometimes you think something is a disappointment, and it turns out to be really good; there’s also disappointment that comes with success. I think disappointment comes to protect us and to give us a wake-up call.”

Training in Fort Worth Leading up to a major event like the Olympics, Victor trains for six hours a day on average, with some days as long as eight hours. On Sundays, he rests. He doesn’t follow a specific diet, preferring to keep things simple. “I just try to eat as clean as possible. As a professional athlete, you know what you shouldn’t eat. So just don’t eat it.” He cooks many of his own meals, often Caribbean dishes that he grew up with. “I eat a lot of curry chicken, a lot of barbecue chicken, a lot of stew meat,” he says. “I enjoy whipping it up in the kitchen. I will experiment with different recipes, baked chicken, steak, rice and peas … the kitchen is like my sanctuary.”

“But I tell you what: I’ve taken a liking to Texas barbecue. I don’t know how to make brisket, but I really like it. In the Caribbean there’s no such thing as Texas barbecue, brisket, and stuff like that, so that to me was a whole new experience.” His favorite local joints are Panther City, Smoke-A-Holics, and Heim. He’s also fond of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden and Water Gardens — and the hot Texas climate. “The weather is really, really, really good,” effuses Victor, who can be found exercising outside for hours in the middle of August when the temperature soars to 110 degrees. “There are a lot of Caribbean athletes out here training. I think they love it here because the facilities are really good, and the weather is almost always good.” For Victor, Fort Worth is a match made in heaven. “It’s the perfect place to train for me. It’s not too big, it’s not too small. Everything that you need you can find in Fort Worth, and the people here are really nice. I absolutely love it.”

The new team and new home have served Victor well. “Since the time I started training in Fort Worth, my career has really taken off,” he says — most notably at the 2023 World Championships when he walked away with the bronze medal around his neck. “Winning that medal just showed how much I’ve persevered over the years to get to that point, because it was never easy. There were multiple times I could have given up, times when nothing was going right. But pushing past that point and

getting onto the podium, that to me is one of my biggest accomplishments.”

On to Paris While he’s competed in France many times before, the Olympics are on a whole different level. “Sometimes I get star-struck seeing some of the athletes there,” he admits. “You have literally the world’s greatest athletes assembled in one spot getting ready to compete. I don’t even know how to describe it. There’s nothing like it. And the level of focus that’s on everybody’s faces … you can see it. The energy there is remarkable.”

The decathlon begins on the morning of Aug. 2, when Victor will take on the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, and 400-meter run. “As soon as I’m done with the last event, I need to cool down, I need to get my massage, I need to get in the cold tub, and I need to eat. And then we need to drive back to the hotel.” It’s often past midnight once he finally lies down to sleep, and he’ll be up again by 6 a.m. “That’s what makes the decathlon so brutal. You don’t even have time to prepare for the second day.” On Aug. 3, he’ll face the 110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin, and, finally, a 1,500-meter run at 9:45 p.m. — a grueling finish to the two-day competition.

After it’s all over, “I feel like I’ve been hit by 10 trucks,” says Victor. And he eats. “I probably eat 10,000 calories after a decathlon, as many as I can, whatever it is, burgers, pizza … I’m just craving food at that point.” He’ll also visit the cafeteria in the Olympic Village, where athletes can fuel up on familiar cuisine from their own countries. “I try foods from every different continent just to experience the different cultures.”

Will his third Olympics be the charm for Victor? “I’ve always believed that I’m good enough,” he says, “and to win an Olympic medal would feel so rewarding. It would mean that I proved myself right, that I bet on myself, and it paid off.” Whatever comes next for Victor, he will give it his all. “Being an athlete has taught me that with hard work you can accomplish almost anything. Because I wasn’t always the most athletic person growing up. I wasn’t always the best. But I always worked hard. I would train hard, I would work hard, I would sacrifice, and I feel like that’s how I live my life. And that’s how I approach business, that’s how I approach relationships: Work hard toward whatever it is you want to accomplish.”

Granada’s denizens will turn out in droves in August to cheer Victor on to glory. “To win an Olympic medal coming from such a small country, I think it would mean a lot to every single boy, girl, dog, cat …” he laughs. “If it’s a gold medal or a bronze medal, they would celebrate it the same way. Just me being on the stage is an accomplishment.” Fort Worth will be cheering for him, too, hoping that the progress he’s made since living here is enough to put him on the podium. Yet in many ways, Lindon Victor has already won.

“Everybody doesn’t have these opportunities, especially coming from a small island like Granada. I travel the world and compete in different countries for a living — and I get to live in Texas,” he says. “For me to be here, it’s truly a blessing.”

&

Forget brunch. Give us breakfast: sizzling bacon, pancakes dripping with butter and syrup, steak and eggs. We round up 23 of our favorite breakfast spots, from holes-in-the-wall to top-tier hotel restaurants.

By Malcolm Mayhew

Behold Emilia’s pecan praline waffle with housemade caramel sauce, vanilla whipped cream and pecans galore.

Photos by Kelsey Shoemaker

Emilia’s peaches and cream bowl, perfect for Fort Worth’s sweltering summer.

Fort Worth loves a good steak for dinner, a killer sandwich for lunch, and a rack of ribs for an afternoon snack. But most Fort Worthians will agree that our love for early morning culinary communion is unmatched by any other meal.

We’re talking breakfast, of course. Many of us pine for the sights and smells of the most important meal of the day: the crackle and pop of sizzling bacon, the smell of freshly brewed coffee, the steam that emits from a biscuit you just tore in half. Unhealthy, yes, but we indulge anyway, once a month, once a week, once a day, in a variety of Fort Worth locales — burrowed in a handsome, snug booth at one of the city’s top-notch hotels, sitting at a rickety table at a timeworn cafe, grabbing and going a breakfast taco from a tiny taqueria.

Some of you, it bears pointing out, are part-time breakfast lovers — commonly known as the brunch crowd. You only like breakfast on weekends. We do not fault you. Matter of fact, we’re often by your side, downing mimosas and talking very loudly about what we did the night before.

Our ode to the best brunch spots in town is another story for another day, though. For this story, it’s all about places that serve breakfast during the week, Monday through Friday, before many of you even roll out of bed. There’s a bit of brunch/ breakfast crossover in that some of the city’s best brunch spots do double duty as breakfast places — and we do love a good mimosa on a Tuesday.

With that in mind, here’s a look at 23 of our favorite breakfast spots in Fort Worth. Up and Eat ’Em.

CLASSIC CAFES

Beloved breakfast veterans and newcomers that seem like old-timers.

Blue Mound Cafe

Similar to the Dixie House breakfast and lunch cafes, this formidable newcomer started in the Blue Mound area in 2020 and has since expanded to Fort Worth and, more recently, North Richland Hills. Opened late last year, the Fort Worth location took over a former Dixie House on East Belknap, bringing affordable and filling breakfasts back to the Riverside area. The breakfast menu is absolutely huge, encompassing various egg and meat plates; extravagant breakfast sandwiches, some made with pancakes instead of bread; three-egg omelets; breakfast tacos; and stomach-stuffing plates like pork chops and eggs that’ll surely do you in for the day.

Perfect for: Those with hearty appetites who can go home and pass out afterward. Definitely try: The amusingly named “Meat Head” omelet, an appropriately named beast filled with an ample supply of thickcut bacon, breakfast sausage, and ham. It’s topped with shredded cheese and served with a side of hashbrowns. Info: 3701 E. Belknap St., 817.887.9366

Carshon’s Deli

We know and love Carshon’s mainly for its incredible lunch sandwiches. But here’s

a good pro-tip: It serves excellent breakfast. Many of the dishes are made with its famously wonderful deli meats. Try the salami, onion and eggs, all scrambled together and served with your choice of toast or bagel. Breakfast is cheap, too, with most dishes under $10. Breakfast there is such an if-you-know-you-know type of thing; it’s usually nice and quiet — the calm before the lunch storm.

Perfect for: A relaxing breakfast. Definitely try: The corned beef and eggs scramble, which’ll set you back a mere $7. Info: 3133 Cleburne Rd., 817.923.1907

Montgomery St. Cafe

Classic diners like Montgomery St. Cafe used to line our highways and backroads, as common then as 7-Elevens are now. They’re a dying breed, but Fort Worth diners have kept a handful alive, including this gem, open since 1949. Here, your coffee cup is never empty, servers call you by your name or the name they give you (which varies between “sweetie” and “hon”), and the food is as adamantly oldschool as it is delicious. Claudette Finley, an 80-something former American Airlines flight attendant who has owned the restaurant since 1986, can often be seen serving huge biscuits, maybe the city’s best, and big plates of grits, eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns, all freshly cooked within inches of your wobbly table, creaky booth,

or squeaky counter stool. This is one of the last vestiges of old Fort Worth. Here, you’re safe and sound from the passage of time. You’ll wish you could stay here forever.

