Every bit of care matters now, whether it’s for your family or the community as a whole. But you can’t care for others without looking out for yourself. That’s why it’s so important to have your heart health in the right place. Heart and vascular specialists on the medical staff at a Texas Health hospital can help you manage your heart and vascular care, from general heart health wellness to advanced diagnostics and procedures. And, as always, we have protocols in place designed around your safety.
Texas Health is right there with you.
Find a heart and vascular specialist or take our heart health assessment at TexasHealth.org/Heart.
Not Just for Cowboys
YOUR LEGENDARY EXPERIENCE AWAITS
Located in the heart of the Fort Worth Stockyards, Hotel Drover, an Autograph Collection Hotel by Marriott, focuses on simple pleasures and genuine hospitality.
97 WEST KITCHEN & BAR
THE BACKYARD AT HOTEL DROVER: POOL, LIVE MUSIC, LAWN GAMES & FIRE PITS
MULE ALLEY SHOPPING & DINING PROMENADE
COWTOWN COLISEUM & BILLY BOB’S TEXAS
ACRES OF LIVE MUSIC, BARS, RESTAURANTS & SHOPPING
VOLUME 24 ISSUE 06
66
A Tale of Might
As the buzz builds around “12 Mighty Orphans” releasing this month, actor Luke Wilson and the filmmakers sit down for a chat about filming in Cowtown, those gritty injury scenes, and the meaning of Wilsonaissance.
BY BRIAN KENDALL AND SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN
76
Best of Fort Worth 2021
Y’all came, campaigned, and voted — and now, the results are in for our biggest celebration of local businesses and personalities. From food and nightlife to shopping and culture, here are the best things in Fort Worth, according to you.
BY FORT WORTH MAGAZINE STAFF
the fort
14 The Lead
Tarrant County looks to expedite an alternative to sending people with mental health issues behind bars.
16 Buzz
A taste of a popular Dallas exhibit comes to The Foundry District, and a morethan-30-year-old homeless facility gets a top-to-bottom redo.
20 Calendar
“Super Bowl of Bass Fishing,” Lynyrd Skynyrd, and a head start on the Fourth of July highlight this month’s calendar.
24 Fort Worthian
How the unpredictability of life led to Katherine Morris’ next adventure.
26 The Beginning of the West
Exploring the origins of “Where the West Begins.” : live
32 In Her Words
Three outstanding memoirs by women authors — and a conversation with one of them.
36 2021 Dream Street: An Update
An update on three luxury homes set for touring this winter.
38 From Click to Admit
46 Restaurant News
Behind the deal that saved Roy Pope, inside Felipe Armenta’s new Mexican concept, and a sushi bar rising to the top.
It’s grilling season. Here are some healthy, creative recipes to enjoy outside. : know
56 Grilled to Perfection
College tours just got a little easier with a new company letting prospective students roam campus grounds right from home.
40 One Step at a Time
A Fort Worth woman gives the traditional cowboy boot a city-friendly flair.
CLOSE
Community Connection
It’s no secret that Texans love their pickup trucks. While there are many variations, the 2019 Ford F-150 Lariat with 6.5-foot bed from SouthWest Ford in Weatherford is the first choice for Mike Micallef, president of Reata restaurants and co-founder of the Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival. As an avid fisherman, Micallef frequently uses his pickup truck’s working features like towing and four-wheel drive to efficiently pull his bass boat. Plus, the Pro Trailer Backup Assist™ feature takes the hassle out of backing up his boat trailer. “I probably use the backup camera and folding mirrors the most, but I also like the towing feature,” Micallef says.
Micallef recommends SouthWest Ford, a Gilchrist Automotive dealership, not only for the extensive inventory of quality new and pre-owned Ford vehicles but also because, like his Reata restaurants, it is family owned and gives back to the communities where it operates. “One of the great trends recently is buying local and the importance of relationships. This is even more evident as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and have lost contact with our friends, family, and co-workers,” he says. “The Gilchrists live in our community and are important members of it.”
PICTURED: Mike Micallef, customer; Chris Bonnett, General Manager; Stephen Gilchrist, Dealer Operator.
Heroes and Dads
My dad, Bob, whose given name is Robert. Who was born in a small home in a small town in Southern Indiana. Who never knew his own dad but felt the paternal love his grandfather gave him every day. Who earned every penny he ever received and worked his tail off since his scrawny arms could lift a hay hook. Who’s never seen a fruit he couldn’t sprinkle salt on and enjoy in silence. Who served his country for 21 years in the Air Force — including a year of hell in Vietnam. Who, despite a compulsive desire to work that borders on obsessive and unhealthy, became a stay-at-home dad — cooking, cleaning, picking up the kids from school, and providing sliced oranges at peewee soccer games. Who, despite the stigma of men in his generation — the one that exists between the Greatest Generation and Baby Boomers (the Silent Generation is what it’s called) — never hid his tears (either through laughing or crying). And, who, despite all of his hardships, spent his life making sure his children experienced none.
You’ll notice this issue, our annual Best of Fort Worth issue, has a bit of a superhero theme. Sam de la Rosa, an artist who’s drawn countless heroes for Marvel, created our cover. The 24 pages of this issue’s main feature list businesses who were heroic during one of the most difficult years in recent memory; they not only survived a once-in-a-century pandemic, a chaotic economy, and a brutal snowstorm but were instrumental in getting us all through it. Yes, those 24 pages are full of heroes. And, I write about my dad because, yes, he’s my personal hero. I also fit in the above narrative because June 20 is Father’s Day. I’m well aware there are scores of fathers and father figures who are more than deserving of an editorial write-up in our magazine. I’m also aware that I’m fortunate to get this small sliver of words to use as I please each month. While I’m writing about my own father, I’d like to say that my gratitude extends to all fathers and father figures.
Growing up, my dad made me think being a dad was the coolest thing a dude could do — that feeling remains. So, to all you dads, you are the coolest. Happy Father’s Day, y’all.
Brian Kendall EXECUTIVE EDITOR
ON THE COVER:
A veteran of Marvel comics, Sam de la Rosa, recipient of Best Artist for this year’s Best of Fort Worth awards, drew this issue’s phenomenal cover. Asking him to do a rendition of The Herd being led down East Exchange Avenue, de la Rosa inked the cover in just a few days.
Corrections? Comments? Concerns?
Send to executive editor Brian Kendall at bkendall@fwtexas. com.
NEXT MONTH
Faces of the Fort Worth Zoo
A Field Guide to Your Golden Years
Grilling with Jon Bonnell
owner/publisher hal a. brown
president mike waldum
EDITORIAL
executive editor brian kendall
managing editor samantha calimbahin
contributing editor scott nishimura
contributing writers hillaire baumgartner, jenny b. davis, michael govea, malcolm mayhew, mary
murphy
copy editor sharon casseday
editorial interns jillian verzwyvelt
ART
creative director craig sylva
senior art director spray gleaves
advertising art director ed woolf
contributing photographers olaf growald, crystal wise
ADVERTISING
advertising account supervisors
gina burns-wigginton x150, marion c. knight x135
account executive tammy denapoli x141
territory manager, fort worth inc. rita hale x133
sales support coordinator josh anderson x140
MARKETING
digital marketing & development
director robby kyser
marketing manager sarah benkendorfer
digital marketing specialist brenntyn rhea events intern kristian hart
Fort Worth Magazine (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 Fort Worth Magazine P.O. Box 433329, Palm Coast, FL 32143-3329. Volume 24, Number 6, June 2021. Basic Subscription price: $23.95 per year. Single copy price: $4.99
He was part of the second generation in the family company, helping in his parents’ spice business as a kid. He went on to create the Mrs. Renfro’s brand. Now he’s gone to rest.
It’s been an honor working with you, Dad. We will miss you more than you know.
Let’s Chat
A few words from our readers
The reasons stated for the demise — declining retail trends, online competitors, shift in consumer trends — have not affected other similar spaces in the same manner … Entertainment and activities are the central focus of new venues popping up everywhere — Stockyards, Grandscape, etc. The industry knows that the way to compete with online retailers is to focus on food and experiences — not products. Jessica M. via fwtx.com
It is not the Bass family’s responsibility to lose more money to make people happy, especially people not actually shopping/dining. How are they helped when they have to pay for things yet receive nothing? ... They have been losing money the past year. No [Fort Worth Stock Show] parade, no arts festival, no Christmas parade, no Santa. If Sundance Square needs to cut back their expenses because their annual income has dropped, they have every right to do that. Sfk Magee via Facebook
Sundance could be a trailblazer during this COVID period … You could easily space out hundreds of tables in the plaza and have a Sundance app where you order a meal or treat from any Sundance restaurant, and it is brought to your table. A socially distant live band playing in the evening while guests sit at their tables. JJ via fwtx.com
There’s a lot of businesses open! Please get out and support local before they’re gone! @buywithcharlotte via Instagram
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.
The 400
Fort Worth Inc.’s “The 400: Fort Worth’s Most Influential People” is out now. Pick up a copy to learn more about the movers and shakers of the city — and read about our first-ever Person of the Year.
Entrepreneur of Excellence
Speaking of our sister pub, applications are now open for the annual Entrepreneur of Excellence awards program honoring the most innovative business folks in the city. Deadline to apply or nominate is July 2.
fortworthinc.com/awardsprograms/eoe
TRENDING ONLINE
Visit fwtx.com for the full story.
» 5 Fort Worth Spots Among Yelp’s Top 100 Restaurants in Texas Yelp released its Top 100 Restaurants in Texas list with five local favorites making the cut.
» Four Day Weekend Is Bringing Back Live Performances After an unexpectedly long intermission, Four Day Weekend is back onstage.
» Fort Worth Chef Jon Bonnell Gets Honor from the Mayor Bonnell thought he was catering a farewell party for outgoing Mayor Betsy Price. As it turned out, the party was for him.
follow us for more @fwtxmag
THE EXPERTS IN GETTING YOUR HOME SOLD.
FORT WORTH’S #1 REAL ESTATE AGENT. EXPERIENCE MATTERS.
“First, I want to tell you all how much I appreciated your initial visit to my home to talk about the possibility of putting my home on the market. You all gave me really good, factual information about my home, what homes were selling for in the area , and a range of possible prices I might ask. You all were sensitive to my feelings about selling the home I built and I never felt pressured to put the home on the market. Second, I am grateful for your professionalism and constant communication with me as things developed. I was so very pleased with the offer I received and grateful for your guidance. The follow through was just what I needed. Thanks again for your help in this new transition in my life.”
- Rayford High, Assistant Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of West Texas
“Leah and I thank you for the professional service and assistance that you provided in selling our home from start to finish. You kept us informed of the process and managed our expectation in every way. The results were amazing; 3 days on the market, 7 showings, 4 offers, all for cash and above asking price! A total of 11 days from time placed on the market to the day we closed. I would recommend the John Zimmerman Team to anyone whether they are buying or selling a home.”
- Leah and Bennett Carter
“We have used the John Zimmerman Team for two home sales and one home purchase in the last year. The professionalism, attention to detail, and team work among them is truly outstanding. It is without hesitation that we will always be using John’s Team in the future as well. If you want maximum value on either end of a transaction, John’s Team is the way to get it.”
- Amber and Rick Graff
Creating a Diversion
Tarrant County looks to build a facility that will serve as an alternative to putting people with mental health needs behind bars.
BY JILLIAN VERZWYVELT
The development of an alternative to putting people with mental health diagnoses behind bars has been on the docket for many years, but it appears as if such a facility is finally coming to fruition.
During the Commissioners Court meeting on May 11, Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said he would like to see a mental health jail diversion center open by the end of the fiscal year on Oct. 1.
“We recognize the county jail is not the place for one to regain one’s mental health,” Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Brooks said during the meeting.
The jail diversion program would enable individuals with mental health struggles who have committed nonviolent, low-level crimes to receive services for psychiatric needs, homelessness, medication management, health issues, and other necessary assistance.
“It allows officers to divert an individual from incarceration to treatment,” Brooks says. “The objective of this center is to stabilize this person and do a warm handoff to communitybased care.”
After examining similar programs in Miami Day County in Florida as well as Bear Lake County and Harris County in Texas, officials have determined that Tarrant County’s center will most resemble that of Harris County.
The facility would heavily rely on the coordination of existing resources across the community, including John Peter Smith Hospital to address emergent medical needs, My Health My Resources (MHMR) to evaluate mental health needs, and law enforcement agencies for other logistical requirements.
While it has taken some time to embolden sufficient backing of a mental health jail diversion center, Tarrant County’s criminal district attorney Sharen Wilson has voiced her support for such a facility since she took office in 2015.
“We have finally reached a point where we have all of the different pieces where there is a person in charge who sees the need,” she says.
According to Wilson, there are roughly 3,800 individuals imprisoned across the county during any given month. Of these individuals, it is uncertain how many have mental health needs. What is known, however, is that the majority of cases concerning mental health are criminal trespassing charges with almost 60% of these people on MHMR rolls.
The impact of the development of a diversion center is multifaceted. It will be both time- and cost-effective, supporting the individual, law enforcement agencies, family members of those who are detained with mental health diagnoses, and the county as a whole.
“It’s a win, win, win,” Whitley says.
Escorting criminal offenders to the jail inhibits police from being on patrol, but the process of taking individuals to the new center could divert police for only five to 10 minutes, Whitley says. In eliminating the need of a court proceeding and bond setting, it would also be less expensive for the county and for the family of the person involved. Finally, the individual avoids incarceration while receiving counseling and other services.
As the facility remains in the early stages of development, yet to be determined are the logistics of funding and management as well as the location and size of the space. At the aforementioned Commissioners Court meeting, Tarrant County Administrator G.K. Maenius said he will engage a real estate agency to find an 18,000- to 20,000-square-foot rental facility in Tarrant County to house the center.
Officials are looking at locations located conveniently off of a highway and central to the various agencies involved.
“When it’s all said and done,” Wilson says, “it’s simply the right thing to do.”
Pretty in Pink
Foundry District expansion includes a taste of Dallas’ Sweet Tooth Hotel.
BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN
Fort Worth will soon be getting its own taste of Dallas’ immersive Sweet Tooth Hotel exhibit, but among expansion plans for The Foundry District and its Inspiration Alley, well, let’s say that’s just the icing on the cake.
Real estate company M2G Ventures — the developers behind The Foundry District just north of West Seventh Street behind Montgomery Plaza — announced in May that a major expansion is coming to the area starting in June. It will kick off with the opening of The Sweet Tooth Motel, an offshoot of The Sweet Tooth Hotel in Dallas, on June 5.
For those unfamiliar, The Sweet Tooth Hotel is a 5,000-square-foot experiential art venue and bar in Dallas’ Victory Park, marked by walkthrough installations that have become a hotspot for selfies. A mini version of that concept will set up at The Foundry
and showcase art from the past two years of Sweet Tooth Hotel exhibits alongside new work.
But that’s not all M2G has planned for the district. The Foundry will also be expanding its wall-to-wall outdoor mural gallery, Inspiration Alley, unveiling new works by local artists lining Carroll to Vacek streets.
Additionally, Fort Worth Bike Sharing will set up a new cycle station with specialty branded bikes called “unicorn cycles” that integrate design and art by M2G’s chief creative officer Katie Murray. The bikes will be available for citywide use and also allow for curated riding events and programming that start and end in The Foundry.
Also rolling out throughout the rest of the year will be placemaking initiatives like landmark signage, district-wide wayfinding, and tenant expansions, among others.
“Our hope is that this new expansion will excite and spark new energy among our neighbors and community while continuing to put Fort Worth on the map for innovation,” M2G co-president Jessica Miller Essl said in a statement. “This launch is just the beginning of what we have planned for 2021. We decided to set our plans into motion with a focus on art, but this phase is the first of many exciting placemaking initiatives that will include landmark signage, district-wide wayfinding, Fort Worth bike share partnership, anchor tenant expansions, with more details coming over the next few months.”
» Presbyterian Night Shelter Celebrates Recent Renovations and Expansion
Following a year-long fundraising campaign and 18 months of muchneeded renovations, the largest provider of homeless services in
Tarrant County is celebrating the renovation of one facility and opening of another.
Presbyterian Night Shelter, which has focused its efforts on eliminating homelessness across Fort Worth and Tarrant County since 1984, commemorated the grand reopening of the Karl Travis Men’s Center and the official opening of the UpSpire Work-
force and Career Development Center on May 27. The celebration was held at the Karl Travis Men’s Center, located at 2400 Cypress St.
The Karl Travis Men’s Center has welcomed thousands of guests since opening in 1987. Though once having housed all Presbyterian Night Shelter guests, including single men, single women, and families, the Karl Travis
A mini version of Dallas’ Sweet Tooth Hotel is coming to The Foundry District.
Fast. Friendly. Fair.
Here's the deal.
AUTO GROUP
Men’s Center is now home to single men experiencing homelessness. The recent renovations sought to improve the space to provide the men living in the building a place they can be proud to call their temporary home.
