The City's Magazine
340 WINNERS! FROM LEGIT DROVERS TO COCKTAIL SLINGERS, ROCK CLIMBERS AND EVERTHING IN BETWEEN
Fort Worth lost one of its biggest fans. The business community lost a longtime leader. And we lost Mrs. Renfro’s youngest son – our father, brother, uncle and granddad.
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Best of 2026
Who’s the best? Fort Worth has spoken. Dozens of categories. Thousands of votes. One definitive guide to the best of Fort Worth.
96 The Year 1936
Perhaps no year was more pivotal to modern Fort Worth than 1936, featuring two events and two vastly different personalities — showman Billy Rose and businessman Marvin Leonard. They each left outsized legacies.
By John Henry
14 City Dweller
The name above the door may soon change, but Dickies’ imprint on Fort Worth will only grow. Stay gold, Ponyboy.
22 Calendar
July arrives hot, loud, and full of possibilities … and things to do.
24 Fort Worthian
Holland Sanders-Lopez: founder and chief bullhorn at HOLLAND Collective
28 State Lines
Seguin, Texas: pop. 38,789. (It’s suh-GEEN. And it’s puh-KAHN. Kapish, Yank?)
32 Cowhand Culture
When James Henry “Son” Thomas brought his Delta Blues to town.
36 The Reverie Staying on Colonial. Amon Carter invited everybody — I mean, everybody — to the 1941 U.S. Open.
110 Dining
As it turns out, Vy Ton’s leap from the oil fields to yakitori wasn’t as far as it seems.
As my colleague, FortWorthMagazineeditor Brian Kendall, and I kicked around the idea for a story about 1936 and its impact on modern Fort Worth, he made a striking observation.
“I don’t think Marvin Leonard gets his due,” he said.
If that’s true, there are reasons, most notably was his more reserved nature. Certainly, more reserved than, say, Amon Carter. Or another guy, Billy Rose, a hired-gun impresario who was here only for a short time to build a centennial celebration in Fort Worth and market it all over the world.
We examine the events of 1936 through the contrasting personalities of Leonard and Rose. That story begins on Page 96.
Many of Leonard’s greatest achievements became so woven into the fabric of Fort Worth that people stopped noticing their origins. Today at 90, Colonial feels like it has always been there. So does Leonard Bros.’ role in making downtown a destination.
When something becomes permanent, the person who created it often fades into the background, though that is far from the case at Colonial, which is undergoing a massive renovation, from the golf course two years ago to the completion of the North Clubhouse opened earlier this year. Maybe last year. The days run together.
The main clubhouse has been gutted for an overhaul. (The original clubhouse burned down in a fire in May 1953.)
“All of those things came about as a result of the strategic plan,” says Frank Cordeiro, COO and GM of Colonial. “And that strategic plan was informed and inspired by the Leonard story.
“Mr. Leonard was a dreamer and a visionary. His story is as a compelling story as I’ve ever heard. He was way ahead of his time,” Cordeiro says.
At the top of the Leonard Brothers creed is “to build a business that will never know completion, but that will progress continually to meet advancing conditions.”
Excellence knows no completion.
“When you think about what’s happened to the game of golf and you think about that Fort Worth is now the 10thlargest city in the country, I think he played a significant role in that whole process and never got credit for it.”
It’s a story that only gets better with time.
Says Cordeiro: “To me, that’s the sign of a true leader. You have impact beyond your time of influence.” Long after.
John Henry FORT WORTH INC. EDITOR
ON THE COVER:
While many places came to mind when trying to think of Fort Worth locations that embody the city’s culture and spirit, we kept circling back to the renowned Stockyards and its twice-daily cattle drive. One could argue the longhorns traveling underneath the sign on East Exchange Avenue is theiconic depiction of Fort Worth. Inspired by vintage national park posters from the midcentury, this illustration by Lauren Deitzer applies that same colorful, painterly quality to our own version of Old Faithful.
owner/publisher hal a. brown president mike waldum
EDITORIAL
executive editor brian kendall fortworthinc. editor john henry associate editor kenzie johnson contributing writers brandi addison. malcolm mayhew, michael h. price, shilo urban copy editor sharon casseday
ART
creative director craig sylva senior art director spray gleaves contributing ad designer jonathon won contributing designer lauren deitzer
ADVERTISING
advertising account supervisors gina burns-wigginton x150 marion c. knight x135
account executive tammy denapoli x141 territory manager, fortworthinc. rita hale x133
account executive patrick mccune x158 senior production manager michelle mcghee x116
MARKETING
director of digital robby kyser
marketing manager corinn crippin events and promotions consultant victoria albrecht
CORPORATE
chief financial officer charles newton operations manager kaitlyn lisenby founding publisher mark hulme
CONTACT US main line 817.560.6111 subscriptions customerservice@fwtexas.com
CORRECTIONS? COMMENTS? CONCERNS?
Send to executive editor Brian Kendall at bkendall@fwtexas.com.
DIGITAL EDITION:
The virtual editions of both current and previous issues are available on our website. Flip through the pages to read more about the great city of Fort Worth by visiting fwtx.com.
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FortWorthMagazine(ISSN 1536-8939) is published monthly by Panther City Media Group, LP, 6777 Camp Bowie Blvd., Suite 130, Fort Worth, TX 76116. Periodicals Postage Paid at Fort Worth, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send change of address notices and undeliverable copies to Panther City Media Group, 6777 Camp Bowie Blvd., Suite 130, Fort Worth, TX 76116. Volume 29, Number 7, July 2026. Basic Subscription price: $29.95 per year. Single copy price: $4.99
FORT WORTHIAN Entrepreneurism was Holland Sanders-Lopez’s only path to professional fulfillment. Her PR firm Holland Collective has been telling good stories for a decade now.
WHAT WE’RE WRITING ABOUT THIS MONTH:
On page 14 A new name will, sooner than later, adorn Dickies Arena. It’s all good. On page 22 July’s calendar. All the things. On page 28 A stopover in Seguin, Texas. On page 32 When cool cat Son Thomas came to town. On page 36 Amon Carter’s guest list for the ’41 U.S. Open was, ahem, a crowd.
by John Henry
The name above the door may soon change, but Dickies’ imprint on Fort Worth — and on one of the nation’s premier entertainment venues — will remain.
It was, coincidentally enough, a year after the fellows Williamson and Dickie began stitching together work clothes
that poet Robert Frost penned “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” his enduring reminder of the fleeting nature of all things.
The poem first appeared in The Yale Review in 1923 before Frost’s prose crept out of the academic bubble and into the mainstream. It hit a chord, of course, with his readers, all of whom not only understood his intent but had lived it undoubtedly.
Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down today. Nothing gold can stay.
So, with this knowledge, we weren’t at all taken aback to hear that the name Dickies Arena was going away. Matt Homan, president of Dickies Arena, said during an interview on KRLD’s CEO Spotlight podcast, that Bluestar Alliance, the parent of Dickies, the workwear manufacturer whose roots run deep in Fort Worth, “does not want to be a part of this arena anymore.”
“Which breaks my heart, to be honest with you, because it was such a perfect fit,” Homan told host David Johnson. The operative word is “was.”
Though the writing has been on the wall since Dickies’ sale and subsequent headquarters shift to California in 2024, announcement of the departure was still a shocker. Dickies became the arena’s sponsor in 2017, over two years before the venue would open its doors. Even when it was nothing more than a few cranes and concrete beams, like giving a baby bump a name, we called it Dickies Arena. And few organizations can claim a footprint as deep or enduring in Fort Worth’s civic life than the famous manufacturer of no-nonsense, blue-collar garments, which made its association as the arena’s naming rights partner a perfect fit.
“Dickies for so many years and so many reasons made sense for what it meant to the citizens of Fort Worth
and the community,” Homan said.
Trail Drive Management, the company that oversees Dickies and Homan heads, later told the StarTelegram that Bluestar Alliance and VF Corp had fallen behind on payments. Trail Drive also expressed gratitude to Phillip Williamson, the Williamson family, and the Williamson-Dickie corporation for “seeing our vision and potential nine years ago. We were a perfect match that shared our wonderful city’s Cowboy Culture together.”
The arena soon to be formerly known as Dickies is expected to have plenty of suitors and for good reason. Based on gross revenue, Dickies Arena ranked No. 1 in North America and No. 5 worldwide among venues with capacities between 10,001 and 15,000, according to Billboard Magazine’s 2026 Midyear Boxscore Chart, which covered the period from Oct. 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026. The Fort Worth venue’s ranking was bolstered by a string of sold-out performances from artists including Keith Urban, The Lumineers, Alejandro Fernández, Playboi Carti, the Jonas Brothers, Brandy & Monica, Rod Wave, Treaty Oak Revival, Pentatonix, Parker McCollum, Eric Church, Lady Gaga, Conan Gray, and The Neighbourhood. The arena will also host the men’s NCAA Tournament first and second rounds next year.
Those of us of a certain age were introduced to “Nothing Gold Can Stay” in S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, adapted into film in 1983. The sooner one learns, the better.
The arena will be fine. Its future still shines like a freshly polished button on a pair of Dickies overalls. A venue ranked No. 1 in North America doesn’t stay single for long. You gotta be a risk-taker to fall in love, but there was only one Dickies. The name above the door may soon change, yet its place in Fort Worth’s story is safe.
Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.
by Brian Kendall
Gone are the days of arenas, bowl games, golf tourneys, and amphitheaters carrying names unassociated with corporate brands. We’re unlikely to ever see another Alamo Dome or Bluebonnet Bowl in our lifetimes — I’m half-shocked they haven’t gotten their hooks in Cowtown Coliseum. So, when it comes to the renaming of Dickies Arena, options are limited to corporations willing to fork over some dough.
But to make a future moniker more palatable and acceptable, the arena’s new sponsor should be a brand Fort Worthians cherish as something representative of their community and distinct identity. A rebranding to Ace Cash Express Arena or Big Lots Stadium, as examples, are unlikely to cut the mustard. In fact, local Cowtown businesses and residents have already thrown their hats and ideas into the ring, sharing plenty of hilarious and, at times, intriguing photoshopped and AI-generated memes of a sponsorship overhaul (Dusty Biscuit Beignet’s Sugar Bread Arena might take the cake). But one rather serious idea did manage to pop
up in our social feeds that, the more we think about it, the more we love it. The catalyst was a Facebook post by Karen Miller Abrams, who suggested Taylor Sheridan’s Four Sixes Ranch scoop up those arena naming rights. “As of now, most of us are familiar with the upcoming change, where Dickies will possibly be replaced by a new corporate name,” Abrams wrote in a caption above a mock-up of a Four Sixes-branded arena. “In my opinion, a partnership with Taylor Sheridan’s [Four Sixes Ranch] would be a perfect match for this arena.”
While the historic Four Sixes Ranch technically resides a few hours west of Fort Worth in the town of Guthrie — making the Cowtown connection a little less direct than Dickies — few major cities are as tied to a ranch of such significance than that of Fort Worth to the Four Sixes. If a city could bestow honorary residency to a ranch, Cowtown has a solid case to call the Four Sixes an adopted Fort Worthian.
Concerning its Cowtown credentials, there’s the obvious Taylor
Sheridan connection. The ranch’s current owner, Sheridan, purchased the 143,000-acre plot of rolling plains in early 2022 for an undisclosed amount and is, one could argue, his generation’s most significant and influential Fort Worthian. Graduating from Paschal High School and currently residing in Weatherford, the famous “Yellowstone” and “Landman” showrunner has been instrumental in making Fort Worth a hub of film and television productions. And his purchase and renovation of Cattlemen’s Steakhouse showcases his desire to preserve and improve iconic Fort Worth landmarks.
A sense of nostalgia and dedication to his hometown also influenced his 2022 acquisition of the Four Sixes Ranch.
Prior to Sheridan, the Fort Worthbased Burnett family owned and operated the Four Sixes Ranch since 1900, when family patriarch Samuel Burk Burnett — perhaps his own generation’s most influential Fort Worthian — bought the land, which was then known as 8 Ranch. We assume Mr. Burnett’s influential status and contributions to the city of Fort Worth don’t require retreading — if so, just know the tallest building in the city is named after him.
Following the death of Burnett’s great-granddaughter, Anne Windfohr Marion, a group represented by Sheridan bought the ranch for an undisclosed amount. Today, the Four Sixes brand has diversified and slapped its iconic 6666 logo on a bevy of products that go well beyond beef and horses.
Though he’s a writer, director, producer, and occasional star of some of the most-watched content in the U.S., Sheridan’s also one heck of a savvy businessman. So, if he were to slap his beloved brand on his hometown’s hub of entertainment, it’s likely to send his local clout to levels not seen since Mr. Walt Disney called Anaheim home.
A rooster that took up residence next to a Camp Bowie dive bar gets the boot, but his legacy now has a permanent home.
by John Henry
Congregants gathered on the evening of June 11 at Oscar’s Pub to bid adieu to an adored itinerant wanderer and refugee who had taken up residence there.
Rusty, a rooster who made the parking lot at 6323 Camp Bowie his temporary home the past four weeks or so, had received an eviction notice a week to 10 days ago and told to leave the property. Where he came from is a mystery. I suppose it’s possible he fell out of Noah’s boat and rode in on the wave of flood waters a few weeks back. Whatever the case, he simply showed up one day, not unlike many a nonregular who drifts in off the street in need of a little therapy. If we’re being completely honest, Rusty was likely dropped off by someone tired of his crochety demeanor and bad table manners.
“We loved Rusty,” says pub owner Robbie Turman. “He had become one of us.”
Well, sort of. Though Rusty never
made mention of being part of the Anti-Saloon League and, despite often jousting with regulars, had no interest in coming into the bar. Instead, he lived a spartan lifestyle in nearby bushes, and true to the DNA of his wild ancestors — and feeding schedule — he made appearances at dawn and dusk, when he roosted and hit the sack after another long day.
Mr. Turman, not so much an animal rights activist as a marketing opportunist, welcomed Rusty right into the family with a warm embrace. Inventive beer koozies with the inscription “Camp Bowie Cock” and, in less descript lettering, “a-doodle-doo” soon arrived.
“Shirts should be here next week,” Turman tells me enthusiastically.
Rusty’s demise at 6323 was as sudden as the snap of his neck. Turman received a call from the landlord. The fun police — always nearby and at the ready to suck joy out of any room — wanted Rusty’s head, the landlord said. Another tenant had complained about him, concerned, they said, about the safety of their customers.
Rusty, who had no known background of violence, was cooked. He had to find a new home. His supporters came out in droves on the socials.
“Free Rusty from fascism,” the protesters raged.
Rusty didn’t leave in a hearse. It was in a cage in the back of a truck. Turman found someone who raises chickens, and Rusty will live on with a harem — happily ever after, no doubt, in a more natural habitat.
Though he was supposed to leave Thursday night, Rusty received a one-night reprieve thanks his new caretaker forgetting to put the appointment on her Outlook calendar. Or something like that.
A memorial now sits outside Oscar’s, marking Rusty’s brief life at Oscar’s and enduring place in the lore of the neighborhood bar.
“I’ve got this huge blowup rooster coming,” Turman told me last week. “I can’t wait.”
WE COMPOUND:
» Weight Loss Injections
» Ophthalmic Sterile Solutions
» Hormone Replacement Therapies
» Pediatric Medications
» Dermatological Preparations
» ED And Women’s Health Treatments
» Veterinary Medications
by John Henry
A $10 million gift from The Roach Foundation will fund a multidisciplinary research center focused on performance, safety and recovery across sports, military, and industry settings.
During an assembly at the Legends Club at Amon G. Carter Stadium, TCU announced an interdisciplinary institute, dubbed the Roach Institute for Athletic Engineering, dedicated to advancing human performance research and invention.
Established with a $10 million grant made by The Roach Foundation of Fort Worth, university stakeholders said the institute will lead research and technology development efforts while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration to improve performance, readiness, and safety in a wide range of complex operating environments, including sports.
Although the discipline originated in sports performance, athlete engineering also focuses on “tactical athletes,” such as military personnel and first responders, along with workers in physically demanding industries ranging from manufacturing and construction to transportation and logistics.
“The Roach family impact expands decades across our storied past and today will continue to propel us across our future,” TCU Chancellor Daniel Pullin said. “The creation of the Roach Institute of Athlete Engineering positions TCU on the cutting edge of what human performance research can mean to produce the outcomes that will deeply benefit not just our student-athletes, but others in roles that span far beyond the university.”
The announcement was made in conjunction with the Global Human Performance Forum at TCU.
Reuben Burch, who became TCU’s vice provost for research in 2025, is the founder of the discipline. Before arriving at TCU, Burch was the executive
director and founder of the Athlete Engineering Institute at Mississippi State University.
With close ties between athletics and academics, a growing research portfolio, a presence in one of the nation’s top sports markets, and a strong commitment to student success, TCU is positioning itself as a national hub for the discipline.
“Most universities have athletics, and many universities have research, but few intentionally bring those worlds together,” said Burch, who brought along colleagues from Mississippi State to lead the institute. “TCU is uniquely positioned to lead athlete engineering because we view athletes as people, first, and believe the lessons we learn through research can improve lives far beyond the playing field.
“The Roach Institute of Athlete Engineering gives us a platform to build partnerships, develop future scholars, and create solutions that help people perform, recover, and thrive.”
The Roach family, including Amy Roach Bailey, a TCU alum and trustee, and chair of the board’s Academic Affairs Committee, said the foundation’s investment in the Roach Institute will help advance the university’s strategic goals in both academics and athletics.
“TCU’s interdisciplinary approach across academics and athletics, delivered in a values-based environment, has been an inspiration for our family for more than six decades,” Bailey said. “We have seen firsthand that higher education is transformational, and we are blessed to be able to continue investing in the future of TCU and in the future of TCU students.”
A smattering of things you might’ve missed
1. Breaking the Deadlockheed: Following months of negotiations, union workers and Lockheed Martin came to terms on a new contract that will dodge picket lines — and a halt to the production of new F-35s (breathe easy, military) — through 2031. The new contract includes a 6% wage increase and a $6,000 ratification bonus for employees.
2. Orange We Lucky: Tarrant County got its first fill of intense international athletics when a sea of Dutch fans — all clad in the Netherlands’ traditional orange — converged on AT&T Stadium to partake in some pre-match chants before their game against Japan, which wound up in a tie. Arlington will see eight more matches of similar intensity, including a semifinal on July 14.
3. Big in France: While we suspect many Fort Worthians equate the Cannes Film Festival with pretentious flicks and self-important celebrities, Cowtown did happen to take home a prize at this year’s festival for “Emerging Location,” which is awarded to a film commission that sees an increase in productions through incentives and improved infrastructure — among other things.
4. In Care(less) and Custody: Just when Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn and the jail he oversees became refreshingly absent from the news, local media reported two deaths in the Tarrant County Jail in as many days, both of which the result of medical emergencies. The jail has seen a sharp decline in inmate deaths following operational improvements, with last year seeing its lowest total since 2019.
5. Beaver Fever: Trinity Metro’s temporary public transportation plan for the World Cup includes a premium coach service to shuttle out-of-town visitors to some of the area’s most popular destinations, with one route offering service to none other than Buc-ee’s.
6. One in a Mill: The Welman Project, a nonprofit that provides support and supplies for over 6,000 local teachers, upgraded its digs from a small West Vickery space to the long-vacant Kimbell Milling Company Building off South Main. The space was previously set for demolition before local developer Bruce Conti purchased the historic structure in 2024.
7. Winner Winner $20,000 Richer: Fort Worth musician Matthew McNeal took home top honors at the inaugural Jambaloo Music Prize showcase, which took place at Dallas’ Longhorn Ballroom on June 6 and featured a performance by Marc Rebillet. The prize includes a handsome trophy, a studio recording session with Grammy winner Tre Nagella, and a $20,000 check.
8.Koe Real: Speaking of music, Koe Wetzel, the Weatherford-based country crooner who’s hardly ever up to any good, kicked off a partnership with Rock & Roll Denim for a summer line of clothing that bears his name. The duds are about what you’d expect: pearl snaps, trucker hats, and some camo tees — Fort Worth should love it.
‘Lucky Strike’
The Modern continues its Magnolia at the Modern film series with “Lucky Strike,” a riveting new World War II film based on the true story of a U.S. soldier, played by Scott Eastwood (yep, Clint’s kid), trying to make it back to his unit during one of the war’s bloodiest battles.
The Modern themodern.org
Fort Worth’s Fourth
At Panther Island is where you’ll find us lifting our gaze — as well as our festival beer, turkey legs, and corndogs — to fireworks illuminating the city’s skyline in honor of America’s 250th.
Panther Island Pavilion fortworthsfourth.com
10
Dude Perfect: Squad Games Tour 2026
The popular YouTube group is bringing their trick-shot skills to Dickies Arena, where you’ll witness playground-style athletes competing in the most audacious form of H-O-R-S-E you’ve ever seen.