Perfect for: Those wanting to time warp back to Fort Worth’s younger, simpler self. Definitely try: Biscuits and gravy. Or biscuits and anything, really. Many Fort Worthians argue they’re the best in the city.

Info: 2000 Montgomery St., 817.731.8033

Ol’ South Pancake House

One of the city’s few 24-hour restaurants (breakfast is served round-the-clock), Ol’ South has been a Fort Worth mainstay for more than 60 years. You go for the German pancakes and endless cups of excellent coffee and the utterly fascinating peoplewatching. National bands and artists in town for gigs will often dine here at 2 in the morning, after their shows. People from the Stock Show pile in. There are college students everywhere. Every walk of Fort Worth life, sooner or later, passes through the doors of Ol’ South. It can get rowdy, but you know that already, and you’re probably one of the people making it rowdy. There’s nothing else in Fort Worth quite like it.

Perfect for: The late-night crowd and those who love German pancakes, the restaurant’s signature dish.

Definitely try: Available all day and night, the

German pancakes are a culinary wonder, a thick pancake, made tableside, doused in powdered sugar, butter, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Tip your server well; those things are a pain to make. Info: 1509 S. University Drive, olsouthpancakehouse.com

Old Neighborhood Grill

Since opening in 1998, this charmingly countryish neighborhood joint has been a gathering spot for Park Place residents bent on starting their days with gigantic, fruit-topped pancakes and lively conversations. Oftentimes, those convos take place while one person is in line and the other is seated at a nearby table, their stories and anecdotes bouncing around the room like a boomerang. It’s lively, fun, and very, very Fort Worth. The food’s dynamite, too. Owners Brenda and Wallis Lester, who purchased the restaurant from founder Peter Schroder in 2017, serve terrific renditions of archetypal breakfast eats: thick, thick pancakes; fluffy biscuits with peppered cream gravy; and omelets with your choice of fillings. The hallmark dish of any good breakfast joint, hashbrowns, are perfect specimens. Don’t leave without getting ‘em.

Perfect for: Convos as good as the food. Definitely try: If you’re looking for a good eggs Benedict, theirs is hard to beat.

Info: 1633 Park Place Ave., 817.923.2282

Paris Coffee Shop

This legendary breakfast spot has been a staple of the Near Southside long before there was even a Near Southside, its roots harking back to the 1920s. Owners and locations have changed through the years, but dining here remains an essential rite-of-passage or everyday habit for hungry early risers. Owned and recently revamped by local food and beverage kingpins Lou Lambert, Chris Reale, and Mark Harris, Paris offers an extensive breakfast menu dominated by classic morning fare and a few nice surprises. For hearty appetites, there’s a chicken-fried steak and eggs plate that’ll require a subsequent nap, more than a dozen omelets, and combinations of eggs, waffles, pancakes, and hashbrowns. The new owners brought along some cool new dishes, such

as breakfast hash made with smoked carnitas. Those with smaller stomachs and not so many death wishes can nibble on a power grains bowl or excellent wholegrain pancakes.

Perfect for: Fort Worth newcomers who want to dine in a 100-year-old restaurant; people-watchers who can easily spot local movers and shakers; Near Southsiders who can walk there.

Definitely try: If you’re going to Paris, you may as well go all in and get something hearty and filling, like pork chops and eggs. And you’re gonna need a slice of pie to finish things off. Yes, pork chops and pie for breakfast. Fort Worth, y’all.

Info: 704 W. Magnolia Ave., pariscoffeeshopfw.com

Spiral Diner

We live in a vastly different world than we did, say, 30 years ago, when we maybe didn’t pay that much attention to eating as healthily and socially consciously as we

should have. But in Fort Worth, at least, changes were ushered in 20 years ago by this forward-thinking Near Southside diner, which serves vegan renditions of classic breakfast fare — food that’s a little healthier and a lot more conscious of its origins. For her all-day breakfast menu, owner Amy McNutt serves egg-less eggs, meat-free breakfast meats, organic pancakes, and cheese-like cheesy breakfast quesadillas in a kitschy atmos designed to bring to mind the classic diners of yesterday. Colorful shakes, floats, and sundaes in vibrant, dairy-free flavors add to the “Back to the Future” vibe. There’s a full bakery, too, along with a coffee and smoothie bar.

Perfect for: Families, couples, anyone who’s cool with the vegan lifestyle and maybe wants to give it a whirl.

Definitely try: Pancakes are a must here, and they come in two varieties: organic or gluten-free. They’re served with vegan butter and, if you want, toppings such as blueberries, pecans, and chocolate chips.

Eggs Benedict from Park Place breakfast institution Old Neighborhood Grill.

West Side Cafe has been serving iconic breakfast dishes such as French toast and chicken-fried steak and eggs for nearly 30 years.

Info: 1314 W. Magnolia Ave., spiraldiner.com

Vickery Cafe

A little off the beaten path, in a strip mall along the boulevard that bears its name, Vickery Cafe isn’t as well known as some of its breakfast cafe brethren, but this charming, upbeat cafe is every bit as good, and in some ways maybe even better. You can get your classic diner breakfast fare here — appropriately fluffy omelets stuffed with cheese and bell peppers and chorizo and bacon; gargantuan pancakes dusted with powdered sugar and butter; and a Texas-shaped Belgian waffle, one of the items many longtimers love. For those craving something a bit more adventurous, owner Curtis James offers dishes with chef-inspired touches: Recent specials have included banana pudding blintzes, a chipotle pulled pork omelet, and tres leches French toast. Love the cool retro vibe, too.

Perfect for: Great spot for families with a little something for everyone.

Definitely try: The breakfast Monte Cristo, comprised of a brioche dipped in French toast batter and filled with bacon, tasso ham, fried eggs, and Swiss cheese, then topped with powdered sugar and housemade chipotle raspberry jam.

Info: 4120 W. Vickery Blvd., vickerycafe. com

West Side Cafe

What makes a diner great, besides the food, of course, is the atmosphere — and this long-running spot on the city’s west side has it in spades. That’s why it’s packed for breakfast every morning. It’s a high-energy place, with servers that zip around the room, carrying plates of eggs and waffles and pancakes on their arms, like you see in the movies, while regulars chat about the long days they’re about to have. A recent change in ownership (longtime general manager Joel Hancock now runs it with his son, Brian, in partnership with Westland Restaurant Group) went off without a hitch. It’s very much the same place many Fort Worthians have grown to love, no matter what side of the city they’re from.

Perfect for: A good inexpensive breakfast. Definitely try: Its pancakes recently won an award from the Star-Telegramreaders. We will not argue.

Info: 7950 Camp Bowie W. Blvd., westsidecafefw.com

BREAKFAST PLUS

Think classic breakfast but upped a notch.

Eggtastic

Among the many breakfast spots to open in north Fort Worth recently is this bustling cafe in Alliance Town Center. Opened last spring by the local Kim family, who also run a similar restaurant in Frisco called Berries & Batter, Eggstatic stands out among this area’s increasingly crowded breakfast club for the enormity of its menu, super-friendly service, and on-point food. People who live in the north Fort Worth corridor jam the place for crepes smothered in sweet lemon ricotta sauce; skillets stacked with bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, and veggies; and pancakes topped with, well, what are they not topped with? There are more than 20 pancake toppings, including some you don’t normally see, like granola and lingonberries. To drink, there’s a vast selection of hot and iced coffees, but many opt for the $40 make-your-own mimosa flight that includes four fresh fruit juices and a bottle of champagne — a fun thing to order, especially for big parties. You’re gonna be stuffed, and you’re gonna be tipsy; get an Uber.

Perfect for: Couples and big parties who are totally fine with eating monolithic portions of unapologetically indulgent food. Kids are cool, too; all of the dishes on the kid’s menu are $6. Definitely try: The Eggstatic coffeecakes, which aren’t coffeecakes at all. Instead, this is for someone who wants to try both pancakes and waffles: Two pancakes, made with coffee cake batter and streaked with a caramel glaze, are topped with a Belgian waffle dusted in powdered sugar. Yes, this is a real thing — a waffle on top of pancakes. We swear we didn’t have too many mimosas.

