Fort Worth Magazine - June 2023 by fwtx

Lizzy Chesnut Bentley of City Boots

MEET THE RELENTLESS

Back row (left to right) – Stephanie Bunn | Jeff Smith | Keith Beasley (Beasley Team) | Sarah Gunnip | Wendy Dusek

Michelle Carrasco | Butch Lindsey (The Lang Realty Group) | Dana Meeks | Vicki Parks (The Lang Realty Group)

Cindy Plano | Tanya Lang (The Lang Realty Group) | Tim Goldsberry | Wendy Tockey | Fernando Ramsey

909 TOTAL SALES

$454 Million IN SALES VOLUME #1 OFFICE IN TEXAS OUR TOP 21 AGENTS AND TOP 5 TEAMS AWARDS IN THE CENTURY 21 SYSTEM® A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN DFW SINCE 1971

TOP 100 PLACES TO WORK IN DFW

US OFFICE CLOSED UNITS #5 US OFFICE SALES VOLUME

TOP 1.5% OF MORE THAN 200,000 BROKERAGES NATIONWIDE, REALTRENDS

MEET THE BRAINS OF THE OPERATIONS.

Gregory Smith, D.O.; Cyrus Wong, M.D.; Olaide Ajayi, M.D.; Christopher Shank, M.D.; Adrian Harvey, D.O.; Yinn Cher Ooi, M.D.; Tanya Dixon, D.O.; Anita Bhansali, M.D.

Get more from your team of expert spine and neurosurgeons.

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BEST HOTEL: Hotel Drover BEST STEAKHOUSE: 97 West Kitchen & Bar

BEST LOCAL ATTRACTION: Fort Worth Stockyards BEST PATIO WITH DRINKS: The Backyard at Hotel Drover

68 Where the Best Begins

Athletes, journalists, Mexican food, home and garden, oh, my. Fort Worth Magazine’s annual best-of issue features some newcomers, but they all have one thing in common: They’re the best.

110 Streetlight Samaritan

Two years ago, William Norman set up shop on a street corner in Azle doing his part to combat the plague of isolation and loneliness and those under siege from sin, grief, and panic. “Need to talk? I’ll listen. Confidential/No Judgment.”

BY DANIEL EARL NORMAN

131

Top Realtors

A listing of the top-producing real estate agents in Greater Fort Worth. Took some go-getting to appear here, a minimum of $8 million in sales.

the fort

: know

16 Buzz

A Fort Worth Police Department narcotics unit lends a hand — more than a hand — in resolving a kidnapping. Good police work, good fortune, a good ending.

26 Calendar

The Donger need food! Gen Xers and lovers of 1980s teen comedies, Will Rogers has a treat for you. John Cusack visits Fort Worth for a screening of “Sixteen Candles,” followed by a Q&A.

28 Fort Worthian

Through her late mother, Erica Lugwig received “confirmation that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing” as content and communications manager for Performing Arts Fort Worth.

32 History

Rock band the Rollin’ Stones of Weatherford was on the cusp of breaking into American pop culture. The death of founder David Lee Stone at age 19 dashed all those hopes and dreams. Six years later, in 1962, a loose-knit ensemble was taking shape as the Rolling Stones.

: live

38 Art

The clash and struggle of pugilists — all of the blood, sweat, and tears — is what inspires Morgan Underwood on canvas.

42 State Lines

Terlingua is a ghost town that has awakened once again with an eccentric breed of desert dwellers of artists, nomads, bikers, poets, and more.

48 4 Courses

One of the city’s most trustworthy caterers, Katrina Carpenter of Carpenter’s Café and Catering, drops four righteous recipes on us.

54 Restaurant News

“I’m always up to try something new,” says Kevin Martinez, one of the city’s most talented chefs, while sitting a few feet from proof of that — the newly opened Heirloom, a food truck parked at Archie’s Gardenland.

: snaps

170 Let’s partaay. The Colleyville Woman’s Club’s Lunch With the Girlz showcased professional models dressed in designer and ready-to-wear styles from DFW boutiques.

176 A Q&A

CLOSE

184 Photographer Randle Bond fires up his Nikon Z9 to capture the most iconic structure in Fort Worth, the Tarrant County Courthouse, the most beautiful edifice in the state not called the capitol building.

DREAM STREET

with realtor Randy White on Dream Street and the Fort Worth real estate market.

That’s What It’s All About

Afew months ago, around the time our magazine opened voting for Best of 2023, I grabbed lunch at a place that will remain unnamed for the sake of anonymity. Displayed on its counter were multiple plaques that read Best of Fort Worth (followed by a year that ranged from 2014 to 2020). I can’t help it; I get a little giddy when I see someone or someplace advertising an award our magazine has bestowed upon them, but I had never before commented on the observation. Feeling kinda chatty on this wintry afternoon, I pointed at the plaques and said, “Hey, that’s cool.” Yeah, quite the engaging conversationalist I can be. The person behind the register, whom I would quickly realize was the owner of the joint and none the wiser as to my position at the magazine, shrugged and said, “Yeah, I don’t know why we didn’t win last year.” I took the bait.

“Well, I actually work at Fort Worth Magazine.”

My impulsive statement was not an attempt to get into a verbal spat. If anything, my hope was for him to take pity on me and not speak further about his displeasure. Yeah, no pity shown.

If my fuzzy memory serves me correctly, he quizzed me as to how his establishment — a well-attended and wonderful restaurant, a Fort Worth staple, a damn bedrock of Cowtown culture — could be left off our list of the best things in Fort Worth. He surmised that we try to change the list every

Brian Kendall EXECUTIVE EDITOR

year. That we have recency bias. That we, for lack of a better term, don’t truly honor the best.

I was simultaneously surprised, humbled, and heartened by the fact he took such interest in our annual awards. But when trying to think of a response, it was simple: “Trying to pick the best of anything in Fort Worth is an exercise in futility.”

I doubt I used those exact words. It probably sounded more like, “Well, I mean, you know, it’s just, like, hard … you know?”

Bottom line: My only defense is that it’s an impossible task that’s bound to exclude a great deal of worthy businesses. The unfortunate fact is that we could never have enough pages to be that comprehensive.

With that said, I want to celebrate those businesses which we have honored in this issue. Every one of you are stellar representatives of this amazing city, and I hope our readers give each of you a try. And, if they do, they’ll leave having found another reason to love Fort Worth. After all, that’s what it’s all about.

ON THE COVER:

Lizzy Chesnut Bentley, the owner of this year’s best Western apparel company (see her write-up on page 82), City Boots, dons our cover clad in a pearl snap from M.L. Leddy’s and a classic cowboy hat from American Hat Company. Crystal Wise, the magazine’s director of photography, shot the image in the Stockyards, home of countless Best Of winners. Special Pet Issue:

Corrections? Comments? Concerns? Send to executive editor Brian Kendall at bkendall@fwtexas.com.

Fort Worth’s Cutest Pets

The Ultimate Guide for Pet Owners

Saving Hope

Let’s Chat

A few words from our readers

owner/publisher hal a. brown

vice president of operations mike waldum

EDITORIAL

executive editor brian kendall

contributing editor john henry

digital editor stephen montoya

contributing writers malcolm mayhew, daniel norman, mike price, jocelyn tatum, shilo urban copy editor sharon casseday

Speechless! Thank you for amplifying my voice.

ART

creative director craig sylva

senior art director spray gleaves

@abrahamalexander

@abrahamalexander is a fabulous & talented human. Sooo happy for his success & this cover!

advertising art director ed woolf

director of photography 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

@artsyscoop

client services manager julia martin x116

executive administrator/project coordinator kaitlyn lisenby

MARKETING

director of digital robby kyser

marketing director sarah benkendorfer

content marketing specialist grace behr director of dream street mike waldum

CORPORATE

chief financial officer charles newton

founding publisher mark hulme

This would be such a blessing. It’s a black eye in a beautiful west side of Fort Worth.

@lisatexas

Exciting! That area has so much promise. Seeing the redevelopment of East Nashville makes the potential of that area pretty apparent.

@pearlsnapped

main line 817.560.6111

subscriptions 817.766.5550, fwmagsubscriptions@omeda.com

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

susanna@williamstrew.com SusannaBartolomei.WilliamsTrew.com 817.862.4428 office | 817.602.5465 mobile

‘Good Police Work,’ Good Fortune, Good Ending

A Fort Worth narcotics unit lends a pivotal hand in search for missing baby.

BY JOHN HENRY

Nothing tells the story of the unpredictability faced by the agents of law enforcement quite like an incident on a Monday evening in May. However, it was good police work and good fortune colliding that created a good outcome for a 7-month-old baby and his parents in the early evening hours.

Officer Steve Smith and his teammates in a narcotics unit — James Fields, William Snow, Dwayne Lee, Daniel Villeneuve, and Corrie Barron, led by Sgt. Juan Frias — were doing what they typically do, surveilling, in this case an apartment complex near Interstate 35W, just north of the central city. The team, all in unmarked cars, was taking a look at a man it believes is poisoning neighborhoods as an underworld dealer in illicit drugs.

The days can be long, oftentimes as many as 15 hours or more a day, depending on what they might be working on.

Well, while out scouting on this case, Smith noticed on his laptop a dispatched call on what was initially termed a “kidnapping.”

A lady had stopped by a friend’s house to retrieve an item she had mistakenly left behind. She apparently left the car

running with her 7-month-old in the back seat. Witnesses say that a passerby, a gentleman, got off the bicycle he was riding, jumped in, and absconded with her BMW.

“It was a combination of a lot of great police work by a lot of people,” says Smith, a Fort Worth native and graduate of Western Hills High School. “It’s possible that those patrol vehicles flooding the neighborhood pushed him right to me. I just happened to come across the car. It was good police work by everybody out there.

“When you start looking at how everything lined up to be able to find the car, to be able to have the right people talking to him. The fact he didn’t ask for an attorney. I mean, all those things factored into finding the kid, and so all those lining up, it feels like God was looking down and said, ‘Hey, put the right people in the right places to get it done’ because a modification of any one of those things could have been detrimental.”

It all started with the narcotics unit simply wanting to “go up there and help the guys out,” thinking its covert manner of operating could be of assistance.

When they arrived at the scene, there were upwards of 30 or more patrol units looking for the car. They were exploring options, such as pinging the victim’s phone and using all the possible technology available to locate cars. As an example, devices inside newer model cars that alert lien holders to the location of a car if the loan holder isn’t making payments.

The mother, as one would expect, was overwrought with emotion.

Was there an underlying circumstance, such as a child custody dispute, at play, or was this something more sinister that was not going to end well?

“We have a lot of experience on the team. So, everybody started to kind of do their own thing, and each of us started thinking, ‘What would you do if you’re the bad guy?’”

Smith’s first thought was to go to the victim’s home, particularly if it were in fact a custody case or if the perpetrator knew the victim, whose address had just come across the call sheet.

“Maybe the guy took the kid, maybe he’s digging through the deal … maybe he decides, ‘Hey, I’m gonna abandon the car at the house where I think, you know, the kid belongs.”

Three blocks from the address, sure enough, here comes a BMW, the BMW, which Smith confirmed through a license plate match. It was neither of the things Smith thought of when he decided to go by there. Rather, it was simply a fluke or by the staff that is the hand of providence perhaps that the driver took that turn.

But it was at this point, about an hour after a distraught mother called police to report her car and precious cargo stolen, that Smith began his silent, undercover pursuit of 25-year-old Elliott Reyes.

Ordinarily, Air One, the police helicopter, would’ve been called in to follow the car. Whenever Reyes got out, the police could nab him. However, Air One was down for maintenance.

This wasn’t, after all, a typical chase, if there is such a thing. There was a baby on board.

Smith’s narcotics team, spread out, each doing their own thing to find the car, began collaborating by radio: How are we to get this guy boxed in?

In police work, they’ll tell you, you can hatch the most perfect plan, but it’ll likely go awry because of circumstance. There are many cases in which a highspeed chase is not worth the risk to the public, but there are other tactics, like four cars boxing in the suspect.

As the pursuit went on, with Smith still the only car in the chase, Reyes pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store. Smith surmises that Reyes saw two police cars in front, stopped at what appeared to be another call. Smith also figured that Reyes might have noticed he was being followed.

Whatever the case, it was decision time.

Smith decided to act. He pulled in behind Reyes and bumped the BMW, so that the car was wedged between Smith’s car in the back and a pole in the front. Smith ran to the driver’s side, where a compliant Reyes was already getting out of the car.

However, there was no baby in the car. And no sign of him.

You need to tell us where that baby is.

“He immediately says,” Smith recalls, “‘I just got this car, and the baby’s in the creek bed.’”

By this time patrol Officer Davis and Sgt. Ronnie Chau had arrived on scene.

“We quickly get him handcuffed and start shoving him toward a patrol car,” says Smith.

Inside Davis’ patrol car, with Chau in a car close behind, Reyes took the officers to an isolated area at the intersection of Runnels and NE 36th streets in Diamond Hill.

Says Chau: “We’re using a flashlight to see if we can see anything. I’m on one side, then I switch [the flashlight] over to the other side. That’s when I saw the baby carrier.”

Chau ran to the baby, who instantly began crying when the sergeant picked him up. EMTs were dispatched and determined the baby healthy and unharmed. He was reunited with two very relieved parents.

By all appearances, Chau says, it looks as if the baby seat was “just tossed” over the barrier from the road.

Reyes, who has a history of run-ins with authorities, is in trouble. He was initially booked into the Tarrant County Jail on charges of burglary of a building, theft of property, and abandonment and endangering a child. His bond was set at $68,000.

Three days later, he was also charged with kidnapping and attempted capital murder of a child under 10 years old.

» Closing a Chapter

Doomsday moved ever closer for the Central Library downtown.

The staff of the downtown Fort Worth Public Library has begun implementing plans to vacate the premises as the city prepares to close on an $18 million sale of the property to Dart Industries.

The library will close to the public on June 30.

Dart will take a wrecking ball to the downtown Fort Worth Public Library, this one built in 1978 and renovated over the years. Dart plans to redevelop the property at Taylor and Third.

Where library services will be relocated has yet to be determined because the city has not yet identified a transaction palpable to the buyer and seller. That coming lapse in service is a source of concern for Councilwoman Elizabeth Beck. The library is in her District 9, but, of course, users of the library come from all over the city.

One possibility is a library in the redeveloped (current) City Hall. City Hall is relocating to the former Pier 1 building, a stone’s throw west of downtown.

The task of moving out of the library will be quite the job. About 100,000 items will need to be removed, according to Marilyn Marvin, the interim director of the Fort Worth Public Library. Discarded books and other material will be given to a local charity. Furniture will be moved to a variety of locations, and city-owned artwork will go to various city locations, including the future City Hall.

Bumpersaurus, an art piece in the Central Library, will be moved to the new Vivian J. Lincoln Library in far south Fort Worth, which has an opening date scheduled for July 8.

The back-office library staff, book storage, and distribution functions will relocate to the new service center at 8604 Camp Bowie West Blvd.

THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP

Oftentimes when I am talking with residents they say to me, “I wish I had moved to The Tradition much sooner.” Also, they remark on the many meaningful friendships they have developed. Studies show companionship is vital to all of us; it makes for a thriving and healthy lifetime.

If you are starting your search for luxury, rental retirement living, you’ll love our beautiful Communities and all the extraordinary services, amenities, activities, and new friendships that our residents enjoy. Maintaining an engaged and independent lifestyle is easy when you are close to the city’s most desirable neighborhoods and near to all that is familiar. Start enjoying your to-do list in warm, enriching surroundings, and take advantage of our many educational and social events as well as outings to cultural venues, popular restaurants, and special area attractions.

You couldn’t really say you’ve seen it all in Fort Worth until you’ve seen a show here.” “

I hope that you consider a new way of living and join us at The Tradition. Please make an appointment to tour our beautiful Community, meet residents firsthand and learn more. I look forward to welcoming you home!

Founder & CEO The Tradition

Hady Mawajdeh Producer of Hit Podcast Today Explained

’Sup, Doc?

Ive Avila joined 51 others as part of TCU’s inaugural medical school graduating class.

BY JOHN HENRY

Ive Avila is the product of immigrants from Mexico, raised with her three siblings in Chicago. Her mother was a janitor at a school, and her father worked in construction.

She studied molecular biology — simply typing that is a dizzying task — from Loyola University Chicago, and an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University.

The 32-year-old in May was part of the first graduating class of the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at TCU, a groundbreaking moment for all involved, including the school perched on University Drive, celebrating 150 years in 2023.

“We are immensely proud of these young doctors. They will forever be a part of TCU’s 150th,” said Chancellor Victor J. Boschini Jr. “This is a day that has been years in the making, and it is only fitting that this special class would be a part of such a celebratory moment in the life of our university.”

The 52 graduates, who all placed in residency programs, will

now go out into the world and begin molding the reputation that plays such a critical role ultimately in the formation of the medical school.

Avila is going to serve an OB/GYN four-year residency at Baylor Scott and White in Temple.

“I think it’s a huge responsibility, honestly,” Avila says, “going on to the real world, going into our residency programs as MDs. I think that’s an even bigger responsibility because now programs are seeing the product of the school essentially, and, hopefully, we can show them what we’ve learned throughout the four years and how our LIC [Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship] program has, I think, prepared us more so than other traditional programs, at least when it comes to patient interaction and practice.”

Avila also had an active young child I could hear in the background as we spoke by phone.

Quin — “his full name is Quentin, like Quentin Tarantino” — is 16 months old.

Pregnancy during medical school is not standard operating procedure, but Avila and husband Sam found out they were expecting. Avila and Sam met in Austin on a blind date, though both were working at Lone Star Circle of Care. Avila was an enrollment counselor there, and Sam is still a physician recruiter with the company.

Avila says she’s Type-A personality when it comes to scheduling, “not spontaneous at all.”

“I like things to go the way that I plan them. And clearly that did not go that way,” Avila says. “I did not plan to be pregnant or have a child in medical school. But my husband and I became pregnant, and we actually lost our first baby. Here I was freaking out about how [pregnancy] was gonna throw everything off, and finally, you accept it, you fall in love, and then you lose your baby.”

Now, she had to deal with heartbreak. The couple had made plans to welcome a baby in their home and their hearts. The experience manifested itself in the couple actually deciding to try to have a baby.

Welcome to the world, Quin.

A tight schedule remained key to handling the newcomer and her studies; plus, she had support from her family, which, by this time, had moved from Chicago to Austin, where her father operates his 23-acre ranch, specializing in sheep and goats. (A little slow-cooked, oven-braised cabrito would hit the spot about right now.)

“As soon as I had him, my mom [Rebeca] retired, and she was like, ‘There’s no way we worked so hard to get you here collectively as a family … you’re going to keep going.’ So, she moved in with us. She was our full-time nanny/babysitter. There’s no way I could have done it without her.”

There’s an apothegm — or there should be if there’s not — out there: It’s difficult to get through this journey of life without good friends and family, and a bottle of something.

Well, now I’m projecting.

To the inaugural graduating class of the Burnett School of Medicine, we wish you the best. It goes without saying that lots of people will be counting on you.

A New Dais

Two new members take their seats on the Fort Worth City Council.

BY JOHN HENRY

Fort Worth’s reconfigured City Council is taking shape, beginning with the swearing in of existing members, as well as two new members to the dais last month at City Hall.

Macy Hill took her oath to replace outgoing District 7 Councilman Leonard Firestone, who elected not to seek reelection, and Charles Lauersdorf filled an open seat in District 4. The incumbent Alan Blaylock vacated the seat to run in the District 10, where he lives, one of two new civic political entities formed through a redistricting process last year.

The election on May 6 was the first with 11 members on the council. The terms are for two years.

There is still work to be done to fill out the council.

HOPPING TO THE NFL

» LET’S PLAY A LITTLE “JEOPARDY!”

CATEGORY: TCU FOOTBALL Clue: Jimmy Lawrence and Quentin Johnston. Cue the Final Jeopardy jingle.

Answer: Who are the very first and the very latest NFL first-round draft picks from TCU?

Lawrence, a running back, went No. 5 overall to the Chicago Cardinals in 1936, winning an NFL Championship with the Green Bay Packers in 1939.

Johnston, the first of eight TCU players selected in this year’s draft, was taken 21st overall by the Los Angeles Chargers. He will be joined there by Horned Frogs teammates

In District 11, the other new district, Rick Herring and Jeanette Martinez are vying for the seat in an election that has gone to a June 10 runoff.

It’s a hot potato, that one.

The voters sent Mayor Mattie Parker back for another term. The mayor’s second race was not nearly as contentious as her first, a runoff triumph over Deborah Peoples.

Other incumbents returning were District 5 Councilwoman Gyna Bivens, District 6 Councilman Jared Williams, and District 9 Councilwoman Elizabeth Beck, all of them fending off challengers.

Councilmen Carlos Flores (District 2), Michael Crain (District 3), and Chris Nettles (District 8) all won reelection unopposed.

“It’s extremely humbling,” says Lauersdorf, hours before he raised his right hand, “just realizing there are so many people who are expecting so much of me. Everyone in the district, whether they voted for me or not, all eyes on me to make a difference not just in District 4, but the city as a whole.”

Lauersdorf owns a real estate media company that provides photography, video, and viral tours for homes up for sale, as well as portfolios for builders and designers. He has a bachelor’s in intelligence studies from American Military University and an executive MBA from TCU.

A funny guy once said something to the effect that public service in the realm of electoral office can sometimes offer no more freedom than the county jail offers.

Lauersdorf has been exposed to worse.

Lauersdorf has a Purple Heart, a result of being wounded in the Battle of Ramadi in Iraq, one of his three deployments there. On his card are also two deployments to Afghanistan and another to Jordan.

His unit, the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, was ambushed on April 6, 2004.

In Ramadi, “We were trying to make a safe place for the local Iraqis and a place where they can go to school and hold local elections. The insurgents didn’t like that.”

Lauersdorf, who was raised in Garland and moved to Fort Worth for a civilian job at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, soon will be promoted to 1st Sergeant in the Marine Corps Reserve.

Derius Davis (fourth round) and quarterback Max Duggan (seventh round).

The NFL loves Johnston’s size (6-foot-3) and speed (4.4 seconds in the 40). Johnston had a college career-best 60 catches for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns. He was the MVP of the Horned Frogs’ Fiesta Bowl victory over Michigan with six receptions for 163 yards, and a touchdown on the College Football Playoff semifinals.

He joins a Chargers offense that has an established quarterback with Justin Herbert, a Pro Bowl performer.

Duggan appears to be the club’s first backup option behind Herbert, though there is wild

speculation that as contract negotiations wind on, the team might be tempted to trade Herbert if Duggan shows first-team potential this coming season.

Guard Steve Avila went to the Los Angeles Rams in the second round; running back Kendre Miller went to the New Orleans Saints in the third round; edge Dylan Horton went to the Houston Texans in the fourth round; and cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson and linebacker Dee Winters each went in the sixth round to the Rams and San Francisco 49ers.

The West Coast is full of new Horned Frog pros.

From

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Reserve Your Place in Texas History

M.L. Leddy’s Centennial Alligator Boots were designed by Wilson Franklin, M.L. Leddy’s grandson. Only 100 pair of these limited-edition boots will be made, each adorned with a sterling-silver concho stamped with its number, handmade by famed silversmith Clint Orms. Come see us today and fit yourself into the pages of Leddy’s history.

Fort Worth | San Angelo leddys.com

We are HSC

HSC offers the nation’s most comprehensive health science education on a single campus.

• Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine

• School of Biomedical Sciences

• School of Public Health

• School of Health Professions

• College of Pharmacy

• College of Nursing

Six schools with one shared purpose. Creating an environment where innovation and ideas can thrive, and all people feel informed, empowered and understood.

we’re

JUNE 1 – 14

SparkFest

While jamming to the Grateful Dead or Foo Fighters (depending on your generation) might come to mind when one thinks of a summer festival, live theater gets its own jamboree in the form of Amphibian Stage’s SparkFest. The two-week celebration of all things theater will include events, workshops, live performances, and stage readings.

Amphibian Stage Productions 120 S. Main St. amphibianstage.com

JUNE 3

1001 Nights: Falafel Making

Ever wondered what goes into those crispy green balls that go together so well with tzatziki? In this cooking class hosted by the fine folks at Indulge FW, you’ll learn how to make a plethora of Middle Eastern dishes, including falafel, hummus, babaganoush, and tabbouleh. Indulge FW

425 W. Third St. indulgefw.com

JUNE 9

Christopher Cross & Air Supply

A perfect storm of soft rock brings its melodic and decibel-conscious tunes to Bass Performance Hall. Expect the flamingo-obsessed Christopher Cross to play some popular numbers from his Grammy-winning debut album (“Sailing,” “Ride Like the Wind”) as well as some new songs — the San Antonio native continues to produce some decent music.

Bass Performance Hall 525 Commerce St. basshall.com

JUNE 15 – JULY 9

I Wanna F*cking Tear You Apart

Stage West, continuing to do its part in bringing modern theater to Cowtown audiences, presents a minimalist, three-person ode to the rage, doubt, and insecurities that sometimes arise in our everyday friendships.

Stage West

821 W. Vickery Blvd. stagewest.org

JUNE 17

Clint Black

The singer, actor, record producer, and flat-out oldschool country star brings his talents to the greatest honkytonk in the world. The ever-prolific Clint Black has released a healthy stream of new music for the better part of 30 years, and his most recent projects include collaborations with Buddy Jewell, Cody Jinks, and The Bellamy Brothers.

Billy Bob’s Texas 2520 Rodeo Plaza billybobstexas.com

Robert Motherwell: Pure Painting

A retrospective of Robert Motherwell, which will include over 50 works by the famed abstract expressionist painter, will be on display at the Modern beginning early June. The carefully curated exhibit will include selected pieces from each stage of the artist’s lengthy career.