Renovations increase the Men’s Center capacity by 15%, with the ability to serve 400 men between emergency shelter and guests enrolled in the Moving Home program. Improvements include the addition of enhanced living spaces for Moving Home program participants and a second bathroom for overnight guests. The renovations also feature an area designated for guests who are employed through UpSpire, giving these men more space, privacy, and a dedicated lounge.
UpSpire, formerly known as Clean Slate, is Presbyterian Night Shelter’s social enterprise which alleviates barriers to employment and offers job opportunities for not only guests at Presbyterian Night Shelter but others facing difficulties securing employment as well.
The new UpSpire Workforce and Career Development Center provides offices for UpSpire administrative staff and allows operations managers to check in with the enterprise staff launching to their jobs each morning. Moreover, the space enables UpSpire to bolster its recruitment process and further develop each enterprise’s workforce training.
Karl Travis Men’s Center and the UpSpire Workforce and Career Development Center are two of Presbyterian Night Shelter’s six facilities meeting the needs of homeless men and women, veterans, families, and those battling with mental illness across Tarrant County.
“We are very excited to have our Karl Travis Men’s Center complete,” Presbyterian Night Shelter CEO Toby Owen said in a statement. “This renovation prepares us for the future as we continue to offer hope and a new path for the men that walk through our doors.” — Jillian Verzwyvelt
10Things to Know This Month
1
After an extended closure due to COVID-19 — coupled with extensive water damage caused by the February snowstorms — the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History (FWMSH) is finally ready to welcome guests after being out of commission for more than a year. It will reopen June 25, unveiling new exhibits like the Current Science Studio, a 2,500-square-foot space anchored by a giant global display system suspended from the ceiling, known as Science on a Sphere.
2
Another iconic institution is finally returning from an intermission that’s lasted more than a year. Broadway productions are coming back to Bass Performance Hall, with the venue announcing that its 2021 – 2022 Broadway at the Bass season will kick off in October with “Come From Away,” followed by “Cats” in November. Highly anticipated Broadway hits “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Hamilton,” a season add-on, are also part of the lineup.
3
Local legend Opal Lee and nonprofit Unity Unlimited have announced a month-long celebration of Juneteenth, featuring a full slate of programming scheduled from June 4 – June 30. Among activities are a Miss Juneteenth pageant on June 5 and a festival at Panther Island Pavilion on June 19, alongside other arts and educational activities. The full schedule of events is available at juneteenthftw.com.
4
With many residents in low-income neighborhoods lacking access to WiFi, the City of Fort Worth is extending its public signal into five neighborhoods: Ash Crescent, Como, North Side, Rosemont, and Stop Six. The city determined the areas through its Neighborhood Improvement Program, which factored data such as household income and education levels. Equipment installation will begin this summer.
5
As American Airlines celebrates its 40th anniversary at DFW Airport, the world’s largest air carrier is gearing up for a busy summer as the CDC eases restrictions on travel. American Airlines is anticipating flying more than 90% of its domestic seat capacity and 80% of its international seat capacity compared to summer 2019.
6
The Kimpton Harper Hotel will open June 2 at 714 Main St. in downtown Fort Worth. The luxury hotel takes over the former headquarters of XTO Energy, transforming the space to include 226 guest rooms and suites, an Italian restaurant, and penthouse bar.
7
Texas Truck Yard, a popular music and food venue with locations in Dallas, The Colony, and Houston, has begun construction on a location at Alliance Town Center in far North Fort Worth. The new Truck Yard, which will feature live music, indoor and outdoor patios, a daily rotation of food trucks, full bar, and a 38-foot Ferris wheel, will open this fall.
8
The 69-year-old West Side pharmacy, Perrone Pharmacy, is expanding for the first time. It’s opening a new location at 4737 Camp Bowie Blvd., the former Wag Canine Emporium space. There is no date set for the grand opening, but owner Paula Perrone says it should be around Labor Day.
9
Southwest Fort Worth development Waterside welcomed a couple new tenants last month: the second location of restaurateur Brent Johnson’s The Rim and The Residence Inn by Marriott Fort Worth Southwest, a hotel offering studio and one bedroom suites.
10
The rooftop bar of the recently opened Hyatt Place Fort Worth/TCU hotel, Lot 12, sports another new feature aside from drinks and stadium-inspired fare — two Topgolf Swing Suites outfitted with simulation technology that allow guests to play a virtual round of golf, baseball, football, or any other sport of their choice. Reservations for Lot 12 and the Topgolf Swing Suites can be made at lot12tcu.com.
*Please visit each event’s website for information on COVID-19 protocols.
JUNE 5
The Market at Ridglea Grand Opening Party
Celebrate the grand opening of West Fort Worth’s stylish new marketplace with light bites, champagne, and live music by Andrew Sullivan. The Market at Ridglea 3400 Bernie Anderson Ave. themarketatridglea.com
JUNE 8
“12 Mighty Orphans” –Behind the Scenes: Laura Wilson
In advance of the film’s premiere, the Cowgirl Museum will showcase exclusive behind-thescenes props and photos by Texas-based photographer (and mother of lead actor Luke Wilson), Laura Wilson. The exhibit runs through Aug. 8.
JUNE 11 – 13
Bassmaster Classic
The “Super Bowl of Bass Fishing” comes to town for a tournament at Lake Ray Roberts and additional activities at the Fort Worth Stockyards, Will Rogers Memorial Center, and Dickies Arena. Lake Ray Roberts See website for full list of events and locations bassmaster.com
JUNE 12
Fanboys Marketplace Reopening
Meet and greet celebs like Anne Lockhart of “Battlestar Galactica,” Stephanie Nadolny of “Dragon Ball Z,” and Fort Worth Magazine Best Artist winner Sam de la Rosa at the Camp Bowie district’s nerdiest new store.
The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History doesn’t technically reopen until June 25, but you can head there early for a program honoring fallen 9/11 heroes and also view the touring World Trade Center exhibit in the atrium.
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History 1600 Gendy St., 817.255.9300 fwmuseum.org
JUNE 18 – 19
Lynyrd Skynyrd
The rock legends are playing Billy Bob’s for the first time — and possibly the last time — as part of their Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour.
Billy Bob’s Texas 2520 Rodeo Plaza, 817.624.7117 billybobstexas.com
JUNE 19
Ol’ South Pancake House Classic Car Show
D & D Rockin’ Rods is parking hot rods, convertibles, and other classic cars on the lot at Ol’ South Pancake House for awards and public viewing. The event is free. Ol’ South Pancake House 1509 S. University Drive, 817.797.1197 ddrockinrods.com
Opal’s Walk Live!
Ninety-four-year-old icon Opal Lee will kick off her annual Walk 2 DC in the Historic Southside, inviting fellow Fort Worthians to join her on a caravan to commemorate Juneteenth and, hopefully, make it a national holiday.
Evans Avenue Plaza 1050 Evans Ave. juneteenthftw.com
JUNE 19
Fort Worth miniFEST
Head to The Ridglea for a fun-sized festival featuring live music, visual artists, and vendors.
The South Main art gallery will showcase the latest works of Gerald Bell, a painter who offers a unique perspective inspired by his struggles with Asperger’s syndrome.
Gallery 440
440 S. Main St., 817.335.0100 gallery440.com
JUNE 19 – 20
Fairmount Historic Home Tour
Take a stroll through the dainty homes and gardens of Fairmount as you help raise money to improve the historic neighborhood.
Fairmount National Historic District historicfairmount.com
JUNE 20
Sean Scully: The Shape of Ideas
Organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, this exhibit features rarely shown paintings, drawings, prints, and pastels by the Irish-born American artist. It runs through Oct. 10.
The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth 3200 Darnell St., 817.738.9215 themodern.org
JUNE 26 Louapalooza
Fort Worth hip-hop artist Lou CharLe$ is bringing back his annual namesake concert spotlighting the hottest local talent in the scene.
Tulips 112 St. Louis Ave., 817.367.9798 tulipsftw.com
JULY 4
JULY 4
America Strong
With a program that notably highlights Black and Latin American composers, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra is celebrating the Fourth of July with a socially distanced concert at Dickies Arena.
The largest Fourth of July fireworks display in North Texas is back — and in person — at Panther Island Pavilion. Enjoy live music, fair food, and beer before the big show.
Panther Island Pavilion 395 Purcey St. fortworthsfourth.com
“Crow Lady” by Gerald Bell
Discover Excellence.
Katherine Morris
BY
Owner of Cherry Coffee Shop
BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN
PHOTO
OLAF GROWALD
Life has a way of never going the way you plan. Take it from Katherine Morris, whose journey to opening the new Cherry Coffee Shop on Magnolia Avenue was anything but premeditated.
Morris, a self-proclaimed former “Starbucks drinker,” had originally set out to pursue a career in corporate philanthropy. So the young, wide-eyed dreamer from Argyle came to Fort Worth, got a finance degree from TCU, and later landed at nonprofit Lena Pope, where she’d work up to a position as donor relations manager. She was on her way.
Then, life happened. After five years, Morris left Lena Pope to tend to family matters. When things settled down, Morris decided to focus on a new venture — her own donor gratitude and stationery business.
For a stint, Morris ran her business out of the former Craftwork Coffee Co. on Camp Bowie Boulevard. An opportunity arose when Craftwork’s then-operations manager Macy Tatum was going on maternity leave; and Morris, naturally good with data and processes, offered to fill in. Morris ended up sticking around as director of coffee operations, while Tatum took over as director of hospitality operations.
Then, life happened again — this time in the form of a global pandemic. COVID-19 prompted pivots for businesses everywhere, and for Craftwork, that meant focusing on opening within residential communities and selling its three standalone shops to independent owners.
Morris, meanwhile, had grown fond of the shop on Magnolia. When potential
buyers started showing interest, she quickly realized there was one person who truly understood the heart of the shop, its team, and the neighborhood it called home.
So, Morris came up with the wildest idea.
“It all happened very fast,” she says. “I sent [my husband] Jonathan a text message. I said, ‘What would you think if I bought Magnolia?’ And two minutes later, he texted back and said, ‘Go for it.’”
So, life came throwing a curveball yet again — but in the best way. She bought the coffee shop, revamped it, and reopened the space as Cherry in April.
Houston: The Tipping Point Coffee
“Love the dual purpose with vintage clothing and communitycentered focus of this shop.”
Brooklyn: Sey Coffee
“Phenomenal ‘planty’ vibe with a glass wall so you can see into their roasting production.”
Dallas: Wayward Coffee Co.
“Best pour over in Dallas, and the lighting in this space is fantastic.”
Mexico City: Lardo
“The ultimate walk-up situation — great pastries, great walk-up window, surrounded by plants, just perfect.”
Marfa: Do Your Thing
“Staffed by local artisans, this shop is everything you want from Marfa — cool, eclectic, with good snacks and great coffee.”
Since then, the Near Southside has more than welcomed Morris’ takeover of the shop. Come on a day when she’s there, and you’d be hard pressed not to encounter someone who knows her personally.
Even Kari Crowe Seher, Morris’ best friend and owner of Melt Ice Creams, isn’t shy to drive down Magnolia, lower her window, and shout “Woo!” as she passes by.
Morris says she still holds onto the dream of working in corporate philanthropy someday, but right now, she has a new mission — to use her shop as a catalyst for community, build genuine relationships, and brew some good coffee.
“I’m a pretty good, basic barista,” she says with a laugh. “I don’t want to ask my team to do anything that I’m not willing to do, so I have to learn every aspect of it. I need to be able to clean the toilets and make a beautiful cortado … This is not a ‘Katherine Morris’ thing — I’m just a small piece of it.”
1. “You’ll be fine,” a phrase Katherine says she repeats 12 times a day. 2. Enjoying a favorite restaurant, Red’s Chinese, on a trip to New Orleans with friends. 3. Constantly championed by her husband, Jonathan. 4. The Morris’ 2-yearold rescue pup, Winnie. He loves to sit in chairs. 5. “Kari and I are constant champions of each other,” Katherine says of best friend and Melt Ice Creams owner, Kari Crowe Seher. 6. Spending time with nieces “always fills my bucket,” Katherine says.
FAVORITE SHOPS OUTSIDE THE FORT
Photo by Kari Crowe Seher
The Beginning of the West
How Fort Worth became the city where the West begins.
BY MICHAEL GOVEA
On June 6, 1849, General William Jenkins Worth — a veteran of the Mexican-American War, who served under future president Zachary Taylor — set up camp about 1,000 feet west of where the Tarrant County Courthouse now stands.
The purpose of the camp, initially called Camp Worth but later renamed Fort Worth by the U.S. War Department, was to protect east Texas settlements from raids by Native
Americans. Despite the camp’s purpose, four years went by with no major battles, so the outpost was abandoned, and the citizens who grew up around the camp took over empty buildings, clinics, schools, stores, and hotels — transforming the rough and tumble base into a presentable town. These citizens unknowingly planted the seed to the great city of Fort Worth.
Fort Worth’s first boom happened in 1867 when millions of longhorns were driven through town by way of the Chisholm Trail. The Pacific Railway increased cattle traffic, and by 1900, Fort Worth was one of the largest cattle markets in the world — resulting in the popular nickname “Cowtown.” Thanks to industries as diverse as meat packing, steel and flower mills, aircraft plants, and military bases, growth steadily continued and helped increase Fort Worth’s population and stature within the state.
Even during the peaks of these booms, the people of Fort Worth preferred a calmer way of life. After the infamous comment made by a Dallas attorney that Fort Worth was such a sleepy town that he saw a panther asleep undisturbed by the rush of men or the hum of trade, the panther was embraced as a symbol of the city and led to yet another nickname: “Panther City.”
Having more than its fair share of monikers, Fort Worth developed many other nicknames over time, including the lesser known “Queen City of the Prairies” and “Young Giant.” So where exactly does the East end and the West begin? Well, that’s debatable. And, for some states, the answer is a bit contentious.
Technically, Kansas City is on the dividing line between
the east and the west, but the Salt Lake Tribune felt the West begins at the “Mississippi River, possibly the Missouri River.”
In 1898, The Boston Traveler said that the West started in the “Middle of Ohio.” In 1887, The Boston Transcript wrote that the West begins at Batavia, New York.
Back in Texas, some felt the answer was environmental. According to some, the West began somewhere between the 100th and 98th meridian of the Great American Desert and the Great Plains, but 120 miles west of Fort Worth. This amounted to forestry being the dividing line between East and West Texas — marked by a decrease in precipitation where the oak trees stop growing.
And then there are some who contend that the West is neither a matter of geography nor environment, but a state of consciousness. At the start of the 20th century, Samuel Crothers wrote about the “psychological West.”
“It is a feeling, an irresistible impulse,” Crothers wrote. “It is the sense of undeveloped resources and limitless opportunities.” Cowboy poet Arthur Chapman opined in his poem, “Out Where the West Begins,” that the West is, “Out where the smile dwells a little longer. Out where the friendship’s a little truer. That’s where the West begins.”
In Fort Worth, the famous poem would catch the attention of Star-Telegram vice president and Fort Worth advocate, Amon Carter. The poem described an openness, free spirit, and friendliness that Carter instantly recognized in Fort Worthians. Carter couldn’t care less about longitudes, tree lines, and the opinions of Boston newspapers. He became smitten with the notion that the West was defined by a state of mind. To Carter, Fort Worth defined the West.
Carter pitched the phrase “Where the West Begins” as the city’s official slogan. The Chamber of Commerce instantly approved the motto — in part because it was true, in part because it was enticing, but mostly because Carter demanded it be done. Now that Fort Worth’s biggest advocate had an alluring tagline, Carter was eager to promote the city.
With his look of tailored western-cut suits, silk wild rag scarves, and a 10-gallon cowboy hat, Carter would become one of the city’s greatest ambassadors.
While the nickname first appeared in the Star-Telegram, the expression became a nationwide trend when local businesses and city leaders heavily leaned on the slogan to promote tourism and new business. The motto proved to be a huge success, and once the Star-Telegram permanently placed the phrase on their nameplate, Fort Worth had officially committed to being the gatekeeper to the West. It won’t show up on maps, but through warmth and generosity, Fort Worth will forever be “Where the West Begins.”
Learn
Don C. Reynolds II, Financial Advisor, Managing Partner, Reynolds & Reynolds Group
With 45 years in the brokerage industry, Don always focuses on national and international financial dynamics—applying his analyses to his clients’ portfolios. He is a past Chair of Investment of public accounts totaling 140 billion, including public pension plans and the Texas Permanent School Fund.
Among his major accomplishments are two high-profile legacy transactions: representing oil magnate Eddie Chiles in the sale of his Texas Rangers baseball team to George W. Bush, and taking Bo Pilgrim, one of the largest chicken producers in the U.S., public.
Don is a graduate of the Wharton Securities Industry Institute and has an honorary degree from the University of Moscow.
Public Speaking Around the Globe
Don has given over 1,000 fee-paid speeches in 47 U.S. states and 22 countries, including such audiences as the Saudi Central Bank where he spoke about the global economy, the U.S. Treasury Department, U.S. Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Department of Commerce. He keynoted the Australian IT Summit, advised the heavy equipment industry in Rome and spoke on free markets at the Russian Academy of Sciences.