6 of FW’s best breakfast tacos

Breakfast tacos are such a big deal here, they deserve their own category. Here are six of our fave breakfast taco spots:

CAFECITO: Winner of our Best Breakfast award in this year’s Best Of issue, this family-owned walk-up counter at the Funky Town Food Hall in the hospital district serves excellent breakfast tacos made with a variety of ingredients, from spicy chorizo to potatoes with jalapenos and onions to creamy refried beans. The freshly made tortillas, in both corn and flour, steal the show. 1229 Eighth Ave., cafecitofw.com

FIESTA: At this familyowned, long-running Mexican restaurant on the south side, you build your own breakfast tacos, using sizable plates of scrambled egg dishes like chorizo con papas (chorizo and potatoes) and huevos con jamon (eggs and ham) and the restaurant’s fantastically thick corn tortillas, made to order. Fiesta also offers a full breakfast menu with items such as migas and chilaquiles. 3233 Hemphill St., 817.923.6941

HURTADO BBQ: In Fort Worth, we eat barbecue morning, noon, and night. To fill the a.m. slot, we have Hurtado BBQ’s Fort Worth location, which opens daily at 7 a.m. for breakfast tacos stuffed with seasoned scrambled eggs and your choice of smoked ‘n chopped

brisket or housemade sausage. Try the migas taco, filled with corn tortilla strips, avocado, and roasted poblanos. 1116 Eighth Ave., hurtadobbq.com

LOS PASTORES: For good, cheap, simple breakfast tacos, you can’t beat Los Pastores, a popular Mexican restaurant and bakery on the city’s east side. Breakfast tacos are $2.99 each and served on your choice of corn or flour tortillas; the salsas are great, too. 3806 E. Rosedale St., lospastoresfwtx.com

SALSA LIMON: Taco truck-turned-miniempire-of-localrestaurants, Salsa Limon offers breakfast tacos all day with fillings such as bacon, cheese, refried beans, chorizo, chicken, and pastor. But always, always go with the silky smooth and divinely rich barbacoa. It pairs amazingly well with eggs. Multiple locations, salsalimon.com

TORTILLERIA LA ORIGINAL DE ZACATECAS: Tiny mom and pop where mom and pop are right there, making your food. This includes the stellar, scratch-made corn tortillas, filled with seasoned scrambled eggs and barbacoa, chorizo, potatoes, bacon, and what has to the best tripe in the city. 7931 Camp Bowie West Blvd., 817.560.7950

Info: 9160 North Freeway, Ste. 452; eggtasticcafe.com

Hot Box Biscuit Club

Popular spot in the South Main area serves chef-inspired dishes that revolve around everyone’s favorite breakfast side: buttermilk biscuits. Here, though, they’re the main course — building blocks used by owners Sarah Hooten and Matt Mobley to construct imaginative breakfast sandwiches. See: the Mattie Melt, a handheld featuring housemade sausage, caramelized onions, grape jelly, and your cheese of choice; or their vanilla bourbon bread pudding French toast, made with biscuits soaked in cream, bourbon, and vanilla, then griddled and served with whipped strawberry butter, maple syrup, and toffee topping.

Perfect for: Adventurous eaters with a soft

spot for biscuits.

Definitely try: First-timers should try the Hottie, a biscuit sandwich made with sugar cane-brined fried chicken tenders, hot sauce, whipped honey butter, and a secret blend of seasonings.

Info: 313 S. Main St., hotboxbiscuitco.com

Righteous Foods

Owned by Lanny Lancarte of the Joe T. Garcia’s family, Righteous Foods is a cherished anomaly in Fort Worth’s breakfast scene in that it takes a sproutier approach to classic diner fare. Think of Austin breakfast landmarks like Kerbey Lane and Magnolia Cafe, and you’ll get a good idea of what this colorfully decorated and designed cafe has in store: an avocado breakfast pizza layered with guacamole and organic eggs on naan bread; artfully presented acai bowls with housemade

granola and organic acai; a veggie omelet with organic eggs, piquillo, black beans, organic marinated kale, tomato preserves, and goat cheese. Lancarte keeps all diets and preferences in mind, so there are plenty of gluten-free and vegan options. There’s a full menu of cocktails, coffees, and cold-pressed drinks, too, perfect for summer sipping on the wood-accented, foliage-surrounded patio.

Perfect for: Anyone who wants something a little different — and a little healthier.

Definitely try: The green egg chilaquiles & ham, Lancarte’s delicious riff on chilaquiles, comprised of corn tortillas, slow-roasted pork, housemade tomatillo sauce and, on top, a pair of organic eggs cooked over medium, plus a sprinkling of queso fresco.

Info: 3405 W. Seventh St., eatrighteously.com

Snooze

Along with Yolk, this Colorado-based chain helped usher in the daily brunch concept. The enormous menu at the Fort Worth location, near the West 7th area, is truly a something-for-everyone affair, from simple bacon and egg dishes to over-the-top pancakes streaked in cream cheese and piled on with fruit and other toppings to Benedicts and burritos. Of course, there are boozy drinks to get you buzzing and hot and cold coffees to help sober you up.

Perfect for: Brunchers anxious to have brunch.

Definitely try: The pancake flight, which offers three of the restaurant’s signature pancakes: pineapple upside down, blueberry Danish, and sweet potato.

Info: 2150 W. Seventh St., snoozeeatery.com

Taste Project

We’ve professed our love and admiration, many, many times, for this Near Southside breakfast and lunch cafe, where diners pay what they can for chef-inspired cuisine. Fort Worth’s sole nonprofit eatery is geared toward people who are homeless or struggling, but it’s always packed with foodies who hold in high regard owner/chef Jeff

Righteous Food’s acai breakfast bowl, filled with fresh berries, banana, granola and organic acai.

Williams’ seasonal fare. Williams’ current summer menu includes peach and honey ricotta toast, huevos rancheros made with refried black beans, and, ideal for summer, the overnight oats, a bowl of chilled oats and flaxseed bloomed overnight in almond milk and garnished with marinated fruit and toasted almonds.

Perfect for: Those who appreciate both good food and a good cause.

Definitely try: Williams’ rendition of shakshuka, a North African dish comprised of poached eggs in a spicy garlic chili sauce.

Info: 1200 S. Main St., tasteproject.org

MEX-MEX AND TEX-MEX BREAKFAST

Plenty of local Mexican restaurants offer rise and shine cuisine.

Chuy’s

Not the Austin-based chain with a location near West 7th, but the local Chuy’s founded by Jesus “Chuy” Adame in 1982. Decades later, it’s still one of the best — and cheapest — places to get a good breakfast. The Fort Worth location on Boat Club Road offers faithful renditions of classic Mexican breakfast plates, like chilaquiles and huevos rancheros, plus huge breakfast burritos stuffed with bacon, chorizo, cactus, potatoes, and other items. There are also daily breakfast specials for $9, including their excellent huevos con chorizo, a mix of scrambled eggs and chorizo; all breakfast specials come with freshly made flour tortillas, some of the best in the city.

Perfect for: Those hankering for authentic Mexican breakfast fare.

Definitely try: The burritos are huge — big enough for two.

Info: 9120 Boat Club Road, chuysftw.com

Esperanza’s Restaurant & Bakery

There are two locations of this Joe T. Garcia’s spinoff — one just a couple blocks over from Joe T.’s on the city’s north side and one in the Park Place area. Both are known for their all-day breakfast menus,

comprised of dishes such as migas, chilaquiles, and eggs scrambled with chorizo, bacon, cactus, potatoes, and veggies. Made with fresh flour tortillas, the breakfast tacos are excellent.

Perfect for: Tourists and locals alike. There’s a kid’s breakfast menu, too, making it ideal for families.

Definitely try: Chicharron con huevos, a hearty mix of soft or fried pork skin scrambled with eggs and served with refried black beans.

Info: 2122 N. Main St., 1601 Park Place Ave., esperanzasfw.com

La Rueda

Housed in a beautiful old ranch home on the city’s east side, La Rueda is a family-run Mexican restaurant open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It goes against the grain of the Mexican break-

fast norm, though, with attractively presented — and wholeheartedly delicious — plates of chilaquiles, French toast topped with so much fresh fruit, you can barely see the toast, and firm yet fluffy pancakes — just the way we like ‘em.

Perfect for: Those who can’t decide between a Mexican or American breakfast.

Definitely try: The chicken-fried steak and eggs. It’s not a day-destroyer like other places. The CFS is on the manageable side, not too big, not too thick — perfect for breakfast.

Info: 2317 Oakland Blvd., laruedarestaurant.com

Tacusa

This small indie Mexican restaurant in north Fort Worth (there are also locations in Arlington and Hurst) specializes

Salvadorian breakfast plate at Tacusa with fried plantains and eggs in ranchero sauce.

in tacos, nachos, tortas, and burritos. At breakfast, though, there’s a nice surprise: Salvadorian food. Specifically, there are pupusas, along with an all-encompassing Salvadorian breakfast plate, the must-get dish.