The Modern | 3200 Darnell St. | themodern.org

JUNE 19

Opal’s Walk for Freedom

While she won the fight to make Juneteenth a national holiday, Opal Lee, the grandmother of Juneteenth, believes her work remains far from finished. You can join her in solidarity as she does her annual 2.5-mile walk (which represents the 2.5 years it took for Texas to free enslaved people following their emancipation). You’ll have the day off from work, so there shouldn’t be any excuses.

1050 Evans Ave. juneteenthftw.com

JUNE 23

John Cusack Screening “Sixteen Candles”

For you Gen X’ers and lovers of ’80s teen comedies, a night with the eternally boyish John Cusack might be high on your bucket list. And you’ll get a chance to check that box when he visits Fort Worth for a screening of “Sixteen Candles” (in which he had a small role) followed by a Q&A session.

Will Rogers Memorial Center 3401 W. Lancaster Ave. fortworth.com

JUNE

Los Lonely Boys

The “Heaven” crooners, a staple of early-aughts radio, will bring their bluesy, Latin-inspired tunes to a Fort Worth audience for the first time in, well, just four months ago. While the band hasn’t returned to the heights of its debut album, the three brothers continue to be a staple at almost any mid-sized music venue in Texas — and for good reason.

Billy Bob’s Texas 2520 Rodeo Plaza billybobstexas.com

JUNE 24

Water Lantern Festival

If you feel like diving headfirst into poignance on a Saturday evening, we can’t recommend the Water Lantern Festival enough. You’ll get to witness thousands of floating lanterns reflecting unique messages of love, loss, hope, you-name-it while enjoying tasty food trucks and live music.

Panther Island Pavilion 395 Purcey St. pantherislandpavilion.com

JUNE 27

Wavves + Cloud Nothings

A couple of indie darlings hit up Fort Worth’s most indie venue, Tulips. Indie, for those who don’t know, derives from the word “independent,” which means these dudes have rejected mainstream sources of success (giant record deals, etc.) and have a do-it-yourself sensibility. Tulips

112 St. Louis Ave. tulipsftw.com

JUNE 27 – JULY 2

“Hadestown”

“Hadestown,” a musical that took home a fair share of hardware at the 2019 Tony Awards, created a Hamilton-like stir when it hit Broadway in 2018. The Anais Mitchell-written book retells the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice and makes its way to the Fort for the first time.

Bass Performance Hall 525 Commerce St. basshall.com

JUNE

Bryan Adams

The Canadian crooner best known for his ’80s superhits and singing that one song from the Kevin Costnerhelmed “Robin Hood” released a Christmas album last year and just issued a new single five days ago (at press time). He also wrote all the music for the recent Broadway production of “Pretty Woman.” So, he’ll have plenty to play, new and old.

Dickies Arena 1911 Montgomery St. dickiesareana.com

JUNE 30

Freedom First BBQ Cook-Off

Barbecue is usually enough to pique the interest of any credible Fort Worthian. As part of this year’s Juneteenth celebration, with events going on throughout the month, a barbecue cook-off will take place at The Shack at Panther Island Pavilion with a grand prize of $1,000. So come, root for your favorite pitmaster, and enjoy some of the city’s (and thus nation’s) best cue.

Panther Island Pavilion 395 Purcey St. juneteenthftw.com

Leonardo Drew: Number 235T

The first-floor galleries of the Amon Carter will undergo a makeover courtesy of sculptor Leonardo Drew — and its new interior décor will remain on display for over a year. Drew, a Brooklyn-based artist, is renowned for his largescale, multidimensional installations that employ organic materials. Let’s just say the Carter’s never seen anything quite like it.

Amon

JUNE 17, 2023 – JUNE 30, 2024

Erica Ludwig

Content and communications manager

BY STEPHEN MONTOYA

PHOTO

CRYSTAL WISE

Erica Ludwig says her fascination for musical theater began at a young age after watching the musical movies “Grease” and “The Sound of Music.”

To Ludwig, musicals embodied three of her favorite things: singing, acting, and performing. This is a fitting backstory for Ludwig, who is currently the content and communications manager for Performing Arts Fort Worth, Inc. at Bass Performance Hall. Theater fandom aside, Ludwig says she owes a lot of who she is today to her late mother, Renee, who lost her battle with breast cancer when Ludwig was only 8 years old. As Ludwig puts it, her mother’s spirit has been a guiding light to her on her professional journey and beyond.

“I started in the industry six years ago in May, and the first day that I started was the anniversary of my mom’s passing,” Ludwig says with a glint of nostalgia in her eyes. “Most people would look at this date and say, ‘Oh that’s so morbid,’ but to me, it was almost like a confirmation that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing.”

But, before embarking on her current career working behind the scenes in a world-renowned theater, Ludwig was very much about being on stage and in the spotlight. In fact, she says she couldn’t wait to dip her toe into the theater world after she watched her older brother perform in the play “Brigadoon.” “The very next year I joined theater in eighth grade and started doing shows at my little, tiny private Christian school in the area,” she says.

For her first performance, Ludwig says she played a chorus girl with a small speaking part in Rodgers and Hammer-

stein’s “Cinderella.” It’s funny, too, because I used to be scared of public speaking, and after I started doing theater, that fear went away.”

It wouldn’t be until Ludwig attended college at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that she said her knowledge of the theater industry really grew. “I was going to school for a public relations degree, but I still loved theater, so I hung out with a lot of the theater kids and took electives in the field while I was there,” she says.

It was from these friendships that Ludwig says she found out about an internship for a company called Celebrity Attractions. “This company is an independent Broadway presenter that books tours out of New York that will appear at different performing arts centers in the Midwest,” she says. “I was excited to see if it would be a good fit.” After landing the internship, Ludwig says she was thrust into the world of social media campaigns, assisting with press and publicity, and helping out with marketing needs the company had. “That’s when I fell in love with this side of the theater experience,” Ludwig says.

Outside of her passion for theater, Ludwig says she is a huge classic rock fan, naming Van Halen, an ode to her dad, her favorite rock band. “I love a good playlist,” she says as she offers some musical tidbits. Ludwig says she also loves to travel and is a self-proclaimed Disney Parks nerd.

“In a way, I’m very ‘basic’ in that I love Disney, Broadway, and Taylor Swift. But then there’s a side to me that loves the Texas Rangers, Van Halen, and movie/TV trivia,” she says. “I’m kind of like a walking IMDb.”

Funny Girl” (2022)

Company” (2022)

Rouge” (2021)

1. Seeing Lea Michele return to Broadway in “Funny Girl” (2022) 2. “ Moulin Rouge’s” reopening night on Broadway (2021) 3. Me and mom at a birthday party in the late 90s. I still have the vest she’s wearing in this picture. 4. “Wicked” National Tour (2018) 5. The Broadway revival of “Company” (2022) 6. “Come From Away” at Bass

Hall (2021) 7. “Hadestown” (2022)

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Cowhand Culture

Weatherford’s Original Rolling Stones

BY MICHAEL H. PRICE

No, not those Rolling Stones. These other Rolling Stones — the cats from Weatherford. These are the ones who spelled their name as Rollin’ Stones and braced themselves for rock ’n’ roll stardom at a time when most citizens were still trying to determine whether Elvis Presley was a hillbilly or a hipster. Yeah, these Stones.

“History breeds and seeds in strange ways and places,” as the Texas novelist and historian Elithe Hamilton Kirkland (1907-1992) has written. Mass-market history holds that the seeds of the Rolling Stones — an English-bred rock ’n’ roll band with two or three lifetimes of prominence — must lie among the working-class American Southerners who had shaped rock from a combination of blues and countrywestern influences.

The tale of the known Stones might be different, however, if an ambitious band by the same name — from Weatherford and poised for a breakout — had survived to crack big-time show business. The local outfit had come within grabbing range by 1955, armed with a rambunctious demo recording from Fort Worth’s cauldron-of-rock Clifford Herring Studio and a matched set of flashy cowboy-rocker costumes, custom-fitted at $300 a suit.

Its leverage was an invitation to appear with an influential musical showcase, “The Louisiana Hayride,” which had helped to launch such hit-making artists as Elvis Presley, Sonny James, and Tommy Sands. A “Hayride” credential

assured pedigree and potential.

But then, the death of the founder, David Lee Stone, at 19, dashed such promise. The Rollin’ Stones disbanded shortly thereafter in tacit agreement that, where Stone had pursued a career in earnest, his accompanists were in the game more for the fun of playing together.

Six years later, in 1962 in London, a loose-knit ensemble including vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarists Keith Richards and Brian Jones was taking shape without a formal identity. Jones, seeking publicity, was asked the name of the band. Jones flashed on a favorite record album by a Chicago blues singer known as Muddy Waters. One song title caught his eye: “Rollin’ Stone.” The English band became the Rollin’ Stones until its management standardized the name to the Rolling Stones.

And had the four Weatherford teenagers known as the Rollin’ Stones scored a breakout with sustained commercial momentum, the name would have been off limits to any English upstarts. The legacy of first-generation rock ’n’ roll, countrified by nature, is primarily that of provincial Southern artists who have blended talent, persistence, a willingness to experiment, and the occasional strokes of luck and strategic timing to become known on a broader scale.

In Texas, such trailblazers include Vernon and Wink’s Roy Orbison, Lubbock’s Buddy Holly, Fort Worth and Weatherford’s Mac Curtis, Fort Worth’s Johnny Carroll, and Farwell’s Charlie “Sugartime” Phillips — forebears of Great Britain’s rock-revival movement of the 1960s. (A revival was necessary because the edgier forms of American rock had been homogenized into mainstream pop music by the 1960s. Consider the differences between a vaguely dangerous Elvis Presley in 1955 and a safe-as-milk Fabian Forte in 1960.)

David Stone, the world-class entertainer who might have been, christened his Rollin’ Stones as a matter of birthright, combining the surname with the same folksy saying, “A rolling stone gathers no moss,” that had inspired Muddy Waters’ 1950 song.

Stone was born Nov. 10, 1936, at Mabank, Henderson County, to Lloyd and Maudie Stone. The family moved in 1948 to Weatherford. In addition to David and his parents, the resettled household included siblings Billy Gene Stone, at 13 a year older than David; Georgia Stone (Williams), 8; Annett Stone (Truelove), 5; and Lorena Stone (Tate Friddle), 3. Another brother, Racine, had died at age 3 in 1944.

In a memoir composed in 2009, career homemaker and community-agency volunteer Lorena Friddle of Weatherford wrote: “When David was 13, he worked odd jobs to buy a guitar. David loved music, especially bebop, rockabilly, and country-western music.” (The term bebop refers to an early style of rock ’n’ roll, distinct from a like-named idiom of progressive jazz but possessed of a similarly rambunctious attitude.)

“David taught himself how to play, spending most of his free time playing the guitar,” continued Friddle. “David worked at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on a paper route. He also worked at the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. in Weatherford.

“David had an ear for music, and he became very good at playing his guitar. He had a beautiful voice, also,” she added in the reminiscence.

That voice survives in two unissued demo recordings

David Stone (center), with Ralph Clark, James Mathison, and Royce Gilbert.

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PICTURED: Stephen Gilchrist, Dealer Operator; Bryan Braswell, customer.

— swaggering confidence, asserted with a melodic flair, in original lyrics that celebrate the urge to dance, here, and to demand romantic loyalty, there.

“David would invite other guys to his house who also played musical instruments,” continued Friddle. “They would all meet on Friday nights and have a jam session under the carport. The band became so good [that] people, young and old, would bring their lawn chairs and listen for hours.”

At 18 in 1954, soon to graduate from high school, David Stone organized the Rollin’ Stones as a vehicle for his gathering ambitions. Fellow players included drummer/ guitarist James Mathison, lead guitarist Royce Gilbert, and bassist Ralph Clark. The ensemble intensified its percussive snap with a sharp slapping effect from the string bass and Gilbert’s ragged-meter lead guitar against a propulsive rhythmguitar backdrop.

Lorena Friddle described stage outfits of white trousers and white shirts, with red yokes and gold fringe and pearlescent buttons. Mathison’s costume, preserved since his death in more recent years, has retained a like-new silken sheen, with a small hand-stitched repair on one pocket. The costumer, Jack McClure, was a Stockyards-area tailor who specialized in flashy costumes for the Miss Texas Pageant.

The Rollin’ Stones played at such venues as the Cowtown Hoedown in Fort Worth and KORC–Radio in Mineral Wells. A herald of bigger developments was an August 1956 booking for the launch of KZEE–Radio in Weatherford, with a day-long concert on the courthouse square. The event also featured such emerging artists as Sonny James, Roy Orbison & the Teen Kings, and from Dallas’ “Big D Jamboree” broadcasts, the Texas Stompers. Alabama-born James was touring on behalf of his new country-chart record, “Twenty Feet of Muddy Water,” composed by a producer-to-be from Fort Worth known as Major Bill Smith. James was a year away from a watershed country-pop crossover hit, 1957’s “Young Love.”

The Rollin’ Stones’ demo recording contains two of David Stone’s original compositions: “Bye-Bye, Baby, I’m Gone” is an indignant romantic complaint with echoes of both Hank Williams and Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith. A suggestive blues-shuffle tune, “Bunny Boogie,” represents a takeoff on a 1947 recording by Johnny Tyler & the Riders of the Rio Grande, “Okie Boogie.”

Stone’s choice of Clifford Herring Studio as a demorecording site was both convenient and strategic. The venue was a springboard for many talents including Mac Curtis’ mass-market rockabilly releases in the 1950s; and, during the early 1960s, assorted acts promoted by Major Bill Smith. Royce Gilbert has characterized the Stones’ recording as “not especially polished — but it’s real … some honest feeling, there.”

“The Rollin’ Stones’ popularity began to grow,” wrote

Friddle. “Soon, they were getting gigs to play at youth functions from miles away.”

Mac Curtis (1935-2013), who long remained an eminence grise of Texas-bred rock ’n’ roll, once recalled David Stone in glowing terms: “David was on the brink of stardom, all right — great guitarist, great singer, a really dynamic presence.” Curtis was approaching his own turning point during the middle 1950s, with a succession of recordings as Cincinnati-based King Records’ answer to RCA Victor’s upstart Elvis Presley.

“The Louisiana Hayride” booked Stone’s band for November 1956. The program held immense prospects, what with its appeal to both the country-music audience and the beginnings of a rock ’n’ roll following. The anticipation of a breakthrough collapsed in an abrupt and tragic loss in September.

“David and his band performed at the Hotel Texas in Fort Worth,” wrote Lorena Friddle. “On their return, David, Royce, and Ralph stopped at Jack’s Café, six miles east of Weatherford on U.S. 80. At 12:05 a.m. on Sept. 8, some soldiers from Fort Wolters, Mineral Wells, pulled out in front of them. The vehicles collided head-on.”

All aboard were hospitalized. Royce Gilbert and Ralph Clark pulled through.

“At 4 a.m. on Sept. 8, 1956, David died,” Friddle added. “The Rollin’ Stones disbanded and never played again together as the Rollin’ Stones.” The surviving players worked into 1957 with other Texas-connected talents, including mass-market artist Bob Luman and a cult-of-personality attraction, Huelyn Duvall’s Troublesome Three.

Traces remain, however: A nephew of David Stone, David Williams of Fort Collins, Colorado, has preserved Stone’s Kay-brand, hollow-body guitar. Snapshots of the band suggest poise and energy — qualities affirmed by the demo-disc recording. Much as Weatherford’s Mac Curtis had demonstrated with his own breakout records of the period, David Stone and his original Rollin’ Stones would have fit right in among such fast company as Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins.

David Stone

20th Annual SummerFest AT GAYLORD TEXAN

20th Annual SummerFest

cabanas are also available for rent, providing more relaxation with extra shade, soft seating, TVs, and refrigerators.

AT GAYLORD TEXAN

Gaylord Texan Resort invites guests to experience more of what they love this summer: more thrills, more adventure, more fun, more delight, more memories.

cabanas are also available for rent, providing more relaxation with extra shade, soft seating, TVs, and refrigerators.

cabanas are also available for rent, providing more relaxation with extra

More Adventure

Gaylord Texan Resort invites guests to experience more of what they love this summer: more thrills, more adventure, more fun, more delight, more memories.

More Adventure

This year, the resort will feature all-new Adventure Kids’ activities including:

Throughout the resort, guests can discover delicious dining, relax in the award-winning spa, and explore family-friendly pirate and princess-themed activities as part of their 20th annual SummerFest celebration. Outside, guests can experience even more fun-in-the-sun at Paradise Springs, the resort’s 10-acre waterpark and lazy river complex.

More Thrills

An Adventure Kids’ Clubhouse, where guests can tune into their inner artist and create treasured crafts to take home. Will they opt for a keepsake t for royalty or join the captain’s swashbuckling crew and fashion a pirate treasure or two?

More Thrills

More Thrills delight, more memories.

There’s no better way to beat the summer heat than making a splash at Paradise Springs, the resort's 10-acre outdoor waterpark. Adults can grab a cocktail and tube down the relaxing 600-foot-long lazy river while kids play in a giant water treehouse, glide down four winding waterslides, and splash around in the 6,000-square-foot family lagoon. The pool comes alive each weekend with a live DJ, hair braiding, airbrush tattoos, and interactive games. Private

Throughout the resort, guests can discover delicious dining, relax in the celebration. Outside, guests can experience even more fun-in-the-sun at making a splash at Paradise Springs, the resort's

including: artist and create treasured crafts to take home. Will they opt for

An Adventure Kids’ Clubhouse, where guests can tune into their inner artist and create treasured crafts to take home. Will they opt for keepsake t for royalty or join the captain’s swashbuckling crew and fashion a pirate treasure or two?

fashion a pirate treasure or two?

The Adventure Kids’: Hidden Treasure Hide & Sea-K that takes guests on a swashbuckling scavenger hunt to search for clues throughout the resort’s atriums. Following a long-lost pirate map, guests can wander through four acres of owers and splashy summer colors to uncover hidden gems in this interactive treasure quest.

600-foot-long lazy river while kids play in a giant water treehouse, glide down four winding waterslides, and splash around in the airbrush tattoos, and interactive games. Private

guests on a swashbuckling scavenger hunt to search for clues splashy summer colors to uncover hidden gems in

Adventure Kids’: Join the Club, an interavtive live-show, featuring Al e the Armadillo, Layla the Longhorn, and everyone's favorite Adventure Kid, Sophie, as they to learn, imagine, explore, and discover the wonders of summer.

Adventure Kid, Sophie, as they to learn, imagine, explore, and discover the wonders of summer.

There family-friendly Summer popular amaze guests who way balancing delivering

The scavenger Following of interactive

Friends race

Aspiring Chefs treats Guests creatures

The don

The evening

There is even more to discover with these family-friendly events and activities:

Summer Cirque returns this season by popular demand with some new acts to both amaze and amuse you. This live show takes guests on an exciting journey with a lone soul who dreams of becoming a pirate, and along the way meets daring aerial artistes, show-stopping balancing acts, and incredible specialty performers, each delivering breathtaking feats that are sure to stun the audience.

Adults 21 and up can experience a variety of inventive culinary events; from chef-curated food and spirit pairings to sommelier-led wine dinners, and more. In addition to these unique experiences, guests can enjoy multiple on-site restaurants o ering delicious cuisine and spectacular service in beautifully appointed environments.

For those looking to relax and unwind this season, Relâche Spa o ers soothing treatments for the body, mind, and soul. Luxurious treatments include rejuvenating massages, facials, manicures, and more. Spa guests can also enjoy the sauna, steam room, extra

The Hidden Treasure Hide & Sea-K scavenger hunt to search for clues throughout the resort’s atriums. Following a long-lost pirate map, guests can wander through four acres of owers and splashy summer colors to uncover hidden gems in this interactive treasure quest.

Friends and families must work together in Three Escape Rooms to race against the clock and solve puzzles before time runs out.

SummerFest at Gaylord Texan Resort takes place May 19th - September 4th, 2023. For more information on summer room packages or event schedules and pricing, please visit GaylordTexan.com/SummerFest.

activities inner for a and takes clues map, and this interavtive Layla favorite imagine,

Aspiring young chefs can practice their culinary skills at the Chefs Camp, where they get to create delightfully delicious meals and treats for themselves and two family members.

Guests can get up-close and interact with a variety of incredible creatures at the Ahoy, Matey! Animal Encounters.

The atrium comes alive at the don their best pirate gear and dance to the beat.

The brand-new Illuminate the Night Light Show evening with a kaleidoscope of bright, colorful, and animated lights.

Blood on Canvas

North Texas painter captures the camaraderie between professional brawlers post-skirmish.

BY STEPHEN MONTOYA

Morgan Underwood likes to capture the look of two opponents postbattle because of how honest it is. It is here, she says, between the blood, sweat, and tears that the real truth of human interaction resides.

“I was looking for inspiration, and the fighting image is something I would continually come back to,” Underwood says. “I love figurative painting; I love portrait painting. If there’s not a person in it, I don’t really see the point of painting it.”

Underwood’s art consists of images from the violent worlds of boxing, MMA (mixed martial arts), roller derby, women’s rugby, and more in the midst of, well, battle. Underwood’s use of oil on canvas incorporates light color flashes that clash with dark backgrounds to convey an almost exaggerated lens that reveals an embrace during a moment of exhaustion. This catharsis is ever-present in several of her works, which consist of bloodied athletes near or on the brink of a meltdown.

To challenge her audience a bit and leave her own signature on each piece, Underwood tries to exaggerate her subjects’ expressions, so they look like they are having a friendly exchange. “It could be a romantic exchange or a compassionate hug or embrace,” she says. “Either way, I would change these emotions to make it work for me.”

Her paintings, she says, are emotionally charged and suggestive, which may not sit well with the masses. “I’ve had people walk by [when I’m displaying my art] and say, ‘gross,’ and keep on walking,” she says. “But the thing is, my paintings appeal to a specific kind of person, and I know they’re not for everybody. [And] I have no problem with that.

“I feel like people see the stuff I’m putting in each piece, but they don’t know how to talk about it or interpret it. Now, for someone who is in jujitsu, MMA, or UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships), they see the mutual respect right away.”

The juxtaposition in all of this is highlighted by Underwood’s working environment, which is nestled in a field of bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes, but this isn’t the only irony outside of Underwood’s work. She admits she has never been in any real fight herself. So, how does she accurately capture such a pivotal sports moment without knowing what it’s like to take a punch? The way she explains it, it has more to do with the technique of the work and not so much the subject matter.

“I’ve been an artist since I could hold a crayon,” she says while rehanging a painting she just had photographed. “I feel like everybody says that, but that was really who I was from the get-go.”

Underwood was drawing and creating art throughout her formative years. “It just kind of stuck with me, but when I went on to college, I had a bit of a change in plans.”

It was during this time that Underwood was coaxed by her parents to try her hand at graphic design and video production. “A few years into this very exclusive program for graphic design, which I had gotten into, I called them in tears saying I couldn’t do it anymore.” The very next day, Underwood says she enrolled in a painting course at the University of North Texas.

“They were very supportive at UNT,” Underwood says. “They didn’t really make you do a specific style of art. If you wanted to do a sculpture, then you could do one, and so on.”

From there, Underwood says she drew inspiration from her art history classes and from her travels around the globe at a young age.

“Seeing a lot of stuff is good for any artist,” she says. “In school, I kind of started on this fighting thing and kind of carried it forward.”

Underwood wants to make clear, she is not a horror artist, in fact just the opposite. “If I wanted to do this style of work, I would just paint slasher people and blood and violence, but my paintings are really about human connection, physicality, and emotion.”

MON.

1/2 PRICE FLATBREADS

$3 DOMESTIC DRAFTS

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7 DAYS A WEEK

Terlingua, Texas

Population: 110

BY SHILO URBAN

What do you call a ghost town that has come back to life? Just north of the Rio Grande in far West Texas, Terlingua is an abandoned mining hub that has awakened once again. While there are still more people buried in the cemetery than breathing above ground, this out-there enclave attracts an eccentric breed of desert dwellers with its cowboy-hippie vibe and rugged landscape: artists, nomads, bikers, poets, river guides, outcasts, tourists, and ghosts.

Visitors to Terlingua seem to fall into two camps, describing it either with words like ramshackle and nothing to do — or strangely enchanting and haunting beauty. To be fair, there isn’t much to do besides stargazing and seeking out scrap metal sculptures on the roadside. A rusty pirate ship here, a dinosaur there, a windchime made of tractor seats. There is no Starbucks or McDonald’s in Terlingua — there’s not

even a Dairy Queen. It’s an off-the-grid hideout at the edge of the world, and for some people, that sounds like pure Texas heaven (you know who you are). Somewhere, a coyote is howling. Almost 3,000 people lived in Terlin-

gua during its heyday at the turn of the last century. The ground here is a natural source of bright red cinnabar, which Native Americans used to paint pictographs and the Chisos Mining Company turned into valuable liquid

Terlingua is one of the state’s most popular spots to stargaze.

Terlingua Cemetery, a final resting place for miners who perished while digging for mercury.

mercury. But the ore ran out by the 1940s, and the town was deserted … until a few intrepid souls in the 1960s decided the remote, hardscrabble habitat suited them just fine.

Today, Terlingua is still bestrewn with the miners’ crumbling stone and adobe homes, a few of which have been rebuilt into artful casitas with solar panels and rain catchment systems. The “ghost town” area consists of a simple hillside church, an old one-room jail, Terlingua Trading Company, Starlight Café, and the intriguing Terlingua Cemetery. With the earliest burial from 1903 and the most recent this year, it’s the final resting place for several hundred souls. Makeshift memorials adorn the gravesites, from humble cairns to handmade wooden crosses held together with wire. Some graves are decrepit,

unmarked mounds of stacked limestone; others are well-tended grottos with cans of beer and family photographs left in offering. Scattered at odd angles on uneven ground, the tombs whisper the story of Terlingua to the wind: I’m still here.