You are invited to an informal one-on-one discussion with Don.
Hear about the road ahead, nationally and internationally. Have your general questions answered about today’s financial planning strategies.
Call now to schedule a time to visit and talk about the economy and markets. Call 817-210-0192 for more information or email Aisha.Rada@Ampf.com
Finding Direction Amidst Chaos
Where will we go from here?
How can we forecast what’s around the corner?
In Her Words
Three outstanding memoirs by women authors.
BY BRIAN KENDALL
1Kicking and Screaming: A Memoir of Madness and Martial Arts by Melanie Gibson
Addressing mental illness in a frank and entertaining way, first-time author Melanie Gibson writes honestly about her struggles with bipolar disorder (as well as other mental illnesses, substance abuse, relationship difficulties, etc.) and how a love for taekwondo helped her through her darkest days. And keep your eyes peeled for some fantastic anecdotes about living in Fort Worth. In fact, Gibson says the book is as much a love letter to Fort Worth as it is a memoir about taekwondo and mental illness.
Just as I Am by Cicely Tyson
The late actress, Cicely Tyson, penned this beautifully written and thoughtful memoir in the 95th year of her life. The Academy Awardnominated performer passed just two days after the book’s publication, making this outstanding book an exclamation mark to a remarkable life. It’s an expansive book (432 pages), but the poetic prose and stirring life lessons will keep the pages turning.
I Had a Miscarriage by Jessica Zucker
Described as “memoir meets manifesto,” Los Angeles-based psychologist who specializes in reproductive and maternal mental health, Jessica Zucker, makes no qualms that she’s out to squash the stigmas surrounding miscarriages. Zucker approaches the book as both a specialist in the field and as someone who has, herself, experienced a miscarriage. The book will educate those looking to become more knowledgeable of pregnancy loss while providing comfort for those who have miscarried.
5
1 Why did you decide to write a memoir? I come from a creative family and creative background. My dad’s a painter and my brother’s a musician and my mom cooks and knits and everything. I transitioned from drawing to writing, and, with writing, I get the ideas in my head, and at some point, I just have to get them out. It’s kind of like an exorcism but in a good way. So, that’s how I started writing my blog. And then I realized that there’s a story in there. And it’s a little unusual. You don’t hear a lot about women doing martial arts. And what we hear about mental illness is not always an accurate portrayal. We see the extremes of people being hospitalized or attempting suicide, but we never hear stories about people who are just suffering in silence. So, I wanted to tell that story.
2 So, like you just said, this book deals with a lot of heavy issues, especially when it addresses mental illness. Did you consider it cathartic to write? Yes, I did. And now that I’m publicizing it, and it’s out to the world, it’s kind of a new type of catharsis because I’m speaking publicly about having mental illness. And so, this is an
QUESTIONS: MELANIE GIBSON
opportunity to raise awareness and really come to terms with some of my own bias and stigma about mental illness. Which is why I’ve hidden it for so long.
3 So, did your mental illness have any impact on writing the story? Did it make it any more difficult? I don’t think it did. Maybe it’s an urban legend, but I’ve heard that people with bipolar disorder have a spark of creativity to them. So, maybe that gave me the creativity to write it, and that’s what I can appreciate about it. I think one thing I can appreciate about mental illness is that it does make you very sensitive, and it can help you become very introspective and gain a lot of insight about yourself and about life — if you put in the effort to do so.
4 While the book jacket says that it’s a memoir of madness and martial arts, when I read it, I really thought, ultimately, it’s about finding joy in something. Would you like to speak to that? Yeah, I’d love to, and I love the way you phrased it as finding joy because that’s what I found with taekwondo; I found a way to be happy and sustain happiness. I mean, I still have my ups and downs, but I found something that I could truly enjoy. I found a sense of community, of purpose, and it gave me confidence, self-esteem, a sense of responsibility, and contentment. I’m able to deal with the ups and downs of life a little more evenly now.
5 What ultimately do you hope people will take from this story? I hope a couple of things. I hope they’ll be entertained; it’s always nice to read a good book. I hope they will laugh, as it’s dark, but it’s also funny. And, I hope that it will be an inspiring story. So, for the people who were like me going to work every day and having mental illness, it’ll make them feel like they’re not alone and that there is hope. And even for people who don’t suffer from [mental illness], it’s an interesting slice of life. I think a good memoir is a good human nature story, whether it’s something outrageous like climbing Mount Everest or if it’s just somebody going to work every day and dealing with a personal problem.
2021 Dream Street: An Update
Three luxury homes built in the new Montrachet development will be open for touring this winter.
BY FWTX STAFF
The 2021 Dream Street, a sequel to last year’s popular inaugural Dream Street, has officially broken ground in the new Montrachet development in West Fort Worth. In fact, the project has gone beyond groundbreaking, and the trifecta of luxury homes is starting to take shape. Foundations have been poured, and beams are beginning to rise.
The Dream Street is a spinoff of Fort Worth Magazine’s annual Dream Home, which has been the magazine’s flagship event for over 20 years. This year, like last’s, the magazine is partnering with three of the area’s top homebuilders (Windmiller Custom Homes, HGC Residential Development, and Heritage Homes) along with interior designers and various subcontractors to showcase everything current in today’s home design trends.
The three homes will be open for touring this winter, and all proceeds from ticket sales will benefit a Wish with Wings, which grants wishes to children with life-threatening conditions.
Builder: HGC Residential Development
Realtor: Christie’s International Real Estate | Ulterre
Appliances: Expressions Home Gallery
Cabinets Kitchen: The Kitchen Source
Doors Front: Durango Doors
Electrician: Mackey Electric
Flooring (tile, wood and carpet labor, wood and carpet material): Vintage Floors
Flooring TILE (material all spaces): Interceramic USA
Get up close and discover some of the world’s largest animals at the Fort Worth Zoo’s all-new habitat, Elephant Springs ! Experience the Asian elephant herd and greater one-horned rhino splashing, rumbling and roaming alongside lush, tropical landscapes and an authentic village, transporting you to the other side of the world.
TRIM SIZE: 8 x 4.875
BLEED: N/A
LIVE AREA: N/A
COLORS: 4C
VENDOR/PUB.: Fort Worth Magazine
NOTE:
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• Lighting Control - Sophisticated control of interior and landscape lighting from elegant keypads or touchpads lets you set the mood for any activity.
AV/Home Automation Partner of the 2020 and 2021 Fort Worth Magazine Dream Street
From Click to Admit
A new company connects college-bound kids with student guides for virtual campus tours.
BY JENNY B. DAVIS
Like many rising high school seniors, Nivea Jerry has put together a long list of colleges she’s considering. There are some sure-bets, a few reaches, and some definite favorites. None of them, however, are in Texas.
In a normal year, Nivea and her family would be getting ready for a road trip. Summer is, after all, the time that’s traditionally set aside to complete one of the most important rituals of the application process: the campus visit.
Of course, this not a normal year. Meaning Nivea and her family are not rushing to pack their bags.
But Nivea and her mom were recently able take a real-time tour of her No. 1 school, thanks to a new company called LiveCampusTours. The company connects college-bound kids with undergrads trained to show aspiring applicants around campuses through live, one-on-one virtual tours. Tours can be scheduled on any day and time that aligns with the schedules of the tour-taker and the tour-giver; a 50-minute tour costs $39.
LiveCampusTours offers tours at more than 175 schools across the country, including many Texas schools like Texas Christian University, Southern Methodist University, University of
Texas at Austin, and Rice University. Nivea heard about the company from her college counselor, and she and her mom decided to try it out. Mostly, they say it was an easy and affordable first step in a process that remains complicated at the moment because school admissions offices are not uniformly rolling back visitation restrictions.
“Some schools are only offering virtual visits, but there’s no tour guide — it’s just a recording and photos or a video — and some schools have resumed in-person tours, so they’ve stopped offering virtual visits,” explains ShelVonna Jerry, Nivea’s mom. “We really wanted a tour guide who could give us a oneon-one interaction.”
In April, they kicked off the college search right from their kitchen table, logging in for a tour of Xavier University of Louisiana.
ShelVonna says the experience a true time-saver.
“I have been through this with two other children, and with my first daughter, we visited several different colleges across the country, including several where she thought she wanted to go to them, but once she visited, she decided, ‘absolutely not,’” she explains. “Had we been able to do a virtual tour first, we could have saved money,
and most importantly, we could have saved time because we could have been looking elsewhere.”
That’s exactly one of the reasons why LiveCampusTours has taken off, and why co-founder Emily Mayfield says its popularity will continue even after the pandemic that inspired the business.
“There are a number of reasons why students can’t visit schools — it’s expensive, it’s time-consuming — and we think our service provides a useful solution,” Mayfield says. “We also think the 1-to-1 ratio, personalized experience is something students don’t often get in the typical crowded, information-packed in-person tours.”
Because LiveCampusTours is independent — it isn’t affiliated with any college or university — Mayfield says the guides can share their authentic experiences and show off areas of interest to the student taking the tour, without being restricted to approved talking points and predetermined routes.
“Our service is all about the connection,” Mayfield says. “Unlike a lot of virtual tours or online college presentations with prerecorded footage or large, impersonal sessions, students can ask questions to a college undergrad in real time in an intimate setting and can customize their tour based on their interests.”
The Jerrys are still planning to visit colleges in person this summer, but Nivea says she may continue booking virtual visits first through LiveCampusTours.
“If the tour can intrigue me virtually, then I’ll be more inclined to want to see the campus in person,” she says.
As to that tour of Xavier — did it help Nivea decide whether to add the campus to the must-visit list she’s making for her summer college-visit trip?
“Absolutely,” she says. “I think it actually increased my interest — now I want to learn even more.”
LiveCampusTours is offering readers a special discount code for $5 off their first tour. Go to livecampustours.com and enter CAMPUS5 at checkout.
One Step at a Time
Lizzy Bentley, founder and CEO of City Boots, strikes a niche in the industry: boots for professional women.
BY MARY MURPHY / PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRYSTAL WISE
Lizzy Bentley had just received samples of her new cowboy boots when she was laid off in an industry-wide downturn. It was 2015; Bentley worked in the oil industry. She had loved cowboy boots ever since she was a little girl, when her granddad bought her first pair of pink boots in Amarillo.
“He took me to Boots and Jeans,” Bentley says. “I remember getting home, opening the brown paper sack, and putting
on the boots to show my parents. I wore them with literally everything.”
Bentley’s love for boots remained long after she outgrew her first pair. By the age of 25, her closet held over 50 pairs, but Bentley found that there was still one missing from her collection. Where were the pair of women’s cowboy boots that were professional enough to wear with blazers and jeans but comfortable and durable enough to wear day in and day out?
COLLEGES
to date where students were admitted.
American University
Arcadia University
Arizona State University
Auburn University
Austin College
Austin Community College
Baylor University
Belmont University
Beloit College
Binghamton University
Blinn College
Boston College
Bryn Mawr College
Bucknell University
California Polytechnic State University
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Centre College
Clemson University
Colby College
Colgate University
Colorado School of Mines
Creighton University
Dartmouth College
DePaul University
Elon University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Fordham University
Georgetown University
Harvard University
Haverford College
Hawai’i Pacific University
Hendrix College
Houston Baptist University
Howard University
Indiana University Bloomington
Iowa State University
Kansas State University
Louisiana State University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Maryland
Loyola University New Orleans
Manchester University
Marymount Manhattan College
Miami University
Middle Tennessee State University
Millsaps College
Mississippi State University
New York University
North Carolina A&T State University
Northeastern University
Occidental College
Oglethorpe University
The Ohio State University
Oklahoma State University
Oregon State University
Point Park University
Prairie View A&M University
Providence College
Purdue University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rollins College
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Seton Hall University
Sewanee - The University of the South
Skidmore College
Southern Methodist University
Southwestern University
Stephen F. Austin State University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi
Texas Christian University
Texas State University
Texas Tech University
Trinity University
Tulane University
University of Alabama
University of Arizona
University of Arkansas
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California San Diego
University of Central Florida
These colleges and universities listed represent the institutions where 86 FWCD seniors have been admitted.
University of Chicago
University of Cincinnati
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Colorado Denver
University of Connecticut
University of Denver
University of Georgia
University of Hawai’i at Mãnoa
University of Houston
University of Kansas
University of Maryland
University of Miami
University of Mississippi
University of Missouri-Columbia
University of Missouri-Kansas City
University of New Mexico
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Texas
University of Notre Dame
University of Oklahoma
University of Pittsburgh
University of South Carolina
University of Southern California
University of Tampa
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
University of Texas at Arlington
University of Texas at Austin
University of Tulsa
University of Utah
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
University of Washington
Villanova University
Washington and Lee University
Washington University in St Louis
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Yale University
Institutions listed in red indicate where one or more senior(s) will attend.
After doing her due diligence as a boot collector (“market research,” Bentley jokes), she found that the boots she was looking for would only exist if she had them custom made. So, she set out to find a business partner who could create what she had in mind — but on a larger scale.
She designed her boots and ordered samples from a fourth-generation boot factory in Old Mexico. The family had nearly 100 years of experience handmaking cowboy boots, and it showed.
“[The boots] were perfect,” Bentley says. “It was very much divine timing that made it easy for me to say, ‘OK, these samples are perfect, oil’s not going to be hiring anytime soon,’ and jump in.”
Bentley had saved up enough money to live for a year. Her dad was an entrepreneur. She had a deep love for cowboy boots and had already been toying with the idea of manufacturing and selling boots that were simple, elegant, and tough. She didn’t have any business experience in the cowboy boot industry, but that didn’t stop her from trying.
“What I always told myself was, ‘Even if this doesn’t work out, I’m going to learn so much from it,” Bentley says. “In hindsight, that’s what made it work. I came into it
with a fresh concept, and it helped us be successful in doing something different than everyone else.”
The boots that Bentley dreamed up for female professionals looked modern but had comfort and durability that honored cowboy boots’ deep heritage and history. Two weeks after receiving her boot samples, she placed the first order for 50 pairs of high-quality, handmade boots from the familyowned factory in Old Mexico. City Boots was officially open for business.
In a “fast fashion” e-commerce world, City Boots’ new standard of quality set it apart from the crowd. It never cut corners making its boots and chose materials meant to last, like hand-cut leather insoles and outsoles — tough enough to scuff but flexible enough to mold to someone’s foot over time.
During the first several, slower years, boxes sat stacked throughout Bentley’s apartment, waiting to be shipped out. She’d fill her little Lexus to the brim with boots and sell them at various
trunk shows. The boots were selling, but Bentley still wrestled with whether she was doing the right thing.
“I think everyone hits those bumps, no matter if you’re working for yourself or someone else,” Bentley says. “But my customers kept coming, and they’d tell their friends. Every time someone referred us, it was the extra little ‘oomph’ that I needed to keep going.”
Now, at 31, Bentley owns a successful boot company. She admits that she only recently began to feel more confident in her walk over the past two years, solidified by a major success in 2020 when City Boots made more revenue in its fourth quarter than it had in all of 2019.
Amid fast-paced growth, Bentley stays focused on her company’s purpose: to create comfortable, quality cowboy boots that can last for decades. City Boots continues to expand with new styles this year, including short boots launching in June, followed by pastel blue and pink boots this summer (as a nod to Bentley’s first pair), and an all-new collection this fall.
Most days, the City Boots CEO is found walking around City Boots’ Fort Worth showroom, coordinating with her team, and chatting with customers. To her, that’s the best part of the job.
“The most rewarding thing for me is seeing someone wearing [City Boots],” Bentley says. “It means the world to me that someone wants something I created. I feel so lucky that I can sell a product I believe in and lucky that I get to be reminded of that every day.”
Dr. Bibas Reddy Medical Oncologist/Hematologist
Dr. Al Yurvati Professor of Surgery Patient of The Center
Revamping Roy
How a four-person dream team turned a dying grocery store into a foodie-friendly hot spot.
BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN AND JILLIAN VERZWYVELT
There’s a palpable excitement that seems to resonate between the brightly lit aisles of the newly renovated Roy Pope Grocery.
Customers casually weave between mint-green shelves, some with a glass of wine or latte in hand from the new coffee and wine bar at the corner of the store. Others stand at the kitchen counter to order lunch for the day, chatting it up with the person behind the counter. All the while, store staff smile behind their masks and say “hello” as you pass by.
It’s a friendly, down-home-yet-upscale atmosphere that the West Fort Worth
neighborhood has quickly embraced since the store reopened in May. Even owner-operator Chris Reale is surprised at how few purists — if any at all — have walked in and turned their noses up at the redesigned space.
“I think the neighborhood is ready for a change,” Reale says. “They knew Roy Pope needed some help. I think they’re happy to see it in this condition.”
Perhaps a revamp of Roy Pope was what the neighborhood wanted all along. A little over a year ago, the nearly 80-year-old grocery store was seeing revenues decline despite its status as a Camp Bowie-area legend. Previous owner Bob Larance was forced to close up shop in April 2020 and put the space up for sale, which consequently bummed out West
PHOTO BY CRYSTAL WISE
Left to right: Rodger Chieffalo, Lou Lambert, Chris Reale, and Mark Harris
Siders who’d grown up going to Roy Pope for chicken-fried steaks and King Ranch casserole.
