A 300+ yard concrete driveway winds up to this completely remodeled four-bedroom, three-bathroom California Ranch-style home, located just a half-mile off Hwy 377 & only 22 minutes from downtown Fort Worth. The backyard retreat seamlessly connects the home to the newly constructed Texas Vernacular guest quarters with den, chef’s kitchen and full bath. The property has a great balance of mature live oaks and open pasture for horses, with a 30-by-40-foot horse barn with stalls. MLS Number: 13330977
July 2016
Top Chef 2016
Four of Fort Worth’s top chefs battled it out at Cendera Center on June 21 for the title of Top Chef 2016. Find out what the finalists cooked up and who was a cut above the competition. by Jennifer Casseday-Blair
50
Solid Foundation Building a home can be one of the most exciting (and stressful) things to happen in a person’s life. Here, tips on the latest trends in home design and a comprehensive guide to finding the right homebuilder in North Texas. by Jennifer Casseday-Blair
56 Home of Dreams Update Home of Dreams builders, set back by rain, work to finish everything from the stone stairwell to the exterior landscaping of the $2.4 million Transitional French 2016 Home of Dreams in Keller. by Scott Nishimura
Which lot did you have in mind?
Scoop A TCU alum mills rice on his farm in Florida, 44 Bootlegger transforms from boutique to bar and AVOCA coffee opens a second location. by Alexandra Plancarte and McKenzie Zieser
fwliving Your definitive guide to living well
Escapes Charleston, South Carolina’s finest plantations and gardens offer visitors a glimpse of early American life and the day-to-day activities of those who lived there. by Kyle Whitecotton
Culture Fort Worth’s first micro-park opens on one of the city’s most vibrant and historic streets. by Jocelyn Tatum
Be Well Killing more humans than any other animal in the world, mosquitoes have infected millions over the course of centuries. Zika is the latest mosquito-borne illness to threaten the globe. by Jennifer Casseday-Blair
Cooking Everything’s coming up rosé. Soak up the summer poolside with a glass of the underappreciated wine and a menu of complementary dishes. by Beth Maya
Style April, May and June showers bring July frocks filled with flowers. by Kendall Louis
Goodwill Organizations working to improve local lives by Scott Nishimura
Snapshots Behind the ropes and on the red carpet, the photos of the personalities and parties that have everyone talking
90 Up Close Kelsey Patterson by Gail Bennison
105
fwevents Our comprehensive listing of the city’s top events
117
fwdish Culinary ventures in and around town
126
Dish Listings The most sought-after restaurant guide to navigate the area’s diverse dining options
136
Parting Shot One last unique look at the city we all call home
Top Chef 2016
FOR THE SIXTH YEAR IN A ROW, THE WINNER OF OUR ANNUAL FORT WORTH, TEXAS MAGAZINE TOP CHEF COMPETITION GARNISHES OUR COVER AS FORT WORTH’S TOP CHEF FOR 2016. Over 350 people witnessed the crowning of Ben Merritt, executive chef at Fixture – Kitchen and Social Lounge, as our 2016 Top Chef winner. Chef Merritt opened Fixture just over a year ago in a building on West Magnolia Avenue that formerly housed the restaurant 24 Plates, bringing an eclectic, fresh twist on comfort food to the heart of the Southside. His culinary background includes culinary school, a two-year stretch with celebrity chef Stephan Pyles, the Gaylord Resort, Into the Glass, Wildwood Grill and as an executive sous chef of Tim Love’s Woodshed. Merritt also spent a brief period as a bartender at Gingerman, which may explain the creative craft cocktails on the menu at Fixture. Having been open more than three times as long as the building’s former tenant (four months), and now donning our 2016 Top Chef title, I am going to put my money on Fixture and Merritt being around for a while.
A new twist to our Top Chef competition this year was the People’s Choice award, won by Derek Venutolo of the Capital Grille. Similar to American Idol, the winner was determined by the number of texts that were sent in supporting each chef.
Prior to the event, Chef Bonnell put out a request asking fellow Fort Worth chefs to stop by for a special surprise presentation. Over two dozen chefs heeded Jon’s call to attend. This sizeable response speaks not only to the reason for the presentation, but also to the respect the culinary community has for Jon Bonnell.
After the opening remarks, Jon called all of the chefs up to the stage. Sitting on the front row was 37-year-old Austin Underwood, who has Down syndrome, and recently opened Fort Worth’s newest food truck called Austin’s Underdawgs. Unbeknownst to Underwood, all of the chefs were there for him. Bonnell then called a surprised Underwood up to join them, where he officially welcomed him into the culinary community as Fort Worth’s newest chef and presented him with a personalized chef’s jacket. To see a video of the presentation, go to fwtx.com/topchef/austin. For more about Austin and his story, go to austinsunderdawgs.com.
If you haven’t eaten at Fixture yet, I would encourage it. While you’re there, ask for Chef Merritt and tell him congratulations. If you run into Jon Bonnell at one of his restaurants, or out in the community giving back, tell him thank you for continuing to pay it forward.
Hal A. Brown owner/publisher
snapshot of how we're Staying Connected on Instagram:
Gail,
Correction: The Trinity Trails, listed as “Staff Pick” for Local Attraction in the June issue, now has 72 miles of trails in Fort Worth along the Trinity River. The correct website for information is trinityrivervision.org. Our pictures, your words. A
Thank you so much for the magazine and the article [“Esmie and Patty”]...we are all in tears!!
- Laura Woerner
We love the story [“TCU Teams Up with Zoo for Wild New Class] – thank you!
- Alexis
I loved seeing the Trinity Trails get “Staff Pick” for Local Attraction [in your Best Of Issue].
- Matt Tweet, tweet:
@FWTXmag
See why our editor thinks @revolvertaco @revolvertacobrunch is worth the visit: @KendallFWTX
@revolvertaco
@FWTXmag @KendallFWTX muchas gracias for the 2nd chance see! All you have to do is wait for the shugaaa!
If you’re looking to buy land for hunting, recreation, an ag operation or just a place to retire on, there’s one name in Texas to know. Heritage Land Bank is the right financing partner for anyone buying land in rural Texas. In fact, nobody knows Texas better. Talk to a Heritage lender today about the best loan for you, including the option of fixed-rate loans with terms up to 30 years. If you’re ready to buy, we’re ready to help.
1
Gail Bennison enjoys writing about people, art and culture, health, and history. This month, she contributes an interview with one of Fort Worth’s favorite people, Kelsey Patterson (page 90).
2
Growing up in New Orleans, Jessica Llanes learned to appreciate good people and great food at an early age. She knows the way to the heart of any city is through the stomach, and she is falling in love with Fort Worth one dish at a time. This month, she went to Aventino's Italian Restaurant on Camp Bowie for a meal she won’t soon forget about (page 122).
3
Beth Maya is a food stylist, food writer, and home entertainment expert. Turn to page 30 for Beth’s tips on picking a rosé and how to perfectly pair it for a poolside summer lunch.
4
Former Fort Worth, Texas magazine Executive Editor Jennifer Casseday-Blair selflessly tasted her way through Fort Worth, Texas magazine’s 2016 Top Chef finals to contribute this month’s cover story on page 42. She also writes about the much buzzed-about Zika virus (page 28), contributes a feature story with tips and trends from local homebuilders on page 50 and interviews Austin Underwood, owner of the new food truck, Austin’s Underdawgs, on page 124.
5 Journalist and photographer Alexandra Plancarte is an undergrad at TCU working toward her bachelor’s degree in journalism with a minor in Spanish and Hispanic studies. This month, she contributes a story about a TCU alum who harvests and mills rice at his farm in Jacksonville, Florida (page 17). She also contributed this month’s comprehensive event listing on page 105.
6 A transplant from Arizona and graduate from TCU, McKenzie Zieser has called Fort Worth home for nearly a decade. She loves keeping up with the city’s heartbeat and enjoys writing about the people and places that make it so unique. This month, she gave us the scoop on 44 Bootlegger’s transformation from shop to Magnolia’s newest bar (page 20).
7In the Escapes feature this month, Kyle Whitecotton turns on some southern charm to write about the beautiful plantations in Charleston, South Carolina. Turn to page 24 to learn more about the historic city.
8 Jocelyn Tatum has a master’s degree in narrative journalism and undergraduate degree in philosophy, so she spends most of her time analyzing and inquiring about the world around her. This month, she used her curiosity to give us a look at Magnolia’s micro-park in our Culture section on page 26.
9
Born and raised in Fort Worth, TCU alum Celestina Blok is a fitness instructor and freelance food news writer. This month, she Greeks out at Seventh Street’s Opa! Mediterranean Café (page 118). @celesetinafw
10
Hugh Savage is a distant twin cousin of our frequent columnist, Heywood. This month, Heywood talks about “The Throne at Home” (page 76), where he gives us a hysterical history of the evolution of the bathroom.
Having a morning show on WBAP and being the voice of TCU keep Brian Estridge on a tight schedule.
The last thing Brian has time for is shopping all day for a new vehicle, which is why he has been a loyal D&M Leasing customer for the past ten years.
Brian also knows the value of a dollar, and with D&M Leasing he saves 40-50% each and every month compared to buying a vehicle.
Leasing a new or pre-leased vehicle with D&M Leasing is easy. They’ve been based in Tarrant County for 34 years, and now with
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FWTX.COM
A look at what’s on the site and on the side
Magazine Seeking Entrepreneurs
Fort Worth means business, and FW Inc., the business publication from Fort Worth, Texas magazine, knows it. We are recognizing some of the best business minds in Fort Worth with the inaugural Entrepreneur of Excellence Awards. Know a business owner who deserves to be recognized? Nominate him or her at fwtx.com/contests. Three finalists will be selected from 10 categories to be profiled in a special edition of FW Inc. magazine and attend the FW Inc. Entrepreneur of Excellence Awards banquet in January 2017. One finalist from each category will win this year’s award and the associated recognition, trophy and benefits.
Feeding Time
Follow us on Instagram as our editors explore city spots and give a behind-thescenes look at every issue. @fwtxmag
Still Best Of 2016
Have You Gotten a Taste of the Culinary Awards?
Fort Worth, Texas magazine food editors nominated the top 75 dishes in the city for the 2016 Culinary Awards. Download the full list of delicious culinary favorites at fwtx.com/contests so you can taste test some of the city’s best menu items - think fried turkey from Railhead, Jazz Café’s museum burger and Blue Sushi's cherry bomb. Vote for your favorite 25 dishes, and winners will be announced in the November 2016 issue of Fort Worth, Texas magazine.
In Case You Missed It
Can’t stop thinking about our June “Best Of Fort Worth” 2016 issue? Neither can we. FWTX.com has an easy and comprehensive guide of the nearly 300 winners so you can check out the best of the best in Food & Drink, Shopping, Nightlife, Services and People & Culture no matter where you are.
Not following the fwtx.com blogs? Here are a few of the exclusive online stories you missed this month: fwculture
The Full Lineup of Panther Island Summer Events fwvoice
Pro Golf’s North Texas Power Couple: Kristy and Stephen Nutt bonappétit
Popular Dallas Coffee Shop Grounds in Fort Worth
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Staying connected with the latest local happenings
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From TCU to Farm to Table
| by Alexandra Plancarte | photos by Kristen Penoyer |
ONE TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY GRADUATE LIVING IN FLORIDA IS LOOKING TO CHANGE THE WAY CHEFS AND FARMERS’ MARKETS BUY RICE.
The only rice farmer in Florida is 29-year-old Scott Meyer, who graduated from TCU in 2010 with a degree in environmental science before going on to earn his master's degree in aquaculture from the University of Miami. Meyer owns and operates Congaree and Penn Farm and Mills, a rice farm located on the north side of Jacksonville, Florida. His wife, Lindsay, also a TCU graduate, designs all the graphics for the business.
“People who are buying the rice from us are getting a better product,” Meyer said. “And people seem to be enjoying it.”
Meyer started planting 4 acres of rice paddies in 2014. Now, the farm is 7 acres and currently producing between 20,000 and 30,000 pounds of Jupiter rice. Originally, Meyer was planning to use the rice for sake. He researched a variety of rice that had similar characteristics to Calrose rice, used to make sake in California.
“People like it [Jupiter rice] and it grew well,” Meyer said. “So we focused on growing that variety.”
Meyer and his employees work on the farm six to seven days a week, doing everything from planting the rice to harvesting grains to milling the rice. The farm differentiates itself by milling rice to order for chefs and farmers’ markets. Once the rice is dried, the rice is stored into a husk year round until it is milled for an order.
Congaree and Penn also sells middlins - the broken pieces of rice that are generated during the milling process.
“Now a lot of chefs are reinterpreting the middlins into risotto so they can use local grain rather than importing the Arborio rice from Italy,” Meyer said.
The rice is sold online at a number of farmers’ markets and restaurants in Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Fernandina Beach, and in some grocery stores in Jacksonville.
But rice isn’t the only crop on the farm. Meyer is nurturing more than 1,500 Mayhaw trees - a native fruit-bearing tree popular in Louisiana and known for its tart jelly. Similar to the rice, the tree is very tolerant to the wet soil, Meyer said.
“We grew them when I was a kid,” he said. “We’d make jelly from the fruit, which is really good.”
Along with Mayhaw trees and Muscadine grapes, the farm
cultivates beehives. The main reason for the bees is to have a good pollination rate for the Mayhaw tree orchard. The farm currently has 14 beehives, and Meyer said he hopes to have 20 beehives before winter and 50 hives by early 2017 with plans to make honey.
Meyer is cultivating just 40 acres with the rice, Mayhaws, Muscadines and bees. The rest is hay production for local horse farms. Taking care of the Mayhaw trees isn’t easy, but Meyer said he enjoys putting in the work and learning from those who are passionate about the Mayhaws.
“It’s a big challenge,” Meyer said. “It’s exciting to be involved in such a young industry. It’s in the early stages, only about 30 to 35 years of people trying to cultivate these trees.”
Congaree and Penn plans to expand its nursery program to supply its own Mayhaw trees. Olive trees will be planted in the orchard in the near future.
The middlins, grits, fish fry, rice and farm-pressed juice can be purchased online. Horned Frogs love the Purple Rice Grits, which add a bright purple color to any dish. congareeandpenn.com
One of Congaree and Penn’s seasonal shrubs, strawberry key lime, is used to make a soda or cocktail mixer.
The farm’s 14 beehives produce honey, which is then jarred and sold at farmers’ markets.
Scott and Lindsay Meyer with their dogs, Seabiscuit and Cholula, on the farm.
Local Roaster Taps Into Seventh Street for Second Location
Cold brew on tap and new bakery treats debut at AVOCA’s first offshoot.
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AVOCA COFFEE ROASTERS OPENED ITS SECOND LOCATION on June 6 nestled in a narrow space at 835 Foch St Founders Garold LaRue and Jimmy Story opened the original AVOCA location on Magnolia in 2011. It has since kept customers coming back with latte art, a laid-back, sit-and-stay-awhile coffee shop vibe, Taco Heads tacos and, more recently, regular appearances by Yatai Food Kart in the parking lot.
The owners say they have been eyeing the West 7th adjacent spot for some time.
“The community has supported AVOCA since we opened our doors on Magnolia,” said Story. “We’re excited for the opportunity to open on the other side of town to serve more locals.”
The 2,000-square-foot space is finished out, thanks to a who’s who of local vendors. The store mimics the original brick and mortar with Western-inspired colors,
concrete floors and light-colored walls. The walls come to life, thanks to a mural by Denton-based contemporary artist Kelsey Heimerman that features seven samurais and seven cowboys facing off. The piece represents the films The Magnificent Seven and Seven Samurai - a nod to the roasters’ Japanese and Western inspiration.
Local terrarium maker, Ephemera, is responsible for the eclectic centerpieces filled with succulents and other oftenunexpected objects for the tables. Popular Fort Worth reclaimed furniture designer, PalletSmart, designed and built the indoor tables and picnic tables for the enclosed patio. Wall-sized garage doors can be raised to allow fresh air to flow through the whole space.
AVOCA Foch Street provides all the same roasts from the Magnolia location plus some welcome additions. Craft coffee lovers can enjoy cold brew from the tap in the coffee
shop or to go in refillable growlers, available for purchase. The new location also offers an expanded assortment of bakery treats from local favorites including McKinley’s Bakery & Cafe, Stir Crazy Baked Goods, Swiss Pastry Shop and Spiral Diner. Story is especially excited about serving items from Boopa’s Bagel Deli, a Far North Fort Worth shop that makes authentic New York-style vegan bagels boiled in water.
LaRue and Story chose to open another location because many of their friends, fellow business owners and clients are located in the West Seventh District.
“The AVOCA team is more than ready to open our doors and welcome fellow craft coffee lovers into our cool new Foch Street space,” said LaRue.
Lattes are now being served at AVOCA's newest location
by FWTX Staff | photography by Brian Hutson |
Roasters perfect a brew
A large-scale mural sets the scene in the narrow Foch Street space
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A Boutique Becomes a Boutique Bar
| by McKenzie Zieser |
YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE NOTICED THE STEALTHY TRANSFORMATION AT 44 BOOTLEGGER FROM FASHION BOUTIQUE AND SPECIALTY GIFT SHOP TO NEIGHBORHOOD BAR. Located in the heart of the Near Southside on Magnolia Avenue, 44 Bootlegger now offers craft beer and fine wine – 44 of each – Tuesdays through Saturdays.
When asked about the motivation behind the recent change, owners Tommy and Tammy Brown explained that people would often come in thinking it was a bar. “It was a huge decision,” Tammy says. “We wanted to bring couples and friends together.”
Although the Browns originally wanted to open the shop as a fine wine bar, their backgrounds in sales and footwear mixed with the increasing need for retail on Magnolia led them to opening a boutique, where you could find everything from UGG shoes to candles.
“We’ve been drinking wine for close to 20 years,” explains Tommy. “We wanted to create our own atmosphere where we would want to hang out.”
Turns out, the vibe in Bootlegger was better suited for bar patrons after all. Tinted windows and a cool, rustic car door sign give it an unassuming speakeasy feel. When 44 Bootlegger reopened in April, every detail — from the beer and wine selection, to the chic glassware and unique décor — was thought out to create a welcoming atmosphere where patrons can relax. “Here, we treat you like you’re coming into our home,” Tommy says.
The interior still showcases some of the décor from the shop, including centuries-old antique doors and furniture—all made in Texas by Texans. For Tommy, whose grandmother was an actual bootlegger in Louisiana, his favorite piece of décor is the vintage boot on the bar.
Craft beer enthusiasts, wine aficionados, and novice drinkers alike are sure to find something on the menu to enjoy. Each beer and wine is chosen based on taste and quality. “The wine menu is always evolving,” says Tommy. “Ironically, the most unrecognizable item on our menu has been the best-selling item,” he says of the cabernet from Benziger Family Winery, a biodynamic vineyard from Sonoma.
The Browns plan to add a light bite food menu in the fall featuring items like charcuterie and cheese boards, nuts and chocolate to please your palate. Until then, you can BYOF (bring your own food), and all of the menu items can be purchased “to-go” as well. It’s the perfect combination for any of the BYOB restaurants on Magnolia, especially Nonna Totta across the street.
In addition to a stellar selection of beer and wines, you can also find specialty wine cocktails like the Bootlegger Mojito and 44 Mule. For a sweet deal, visit on Tuesdays (for $4 beer and wines) and Thursdays ($20 bottomless Prosecco) for happy hour from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
1411 W Magnolia Ave , Fort Worth, TX 76104
44bootlegger com
44 Bootlegger recently reopened as a craft beer and wine bar
Community Open House—Sunday, July 17
Texas Health Huguley broke ground on our new hospital over two years ago to accommodate the growing number of families that call our community home. Now the time is finally here to show you what we’ve been working on.
Join us Sunday, July 17, for our Community Open House and enjoy complimentary tours, music, food, prize giveaways and activities the whole family can enjoy.
• Sunday, July 17
• 4-7 p.m.
• 11801 South Frwy., Fort Worth, TX 76028
To learn more and to RSVP, visit YourNewHuguley.com
Texas Health Huguley Hospital Fort Worth South 11801 South Fwy. Fort Worth, TX 76028 Come see
Think Beyond Business as Usual
Magnolia Avenue adds to its eclectic personality with Fort Worth's first micro-park. Page 26.
Fort Worth, Texas: The City
Beyond the Streets of Charleston
| by Kyle Whitecotton |
THE TRUE LANDSCAPE AND CULTURE OF THE OLD SOUTH RESIDES IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA’S CHARMING ARCHITECTURE AND PICTURESQUE SURROUNDINGS. The town’s historic district boasts more than 70 pre-Revo-
lutionary buildings, 136 late 18th century structures and hundreds of others built in the 1840s. But, there is more to Charleston than the hustle and bustle of downtown streets. Charleston’s low country offers a quiet getaway amid Spanish oaks, blooming azaleas and camellias and unbroken woodland panoramas. Here, the region’s finest plantations and gardens offer visitors a glimpse of early American life and the day-to-day activities of those who lived here.
With a history stretching back three centuries, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is one of South Carolina’s most impres-
sive public gardens as well as the oldest unrestored garden and the last large-scale Romantic Gardens in the country. In the middle stands the Drayton family home, built before the Revolutionary War and teeming with early American furnishings that bring plantation culture to life. Beyond the gardens lie 600 acres of wetlands, lakes, forests and marshes offering an extraordinary journey through nature and history including rice ponds, Native American sites, and a boardwalk stroll through cypress and tupelo gum trees that inhabit the black waters.
A landmark corridor of live oak trees draped in moss, greets visitors to Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens and America’s most photographed plantation. Since the 17th century, Boone Hall was known for cotton and pecan production, but today the farm actively produces a variety of fruits and vegetables including strawberries, tomatoes and pumpkins. Visitors can get their hands dirty in the seasonal
Drayton Hall
Middleton Place
fields before perusing the local produce of Boone Hall Farms Market, which includes a full-service café and wine alley. Tours around the plantation’s more than 700 acres include the historic relics and living quarters of Slave Street and the Gullah Theater’s live educational performances and storytelling events.