You can buy a $1 map of the cemetery next door at Terlingua Trading Company, where the scene is very much alive — especially around sunset. Once the mining company’s store, its porch is the unofficial town square and BYOB hangout for local musicians, scraggly dogs, and travelers alike. The peaks of the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park glow in the east, and on a clear day, you can see the Sierra del Carmen range 100 miles away in Mexico. Grab a cold beer, find a seat in the shade, and slip into the Terlingua state of mind.

Savor: Feast on brisket queso and chicken-fried antelope with Lone Star beer gravy at Starlight Theatre, and be sure to ask for 1469 single barrel tequila in your margarita — it’s only available here. Featuring live music every night, dinner at the Starlight is on everyone’s mustdo list. Expect a long wait unless you arrive by 5 p.m. and get on the list for the first seating. Taqueria El Milagro and Chili Pepper Café earn the highest marks for Mexican food, and DB’s Rustic Iron BBQ is the go-to spot for tender meats plus daily specials like smoked burgers. For an easy breakfast, try the standby Espresso Y Poco Mas or the boho-industrial Café Venga, a capacious indoor/ outdoor space that opened in March 2023.

Shop: Start at the center of everything: the Terlingua Trading Post, where you can browse a wild selection of books, T-shirts, Texas wines, Mexican glassware, ceramic skulls, and souvenir kitsch. A tiny museum in the back showcases historical photos and artifacts. You’ll find a smattering of small art galleries around town; one of the best is Earth & Fire with its colorful mixed media works, pottery, and jewelry. Galeria Chisos is another top draw with stained glass mosaics and leatherwork — and if you’re into gems and minerals, visit Many Stones in nearby Study Butte (pronounced stoody byoot). Terlingua also hosts a Saturday morning farmers market, where old-timers sell eggs and chard amidst booths with homemade hot sauce and vibrant folk art.

Enjoy: With Big Bend National Park to the east and Big Bend Ranch State Park to the west, Terlingua is an excellent jumping-off point for jeep excursions, river trips, mountain biking, and trail rides via horse or donkey. The infamous Terlingua Chili Cook Off arrives in early November, and the lesser-known Terlingua Black-Eyed Pea Off takes place on Jan. 1. Cheer for tiny shaking dogs at the Chihuahua races each March or brave the summer heat for the Viva Big Bend music festival in July. On Nov. 2, locals mark the Day of the Dead by spending the evening with the dearly departed at Terlingua Cemetery. Loved ones place candles on every grave, bring flowers, and circle their lawn chairs to sing and share potlucks. Mournful yet merry, respectful yet upbeat — it’s an evocative Terlingua tradition.

Snooze: New glamping getaways with A/C, Wi-Fi, and en suite bathrooms are popping up everywhere, like the bubble cabins at Basecamp Terlingua — complete with hot tubs and panoramic views. Villa Terlingua’s eclectic casitas have kiva fireplaces and outdoor futons for stargazing, while the cabins at Camp Elena boast king-size beds and telescopes. For tried-and-true rustic luxury, the stacked-stone La Posada Milagro Guesthouse perches on a hillside just above town. If you must have all the mod cons, Lajitas Golf Resort & Spa is 15 minutes away (and they have a private airport).

How to Get There: Drive west out of Fort Worth on Interstate 20 for about 350 miles until you reach Monahans. Turn left onto Texas State Highway 18 S and continue for 50 miles to Fort Stockton. Hop on Interstate 10 W for a couple of miles and then exit onto U.S. Route 67 and drive about 60 miles to Alpine. Head south on Texas State Highway 118, and you’ll reach Terlingua in about 85 miles. Gas stations can be hard to come by (if not impossible) outside of towns. The trip will take nine to 10 hours with a few stops.

85 STUDENTS RECEIVED 320 COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES TO 118 COLLEGES IN 34 STATES OVER $12.5 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS OFFERED

9,635 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE DONATED

Congratulations, Class of 2023!

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Voted Best Interior Designer by Fort Worth Magazine

4

Courses

Katrina Carpenter

One of the city’s favorite and most trustworthy caterers, Katrina Carpenter of Carpenter’s Café and Catering, gives us some insight into how she makes her delectable dishes with four scrumptious recipes.

BY KATRINA CARPENTER

TASHA’S TOAST

Ingredients:

• 1 large ripe avocado

• 1 teaspoon lime juice

• Pinch of Ac’cent

• Pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt

• 1/4 teaspoon smoked cracked black pepper

• Heirloom cherry tomatoes, sliced

• Balsamic glaze

• Sourdough bread

• Micro cilantro greens

• Sliced red onion

• Baby spinach leaves

Instructions:

1. Smash avocado to desired consistency/ texture.

2. Add salt, Ac’cent, lime juice; mix and set aside.

3. Toss sliced heirloom tomatoes in the smoked cracked black pepper and set aside.

4. Toast sourdough slices to desired crisp.

5. Build your toast as follows:

• Toast

• Baby spinach leaves

• Sliced red onion

• Avocado mixture

• Tomatoes

• Micro cilantro greens

• Drizzle with balsamic glaze

BROCCOLI SALAD

Ingredients:

• Broccoli florets

• Chopped walnuts

• Diced red onions

• Bacon pieces

• Dried cranberries

• Shredded carrots

• Lime juice

• Full-fat Greek yogurt

• Celery seed

• Ground black pepper

• Granulated sugar

• Mayo

Instructions:

1. Wisk the following to make dressing:

• Mayo (equal parts)

• Yogurt (equal parts)

• Granulated sugar

• Lime juice

• Celery seed

• Greek yogurt

• Pinch of black pepper

2. Combine broccoli florets, red onion, carrots, dried cranberries, walnuts, and crumbled bacon in a separate bowl.

3. Toss in dressing.

4. Chill for 4 hours before serving.

SMOKED GOUDA GRITS AND SOUTHERN-FRIED CATFISH GRITS

Ingredients:

• Quaker Quick Grits

• Heavy cream

• Unsalted butter

• Smoked Gouda cheese, freshly grated

• Chicken stock

Instructions:

1. Follow instructions for preparation of Quaker Quick Grits, replacing water with equal parts chicken stock and heavy cream.

2. Once grits are cooked to desired texture, add grated cheese and butter.

CATFISH FILET

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon granulated onion

• 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal

• 1/2 teaspoon Ac’cent

• 1/2 teaspoon powdered crab boil seasoning

• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning

• 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

• Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:

1. Mix all dry ingredients.

2. Coat filets in dry batter mix on each side.

3. Drop in oil that has been heated on medium-high heat.

4. Fry on each side for 4 – 5 minutes, remove, and let drain.

Pictured: We’ve garnished with crawfish tails in a Cajun cream sauce and finely chopped green onions.

NANA PUDDING CHEESECAKE BARS

CRUST

Ingredients:

• 1 cup salted butter

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup banana puree

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350 F and prepare nonstick 9-by-9-inch baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine and mix butter and sugar.

3. Add remaining ingredients until combined well.

4. Fold mixed ingredients into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30 minutes.

5. Remove, cool, and set aside.

BANANA CHEESECAKE FILLING

Ingredients:

• 32 ounces whipped cream cheese

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

• 1 large box of banana cream instant pudding mix

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1/2 cup banana liqueur

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients with hand mixer.

2. Add filling to preset crust.

3. Set in fridge to chill 6 hours before serving.

4. Garnish with your choice of fresh berries and vanilla wafers.

Katrina Carpenter of Carpenter’s Café

Just Beet It

A new food truck, run by a familiar face in Fort Worth’s culinary scene, specializes in ‘garden to table’ food

BY MALCOLM MAYHEW

A salad with watermelon, fresh heirloom tomatoes and housemade mozzarella is one of the star dishes at the new Heirloom food truck.

As if Kevin Martinez isn’t busy enough. Martinez — one of the city’s most wellknown and most talented chefs — can be seen anywhere, anytime, in Fort Worth. He is a constant blur of activity, working as the executive chef at Tokyo Cafe one minute, throwing together a pop-up event the next. One night he might be selling ramen out of his food cart, Yat-Ai, another night he might be helping run a macaroni and cheese cooking contest.

While some chefs are happily complacent, Martinez is joyfully busy.

“I’m always up to try something new,” he said recently, sitting a few feet away from proof of just that.

Martinez is chatting with us at the newly opened Heirloom, a food truck parked at Archie’s Gardenland, the long-running, monolithic garden and nursery on the city’s west side. You can’t miss the strikingly yellow cafe tables and chairs that serve as the truck’s dining area.

Heirloom is indeed a new adventure for the 37-year-old Martinez, who has made a name for himself as executive chef at Tokyo Cafe, a fast-paced Japanese restaurant with a large, expansive menu.

An offshoot of Tokyo Cafe, this is not. Heirloom’s menu is small — only three to four dishes per day — and made up primarily of Martinez’s interpretations of classic American dishes.

The menu changes daily. So far, dishes have included a

smoked beet salad with goat cheese and arugula; a grilled ricotta cheese sandwich; basil tomato soup; a crawfish and shrimp po’boy; a smoked bologna sandwich; and desserts such as banana pudding and pineapple upside down cake. Eventually, his weekend menu will feature more brunch-y items such as migas.

A mainstay is a salad made up of heirloom tomatoes, grown on-site, just a few feet from the truck, and mozzarella that Martinez makes himself. The ultimate goal, he says, is to make just about everything on-site, plucking fruits and veggies from the ground or trees. Heirloom is, after all, surrounded by a big garden.

“You’ve heard of farm to table,” he says. “I like to call this garden to table.”

The menu’s smoked items are prepared a few feet away, in a vintage smoker that’s been in the Archie family for generations. In fact, it was Randall Archie, the fourthgeneration owner of the nursery, who floated the idea for a food truck to Martinez.

“I didn’t really know him that well, but I knew he had food trucks parked here from time to time,” Martinez says. “He said he wanted something more permanent, something different than what he’d been doing.”

Martinez looped in Mary and Jarry Ho, the owners of Tokyo Cafe, and together with Archie, they developed the truck’s concept. Not even a year later, Heirloom opened for business this past March.

Instead of being parked on the street like previous food trucks there, Heirloom rests next to a new elevated patio, built by Archie in the heart of the nursery, giving diners a pictureperfect view of the lush plants and trees that populate it.

Martinez will now do double-duty between Tokyo Cafe and Heirloom, par for the course for a chef who likes to stay busy. For the time being at least, Heirloom is open only for lunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. But Martinez has already hosted one dinner event, and he’s planning more.

“We’re definitely looking at doing more dinners, and if things go well, maybe expanding the space,” he says. “We have a lot of plans.” 6700 Z Boaz Place, facebook.com/heirloomfw

Heirloom’s luscious avocado toast. At right, Heirloom chef Kevin Martinez.

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The Envelope, Please...

The James Beard Awards will be announced in June. What does this mean for Don Artemio, the lone Fort Worth restaurant up for one of the prestigious foodie awards?

BY MALCOLM MAYHEW

No matter what happens on June 5, no matter which restaurant wins the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in the Southwest, no matter if that honor is bestowed upon Don Artemio or not, Don Artemio co-owner Adrian Burciaga says the restaurant, in many ways, has already won.

“It’s an incredible honor just to be nominated,” he says. “Hundreds of new restaurants open every year. To be singled out for what we’re doing here, it’s just unthinkable.”

The nomination is definitely worth celebrating. While Fort Worth has produced nominees in other categories in the past, this is the first time a Fort Worth restaurant has been nominated in the category of Best New Restaurant.

Since the city has yet to produce an actual James Beard Award-winner, some Fort Worthians may not understand their significance; they’re the food/restaurant

industry’s version of the Oscars or Grammys.

“The James Beard Awards are considered one of the most prestigious honors in the culinary and food media industries, and broader food system — and its importance is that it celebrates and recognizes many who are leading American food culture forward,” says Adrian Miller, who serves as the foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Awards Committee Chair. “Receiving a James Beard Award is often known to change the trajectory of one’s career.”

Miller says the voting process begins with a yearly open call for recommendations. Input is gathered from the general public, subcommittee members, and judges, he says. “The subcommittee then produces a ballot with approximately 20 semifinalists in each category — 30 for Best New Restaurant. These semifinalists are announced in the winter.”

Judges and subcommittee members then visit assigned semifinalists in their region, Miller says. “They then score each semifinalist on a number of criteria determined by the subcommittee.” The quintet of semifinalists with the highest average score per category (10 for Best New Restaurant) are announced in the spring as the nominees.

“Judges and subcommittee members next dine at the nominees, participate in discussions to share their dining experiences, then vote for winners, he says. “The top scoring nominee per category is announced as the winner.”

That announcement will take place on June 5.

The mere fact that Don Artemio was nominated means the restaurant has gone above and beyond expectations — and then some.

“Don Artemio’s nomination shows that the restaurant has already demonstrated excellence in their cuisine, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations, while contributing positively to its broader community,” says José Ralat, who also serves on the Restaurant and Chef Awards Committee. “And that they will likely make a significant impact in the years to come.”

Deconstructed tres leches at Don Artemio’s.

No one knows Fort Worth like The Schweitzer Group.

Experts in every neighborhood and nuance of this city, these four agents know Fort Worth’s homes, schools, shops, restaurants and attractions.

■ Between the four of them, these agents have spent a combined 126 years living and working in Fort Worth. Barbara wins with 44 years in Cowtown, while Thurman has been here 37 years. Trey has called Fort Worth home for 23 years and Shelly has been a resident for 22 years.

RAVE REVIEWS

The Schweitzer Group gets a lot of love from clients — whether they are buying, selling or just dreaming big. What are they saying?

Thurman

Schweitzer

817-475-4060

tschweitzer@briggsfreeman.com

Trey Young

817-680-6611

tyoung@briggsfreeman.com

Barbara Schweitzer

817-821-2694

bschweitzer@briggsfreeman.com

Shelly Forrest 817-521-8113

sforrest@briggsfreeman.com

■ Barbara and Thurman are passionate about the community and support local education through their involvement in Fort Worth Country Day School. In 2022, they served as the ambassador family at the Signature Chefs Auction for the March of Dimes.

■ When they’re not hard at work, these agents have a wide range of interests. Barbara is a lifelong tennis player; Thurman is active with the Boy Scouts of America; Shelly is a professionally trained chef and yoga instructor; and Trey devotes his free time to his two young sons and volunteering at Trinity Valley School.

One of the smartest decisions we made was using The Schweitzer Group to sell our parents’ home. Losing both Mom and Dad in the same year — and parting with a home chock-full of our childhood memories — seemed like a daunting task. The Schweitzers and their team of amazing professionals literally rolled up their sleeves and went to work on our behalf. They did their research, applied sound marketing strategies and partnered with us for the successful sale of a unique property. We recommend them highly!” —Diana J. & Kimberly B.

“Thurman is the best! He is knowledgeable and upto-date on the current market. Great communication, always helpful and timely when getting answers to any questions. He does a fantastic job and does whatever needs to be done. Thurman has the client’s best interest in mind. He’s not just trying to get the deal done, he’s there for you!” —Gary S.

Filling a Void

With their new restaurant in Southwest Fort Worth, a couple is helping sate the appetites of those who crave a genre of food not readily available here: Cuban cuisine

BY MALCOLM MAYHEW

Aside from a handful of sandwich shops that have Cubanos on their menus, Cuban cuisine has been difficult to find in Fort Worth.

With their new restaurant, Lola’s Cuban Food, in the Southwest area of the city, Miquelin Herrera and Linaim Morin are helping change that.

For years, the married couple ran a popular food truck by the same name near downtown on Henderson Street. There, they built a following on the strength of their authentic Cuban fare.

Whenever they were asked about opening a permanent spot, the two always said the same thing: “Someday.”

That day came in April when the two opened a brick-and-mortar location in a strip mall on Bryant Irvin Road in the space last occupied by homecooking spot Rufus’ Bar & Grill.

It’s a spacious location, in both front of house and back. “It’s perfect for what we want to do here, which is more than just serve food,” Morin says. “We have live salsa music, DJs — we want it to be a whole experience.”

The extra legroom in the kitchen has allowed the couple to greatly expand their menu, which includes oxtails, pork chops, tamales, stuffed plantains, empanadas, and bistec encebollado, a classic Cuban dish made with steak and onions.

Most of the favorites from the food truck made the jump to the brickand-mortar, including the Cuban sandwich and the excellent thickcut plantain chips. For sides, there are now two kinds of yuca, fried or steamed; tostones; rice and beans; and three types of potatoes: stuffed, fried or mashed.

Lola’s serves classic Cuban dishes, such as a Cuban sandwich.

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Dr. Bryce Calvillo, Health & Wellness Practitioner Angela Calvillo, B.S., Nutrition Specialist

Ashley Randall, Holistic Nutritionist

There are also several new seafood dishes, such as grilled lobster and stuffed squid.

“We couldn’t really do seafood in the truck, at least not how we wanted to do it,” Morin says. “You don’t know what you were missing until you get a full kitchen.”

The couple moved from Cuba to the U.S. in 2014 and launched the food truck five years later. Many of the recipes are based on those from Herrera’s grandmother for whom the truck and restaurant are named.

“The reason why we started the food truck in the first place was to give Cuban food more exposure here,” Morin says. “Not a lot of people know about Cuban food, but once they try it, they love it.” 4608 Bryant Irvin Road, Ste. 440, lolascubanfood.com

Bits and Bites

Those who dig restaurants inside gas stations will find much to love at a newly opened location of the excellent Taqueria Taxco on the far east side. The city’s second location of the Dallas-born chain can be found in a brand-new Mobil station at Cooks Lane and I-30. Taxco continues to be one of the area’s best taquerias – they make their own tortillas and they offer nearly a dozen taco fillings, including tongue, tripe, chicharron, beef and chicken fajita, ground beef, barbacoa and, freshly cut from a rotating trompo, pork. Their breakfast tacos are fantastic, too, especially the mashed potato taco jammed with cheddar cheese. I know, I know, my arteries hate me. Taxco also offers traditional Mex and Tex Mex fare, such as enchiladas, flautas, tamales, elote, quesadillas, sopes, huarache, gorditas, and Friday through Sunday, freshly made menudo. 7850 Ederville Road, ttaxco.com

From the Finally, At Last, Took Forever Department:

The vacant strip malls surrounding Arlington’s muchtouted Viridian community are starting to fill in with places to eat and drink. Lac Bleu Brunch Café, at 3990 N. Collins St., Ste. 116, is a new breakfast, lunch and brunch spot that, similar to Snooze, serves brunch daily, not just on weekends. There are dishes both sweet and savory, from benedicts and hashbrown bowls to crepes, waffles and pancakes stuffed or topped with fruits and whipped cream. Lunch items include burgers, soups, salads and paninis. Lac Bleu is a spin-off of the similar Egg Bar Brunch in south Arlington, which also serves brunch daily.

A few feet over from Lac Bleu, at 3990 N. Collins St., Ste. 100, is the new Chill Coffee & Wine Bar, which serves its namesake drinks, plus charcuterie, hot tea and pastries, in a low-key, “chill” atmosphere. Walk another minute or so to find Magic Cup, a new coffee, smoothie and tea house at 3970 N. Collins St., Ste. 160. This will be location No. 4 for Magic Cup, which has stores in Houston, McKinney and Richardson. Lastly, a second location of Keller favorite Maria Cuca’s Mexican Cuisine will open this summer at 3970 N. Collins St. Ste. 180.

A new pizza spot has opened on the Near Southside, which could definitely use a good pizza spot. Pie Tap Pizza Workshop + Bar is an upscale pizzeria from partners Rich Hicks and Giovanni Mauro, two longtime chefs and restaurateurs. The two worked together years ago at Romanos Macaroni Grill. This is the sixth location of Pie Tap and the first in Fort Worth. Aside from thin-crust pizza, the restaurant’s signature item, there are pastas, salads and sandwiches. 1301 W. Magnolia Ave., pie-tap.com

Restaurant news written and compiled by Malcolm Mayhew. You can reach Malcolm at malcolm. mayhew@hotmail.com or on Twitter @foodfortworth.

Lola’s fried whole snapper with red bell peppers and lemon.

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Where the Best Begins

Fort Worth is the best. We know it. You know it. Even Dallas knows it. But for those skeptics and malcontents who still require persuading, we recommend you thumb through the next 37 pages for what we’re considering a dissertation from our devoted readers and enlightened editors, who picked 310 people, places, and things that set our city apart. As one might say, the proof is in the pork sausage.

Here’s a taste of what’s tops in Cowtown.

tional way. Whether it’s grating their own cheese or taking the time to slice onions from scratch, Villareal verifies no corners are cut when it comes to food prep.

“We still do it all the old-fashioned way,” he says. “It does take more time, but when you order the enchiladas here, we make them fresh for you. We don’t have pans or trays in a warmer prepped ahead of time to serve you. We roll it from scratch, made to order.”

But the food isn’t the only tradition this establishment is known for. The name of this restaurant comes from a traditional northern Mexican term meaning “barbecue pit” or “grill.” But if you look it up, you’ll probably see this name is associated with a Mexican cheese, a definition Villareal says is accurate only to an extent.

“Yes, it is a Mexican cheese, but we use the term to mean a place where you cook on a pit,” he says. “That’s how we interpret it because we have a lot of charbroiled meats. We have chicken, fish, shrimp, and beef, all charbroiled.”

With these simple ingredients, Villareal says his mom laid the groundwork for a menu that has pretty much stayed the same for nearly 40 years — a time frame that Villareal and his family view as a blessing.

Brix Barbecue brixbarbecue.com

EDITOR PICK

Goldee’s Barbecue goldeesbbq.com

Bloody Mary

READER PICK

Wishbone & Flynt wishboneandflynt.com

EDITOR PICK The Rim therimrestaurant.com

Breakfast

READER PICK

Cafe Republic caferepublic.org

Brewery

READER PICK

Cowtown Brewing Company cowtownbrewco.com

EDITOR PICK

Fort Brewery fortbrewery.com

Brunch

READER PICK BREWED brewedfw.com

EDITOR PICK il Modo ilmodorestaurant.com

Burger

READER PICK

Peanut Butter Boi at Big Kat Burgers bigkatburgers.com

EDITOR PICK

The Big Dill at The Bearded Lady thebeardedladyfw. squarespace.com

READER PICK

Big Kat Burgers bigkatburgers.com

French Fries

READER PICK

Gorgonzola Fries at Lili’s lilisbistro.com

EDITOR PICK

Tok Fries at Tokyo Café tokyocafefw.com

Frozen Treat

READER PICK

Sweetzy’s Snowcones sweetzys-snowcones. business.site

EDITOR PICK

Morgan’s Ice Cream morgansicecreamco.com

Grab-n-Go

READER PICK

Meyer & Sage meyerandsage.com

EDITOR PICK

Roy Pope Grocery roypopegrocery.com

Precisely Our Cup of Tea

LEAVES BOOK AND TEA SHOP

EDITOR PICK: Coffee/Tea Shop By Jocelyn Tatum / Photos by Evan Woods

The windows stretch more than 8 feet by 6 feet to the ceiling, letting natural light and the weather’s mood filter in. The mere thought of books and tea causes a vibe of comfort, which Tina Howard intends in order to create a safe place to share ideas in an increasingly contentious world. This is important for Howard, owner of Leaves Book and Tea Shop. “It has always been a family value to build community, and we are connectors,” she says.

Howard’s small business operating in the South Main district of Fort Worth invokes just that. Slow jazz plays in the background. Books filled with ideas, histories, herstories, new perspectives, narratives of other worlds decorate the shelves in an uncluttered way that doesn’t overwhelm.

She noticed a wound forming in the community when Barnes

& Nobles’ Downtown Fort Worth and University Drive stores announced their closure in 2014. She had been meeting a book club at the Downtown location. Borders on Hulen Street closed about the same time. Bookstores had always been a place where she observed a community could share ideas while being inspired by the pages that line the shelves in millions. And while big-box bookstores had been on the decline across the nation, she says independent bookstores were on the rise.

While this seemed to be contrary to what was happening to other forms of entertainment like movie theaters and concert venues, a recent report by KERA in early 2023 reports there has been a return to reading and a rise in local bookstores since COVID — “just over the past three years, more than 400 new indie bookstores have opened. Some 230 more are in the works.”

This cultural shift toward independent bookstores was less a reflection of the decline of print, but about the desire for a more relational and less transactional experience in the marketplace. Howard was answering the community’s call for comfort, familiarity, and depth when she decided to open Leaves. “A big-box bookstore has an overwhelming amount of inventory. We have about 200-300 titles on the shelves.” Howard personally orders every book that comes in and has read most of the books in Leaves. If she hasn’t read a book in her store, she will research the book and consult an expert friend. She organizes books into topics and themes like death and dying, identity, food, race, and gender. For Howard, having a safe place in the community that nurtures conversations that engage the community to learn about topics otherwise unfamiliar is important.

Some may think Leaves is a tea shop that sells books, but it is a bookstore that sells tea. Howard says she needed something to bring the people in beyond the books and invite them to stay for a while. She noticed a plethora of coffee shops in the area, so tea it was. “We are a space where you can come into this space and take a break from life. It has to be warm and inviting. I want people to be present here, present with themselves and who they are with,” Howard says.

She has always loved to read. For her, it is a way to connect to lives unfamiliar to her as she has not walked the path of, say, a transgender person. And if she wants to understand a topic better, she dives into literature. Not just nonfiction, but also fiction does this better for her as it tends to help her get inside the minds of the lives she’s trying to understand. She wants Leaves “to be a place where you can see a different perspective, exchange ideas, and have a civil discourse [...] and have a conversation and approach things with a curiosity.”