Perfect for: Those who want Salvadorian food the sec the sun comes up. Definitely try: The Salvadorian breakfast plate comes with fried plantains, refried black beans, sour cream, tortillas and eggs bathed in a spicy ranchero sauce; it’s one of the best breakfasts around. Info: 7420 N. Beach St., tacusatx.com

Tesoro

One of Fort Worth’s most exciting new restaurants, this small mom-and-pop breakfast and lunch joint is helping bring new diners to Riverside’s Race Street area. Tesoro’s small menu is all about chilaquiles — there’s nearly a half-dozen variations of the beloved Mexican staple, comprised of eggs, proteins, and salsas piled on a bed of crispy corn tortilla chips. Other breakfast items include a burger topped with bacon and eggs and artfully presented pancakes crisscrossed with chocolate streaks and topped with berry compote and Gansito Mexican candy.

Perfect for: Those craving authentic Mexican breakfast fare — and don’t mind a slight wait. It’s usually crowded. Definitely try: The restaurant’s signature dish, birriaquiles, a plate of crispy tortilla chips topped with birria beef stew, salsa, beans, cheese, sour cream, and cilantro. Super messy but very, very good. Info: 2919 Race St., instagram.com/ tesoromexican

STAYCATION BREAKFASTS

Some of the city’s grandest hotels serve equally grand breakfasts.

97 West Kitchen & Bar

At 97 West, the modern-rustic on-site restaurant for the Fort Worth Stockyards’ Hotel Drover, executive chef Grant Morgan dishes out Texana-heavy takes on American classics — appropriate for guests wanting a Stockyards-inspired

experience. Items include breakfast tacos made with marinated prime rib, arugula and a unique hot sauce-hollandaise; a goat cheese omelet, peppered with pickled Fresno chiles and roasted tomatoes, made and served in a cast iron skillet; a smoked brisket Benedict; and buttermilk biscuits and gravy served with a side of breakfast potatoes, because carbs aren’t a bad thing here. There are Avoca coffee drinks, too, along with freshly squeezed OJ, lemonade, and hot tea; there’s also a full bar.

Perfect for: Hotel guests and those needing a pitstop while prowling the Stockyards. Definitely try: We usually avoid avocado toast, but 97 West’s is worth ordering. Three words: Bloody. Mary. Aioli. Info: 200 Mule Alley, 97westkitchenandbar.com

Emilia’s

Newly opened in the Cultural District, Emilia’s is the in-house restaurant at the luxurious Crescent Hotel. North Texas native and chef Preston Paine heads the kitchen at this elegant, and elegantly designed, signature restaurant, open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. Hotel guests swoon, but the restaurant also caters to locals who appreciate the stately atmosphere and Paine’s Mediterranean-inspired interpretations of land and sea staples. For breakfast, there’s a little bit of everything, from freshly made butter, chocolate and almond croissants to a pecan praline waffle drizzled with caramel sauce and dolloped with vanilla whipped cream to an Italian omelet made with Italian sausage and scamorza, a Southern Italy cheese known for its silky texture and mildly rich flavor. The peaches and cream bowl, made with fresh peaches, soaked oats, and brown sugar crumble, is a sweet delight. Lots of hot teas.

Perfect for: Those looking for a high-end breakfast experience.

Definitely try: Steak and eggs feature a tender and well-marbled flat iron steak, cooked medium-rare, and served with a slightly spicy tomatillo-based salsa. Info: 3300 Camp Bowie Blvd., emiliasfortworth.com

Bricks & Horses

Bricks and Horses is the in-house restaurant at Bowie House, one of two new luxury hotels in the Cultural District. Part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, the hotel plays up its western heritage inspiration, with design and architectural homages to ranch and cowboy culture. Leading the kitchen is chef Antonio Votta, who has designed breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner menus that revolve around Texana and Americana favorites. Of note for breakfast is the excellent eggs Benedict, made with crispy prosciutto and tarragon hollandaise, and a bacon jam quiche with goat cheese and frisee. For lighter appetites, there’s a whipped yogurt with a crazy amount of cut fresh fruit, along with freshly baked pastries from skilled pastry chef Laura Cottler.

Perfect for: An elevated breakfast in a warm, welcoming space.

Definitely try: The house breakfast sandwich, made with thick-cut peppered bacon, aged cheddar and a fried egg, served on a freshly made croissant. Info: 3700 Camp Bowie Blvd., aubergeresorts.com/bowiehouse/

West + Stone

Downtown’s Sheraton Hotel recently unveiled a $50 million renovation — one of the largest hotel renos in the region. In addition to room and event space revamps, the hotel opened a new restaurant called West + Stone. The breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus are heavy on upscale Mexican/American, with nice little touches that set them apart from average hotel restaurant menus. Breakfast items include tacos filled with your meat of choice, eggs, and housemade salsa; ginormous pancakes topped with fresh fruits; and avocado toast.

Perfect for: Early morning downtown wanderers.

Definitely try: The eggy, crunchy French toast with fresh, seasonal berries. Info: 1701 Commerce St., marriott.com

Pancakes with fresh berries, syrup and powdered sugar at the newly opened West + Stone restaurant inside downtown’s Sheraton Hotel.

Top of the Class

Our City’s Best Educators

While our top teachers come from different schools, backgrounds, and experiences, they all share an immense passion for what they do.

As the magazine has done in years past, we’re honoring nine teachers across Greater Tarrant County. We began this process by asking our readers to submit votes through our website, fwtx.com, where students, parents, fellow teachers, and staff members can explain why their nominee is deserving. After collecting the nominations, we vet the final list through the teachers’ headmasters and principals.

Nelson Cedillo

Fifth Grade Science

George C. Clarke Elementary

What inspired you to become a teacher?

I come from a family deeply rooted in education. My mother serves as an administrator in our home country of Mexico and began her career as a classroom teacher. Growing up as a teacher’s child meant I was always at school, from early mornings helping my mom set up her classroom to late evenings watching her prepare for the next day’s lessons. These experiences fostered close relationships not only with school staff but also with other teachers’ children. Witnessing my mother’s dedication to her craft instilled in me a deep appreciation for educators. Seeing how she positively impacted our community inspired me to pursue a career in teaching.

What’s an inspirational quote you would like to share?

“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X

If you were a superhero, which superhero would you be and why?

I would be Superman. Superman embodies many qualities that are valuable in teaching: He is compassionate, patient, and has a strong sense of justice. His superpowers, such as super strength, super speed, and flight, could be metaphorically interpreted as his ability to inspire and empower students to reach their highest potential.

Kathleen Cluchey

Seventh and Eighth Grade Science

Young Women’s Leadership Academy

What inspired you to become a teacher?

I am a fourth-generation educator — my great-grandfather was the president of a teacher’s college in Wisconsin — so this was a field that I grew up around. During my college years, I swore that I would never become a teacher, but happenstance landed me a job as a high school Spanish teacher right out of college. It took about three months for me to realize that, in fact, I loved teaching and have never looked back.

What’s an inspirational quote you would like to share?

“No one becomes who they were in middle school.” – Marcia McLaughlin (my mother)

If you were a superhero, which superhero would you be and why?

I would be Ms. Frizzle. What better way to make learning fun than visiting the solar system, digestive track, soap molecules, and the center of the earth than in your own magical school bus? Thrilling.

Boaz Goss

Science

Cassata Catholic High School

What inspired you to become a teacher?

My father taught in the Frisco Independent School District for a decade while I was growing up, so teaching is like a family trade. Later, in college and grad school, I had professors that took me in like I was family. My role models have always been teachers.

What’s an inspirational quote you would like to share?

“Do you want to do a good deed? Teach the young! Do you want to perform a holy act? Teach the young! Truly, now and for the future, among holy things, this is the holiest.” – Saint John Bosco

If you were a superhero, which superhero would you be and why?

Green Lantern. As a kid, my father and grandfather convinced me that our family was on the waiting list to get inducted into the Green Lantern Corps. I didn’t realize it was a joke until I was, like, 12.

Brian Nowlin English

All Saints’ Episcopal School

What inspired you to become a teacher?

I became a teacher after having experienced firsthand, as a student, the transformative potential of the classroom, its ability to open up for students and teachers alike. I love being carried along and carried away by the distinctive magic of the classroom, a magic that one ultimately serves, and perhaps summons, but definitely does not manufacture oneself.

What’s an inspirational quote you would like to share?

“When you find you can go neither backward nor forward … when you are convinced that all the exits are blocked, either you take to believing in miracles or you stand still like the hummingbird. The miracle is that the honey is always there, right under your nose, only you were too busy searching elsewhere to realize it. The worst is not death but being blind, blind to the fact that everything about life is in the nature of the miraculous.” – Henry Miller, from the preface to Stand Still Like the Hummingbird

If you were a superhero, which superhero would you be and why?