Enter developer Mark Harris and real estate broker Rodger Chieffalo (who also owns the Chieffalo Americana hat shop just down the street). When the duo read about the sale in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, they decided to jump at the opportunity right away — initially thinking that, perhaps, the building could be converted into some other retail or office space.
But then, Chieffalo called up a TCU fraternity brother, restaurateur Lou Lambert, who in turn looped Reale, and the four would find themselves meeting to hash out the building’s future. The next thing they knew, they were working out a plan to save Roy Pope as a unified quartet. Harris and Chieffalo would handle the real estate and development aspects, while Lambert and Reale would handle food and operations.
“Instead of the landlord-tenant setup, we’ve invested in each other,” Harris says. “We’re partners across the board. I’m interested in operations; operations is interested in the building and seeing the return on both sides. Whether we like it or not, we’re in bed together.”
Renovating the old, roughly
7,200-square-foot building would turn out to be a formidable challenge. The group found itself needing to upgrade everything from the plumbing and electrical to the kitchen and, of course, overall interior design. “It would have been cheaper to build a new building,” Harris says.
But, with the help of designer and builder Jack Sanders, they made it happen. Gone is the cramped, cave-like, old-school interior of the past; now, natural light peers through the space through windows and skylights, while a fresh touch of paint in Roy Pope’s signature forest green brings sophistication to the finishes.
Three grocery aisles run down the center of the store, with the wine and beer inventory now tripled and curated by in-house sommelier Mikey Riojas.
Shoppers can grab wine by the glass as well as coffee from the newly added coffee and wine bar, where Roy Pope has partnered with Dallas’ Frame Coffee Co. to develop three store-specific
blends — Westover, Camp Bowie, and Lou’s New Orleans Style, which is incorporated into the shop’s specialty drink, the RPG Full Speed.
The shelves carry a strong emphasis on local products like Crunchy Girl Granola, Happy Tomato, and Blended Family Foods. There’s also a prominent selection of Blue Bell, as Roy Pope was the first gourmet grocer in Texas to carry the brand.
Despite its size, Roy Pope is not missing many commodities and convenience items like household cleaning products, personal care items, and a quaint floral section.
Perhaps the biggest highlight of the space, however, is the expanded kitchen, now about four times the size of its original footprint. Where before the cooked-to-order station and prepared foods counter were smaller, with steam wells of casseroles and such, Reale says he wanted
PHOTOS BY CRYSTAL WISE
An outdoor patio is among the new features of the renovated Roy Pope Grocery.
Roy Pope serves a rotating selection of hot meals.
to integrate a restaurant feel into the remodel. Today, a Central Market-style counter showcases revolving offerings like grilled salmon and flank steak, and Roy Pope promises to continue to serve a mix of new dishes alongside old favorites like meatloaf, King Ranch casserole, and ambrosia salad.
Though the store is now open, the team can’t kick their feet up just yet.
The next historic spot they’re revamping is the 96-year-old Paris Coffee Shop on Magnolia Avenue. Reale’s mother, Mona Reale Owens, is currently running the space until renovations begin sometime this summer.
“Everything’s going to be new, but the general layout is exactly the same,” Reale says. “We’re doing a totally new counter, all new booths. The back of the restaurant, that storage area, we’re going to do expanded dining there, now with a little back patio.”
Lambert also adds that the renovated Paris will have elements that harken back to the restaurant’s original location (it first opened at Hemphill Street in 1926 before moving to Magnolia in 1974). “We found photos of the original Paris before they moved,
so we’re taking a lot of inspiration from the original,” he says.
So, Fort Worthians may have reason to keep expectations high after seeing what’s been done at Roy Pope. The goal, Lambert says, is to turn these establishments into experiences — destinations that will attract customers from both the immediate neighborhood and beyond.
“Our job and what we’re seeing is, we’re drawing in folks from all over the city as a destination,” he says. “That was our hope to begin with — to build something that everyone feels comfortable in and that they want to experience. The space, the food, the service.”
Bits and Bites
A few things of note in Fort Worth’s ever-shifting craft barbecue scene: Dayne’s Craft Barbecue, Dayne and Ashley Weaver’s craft barbecue trailer permanently parked at Lola’s Saloon, has expanded its hours and menu. Dayne’s is now open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. or until they’re sold out. The worst-kept secret in local ‘cue circles is Dayne’s new burgers, which people are lining up for in droves on Fridays and Sundays, the two days they’re available. 2735 W. Fifth St., daynescraftbarbecue.com
Over in the South Main area, Brix Barbecue has expanded its hours, too, and added new menu items. In addition to Saturday afternoons and Sunday evenings, pitmaster Trevor Sales’ ‘cue trailer is now open Saturday nights for new items such as tortas and chile verde pork tacos. 218 Bryan Ave., instagram.com/brixbarbecue Smoke-A-Holics, the pint-sized ‘cue joint on Evans Avenue, has opened a second location at Crockett Hall, the food hall in the Crockett Row area. Owner Derrick Walker is serving his entire menu (except for turkey legs) at the new locale, including specialty items like brisket mac and cheese, loaded baked potatoes, and smoked chicken salad. In its current iteration, Smoke-A-Holics’ original spot doesn’t offer any seating. At the new location at Crockett Hall, there’s plenty, plus a bar. 3000 Crockett St., crocketthall.com
A new outdoor restaurant/live music venue/pickleball court will soon open near the TCU area. Courtside Kitchen will open later this summer in an enormous space at 1615 Rogers Road, near University Drive, and will be the city’s first-ever facility devoted to pickleball, a trendy game that’s a cross between tennis and Ping-Pong.
Courtside will take over the old Mopac Event Center and will encompass a massive footprint: 7,500-plus square feet of indoor dining plus more than 20,000-plus square feet of outdoor dining.
In addition to the nine pickleball courts, there will be lawn games, a stage for live entertainment, fire pits, and a beer garden. Heading up the kitchen will be a familiar face: Christian Lehrmann, who has had a hand in several Fort Worth restaurants, including Tinie’s and Taco Heads. His menu will include poke bowls, steak and fries, and Nashville hot chicken sandwiches. 1615 Rogers Road
— Malcolm Mayhew
Roy Pope classics like meatloaf remain on the menu.
Roy Pope
A Fitting Tribute
Fort Worth restaurateur Felipe Armenta pays homage to his mother with Maria’s Mexican Kitchen, his elegant new restaurant in the TCU area.
BY MALCOLM MAYHEW
For years, Felipe Armenta knew he wanted to open a restaurant that paid tribute to his mom. The right place at the right time came last year, appropriately enough, on Mother’s Day.
A year later, to the day, on what is known as Mexican Mother’s Day, Fort Worth’s most prolific chef and restaurateur opened Maria’s Mexican Kitchen in the TCU-area building once home to Hoffbrau Steak & Grill House.
“When I saw this space, I knew this was it,” says Armenta,
who also owns Press Café, Pacific Table, and The Tavern in Fort Worth, plus a half-dozen other restaurants in Texas. “It was in the middle of the pandemic. I knew it would be hard, and it was. But I felt like it was meant to be.”
From its elevated menu to its exquisite interior, Maria’s goes against the grain of the city’s typical Tex-Mex restaurant.
For the menu, Armenta took his inspiration from his mother’s recipes, perfected at the family’s eponymously named restaurant in San Angelo, where Armenta grew up cooking, side by side with Mom. There are sopes topped with short rib, snapper seared over hot coals, and mole enchiladas, one of his mother’s signature dishes.
Armenta collaborated with West Side design firm Maven Interiors to create the restaurant’s stunning architectural elements, from the intricate custom tile work to the scalloped mohair banquettes to the landscaped patio, a tranquil area shaded by oak trees and cooled by a quartzlined water feature.
The focal point of the restaurant is undoubtedly the artwork. Hanging in the bar area are vivid paintings done by San Angelo artist René Alvarado, a friend of the family. In the main dining room is a commissioned portrait of Armenta’s mother, lovingly created by local artist Joey Lancaster.
Maria’s isn’t Armenta’s only project on tap for 2021. Later this year, he’ll open the Towne Grill restaurant in the Alliance Town Center. Maria’s Mexican Kitchen, 1712 S. University Drive, mariasmexicankitchen.com
Owner Felipe Armenta, top left, stands next to a portrait of his mother, for whom the restaurant is named. Top right, flautas come topped with savoy cabbage and streaks of crema sauce. Bottom left, housemade sopes are filled with black beans and short rib meat.
Galactic Style
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On a Roll
Opened three years ago, a unique sushi restaurant in the West Seventh area is finally getting the recognition it deserves.
BY MALCOLM MAYHEW
Anyone who has seen the cult food film “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” may experience some déjà vu while dining at Hatsuyuki Handroll Bar, a unique sushi restaurant in the West Seventh area.
There are no dining tables here, only seats at a horseshoeshaped sushi bar — 25 of them, to be exact. Once you’re seated, a server drops off a paper menu upon which you make your selections. Using tiny pencils, you fill out the sheet, then return it to your server.
Less than five minutes later, your meal will begin. Echoing “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” nearly to a T, a sushi chef, working mere inches from you, serves you one piece of sushi at a time, placing it in front of you on a black serving dish, naming the filling as he’s serving it.
The difference between the film and Hatsuyuki is Hatsuyuki’s sushi comes in the form of hand rolls — sheets of seaweed wrapped in a cone or cylindrical shape, enclosing a filling of rice, fish, and vegetables.
This unique restaurant comes from North Texas sushi chef Jun Mo Yeon, a former owner of Daan Sushi Asian Bistro & Bar in Grapevine. The native of Seoul says he wanted to open
a sushi restaurant that highlights the fish, not the saucy bells and whistles that are often streaked across rolls.
“Simple presentations; simple, fresh flavors,” he says.
Opened in the summer of 2018, the restaurant spent its early days as a hidden gem. But as Yeon began to broaden his menu, more local diners took note. In May, Hatsuyuki was the highest-listed Fort Worth restaurant among Yelp’s Top 100 Restaurants in Texas, sitting at No. 11.
Especially popular have been the chef’s daily and weekly specials — sashimi, nigiri, and hand rolls made with exotic and hard-to-find fish. Other specials have incorporated mussels, clams, oysters, and scallops.
“I think that’s how we managed to stay open during the pandemic,” says longtime server Francisco Salazar, who has worked at the restaurant from day one. “We have people drive in from other parts of the state just for the hand rolls. But when people started posting pictures of the specials on Instagram and Snapchat, that’s when we took off.”
Recent specials have included uni topped with quail egg and salmon caviar; carpaccio made with madai, a sea bream fish found in Japanese and regional Pacific waters; golden-eye snapper; and Japanese tiger prawns.
Fish is delivered daily, direct from suppliers, usually sourced from Japanese or Korean waters, Salazar says. But Yeon puts an equal amount of importance on the hand rolls’ other components, too. “Rice has to be a certain temperature, a certain texture,” Salazar says. “He even sources the seaweed. That’s very telling how he approaches his food and how much he cares about it.”
Dining at Hatsuyuki can be quick — an attractive incentive for those who prefer fast meals.
“A typical dining experience here can last 15 to 20 minutes or up to 45 minutes, depending on what you order,” Salazar says. “That’s one of the biggest things that makes us different. Sometimes you go somewhere, and you wait 15 – 20 minutes for your first plate. Here, there’s something in front of you within five minutes.”
But it’s the one-on-one time that keeps people coming back, Salazar says.
“It’s a very personal dining experience. The person preparing your food is right in front of you, making it for you, serving you,” Salazar says. “Most restaurants don’t offer that kind of experience.”
PHOTOS
One of the restaurant’s specialty dishes is salmon sashimi with truffle ponzu.
Sushi chefs at work at Hatsuyuki Handroll Bar.
Grilled to Perfection
Dust off your grill for these delectable dishes.
BY HILLAIRE BAUMGARTNER
GRILLED FRUIT SKEWERS WITH CREAMY LIME DIP
Chunks of your favorite fruits are grilled on skewers and served with a creamy, cool lime dip.
Makes 6 medium skewers
Ingredients
• 2 cups cantaloupe, cut into large cubes
• 2 bananas, sliced into 1- to 2-inch circles
• 2 cups strawberries, halved
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup plain cream cheese
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Juice from 1 small lime
Instructions
1. Preheat grill to 450 F.
2. Place the cut fruit pieces onto the skewers, then transfer to a grill basket.
3. Grill the fruit, turning often, for 10 minutes or until golden.
4. Make the dip by stirring the yogurt, cream cheese, honey, and lime juice together. Serve the skewers with the dip and enjoy immediately.
20 years serving the Fort Worth european car community!
This month Lone Star Bavarian is celebrating 20 years of BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Mini Cooper service in Fort Worth. When we opened for business in June of 2001, we knew that small business ownership wouldn’t be easy and there would be many challenges. That might be the biggest understatement ever! After just clearing one of the worst obstacles in our business ownership, we wanted to take a moment and thank our family, clients, staff, vendors, Fort Worth Magazine and all that have helped make 20 years possible! All of us at Lone Star Bavarian have truly loved being a part of the Fort Worth landscape. Thank you Fort Worth!
LEMONY MUSTARD GRILLED POTATO SALAD
Grilled potatoes are coated with a zingy mustard dressing and make for the perfect summer side dish.
Serves 2 – 4
Ingredients
• 4 – 6 medium red potatoes, quartered
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 – 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 4 scallions, sliced
• 1 small shallot, diced
• 2 lemons, halved
• Fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat your grill to 450 F.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustards, oregano, scallions, and shallot. Set aside.
3. Brush the potatoes with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set them, along with the lemons, in a grill basket and place on the grill.
4. Grill for 10 – 15 minutes, turning occasionally until slightly charred.
5. Transfer the potatoes to a large, heat-safe bowl and pour the dressing over. Squeeze the grilled lemons over it and top with parsley, salt, and pepper.
GRILLED PINEAPPLE LEMONADE
Refreshing lemonade gets a summer twist with grilled pineapple. Enjoy on its own or spiked with a little bourbon.
Serves 6 – 8
Ingredients
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups pineapple, cut into large, thick chunks
• 1 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 4 3/4 cups cold water, divided
Instructions
1. Preheat your grill to 450 F.
2. Place pineapple chunks onto skewers and place directly on the grill.
3. Grill the skewers for 5 – 10 minutes, turning occasionally until the pineapple is slightly browned.
4. Remove the skewers from the grill and let them cool slightly. Then, transfer into a high-speed blender with 3/4 cup water.
5. Blend on high for a couple of minutes, then strain using a fine mesh sieve.
6. Combine the pineapple juice, lemon juice, sugar, and cold water in a large pitcher. Stir and serve cold.
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Elements Of Design is a full-service interior design firm, with a builder showroom in Southlake. Our professional design team (Traci Darden, owner; and Stephanie McPherson and Monica Finn) place great sensitivity toward our client’s individual needs and style to make every project unique and different. Whether your home is located in Southlake or faraway locations like Washington, D.C, or Colorado we will work with you from conception to completion, keeping your home authentic to you.
Traci Darden – Owner
GRILLED MUSHROOM + LEEK PIZZA
An olive oil-based pizza topped with marinated mushrooms and leeks, then grilled to perfection. Top with chives and balsamic glaze for the perfect finish.
Makes 1 pizza
Ingredients
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal
• Refrigerated/fresh pizza dough
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 leek, sliced (white parts only)
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• Sliced chives, to top
• Balsamic glaze, to top
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 400 F.
2. Place the mushrooms in a shallow bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the soy sauce, liquid smoke, maple syrup, and paprika. Then, pour over the mushrooms and let them marinate for 15 minutes.
3. Transfer the mushrooms to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway. Then, set aside.
4. Roll out your pizza dough. Brush with olive oil and garlic. Then add the cheese, leeks, and mushrooms.
5. Sprinkle a pizza stone with the cornmeal so the dough doesn’t stick, and transfer the pizza onto it.
6. Grill at 500 F for 15 – 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted.
7. Top the pizza with chives and balsamic glaze.
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With the long-awaited premiere of “12 Mighty Orphans” — a movie based on Jim Dent’s popular novel and filmed in Fort Worth — just around the corner, we caught up with the film’s star Luke Wilson, director Ty Roberts, and producer Houston Hill for a quick chat.
BY BRIAN KENDALL AND SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN
BY LAURA
PHOTO
WILSON
“12 Mighty Orphans” has become a story that’s reached near legendary status in Fort Worth. Few who reside in the city limits haven’t heard the tale of 12 undersized orphans battling for one of the Lone Star State’s most coveted prizes: a football state championship. While there’s a book and an upcoming film that bear the same name, “12 Mighty Orphans” is really a decades-old tale. The Mighty Mites have long been part of the Fort Worth lexicon and their underdog tale akin to the “Tortoise and the Hare.”