To cultivate such conversations, Howard started hosting dinner parties she calls The Veritable Feast “to nourish the mind and the

body,” curating a genuine and consummate experience. She serves a meal partnering with a local chef, pairs the event with readings from books based on a theme. It is usually a topic people should discuss and want to learn more about but don’t feel safe or comfortable discussing.

The first topic was death and dying. That section of her bookstore that was selling quickly, which was her first cue.

“We don’t talk about death and dying in our culture, and it was interesting that people were reading about it. It feels taboo maybe to talk about it, so people read about it instead.” She had a couple hospice nurses speak, and she read thoughtfully selected passages from books on the topic, narrowing the theme to what it means to die well.

“It was fantastic,” Howard says.

They did a funeral theme for the dinner party, and people brought food they would bring to a memorial gathering. This sparked a conversation about the ways different cultures approach funerals and funeral food, because Howard says that while the white people attending brought casseroles, the Black people attending said that is not the food they bring to funerals and memorials. She caps the events at about 22 people and splits them into groups of four or five so the conversations can stay real and intimate.

“The sparkling tea is the quiet dark horse,” she says. It wasn’t their original intention, but a tea and botanical simple syrup added into the sparkling water seemed like a natural move due to the boom of sparkling water. They hand mix all of it. She says a contact at Hop Fusion said to her in 2018, “If you can put it into a keg, then Hop Fusion would put it on tap.” She started wholesaling the sparkling tea before she even opened Leaves, diversifying and supporting her little bookstore and dream to connect others through veritable conversations that elevate her community as a whole.

Howard would agree that good stories told well connect us, because the unfamiliar no longer becomes the “other,” and her shop is a pod for this growth. •

Korean ‘Cue

SAM WON GARDEN

EDITOR PICK: Asian Food

By Malcolm Mayhew / Photos by Evan Woods

This family-owned Korean restaurant resides in a faded strip mall in southwest Fort Worth, near the intersection of SW Loop 820 and McCart Avenue. Don’t judge it by the dicey parking lot.

That’s all a part of the charm of this diamond-in-the-rough restaurant, our go-to in the city for authentic Korean cuisine. Once inside, you’re greeted with the unmistakable fragrances of sizzling bulgogi, barbecue spareribs, and other aromatic dishes that have kept Sam Won Garden open, through thick and thin, for nearly 20 years.

The restaurant is cherished by those who live close by and inthe-know foodies who’ve kept mum about it — because, you know, they want it for themselves.

And rightly so. It’s untouched by anything related to time. No silly food trends, no hip décor. Just solid and inexpensive Korean food, served in a warm, homey atmosphere.

“That’s how I describe it to people who haven’t been here,” says Sunnie Chung, who runs the restaurant with her mother, Sylvia. “It’s authentic Korean food served in a place that’ll remind you of going to your grandmother’s when you were a kid.”

The restaurant is known for several dishes. Among them is dolsot bibimbap, a hot stone bowl filled with cooked rice, shredded beef, a sunny-side up egg, and any number of vegetables, from zucchini to carrots. Throw on as much hot sauce and soy sauce as you want and mix everything together. The bowl is so hot, you’ll hear the snap, crackle, pop of the rice burning at the bottom of it; the burned parts of the rice are the best.

Another must-try dish: Korean barbecue spareribs, which you can cook yourself at a special table equipped with a charcoal burner, or you can let the kitchen do its thing and serve them to you on a big sizzling platter, grease still sputtering when it hits your table.

There’s a wide variety of soups for both Korean cuisine novices and those who know their way around a good seolleongtang (beef broth and noodle soup). Our favorite is the kimchi jjigae, a spicy, hearty stew filled with a mix of pork and diced tofu. One of these days, we’ll get around to trying the yeomso tang, a goat and veggie soup designed to, according to Korean legend, restore energy and boost vitality.

The popular Korean pancakes are served as appetizers but are so big, they may as well be a meal. In both size and how they’re served, they’re more like pizzas than pancakes — topped with various ingredients, such as leeks, seafood, and jalapenos, and cut into pizza-size slices.

Elsewhere on the menu, there’s a varied assortment of fried rice dishes, seafood dishes — both exotic and not — and hot and cold noodle dishes.

Much of Sam Won’s appeal has to do with the amount of food you get. Many of the entrees are served with small, refillable sides of pickled cucumbers, spicy kimchi, soft potatoes, and other veggies, all delivered to your table via a squeaky wheeled cart, dim sumstyle. Part of the Sam Won experience is anticipating what sides your server will wheel out since no two visits, when it comes to these tiny treats, are ever the same.

Owner Own Chung opened the restaurant in 2005, a time when there were few Korean restaurants in Fort Worth proper. As a result, it became an instant hit, popular not only with area foodies but expats who missed the food of their homelands.

“I’m not sure there’s a better compliment than someone saying, ‘This tastes like what I grew up eating,’” Sunnie says. “And we get that a lot.”

The restaurant is, and has always been, stubbornly low-key: It barely has a social media presence, and seldom does the family advertise in local media. Instead, the Chungs depend on regulars, word-of-mouth, and an occasional story, like this one.

There have been times, over the years, when followers feared it had closed, especially during the pandemic when sometimes it was open and sometimes not. To-go orders helped the Chung family survive the most crushing days of COVID.

Many thought the restaurant would close for good last year when Own Chung passed away after an accident at the restaurant.

Following a long pause, Sunnie and Sylvia reopened.

“The community has been so supportive, especially when we lost our dad,” Sunnie says. “Regulars were coming in, tenfold, spending their time and money here to support us, to make sure we stayed open. We would not have made it through COVID, my father’s passing, all the things we’ve endured as a restaurant, without the community’s love and support. They’re the reason we’re still here.” •

Healthy Bite

READER PICK

Righteous Foods eatrighteously.com

EDITOR PICK

Boulevard of Greens boulevardofgreens.com

Hole in the Wall

READER PICK

Hemphill’s Restaurant hemphilldfw.com

EDITOR PICK

Dos Molina’s

Italian

READER PICK

Tre Mogli tremogli.com

EDITOR PICK

Nonna Tata nonnatata.com

Late Night Eats

READER PICK

Delray Cafe at Nickel City nickelcitybar.com

COWTOWN BREWERY

READER PICK: Brewery

By Stephen Montoya

by Crystal Wise

Whether it’s 5 o’clock or not, the happy hour stays constant during regular business hours at the Cowtown Brewery. Attendees at this local watering hole have 16 taps from which to choose and two areas in which to enjoy their libations. Patrons can enjoy a beverage inside the 5,000-square-foot, air-conditioned taproom or get some fresh air out on the expansive deck. Either way, you’ll get what you really came for — beer.

This nearly 5-year-old brewery is in part the brainchild of cofounder/owner Shawn Kidwell, who says he started out like many brewers in the industry — in his own kitchen.

“I got obsessed with brewing beer back in 2011 while I was living in Austin,” Kidwell says. “From there I moved here to the Fort Worth area and began volunteering at the Peticolas Brewing Company in Dallas.”

Thanks to this experience, Kidwell found his calling: working in the brewing industry. A few years later, Kidwell verifies that he and his business partner, Billy Avila, began paying rent on the building that would eventually become Cowtown Brewery.

“We had possession of this place long before we opened our doors, which gave me a chance to set up our pilot system in here and just brew pilot batches like crazy,” he opined. “When I wasn’t volunteering or working at the Grapevine Craft Brewery, I was here.”

Kidwell says by the time Cowtown Brewery opened, he and his team had eight beers on tap. With his dream finally realized, Kidwell says the business was just hitting its stride when the global pandemic put everything and almost everyone on the sidelines.

“We had to completely reimagine our entire business model. We were actually closed down for a total of four months in 2020.”

But Kidwell says he wasn’t going to give up. Instead, he, along with his limited staff, found a way to package the beer they were brewing to keep the product moving out the door.

Currently, patrons can experience a wide range of styles that complement another Texas staple — barbecue. Favorites include Rhinestone Cowboy, a crisp and refreshing Kölsch; Sim City, a juicy, double-dry hopped IPA; Canvas, a velvety smooth milk stout with loads of raspberries; and Altbier, a crisp, clean, full-bodied beer with a malty, bittersweet finish. Add this to an updated seasonal roster of beers, and you’ll get what all the rage is about.

“We are always looking to make our beers better,” Kidwell verifies. “We are pleased with what we’ve done so far, but we are never done learning in this type of industry.” •

Photo

Up in Smoke

YELLOW ROSE SMOKEHOUSE

READER PICK: Pop-up

By Brian Kendall / Photo by Crystal Wise

Depending on the day, you just might get lucky and catch a full-bearded man with one of Fort Worth’s most relaxed, I-gotlife-figured-out dispositions selling an insanely diverse selection of smoked meats on the back patio of Showdown — one of the city’s best dive bars. The guy, Rich Chiarello, has been using this spot, at least whenever he sees fit, for his increasingly popular pop-up, Yellow Rose Smokehouse, since 2021.

Using the Showdown’s outside griddle, Chiarello prepares an ever-changing menu of meats. His dishes intermittently include Philly cheesesteaks; Cuban sandwiches; scallion pancakes; pork jowls; brisket; and duck tacos, one of his most popular items. But, outside of a mouthwatering cheeseburger, don’t show up expecting a specific item. Like a Grateful Dead setlist, the menu at Yellow Rose Smokehouse is contingent on the whims of its chef.

Originally hailing from Connecticut, Chiarello would attend Rhodes College in Memphis, where he worked in dive bars and pizza joints before an unexpected pregnancy forced him to move to Fort Worth. A divorce and financial hardships would ensue, but he took solace in smoking meats.

“Food was kind of an escape for my son,” Chiarello says. “[Smoking meats] became a routine. I didn’t have the money for us to do some of the things we wanted to do, so it became an event for us.”

When the financial difficulties waned (Side Note: Chiarello became a petroleum landman whose colleague happens to be another well-know, if also underground, chef, Scotty Scott), Chiarello realized that, despite this success, he didn’t find it rewarding.

“One of my partners looks at me and goes, ‘Rich, you’re a decent layman, but it’s very obvious cooking is what you’re excellent at.’”

During his second gig after entering the pop-up world, Daniel Vaughn, the self-anointed BBQ snob of Texas Monthly fame, showed up and gave a glowing review via social media. Chiarello would follow this up with a third-place finish at a nation-wide barbecue competition.

At this point, he approached Showdown about doing pop-ups.

“[Showdown] is one of those places where the more you meet the people and start peeling back those layers, it’s a very diverse crowd,” Chiarello says. “But the decision to come was also location. Showdown is close to my house. It’s just a hop, skip, and jump and everything’s copacetic.”

When asked what’s next, Chiarello seems happy right where he’s at.

“I’m at the peak of my life right now. So, like, why would I rock this boat? I think I’m gonna keep doing what I’m doing.” •

Sandwich

READER PICK

Original Chicken Sandwich at Mutts muttscantina.com/tx-fortworth-clearfork

EDITOR PICK

KGB at Cheba Hut chebahut.com/locations/ fortworth-8thave

Sandwich Shop

READER PICK

Bodega South Main bodegasouthmain.com

EDITOR PICK Galligaskins eatgalligaskins.com

Seafood

READER PICK Fitzgerald eatatfitz.com

EDITOR PICK

Flying Fish flyingfishinthe.net

Service

READER PICK Paris 7th paris7th.com

EDITOR PICK Capital Grill thecapitalgrille.com/home

Steakhouse

READER PICK Wicked Butcher wickedbutcher.com

EDITOR PICK 97 West Kitchen & Bar 97westkitchenandbar.com

Sushi Restaurant

READER PICK

Hatsuyuki Handroll Bar

EDITOR PICK

Little Lilly Sushi littlelillysushi.com

Taco Shop

READER PICK

Los Taco H’s lostacohsdfw.com

EDITOR PICK

Birrieria y Taqueria Cortez

Tapas/Shareable Plates

READER PICK

Tinie’s tiniesfw.com

EDITOR PICK

Maria’s Mexican Kitchen mariasmexicankitchen.com

Tex-Mex

READER PICK

Blue Mesa Grill bluemesagrill.com

EDITOR PICK Los Asaderos losasaderos.com

Vegan/Vegetarian

READER PICK Pizza Verde pizzaverdetx.com

EDITOR PICK Planted Bakery plantedbakery.com

Wine List

READER PICK Grace Restaurant gracefortworth.com

EDITOR PICK

Clay Pigeon claypigeonfd.com

Winery

READER PICK Two Brothers Winery twobrotherswinery.com

EDITOR PICK

Lost Oak Winery lostoakwinery.com

Fit for a Pharaoh

KING TUT RESTAURANT

EDITOR PICK: Mediterranean

by Malcolm Mayhew / Photos by Crystal Wise

In 1992, when Amin Mahmoud opened King Tut Restaurant on the Near Southside, there was no “Near Southside.” No fancy apartment buildings or hip barbecue joints or cool clubs or anything, really, that comes to mind when you think of the popular neighborhood that resides just south of downtown.

There was, however, a lot of potential, Mahmoud says, which led the native of Cairo and his wife, who hails from Algeria, to the pindot of a spot at 1512 Magnolia Ave.

Borrowing money from friends, taking out loans, and selling their belongings, the couple raised the needed $25,000 to open their Egyptian restaurant, one of the first new businesses to roll the dice on a dilapidated — and still a little dangerous — part of town.

“There wasn’t much here, a few restaurants, some bars; you didn’t want to walk around at night,” he says. “You’d hear gunshots; you’d see street gangs. It wasn’t a very encouraging area to open a restaurant. But we saw potential; we took a chance.”

Through good word of mouth and positive stories in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, word began to spread about King Tut’s scratch-made Egyptian food, a slight variation of Mediterranean cuisine. (The primary difference between the styles of food,

Mahmoud says, is the spices used.)

Business picked up considerably when King Tut’s next-door neighbor, the fondly remembered punk rock club Mad Hatters, closed, allowing Mahmoud to expand the restaurant’s dining room. Where bands like Unwound, Boss Hog, The Offspring, and The Toadies once played is now an eating area with views of Magnolia Avenue.

By the time of King Tut‘s expansion, the restaurant had become a neighborhood fave for its cool and kitschy Egyptian decor but moreover for its excellent chicken shawarma. Still the restaurant’s most popular dish, it comes in the form of seasoned, diced chicken marinated with onions and tomatoes and served with your choice of fries or rice, plus warm pita bread, a side salad, and ridiculously addicting tahini sauce.

Other menu items include moussaka, a thick stew of ground sirloin and onions, with a choice of zucchini, okra, or eggplant, cooked in a tomato sauce; sandwiches made with lamb, beef, or chicken; and, among the half-dozen or so vegetarian options, falafel, made to order balls of chickpeas, fava beans, onions, leeks, parsley, and cilantro.

The restaurant’s take on pizza is an underrated gem. Made with thick naan bread, the 7-inch pies come in four varieties: beef, veggie, shrimp and chicken, each topped with mozzarella and a special sauce.

The restaurant’s current menu has changed little since the restaurant opened. One major change: You can now buy Mahmoud’s salad dressing by the bottle. He’s hoping to, one day, sell it at major grocery stores. “Hopefully, that’ll be how we can retire,” he says with a laugh.

That’s down the road, though, he says. Right now, he and his wife and their daughter, Hoda, still love working there.

“My daughter was three months old when we opened,” he says. “I remember how hard it was, having a family, running a restaurant, being a parent — it was a tough life. But it was what we wanted to do, and now we have so much to be thankful for. God has truly blessed us.”

Mahmoud says what gives him the energy to keep going, after 30 years, are the returning customers.

“I have people who come up to me and say, ‘I used to go to Mad Hatters when I was a kid, and I’d eat here all the time,’” he says.

“And they’ll say, ‘I moved away for a while but could always remember how good your food tasted,’ and that just makes me feel so good, so wanted. That’s why we keep doing this.” •

Shaw’s Paws*

*formerly Fetchpetsitting shawspawspetcare.com

Bridal Boutique

READER PICK

Birdie Bridal birdiebridal.com

EDITOR PICK

WED Bridal Boutique wedbridalboutique.com

Child Care/Day Care

READER PICK

Lena Pope Early Learning Center lenapope.org/intellectual-wellbeing/early-learning-centers

EDITOR PICK

READER PICK

Artspace111 artspace111.com

EDITOR PICK

The 4 Eleven the4eleven.net

The Way-Back Shop

DOC’S RECORDS & VINTAGE

EDITOR PICK: Antique Shop/Secondhand Store

By Malcolm Mayhew / Photos by Crystal Wise

Doc’s Records & Vintage has been a main contributor to our vinyl-buying habits for years, going back to its very first shop in Hurst, nearly two decades ago. Some of us even remember Jerry Boyd, the father in the pop-and-son team that owns Doc’s, used to sell vinyl at record conventions in Dallas. Us and Doc’s, we go back a ways.

But it’s the latter part of its name — the “Vintage” part — that has always set Doc’s apart from other record stores. And over the years, and the course of four stores, each one bigger than the last, it has become a major component to its business model.

The current incarnation of son Jenkins and pop Jerry’s store, located in The Foundry District, is split evenly between record shop and vintage market.

On the music side of the store, Jenkins guestimates there are at least 4,000 records in stock, plus a virtually uncountable number of CDs. Just about every genre is represented — punk, indie, blues, jazz, hip-hop, country — and there’s a healthy selection of new and used, national and local. Posters, T-shirts, and music and film

memorabilia are scattered about; some of the more collectible records are kept behind glass.

When it comes to customer service, Doc’s is more “Empire Records” than “High Fidelity.” The people who work here are friendly and knowledgeable, and if they don’t have the answer to your question about an obscure German ambient band that put out a record on an Australian label that doesn’t exist anymore, well, give ‘em about 10 minutes, and they will.

They’re real music fans, people happy to turn you onto what they’re listening to or share their opinion on what Flying Saucer Attack record to buy first. You’ve seen them at shows, clubs, and bars, working or listening or performing. They’re Doc’s customers, too. When they’re flipping through records, you don’t know if they’re on the clock or just looking for stuff.

The west side of the building is dedicated to antiques and vintage goods. The word “antique” may be pushing it, although we’ve spotted some pieces there from time to time that could be 100 years old — the true definition of an antique. But Doc’s isn’t gonna put Carter Bowden out of business anytime soon.

The emphasis, rather, is on vintage pieces, with a particular focus on midcentury to the ‘70s — smart, very smart. Midcentury has been hot for years now, and ‘70s memorabilia is right on its tail. Most of the booths are run by individuals who pay Doc’s rent to lease out the space, and most of them keep their prices on the approachable side.

Booths are jam-packed with furniture, kitschy knickknacks, artwork, colorful toys that will elicit responses such as, “Man, I used to have that,” and clothes, clothes, clothes, lots of clothes. For those who love rummaging through racks of vintage wearables at thrift stores, in search of everything from concert T-shirts to funky jeans to rad purses to retro summer dresses, you could easily kill a day here.

Opened in 2006, the original Doc’s was on Pipeline Road in Hurst. Next came a move to Montgomery Street in Fort Worth, then to a larger building on Camp Bowie West. Each store was bigger than the last as the Boyd’s inventory — and demand for it — continued to fatten.

Finally, in 2018, the Boyds opened their current home at 2628 Weisenberger St., in a former warehouse in the bustling Foundry District. Taking full advantage of the space’s goliath 9,800 square feet, father and son have flooded it with cool stuff, had its facade painted in incredible murals by local artists, and hosted all kinds of music and art-related events, from concerts to art installations.

But it all comes back to the records and standing there by yourself flipping through them. For a music lover, there’s really no better feeling than that. So, sell all the midcentury wares and clothes you want, Doc’s — you’re still a record store to us. •

Reboot

CITY BOOTS

EDITOR PICK: Western Apparel

By Brian Kendall / Photos by Crystal Wise

Nancy Sinatra notwithstanding, boots, traditionally, were always kind of a guy’s thing. The bright idea to create a piece of footwear covering more than just the sole of one’s foot, boots — and later cowboy boots — were designed with workers, farmers, and cowhands in mind. They were unsophisticated, straightforward, and workman-like; one might even call them shitkickers. This patriarchal take on the boot meant that, if women wanted to (both literally and figuratively) dip their toes in the world of footwear for hard laborers, they were forced to buy smaller sizes of a shoe that didn’t conform to the dimensions of their feet. And this became particularly troublesome once cowboy boots became a must-have, fashionable addition to any ensemble.

“I went to school at SMU, and all of the girls wanted cowboy boots, but they didn’t know where to buy them,” Lizzy Chesnut Bentley, founder, owner, and designer at City Boots, says. “That’s where the idea [of City Boots] came from. They didn’t want a boot to wear in the field. They wanted a boot to wear to the boulevard or the football games or to the day parties or ranch on the weekends. They didn’t care about

the functionality.” Bentley’s goal was to create a boot that honored the tradition of cowboy boots, maintaining the iconic footwear’s practicality, while making boots that were more sophisticated and aesthetically pleasing for a female clientele. If you stroll through City Boots’ brick-and-mortar on Vickery Boulevard, you’ll find rows of high-shafted boots in powder blue, lavender, green, red, yellow, light brown (“We really never do dark brown boots. It’s not our thing; it’s just for men”), and, of course, pink. Each with ornate stitching and the occasional flare of a heart or thunderbolt and designed with what Bentley calls a vintage toe and female heel (a taller heel that is technically similar to a traditional riding heel).

Another thing that might catch one’s eye is the rainbow stitching that accompanies some of the boots, a nod to Bentley’s grandfather.

“[My grandfather] was a very reserved man, and I didn’t ever really get to know him that well, but he always had rainbow stitching on his boots,” she says. “That’s a statement for a reserved man.”

While the collection is diverse, the boots in the shop have a specific look, an immediately recognizable style akin to how one could spot Air Jordans from a mile away. They’re the kinds of boots that pair seamlessly with a denim skirt, yet a John Waynetype wouldn’t be caught dead in. You know, as their company moniker suggests, perfect for a night in the city. But that’s not to say you can’t get ’em dirty.

“I mean, you can still ranch in them,” Bentley says. “These are the real deal cowboy boots that can be cleaned up and worn for years and years.”

Originally from Amarillo and schooled at SMU, Bentley would live the corporate life in Houston for a few years before kickstarting City Boots in 2016 with an order of 50 pairs. Remaining online-only for four years, the company would help usher in our current era of trendy Western wear, of which Fort Worth just might be the epicenter.

“[Western wear] has been a thing for the last few years, but when I started the brand, that was not the case,” Bentley says. “So, I like to think we have a little something to do with that. I’m just kind of making it available and making it accessible.”

To put it plainly, it’s this accessibility that Bentley hangs her hat on.

“The thing I would hear from girls [considering buying cowboy boots] is, ‘I can’t pull that off.’ There’s an intimidation factor with cowboy boots. But we try to show that you can wear a cowboy boot anywhere, and it fits in.” •

Eyewear

READER PICK

Eyeworks eyeworksgroup.com

EDITOR PICK

CHROMA modern

Eyewear Eyecare chromamodern.com

Fine Jewelry

READER PICK

Collections Fine Jewelry collectionsfinejewelry.com

EDITOR PICK

Kubes Jewelry Store kubesjewelers.com

Florist

READER PICK

Brandi Chapman Florals

EDITOR PICK

Bright Eyed Blooms brighteyedblooms.com

Gift Shop

READER PICK

The Worthy Co. worthy-co.com

EDITOR PICK

Crum Art crumart.com

Grocery Store

READER PICK Central Market centralmarket.com

EDITOR PICK

Roy Pope Grocery roypopegrocery.com

Insurance Agent or Firm

READER PICK

The Elder Agency theelderagency.com

EDITOR PICK

Matt Poston, State Farm statefarm.com/agent/us/ tx/fort-worth/matt-postonzpb5y1ys000

Liquor Store/Beer and Wine Shop

READER PICK

Tricks of the Trade Bottle Shop tricksbottleshop.com

EDITOR PICK

Southside Cellar southsidebeercellar.com

Men’s Boutique

READER PICK

Fort Worth Barber Supply fwbarbersupply.com

EDITOR PICK

Schaefer Outfitter schaeferoutfitter.com

Organic Food Store

READER PICK

Sunflower Shoppe sunflowershoppe.com

Outdoor Store

READER PICK

The Collective Outdoors thecollectiveoutdoors.com

EDITOR PICK Into the Garden Outdoor Living intothegardenoutdoor.com

Record Store

READER PICK Record Town recordtowntx.com

CHIEFFALO AMERICANA

EDITOR PICK: Vintage Boutique By Brian Kendall / Photo by Crystal Wise

Few people can wax poetic about, well, just about anything better than local renaissance man Roger Chieffalo, who, along with wife Jackie, opened this one-of-a-kind concept in December 2020 on the Camp Bowie bricks. You see, Chieffalo Americana isn’t your everyday vintage store. No, each carefully curated item they have for sale has been revived, restored, and rejuvenated to create seemingly brand-new duds (old-school, threeinch-brim cowboy hats; century-old belt buckles; and, heck, even Elvis’ sunglasses), the likes of which have caught the eye of Leon Bridges and Michael Cavender — yeah, of Cavender’s Boot City fame. You’ve heard of an actor’s actor or a musician’s musician? Well, Chieffalo Americana is clearly a store’s store. The best of the best. •

GOSS FITNESS

Founded in 2006, Goss Fitness has provided hundreds of people with fitness assistance throughout the DFW area. Goss Fitness is aimed to provide a high-energy and comfortable atmosphere for people of all fitness levels. With competitive prices for training and membership fees, combined with an emphasis on customer service and interaction, Goss Fitness promises to treat you and your wallet right. – Founded by Greg Goss

Fitness Classes, Strength Training, Cardio

Personal Training additional charge and must have a gym membership.

Trainers are all NASM certified.