Dickies Arena dickiesarena.com
The Tony Award, Grammy Award, and Pulitzer Prize–winning Broadway production about the life and revolutionary times of Mr. Ten-Dollar-Bill returns to Bass Hall for a limited summer run. Bass Performance Hall basshall.com
17
Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters
Visiting the honky-tonk that coincidentally bears his name is the star of the Cowtown-based “Landman,” who’s been crooning ’60s-inspired tunes with the Boxmasters for nearly 20 years. Billy Bob’s Texas billybobstexas.com
22-Aug. 16
‘The Shark Is Broken’ Ever wondered what it’s like to be on the set of a Steven Spielberg flick? This comedy spotlights the notorious behind-thescenes technical hiccups on the set of “Jaws,” whose mechanical shark struggled to stay afloat. Amphibian Stage amphibianstage.com
24
July 30 – August 2
Shane McAnally
Keith Anderson
The Mineral Wells singersongwriter, who has his name tied to 50-plus chart-topping country tunes and the Broadway playbill of “Shucked,” now tries his hand at stand-up comedy.
Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall tannahills.com
One might know Keith Anderson’s nostalgic voice from the song “Pickin’ Wildflowers,” which climbed the country charts in 2005. While somewhat quiet since, he’s maintained a devoted fanbase. Tulips FTW tulipsftw.com
25
Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band
Jimmy Buffett’s longtime backing band, led by 10-time CMA winner Mac McAnally, brings the “Margaritaville” crooner’s biggest hits to Dickies Arena, when it’s sure to be “Five O’Clock Somewhere.” Dickies Arena dickiesarena.com
‘Rent: School Edition’
Emerging student performers take the stage at Casa Mañana for a production of “Rent,” a musical that follows a ragtag group of young
By
Holland Sanders-Lopez has built a career out of listening closely to what people say — and what they don’t.
It’s a skill that has taken her from agency boardrooms to opera stages, from early mornings parsing client notes to strategy sessions where she maps out how a brand should sound before a single word is written. These days, it follows her beyond Texas into another rhythm in Mexico where she spends part of the year with her husband.
That started, she says, almost by accident — a long stay in Mexico City in 2022 that turned into something lasting. Now it’s a second home that feels less like a retreat and more like an extension of her life.
But Fort Worth is still the foundation.
Sanders grew up between Dallas, Missouri, and Arlington, eventually landing in North Texas for college at UTA. After graduation, she stepped into local advertising where she learned the world of tight deadlines, constant pivots, and the pressure of making ideas land quickly.
“I was just trying to figure it all out,” Sanders-Lopez says. “You learn fast in that kind of environment.”
Her path shifted again when she joined Fort Worth Opera. What began as a marketing role grew into a leadership position that would define an early chapter of her career. By her early 30s, she became the youngest director in the organization’s history.
The work was expansive and included world premieres, major press pushes, and campaigns that reached national headlines. For her, it was the first time she saw how storytelling, when fully built out, could shape perception far beyond city limits.
But it also clarified something else.
“I learned a lot about the kind of leadership I wanted to be around,” Sanders-Lopez says, “and the kind I didn’t.”
In 2016, she left to start her own firm, Holland Collective. The decision wasn’t sudden, but the result of a slow build. She was the first person in
her family to graduate from college. Her father was a plumber; her mother worked a mix of smaller jobs and time at home. Success, she says, was never something handed down — it was something she had to define in real time.
What had begun as a stable career path started to feel misaligned, not in a single moment, but in a gradual clarity that became harder to ignore.
“I realized that if I continued to be under other people’s companies, I was going to have to continue to modify, essentially chameleon myself into other people’s idea of what success looked like and what work looked like,” Sanders-Lopez says.
Starting her own business wasn’t just a career move, it was about preserving ownership of the work she had spent years building. And what came next at Holland Collective was grounded in a simple principle: people first.
“We really believe every person has inherent value,” she says. “And that they deserve representation and the ability to tell their story in a meaningful way. Sometimes there’s a gap, and we spend a lot of time figuring out what that gap is.”
That philosophy now guides Holland Collective, a small team that operates more like a creative circle than a traditional agency. Her motto — “I only work with family or people who feel like family” — shows up on both sides each day.
Clients come in with stories that feel unfinished, and Sanders meets them there, helping them share what they already sense but haven’t yet found language for. When they bring something vulnerable, as if it’s something meant to be spoken softly, not ignored.
For Sanders, it doesn’t matter if they’re big or small, each client is held with a kind of attention that makes them feel like the only one. And the approach is always the same: just listen.
“People already have the story,” she says. “You just have to help them see it.”
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by Shilo Urban
Population: 38,789
You pronounce Seguin like “suhGEEN” — and you pronounce pecan like “puh-KAHN,” as they well know in Seguin, the Pecan Capital of Texas. Not to be confused with the Pecan Capital of the World (that would be San Saba, Texas), Seguin is situated 30 miles east of San Antonio along the Guadalupe River. It is indeed one of the top pecan-producing regions in the state, but more than that, Seguin is home to
the World’s Largest Pecan — three of them, all somehow sharing the title.
The first (and most photogenic) World’s Largest Pecan is proudly displayed in front of the Guadalupe County Courthouse. Built in 1962 out of concrete, it weighs 1,000 pounds and measures 5 feet long.
The second World’s Largest Pecan was built in 2022 by local John Pape, who mounted his 11-foot-long nut
onto a trailer for easy mobility (holiday parades and the like). It lived for many years at the Pape Pecan House shop until the business closed its doors in 2023. The nut is now unaccounted for, although it’s most likely parked somewhere at Pape’s Farm. You don’t just lose an 11-foot nut.
The third World’s Largest Pecan, which is the only one that’s not fudging its moniker, is made of fiberglass and measures 16 feet by 8 feet. You can gaze upon its majesty at the Texas Agricultural Education & Heritage Center, a hands-on museum farm with real crops and barnyard animals, vintage farming equipment, and a village of historic frontier buildings.
History runs deep in these parts. Established in 1838, less than two years after the Texas Revolution, Seguin is one of the oldest towns in Texas. It began life as a basecamp for Texas Rangers on patrol and was named after Juan Seguín, a Tejano and military leader who played a key role in the fight for Texas independence. Many of the massive pecan trees and live oaks that line the waterways in Seguin would have been standing during the Revolutionary era, silent witnesses to the birth of Texas.
Today they shade the town with their dense canopies, from residential yards to public parks. One of the most picturesque is Walnut Springs Park, a series of bridges and walk-
ways below street level that follow a spring-fed branch of the Guadalupe River. If it feels a bit familiar, that’s because it was designed by Robert H. H. Hugman, the architect of the San Antonio River Walk.
Peaceful green spaces abound in Seguin, including a tidy green plaza in front of the courthouse. Covering the entire block, it centers on a 1930s art deco fountain with color-changing lights at night. An old-timey bandstand and bronze sculpture of Juan Seguín add to the small-town charm, as do the historic brick-fronted buildings that line the nearby streets. With the scenic Guadalupe River flowing through Seguin — and all those gorgeous pecan trees — this might just be the prettiest little town in Texas.
Savor: If you don’t mind waiting (an hour if you’re lucky, half a day if you’re not), Burnt Bean Co. has nods from James Beard and Michelin and is considered by some to be the best barbecue in Texas. Brisket, duck carnitas, and mac and cheese are musts. You’ll find fantastic fusion tacos behind an unmissable pink house at Guero’s Backyard, such as its bestselling Marissa taco with seared ahi tuna, grapefruit, and Gorgonzola. For a dramatic setting atop the Guadalupe River (and a lively weekend scene), Powerplant Texas Grill is the go-to. Perched on the 1890 Saffold Dam, it’s situated inside a historic power plant and features a huge patio overlooking the water. In need of a sugar rush? Sweet Treats bakery has creative cupcakes like berry pistachio and bananas Foster — and a drivethrough.
Shop: Load up on local nuts straight from the source at 38 Pecans, a family orchard that’s been around since 1950. You can also buy plenty of nutty treats at Gift & Gourmet, from spiced pecan mixes to chocolate pecan fudge. Guadalupe Trading Co. is a fun stop, with oddball souvenirs like pecan earrings and car air fresheners showcasing Seguin’s World’s Largest Pecan (the first one). Peruse the shelves at Pecantown Books & Brews and pick up a juicy read before grabbing a craft beer or glass of wine. And you might not expect to discover the largest distributor of Polish pottery on the planet in a small Texas town, but you will — at Polmedia Polish Pottery, a 12,000-square-foot warehouse filled with handmade stoneware bearing beautiful folk designs.
Enjoy: Seguin has some interesting wineries and breweries — and there’s even a meadery, Texas Mead Works, which turns pure Texas honey into the Viking brew. Sip tempranillo in a century-old barn at Windmill Farm Winery or head out to laid-back BS Brewing for a family-friendly oasis with lawn games and music nights. You may also want to check out the Seguin Schoolyard. Shops and eateries fill the classrooms of the former school, and there’s a shaded outdoor beer garden and a stage for live entertainment. Cool off in the
summer at the 15,000-gallon wave pool at Max Starcke Park or grab your inner tube and float the Guadalupe River, an iconic Texas experience.
Snooze: Seguin’s short-term rental game is fairly strong, including several riverfront houses with perks like firepits, paddle boards, and private docks. You’ll find downtown condos and updated cottages, plus charming Victorian retreats — like the Weinert House, with an outdoor pool and game room. History buffs and those with a dark sensibility may want to book the five-room suite (aka the entire second floor) at the Magnolia Hotel. Reputedly a paranormal hotspot, the limecrete hotel was built in 1850 and featured a saloon, brothel, and stagecoach stop. They also offer ghost tours.
How to Get There: Drive south on Interstate 35 toward Austin. Just before you reach Georgetown, take Exit 265 for TX-130 S (the loop around Austin). Stay on TX-130 S for about 85 miles, then take Exit 596 for US-90 toward Seguin. Turn right onto US-90, which will lead you right into Seguin. The entire 250-mile trip takes about five hours with stops.
by Michael H. Price
Following in Robert Johnson’s footsteps, famed blues guitarist James Henry “Son” Thomas found Texas an ideal place to put his tunes to wax.
Ahistoric selection of blues in a purebred Mississippi Delta style — the Robert Johnson recordings of the 1930s, that is — actually owes its existence to Texas: The inventive guitarist found himself imported to Dallas and San Antonio for extensive sessions that would become benchmarks of the
evolution of the blues.
The pattern of Delta-gone-Texan blues repeated itself in 1981 when Fort Worth welcomed Mississippian James Henry “Son” Thomas for two energetic sessions with producer D.M. “Slim” Richey’s Ridge Runner Records. Richey’s greater identification lay
with a more countrified idiom called Bluegrass. Thomas appeared on Richey’s subsidiary label, Flying High Records, lest anyone confuse Delta blues with Bluegrass.
Slim and I managed a jazz-trio sideline. Richey offered me an assistant producer credential for helping with the Son Thomas sessions. Thomas’ act needed little production, what with its wealth of traditional/original compositions and ad-lib monologues.
A laboring life had left Thomas prematurely aged at 55, though bolstered by music. His presence called to mind a poem by the artist-novelist Justin Green: “Footloose and free I sowed my oats / With demon music in my ears / But now I strain to hear those notes / Since age’s static inteferes.” Thomas gave the static of encroaching age a run for its money.
Thomas had forsaken the harmonica as an expressive outlet, he explained, “’cause my wind gave out on me.” Thomas developed a shortness of breath in just the walk, lugging a guitar case and a small amplifier from a patron’s automobile into The HOP, a nightclub situated near Texas Christian University. Here, Richey and I recorded much of Thomas’ album, Son: Down on the Delta; we completed the selections at Daddio’s, Nick Kithas’ jazz club in downtown Fort Worth.
Thomas remained an emphatic singer, with a range spanning from a rye-whiskey baritone to an anxious falsetto. His flailing guitar style combined a headlong rhythmic thrust with a simultaneous control of highnote fingerings.
Thomas would blend distinctive elements with evocations of the likes of Chicagoans Robert Nighthawk and Jimmy Rogers; Texan Mance Lipscomb (Thomas’ bottleneck-guitar playing recalled Lipscomb’s use of a knife to slide along the strings); Robert Johnson; and John Lee Hooker. Thomas’ droll transitional monologues fit seamlessly. He combined a playful outlook with a determined if weary maturity of presentation.
Born on Oct. 14, 1926, at Eden, Mississippi, Thomas was reared in the hard life of growing cotton.
“Once,” he said, “just once, I cleared $300 on 28 bales of cotton, and that was the only time I ever made money at it.”
Thomas spent several years as a gravedigger, developing a patch of gristle on one palm from wielding a shovel. Thomas had found it necessary to alter his fingering style to accommodate the removal of overgrown flesh.
Thomas ascribed his musical breakout to Dr. William Ferris, of the University of Mississippi, and to an Arlington-based businessman, Neil Gibson, who connected Thomas with Slim Richey’s company. Thomas also visited Europe with an American Folk Blues Festival Tour, via the U.S. State Department.
Son Thomas — the nickname came from a grandmother — was raised among his mother’s people. An uncle provided the musical exposure.
“My uncle didn’t allow nobody to play his guitar,” Thomas told Slim and me. “But he’d let me play it — if I’d pay him a dollar.” The uncle painted “marks onto the guitar,” Thomas explained, “that showed me where to put my fingers.”
“I’ve always listened to the guitar,”
he would tell an audience, introducing his substantially original reworking of a blues-into-country standard, “Steel Guitar Rag.” (The melody had originated in 1927 with a Black blues artist, Sylvester Weaver.) Then, Thomas would add: “All the white people had all the steel slides, and we had to use bottlenecks.”
Thomas also sculpted in clay. Once, as a sculptor, he said, “I came near scarin’ the life out of my granddaddy, who was the most hooperstutious man you ever did see.” (That term is Thomas’ unique pronunciation of “superstitious.”)
“Y’see, I took me some old river-bottom clay, shaped a skull — gave it a mouthful of awful teeth, out of corn kernels, and set it up where my ol’ granddaddy couldn’t miss seein’ it... Once he’d recovered from that fright, he blamed-near whaled the tar out of me. But that whuppin’ was nothin’ against the scare that my granddaddy had got.”
Thomas’ wider recognition as a guitarist paralleled his discovery as a visual artist, including a 1981 showcase at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. None of this recognition ever made Thomas much money, of course. The monetization of Black artistry seldom trickles down to the Black originators.
Son Thomas’ first guitar came for $8 from the Sears, Roebuck Catalogue, decorated with a replica of the signature of Hollywood cowboy Gene Autry. Thomas’ instrument of preference in 1981 was a hollow-bodied Yamaha. He amplified it with a holemounted pickup, running through a small Peavey amplifier. The tonal range suited Thomas’ penchant for rocking between traditional Mississippian introspection and a more rambunctious approach.
Thomas’ stylistic integrity was bound up with the idea of “takin’ what you like and makin’ it your own” — blending influences “and puttin’ a different sound to it,” as he
said, “the way that boy Elvis Presley did with Big Boy Crudup’s songs.”
Soon after the Fort Worth sessions, Nancy Davis Reagan posed for a photograph with Thomas at the Corcoran Gallery exhibit. He obtained a print to display in his shotgun-shack home in Leland, Mississippi — an unwitting illustration of Trickle-Down Celebrity.
That First Lady encounter, followed by Son’s appearance at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Festival in Washington, led to an invitation to appear at the White House and later to perform at a Republican Party event in Mississippi, with Ronald Reagan as the keynoter. Son Thomas’ reward for this assignment was a $100 check.
Then 1981 turned dangerous: That autumn, Thomas suffered a gunshot wound in an altercation with a former wife.
“She was drunk — and she’d had her a stroke on top of that,” Thomas explained, all but apologizing for his assailant. “All it did was to leave me stoved-up for a while.”
But Thomas also remained bothered with back pains and emphysema. In 1991, he underwent surgery for the removal of a brain tumor. Then he resumed performing. In May of 1993, a stroke left Thomas susceptible to a fatal heart attack at age 66.
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by John Henry
Mere months before Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt received on what might have been considered an urgent matter in Fort Worth.
“We realize the difficulties confronting the country in connection with national defense at this time,” Amon Carter wrote to the president. “However, Fort Worth was selected last year to host the National Open, and the [Fort Worth Golf Association] committee [tasked with putting on the event] feels they should proceed with business as usual. Therefore, on behalf of the Association, I take pleasure in extending to you a cordial invitation.”
Only five years after Colonial Country Club was founded, it was hosting the U.S. Open golf championship.
That’s what you call a fast riser.
When the U.S. Open convened at Colonial in June, it marked the first time the Open was held in the South, and it, of course, ultimately gave birth to one of the PGA’s longest-running events — the Colonial National Invitation, which has evolved into the Charles Schwab Challenge.
The course designed by John Bredemus received its first real test that year. The three holes redesigned by Perry Maxwell especially for the Open (Nos. 3, 4, and 5) soon became known as the “Horrible Horseshoe.”
Craig Wood, snakebit coming into 1941 at age 39, had finally broken through with a win at the Masters in the spring.
“I believe I will win the National Open at 39,” he said confidently to reporters. “And then let’s get rid
of this nonsense about my being 39. Why shouldn’t a man win golf tournaments when he’s 39? What is a round of golf, after all, but several miles of walking through pleasant surroundings and about 70, more or less, swings at a ball, no one of them too strenuous for a man of 65 and spaced far enough apart so that even he wouldn’t get tired?”
Moreover, Mr. Wood, full of hot sports opinions, said there’s another thing: “This probably will sound like rank heresy and a betrayal of my craft, but actually I think the National Open is one of the easiest of all golf tournaments to win.”
Pfft. If he couldn’t do that much at 39, “hale and hearty and in condition, then I might as well quit right now and look for another line of work.”
He also said a 283 would win the tournament. Wood shot 284 over four rounds to win, three strokes better than Denny Shute, shooting a 4-over par over four rounds. Ben Hogan finished third.
Nifty.
Well, anyway, Amon Carter was put in charge of promoting it, and everybody, literally everybody, was invited.
This was the guy who, when asked to help with this ambitious goal to bring this Holy Grail of golf to Fort Worth, responded, “What the tarnation is the U.S. Open?”
Though golf was Greek to him, publicity and energy were his games, and he was a scratch player.
“I have received a copy of the official program of the 45th Open Championship of the United States
Golf Association at Colonial Country Club and also the medal commemorating the occasion which was engraved to me personally,” FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover wrote Carter. “You may be sure that I deeply appreciate your thoughtfulness in sending these to me.”
Carter’s guest list, found among his papers at the TCU library, included Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, and, yes, FDR, who had bigger things to attend to as the world was coming apart at the seams. Henry Stimson, the secretary of defense or war, or some such, was also on the list.
Wrote Carter to FDR: “We do want you to know that we will be tickled to death to have you with us as we expect to put the big pot in the little one and see that all of our visitors not only have the opportunity to attend an interesting tournament, see the best golfers in the country play, but in addition are provided with the usual Texas hospitality.”
The tournament, Carter declared, would be done “bigger and better than it’s ever been done.”
That hospitality featured a barbecue for 500 golfers and guests at Carter’s Shady Oak ranch. It set the record for bigness, one wrote, “by having 16 men in the quartet,” which entertained during dinner.
When it rained during one round, Carter fingered his notorious bogeyman as the culprit, blaming Dallas.
As expected, the president was indeed a no-show.
Bobby Jones, the Southern gentleman golfer from Georgia, was there. So was Grantland Rice.
“Everything seems much too quiet at home after our experience with your wonderful Texas hospitality. It is quite a strain to find myself back where I have to look after my own entertainment.
“Now that you know how to run a golf tournament, I think you should try playing the game.”
Signed, “Bob Jones.”
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You’re about to thumb through the ultimate guide to must-dos, must-sees, musteats, and must-drinks in the biggest must-visit city in Texas. And, as always, you’ll find a lot of surprises tucked in the mix. Whether you’re feeling sushi on a rooftop or calf fries in the Cultural District, these 340 winners — as chosen by our loyal readers and highly opinionated editors — do a damn fine job of representing the best of “Where the West Begins.” Enjoy.