But, for those who are either new to the city or haven’t had a chance to take a deep dive into Cowtown’s folk heroes, we’ll give you a condensed version of the story. In 1927, Rusty Russell became the head football coach of the Fort Worth Masonic Home, an orphanage that had an enrollment of 160. Despite having a team of small-boned students and competing against larger schools with deeper pockets, the Mighty Mites (as they were colloquially called) were one of the state’s best teams for much of Russell’s reign as head coach — even playing Corsicana High School to a tie in the 1932 state championship.
The story eventually went beyond state lines when The New York Times’ bestselling author, Jim Dent, recounted the history of Russell and the Masonic Home in his 2008 book, Twelve Mighty Orphans. Undoubtedly a story fit for the silver screen, the book was made into a motion picture starring Luke Wilson, Martin Sheen, and Robert Duvall, which is set for wide distribution June 18.
Director Ty Roberts took great pains to ensure the movie portrayed the Masonic Home in as authentic a way as possible, filming in and around Fort Worth, including Weatherford and Cleburne. And he recruited a largely Texasbased cast and crew, including the film’s star, Wilson, who grew up in Dallas. We caught up with Wilson, Roberts, and producer Houston Hill via a Zoom call on an unseasonably cold day in Fort Worth. The trio chatted about filming in Fort Worth, the film’s grittiness, and the meaning of Wilsonaissance. Of course, like most friendly conversations, we kicked things off chatting about the weather.
FW: Hi, Luke, how’s everything in sunny California?
Luke Wilson: It’s good. I just got back here from Georgia. It was already kind of heating up in Georgia, so nice to get back.
FW: Well, we’re wearing sweaters today in Texas. And I know you’re well aware of the indecisive weather that we have in North Texas.
Wilson: Yeah. I always love that. That’s one thing I really miss. There are times out here where you wake up and you’re like, “What month is it?” When you look out the window when you’re in Texas, you can kind of get it. I mean, I just love those weather changes.
[Director Ty Roberts enters Zoom call] Hi, Ty.
Ty Roberts: Hey, Luke, how are you?
Wilson: Good to see you, boss.
Roberts: Good to see you, sir. Is this going to be recorded for video purposes?
FW: It is.
Wilson: I was wondering the same thing. Can we freewheel or do we need to actually … Roberts: Take a shower? [laughs]
Wilson: And keep in mind, this is the first press [we’ve done for the movie]. So, I’m not saying we’re going to be rusty, but we might not be in the flow that we’ll be in at some point.
Roberts: Well, I actually prefer this over when you’re late in the press tour and they’re all wearing sunglasses. Like, really?
FW: First, thank you guys so much for taking the time to do this. So, to kick off the interview, how familiar were y’all with the story before you started filming?
Roberts: I had heard of the book a while
ago, but really [producer Houston Hill] was the miner of this story. He kind of pitched it to me, and I was a little hesitant at first because, you know, the tropes of great sports movies kind of fall within the same underdog story and the coach that comes in and turns it around. I just didn’t know the details of Rusty [Russell].
Wilson: I hadn’t read the book, but once I got hired onto the movie, I had friends that were like, “Yeah, read the book.” It was great. I just don’t know how I missed it. You know? I’m poking around at Barnes & Noble in Dallas and always liking sports-related books but had not heard [of the book] before I read the script. It’s not like it was some little San Marcos State printing; it was a New York Times best seller.
Houston Hill: Well, my parents brought it up to me back in 2009 or ’10. And I reached out to Jim Dent’s dad on Facebook, of all places, trying to get the rights. And he had just sold them days before to a group out of Dallas — some commercial real estate guys who had a son who was an actor. So, Jim was like, “Hey, that was gone, but I got this other one for you.” And that movie went on to be “My All-American,” which was about Freddie Steinmark, another football movie. About 10 years passed, and then Ty and I made the “Iron Orchard,” which is a movie we did about West Texas.
I was at my mother-in-law’s house in San Antonio and saw the book, and I was like, “Man, we should check back in with that.” Of course, I sent it to Ty, and he’s like, “Man, I don’t want to make a sports movie.” So, I convinced him to read the book, and he got fired up about it. We eventually met with the rights holders, and I mean, after going through the ringer a bit, we got the rights.
It took us a while, but once we got the rights, the movie came together pretty quickly.
Roberts: Once Luke got involved, it became real, and we were able to build upon that and kept that momentum.
Wilson: It is unbelievable how those things happen. It is like catching a wave. Sometimes there are these great ideas and great scripts, and, for whatever reason, you
can’t get them made. So, when something like this happens and it just kind of hits a groove, you feel very lucky. It’s just so hard to get anything of quality made, too, so that’s especially rewarding.
FW: What do you think made this such an outlier, as far as that’s concerned? What about this film made it go so quickly and so smoothly, and you sort of caught that wave?
Hill: I think it’s this book and this story meant so much to so many people. Our partner, George Young, Jr. loved this book; it was his favorite book. He said, “If I was ever going to invest in a movie, it’d be this book and this movie.”
And there was a ticking clock. I mean, the story was in danger of kind of dying. I think there was a sense of urgency. And then there was just this story, this Texas story that people wanted to be told. Even today, I think it’s still the No. 1 book of women’s book clubs in the state of Texas. It just resonated with so many people.
FW: That’s a good segue to my next question. The cast and crew include a lot
of Texans. Was this a conscious decision? And what kind of effect did that have on the authenticity of the film?
Roberts: Oh, absolutely. I prefer to work with a local cast and crew. Even if they’re like Luke, who’s originally from Dallas, but he’s based in LA now. Finding Luke to play Rusty was sort of the pinnacle of it all because Luke played football in high school. He has the sort of demeanor that I envisioned for Rusty. A very smart guy, but also funny and charismatic and quirky.
We cast a lot of the 12 Mites as local actors. We brought in a few here and there for the bigger roles that we felt needed some experienced actors to carry the weight. But, at the same token, you’ll see performances by Slade Monroe, who’s kind of a first-timer from the DFW area, who delivers some super touching, powerful scenes in the movie.
Luke brought in Ron White. I don’t know how, but what a great character he is as an old-timey sheriff. I mean, how did you even know Ron, Luke? What a perfect choice for Sheriff Red Wright.
Wilson: I can’t remember right now how I met Ron, but I always thought he had such a great face and voice and thought he would
be so good in a movie. He’s really into movies, and he’s like all those comics; they’re really sharp guys. From Tracy Morgan to Adam Sandler, they’re all writers; they don’t miss a beat.
And to have Ty be so open to ideas like [bringing on Ron White] is always so meaningful. It’s just great when somebody who’s in charge is receptive to that kind of thing.
It’s like putting bricks together to where you make something that has real feeling and a vibe. I think it comes from people like Ron and, of course, all the boys and Vinessa [Shaw] and all the other actors.
Roberts: Let me just say this, I was beside myself when Luke was willing to share these contacts with me to try to get some of these talented folks involved. That’s so huge.
As a filmmaker, when you’re trying to build your film up and Luke is offering to connect us to Ron and a handful of other folks, it rounded out our cast and made the process so enjoyable.
FW: I loved how much Fort Worth is really showcased in this movie. For instance, the film shows the Star-Telegram, the Masonic
Luke Wilson as Coach Rusty Russell
Temple, and Amon Carter — all these very Fort Worthian things. Why was it important for y’all to put a spotlight on the city?
Roberts: Well, Fort Worth was almost another character. It’s hard to recreate 1938 Fort Worth, but we really made an effort to try to do that. We had Farrington Field in there, and we had some shots of downtown that we all had to digitally tweak and clean up. But it was real important because the Masonic Home is such an institution in the city, and Rusty had made such an impact [in Fort Worth]. To us, it was real important to try to keep it as realistic as we could and showcase it as best we could.
Wilson: It’s so rare these days to get to film a story in the town where it’s actually set. I mean, I would say that it basically never happens. I wouldn’t have batted an eye if we were in Albuquerque. No kidding. I mean, I was just working on something where we were supposed to be in Nebraska, and I was in Georgia.
To get to be in the actual town, it’s always helpful. From my perspective as an actor, it helps to wake up in Fort Worth, and it helps to go to dinner in Fort Worth and to hear the voices and be around the people.
Hill: Well, we almost ended up in Oklahoma. We wanted to shoot at the Masonic Home, which is now the ACH Home. It’s still there, but a couple years before we shot, they remodeled the orphanage and totally modernized it. We just barely missed it. So, we went out to the film commission, and they showed us the [Texas Pythian Home] in Weatherford. It was a hundredyear-old Moorish castle that’s still a working orphanage today and hasn’t changed.
Once we saw that, Ty was like, “Man, this is it.” I was like, “No, let’s go look in Oklahoma and see what’s up there.” Because we were thinking we might find some older stadiums. I don’t know if you guys noticed, but those stadiums don’t exist anymore in Texas.
It was really the Fort Worth Film Commission that said, “No, you have to make this movie here.” They worked with one of our other producers, Brinton Bryan, and
they went down to Austin and talked to the film commission and said, “Look, these guys want to make this movie here, but Oklahoma is trying to lure them away.”
The film commission stepped up and said, “We want you guys to tell this Fort Worth story in Fort Worth with Fort Worth people, Fort Worth crew.” Once that happened, it was a done deal. We were all in.
Roberts: I also wanted to add that we had countless orphan alumni as extras. I had guys call my attention between takes and be like, “Hey man, I graduated from the Masonic Home,” or “I lived at the Masonic Home in 1990, and I just want to thank you for being here and doing this.”
That happened a lot, hearing those stories. And it was super important to reflect the community. I mean, we couldn’t have done that anywhere else.
FW: I know sports films usually have the difficult task of consolidating what is a few years into one. For instance, the actual story took place over a few years. So, you have to take sort of a good deal of dramatic license. How do you balance keeping the audience engaged while keeping the film more authentic?
Roberts: Well, I always try to follow the spirit of the story and try to craft it in the best possible three-act structure that you can. And it’s really, really tough to do when you’re talking about a number of different seasons, and a number of different players, and characters, and you got to weed through it and cull the best from the best and tell the story the best way you can. Because, ultimately, you want to honor Rusty and the main characters as much as possible. But it’s almost impossible to tell it in a way that is completely factual and in sequence.
Lane Garrison and I spent the better part of six or seven months reworking a script that we actually inherited. We boiled it down to two seasons originally. And it was still over two hours long. And we knew, as an independent outfit, we couldn’t produce that film.
So, you got to look at your budget, and you
got to look at your capabilities as filmmakers. Ultimately, we boiled it down to one season, which is a creative liberty we took. But, we tried to make it as accurate as possible in the spirit of Rusty’s story and the Masonic Home story. I would love to be able to tell it 100% accurate, but when you can’t, you just honor it the best you can.
I’m sure people are going to point out inaccuracies and whatnot here and there, but I think the spirit of the story is there. And I feel like we really did our best to honor it.
Hill: The biggest part was reminding ourselves that we weren’t making a documentary. We were making a movie, and everybody wants to know, “Did you get this person? And did you get this season in? Did you get this?” And it’s tough. But I feel like we got the spirit of it. I think that comes across.
We showed the movie to Rusty’s daughter who is 95 years old. She’d been in quarantine in Santa Fe, and her son, Russ, was finally able to show her the movie. And she broke down. She couldn’t believe it. She thought, “There’s daddy. There’s daddy.” And she thought we shot at [their old] home. She was like, “That’s what our apartment looked like. That’s where they practiced.” I mean, she just couldn’t believe it. So, if we got it right from her standpoint, I feel like the other orphans and the [Masonic} home kids will be proud of it.
FW: Luke, being a Dallasite, you grew up across the metroplex. Does this movie strike a certain sentimental chord since it takes place so close to home?
Wilson: Oh yeah. It was unbelievable. There were days when I [was on set and] would wake up and think, “Gosh, here I am in Fort Worth. I grew up down the road in Dallas.” If you’d have told the eighth-grade version of me that one day I’d be working down the road, playing a football coach in a movie, I wouldn’t have believed you.
Just being around the boys reminded me so much of me and my brothers and our friends making our first movie, “Bottle Rocket.” And most of these kids had not been on a set before. But, it’s not like they were without confidence. But they still did have a babe-inthe-woods look to them, but they were just so
Luke Wilson (center) and supporting actors who played Fort Worth’s Mighty Mites football team
Martin Sheen as Doc Hall
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
fun to be around.
And it made me remember how nice crew members were to us. It really brought back so many feelings. I’ve never been so sad to finish a movie as I was on this. Yeah, broke my heart to know that, gosh, this is a team that won’t come back together again. That’s why I’m so glad that we have the movie to show for it. It was an incredible experience and so much fun. My mom would come visit the set and take photographs. Yeah, it was just an incredible experience.
FW: Would you say playing a Texan is something that comes naturally to you? For instance, was it easy getting the accent down?
Wilson: Once I’d gotten hired on [to “12 Mighty Orphans”], I was working on something else. But, I had a lot of dialogue as Rusty and coaching scenes and teaching
scenes. So, I got started sooner than I normally would getting prepared. I was just doing the voice to myself early on — growing up, we imitated Texas guys, even though we have Texas accents ourselves. Eventually, I worked with Ty and listened to tapes of Rusty Russell.
It was fun showing up on a Tuesday morning at 7 a.m. to think, “Okay, I’ve got to get into character here” and remember that I’ve got this specific voice that I’m using. And then, once you start doing it, it becomes like the wardrobe.
I think Ty has a really good handle on that Texas vibe and idea. I think that there’s a perspective people have about Texas and the way it is, but there’s also a real sensitivity, I think, that comes through in the movie.
FW: Obviously, you had some Rusty tapes that you could reference to for developing his mannerisms and his personality. But
did you draw any inspiration from anyone else that you knew? How did you build this character and what their persona was going to be?
Wilson: I met some ranchers growing up. Some old legendary ranchers through my mom as a photographer. Definitely thought about those guys because, even in the ’80s, they seem like they were from, no kidding, the 1880s. And, then I had a great coach growing up who was my track coach and my football coach. So, I kept him in mind. Then it was also really helpful that Russ, Rusty’s grandson, was around a lot. It was so helpful to go to lunch with Russ in the middle of the day and talk to him about Rusty’s experiences in World War I. I’ve never gotten to play somebody like this where I could do research and meet people who knew the person. And it was also nice to have it be somebody that wasn’t a historical person that everybody knew. I could put my own stamp on it and not have to feel like, “Gosh, am I nailing this voice? Or am I nailing this look?” So it had, to me, the best of both worlds.
Roberts: Like Luke said, it wasn’t a historical figure. We have a Roosevelt figure in the movie, where everybody knows how he sounded and how he looked. But, Luke brought Rusty to life in a way that was very unique to his own doing. The real Rusty was real country. He really was an old-timer. But, Luke found that balance. And he listened to those tapes and internalized it and brought it out in a way that’s subtle. But, it’s there. And it works so well. Hats off to you, brother.
Wilson: Thank you.
FW: The film is rated PG-13, and it’s a little grittier and far from what I would call a campy sports film. You portray a pretty brutal assault on children, alcoholism, and you even showed a compound fracture. Why did you decide to give this film a much more realistic and grittier tone?
Roberts: One of our very early conversations was about the tone of the film. And there are parts of the book that are actually much grittier and have a lot more detail in them than we actually put into the movie. And it was a question of, “Is this a Disney movie, or
Luke Wilson as Rusty Russell
is this something that’s an indie, gritty sports film for an indie audience?” And we didn’t know the right answer, but we went with a bit grittier side to it, just to remain as authentic as we could.
I felt like it was part of its unique voice. I felt like Rusty’s PTSD and him going virtually blind in World War I was a real integral component of who he was. I thought it was a very unique complexity to a coach that we’ve never seen.
I think the reality of the times during the Great Depression and the harshness of orphanages was important. They weren’t flowery, always loving places. And to us, the transformation of the orphanage is what Rusty and Juanita did. They transformed it from an institution into an academic and sports machine for these kids and a place of love.
So, you have to show the good with the bad or the bad with the good, and there were inherently some very dark storylines.
FW: Luke, how often do you get to come back to Fort Worth? And, whenever you do, what are some of the places you like to go?
Wilson: I go back a lot. Whenever I go back, my mom always wants to head over to Fort Worth. We grew up going to the Amon Carter and going to the Kimbell and Joe T. Garcia’s and the rodeo. So it was always kind of an event when we go to Fort Worth, and my godfather, Mike Richie, he worked for the Star-Telegram. So, we’d go over there a lot to visit him.
FW: Okay. Well, I think that just about wraps it up for us unless you guys had anything you wanted to add?
Hill: I just wonder if this is going to be a Wilsonaissance. I didn’t know what that meant at first, but somebody that saw the movie and was just blown away by Luke’s performance. So, I’m really excited for audiences to see him in this role. I feel like he just totally transformed himself, and I haven’t seen him in anything like it. So, let’s start that now, the Wilsonaissance.
A Local Production
Producing partners Angelique and Mike De Luca talk filming in Fort Worth.
What do producers do? While everyday moviegoers may think they simply supply the money and get to pick up the golden statuette if the film wins best picture at the Academy Awards, their responsibilities are really ever expanding. Angelique De Luca, a Fort Worth native who co-produced “12 Mighty Orphans” with Houston Hill, Brinton Bryan, and ex-husband — but current producing partner — Mike De Luca, explains that a producer is really the stitching that holds everything together.