I would have to go with one of the ancient Greek equivalents of a superhero: Odysseus! I like Odysseus because his primary superpower is thinking and imagining. He is also a master of disguise able to relate with vastly different kinds of people. Second, I would choose Odysseus because he is far from perfect. His many human foibles help make him identifiably human. Odysseus recognizes that the quest for perfection is a dangerous way to live.

Hannah Severson

Pre-K Tanglewood Elementary

What inspired you to become a teacher?

I was inspired to become a teacher because of certain teachers I had growing up. I vividly remember my third grade teacher, who made learning multiplication exciting and fun. Every Friday, we played a math game that turned learning into a fun competition, and we all looked forward to it. Her enthusiasm and innovative approach left a lasting impression on me. Again, certain teachers in my life inspired me to become one.

What’s an inspirational quote you would like to share?

“Teachers who love teaching, teach children to love learning.” – Unknown (I love this quote because it perfectly captures how passionate teachers can make a big difference.)

If you were a superhero, which superhero would you be and why?

If I were a superhero, I’d be Wonder Woman. She’s the perfect mix of strength and grace. Plus, she’s all about helping people and standing up for what’s right. She’s a real symbol of empowerment and shows that true power comes from having a big heart.

Luis Terrazas

U.S. History and Constitutional Law Trinity Valley School

What inspired you to become a teacher?

I had wonderful teachers and professors whose personal examples and love for learning inspired me to follow their examples. James Todd, my constitutional law professor, injected sharp wit and keen analysis into his lectures. I admired both his command of the material and his ability to generate lively conversation in his classes.

What’s an inspirational quote you would like to share?

“You cannot advance without the permission of your peers.”

If you were a superhero, which superhero would you be and why?

Captain America. He has his roots in antifascism, and he delivered an actual punch to Hitler. He represents the best American ideals: courage, optimism, and tolerance of all cultures and beliefs (except for fascism).

Andrew Weesner

Theatre Arts

Paschal High School

What inspired you to become a teacher?

I started college as a youth and family ministry major. After two summers of internships and several volunteer opportunities, I began to realize that the kids I was working with already had someone in their life that cared enough about them to invest their time. I wanted to work with kids who may have never had an adult tell them that they are valuable and loved. So, the major was changed to secondary education. When it came time to pick what subjects I would specialize in, it was natural to go to theatre. I was in my first play when I was in third grade, and it was then that I found a home in the theater, a place where I felt safe to truly be myself (which, as a performance loving guy in a world focused on athletics was a true feat!).

What’s an inspirational quote you would like to share?

“Everyone deserves a chance to fly…” – Elphaba from “Wicked”

If you were a superhero, which superhero would you be and why?

First answer is Wolverine, but only because I am obsessed with Hugh Jackman. Second is a cop out … Harry Potter … because who doesn’t want to be a wizard and to save the world from the most evil wizard to ever live … does that even count? So, I will settle for Professor X. Seems appropriate for a teacher, and as an empath, I would love to have the power of telepathy so I could help others work through their insecurities and anxieties and reach their full potential.

Monica Stephens

Spanish Kennedale High

School

What inspired you to become a teacher?

My parents are from Mexico and always valued education. They made sure my siblings and I always had what we needed for school and encouraged us to do our best in all our classes. I was inspired to become a teacher early in life. My father bought me a used chalkboard easel from the thrift store and brand-new chalk, sparking my interest in teaching from a young age. Mrs. Alicia Mijares, my first grade teacher, also played a crucial role in my decision to become a teacher. Her teaching style, kindness, and dedication to her students inspired and impacted my educational journey. The combination of these experiences fostered a love for learning and teaching that continued to grow throughout my life.

What’s an inspirational quote you would like to share?

“Lo más valioso en mi vida es mi familia. – The most valuable thing in my life is my family.” – Author Unknown

If you were a superhero, which superhero would you be and why?

Superman because he embodies the highest ideals of humanity. His unwavering commitment to life, justice, compassion, empathy, and hope inspires me. He stands as a beacon of what it means to protect and uplift others, showing that true strength lies not just in physical power, but in the moral courage to do what is right, even in the face of adversity.

Erin Tribble Third Grade Southwest Christian School

What inspired you to become a teacher?

While I had a handful of educators in my family, it was not until I was in high school and got to experience the impact a teacher, actually a coach, had on me personally, did I fully feel inspired and God leading me to become that person for my future students.

What’s an inspirational quote you would like to share?

“To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.”

– Dr. Seuss

If you were a superhero, which superhero would you be and why?

If I could be any superhero, I think I would choose Jean Grey. Being able to really know what’s going on in people’s mind, what they’re truly going through, would be a powerful tool not only as an educator but also as a mom, a spouse, and a friend.

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2024 Private School Guide

Anderson Private School for the Gifted, Talented and Creative, Fort Worth, andersonschool.net

Adventist School*, Burleson, burlesonadventistschool.net

Cassata Catholic High School, Fort Worth, cassatahs.org

Christian Academy*, Colleyville, covenantchristian.net

Creme de la Creme*, Colleyville, cremedelacreme.com

Cristo Rey Fort Worth College Prep, Fort Worth, cristoreyfw.org

of Life Lutheran School, Colleyville,

Nazarene Christian Academy, Crowley, nazarenechristianacademy.org

2024 Private School Guide

Nolan Catholic High School*, Fort Worth, nolancatholic.org

North Park Christian Academy*, North Richland Hills, northparknow.com

Pantego Christian Academy*, Arlington, pantego.com

Park Row Christian Academy*, Arlington, parkrowchristian.net

Primrose School at Eagle Ranch*, Fort Worth, primroseeagleranch.com

Primrose School at Heritage*, Keller, primroseheritage.com

Primrose School at Hidden Lakes*, Southlake, primrosehiddenlakes.com

Primrose School of Bedford*, Bedford, primrosebedford.com

Primrose School of Columbus Trail*, Fort Worth, primrosecolumbustrail.com

Primrose School of Grand Peninsula*, Grand Prairie, primrosegrandpeninsula.com

Primrose School of Hall Johnson*, Grapevine, primrosehalljohnson.com

Primrose School of Keller*, Keller, primrosekeller.com

Primrose School of Mid-Cities*, Hurst, primrosemidcities.com

Primrose School of NE Green Oaks*, Arlington, primrosenegreenoaks.com

Primrose School of Parkwood Hill*, Fort Worth, primroseparkwoodhill.com

Primrose School of Southlake*, Southlake, primrosesouthlake.com

Primrose School of Walnut Creek*, Mansfield, primrosewalnutcreek.com

Saint Andrew Catholic School, Fort Worth, standrewsch.org

Christian School*, Fort Worth, southwestchristian.org

St. Elizabeth

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Christian Life Preparatory School*, Fort Worth, clpsfamily.com

Crossing

Fort Worth, crossingheritage.com

Dominion Equippers*, Fort Worth, dominionequippers.com

Gracewood Academy*, Bedford, gracewoodacademy.com

Legacy Christian Academy*, Granbury, legacychristianofgranbury.com

MC2 Homeschool Co-Op*, Fort Worth, mc2mentoring.com

Park Row

Vision Classical Christian Cooperative*, North Richland Hills, visionclassical.com

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ACADEMICS | CHARACTER | FAITH FORMATION | LEADERSHI

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CHOWTOWN

LOCAL EATS AND RESTAURANT NEWS

76

DINING

Housemade pastas, charcuterie boards, salads, sandwiches, and various flavors of meatballs, including a vegan option made with eggplant, make this Sicilian joint stand out.

by Malcolm Mayhew

A Legend Lives On

Fort Worth Tex-Mex icon Pulido’s returns with new owners and the same tasty dishes our city grew up on.

Iwish I could show you this picture my wife just texted me of my stepson. After weeks of feeling beat up and worn down — college’ll do that to you — he has the biggest smile on his face. He hasn’t smiled like this in I don’t know how long.

Getting your favorite local TexMex spot back will do that to you, though. My wife surprised him tonight by taking him to a restaurant he thought, like a lot of us thought, he’d never see again: Pulido’s, whose simple, unfussy food has been the backbone of Fort Worth’s Tex-Mex

scene for nearly six decades.

While I’m at home writing this story, they’re there, eating puffy tacos and chicken enchiladas and excellent chips and salsa, like we all used to do before Pulido’s abruptly shuttered all of its locations last year.

A team of local restaurant resurrectionists, with the blessing of the Pulido family, has brought the original Pulido’s back to life. My wife and I were able to attend a family and friends dinner there in June, and a few days after the restaurant officially reopened, my wife surprised my

stepson by taking him there — he had zero clue they were reopening, and it’s his fave Tex-Mex spot in the city.