Centuries-old camellias, a hillside of azaleas and summer’s stash of kalmia, magnolias, crepe myrtles and roses populate America’s oldest landscaped garden at Middleton Place. This plantation’s rich history, including an attack by Union troops during the Civil War, is described throughout the house museum and stable yard. Guests of Middleton Place Inn can extend their stay in a secluded woodland setting of tall pines and live oak overlooking the Ashley River.
America’s oldest preserved plantation house is Drayton Hall, built in 1738. The stunning Georgian-Palladian architecture endured two wars, an onslaught of hurricanes and earthquakes and seven generations in near original condition. Artifacts in the Drayton Hall Collections, including original furniture and art along with fanner baskets and slave tags, tell the stories of both wealth and slavery at this plantation. Likewise, the picturesque, 125acre early-English landscape is a sprawling lawn defined by an allée of azaleas, a quaint reflecting pond, the banks of the Ashley River and one of the nation’s oldest documented African-American cemeteries.
So come to Charleston for the sand and sea, the award-winning restaurants and the friendly atmosphere, but save time to savor the well-preserved culture and history beyond the city streets. Tour the antebellum homes, gardens and history of Charleston’s sprawling plantations for a truly unforgettable southern experience.
Slave cabins at Boone Hall Plantation
Fort Worth’s First Micro-Park
| by Jocelyn Tatum |
THROUGH COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS BY NEAR SOUTHSIDE, INC. AND LEADERSHIP
FORT WORTH, the first micro-park, or moveable, tiny park, breathed life into a once blah space, May 18. It is significantly placed in the heart of Fort Worth’s hippest and historic neighborhood on the corner of Magnolia Avenue and Henderson Street.
Zip ties create a concatenation of color on several light poles fueled by tiny sun panels the size of smart phones. Miniature “Christmas” lights wrap around the tops of the poles to offer light rather than the usual bulb. Milk crates and moveable park benches initiate areas for adults to sit and children to climb. Seven newly planted lacebark elm trees were donated by
Susan Folkert of GreenStock Nurseries in Oklahoma, and the Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center donated six holly trees due to their expansion. These offer shade and nature in an otherwise tangled concrete wasteland.
The 4,500-square-foot area is designed with the focal point ArtSouth in mind, which is a transferable 20-foot-long shipping container that launched fall 2015 and acts as an art gallery. This will offer a backdrop to the park, and art installations will be changed out every month to feature various local artists.
These petite parks have started popping up around the country in small, underutilized (or simply unused) urban areas that are glaring tears in a civil-engineered can-
vas. They offer shade, a place to congregate and share ideas, play (adults and children alike) and an aesthetic that fills the not-sopleasant “missing teeth” of a redeveloping area. In Fort Worth, director of planning Mike Brennan and director of events and communications Megan Henderson of Fort Worth South, Inc. plan to repair the canvas with ideas like this one.
And while most parks are permanent, this one is sitting on a plot of land with plans to be developed within a year by Mike Dolabi, who offered his land while he finalizes his plans.
“I think what is really interesting about [the micro-park] is that it is intended to be picked up and moved later on. Near Southside has already started looking for the next site. That is not typical,” Eric Garrison, principal at TBG landscape architects, said.
That nearly everything in the park was or will be repurposed, including the park itself, isn’t typical but reflects the personality of the neighborhood. Schaefer Advertising Co. gutted the building next door to the park, repurposing the entire 100-plus-year-old, three-story co-op and reusing nearly everything. Even old wiring and electrical pieces were put in the clear glass base of a custom-made lamp, making something unusable into something decorative.
“When we went into the design, we thought about the eclectic nature of the neighborhood around it. The recyclable materials fit the tone of the area,” Claire Brunner, project manager with Leadership Fort Worth, said.
Fort Worth community leaders opened its first micro-park to make a statement
that this can and should be done here. There is a lot of talk about what impact this park may have. While the city of Fort Worth doesn’t have micro-parks yet, it has what it calls urban and pocket parks. These are less than 5 acres, Sandra Youngblood with Parks and Recreation said. Burnett Park downtown, Bluebonnet Circle Park and Daggett Park on College Avenue are just a few examples of these.
The details in the creative construction of this micro-park tell the story of the quirky, eclectic neighborhood it was constructed in, and the artists, benefactors, regulars, visitors and residents that care so much for the area.
“The art and pieces say a lot that tie the park back to the community,” Garrison said.
Car hoods painted by local artists decorate the space. One is covered by children’s and locals’ handprints. The local Kroger donated the milk crates. Children have restructured and turned them into climbing objects, and Garrison saw someone using the crates as a medium for his or her workout.
“Those are a neat example of how they were originally intended for something else, but people are redefining it,” Garrison said.
Brunner would like to see it foster community spirit and inspire health in general by pulling people outdoors. She also hopes it inspires conversations and sharing ideas.
“It is providing enjoyable outdoor community gathering spaces. We spend too much time indoors and with all of the development going on,” Brunner said.
Garrison and his colleague at TBG, Jona-
than Dunbar, aren’t that concerned about the park wasting away either. So many members of the community passionately came together to put it all together in a matter of months. He can’t imagine them disrespecting the park.
“It is amazing how many people out of the goodness of their heart made this happen. During an ‘Open Streets’ event people were stopping and putting zip ties on the poles. Children put their handprints on the hoods. I was out there this past weekend, and someone was watering the trees,” Dunbar said.
The water for the new trees comes from a spigot offered by Schaefer Advertising next door. The following Saturday morning, a local artist set up a small table with his goblets and pottery. People bring food over and snack while their children take a break and bang on some of the hanging soup cans to create their own music.
“Maybe someone will bring a game of horseshoes. I think it will evolve dramatically,” Dunbar said. “City parks have rules, but this park does not. The interaction with this park will be different from other city parks. People will see it as their own
and take care of it.”
“There are a lot of missing teeth still on Magnolia. The objective for the park here and regionally is how can you take a similar approach and take advantage of the spaces that aren’t used and complete the picture that is fun and creative,” Garrison said.
As the park evolves within itself and the neighborhood, one can only hope it evolves our community.
The park was created with recyclable and reusable materials.
ArtSouth is a 20-foot-long shipping container that doubles as an art gallery.
For other features about wellness, go to fwtx com and click on health
No Small Threat
If you’re traveling this summer, remember that one little bite from a mosquito carrying the Zika virus can lead to illness. For women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, symptoms of the virus include fetal birth defects.
| by Jennifer Casseday-Blair
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W HILE IT NORMALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN THE POWERFUL, RAZOR-TOOTHED JAWS OF A SHARK I’D BE AFRAID OF ON A RECENT SCUBA-DIVING VACATION TO THE CARIBBEAN, I was instead fearful of a creature that could rest on the tip of my fingernail. Killing more humans than any other animal in the world, mosquitoes have infected millions over the course of centuries. Malaria, dengue and yellow fever are the most serious, but let's not forget the U.S. epidemic of West Nile virus and now a major concern, the Zika virus.
What Is It? Zika virus disease is primarily spread through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. Sexual transmission of the Zika virus from a man is possible. Fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis are the most common symptoms after being bitten. Usually mild in most cases, the symptoms last up to a week with people rarely becoming sick enough to visit the hospital. For this reason, many people might not realize they have been infected. The real threat is for women who become infected with the Zika virus during pregnancy. Symptoms include a serious birth defect called microcephaly, where babies are born with abnormally small heads and other severe fetal brain abnormalities.
Once a person has been infected, he or she is likely to be protected from future infections. The Zika virus usually remains in the blood of an infected individual for about a week but can be found longer in some people. There is no vaccine or antiviral treatment for Zika.
44 states have reported at least one case of the Zika virus
This isn’t a new disease. Discovered in 1947 in Uganda, the first human cases of Zika were detected in 1952. Outbreaks have been reported in tropical Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. In 2015, the Pan American Health Organization issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infection in Brazil. On Feb. 1, 2016, the World Health Organization declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Local transmission has been reported in many other countries and territories, and it will likely continue to spread to new areas.
Where Is It? These areas have active mosquito-borne transmission of the Zika virus:
• Cape Verde
• Mexico
• Aruba
• Barbados
• Bonaire
• Cuba
• Curaçao
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• Grenada
• Guadeloupe
• Haiti
• Jamaica
• Martinique
• The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory
• Saint Barthelemy
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Martin
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Sint Maarten
• Trinidad and Tobago
• U.S. Virgin Islands
• Belize
• Costa Rica
• El Salvador
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Nicaragua
• Panama
• American Samoa
• Fiji
• Kosrae (Federated States of Micronesia)
• Marshall Islands
• New Caledonia
• Papua New Guinea
• Samoa
• Tonga
• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Colombia
• Ecuador
• French Guiana
• Guyana
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Suriname
• Venezuela
How To Protect Yourself
• Cover skin by wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
• Use insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535.
• Stay in places with air conditioning and window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside.
• Use permethrin-treated clothing and gear (such as boots, pants, socks, and tents). You can buy pre-treated clothing and gear or treat them yourself.
• Sleep under a mosquito bed net if airconditioned or screened rooms are not available or if sleeping outdoors. Also use mosquito netting to cover babies in carriers, strollers or cribs.
For more information and to purchase individual tickets, visit pickinforpreemies.com. Interested in a sponsorship? Contact us at pickinforpreemies@cookchildrens.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/pickinforpreemies.
EVERYTHING’S COMING UP ROSÉ
| story and food styling by Beth Maya | photography by Alex Lepe | props and fashion styling by Deborah Points |
IT WAS A WARM AND SUN-KISSED DAY OFF THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST; I was in my late 20s, and sun tanning in the Spanish sand was my job when I wasn’t catching trains or sleeping in hostels. As I soaked up the sun slathered in SPF nothing, an old man making his way down the beach approached my friend and me with a small cooler containing ice-cold wine. He offered to sell us two frosty plastic cups of the pale pink stuff. We were both beyond parched, so we gladly made the purchase. I expected the syrupy sweet white Zinfandel of my college days, but what I got was altogether different. This was only slightly sweet; I could taste the crispness of white wine and the body of red. I remember thinking I had never tasted anything like it. As I gushed its praises, my well-traveled friend just said, yeah, it’s just a rosé, no big deal. Except, it was a big deal. I had never tasted anything like it; I wanted more, but our elderly salesman was off to the next sale. I will always remember my very first taste of rosé that embodied everything that was that summer.
Fast forward a few years later, and rosé is making a strong come back. Enter Jeffrey Gregory - a sommelier, wine educator and restaurateur with 15 years’ experience in the beverage and hospitality industry. He has been in all aspects of the wine industry across North Texas and has even taught a wine pairing class or two at Central Market. He knows all the rosé facts and tips to get you started on the right bottle this summer.
• Buy rosé as fresh as possible; generally it should be no older than the previous calendar year.
• Learn a little about your wine regions; most rosé produced in the old world will tend to be a bit drier. New world wines can be dry and off-dry.
• Alcohol content can be a telling sign. Sometimes a lower content can equal a sweeter or less dry wine.
• Build a relationship with your wine retailer, ask questions and ask for recommendations.
• Experiment. Once you find one you
really like, try other wines from that region. Keep track of which regions you are enjoying.
Items that pair well with rosé tend to be lighter in nature and often, but not always, served cold. Salmon, shellfish, beef tartare or carpaccio, summer salads, lightly spiced dishes, delicate sandwiches, crudité and, of course, a variety of cheese boards.
CRABBY DEVILED EGGS
• dozen hard boiled eggs, cooled and peeled
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons spicy Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 small shallots, grated or finely minced
• 1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce
• 1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• 1 teaspoon minced curly parsley
• 12 ounces lump crab meat, cleaned and sorted
• 1 teaspoon minced chives for garnish
Preparation
Cut eggs in half lengthwise, scoop out yolk into a mixing bowl, set whites of eggs on a tray. Add mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, hot sauce and Old Bay seasoning to the yolks and mix well. Now add the shallot, parsley, and half of the crab meat and gently fold in. Once combined, taste mixture and add salt and pepper to taste if needed. Carefully spoon mixture into the center of each egg at equal amounts until all eggs are full. Top each egg with a few pieces of the remaining crab meat and then sprinkle with chives. Refrigerate at least 1 hour loosely covered with plastic wrap. Serve cold or cool.
FIESTA WATERMELON AND FETA
SALAD
• 1/2 large watermelon
• 8-ounce package traditional chunk feta cheese
• 1-2 tablespoons Tajin Clasico Seasoning with Lime
• 4 limes cut into wedges
• 8-10 large mint leaves sliced into ribbons
Preparation
Cut watermelon into chunks discarding all the rind. This would look great using a melon baller as well. Place watermelon into serving bowl and squeeze the wedges of two whole limes all over watermelon and gently mix. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon Tajin seasoning and mix again. Wipe edges of serving bowl and then break feta into large chunks with hands and scatter on top of watermelon. Don’t mix. Make sure to use the whole chunk feta and not crumbles, as crumbles tend to get mushy. Top with a sprinkle of as much or as little as you like of Tajin seasoning (for me another tablespoon would be perfect). Top the salad with the mint ribbons and scatter remaining lime wedges. Serve immediately. The
Four Rosés for Your Summer
COPAIN ROSÉ OF PINOT NOIR
“Tous Ensemble” Rosé evokes distinct aromas of racy citrus fruits and delicate white flowers. On the palette, juicy watermelon and fresh strawberries are supported by lively acidity to give this gorgeous wine a food friendly structure.”- Producer
Varieties: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Mendocino County (far northern coastal CA)
Price: $20.99
AIX ROSÉ
“A pale, bright pink rosé. The nose has a lot of finesse, with aromas of red berries and yellow grapefruit. The wine has a soft, floral mouth attack with good texture and a nice, long aftertaste.”- Winemakers Notes
lime wedges can be used by each person in his or her portions. Do not make this salad too far in advance as the seasoning could make the watermelon mushy if not eaten right away.
NOTE: Tajin seasoning can be found in most
McPHERSON ROSÉ
“Delicate berry and plummy, herbal nuances abound and this crisp acidity is artfully balanced against a long finish. This is a rosé that has mass appeal…the pairing possibilities are unparalleled.” – Winemakers Notes
grocery stores and almost always in the produce department next to the fruit. It is amazing on pineapple, avocado, or mixed in with your fresh pico de gallo, plus a million other uses.
CARPACCIO CROSTINI
• 1 French baguette
• 1 pound of beef tenderloin
• 1 bottle of good store bought vinaigrette
Preparation
Sprinkle tenderloin liberally with coarse black pepper and kosher salt. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, making sure to keep a very round shape. Freeze tenderloin about 2 hours, then remove plastic wrap. In a cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and make sure pan is coated. Sear tenderloin on very high heat using tongs to turn on all sides until evenly browned, about
LOCATIONS ‘F’ ROSÉ
“A rich, deep salmon color consumes the glass with a pale orange crown on the rim. It is perfumed with fresh red berries, ripe watermelon, wildflowers, and hint of dusty minerality. The entry is fresh and supple with a raspberry foundation that is accentuated with tangerine and sappy strawberry notes. The finish is a sprightly one thanks to flinty, stony details and bright tones of acidity.” – Winemakers notes
Varieties: 100% Grenache
Region: Rhone and Roussillon France Price: $16.99
1 minute on each side. Once evenly browned, pull and let rest on a plate until cool enough to handle. Once cool, rewrap in plastic wrap and freeze until slightly firm, about 45 minutes. While tenderloin is firming up, slice baguette on the bias into rounds and toast until golden brown. Once tenderloin is firm, unwrap and with a very sharp knife, slice very thin rounds all the way through tenderloin. Pile one slice of beef on each piece of toasted crostini and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Now you can really finish dressing the carpaccio however you like. I do a bit of roasted garlic vinaigrette, caper berries, sweet peppers and some fresh oregano. Other options that would be great are a tangy blue cheese vinaigrette and a scattering of fresh arugula or olive oil, balsamic vinegar, shaved parmesan and a sprinkle of pine nuts. You can really adjust this to your preference.
How Does Your Garden Show?
| by Kendall Louis |
If showers really do bring flowers, then we’re in for quite the colorful summer. But, the floral craze isn’t reserved for your gardens alone. The ultra-feminine print is making a splash all over wardrobes this month. Our favorite products prove that a frock doesn’t have to be named Lilly to pack a floral punch.
Genie by Eugenia Kim Penny Headband, Revolve, revolve.com, $40
Top Chef winner, Ben Merritt, passionately accepts his trophy after a tough competition.
A Cut Above
hand and wished him the best of luck with his gourmet hot dog food truck.
Fort Te Texa Worth
Fort Worth, Texas magazine’s 2016 Top Chef, Ben Merritt of Fixture – Kitchen and Social Lounge, sliced through this year’s competition.
| by Jennifer Casseday-Blair |
Cowtown is staking its claim as one of America’s top culinary cities. With its vibrant hotbed of gourmet talent, narrowing down who would compete in this year’s challenge was a monumental task. We turned to our knowledgeable readers for nominations.
Prior to the final competition on June 21, a preliminary event, held at Texas Appliance in Hurst on May 4, knocked Chef Kalen Morgenstern formerly of FW Market + Table and Chef Erin Miller of Texas Bleu out of the competition. The four remaining talented chefs to move forward included Denise Shavandy, Café Modern; Ben Merritt, Fixture - Kitchen and Social Lounge; Kevin Martinez, Tokyo Cafe; and Derek Venutolo, The Capital Grille.
Eager guests spilled through the doors at Cendera Center for the seventh annual Fort Worth, Texas magazine Top Chef Challenge. Scott Murray, former Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist and television sports anchor, once again emceed the event. Guests indulged in refreshments from some of the best eateries Fort Worth has to offer.
Once the burners had cooled and the smoke cleared, Merritt, Fixture’s
executive chef, claimed his title as 2016 Top Chef of Fort Worth. His fellow competitors exhibited good sportsmanship as they cheered on his accomplishment.
Fort Worth’s culinary community is a tight group. Showing support for a fellow chef is the rule, not the exception, and that couldn’t have been more evident than in how the 2016 Top Chef competition began.
Local chefs flooded the stage as Head Judge Jon Bonnell introduced and invited up the honored guest, Austin Underwood, who opened his food truck, Austin’s Underdawgs, earlier this year. Chefs wanted to welcome Underwood by giving him an official chef’s coat bearing his name and business. Born with Down syndrome, Underwood has exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations of his independence. As each chef left the stage, he or she shook Underwood’s
“There are a lot of kids out there like me that want to have a job and be on their own,” Underwood says. “It’s nice to run a business. It’s fun, and I love to meet people. People love buying hot dogs from me. My goal is to one day have my own restaurant.”
Dedicated to addressing hunger and other needs locally, the chefs chose charities they wanted to benefit from the live auction at the event. Throughout the evening, fans could bid on their favorite chef coming to their home and preparing a meal for eight. Four lucky bidders in the audience won “the fifth plate,” which allowed them to experience the same dishes that the judges tasted during the competition. More than $12,000 was raised, with a portion of the proceeds going to the chefs’ chosen charities.
FOOD FIGHTERS
Denise Shavandy, executive chef at Café Modern, is known for experimenting with a variety of ethnic flavors from the Deep South to the Far East. With a focus on local artisan products and seasonal produce, Shavandy has served as executive chef for eatZi’s Market & Bakery in Dallas and as a culinary instructor at Texas State Technical College. She has also worked with local and nationally acclaimed chefs during her time as cooking school manager at Central Market.
Merritt developed a passion for cooking during his travels in the U.S. Navy. During his career, Merritt has worked alongside several of America’s prestigious chefs, including Chef Stephan Pyles. At Fixture, Merritt
competition for the second consecutive year. He graduated on the President's list from Western Culinary Arts Institute in Portland, Ore., before training under executive chef Matt Hewitt, then for King's Seafood Co. of Southern California, and executive chef Shelly Bojorquez at the 555 East American Steakhouse. "My mother was the first one to inspire my love for food. She had me in the kitchen at a really young age, helping her cook and bake," Venutolo says. Already a local competition winner, he won overall best food at Big Taste of Fort Worth in 2014 and 2016.
THE JUDGES:
SOPHISTICATED PALATES
and spending time with her five grandkids, Judie also enjoys mentoring young mothers.
Todd Phillips graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. With more than 25 years of hands-on experience and winning the magazine’s Top Chef Challenge in 2014, Phillips has the credentials to make him a judge worthy of this competition. Working at J.R.’s Steak & Grill, Reata, the Ritz-Carlton and Canyon Ranch Spa enabled him to create inventive dishes that offer guests a veritable feast of flavors. Phillips has described his style of elevating barbecue and Southern cuisine to a higher standard as “new-cue.”
In recent years, Bonnell graced our magazine’s cover as “The Most Loved Chef in Fort Worth.” Ask anyone who knows him, and they will agree.
delivers delicious creations like Texas Beet Fries and Chicken and Waffles. With an aversion to lab-engineered and processed foods, Merritt has dedicated more than 10 years of his life to the restaurant industry and is an American Culinary Federation Certified Culinarian.
Denton native Kevin Martinez is executive chef of Tokyo Café and owner of the popular Yatai Food Kart. Growing up in a large family, Martinez was influenced by what was going on in the kitchen. After attending culinary school, Martinez honed his skills and developed his palate in a variety of arenas from Four Diamond-rated hotels to the Colonial Country Club. He then moved on to become the chef de cuisine at west Fort Worth’s Tokyo Cafe.
