Fort Worth Magazine - November 2022 by fwtx

WE SPENT A DAY WITH FW ZOO'S BABY ELEPHANT (THINGS GOT CUTE)

DESIGN AWARDS: Recognizing the Best Interiors in Fort Worth / SWING CITY: Will Cowtown Remain Purple?

TAYLOR SHERIDAN is living his dream

THE WRITER, ACTOR, DIRECTOR, AND PRODUCER JUST GOT A COUPLE OF NEW TITLES: OWNER OF THE FOUR SIXES RANCH AND RECIPIENT OF LONE STAR FILM FESTIVAL’S LARRY MCMURTRY AWARD.

care when and where you need it most.

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a day to celebrate a generation of conservation

Join us in commemorating a generation of amazing growth and achievements since the Zoo was renovated and reopened in 1992 with an all-day festival.

Enjoy live music, entertainment acts throughout the park, animal enrichment activities and so much more! Best of all, admission is half-price the entire day.

Thanks to the Fort Worth Zoological Association, the Zoo has raised more than $300 million and become a world-class institution and leader in conservation, education and animal care in just 30 years. Now that’s something to celebrate!

SATURDAY, NOV. 19 | 10 A.M. – 4 P.M.

FORT WORTH ZOO

Steamboat Springs, Colorado

A Rocky Mountain Retreat Perfect for Family and Friend Reunions, Corporate Retreats, and Micro Weddings

Sky Valley Chateau specializes in luxurious accommodations for up to 31 guests. This ten-bedroom, ten en suite bathroom vacation rental was completely renovated in the spring of 2022. Guests will be able to enjoy the well-appointed commercial kitchen, 16-person hot tub, and large patio with two levels of turf backyard. The property offers pristine views overlooking the Yampa Valley and the town of Steamboat Springs.

Owned and operated by former Fort Worth residents, Erica and David Fisher

VOLUME 25 ISSUE 11

46 The Maverick

The fictional lives Taylor Sheridan portrays on screen are anything but at the Four Sixes, which he purchased, making him a 21st century centerpiece of Fort Worth’s famed ranching legacy.

BY BRIAN KENDALL

61 A Day in the Life of Baby Brazos

Brazos, the Asian elephant calf born last year, the fourth elephant birth in the Fort Worth Zoo’s 113-year history, represents a triumph for the endangered species. He’s also quite the showstopper.

BY BRIAN KENDALL

84 Design Awards

Fort Worth Magazine, in partnership with ASID, brings you the Shining Star Awards — a showcase of the range, ability, and creativity of the best interior designers of 2022.

the fort etc.

: know

12 Politics

The buzz in politics is whether Democrats can make even deeper inroads in Tarrant County this election cycle as Republicans factionalize.

14 Buzz

In her first State of the City address, at Dickies Arena, Mayor Mattie Parker sets forth a vision of Fort Worth as a world-class city.

18 Calendar

Everyone’s favorite Christmas elf is coming to Bass Performance Hall, “Elf the Musical,” as part of the theater’s Broadway at the Bass series, which will include future performances of “My Fair Lady” and “Lion King.”

20 Fort Worthian

Amphibian Stage co-founder

Kathleen Culebro has made a lasting impact in Fort Worth’s arts community after finally taking the road less traveled.

: live

24 People

‘Tis the season for elections, turkey and stuffing — or dressing — and to curl up under a blanket with a good book. Tina Howard provides her suggestions for readers.

26 Art

“The best thing about being an artist is connecting to people. I get to explore myself and my history.” Six questions with Michelle Cortez Gonzales.

30 Style

Raiding the closet of Blair Cantrell, who shows us the ensembles that make up her distinctive style.

: eat

38 Restaurant News

Jacqueline Anaya’s popular food truck Calisience is transitioning into a highly anticipated brick-and-mortar.

: snaps

74 The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation conducts its annual Craft and Cocktail Competition, serving guests tasty treats and honoring three for their work.

CLOSE

120 Through black-andwhite film, Dontrius Williams captures the unique energy of the city’s diverse community, such as a saxophonist in Sundance Square.

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Don Davis Auto Group and Ford make it easy to get the car, truck or SUV you really want with a dealer assisted preordering system. Select color, options and equipment packages that are exactly right for you.