Angelique De Luca and Mike De Luca
Angelique also served as an extra on “Bottle Rocket,” Luke Wilson’s first film. With support from her mother, Angelique eventually moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. “It is a little odd,” Angelique says. “Because a lot of parents are like, ‘No way are you ever going to pursue an acting career.’ But she was totally behind me.”
Los Angeles is where Angelique would meet Mike De Luca, whose impressive resume as a producer includes “Moneyball,” “The Social Network,” and “Captain Phillips.”
The two would eventually move back to Angelique’s hometown to raise their children. “I think [Fort Worth’s] a great place to raise children,” Mike says. “So, I agreed to commute from Fort Worth to Los Angeles for my job.”
special and important for Angelique because it celebrated Fort Worth history.”
The film hits home with Angelique in more ways than one. In addition to the film’s obvious Fort Worth ties, Angelique also has ties to the Masonic Home. When Angelique was still nursing, her single mother had put Angelique’s sister in a Masonic home for a year.
“You wear the hats of everything,” Angelique explains. “In many cases, you’re finding the books, finding the scripts, finding the director, casting the actors, and doing the location scouting; you really have your hands in everything.”
While “12 Mighty Orphans” marks Angelique’s first foray into producing, she first ventured into the motion picture industry when she was 21 as an extra on “Walker, Texas Ranger” — the Chuck Norris vehicle that contained several filming locations in the metroplex. And, in a strange twist of serendipity,
The pair became involved with “12 Mighty Orphans” through screenwriter Lane Garrison, who brought the project to their attention. With a full slate of movies in production and little time on his hands, Mike asked Angelique to co-produce the movie with him.
“I just thought it was a wonderful opportunity to do something locally,” Mike says. “It was a great thing to do a film where I live my other half of my life — where the kids are growing up. And I think it was really
“My mom was just in a really hard place,” Angelique says. “And it broke her heart that she had to [leave my sister in the care of others for a year], but she was very grateful for the Masonic Home. Because they literally saved her. They helped take care of my sister but also gave my mom a broader opportunity to get back on her feet. So, the ties with our family and the story in itself is very sentimental.”
In the near future, the pair have no plans on separating as producing partners, and Angelique hopes to soon bring a couple of special projects to Fort Worth.
“I know the city is very ambitious and wants some bigger things to come in,” Angelique says. “I’m also an entrepreneur, and I have a couple of special things in the works. Believe it or not, the film industry is more of a hobby for me now.”
Best of Fort Worth
The people, places, and things you gotta know.*
*As chosen by readers and editors
We’re gonna be real with you. Year after year, nothing is more difficult for this magazine’s staff than producing our annual Best of Fort Worth issue. It’s not the design, the photography, or the writing that creates such stress; it’s the whittling down an unwieldy list of all the amazingness that exists in this city. For every restaurant, institution, business, or person that’s honored, there are three or four who were undoubtedly equally deserving. Despite the difficult task, we - along with the help of our readers - managed to pick the best things to do, food to eat, places to shop, and people to see. Without further ado, we present the best of our city.
BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN, BRIAN KENDALL, AND MALCOLM MAYHEW
PHOTOS BY OLAF GROWALD
Food and Drink
VEGGING OUT
Mariachi’s Dine-In
Reader Pick: Tex-Mex, Hole-in-the-Wall
Very few Mexican restaurants in Fort Worth have bothered to target a growing audience: vegetarians.
One of the few is Mariachi’s DineIn, which has found much success in offering vegetarian and vegan Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes, along with traditional nonvegetarian dishes.
People have gone nuts, in particular, for the restaurant’s burritos and bowls, stuffed with your choice of proteins and veggies. Their birria tacos are hard to beat, too, especially the veggie versions, which are made, ingeniously, with jackfruit.
Up until May, the restaurant operated out of a gas station, east of downtown, in a run-down building that defines hole-in-the-wall with its faded signage and sketchy characters lurking about.
It’s this combo of excellent food and scruffy charm that landed Mariachi’s reader’s choice trophy for best hole-inthe-wall.
In May, the restaurant got a major upgrade: a new location on the west side of Fort Worth in the Locke Avenue spot where Mariposa’s Latin Kitchen
ruled for many years (and where FiVi’s Kitchen opened and abruptly closed last year).
While the new location doesn’t have the hole-in-the-wall feel, its menu features most of the dishes from the gas station location, says owner Ashley Miller. There are a few new items, too, including some salads and queso fundido. (Founding chef Angel Fuentes isn’t a part of the new restaurant; he’s staying in Mariachi’s old digs to launch a taqueria called Guapo Taco).
Plus, there will be a bar, something the gas station location lacked. It opened mid-May.
APPETIZERS
READER PICK
Wishbone & Flynt
wishboneandflynt.com
EDITOR PICK Tokyo Cafe tokyocafefw.com
ASIAN FOOD
READER PICK
Banh Mi Viet banhmiviet.co
EDITOR PICK
Hao & Dixya
ATMOSPHERE
READER PICK
The Amber Room wishboneandflynt.com/theamber-room
EDITOR PICK
Wicked Butcher wickedbutcher.com
If greasy burgers aren’t your thing - no doubt a curse with as much great home cooking as Fort Worth has to offer - we recommend steering clear of M&O Station Grill, where the grease is served with a side of beef patty. And don’t sleep on their chickenfried steak, lowkey one of the best meals in town.
BAKERY
READER PICK
Great Harvest Bread Company
funkytownbread.com
EDITOR PICK
CRUDE Craft Coffee Bar crudecoffeebar.com
BBQ
READER PICK
Dayne's Craft BBQ daynescraftbarbecue.com
EDITOR PICK
Smoke-A-Holics smoke-a-holicsbbq.com
BEST DIP FOR YOUR CHIPS
READER PICK
Blended Family Foods
blendedfamilyfoods.org
EDITOR PICK
Austin City Taco austincitytaco.com
BREAKFAST/BRUNCH
READER PICK
Our Place
ourplacerestaurants.com
EDITOR PICK
Paris Coffee Shop pariscoffeeshop.net
BURGER
READER PICK
M&O Station Grill
bestburgersfortworth.com
EDITOR PICK
Ben's Triple B bens3b.com
BYOB
READER PICK
Nonna Tata nonnatata.com
EDITOR PICK
Shinjuku Station shinjuku-station.com
CATERING
READER PICK
Blessed Meals To Go blessedmealstogo.com
EDITOR PICK
ByWasonga bywasonga.com
COFFEE/TEA
READER PICK
Black Coffee
blackcoffeefw.com
EDITOR PICK
Buon Giorno Coffee bgcoffee.net
COMFORT FOOD
READER PICK
Camp Fire Grill Texas Kitchen campfiregrilltx.com
EDITOR PICK
West Side Cafe fortworthwestsidecafe.com
CRAFT BEER
READER PICK
Maple Branch Craft Brewery maplebranchbrew.com
EDITOR PICK
HopFusion Ale Works hopfusionaleworks.com
CRAFT COCKTAILS
READER PICK
Proper propermagnolia.com
EDITOR PICK
The Usual theusual.bar
DESSERT
READER PICK
Sugar Brown's Sweet Treats
sugarbrownst.com
EDITOR PICK Islas Tropicales
BEST DESSERT Islas Tropicales
M&O Station Grill
DOUGHNUT/KOLACHE
READER PICK
Dough Boy Donuts
EDITOR PICK
A & H Donuts anhdonuts.com
FOOD TRUCK
READER PICK
Shaneboy's Craft
Hawaiian Grindz shaneboys808grill.com
EDITOR PICK
Calisience
FRENCH FRIES
READER PICK
Carpenter's Cafe & Catering
carpscafe.net
EDITOR PICK
Lili's Bistro lilisbistro.com
FRIED WHATEVER
READER PICK
The Dusty Biscuit thedustybiscuit.com
EDITOR PICK
Zeke's Fish and Chips
This new joint on the west side of Magnolia Avenue, a new arm of the ever-expanding Paco’s next door, serves up fruits with Tajin, smoothies, mangonadas, paletas, and other authentic Mexican sweet treats. The presentation alone will blow your mind and, once you take a bite out of tajinlaced fruits, you’ll wonder how you ever survived without such a perfect combination of sweet, spicy, and savory.
FROZEN TREAT
READER PICK
Morgan's Ice Cream Co. morgansicecreamco.com
EDITOR PICK
Melt Ice Creams melticecreams.com
GRAB-N-GO
READER PICK
Meyer & Sage meyerandsage.com
EDITOR PICK
Neighbor's House Grocery neighborshousegrocery.com
HEALTHY BITE
READER PICK
Sinless Foods LLC sinless-donuts.business.site
EDITOR PICK
Boulevard of Greens boulevardofgreens.com
HOLE-IN-THE-WALL
READER PICK
Mariachi's Dine-In mariachisdinein.com
EDITOR PICK
El Meson Chapin elmesonchapin.com
ITALIAN
READER PICK
Italianni’s italiannishurst.com
EDITOR PICK
Gemelle gemelleftw.com
LATE NIGHT EATS
READER PICK
Berry St. Ice House berrystreeticehouse.com
EDITOR PICK
Nickel City nickelcitybar.com
FISH FRY
Zeke’s Fish and Chips
Editor Pick: Best Fried Whatever
For more than five decades, the fried cod at Zeke’s Fish & Chips has been quintessential Fort Worth eating, right up there with the fajitas at Joe T’s, a burger at Kincaid’s, and a sliced sandwich at Angelo’s.
Original owners Otto and Harriette Zurcher opened Zeke’s more than a half-century ago, in 1969, although it wasn’t technically a restaurant. At that point, Zeke’s just had a walk-up window. In 1971, after the Zurchers decided to retire, young math major Craig Lidell acquired the restaurant, expanding it with a dining room, a drive-thru window, and patio.
“The dining room used to be a head shop,” says Craig’s brother and longtime owner Mark Lidell, who worked at Zeke’s throughout the ’70s before he and his wife, Diane, took it over. “And we used to throw sawdust on the floor to cover it up; it was in such bad shape. We couldn’t afford to put in a new floor.”
For years, it was a sibling of The HOP, a long-gone bohemian restaurant/live music venue also run by Craig. As a tribute, Zeke’s still serves The HOP’s craveworthy spaghetti sauce. But most come for the fried
cod — planks of soft, white fish cloaked in a dark, crispy, lightto-the-touch batter. Developed by the Zurchers, the batter recipe is a closely guarded secret.
Zeke's does wonders with vegetables, too, expertly frying mushrooms, eggplant, okra, zucchini, and corn nuggets. Served in long wedges, the eggplant is especially good; the okra, a must.
After more than five decades as the owners, the Lidells recently handed the keys to a new owner, Danny R. Ghimire, a local entrepreneur and former owner and investor in Jimmy’s Big Burgers.
“My intent is to keep Mark’s legacy alive,” Ghimire says.
“Everything will remain the same — the recipes, the signs. Everything is perfect the way it is.”
Ghimire also says he’s hoping to open additional Zeke’s locations.
EARLY RISERS
5AM Drip
Reader Pick: Best Vegan/Vegetarian
5AM Drip is, at its heart, a coffee shop. Housed in an 8-by-20 shipping container — one of several that make up the colorful Connex office park on Evans Avenue in East Fort Worth — 5AM Drip has been slinging lattes and cappuccinos out of its offbeat space since opening just before the COVID-19 lockdowns in March 2020. And even then, the shop continued serving, giving back in the form of a pay-it-forward program that offered free drinks to frontline workers.
While 5AM Drip could easily get marks for coffee — seriously, the lemonade-espresso concoction known as the Raspberry El Patron is a story in and of itself — 5AM Drip got Best Of voters’ attention for its all-vegan food menu. The shop’s owners, couple Ashley Davis and Miguel Hernandez, went vegan about five years ago for health reasons and have worked to perfect their recipes ever since. Highlights of the menu include the Off the Block, a barbecue sandwich made from shredded jackfruit. There’s also El Cristo Rey — a powdered sugar-dusted, grilled Monte Cristo sandwich filled with tofu ham and melted vegan mozzarella cheese.
Bet you can’t even tell the difference.
“There are a lot of people that’ll come, and they’ve been eating it for a while, and they’ll come back and say, ‘Wait a minute. I’ve been eating this for months and didn’t know it was vegan!” Davis says.
Davis and Hernandez initially launched 5AM Drip as a pop-up in 2015, selling coffee at farmers markets before going mobile via food truck in 2019. When Carlo Capua, co-founder of food business incubator Locavore, reached out about an opportunity to set up shop at Connex, Davis and Hernandez jumped at it; and thanks to their experience working in the small kitchen of a food truck, the shipping container wasn’t too difficult a transition.
“After hours, we just shut down and do all of our prepping,” Davis says. The couple makes most of the “meat” themselves, smoking and seasoning jackfruit barbacoa, chorizo, and plantain burgers. They also make breakfast tacos, toasts, and baked goods that have become hits in the neighborhood.
“[We were] slowly just cutting things away and then it turned into this,” Davis says. “And then it turned into a love of making vegan food and wanting other people to know that you can have vegan food, and it tastes good.”
MARGARITA
READER PICK
Maestro Tacos maestrotacos.com
EDITOR PICK
Taco Heads tacoheads.com
MEDITERRANEAN FOOD
READER PICK
Qana Cafe
EDITOR PICK
Istanbul Grill istanbulgrillbar.com
NEW COFFEE SHOP
READER PICK
Lazy Daisy Coffee Bar lazydaisycoffee.com
EDITOR PICK
Race Street Coffee racestreetcoffee.com
NEW RESTAURANT
READER PICK
Carpenter's Cafe & Catering carpscafe.net
EDITOR PICK
Provender Hall provenderhall.com
PATIO DINING
READER PICK
Joe T. Garcia's joetgarcias.com
EDITOR PICK
Tinie's Mexican Cuisine tiniesfw.com
PIZZA
READER PICK
Gepetto's Pizza Truck gepettopizzatruck.com
EDITOR PICK
817 Pizza 817pizza.com
Anything but lazy, the staff at this new Camp Bowie hangout not only knows how to grind behind the bar but also takes the time to get to know its regulars. In tune with customer feedback, the shop recently added a selection of gluten-free food offerings to go along with classic espresso drinks and inventive specialty beverages like the color-changing Holly Blue.
POP-UP
READER PICK
Sekushi Sando sekushisando.com
EDITOR PICK
Magdalena's magdalenastx.com
SANDWICH SHOP
READER PICK
Weinberger's Deli weinbergersdeli.com
EDITOR PICK
Bodega South Main bodegasouthmain.com
SEAFOOD
READER PICK
Eddie V's eddiev.com
EDITOR PICK
Tributary Cafe tributarycafe.com
SERVICE
READER PICK
Wishbone & Flynt wishboneandflynt.com
EDITOR PICK
Bonnell's Fine Texas Cuisine bonnellstexas.com
SUSHI
READER PICK
Shinjuku Station shinjuku-station.com
EDITOR PICK
Little Lilly Sushi littlelillysushi.com
TACOS
READER PICK
Maestro Tacos maestrotacos.com
EDITOR PICK
Belenty's Love Mexican Vegan Restaurant belentyslove.com
TAPAS/SHAREABLE PLATES
READER PICK
STEAKHOUSE
READER PICK
B&B Butchers & Restaurant bbbutchers.com
EDITOR PICK GRACE gracefortworth.com
Tinie's Mexican Cuisine tiniesfw.com
EDITOR PICK Atico aticoftworth.com
TEX-MEX
READER PICK
Mariachi's Dine-In mariachisdinein.com
EDITOR PICK
Enchiladas Ole enchiladasole.com
VEGAN/VEGETARIAN
READER PICK
5AM Drip 5amdrip.com
EDITOR PICK
Belenty's Love Mexican Vegan Restaurant
VIETNAMESE/PHO
READER PICK
Banh Mi Viet banhmiviet.co
EDITOR PICK
My Lan
mylanrestaurant.com
WINE LIST
READER PICK
The Magnolia Wine Bar themagnoliawinebar.com
EDITOR PICK
Paris 7th paris7th.com
BEST NEW COFFEE SHOP Lazy Daisy Coffee Bar
TRAINERS – Top: Hollie Etheredge, Josh Johnson Middle: Lance Buky, Heath Rehmeyer, Clint Grimes, Beverly Brown, Meredith Robles, Sue Simon, Joe Gloria Bottom: Brittney Bassinger, Stacy Buky, Misty Harris
Nightlife and Entertainment
3-IN-1
Bowlounge
Reader Pick: Best Bar with Games
General manager Sam Ratliff likes to think of Bowlounge as a “sports bar and restaurant with a bowling alley more so than a bowling alley with a bar,” and perhaps rightfully so. Located in the 95-year-old Proof building on West Vickery Boulevard, the former home of the Firestone & Robertson distillery, Bowlounge’s newly renovated space places its bar and restaurant at the forefront — the first thing guests see the moment they step inside.