Derek Venutolo, executive chef partner at The Capital Grille in downtown Fort Worth, returned to the
becom
A graduate of the prestigious New England Culinary Institute, Bonnell and his restaurants have become Fort Worth staples. He is the executive chef and owner of the Bonnell’s Restaurant Group, which includes his flagship restaurant, Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, the highly acclaimed Waters, and the TCU sports bar Buffalo Bros, Pizza Wings & Subs. Bonnell has authored three cookbooks: Jon Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, Jon Bonnell’s Texas Favorites, and Jon Bonnell’s Waters Fine Coastal Cuisine. He is also the celebrity chef of TCU’s Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Judie Byrd has been contributing her culinary prowess to Fort Worth, Texas magazine for more than a decade. Byrd is the author of several cookbooks, including Help! My Family's Hungry, Meals in Minutes and Everyday Family Recipes. She stays busy teaching cooking seminars for various women’s, church and faithbased groups. Along with traveling
It’s easy to spot last year’s Top Chef winner, Stefon Rishel; just look for his signature mohawk. For this occasion, he went with hot pink. Rishel says, "The one item I could not live without is my utility knife that my wife had custom made for me as a wedding present. It goes through everything like butter.” Rishel is a self-taught chef and worked at Max’s Wine Dive as executive chef until a recent and temporary move to Houston. He has been recognized for producing the Best Dish at Taste of Fort Worth 2015, as well as Best Comfort Food 2014, Best Use of Bacon 2014, and
Derek Venutolo carefully plates his final dishes before being presented to the judges.
The winner of the culinary skill challenge was Derek Venutolo. He was the first to whip six egg whites by hand and successfully hold
Best Brunch in Fort Worth 2014 and 2015 from Fort Worth, Texas magazine's Best Of issue.
With more than 20 years’ experience with operations and development, Steve Mitchell’s skills go far beyond his chef abilities. Currently the director of operations and executive chef at The Grille at The Harbor on Possum Kingdom Lake, Mitchell is associated with other local concepts including Lucile’s Stateside Bistro, H-3 Ranch, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, Yucatan Taco Stand & Tequila Bar, and Buffalo Gap Steakhouse.
CULINARY GAUNTLET
Competition elements at this year’s Top Chef varied slightly from previous years, adding unexpected and exciting twists for those who attend the event annually.
The People’s Choice Award allowed the audience the chance to text votes for their favorite chefs. Fans could vote up to five times, and in the case of tied results, votes would have been used to determine a winner.
The first challenge for the chefs tested their tasting abilities in detecting flavor components within a sauce.
Bonnell presented a Green Curry Sauce, which had been prepared by Chef Rishel, and asked them to begin guessing each of the 17 ingredients. Samples of the sauce were passed out among those in the audience so they could guess for themselves. As a single elimination challenge, the chefs tasted the sauce again and again, trying to single out what had gone into it. Venutolo came out on top with the most points.
A whipping fury was unleashed for challenge No. 2. Each contestant was given six eggs that had to be separated and whipped by hand until there were stiff peaks and the mixing bowl could be flipped upside down without the contents spilling for three full seconds. Sweat glistened from each of the chefs’ brows as they speedily flipped their wrists, whisking the egg whites into submission. “It’s much easier with appliances, isn’t it,” Bonnell joked. Venutolo finished well before his competitors, with Merritt coming in second.
If a chef was going to win the third challenge, he or she had to be an expert at thinking on his or her feet. First, they drew for the order in which they’d get to choose from
the ingredients. The chefs then had nine minutes to create a dish that incorporated only five ingredients in a successful way. Five trays consisted of the following items: shrimp, chicken breast, tuna, duck breast, coconut, kumquat, blood orange, dragon fruit, celery root, turnip, radish, eggplant, artichoke, ginger, cactus, jalapeño, sage, watercress, oregano and thyme. When the chefs had made their final selections, the ante was upped when Chef Bonnell asked the challengers to take one step to the side, thus making them work their magic with the ingredients chosen by their competitor.
Firing up their burners, the room started heating up. Olive oil smoked off the sizzling saucepans in wait of the chefs’ intentions, and the delicious aromas soon made their way to those in the audience.
In the speed challenge, it was Merritt and Venutolo whose dishes soared among the judges. Merritt managed to create a pan-seared duck breast on grilled eggplant with a jalapeño and pickled dragon fruit salsa. He admitted that before this competition, he had never tasted or used dragon fruit in his cooking. Venutolo made grilled shrimp with fennel potato hash, fire roasted tomatillo salsa and
Denise Shavandy worked alongside Sous Chef Christopher Brockington to prepare the secret ingredient of squab.
Den sec
could best be described as cool chaos. Each chef seemed to be in his/ her element, totally focused, despite hundreds of onlooking fans.
pomegranate thyme vinaigrette.
Once the speed-round dishes had been judged, it was time to proceed with the main event. Each chef would have 25 minutes to make five plates of the same dish using the secret ingredients and the items in their on-stage pantries. The judges would rank them based on four criteria: presentation, use of main ingredients, degree of difficulty and overall taste. Chefs were allowed to bring a sous chef to assist them in this final determining round.
It was time to reveal the secret ingredients. Bonnell first presented the
wit h and baby sh y l-c et a em co T
Working alongside his sous chef, Brian Perry, who happens to be Venutolo’s father-in-law, the duo prepared a grilled herbed squab over charred poblano grits topped with roasted cherry tomatoes and baby shiitake mushrooms. A cornmeal-crusted fried snapper with root vegetable medley, wilted arugula and lemon dill beurre blanc sauce accompanied his prepared bird. The judges were consistent in their comments about the perfectly prepared squab.
chefs with yellow tail snapper. Knowing that snapper is a relatively easy ingredient to work with, the chefs were waiting for the other shoe to drop. When the other ingredient was revealed, it was obvious by the chefs’ expressions that they were contemplating how to incorporate the fish and the fowl cohesively into one winning dish. The audience looked puzzled and grabbed their phones to Google the word “squab.”
“If ore he t t,” g t 2 , ve t w wit h yel lo t ai a l
“If anyone has ever had squab before, medium rare is ideal.
And the temperature of this dish is perfect,” Bonnell said. Just before removing the plates to make room for dish No. 2, Bonnell said, “Don’t fill up guys, we’ve got four more to go.”
cornmea root veg le acc “ bef And th is perfec removin d ish No. g uys, we ’
chefs with tail w Merritt
Defined as a young domestic pigeon typically less than four weeks old, it’s not an item you’d find on many Fort Worth menus.
Leftovers
To ensure that none of the food goes wasted, Fort Worth, Texas magazine donates leftovers from the competition to SafeHaven of Tarrant County, which provides care to families fleeing life-threatening domestic violence situations.
If you’d like to learn more about this organization, visit safehaventc.org.
The large countdown clock was reset to 25 minutes. As the time began ticking away, what transpired
Merritt worked seamlessly with his sous chef, Cadie Hatter. He decided to do a play on paella by making an heirloom tomato sofrito. Merritt then added the liver and hearts of the squab to the rice mix. To elevate the plate presentation, he deconstructed the paella by cooking the fish and squab separately. Garnishes on the plate included a blood orange aioli and a cold shaved fennel and dragon fruit salad. It was clear by the judges’ comments that this was the dish of the night. They each complimented the perfect preparation of the fish and the squab, as well as his genius use of seasonings and fresh herbs.
When Chef Martinez’s plate arrived at
Kevin Martinez of Tokyo Cafe plates his final dishes that Head Judge Jon Bonnell later described as “artwork on a plate.”
the judges’ table, it was the presentation that really wowed them. “Was this plated by Van Gogh? It’s absolutely gorgeous,” Byrd said. Bonnell called the dish “artwork on a plate.” Impressed by the crispiness that Martinez and his sous chef, Carol Ann Kroehler, were able to accomplish on the skin of his proteins, they were blown away once they discovered that Martinez had managed to make gnocchi in 25 minutes. The consensus about the seasoning of the dish was split. While two judges said the flavors were dead-on, another judge thought the dish was a little bland.
It was Denise Shavandy’s mashed potatoes with fresh herbs that won the judges over. With Sous Chef Christopher Brockington (Brock), Shavandy’s plate was made up of pan-roasted squab and seared redfish with charred tomatillo butter, buttermilk dill mashed purple potatoes, braised fennel and Campari tomato salad. Unfortunately, what cost her some points were her presentation and lack of seasoning on certain elements of her dish. Described by judges as a “muddled” display, the aesthetics of the plate didn’t compare to those of her competitors. Mitchell thought there were elements that had the “wow” factor. “I like the fresh basil and seasonings and the crispiness of the fish,” he said. Rishel described Shavandy’s potatoes as a “different version of Mom’s twice-baked potatoes,” and Bonnell asked if he could get a doggy bag.
Top Chef winner, a cacophony of cheers broke. Cameras flashed and Sweet Home Alabama blared as the humbled Merritt took his place center stage to raise the cutting board trophy with meat fork and carving knife above his head. In his acceptance speech, Merritt pointed across the room to Rishel and said, “Stefon, you don’t know this, but you’re my idol. I had planned on dyeing my mustache today.”
After things had simmered down, Merritt shared, “The most exciting thing about the competition was being declared the winner. I feel the most challenging part of the
competition was staying on top of my time management. Time can get away from you very quickly if you aren’t organized.” For one year, the title of Top Chef in Fort Worth and the prestige that accompanies it belong to him.
Once the last bite had been taken and the dishes were cleared away, the judges convened in a back room to tally their scores as the chefs cleaned their cook stations.
It was the moment of truth. First, the judges informed that Venutolo had won the People’s Choice Award. When they next announced Merritt’s name as the
(above) The four competing chefs (Derek Venutolo, Ben Merritt, Denise Shavandy and Kevin Martinez) pose for a post-challenge photo. (left) Derek Venutolo won the People’s Choice Award. (here) Owner and Publisher of Fort Worth, Texas magazine, Hal Brown, poses with Jon Bonnell, Ben Merritt and Scott Murray.
Racking Up the Competition
Foodie fans watched as six of the area’s most talented chefs faced off for the honor to move on to Top Chef Finals at Fort Worth, Texas magazine’s Top Chef preliminary round.
| by Kendall Louis |
Poached shrimp with white seaweed, braised chicken tacos, bacon and blue cheese-stuffed mushrooms and smoked baconwrapped scallops welcomed more than 200 hungry guests as they moved throughout Texas Appliance Hurst on Wednesday, May 4, for the Top Chef Preliminaries. This year’s preliminaries turned into a de facto battle of the sexes as three men and three women competed for four spots in the Top Chef Finals. The formidable competitors were Erin Miller, Texas Bleu; Kalen Morgenstern, formerly
of FW Market + Table; Ben Merritt, Fixture – Kitchen and Social Lounge; Derek Venutolo, The Capital Grille; Kevin Martinez, Tokyo Café; and Denise Shavandy, Café Modern.
Radio personality and Emmy Awardwinner Scott Murray emceed the event and introduced judges and chefs as anticipation built. Chef Jon Bonnell was the head judge again this year. His love for the competition showcased in every challenge he put in front of the contestants.
Bonnell quickly tested the chefs’ speed and basic skills. “It’s gonna be blades a’ flyin,” Bonnell warned.
Newcomer Kevin Martinez immediately shined, coming in first in the “chopping contest” where chefs were asked to dice “the trio” – carrots, onions and celery. The second skills test took things up a notch as the six chefs were asked to shuck 10 oysters and break down and deshell a lobster. The challenge was well-suited for Ben Merritt who came in first with an almost perfect score.
After the warm up, it was time to move on to the main event. In two heats, the chefs competed making dishes with the secret ingredient, rack of lamb, with only 25 minutes of time allotted.
The luckiest people in the room were the judges who got to taste test each dish. Along with Head Judge Jon Bonnell were Carol Ritchie, a 2001 James Beard Award Nominee; Chef Todd Phillips, champion of Fort Worth, Texas magazine’s Top
Chef 2014 and executive chef of J.R.’s Steakhouse; and Chef Pete Nolasco, owner of Chef Pete® Catering and Ice Carving in Dallas.
Kevin Martinez kicked things off with his Frenched rack of lamb with potatoes confit, a soft-boiled egg, pine nuts and a cream sauce. Bonnell said his lamb was “Frenched down to perfection,” adding “if this is just the tip of the iceberg, we’re in for a real treat tonight.”
Erin Miller, who had to cook with one hand after an injury in the middle of the competition, managed to put together a plate that impressed with a large portion of lamb, mushrooms and sautéed vegetables. Judges regaled at the rustic dish.
Kalen Mortgenstern made a pretty and tropical grilled lamb summer salad. The lamb earned her kudos with the judges. “The main ingredient is seasoned absolutely perfectly,” Bonnell said.
Chef Ben Merritt was the only chef to earn perfect points for presentation. This was thanks to his grilled lamb chop on a warm Mediterranean confit potato salad with a fresh-thyme ricotta. The judges exclaimed that it was both classic and perfectly cooked.
It was clear that Derek Venutolo’s dish, his take on the “carpetbagger” (a luxury steak recipe), impressed thanks to its complexity. Unable to make a béarnaise – the traditional sauce in a carpetbagger - with the ingredients provided, he made a hollandaise. That feat earned him the highest score of the night.
The secret ingredient threw many of the chefs a curveball. But, Denise Shavandy’s plate shined, thanks to her experience with the protein. The judges were wowed that she was able to grill an artichoke and get it on the plate in the short amount of time the chefs had to cook. She topped her lamb off with a pomegranate sauce and potatoes.
In the end, only four chefs could move on. “This was the closest score that I have seen,” Bonnell said. And we were sadly forced to say goodbye to Erin Miller and Kalen Morgenstern for Top Chef 2016.
Jon Bonnell, Ben Merritt, Kevin Martinez, Kalen Morgenstern, Denise Shavandy, Derek Venutolo, Erin Miller
MORTGAGE LENDING TEAM: Daiquari Wilson, Imelda Andrade, Teresa Turnage, Dina Robles, David Wilcox, Beckie Shiveley, Steve Brittain, Kimberly Davis-Holder and Matt Zohfeld
SOLID FOUNDATION
A comprehensive guide to finding the right homebuilder in North Texas | by
Jennifer Casseday-Blair |
Building a
home
can be one of the most exciting (and stressful) things to happen in a person’s life.
While the process will never go completely smoothly, choosing an experienced builder can ensure a well-crafted home built within an agreed-upon timeframe. Our guide, in advance of the Fort Worth, Texas magazine Home of Dreams issue, includes current trends that local homebuilders are seeing as well as tips for getting the process started and a checklist of things to ask potential builders. To give you a leg up, we’ve added a list that contains the names of local homebuilders that have solid reputations and proven track records.
Trends and Tips From Local Ex-
perts With a low inventory of available new homes and the area’s population and strong job growth, the North Texas custom housing market is booming. We asked a group of local custom homebuilders to weigh in on the trends they are seeing among their clients. Growing trends are toward openness in floor plans, making the outdoors an integral part of the house, planning for future care of relatives and increased concern about environmental issues.
Rick Wegman, president of HGC Residential Development, has been in business for the past 16 years. He says that he is seeing more families making space for multi-generational situations. “The open-concept floor plans are very popular as families are looking to commune in more open spaces. We are also seeing a drastic change in color schemes. The majority of our clients have moved away from the darker colors and are using a palette of whites, blues, grays and light tans,” Wegman says.
Elaborate outdoor living spaces, including the use of sliding doors designed to bring the outdoors in, are gaining in popularity. Sean Knight, owner and manager of Sean Knight Custom Homes, verifies that it is one of the most current trends he’s seeing among his clients as well as the use of lighter colored marble and quartz as opposed to darker, busier granite material. He adds that many families are now asking to incorporate reclaimed wood for flooring and on ceilings, and he’s seen an increase in concern for energy efficiency and the use of green products.
Knight believes the construction process should be an easy and enjoyable experience. He says that one of the biggest mistakes he sees people make is letting cost be the only determining factor when selecting a builder. “Take
the time to evaluate several builders so that you find someone who is right for you. You should look for a builder who has been in business for a number of years and has an established reputation. You need to know that your builder will be around to not only finish your construction, but also to handle any issue that may arise later,” Knight says.
John and Linda Askew of John Askew Company have 30 years’ experience and are seeing a shift to single-story homes with exterior elevations that have a lot of character. In order to help their customers best achieve their goals, they first make sure everyone is on the same page regarding the finances.
“Often we see people draw plans that don’t fit their budget. We meet with prospective customers to establish a pre-budget before starting plans. We then target that budget when designing the home. We go to plan-design meetings to assist them in staying in budget and creating a great home design,” John Askew says.
Incorporating elaborate technology in homes and the inclusion of media rooms seem to be two recent trends that are on the decline. Betty Baker, president of Veranda Designer Homes, says that her clients are mainly concerned with technology related to TV and sound but nothing more.
“Most people are opting for an open game room/ media area, especially with the reduced need
for a projector as television output has become so sophisticated,” Baker says. “Another request we quite often get is for an attached or detached suite for in-laws, guests or children returning home from college, which has a separate living area or kitchenette.”
Baker warns that “water is the devil in construction.” She says that it’s imperative to pay attention to details in design or framing with water in mind. “Whether it’s a window too close to a valley of the roof or poor flashing techniques, we are redundant in our procedures to make sure we keep water out.”
Getting Started
The right builder needs to have an invested interest, adequate time, financial resources, excellent communication skills, organization skills and extensive experience to build your new home. Here are agenda items that need to be taken care of before ever hiring your builder.
• Know What You Want. The first step is knowing what size, style and price range you want. Then you can match a builder that has expertise in your type of project.
• Start Your Search. There are several places to obtain a list of reputable builders who construct homes in your area. Contact your local home builders association, real estate
An outdoor living space by John Askew Homes.
agents or utilize friends and relatives for recommendations that you can trust. Local lenders can also provide valuable insight into builders and their history of completing projects on time and on budget.
• Research Your Builder’s Reputation. Is the builder you are considering licensed? Is he/ she a member of the local home builders association? Are past clients satisfied? It is imperative to ask for references and check them thoroughly. The most significant step you can take to learn about a potential builder is to visit homes he/she has built and talk with the owners.
• Keep a Record. When speaking with builders and checking with other homeowners, record the information and your impressions.
What to Ask
• What are your permanent mailing address, email contact and phone numbers? It is imperative to be able to reach your builder quickly and easily.
• Do you carry insurance that would cover
claims that may arise due to property damage or jobsite injuries during the course of construction?
• How long have you been in business?
• Will you provide a list of the experienced independent subcontractors you use?
• Can you provide addresses of homes similar in style and size to my project?
• What is the beginning and end date of the construction process?
• Will you arrange for the building permit and other statutory permits?
• Are you willing to work with my designer?
• Will you directly supervise the construction of my home? If not, may I meet the project manager who will be at my new home on a daily basis?
• How do you qualify the competency of the subcontractors who will work on my project?
• In the event that there are necessary changes to the original quote, what process do you use to communicate those changes?
• How do you service your warranty once the construction is complete?
Red Flags
• No written contract is provided or the contract is poorly written
• A final estimate is never provided
• The quote is significantly lower than other bids and seems too good to be true
• The builder’s work history is unclear
• A large initial down payment is required prior to commencement of work
• High-pressure sales tactics are used
• The builder is unwilling to provide evidence of certificates of Insurance for General Li-
ability or Workers’ Compensation
• The builder offers a lump sum or very general estimate lacking detail
• Several unresolved claims from the Contractor’s Board exist
• The builder says your home will be used for marketing purposes so you will be given a special low rate
• Despite repeated requests, no references are supplied, or they can’t be verified
Homebuilders in North Texas
We drew this list from many sources, including the Greater Fort Worth Builders Association’s directory of members, the Certified Master Builder Corp. directory, recommendations by friends and associates, personal experience and Fort Worth, Texas magazine archives.
The companies listed below have all been checked against the database of the Business Bureau of Fort Worth & Tarrant County Inc., which serves Tarrant, Johnson, Hood, Somervell, Wise, Parker, Erath, and Palo Pinto counties. BBB accreditation was not required for listing.
Inclusion on this list does not imply that Fort Worth, Texas magazine assumes any liability, but it does provide one more source of information for you to consider when you are making decisions about housing.
AG Builders
Fort Worth, 817.207.8988 agbuilderscustomhomes.com
Atwood Custom Homes Southlake, 817.505.8881 atwoodcustomhome.com
Avery Homes LLC Grapevine, 214.212.0558 averyhomesdfw.com
Bannister & Co. Fort Worth, 817.569.9224 bannistercustomhomes.com
Better Built Contractors Inc. Coppell, 972.245.0193 betterbuiltcontractors.com
Bettis Construction Inc. Fort Worth, 817.732.7528 bettisconstruction.com
HGC Residential used a palette of white and grey in the bathroom of this Westover Lane home.
A kitchen with a light color palette from John Askew Homes.
Blake Freeman Construction, LLC
Godley, 817.389.2584 blakefreemanconstruction.com
Boyd Builders Inc. Mansfield, 817.703.4592 boydbuildersinc.com
Braswell Homes Inc. Fort Worth, 817.453.2465 thebraswellcompany.com
Calais Custom Homes Southlake, 817.481.6426 calaiscustomhomes.com
Cameron Classic Homes Inc.
North Richland Hills, 817.291.4460 cameronclassichomes.com
Castor Vintage Homes Fort Worth, 817.231.5177
Chris Thomas Custom Homes Granbury, 817.776.8202 christhomashomes.com
Clarity Homes Fort Worth, 817.569.9224 clarityhomes.com
Clear Creek Home Improvements Saginaw, 817.683.4319 cchomeimprovements.com
Couto Homes Granbury, 817.579.6600 coutohomes.com
Crescent Estates Custom Homes Carrollton, 469.892.7200 crescentestates.com
D.R. Moss Quality Custom Homes Haslet, 817.439.3032 drmosshomes.com
Dan Thomas Homes, Inc. Fort Worth, 817.294.3834 danthomashomes.com
David Adams Custom Homes Inc.
Aledo, 817.441.9333 davidadamsch.com
David Lewis Builder Inc. Fort Worth, 817.735.1122 davidlewisbuilder.com
Designs for Living Fort Worth, 817.731.3770 designsforliving.com
Diamond R Homes Inc. Southlake, 817.632.8082 diamondrhomes.com
Don Bybee Construction Inc.