So stop by Don Davis Auto Group. Check out the new Bronco. Or perhaps a Ford Mustang. And unleash the animal spirit within.

dondavis autogroup.com

Passing the Four Sixes Torch

Family, heritage, tradition, and legacy

The purchase of the Four Sixes Ranch by Taylor Sheridan and a group of investors has many Fort Worth ties going back four generations to the late 1800s, soon after it was founded.

Making a great long story short, Samuel “Burk” Burnett moved with his parents from Missouri to Denton, Texas, when he was 10 years old. Learning the cattle business from his father, at the age of 19, Burnett went into business for himself, buying 100 head of cattle branded with the 6666’s brand. With the purchase of the cattle came the title of the brand.

In 1870 Burnett married Ruth B. Loyd, a Fort Worth native whose father, M.B. Loyd, was a cattleman and a banker, founding First National Bank of Fort Worth. The couple owned a stately house in Fort Worth on Summit Avenue.

In 1871 Burnett, then just 22, drove 1,200 head of cattle to Abilene, Kansas, with a handful of cowhands. Then, in 1874, Burnett bought land and established the Four Sixes Ranch after his 6666 brand. The rest is a century and a half of some of the best history and heritage the great state of Texas has to offer.

Prior to his death in 1922, Burnett willed the bulk of his estate to his granddaughter, Anne Valliant Burnett, in a trusteeship for her yet unborn child, the future Anne Windfohr Marion.

Like her father, Tom, and her grandfather, Miss Anne, as she was known, was a keen judge of both horses and cattle and valued the ranch as part of her heritage. She married James Goodwin Hall, who was Anne Marion’s

Hal A. Brown OWNER/PUBLISHER

father. She would later marry Charles Tandy of the Tandy Corporation. Upon her death in 1980, ownership and operation of the Four Sixes were turned over to her only child, Anne Windfohr Marion.

Not since Burk Burnett founded the Four Sixes more than a century and a half ago had any family member taken such a hands-on interest in the ranch as Anne Marion. She spent 42 years dedicated to continuing her family’s tradition. Just prior to her death in 2020, Marion was asked what the Four Sixes meant to her. She said, “It means history, the history of my family and who I am.”

While Marion’s civic and cultural activities spread throughout the U.S., her most profound commitment was to her birthright and the continuing success of the historic Four Sixes Ranch while maintaining the tradition that had been passed down to her from three generations before her.

Toward the end of our half day on the Four Sixes taking photos for this story and interviewing Taylor, I asked him what it felt like to be living almost every red-blooded, Fort Worth boy’s dream of actually owning and working cattle horseback on the Four Sixes Ranch.

He responded humbly, saying, “I would pinch myself if I wasn’t keenly aware of the tremendous amount of responsibility that I just took on. You know, it’s a lot to live up to, 150 years’ worth of legacy in building this [ranch].”

After a pause to reflect, he finished our interview by saying, “It’s hard to see the dream through the responsibility at this point, but I sure hope my son sees it. He’s the one who’s gonna have to carry the torch next.”

ON THE COVER:

On a Sunday afternoon, Fort Worth Magazine’s publisher, executive editor, and photographer made the trek to the Four Sixes Ranch in Guthrie to photograph and interview Taylor Sheridan. The magazine’s photographer, Crystal Wise, wound up snapping over 5,000 pictures of Sheridan, as the sometimes writer and all-the-time cowboy rode horses, worked cattle, and tossed some bales of hay.

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

NEXT MONTH

Best New Restaurants

A Cowtown Christmas Story

Top Attorneys

Let’s Chat

A few words from our readers

@thejamiepulido style definitely is worth a feature!! I’m trying to be more like her!

rambo

That’s our girl! So proud to have her part of Team Morgan.

morganmercantileJames

Need to get myself a TCU shirt and cap. Celebrate from Bangkok.

Marcus Luer

We saw them working on this last week when we were in NYC. Very cool!

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Mortal Coil

Michelle Cortez Gonzalez gets wrapped up in the Fort Worth art scene. (page 26)

Done Singing the Blues?

All

eyes are on Tarrant County as local elections and midterms loom.

BY JOHN HENRY ILLUSTRATION BY BRANDON HAYMAN

There are many in Tarrant County who associate a Democrat, particularly those labeled the modern liberal kind, with the dinosaur.

The only dinosaurs any of us have ever seen are in museums. Or “The Flintstones.”

That’s embellishment, of course. The Blue people have been here over the last 30 years but in too small numbers to generate enough votes or quality candidates to win local offices.