I’m sure many of you, especially if, like me, you’re from Fort Worth and were raised on our city’s Tex-Mex cuisine, have a similar affinity for Pulido’s. It was only until I started writing this story, in fact, that I realized how big of a role these restaurants have played in my life. With every move I’ve made around the city, a Pulido’s has been there to greet me.

When I was a kid, my mom took the family to the Pulido’s at I-35 and Felix on the south side. When I started working at the Star-Telegram in 1991, we began going to the original location on Pulido Street, just a couple minutes west of downtown. In my 20s and 30s, I made moves to North Richland Hills and Saginaw — and what was there waiting for me? Pulido’s puffy tacos and margaritas. When I shaped up and settled down with my wife and stepson and moved to Ridglea Hills, the Pulido’s in Benbrook became Our Place. My stepson grew up on their freshly made flour tortillas. Our server Beatrice knew us so well, she didn’t just bring waters to our table when we arrived. She brought two waters, two sweet teas with extra lemon for my wife, a kids Sprite, a mix of corn and flour tortillas (three corn for my wife, four flour for me and my stepson), a ramekin of butter (because white people like butter with their flour tortillas, sorry not sorry), and extra hot sauce for their crispy corn tortilla chips. That was service.

It was bad enough when COVID shut the restaurants down temporarily, but bad turned to fatal last year when the Pulido family closed all of its locations, the last period of the last paragraph of that particular chapter of our lives — that is, until Gigi Howell and Bourke Harvey came to the rescue.

Known for opening JD’s Hamburgers, revamping West Side Cafe, and at present, restoring and reopening

Photos by Darrell Byers

Pulido’s almighty Caballero Platter.

Margie’s Italian Restaurant, Howell, Harvey and the rest of their Westland Restaurant Group teammates set their sights on bringing back Pulido’s, purchasing three locations. Originally, they were going to purchase five stores, Howell says, but decided to go with three — the original on Pulido Street, the location in Hurst, and a store in Eastland; Hurst will be the next to open.

“I grew up here, too,” Howell says during our friends and family dinner there, surveying the room that holds so many memories for so many people. “What we really want to do is honor what the Pulido family has done, not reinvent it or give it a different spin. We don’t want to mess with the recipes. They’re great to begin with.”

True to what she told me, the menu is nearly identical to the Pulido’s we all know and love. It’s condensed a bit, but if you asked me what’s missing, I wouldn’t know. The puffy tacos are there, the old-fashioned enchiladas, the cheese tacos bathed in queso. They all taste like you remember.

The restaurant itself has been given a light makeover. There are new old world-style tables and chairs and a better flow in the main dining room; a revamped bar area with ample seating (there are also several new cocktails); cool new lighting fixtures; and, the main attraction, beautiful, larger-than-life photos of Dionicia and Pedro Pulido, the local couple who founded the restaurant in 1966 to feed employees of the nearby railroad yard.

“Those photos are my favorite part,” Howell says. “We really want to honor them. This has always been a family business, and it still is. The family is still involved. We wouldn’t be doing this without their blessing. We just want to keep this restaurant and this family’s legacy alive for generations to come.”

Pulido’sKitchen&Cantina,2900PulidoSt., pulidostx.com

Buzz Worthy

One

of the area’s top pizza joints, Pizza Buzz, recently moved into bigger and better digs, bringing it a whole new wave of attention.

Even though Pizza Buzz has been in business for more than a decade, the family-owned restaurant hasn’t gained the same notoriety or popularity as other forward-thinking pizzerias — until recently, that is.

For most of its life, the restaurant wasn’t much of a restaurant. Its original digs in far north Fort Worth were barely big enough to hold a dozen people. Owner Jay Hansji operated it mostly as a to-go spot,

Chicken tandoori and dill pickle pies at Pizza Buzz.

specializing in traditional pizzas.

Over the past few years, though, he and his wife began experimenting with different flavors and combinations of toppings. The two struck gold with what they came up with: a pie topped with dill pickles and another with chicken tandoori.

Soon, local in-the-know foodies began to take notice and Pizza Buzz became one of the most posted-about pizza joints north of the loop. Earlier this year, the restaurant’s profile grew even larger when Hansji moved Pizza Buzz into a bigger — and more well-known — location: the old Chef Point building in Watauga.

The Hansjis reworked the building’s bones, expanding the dining room. They kept the open kitchen, allowing diners to watch employees make their unique pies.

With the new space comes a new menu. In addition to the popular dill pickle and chicken tandoori pies, there’s an elote pizza topped with corn, Valentina sauce, cilantro and chipotle mayo; a Nashville hot chicken pizza; and an al pastor pie topped with marinated pork, pineapple and chipotle salsa. In all, the restaurant offers more than 20 pies in both traditional and unique flavors.

Pizza dough is made daily, in-house.

“It took a long time for us to come up with the perfect dough,” Jay says. “A lot of back and forth, trying this, trying that. We knew we landed on the perfect dough when our customers started commenting on how much they liked it. We knew we were doing something right.”

The restaurant also offers Detroit-style deep dish pizza, wings, salads and desserts, including housemade limoncello mascarpone cheesecake.

“We’re able to do so much more here than we were at our location,” Jay says. “We have a bigger kitchen, more customers, a bigger staff. After all this time, we’re finally in the place where we’ve always wanted to be.”

PizzaBuzz,5901WataugaRoad,Watauga,pizzabuzz.com

The Chowtown Lowdown

Two of the city’s most well-known restaurants will soon have new homes. Reata, downtown’s famed cowboy cuisine restaurant, is moving into the old Cantina Laredo space at 500 Throckmorton St., on the ground floor of The Tower. It’s a full-circle move for Reata, which opened in 1996 on the top floor of the same building. The 2000 tornado that ravaged downtown displaced the restaurant until it found a new home in the old Caravan of Dreams spot, where it has thrived ever since. Owner Mike Micallef is moving the restaurant back to The Tower temporarily after he was unable to reach a new lease agreement with Sundance Square. reata.net

Also on the move is Stockyards Tex-Mex favorite Los Vaqueros, which is moving from its home of nearly 30 years to 2513 Rodeo Plaza; the buildings are only about a block apart. The century-old building that housed the Cisnero family’s flagship restaurant for three decades was recently sold, prompting the move. The original Los Vaqueros opened in 1983 at its first location, 2609 N. Main St. The new location is in the Stockyards’ Exhibits Building, which dates to 1911. It’s slated to open by late July. losvaqueros.com

Some happy-sad news from local chef Mark Guatelara, whom many of us know from Ober Here, his Filipino food truck and brick-and-mortar spot in the Near Southside. After closing Ober Here and opening the excellent Cafe Americana in Arlington, he’s making another move. The chef will now be working with The Taste Project— the Fort Worth nonprofit restaurant and learning academy that will soon open a second location in Arlington — in a variety of capacities, from helping out in the kitchen to assisting the restaurant’s culinary students. Talented chef Mouhssine “Moose” Benhamacht, who opened the excellent Farena at the new Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center next to Globe Life Field, will be taking over Guatelara’s duties at Americana. If you haven’t been to Americana, you’re missing out on one of North Texas’ best new restaurants.

Speaking of the Lowes Hotel, it recently unveiled a new restaurant called Soy Cowboy. Yeah, I cringed a bit when I first heard the name, too. But it sounds like an interesting concept — Asian meets Western cuisine — and it comes from the Berg Hospitality Group, which opened the terrific B&B Butchers & Restaurant in Fort Worth. Soy Cowboy’s menu includes dishes such as glazed eggplant tacos, miso-marinated black cod, Korean barbecue ribs, a burger topped with roasted kimchi, and wagyu fried rice. There’s a huge sushi menu, too, with both traditional and specialty rolls, along with nigiri, sashimi, and omakase platters. 888NolanRyanExpressway, soycowboy.com

People too lazy or rushed to get out of their cars to get their morning coffee — here’s looking at me — should take note of Townes Drive Thru, a newly opened drive-thru coffee house in southwest Fort Worth. It comes from the same owners as Bodega West 7th and offers a wide assortment of hot and cold specialty coffee drinks, with Fort Worth-centric names like The Fort, The Panther, and Cowtown, plus teas, lemonades, and breakfast bites. 4100BryantIrvinRoad, instagram.com/townesdrivethru

Pizza Buzz owners Jay and Manisha Hansji.

by Malcolm Mayhew

Photos by Nadya L Sanchez

Leave It to Cleaver

New in far North Fort Worth, The Sicilian Butcher offers a unique menu of Italian eats, from housemade pastas to cheffy meatballs, in a laid-back, casual setting.

Restaurants serving housemade pastas have been one of the city’s biggest culinary trends over the past few years, with restaurants such as Piattello, 61 Osteria, and Il Modo offering diners freshly made spaghetti, pappardelle, and ravioli — a welcome reprieve from the boxed noodles that many local Italian eateries serve.