Richland Hills, 817.589.9200 donbybee.sharepoint.com
Dunlap Construction Co. Richland Hills, 817.284.5111 dunlapconstruction.com
Ferrier Custom Homes Fort Worth, 817.237.6262 ferriercustomhomes.com
Fred Parker Company Inc. Fort Worth, 817.921.0223 fparker.com
Tambert Homes Burleson, 817.426.2099 tamberthomes.com
Tracy Tomlin Inc. Aledo, 817.596.4000 tracytomlin.com
Trinity Custom Homes Fort Worth, 817.268.1110 trinitycustomhomes.com
V Fine Homes Fort Worth, 817.732.2990 vfinehomes.com
Vector Builders Fort Worth, 817.294.1460 vectorbuilders.com
Venetian Homes Southlake, 817.768.2333 venetiancustomhomes.net
Veranda Designer Homes Southlake, 214.202.2775 verandadesignerhomes.com
Village Homes Fort Worth, 817.737.3377 homesofcharacter.com
Waterford Classic Homes Keller, 817.296.6004 waterfordclassichomes.com
Will Steed Homes Granbury, 817.894.7650 willsteedhomes.com
Windmiller Homes Burleson, 817.723.1517 windmillerhomes.com
Open-concept floor
popular building trend. Photo: John Askew Builders
The Water Lawyer
As a Tarleton political science major, Scott Summy credits the phenomenal faculty who provided individual attention, instilled confidence, and fully prepared him for the rigors of law school and his career.
As an attorney, Summy has earned a national reputation as “The Water Lawyer” at one of the largest and oldest firms in the United States specializing in environmental litigation. In his career, Summy has received many accolades:
Leader.
Best Lawyers in America (Woodward White, Inc, 2006-2015)
Texas Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters, 2003-2013)
Finalist – Public Justice Trial Lawyer of the Year (2009 and 2013)
Best Lawyers in Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex (D Magazine, 2003)
DA Lamont Public Adjusters, LLC
Hauling Grass
Home of Dreams builders, set back by rain, work to finish everything from the stone stairwell to the exterior landscaping.
| by Scott Nishimura |
This being Texas, we don’t like to complain too much about rain. It has put our inaugural Home of Dreams behind by more than a few weeks, but builders Betty Baker and Mark Johnson are promising a $2.4 million Transitional French showpiece.
Crews are hard at work on the 7,169-square-foot, five-bedroom, two-story home at 1925 Cielo Court off of North Pearson Lane in Keller. Bob Johns’ The Kitchen Source, a longtime partner of the magazine on our annual Dream Home and, now, Home of Dreams project, is working on the cabinetry in the grand kitchen. Masons are installing a stone rotunda staircase that leads from the home’s entry to the sprawling second floor.
Baker and Johnson have been picking the finishes. The Jarrell Co., another Dream Home partner, is providing the premium faucets,
sinks, toilets, showerheads and tubs.
“In the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, transitional style reigns supreme,” Candice Countryman of Jarrell, says. “The blend of modern and traditional elements appeals to trendy Texans while staying true to their roots.”
Outside, transitional even works into the landscape plan, where Dale Jackson of Blooms Landcare has been working with the builders to create what he calls a “collaborative outdoor design that fits the French Transitional style of the home.”
Blooms’ plan focuses on highly efficient irrigation practices and sustainable landscape solutions, Jackson said. “The installation of the garden areas and turf focuses on maximizing the beautiful lot for family enjoyment.”
Blooms is emphasizing potted plants around the backyard pool – built into a hillside – and patios. “When looking out into the vast landscape, the wood arbor frames the view well and complements the pool well,” he says.
The landscape plantings are low-maintenance and easy to care for throughout the year, Jackson said. “We chose large-scaled plantings to complement the grand scale of the home and curb appeal. Most of the plant design is comprised of evergreen shrubs that provide nice textures and contrast, with abundant color in small pockets. We chose to install Bermuda turf for the main lawn areas due to this specific turf’s ability to resist disease, fungal infections, low water needs, and growth pattern.”
In planning the irrigation system, Blooms took special care to develop the zones and head spacing in relation to exposure to sun and shade, Jackson said. Blooms is using high-efficiency, precision nozzles to reduce overspray and save on water consumption, he said.
And “commercial grade drip irrigation is installed in all garden areas to conserve water and apply moisture directly to the root zones of the plants,” he said.
The home, on a .89-acre lot in the 10-lot luxury residential community being developed and built by Baker and Johnson and their Veranda Designer Homes, was designed by Jamie Lynn Architectural Design of Ponder. Baker and Johnson are marketing the home through Dona Robinson Associates of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty for $2.39 million.
This is the magazine’s first Home of Dreams. As we do in our annual Dream Home series, Home of Dreams each year will chronicle the design, construction, and furnishing of a luxury home in the magazine’s readership area. Baker and Johnson are building the home on spec, working with a team of esteemed vendors who are building everything from the foundation to the finishes.
A Wish With Wings will benefit from the sale of tickets sold to tour the Home of Dreams this summer. Rescheduled because of the rain delays, check fwtx.com/homeofdreams for tour dates.
VENDOR LIST
BUILDER: Veranda Designer Homes
HVAC: J&S Air
AUDIO/VIDEO/CAT5: DB Media Solutions
PLUMBING FIXTURES: The Jarrell Co.
APPLIANCES: Expressions Home Gallery, Morrison
POOL: J. Caldwell Custom Pools
CABINETS, KITCHEN: The Kitchen Source
CABINETS, HOUSE: Executive Millwork
DRYWALL: Partin Drywall
GARAGE DOORS: Overhead Door
RETRACTABLE SCREENS: Southwest Shade Solutions
LIGHTING: Ferguson Enterprises
TILE MATERIAL: Arizona Tile
COUNTERTOPS MATERIAL: KLZ Stone
GRANITE FABRICATION: Absolute Stone
HARDWARE: Doors, cabinets, bath : The Jarrell Co.
MIRRORS: Designer Glass Specialties
SHOWER DOORS: Designer Glass Specialties
GUTTERS: Loveless Gutters
IRRIGATION: Blooms Landcare
PLANTS, SOD, INSTALLATION: Blooms Landcare
FENCE AND GATE: Gladiator Fence
HARDWOOD FLOORS AND CARPET: Vintage Floors
POOL TABLE AND GAME TABLE: Fort Worth Billiards
REAL ESTATE AGENT: Dona
Robinson Associates, Briggs Freeman Sotheby ’s International Realty, Southlake
FOUNDATION: Blythe Concrete
FIREPLACE: Earthcore/Isokern
LUMBER/TRUSSES: BMC
ROOFING: Ramon Roofing
EXTERIOR DOORS: OmniView Window & Door
WOOD WINDOWS: OmniView Window & Door
ELECTRICAL: Moore Electric
The truth about Pavers.
Today homeowners have a vast amount of choices when it comes to patio products, walkway materials, and types of pool decking. It can be an overwhelming process to research various materials, installation techniques, costs, and value comparisons. It is important to lean on the guidance of professionals in the industry and feel comfortable with the products you choose.
The most typical form of atwork is concrete due to its upfront affordability and simply not knowing your options. However the long-term costs of repair and replacement and lack of elegance or style does not have the ability to add value to your home. We have all too often seen the cracked driveway and walkway, or fell on the slippery concrete decking.
Due to their versatility, aesthetic and Lifetime Product Guarantee, pavers are quickly becoming the preferred hardscape solution among homeowners.
Pavers have a variety of patterns and colors that enable each home to have personal style and touch of character to add to the homes curb appeal. With the driveway and front approach walkway typically the rst thing guests see when arriving at your home, Pavers add elegance that concrete simply cannot. Pavers are designed and installed to last a lifetime when professionally installed and add beauty to any area of your home. It has been recorded through various sources that patio additions with pavers yield a higher return on investment than concrete slabs.
products is to work with a qualified professional with proper certification and education.
How are pavers installed at my home?
After excavation, paver installation occurs on a 4” inch bed of compacted crushed stone to stabilize the base which prevents the movement of the clay soils in our area. They are then laid on a level bed of sand to provide consistent height and proper slope for drainage. After installation, polymeric sand is vibrated into the interlocking joints to provide additional stability and prevent weed growth and ant colonization.
I am ready to move forward, how do I design my new paver area?
Pavers are a versatile product with many different colors and textures to choose that allow them to be a great accent to any home and add style and elegance to your outdoor living space. The best approach when choosing paver
How durable are pavers?
Pavers will last a lifetime when properly installed by a professional installer. Most manufactures guarantee their paving products for life. All Blooms Landcare installations come with 5 year workmanship warranty that you cannot get with concrete.
What if I need my pavers repaired or another patio added?
Another great aspect of pavers is the ability to remove and re-install the product quickly and easily. This is important if you need to install irrigation or utilities under existing walkways and patios. Also because paver products are manmade and produced in a high quality facility we can add on and match any previously installed patio, walkway, or driveway when needed which cannot be done with concrete.
Blooms Landcare continues to provide fine landscape services to Fort Worth residential and commercial clientele. Our reputation has proven our ability to design, develop, manage, and enhance landscapes in our area.
CHEFS WORTH KNOWING
They are there preparing celebratory dishes for some of life’s more memorable moments. They have a broad knowledge of the basics and an ability to cook in several different styles and cuisines. On the following pages are some of the area’s brightest, most renowned chefs, and they want to tell you why you should dine with them.
The information in this section is provided by the advertisers and has not been independently verified by Fort Worth, Texas magazine.
port folio
Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine Waters, Bonnell’s Coastal Cuisine
Jon Bonnell
SPECIALTY DISH: If it’s from Texas and it’s upscale, seasonal, interesting or just something I like, then it’s my specialty. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Bachelor’s degree, Vanderbilt University; associate’s degree in culinary arts, New England Culinary Institute. AWARDS/HONORS: Wilkie Service Award for community service; Rising Star of American Cuisine by the James Beard Foundation; cooked at the James Beard House on three separate occasions; two-time Ironman Triathlon 140.6 Finisher; three-time published cookbook author; Mary Branch Humanitarian Award; earned a score of 29 out of 30 in Zagat review (highest in the state); 13 Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence; multiple national television appearances; Distinguished Alumni Award and Humanitarian Alumni Award from FWCD; Texas Restaurant As sociation Outstanding Restaurateur of the Year; Rotary Club of Fort Worth Humanitarian Award; March of Dime’s Van Westen Volunteer Service Award; recipient of “World’s Best Dad” coffee mug. AFFILIATIONS: Celebrity Chef
for Amon G. Carter Stadium; instructor for TCU Extended Education Department; guest lecturer at TCU’s Neeley School of Business; guest lecturer at TCC; board member of too many local charitable organizations to list. UNIQUE COOKING STYLE: I like to bring together flavors from the Southwest, Tex-Mex, and Louisiana, with a solid backbone of true Texas taste to tie them all together.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine
Waters | Bonnell’s Coastal Cuisine
Enchiladas Olé
SPECIALTY DISH: I believe our Enmolada Enchiladas are rare and a specialty. Although Malcolm Mayhew, food critic, would possibly say the Sweet Potato Enchiladas are our new specialty plate. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Associate Degree in Business Administration; Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing, In Progress. AWARDS/HONORS: Named one of Fort Worth’s Top Female Chefs; numerous awards including the “Stars” award during my career at Fort Worth Boys and Girls Clubs. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: “Sticking it out” in a very tough neighborhood for a restaurant. HOPE FOR THE FUTURE OF CUISINE: I would hope to see more cultural dishes from Europe. Fort Worth is a foodie city; however, it’s still very limited in cuisine. I am hoping to travel to Spain, my mother’s hometown, and bring back some wonderful recipes for Enchiladas Olé.
INNOVATIONS: Our regular customers know we cook on the spot, so if they ask us for a certain dish, and if they’re willing to wait, we will make it – sort of a “Secret Menu” as Doug Renfro refers to it. Cancer patients/survivors eat free on Wednesdays or Thursdays to honor my mother who lost her battle with cancer in 2004. UNIQUE COOKING STYLE: We cook everything in small pans; rice is made as needed. Sometimes we run out, but our customers appreciate the freshness. PICTURED: Mary Perez.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
682.553.1700
enchiladasole.com mary@enchiladasole.com
Gaylord Texan Resort
SPECIALTY DISH: With so many award-winning restaurants to choose from, there are countless specialty dishes to enjoy when dining at Gaylord Texan Resort. From the Pappardelle Pasta with Maine Lobster and Rock Shrimp in Zeppole Coastal Italian or Pan-Seared Striped Bass in Riverwalk Cantina, to the Texas Bone-In Filet in Old Hickory Steakhouse or Pulled Pork Sandwich in Texan Station Sports Bar, we are sure to please every palate! GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: We are extremely proud of the many awards and accolades of each of our restaurants and executive chefs – not only externally in the industry, but also within the Marriott family of hotels and resorts as well. INNOVATIONS: We make many of our items in-house so they are fresh right out of the kitchen. We house-smoke meats, bake our own breads, make our own pasta, and even create our own pastries, just to name a few. UNIQUE
COOKING STYLE: Our restaurants focus on using fresh, local and organic ingredients to create farm-to-market seasonal specialties. Items are made fresh daily and served with the highest standards. PICTURED: (left to right) Art Surman, Executive Pastry Chef; Brian Stalters, Executive Banquets Chef; Mark Beaupre, Director of Food & Beverage; Juan Martinez, Executive Resort Chef; Gonzague Muchery, Director of Restaurants; Chef Zeb Hartline, Executive Chef of Riverwalk Cantina; LaMara Davidson, Executive Chef of Texan Station Sports Bar and Grill.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
GaylordTexan.com
Invite Events & Culinary
Chef V, Partner/Executive Chef
SPECIALTY DISH: It is not the theme, it is not the technique — it is the composition of the overall meal. It’s how the dish comes together that truly makes it a specialty. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION: LeCordon Bleu Culinary Arts – Dallas. CULINARY FOUNDATION: Priceless years cooking with my mother. She taught my sister and me how to cook with passion and love. She taught us how to build robust flavors with simple ingredients. I was taught at an early age family recipes and rich traditions to pass down to my children. Who knew I would someday cook for the masses! AWARDS/HONORS: LeCordon Bleu Culinary Arts – cum laude. AFFILIATIONS: Texas Chef Association, CEC APSCU – Hill Day Congressional Meetings attendee and alum spokesperson, Bridging Culinary Awareness. GREATEST
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Graduating from culinary school. As an adult student, changing careers mid-lifecycle was very challenging, but the rewards are endless. HOPE FOR THE FUTURE OF CUISINE: Health-focused without compromising flavor; teaching people how to achieve big, bold flavor at home while keeping their meals healthy; creating healthy eating by creating desirable and craveable food.
CONTACT INFORMATION: 817.975.8033
chefv@beginwithinvite.com beginwithinvite.com
portfolio Chefs Worth Knowing
SPECIALTY: As sushi chef, I begin with daily fresh fish from our Dallas fish market. Some of our popular dishes are sashimi, Bob Salad, and our Mountain roll. We also do many party platters for take-out to enjoy at home. TRAINING: I began my sushi career working in a Japanese restaurant in California. In 1997, I moved my family to Fort Worth and began working at the Japanese Palace. It was the first Japanese and sushi restaurant in Fort Worth. For the last 20 years, I would call Japanese Palace my second home. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: My knife. INNOVATIONS: I am always expanding and learning new skills to please our guests. Many times our guests come to the sushi bar and say, “Bob-san, omakase,” which means “I leave it to you, Bob.”
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Erin Miller
Texas Bleu Steakhouse and Cellar
SPECIALTY DISH: I have a “Made From Scratch” kitchen. As a fourth generation chef, I make everything from my own recipes and with my two hands. It is very important that the food remains pure, and I obsess over taste. My specialty dish is steak. My dad, a chef, taught me how to make the best steak. My signature steak sauce is his recipe from the 1960s. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Certified Professional Chef with an Honors Degree in Culinary from Le Cordon Bleu Dallas. AWARDS/HONORS: Nominated Top 15 Best New Restaurants, Fort Worth, Texas magazine. AFFILIATIONS: Texas Chefs Association; Wine Geese Society of Ireland. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Getting my main investors/partners, Cary Moon and David DeWald, to invest in building Texas Bleu. They believe in me and my vision for good food. HOPE FOR THE FUTURE OF CUISINE: Tradition wins every time.
Timeless cuisine will stand the test of time. I do not like gimmicky food. The Shrimp Cocktail and Le Cordon Bleu Chicken on the menu are recipes from my grandmother, who was an Executive Chef at The Shamrock Hotel in Houston. INNOVATIONS: My Bacon and Bleu Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms are rivaled as the best appetizer around. UNIQUE COOKING STYLE: I use kosher salt and cracked pepper for all seasoning of our steaks. I do not use anything else. The flavor is amazing.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
texasbleu.com erin@texasbleu.com
Steve Mitchell
The Grille at The Harbor
SPECIALTY DISH: Lobster Fra Diablo Stuffed with Blue Crab & Diablo Chardonnay Bur Blanc, Homemade Angel Hair Pasta with Fresh Basil & Roma Tomatoes. AWARDS/HONORS: 2014 Fort Worth, Texas magazine “Best Of Chef” and “Best Place Worth the Drive,” 2013 Big Brothers & Sisters “People’s Choice Award,” 2014 Taste of Graham “People’s Choice,” 2013 Taste of Graham “Best Presentation and People’s Choice,” 2012 Taste of Graham “Judges’ Choice,” 2012 Indulge Magazine “Food with a View,” 2010 Channel 33 News with Candice Romo “Up All Night,” Yucatan Taco Stand Best New Restaurant. AFFILIATIONS: Barrett Havran Memorial, Big Brothers Big Sisters, 65 Roses Wine & Food Extravaganza, Texas Chefs Association, March of Dimes, A Wish With Wings, and Can Academy. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Publishing recipes in Texas Backroad Res-
taurant Magazine, being an integral part of introducing the first taco shop phenomenon and other notable restaurants in Fort Worth, being nominated Top Chef in Fort Worth, training others about the passion of cooking and being a part of any event that helps children or women of domestic abuse. UNIQUE COOKING STYLE: Some of my best meals come through when I don’t think about what to serve. Walk in, view what I have, crank up the music and have fun, then enjoy the end process.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Boutique guest rooms in the heart of downtown Fort Worth
Catering to Fort Worth Club members, tenants, outside corporate groups, wedding parties, or individuals simply looking for convenient overnight accommodations in beautiful downtown Fort Worth, the Inn at the Club serves as a “home away from home” for guests from around the world.
Guests receive complimentary breakfast in the Grille with each overnight stay, Monday through Saturday, and a continental breakfast on Sunday.
Hunting Alzheimer’s
North Texas Alzheimer’s Association grants $500,000 to a Houston researcher studying links between Alzheimer’s and traumatic brain injury.
| by Scott Nishimura |
THE ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION - NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
CHAPTER has awarded a $500,000 grant to a Houston researcher who’s looking into correlation between traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer’s.
The grant, one of five investigator grants made to various organizations by the North Central Texas Chapter, was awarded to Ines Moreno-Gonzalez. The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston researcher has been studying the potential for people to develop Alzheimer’s after brain trauma, such as concussions. Moreno-Gonzalez and her colleagues will use an imaging technique to visualize brains that have experienced acute to mild traumatic injury.
“When people think of ‘traumatic,’ they think of something severe, like a bad car wreck and losing consciousness,” MorenoGonzalez said in a statement. But traumatic brain injury “does not always mean you lose consciousness.”
Sufferers of traumatic brain injury can
include athletes, people involved in vehicle accidents or falls, victims of violence, and individuals exposed to blasts, such as war veterans.
Sonny Singh, board chair of directors for the Alzheimer’s association and dean of the graduate school of biomedical sciences for the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, announced the grant at the North Central Texas Chapter’s recent 15th annual Memory Gala.
“These are the investigators that I’m passionate about,” Singh said. “I want these young researchers to stay in the pipeline after I retire, because I want to make sure someone else continues the fight.”
The other four investigator grants went to Karen Rodrigue, University of Texas at Dallas; Wen Hu, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities; Laura Beth McIntire, Columbia University Medical Center; and Sandra Almeida, University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Music to the Cheers
TCU’s College of Fine Arts looks to biennial fall gala to raise money for programs
| by Scott Nishimura |
TCU’S COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS WILL SHOW OFF ITS STUFF AGAIN DURING THIS FALL’S BIENNIAL GALA, DUBBED “JOY TO THE FROGS” and featuring performances by the university’s Frog Corps, Trombone Choir, and Women’s Choir.
Money from the event, 6:30 p.m., Nov. 30, at the Brown-Lupton University Union, will go to support the College of Fine Arts mission: providing superior art education, nurturing leadership, fostering creative discovery and research, and contributing to cultural enrichment. This year’s fundraising goal from the gala: $350,000.
“These funds allow us to be responsive,” Anne Helmreich, the College of Fine Arts dean, says. For one, the College helps defray theater students’ travel expenses when they receive callbacks for auditions. Students travel to other countries, representing TCU, and the gala funds help pay for travel. “These gala funds are really about giving the students the opportunity to showcase their
Ines Moreno-Gonzalez, Alzheimer’s researcher for the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, says a new research gift will allow her to continue studying the risk of developing Alzheimer’s after brain trauma, such as concussions Photo: Alzheimer's Association
TCU's Frog Corps Choir will perform during the TCU College of Fine Arts' Joy to the Frogs major fundraiser Photo courtesy of TCU
Coco Spunky
Mary Margaret Davis Real Estate Broker ~ Community/Animal Supporter
talents,” Helmreich said.
The College of Fine Arts’ academic rankings have shot up in the last 10 years, and faculty recruit nationally for students. The College puts on about 300 events locally each year. It’s constantly on the lookout for scholarships it can provide students and opportunities to provide internships.
“Many of our programs require an internship; we’re constantly trying to give them the equivalent of an internship,” Helmreich said. And, most importantly, “the data shows students have substantially greater chance of success if they have (at least) two internships.”
Said Carol Dunaway, the gala chair: “It’s a community connection that TCU has strongly developed.” The College of Fine Arts, which launched the gala in 2002, has rotated focus on various programs during the event, with this year focusing on music.