Conventional wisdom and demographic data indicate that all that is shifting, a transition whose end has yet to be written. But hope springs eternal for local Democrats, whose electoral hopes and dreams are as bright as who knows when after Beto O’Rourke and Joe Biden broke through in Tarrant County in 2018 and 2020, winning over Ted Cruz and Donald Trump by the skin of their teeth.

Whether those victories represented a breakthrough or outliers against polarizing incumbents is difficult to discern.

Tarrant County Democrats are hopeful that, unlike 2018 and 2020, a favorable outcome in the top-of-theballot race for governor will finally lead to down-ballot success in local races, specifically the county judge and district attorneys’ races involving Republican Tim O’Hare of Southlake and Democrat Deborah Peoples, and Republican Phil Sorrells and Democrat Tiffany Burks.

No incumbent Tarrant County state legislators appear to be in trouble.

O’Rourke is back in 2022 running for governor against incumbent Greg Abbott. Abbott has an internal poll that shows he’s down 4 points in Tarrant County entering the Nov. 8 election, according to Scott Braddock of the Quorum Report.

O’Rourke has put a focus on Tarrant County, appearing here on several occasions for campaign opportunity.

“Tarrant County and Fort Worth is the only urban area in the country that is not dominant Democratic, so, the result of that is, people focus a

lot here because it’s the largest ‘inplay’ county in the nation,” says Jim Riddlesperger, a professor of political science at TCU. “That’s the reason we get so much play here.

“A lot of what will determine [the election] are straight-party ticket voters. The outcomes of elections in many states will be determined in local issues and candidate characteristics than general trends.”

That could be particularly true here. Another dynamic was added to the brew in the form of a factional controversy among local Republicans involving a far-right element led by Tarrant County Judge nominee Tim O’Hare of Southlake and the centrist element of outgoing County Judge Glen Whitley and former Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, who was beaten soundly by O’Hare in March’s Republican primary.

Whitley has been critical of O’Hare and declined to endorse him. Moreover, he endorsed Dan Patrick’s Democratic opponent for lieutenant governor. Price, too, didn’t endorse O’Hare. Both Whitley and Price denounced the campaign he ran in March as disingenuous while mucking up Price’s record as Fort Worth mayor, including allegations that she was soft on Black Lives Matter activists and mismanaged the pandemic shutdown.

“I wasn’t really angry. I was disappointed,” Price says about her race with O’Hare. “I’m very worried about where that puts local government. It’s about delivering services. If you can’t work with people at the table, you’re going to lose a lot of that ability to deliver services.”

The term “factionalization” doesn’t quite do it justice. There are warring parties within the party. We’ve

seen this before. When Democrats were the dominant party in Texas for generations, factions developed between the conservatives and more liberal elements and lingered for years. John F. Kennedy made his ill-fated trip to Texas in an attempt to heal wounds between the John Connally conservative faction and the Don Yarborough and Ralph Yarborough element.

“That’s what happens to majority parties,” Riddlesperger says. “They factionalize. The Republican Party has done so in an open way. The Democrats were a factionalized party going back to the end of the 19th century. It wasn’t a question of whether you were a Democrat, but what kind of Democrat were you.

“We’re seeing much the same thing now among the Republicans and for the same reason. Once you have been in power for so long, you begin to see factions develop in party politicians.”

Nationally, it’s a Trump wing and Liz Cheney wing. That could have repercussions locally.

The Texas Democrat schism became most pronounced in the 1950s when Gov. Allan Shivers used the party to deliver the state’s electoral votes to the Eisenhower ticket in 1952 and 1956. In the aftermath of Kennedy’s death, the fighting resumed, though Texas easily remained in Democrat hands with Lyndon Johnson, then still an ally of the conservatives, at the top of the ticket. That didn’t stop Shivers from supporting Republican George Bush in his bid to unseat Ralph Yarborough in the U.S. Senate.

“There’s not been a single move toward conciliation from the conservatives, and we don’t expect a thing,” one of the liberal order told the New York Times in 1964.

Ultimately, conservative Democrats revolted and left the party, leading to the Republican takeover in the early 1990s, but that took years to manifest, including Connally’s defecting in the 1970s. For many Tarrant County judges, it was a matter of political survival. More than a third of 22 Democratic judges seeking reelection in 1990 switched parties after all nine Democratic judges were beaten in the previous election.

Judges Don Leonard; Joe Drago;

Frank Sullivan, a lifelong Democrat who began as a student congressional intern with former Speaker of the House Jim Wright; and Howard Fender, who had been a Democrat for more than 30 years of public service, were all among those to exit.