Far North Fort Worth is now getting a taste of that trend, thanks to a new spot called The Sicilian Butcher. It’s a concept born in Scottsdale, Arizona, not exactly the pasta capital of the world. But it was founded by a chef with strong ties to the city that bears the restaurant’s name.

Opened in July, the restaurant comes from Joey Maggiore, a Scottsdale-based celebrity chef whose name is attached to several other food and beverage concepts, including Hash Kitchen, a brunch-all-day-every-day restaurant that recently opened a Fort Worth location — not coincidentally, in the same shopping center as The Sicilian Butcher.

Maggiore says the butcher in his restaurant’s name is his own father.

“My father was a Sicilian-born master chef,” he says of the late Tomaso Maggiore, a lifelong restaurateur. “He cooked all over Italy. He’s the main inspiration for this restaurant, his recipes, his style of cooking. I took a lot

of his ideas and philosophies and put them into a new setting. It’s high-end but still casual.”

In addition to housemade pastas such as tagliatelle, spaghetti, rigatoni, and gnocchi, the restaurant serves charcuterie boards, salads, sandwiches, and various flavors of meatballs, including a vegan option made with eggplant.

Like its other locations, there’s also an in-house bakery, called The Sicilian Baker, that offers hot and cold Italian coffee drinks, gelato, and fresh pastries, along with a build-your-own-cannoli bar.

“The cannoli bar is a lot of fun — for kids and adults,” Maggiore says.

“You can choose the shell you want, the filling you want. But it’s not just a novelty. We make the cannoli shells in-house. The cream is a Sicilian recipe, so when you taste it, it takes just like the cream in Sicily. Cannoli is one of the hallmarks of Italian food, so we want to do it right.”

The Fort Worth store is the first location outside of Arizona, where there are three. Maggiore says he landed on Fort Worth after spending time here; he has family in Plano, he says.

“I love Fort Worth; I feel like it’s a second home,” he says. “What I’ve noticed is, people in Fort Worth have a deep appreciation for good food — food that’s made by hand, the old way. That’s why I’ve opened two restaurants there. It’s a growing city full of people who know, love, and want food that’s different and delicious.”

TheSicilianButcher,3200TracewoodWay,Ste.110, thesicilianbutcher.com.

They have the meats: The Sicilian Butcher.

The Sicilian Butcher opened in July.

HOME

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AND THE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO

DREAM HOME 2025

Next year’s Dream Home, which will begin touring in May 2025, promises to be a one-of-a-kind residence — inside and out.

With the foundation laid and timber going up, construction of the 2025 FortWorthMagazineDream Home, a multimillion-dollar mansion stacked to the hilt with the latest in home design trends and technology, has commenced.

The project, which will include nearly 7,000 square feet of living space, brings together some of the area’s top industry professionals to construct one of the most jaw-dropping residences you’ve ever seen. And when the luxury home opens for touring in May 2025, it will mark 25 years since the construction of the magazine’s first Dream Home, a European country-style house that resides in the southwest country club community of Mira Vista. Yes, we’ve been at this awhile.

The 2025 project, meanwhile, is being built in the west Fort Worth development of Montrachet. This will mark the second time Fort Worth Magazine has teamed up with the development, having previously been the site of the magazine’s 2022 Dream Street — a three-home project. Developed by brothers Donnie and Colby Siratt, Montrachet lies just to the west of their other residential development, Montserrat. With rolling hills and giant live oak trees, both developments provide an escape from the plains and a taste of the Texas Hill Country. And, perched on a hill, the lot for the upcoming Dream Home provides a panoramic view of downtown Fort Worth from the home’s backyard.

Introducing the 2025 Dream Home

The magazine’s flagship event will begin touring in May 2025.

Dream Team

Like any project that requires a team, the most important first step is finding the ideal teammates. In this case, it’s recruiting the right builder and interior designer. This pair will work in tandem to create a home meant to inspire. Meant to drop jaws. It is called the Dream Home for a reason.

To make this a reality, for 2025, the magazine is teaming up with homebuilder Jody Jones of The Morrison Group and interior designer Susan Semmelmann of Semmelmann Interiors.

While this marks the first time Jones has partnered with the magazine, The Morrison Group were homebuilders on the inaugural Dream Home in 2000. And, given the program's subsequent success, they're coming in with quite the legacy. Founded by Bryce Pool and Scott Sangalli, the company, according to Jones, has built nearly 80 houses in Mira Vista and also includes Colleyville, Southlake, and parts of Fort Worth as its homebuilding stomping ground.

“Morrison has always been a custom homebuilding company typically for clients,” says Jones, who serves as the company’s president. “And that's really what our focus is, that niche market of custom homes, higher-level finishes, detailing, and meeting and working with really good people along the way.”

After what Jones describes as a “phone call from out of the blue” pitching the idea of the Dream Home, Jones became excited about the idea of doing something different and building a home that differentiates itself from the pack.

“We wanted to try and find a little bit of a niche that would be comfortable for people who are from Fort Worth but introduce a few details and contemporary ideas that aren’t as trendy in this area.”

With Jones arriving in Texas from California only two years ago (which is funny ’cause Jody Jones is a cowboy name if we’ve ever heard one), his plan is to bring a little Napa to Cowtown.

Teaming with Jones and the Morrison Group is multipletime Dream Home alum Susan Semmelmann of Semmelmann Interiors. A veteran of the project, Semmelmann has six previous Dream projects under her belt, and she’s participated in each of the past three Dream Streets.

Semmelmann has been in the construction and interior design world for over 25 years, and her popularity and soughtafter services led to the opening of her own design studio in 2019, which has a brick-and-mortar off W. Vickery Boulevard.

Despite her years of experience and hands-on approach, Semmelmann clearly hasn’t grown tired of these massive undertakings, and she’s particularly enthusiastic about the 2025 Dream Home.

“It is bad to the bone,” she says about the house. “And what I love about it is you have not seen us do anything like this before.” Despite the home being far from completion — the foundation is still drying — Jones and Semmelmann’s vision is eliciting a lot of excitement. As Jones alluded to earlier, this Dream Home is fixing to surprise a lot of people, and maybe even start a trend.

A House With No Name

As a writer, I was once told to avoid certain words. Some words one should avoid because they’re overused to the point of being a cliché. And others, we should avoid because they could be triggering and offensive.

Yet, two words keep popping up when trying to define Fort Worth Magazine’s Dream Home 2025 that would put either my journalism professor or my fellow Fort Worthians in a tizzy: unique and California.

The former word is, indeed, overused. But it does so clearly define a home that, at the moment, feels somewhat undefinable (and we mean that in the best way possible). Distinctive and peculiar don’t seem to do the trick.

The latter, California, is not a favored word in Fort Worth — springing to mind smog, traffic, killer earthquakes, and smug personalities. It’s what Susan Semmelmann called the “CA word” during a recent interview. But, this “CA word” could also remind one of Napa Valley, golden sunsets, and pinot noir.

Regardless, there are no two ways about it, this distinct home has some Napa Valley influences.

Every home’s style has a name. Ranch, Tudor, Tuscan, Hill Country, Hill Country Modern, Ranch Modern, etc. Every previous Dream Home or home within a Dream Street has very easily categorized. But, if a home’s style isn’t easily categorized and doesn’t have a name, then one must take it upon themselves to christen the new style.

This is the situation in which we find ourselves. And, while suggestions have been made, nothing has quite felt like it encompasses this home’s ambitious design.

When I first spoke to Semmelmann about the home, she said Jody Jones, the home’s builder, had pitched her “this idea of an organic home. Almost like an aged, vintage, rustic farm, but I want it to be current and clean and light, but also to have some character.”

Semmelmann described it as either a Taste of Napa or a Farm-to-Table-type home.

“It’s got rustic stones, some distressed woods, but we’ve got to put our modern twist on it.” She goes on to tell me that each room is going to be themed with coloration from a vineyard. Rooms will be called Chardonnay or Merlot or Cognac.

Modern and rustic and earthy and contemporary. The home sounds like a beautiful synergy of dichotomies.

“I don’t know how to describe it either,” Jones says. “I don’t want to use ranch. There’s a little bit of ranchy architecture to it, but the materials are a little bit cleaner and kind of a luxurious texture … I guess it’s hard to explain in words.”

Both the exterior and interior will have lime washes, which will give the home a soft, antique finish. Elsewhere, the exterior lines will be clean, and the windows, as Jones tells me, will be very modern and a little more contemporary metal on the outside. “The house will use natural materials but not in a super rustic way,” Jones says. “It’s all contemporary but using these textural, earthy materials.”

The home is also a single story.