Name almost any Fort Worth beer brand you know — Rahr & Sons, HopFusion, Wild Acre, etc. — and Bowlounge will likely have it on tap. There’s a cocktail menu listing offerings like a blackberry paloma and peach bellini martini; and for food, diners can order everything from classic pepperoni to a spinach ricotta pizza or burger smeared with bacon jam.
“[We’re] not trying to oversell the bowling concept,” Ratliff says. “We’ve really tried to bring that back while providing other games, good food, scratch kitchen — we don’t own a microwave — and obviously craft cocktails. We’re huge on supporting local craft distilleries and breweries as well.”
But of course, the obvious draw for Bowlounge is, well, the bowling. The venue features 16 retro-style lanes lined up in a classy space with TVs playing ’80s music videos on repeat. And, as a homage to the building’s former tenant, TX Whiskey barrels hover over each
lane, doubling as a decorative light.
It’s not a kid-friendly venue by any means. “Kids are treated equally — they’re the same price as adults,” Ratliff says, and that’s part of Bowlounge’s appeal. He says Bowlounge has been zeroing in corporate clients who could rent out the space for private events. The restaurant also launched weekend brunch in May, serving up goodies like French toast, breakfast pizza, and chicken and waffles.
Ratliff says business has been steady considering the circumstances. Bowlounge opened in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic last November, survived the February snowstorm, and continues kicking, with hopes to expand as opportunity allows.
And while the concept did get its start in Dallas’ Design District, Ratliff says there’s a certain spark in Fort Worth that makes Bowlounge right at home.
“I really could not ask for a better place to go in,” he says. “[The Near Southside] is like a city unto itself. Everyone takes care of each other.”
BAR WITH GAMES
READER PICK
Bowlounge
bowlounge.com
EDITOR PICK
Game Theory gametheorytx.com
BAR/PUB
READER PICK
Grandma's
EDITOR PICK
Tarantula Tiki Lounge
DANCE FLOOR
READER PICK
Ampersand ampersandfw.com
EDITOR PICK
Club Reflection
FESTIVAL
READER PICK
River & Blues
Festival
riverandbluesfest.com
EDITOR PICK
Lone Star Film Festival lonestarfilmfestival.com
GIRLS NIGHT OUT
READER PICK
Smash N Bash
smashnbash.com
EDITOR PICK
Fort Worth Axe Factory fortworthaxefactory.com
HAPPY HOUR
READER PICK
Berry St. Ice House
berrystreeticehouse.com
EDITOR PICK
Tulips tulipsftw.com
HORSEBACK RIDING
READER PICK
Benbrook Stables benbrookstables.com
EDITOR PICK
Fort Worth Stockyards
Stables and Horseback
Riding fortworthstockyardsstables.com
KARAOKE
READER PICK
Legends Sports Bar
LIVE MUSIC
READER PICK
Panther Island Pavilion pantherislandpavilion.com
EDITOR PICK
The Post at River East thepostatrivereast.com
LOUNGE
READER PICK
Ampersand ampersandfw.com
EDITOR PICK
Scat Jazz Lounge scatjazzlounge.com
NIGHT BIKE RIDE
READER PICK
Cowtown Cycle Party cowtowncycleparty.com
EDITOR PICK
Night Riders
PLACE TO POP THE QUESTION
READER PICK
Sundance Square sundancesquare.com
EDITOR PICK
Airfield Falls trinitytrailsfw.com
PLACE TO WATCH A GAME
READER PICK
Berry St. Ice House berrystreeticehouse.com
EDITOR PICK
Buffalo Bros buffalobrostexas.com
TRIVIA NIGHT
READER PICK
Ice Cole's Craft Trivia
EDITOR PICK
Fort Brewery & Pizza fortbrewery.com
Shopping and Service
GROWTH SPURT
Peacock Farm & Flower
Editor Pick: Best Florist
Peacock Farm & Flower is a business that sprouted seemingly by accident.
Owner Mauri Williams had aspired to grow her own flower farm and read about it extensively, expecting it would take about three years for her farm to be established. Lo and behold, her first spring attempting to grow flowers happened to be successful. The problem? She had no cooler to put them in, so she had no choice but to sell flowers off her front porch as quickly as she could before they wilted.
Seeing that her clientele was beginning to grow — and no longer able to have everyone line up in front of her home in the Cultural District — Williams opted to find another space to set up her business. It was then that Andrew Rotzoll, former owner of Tucker’s Flower Stop, approached her with an opportunity to buy his business and the signature vintage blue pickup truck that came along with it. Williams said yes, changed the business’ name, and now, Peacock Farm & Flower continues to attract droves of customers at The Clearfork Farmers Market and other events, lining up to snag foxgloves, marigolds, zinnias, and other varieties that make for Instagramfriendly arrangements.
Williams’ farm happens to be her front lawn, and business has grown so much that she now utilizes her neighbors’ lawns and hell strips to grow flowers as well. So far, at least to her knowledge, no one’s complaining about it.
“I didn’t have to convince them that hard,” she says. “They looked at my yard, and they go, ‘So you want to do that over here?’ And I said, ‘Yeah,’ and they were like, ‘Great, when do you start?’ … My expectation is that when I go out of town, they would water it. That’s all.”
But the joy in running her business, Williams says, is seeing the way customers incorporate her flowers into the most significant moments of their lives. One of her favorite memories was the day a gentleman came and purchased flowers from her truck while it was parked at Avoca near the Medical District.
“A guy walks up, and he’s holding a box of pizza. He’s so excited to see the truck and says, ‘Oh my gosh, this is perfect. My wife is in the hospital right over there, and she just gave birth, so I’m bringing her a box of pizza. But she’s going to be so excited; she has no clue that I was going to run into a flower truck.’ So, we take every flower left in the truck, bundle it up in paper, grotesquely undercharge him, and send him on his way, because that’s literally the coolest thing ever … About six weeks later, I’m at the farmers market working, and this cute little family comes up, and they introduce me to their baby — and that was him.”
BEST CIGAR SHOP
Pop’s Safari Room
Like any great cigar shop/ tobacco store/lounge, the West Seventh spot has an exclusive feel while remaining pleasant and unintimidating to any newcomers. The sweet smell of tobacco isn’t too overpowering, their couches are comfy, their selection of cigars are always on-point, and their wine list isn’t too shabby, either. Bottom line: amid the hustle and bustle of West Seventh might be the chillest spot in Fort Worth.
Collections Fine Jewelry collectionsfinejewelry.com
EDITOR PICK
Reads Jewelers readsjewelers.com
Filling an obvious void that was present in the Near Southside, this classic bodega, which opened in December of last year, offers all your essential grocery items and manages to serve some of the city’s best sandwiches in the back. No shopping carts, no stressful self-checkout lines, this conveniently located grocer is nostalgic in all the right ways.
FLORIST
READER PICK
The Flower Market on 7th
theflowermarketon7th.com
EDITOR PICK
Peacock Farm & Flower peacockfarmandflower.com
GIFT SHOP
READER PICK
Love Local Coffee & Art
lovelocalcoffee.com
EDITOR PICK
Morgan Mercantile morganmercantile.com
GROCERY STORE
READER PICK
The Table thetablemarket.com
EDITOR PICK
Bodega South Main bodegasouthmain.com
INSURANCE AGENT OR FIRM
READER PICK
The Elder Agency theelderagency.com
EDITOR PICK
Higginbotham higginbotham.net
LIQUOR STORE/BEER AND WINE SHOP
READER PICK
Put a Cork In It putacorkinitwine.com
EDITOR PICK
Southside Cellar southsidebeercellar.com
MEN'S BOUTIQUE
READER PICK
817 Vintage Hype
817vintagehype.com
EDITOR PICK
Franklin & Anthony franklinandanthony.com
OUTDOOR STORE (FURNITURE, DECOR, ETC.)
READER PICK
The Collective Outdoors thecollectiveoutdoors.com
EDITOR PICK
Yard Art Patio & Fireplace myyardart.com
RECORD STORE
READER PICK
Panther City Vinyl panthercityvinyl.com
EDITOR PICK
Born Late Records and Tattoos
SUNLESS TANNING
READER PICK
Cowtown Tanning cowtowntanning.com
EDITOR PICK Tan 2 Glow tan2glow.com
TOY STORE
READER PICK
The Happy Lark thehappylark.com
EDITOR PICK
Fanboys Marketplace fanboysmarketplace.com
VETERINARY CLINIC
READER PICK
Arlington Heights Animal Hospital cowtownvet.com
EDITOR PICK
Ridglea West Animal Hospital ridgleaveterinary.com
WOMEN'S BOUTIQUE
READER PICK The Worthy Co worthy-co.com
EDITOR PICK Etico symbologyclothing.com
Wellness
CLOSE COMBAT
Zombie Krew Jiu Jitsu
Reader Pick: Fitness Program
Mitsuyo Maeda brought jiujitsu to Brazil in 1914 and shared his knowledge with the country’s martial artists, including the prominent political family, the Gracies. While the standard art of jiujitsu calls for throws and stand-up grappling, the version popularized by the Gracies — and can now be seen most weeks if you tune-in to UFC or mixed martial arts — emphasizes ground fighting and holds. In contrast to the typical karate you see in Bruce Lee flicks, there’s no knifehand striking wooden boards or delivering roundhouse kicks to the face. Instead, opponents contort their bodies and their limbs to achieve holds that result in submissions.
This is the version taught at Zombie Krew Jiu Jitsu, a facility that offers selfdefense training in North Fort Worth.
The space is unassuming, tucked away in a stone and stucco clad strip mall. But, inside, patrons are learning ancient self-defense strategies that promote health and safety and build confidence.
“Our whole point is to teach kids and adults self-defense,” Jorge Perez, owner of Zombie Krew, says. “A lot of police officers and firefighters come to our gym to use it for their line of work. It basically teaches you how to subdue an opponent or a violent person without having to throw strikes or any kind of lethal blows. It teaches you how to use
leverage and technique over strength.”
Perez, a local Fort Worthian, first got turned on to Brazilian jiujitsu after attending a class with a friend who was a military vet.
“I went with him, got put to sleep by a little tiny woman — she was probably 125 pounds, and I was probably 270 — and after that I was hooked,” Perez says.
She literally made him pass out, and after he came to, he was fascinated as to how someone so small could have so much power; he’s now been practicing Brazilian jiujitsu for 15 years.
Perez eventually opened Zombie Krew four years ago and sees the positive effects it has on his clients every day.
“It’s amazing what [jiujitsu] does,” Perez says. “It builds confidence, the ability to lose weight, gain strength, mobility, and flexibility. Just to see someone come in the first day who’s shy and has little confidence and to later hear about them standing up for themselves — I think that’s pretty much why I do what I do.”
Meraki Beauty and Skin Bar
While Meraki Beauty and Skin Bar offers a variety of services from waxing to fat-destroying Cryoskin technology, the West Fort Worth spa gets high marks for its facials. Choose from a range of offerings specializing in anti-aging, acne, and teens, as well as more complex treatments like chemical peels and microdermabrasions.
MANICURE OR PEDICURE
READER PICK
Chandelier Nail and Brow Bar
EDITOR PICK
European Nail Spa europeannailspafortworth.com
MASSAGE
READER PICK
BEAUTY SALON
READER PICK
Novak Hair Studios novakhairstudios.com
EDITOR PICK
Shampoo Salon shampoosalon.com
BOOT CAMP
READER PICK
Crossfit Iron Horse crossfitironhorse.com
EDITOR PICK
Camp Gladiator campgladiator.com
DANCE STUDIO
READER PICK
Dance Concept
dance-concept.com
EDITOR PICK
Studio of MoveMINT
studioofmovemint.com
DAY SPA
READER PICK
Spavia
spaviahulencenter.com
EDITOR PICK
Woodhouse Day Spa woodhousespas.com
DENTAL CARE
READER PICK
Fort Worth Dental fortworthdental.com
EDITOR PICK
Rodeo Dental rodeodentaltexas.com
FACIAL
READER PICK
Meraki Beauty and Skin Bar
merakibeautyandskinbar.com
EDITOR PICK
Milk + Honey Spa
milkandhoneyspa.com
FITNESS PROGRAM
READER PICK
Zombie Krew Jiu Jitsu zombiekrewjiujitsu.com
EDITOR PICK
Total K.O. Boxing tkoboxingclub.org
HOLISTIC HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER
READER PICK
Fort Worth Float Company fortworthfloatcompany.com
The name is, indeed, literal; Veterans Moving America is a moving company that exclusively hires veterans of the U.S. armed forces (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, etc. They have yet to hire a veteran of Space Force but aren’t ruling it out in the near future). The company kicked off in 2013, the same year founder and CEO, Zach Freeman, graduated from TCU. Freeman is a self-described “odd man out” for not having served in the armed forces, but he witnessed firsthand some of the hardships veterans face when a recently divorced and unemployed Marine lived with him and his family for three years.
“You hear about PTSD, and you hear about alcoholism or substance abuse,” Freeman says. “And those are absolutely relevant, extremely serious, and important, but there were a lot of other challenges that I never knew about until watching [the Marine] struggle through them. One was really just finding a place where he felt like he fit in, where he wasn’t alone. His communication style was very blunt, very direct, and to the point, but he would find a job and be misunderstood.”
Upon graduating from TCU with a pair of business degrees, Freeman wanted to create a company that was about more than making money; he wanted to bring some added value to the world. Ultimately, he wanted a company that would provide veterans with an atmosphere and a culture that’s supportive and understanding of their needs.
One such veteran is Tony Hartman, who spent four years in the Air Force — he was an engineer who worked at an intercontinental ballistic missile site in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Like everyone who has spent time in the military, he underwent extensive training and became comfortable with a work environment that valued discipline above all else. So, entering an atmosphere that brought a similar, military-like structure made the
transition from airman to civilian much easier.
“And we lean on each other emotionally,” Hartman adds. “Some people need more emotional support than others, and they’re able to get it from the people who work here.
“We all have different experiences, like me working on the ICBM; I didn’t experience combat. But some of the guys have had a deployment to the Middle East or Iraq, and that’s way more mentally traumatic.”
Freeman admits the job can be grueling, challenging, and frustrating — Dallas and Fort Worth have their fair share of transplants and stir-crazy movers, which keeps them busy.
“It’s a tough, tough job,” Freeman says. “But it’s worth it because they feel at home. It might sound cheesy or corny, but, to me, these guys are family.”
FENCING COMPANY
READER PICK
Gladiator Fence gladiatorfence.com
EDITOR PICK
Lambert’s Ornamental Iron
FLOORING
READER PICK
Vintage Floors
vintagefloorstx.com
EDITOR PICK
Bottega Design Gallery bottegadesigngallery.com
HOMEBUILDING/ REMODELING COMPANY
READER PICK
B Smart Builders bsmartbuilders.com
EDITOR PICK
Atwood Custom Homes atwoodcustomhome.com
HOME DECOR STORE
READER PICK
Park + Eighth parkandeighth.com
EDITOR PICK
Wright at Home wrightathomefw.com
HOME REPAIR
SERVICE
READER PICK
Mr. Appliance of Sundance Square mrappliance.com/sundancesquare
EDITOR PICK
Trinity Home Improvements
INTERIOR DESIGN FIRM
READER PICK
Chelsea Morgan Designs chelseamorgandesigns.com
EDITOR PICK
Susan Semmelmann Interiors
semmelmanninteriors.com
LANDSCAPE DESIGN/ YARD CARE
READER PICK
Mean Green Lawn & Landscape meangreenlawncare.com
EDITOR PICK
Guardado Landscaping guardadolandscaping.com
MOVING SERVICE
READER PICK
Veterans Moving America veteransmovingamerica.com
EDITOR PICK
Firefighting's Finest Moving and Storage firefightermovers.com
PAINTING COMPANY
READER PICK
J & V Painting jandvpainting.com
EDITOR PICK
Southern Painting southernpainting.com/fort-worth
PLANT
SHOP
READER PICK
Fossil Creek fossilcreektreefarm.com
EDITOR PICK
Grow Plant Shop growplantshop.com
POOL BUILDER
READER PICK
Pulliam Pools pulliam.com
EDITOR PICK
Puryear Custom Pools puryearpools.com
REAL ESTATE FIRM
READER PICK
RJ Williams & Company rjwilliamsco.com
EDITOR PICK
CHRISTIE'S International Real Estate | ULTERRE ulterre.com
RODENT CONTROL
READER PICK
Alamo Termite & Pest Control alamopest.com
EDITOR PICK
Ideal Partners idealpartners.com
ROOFING COMPANY
READER PICK
PROCO Roofing and Construction procoroof.com
EDITOR PICK
Ramon Roofing ramonroofing.com
Grow began building its following when it first sprouted along Magnolia Avenue, garnering attention for its shiny chrome Airstream lined wall-towall with everything from shrubs to succulents. Thanks to loyal customers who helped cultivate its growth, the shop was able to move to a permanent brick-and-mortar at Camp Bowie Boulevard, open since February.
The COVID pandemic hit us like a whirlwind last year and put a halt to life as we knew it. The economy took a dip, social lives were diminished, we developed habits that put our health on the backburner.