The reason: survival.

“I don’t know if it’s true [the sweeping out of Democrat public officials], but I’m not going to wait and find out,” Fender said at the time. “I’d just like to continue serving this community.”

The local Democratic Party, too, is dealing with dysfunction heading into Nov. 8.

There is dissention in the ranks with new party chair Allison Campolo, a failed Texas state senate candidate in 2018. She was highly critical of Peoples when she was the party chair.

“Allison really blamed the party and lack of infrastructure for her loss,” one party insider says. “Not that they were bad candidates running in unwinnable seats.”

After her loss in 2018, Campolo founded a countywide voter registration initiative Tarrant Together. The undertaking, particularly the fundraising part of it, was perceived to be in competition with the local Democratic Party apparatus.

“The Democratic Party is not running a coordinated campaign,” the insider says of the local branch for this cycle. Tarrant Together did more in the 2020 election than the Tarrant County Democratic Party is doing this time.

“I’m not a fan.”

That insider is still hopeful, though, that an O’Rourke Tarrant triumph will lead to success for Peoples and Burks. There is also, she says, concern about O’Hare, who has baggage from his days as mayor of Farmers Branch. He championed public policy that required every apartment complex in town to verify that its tenants were there legally.

More recently, Peoples has had to stand down allegations she was involved in dirty dealing as Democratic Party Chair. A police body camera video surfaced showing a homeless man claiming that he had been involved in ballot harvesting

scheme. He said he was paid $200 cash for each signed absentee ballot he produced before the 2016 presidential cycle.

The man claimed in the video that he had earned $1,200 that day for the ballots he had secured.

That’s not bad work, if you can get it.

Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn declined to investigate the case, saying it was inappropriate as an elected official himself to initiate a case against a candidate for office right before the November election. Peoples has denied the allegations.

Tarrant Democrats, the insider says, are also fighting the perception that comes with, fairly or unfairly, being tied to “the AOCs of the world.”

“But you’re really seeing more of the [Fort Worth Democratic Congressman] Marc Veaseys of the world. You can work across the aisle because you’re reasonable. I find Tiffany Burks to be rooted in policy and not politics. I think she’s wonderful.”

Some Democrats believe the race between O’Hare and Peoples is similar to the set of circumstances in the race in which Beverly Powell, a moderate Democrat, defeated very conservative Republican incumbent state Sen. Konni Burton in 2018.

“That’s how we took District 10 back,” the Democratic insider says. “Disillusioned Republicans who thought Burton was too far right.

“I think there is some opportunity in Tarrant County.”

Riddlesperger notes that as the party continues to gain a stronger foothold, with that will come more voters and better candidates who can form coalitions.

There’s another elephant in the room, as well, Riddlesperger says. Abortion, an issue that doesn’t seem to be to the advantage of Republican candidates. How or if voters, particularly women, are motivated by the issue could be decisive.

“Education levels are the best predictors of voting outside of ideology or party affiliation. Suburban voters are not as accepting of conservative narrative as a whole as they used to be.

“That’s reflective in Tarrant County.”

State of the Fort

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker delivers first State of the City address

BY JOHN HENRY

The tradition of Fort Worth’s official head of government delivering a State of the City address to the body politic dates to at least 1907.

Not a one of them, we’re presuming, adopted a theme of “Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.” That would be quite the newsmaker.

Mayor Thomas J. Powell, however, in providing an annual update on the general welfare did say the city of 45,000 in 1907 needed more than the 33 police officers on staff. And the city courtroom was in disrepair, “a disgrace upon the fair name of our city,” he said.

“Fort Worth is growing more rapidly than ever before in its history,” Powell declared.

In the parlance of our day: LMAO. Mayor Mattie Parker took her first swing at it in an upbeat address at Dickies Arena in October. She’s the chief political officer of a completely different place than where the Hon. Mayor Powell lived, starting with the fact that it was held at a place like Dickies Arena, the crown jewel of Fort Worth’s notable public-private pursuits.

At more than 935,000, Fort Worth is the 13th-largest city in America. In 1907, the city’s status relative the largest in the country was akin to this seat I’m sitting in on Camp Bowie Boulevard to Mars. Public safety, you ask? The city’s budget adopted in September over the protest of two members, Michael Crain and Alan Blaylock, who objected to the tax rate, provides for 53 additional officers for the more than 1,800-member police department. (That is believed to be about 140 officers, or so, short of FBI recommendations for a city this size.)