The College has schools of Art, Classical & Contemporary Dance, and Music, and departments of Graphic Design, Interior Design & Fashion Merchandising, and Theatre.
Contributors to the program include the major Fort Worth fine arts organizations. Miguel Harth-Bedoya, music director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, teaches a class on music direction in the College of Fine Arts. The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition is among the contributors to the gala, which features silent and live auctions.
The College of Fine Arts prides itself on what Helmreich says is its position between conservatory and liberal arts institution.
“We have the quality of a conservatory, but we’re a liberal arts institution,” she said. The College nurtures critical thinking skills and the students’ passions, whether they’re on a professional track or not, Helmreich said. “If they choose (to pursue a career) through the arts, we’re thrilled,” she said. “And if they choose to be an engaged audience member, we’re thrilled too.”
Big Taste, Big Money, Big Cause
Annual Big Taste of Fort Worth raises $233,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
| by Scott Nishimura |
THE DISHES ARE CLEAN ON THE 2016 BARRETT HAVRAN MEMORIAL BIG TASTE OF FORT WORTH, benefitting Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the May event raised $233,000.
The 37-year-old event has grown significantly in the last four years, after it was named for the late Barrett Havran, a Tarrant County board member and mentor, said Ashley Walker, director of signature events-DFW for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
The event, which brings together top chefs, entertainment, auction, and other sponsors for a top-billed food and wine-tasting party, helps provide children with adult mentors and benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters programs like Barrett Martin Havran Little Steps Big Futures. It provides children with tools and academic guidance designed to help them stay in school, graduate and prepare for college, military or the workforce.
For the second straight year, the Miles Foundation kicked in an additional $25,000 after at least 34 tables were sold. Celebrity judges included Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. owners Erin and Fritz Rahr, TCU and National Football League great LaDainian Tomlinson, and Jennifer Trevino, chair of the Hispanic Women’s Network Texas in Fort Worth.
Thirty-nine restaurants and wineries participated in this year’s event. The event’s winners:
Sauvignon from Serendipity Imports BEST WINE OF BIG TASTE FINALISTS Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Robert Mondavi Winery, Sullivan Coeur de Vigne Bordeaux Blend from Monopole Wines
2016 Big Taste of Fort Worth Celebrity Judges: (left to right) Jennifer Trevino, LaDainian Tomlinson, Gloria Starling (event chair), Mayor Betsy Price, emcee Chad Prather, Fritz Rahr, and Erin Rahr Photo: Big Taste of Fort Worth
according toheywood
The Throne at Home
| by Heywood | illustration by Charles Marsh |
AS MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE, THE LAST COUPLE OF MAGAZINE ISSUES HAVE FOCUSED ON THE “HOME OF DREAMS.”
Now, I would love to be able to own something like that, but because the oil business ain't been that great, that home doesn't look like it's in my future. As a matter of fact, I just took out a second mortgage on the place I live just to pay off some bills and fix my car. And that really upset my landlord.
But I still enjoy walking through a new home and seeing the latest innovations and technology. And reputable new homebuilders are shifting their floor plans to accommodate public demands. They will then concentrate on the most popular areas of the house to make them more appealing to buyers. A recent article I read about the housing industry listed the 15 most popular rooms in a home. The first one is the kitchen, unless your in-laws happen to be in there. But the second one might surprise you. It's the bathroom. Of course, bathrooms have been getting a bunch of publicity lately, but not for that reason. As I understand it, some people want you to be able to use the bathroom that you identify with. I don't know if I like that idea. I'd always
have to use the one that was broken. So how did the bathroom gradually move ahead of all the other rooms in stature? Well, it was a long time coming. Although there was an actual public toilet system as early as 1500 B.C. in Asia, private bathrooms didn't take off that quickly and for good reason. That's because before they invented stairs, people sat around for hundreds of years and wondered how to get up to the second floor, which just happened to be where the bathroom was located. In fact, our modern concept of privacy when using the toilet is relatively new. Back in the Roman Empire, almost all aspects of life were commonly shared in the community multi-seat bathrooms, where people sat side by side on benches. Bonds and friendships were developed as well as the sharing of ideas on complex social issues. These discussions could be long or very brief, depending on whether someone had polished off some bad fish the night before. By the late 1700s, community bathrooms were slowly disappearing, but most of the activities we take care of in the bathroom today were being performed in
the bedroom. Washbasins and makeup tables were very common in a corner of the bedroom. The development of indoor plumbing finally came along in the 1800s, but by the time the Civil War was over, only about 5 percent of American homes had running water. Baths consisted of occasional dips in some pond or stream. Although Benjamin Franklin imported the first bathtub to America, tub bathing didn't really take off until the 1890s. Just a few years before, a town like Tucson, Arizona, had a population of 3,000, a newspaper, a bunch of saloons and one bathtub. True story.
So who gets credit for the sudden explosion of the popularity of today's bathrooms? Women. Throughout the last 60 years, it has become a source of pride for them. It has become the No. 1 place in the home to relax, escape when they’re mad, and most importantly, take selfies. And they all want their own. That's why more than half of the homes constructed these days have three or more bathrooms. And check out the amenities that some bathrooms now offer. Light sensors, multiple shower heads with programmable temperatures, streaming music, flat screen televisions, steam-free mirrors and refrigerated medicine cabinets. Small wonder why not many are big fans of public restrooms. These days hygiene is everything. That's why many of them don't like road trips. According to some women I know, they live in fear of the day they become physically unable to hover over a gas station toilet.
Yep, the bathroom has become a very important room. And as I've gotten older, I notice that I spend a lot more time in there. Mainly looking for the remote.
The FW Inc.
ENTREPRENEUR OF EXCELLENCE AWARDS
What Is It and Why Is It a Big Deal?
FW Inc. magazine has created Greater Fort Worth’s first and only Entrepreneur of Excellence (EOE) awards competition to showcase and honor the contributions of 30 exceptional entrepreneurs in the area. Nominees in 10 categories will compete for 10 top EOE Awards.
This program will evaluate each entrepreneur’s financial performance, integrity, growth, risk, leadership, strategic direction, innovation, company values, key employee initiatives and community involvement. The FW Inc. EOE awards will identify high-
APPLICATION PERIOD May 15 – September 1
growth, privately owned companies that will benefit from the award’s recognition and future business services provided by our sponsor partners. Three finalists from each category will be featured in a future issue of FW Inc.
Anyone can nominate an exceptional entrepreneur – you can even nominate yourself. All applications must be received no later than Sept. 1 to be eligible. For more details on the award and to nominate an outstanding entrepreneur today, go to fwtx.com/fwinc/eoe.
AWARDS BANQUET JANUARY 12, 2017
HOME BUILDERS WORTH KNOWING
There are many decisions to be made when building a home. With so many options, the task can seem daunting. The key to success lies in selecting a builder who understands your concerns and can help you achieve your goal. To assist you with this decision, the builders on the following pages offer information about themselves, how they approach their profession and what they can do to make your house a home.
The information in this section is provided by the advertisers and has not been independently verified by Fort Worth, Texas magazine.
Ashwood Homes
Dustin Andrews
SPECIALTY: Custom Homes and Large Renovations. MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: Fort Worth Builders Association, Carroll Dragon Sponsor, North Texas Food Bank, Heart of Autism, American Cancer Society. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Starting this company from the ground up and maintaining a great staff to make it all possible. BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY: We pride ourselves on being flexible, innovative and, most of all, having great customer service. FREE ADVICE: Enjoy the process of creating your dream home or renovation. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILD-
ING/REMODELING A HOME: That there will not be any delays or issues along the way. It’s a process, and we work together to exceed our customers’ expectations.
SPECIALTY: Our specialty is the amount of personal attention each customer receives from our team of specialized professionals. Starting from home site selection, through completion of construction, our unique and organized approach of assisting our customers through the entire process is what makes building a home with John Askew Company such a great experience. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Voted Best Builder by Fort Worth, Texas magazine readers in 2015 and by Star-Telegram readers in 2013. Awarded First Place in 9 of 13 categories in the Fort Worth Kaleidoscope of Homes Competition including Best of Show, People’s Choice, Realtor’s Choice and Best Craftsmanship. GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: Assembling the finest team of professionals to provide outstanding quality and service. The majority of our customers have come as a result of direct referrals from previous customers, friends and Realtors. BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY: “Honor God.
Build high-quality homes with honesty and integrity. Establish a customer referral network of highly satisfied homebuyers who will recommend us without reservation.” FREE ADVICE: Homebuyers should choose their builder before engaging a plan design firm or architect. Our comprehensive design build approach provides a clear path from their vision to their dream home. CHARITABLE WORK: I Am Second, E3 Partners, Beautiful Feet Ministries, Fellowship of the Sword, March of Dimes, Young Life, Race for the Cure, Aledo Advocats and Gracefully Strong. PICTURED: John and Linda Askew.
CONTACT INFORMATION: johnaskewhomes.com
portfolio Building Professionals Worth Knowing
Sean Knight Custom Homes
SPECIALTY: Custom Home Building and Remodeling. AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS: Awards for Kaleidoscope of Homes in 2000 and 2008, and Spring Tour of Homes, including the Spring Tour Grand Award in 2010. MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: Certi-
fied Master Builder, Fort Worth Builders Association, Better Business Bureau. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: The number of extremely satisfied customers we have obtained through the years and the relationships that we have built with those customers. BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY: We provide excellent service and superior craftsmanship, along with honesty and integrity. ADVICE: Take time to evaluate several builders so that you find someone who is right for you. You will be dealing with your builder for a period of several months. Find a builder who you feel can transform your ideas into reality. BIGGEST BUILDING MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE: Select-
ing the wrong builder. You should look for a builder who has been in business for a number of years and has an established reputation. You need to know that your builder will be around to not only finish your construction, but also to handle any issues that may arise later.
CHARITABLE WORK: Sean is on the board of the Sportmen’s Club of Fort Worth, an organization that devotes its resources to outdoor and wildlife charitable and educational activities with an emphasis on serving area youth and youth organizations. PICTURED: Sean Knight.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
sknight@flash.net seanknightcustomhomes.com
Building Professionals Worth Knowing portfolio
Veranda Designer Homes, LTD
SPECIALTY: Luxury custom home building with industry-leading HERS Ratings (a rating of the efficiency of the home). AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS: 2015 ARC Awards: Best Kitchen over $1.5 Million, Best Master Suite over $1.5 Million; D Home “Dallas Best Builders” list, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015; 2012 ARC Awards: Best Landscape over $1.5 Million, Best Kitchen over $1.5 Million, Best Master Suite over $1.5 Million, Best Dining Room over $1.5 Million; built Habitat for Humanity house, McKinney, Texas, 2012; 2010 ARC Award for “Best Study” over $1.5 Million; published in “Beautiful Bedrooms & Baths of Texas” by Signature Publishing Group 2010; Fort Worth Home Builders Association: 2009 Best New Home, Runner-up $1.8 to $2 Million, 2008 Best New Home, Runner-up $1.8 to $2 Million. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Integrity and an ethical foundation are our proudest achievements. BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY:
Our mission is to be one of the most distinctive luxury custom builders in the D/FW Metroplex. We will continually reach for designs that are innovative and forward-thinking, meeting the needs and desires of the homeowner, using superior construction methods, cutting-edge energyefficient systems and technology to create a high-performance home.
PICTURED: (front, left to right) Mark Leeds Johnson, Partner; Betty Baker, President; (back, right to left) Mike Kerr, Senior Project Manager; Teresa Parsley, Business Office Manager; Pedro Olague, Construction Detailing; Andrea Lambert, Interior Designer.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Child Study Center
The 14th annual “Party on the Patio” was held at Joe T. Garcia’s on Tuesday, May 10. More than 250 guests dined on Joe T.’s famous Tex-Mex fare and spent the night “partying with a purpose” while raising funds for children with complex developmental disabilities.
MULTICULTURAL ALLIANCE
The Multicultural Alliance celebrated its 65th annual MCA Awards Dinner Tuesday, April 19, at the Fort Worth Club. The evening honored Marvin Blum, Arnie Bachman, and Marcia Kurtz for living the mission of building inclusive communities. Photographer Bruce Maxwell
Joe Morrin, Joyce Mauk, Dana Morrin
Felice & Marvin Girouard
Carol Hitt, Lee Hitt, Gary Martin
Kim Dyer, Judy McNamara, Debi Hicks, Monique Decker, Simi Radcliffe, Tami Duncan
Anne Miller-Tinsley, William Clark, Gracey Tune
Jon Suder, Jason Suder
Seth Fowler, Teri Queen, Melanie Fowler
Becky Neander, Steve Phillips, Beth Phillips, Jim McCoy, Elizabeth McCoy
Does Someone You Love Need Hospice?
Dad wasn’t doing well. His doctor suggested VITAS Healthcare. We resisted—wasn’t it too soon for hospice? But VITAS came to the house, got to know Dad, and we all talked about what was important to us.
Finally, Dad’s comfortable. We all are. Dad is smiling; he has more energy. And VITAS is helping us make the most of this gift of time together.
NO INTEREST UNTIL 2019
Getting consistent year-round home comfort you can count on doesn’t happen by accident. Trane systems endure rigorous testing to ensure reliability and long lasting performance for you and your family. Combine that with No Interest if paid in full within 36 Months on qualifying purchases made between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016 and you have an offer that’s too good to let pass and it’s only available through Trane Comfort Specialist dealers!
Ronald’s
Roadhouse
Ronald’s Roadhouse took place Friday, May 6, at the Pavilion at Will Rogers Memorial Center. Sonny Burgess and Jolie Holliday were the opening acts for country music legend Clint Black. The event benefited Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth. Jade and Chad Prather and Michele and Cowboy Bill Martin were the Honorary Chairs.
Girl Scouts Women of Distinction
Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains recognized this year’s Women of Distinction honorees during a celebratory luncheon on Wednesday, May 11, at the Fort Worth Club. This year’s honorees were Sunny Brous, City of Southlake Mayor Laura Hill, Rosalinda Martinez and Joyce Newsom. Photos by Maria Gregorio
Photos by Sharon Ellman
Jessica Key, Joshua Key, Mandy Raetz, Tim Raetz, Mark Nurdin, Jenn Baggs Kamacioglu, Bill McCoy
Don Marable, Cynthia Prince, Allison, Owen & Joseph Turner, Jennifer Johns
Doug O’Banion, Clint Black, Sharon O’Banion
Blake Schooler, Ashley Fierer, Amanda Schooler, John Michael Fierer
Jessica Bonilla, Tanisia Queppet, Rosalinda Martinez, Eva Bonilla, Arturo Martinez
Joyce Newsom and members of the Girl Scout Alumnae Association Fort Worth
Becky Burton, Rosalinda Martinez, Mayor Laura Hill, Karen Sager, Joyce Newsom, Sunny Brous, Deborah Ferguson
bestof2016
Thank you to all our sponsors and vendors for making the 2016 Best Of Party a big success.
Sponsors
Lockheed Martin
BNSF Railway Park Place
Vendors Eclipse Entertainment Rio Mambo
Flight of Eagle Mountain Lake Fixture - Kitchen and Social Lounge Pouring Glory Blue Mesa
Pirahna’s Killer Sushi Bistro Louise Savor
Enchiladas Ole
Texas de Brazil
Mama’s Pizza Nothing Bundt Cakes
95.9 The Ranch
92.1 Hank FM
To see the full list of winners, go to fwtx.com/bestof.
CBS 11 / TXA 21 KERA Rahr & Sons Brewing Company Silver Star Vodka TX Whiskey Spirits by Sedona Little Entertainment Magic Moments
Showtech
Taylor’s Rental Equipment Co.
Teresa’s Serving and Bartending
Rent A Frog Blue Sky Graphics
upclose
A Realistic Optimist
Kelsey Patterson
The Gary Patterson Foundation
| by Gail Bennison | photography by Alex Lepe |
FORT WORTH COMMUNITY LEADER AND HANDS-
ON PHILANTHROPIST KELSEY PATTERSON fights for the underdogs—two-legged and four-legged varieties. As a board member of the Saving Hope Foundation, Patterson educates the public about the importance of spaying and neutering pets, as well as fostering and adopting. Enlisting the help of a sweet pit bull named Georgina she saved from the street, Patterson taught George C. Clarke Elementary students how to care properly for their pets.
As a board member of The Gary Patterson Foundation—her husband, TCU head football Coach Gary Patterson, founded the nonprofit organization in 2002—Kelsey has changed the trajectory and leveled the playing field for economically disadvantaged children.
Clarke Elementary became a key focus after the Foundation’s involvement in SLANT 45 during Super Bowl XLV. Through the Foundation’s initiatives and Kelsey Patterson’s passionate leadership, the school’s passing rate on the state exams has grown from 40 percent to 95 percent. Clarke has been recognized as an exemplary campus – one of only four in Fort Worth Independent School District.
The Foundation implements several programs at Clarke including college scholarships for fifth graders, after-school Scrabble, college field trips, college savings accounts, and books. Patterson’s favorite is Scrabble. “We have 30-40 kids who come to play with us every Tuesday or Wednesday. They learn math skills, strategy, and spelling and have fun learning,” she said.
“So that’s what I do on Tuesday afternoons, but I am up at the school all the time working with David Rush, who is a really great teacher over there.”
David Rush teaches fourth and fifth graders at Clarke. He thinks Kelsey Patterson hung the moon and the stars.
“Kelsey makes sure that all of our students have 50 books in their home by the time they are in third grade,” Rush said. “They are put in a place of prominence in their home on bookshelves created by the child and the parents at Clarke. This is something Kelsey has always worked with and is very passionate about—that all of our third graders are on level in reading.”
College field trips are important because college becomes a goal for the child and parent, Rush said. “Kelsey ensures that all of our students and the families have three college tours before they are
even in middle school. She also helps our students start saving for college starting in Kindergarten.”
More than 100 Clarke students have college savings accounts, which increases the likelihood of graduating from college by 400 percent, Rush said.
“Kelsey is helping our students learn delayed gratification in a way that’s fun,” he said. “She’s helped George C. Clarke to become the only school in America to give college scholarships to fifth graders. She knows that a student is likely to drop out in sixth grade. Kelsey helps us to get college scholarships to 25 percent of our fifth graders.”
Rush said that Patterson is not a “knight on a white horse” coming in and changing things in the school. “She asks, ‘How would this work?’ She has quiet ideas that make us feel like we can say, ‘Kelsey, that is a bad idea.’”
Patterson considers TCU football players as her children—120 of them. “With Gary’s boys, you have to fill the role that the situation allows. You can’t force anything. With some of the players, I’m very close. With others, they have family support, and they don’t need you as much. I want to be there for the ones who need it and want it. Just like being with the elementary kids, there is a special energy. I think that’s why Gary loves what he does.”
“It doesn’t take much work to talk about Kelsey,” Gary Patterson said. “She is well-liked by my football players. You know, a lot of these kids grow up with just moms, so they are used to talking with women. They know that Kelsey has their back, and when these players go on to the NFL, she has made a difference in their lives.”
The most challenging part of being a coach’s wife is also what she loves the most about her husband. “He is so passionate about his work, and I love that,” Patterson said. “But he is gone a lot, being passionate about his work.”
Patterson describes herself as a practical, matter-of-fact woman and realistic optimist. “I like to know the worst-case scenario, but I am an optimist about it,” she explained.
And fortunate, she added.
“I have the really good fortune of not having to go to a ‘job’ every day. “I get to be around kids and help them develop their lives and life skills. What a great job.”
YOUR FOREVER DIDN’T LAST
In my experience, these are five important areas I see people struggle with during a divorce that are crucial to address:
Work through the pain of divorce: Don’t underestimate how painful divorce is. It is deeply personal.
Reconciling business vs emotional side of divorce: When it comes down to the raw details, divorce is purely a division of property, debt and if children are involved- custody and visitation.
Managing emotions and expectations: The emotional roller coaster of divorce can cloud your judgment, people process emotions differently. I can help you manage your emotions and expectations, or they will manage you.
Understanding the legal process: I do not give legal advice; I help clients by explaining the role of the Judge and how the Court system works, prepare them to testify and work with them and their attorney each step of the way.
Parent/Child Issues: Children are deeply affected by divorce; often stuck in the middle and forced to learn how to cope.
I am happy to announce the arrival of my first book, From Mrs to Ms., A Guide to Living Your Life During and After Divorce , available in August. It is based on experiences in my personal life, and in assisting others through the divorce process.
How can a divorce coach help you move forward?
As a divorce coach, I meet amazing people in the midst of one of the worst times of their life. They are embroiled in an emotional mess – trying to untangle life they tethered to another’s, dividing the household they once shared, setting up custody and visitation for the children they raised together, and learning to adjust to a situation they never thought would happen to them.
Divorce is not only a transitional period, but also a time of letting go and of personal growth, which is why it is important to have someone guide you. As a divorce coach, my job is to help my clients go boldly into their new lives.
5201 W. Freeway, Ste. 104 Fort Worth, Tx 76107
817-732-5267
Melissa Nickelson
FAMILY LAWYERS WORTH KNOWING
They stand by us through the hard times. They guide and support us from the beginning to the end of the divorce process. They are some of Greater Fort Worth’s brightest, most sought-after family law and collaborative law professionals, and they have purchased space to show you how working with them in your time of need will benefit you.