HIIT Classes by Kerri Burke, NASM Certified

Goss Fitness

817.759.9120

6445 Southwest Blvd. Benbrook, TX 76132 info@gossfitness.com www.gossfitness.com

Mon-Thurs: 5am-8pm Fri: 5am-4pm Sat: 6am-Noon Sun: Opened by Request

Nightlife & Entertainment

Bar with Games

READER PICK

Free Play Arcade freeplayinc.com

EDITOR PICK

Courtside Kitchen courtsidekitchenfw.com

Bar/Pub

READER PICK

Second Rodeo Brewing secondrodeobrewing.com

EDITOR PICK

Lobby Bar at Hotel Dryce hoteldryce.com

Country Club

READER PICK

River Crest Country Club rivercrest-cc.org

EDITOR PICK

Ridglea Country Club ridgleacountryclub.com

Dance Floor

She left Broadway that day forever changed. Her mother took her and her sister back to New York every year after that. She loved theater from that day forward.

Her taste has changed since then. She’s less into musical theater and more into plays that are what she says are a little bit dark and hyper-theatrical and make her think. “I like visually interesting plays,” she says. She loves the way theater offers insight into the

human condition and what someone else is going through, how it connects us to our humanity and also helps us understand the misunderstood villain. “What makes us look outside ourselves, because I could be driving down the street and someone cuts me off, and I will be mad,” she says. But she says if she knew their story, her heart would soften.

She adheres to the universal law that if we knew everyone’s stories, then there would be few enemies and little conflict. Because good stories, told well through any medium, but for her, the theatrical medium, offer a window to a villain, or “the other,” and what made them who they are. “A villain doesn’t usually wake up in the morning and say, ‘I am going to do something terrible,’” she says. “[Theater] gets us out of our bubble but in a safe space.” She wants people to be willing to get uncomfortable to learn about the unfamiliar people or cultures they encounter.

But Culebro didn’t follow her heart into theater until later in life. In her college years, between 18-22 years old, she studied French and Spanish literature thinking she would be a businesswoman. She was good at math and was shy, so theater was not a place for her, she thought. She then married and had a daughter, but her passion for theater never waned. It tugged at her.

When her family moved to Fort Worth in 1993, she started taking theater courses at Texas Christian University a few years later. While she considers herself a playwright, it was there that she found she had many talents for theater production. She even started designing sets and costumes. She realized that being quiet (or shy) is no reason to walk away from her passion. “They took me right in,” she says.

She and her classmates wanted to produce a show in 2000, and TCU offered its space and resources. Now in her 30s, she would soon get another bachelor’s degree in theater and radio, television, and film. In this incubator of a space, she co-founded Amphibian Stage Productions in 2000. “It felt so magical. Part of that, the chair of the department at the time, he just handed us the keys. If they hadn’t had that, we probably wouldn’t be here

today. He let us use that space for eight years,” she says.

While looking for their permanent home, she never stopped producing. She collaborated with The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, bringing minimally produced readings to showcase playwriting and the talent. She found a temporary home for four years at the then Fort Worth Community Arts Center (now Arts Fort Worth) and landed in their current space in the SoMa district in 2012 when it was still a rough area in the nascent stages of redevelopment. She says it was risky but worth it. They were finally able to expand their season year-round and fully bring Culebro’s talent into full display.

Culebro seeks out scripts that will inspire patrons the way theater has always inspired her. Amphibian subscriber Stephen Tobin says he appreciates the meticulous and methodical thought Culebro puts into her productions, which always get him to think. “There is always substance in what she brings to the stage at Amphibian. It’s entertainment, but there is depth to it. Every play she brings and every program she starts has at its core the desire to create a better understanding to entertain and broaden your mind,” Tobin says.

The audience member also has to be vulnerable themselves and be open to feel what the characters are going through, he says. He appreciates how Culebro’s productions at Amphibian make this vulnerability possible in part because of the subject matter, directors chosen, the actors chosen, and in part because the theater format is black box, which allows patrons to experience these stories in the best way possible because the configuration can change each time.

“As an arts and entertainment genre, it asks more of us than television and movies. We have to let our imaginations be along for the ride. But in exchange, we get to see the players at close range — real people who are willing to be vulnerable in front of strangers for the sake of storytelling. And there is nothing like a live performance in an intimate setting,” Tobin says.

Amphibian has also brought countless beneficial programs to Fort Worth. But Culebro is most proud of the opportunities her theater provides artists, particularly emerging artists. “Many of our world premieres have gone on to be produced a lot around the country. I love that they were developed here [because] there are so few opportunities for playwrights,” she says. Most importantly, she hopes that the stories they’ve told through theater over the years have had an impact on audiences, she says.

In Mexico, frogs are good luck. The horned frog is also the mascot for the institution she owes her start to — TCU. Hence, amphibian for an appropriate moniker. “They are adaptable. They can live in land and water. They are beginning stories,” she says.

Culebro says the arts heal a community. “We exist for our community. We are trying to fulfill a purpose,” she says. •

Good Shootin’, Tex

DEFENDER

OUTDOORS

CLAY SPORTS RANCH

READER PICK: Outdoor Activity

By Stephen Montoya

Imagine your normal workday was spent walking around a 100-plus-acre ranch where you could practice your aim, sight in a scope, or try out different caliber ammo. For many a Texan, this sounds like a dream come true, but for Defender Outdoors Clay Sports Ranch president Travis Mears it’s just another day at the office. But this passion project-turned-business was anything but easy to build. As Mears puts it, he had to choose the right path so he could be where he and his business are today.

“Well, when I was growing up, I sort of had some success on the competitive side of shooting,” he says. “I had a lot of great adults to look up to, and what I noticed was that they were all businessmen that had the financial ability to enjoy doing things like shooting.”

This is where Mears says he hit a crossroads in his life. “I had the choice to go the professional level and live on the road and shoot and try to make enough money to go to the next tournament, or I could be like those guys that I looked up to and have a job that provided financial stability.”

Mears chose the latter, which meant he went to business school with the goal of running and owning his own business one day.

“When I got out of school in 2009, it wasn’t a great market, so I went to work in insurance and then eventually in oil and gas,” he explains. Soon after getting his feet under him in the business world, Mears says he started putting together a business plan which combined his passion for shooting with his knowledge of the business world.

Soon after he hatched this idea, Mears and his partners at

Defender Outdoors Shooting Center found the perfect piece of property in Fort Worth to build what is now the Defender Outdoors Clay Sports Ranch.

“Even when I wasn’t in the shooting business, I was always trying to be,” he says. In fact, Mears says he would always try to string as many vacation days he had together to see if he could compete in a shooting tournament or a hunt. “I knew at some point, this was my destiny.”

Since its official opening in January of 2018, the Defender Outdoors Clay Sports Ranch has become the go-to spot for many a pro and amateur gun enthusiast, Mears says. “This area was in dire need of something like this for a long time, so that’s why I really tried to make this happen.”

Mears says word-of-mouth and his network of colleagues in the world of shotgun sports, a world he’d spent 25 years in, helped his business gain traction. “We chuckle about this now, but back in those days, we had three employees, and on Fridays and Sundays, you could go all day and not see five people,” Mears says. “Nowadays, on Fridays and Sundays, there’s a line at the register all day, every day. Things have evolved, and people have definitely found us now, but back then with three people, we felt like we were doing great.”

Currently, Defender Outdoors Clay Sports Ranch has 12 to 15 employees on any given day with a capacity to host as many as 1,000 rifle-only shooters at any given time.

“We hosted the 2022 Texas State Sporting Clays Championship, which was the largest Texas State Championship ever held,” Mears says. For this, we hosted 804 competitors, which means there were probably a thousand people here for five days.”

Although this event was a one-off, Mears says Defender Outdoors Clay Sports Ranch hosts nearly 100 events every year.

“For the last three years, the total number of funds that have been raised here for local and nationwide charities is well into the millions,” he says. “This is really cool, because as the host, we’re facilitating the event, but we are also benefiting hundreds of really great causes, which to us is phenomenal.”

So, whether you are a first-time shooter or a seasoned pro, Mears says his range has you covered. •

Horseback Riding

READER PICK

Benbrook Stables benbrookstables.com

EDITOR PICK

Trinity River Farm & Equestrian Center trinityriverfarmtx.com

Hotel/Resort

READER PICK

Hotel Drover hoteldrover.com

EDITOR PICK

Hotel Dryce hoteldryce.com

Karaoke

READER PICK

HopFusion Ale Works hopfusionaleworks.com

EDITOR PICK

Red Goose Saloon red-goose-saloon.business.site

Lounge

READER PICK

The Amber Room wishboneandflynt.com/theamber-room

EDITOR PICK

The Basement Lounge

JOHN WAYNE: AN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

READER PICK: Family Outing

By Brian Kendall / Photos by Crystal Wise

While the city has countless things of which to be proud, landing what is a sprawling collection of memorabilia from one of the world’s most iconic and recognizable figures (hey, we’d argue top 5) was a coup that might be unrivaled. The museum, which was christened by the youngest son of the Duke himself, Ethan Wayne, in May 2021, is home to over 400 pieces of personal and professional items, including a bevy of his on-screen cowboy duds, his green station wagon, and even Roy Rogers’ beloved Trigger and Bullet (in full taxidermy mode). Located in the heart of the Stockyards — adjacent to the Cowtown Coliseum — visitors are taken on a maze of insightful videos, Hollywood relics, and preserved personal items that would impress even Rooster Cogburn’s most casual fan. It might not be the great Californian’s Graceland, but this 10,000-square-foot museum just might be his Mecca. And we highly recommend an annual pilgrimage. •

Make Like a Tree

FOSSIL CREEK TREE FARM AND NURSERY READERS PICK: Plant Shop

By Stephen Montoya / Photos by Crystal Wise

When people think about fashion and style, clothing and housewares are normally the first things that come to mind. But have you ever thought about what kind of style the plants in your yard or home convey? This in part is what Josh and Terra Richards help their clients with at the Fossil Creek Tree Farm and Nursery. This family-owned and -operated tree farm, nursery, and landscaping service has been successfully planting the idea of style in its clientele’s living spaces for 12 years. Trees aside, this 8.5-acre business is a haven unto itself, where clients can take in the full vision of indoor/out-

munity and help the people in it, so when we found a tree farm for sale in Fort Worth 12 years ago, we decided to go for it,” Terra Richards says.

The irony that makes this business so unique, is the fact that Richards says she and her husband didn’t start out with green thumbs. Like many of their clients, they learned their craft by trial and error. “I have a huge passion for it now, especially for the design aspect,” Richards says. “But just like anything new, we learned our craft over time.”

It was from this very experience that Richards says she and her husband were able to come up with their company’s core values. “Our core values are inspire, educate, and serve,” she says. “So, everything that we do here is from a standpoint of inspiration.”

For example, Richards says if one of her clients has a full-sun garden, she and her team will go over what that client will need to be successful. “If people invest their hard-earned dollars into plants and they take them home and they die, then they feel like they are a bad gardener, but they’re not. They just weren’t given the right instruction on what works for their particular situation,” Richards says.

According to Richards, the proper instruction for this type of scenario starts with inspiring and educating the FCTFN team. “If they are inspired and educated, then they are able to do this with our customers and with our community,” she says.

Besides being educational, Richards verified that she and her husband try their very best to offer their customers the best products possible. In fact, she says her husband, Josh, travels to East Texas to hand-select the best trees while she and her team create inspiring designs, curate unique pottery pieces, and plan inspiring educational events for the community.

“We really want to inspire our community to grow,” Richards says. “Even though we sell plants and have a tree farm, we do a lot with personal development in the form of using gardening as a metaphor for life.” •

Home & Garden

Carpet and

Rug

Cleaners

READER PICK

Generation Carpet Cleaning & Restoration

generationcarpetcleaningfw.com

EDITOR PICK Fort Worth Rugs fortworthrugs.com

Fencing

Company

READER PICK Gladiator Fencing gladiatorfence.com

EDITOR PICK Lonnie & Co. Fencing lonnieandcofence.com

Flooring

READER PICK Vintage Floors vintagefloorstx.com

EDITOR PICK

Texas Designer Flooring texasdesignerflooring.com

Homebuilding/ Remodeling Company

READER PICK 6th Ave Homes 6thavehomes.com

EDITOR PICK Windmiller Custom Homes windmillerhomes.com

Home Decor Store

READER PICK Park + Eighth parkandeighth.com

EDITOR PICK Into The Garden intothegardenoutdoor.com

Home ServicesRepair

READER PICK Tarrant Home Warranty tarranthws.com

EDITOR PICK

Tori Rubinson torirubinsoninteriors.com

Another Lap

PULLIAM POOLS

READER PICK: Pool Builder

By Malcolm Mayhew / Photo by Evan Woods

When you think of Fort Worth’s oldest businesses, naturally you think of restaurants like Joe T. Garcia’s and Carshon’s; western wear fave Justin Boots; and high-end bling retailer Haltom’s Jewelers.

You probably don’t, in other words, think of a pool company.

But this year, Fort Worth-based Pulliam Pools celebrates its 100th-plus birthday. “One hundred and seventh, to be exact,” says Pulliam general manager Andrew Fluty, who has been with the company for 26 years.

Pulliam Pools is an offshoot of a family construction business started in 1916 by brothers Theodore Pulliam and Frank “Pop” Pulliam. According to the company’s website, Theo, who had experience in building waterproof cattle-dipping vats, was asked to build the first swimming pools in Coryell County in Central Texas.

The company took off from there, eventually incorporating three generations of pool builders. Today, the company specializes in the installation of spas, geometric pools, and freeform pools. They also handle renovations and maintenance needs.

“We do everything from building from scratch to renovations to general maintenance,” Fluty says. “Maintenance includes weekly cleanings, vacuuming and brushing the pool, and adjusting the chemicals.”

Having been in business for more than a century, the company has won an award or two. Fluty says this one is particularly special. “It’s always an honor when your customers are the ones who voted for you,” he says. “We must be doing something right.”

Impressively, the business was family-owned until 2009, when the Pulliam family turned it over to its employees. They ran it until 2021, when it was purchased by Riverbend Sandler, a large pool company based in Plano.

Fluty says the new ownership has barely changed a thing, though.

“Our operations have remained the same,” he says. “Our personal customer service has remained the same. In most ways, we’re still the same family-run business we’ve always been. The deal with Riverbend just means we got an infusion of capital, so we’ll be around for another 100 years.” •

Landscape Design/Yard Care

READER PICK

Mean Green Lawn and Landscape meangreenlawncare.com

EDITOR PICK

Guardado Landscaping guardadolandscaping.com

Moving Service

READER PICK

Veterans Moving America veteransmovingamerica.com

EDITOR PICK

Firefighting’s Finest Moving & Storage firefightermovers.com

Painting Company

READER PICK

J & V Painting jandvpainting.com

EDITOR PICK

White Lion Painting whitelionpaintco.com

Plant Shop

READER PICK

Fossil Creek Tree Farm and Nursery fossilcreektreefarm.com

EDITOR PICK Archie’s Gardenland archiesgardenland.com

Plumbing

READER PICK

Hawk Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning hawkphac.com

EDITOR PICK ProServe Plumbing proserveplumbers.com

Pool Builder

READER PICK

Pulliam Pools pulliam.com

EDITOR PICK Claffey Pools claffeypools.com

Real Estate Firm

READER PICK

Burt Ladner Real Estate burtladner.com

EDITOR PICK

Williams Trew williamstrew.com

Rodent Control

READER PICK

Ideal Pest Control idealpartners.com/residential/ pest-control

EDITOR PICK

Alamo Termite & Pest Control alamopest.com

Roofing Company

READER PICK

Tarrant Roofing tarrantroofing.com

EDITOR PICK

3:16 Roofing & Construction 316roofingtx.com

Beyond the nearly 4 decades of serving North Texas, as well as the hundreds of awards Claffey Pools has won over the years, our number one mission is to build the absolute finest projects with the best technology, methodologies, and principles. We do not cut corners and we deliver projects with an uncompromising passionate commitment to excellence in everything we do.

Scan the QR Code to start your journey today.

Beauty Wellness&

Beauty Salon

READER PICK

Novak Hair Studios novakhairstudios.com

EDITOR PICK

The Bee’s Knees Hair Studio beeskneesfw.com

CBD Store

READER PICK

Queen Nomrah Cannabis Dispensary queen-nomrah.com

EDITOR PICK

Thrive Apothecary thrivetx.com

Chiropractor

READER PICK

Active Spine & Sport Therapy activespineandsport.com

EDITOR PICK

Peak Chiropractic and Rehab peakchiroftworth.com

Dance Studio

READER PICK

Dance Concept danceconceptfw.com

READER PICK

Ageless Perfection

Skincare Studio agelessperfectionskincare. skincaretherapy.net

EDITOR PICK

Skin by Salena skinbysalena.glossgenius.com

Gym/Fitness Studio

READER PICK

CrossFit Panther City crossfitpanthercity.com

Holistic Health & Wellness Center

READER PICK

Fort Worth Float Company fortworthfloatcompany.com

EDITOR PICK Restore + Revive Wellness Center restoreandrevivefw.com

Manicure or Pedicure

READER PICK

Southern Chic Nails southernchicnails.com

EDITOR PICK BMC & co* * formerly Chandelier Nail and Brow Bar

Massage

READER PICK

Robin Manresa

EDITOR PICK

Rose of Jericho Spa & Wellness Center massagebook.com/biz/ roseofJericho

Men’s Barbershop

READER PICK

District Barbershop districtbarbershop.com

Personal Trainer

READER PICK

Noel Trevino

EDITOR PICK Greg Goss mindbodyonline.com/explore/ locations/goss-fitness

Sunless Tanning

READER PICK Kalon Bronze + Body tan2glow.com

EDITOR PICK

Cowtown Tanning cowtowntanning.com

Yoga Studio

READER PICK

Soul Sweat Hot Yoga soulsweatyoga.com

EDITOR PICK

Sunshine Yoga Shack sunshineyogashack.com

Float On

FORT WORTH FLOAT COMPANY

READER PICK: Beauty and Wellness

By Stephen Montoya / Photos by Evan Woods

Everyone talks about making changes in their lives after experiencing a stressful day. But after experiencing a few years of stressful days, local business owner Kevan O’Malley says he was ready to try anything to help him unplug from what he deemed the culprit: stimuli.

“I was a preschool teacher for years,” O’Malley says. “This is when I found myself being overstimulated and needed to find a way to slow down and detach.”

One of the only ways O’Malley says he conquered this feeling was by experiencing a sensory deprivation technique known as flotation therapy. This style of relaxation consists of a person being placed in isolation inside a tank of dense saltwater, which minimizes any access they may have to any sights or sounds. And, according to O’Malley, it really works.

“The biggest feeling of relaxation, for me, was when I was inside of the tank,” he says. “I just felt everything kind of turn off mentally and physically.”

O’Malley says he found this experience to be so profound that he could think of little else until he was able to get his first float tank. From there, he opened the Fort Worth Float Company in 2017 to aid a world of what he calls “overstimulated people.” Flash-forward nearly six years, and O’Malley will tell you his clientele includes people from every walk of life in every type of job.

But stress is just the beginning of the benefits O’Malley says his clients come in for. Other reasons to try this unique form of therapy can stem from people looking to recover from injuries, fight addiction, and ease chronic pain. Floating also helps boost dopamine and endorphins to elevate mood and overall feeling of wellness and contentment.

If you’re into meditation, O’Malley says floating can act as a powerful tool that helps train your mind to produce theta brain waves, needed to achieve a state of deep meditation.

“We specialize in helping people find relief from physical pain, overstimulation, and plain old stress,” he says. “You’re not going to enter a different dimension or anything, but it does alter your senses, which allows you to turn everything off internally.”

The time blocks for each session can total either an hour to an hour and a half, which is a misnomer since time really doesn’t exist during a session, according to O’Malley. “I think one of the coolest things about this, is time works differently when you are in isolation because there is nothing there to judge time by,” he says. “So even an hour to an hour and a half goes by pretty fast.”

Currently, the Fort Worth Float Company has two full-size tanks that can hold everywhere from 600 to 1,200 pounds of salt depending on which of the two tanks clients reserve.

“We think of it as a shortcut to meditation,” he says. “By removing as many distractions and external stimuli as possible, it makes it much easier to reach the state of mind found with a consistent meditation practice.”

Then there’s the self-improvement aspect. Without distractions, while floating, concentration and knowledge are acutely sharpened, translating to other portions of life, O’Malley says. “There are also substantial increases in creativity and reductions in stress and anxiety,” he says. On top of this, there are more studies being performed showing how floating can help with past trauma and PTSD.

“The main thing I hear from many of my clients is how well they sleep after a session in one of our tanks,” he says. “That or there are sometimes they actually get so relaxed they fall asleep in the tank itself. This is just a testimony to how tranquil a float can be for some people.” •

Songbird Hooligan

CUT THROAT FINCHES

People & Culture

Actor/Performer

READER PICK

Dana Schultes stagewest.org

EDITOR PICK

Barry Corbin barrycorbin.com

Art Gallery

READER PICK

Love Texas Art artspace111.com/love-texas-art

EDITOR PICK

Cufflink Art cufflinkart.com

Artist

READER PICK

Heather Essian heatheressian.com

EDITOR PICK

Charles Gray artbycharlesgray.com

Athlete

READER PICK

Max Duggan, TCU football gofrogs.com

EDITOR PICK

Mike Miles, TCU basketball gofrogs.com

Bartender/ Mixologist

READER PICK

Matt Silva at Press Cafe presscafeftworth.com

EDITOR PICK

Todd Faroe at The Usual theusual.bar

Best Dressed

READER PICK

Franklin Moss

EDITOR PICK

Jackie Chieffalo bio.site/chieffaloamericana

Chef

READER PICK

Hao Tran

EDITOR PICK

Felipe Armenta

Comedian/ Comedy Act

READER PICK

Brian Breckenridge

EDITOR PICK

Four Day Weekend fourdayweekend.com

DJ

READER PICK

CV Fields connorvaughan.com

Local Attraction

READER PICK

Fort Worth Stockyards fortworthstockyards.org

EDITOR PICK Fort Worth Zoo fortworthzoo.org

Local Writer/

Author

READER PICK

Michelle Snell of That Texas Couple thattexascouple.com

EDITOR PICK

Bud Kennedy star-telegram.com

Hey, Bud!

BUD KENNEDY

EDITOR PICK: Local Writer/Author

By John Henry / Photo by Crystal Wise

Bud Kennedy has enough stories to fill the biggest industrial warehouse in the Alliance corridor.

That’s the result of 50 years in the wild, wacky world of journalism, more specifically newspapering or what we call today multiplatform news configurations.

Since 1987, Kennedy has been the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s lead news columnist. A couple of years before that, he began his “Eats Beat” food column. Hundreds of thousands of words have been written since then on every topic imaginable that impacts the city — as well as enchiladas — subject matter that is a source of praise and denunciation but never silence, particularly today on social media, which he has used so effectively to communicate with readers.

He is the paper’s best-known newsman and personality. He is the face of the Star-Telegram.

“I tell people I’ve had this job nearly 35 years — and I haven’t been fired, sued, or shot at,” Kennedy says. “I’ll let everybody decide whether that means I’ve done a good or a bad job!”

Today, he is a Fort Worth staple and genuinely great guy with an incredibly rich bank of knowledge about Fort Worth and its history. I ask him often for his insight on Fort Worth historical subjects and the city’s neighborhoods. As it concerns current news events, he knows so much about local topics simply because he has been following the subject or a derivative for decades. •

Kennedy’s career, of course, spans more than a mere 35 years. His life in newspapers and, now, digital platforms was Gumpian, if you, the reader, will permit the license and neologism.

He made his first appearance in the newspaper before he was even born. He was sold for $600 in a Star-Telegram classified ad under the section, “Babies for Adoption.” Until 1957, that was legal in Texas, he notes. Four years later, he says his mother convinced the Fort Worth Press to write a story about the 4-year-old boy who could type and read. At age 11, he wrote the Press and asked for a tour. They obliged, and Kennedy recalls the editor, Walter Humphrey, telling him to come back some day, and “he’d give me a job.”

“I took him up on that the week after I graduated from high school.”

His first byline in any paper was a complete accident.

The Star-Telegram had called when he was at the Arlington Heights school newspaper. Kennedy was a senior. The paper wanted him to call in the Yellow Jackets’ score and stats from their game in San Angelo, and he agreed to do so. But when he called the line, the operator transferred him to the wrong call taker, who “told me to dictate a story.”

“So, I did,” Kennedy says.

The Heights story — the Jackets took a beating in San Angelo — the next morning had a “Bud Kennedy” byline with an erroneous, at least in the early editions, tag of “Star-Telegram Sports Writer.”

If you know anything about newspapers, you know the right hand never knows what the left is doing.

To wit: “On Monday [the editor] called fuming,” Kennedy recalls. “He said I didn’t follow instructions, and now he’d have to pay me $5 extra. He said I would never again do anything for the Star-Telegram.”

Firing a guy who didn’t even work for him.

“On Thursday he called back and sent me to cover Crowley and Cedar Hill.”

Ho-ho-ho.

“Heights had a great journalism teacher who reeled me in,” he recalls. “In one day in high school, I won state in UIL headline writing, then came home and won a baseball game for Heights [as a reporter] by catching Carter batting out of order on a game-tying double in the seventh inning.”

Kennedy has worked as a writer, reporter, editor, or columnist ever since. His stops have included the Press, Austin American-Statesman, Dallas Times-Herald, and Dallas Morning News.

Working for the Press three weeks out of high school, he was covering the Rangers and Brewers major-league game.

“I always wanted to report like Gary Cartwright and Tommy Thompson, and write as well as Whit Canning,” he says. “At the Press I learned about the legacy of Dan Jenkins, Bud Shrake, and Cartwright.”

That was all now more than 50 years ago. Ask Kennedy about retirement as he knocks on the door of 70.