“I think a one-story lives better,” Jones tells me. “I mean who likes to really go upstairs? I’m gonna use the “CA word” again, but in California, nobody wanted a two-story house because nobody wanted to go up and down stairs. And I think that it scales really nicely, too, because, while this house is large, it’s not mega large and will feel pretty grand in the perspective of being on one floor.”

For the interior, Semmelmann is going with a cozy, lived-in feel. “The furnishings will all be very comfortable with all organic textures. There will be a little bit of nature in every room.” So, expect a lot of greens and earth tones in Semmelmann’s final design.

As far as what to ultimately call the home, we’re admittedly no closer to coming to a decision. But, with touring a full nine months away, we figure if someone can name a baby in that time, we could surely name a house.

For a Cause

While the completion of the home itself will no doubt be a triumph, the Dream Home is about far more than building homes or inspiring interior designers. One of the program’s most important objectives is raising money for a Wish with Wings, a nonprofit organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Last year, a Wish with Wings set new records by granting 77 wishes to kids. And, over the past 40 years, the organization has granted more than 1,800 wishes to children and their families. Last year’s list of granted wishes includes 60 Disney World wishes, three Hawaii wishes, organized a unicorn photo shoot, and took one lucky kid to a Harry Styles concert. From trips to a simple requests to spectacular birthday parties, no wish is too big, too small, or too weird.

Once the Dream Home is complete and all fixtures, rugs, tables, and lamps are in place, it will be open for touring. Proceeds from ticket purchases will benefit the 501(c)(3). awww.org

Touring

Touring the Dream Home is slated to begin in May 2025. We will continue to update our readers in both our monthly publication and online at fwtx.com.

Home Details

Address: 4557 Saint Estephe

Lot Size: 68,784 square feet

Square feet: 6,931 square feet

Style: TBD

Stories: 1

Bed: 4

Bath: 4 full, 2 half

Home Partners

Cabinetry (Kitchen)

Countertop (Fabrication)

Countertop (Materials)

Door - Front Fencing

Fireplaces

Flooring Labor

Flooring Material (Wood and Carpet)

Flooring Material (Tile)

Garage Doors and Openers Gutters Hardware HVAC

The Jarrell Company

Metro Brick & Stone Co.

The Kitchen Source

Absolute Stone

Levantina

Durango Doors

Buzz Custom Fence

Metro Brick & Stone Co.

Vintage Floors

Vintage Floors

DalTile

Open Up Garage Doors

Loveless Gutters

Rick's Hardware & Decorative Plumbing

Moss Heating & Cooling

Susan Semmelmann Interiors

Landscape and Irrigation

Lighting Fixtures

Low Voltage, AV, and Security

Plumbing (Fixtures)

Garage: 3-car Appliances Brick

Plumbing (Labor and Supplies) Realtor Waste Removal

Guardado Landscaping

Passion Lighting

H Customs

The Jarrell Company

Pro Serve Plumbing

John Zimmerman Group Waste Advantage

Fuse function with style.

Design your fireplace accent wall with Fireside Hearth & Home – and live it up.

An eye-catching, jaw-dropping fire feature is easier than you think. Browse a wide range of fireplace styles at our showroom, where you can choose everything from fuel type to material finishes, to create a stunning focal point in your home.

LEARN MORE

Heat & Glo Primo II 60-inch linear gas fireplace, with Architectural interior panels and Driftwood logs

Explore stunning imagery of remarkable local home projects. Each project’s unique character, craftsmanship, and vision are vividly showcased on the following pages for your inspiration. Dive into the world of design, architecture, finishes, fixtures, outdoor spaces, and more, where the beauty and inspiration behind each home are expertly captured. The information in this section is provided by the advertisers and has not been independently verified by Fort Worth Magazine.

H Customs Audio Video Dream Home Elegance and Innovation

In 2023, H Customs Audio Video embarked on a dream home project, infusing elegance and innovation into every corner of the residence through expert audio-video work. The team meticulously designed the media room and seamlessly integrated state-of-the-art smart home technology, featuring cutting-edge TVs, immersive speakers, and high-quality projection screens. This project redefined modern living, creating a luxurious, techsavvy haven for delighted clients, where entertainment and sophistication coalesce effortlessly. What sets this project apart and makes it truly unforgettable is their innovative approach, especially evident in the multiuse game room. Unlike other homes on the tour, they chose to showcase the speakers rather than conceal them, adding a distinctive touch. This room boasts incredible versatility,

offering endless possibilities for its use. What sets this project apart is its remarkable versatility within the multiuse media room, delivering a truly “wow” factor. Its ability to seamlessly adapt to various purposes and functions is truly amazing. The design philosophy driving this project can be summed up in two words: functional simplicity. The approach to this home encompasses not only the integration of cutting-edge audiovisual technology but also the seamless incorporation of smart lighting, all orchestrated through Control4 automation. This project epitomizes H Customs Audio Video’s design ethos through its emphasis on functionality through simplicity. It stands out by decluttering the excessive elements commonly found in audio-video solutions from other companies and revolves around streamlining the user experience.

Project Profile

This whimsical playroom was designed to inspire. It serves as a hub of connection in the atrium-style space between the three children’s bedrooms and functions as a central location for playfulness and family bonding. By using a bright white palette as the foundation and layering bright, playful colors, the space presents a sophistication that is well suited to grow with the client and their family for years to come. Whimsical design elements like custom cloud light fixtures, glittery star wallpaper, and hand-carved cloud knobs give the space the magic, Semmelmann Interiors’ touch, creating the ideal backdrop for big dreams for years to come.

Semmelmann Interiors

Semmelmann Interiors

Majestic Maze Playroom

Night for Navy

All Saints’ Episcopal School

All Saints’ hosted the inaugural Night for Navy at Simmons Plaza in Dickies Arena on April 13. Attendees enjoyed live and silent auctions and entertainment by Casey Donahew, courtesy of Higginbotham Insurance. The event raised $300,000 to build innovative and collaborative spaces across campus.

Meggie Lowy, Kacey Whisenhunt, Jill Johnson, Brooke Ortowski

Heather & Dusty Teems

John & Katie McQueeney, Amy & Michael Patyk

John & Katie Osborne

Michelle & Charlie Reid, Daniel Carroll, Aaron Beck

Emma & Ryan Gardner

photos by Hannah Midkiff

While on its yearlong tour across the region, the Texas Rangers’ well-earned Commissioner’s Trophy made a little pit stop at the FortWorthMagazineoffices. The 30-pound trophy, which was awarded to the franchise this past October after its first World Series victory, is made of sterling silver and sports a design by the famed Tiffany & Co. — a slight redesign that was unveiled in 2000. The 30 gold-plated flags represent the 30 MLB teams, of which six have never hoisted a Commissioner’s Trophy. Unlike the Stanley Cup, which changes hands between winning teams, a new Commissioner’s Trophy is made every year. So, this impressive prize will be in the area for the long haul.

Get your photo on this page and win a $100 gift card to Fort Worth Camera. Just tag FortWorthMagazine (@fwtxmag) and Fort Worth Camera (@fwcamera) and use the hashtags #fwtxmag and #fwcamera on all your amazing Cowtown images.

@superprorico

PHOTO BY RICHARD RODRIGUEZ

Read about the former Fort Worth police officer and his partner whose job it is to chaperone the World Series trophy around the region

PICTURED: Chris Kosa, GM, Platinum CDJR; Chase Bradley, GM, SouthWest CDJR; Daniel Arceneaux, GM, Pegasus CDJR; Stephen Jimenez, GM, Spur CDJR; Stephen Gilchrist, Dealer Operator, Gilchrist Automotive

Designing Luxury

Michele Hampton, an interior designer, needed a vehicle with more space to haul fabrics and home decor accessories. The 2021 MercedesBenz GLC 300 4Matic Coupe she purchased from Park Place Motorcars Arlington met all her needs and exceeded expectations. “This coupe is sporty with all the conveniences of a crossover. The performance is smooth and has been very reliable,” says Michele, who also co-owns Midlothian Funeral Home with her husband, Randy. “I love the bird’s-eye view camera and the sensors to help navigate in crowded parking lots and on the highway,” she says. Michele appreciates the cabin design details that go beyond the aesthetic of beautiful red leather, heated seats to the customized seat depth to accommodate her husband’s height when he

plays chauffeur. The plethora of impressive features easily captures her heart. “When I open the door, the Mercedes emblem shines like a beacon welcoming me into the car,” she says.

“We originally chose Park Place Motorcars Arlington five years ago because sales manager Ken Erwin’s attention to detail and personalized customer service elevated the luxury experience,” Michele says. “We continue to use Park Place because Ken anticipates our needs and ensures the process is as smooth as the vehicle performance,” she says. “At Park Place, they’re Experts in Excellence because the entire staff from purchase to the service department is very professional and friendly. And I am always greeted with a smile.”