The information in this section is provided by the advertisers and has not been independently verified by Fort Worth, Texas magazine.
port folio
portfolio Family Lawyers Worth Knowing
Norma A. Bazán
Gary L. Nickelson
Chris Nickelson
Law Office of Gary L. Nickelson
INNOVATIONS: The firm is uniquely qualified to handle the most complicated matrimonial cases in the trial or appellate courts throughout Texas. CERTIFICATION: Gary is board certified in Family Law through the State Bar of Texas. Chris is board certified in Civil Appellate Law through the State Bar of Texas. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: Gary has been the chair of the Family Law Section of the State Bar, president of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - both the Texas Chapter and national organization, and is Director of the State Bar of Texas. He is also a diplomate in The American College of Family Trial Lawyers, which is by invitation only and limited to 100 Family Law attorneys nationwide. Chris is past president of the Tarrant County Bar Association, Appellate Section and currently on the Family Law Council of the State Bar’s Family Law Section. Father and son are frequently authors and lecturers for the State Bar and other organizations. Norma has been chair of Tarrant County Bar Association Legal Line, is President-Elect of the Tarrant County Family Law Bar Association, and a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas. HONORS: Gary holds many prestigious awards and has been named a “Texas Super Lawyer,” a Thomson Reuters busi-
ness, as published in Texas Monthly magazine since the program began in 2003. Chris has been named as “Texas Super Lawyer,” a Thomson Reuters business, in their Super Lawyer issue as published in Texas Monthly since 2014. Gary and Chris have won the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Texas’ highest and most prestigious award, The Dan Price Award, in 2003 and 2013, respectively. Norma has been designated as Top Attorney in Fort Worth, Texas magazine in 2015 and named TCC Distinguished Alumni in 2015. EXPERIENCE: Gary has handled family law cases exclusively for 30 years. His experience allows him to handle all types of family law cases throughout Texas. Chris, a 16-year attorney, clerked in El Paso Court of Appeals, appeared as an attorney in many of the appellate courts in Texas and is an accomplished family law attorney. Norma, a seven-year attorney, has handled many family law cases, including handling child-related cases for the State. CONTACT INFORMATION:
portfolio Family Lawyers Worth Knowing
Gardner & Smith, PLLC
SPECIALTY: Divorces (including those that involve complex or substantial assets), child-custody matters, and other family law cases.
EDUCATION: Terry and Dwayne are graduates of The University of Texas and The University of Texas School of Law. Susan graduated from Texas A&M University and Texas Tech University School of Law. AWARDS/HONORS: Dwayne was named the Outstanding Young Lawyer in 2016, and Terry won the Blackstone Award in 2008 and the Outstanding Mentor Award in 2014. We have been recognized as Top Attorneys, Super Lawyers, and more by various publications and our peers. GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: We represent clients during the most difficult times in their lives, and we are proud to have helped families pave the road to a better future. We have taken on novel and complex cases, including the first same-sex divorce in Tarrant County. Our approach to every case is compassionate, calcu-
lated, and customized to our clients. APPROACH: Prepare. Win. MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: Tarrant County Bar (Terry is past president), Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association (Susan is president-elect), Tarrant County Family Law Bar, and other professional associations. MOTTO: We create workable solutions to difficult problems. FREE ADVICE: Choose a lawyer who has common sense, is respected in the legal community, and is highly skilled in the courtroom. PICTURED: Dwayne Smith, Terry Gardner, and Susan Smith.
CONTACT INFORMATION: gardnersmithlaw.com
Family Lawyers Worth Knowing portfolio
Heather King KoonsFuller Family Law
SPECIALTY: Divorce, Modification, Paternity, Child Custody, Complex Property/Asset/Business Division, Pre and Post-Marital Agreements and appellate services at every level of litigation and appeal. EXPERIENCE: Due to her vast experience in all aspects of family law, Heather King is known as one of the most versatile and “complete” divorce attorneys in the state. Handling complex property divisions, divorce and child custody, she’s helped a countless number of clients navigate through some of the toughest times in their lives. She has a calculated insight that makes her a talented negotiator and formidable litigator in the courtroom. King is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. AWARDS/HONORS: Texas Super Lawyer (since 2003), Top 100 Lawyers in Texas 2014, Top 100 Lawyers in DFW (since 2006), and Top 50 Female Attorneys in Texas (since 2004):
Texas Monthly magazine; Top Women Lawyers 2010: D Magazine; Top Attorney: Fort Worth, Texas magazine; Fort Worth Business Press Power Attorney 2014; Best Lawyer in America (since 2007) and proud graduate of TCU. FREE ADVICE: Avoid decisions based upon anger, guilt or sadness. If you’re under the duress of a negative emotion, counsel with a friend, leader of faith, mental health provider or legal professional before making any important choices regarding your family law issue.
SPECIALTY: We are a full service Family Law Firm that provides representation in all facets of family law. EDUCATION: Sean M. Lynch graduated from the University of Oklahoma School of Law in 2007. Stephanie Sabelhaus graduated from the Texas Wesleyan School of Law in 2011. AWARDS/HONORS: We have been named a top family attorney in Tarrant County in Fort Worth, Texas magazine in 2014 and 2015. MEMBERSHIPS/ AFFILIATIONS: Tarrant County Bar Association; Tarrant County Family Law Bar Association. GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: Our firm’s greatest achievement is providing effective, efficient, and affordable representation to all our clients no matter what challenge they face. APPROACH: Each client’s case is unique. We tailor our approach to maximize the benefit to our client and reduce cost. Everyone deserves to have effective low-cost representation, and we strive to provide that to our clients. MOTTO: Your Attorney, Your
Neighbor. CHARITABLE WORK: We support the Fairmount Neighborhood and the Near Southside. FREE ADVICE: It is less expensive to have an attorney do it right the first time. It is costly to try a lawsuit or attempt to modify orders yourself in an attempt to save money. Even if you have an uncontested divorce, you want to make sure the divorce decree is thorough and enforceable. Printout forms are generic and do not allow for your unique situation. PICTURED: Carolyn Spahr, Janet Zavala, Sean M. Lynch, Cynthia Nissen, and Stephanie Sabelhaus.
MOTTO: Respectful. Dignified. Determined. FIRST STEP: When marital problems become insurmountable, it’s time to take action. Call expertly trained, family law attorneys to advocate on your behalf. FOCUS: We are exclusively divorce, property division and custody focused. With that concentration comes a depth of expertise in complex family law matters. CERTIFICATION/
EXPERIENCE: Barbara is Board Certified in Family Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Stephen has been practicing for more than 20 years in Probate, Personal Injury and Family Law. Sonya possesses powerful talent in litigation and Dispute Resolution and has been asked to sit for the Family Law Board Certification Exam. HONORS: With more than 35 years of experience in North Texas, Barbara has been recognized as an elite “Super Lawyer” (2003-2016)
as featured in Texas Monthly and as a “Top Attorney” (2001-2015) by Fort Worth, Texas magazine. As the founder of Nunneley| Family Law, she is dedicated to helping clients protect their financial future and their children. REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS: Business owners, C-Level executives, spouses, dedicated parents and grandparents. FREE ADVICE: Seek expert legal advice before you begin the divorce process. PICTURED: Barbara Nunneley, Stephen Farrar and Sonya Carrillo.
CONTACT INFORMATION: nunneleyfamilylaw.com
portfolio Family Lawyers Worth Knowing
Kate Smith
FOCUS OF PRACTICE: Collaborative Law, Family Law, Mediation, Estate Planning. EDUCATION: B.A., University of Houston; J.D., Texas Wesleyan; LL.M, Pepperdine University School of Law.
AWARDS: Nominated by peers as a Super Lawyer Rising Star, 2014 and 2015. PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Board Certified – Family Law, 2015; Past President of Northeast Tarrant County Bar Association; Chairperson of the Collaborative Law Section of the Tarrant County Bar; graduated second in law school class, magna cum laude. WHY I CHOSE THE LEGAL FIELD: I was a mediator prior to going to law school, and I mediated family law cases. In the process of going to law school to become a better mediator, I discovered collaborative law, a field I am passionate about. MISSION: I am proud to have dedicated my practice to solving
disputes by utilizing alternative methods such as collaborative law, mediation, and arbitration. I strive to help families navigate through tough times and empower clients to make decisions for their families if at all possible without asking for court intervention. ADVICE: Always consider alternatives prior to litigation. Thoroughly research all your options before deciding on counsel. Make sure that whomever you choose to represent you shares your method of problem solving, as well as your vision of the general direction of your case.
PICTURED: Mary Neal and Kate Smith.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
G. Thomas Vick, Jr. Michelle Purvis Vick Carney LLP
SPECIALTY: Complex family law matters throughout North Texas, whether in litigation, mediation or collaborative law. EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATION: Tom Vick – Austin College; South Texas College of Law; Board Certified - Family Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization; Fellow - American and International Academies of Matrimonial Lawyers. Michelle Purvis –University of Houston-Downtown; South Texas College of Law; Internship, Fourteenth Court of Appeals, Houston. AWARDS/HONORS: Vick – currently President-elect, State Bar of Texas; Former Chair of the Board of Trustees, Texas Bar Foundation; Former Commissioner, Texas Access to Justice Commission; Past President, Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists and Texas Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers; Past Chair, State Bar of Texas Family Law Section; 2008 State Bar of Texas Family Law
Section Dan Price Award; Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists Judge Sam Emison Award; and presidential citations for service to the State Bar in 2008 and 2012. Purvis – Prior to moving to the metroplex, handled complex family law cases, including highly contested divorces, custody disputes, and cases with high-net worth estates at a Houston boutique family law firm. ADVICE: “The outcome of your family law matter can have a lifelong impact. Find the lawyer who is right for you and right for your case.”
SPECIALTY: I have been a family law attorney for over 20 years in Washington and Texas. MISSION: My professional mission is helping clients resolve their differences in a respectful way, minimizing the harm to the children. My motto is “Always believe in happy endings.” FREE ADVICE: When hiring an attorney, choose someone that will listen to your needs and always be open to changing your mind when you have all the facts! EDUCATION: J.D. from Seattle University, 1994; Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, University of Texas at Arlington; trained in collaborative law. AWARDS/HONORS: Selected by peers as a Top Attorney for Fort Worth, Texas magazine. MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: State Bar of Texas, 2002; Washington State Bar, 1994; Northeast Tarrant County Bar Association; Tarrant County Bar Association.
WE’RE CORD CUTTERS WITH NO REGRETS. GO PUBLIC.
KERA television has something for everyone. Whether you’re into music or mysteries. Foodies or fixer-uppers. Politics or parenting. Go for new episodes of an old favorite. Go see what you’ve been missing. Go because it’s still, and will always be, worth watching. Go Public.
Things to do in July
fwevents
Aurora Borealis Norman Lewis (1909–1979)
Fort Worth, Texas: The City
For more information on area events, go to fwtx com and click on events
to list an event
Send calendar information to Fort Worth, Texas magazine, c/o Kendall Louis, executive editor, 6777 Camp Bowie Blvd., Ste. 130, Fort Worth, Texas 76116, or e-mail ideas to kendall.louis@fwtx.com. Special consideration will be given to submissions that include photographs. To meet publishing deadlines, information must be received two months prior to monthly magazine issue.
Georg Baselitz Elke, 1976 Oil on canvas, 981/2 x 75 inches, Collection of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Museum purchase, The Friends of Art Endowment Fund
Museums
Light, Landscape and Livestock: The Photography of Nadine Levin, through July 5
For over 25 years, Levin has been capturing the beauty of the world that surrounds us through her elegant photography. Often riding horseback to capture her Western images, she creates a uniquely feminine portrayal of the often masculine and traditional world. Her infrared images reveal her contemporary vision and desire to expand her art beyond that of the traditional.
Included in the show are shots from 2007 National Cowgirl Hall of Fame Honoree, Terry Stuart Forst’s 7S Stuart Ranch, the oldest ranch in Oklahoma under continuous family ownership. National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. 1720 Gendy Street. 817.336.4475.
Focus: Thomas Demand, through July 17
The photographs of Thomas Demand merge truthful documentation and unsettling artifice— two polarities raised by photography since its inception. For over two decades, Demand has built intricate, life-size, three-dimensional models made wholly out of colored construction paper and cardboard that faithfully replicate specific architectural spaces and natural settings. He photographs the ephemeral structure and destroys it once the image is made. He uses the same sculptural techniques with stop-motion animation in his films. Modern Art Museum. 3200 Darnell Street. 817.738.9215.
Pasture Cows Crossing Indian Creek, through July 24
A visionary storyteller, Esther Pearl Watson (b. 1973) blends memories and imagination to capture her Texas upbringing. A mural-size painting (about 13 feet tall and 10 feet wide), Pasture Cows Crossing Indian Creek, was created specifically for the Amon Carter’s atrium. It is part of the museum’s program of rotating contemporary artworks in the atrium space and an exciting addition to an ongoing exploration of Texas artists and their contributions to modern American art. Amon Carter Museum of American Art. 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd. cartermuseum.org. 817.738.1933.
Louise Nevelson: Prints, through July 31
This installation of lithographs features works by sculptor Louise Nevelson created between 1963 and 1967. These prints share with her sculpture an interest in silhouetted forms and the layering of elements, but distinguish themselves by their vivid color. Amon Carter Museum of American Art. 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd. 817.738.1933.
Discarded: Photographs by Anthony Hernandez, through Aug. 7
This is the first presentation of renowned photographer Anthony Hernandez’s newest project evocatively explores Americans’ penchant for discarding what we no longer want through images of buildings, people, and the land east and northeast of Los Angeles, California. Despite their challenging subject, these large photographs lure you in with their light-struck atmosphere, color, and space. Amon Carter Museum of American Art. 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd. 817.738.1933.
Procession: The Art of Norman Lewis, through Aug. 21
This is the first comprehensive museum exhibition on Norman Lewis (1909–1979), which explores his influential role in American art from the 1930s through the 1970s. Lewis was a pivotal figure in the Harlem art community and
the abstract expressionist movement; he was also a politically conscious activist who was able to reflect the currents of the civil rights movement in his abstract work. The approximately 70 artworks in this exhibition reveal the artist’s dramatic range, from his early figurative works dealing with social issues to his mature abstract expressionist paintings conveying music and sound, as well as politically charged issues, to his late, spiritually imbued works. Amon Carter Museum of American Art. 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd. cartermuseum. org. 817.738.1933.
Think: An Exploration Into Making the World Work Better, through Sept. 1
Consider the way science and technology define life in the 21st century, perhaps in ways you may not realize. THINK, created and developed by IBM, is an experience that celebrates the wonders of our technological world and explores the possibilities of tomorrow. Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. 1600 Gendy St. fwmuseum. org. 817.255.9300.
The Brothers Le Nain: Painters of Seventeenth-Century France, through Sept. 11
The Brothers Le Nain: Painters of SeventeenthCentury France will be the first major exhibition in the United States devoted to the Le Nain brothers, Antoine, Louis and Mathieu, who were active in Paris during the 1630s and 1640s. It will gather more than 50 of their best paintings and highlight the brothers' full range of production, with altarpieces, private devotional paintings, portraits and those poignant images of peasants on which their celebrity rests. Masterworks will come from public and private collections in Europe and North America, with major loans from the Musée du Louvre and the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, as well as museums throughout France. Until recently, the work of the Le Nains has been shrouded in mystery. Kimbell Art Museum. 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd. kimbellart.org. 817.332.8451.
Frank Stella: A Retrospective, through Sept. 18
This exhibition presents Frank Stella’s career to date, showcasing his prolific output from the mid-1950s to the present through approximately 100 works, including paintings, reliefs, maquettes, sculptures, and drawings. Modern Art Museum. 3200 Darnell Street. 817.738.9215.
Texas Folk Art, through Sept. 19
Texas Folk Art features the spirited work of some of the state’s most original painters and sculptors, including H. O. Kelly, Reverend Johnnie
Swearingen, Velox Ward, and Clara McDonald Williamson, among others. Developing their own styles, these artists were unfettered by the conventions of academic training and traditional guidelines of art making. Lively storytelling was their primary focus, and they used any pictorial means necessary to create animated narratives about working, playing, and worshipping in Texas. Amon Carter Museum of American Art. 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd. cartermuseum.org. 817.738.1933.
Identity, through Oct. 9
Identity explores how identity in American culture is often as much about how people present themselves to the world as it is externally determined. Exploring community, celebrity, and individual identity through portraiture from the Amon Carter’s permanent collection, the exhibition highlights the exciting new acquisitions of Sedrick Huckaby’s The 99% and Glenn Ligon’s print series Runaways. Whereas Huckaby engaged with and depicted 101 members of his neighborhood to uncover how their individual personalities were reflective of a larger community identity, Ligon explored the notion that individual identity is often culturally determined. Their works—in combination with prints and photographs of and by public figures such as Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe, statesman Martin Luther King Jr., and painter Georgia O’Keeffe—show the various personas individuals adopt. Together, these portraits represent the fluid and constantly shifting role of identity in society from the twentieth to the twenty-first century. Amon Carter Museum of American Art. 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd. cartermuseum.org. 817.738.1933.
Hidden Treasures: Celebrating 75 Years, through Dec. 31
It began as a dream 75 years ago and has run on imagination ever since. Rediscover artifacts at the heart of our collection in this special anniversary exhibition. It’s an exhibit unlike any other filled with iconic artifacts from a teaching collection which has inspired generations. From period rooms showcasing life in a bygone era to Texas History artifacts to a spectacular array of ceremonial masks from around the world, they are collections that shaped our story. Experience these classics, reimagined for a special anniversary exhibition. Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. 1600 Gendy St. fwmuseum.org. 817.255.9300.
In the Moment at the Modern: A Program for People with Memory Loss, Fourth Wednesdays
Designed for people with memory loss and their caregivers, the monthly program enables participants to experience works of art at the Modern through intimate conversations with docents and thoughtful projects designed by the museum’s education staff. 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.., with space for up 20 participants at both times. Free. Includes admission to the galleries and all materials. The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. 3200 Darnell St. themodern.org. 817.738.9215.
Sensory
Saturdays, Second Saturdays of every month
Sensory Saturdays is a free program for families with children who are five to twelve years old and on the Autism spectrum. Families will have time to explore artworks in the galleries and get creative during a hands-on, art-making experience! Family Access Program from 10:30a.m.to 12:00p.m... While the needs of individuals with Autism are the focus of this program, it is also intended to be fun for parents, siblings (of all ages), and other relatives! Amon Carter Museum of American
The C.R. Smith Museum takes visitors on a flight through American Airlines history, with interactive exhibits that entice participation by all age groups. The museum features hundreds of historical artifacts, photographs, full-scale aircraft engines and a rare Douglas DC-3 airliner. In addition, the museum’s state-of-the-art digital theater features “The Spirit of American,” a film featuring the history of commercial aviation as well as breathtaking aerial photography. Tuesday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday. $0–$7. 4601 Texas Highway 360 at FAA Road. crsmithmuseum.org. 817.967.1560.
Fort Worth Aviation Museum, Ongoing
The Fort Worth Aviation Museum tells the story of the aviation heritage and accomplishments in North Texas since 1911. Its collection of 24 warbirds dates from 1943 to the present and features a US Navy Blue Angel F/A-18 Hornet in the outdoor display. The museum's indoor displays include the B-36 Peacemaker and Forward Air Controllers Museums, a T-38 cockpit simulator and computer flight simulators. Friendly guides assist all visitors with personalized tours and a gift shop is also available. Active duty military and their families visit free of charge. Admission is $5 for adults, $1 for kids ages 6 to 16, under 6 free and $10 for families. 3300 Ross Ave. fortworthaviationmuseum. com. 855.733.8627.
Leonard’s Department
Store Museum, Ongoing
Visitors can view displays featuring hundreds of vintage items from the iconic downtown retail giant. Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free. Fort Worth Screen Printing Building. 2000 Carroll St. 817.336.9111. fwscreen.com.
Texas Civil War Museum, Ongoing
Featuring 15,000 square feet of exhibits, this is the largest Civil War museum west of the Mississippi River. The museum consists of three separate galleries that display a Civil War collection, Victorian dress collection and United Daughters of the Confederacy Texas Confederate collection. Along with the exhibits, the museum includes a 75-seat movie theater that hosts a commissioned movie, “Our Homes Our Rights – Texas in the Civil War.” Tuesday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.. $0–$6. 760 Jim Wright Freeway N. 817.246.2323. texascivilwarmuseum.com.
Galleries
Adobe Western Art Gallery, ongoing
Works in various media by John Barger, Lyndy Benson, Roger Iker, B.J. Lacasse, Lori Lawrence, and Ernie Lewis. 2322 N Main St. Free. 817.624.4242.
Art on the Boulevard, Ongoing
The gallery houses 15 to 20 artists at a time whose styles range from abstract expressionism to photo
Beer Yoga July 16 at The Collective Brewing Project
FreshPoint Dallas is an advocate sponsor of our local community and farms. Constantly striving to sustain local farming, we purchase products from over 50 Texan growers and artisans.
Thursday, September 8, 2016 — 5:30 p.m. Join us for an adults-only (21 and up) evening featuring innovative Girl Scout cookie desserts, created by local female chefs, and complimentary wine.
Sponsorships begin at $1,000 and are available now. Individual tickets on sale July 18. For more information e-mail kcurtis@gs-top.org or visit bit.ly/DessertsFW
realism. Each year, the gallery hosts 5 major exhibitions including Fall Gallery Night, the Holiday Show, Valentine’s Show, Mid-Summer Show. 4919 Camp Bowie Boulevard Suite B. artontheboulevard.com. 817.737.6368.
Milan Gallery
505 Houston Street. 817.338.4278. milangallery. com
Rebecca Low Metal Gallery and Studio 7608 Camp Bowie W. 817.244.1151. rebeccalow.com
ArtSpace111
111 Hampton Street. 817.692.3228. artspace111.com
Films
Family Film Series, Second Saturdays
Stop by the Central Library for a family-friendly flick on the second Saturday of every month. Check website for details on titles and descriptions. 1 p.m.. Free. Fort Worth Central Library. Youth Center Discovery Theatre. 500 W. 3rd St. Parking is free on the streets and in the Third Street garage after 6 p.m. fortworthlibrary.org. 817.392.7323.
Films at the Modern
The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth offers a variety of events and programs on films. Check the website for details on titles, times, tickets and descriptions. 3200 Darnell St. themodern.org/ films/upcoming. 817.738.9215.
First Sunday Film Club
This series highlights the Fort Worth Library’s large and vibrant media collection. 2 p.m. Free. Fort Worth Central Library, Tandy Hall. 500 W. 3rd St. Parking is free on the streets and in the Third Street garage after 6 p.m. fortworthlibrary. org. 817.392.7323.