“I am still doing what I did in high school. I have not even thought about growing up yet, much less retiring. I wanted to take journalism at Stripling, but the counselor said I didn’t have any aptitude for it and should stick to math. A lot of readers over the years think he was right!” •

Museum

READER PICK

John Wayne: An American Experience johnwayne.com/experience

EDITOR PICK

National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame cowgirl.net

READER PICK

The Funky Panther thefunkypanther.com

EDITOR PICK On the Same Page onthesamepagepodcast. podbean.com

Service Organization

READER PICK Cancer Care Services cancercareservices.org

Social Media Influencer

READER PICK

Tiffany Blackmon tiffanycblackmon.com

EDITOR PICK

Katey McFarlan chroniclesoffrivolity.com

Sports Team

READER PICK

TCU Horned Frogs Football gofrogs.com/sports/football

EDITOR PICK

Panther City Lacrosse panthercitylax.com

Up-and-Comer

READER PICK

Manny Ramirez mannyramirez.org

EDITOR PICK

Juan Velazquez

To the Max

MAX DUGGAN

READER PICK: Athlete

By John Henry

What more is there to say about Magic Max Duggan and his otherworldly football season last fall?

Well, we’ll try.

Many, yes, including me, believed Duggan was the best player in college football in 2022. Finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting was evidence. Had the voters waited until the weekend of championship conference games, he likely would have won. Anyway, OK, Caleb Williams and his outrageous fingernails — more vulgar than even the guy who Guinness Book of World Records says has the longest (ick) — walked away with college football’s most coveted trophy.

Our guy, though, didn’t walk away empty-handed. Duggan was awarded the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, the granddaddy of all awards presented to college quarterbacks. He was the first QB from TCU to win the O’Brien, named for the Horned Frogs’ Heisman winner in 1938.

Duggan was also named the Big 12’s Offensive Player of the Year.

The raw data alone merited the recognition: Duggan accounted for more than 3,700 total yards and 36 touchdowns, and only four interceptions in 368 passing attempts.

However, the statistics only tell a portion — a small portion — of the story of what made Duggan so special in 2022.

His is a testament to leadership, shear will, competitiveness, and loyalty. The latter is an at-times unheard-of concept in the era of the NIL and players using the transfer portal like an elevator, hopping on and off different floors.

Duggan could have quit and left TCU in the face of a bunch of adversity. That is the name of the game for many college athletes these days. And before this season, Duggan had had his share of unfulfilled hopes.

Heart surgery before his sophomore season is documented. Underperforming football teams were, too. Just last season, the Frogs went 5-7 while he played with a broken foot so painful his doctors were in wonder that he was able to get around, much less run around. That same season, his head football coach was sent to the figurative guillotine at midseason.

This was not the hopes and dreams fulfilled when he left Council Bluffs, Iowa, for the Big 12 in Fort Worth.

To begin this season, he found himself No. 2 on the depth chart, the backup to Chandler Morris. This after three seasons as the starter. Even then, Duggan didn’t consider quitting. Many of his peers in the same position would have packed for the portal and announced their departure, subtly or not, on Instagram. Instead, Duggan vowed to do what was best for his team in his new role.

And, he said, he would do it well.

That mentality brought head coach Sonny Dykes to tears when discussing the situation after the SMU game. By that time, with Morris hurt in the season opener, Duggan had established himself

as the starter after three games.

Duggan led — no, willed — the 13-2 Frogs to an undefeated regular season, including the Magic Max Miracle on the Brazos over, ahem, those guys, and on to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game with a victory we’ll never forget over overconfident and, as it turned out, overmatched Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl.

His most masterful stroke, though, was in a losing effort, leading the Frogs back in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Down 28-20, Duggan singlehandedly drove his team 80 yards, accounting for 75 himself, a touchdown, and the 2-point conversion pass. If you account for penalties backing up the Frogs, Duggan accounted for 90 yards on the drive.

The effort — along with the picturesque finish, Duggan on his knees in exhaustion as he crossed the goal line — was nothing short of a heroic Hollywood ending. (The game came down to the longest half-yard, as we remember all too well.)

Duggan left after his senior season a new Horned Frog football legend. His destination was a professional football career. Duggan was drafted in the seventh round by the Los Angeles Chargers, one of three Horned Frogs taken by the team in the NFL draft. Wide receiver Quentin Johnston was the 21st player taken overall, and Derius Davis went in the fourth round.

What his future prospects are, we cannot say, but there’s one thing for certain: Duggan will show up and work his ass off every day.

Electrical & Home Automation

Print creates an emotional connection. Print builds relationships.

Physical material is more “real” to the brain, involves more emotional processing, is better connected to memory, with greater internalization of ads—all important for brand associations. (FORBES)

(Marketing Sherpa, 2017)

Streetlight Samaritan

Two years, William Norman set up shop on a street corner in Azle doing his part to combat the plague of isolation and loneliness and those under siege from sin, grief, and panic.

BY DANIEL EARL NORMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRYSTAL WISE

If you’ve got the heat of problems on you and Azle isn’t too far out of the way, go down to the corner of Speer Avenue and Northwest Highway. Park in front of the liquor store — or on the northwest corner, if you take your directions like a mountain man.

Right next to the traffic light, you’ll see a canopy, weighed down with sandbags and guy-ropes. Garlanding the canopy are banners snapping in the wind. They say, “Need to talk? I’ll listen. Confidential/No Judgment.” Take a seat in one of the two chairs and unload.

William Norman has sat in the other chair for more than two years, listening to people confess, grieve, mourn, and panic. He’s an Azle landmark. Cars honk and folks wave as they drive by. “At first, most people thought I was selling something,” he said. “They asked if I was selling cellphones.”

In those two years, William achieved a simmering of fame. He goes viral online every few months, and news crews come out to do short pieces on him. People from out of state stop. I watched a woman from Oklahoma drop off a couple of water bottles and a gas station gift card. She had seen him online and went out of her way to visit him.

While I sat with him, I tried to count the pictures taken from cars. I asked him if that makes him uncomfortable. “I think I noticed it at first, but it’s every day for me. I have walls for this,” he said, pointing at the canopy, “but part of it is that it’s open. Anybody can see me and check me out from their car. Everything is transparent.”

“Sometimes people will stop, and they don’t want to get out of their cars, so I stand at the window and talk to them. They tell me, ‘Get in! It’s hot outside.’ But I say no, because I want to be completely transparent for everyone.”

That’s how he speaks. He talks in paragraphs with beginning, middle, and end. In fact, if you haven’t noticed my name on the title page and wondered how we had the same last name, I’ll point out that he’s my uncle. We call him Uncle Willie. The ultimate irony to us is that his life is listening. Normans are known for jabbering, and Uncle Willie outclasses us all. At a family gathering, he’ll pick a friendly face and flow forth with a flood of jokes, stories, and admonitions until the face goes away. Then he’ll cast his eyes around until someone locks eyes, and he’ll keep on like he was speaking to them the whole time. I’ve had him do that from across the room when I carelessly looked around.

So, it was part curiosity that drove me to visit his corner — and it is his corner. He picks up the trash, battles the fire ants, scrapes away the weeds and grass. A couple of holes left from vanished billboards posed a danger to visitors, and he filled them in.

He’s right off the highway, and we sometimes had to stop talking and wait for a truck to scream past like a mangled eagle. It wasn’t too cold of a day, but sitting in the chairs with the wind blowing,

things got nippy. He wore two shirts and two jackets. “I’m here in all conditions except rain. People will come sit with me through everything but rain.” It was a slow day for him. “Mostly, people come by in the morning. I’ve had only one person today. But there’s no way to know. Some days, there’s someone in the chair every second and a line in the parking lot there.”

Two boxes of Girl Scout cookies sat on a tub next to him. “Are those your lunch?” I asked.

“Actually, a truck driver jumped out of his cab and gave these to me. He couldn’t talk, but he wanted to drop them off. Here, have some. I don’t normally eat lunch. Sometimes people drop stuff off for me and sometimes not. I just let whatever is going to happen, happen.”

He doesn’t even eat breakfast most of the time. Like all Normans, he’s a night owl and stays awake deep into the night. Around 5 in the morning, he pops up and does some chores. For decades, there were kids to wake up and take to school, and then their kids. But now, he has his mornings to himself.

“I’ve had some people tell me that I should set up a Venmo or something and put a sign out. But that’s not what this is about. I think it would compromise it a little. Anybody can walk up, and I have no expectations from them. There’s no judgement (sic); I don’t scold anybody or make them feel bad. I’ll be sitting here listening, and they’ll say, ‘Aren’t you going to say anything?’ And I say, ‘What do you want me to say? This is for you!’”

I munched on the cookies and looked around. The canopy was secured with sandbags and ropes tied to anchors in the concrete. “Were those here when you came?”

“The anchors? No, I put those in myself. You know, when I was first out here, I had a little canopy that I got from Walmart. A couple of times, the wind picked it up and carried it away, and I had to chase after it. Now I’ve got this one. There’s a little spring inside that keeps it from coming apart.”

“There’s no judgement (sic); I don’t scold anybody or make them feel bad. I’ll be sitting here listening, and they’ll say, ‘Aren’t you going to say anything?’ And I say, ‘What do you want me to say? This is for you!’”

“How prepared were you when you first came out?” He laughed. “Not very well. When I first set up, the guy here at the liquor store came out and said, ‘What are you doing?’ I said, ‘You know, I think I’m going to listen to people.’ He said OK, kind of suspicious. But he likes it now. I keep an eye on the corner, and it’s good press.”

“How’d your first day go?”

“I still remember the first person. I’ve listened to probably two thousand people, and I still remember her. She walked up and read my sign and asked what she could talk about. I said, ‘Anything you want. This is my first time, too.’ She said that she had something that she couldn’t tell her family, her friends, or even her pastor. She could only tell a stranger. ‘Well,’ I said, ‘there’s no one stranger than me.’”

Since then, he’s had the whole range of human confessions. Peo-

ple in the iron grip of addiction, people in dead marriages, people just stopping in to complain about traffic. Angry people, sorrowful people, people with eye sockets like moon craters, and people with the far-off stare of trauma.

Once, a man was on the way to take his own life, and he saw Uncle Willie sitting there. He stopped and poured his heart out. Trapped and isolated, tangling with the brutal bedrock economics of alcoholism, he went back home convinced that someone cared for him. He’s one of the few with Uncle Willie’s phone number.

A little while after that, Uncle Willie got a call at 3 a.m., and it’s him. “He was telling me how everyone would be better off with him gone, his daughter, his family. That no one would miss him. I told him, ‘You know I love you, right?’ ‘Yeah,’ he said. And I said, ‘Well, I wouldn’t be happier if you are gone.’” And that was enough — just one person caring about him.

The chairs under the canopy are comfortable. The one that the afflicted sit in, the arms are worn smooth by thousands of unconscious rubbings, like they would rub out the words.

“What’s in the tub?” I asked. He opened it and showed me. Sudoku, some crackers, tissues to cry in. He pulled a pack of cards out of the tub. He shuffled the deck and riffled it.

“Pick one,” he said. I waited an extra-long time and picked one near the bottom. It was the king of clubs. He handed the deck to me. “Now shuffle it real good and count down how far your card is.”

I started counting, and I counted all the way through the deck. My card wasn’t in there.

“That’s strange,” he said and scratched his head. “Better check the box.” Inside the card box was the king of clubs. Then he stood up and said, “I’ll do you even better. Look what shirt I’m wearing.” It was a green T-shirt with the king of clubs printed on it.

While we sat talking, a young man burst in on us under the canopy. He told me that he was sorry and turned to Uncle Willie. “So, I just bought a house here and I got laid off and I’m reading about this recession coming on and I don’t know what to do.”

Uncle Willie jumped in without even taking a breath. He’d been asked for advice, and he gave some. But it was the advice that had been swinging around the man’s mind for weeks. Uncle Willie wasn’t advising anything new, no sharp revelations, but I watched the man relax and breathe steadier. He kicked one foot out and stood looser. He had the feeling of someone who comes in out of the cold.

Watching the man get into his car, I thought about how well suited Uncle Willie was to this. He’s in his 60s, patriarchal. Usually bearded, he was clean-shaven that day. His nose comes off his forehead like George Washington. He stands well above 6 feet. He has a reassuring presence, the presence of someone who knows exactly who they are and is satisfied with that knowledge.

Which isn’t to say that the road has been easy. So few people

know themselves. The color of your character only shows in adversity — in the ugly days. And he’s had more than his share of ugly days.

The thought of setting up a listening post came from some of those ugly days. It was during COVID-19, those early shutdown months when everything was up in the air. Before COVID-19, Uncle Willie spent most of his time volunteering at schools and churches. For several years, of his own choosing, he helped guide the dropoffs at elementary schools. He made sure that every kid started their day with a smile.

Then the shutdown hit, and some ugly days came on. He found himself isolated and like he didn’t have someone to listen to him. He didn’t have someone that he could unload to, someone with no connection to him. One night, talking with his grandson about how he was feeling, his grandson said, “Maybe this is what you could do.” And that’s where it took off.

“So many people tell me that they drive past every day. When they decide it’s time [to stop], I’ll be here.”

He showed up and kept showing up. “That’s important,” he said. “People drive by every day and see me sitting here. And days and days will go by before they decide to stop — that today is the day. So many people tell me that they drive past every day. When they decide it’s time, I’ll be here.”

For some people, even that isn’t enough. He sometimes visits invalids to listen to them in their home. He does it in the mornings before he gets to his normal outpost at the street corner. A relative comes by, and arrangements are made. The relative guides him into the room and leaves him, so that he can listen, almost as a priest takes confession. Only, there’s not a message of absolution, but there is one of forgiveness.

“The thing I hear the most is people saying that they have all this baggage. They don’t know how they can go on. I tell them, that’s not baggage. That’s trash. Baggage is something that you are going to use sometime, it’s stuff that you want. Trash is something that you need to get rid of.”

“I hear people say that they can’t forgive themselves for something that they’ve done. But forgiveness is the elimination of a debt, and you are the one holding that debt against yourself. It can just equal out, struck out of both columns.”

His first year, a woman stopped. She had cancer, late term, and

her leftover life could be measured in weeks. She was too nervous to tell her children or her family, so she told Uncle Willie, and he was the depository of her anxiety and sorrow.

He saw her once or twice after that. She passed the next year. He thought that was the end of that and grieved to himself, when one of the family members stopped by and asked him to officiate the funeral. “I told him that I’ve never done it before, but I’d do it because she meant so much to me.”

He drove the two hours south and did his best. He organized the event, presided over it, and even sang a song at the graveside. That was when he understood the immensity of what he does. Family members came up to him, thanking him for what he’d done and telling him how important he was to the woman. “When I’m sitting here and talking to someone, it’s just about the two of us. But it ripples out. I’d never met these people, and I’d had some kind of effect on their life.”

“People come to me, and they say that they feel like they’d like to help, but they can’t do anything. The truth is that no one can help everyone, but everyone can help someone. You need to stop trying to be the ocean and just be a drop. Let it ripple out.”

“There’re so many facets to what I’m doing. I think of it like a diamond. At first, I thought it was just me listening to people. But it affects people that I’ll never meet, and they affect me right back. You break the diamond open, and you find facets that you’d never even consider. There’s always some new corner to what I’m doing, an angle that I haven’t thought out. It’s just as simple as helping one person and making their day just a little better. That makes everyone else’s day better too.”

The time came to pack up. I tried to help, but he had the routine down to an art. He lives just down the road on a piece of property backed by a creek. It’s a beautiful tract with those roomy oaks spaced apart and none of the thick, brambly underbrush like you get down south.

When they moved into the place, the house was almost like a shack. Over the years, it’s been improved until now it’s a cozy farmhouse, one of those that fits you like a sweater where you know and treasure every squeak. And for Uncle Willie, who is a tower on sailboat-sized feet, it’s a snug fit.

We talked for a while longer about magic and family stuff. He’s a fanatic for magic and went over tricks that he’d invented and great practitioners of the craft that he’s met. He’s also the reigning Norman champion in chess, a title I’m hounding after, and we played a couple of matches. I’m no wimp in the game, but he fought me to a tie.

That’s an excellent representation of Uncle Willie. He’s a jack of trades, been nearly everywhere, done everything, and came back the same — but deeper. A depth is opened in him, and you can feel peacefulness wafting off him like perfume.

I left him watching TV, in the toad-croaking night. Slipping off out of the cone of my headlights, bordering the concrete, I could see splashes of wildflowers, dusted by exhaust and garnished with litter, lit up by the green and red Christmas colors of the traffic lights.

Getting the Job Done

2022 was an interesting year for real estate, certainly for the agents celebrated in these pages. Time and again, their expertise proved to be not only appreciated, but critical for clients. Whether helping buyers submit winning offers or helping sellers obtain more than they ever dreamed possible, their exceptional knowledge, professionalism and tenacity got the job done. We’re thrilled to see these agents receive the praise and recognition they deserve for providing so many area residents the representation they deserve.

If you need help with a move, we’ll give you our best.

The Allen Crumley Group

The Lands and Dwellings team are experts in residential, farm and ranch. They know the land, have helped their clients buy and sell in 24 Texas counties and have worked with clients in nearly every Fort Worth neighborhood. They offer a combined 8 decades of experience.

They have a deep understanding of the Fort Worth real estate market, having lived in the area for generations. The team consists of members who have attended TCU, Texas A&M, Texas and ACU. They have operated their own family ranches, manage residential real estate investment groups, and are known for making the “impossible” possible.

Allen Crumley

817.480.9502

allen@williamstrew.com

Greg Kimmel

817.320.3546

greg.kimmel@williamstrew.com

Kyle Dykes

254.371.9388

kyle.dykes@williamstrew.com

Malinda Crumley

817.992.4188

malinda@williamstrew.com

landsanddwellings.com

Joseph Berkes Group

Discover your dream home with the Joseph Berkes Group - Fort Worth natives who know the city inside out. With our technology-driven approach and seasoned agents, we offer a personalized experience for buyers and sellers alike. theberkesgroup.williamstrew.com

Claire Berkes

817.905.5168 | claire.berkes@williamstrew.com

Chelsea Albright

817.965.6596 | chelsea.albright@williamstrew.com

Kendall Kostohryz

817.821.0212 | kendall@williamstrew.com

Kris Karr

817.821.0797 | kris@williamstrew.com

Joseph Berkes

817.266.1355 | joseph@williamstrew.com

Kamryn Browning

940.550.4891 | kamryn.browning@williamstrew.com

Pursuit Realty Group

Relentlessly pursuing what matters most to you, whether it’s finding the perfect new property or receiving the very best offer. With decades of experience and a wealth of individual business and legal expertise, count on us to serve as trusted guides in the fulfillment of your real estate goals.

Debbie Petty

817.228.4771

debbie.petty@williamstrew.com

Chris Miller

817.602.1358

chris.miller@williamstrew.com

Jennie Doumany

512.426.7942

jennie.doumany@williamstrew.com

Amber Sustala

Looking for an agent with unparalleled marketing expertise, excellent communication and attention to detail? Look no further. Amber Sustala began her career in 2004 serving as Marketing Director for Ebby Halliday’s 25- year, reigning Top Producing Realtor before becoming an agent herself. Amber specializes in her knowledge of the thriving community of Aledo, where she has lived since 1992 and also offers extensive knowledge in the luxury market and large land sales in surrounding areas. Her award-winning design background compounded with business savvy and work ethic is the perfect recipe for why she is a Top Agent year over year.

Amber Sustala

817.713.0011

amber.sustala@williamstrew.com

amberknowsaledo.com

ELoV8 Group

Our passion for helping people find their place in the world is what drives us. Between innovation and a wealth of experience, we serve diverse clients, including luxury property investors and first-time buyers. We give back to our communities and always put our clients first.

Let us ELoV8 Your Real Estate Experience.

Deborah Bailey 817.706.0252 | deborah.bailey@williamstrew.com

Chevy Goff 817.995.8664 | chevy.goff@williamstrew.com

Brandie Anderson 817.360.5289 | brandie.anderson@williamstrew.com

Kandy Maberry 940.456.3251 | kandy.maberry@williamstrew.com

The Perry Group

Spencer has been in the real estate industry since 2002 and focused on residential sales with Williams Trew since 2009. Ashley joined Spencer full time as an agent in 2015. They have sold and continue to service all of the core Fort Worth markets as well as Parker County. Consistently Top Producers year over year.

Spencer Perry

817.964.5210 spencer@williamstrew.com

Ashley Everett

817.528.8232

ashley.everett@williamstrew.com wspco.com

The Martha Williams Group

The Martha Williams Group distinguishes itself by dominating the Fort Worth real estate market and prioritizing customer service and relationships. Martha Williams and Amanda Massingill, both Fort Worth natives, maintain active involvement in the local community and deeply appreciate its rich culture and arts scene. Repeat business is a testament to the group’s history of success and unwavering commitment to exceptional service. Fort Worth is home.

Martha Williams

817.570.9401 | martha@williamstrew.com

Amanda Massingill

817.455.1226 | amanda.massingill@williamstrew.com

marthawilliamsgroup.com

Rees & Piper Team

With over 25 years of experience, the Rees & Piper Team is a highly productive real estate partnership. By pooling their expertise, they offer top-notch service and have achieved unparalleled success, closing 2,500+ transactions.

Rees Atkins

817.980.8321 | rees@williamstrew.com

Natalie Deere

817.994.3031 | natalie.deere@williamstrew.com

Piper Pardue

817.269.8735 | piper@williamstrew.com

reesandpiperteam.williamstrew.com

Alana Long

Alann Nolan

Allen Crumley

Amanda Massingill

Amber Sustala

Amy Klein

Ashley Black

Ashley Everett

Ashley Hanson

Ashley Robbins

Beka Levy

Brandie Anderson

Brittany Jones

Bryant Butler

Chelsea Albright

Chevy Goff

Chris Miller

Christina Ewin

Claire Berkes

Corrine Hyman Quast

Debbie Hunn

Debbie Petty

Deborah Bailey

2023 Top Realtors

Denny Ralls

Ivey Ramsey

Jackie Prowse

Jeff Bankhead

Jennie Doumany

Jennifer Cannon

Jennifer Holland

Joseph Berkes

Joseph Romero

Julie Webber

Kandy Maberry

Katie Miller

Kelly McLean

Kelly Nelson

Kendall Kostohryz

Kris Karr

Kyle Dykes

Laura Fauntleroy

Lauren Purvis

Lisa Jacobs

Lynne Eller

Madison Reich

Malinda Crumley

Margaret Coulborn

Martha Price

Martha Williams

Natalie Deere

Patricia Williams

Pattie Mackie

Patty Williamson

Peggy Douglas

Pete Coulborn

Piper Pardue

Rees Atkins

Seth Fowler

Spencer Perry

Stephen Reich

Steve Berry

Steven Jones

Susan Cook

Susanna Bartolomei

Tammy Rokus

Terri Silva

Trey Freeze

Walker Turney

www.realtorrhodes.com Congratulations! Top Realtor Fort Worth Magazine 2023

Andra Beatty, an award-winning real estate broker, embodies the true Texas spirit of friendliness, hospitality, and embracing positive opportunities.

In 2020, she was honored with the induction into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame, recognizing her exceptional contributions to the sport of rodeo.

She is also among the select group of only 100 realtors in the state acknowledged by Texas Realtors® for her “Acts of Kindness.”

This honor is due to Andra’s outstanding community involvement, leading by example, and going above and beyond to improve the lives of her clients, friends, and neighbors.

When working with Andra, clients can rely on her professional ethics, trustworthiness, and unwavering loyalty, ensuring that their real estate goals are achieved.

When you are buying or selling properties, you can have full confidence in Andra’s dedication and hard work throughout the process.

TOP REALTORS

If you don’t know the ropes, buying or selling a home can appear like a maze of unfeasible tasks. Hence, why it’s important for you to find someone who knows the ropes. A fighter for you in the ring. A real estate agent.

Our annual Top Realtors list is comprised of Greater Fort Worth’s top producing agents. This is no popularity contest; to make this directory, agents had to produce results. All names that appear on this list had a minimum of $8 million in sales as reported by their broker or retrieved through Multiple Listing Services (MLS) data. If you’re in the market for a new roof over your head, we recommend taking a gander at these fine agents.

Our Method The Top Realtors 2023 list was compiled by pulling a mix of Multiple Listing Services (MLS) data and broker-reported data to ensure as accurate and comprehensive a list as possible. The MLS list, provided to us by a trusted individual agent in Tarrant County, was first vetted and checked for accuracy. The magazine editorial staff then reached out to Greater Tarrant County real estate brokers to provide data on individual sales. The two data sets were then combined to create our Top Realtors list. All individuals or brokers on this list are reported to have sold over $8 million in real estate over the last calendar year.

INDIVIDUALS

$8 MILLION PLUS

Sherri Aaron Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Hany Abdelmalek Fathom Realty

Carissa Acker

Keller Williams

Juan Manuel Acosta

RJ Williams & Co.