Ozzi’s Pizza
Best Pizza, Editor Pick
It takes a lot to stand out in Fort Worth’s increasingly crowded pizza scene; Ozzi’s Pizza has done it in less than a year. Since opening in southwest Fort Worth in late 2025, chef-owner Asdren “Ozzi” Azemi and biz partner Bradford Thompson’s tiny takeout shop has developed a devoted following for New York-style slices and pies. The secret to Ozzi’s success starts with the dough. Azemi says he spent more than a year refining his recipe, using a highly hydrated dough that ferments for three days before it ever reaches the oven. The result is a crust that’s crisp yet pliable, sturdy enough to support generous toppings while delivering the subtle tang and depth that great pizza lovers chase. A Fort Worth native with deep roots in the city’s restaurant scene, Azemi learned the business at Ruffino’s, a popular Italian restaurant he helped manage with his father Franco Albanese and uncle Bobby Albanese, before setting off to New York to train and work in some of the city’s kitchens and pizzerias. He brought that experience home, channeling it into his own pizzas, which come topped with ingredients such as cup-and-char pepperoni, soppressata, and creamed spinach. In a jampacked pizza scene, this tiny spot has quickly gone from newcomer to destination. 6249 Altamesa Blvd. ozzispizza.com
Best Steakhouse, Editor Pick
If you’d asked us a couple years ago to name our favorite steakhouse, Cattlemen’s definitely would not have been part of the conversation. Long ago, the Stockyards restaurant just seemed to lose its way. But television and film titan — and huge Fort Worth supporter — Taylor Sheridan helped rescue the landmark, orchestrating a resurrection that paired Cattlemen’s long history with a renewed commitment to quality. The turnaround began with Sheridan’s new ownership group and the arrival of chef Theodore Tom, who edited the sprawling menu into a simple two-pager that now has a clear focus. The dining room remains largely unchanged, as it should, retaining the Western character and old-school charm that have made Cattlemen’s a Stockyards fixture since 1947. But a beautiful new patio and elegant private club bring this old warhorse up to 21st century standards. And, thanks to Tom, the steaks are once again worthy of the restaurant’s legendary reputation — good news not only for the Stockyards, but for anyone who appreciates a great comeback story.
2458 N. Main St. cattlemenssteakhouse.com
Best Coffee Shop, Reader Pick I remember the first time I visited Cherry Coffee, this being soon after the coffee shop opened off Magnolia Avenue in 2021. I enthusiastically asked if they had any cherry syrup they could put in my oat milk latte. Given the name, I assumed such a flavor would be an option and was disappointed to hear it wasn’t. Of course, this dashed hope hasn’t kept me from frequenting the cozy shop, where the brewed beans and atmosphere (neither too quiet nor too loud) more than make up for the then-omitted syrup — they have since added the sweet flavor to their menu. While work on laptops remains a popular activity for patrons, there’s also plenty of mediumvoiced chatter to keep the space from feeling stuffy — this is a hip coffee shop, not an uptight library, after all. In 2023, Cherry began roasting its own beans right here in Fort Worth, which it now ships
Best Vegan/Vegetarian Cuisine,
nationwide. Cherry sources the beans from around the globe, and the shop currently offers eight different blends that run the gamut of flavor profiles and caffeine kicks. The beans are so good, in fact, that I’d now recommend ordering your coffee without the cherry syrup.
1121 W. Magnolia Ave. cherry-coffee.com
Most restaurants need a dining room, an address, and a steady stream of customers to stay relevant. And, you know, win awards. Pizza Verde currently has none of those things — at least not permanently. Yet despite being between homes, the beloved vegan pizzeria remains one of Fort Worth’s most talked-about restaurants. Since opening on the West Side five years ago, Pizza Verde has built a devoted following by proving that plant-based food can be as creative and delicious as animal-based food. Its pizzas are inventive, satisfying, and convincing enough to win over plenty of meat-eaters, while the menu’s sandwiches, appetizers, and specials have helped establish it as far more than a niche vegan spot. The restaurant is currently searching for its next permanent location, but its absence has only reinforced how much Fort Worth diners value what Pizza Verde brings to the table. Few restaurants could disappear from the daily dining conversation and still win a Best Of award. Then again, few restaurants make vegan food — or food in general — this memorable. Follow their Instagram for updates on where they’re going to land: instagram.com/pizzaverdetx/
Best Street Food, Editor Pick Most food trucks spend their time parked at breweries, festivals, and food truck parks. Sabaidee Street Eats takes a different route. For nearly four years, owners Souk Phoudindong and her husband, Sivilay, both natives of Laos, have built their business by bringing Thai and Laotian cuisine to office buildings, hospitals, and workplaces across Fort Worth. As a result, their food often serves as a gateway for newcomers to Thai and Lao cuisine. “We do get a lot of people who say, ‘I can smell your food down the street. What should I get?’” Phoudindong says. First-timers are usually steered toward fried rice, a familiar gateway dish. The next visit might bring pad Thai, she says, or a lesser-known dish such as pad ka pow, its combination of stir-fried meat, garlic, basil, and spicy chiles sending fragrant clouds from the truck’s kitchen. Those aromas come from the truck’s dual woks, essential tools for the couple’s stir-fried specialties, such as pad kee mao and lo mein. “With two woks going, the truck is extremely hot in the summer,” Phoudindong says with a laugh. “But the woks are what gives the flavor to our food.” Regulars often ask when the couple plans to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant. “My husband has talked about it, but I really like my freedom,” she says, laughing. “I like being able to go to different places every day, to go where communities want us and need us.” facebook.com/SabaideeSweets
Best Wine & Beer Curator, Reader Pick
Opening a craft beer bar just months before a global pandemic might not sound like the recipe for success. Yet somehow, Southside Cellar not only survived, but it also became one of Fort Worth’s most beloved destinations for thoughtful drinking. Part wine shop, part neighborhood bar, owner Shawn Howell’s cozy South Main hangout feels less like a taproom and more like the living room of a well-traveled collector. Plush furniture, vintage decor, and shelves of carefully selected bottles create the vibe of an antique store where great beer and wine (and helluva good pizza) just happen to be served. What truly sets Southside Cellar apart is Howell’s
Best Place to Watch a Game, Reader Pick
approach to curation. Rather than overwhelming customers with dozens upon dozens of interchangeable options, he stocks with purpose, he says. The ever-changing tap list might feature a Japanese-inspired saison from Vector, farmhouse ales from Jester King, a nitro Guinness, a watermelon cider, a hazy IPA, or a Belgian Tripel, all chosen because they bring something distinctive to the experience. In many ways, Southside Cellar feels like the natural evolution of Fort Worth’s craft beer boom — a place where quality, variety, and taste matter more than volume. That careful attention to selection is why Fort Worth drinkers continue to trust Howell to guide their next pour.
125 South Main St.
southsidebeercellar.com
Ol’ South Pancake House owner Rex Benson’s side hustle, Rex’s Bar & Grill fills a huge void along this stretch of University Drive, offering a sports bar with a whopping 50-ish televisions to get your fix of tee offs, tipoffs and kickoffs. TCU football, the Cowboys, the Rangers, the U.S. Open — is there a badminton tournament happening on the moon? Chances are, you can catch it here. The icing on Rex’s cake is the food — the very good food, we might add — courtesy of former Reata chef Brian Olenjack, who developed the menu. Burgers, wings, sandwiches, and other sports-bar staples are all a cut above the norm, and for those fivehour tennis matches (you guys catch that marathon Tiafoe vs Arnaldi French Open showdown?), there are heavier options, too, like brick oven pizza, double-bone pork chop, blackened redfish gumbo, and Olenjack’s signature chicken-fried steak. Lots of beer, spirits, and wine to wash it all down. Throw in a huge, covered patio, complete with its own LED big screen to end all LED big screens, and you’ve got one of Fort Worth’s best seats for game day.
1501 S. University Drive rexsftw.com
Best Appetizer, Editor Pick
Oysters are one of those foods that tend to divide people. Maybe it’s the texture. Maybe it’s the slime factor. Whatever the reason, the Ostiones Sinaloa at family-run Riverside spot Marisqueando Ando just might win over a few skeptics. One of the standout dishes at what we consider one of Fort Worth’s best new restaurants, these “deviled oysters,” as the menu describes them, arrive topped with shrimp, scallops, vegetables, and a housemade charred salsa, transforming a simple oyster into something rich, smoky, and deeply satisfying. Inspired by the coastal cooking of Sinaloa, Mexico, they encapsulate everything Marisqueando Ando does well: fresh seafood, vivid flavors, and an unabashed celebration of the ocean. Order them for the group if you’re feeling generous. Otherwise, keep them all for yourself. 2719 Race St. marisqueando-seafood.com
Best French Fries, Editor Pick
An appetizer that could just as easily serve as a meal — and, given the calorie count, perhaps your LAST meal — Tommy’s legendary Frog Fries are a glorious exercise in excess. Served at all three locations of the local mini-chain, which dates back to 1983, the dish starts with a mound of thick, skin-on fries before being scattered, covered, and smothered with melted cheddar cheese, grilled onions, and jalapenos. Served on Tommy’s signature red-and-white checkerboard paper, they require either a knife and fork or a healthy stack of napkins. They’re messy, salty, cheesy, and unapologetically indulgent — a fun, sharable comfort food staple that has kept generations of Fort Worthians coming back for more, no matter how many times they gotta chase these things with Tums; the burgers ain’t too shabby, either.
Multiple locations tommyshamburgergrill.net
Dos Molina’s Mexican Restaurant
Best Hole-in-the-Wall, Editor Pick
Some people mistake the phrase “hole-in-the-wall” for an insult. Run-down. Dirty. Somebody call the health inspector. In the case of Dos Molina’s, a long-running TexMex staple on the North Side, it simply means small, cozy, and vehemently unfancy. Named for the mother-and-son team behind it and saddled right next to a residential area, Dos Molina’s serves some of the finest Tex-Mex in Fort Worth — nothing terribly inventive or new to Tex-Mex lovers, but oh so, so, so good. The atmosphere is lively and colorful, and on weekends, diners are often serenaded by mariachis while digging into sizzling fajitas, gloriously cheesy enchiladas, and thick, housemade flour tortillas. Here, you don’t need gimmicks or grand statements or long menu stories about family recipes; you just need another basket of tortillas. 404 NW 25th St. dosmolinasmexicanrestaurant.com
Blackland Distillery Distillery
Breakfast Brothers Breakfast
Bricks & Horses Atmosphere
Buonissimo Italian Restaurant
Cattlemen’s Steakhouse
Best Steakhouse
Chef’s Plate Catering
Conchas at Con Azucar
Cafe Dessert
Creative Prep & Nutrition
Healthy Bite
Dan’s Bagels Bakery
Delray Cafe (Nickel City) Late Night Eats
Dos Molina’s Hole-in-the-Wall
Drew’s Place Chicken-Fried Steak
Ehsan Burgers Burger Joint
El Rancho Grande Restaurant
We Wish Would Come Back
Enduro Coffee Coffee Shop
Frog Fries at Tommy’s French Fries
Gallagaskins Sandwich Shop
Good Donuts, Randol Mill Road
Doughnut/Kolache
Grace Wine and Beer Curator
Ice Box Creamery Frozen Treat
Ichiro Izakaya Tapas/Shareable Plates
It’s Food Food Truck
King Tut Mediterranean Restaurant
La Cabrona Queso
Local Foods Kitchen Grab-n-Go
Los Jimadores Margarita
Madea’s Down Home Cafe
Comfort Food
Maple Branch Craft Brewery
Brewery
Mi Pueblo Salsa
Miss Saigon Cafe, Hurst Vietnamese/Pho
Nikuya New Restaurant
Best New Restaurant, Editor Pick
Ostiones Sinaloa – Marisqueando Ando Appetizer
Ozzi’s Pizza Pizza
Paris 7th Wine List
Pizza Verde Vegan/Vegetarian Polanco Service
Prima’s Italian BYOB
Quince Patio Dining
Sabaidee Street Foods Street Food
Saint-Emillion French Restaurant
Smoke & Bone Burger
Smokey Beards Barbecue
Sweet Stacks Asian Restaurant
Taqueria Temo Tacos/Taqueria
The Devil’s Den – Victor Villarreal’s pop-up beneath Star Cafe Pop-up
Tinie’s Mexican Restaurant
Top of the Morning Brunch
House Brunch
Walloon’s Seafood
Yoichi Sushi
It’s been a banner year for Japanese food in Fort Worth, particularly omakase, the chef-driven dining style that places your meal in the hands of the kitchen. One of the restaurants helping fuel that momentum is Nikuya. Perched atop downtown’s 16-story Sinclair Hotel, Nikuya may very well be the highest restaurant in Fort Worth, but the views are only part of the appeal. Opened by DRG Concepts, which also owns the Sinclair’s steakhouse restaurant, The Wicked Butcher, the rooftop restaurant feels unlike anything else in the city. The restaurant’s omakase experience showcases carefully sourced fish and meticulous technique — diners sit mere inches from the people preparing their food — while the broader menu offers enough variety to appeal to both sushi devotees and curious newcomers. Some come for the omakase, others for the skyline; most leave talking about both.
512 Main St. nikuyarooftop.com
Best Dessert, Editor Pick Conchas — soft, round Mexican pastries typically topped with a shell-like layer of sweet icing — are a common sight these days, their popularity having grown steadily over the past few years. But the conchas served at this lively North Side coffeehouse are a bit unusual. You see, they’re about as big as a baby. Intentionally oversized, they serve as the centerpiece at this colorful coffee and dessert shop, which occupies a former bar and used-car lot office. Four or five people can share one and still have plenty left over. And that’s very much the point. Sure, they’re fun to photograph and marvel at, but they’re also designed to encourage a fun, communal experience — people crowded around a table, tearing off pieces, sharing stories, laughing. While many coffeehouses in Fort Worth are hideaways, this one is a gathering place.
1216 N. Main St. conazucarcafe.com
Best Bakery, Reader Pick
There’s a reason why Swiss Pastry Shop, year after year after year, continues to slay in this category, and it’s not the black forest cake, although that’s most definitely a good guess. It’s because Swiss Pastry Shop belongs to us, to Fort Worth. It’s our bakery, owner Hans Peter Muller is our baker. It is not a chain from Dallas or Houston or California or New York or wherever mediocre chain bakeries are born. Nor is Swiss, like a lot of bakeries seem to be doing these days, trying to make you skinny. It’s not looking out for your waistline, offering GLP-1 cupcakes or muffins fortified with fiber, collagen, and sadness. Here, try these margarita tarts, this double-chocolate raspberry cake, this wonderful hot cross bun, a big slice of mocha pie with caramelized brown sugar meringue, and all the other things at Swiss that TASTE good. That’s what we want from Hans and Swiss and his jolly band of pastry gypsies, quick and attentive and knowledgeable about the small shop’s
big menu of sugary delirium. Come for the black forest cake, yes, yes, yes, but stay for everything else. We love you, Hans. 3936 W. Vickery Blvd. facebook.com/swisspastryshop/
Ichiro Izakaya
Best Tapas/Small Plates, Editor Pick
Another one of our favorite new restaurants, Ichiro Izakaya is a place for the indecisive, the adventurous, and those who just like to order a bunch of food. Inspired by the casual pubs found throughout Japan, the restaurant specializes in small plates designed for sharing, from skewers and karaage to noodles and rotating specials. The menu encourages exploration, rewarding diners who point at something unfamiliar and take a chance (get the beef tongue!). That spirit of discovery, combined with a lively atmosphere and consistently excellent food, has quickly made Ichiro one of the city’s most enjoyable places to gather around a table and eat. To read more about Ichiro, see our feature elsewhere in this issue. 401 Bryan Ave. ichiroizakaya.com
Best Mexican Restaurant, Editor Pick
Reinvention is a risky business, especially when you’re revisiting a restaurant that helped define a neighborhood. Earlier this year, Tinies’ owner Sarah Castillo decided it was time to reset her ode to Mex-Mex cooking, one of the first restaurants to open in the then-burgeoning South Main area. To help steer the restaurant’s next chapter, she brought in hospitality powerhouse Adrian Burciaga, who in turn brought in renowned chef Ix-chel Ornelas Hernández to redevelop the menu. While Tinies remains rooted in Mexican flavors,
the new menu reaches further, deeper. Dishes include a seared filet served over yellow mole, a roasted Berkshire pork chop with pastor adobo and roasted pineapple, and a sizzling ribeye topped with poblano rajas and paired with a cheese enmolada. The beverage program has evolved, too, with a thoughtfully curated wine list featuring roughly 50 labels selected to complement the food. Upstairs, the revamped Escondite rooftop agave lounge remains one of the city’s most inviting places for a cocktail.
113 S. Main St. tiniesfw.com
Best Italian Restaurant, Editor Pick Italian food in Fort Worth has taken a turn for the better over the years, as restaurants like Piattello and Bocca Osteria Romana have proven there’s more to the cuisine than red sauce and Sinatra, although we do love a good saucy spaghetti and an Ol’ Blue Eyes tune. Buonissimo is one of the many modern Italian restaurants to open in this wake, but it’s also somewhat of a hidden gem, found on the northwest edge of downtown. If you’re not looking for it, you might miss it. It’s a little different in that there are three Italian chefs in the kitchen, crafting housemade pastas and turning out dishes that feel connected to the country’s regional traditions rather than a generic idea of Italian food. The menu balances familiar comforts like tagliatelle Alfredo and lobster ravioli with more refined fare like braised pork shank and butterflied branzino, all executed with a confidence that comes from people who grew up around this cuisine — a trait that makes Buonissimo worth seeking out. 150 Throckmorton St. buonissimofw.com
Best Burger, Editor Pick
Understanding the art of cooking meat is essential to building a great burger, so it should come as no surprise that some of Fort Worth’s best burgers come from barbecue people. Take Smoke & Bone BBQ’s avocado burger, for instance, a towering beauty so perfectly assembled, you almost don’t want to eat it. Built from a half-pound, hand-formed patty made with fresh brisket trim, the meat is smoked before being seared in garlic tallow, then wrapped in a blanket of IPA cheddar cheese infused with HopFusion’s Parachute Unicorn West Coast IPA. It’s then topped with a housemade avocado salsa, pork belly, and owners’ Ross and Katherine Marquette’s “not-a-secret” chipotle dijonnaise. The cheese is grilled until it forms a crispy halo around the patty, creating the kind of dramatic presentation (not to mention Fuego Burger vibes) usually reserved for social media stars and over-the-top state fair food. Yet for all its visual razzle-dazzle, this burger delivers where it matters most. Every component serves a purpose, from the smoky richness of the beef to the creamy avocado salsa to the punch of the salty pork belly — the end result of a burger created by people who understand flavor as much as they understand fire.
218 Bryan Ave. instagram.com/smokebonebbq
Best Sushi, Editor Pick
Our favorite restaurant to open in 2025, this small omakase spot continues to dazzle us well into 2026. Found in the Near Southside space last occupied by Shinjuku Station, Yoichi delivers one of the most intimate and carefully executed dining experiences in Fort Worth. The restaurant’s omakase format places diners directly in the hands of the chefs, who guide them through a series of meticulously prepared bites featuring pristine seafood, precise knife work, and attention to detail that borders on obsessive. What separates Yoichi from many of its peers is its consistency. Every meal is slightly different and based on the season and availability of fish, but they always feel thoughtful and deliberate, from the artful arrangement of the courses — all laid out in bento-style boxes — to the balance of flavors and textures. There are flashier Japanese restaurants in town and certainly larger ones, but few that execute at such a high level night after night.
711 W. Magnolia Ave. instagram.com/yoichi_omakase_handroll
Ol’ South Pancake House
Best Late Night Eats, Reader Pick
One part rite of passage, one part greasy spoon, Ol’ South Pancake House is right up there with Fred’s, Carshon’s, Cattlemen’s, Joe T’s and other landmark Fort Worth restaurants — places you gotta try at least once but will undoubtedly visit again and again. Go around 2:30 a.m., when the clubs close and people are hangry for Dutch baby pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon cheeseburgers and sides of sass from surly servers, and you’ll score a ringside seat to people-watching gold: college kids drifting over from TCU, cowboys and cowgirls raining down from the Stockyards, the well-heeled, the barely heeled, and plain ol’ Fort Worthians, all gawking at each other, anxious to see who else is gonna walk through those double doors, open since 1962. Our city may be changing — for the better, for the worse, you decide — but Ol’ South remains one of the few places where, sooner or later, at 2:30 in the morning or 2:30 in the afternoon, we will all pass through.