Magnolia at the Modern
A Monster with a Thousand Heads, July 1 – 3
The Princess Bride, July 1
The Music of Strangers, July 8 – July 10
Therapy for a Vampire, July 15 – July 17
Magnolia at the Modern is an ongoing series featuring critically acclaimed films shown weekly on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Check the website for titles and times, as well as for info on other film-related happenings. Tickets: $6–$9. Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. 3200 Darnell St. themodern.org. 817.738.9215.
Omni Theater and Noble Planetarium
Check the museum website for times and dates. Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. 1600 Gendy St. fwmuseum.org/calendar. 817.255.9300. Sunset Cinema at Amon Carter
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West, July 1
O Brother, Where Art Thou?, July 15
To Kill a Mockingbird, July 29
Pack a picnic, grab some friends, and watch some films on the museum’s lawn. No reservation is required. Lawn opens at 6 p.m., film begins at 8:30 p.m. Only the museum’s lawn will be open during this program, not the building. Lawn chairs, blankets, and coolers are welcome. No glass bottles or pets. Amon Carter Museum of American Art. 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd. 817.989.5030.
Music
Billy Bob’s Texas
Fort Worth Stockyards. 2520 Rodeo Plaza. billybobstexas.com. 817.624.7117. (Ticket prices are general admission/reserved.) Thursday concerts at 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 10:30 p.m. unless noted otherwise.
Trace Adkins: July 1
4th of July Picnic: July 2
Texas Red Dirt Roads: July 3
Little Texas: July 3
Bart Crow: July 8
Casey Donahew: July 9
Texas Red Dirt Roads: July 10
Sam Riggs: July 15
Ted Nugent: July 16
Texas Red Dirt Roads: July 17
Travis Tritt: July 22
Sammy Kershaw: July 23
Texas Red Dirt Roads: July 24
The Bellamy Brothers: July 29
Jamey Johnson: July 30
Texas Red Dirt Roads: July 31
Concerts in the Garden - Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, through July 4
Fort Worth’s Concerts in the Garden is a 5-week music festival offering 16 nights of outdoor concerts. For more than 20 years, the concert series has combined the lush magnificence of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden – one of the oldest botanical gardens in the country – with stirring musical performances. Fireworks every night. Visit fwsymphony.org for more information. Fort Worth Botanic Garden. 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd. fwbg.org. 817.392.5510
Capital Bar
With a backyard, backhouse and rooftop seating
available, Capital Bar is becoming one of the best places to catch some live music outdoors. They host Sunday Artist Showcases as well as other performances during the week and weekend. Check the website for upcoming shows. 3017 Morton Street. capital-bar.com. 817.820.0049.
Live Oak Music Hall & Lounge
Check the website for upcoming shows. 1311 Lipscomb St. theliveoak.com. 817.926.0968.
Lola’s Saloon
Check the website for upcoming shows. 2736 W 6th Street. lolassaloon.com. 817.877.0666.
Scat Jazz Lounge
Live jazz from local and nationwide artists perform in a speakeasy-style lounge in downtown Fort Worth. Check the website for upcoming shows. 111 W 4th Street #11. scatjazzlounge.com. 817.870.9100.
A staple of the local entertainment scene for many years, this popular Fort Worth-based improvisational comedy troupe performs skits and songs based on audience suggestions. Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. 18 and older are welcome. Tickets: $20. 312 Houston St. fourdayweekend.com. 817.226.4329.
Hyena’s Comedy Night Club, Ongoing
Various performances each week in downtown Fort Worth, ranging from local to national stars. 425 Commerce St. hyenascomedynightclub.com. 817.877.5233.
Other Attractions and Events
July Fourth Fun in the Stockyards, July 4
Celebrate the Fourth in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Stockyards Station will have gunfight shows from the Legends of Texas after both cattle drives, 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., free face-painting for kids from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and live music inside the station. And as always, there is Riscky’s BBQ, Trail Boss Burgers, Habaneros Mexican Grill and Cantina and all of the western shops to explore. There are also historic walking tours and horseback rides from Stockyards Stables to round out your fun fourth. Historic Fort Worth Stockyards on East Exchange Avenue in front of the Fort Worth Livestock Exchange Building. stockyardsstation.com. 817.625.9715.
Trinity River Vision Authority presents Fort Worth’s Fourth, July 4
Fort Worth’s Fourth is a free family event that includes activities such as zip lines, bounce houses, water slides, and more. There will also be live music, tubing, and the biggest fireworks show in North Texas. Panther Island Pavilion. 395 Purcey St. pantherislandpavilion.com. 817.698.0700.
Mimir Chamber Music Festival, through July 8
Mimir Chamber Music Festival's 19th season features an outstanding collection of performing artists from the world’s leading orchestras, music schools and concert halls who share a love for chamber music. The 2015 season was recently included, for the eighth time, in The Dallas Morning News’ listing of “Top 10 Musical Events of the Year.” The 12-day format, will feature five Mimir Artists’ concerts and two Mimir Emerging Artists’ concerts. The Festival is generously hosted by the TCU School of Music. Performances at the PepsiCo Recital. All concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. with the exception of the Sunday matinee, July 3 at 2 p.m. at the Renzo Piano Pavilion at the Kimbell Art Museum. Texas Christian University. 2800 S. University Dr. tcu.edu. 817.332.6522.
BRIT-Timeless Concerts, “Evening in Germany with Beethoven and Brahms,”
July 16
Two beloved composers, Ludwig Beethoven, and Johannes Brahms, will be featured on this concert. Seldom heard, beautiful Beethoven songs will be performed on this concert. Brahms, widely considered one of the 19th century’s greatest composers and the leading musician of the Romantic era, wrote passionate works for the piano trio of violin, cello and piano that we look forward to performing, as well as his lively Hungarian Dances. LeeAnne Chenoweth, violinist, Heejung Kang, pianist, and Karen Smith, cellist. Concert followed by complimentary fruit, cheese, dessert buffet and post-concert pianist who takes requests. Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets: $15-$35. Botanical Research Institute of Texas. 1700 University Drive. timelessconcerts.com. 817.312.8719. Beer Yoga, July 16
Join The Collective Brewing Project for a oncea-month Beer & Yoga event at the brewery. Bring your own yoga mat for air-conditioned yoga in the taproom, followed by some tasty Collective brews. $20 gets you an hour of yoga and three beverages (Beer, Kombucha or Cold Brew Coffee). Saturday, noon – 2 p.m. The Collective Brewing Project. 112 St. Louis Ave. collectivebrew.com. 817.708.2914. American Cowboy Gala, July 21
Two Great Charities, One Great Event! Benefitting The Fort Worth Herd and Cowtown Coliseum The evening will feature dinner, a silent and live auction and entertainment. Individual Ticket: $100; Drover: $1,500 Table of 10, sponsor gift, valet parking, listing in the program and advertising; Outrider: $2,500 VIP table of 10, sponsor gift, valet parking, complimentary beverages, listing in the program and advertising; Trail Boss:
$5,000 Premium table of 10, individual gifts, valet parking, complimentary beverages, listing in the program and advertising. Cowtown Coliseum. 121 E. Exchange Ave. cowboygala.com.
3rd Thursday Jazz: Women in Jazz, July 21
Take a musical journey from the early 20thcentury roots of jazz to the diverse sounds of today at the Fort Worth Library’s 3rd Thursday Jazz Series, featuring a dynamic lineup of local and internationally touring artists. It’s our 7th Season! All concerts are free, open to the public and do not require tickets. Vocalist Breggett Rideau and her all female group perform music from the heart and soul of a woman featuring Jazz, Soul, R&B, Blues and Rock ‘n’ Roll. Fort Worth Central Library. 500 W. 3rd St. fortworthtexas. gov. 817.392.7323.
2016 Tequila Sangria Margarita Tasting, July 23
Enjoy over 30 tequilas, sangrias, and margaritas and introduce yourself to new brands, music and entertainment, tasting glass and $5 promo card for food and drinks at many Fort Worth Venues. Brought to you by My Drink On. Multiple Locations. mydrinkon.com.
National Day of the American Cowboy, July 23
This annual event has been named The Best Event of its kind in the nation by Western lifestyle magazine, American Cowboy. Don’t miss out on a day dedicated to the cowboy and lots of fun. Parade starts at 11:30 a.m., immediately following the Fort Worth Herd Cattle Drive. Contests include: cow chip throwing, cow milking, hay staking, rib eating and much more. All contests are open to the public. Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Historic Fort Worth Stockyards on East Exchange Avenue in front of the Fort Worth Livestock Exchange Building. stockyardsstation.com. 817.625.9715.
Slide the City Fort Worth, July 23
Slide the City is a family-friendly, slip-in-slide water party event. There will be live music, food, drinks, water and of course the biggest slip-andslide, 1,000-foot long, ever to hit asphalt. You can slide one time or slide all day. Saturday 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Tickets: $13-$99. Tickets are available to purchase online. S Hulen St. & Clearfork Main St. slidethecity.com.
Vodka Trot, July 23
It’s like nothing you have ever done before and it’s the only vodka race on earth. Take the course at your own pace. The run starts just before sunset on Saturday night. After the race there will be food and vodka for purchase, lip sync battles, dance contest and costume contest. Must 21 and over to participate. Tickets: $45/individual, $25/ designated driver and $150/VIP. 1000 Lone Star Pkwy., Grand Prairie. vodkatrot.com.
Artful Alphabet: ABC, through July 27
The Amon Carter Museum of American Art invites families with young children, ages eight and under and their adult companions, to partici-
Therapy for a Vampire, The Modern, July 15-17
July 16 - August 6, 2016
Best of the West - Open 9 AM DAILY Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibit Hall beginning July 16th
Mini-shopping mall featuring merchants catering specifically to the western lifestyle. Outstanding collections of women’s and men’s apparel, home furnishings, jewelry, art, saddles and tack.
Shop. Eat. Have fun. Free parking. Free admission.
pate in this summer’s free Story time series. Use the alphabet to discover artworks at the Amon Carter. Bring your family for stories, art exploration, and art making inspired by the letters A, B, and C. A snack will be provided. No reservations are required. During each Story time, caregivers can register their participating children to win that week’s featured books. Every Wednesdays 10:30 a.m. - noon. Amon Carter Museum of American Art. 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd. cartermuseum.org. 817.989.5030.
Rockin’ the River, Thursdays through Aug. 11
Tubing is back at Panther Island Pavilion. Come get your butt in the water and a beer in your hand, tube the Trinity River and enjoy free concerts. Land lubbers are welcome too, so bring a blanket or chair and enjoy music from the shore. Top it all off with an awesome fireworks show. New this year – a special Saturday Series Finale, Aug. 13. Panther Island Pavilion. 395 Purcey St. pantherislandpavilion.com. 817.698.0700.
Sunday Funday, through Sept. 4
Sunday Funday is a day of relaxation and fun in the sun. The series takes place every Sunday in the summer and is very laid-back and familyfriendly. Tubes and pedal boats will be available for rent along with kayaks, stand up paddle boards and canoes from Backwoods. Local craft beer will also be for sale from award winning brewer, Panther Island Brewing. Panther Island Pavilion. 395 Purcey St. pantherislandpavilion.com. 817.698.0700.
Martin House Brewing Co. Tours and Tastings, Thursdays and Saturdays
Admission includes a souvenir pint glass, guided brewery tour and three complimentary pints (must bring your ID). $10 tour and tasting admission. Thursdays, 6 – 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 – 5 p.m. Martin House Brewing Co. 220 S. Sylvania Ave., Ste. 209. martinhousebrewing.com. 817.222.0177. Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. Tours and Tastings, Wednesdays and Saturdays
There’s a $10 tour admission fee for anyone over 18, but a tour of the brewery and a Rahr & Sons pint glass that holds up to three free beer samples are yours for no additional charge. Wednesdays, 5–7:30 p.m. Saturdays, 1–3 p.m. Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. 701 Galveston Ave. rahrbrewing. com. 817.810.9266.
Fort Worth Ghost Bus Tours, Thursdays –Saturdays
Are you afraid of ghosts? Fort Worth has been home to outlaws, cattle drives, oil barons and ghosts. Visit the haunts of mysterious ghosts from long ago and local well known ghosts who cannot seem to find their rest. Raise a glass of your favorite wine or beer at Grand Cru before you board the ghost bus. The tour lasts for about an hour and half. Grand Cru Wine Bar and Boutique. 1257 W. Magnolia Ave. fwghostbus.com. 817.812.6963.
Vintage Railroad: Trinity River Run, Thursdays–Sundays
Hit the rails in an authentic Victorian-style coach between Grapevine and the Fort Worth Stockyards. From the Fort Worth location, visitors can ride on a trip to the Trinity River and back, enjoying beautiful scenery and the 19th-century ambience of a steam locomotive. 3:15–4:15 p.m. $6–$10. Grapevine Vintage Railroad – Fort Worth. 140 E. Exchange Ave. grapevinetexasusa. com. 817.410.3123.
Revolver Brewing Tour and Tastings, Saturdays
Great beer, fresh country air, picnic tables, a band, barbecue or fajitas, corn bag toss and an informative tour of the brewery. Noon–3 p.m. Admission is $10 and includes a Revolver Brewing pint glass. Food vendors will be on site. Revolver Brewery. 5650 Matlock Road, Granbury. revolverbrewing. com. 817.736.8034.
Granbury Ghosts and Legends Tour, Fridays and Saturdays
Hour-long walking excursion around Granbury’s historic downtown square guided by actors dressed in Civil War-era attire. 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. $7–$10. 116 W. Bridge St. granburytours. com. 817.559.0849.
Stockyards Walking Tours, Saturdays
Wrangler Walking Tour: Historical facts, culture and stories of the Stockyards. 10 a.m., Noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tickets: $6–$8. Available in Spanish, French, German, Japanese and English. Stockyards Station, 130 E. Exchange Ave. stockyardsstation.com.
Zumba in the Plaza, every other Saturday Free Zumba classes in Sundance Square Plaza. (All Levels Welcome) Presented by Sundance Square and Amon G. Carter, Jr. Downtown YMCA. Zumba classes are from 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Sundance Square Plaza. 201 Main Street, Ste. 700. sundancesquare.com. 817.255.5700.
Yoga in the Plaza, every other Saturday Free yoga classes in Sundance Square Plaza. (All Levels Welcome) Presented by Sundance Square and Amon G. Carter, Jr. Downtown YMCA. Yoga classes are from 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Sundance
Square Plaza. 201 Main Street, Ste. 700. sundancesquare.com. 817.255.5700.
Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show, Ongoing A Historical reenactment of the original Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show. The show features trick roping, trick shooting, trick riding, cowboy songs and entertaining look at history. Every Saturday and Sunday 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Adult $15. Child $8. Senior $11. Reserved $18-$23 Cowtown Coliseum. 121 E. Exchange Avenue. 817.625.1025 or 800.COWTOWN.
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Ongoing
The museum has a full slate of fun and informative public programs for its visitors, from lectures by visiting artists and scholars to extended education opportunities, family events, children’s programs and a book club. Admission is free unless otherwise noted. Check the website for details. Amon Carter Museum of American Art. 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd. cartermuseum.org. 817.738.1933.
BRIT Tours, Ongoing
Lace up your sneakers and learn about Botanical Research Institute of Texas’ history, present and future, research programs, herbarium, libraries, educational programs and its sustainable building. Thursdays 1:30 p.m., first Saturday of the month 10:30 a.m. Free. Botanical Research Institute of Texas. 1700 University Drive. brit.org. 817.332.4441.
Cattle Baron Mansions, Ongoing Tour the Ball-Eddleman-McFarland House and Thistle Hill mansion and stand where the famous cattle barons stood when livestock was king and ranching ruled the Southwest. Wednesday–Friday, hourly, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sunday, hourly, 1 p.m.–3 p.m. Tickets: $15/adults, $7.50/children 12 and under. Ball-Eddleman-McFarland House, 1110 Penn St. Historic Fort Worth. historicfortworth. org. 817.332.5875.
Coyote Drive-In, Ongoing
View flicks the “old-fashioned way,” in an underthe-stars setting that’s anything but antiquated.
The Panther Island locale provides stunning views of downtown Fort Worth along the Trinity River near the Panther Island Pavilion, where concerts and tubing are regularly happening. Coyote Drive-In is a joint collaboration between Coyote Theatres, the Tarrant Regional Water District, Trinity River Vision Authority and the city of Fort Worth. Check the website for movies, times and special events. 223 N.E. 4th St. coyotedrive-in. com. 817.717.7767.
Fort Worth Botanic Garden, Ongoing
A peaceful haven nestled in the heart of Fort
Worth’s Cultural District, the Garden is home to more than 2,500 species of native and exotic plants that flourish in its 23 specialty gardens. Open daily from dawn until dusk. Free. Admission fees apply to Conservatory and Japanese Gardens. 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd. fwbg.org. 817.871.7686.
Fort Worth Herd Cattle Drive, Ongoing
The world’s only twice daily cattle drive. Historic Fort Worth Stockyards on East Exchange Avenue in front of the Fort Worth Livestock Exchange Building. 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, Ongoing
The 3,621-acre refuge is one of the largest city-owned nature centers in the United States with more than 20 miles of hiking trails. The center provides a variety of regular and special programs. Check website for details. Refuge: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. daily. Hardwicke Interpretive Center: 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. daily. Admission: $2–$5. 9601 Fossil Ridge Road. fwnaturecenter.org. 817.392.7410.
Fort Worth Water Gardens, Ongoing
Designed by famed architect Philip Johnson, the 5-acre downtown park features a peaceful oasis of fountains and pools. 10 a.m.–10 p.m. daily. 1502 Commerce St. Free. 817.871.5700.
Fort Worth Zoo, Ongoing
The oldest zoo site in Texas, the Fort Worth Zoo was founded in 1909 and has grown into a nationally ranked facility, housing nearly 7,000 native and exotic animals. Open daily at 10 a.m. Tickets: adults (13+), $14; children (3–12), $10 (2 and under free); seniors (65+), $10. Wednesdays: half-price. 1989 Colonial Parkway. fortworthzoo.org. 817.759.7555.
Lectures and Discussions at the Kimbell, Ongoing
Year-round evening, weekday and Saturday lectures by staff and guest speakers explore various topics relating to the permanent collection and special exhibitions on view at the Kimbell Art Museum. Some programs require advance reservations. Kimbell Art Museum. 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd. kimbellart.org. 817.332.8451.
Log Cabin Village, Ongoing
Step back in time to the 1800s at Log Cabin Village, a living history museum devoted to the preservation of Texas’ pioneer heritage. And be sure to keep tabs on the website, which details the Village’s ever-changing array of special events. Tuesday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 1–5 p.m.; closed Monday. Tickets: $4–$5. Closed for maintenance Jan. 23 – Feb. 8. Log Cabin Village. 2100 Log Cabin Village Lane. logcabinvillage.org. 817.392.5881.
River Legacy Living Science Center, Ongoing
The 12,000-square-foot nature center offers interactive exhibits, terrariums, aquariums, nature trails and Saturday events. Monday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Free admission. 703 N.W. Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington. riverlegacy.org. 817.860.6752.
Stockyards Championship Rodeo, Ongoing
Full-on rodeo action Friday and Saturday nights, year-round at the historic Cowtown Coliseum. 121 E. Exchange Ave. 8 p.m. Tickets: $15–$20.
SATISFYING AN UNCERTAIN NOSTALGIA FOR THE FOOD COURT CUISINE OF THE ‘90S while doubling as a quaint dive for a quick bite or quiet, unrushed meal, Opa! Mediterranean Café does just what owner Alan Asadian hoped for when he opened the fast-casual eatery a year ago. The longtime restaurateur established a loyal following
Greeking Out
first inside Hulen Mall at his initial Greek concept, Opah Greek Flavor in 1998, before answering numerous customer requests to open a brick-and-mortar location. Asadian says food courts are busy and loud, and regulars wanted to sit somewhere cozy and calm.
While Opa! is certainly not loud, here’s hoping Asadian will soon add more coziness to an otherwise very bland atmosphere. Customers can enter via the front or the back of the narrow dive, which offers two rows of seating along what resembles a wide, empty hallway. If weather permits, the optimum choice is to sit outside – at a handful of sidewalk tables overlooking West Seventh Street or behind the restaurant under the recently added, string light-strewn pergola, which is especially pleasant at night with a glass or bottle of wine. Opa! does serve alcohol.
| by Celestina Blok | photography by Alex Lepe |
Owner Alan Asadian works
Chicken Souvlaki
Regardless of seating locale, all orders are taken inside at the counter. Patrons can view the menu, categorized by sandwiches, specialties, salads, sides, extras and dessert, above the cash register, which is directly in front of the traditional vertical gyro spit and cook-top grill. Asadian makes efficient use of a small space. After ordering, customers are given pagers, which buzz when their meal, served on plastic cafeteria trays, are ready to pick up. Drinks are self-serve from a soda fountain. Domestic and a couple of imported beers are available as well as a limited selection of red and white wine by the bottle or glass.
On a recent late lunch visit, service was friendly, and the dining room was bare. Our order of chicken souvlaki ($8.99), the Greek burger ($5.99) and feta fries ($3.19) was ready promptly. Dining outside the front entrance, we dove first into the fries, a generous basket of what
tasted like a frozen variety – starchy and very soft on the inside and just faintly crisp on the outside – delicately topped with a light dusting of grated feta cheese. While simple and lacking much flavor, the dish was easily inhaled.
When ordering the Greek burger, we envisioned a Greekseasoned ground beef patty served atop a hamburger bun with perhaps red onions, feta cheese, tomatoes and tangy tzatziki sauce, a yogurt-based sauce made with garlic, olive oil and red wine vinegar. All those components were there except the bun. Instead, the ensemble was tucked into warm pita bread, a pleasant twist. Like the fries, the patty could have used more seasoning, but a few extra douses of the house-made tzatziki made all the difference.