Danielle Adama Keller Williams

Darrah Adamcik

Ebby Halliday

Jamie Adams Compass

Denton Aguam

Keller Williams

Lesli Akers Keller Williams

Miogene Alexander CENTURY 21

Amy Allen Coldwell Banker

Amy Allen

Ebby Halliday

Cindy Allen DFWMoves, LLC

David Allen

The Ashton Agency

Katherine Allen Keller Williams

Brandi Allison

Alliance Properties

Mike Altan Keller Williams

Flor Alvarado

Keller Williams

Jordan Alvarado

Josh DeShong Real Estate

Tracey Amaya RE/MAX

Gaylene Anders

Ebby Halliday

Curt Anderson

CENTURY 21

Jeannie Anderson Compass

Jeffries Anderson League Real Estate

Kristina Anderson Ebby Halliday

Kevin Andrews

Monument Realty

Michelle Appling CENTURY 21

Srinivas Arava Star Key Realty

Christy Arnold Keller Williams

Erin Arnold Keller Williams

Joel Arredondo Ebby Halliday

Tahrima Arshad Coldwell Banker

Frankie Arthur Coldwell Banker

Scott Ashford

Scott Ashford Real Estate LLC

Kim Assaad Compass

Cathy Atchison JPAR

Joe Atwal Compass

Sharon Auffet Coldwell Banker

Michael Avidon CENTURY 21

Tiffany Bachman Fathom Realty

Heather Baker CENTURY 21

Lori Balcar Ebby Halliday

Lucile Bangerter Fathom Realty

Frances Bankester RE/MAX

Marcy Barkemeyer

Keller Williams

Wendy Bartlett Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Vicci Bartman Keller Williams

Jayapaul Basani Ready Real Estate

Ellen Batchelor Coldwell Banker

Preston Bauman

Keller Williams

Corey Bearden League Real Estate

Andra Beatty Andra Beatty Real Estate

Dana Beaty JPAR

Christi Beca Christi Beca Realty Group

Kim Bedwell

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Carrie Behm RE/MAX

Jan Belcher

Keller Williams

Amanda Bell

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Jeffrey Bell Keller Williams

Brittany Bennett Keller Williams

Jared Benson Model Realty

Erin Bergin

The Collective Living Co.

Erica Berkebile Keller Williams

Joseph Berkes Williams Trew

Amy Berry Compass

Steve Berry Keller Williams

Steve Berry Williams Trew

Renuka Bhandari Keller Williams

Nina Bhanot Compass

James Biedenharn Keller Williams

Earl Bilbrey Bilbrey Home and Ranch LLC

Bonnie Billingsley

Keller Williams

Todd Bingham Willow Real Estate

Sandra Binner Coldwell Banker

Ken Bird

CENTURY 21

Lisa Birdsong Compass

Jennifer Birkle Keller Williams

Ashley Black Williams Trew

Patrick Blaha JPAR

Crystal Blake Keller Williams

Jolynn Blake

The Pender Blake Group

Adriana Blanco Keller Williams

Sherri Blasingame Ebby Halliday

Jeffrey Blasko RE/MAX

Steven Bloomquist Fathom Realty

Jamie Bodiford CENTURY 21

Sandy Bolinger Keller Williams

Julie Bologna eXp Realty

Sheila Bonn Keller Williams

Jordan Borders CENTURY 21

Pamela Boronski Ebby Halliday

Sharion Bostic

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Shirley Boulter Davis

Shirley Boulter Davis Realtors

Jodie Boutilier

Coldwell Banker

Jase Bowling Fathom Realty

Steven Bradbury Coldwell Banker

Donna Bradshaw RE/MAX

Ginger Brannan Monument Realty

Bill Brantley Ebby Halliday

Jeremy Bravo

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Rachael Brenneman Dynamic Real Estate Group

Laura Brewer Ebby Halliday

Brady Bridges Reside Real Estate LLC

David Brock Your Home Realty

Lori Brookshire Reside Real Estate LLC

Jim Brosche Compass

Kimberly Brown Keller Williams

Matthew Brown Coldwell Banker

Stephanie Browne Magnolia Realty

Alicia Brunson Realty World Professionals

Cynthia Buck League Real Estate

Kurt Buehler Keller Williams

Kellie Bullinger League Real Estate

Laura Bumgarner Ebby Halliday

Breanna Burkett Coldwell Banker

Sherri Burlison Fathom Realty

Judie Burnham CENTURY 21

Suzanne Burt Burt Ladner Real Estate

Amber Butcher Engel & Völkers

Mikaela Camacho

Keller Williams

Franceanna Campagna Campagna Real Estate

Michelle Campbell Coldwell Banker

Rejenai Campbell R Campbell Realty LLC

Christie Cannon Keller Williams

Jennifer Cannon Williams Trew

Kallie Capps Ritchey Ritchey Realty

Beth Caraway

Burt Ladner Real Estate

Brian Carr Keller Williams

Michelle Carr

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Marla Carrico Carrico and Associates Realtors

Robby Carson Helen Painter Realtors Group

Beth Caudill eXp Realty

Kelly Cawyer Engel & Völkers

Spencer Cearnal Front Real Estate Co.

Jason Cech Fathom Realty

Tracey Chamberlain Ebby Halliday

Alexander Chandler

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Jan Chavoya Compass

David Chicotsky

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Brent Chow

BBS Realty

Jean Christenberry

Keller Williams

Terri Christian Keller Williams

James Cianelli Compass

Robert Clayton

Keller Williams

Lana Cline JPAR

Terre Coble

Keller Williams

Kimberly Cocotos Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Michele Colafrancesco

The Ashton Agency

Shirley Coleman

Keller Williams

Chad Collins

JPAR

Ryan Collinsworth

Keller Williams

Rena Connors

Ebby Halliday

April Contreras Coldwell Banker

Jonathan Cook

Keller Williams

Steve Cook RE/MAX

Susan Cook

Williams Trew

Susan Cooksey

CENTURY 21

Dan Cooper

Smart Realty

Lane Cooper Keller Williams

Dale Corbett CENTURY 21

Mary Cornelius Keller Williams

Sandy Cotton Ebby Halliday

Margaret Coulborn Williams Trew

Michael Crain

Northern Crain Realty

Laura Cramer

Martin Realty Group

Leigh Crates

Compass

Marsha Crawford

Compass

April Crawford Arias

The Ashton Agency

Matthew Crites

Coldwell Banker

Jenevieve Croall

JLUX Homes Realty Group

Sharon Crockett Compass

Cristine Croft

Keller Williams

Brad Crouch Engel & Völkers

Chandler Crouch

Chandler Crouch Realtors

Darlene Crumley

Keller Williams

Michael Cunningham Ebby Halliday

Robert Daniels

The ANCHOR Group

Sunny Darden Compass

Darin Davis

Keller Williams

Jan Davis Ebby Halliday

Jordan Davis

Keller Williams

Kim Davis

Keller Williams

Mary Margaret Davis

Mary Margaret Davis Real Estate Team

Robert De Franceschi Keller Williams

Mandie Dealey

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Elizabeth Deane

TDT Realtors

Christie Deaton

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Hunter Dehn

Hunter Dehn Realty

Sam Demel

Burt Ladner Real Estate

Mike Dennis Keller Williams

TOP REALTORS® 2023

CONGRATULATIONS

Debbi Rousey Real Estate Group - Debbi Rousey, Corrie Rousey, Nick McCoy | Kaitlin Lovern Real Estate Team - Kaitlin Lovern, Emily Womack | LG Realty Group - Lauren Smith, Glade Smith | The Araceli Mercado Team - Araceli Mercado, Garett Valencia, Hander Peralta, Melix Bonilla | The Gauntt Team - Roslyn Gauntt, Hannah Horton, Matt Gauntt, Michelle Sherman, Molly Gauntt, Renee Buchanan, Tiffany Gauntt-Cleveland | The Sarah Padgett Team - Sarah Padgett, Allie Hendricks, Michael Lemley, Michael Padgett, Misti Kastl | The Wickliffe Team - Jamie Wickliffe, Clark Wickliffe, Katie Wickliffe

YEAR YEARafter

Mary Margaret Davis, owner/broker of Mary Margaret Davis Real Estate Team, has “made it happen” for hundreds of home and property owners. With a gift for hearing subtle details, she creates a comfortable exchange of ideas, goals, and desires that expose property selling attributes, and discovers forgotten wishes. Her ability and willingness to find all the information needed to make decisions has earned her a reputation for outstanding service and unmatched ability.

To be named Top Realtor, Fort Worth Magazine, for the past seven years is a testament to her dedication to achieve the best possible outcome for each client. For Top Performer results for your real estate needs, call Mary Margaret Davis Real Estate Team at 817-925-1740. Mary Margaret Davis Real Estate Team 817-925-1740 View listings now at mmdavis.com WE MAKE “ IT” HAPPEN!

Mary Margaret Davis with Spunky, MVTM (most valued team member) 2023.

2023

Nancy Dennis

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Martha Dever RE/MAX

David Devries RE/MAX

Dillon Dewald League Real Estate

Sophie Diaz

Sophie Tel Diaz Real Estate Service Inc

Maria Diaz Sierra Keller Williams

Lorinda DiGiovanni Coldwell Banker

Brandon Diles Compass

Debbie Dodge Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Tanika Donnell TDRealty

Jen Dons

Keller Williams

Danielle Doty Engel & Völkers

Peggy Douglas Williams Trew

Sara Drehobl League Real Estate

Kristen Ducat KLT Real Estate

Belinda Duff JPAR

Rebekah Dugger Refuge Real Estate

Alondra Duran Duran & Co. Realty

Gaby Duran Duran & Co. Realty

Katie Durham Compass

Ida Duwe-Olsen Compass

Tommy Dyer Coldwell Banker

Nanette Ecklund-Luker

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Rodney Eiland

Rubicon Home Team Realty

Jason Ellerbusch eXp Realty

Lisa Ellis

Keller Williams

Ryan Enos Compass

Brandee Escalante eXp Realty

Omar Escalante RE/MAX

Lisa Escue Escue Real Estate

Fernando Espinoza Keller Williams

Mary Eubanks CENTURY 21

Chris Farley

Mountain Creek Real Estate

Danielle Farr Keller Williams

Laura Fauntleroy Williams Trew

Stacey Feltman Ebby Halliday

Parker Fentriss Ebby Halliday

Kimberly Ferguson Coldwell Banker

Sabrina Fernando Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Sanford Finkelstein Fort Worth Property Group

Brooke Finnigan Jones-Papadopoulos and Co.

Brittany Fish RJ Williams & Co.

Susie Fitzgerald Keller Williams

Lori Flaherty Keller Williams

Veronica Fleury

Keller Williams

Ivana Flex

The Ashton Agency

Hudson Floyd Keller Williams

Linda Fogle

Ebby Halliday

Karrin Forrester CENTURY 21

Steve Fortner RE/MAX

Lori Fowler Charitable Realty

Seth Fowler Williams Trew

Terri Fox

CENTURY 21

Adriana Fraire Keller Williams

Ben Frederick

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Kathy Fuller Fathom Realty

Christian Fussell League Real Estate

Becky Garrison Ebby Halliday

Ryan Garton Garton Realty Group

Helio Garza JPAR

Mike Garza

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Nancy Garza JPAR

Beth Gaskill Keller Williams

Roslyn Gauntt CENTURY 21

Andrea Gendel Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Troy George Synergy Realty

Brent Germany Real Broker LLC

Shenouda Ghali

Keller Williams

Reza Ghanbarpour Home & Fifth Realty

Becky Gibson CENTURY 21

Rebekah Gilbert CENTURY 21

Susan Gilchrest Ebby Halliday

Cindy Giles Keller Williams

Whitney Gillaspie League Real Estate

John Giordano Compass

Elizabeth Gleason

Roger Healy and Associates Real Estate

Kathy Goen Ebby Halliday

Tim Goldsberry CENTURY 21

Dennys Gonzalez Keller Williams

Marla Goode The Pender Blake Group

Jacque Gordon Keller Williams

Susanna Gorski Bartolomei Williams Trew

James Graham Ginger & Associates, LLC

Julie Gray Ebby Halliday

Marty Gray Real Estate by Pat Gray

Shelley Green The Green Team Real Estate Professionals

Tony Green Compass

Paulette Greene Ebby Halliday

Diane Grove Keller Williams

Bailey Groves Keller Williams

Sarah Gunnip CENTURY 21

Nitin Gupta Competitive Edge Realty

Elyse Guthrie Keller Williams

Stephanie Gutierrez Reside Real Estate LLC

Kellie Bullinger  Carley Moore  Christa Holbert  Stefani Hill  Sara Drehobl

Amy Normand  Devon Reyes  Cynthia Buck  Shauna Tucker  Tracy Wiley

Jayme Taylor  Heather Teems  Whitney Gillaspie  Corey Bearden

Jeffries Anderson  Dillon Dewald  Mark Philpot  Alberto Reyes  Alex Lipari Not pictured: Christian Fussell  Josiah Keas  Cassandra Spann

Eric Hacker

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Leeanne Hackney Keller Williams

Lisa Hager

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Angela Hague

The Michael Group Real Estate

Sha Hair

Sophie Tel Diaz Real Estate Service Inc

Chris Hall Keller Williams

Jonathan Hall Coldwell Banker

Abigail Hamilton JPAR

Lori Hansen RE/MAX

Ashley Hanson Williams Trew

Sarah Hardy Engel & Völkers

Daniel Harker Keller Williams

Gwen Harper

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Julie Harper

Insight Realty Network

Keely Harris eXp Realty

Levi Harris

Keller Williams

Ashley Hart Keller Williams

Christy Hart Magnolia Realty

Janaé Hausman CENTURY 21

Tina Hearne Tina Hearne Realtors

Sandra Hemmerling RE/MAX

Lani Hendrix Keller Williams

Bonnie Hennum Ebby Halliday

Michael Hershenberg

Keller Williams

Amy Herzog CENTURY 21

Rachael Hill

Ebby Halliday

Stefani Hill League Real Estate

Teresa Hill

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Carrie Himel Compass

Lori Hinderliter Coldwell Banker

Katie Hines CENTURY 21

Eric Hinton CENTURY 21

Sharon Hodnett Keller Williams

Christa Holbert League Real Estate

Jennifer Holland Williams Trew

Kristen Holle

Keller Williams

Carol Holloway Stoneham CENTURY 21

Dan Holmes Engel & Völkers

Jennifer Holmes Engel & Völkers

Kevin Holmes Engel & Völkers

Lee B. Holtzman RE/MAX

Angela Hornburg One West Real Estate Co.

Haley Howard RE/MAX

Wendy Howard Keller Williams

Pam Hudson Keller Williams

Renee Hudson RE/MAX

Kacey Huggins Keller Williams

Cassandra Hughes Engel & Völkers

Gavin Hughes Coldwell Banker

Jill Hughes

Keller Williams

Wendy Hulkowich RE/MAX

Kathy Hull

Keller Williams

Melanie Hunt CENTURY 21

Mary Ann Izzarelli Ebby Halliday

Lisa Jacobs

Williams Trew

Lori Jacobson Compass

Janice James

Keller Williams

Courtney Jenkins Compass

Shalvi Jhaveri

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Clifton Johnson eXp Realty

Denise Johnson Compass

Felicia Johnson JPAR

Keyatta Johnson JPAR

Marty Johnson Keller Williams

Shannon R. Johnson Compass

Xu Johnson CENTURY 21

Megan Johnsrud Fathom Realty

Ally Jolly CENTURY 21

Brittany Jones Williams Trew

Kali Jones

Cultivate Real Estate

Lori Jones

Keller Williams

Naomi Jones

Keller Williams

Steven Jones Williams Trew

Marisa Kahley Magnolia Realty

Steve Kahn

CENTURY 21

Joanie Karas

CENTURY 21

Link Karlen Keller Williams

Alden Karotkin

Burt Ladner Real Estate

Sukhdip Kaur JPAR

Josiah Keas League Real Estate

Sara Keleher Compass

Brandee Kelley

Keller Williams

Ana Kelly Keller Williams

Will Kelly Compass

James Keoughan

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Alyson Ketcher

Magnolia Realty

Kathy Kiefer Keller Williams

Jeanenne Kienle Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Scott Killian Scott Real Estate, Inc.

Julie Kim

Keller Williams

Kim Kimble Keller Williams

Deanna King Coldwell Banker

Heather Kingston Heather Kingston Group

Aaron Kinn eXp Realty

Hope Kirkpatrick

Webb Kirkpatrick Real Estate

Pam Knieper Knieper Team Real Estate

• Licensed Realtor® Since 2014

• Licensed Broker Since 2018

• Broker/Owner of TDRealty (Largest MWBE Real Estate Brokerage in Texas)

• 2023 & 2022 Top Realtors Fort Worth Magazine

• 2023 & 2022 America’s Top 100 Real Estate Agents Top 1%

• 2023 DFW Real Producers Top Agent

• 2022 D Magazine Top Producer

Cassandra Knight Citiwide Alliance Realty

Trish Knight

CENTURY 21

Lucy Knox

Keller Williams

Will Koberg Keller Williams

Andre S. Kocher

Keller Williams

Holly Koester

Keller Williams

Renee Kolar

Keller Williams

Tyler Kreis TK Realty

Frances Kwan Compass

Wendy LaBorde Coldwell Banker

Justin Lackey Dynamic Real Estate Group

Laura Ladner

Burt Ladner Real Estate

Kathy Lakatta

Ebby Halliday

Tanya Lang CENTURY 21

Mary Lanier RE/MAX

Sallie Laning Compass

Susan Larrabee Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Don Lawyer eXp Realty

Robby Lebus Compass

Lisa Lee Coldwell Banker

Robin Lehew RE/MAX

Grace Lemle TK Realty

Sonia Leonard RE/MAX

Rebeka “Beka” Levy Williams Trew

Adam Lile

Monument Realty

Michelle Lin CENTURY 21

Erin Lind

Randy White Real Estate Services

Jacob Link

The Platinum Real Estate Group

Alex Lipari League Real Estate

Kay Lopez

Keller Williams

Shelby Love

Keller Williams

Kaitlin Lovern CENTURY 21

Adrian Luna

Keller Williams

Randall Luna

Ebby Halliday

Jennifer Luu

Sophie Tel Diaz Real Estate Service Inc

Kaki Lybbert CENTURY 21

Lois Lyles

Keller Williams

Iveta Lynam CENTURY 21

Sarah Lyons CENTURY 21

Karen Mackanos-Long Ebby Halliday

Kristen Mackey

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Winans

Kimberly Macye Ebby Halliday

Leslie Maddie

Keller Williams

Irfan Malik

Keller Williams

Chrissy Mallouf

Keller Williams

Michael Mannion

Keller Williams

Paula Maples

Keller Williams

Kelly Marcontell

Ebby Halliday

Jay Marks

Jay Marks Real Estate

Shana Martin

Martin Realty Group

Deri Marusa

Ebby Halliday

Maria Mason

Camino Real Estate

Theresa Mason

Magnolia Realty

Susan Mathews

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Mark Mattison

Fathom Realty

Susan Mayer

Ebby Halliday

Lori Mayo

CENTURY 21

John Mays CENTURY 21

Kimberly McCall

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Cary McCoy

Ebby Halliday

Terri McCoy

Keller Williams

Lindsey McCuistion CENTURY 21

Kirk McDonald Compass

Danny McElroy McElroy Team Realty

Ashlee McGhee

Keller Williams

John McGuire

Clark Real Estate Group

Brady McKissack

Keller Williams

Kelly McLean

Williams Trew

Kristin Marie McNiel

JPAR

Jennifer Medkief eXp Realty

Mike Medley

Keller Williams

Dana Meeks

CENTURY 21

Tammy Melendez

The Melendez Real Estate Group, LLC

Ali Merchant

Merchant Realty Group

Darby Merriman

Keller Williams

Nancy Messiha Ultima Real Estate

Kimberly Meyer Coldwell Banker

Katherine Meyers Coldwell Banker

Sharon Michael DFW Elite Realty

Thomas Michael DFW Elite Realty

Tiffany Milan Keller Williams

Darlene Miller

Compass

Gabriella Miller Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Katie Miller

Williams Trew

Kimberly Miller

Keller Williams

Landen Miller

CENTURY 21

Desiree Milligan

Keller Williams

Beth Mills Fathom Realty

Ara Minassian

Star Realty

Chris Minteer

Keller Williams

Irene Mochulsky Compass

Courtney Moeller

Ebby Halliday

Amy Moody

Keller Williams

Carley Moore

League Real Estate

DeeAnn Moore

Moore Real Estate

Lily Moore

Lily Moore Realty

Lorraina Moore Monument Realty

Wynne Moore

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Zachary Moore Repeat Realty

Ashley Mooring

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Dina Morales JPAR

Ann Motheral-Bradbury Coldwell Banker

Rachel Moussa Monument Realty

Diana Munoz-McCarty Ebby Halliday

Dan Murphy RE/MAX

Richae Murphy Keller Williams

Sherri Murphy Coldwell Banker

Poogle Narendran Rocket Realty

Pamela Nelon Engel & Völkers

Jill Nelson Coldwell Banker

Kelly Nelson Williams Trew

Marilyn Newton

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Dan Nicoloff Engel & Völkers

Richard Noon Keller Williams

Lucy Noonan Synergy Realty

Nicholas Nordman Ebby Halliday

Amy Normand League Real Estate

Cindy O’Gorman Ebby Halliday

Holly Oestereich Bray Real Estate Group

Starling Oliver Keller Williams

Ted Olsen Compass

Carlee Otero JPAR

Debbie Ozee Fathom Realty

Sarah Padgett CENTURY 21

Ryan Pafford Points West Agency

Colin Pair Keller Williams

Prarthana Pandey Pokhrel Vastu Realty Inc.

John Papadopoulos Jones-Papadopoulos and Co.

Elgina Parilla Keller Williams

April Parker RE/MAX

Julie Parsons JLUX Homes Realty Group

Aubrey Pearson Keller Williams

Tonya Peek Coldwell Banker

Breann Pelkey JLUX Homes Realty Group

Renee Pellet HomeSmart Realty

Tommy Pennington Compass

Tasha Perez Keller Williams

Mary Perry Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Linda Peterson CENTURY 21

Cindy Petty Tina Leigh Realty

Debbie Petty Williams Trew

Megan Phelps Phelps Realty Group, LLC

Mark Philpot League Real Estate

Erin Pickard Compass

Rusty Pierce RE/MAX

Sarah Pierce Ebby Halliday

Tommy Pistana Compass

Joanna Pixley Coldwell Banker

Kim Podsednik CENTURY 21

Sandesh Pokhrel Vastu Realty Inc

Tabatha Polley

Keller Williams

John Pollock RE/MAX

Edwena Potter

Keller Williams

Brannon Potts Fathom Realty

Greg Potts Compass

Joe Potts JPAR

Craig Powers Coldwell Banker

Andrea Pratt Keller Williams

Martha Price Williams Trew

Jackie Prowse Williams Trew

Angelo Puma Keller Williams

Ary Putera Keller Williams

Spalding Pyron Pyron Team Realty

Corrine Quast Williams Trew

Chris Quick Coldwell Banker

Lisa Quinn Ebby Halliday

Fernando Ramsey CENTURY 21

Ivey Ramsey

Williams Trew

Rick Reagan Coldwell Banker

Kim Reding Magnolia Realty

Piper Reese Pardue Williams Trew

Chris Reeves JPAR

Mary Ruth Reeves The Wall Team Realty Associates

Stephen Reich Williams Trew

Brandon Reichenau CENTURY 21

Chip Reid Ebby Halliday

Kristi Reinertsen Coldwell Banker

Karly Resta Coldwell Banker

Alberto Reyes League Real Estate

Devon Reyes League Real Estate

Stacey Reynolds Keller Williams

Russell Rhodes Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Susan Rickert CENTURY 21

Anastasia Riley Coldwell Banker

Jessie RittenhouseTotherow

CENTURY 21

Debbie Roberts Keller Williams

Tom Robertson

CENTURY 21

Donna M. Robichaux Ebby Halliday

Cody Robinson

Robinson Team Real Estate

Dona Robinson

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Tara Roden Coldwell Banker

Angie Rodgers

Halo Group Realty

Carl Roland Burt Ladner Real Estate

Kay Rollins

Superior Real Estate Group

Joseph Romero Williams Trew

Debbi Rousey CENTURY 21

Kenneth Michael Rowe JPAR

Rob Russell Ebby Halliday

Carol Russo Compass

Paul Ruth RE/MAX

Amy Rutledge Rutledge Realty Group

Jollete Ryon-Schoeve Compass

Cassie Samons JPAR

Melissa Sanches CENTURY 21

Rob Sandefur eXp Realty

Ashley Sartain Burt Ladner Real Estate

Stacey E. Sauer

Keller Williams

Trish Scates Keller Williams

John Schepps Keller Williams

Cindy Schmidt RE/MAX

Davis Scott Nail & Key Real Estate Group

Janna Seal 6th Ave Homes

Stephanie Seay Keller Williams

Karen L. Sefcik Ebby Halliday

Leanna Sellars Keller Williams

Elise Sessions

Harrison Wade Real Estate Group

Jeannie Seth Ebby Halliday

Swapnil Sharma Compass

Patty Sheets Coldwell Banker

Michelle Sherman CENTURY 21

Heather Shimala Compass

Aaron Shockey

Roger Healy and Associates Real Estate

Judy Shoemaker Keller Williams

Sagun Shrestha

Keller Williams

Shyam Shrestha Vastu Realty Inc

Terri Silva Williams Trew

Stephanie Simmons Fathom Realty

Alan Simonton Knob & Key Realty

Brad Simpson Ebby Halliday

KT Singh Fathom Realty

Maninderpal Singh JPAR

Navjot Singh

Signature Real Estate Group

Paul Singh JPAR

Lori Slocum Coldwell Banker

DeWayne Smart Smart Realty

Ashley Smith Monument Realty

Chad Smith eXp Realty

Jared Smith

Keller Williams

Jeff Smith CENTURY 21

Jeremy Smith eXp Realty

Jill M. Smith

Ebby Halliday

Kayson Smith Engel & Völkers

Mike Smith

Ebby Halliday

Patsy Smith Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Reecinda Smith Coldwell Banker

Anthony Snodgrass JPAR

Stan Sokolowski

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Winans

Cassandra Spann League Real Estate

Laura Spann

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Sabrina Sparkman Coldwell Banker