1509 S. University Drive olsouthpancakehouse.com
Reader Pick
97 West Atmosphere
Ático Tapas/Shareable Plates
Benito’s Restaurant Queso
Birrieria y Taqueria Cortez Tacos/ Taqueria
Blue Mesa Grill Brunch
Cherry Coffee Coffee Shop
Chumley House Service
Don Artemio Mexican Restaurant
Dusty Biscuit Beignets Doughnut/ Kolache
Eatzi’s Market and Bakery Grab-nGo
Elk Tacos – Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine Appetizer
Ellerbe Fine Foods Wine List
Flama Blanca Food Truck
Fred’s Texas Cafe Chicken-Fried Steak
Fried Pie Guy & Creamery Dessert
Fuego Burger Burger
Hatsuyuki Handroll Bar Sushi
Hot Dogs El Buda Street Food
Italianni’s Italian Restaurant
Joe T. Garcia’s Margarita
Joe T. Garcia’s Patio Dining
Kincaid’s Hamburgers Burger Joint
Le Margot French Restaurant
Lili’s Bistro Restaurant We Wish Would Come Back
Love Shack French Fries
Magdalena’s Catering
Martin House Brewing Brewery
MELT Ice Creams Frozen Treat
Nish! Mediterranean Restaurant
Nonna Tata BYOB
Ol’ South Pancake House Late Night Eats
Olivella’s Pizza and Wine Pizza
Olmos BBQ Pop-up
Panther City BBQ Barbecue
Pantry on Magnolia Hole-in-the-Wall
Pho Little Saigon Vietnamese/Pho Pulido’s Salsa
Righteous Foods Healthy Bite
Southside Cellar Wine and Beer Curator
Spiral Diner Vegan/Vegetarian
Sunny’s Cafe Comfort Food
Swiss Pastry Shop Bakery
Teddy Wong’s Asian Restaurant
The Mont New Restaurant
The Sour Boule Sandwich Shop
TX Whiskey Ranch Distillery
Waters Restaurant Seafood
West Side Café Breakfast
Wicked Butcher Steakhouse
This newly opened Riverside restaurant marks a homecoming of sorts for Art “Tony” Ramadani, who spent nearly two decades serving Italian food in an historic East Belknap building before returning, to the same cool, old building, with a new concept built around halal barbecue. The backstory is almost as good as the brisket: Ramadani helped launch the original Smokey Beards Q in Saudi Arabia with rapper Mutah Beale, best known for his work with Tupac Shakur, before bringing the concept back to Fort Worth with his bro Sonny and Sonny’s son,
Eni, in tow. But enough about celebrity connections. The real star here is the halal prime brisket, especially Ramadani’s hand-pulled version, a juicy, bark-covered riff on chopped brisket that lets the smoke and beef do all the talking. Open just a few hours a week, Thursday through Sunday, and serving a deliberately small menu made up of a handful of meats, sides, and desserts (the banana pudding tiramisu is amazing), Smokey Beards Q is the kind of place Fort Worth barbecue fans dream about discovering before everyone else does.
3124 E. Belknap St. instagram.com/smokeybeardsq
The Chumley House
Best Service, Reader Pick
What’s the old saying about restaurant service? You’ll come back for a lousy meal if the service is good. That’s how important hospitality can be. Thankfully, you don’t have to worry about the food being lame at this 2-year-old homage to global cuisine. The Chumley House is one of Fort Worth’s best restaurants, and its service is one of the reasons why. From the moment you walk through the door, there’s an authenticity to the hospitality that can’t be faked. Guests are greeted warmly by the host stand with a genuine hello, not the cold, off-putting “May I help you?” that has somehow worked its way into too many of Fort Worth’s upscale dining rooms. Servers introduce themselves, often with a handshake, a small gesture that immediately establishes a connection and sets the tone for the evening. Patience is a necessary trait for a good server, and Chumley House’s seem to have it in spades. The menu is filled with dishes inspired by cuisines from around the world, and the staff navigates it with confidence and enthusiasm, guiding first-timers and the indecisive toward the right choices without ever making them feel rushed. Great service isn’t just about refilling water glasses or clearing plates. It’s about making guests feel comfortable, valued, and cared for. Night after night, The Chumley House gets that exactly right.
3230 Camp Bowie Blvd. thechumleyhouse.com
Best Comfort Food, Editor Pick Opened more than two decades ago in the small south Tarrant community of Everman, Madea’s Down Home Cookin’ has long set the gold standard for soul food in North Texas. Owners Elbert and Sarah Penson have spent 22 years perfecting a menu of Southern comfort classics, from chicken and dumplings and beef tips and rice to fried pork chops, pot roast, and other dishes that taste like they came straight from a family gathering. The restaurant takes its name from Elbert’s mother, Addie, whose nickname was “Madea,” short for “mother dear.” Many of the recipes served today either came directly from her or have been passed down through generations of the family. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, but it’s the food that keeps people from all walks of Fort Worth life coming back. Try the signature oxtails, slow-cooked until impossibly tender, then served beneath a rich brown gravy so addicting you’ll wonder where it’s been all your life.
1019 E. Enon Ave., Everman facebook.com/madeasdownhomecookin
Locally Owned. Locally Roasted. Locally Loved.
Congratulations to John Ripps for being honored as “Best Dressed” by the readers of Fort Worth Magazine. After a lifelong career in men’s fashion, his dedication to impeccable service, unparalleled quality and creative vision, there is likely no other gentleman who has styled more Fort Worthians than John.
For 104 years, our family business has been committed to quality craftsmanship, o ering custom boots, saddles, tailored clothing, belts, buckles and hats that are made to last. Come be a part of the Leddy tradition.
Best Museum, Editor Pick
On a clear night, even from Fort Worth, you can see the blue beam of light shooting into the sky, a beacon marking one of Arlington’s newest landmarks. Opened last year, the National Medal of Honor Museum pays tribute to ordinary people who performed extraordinary acts of courage.
Located between AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field, the museum tells the stories of United States Armed Forces Medal of Honor recipients through immersive exhibits, personal artifacts, photographs, and firsthand accounts that place visitors alongside soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and guardians in moments that changed lives as well as history. Rather than focusing solely on battle, the museum explores the values that connect every recipient: courage, sacrifice, integrity. Thoughtfully and sleekly designed and deeply moving, the museum succeeds in making history personal, ensuring the stories of America’s highest military honor continue to inspire future generations.
1861 AT&T Way, Arlington mohmuseum.org
Best Dressed, Reader Pick
John Ripps figured out early in his days at Tarleton State University 60 years ago that every girl was crazy about a sharp-dressed man … in Mingus? “I got introduced to Mingus, which was 20 miles north of Stephenville where they sold beer. And the girls ... ,” he says. “There was my downfall. What can I tell you?” Studying beer and girls is a great way to spend one’s youth. For the past six decades, Ripps has been a clothier, a fixture of the city’s fashion scene, helping generations of Fort Worth men refine their style. For the past 30 years, he’s done that at M.L. Leddy’s, the Stockyards landmark at the corner of Exchange and North Main. The goal for shoppers is simply to look as good as he does. Ripps credits his good taste to “osmosis.” “You’ve got to live it, breathe it, and absorb it,” says Ripps, adding that “practice also makes perfect. My father says that I came out of the womb fastidiously.” Ripps also designs scarves that he sells at the store. After six decades in the business, Ripps, 78, remains one of Fort Worth’s most recognizable ambassadors for timeless style. leddys.com
Best Sports Team, Editor Pick
Few cities embrace bull riding like Cowtown. If America is a baseball country, Texas a football state, then Fort Worth is a bull-riding city. So, it stands to reason that, in the world of professional sports, PBR’s Texas Rattlers are the pride of Fort Worth — our hometown team. Competing since 2022, the inaugural season of the PBR Team Series, the Rattlers boast the legendary Cody Lambert at the helm, leading a team of 10 incredible riders from across the globe — though only five compete on a given night. And within the four completed seasons on the Team Series, the Rattlers have brought home a championship and already established themselves as one of the league’s marquee franchises, even developing a testy rivalry with the cross-state Austin Gamblers, who they compete against for the annual Texas Cup. Unlike traditional sports, the Rattlers only get a single weekend of home-field advantage at the soon-to-be-renamed Dickies Arena. Dubbed Rattler Days, this year’s weekend lands on Oct. 2 – 4. As they say, turn out and turn up. texasrattlers.com
Best Actor/Performer, Reader Pick
“You only fear what you don’t understand, so the more you read, learn, and experience, the less you fear and misunderstand,” says Eric Brittingham. He’s the founder of Wildlife on the Move, a nonprofit organization that presents live animal shows at schools, churches, and events of all kinds. A former science teacher at Mansfield ISD, Brittingham now spends his time on stage with creatures that most of us would rather avoid: hairy-legged spiders, big black scorpions, and hissing cockroaches the size of a hot dog. “Kids in our audience tend to love snakes and opossums the most,” he says. Funny and energetic, Brittingham prompts plenty of crowd
participation with his passion for these unsung animals. But he’s not just here to entertain. “We dispel myths and help people overcome their fears of critters that are often hated and misunderstood,” including alligators, lizards, and massive pythons and boa constrictors. “Our critters are ambassadors for their wild cousins,” he says. “They all come to us as discarded, rescued, abandoned, injured, or rehomed.” Through witty performances and wildlife encounters, Brittingham and his menagerie are helping his audience develop a deeper connection to nature. “We are the stewards of the animals here on this earth, and we should care for them well, because if we don’t, we will not survive ourselves.”
wildlifeonthemove.com
Airfield Falls Park
Bonnie Thompson Smith – SWB Agency Best-Dressed
Center for Transforming Lives Service Organization
Chris Arrellano – Rio Mambo, Citiview Center Bartender/ Mixologist
Click Thompson Photographer
Crestwood Association
Neighborhood/Association
Grand Entry Gala – Junior League Nonprofit Event
Greg Kwedar – co-writer of “Train Dreams” and “Sing Sing” Local Writer/Author
Igor Parshin – Pianist, Fort Worth Opera Actor/Performer
Isabella Breedlove Artist
Josh Weathers Musician/Music Group
Katie Zaun – TCU Rifle Athlete
Kinfolk House Art Gallery
Leon Bridges and Gary Patterson –The Big Good Philanthropist
Morgan Nicole Social Media Influencer
National Medal of Honor Museum Museum
Rodrigo Cárdenas – Don Artemio/ Dos Mares Chef
Shady Oaks Country Club Country Club
Stockyards Championship Rodeo at Cowtown Coliseum Local Attraction
Texas Rattlers – PBR Sports Team
The Ben & Skin Show – 97.1 The Eagle Radio Personality/Podcast Ty Stimpson Up-and-Comer
Best Radio Personality/Podcast, Reader Pick
Despite what its name may suggest, buried under all that turquoise, denim, and fringe, The Cowgirl Closet Podcast is less about the clothes themselves and more about the heart of the gal wearing them — this according to the rising show’s director of new media, Parker Burross. “Yes, at its core, it’s Western fashion,” Burross says. “But that’s only so niche. Instead, what we want is the host to sit down with the guests and talk about the stories they’ve had in the industry at large and how it connects to the fashion side of things.” With cowboy couture only as the starting point, the Western lifestyle interview podcast — produced through 95.9 The Ranch — has brought in some big and influential names in the Western industry, from both fashion and working ranch culture. Since launching nearly a year ago, guests in its first season have included Fort Worth-based influencer Morgan Nicole Richters and singer-songwriter Kendi Jean, to chat about their respective journeys in social media and business — and, naturally, the chic outfits they do it in.
959theranch.com/the-cowgirl-closet-podcast
One of Fort Worth’s best art galleries is in the lobby of one of its swankiest hotels. And given Fort Worth’s wealth of exceptional galleries — William Campbell Gallery, Fort Works Art, and Artspace 111, just to name a few — it’s not as if this grand foyer with a bar to boot is lacking competition. When Bowie House opened its doors in December 2023, owner and legendary equestrian Jo Ellard made filling the space with exceptional artwork one of her top priorities. With each piece handpicked by Ellard, the collection now spans over 700 works across several mediums. While what you find on view may vary visit to visit, the array includes standout works from Max Zorn, David Yarrow, and Ashley Collins, among many others. The gallery also regularly hosts artist exhibits, including a 2025 pairing of local, contemporary Western artists Jacob Lovett and Abigail Jackson, whose work is a recurring presence in the space. So, next time you’re enjoying an Old Fashioned from the bar or burger from Bricks and Horses — the hotel’s restaurant — we recommend signing up for one of their gallery tours or, at the very least, taking a closer gander at what occupies the walls.
3700 Camp Bowie Blvd. galleryatbowiehouse.com
Best Park, Editor Pick
Fort Worth has a waterfall. While we wouldn’t dare put it in the same breath as Niagara, Yellowstone, or even Austin’s Hamilton Pool, Airfield Falls — billed as Tarrant County’s largest natural waterfall — remains one heck of a charming retreat. And, hey, if we’re filming miniatures and get the angle just right, there is something Niagara-esque about the three-tiered falls. Technically located in Westworth Village, just north of Highway 183 next to Hawks Creek Golf Club, the park’s trailhead opens with an apt aeronautic-inspired art installation — the old Carswell Air Force Base is right next door — followed by a quarter-mile paved trail that leads to the small cascade. Many reviewers, we’ll note, mention the trail’s cleanliness. Along the way, you’ll find aviation history markers, butterfly garden, and a picnic pavilion — there’s no better place for a sack lunch. And, once one arrives to the falls, we recommend ditching those socks and shoes for a brief wade through the water, especially on a warm day.
200 Pumphrey Drive trinitytrailsfw.com/airfieldfalls
In a July 2025 profile of local artist Isabella Breedlove, we dubbed her “one of Fort Worth’s most prolific and imaginative artists,” and referred to her colorful freeform paintings as “unstructured, unpredictable, and flowing.” Though only 25, Breedlove’s life has been rooted in art since she was 3, when her mother, Kelly Lancarte, enrolled the youngster in her first art class. From that point forward, creative expression became Breedlove’s modus operandi, and the pursuit of a career in art became inevitable. Today, Breedlove works out of a warehouse next to Joe T. Garcia’s that she’s transformed into an art studio. Here, she turns her music up to 10, sings along at the top of her lungs, and paints with pure intuition. She’s a true original — a one-of-a-kind artist — and that’s precisely why she’s an ideal Fort Worth representative.
isabellabreedloveart.com
Best Athlete, Editor Pick
In late March, Katie Zaun wrapped up her distinguished career with Horned Frogs rifle after earning first-team honors in air rifle and smallbore — an accomplishment she repeated her freshman, sophomore, and junior years. She was also named to the first team in aggregate score — the combined aggregate of air rifle and smallbore — something she achieved twice previously. Zaun rides into the sunset a 12-time AllAmerican, maxing out the number of All-American nods a single person can receive in rifle, and a twotime recipient of the annual CRCA Athlete of the Year award. During her final year, Zaun anchored a talented squad that finished as the national runnerup to eventual champions West Virginia, and Zaun completed the season ranked third nationally in smallbore and fifth nationally in air rifle. This year also marked the 20th consecutive season that TCU qualified for the NCAA Championships. We only recruit deadeyes around these parts, and Zaun is among the best of them.
Best Local Attraction, Editor Pick
On Fort Worth’s biggest nights out, you typically can’t throw a popcorn kernel, roasted peanut, or any other concession-stand snack without it landing on the floor of a rodeo arena. The Stockyards Championship Rodeo at the historic Cowtown Coliseum, however, is where the bronc-busting, calfcinching sport is staged most consistently — more than 100 times a year, every Friday and Saturday, to be exact. Yesiree, the hometown soiree isn’t billed as the world’s only year-round rodeo for no reason, contributing heavily to the larger Stockyards district, which attracts more than 10 million visitors annually and over $285 million in district sales for the city. But this ain’t no tourist-exclusive event by any means, bringing in its fair share of local Fort Worthians alongside the newcomers drawn to Cowtown’s cowboy identity. A seat in the stands brings you face-to-face with bull riding, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, barrel racing, team roping, tie-down roping, and breakaway roping. Though, we must note, a favorite among the crowd remains the calf and mutton scrambles — where willing kiddos are placed on the backs of the bovine or ovine, released from the chute, and hit the dirt in a dang cute way that even the professionals couldn’t dream of achieving.
cowtowncoliseum.com
Reader Pick a Wish with Wings Service Organization
Bronson Louis Musician/Music Group
Dr. Diane Arnaout – “Hiccups” and doc at Cook Children’s Local Writer/ Author
Eric Brittingham – Wildlife on the Move Actor/Performer Gallery at Bowie House Art Gallery
Heather Bond Artist
Jewel Charity Ball Nonprofit Event
John Ripps – M.L. Leddy’s Best-Dressed
John Wayne: An American Experience Local Attraction
Josh Mcillwain – Lucile’s Stateside
Bistro Bartender/Mixologist
Kimbell Art Museum Museum
Linda Allen – Dashboard Diva Social Media Influencer
Michael Duff – The Mont Chef
Mira Vista Country Club Country Club
Near Southside Inc. Neighborhood/ Association
Olivia Miles – TCU Women’s Basketball Athlete
Parker Burross Up-and-Comer
Paul Dorman Philanthropist
Paula Goforth Photographer TCU Women’s Basketball Sports Team
The Cowgirl Closet Podcast – 95.9 The Ranch Radio Personality/ Podcast Trinity Trails Park
Bronson Louis Best Musician/Music Group, Reader Pick
With bare-faced earnestness and a beautiful, clear voice, singer-songwriter Bronson Louis brings heartfelt storytelling to the stage. Original songs such as “One More Last Goodbye” and “I’ll Still Be Here” blend downhome country music, Americana, folk, and ’90s rock influences. Louis describes his sound as “Goo Goo Dolls meets the 400 Unit, with some vocal inspiration from Don Henley and Hayes Carll.” He’s been quietly building a following through live performances in Fort Worth and beyond and has plans to play at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House this September during the Josie Music Awards. It’s one of the most prestigious award shows for independent artists, and Louis is nominated for Vocalist of the Year in the Americana category. But he’s most excited about an upcoming “listening-style concert” on August 13 at the Spicer House in Fort Worth, where he’ll perform all original tunes. “Fort Worth holds my heart.” Watch for three more singles by Louis to drop this year, followed by an album in 2027. “I appreciate all the support, from a share, listening to my originals, or popping into a show,” he says. “It makes a difference for folks like me striving to achieve a dream one step at a time.” bronsonlouis.com
transforminglives.org
Best Gym/Fitness Studio, Editor Pick
With natural light, live plants, and a community-focused vibe, this family-owned bouldering gym doesn’t feel like your typical climbing facility. Opened in late 2023 on Vickery Boulevard, it’s the only 24/7 climbing gym in the metroplex. Climbers really do show up in the wee hours, says owner Skyler Brooks. “A lot of people come in before work at 4 or 5 a.m.,
but others are night owls climbing from midnight to 2 a.m. We get check-ins at almost every hour of the night.” The gym features almost 4,000 square feet of bouldering terrain and a Kilter Board, a high-tech, interactive training wall with color-changing holds and an adjustable angle. There’s also a sauna and ice bath in the recovery room, plus hangout spaces with ping-pong and board games. Creating a “third place” for the community is fundamental for Brooks. “People
have home as their first place, work or school as their second, and everyone needs a third place that provides purpose and a sense of belonging. That’s what we strive to be,” he says, “helping foster connections, friendships, and memories that will hold onto for a long time, all while being active and healthy through bouldering.”
5252 W. Vickery Blvd. theblokclimbing.com
Editor Pick
Active Spine and Sport Therapy Chiropractor
Bronze and Bubbles Sunless Tanning
Bumble Bee Yoga Yoga Studio
Camille Brown Facial
Canyon Ranch Fort Worth Wellness
Club + Spa Holistic Health & Wellness Center
Kelly Blair, DDS Cosmetic & Restorative Dentistry Dental Care
Frida Beauty Collective Esthetician (Waxing, Microdermabrasion)
Mokara Spa Day Spa
Panther Canna CBD CBD Store
Perfect Touch Day Spa Massage Salon Dexterity Beauty Salon
Southern Chic Nails Manicure or Pedicure
Talon Smith - Fort Worth Hyrox and Hybrid Training Personal Trainer
The Blök Climbing Co. Gym/Fitness Studio
The Cutting Room Barber Salon Men’s Barbershop
Wonderfully Made Dance Dance Studio
Reader Pick
Cowtown Tanning Sunless Tanning
CR Massage Massage
Davis Smile Design Dental Care
Doherty Nutrition Holistic Health & Wellness Center
Emerald Organics CBD Store
Encore School of Dance Dance Studio
Fort Worth Hair and Co. Beauty Salon
Frida Nail Casita Manicure or Pedicure
Gym Evolution Gym/Fitness Studio
Indigo Yoga Yoga Studio
Peak Physical Medicine and Wellness Chiropractor
Randol Ruiz - Gym Evolution Personal Trainer
Snug Aesthetics Facial
Spavia Day Spa
TX Barber Cartel Men’s Barbershop
Vanity Room Waxing Esthetician (Waxing, Microdermabrasion)
Best Facial, Reader Pick
Tucked inside the Historic Vinnedge Building on North Main Street in the Stockyards, the studio somehow balances both a modernizedluxurious feel with a historic, Western-rooted space. As shared on its website, Snug Aesthetics is inspired by the heritage, grit, and crafts manship that define Fort Worth and blends “modern aesthetic medicine with a refined
Western sensibility.” The family-owned medical aesthetics practice, which focuses on nonsurgical cosmetic treatments, strives to enhance features rather than change them, leaving you feeling as fresh as a daisy. Services include wrinkle relaxers, dermal fillers, facials, waxing services, and lash and brow enhancements for its wide-ranging customer base — and the cowboy we just know is at least a little curious. 2100 N. Main St., Ste. 115 snugaesthetics.com
Best CBD Store, Editor Pick Panther Canna doesn’t just carry a wide variety of cannabis; they also make their own products in-house. “These include our premium indoor-grown hemp-derived THC flower and our premium pre-rolls,” says Panther Canna’s founder and owner, Anthony Georgiev. Custom sizes are available, and all products are third-party lab-tested for potency, purity, and safety. Most people who visit the Magnolia Avenue shop are looking for relief. “Folks often come to see us to manage stress, sleep better, and deal with occasional pain. CBD is a natural solution to many of life’s ills.” Best-sellers include CBN, a compound thought to promote healthy sleep, and blends of CBD and CBG to help manage inflammation. CBD for pets is also popular. CBD, CBG, CBN, THC — if you’re confused by all these acronyms, you’re not alone. “We focus a lot on customer education, and we train our staff extensively,” says Georgiev. Whether you’re looking for oil tinctures, topical creams, supplements, smokables, or edibles, Georgiev and his team can guide you in the right direction. Up next: Look for a new in-house line of edibles coming soon and a partnership with DoorDash for quick and easy delivery. 1510 W. Magnolia Ave., Ste. 108 panthercanna.com
Best Yoga Studio, Reader Pick Indigo Yoga, the mind-body studio on the edge of Arlington Heights next to Tokyo Cafe, serves as Cowtown’s proof that the holistic discipline was never just a fitness trend or passing fad but something far more permanent that crosses generations. Celebrating its 20th year in Fort Worth, Indigo Yoga’s existence might account for only a sliver of the ancient practice’s 5,000-year history, but in Fort Worth, the studio has become a mainstay. According to the company’s website, as the city’s oldest, continuously operated yoga studio, Indigo has taught nearly one million students
with over 1,000 classes conducted. Yeah, folks, that means something akin to the entire population of Fort Worth has walked through the doors at Indigo. With 15 yogis and staff members, the center specializes in hot power vinyasa, an athletic, fast-paced yoga style where attendees perform movements in a room heated to 96 degrees. While this might sound miserable to the uninitiated Texan who likes the thermostat set to 68, the practice provides a robust cardiovascular workout that flushes toxins and builds mental resilience. And, hey, with 20 years in business, the proof is in their permanence.