The chicken souvlaki overall seemed smallish, but the bitesize morsels of skinless, boneless grilled chicken were flavorful and well-marinated with hints of garlic, oregano and lemon. Heavy with plain white rice, the dish also came with leaf lettuce, diced tomatoes and a few thick-sliced red onions.
Location: Opa! Mediterranean Café, 2708 W. 7th St. For Info Call: 817.334.0888
Hours: Mon.-Thurs. (Lunch) 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., (Dinner) Mon.Thurs. 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Fri. and Sat. 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
What We Like: The homemade sauces and dressings and that the Greek burger comes in pita bread and not on a hamburger bun. What We Don’t: Would love more feta and seasoning on the feta fries.
Our Recommendation: A gyro salad with a side of house-made hummus and pita bread, enjoyed under the string lights out back, with iced tea or a glass of white wine.
On previous visits, the restaurant’s signature gyro salad stood out as a table favorite, thanks to thick cubes of feta cheese, chunky diced cucumber, oil-soaked olives and plenty of thinly sliced lamb and beef gyro meat, the latter of which could be served just a tad toastier. Diners also can’t go wrong with the creamy homemade hummus ($3.49) or the rolled, rice-stuffed grape leaves called dolmades ($3.99). The flaky, baklava wedges ($2.50) are also worth a trip for their honeyed layers of crispy phyllo pastry and chopped nuts.
The quirky nuances of the classic food court gyro experience are here – plastic trays, counter service, the rotating cone of gyro meat – but without the hectic mall atmosphere.
Opa! sits in an unassuming spot on West Seventh
Above: Greek Burger Left: Feta Fries
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All in the
Fam
ily
For more than 30 years, Camp Bowie residents have enjoyed authentic Italian classics at Aventino’s, a neighborhood gem with three generations of family history
| by Jessica Llanes |
WALKING INTO AVENTINO’S MIDWAY THROUGH DINNER SERVICE ON A THURSDAY NIGHT, I’M PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY THE WARMTH OF THE DINING ROOM. The atmosphere is relaxed, yet polished, and more upscale than its strip mall exterior implies. The space is small but airy, dark wood and earth tones, with family photos and art for sale on the walls. Dean
Martin’s “That’s Amore” plays softly over the speakers.
A quick look around at several full tables suggests that a reservation would have been wise. Still, my dinner companion and I are greeted warmly and seated without delay. This is my first visit to the West Fort Worth classic, and even though owners Chris Hight and Erica Paez Hight relocated the restaurant when they reopened in 2012, I can still feel the echoes of the Paez family’s 1982 original. Its history surfaces not only in old portraits on display, but also in the family recipes served up daily by Chris, Erica and their son and sous chef, Zander.
Aventino’s menu includes a diverse and unapologetic selection of Italian comfort food with all the simple classics you expect, plus a few dishes you might not. Whether it’s an unfussy Eggplant Parmesan or spicy Shrimp Diablo, dishes cater to a variety of tastes and offer quite a bit of personalization—you can add meatballs, artichoke hearts and other extras for a small fee. For a starter, we opted
for the Focaccia Mozzarella ($14) recommended by our server. Four slices of warm, rosemary-perfumed focaccia are served with a small Caprese salad of ruby red tomato slices, fresh mozzarella and homemade pesto. We particularly enjoyed the light and lovely house-made focaccia.
The seafood menu looked enticing, but for our first visit, we opted for heartier fare—the Veal Saltimbocca ($24), sautéed veal stuffed with sage, prosciutto and mozzarella and served on linguine with a Marsala-mushroom sauce, and Chicken Cannelloni ($16), chicken and spinachstuffed shells baked with ricotta, Romano and mozzarella cheeses plus a lovely, slowcooked tomato sauce. The lightly breaded veal was thicker than expected but tender and served with a wonderfully creamy, mushroom-forward sauce. I only wish the pasta tasted freshly made. The cannelloni was delightful—delicate tubes of pasta packed with an abundance of spinach, chicken and cheese.
Both entrees included a salad of spring greens and vegetables topped with herby, red wine vinaigrette.
For dessert, we enjoyed the decadent crème caramel ($5.75). The dense custard has more heft than flan, but with a silky smooth finish and soaked in a tawny pool of liquid gold—the perfect bookend to a meal celebrating carbs and dairy.
Location: Aventino’s, 5800 Lovell Ave.
For Info: 817.570.7940
Hours: Mon.-Fri. (Lunch) 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., (Dinner) Mon.Thurs. 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Fri. and Sat. 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
What We Liked: At one point, when our server noticed we were lingering over our salads, she seamlessly returned our entrees to the kitchen rather than piling the plates on the table as so often happens when dining out nowadays.
What We Didn’t: Although the majority of the menu is reasonably priced, some higher dollar items didn’t offer the “bang for the buck” we hoped.
Our Recommendation: The cozy and relaxed dining room is the perfect place to catch up with old friends over a glass of wine, yet is intimate enough for a date night.
Though not as adventurous as some of the city’s newer Italian fare, Aventino’s recipes are solid and pedigreed. The relaxed menu and atmosphere don’t translate into lackadaisical service, however. In fact, from start to finish, we enjoyed impeccable service. I was also struck by the diversity of young and older patrons I saw during my visit. Although tastes change over time, I guess no one tires of a traditional family meal served with care and the warmth of home.
Chicken Cannelloni
Focaccia Mozzarella
Top Dog
After years of yearning to own his own restaurant, Austin Underwood is taking his show on the road selling Austin’s Underdawgs.
| by Jennifer Casseday-Blair |
Austin was born with Down syndrome, and doctors told his parents that he would be limited in what he could do. He has exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations regarding his independence.
I went to Aledo High School with Austin, and we have stayed in touch ever since. My husband and I visit him at
Campisi’s, where he has been the greeter for three years. Austin’s famous banana pudding, which was his grandmother’s recipe, is featured on the Campisi’s menu. He’ll drop everything to get back in the kitchen and make it for you personally.
In high school, he was mainstreamed in several classes and was manager of the basketball team. Austin went on to attend a program for just 70 students at Eastern New Mexico University, where he received a certificate in food service, learned to be a prep chef and ran a stir-fry station.
His passion for cooking is matched by his enthusiasm about his favorite charity, The Each & Everyone Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the lives of people with limited abilities through vocational training and working in society to the maximum extent possible. “There are a lot of kids out there like me that want to have a job and be on their own,” Austin says.
Austin’s focus is never on what limitations he has, but rather on the future and what he can accomplish. That’s why he didn’t hesitate to open his own food truck, Austin’s Underdawgs, earlier this year.
To prepare, Austin spent time in Chicago at Vienna Beef’s Hot Dog University. “Chicago is a really nice place. At Hot Dog University, we learned how to make hot dogs and had to wear gloves and not get them close to the burners,” Austin says.
With the help of his mother, Jan Underwood, the two developed a menu consisting of gourmet offerings such as The Straw Dog (frankfurter topped with Dawg Sauce, bacon and crispy onion
straws), The Italian Dog (tomato meat sauce and mozzarella topping) and the Un-Dawg (a vegetarian offering packed with avocado, tomato, jalapeños, black olives, Sriracha sauce, cilantro and Fritos).
What was the inspiration behind Austin’s Underdawgs? We are trying to raise money for my future, and we wanted to make hot dogs.
What do you serve? For $9, they get a hot dog, a bag of chips, water and dessert. Sodas are $2 more, and we can even do my Famous Banana Pudding for $2 per person.
How can people find out where you are? We only do private parties, but we have a website that shows any events that the people can come to.
What is your favorite part about running the food truck? It’s nice to run a business. It’s fun and I love to meet people. People love buying hot dogs from me. My goal is to one day have my own restaurant. I already have people working for me. It’s pretty easy to run your own food truck once you get used to it. You have to move fast.
In addition to your menu, can you tell me about any other products you sell? We sell mustards and sauces. The Dawg Sauce is the most popular. It is a raspberry chipotle BBQ sauce.
How are you able to balance working at Campisi’s and running the food truck? We start in the mornings, and the trailer is open 11 – 2. Then I go home, get dressed and then get to work on time. I don’t get tired. My mom helps with scheduling.
austinsunderdawgs.com
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fwdish restaurant listings
For more information on area restaurants, go to fwtx com and click on dish
The Listings section is a readers service compiled by the Fort Worth, Texas magazine editorial staff. The magazine does not accept advertising or other compensation in exchange for the listings. Listings are updated regularly. To correct a listing or request a restaurant be considered for the list, contact Kendall Louis at kendall.louis@fwtx.com. pricing: $ - Entrees up to $10, $$ - Entrees $10-$20, $$$ - Entrees $20-$25, $$$$ - Entrees $25 and over
AMERICAN ARLINGTON/MID-CITIES
Babe’s Chicken Dinner House 230 N. Center St., 817.801.0300. Lunch Hours 11am-2pm Mon.Fri.; Dinner Hours 5pm-9pm Mon.-Fri; All Day 11am-9pm Sat. and Sun. $
BJ’s Restaurant And Brewhouse 201 Interstate 20 E., 817.465.5225. 11am-midnight Mon.-Thur.; 11am-1am Fri.; 10am-1am Sat.; 10am-midnight Sun. $-$$
Chef Point Cafe 5901 Watauga Rd., Watauga, 817.656.0080. 11am-9pm Mon.-Thu.; 11am10pm Fri.; 7am-10pm Sat.; 10am-9pm Sun. Breakfast Saturdays. $-$$
Del Frisco's Grille 154 E. 3rd St., 817.887.9900. Lunch 11am-4pm Mon.-Sun.; Dinner - 4pm10pm Sun. and 4pm-11pm Mon.-Sat. $$ Dixie House Cafe 3701 E. Belknap St., 817.222.0883. Other locations: 6200 Calhoun St., 817.451.6180. 5401 S. Hulen St., 817.361.8500. 5401 Blue Mound Rd., 817.625.4115. 6:30am-2pm Mon.-Thu. & Sat.; 6:30am-8:30pm Fri. $ Drew’s Place 5701 Curzon Ave., 817.735.4408. 10:30am-6pm Tue.-Sat.; Closed Sun.-Mon. $-$$
Ellerbe Fine Foods 1501 W. Magnolia Ave., 817.926.3663. Closed Sun.-Mon.; 11am-2pm and 5:30pm-9pm, Tue.-Thu.; 11am-2pm and 5:3010pm, Fri.; 5:30pm-10pm, Sat. $$-$$$
Fred’s Texas Cafe 915 Currie St., 817.332.0083. 10:30am-midnight Tue.-Sat.; 10am-9pm Sun. Closed Mon. 2730 Western Center, 817.232.0111. 10:30am-midnight Tue.-Sat.; 3509 Blue Bonnet Circle, 817.916.4650. 10:30am-2am Mon.-Sun. $$
Little Red Wasp 808 Main St., 817.877.3111. 11am-10pm Mon.-Thurs.; 11am-midnight Fri.; 10am-midnight Sat.; 10am-10pm Sun.; Brunch to 4pm Sat.-Sun. $$-$$$
Pappadeaux 2708 W. Freeway, 817.877.8843. Other location: 1304 E. Copeland Rd., Arlington, 817.543.0544. 11am-10pm Sun.-Thu.; 11am11pm Fri.-Sat. $$
Montgomery Street Café 2000 Montgomery St., 817.731.8033. 6am-2pm Mon.-Sat. $
Old Neighborhood Grill 1633 Park Place Ave., 817.923.2282. 7am-9pm Mon.-Sat. $
Ol’ South Pancake House 1509 S. University Dr., 817.336.0311. Open 24 hours. $
Paris Coffee Shop 704 W. Magnolia, 817.335.2041. 6am-2:30pm Mon.-Fri.; Breakfast Only 6am-11am Sat. $ Park Hill Cafe 2974 Park Hill Dr., 817.921.5660. Lunch 10am-2:30pm, Dinner 6pm-9pm Mon.Fri.; Brunch 10am-1pm Sat.-Sun. $-$$
Chapps 2045 N. Hwy. 360, 817.649.3000. Other locations: 153 Southwest Plaza (1-20 & Little Road), 817.483.8008. 2596 E. Arkansas, 817.460.2097. 11am-9pm daily. $
Chop House Burgers 2230 Park Row Drive, Ste. 116, 817.459.3700. 11am-9pm Mon.-Sat. $
McKinley’s Fine Bakery & Café 1616 S. University Dr. Ste. 301, 817.332.3242. 8am-6:30pm Mon.-Sat.; 11am-5pm Sun. $ Panera Bread 1700 S. University Dr., 817.870.1959. Other location: 1804 Precinct Line
Rd., 817.605.0766. 1409 N. Collins, Arlington, 817.548.8726. 2140 E. Southlake Blvd., Ste. S. 817.416.5566. 4611 S. Hulen St. 817.370.1802. 6:30am-9pm Mon.-Sat.; 7am-8pm Sun. $ Pearl Snap Kolaches 4006 White Settlement Road. 817.233.8899. 6 am-3pm Mon.-Fri., 7 am-1 pm Sat. & Sun. $
Main Street Bistro and Bakery 316 Main St., 817.424.4333. 6:30am-6:30pm Mon.-Wed.; 6:30am-10pm Thu.-Sat.; 6:30pm-5pm Sun. $ The Snooty Pig 4010 William D. Tate, 817.283.3800. 7am-2pm Mon.-Sat.; 8am-2pm Sun. $
Weinburger’s Deli 601 S. Main St., Ste. 100, 817.416.5574. 8:30am-7pm Mon.-Sat.; 11am-3pm Sun. $
La Madeleine 2101 N. Collins St., Arlington, 817.461.3634. 6:30am-10pm daily. Other location: 4201 S Cooper St., Arlington, 817.417.5100. 6:30am-10pm Sun.-Thu.; 6:30am-11pm Fri.-Sat. $
Le Cep 3324 W. 7Th St., 817.900.2468. 5:30Pm10:30Pm Tue.-Sat.; Closed Sun.-Mon. $$$$
FORT WORTH
La Madeleine 6140 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817.654.0471. 6:30am-10pm Sun.-Thu.; 6:30am11pm Fri.-Sat. Other locations: 4626 SW Loop 820. 817.717.5200.; 900 Hwy. 114 W., Grapevine, 817.251.0255. 6:30am-10pm daily $
Chipotle 3050 S. Hulen St., 817.735.8355. Other locations: 3000 W. 7th St., 817.348.8530. 4484 Bryant Irvin Rd., 817.735.4506. 1312 W. Pipeline Rd., 817.595.3875. 3010 E. Southlake Blvd., 817.748.4745. 6370 Camp Bowie Blvd., Ste. 140, 817.840.3904. 11am-10pm daily. $
Dos Gringos 1015 S. University Dr., 817.338.9393. 11am-9pm Mon.-Thu.; 11am-11pm Fri.-Sat.; noon-9pm Sun. $
El Asadero 1535 N. Main St., 817.626.3399. 11am10pm Sun.-Thu.; 11am-midnight Fri.-Sat. $-$$
El Fenix 6391 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817.732.5584. 11am-10pm daily. $
El Rancho Grande 1400 N. Main St., 817.624.9206. 11am-9pm Mon.-Thu.; 11am10pm Fri.-Sat. $-$$
Enchiladas Ole 901 N. Sylvania Ave., 817.984.1360 11am-3pm Mon.-Tues; 11am-9pm, Wed.-Fri.; 10am-9pm Saturday $$ El Rancho Grande 1400 N. Main St., 817.624.9206. 11am-9pm Mon.-Thu.; 11am10pm Fri.-Sat. $-$$
Joe T. Garcia’s 2201 N. Commerce, 817.626.4356. Cash only. 11am-2:30pm, 5pm-10pm Mon.Thu.; 11am-11pm Fri.-Sat.; 11am-10pm Sun. $$ La Familia 841 Foch St., 817.870.2002. 11am10pm Tues.-Fri.; 8am-10pm Sat. Closed Sun.-Mon. $
La Perla Negra 910 Houston St., 817.882.8108. 11am-9pm Mon.-Sun. $$
La Playa Maya 6209 Sunset Dr., 817.738.3329. Other locations: 1540 N. Main St., 817.624.8411. 3200 Hemphill St., 817.924.0698. 11am-10pm Sun.-Thu.; 11am-11pm Fri.-Sat. $
Los Molcajetes 4320 Western Center Blvd., 817.306.9000. 11am-9:30pm Mon.-Thu.; 11am10pm Fri.; 9am-10pm Sat.; 9am-9pm Sun. $ Los Vaqueros 2629 N. Main St., 817.624.1511. Other Location: 3105 Cockrell Ave., 817.710.8828. 11am-9pm Mon.-Thu.; 11 am10pm, Fri.-Sat.; 10:30am-9pm Sun. Other location: Crown Valley Golf Club, 29 Crown Road, Weatherford. 817.441.2300 $ Mambo’s 1010 Houston St. in the Park Central Hotel, 817.336.3124. 11am- 2pm Tues.-Fri.; 4pm10pm Wed.-Sat. $
Mi Cocina 509 Main St., 817.877.3600. Other locations: 4601 W. Freeway (I-30 and Hulen), 817.569.1444. 9369 Rain Lily Trail. 817.750.6426. 11am-10pm Sun.-Thu.; 11am-11pm Fri.-Sat. $ The Original 4713 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817.738.6226. 11am-9pm Sun.-Thu.; 11am-10pm Fri.-Sat.; Breakfast tacos: 6am-10am Mon.-Fri. $ Pappasito’s Cantina 2704 W. Freeway, 817.877.5546. Other location: 321 W. Road to Six Flags, Arlington, 817.795.3535. 11am-10pm Sun.Thu.; 11am-11pm Fri.-Sat. $$ all locations
Pulidos 2900 Pulido St., 817.732.7571. Other location: 5051 Hwy. 377 S., 817.732.7871. 11am9:30pm Mon.-Thu.; 11am-10pm Fri.-Sat. $ Rio Mambo 6125 SW Loop 820, 817.423.3124. 1302 S. Main St., Weatherford. 817.598.5944. 11am-9:30pm Sun.-Thu.; 11am-10:30pm Fri.Sat. $$
Eddie V’s 3100 W. 7th St. 817.336.8000. 4pm-11pm Sun.-Thu.; 4pm-midnight Fri.-Sat. $$$$ J&J Oyster Bar 612 N. University Dr., 817.335.2756. 11am-10pm Sun.-Thu.; 11am-11pm Fri.-Sat. $
Lone Star Oyster Bar 4750 Bryant Irvin Rd., 817.370.0030. 11am-2am Tue.-Sat.; 11am-midnight Sun.-Mon. $
Pacific Table 1600 S. University Drive, 817.887.9995. 11am-10pm Mon.-Fri.; 9am-10pm Sat.; 9am-9pm Sun. $$
Pappadeaux 2708 W. Freeway, 817.877.8843. Other location: 600 W. Hwy 114, Grapevine, 817.488.6220. 11am-10pm Sun.-Thu.; 11am-11pm Fri.-Sat. $$
Razzoo’s 318 Main St. in Sundance Square, 817.429.7009. Other locations: 4700 Bryant Irvin Rd. in Cityview, 817.292.8584. 2950 Texas Sage Trail, 817.750.0011. 11am-11pm Sun.-Thu.; 11am2am Fri.-Sat. $$
Truluck’s Seafood, Steak & Crab House 1420 Plaza Pl., 817.912.0500. 5pm-10pm Sun.Thu.; 5pm-11pm Fri.-Sat. $$$ WILLOW PARK
Fish Creek 4899 E. I-20., 817.441.1746. 11am-9pm Sun.-Thu.; 11am-10pm Fri.; noon-10pm Sat. $$
SOUTHWEST FORT WORTH
Blue Mesa Bar & Grill 1600 S. University Dr., 817.332.6372. Other Location: 550 Lincoln Square, Arlington, 682.323.3050. 11am-10pm Mon.-Thu.; 11am-11pm Fri.-Sat.; 9am-10pm Sun. $$
Old Hickory Steakhouse Restaurant Gaylord Texan Hotel & Convention Center, 1501 Gaylord Trail, 817.778.2215 (after 5pm, 817.778.2280). Nightly, 5:30pm-10pm. $$$$
Chefs
Thursday, September 22 6:30pm
Join lead Chef Molly McCook of Ellerbe Fine Foods and other local area chefs as they prepare their signature
THIS AERIAL SHOT OF SUNDANCE SQUARE PLAZA SHOWS THE SCENE DURING SUMMER MOVIE NIGHT, HOSTED IN THE PLAZA EVERY
WEDNESDAY IN JUNE. One July movie is scheduled this summer on July 7 thanks to rain cancellations. The movie screen sits at the base of The Westbrook. The Westbrook, though it looks historic, was built in 2013. It’s named for The Westbrook Hotel, which once stood in the same location until it was imploded in 1978. It was one of the grandest hotels in Fort Worth when it opened in 1910, and wildcatters and oil tycoons would frequently gather in the lobby during the oil boom.
| Photo by Brian Luenser |
FEELING
Valued
Southlake residents Jon and Michelle Atwood have an affinity for stand-apart, high-quality and unparalleled products. Owner of Atwood Custom Homes, which specializes in building luxury custom homes, Jon was chosen as builder of the 2015 Fort Worth, Texas magazine Dream Home, benefiting a Wish with Wings, as well as recently named D Magazine Best of Builders 2016 and Society Life Tops in Tarrant County 2016. The couple’s appreciation for quality and luxury can also be seen in the choice of their personal automobiles, most recently a 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE450 AMG® Coupe from Park Place Motorcars Grapevine.
The Atwoods have purchased three luxury vehicles over the past five years from the award-winning dealership. It’s not just the incomparable luxury
and impressive performance of MercedesBenz that has earned the couple’s loyalties.
“The customer service is exceptional at Park Place Motorcars Grapevine. Specifically, Tony Bedford has not only product knowledge, but he also genuinely cares about his customers.
He makes us feel valued,” said Michelle, who travels frequently to Dallas at all times of the day and night as an emergency room doctor at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
“We have peace of mind when driving this car, not only for our safety and comfort, but also ease of reaching and interacting with Park Place customer service.”