Oh, and if you had electricity, there was certainly nothing resembling streaming over your smart TV. (What TV, Doc Brown?)

That’s where this address began. Parker announced that Taylor Sheridan loved Fort Worth so much for “1883” that he’s coming back to film “1883: The Bass Reeves Story.” (Read all about it starting on page 46.)

That news of a series set in the untamed, lawless frontier was juxtaposed against Parker’s story telling in front of around 850 people who sat down for lunch at tables on the arena floor.

Her theme: Fort Worth as a worldclass city in the 21st century. Parker spoke on the topic for the better part of the hour slot devoted to the event. A Q&A with Margaret Hoover, journalist and great-granddaughter of the 31st president, followed.

“We are home to an increasingly diverse population of nearly one million residents,” said Parker. “We range in age, race, gender, profession, economic background, and political affiliation. We attack problems, not people. And so, my biggest question for us all today: ‘What does it take to be a world-class city?’”

Sheridan’s shows help, no doubt, but we’ve obviously already been discovered on a map, as evidenced by

the 328 people moving here every day, a number the mayor referenced. People want to live here. It’s a culture, history, and people you fall in love with.

To the equation we need to include more innovative companies and an infrastructure to cultivate the ideas of tomorrow.

Much has happened over the past year, which she noted. Last fall, Texas A&M announced that it would build a campus in Fort Worth, including a new law school building, a research arm, and nursing school for Tarleton State. TCU broke ground on a medical school building, and U.S. Rep. Kay Granger (R-Fort Worth) and U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Fort Worth) scored the $400 million in federal funding for the Central City Flood Control Project, better known as the Panther Island project.

Of Panther Island, an enterprise Will Rogers would have made a career out of, Parker declared without reservation: “This project is absolutely happening and will transform the north end of town.” That part of the speech alone was worth a toast or a shot of Fort Worthmade TX Whiskey, neither of which was forthcoming.

Yet, despite these notable triumphs, this is a city “just getting started,” she said.

Many of the themes she addressed have been in her sights since even before she took office.

No. 1 on that list: world-class education, perhaps the noblest pursuit of society and one it must get right if Fort Worth is to ever attract business with a world-class workforce.

Parker is ambitious on this topic, noting that all international cities of significance provide world-class education opportunities to their children, who grow up to be a viable workforce for companies. Currently, there is a skills gap across all of North Texas. For example, projections show that there will be a shortage of 15,000 nurses in Fort Worth-Dallas by 2030.

At present, only 23% of students are graduating and earning a credential.

“My vision is that every single student has access to a credential or a degree before they graduate high school in Fort Worth,” she said.

She vowed to be a leading voice in how education is funded, noting that

though the most important years of development are from birth to 5 years old, the state’s funding per child is a pittance compared to what it spends on children in kindergarten through the 12th grade.

The mayor also hit on needed mobility solutions to move the increased population, public safety, and cleanliness. Can you believe the city has only two street sweepers?

The City Council-approved budget, 10 more have been allocated.

More than $3.5 billion is being invested in transportation projects from 2018-26, a total accounted for through local, state, and federal funds. The East Lancaster corridor redesign and the TEXRail extension from downtown to the Medical District are priorities, she said.

In its new budget, the city has also addressed the rising rate of crime, a matter afflicting every big city in the U.S. A world-class city demands world-class public safety. In the FY2023 budget are funds for 53 additional sworn officers, plus 14 civilian positions, as well as trainees to support 911 communications. Also in the budget is funding to support neighborhood patrol programs and crisis intervention teams.

The mayor said she and the council have a vision of public safety that is “pro police and pro community.”

Parker said development services will be remade — a “one-stop shop on a single floor” — with the new city hall. Permitting in old city hall is where businesses go to die, she joked. (I think it was a joke.)

All of these advancements will ultimately bring more people to the table of city government, inclusion perhaps her chief priority, she said.

Ultimately, Parker said, Fort Worth is a city that is “strong, prosperous, and growing.”

“We cannot take growth for granted,” she said. “We must manage that growth and vision for the city.”

In Mayor R.M. “Sharkey” Stovall’s State of the City address in 1970, he issued words of caution that reverberate among every edifice in downtown: “Mankind tends to think of the future as if it will never arrive.”

The future very much feels as if it is already here.