5111 Pershing Ave. indigoyoga.net
Cyril Russel, owner and operator of CR Massage, is known for turning his patients into jellyfish — exact words of his customers, we point out, and not our own embellishment. Gifted with an intuitive touch, the guy is a legend around these parts when it comes to mending knotted muscles, improving circulation, and relieving pain, leaving folks who previously walked through his door taxed and sore blissfully boneless and floaty by the end of the session. Russel is also commonly referred to as an athlete who knows how to treat athletes, having completed three Ironmans — the single-day endurance race which in full consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile marathon run — and over 45 triathlons. The sports massage specialist opened his own practice in 2005 to treat fellow athletes and has since expertly mended countless aches and pains. And while the curiosity of what it might feel like to be a rejuvenated jellyfish hadn’t previously crossed this writer’s mind, it is now without a doubt on the radar.
6040 Camp Bowie Blvd., Ste. 54 cyrilmassage.com
Best Esthetician, Reader Pick Long before “clean beauty” became a buzzword, Fort Worthian Candy Torres was building a business around it. What began in 2017 as a small operation inside her sister’s barbershop has grown into one of Fort Worth’s most trusted beauty destinations. Since moving to Race Street in 2019, near the Oakhurst neighborhood Torres calls home, Frida Beauty Collective has developed a loyal following by taking a more natural approach to self-care, emphasizing plant-based products and cleaner ingredients whenever possible. The menu covers just about everything beauty-minded clients could want: facials, waxing, brow lamination and tinting, permanent makeup, lash services, and haircuts. But what keeps customers coming back is Torres’ belief that beauty treatments shouldn’t come with a long list of questionable chemicals. That philosophy has proven so popular that Torres expanded her business last year with a Near Southside spinoff, called Frida Nails Casita, that offers the same clean-ingredient approach to nail care.
2707 Race St., Ste. 105 fridabeautycollective.com
In an industry where beauty services often feel rushed and transactional, Fort Worth Hair & Co. was founded on a different vision: creating a space where every guest feels valued, confident, and cared for.
Known for private label hair extensions, full-service salon offerings, and self-care services, the salon is built on more than beautiful results. Guests return for the welcoming atmosphere, personalized experience, and genuine relationships that make every visit memorable.
Owner Jessica built Fort Worth Hair & Co. on the belief that great salons grow people first and services second. Through a culture of education, teamwork, and professional growth, the salon empowers both team members and guests to thrive.
Chosen as the Editor’s Pick for Best Painting Company in Best of Fort Worth, Gutierrez Painting has helped homeowners and businesses across Fort Worth transform their spaces with expert painting and finish work built to last.
From flawless interiors and bold exteriors to cabinet refinishing, epoxy coatings, and detailed repairs, every project is completed with precision, professionalism, and pride.
» Interior & Exterior Painting
» Residential & Commercial
» Cabinet Refinishing & Epoxy Coatings
» Carpentry, Flooring & Repairs
The Man’s Shop by Wally
Hardin
Best Men’s Boutique, Editor Pick
The old adage that men hate shopping? Speak for yourself. Especially when it comes to a place like The Man’s Shop, a ritzy, long-running, dude’s-dude type of place that specializes in dapper duds. Owned by Arlington native Wally Hardin, the business has been outfitting North Texas men for decades — jackets, coats, shirts, shoes, socks, ties, handkerchiefs, belts, and whatever else you can slip on, dab on, tie on, button up, or zip up. The clothes only go so far. The Man’s Shop also puts a tremendous amount of focus on the service — an always friendly bunch of guys who’ll do a better job of dressing you than your wife or girlfriend. Somewhere, a wrinkled polo shirt is trembling. 100 S. West St., Arlington themansshop.com
Liquor Library
Best Liquor Store, Reader Pick
In an age of big-box retailers and one-click ordering, Liquor Library has built its reputation the old-fashioned way: through relationships built on face-to-face interaction. “Our customers know that when they walk into Liquor Library, they’re not just getting a transaction,” says owner Daniel Josi. “They’re getting honest recommendations, education, and a team that genuinely cares about helping them find the right bottle. We take the time to learn what people enjoy, remember their preferences, and guide them toward new discoveries.” That personal approach extends to tastings, classes, private barrel selections, and community-driven programs that turn customers into regulars — and often friends. Rather than competing on volume or convenience, Liquor Library has leaned into trust, expertise, and hospitality. “We’ve never tried to compete with big-box stores on volume, and we can’t compete with online retailers on convenience alone,” Josi says. “Instead, we’ve focused on something they struggle to offer — relationships, trust, and experience. Liquor Library was never just about selling bottles. From day one, it was about creating a place where people could come in, learn something new, share a pour, tell a story, and feel like they belonged.”
7433 Oakmont Blvd. liquorlibrarytx.com
Best Bridal Boutique, Editor Pick Soon-to-be brides likely never anticipated white could come in so many forms, fashions, and styles until stepping a manicured foot through the door of Birdie Bridal — which dots multiple towns across the DFW metroplex, including Fort Worth’s Stockyards, Azle, and Colleyville. The wedding dress shop has been a recurring Best Of pick in recent years, and for good reason, as Birdie Bridal sports a heck of a dress collection and talented associates bustling among the tulle, lace, and satin. According to sister-owners Syble and Nikki Owings, alongside the store’s assembled team of stylists, the process of wedding dress shopping for the blushing bride doesn’t have to be so nervewracking, despite the pressure surrounding finding the perfect dress for the big day. Instead, they invite you to sit back and let the experts work their magic, pulling from racks filled with couture dresses by select designers and years of experience since the store’s inception in 2018. Birdie Bridal’s Stockyards space, located on North Main Street, opened in October of 2024 and is arguably their most sought-after brick-and-mortar — though all locations carry a mix of the romantic, bohemian, and Westernleaning styles many of the brides chase down.
birdiebridal.com
2243 N. Main St.
Best Western Apparel, Editor Pick Proper Supply Co. was initially located in the Stockyards before packing up its hats, boots, sterling silver accessories, and other Western wares and moving to a new Weatherford address in the freshly painted Cotten-Bratton building along the city’s downtown square — what some might have considered a risky move. But the store has proved its ability to stand on its own
two cowboy-booted feet without the historic Stockyards name attached, serving both new and returning customers alike in its limestone locale. Under owner Crissy Faulconer, the luxury Western store isn’t in the business of overstock but rather invests in quality pieces that fit the traditional, intentional ranch style Faulconer sticks to. Outfitting both fashionable women looking for a statement piece for a night out and working men in need of a shirt capable of withstanding long days, the store is one of the few places where both can find common ground.
113 College Ave. instagram.com/propersupplycofw
Best Gift Shop, Reader Pick At Desert Rose, every item on the shelves helps tell the story of the women who shaped the American West. Located inside the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame, Desert Rose is far more than a museum gift shop. The boutique offers a carefully curated collection of apparel, jewelry, home décor, books, toys, and one-of-akind gifts inspired by the courage, resilience, and independent spirit of the female icons celebrated by the museum. The store’s focus is on sourcing unique products that reflect the strength and creativity of Western women while also supporting local artists and makers. Shoppers will find everything from Native American jewelry and Western-chic apparel to cowgirl dolls, distinctive home accents, and gifts that celebrate the heritage of the West — all of which spans a variety of price points. Like the museum itself, Desert Rose honors the past while embracing the future, creating a shopping experience that is equal parts inspiration, history, and Western style.
1720 Gendy St. shopthecowgirl.net
Reader Pick
A Veteran’s Valet Valet Service
Bliss Bridal Salon Bridal Boutique
CityVet Veterinary Clinic
Collins + Conley Children’s Boutique
Devereaux Gold Fine Jewelry
Double D Ranchwear
Western Apparel
Enchanted Woods Travel Travel Agent
Ethridge Auto Center Auto Service
Eyeworks Eyewear
Gifted Gift Shop
Golden Triangle Dog Park Dog Park
Kite’s Custom Cleaners Dry Cleaning
Launchbox Collective Co-working Space
Lena Pope Early Learning Center Childcare/Daycare
Lilium Floral Designs Florist
Linda Allen – State Farm Insurance Agent or Firm
Liquor Library Liquor Store
Mixie Chix Event Staffing & Bartending
Monarch Tattoo Tattoo Parlor
Moxxie Concepts Event Planner
Old Gringo Boot Maker
Omaha’s Military Surplus Antique Shop/Secondhand Store
Pro Tailor Tailor
Recluse Books Bookstore
Record Town Record Store
River Ranch Event Venue
Central Market Grocery Store
Sunflower Shoppe Organic Food Store
The Happy Lark Toy Store
The Squire Shop Men’s Boutique
Wildflower Intimates Women’s Boutique
Your Pet Staff Boarder/Groomer
Best Dry Cleaning, Reader Pick
While there’s no hard and fast rule, some of the nation’s most prominent business programs say a business should have its doors open for 30 years before it can officially call itself a legacy business. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 5% of businesses cross such a threshold. Kite’s Custom Cleaners, a Cowtown mainstay that’s been around since 1958, has not only crossed the threshold, it’s on its way to completing another lap. Founder Sam Kite opened the first location of Kite’s Circle K Cleaners on the corner of Arch Adams Street and Camp Bowie Boulevard — where The Crescent now sits. Fast-forward 20 years, and Gary Kite would take over management and navigate the dry-cleaning business into the next generation. In 2003, requiring more space, Gary moved the storefront and cleaning facility to a larger complex at 3225 Alta Mere Drive. Today, Kite’s has four locations, all in the Greater Fort Worth area, with each cementing the business’ legacy of delivering high-quality results. And in the world of dry cleaning, that means suits, dresses, and trousers returned to their Sunday best. Multiple locations kitescleaners.com
Collins + Conley
Best Children’s Boutique, Reader Pick
In case you’re not keen on toddler trends, long in the rearview are the days of kiddos sporting oxfords, trousers, and button-downs at the playground. These days, children’s fashion tends to favor comfort and playfulness over miniature versions of adult wardrobes. And for new parents, you’ll want to take note and get your little one started on the right foot — after all, no one wants to be out of style before they can even walk. Our recommendation: a trip to Collins + Conley, a children’s boutique in the heart of Clearfork that offers a curated collection of baby and children’s clothing from premium brands like Kyte Baby, Rylee + Cru, Mud Pie, and more. They stock comfortable, contemporary outfits for boys and girls with fun, lively patterns and shirts that have freaking animals on them. It’s all adorable. The brainchild of sisters-in-law Ashley Watten and Sarah Leafgren, the concept initially kicked off with an online store in 2019 before filling a void at the upscale Shops at Clearfork and opening a permanent brick-and-mortar in 2021.
5254 Monahans Ave. collinsandconley.com
Best Antique Shop/Secondhand Store, Editor Pick
For more than three decades, Montgomery Street Antique Mall, where Interstate 30 and Montgomery meet, has been a destination for treasure hunters, decorators, collectors, and anyone who simply enjoys a good afternoon of discovery. Opened in 1994, the 61,000-square-foot antique mall — once upon a time the building housed the manufacturing of Ben Hogan golf clubs — has built a loyal following by offering the thrill of the unexpected. If, like me, you love history, for example, you’ll fall in love. Inside, shoppers will find an eclectic mix of merchandise spanning virtually every category imaginable, as the mall’s dealers stock everything from high-end European and American furniture to vintage décor, collectibles, artwork, jewelry, and one-ofa-kind curiosities. “We strive to have a large selection of wonderful things in every price range and every genre in a fun and casual atmosphere,” says Judy Phillips, the mall’s manager. There’s a bonus, too: The Secret Garden Tearoom offers visitors a place for lunch or high tea. “Our customers become immersed in the history and nostalgic surroundings,” Phillips says. “People from all walks of life are discovering the possibilities of using antiques in their home. Customers come here every day, looking for a certain item but find so much more than they expected.”
2601 Montgomery St montgomerystreetantiquemall.com
Food Store, Editor Pick
Perhaps it’s a passed-down affinity for natural living that has made Richardson’s Health + Herbs a local favorite even among larger, more mainstream retailers. After all, the act of stocking organic foods and medicines in the family-run operation was quite literally a birthright for Bonnie Brensike — today’s steward of Richardson’s Health + Herbs. The story traces back to Bonnie’s father Alex in 1979 when he first developed a passion and a hankering for natural health and herbal remedies. Paired with his wife Louise, who also knew her way around a root, the two moved to Fort Worth in the mid-1980s and purchased Richardson’s Health Foods, which originally opened in 1958. Their offerings spanning organic and natural foods, vitamins, supplements, and herbal remedies proved a massive success and filled a need within the Fort Worth community. With their daughter Bonnie now manning the wholistic, organic grocery store — which moved its storefront to its current location on South Hulen Street in 2010 — she and her team strive to continue the legacy of stocking shelves with an extensive assortment of herbs and natural remedies, whether packaged as teas, tinctures, supplements, oils, or topical remedies.
5804 S. Hulen St. fortworthherbs.com
Best Fine Jewelry, Reader Pick
Within any craft, the folks best at selling something are often the same folks who’d be first in line to buy it. Lauren Devereaux is no exception to this philosophy, having long been a wearer and lover of modern, delicate jewels before launching Devereaux Gold two years ago — a homegrown business she would have certainly bought from if it weren’t her own. And while we mean this as no slight to the men in the maledominated industry of precious gems and stones, it’s provided her with a heck of an advantage. “I love selling to women because I wear the jewelry,” Devereaux says. “I know how it feels, I know what’s going to be comfortable — so I like to say, ‘If you don’t have a jewelry guy, then I can be your jew-
elry girl.’” Though she grew up as a seventhgeneration Texan with a love of Western wear, Devereaux says she first chose a corporate career and would often find herself searching for ways to incorporate that sense of style through simple, layered jewelry she could wear to the office. Having worked for a jewelry company and earned a degree in fashion merchandising, she decided she was the one who should create what she had been looking for. Today, Devereaux Gold spans predesigned styles and custom work — from 14K yellow gold bands to turquoise necklaces inlaid with diamond accents — and can be found popping up at various events across the city as she builds toward a permanent storefront.
devereauxgold.com
Albritton’s Finer Dry Cleaners Dry Cleaning
Arlington Heights Animal Hospital Veterinary Clinic
Birdie Bridal Bridal Boutique
Bodega South Main Grocery Store
City Boots Boot Maker
Create FW Co-Working Space
Desert Rose at the Cowgirl Museum Gift Shop
Doc’s Records Record Store
Fort Woof Dog Park Dog Park
Gordon Boswell Flowers Florist Holocron Toy Store
House of Wag Boarder/Groomer
HUB International Insurance Agent or Firm
Khaotic Zen Tattoo Tattoo Parlor
KM Tailor Alterations Tailor
Monkey and Dog Books Bookstore (was Leaves)
Lone Star Bavarian Auto Service
Megan Thorne Fine Jewels Fine Jewelry
Montgomery Street Antique Mall
Antique Shop/Secondhand Store
Ordered Steps Learning Center Childcare/Daycare
Plan Revelry Event Planner
Proper Supply Co. – Weatherford Western Apparel
Rent-A-Frog Valet Service
Richardson’s Health + Herbs Organic Food Store
Teresa’s Event Staffing and Bartending Event Staffing & Bartending
That Eye Place Eyewear
The Fort Worth Club Event Venue
The Man’s Shop by Wally Hardin Men’s Boutique
The Shameless Tourist Travel Agent
Tricks of the Trade Liquor Store
You Are Here Women’s Boutique
Zoe + Jack Children’s Boutique
Best Tattoo Parlor, Reader Pick
Best Women’s Boutique, Reader Pick
Finding a bra that fits can be an elusive and exhausting task — but 35-year-old Grace Grubic wants to change that. Grubic was inspired to open Wildflower Intimates in 2024 after having to drive to Dallas to buy a bra in her size; no Fort Worth stores could help her. Today, her Magnolia Avenue shop stocks over 200 sizes of bras and touts itself as the city’s only size-inclusive bra and lingerie boutique. “Inclusive means a lot of things, but for us it refers to size, age, race, and gender expression,” explains Grubic, a bra-fitting expert with years of lingerie retail experience. She and her two employees work to educate their customers, most of whom are wearing the wrong bra size. “But it isn’t their fault!” she says. “Most women have preconceived notions about cup sizes because it’s all they’ve been exposed to. People tend to think DD is huge, so women with moderate-sized busts don’t think they could possibly wear a G or H cup when in reality, it is incredibly common. Cup sizes are also totally dependent on the band size, so DD does not mean the same volume across the board.” If that’s news to you, or if you’re tired of the eternal search for a comfortable bra, Wildflower Intimates offers complimentary fittings and also carries underwear, swimwear, shapewear, and pajamas.
607 W. Magnolia Ave., Ste. 101 wildflowerintimates.com
First-timers and ink fanatics alike have embraced this Magnolia Avenue studio, which opened in 2024 and is known for its friendliness, fine custom designs, and pop-up events like artisan markets and Friday the 13th flash sales. “A good shop is a space where someone can come in and trust they’re going to be welcomed and confident they’re going to leave with a great tattoo,” says shop owner and longtime tattoo artist Alejandro Sedaca. Fine line tattoos are perhaps the most popular. “They’re one of the most trending styles, very minimalist and simple in design. It’s a quick fix for someone who’s got the tattoo itch but doesn’t want something big.” Nostalgia tattoos are a close second; people want to wear the cartoons, movies, and anime they loved as a child. “But the true-blue tattoo trend that will never die is American traditional, that classic ‘tattoo’ look. It’s what started it all.” Whether his customers want a giant snake or a tiny cross, their reasons are just as diverse as their tats. “Some people come in wanting to remember a loved one. Some people have experienced something and want to remember that feeling forever. Some merely have money burning a hole in their pocket,” says Sedaca. “I think in the end, we want tattoos because we want to share something that we love with the world.”
1510 W. Magnolia Ave., Ste. 100 instagram.com/monarchfwtx
Electric Starship Arcade
Beyond its incredible slate of Asian restaurants, this retro arcade is enticing us to make more treks to Haltom City. For those who recall arcades of the past — we’re talking Atari years and games that require only two buttons and a joystick — Electric Starship Arcade is a blast from the past. A family-owned business inspired by a deep love of classic gaming, the arcade room, located in a half-occupied, light-bricked strip mall (there’s the Haltom I know!), features a carefully curated selection of over 140 games, including the original Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, Mortal Kombat, Punch-Out, NBA Jam, Mario Kart, Jurassic Park, 10 pinball machines, and much more. While it is very family friendly, the old-school gaming mecca also serves hard cider and beer. But the real cherry on top: a guitar-wielding, jukebox-singing, animatronic bear named Big Bang Bruno — just to make you feel more at home in 1991.