Many of us had new health goals in line for 2020, but they were all put to a standstill with gyms closing, grocery shortages, and increased stress levels. The coronavirus pandemic not only put us in a state of extreme caution, but also caused some of us to gain weight and reduce exercise, which can lead to an inefficient immune system.
Fortunately, over the past few months, we have evolved into an improved “new normal”. It’s time to ditch the bad habits and reclaim your health. Proper nutrition and exercise habits not only make us healthier on the inside, look better on the outside, but they
also help build a strong immune system. How can SciFit Center help?
Specializing in weight loss, aesthetic transformations, and overall health and wellness, SciFit professionals create nutrition and fitness programs that are tailored to every individual. Everyone is given a completely original and personalized program that is formulated specifically for their schedule, lifestyle, preferences, and goals. They create programs that are not only efficient and effective, but that are sustainable so that you never have to look back at the “old you!”
SciFit’s Modernized Weight
Loss – Body Scanning and Advanced Lab Testing
SciFit Center takes a new age approach towards weight loss, fitness and wellness by integrating Body Composition Scanning,
Food Sensitivity, Metabolism and DNA testing.
The utilization of the Fit3D Body Scanner provides you with the most accurate body composition data such as body fat percentage, muscle mass, and anatomical measurements. Within minutes of your first scan, SciFit professionals will guide you through your results and identify potential predisposed medical risks and highlight areas for improvement.
Unlock the power of genetically specific programs through SciFit lab testing services. After a simple saliva swab or hair follicle extraction, discover how your body metabolizes certain foods and what type of nutrition plan works best for you. In addition, reveal what types of exercise methods are most beneficial and effective for your particular genetic makeup. Food sensitivity testing shows which types of foods trigger negative reactions such as gas/ bloating, headaches, fatigue, skin reactions, and difficulty sleeping.
What makes SciFit Different?
There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach, and SciFit helps you discover the unique methods that work best for your body type. Forget the guessing games, and cut right to the chase with what type of strategy is going to work best for you!
One of the main aspects of the SciFit philosophy is you shouldn’t have to miss out on life just because you are trying to make improvements in your health. Having a healthy balance between healthy choices and delicious ones is key to successful sustainability. This is the program where you can have your cake and eat it too… literally!
Dr. Bryce Calvillo, Health & Fitness Specialist
Angela Calvillo, BS, Nutritionist Reclaim
People and Culture
SKETCHING SUPERHEROES
Sam de la Rosa
Reader Pick: Best Artist
Sam de la Rosa likes to tell people he’s been drawing Marvel and DC superheroes since the early ’60s.
“But they didn’t pay me,” he says with a laugh.
Granted, de la Rosa was just a kid at the time. Growing up in San Antonio, he loved copying the art off his favorite comic books like Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four. When he got older, he began sending samples of his work to Marvel and DC Comics. To his surprise, he’d get feedback — just not a job.
That changed, de la Rosa says, when FedEx became a more reliable way for comic book companies to ship work between different hands anywhere in the U.S. In 1982, de la Rosa got his first comic job, drawing for DC’s “Action Comics” and a “Hercules” title for Marvel later that year.
The general process was methodical and collaborative — de la Rosa would receive pages worked on by the layout or pencil artist, finish the penciling if needed, draw the comic in ink, then send the pages back for the colorist to color in or writer to complete the dialogue.
His claim to fame was inking the “Venom: Lethal Protector” series published in 1993 — the storyline that eventually inspired the 2018 “Venom” movie starring Tom Hardy. What’s more, the film’s sequel, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” includes elements from
“Spider-Man: Maximum Carnage,” also inked by de la Rosa.
“You try to contribute to the story in portraying the scenes in a believable manner,” he says. “Even though they’re cartoons, even though they’re superheroes doing wacky stuff, you still try to make the scene believable and, at the same time, entertain.”
About three years ago, de la Rosa moved to Fort Worth because “my wife has a real job.” Nowadays, he’s not so much drawing for comic books as he is making appearances as a “professional guest,” signing autographs, and selling art at conventions and other events.
He says he likely won’t be back drawing for Marvel or DC, admitting that being a comic book artist isn’t exactly the most profitable career. Some days he’d work anywhere between 14 to 42 hours straight without much return, and royalties don’t amount to much either.
“My first royalty check for DC Comics was 20 cents — they actually cut a check for 20 cents. I still have it; I didn’t cash it,” he says. “My first work for Marvel got me over a $1,000 royalty; I cashed that.”
ART GALLERY
READER PICK
Artspace111 artspace111.com
EDITOR PICK
Cufflink Art cufflinkart.com
ARTIST
READER PICK
Sam de la Rosa samdelarosa.com
EDITOR PICK
Kristen Soble kristensoble.com
BARTENDER/ MIXOLOGIST
READER PICK
Alena Springer
EDITOR PICK
Tia Downey
BEST-DRESSED
READER PICK
Frank Moss
EDITOR PICK
Samantha Stewart
Bartender Tia Downey got a pretty sweet gig when she was tapped to become beverage director at Tulips, arguably the hottest new music venue that just opened in the Near Southside. She’s crafted a creative cocktail menu for the space - try her Sunny Day, Night People, a concoction combining Counter Culture Coffee with Benchmark Bourbon.
MUSICIAN/MUSIC GROUP
READER PICK
Simone Nicole simonenicole.com
EDITOR PICK
Simon Flory simonflory.com
PHOTOGRAPHER
READER PICK
CHEF
READER PICK
Stefon Rishel wishboneandflynt.com
EDITOR PICK
Jon Bonnell bonnellstexas.com
FESTIVAL
READER PICK
Witchy Bazaar witchybazaar.com
EDITOR PICK Fort at the 'Fork
LOCAL ATTRACTION
READER PICK
Fort Worth Stockyards fortworthstockyards.org
EDITOR PICK
Fort Worth Zoo fortworthzoo.org
LOCAL WRITER/AUTHOR
EDITOR PICK
Julia Heaberlin juliaheaberlin.com
Walt Burns waltburnsphotography. myportfolio.com
EDITOR PICK
Brooks Burris brooksburrisphotography.com
RADIO PERSONALITY/ PODCAST
READER PICK
The Funky Panther thefunkypanther.com
EDITOR PICK
Innovate Fort Worth unthsc.edu/innovate-fort-worth
SERVICE ORGANIZATION
READER PICK
DRC Solutions drc-solutions.org
EDITOR PICK
Tarrant Area Food Bank tafb.org
SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER
READER PICK
Laura Lape
EDITOR PICK
Scotty Scott cookdrankeat.com
UP-AND-COMER
EDITOR PICK
Dr. Brian J. Dixon drbriandixon.com
As if the Stockyards wasn’t already a big tourist destination as is, the local landmark got a major boost when Mule Alley opened along East Exchange Avenue, bringing in restaurants like Provender Hall and The Biscuit Bar, and retailers like Lucchese Bootmaker and King Ranch Saddle Shop. Of course, the pièce de résistance is Hotel Drover - the 200-room Marriott Autograph Collection hotel anchoring the whole development.
BEST BARTENDER/MIXOLOGIST
Tia Downey
why we are the talk of Fort
This river themed Southern Style restaurant is located in newly revitalized River East, just 3 minutes northeast of downtown. Tributary Café offers fresh seafood, hand cut steaks, and traditional southern fare in non-traditional fashion. Saturday and Sunday Brunch, indoor and outdoor seating, and a full bar can be enjoyed in this circa 1940’s bungalow. Catering and event space also available.
FOCUS Family Lawyers
They stand by you through the hard times. They guide and support you from the beginning to the end of the divorce process. They are some of Greater Fort Worth’s brightest, most sought-after family law and collaborative law professionals, and they have purchased space to show you how working with them in your time of need will benefit you.
The information in this section is provided by the advertisers and has not been independently verified by Fort Worth Magazine.
FOCUS FAMILY LAWYERS
CONCENTRATION: The firm is uniquely qualified to handle the most complicated matrimonial cases in trial or appellate courts throughout Texas. CERTIFICATION: Gary is board certified in Family Law through the State Bar of Texas. Chris is board certified in Civil Appellate Law through the State Bar of Texas. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: Gary has been the Chair of the Family Law Section of the State Bar, President of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers – both the Texas Chapter and national organization, and Director of the State Bar of Texas. He is also a diplomate in The American College of Family Trial Lawyers, which is by invitation only and limited to 100 Family Law attorneys nationwide. Chris is past President of the Tarrant County Bar Association, Appellate Section, and is a past Chair of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. Father and son are frequent authors and lecturers for the State Bar and other organizations. HONORS: Gary holds many prestigious awards and has been named a “Texas Super Lawyer,” a Thomson Reuters business, as published in Texas Monthly magazine since 2003. Chris has been named as “Texas Super Lawyer,” a Thomson Reuters business, in the Super Lawyer issue published in Texas Monthly since 2014. Gary and Chris have won the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Texas’ highest and most prestigious award, The Dan Price Award, in 2003 and 2013, respectively. EXPERIENCE: Gary has handled family law cases exclusively over 40 years. His experience allows him to handle all types of family law cases throughout Texas. Chris, a 20-plus-year attorney, clerked in El Paso Court of Appeals, appeared as an attorney in many of the appellate courts in Texas and is an accomplished family and appellate law attorney.
Law
5201 W. Freeway, Ste. 100 • Fort Worth, Texas 76107 817.735.4000 • Fax 817.735.1480 garynickelson.com
Office of Gary L. Nickelson
SPECIALTY: Family Law/Divorce, Criminal Defense, and Estate Planning in Tarrant, Dallas, and Denton counties. WHAT SETS US APART: We represent clients by listening to their goals and then creating custom plans to quickly and cost-effectively achieve their objectives. We are committed to developing all options and predicting the potential outcomes so that our empowered clients can make good decisions. Due to our extensive courtroom experience, clients know that we will work to receive all possible relief from the judge or jury if their case cannot be resolved amicably. FREE ADVICE: Find an attorney whom you feel comfortable speaking with and who listens to your goals. To assist, we provide free consultations so that prospective clients can find a good fit. PAST ACHIEVEMENTS: All of our attorneys have been recognized as Fort Worth Magazine’s Top Attorneys along with Texas Super Lawyer awards. Andrew J. Anderson – Board Certified in Family Law - Texas Board of Legal Specialization; Martindale-Hubble AV Rated - Highest Peer Review for both ethics and legal competence. Paul G. Daly – Board Certified in Family LawTexas Board of Legal Specialization. PICTURED: Andrew J. Anderson, Senior Managing Partner; Sarah Hayes, Paralegal; Paul G. Daly, Junior Partner; Mehwish S. Hussain, Paralegal; Hannah Rector, Associate Attorney; Carrie K. Tapia, Associate Attorney.
SPECIALTY: Family Law. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Sarah – B.A., Texas Tech; J.D., Texas Wesleyan; Board Certified in Child Welfare Law; Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Lori – B.S., TCU; J.D., Texas Wesleyan. AWARDS/HONORS: Sarah and Lori – Texas Rising Star, Super Lawyers (20192021); Top Women Attorneys in Texas Rising Stars, Texas Monthly (2020); Top Attorney in Family Law, Fort Worth Magazine (2017-2020). Seltzer & Dally, PLLC – TLTV Law Firm Partner Award for pro bono service to veterans (2019). Sarah – CASA of Tarrant County Attorney Ad Litem of the Year (2020). MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: Sarah – Committee Member, Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans. Lori – Board President, Fort Worth Pregnancy Center. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Changing the lives of both our clients and the children we represent. There is nothing better than hearing that you made someone’s life better. MISSION: To provide excellent and effective representation through communication, compassion, and commitment. WHAT SETS THEM APART: We genuinely care about our clients and provide exceptional, unparalleled representation. FREE ADVICE: Don’t take legal advice from your friends or family. Lean on them for support but get advice from an experienced attorney. PICTURED: Sarah C. Seltzer and Lori E. Dally.
Because COVID-19 caused a delay or cancellation of the charity events this season, as a service to all the charities in the Greater Tarrant area, we are listing the new dates or cancellations as they come in.
June 21
Our Special Heroes Golf Classic Down Syndrome Partnership of North Texas
July 17
Survivors in Style Cuisine for Healing
July 24
Hall of Fame Induction Banquet
National Cowboys of Color Museum and Hall of Fame
Aug. 6
Roundup for Riders Wings of Hope
Aug. 13
Clay Shoot & Luncheon
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Aug. 27
Women of Distinction Girl Scouts Texas Oklahoma Plains
Sep. 1 - Virtual Dancing with the Stars Ballet Frontier of Texas
Sep. 16
Champion Breakfast Girls Inc. of Tarrant County
Sep. 25
Clay Shoot
Pure Adventure (also called Father and Son Connection)
Sep. 29
High Tea Colleyville Woman’s Club
Oct. 7
Youth of the Year Gala Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County
Oct. 8
Day of the Girl Girls Inc. of Tarrant County
Oct. 9
A Night at the Stockyards Bobby Norris Roundup for Autism
Oct. 19
Public Figures, Private Artist s The Art Station
Oct. 22
Monster Mash The Women’s Center
Nov. 14
Cookin’ for Kids Kids Who Care
Dec. 3 - Hybrid Home for the Holidays Gala Presbyterian Night Shelter
There’s nothing more rewarding than giving back and making a difference in the lives of people in this great community. As the city’s magazine — which has the eyes and ears of some of Fort Worth’s most affluent and philanthropic citizens — we feel a responsibility to give back to the people of the city that is our namesake, which is why Philanthropy is one of our core values.
Every year, Fort Worth Magazine sponsors more than 100 charity events, which range from luncheons to black-tie galas. The following promotional section is devoted to these charities and their fundraisers. We invite you to consciously peruse and consider lending a helping hand by either making a donation or attending these events.
Presented byBell
RIVER RANCH FORT WORTH 6:00 P.M.
with an opportunityto give
Honoring
Gary & Lisa Nussbaum and Mitch & Molly Snyder
Captured on a 100-year-old Kodak Junior No. 2-C camera, this eerily extraterrestrial-esque image of the main control tower at Alliance Airport is the work of photographer Austin Green. “The looming feeling that the tower seems to project, combined with the off-color tones produced by the CineStill film, gives me a slightly eerie feeling, as if the tower itself knows and is watching,” he says. “I feel it is a very emotionally and psychologically compelling subject.”
So you’ve snapped a cool pic of the city. We want to see it. Tag your photos on Instagram with #fwtxmag. The winning image will get published on this page — so hit us with your best shot. main line 817.560.6111 | subscriptions 800.856.2032 | website fwtx.com
@agreensmudge
PHOTO BY AUSTIN GREEN
Experience the Gilchrist Automotive Difference.
We Drive the Difference:
¡ SouthWest Promise which includes:
- 2 years of oil changes, tire rotations, & multipoint inspections.
¡ SouthWest Valet Service which includes:
- Online or over the phone sales purchase and delivery
- Service pick-up and delivery
Mira Vista resident Bob Lansford wanted a Mercedes-Benz coupe for a long time. “When I made up my mind that I was ready, I called Stephen Gilchrist, and he helped me find the perfect car I wanted, a white 2016 Mercedes-Benz SL550 hardtop convertible,” the retired banker and community volunteer says. Lansford is quick to praise SouthWest Volkswagen’s Rachel Dover and Dustin Rogers, who made sure he was 100% satisfied and well taken care of at the dealership. “They were helpful … It was a good car-buying experience,” he says. “I know that when I am ready for another auto, I will again purchase it from Gilchrist Auto Group.”
“We will work hard to earn your business for life.”
Stephen Gilchrist, owner Gilchrist Automotive
Family Owned and operated since 1986. We tailor the purchase experience to fit your needs, not ours; because we don’t just want to sell you a vehicle, we want to build a relationship and become your trusted advisor for all purchases and service.
Stephen Gilchrist, Dealer Operator; Bob Lansford, customer; Dustin Rodgers, General Manager.
COOL
Classic
Classic Roof Systems owner Mike Briscoe has spent 24 years providing exceptional service to North Texas communities, completing more than 8,000 roofs for satisfied customers. It’s no surprise that he expects the same commitment to quality and value from his automobile. Mike and his wife, Susan, both UNT graduates, are partial to Land Rover for its impressive power, adventurous off-roading capability, and interior luxury. The Argyle residents currently own a 2021 Land Rover Defender and 2018 Land Rover Range Rover Velar from Park Place Land Rover DFW. “I was excited to build and purchase the new Land Rover Defender — it is so cool,” Mike says.
“Sue loves the interior quality and the safety of her Range Rover Velar. I personally love the overall ruggedness of my Land Rover Defender.”
For the Briscoes, Park Place Land Rover DFW isn’t merely a place to purchase a vehicle. They return to the dealership for its superior sales, service, and friendships formed with the sales team. “Gary Venner, the GM, is a personal friend, and Mark Kinard has assisted us with the past five purchases,” Mike says. “The customer service is truly the best from sales to the service end. Park Place is My Place because we feel welcome as if we were with family.”