Cassie Spears eXp Realty

Brian St. Clair 6th Ave Homes

John Staab Motive Real Estate Group

Dan Stafford RE/MAX

Anna Stankiewicz Keller Williams

Tara Stark Keller Williams

Missy Starling Cole Coldwell Banker

Lesley Stegmeier Stegmeier Realty

Beth Steinke CENTURY 21

Kolby Stewart

The Ashton Agency

Patty Stoner

Premier Realty Group

Bre Story

The Ashton Agency

Ruth Story DFW Story Group

Kaci Strawn

Burt Ladner Real Estate

Sherri Strayer

The Michael Group Real Estate

Scott Strotz Engel & Völkers

John Sturges Keller Williams

Carrie Summers Coldwell Banker

Amber Sustala Williams Trew

Carol Swanson Burt Ladner Real Estate

Elena Sweetser Keller Williams

Robbie Sweidel

Keller Williams

Bryson Swiggart Compass

Chaz Swint

Keller Williams

Chelsie Synatschk Fort Worth Focused Real Estate

Pam Taeckens Coldwell Banker

Kevin Tally Compass

Angela Taylor Keller Williams

Jayme Taylor League Real Estate

Kim Taylor JPAR

Lance Taylor Keller Williams

Roxann Taylor Engel & Völkers

Heather Teems League Real Estate

Lalit Thakkar Fathom Realty

Surya Thapa Vastu Realty Inc

Ashton Theiss The Ashton Agency

SHEILA BONN I DUSTIN WRIGHT I BEVERLY WOOTTON I TOM SCHNEIDER I ERIN ARNOLD

SHIRLEY COLEMAN I LANI HENDRIX I COLIN PAIR I KIM MILLER I KAY LOPEZ

LUDWIN FLORES I ERICA BERKEBILE I MICHELLE MONTEMAYOR I VICCI BARTMAN

BARBARA PANTUSO I SUSIE FITZGERALD I MARY CORNELIUS I MENA WAHBAA We could not have done it without all the families we have helped throughout the metroplex, sincerely

SHEILA BONN I DUSTIN WRIGHT I BEVERLY WOOTTON I TOM SCHNEIDER I ERIN ARNOLD

DESIREE MILLIGAN I ROBBIE SWEIDEL I NAOMI JONES I ASHLEY PANTUSO I MARGIE FLORES

SHARON HODNETT I LORI MIRA I MARIA DIAZ SIERRA I DENYSE ZAMORA

SHARON HODNETT I LORI MIRA I MARIA DIAZ SIERRA I DENYSE ZAMORA to our Fort Worth Magazine 2023 Top

Susan Thornton

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Wendy Tockey CENTURY 21

JD Tomlin eXp Realty

Dayna Tooley

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Winans

Amber Traylor CENTURY 21

Ginger Trimble Knox Ginger & Associates, LLC

Jacque Trulock Keller Williams

Shauna Tucker League Real Estate

Jared Turner Turner Mangum Real Estate

Lori Turner

Turner Fortune Real Estate

Walker Turney Williams Trew

Dennis Tuttle

Dennis Tuttle Real Estate Team

Mechelle Tyler RE/MAX

Gary Tyner

Keller Williams

Robert Tyson

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Lynn Urban Urban Realty

Lori Vaden Compass

Ana Valedez Keller Williams

Aaron Valencia eXp Realty

Nick Van Der Gaast CENTURY 21

Barbara Van Poole

Keller Williams

Kathy Vander Zee RE/MAX

Bethany Vaughan Compass

Cecily Verloop

Ebby Halliday

Peggy Villagomez Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Carrie Vines Keller Williams

Kristin Vivian Compass

Victor Vo

Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Teresa Von Illyes Keller Williams

Suraj Wadhwani

Keller Williams

Mena Wahbaa Keller Williams

Laurie Wall

The Wall Team Realty Associates

Hannah Wallace JPAR

Wes Walser

Wes Walser Realty

Eric Walsh Compass

Logan Walter Keller Williams

Janice Warman Coldwell Banker

Suzanne Warner Compass

Sally Watkins Compass

Jeff Watson Compass

Serenda Weathers JPAR

Ann Weaver CENTURY 21

Debra Weber

Debra Weber Realty

Tracey Wecker Ebby Halliday

Ginger Weeks RE/MAX

Rick Wegman Compass

Ben Wegmann

Roger Healy and Associates Real Estate

Beverly Wells Keller Williams

Julie Wells Keller Williams

Shari Wells Nixon CENTURY 21

Karan Wethington Wethington Agency

Brian White eXp Realty

Carly White Monument Realty

Cheri White Coldwell Banker

Josie White Coldwell Banker

Randy White Randy White Real Estate Services

Lisa Wiggins Coldwell Banker

Heidi Wilburn Keller Williams

Tracy Wiley League Real Estate

Raisa Wilfong RE/MAX

James Williams Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Julian Williams Compass

Martha Williams Williams Trew

Patty Williamson Williams Trew

Gina Wilson Ebby Halliday

Ryan Wilson Engel & Völkers

Stephanie Wilson Magnolia Realty

Amber Wimberly Keller Williams

Natalie Winchester Ebby Halliday

Kimberly Windle Keller Williams

Ann Winston Winston Properties

Kris Wise Keller Williams

Jeff Withers Withers Howell Real Estate Group

Elizabeth Woodrow Coldwell Banker

Jessica Woods RE/MAX

Beverly Wootton Keller Williams

Brandi Wright Wright Real Estate Brokerage

Judi Wright Ebby Halliday

Kristen Wright Fathom Realty

Sue Wykes Coldwell Banker

Mila Yakhnis Keller Williams

Shane Yarbrough CENTURY 21

Hae “Angela” Yi The Michael Group Real Estate

Pamela Yoakum JPAR

Angie Yocum RE/MAX

Cindy Young Coldwell Banker

Kristin Young Ebby Halliday

Micah Young eXp Realty

Denyse Zamora Keller Williams

Georgie Zang Compass

John Zimmerman Compass

Chicotsky (front row)

Bernie and Terri Christian (817) 238-1279 | James and Kelly Biedenharn (817) 887-6875

Adriana Blanco (817) 713-9233 | Amy Moody (817) 300-8196 | Danielle Farr (817) 913-0667

Link Karlen (817) 996-6200 | Danielle Adama (817) 501-5326 | Adriana Friare (817) 688-5425

Who do you know that’s looking to buy, sell or invest in real estate? Our REALTORS® at Keller Williams would love to help! If you are considering a career in real estate or you’re looking to make a change, we’d love to meet you! Please call Team Leader Wes Griffin at (817) 343-0797.

TEAMS OF TWO

$15 MILLION PLUS

321 Real Estate Group

Keller Williams

Bankester Realty Group RE/MAX

Bankhead and Silva Group

Williams Trew

BellaMax Realty Group

Keller Williams

Dan Stafford Group RE/MAX

Darin Davis Real Estate Group

Keller Williams

Eller Nolan Team Williams Trew

Givens Brown Group

Ebby Halliday

GoalLine Real Estate Team

Keller Williams

Hacker Property Group

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Herron Homes

Keller Williams

Kaitlin Lovern Real Estate

Team

CENTURY 21

Kevin Rhodes Group

Keller Williams

Kim Miller Team

Keller Williams

LG Realty Group

CENTURY 21

Love Realty Group

Keller Williams

Ludwin Group

Keller Williams

M & M Realty Group

Keller Williams

Marcontell + Gilchrest Group

Ebby Halliday

Mira Group

Keller Williams

Nancy Dennis Team

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

P3 Real Estate Group

Vastu Realty Inc.

R Campbell Realty LLC

RealtyBees

Robert Tyson Group

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Ryan Wilson Team

Engel & Völkers

Staley Watson Group Compass

Tara Stark Real Estate Group

Keller Williams

Tharp Real Estate Group JPAR

The Ashton Agency

The Atwal Group Compass

The Fleury Team

Keller Williams

The Gaskill Group

Keller Williams

The KTS Team

Fathom Realty

The Lori Slocum Team Coldwell Banker

The Mannion Group

Keller Williams

The Mary Lanier Team RE/MAX

The Milan Co Group

Keller Williams

The Perry Group

Williams Trew

The Reid Cristy Group

Ebby Halliday

The Robyn & Lanae Team Twenty-Two Realty

The Rose Realty Team

Keller Williams

Tom Schneider Team

Keller Williams

Tosello Team

Keller Williams

Vaughan Crockett Group

Compass

TEAM GROUPS 3-6

$20 MILLION PLUS

Adamcik Group

Ebby Halliday

AmeriPlex Realtors

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Ayres, Ferguson, Smith & Mallouf Group

Ebby Halliday

Bartley Group

Ebby Halliday

Brad Crouch Team

Engel & Völkers

Brand Properties Group

Keller Williams

Carlson Luxury Group Compass

Cindy Schmidt Team RE/MAX

Cunningham Group Ebby Halliday

Dani Hampton Group

Keller Williams

David DeVries Team RE/MAX

Debbi Rousey Real Estate Group

CENTURY 21

Devon and Alberto Team League Real Estate

DFW Home Listings Team Coldwell Banker

Dona Robinson Group

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Duwe-Olsen Real Estate Group

Compass

ELoV8 Group Williams Trew

GeoDwell Real Estate Group

Keller Williams

Gina Mullen Realty Group

Keller Williams

Harrison Wade Group JPAR

Jeannie Anderson Group Compass

JLUX Homes Realty Group

Joseph Berkes Group Williams Trew

Kim Taylor Real Estate Group JPAR

Livian Group Dallas-Fort Worth

Keller Williams

Martha Williams Group Williams Trew

On The Move DFW

Keller Williams

Patty Sheets Realty Group Coldwell Banker

Phelps Realty Group

Phelps Realty Group, LLC

Pursuit Realty Group Williams Trew

Rees & Piper Team

Williams Trew

Samons Team JPAR

Sophie Tel Diaz Real Estate

Services Inc.

Spurrier Group

Keller Williams

SuKaza Realty SuKaza Realty

Susanna + Co Williams Trew

TAG DFW Realty Group

Keller Williams

The Allen Crumley Group Williams Trew

The Araceli Mercado Team CENTURY 21

The Ashford Bobo Team

Keller Williams

The Assaad Group

Compass

The Bill Helton Group

Keller Williams

The Bluebonnet Group Coldwell Banker

The Brandee Kelley Group

Keller Williams

The Buehler Group

Keller Williams

The Christenberry Group

Keller Williams

The Christian Group Keller Williams

The Coulborn Group Williams Trew

The Deane Team TDT Realtors

The Espinoza Group Keller Williams

The John Zimmerman Group Compass

The Judi Wright Team Ebby Halliday

The Keith Beasley Team CENTURY 21

The Kiefer Team

Keller Williams

The Klapper Team Coldwell Banker

The Lang Realty Group CENTURY 21

The Melanie Hunt Team CENTURY 21

The Pollock Group RE/MAX

The Raleigh Green Real Estate Group

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

The RG Real Estate Group CENTURY 21

The Robichaux Group Ebby Halliday

The Russell Group Ebby Halliday

The Sally Watkins Group Compass

The Seay Realty Group Keller Williams

The Spann Team

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

The Star Group JPAR

The Tony Green Team Compass

The Ultimate Real Estate Group Coldwell Banker

The Urban Group Williams Trew

The Verloop Group Ebby Halliday

The Wickliffe Team CENTURY 21

Tommy Pennington Realty Group Compass

Trinity Home Group JPAR

Triple Star Team Ebby Halliday

Vivian Real Estate Group Compass

Wynne Moore Group Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Social Realty Group Compass

Stacey Feltman Real Estate Group Ebby Halliday

Stephen Reich Group Williams Trew

Sunny Darden Group Compass

The Christie Cannon Team Keller Williams

The Davis Team Keller Williams

The Gauntt Team CENTURY 21

The Jonathan Cook Team Keller Williams

The Kirk McDonald Group Compass

TEAM GROUPS 7 PLUS $30 MILLION PLUS

Bachman Realty Team Fathom Realty

Charlie Brown Group Keller Williams

Dana Pollard Group Keller Williams

Ginger & Associates - A Real Estate Group Ginger & Associates, LLC

Hershenberg Group Keller Williams

Lily Moore Realty Lily Moore Realty

McElyea Realty Group JPAR

Minteer Real Estate Team

Keller Williams

Pantuso Properties Keller Williams

Reside Real Estate Team

Reside Real Estate LLC

Singh Real Estate Group

Signature Real Estate Group

Snodgrass Real Estate Group

HomeSmart Realty

The Kocher Team Keller Williams

The Pistana Group Compass

The Sarah Padgett Team CENTURY 21

The Sharma Group Compass

Torelli Properties Group Compass

WWG Team Compass

Zang Adams Team Compass

Marcontell + Gilchrest Group

The Marcontell + Gilchrest Group is led by two of the most respected names in North Texas residential real estate – Kelly Marcontell and Susan Gilchrest. Kelly and Susan’s diverse and complementary backgrounds, award-winning talents, and $1B+ in career sales allow them to expertly position and market homes in today’s competitive environment, as well as write winning offers. They specialize in Southlake, Westlake and the surrounding communities, and are proud to have been named the No. 1 Team for Ebby Halliday Companywide in 2022 with almost $120M in sales volume. Experience more with Marcontell + Gilchrest.

Kelly Marcontell

972.743.9171

kellymarcontell@ebby.com

Susan Gilchrest

817.718.1242

susangilchrest@ebby.com

marcontellgilchrestgroup.ebby.com

Lunch With the Girlz

Colleyville Woman’s Club

Colleyville Woman’s Club celebrated its 35th Fashion Show & Luncheon Benefit, Lunch With the Girlz on March 3 with the theme of Street Style. This signature event showcased professional models dressed in designer and ready-to-wear styles from DFW boutiques. One of the highlights included Men of Distinction strutting the runway and serving guest tables. NBC 5 DFW anchor Deborah Ferguson served as event emcee.

Atwood Custom Homes served as title sponsor, allowing CWC to further its mission of providing a variety of deserving charities throughout the metroplex, including student scholarships. Since 1978, the volunteers of Colleyville Woman’s Club have donated more than $4 million to charitable organizations.

Jon Atwood, Ava Thievon, Rene Jensen, Trisha Thievon

Lukas Brito

James Iley

Back row, left to right: Tabrina Garcia, Judi McQueary, Kristian Nightengale, Lauren Hennessee, Madison Bell, Front row, left to right: Kate Ashcraft, Kim Daugherty

Pam Hudson, Patti Irwin, Juli Gerrard

PHOTOS BY MIKE LEWIS

Globally Inspired. Locally Sourced.

Elegant and earthy, our Dream Street home features unique products created by local artisans. Throughout the home, natural elements are paired with high-end features, for a neutral and serene ambiance. Let us design your Dream Home.

Official 2022 Dream Street Partner

Timothy & Amira Windmiller Windmiller Custom Homes & Amira Windmiller Interiors

Photo credit: Costa Christ Photography Bathroom photo credit: Amira Windmiller

Night of Champions

TCU Fellowship of Christian Athletes

TCU FCA’s Night of Champions Banquet is an annual fundraiser that celebrates what God is doing through the ministry of TCU FCA. Every year, current TCU student athletes share testimonies about how God is utilizing TCU FCA to impact their hearts and lives. This year, guests also had the privilege of hearing from TCU coaches Sonny Dykes, Joe Gillespie, Kyle Luongo, Carolyn Meier, and Mark Tommerdahl about how God is moving in their lives, their teams, and at TCU. TCU FCA is on a mission to make disciples who make disciples. They impact the lives of TCU athletes, coaches, and students by building faith, developing character, and encouraging leadership.

Daveion Crawford, Darius Ford, Payton Crews, Sutton MacTavish

La’Ron Haywood, Chauncey Franks, David Swillum

Deidre Holt, Summer Holt

Coleman Maxwell, Carrie Casey, Mitchell Traver

Caroline Reyes, SuperFrog, Taylor Hadwiger, Danielle Hoefeld, Emily Roberts

Shooting Center

VOTED “BEST GUN RANGE” 6 YEARS IN A ROW

VOTED “BEST OF OUTDOOR ACTIVITY” 2023

Texture, dimension, beauty

Aut hentically cus t om homes b uil t to yo ur spec i ﬁc ati ons & st yl e. and interest from every angle

y ou r he ri t ag e homes. co m (8 17) 601-4 576

:dream street

REALTOR

Dream Street 2023:

Q&A with Realtor Randy White

The realtor of three luxury homes gives us insight into what the future of Fort Worth real estate holds.

BY BRIAN KENDALL

Randy White’s been in the biz a while. Committing to a lifelong vocation in real estate when he was 22, White’s now had, by his calculation, 45 high-production years in the industry.

“It’s my calling,” he says. “I love the relationships. I love to serve people, and it’s a field where, pretty much like golf, you never have to retire.”

White is serving as the realtor of the homes that make up this year’s Dream Street project, a collection of three multimillion-dollar homes from three of the area’s best builders, interior and architectural designers, and subcontractors. The homes, which are priced between $4.5 and $5 million, will be open for touring this fall.

We caught up with White for a quick chat about the upcoming project, the current and future real estate markets, and what makes Fort Worth such a desirable city for transplants.

FW: How did you get involved with this year’s Dream Street project?

Randy White: You know, the very first Dream Home the magazine had [in 2001], I was the chosen realtor at that time. I’ve always been a fan of the magazine and got a great relationship with [Fort Worth Magazine publisher] Hal Brown, and I’ve always had a

strong interest in representing homebuilders. So, the two kind of aligned.

FW: What makes selling a Dream Street home different from selling another home?

RW: Well, you’ve got a community of homes. You’ve got three homes that are side-by-side, so it’s really fun to be able to compare the three different styles, the three different home designs, decorating styles, builder styles, and architectural styles, all in the same neighborhood. And [the Dream Streets] are always in a spectacular location. And you see groundbreaking trends. You see quality construction. They’re always stretching the boundaries, and I think [the homes] are fascinating expressions of residential building construction and design. It’s a fantastic social event, also — it’s a real connection time. So, all of the above is what I find so unique about it.

FW: What are some trends you see right now with homebuilding?

RW: I think what’s old is new. So, in Oak Alley, it’s a place where the architectural control standard is part of the value of the subdivision. So, each house is really ensured to be a classic architectural design, whether

it’s Texas Hill Country, Prairie, French, English, or Tuscan. It’s a place where true designs come to live. And, with respect to current architectural trends, we do also allow transitional versions of these designs.

FW: What can you tell us about the real estate market right now in Fort Worth? And where do you see it ending up?

RW: Right now, it’s a very good market if you’re a seller because there’s still an inventory shortage, so prices are still going up in spite of rates more than doubling in a little over a year. It’s a healthy market because employment is strong, migration to Fort Worth is very strong, and the quality of subdivisions is strong.

Now, does that mean it’s a bad time for a buyer to buy? No, it does not, ’cause what they’re saying the future holds is that rates will start trending back down. In fact, I’ve heard from significant experts that 2024, ’25, or ’26 could be the best years we’ve ever had due to the pent-up demand that will be unleashed once rates go down. We do need more new construction, and we do need more homes to hit the market. I think there will be more homes listed once new construction becomes available. So, the future looks extremely bright.

FW: What do you think makes Fort Worth such an attractive city for people?

RW: One is the proximity. I’ve heard Ross Perot, Jr. say that Fort Worth is like an inland port — a modern-day port — because we’re connected by two of the world’s largest airports in DFW and Alliance, the interstate system goes right through Fort Worth, and the railroad system is headquartered here. So, the infrastructure is almost unparalleled from that standpoint. No. 2: Fort Worth is part of Texas. So, you have all that migration from California, Chicago, and even New York coming to North Texas because it’s familyfriendly and tax-friendly. And, to hone in even more, Fort Worth is one of our more cultural cities with art museums, the zoo, Bass Hall, Botanic Garden. It’s just first class. Fort Worth just has the whole package.

Dream Street 2023 Project Partners

FortWorthMagazine’sDream Street wouldn’t be possible without the partnerships of local home industry professionals. Our project partners bring talent, passion, and experience to the project and are an integral part in bringing the homes to life.

HERITAGE HOMES

Appliances: The Jarrell Company

Architectural Design: Arch House Collaborative

Artificial Grass: WinterGreen Synthetic Grass

Cabinetry (Kitchen): The Kitchen Source

Cabinetry (Master): Closet Factory

Countertop (Fabrication): Absolute Stone & Tile, Inc.

Countertop (Materials): KLZ Stone Supply, Inc.

Drywall and Texture: Alliance Drywall Inc.

Electrician: Powered Solutions

Fencing: Lambert’s Ornamental Iron

Fireplaces: Fireside Hearth & Home

Flooring Labor: Premier Designs Flooring

Flooring Material (Wood and Carpet): Premier Designs Flooring

Flooring Material (Tile): Daltile

Framing: Lone Star Framing & Construction LLC

Garage Doors and Openers: Open Up Garage Doors

Garage Epoxy Coating: Firehouse Garage

Glass: Galactic Glass

Gutters: Loveless Gutters

Hardware: Rick’s Hardware & Decorative Plumbing

HVAC: Interior Climate Experts

Insulation: Texas Insulation

Interior Design: Susan Semmelmann Interiors

Landscape and Irrigation: Guardado Landscaping

Lighting Fixtures: Passion Lighting

Low Voltage, AV, and Security: Multimedia Solutions

Outdoor Furniture: Yard Art Patio & Fireplace

Paint (Labor): J&V Painting

Paint (Materials): Benjamin Moore & Co.

Plumbing (Fixtures): Expressions

Plumbing (Labor and Supplies): Pro Serve Plumbing

Pool: Leschber Designs

Roofing: Tarrant Roofing

KENSINGTON CUSTOM HOMES

Appliances: The Jarrell Company

Architectural Design: Heritage Design Studio

Cabinetry (Kitchen): The Kitchen Source

Countertop (Fabrication): Absolute Stone & Tile, Inc.

Countertop (Materials): KLZ Stone Supply, Inc.

Drywall and Texture: Alliance Drywall Inc.

Electrician: Prewitt Electrical Services

Fencing: Lambert’s Ornamental Iron

Fireplaces: Overhead Door Company of Fort Worth

Flooring Labor: Vintage Floors

Flooring Material (Wood and Carpet): Vintage Floors

Flooring Material (Tile): Daltile

Front Doors: Silverado Custom Door & Window

Garage Doors and Openers: Overhead Door Company of Fort Worth

Garage Epoxy Coating: Premier Custom Floors

Glass: Galactic Glass

Gutters: Loveless Gutters

Insulation: Texas Insulation

Interior Design: Heritage Interiors

Landscape and Irrigation: Guardado Landscaping

Lighting Fixtures: Passion Lighting

Low Voltage, AV, and Security: H Customs

Outdoor Furniture: Yard Art Patio & Fireplace

Motorized Patio Screens: Blinds Brothers

Plumbing (Fixtures): The Jarrell Company

Pool: Claffey Pools

Roofing: Texas Tile Roofing

Stairs and Railings: Aaron Ornamental Iron Works

BRIAN MICHAEL DISTINCTIVE HOMES

Appliances: Expressions

Architectural Design: C.A. Nelson Architects

Cabinetry (Kitchen): The Kitchen Source

Countertop (Materials): Levantina

Drywall and Texture: Alliance Drywall Inc.

Electrician: MPT Electric

Fencing: Lambert’s Ornamental Iron

Fireplaces: Fireside Hearth & Home

Flooring Labor: Galvan Floors

Flooring Material (Wood and Carpet): Galvan Floors

Flooring Material (Tile): Daltile

Garage Doors and Openers: Open Up Garage Doors

Garage Epoxy Coating: Professional Garage Concepts

Glass: Galactic Glass

Interior Design: Elements of Design

Landscape and Irrigation: Guardado Landscaping

Lighting Fixtures: Passion Lighting

Low Voltage, AV, and Security: Comware Av

Outdoor Furniture: Yard Art Patio & Fireplace

Paint (Labor): J&V Painting

Plumbing (Fixtures): Expressions

Plumbing (Labor and Supplies): Pro Serve Plumbing

Pool: BlueWater Pools

Roofing: Texas Tile Roofing

Stucco (Material and Labor): Metro Architectural Finishes

Experience the luxury of a truly personalized home with Heritage Interiors. From timeless design to construction support, we bring your desires to life.

We are grateful to receive the Editor’s Pick for Best Interior Design Firm in 2023.

Give Back

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.

June 3

BeatLeukemia Ball

Leukemia Texas

June 3

Cowtown Summer Soiree Creel Family Philanthropies

June 9

Legends Concert Series

UNT Health Science Center

SAVE THE DATE

Prepare your lab coats for a spectacular night full of extraordinary experiences at Mad Scientist Ball!

EVENT CHAIRS

Nissa and Ryan Harrington

EVENT SPONSORS

Nissa and Ryan Harrington | Anne and Orlando Carvalho

TASTING SPONSORS

Bob’s Steak and Chop House Fort Worth | Enchiladas Ole | Fitzgerald | Fort Worth Catering & Galligaskins

One of the most recognizable and cherished buildings in downtown, the Tarrant County Courthouse hasn’t always been so revered. Designed to resemble the Texas State Capitol in Austin, the courthouse’s construction cost $408,840, and upon its completion in 1895, disdain for the building’s extravagance while the country was still reeling from financial crisis was so great that residents elected an entirely new County Commissioners Court. This photo, shot by Randle Bond on a Nikon Z9, effectively captures the majesty of the building’s distinct clock tower during a Sunday morning stroll. “I’ve always loved this city’s architecture,” Bond says. “Both historic and modern.”

| fwtx.com Get your photo on this page and win a $100 gift card to Fort Worth Camera. Just tag Fort Worth Magazine (@fwtxmag) and Fort Worth Camera (@fwcamera) and use the hashtags #fwtxmag and #fwcamera on all your amazing Cowtown images. main line 817.560.6111 | subscriptions 817.766.5550 | website fwtx.com

@rbondphoto

PHOTO BY RANDLE BOND

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