5620 Denton Highway electricstarshiparcade.com
Best Cocktail Bar, Editor Pick
What exactly is it that elevates a watering hole to a cocktail bar? Or even a lounge? We’d argue it’s lush seating; a moody, intimate atmosphere; lower decibels emanating from Spotify playlists and patrons alike; and handcrafted cocktails served in the appropriate glassware — the moment a bartender starts shaving an orange peel, you’re likely in a cocktail bar. Atlas, the cozy retreat on the edge of the Near Southside’s South Main corridor, has all of the above in spades. Sporting a velvety environment, its walls are covered in rich wood paneling and ornate wallpaper in a deep purple, and its main source of lighting comes from a couple of dimly lit chandeliers. But it’s the drinks that keep us coming back. Featuring globally inspired cocktails, the menu includes concoctions from the likes of Italy, Spain, Cuba, and Peru to go along with a slate of original recipes and one of the best Old Fashioneds you can get in the city.
314 S. Main St., Ste.100 atlascocktailbar.com
Best Movie-Going Experience, Reader Pick
Going to the movies is cool again, y’all. Given recent box office receipts, one no longer has to be a “boomer” to enjoy some over-buttered popcorn and a box of Goobers at the cinema. Which is a dang good thing given the movie-going experience has never been better. From reclining chairs to food and cocktail menus (with service to your seats to boot), the multiplexes have no doubt upped their game. But downtown’s Rooftop Cinema Club manages to one-up all of these great cinematheques by its premise alone: You can watch movies on top of a freaking roof. Located on the mezzanine terrace of the Worthington Renaissance, Cowtown’s skyline serves as an incredible backdrop to the outdoor theater’s two 24-foot screens. And, like other modern multiplexes (or at least the good ones), the theater offers a full craft bar with signature cocktails, beer, and wine. While recent releases aren’t this theater’s stock-in-trade, we have a soft spot for its curated list of showings. It’s July calendar reads like an amalgamation of a TCM and AMC lineup from 2012. And we approve. 235 Throckmorton St. rooftopcinemaclub.com/us/fort-worth
Editor Pick
Atlas Cocktail Bar
Birdie’s Social Club Happy Hour
Buffalo Bros Place to Watch a Game
Cidercade Arcade
Cowtown Movie Classics
Movie-Going Experience
Cutting Edge Haunted House
Haunted House
Escapology Escape Room
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History Family Outing
Fort Worth Water Gardens Place to Pop the Question
Fort Worth Zoo Outdoor Activity
Karaoke with Cavono at The Cicada Karaoke
Little Tavern Pet-Friendly Hangout
Lone Star Film Festival Festival
Madam Pearl’s Dancehall & Saloon Place to Two-Step
Meadowbrook Golf Course
Golf Course
No Vacancy Nightclub
Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar
Girls Group Outing
Proper Monday Trivia Trivia Night
Rogers Roundhouse Patio/Outdoor Space with Drinks
Stolen Shakespeare Guild
Performing Arts Theater
Sway x Bowlounge Bar with Games
Tannahill’s Tavern Music Venue
The Bar at Bowie House Bar/Pub
The Circle Bar – Emilia’s at The Crescent First Date
The Nobleman Hotel/Resort
The Sanford House Bed and Breakfast
The Sterling Lounge Lounge
YMCA Camp Carter Equestrian Center Horseback Riding
Looking for a first date that skips the awkward silences but not necessarily the awkwardness? Fort Worth readers say Four Day Weekend is the answer. For years, the improv comedy troupe has been helping couples break the ice with an evening built around laughter, audience participation, and the unexpected inherit in improv. In fact, the performers have heard countless stories from guests who met at a Four Day Weekend show and later returned as married couples — sometimes with their now-grown children in tow. “I’ve had people tell me Four Day is the litmus test for the first date,” says David Wilk, performer and head of Four Day Weekend. “If they don’t laugh all night long, they’re probably not compatible.” But Four Day Weekend doesn’t merely do first dates; the comedy troupe goes from A to Z as part of marriage proposals, rehearsal dinner events, and plenty of celebrations over the years. Improv is relationship driven, you might say. “We’ve had countless first dates,” says Wilk. “We could bust so many guys we recognize who are with a different girl multiple times a month.” But they don’t. Like a bartender, that’s bad for business. Currently performing at 6025 Camp Bowie Blvd. (Announcement coming soon concerning permanent location) fourdayweekend.com
For nearly two decades, Scat Jazz Lounge, tucked away in an intimate basement space in downtown Fort Worth, has built a loyal following by focusing on what matters most: great music, great Fort Worth jazz history, talented performers, and an atmosphere that keeps audiences returning for more. Since opening in 2007, Scat has become one of the city’s premier live music destinations, drawing everyone from longtime jazz enthusiasts to first-time listeners. The candlelit room, vintage-inspired vibe, and close proximity to the stage create an experience that feels more
like a private performance than a night out. Management credits the club’s success to its commitment to musicians and patrons alike. Over the years, Scat has cultivated relationships with local artists and the University of North Texas College of Music, helping showcase emerging talent while maintaining a consistently high-quality lineup. As the club approaches its 20th anniversary in 2027, its mission of ensuring that every guest leaves as an even bigger fan of jazz than when they arrived endures. Fort Worth is still listening, nodding, and grooving.
111 W. Fourth St., Ste. 11 scatjazzlounge.com
Billed as a nostalgic sports haven, Morton’s Tavern has that classic pub vibe where a scarf-clad Premier League fan might frequent to catch a Chelsea match on one of the bar’s 20 TVs. Of course, this is Texas, so it’s mostly Cowboys, Stars, and Horned Frog fans who make their way to the Near Southside joint. And we’re not talking strictly human fans, either. At Morton’s Tavern, canine and even cat companions often tag along to enjoy the game on the establishment’s large outdoor patio — a sweatered corgi or English bulldog blending best, but all breeds (including felines, we might add) are certainly welcome. And while this patio, which offers plenty of shade thanks to large awnings and umbrellas, is no doubt a big reason for the establishment’s second straight Best of Fort Worth win in the pet-friendly hangout category (no easy task in dog-loving Fort Worth), we’d argue it’s the staff’s general friendliness toward our furry friends that takes them over the edge.
212 Lipscomb St. mortonstavern.com
Best Girls Group Outing, Editor Pick Sing/scream along to your favorite ’90s tunes, dance like Janet Jackson, laugh at the performers, and wind up on stage with your friends — this is definitely not your average piano show. Audience participation is encouraged in Pete’s party-like atmosphere, where the talented pianists double as comedians and tailor the experience to fit the crowd. “Our performers take requests all night long, so every show is unique and driven by the audience,” says Marketing Brand Manager Jacqueline McAllister. They play “everything, from today’s hits and country favorites to classic rock, pop, ’80s and ’90s throwbacks, and sing-along anthems.” Cocktails lean sweet and celebratory, like the Get Lei’d Lemonade with lemon vodka, mango rum, and cherry syrup. You can also order 52-ounce cocktails to share or giant “tub drinks” served in bathtub-shaped glassware (pass the straws). With VIP packages and reserved seating available, Pete’s is perennially popular with bachelorette parties — but it’s also a fun, free-wheeling night out for anyone looking to let loose and live it up in Sundance Square. “This summer is shaping up to be one of our biggest yet, with themed events, special promotions, and lots of reasons for groups to gather,” says McAllister. “Every night is a celebration.” 621 Houston St. petesduelingpianobar.com/fort-worth
Best Performing Arts Theater, Editor Pick
This long-running classical theater company moved to a new venue near the Stockyards last year — and it’s a perfect fit. Located at 3623 Decatur Ave., the intimate theater seats 60 to 90 guests, giving the audience an up-close-andpersonal connection with the performers on stage. “The space has been transformational for our organization,” says Jason Morgan, who runs the nonprofit with his wife, Lauren. “For the first time in our 20-year history, we have a permanent home where we can rehearse, build and store scenery, offer educational programming, and produce theater year-round.”
The troupe’s 20th season continues with “Summer in the ’80s,” featuring “Footloose” (July 10-26) and “Steel Magnolias” (August 7-16). In October, their signature Stolen Shakespeare Festival will showcase the Bard’s supreme versatility with the lighthearted “As You Like It” and the brutally dark “King Lear.” “Shakespeare gives us a language for exploring what it means to be human,” says Morgan. “The settings may be centuries old and the language a little bit strange, but the emotions and struggles are timeless.” Along with concessions and free parking at the new venue, you’ll also find a fresh, forward-looking energy. “Having a permanent home gives us greater artistic flexibility and allows us to invest directly in the long-term future of the organization and the Fort Worth arts community.” 3623 Decatur Ave. stolenshakespeareguild.org
Hop and Props
Best Festival, Reader Pick
2REquine Horseback Riding
Billy Bob’s Texas Place to Two-Step Casa Mañana Performing Arts
Theater
Colonial Country Club Golf Course
Crystal Springs Hideaway Happy Hour
Delectable Dilemmas Girls Group Outing
DFW Car and Toy Museum Family Outing
Fort Worth Botanic Garden Place to Pop the Question
Four Day Weekend First Date Game Theory Bar with Games
Hangman’s House of Horrors Haunted House
Hops and Props – Fort Worth Aviation Museum Festival
Hotel Drover Hotel/Resort
Mayfest Outdoor Activity
Morton’s Tavern Pet-Friendly Hangout
Pluckers Wing Bar Trivia Night
Rex’s Bar and Grill Place to Watch a Game
Rooftop Cinema Club Movie-Going Experience
Rosen House Inn Bed and Breakfast
Sarah’s Place Karaoke
Scat Jazz Lounge Nightclub
Second Rodeo Patio/Outdoor Space with Drinks
The Basement Lounge Lounge
The Down ‘n Out Bar/Pub
Electric Starship Arcade Arcade
The Secret Chambers Escape Room
The Usual Cocktail Bar
Tulips Music Venue
Best Outdoor Activity, Editor Pick
A spring-time festival that combines two of Fort Worth’s greatest loves — craft beer and aeronautics —Hops and Props serves as the Fort Worth Aviation Museum’s big annual fundraiser that helps the local attraction run its educational programs and funds its work in aircraft preservation. Taking place on the museum’s premises, local brewers — the 2026 slate including Martin House, Fort Brewery, Rahr & Sons, Murphy’s Law, Division Brewing, Bee & Brew, Dr. Jeckyll’s Beer Lab, Antheneum Cider, Turning Point Beer, and Three Wide Brewing — pour generous servings of hoppy beverages to make festivalgoers keenly aware of Tarrant County’s embarrassment of riches when it comes to brewmasters. Thankfully, the museum’s incredible collection of 33 military aircraft — including a pair of F-4 Phantoms, an F-14 Tomcat, F-18 Hornet, and much more — are out of commission and no longer airworthy. So, Ubering home is the preferred option. 3300 Ross Ave. fortworthaviationmuseum.com
Fully aware our beloved zoo earned the editor pick for best outdoor activity, we will say the popular attraction could have easily received recognition for biggest overall impact. If only such a category existed — maybe next year. While visiting the zoo and its 540 species of animals is an awe-inspiring and meaningful experience, it’s what these visits fund that makes it even more impactful: wildlife conservation. With an active hand in saving critically endangered species, the Fort Worth Zoo has conducted successful breeding programs and engaged in field research, habitat protection, and reintroduction efforts. Jamaican iguanas and Texas horned lizards — yes, TCU’s cherished mascot — would tip their hats to the zoo if they could. Consistently ranked among the best zoos in the nation — recently cracking U.S. News and World Report’s top 25 zoos — the Fort Worth Zoo receives plaudits for its continual upgrades, cleanliness, and design of enclosures. One of the zoo’s oldest exhibits, “World of Primates,” recently received a substantial renovation and received a new resident: a two-toed sloth named Olive. Oh, and the zoo also has a new baby elephant named Sam — its fourth since 2021 — so there’s that, too.
1989 Colonial Parkway fortworthzoo.org
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Best Plant Shop, Editor Pick
Texas has a way of humbling gardeners. A week of triple-digit temperatures, a surprise freeze, or months without meaningful rain can quickly expose the difference between plants that merely survive and those that truly belong here. That’s the philosophy behind Nativo Gardens, a boutique nursery founded by Karla Orta, a green-thumbed Fort Worthian who turned her houseplant obsession into a home business, starting out by selling plants out of her backyard — literally. Today, at her Nativo
Gardens nursery on White Settlement Road, she specializes in native plants that actually stand a fighting chance in Texas. Her inventory includes native perennials, cacti, succulents, deciduous trees, and other varieties chosen for both beauty and resilience. Just as notable is Orta herself. In an industry that has historically lacked diversity, she has become one of the area’s most visible Latina nursery owners, building a loyal following through education, expertise, and a genuine passion for plants. 1701 White Settlement Road nativotx.com
Best Flooring, Editor Pick
A home’s floor is easy to take for granted until, well, it’s taken from under you. Nothing is more used and abused in a household than a home’s floor — whether it be wood, stone, tile, carpet, or concrete. So, like the roof over your head, you want to make sure the ground beneath you is equally solid — and even leak-proof.
Vintage Floors, a flooring company that’s been around since 2011 and has become a mainstay on our annual Best of Fort Worth list, not only offers high-quality flooring in a variety of applications that would meet the above standards, but they also offer a bevy of options to ensure your square footage is pleasing to the eye. With such floors, one won’t even require a rug “to tie the room together,” though the addition rarely hurts. Vintage Floors’ high-quality surfaces include wood, stone and tile, vinyl, laminate, and carpet and custom rugs — all installed by professionals that have accumulated over 200 years of flooring and design experience and sourced from some of the best manufacturers in the business.
5136 Camp Bowie Blvd. vintagefloorstx.com
Best Home Decor Store, Editor Pick
A repeat winner in our annual Best Of issue, Old Home Supply remains one of Fort Worth’s most fascinating places to browse and buy. Part antique store, part architectural salvage yard, and part home improvement warehouse, the sprawling Near Southside institution occupies four street corners packed with treasures both practical and peculiar. Opened in 1987 by longtime Fort Worthian Ralph Watterson, Old Home Supply gives old materials a second life. Many of the store’s faucets, light fixtures, doors, windows, and architectural doodads
have been rescued from historic homes in the surrounding neighborhoods, making the shop a goldmine for local homeowners looking to restore what someone else stripped away. But you don’t need a reno project to appreciate the place. Wander through Watterson’s four buildings, and you’ll find everything from claw-foot bathtubs and vintage drawer pulls to yard art, antique furniture, and one-of-a-kind conversation pieces. 1801 College Ave. oldhomesupply.net
Best Pool Builder, Editor Pick
Come August, a swimming pool in Fort Worth becomes more of a survival tool than a luxury. And this is precisely what’s kept Purselley Pools busy for over two decades. Founded in Fort Worth in 1999, the company has become a familiar name in the world of custom pool construction, helping shape backyard landscapes across the city and beyond. While pool styles have evolved — from simple rectangles to elaborate outdoor retreats complete with water features and outdoor living spaces — the appeal remains largely the same: creating a place where people actually want to spend time. In a region where summer is less a season than a test of tolerance, that mission has proven to be a pretty enduring one.
7509 Pebble Drive
purselleypools.com
Best Plumbing Company, Reader Pick
It’s not easy finding businesses in what we’ll call the “home maintenance” industries — be it plumbing, roofing, or electrical — that have amassed near-perfect Google ratings with over 1,500 reviews. In other words, it isn’t just mom and dad writing glowingly about their child’s startup with no mailing address. No, these are honest-togoodness customers taking time out of their busy day to recommend — for once not slamming — a local business. Such effort takes a good amount of motivation stirred by a job well done. And ClearWater Plumbers, a full-service residential and commercial plumbing company based in Fort
Worth, has managed to motivate a lot of its customers. Founded in 1997 by the Longspaugh family, who continue to own and operate the company, ClearWater plumbing is very clear about putting customer satisfaction at the forefront of its operation. According to the company website, it was a little over five years ago when the company had a, if you’ll pardon the pun, watershed moment that inspired the local entrepreneurs to recalibrate the organization’s culture to ensure they were living up to the company motto: “at your service.”
6954 Boat Club Road clearwaterplumber.com
Editor Pick
Alamo Pest Control Rodent Control Broadstone Landscape
(When Fort Worth Built Its Houses of Tomorrow)
Perhaps no year was more pivotal to modern Fort Worth than 1936. It marked the convergence of two very different visions for the city — one embodied by Billy Rose, the showman, and the other by Marvin Leonard, the builder.
BY JOHN HENRY
arlier this spring, the nose counters at the U.S. Census Bureau told us what we already knew. Lots of people are moving here at a rate comparable only to rising flashflood waters, unseen since perhaps Genesis, except without the divine’s explicit heads-up.
Fort Worth is in big-boy country, one of the 10 largest cities by population in America — more than 1 million people — belonging to a region that will soon be the third-largest metro in the country.
Roughly one-third of the World Cup field comes from countries smaller than DFW, including tiny debutants like Curaçao (156,000 people) and Cape Verde (about 600,000), two of the smallest nations ever to qualify.
Which begs the question: How has Fort Worth never qualified for the World Cup?
I have clearly wandered from the larger point.
The population boom is not slowing, of course. And neither is the development that surrounds it.
New U.S. Census Bureau estimates in May showed Fort Worth added 19,512 residents between July 2024 and July 2025 — the second-largest numeric increase of any city in the country — helping the city surpass Jacksonville, Florida, for the No. 10 spot nationally with a population of 1,028,117.
History will one day record how all this happened. The living simply can’t keep up with the constantly changing databases, algorithms, and ledger books.
Among the populace in each of the city’s eras are some fascinating leaders. The profiles make for some interesting research and study of the human condition.
One of the early greats was B. B. Paddock, who became the model of just about every civic leader who followed.
“We recognize that no man was more sincere in his love for Fort Worth than was Captain B. B. Paddock,” a mayor and council proclamation stated at his death in 1922. “To him there were no finer women than Fort Worth women, no more capable men than Fort Worth men, and no city with larger opportunities than has Fort Worth.”
Amon Carter, like the captain a publisher, was a pallbearer.
As far as leadership profiles, historians will also take a look at the year 1936. If there is a single year that explains modern Fort Worth, a strong case can be made for 1936.
If modern Fort Worth has patron saints, two candidates from this era couldn’t be any different.
Billy Rose, a mercenary who dropped in with all the subtlety of a Fourth of July fireworks finale, was the Broadway impresario who taught Fort Worth how to market itself. Rose was an Amon Carter hire, after all. Rose was way ahead of his time. His kind of performative hijinks today permeate every corner of American life. What seemed
audacious in his day is a defining feature of the culture today.
Marvin Leonard, meanwhile, was the steady merchant prince who said far less but spent a lifetime building the institutions — the actual stage — that gave the city permanence.
One was all spectacle. The other was all substance. One arrived from afar — the Center of the Universe — and changed how outsiders saw Fort Worth and that the city was a part of that universe. The other never stopped investing in what Fort Worth could become.
Their stories converge in two defining episodes that help explain how a dusty cattle town became one of America’s largest cities.
“I moved my family out of California to come to Texas because of the club’s history, but initially it was the golf history, the championship history, the Hogan story and the PGA Tour story, the U.S. Open story, and all of that. And there’s a ton there,” says Frank Cordeiro, president and CEO of Colonial Country Club. “But what I didn’t know about was the Leonard story and the Fort Worth story. And to me, that became much more compelling.”
The idea of Fort Worth throwing a Frontier Centennial marking Texas’ 100th birthday grew out of the Legislature appointing a committee made up of civic leaders across the state to determine how to mark the event in 1936.
An exposition representative of all that had happened since then and all its ranching, farming, and oil would be on full display.
“All good things of Texas, well-larded by educational displays and cultural events” is the way Amon Carter biographer Jerry Flemmons described it.
Carter was on the commission. It never dawned on him for Fort Worth to submit a bid, considering there was no Fort Worth in 1836. To Amon, according to Flemmons, Houston or San Antonio were the most logical sites because of their relationship to the events of independence.
In the midst of the Depression, however, the crux of who would host the Texas Centennial celebration had nothing to do with proximity to Travis or Houston. It was all about who could pay for it.
That was Dallas, which submitted a winning bid weighted by millions in seed money. The city’s patrons literally outbid the rest. “Mr. Dallas,” R.L. Thornton, then president of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce, pledged that he would raise at least $8 million upfront for the exposition.
Game, set, match.
When Carter heard of Dallas’ selection, though, he was said, according to Flemmons, to have “set a record for consecutive gawddamns.” To him Dallas had as much claim to
TCU used a 36-yard field goal by Tillie Manton to beat LSU in a soggy Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on New Year’s Day. “It was the consensus of the press box after the game that the better team won,” said the great Flem Hall of the Star-Telegram.
the exposition as Fort Worth.
According to Flemmons, Carter “gathered his close friends to scheme on a plan of retribution in which Fort Worth would show Dallas ‘how the cow ate the cabbage.’”
The idea of Fort Worth holding its own centennial exposition, according to Carter, belonged initially to William Monnig, the city councilman and proprietor of Monnig’s Department Store, and another of Fort Worth’s great lives. Monnig was born in Missouri but spent his early years living in a German community, leaving him, it was said, with an accent that he took to his grave.
Though the idea might have been Monnig’s, only one guy dared try it — Amon Carter, who had a chief accomplice, Van Zandt Jarvis, then both the mayor and president of the Stock Show.
Our “Frontier Centennial” would celebrate the contributions of the livestock industry, its center being Fort Worth, Texas.
Carter ginned up support by insisting that if Fort Worth didn’t do this, the annual Stock Show in the Stockyards — which had been around 40 years at that point — was in jeopardy to the rascals out east. And they had better do it in “grand fashion.”
“Our friends across the river, with their new buildings, costing from $15,000,000 to $20,000,000,” Carter explained, according to Olmstead, “could and possibly would absorb our great Stock Show.”
Getting the Frontier Centennial off the ground required a combination of political persuasion, public funding, federal assistance, and old-fashioned civic boosterism.
Led by Carter, a Fort Worth delegation traveled to Austin seeking a share of the state’s Texas Centennial appropriations. The livestock industry was foundational to Texas history, Fort Worth was the center of that industry, and the city deserved its own major celebration, they asserted.
State officials eventually agreed, allocating $250,000 for the project after an impassioned presentation by state Sen. Frank Rawlings helped win over the commission overseeing centennial funds.
The money came with a catch. Fort Worth had to raise $1.25 million locally to match the state’s commitment. The city also hoped to secure federal assistance, and with the help of Congressman Fritz Lanham and Vice President John Nance Garner another $250,000 was eventually obtained through federal centennial funding.
That still left more than $1 million to raise. City leaders turned to voters, proposing a
bond package that included not only the centennial facilities but also a library, hospital, tuberculosis sanitorium, and other civic improvements.
Voters approved the bonds, clearing the way for construction of what became the Will Rogers Memorial Center and the facilities that would host a centennial festival.
The Fort Worth group, though, was a long way from curing money concerns, but city leaders were bent on building an attraction that could compete for national attention.
They sought out Billy Rose, who was in the midst of “Jumbo” on Broadway, a groundbreaking show for its enormous scale, blending a traditional musical with the spectacle of a live circus. He also had a reputation as a publicity, uh, magnet. They hired him at a rate of $1,000 a day for 100 days. That’s $2.3 million today.
Rose’s answer was the Frontier Centennial, anchored by the massive outdoor theater known as Casa Mañana. Rather than create a traditional historical exposition, Rose transformed Fort Worth into a giant entertainment destination.
Billy Rose always had something outrageous to say to the waiting local and national media figures.
Amon Carter made the winning bid on the Fort Worth Stock Show’s Grand Champion Steer, The Twin, who went for $1.40 a pound — or roughly $2,000. The opening bid was 50 cents by George Scaling of Armour & Co. The Twin was headed to the Frontier Centennial for display, Carter said.
He brought with him lofty promises, starting with the vow to build something larger than Texas had ever seen.
The world’s largest revolving stage. A 4,000-seat amphitheater. Massive water effects. Plus, a “a mammoth open air dance floor accommodating 3,000 couples, singing waiters, a giant screen flashing the words of popular tunes for mass sing-songs.”
He also promised Broadway talent and publicity. Most importantly, he promised a fight with Dallas that Fort Worth would win.
“We’ll outshow them,” he said, according to Billy Rose Presents … Casa Mañana, written by Jan Jones and published by TCU Press.
“The Fort Worth show will bring 5 million visitors. … It should gross $2 million — no, it’ll be a $5 million dollar show!” On how he planned to do that, he said, “We’ll give ’em a bolt … a ball of fire. Let Dallas educate the people. We’ll entertain them in Fort Worth.”
Dallas’ exposition would be a historical exposition – a museum. Rose’s exposition would be a show.
Jones notes that Rose was making all these claims even before he had finalized plans for the exposition.
Jones writes: “His capacity for exaggeration seemed
limitless. He dropped the names of top headliners such as George Burns and Gracie Allen, Jack Benny, Shirley Temple, Dick Powell, Clark Gable, and Phil Baker. Backing these, he promised, would be a chorus of 500 beautiful girls. Rose sold Fort Worth with the spurious zeal of a con artist.
Bronx born, Rose was 36 when he arrived in Fort Worth. He was said to use his booming personality and flair for self-promotion to compensate for his diminutive 5-foot-2 stature.
Fort Worth turned out to be one of the defining episodes in Rose’s rise from New York songwriter and promoter to national impresario, according to Mark Cohen’s Not Bad for Delancey Street.
His ambition for this show was bigger than any checkbook, just like “Jumbo,” whose production scale far exceeded any potential for profit.
Golf failed to make much of an impression on Marvin Leonard the first time around. After three rounds at Glen Garden Country Club in the early 1920s, he dismissed it out of hand as a waste of time better spent on business hours. Who among us hasn’t felt that way? He tossed his clubs into storage.
“It seemed like a mighty silly game,” he said later, “and I had no time for silly pastimes.”
A doctor’s advice four years later changed everything. Everything is no embellishment.
Marvin Leonard was born in 1895 in Linden, a three-hour drive to the northeast, through Sulphur Springs and Mount Pleasant. Sometime after his high school years, Leonard moved to Dallas, where he worked as a grocery clerk.
He came to Fort Worth looking for work, but, he recalled, “nobody would give me a job, and I got a little restless.”
Restlessness manifested in him scraping together $835 to rent a 25-foot by 60-foot store for $75 a month and stock it with what he could. Boards laid on barrels were his counters, and wash tubs his bins.
That was 1918, and his first day’s receipts amounted to $195, despite there being four similar stores within the block. Years later he saw that daily gross exceeded $335,000 as part of Leonard’s Department Store, which he operated with his brother Obie.
It was said that there was never a year the store didn’t earn a profit, from 1918 on. During the Depression, when
others either shutdown or were deterred by fear, Leonard’s expanded.
Innovation was a characteristic.
When the “bank holiday” during the Depression stopped the flow of cash, Leonard’s printed their own script to cash paychecks. The script could buy merchandise or be redeemed when banks reopened.
Leonard was incited to noble deeds.
When the store bought more cabbages than it could sell, they were placed in containers in front of the store, free to all comers. A free soda party on the Tarrant County Courthouse lawn in the 1930s resulted in a series of children’s parties in which as many as 10,000 children showed. The store’s merchandise manager once found a manufacturer willing to practically give away 2,000 dozen pairs of fire-engine red trousers.
“All of our salespeople wore them during a special sale, and soon the whole town was in red pants,” Leonard said.
Another notable example was retold in a Leonard biography, Texas Merchant, authored by Walter L. Buenger and Victoria L. Buenger.
A program to feed hungry school children during the Depression, financed by the state and county budgets, had run out of money. Leonard told the schools superintendent to keep the program going and send him the bill. He quietly paid the $35,000 bill to do so. He wasn’t the kind of guy to go on Facebook — had there been a Facebook — and tell the world what he had done.
On the same day Jesse Owens continued to throw cold water on Hitler’s Olympics with a third gold medal in the 200-meter title in a world-record time, Earle Meadows brought home gold to Fort Worth, vaulting to an Olympic record 14 feet, 3 ¼ inches. Meadows only made a brief visit to Fort Worth on the way back to school at University of Southern California. Another onetime Paschal guy, Foy Draper, who moved to California before graduating high school, won gold in the 4x100-meter relay. He was killed in the war in North Africa fighting Germans.
He didn’t operate that way. Leonard was a “quiet giver,” his daughter once said, adding in one testimonial that he was always “helping people in some way, whether it happened to be with paying bills, or with food programs at local schools, providing college funds, or helping out in a personal crisis. Everybody loved him, and that was because Daddy loved people.”
This was a guy who didn’t finish high school because, as his brother Obie said, as retold in Texas Merchant, he didn’t want to burden his parents with the expense of buying him a graduation suit.
Leonard’s Department Store was also the first in Fort Worth to remove the last ugly vestiges of Jim Crow, according to Texas Merchant. The store had always welcomed Black shoppers, but it had separate water fountains and bathrooms. Blacks were also not allowed in the buffet line of the store’s restaurant.
It was an example that is credited for making way for a relatively peaceful transition of desegregation.
His obituary tells of “success never [making] him too big to take a personal interest in his associates, his employees, and the charitable causes which he furthered. There comes to mind the picture of Mr. Leonard loading up Mrs. Lena Pope’s old car with produce and groceries far beyond what the Lena Pope Home could manage to pay for. A similar generosity was exhibited toward Texas Wesleyan College, the radiation center, the city’s hospitals and its United Fund.
“No big city ever has quite enough men who will take the broad and optimistic view, act upon it, and make it reality. That is why Marvin Leonard made such an indelible mark upon Fort Worth.”
Hard work, of course, was always a part of the credo. And it might have almost done him in at a young age.
“I woke up one morning feeling so low that I went to my family doctor, and he said to start playing golf or start preparing for a crack up,” Leonard said, according to Texas Merchant.
The sport, says Frank Cordeiro, COO and general manager of Colonial, saved Leonard’s life.
So, he got his clubs back out of the closet. He began playing nine holes in the morning before breakfast. The new hobby soon turned to obsession. Whereas before he couldn’t wait to get off the course, he now couldn’t get off of it.
That turned into summers playing golf in Colorado and California, where he became enamored with the smooth, velvety putting surfaces. Curious about what made the greens so different, he asked a superintendent during one of those trips.
The answer: bentgrass.
In Texas, Bermuda grass dominated putting surfaces because it could survive the state’s punishing summers. But Leonard grew tired of putts that bounced, hopped, and wandered offline. (Who hasn’t?) He preferred the true roll of bentgrass. On those smoother greens, breaking 80 suddenly seemed a little more attainable.
The conversation with the superintendent in California planted an idea of bringing bentgrass greens to Fort Worth. He wasn’t at all convinced bentgrass was too delicate for the Texas summers. He had seen evidence to the contrary at Glen Garden Country Club, where a small patch of bentgrass survived on the 18th green. The grass wasn’t
pampered, yet it endured.
Leonard set out to convince others. His toughest audience was the board at River Crest Country Club, where, in addition to Glen Garden, he was a member.
Let him convert several greens to bentgrass at his own expense, he told them. If the experiment failed, he would personally pay to restore them to Bermuda grass.
The board had no interest.
Leonard kept pushing, but in the depths of the Great Depression few were eager to gamble on wild ideas.
As the story goes, his daughter Marty has said, the club said to him: “Well, Marvin, if you’re so hell-bent on it, why don’t you go build your own golf course?”
One problem in Billy Rose’s grand plans immediately emerged.
Money. The Fort Worth group didn’t have enough of it. Fort Worth leaders had committed themselves to a show that was growing larger almost by the week. Rose wasn’t building any modest exposition. He was building Casa Mañana, the world’s largest revolving stage, elaborate water effects, major theatrical productions, a midway, historical attractions, and importing top Broadway talent (well, he tried).
The scale was extraordinary, but so were the costs.
According to Billy Rose Presents … Casa Mañana, figures presented to the Frontier Centennial board by James North, editor of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the latest recipient of this Amon Carter headache, the operation was expected to cost $2.8 million, with at least $911,000 needed before the gates could even open. Organizers planned to raise that money through bond sales, concession rentals, and advance ticket sales.
Then reality hit.
Construction, which began only months in advance, was being rushed against an unforgiving deadline. Overtime mounted. Material costs climbed. By May 24, overruns had pushed the amount needed to open from $911,000 to approximately $1 million. Within another few weeks, organizers needed yet another $100,000.
At the same time, fundraising wasn’t keeping pace. Bond sales fell short of projections. Contractors still expected payment. Workers still needed to be paid. The closer opening day approached, the tighter the squeeze became.
While Rose was generating publicity, North was trying to keep the project solvent. He appealed to bankers, sought emergency financing, and reached out to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation in Washington.
“Frankly we have a bear by the tail,” he said in a telegram to Jesse Jones, Houston financier who was the director of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation in Washington. The exposition had become too large and now too visible to abandon, but organizers no longer had enough money to comfortably finish it.
Now it was in crisis, North wrote to Jones, that had
Two of Fort Worth’s most prized youth organizations got their starts in 1936. The Texas State Golden Gloves Championships were coming to Fort Worth beginning that very year. The champions would go to Chicago for nationals.
The Golden Gloves are still going, with the state tournament held in March every year at the Will Rogers Memorial Center.
Also going strong at 90 is the Fort Worth Junior Golf Tournament, still held in the heat of the summer.
Glen Garden held the first tournament, open to any boy who hasn’t reached his 17th birthday. Girls have been competing for at least 70 years.
moved beyond mere theoretical budget concerns: Contractors weren’t being paid.
“After spending all my days and some sleepless nights trying to figure a way out of our difficulties, I can see none unless you come to our rescue with a loan.”
Ultimately, rescue arrived. After lobbying from Amon Carter and Elliott Roosevelt, financier Jesse Jones approved a $200,000 loan, supplementing the financing already provided by local banks.
While one man — Billy Rose — was selling the dream, North was keeping it alive and, presumably, calling the front page every day.
Meanwhile, Rose was staging publicity events, courting national reporters, fighting with Dallas, and creating the impression that Fort Worth was building the greatest show in America.
“Fort Worth will offer to America, not a pale carbon copy of the Chicago World’s Fair, but a Living, Breathing, Highly Exciting Version of The Last Frontier,” one promotion declared.
“Fort Worth for Entertainment; Dallas for Education,” another blared.
Dallas complained about it, and, moreover, demanded Fort Worth stop referring to the Dallas exposition in its publicity.
“We must reserve the right ... to publicize it in the manner best calculated, in our judgment, to achieve the desired ends,” William Monnig replied.
Perhaps the boldest move yet was a sign 130 feet long by 40 feet high just outside Dallas’ exposition grounds with the message for fair-goers: “Wild & Whoo-pee Forty-five Minutes West.”
The lettering was in blinking neon letters over 17 feet tall, according to Billy Rose Presents.
Furious Dallas officials attempted to have the sign removed through building inspectors but failed.
The rivalry escalated into what newspapers dubbed, “The Battle of the Nudes.” Dallas promoted attractions like the Streets of Paris midway. Fort Worth promoted Casa Mañana and its glamorous showgirls.
The resulting controversy generated statewide and national coverage.
Rose furthermore used Frontier Centennial advertising to claim Dallas would be “as pious and dull as a Canadian Sabbath” and charged, moreover, that Dal-
las combined “the smugness of Boston, the provincialism of Philadelphia, the snobbery of New York.”
It was a full-scale publicity assault. And quite funny from my observation post.
To Amon Carter, no doubt, Billy Rose was worth every penny the Fort Worth group didn’t have.
Meanwhile, Marvin Leonard was putting the finishing touches on Colonial Country Club, opened simply as “Colonial Club.”
Everybody might’ve looked at him the same way they did Billy Rose: “This man is crazy.”
Leonard acquired land along the Trinity River near TCU and hired golf architects John Bredemus and Perry Maxwell to design a new course. Maxwell was simultaneously working on another ambitious project in Oklahoma called Southern Hills.
Leonard studied plans from both men and reserved the final say on every major decision.
Neither architect was convinced bentgrass could thrive in Texas. But Colonial was Leonard’s vision, and, on this point, he wasn’t interested in compromise.
“Everybody tried to discourage him on the bent,” the Star-Telegram wrote in 1937. “Even the architects said it couldn’t be done. Bent is a winter grass that grows wild in the Northwestern states, but in sections with hot summers, it had never done well. There were such greens in Oklahoma and Amarillo and a few experimental plots had been planted as far south as Fort Worth, but it was the consensus of the experts that the stuff couldn’t be grown on a big scale in these parts.
While peace officers all throughout the South were scouring hideouts for him, Augustus Dwight Beard, 25, escaped North Carolina murderer and former star college athlete, was invited to the Dallas Texas Centennial by a Dallas traffic officer.
Beard, in Fort Worth for questioning on a series of holdups, said he made an illegal left turn while driving in downtown Dallas. A traffic officer started to give him a ticket, noticed North Carolina plates on the car, and, after politely explaining the nature of the offense against local traffic regulations, told Beard he hoped he could return to Dallas to visit the Centennial.
“I told him I’d do my best to make it,” Beard said.
Beard didn’t make it. In addition to nine robberies in Dallas and Fort Worth, Beard was later convicted of the murder of Dallas Det. John Roberts. The state of Texas sent him to Old Sparky in 1937.
“But Leonard just isn’t the kind to give up without a struggle. He believed that with proper soil preparation and care, bent could be grown here.”
The experiment was attracting national attention, being watched with “interest and hope,” said the National PGA, which in January 1936 came for a visit.
A.W. Tillinghast, a course architect who designed Brookhollow in Dallas and Brackenridge Park in San Antonio, inspected the new course with Leonard and Claude Whalen, president of the Texas PGA and head pro at Colonial.
“I never like to make comparisons, of course, but I will say that this is a lovely layout,” Tillinghast said to the Star-Telegram. “And the bold experiment on bentgrass cannot be praised too highly. We’re all hoping it will succeed
and believe that it will.”
Dallas had taken notice of Marvin Leonard’s golf course, too.
In October 1936, Dallas Country Club reported that it was going to run an experiment with bentgrass with a tryout green but off the course. A story in the Dallas Morning News made note of the Leonard’s “noble experiment” at Colonial and its success. Rather than doubters, Bredemus and Maxwell were now evangelical converts.
“Colonial has them and this year proved to the satisfaction of all concerned that they can be brought successfully through the terrific summer heat,” the Morning News wrote
The Dallas Country Club head pro, George Aulbach, predicted that once bent’s roots had been firmly planted in Texas, there would be “no reason” why Texas wouldn’t get its share of national golfing events.
And, in fact, Leonard was testing that out, too.
In May 1936, he brought together the best amateurs in the state for the Colonial Club Invitation. I guess you could call it Colonial’s first National Invitation Tournament.
36.) In 1946, the PGA Tour made Colonial a permanent spot.
The Frontier Centennial never overcame its financial difficulties. It lost $97,000, about $2.3 million today. In the Depression era that was consequential.
A financial report made public in early 1937 revealed that the Fort Worth Centennial Exhibition cost $1.5 million of which only $1.1 million had been furnished by loans or subscriptions, according to Billy Rose Presents.
Throughout the entire summer and fall, the centennial made only $289,000. All other expenses had to be underwritten. Thirty-eight firms and individuals provided more than 60% of operating costs, according to Billy Rose Presents.
Other than the banks, the largest single investment was Amon Carter’s, which contributed $58,450 — about $1.4 million. It was worth every penny. The publicity went nationwide. Newspapers across the country carried stories about Casa Mañana, Sally Rand, the giant revolving stage, celebrity performers, and the rivalry between Dallas and Fort Worth.
Harry Todd, 19, beat L.G. “Bitsy” McCray of Denton, 8-7. McCray had upended favorite Reynolds Smith, Texas’ only Walker Cup member in 1936. Todd would return to Colonial for the first PGA Tour event in 1946.
He almost won that, losing to Ben Hogan in, ironically, a Dallas v. Fort Worth showdown.
Fueled by enthusiastic hometown support, Hogan came charging from three strokes behind. He matched the competitive course record with a final-round 65 and captured the championship by a single shot over Todd.
Hogan was nowhere to be found at the first Colonial in 1936. He was already trying to scrape by as a professional. Colonial would become his platform to stardom, one of golf’s all-time greats.
The pro from Dallas was right. Major league golf did come to Texas after Leonard’s successful experiment with bent.
Only five years after Colonial’s opening, the club hosted the U.S. Open. It was won by Craig Wood. Hogan was runner-up. (I write about it on, oddly enough, Page
Moreover, the Frontier Centennial transformed how outsiders perceived the city. Fort Worth had established its own recognizable identity, starting with a modern Western brand.
“Fort Worth was flat on its back until we put on that show,” said Monnig, who also grumbled that they paid Rose too much. “Then it started growing, and it has been growing ever since.”
Likewise, Colonial Country Club became associated with one of the game’s greats and synonymous with golf itself.
Said Leonard during the 1941 U.S. Open on how much he spent on Colonial: “I don’t want to know. It’s been worth it no matter what it is. Fort Worth and Texas have been very good to us, and the fact that I’ve been able to give them a course good enough to land the biggest tournament of all is most gratifying.”
He went on to say that it was difficult to find the right words.
Billy Rose could’ve helped him with that.
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The short ribs are back. So are the bubbling stews, endless banchan and many of the familiar faces that made this Korean restaurant a Fort Worth institution.
On page 110 Meet the former petroleum engineer who sketched out his dream restaurant, Ichiro Izakaya, long before he ever found a place to build it. On page 116 Reata resurrects some of its retired dishes, TX Whiskey has a new pour worth pondering, and other local foodie news in our monthly Chowtown Lowdown column. 114
WHAT WE’RE CHEWING OVER THIS MONTH:
by Malcolm Mayhew
How a petroleum engineer walked away from a lucrative business to open Ichiro Izakaya, one of the city’s best restaurants.
For most of his professional life, Vy Ton was solving problems thousands of feet beneath the earth’s surface. Today, he’s solving them over glowing charcoal grills.
The 34-year-old owner of Ichiro Izakaya, the acclaimed Near Southside restaurant known for its yakitori skewers and other small plates of
meticulously grilled Japanese fare, took somewhat of an unconventional route into the restaurant business. Before opening one of Fort Worth’s most talked-about dining destinations, which landed on this magazine’s Best New Restaurant list of 2025, Ton spent eight years working
as a petroleum engineer, traveling extensively and building a career that had little to do with the hospitality industry.
But Ton says the seeds of Ichiro Izakaya were planted long before he ever signed a lease or lit a grill.
“My job required me to travel about six months out of the year, but it also gave me six months off to spend doing the things I enjoyed most, and one of those passions has always been grilling,” he says. “I also love camping with friends and families, and somehow, I was always the main cook at camp.”
During these stretches away from work, Ton found himself gravitating more and more toward the grill, experimenting with techniques and sharing meals with those around him. The more he cooked, he says, the more he became fascinated by the process — not just preparing food but creating experiences around it.
“Over time, that passion grew stronger and eventually became more than just a hobby for me,” he says.
Eventually, the life of constant travel began to lose some of its appeal. While petroleum engineering provided stability and opportunity, Ton, who hails from Vietnam, found himself wanting to do something more personal with his life.
“I wanted something different,” he says. “I wanted to be closer to my cir-
cle of support, build something of my own, and spend my time doing what truly motivated me.”
The answer came in the form of a Japanese izakaya.
Popular throughout Japan, izakayas function as neighborhood gathering places where guests share skewers, small plates, and drinks in a lively,
social setting. Ton was particularly drawn to kushiyaki, the Japanese grilling tradition that relies on precision, technique, and intense heat to transform skewers of meat and veggies into memorable bites.
“Opening Ichiro Izakaya became a way to combine all those things — my love for yakitori grilling, my time closer to home, and my desire to engineer a place where people can gather and have a good time,” he says.
Although Ton left engineering behind as a profession, he never stopped thinking like one. Before he found a location, he had already begun designing the restaurant.
“I sketched the layout of the restaurant on paper, and I kept on fine-tuning it until everything worked out with what I hoped to achieve,” he says. “Much of what you see today at Ichiro was part of that vision.”
Finding the right home proved challenging, he says. Ton spent nearly a year searching for a suitable location, looking for a space that could accommodate the highly specialized cooking setup he had in mind while also fitting the communal atmosphere central to izakaya culture.
That search ended in summer 2024 when Ton discovered the former
Black Cat Pizza space in the South Main area of the Near Southside. “The moment I saw it, I knew it had the potential to become exactly what I had imagined.”
The space is small but offered exactly what he needed: a home in a neighborhood with a growing food culture and enough room to build the open kitchen he had envisioned from the start.
At the center of that vision are three large Konro grills fueled by binchotan charcoal, a prized fuel known for its exceptionally clean burn and intense heat. They’re each capable of reaching nearly 1,000 degrees, creating the live-fire spectacle that has now become a highlight of dining there. Guests who land a seat at the bar, inches from the grills, can often feel the heat of the flames, adding to the experience.
The engineer’s mindset is evident throughout the menu. Skewers of rib-eye, duck breast, shrimp, scallops, mushrooms, peppers, tofu and bacon-wrapped grape tomatoes emerge from the Konro grills with careful precision, while the restaurant’s house yakitori sauce serves as a reminder of Ton’s patience. The recipe wasn’t developed overnight — he spent six years refining it before Ichiro opened last summer.
His menu extends beyond yakitori to include ramen, sashimi, rice dishes, and Japanese-inspired small plates. In true izakaya fashion, dishes are designed to be ordered for the table, encouraging guests to swap skewers, share plates, and turn dinner into a communal experience.
“That’s the goal,” Ton says. “I want your meal here to be more than a meal. I want it to be a complete experience. You see the open kitchen, the flames, how everything is cooked. Then you share multiple dishes with the people you’re with and experience different flavors together. Every part of it is designed to create something you’ll remember.”
Spoken like a true engineer. IchiroIzakaya,401BryanAve.,ichiroizakaya.com
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by Malcolm Mayhew
Fort Worth’s pioneering Korean restaurant Samwon Garden returns with new ownership, new dishes, and plenty of old memories.
For nearly two decades, Samwon Garden occupied a unique place in Fort Worth’s dining scene.
Opened in 2005 by Own Chung and his family, the Korean restaurant introduced countless locals to dishes such as bulgogi, bibimbap, kimchi,
seafood pancakes, and sizzling platters of marinated short ribs. For many diners, it served as an introduction to Korean cuisine; for others, it was the taste of home. Samwon was one of the few restaurants in the area serving Korean food, and expats
who couldn’t find it elsewhere often drove for miles to savor it.
The restaurant’s story took a heartbreaking turn in 2022 when Chung died following an accident at the restaurant. His wife, Sylvia, and daughter, Sunnie, kept the restaurant going another three years before closing it in 2025, bringing an end to a beloved chapter in Fort Worth’s culinary landscape.
But less than a year later, Samwon Garden is back. Or at least a reimagined iteration of it.
A new owner has taken over the restaurant, now called Samwon Korean Cuisine. orea-born Kim Sung, who also runs a Korean restaurant in Carrollton called Daldal Bunsik, appears to be embracing much of what made Samwon popular in the first place: traditional Korean dishes prepared by hand in a no-frills atmosphere.
“It felt a little surreal to see the place back open,” says Annabell Zubiate, a onetime Samwon server who has returned as a manager. “After being gone for 10 months, walking back in and seeing the lights back on and a lot of our longtime customers here, it’s been really special.”
While some of the menu will be familiar to longtime regulars, Zubiate says they’ll also notice some differences under the new ownership.
“Different ownership, different flavors,” she says. “There are still a lot of dishes from the original Samwon, but I think one thing the new owner wants to do is integrate her own style of cooking and recipes.”
The menu resurrects many longtime favorites, including galbi tang, seolleongtang, kimchi jjigae, soft tofu stew and bulgogi, along with grilled pork belly, seafood pancakes, japchae noodles, and bibimbap. New additions include Korean fried chicken, tteokbokki — chewy rice cakes served in a spicy sauce — and budae jjigae, the hearty “army stew” diners had long requested.
Many of Samwon’s signature grilled dishes have also returned,
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As the company grows, its founding values remain unchanged.
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such as the marinated chicken bulgogi, spicy pork jeyook bokkum, and samgyeopsal, thinly sliced pork belly grilled Korean barbecue-style.
Beyond barbecue, the menu reflects the breadth of Korean home cooking, incorporating cold noodles, Korean-style hot pots, and several grilled and braised fish dishes seldom seen on Fort Worth menus.
No doubt a sigh of relief to regulars, several entrees arrive with a spread of banchan — small side dishes that accompany Korean meals — including kimchi, pickled vegetables, potatoes, and other accompaniments. They’re delivered on a wheeled cart rolled by servers from table to table, a nostalgic touch carried over from the original Samwon Garden.
Lunch specials offer combination plates pairing barbecue favorites with soups and stews, while bento-box options provide a quick introduction to the cuisine.
One thing that remains uncertain is Korean barbecue. Several tables still contain their original charcoal grills, a feature that helped make Samwon distinctive for years. Whether diners will once again be able to cook meats at their tables is up in the air as the restaurant navigates current fire and building regulations, Zubiate says.
For longtime customers, though, the biggest attraction may simply be seeing the lights back on.
“We know that it’s a special place for a lot of people,” Zubiate says. “People celebrated birthdays here, brought their families here, introduced friends to Korean food here. We’re excited to welcome them back.”
SamwonKoreanCuisine,5201McCartAve.,facebook.com/swgrestaurant
Good news for those who wanna eat at Goldee’s BBQ but not mess with the long lines. The acclaimed ‘cue joint is now offering pre-orders through the restaurant’s website. Pick a day, time, what you want, and pay, and you can skip the line. The Goldee’s guys stress that the meat is sliced to order, not prepacked, so there may be a slight wait. Preorders are offered by the pound, with a minimum of 5 pounds and a maximum of 30 pounds of meat per order. Pickup times are offered in 15-minute windows. Sauces, pickles, onions, and bread are included. I’m in. 4645DickPriceRoad,goldeesbbq.com
Reata has come up with a clever way to appease those who miss certain menu items that have been retired from the menu: Bring some of them back. For the foreseeable future, retired menu fan-faves will rotate back onto the menu as featured specials, starting the first of each month. Barbecue shrimp enchiladas kicked things off in June and this month they’re featuring wild boar ribs.. Can’t wait to see what Reata resurrects. 530ThrockmortonSt.,reata.net
The Chumley House’s recently unfurled new menu finds the acclaimed Cultural District restaurant in a decidedly summery mood, with new dishes built around seasonal vegetables, bright flavors, and fresh seafood. New dishes include maple-glazed quail with roasted sweet potatoes and a goat cheese salad tossed in lime vinaigrette, and Chilean sea bass paired with samke harra, baby zucchini, and confit heirloom cherry tomatoes. A vegetarian-friendly cavatelli pasta features summer squash pesto, cherry tomatoes, and smoked almonds, while pan-seared Romano beans come dressed in Worcestershire butter and crispy quinoa. For dessert, there’s a flourless dark chocolate cake topped with chocolate mousse, crispy cardamom meringue, honey-glazed hazelnuts, and tart cherry gelato. 3230CampBowieBlvd., thechumleyhouse.com
TX Whiskey has unveiled the latest release in its TX Experimental Series, a limited-edition bourbon called Triple Cask. The 17th expression in the series, Triple Cask starts with TX Straight Bourbon Whiskey before finishing in American oak, French oak, and rum casks, a process designed to add layers of flavor and complexity. The resulting whiskey offers notes of toasted oak, vanilla, dark fruit, caramel, and warm spice. Only 1,200 bottles will be produced, each priced at $39.99 and sold exclusively at Fort Worth’s Whiskey Ranch in 375ml bottles. Get ‘em while they last. 2601WhiskeyRanch Road,txwhiskey.com
Not everyone wants to spend the Fourth of July sweating over a backyard grill. For those looking to upgrade their holiday meal, Del Frisco’s has a pair of patriotic specials that go well beyond the standard hot dog-and-hamburger routine. From July 1-6, Del Frisco’s Grille will serve a Wagyu hot dog and a 4-ounce burger for $25; tack on a draft beer and the total comes to an even $30. At Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, the holiday menu gets considerably fancier, featuring a tempura lobster tail corn dog ($22), Japanese A5 sirloin topped with lobster scampi ($95), and lobster creamed corn ($34). The limited-time offerings are available for dine-in only, and reservations are strongly recommended. delfriscosgrille.com,delfriscos.com
For nearly three decades, Windmiller Custom Homes has been dedicated to creating homes that reflect the lifestyles, vision, and individuality of each client we serve. What makes the Windmiller experience unique is the collaboration behind every project – bringing together exceptional craftsmanship, thoughtful architecture, elevated interior design, and award-winning outdoor living spaces to create homes that are timeless, functional, and deeply personal.
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From the very beginning, our process is centered around the homeowner. Whether assisting with land selection, designing custom architectural plans, curating interior finishes, or creating outdoor living environments, we approach each phase with concierge-level commitment to service and detail.
Our award-winning architects design homes that are both striking and livable –balancing timeless character with the way families truly live today. Working alongside the arcitect and builder from the earlierst stages of the process, our interior design team
ensure every detail is throughfully considered long before construction begins. From exterior materials and spatial flow to interior layouts, finishes, lighting, and furnishings, each element is intentionally selected to create a cohesive experience that flows beautifully from one space to the next. Through close collaboration with highly skilled vendors, artisans, and trades, we bring each client's vision to life with precision and care. Beyond the construction process, Amira Windmiller Interiors also offers full-service furnishing and styling, layering textures, furniture, lighting and curated details that transform a house into a refined and deeply personal home. Behind every project is a team dedicated
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by Brian Kendall
Meet Michael Perkins, the architectural designer of the 2026 FortWorthMagazineDream Home in Aledo River.
Realizing one has a love and knack for home design at a young age might sound remarkably specific — I’m imagining a toddler with a T square — but this is precisely what happened to Michael Perkins, founder of Elm Residential Design and architectural designer for the 2026 Fort Worth Magazine Dream Home.
“I always had a passion for design,” Perkins says. “There are different facets of the architectural space, especially in residential and design, that were always kind of my focus.”
Unlike many university-bound teenagers, Perkins knew his career of choice before ever stepping inside a college classroom and even interned for a nationally recognized architecture firm, BSB Design, during his
summer in high school. Here, he would cut his teeth on the profession and worked on drafting, which is translating an architect’s vision into technical blueprints. Though already gaining valuable experience, he would go through the standard process of attending college and earned a Bachelor of Science in architecture from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2011 — all the while continuing to intern over the summers.
Following school, Perkins began working in the architecture department at Toll Brothers, a nationwide luxury homebuilder. It was here that he would first meet Tyler Brabec of Brabec Custom Homes, builder of the upcoming 2026 Dream Home that Perkins designed. In addition to
this professional relationship, Perkins also learned a heck of a lot while at the firm.
“Working with the guys who are on a national footprint level gave me the opportunity to work with different projects from coast to coast that had variants in architectural vernacular and different construction methods,” Perkins says. “This is really where I gained my knowledge of this space.”
Perkins would eventually open the boutique firm Elm Residential Design in 2020 in Plano, where he manages a small operation and admits to wearing a lot of hats.
“I’ve intentionally kept it super small, it’s kind of just me behind the wheel of everything,” Perkins says. “And I find it enjoyable because I get to participate in every part of the process. From initial client meetings and understanding what the wish lists are, all the way through to the construction and permit drawings, I find the entire process enjoyable. And, for me, it keeps it really fresh on the day-today because you’re solving a multitude of different problems.”
Elm Residential’s client base runs the gamut of production builders, small boutique builders, and individual customers who have yet to find a builder and are looking to create their dream homes. “From small to large, it’s kind of like anything in the residential space and any particular style we tackle,” Perkins says.
And in the case of this year’s Dream Home, he returned to work with his longtime collaborator, Brabec, on a stunning Spanish Mediterranean one-story in the Aledo River development west of Fort Worth.
The annual Fort Worth Magazine Dream Home is a collaboration with the industry’s top local professionals that showcases the latest in homebuilding techniques, design, and technology. Brabec of Brabec Custom Homes is this year’s builder, with Perkins providing the architectural design and Susan Semmelmann of Semmelmann Interiors tackling the interior design.
The 2026 home is set to open for touring in October, when the home will serve as the Fort Worth Magazine cover feature. Proceeds from the tour will benefit a Wish with Wings, a local nonprofit that grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions.
As the home continues to take shape, we caught up with Perkins to chat about the project, what he enjoys most about his work, and avoiding trends.
Fort Worth Magazine: I know this is a basic question, but I find architecture fascinating and would love to know what you enjoy most about your job.
Michael Perkins: I think solving problems is what I’ve always really engaged in or have been attached to. Whether a client has a huge 10,000-square-foot custom house or they’re wanting to do something super small, and they throw a wrench in the design with a very specific request, I enjoy trying to solve that individual’s or that company’s problem. And then, on top of that, layering it in and making it look good.
I equate it to Tetris, where you’re trying to fill it all in and eliminate as much space as possible and solve the puzzle. I get a lot of gratification out of creating something that is super functional and looks good.
FW: I assume this is something you applied to the upcoming Dream Home. Can you speak to the home’s aesthetics?
MP: Tyler had a vision for where he
wanted to take this project. One of the unique things about it is the site he picked and how we went about the design to ensure that each space showed off the property itself. Tyler envisioned this U-shaped plan and having a courtyard in the middle. We wanted to keep things super simple to allow the landscape and the surroundings to shine. So, it was really less about the architecture. We blended everything in super nicely and intentionally kept it understated. We also wanted to make sure that as you approach, there were views of the pool. So, you kind of get this visibility from both front and back of the house at the same time, and then we loaded it up with a ton of large windows to showcase everything.
FW: I remember Tyler telling me that he tries to stay away from things that are trendy and hot in the moment. Do you approach home design in a similar way?
MP: Yeah, absolutely. Especially with the elevation style. For this project, I looked back at the historical Spanish-Mediterranean details and pulled a lot of inspiration from that and avoided this transitional-modern contemporary flair.
So, again, when you see the exterior, it’s really simple. We didn’t go bananas with it. I think the only contemporary elements you see, which I still feel are somewhat traditional, are some small parapets on the roof and whatnot. This was a home where we just went with a really simplistic Spanish-style home that I think fits the area really nicely. It mixes it up. And I think those houses age the best over time, right?
FW: Oh yeah, I completely agree. It’s never gone out of style and never will. It’s like a plaid shirt.
MP: Exactly. Never goes out of style.
The2026Fort Worth Magazine DreamHomeat AledoRiverwillopenfourtouringinOctober.Be onthelookoutformoreinfointhecomingweeks.
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Close to 300 gathered together for a cocktail reception on May 21 at The Fort Worth Club to recognize “The 500” and honor Ross Perot Jr. and Mike Berry as Co-Person of the Year. “The 500” celebrates the city’s most influential leaders across business, government, philanthropy, education, and culture. The Fort Worth Inc. Person of the Year recognition honors individuals whose leadership and vision have had a lasting impact on the city’s business community and future growth.
The recognition of Perot Jr. and Berry, Hillwood’s chairman and president, highlights the pair’s leadership in developing AllianceTexas, the 27,000-acre master-planned development in North Fort Worth that has become one of the nation’s most significant logistics and industrial hubs.
Anchored by Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport — one of the country’s largest inland ports — AllianceTexas has helped position Fort Worth as a global center for trade, transportation, and corporate investment.
Under Perot and Berry’s leadership, Hillwood transformed what began as a bold vision for an industrial airport into a development that today serves as a major economic engine for North Texas and a national model for public-private partnership.
Presenting sponsors of the event included Texas Capital, Kelly Hart, Oxenfree West Oak, and Hoque Global.
The 2026 Tarrant County Heart Ball brought together hundreds of supporters for a night of celebration, benefiting the American Heart Association’s mission to fight heart disease and stroke across all ages. This year’s event was held at The Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel and was hosted by Madison Sawyer, anchor and reporter for CBS News Texas.
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professionalism, and care from design through installation made all the difference. We highly recommend the ProScapes team.
ProScapes is a female-owned Texas HUB Certified fullservice landscape and outdoor living company serving residential in the Fort Worth/Denton metro area. We offer a variety of services designed to fit your individual needs, including:
Vaquero Club Development, Westlake
Voted “Best of Fort Worth” Home & Garden: Yard Care
ProScapes is a female-owned full-service landscape and outdoor living company serving residential in the Fort Worth/Denton metro area. We offer a variety of services designed to fit your individual needs, including:
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TCU FCA hosted its annual Night of Champions Banquet on April 23 at the Sam Baugh Indoor Practice Facility, gathering more than 450 student-athletes, coaches, and community members for a night centered on faith and impact. The evening also served as a fundraiser supporting TCU FCA’s ongoing work with student-athletes, made possible by the generosity of sponsors, including Title Sponsor Fort Worth Bible Church.
The Fort Worth community came together on April 18 at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel for the 2026 Breakthrough T1D Gala, “A Night of Hope,” raising $925,000 to accelerate life-changing research for type 1 diabetes (T1D). CBS Texas anchor Karen Borta served as emcee, sharing her family’s personal connection to T1D, while auctioneer Wes Poole energized the room throughout the evening’s live auction.
2026 Voted “Best of Fort Worth” Beauty & Wellness: Dental Care
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Why Fort Worth Chooses Us:
» A Personal Touch: We listen to your goals to deliver tailored, lasting solutions.
» Cosmetic Perfection: Invisalign®, Veneers, and Professional Teeth Whitening.
» Complete Restoration: Dental Implants, Crowns, and Bridges.
» Ultimate Convenience: An in-house traveling surgeon means you get specialized care right where you are most comfortable.
There’s no rodeo quite like The American Rodeo, a two-day competition that ran from May 22-23 at Arlington’s Globe Life Field and pitted the top bull riders, bronc busters, barrel racers, and steer wrestlers against a slew of open qualifiers. And this year’s competition — which brought the pyrotechnics and spectacle of PBR to all roughstock and timed disciplines (yeah, team roping can be just as adrenal-pounding as bull riding) — was one for the books.
But they don’t call this rodeo’s biggest payday for nothing. In addition to the guaranteed $100,000 for each event winner, those who had to qualify were also vying for a share of a $2 million purse. Check out the QR code to read more.