Purple People Portraits

TCU celebrating No. 150 with murals of leading alums in U.S. cities

BY JOHN HENRY

TCU is sending out invitations of sorts to the world to join in celebrating its landmark birthday in 2023.

Rather than stock, the university is using paint.

As part of the lead-up to TCU’s 150th anniversary, the school is highlighting notable Horned Frog leaders who found their inspiration at TCU with a series of murals, hand painted in cities across America.

The larger-than-life artistic portraits will appear in select U.S. cities to recognize outstanding individuals who represent the power of TCU’s alumni “leading on” in extraordinary ways in their chosen fields.

The first mural in the series was unveiled in New York City this week and features alumnus John Devereaux, currently touring with “Hamilton.”

“John is amazing, and he represents what we believe is the power of all Horned Frogs: We find our passion and pursue it,” says TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini Jr. in a statement. “In corporations, in classrooms, in operating rooms, and even on stages, you’ll find Horned Frogs leading on.”

The mural series is part of TCU’s new national brand campaign supporting its 150th anniversary theme, “Lead On: Celebrating 150 Years of TCU.”

John Devereaux

New commercials featuring TCU students, faculty, and staff are also debuting to promote its academic and campus experience. Streetlamp banners convey the powerful “then and now” connection between TCU leaders from yesterday and today with descriptors like “Boldly,” “Compassionately,” and “Authentically.” An accompanying photo essay goes deeper, telling the story of everyone represented on the banners.

Devereaux credits multiple experiences and people at TCU that prompted him to pursue a career in the performing arts. He says his life would have been different without the culture of connection at TCU and the support and encouragement from professors and classmates.

“I am so grateful to everyone at TCU for nurturing and expanding my gifts,” says Devereaux. “It is so meaningful to be celebrated like this and to know that I am viewed as a leader in my community. I truly believe that the stage is a platform for joy. I stand on the shoulders of those who came before me, and I pray that my shoulders will be strong to hold those who will stand on mine.”

The mural featuring Devereaux is 15 feet wide and 32 feet high. It is located on 25th Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues in Manhattan.

The bold mural, painted in TCU’s signature school purple, is accented with the sesquicentennial year creative featuring a prismatic purple sunrise gradient and features a photo-realistic portrait of Devereaux and playful lettering featuring his inspiring quote: “The stage is a platform for joy.”

Last month, TCU students and administration used an opportunity to ring the final bell on Wall Street to promote its anniversary and mission.

The second mural location will be unveiled in Los Angeles in February and feature alum Katherine Beattie, a producer/writer for “NCIS” and, as an adaptive sports athlete, the first woman to land a backflip using a wheelchair.

Other mural subjects and locations will be announced soon, with the final mural debuting in Fort Worth in fall 2023.

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ARTS & CULTURE

*Please visit each event’s website for information on COVID-19 protocols.

OCT. 20 – NOV. 20

Guards of the Taj

A 2015 Obie Awardwinning play, Guards of the Taj is a two-man show about a pair of guards witnessing the sunrise on the completed Taj Mahal for the first time. Nov. 6 and Nov. 11 performances will include a post-show convo with director, Shyama Nithiananda.

Stage West Theatre 821 W. Vickery Blvd. 817.784.9378 stagewest.org

NOV. 2

Mushroom Mania

As far as we’re concerned, most meals could use a healthy dose of flavorful fungi. This class will introduce the wonderful world of mushrooms to those curious about the culinary arts. Ages 21 and up will enjoy a glass of wine that complements dishes that attendees will prepare at the class.

Central Market Fort Worth

4651 West Freeway 817.989.4700 centralmarket.com

NOV. 5 – 6

Fall Japanese Festival

Get a taste of Far East culture at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, which will host Japanese dancers, taiko drummers, martial artists, sword demonstrators, raku ceramists, and food trucks.

Fort Worth Botanic Garden 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd. 817.463.4160 fwbg.org

NOV. 12

Garrett

Capps

& NASA Country w/ Sean Russell and Ottoman Turks

The self-described cosmic country gonzo visits Tulips, where local songsmith Sean Russell (of the Cut Throat Finches) will join the Joshua Ray Walker-led Ottoman Turks for what’s sure to be a killer triple bill. Tulips 112 St. Louis Ave. 817.367.9798 tulipsftw.com

NOV. 12

Taylor Swift Wine Night

While a good cabernet sauvignon might be best to pair with a rib-eye steak, we think it might also go well with T. Swift’s album Folklore. We’ll see if our suspicions are right at this three-hour-long event, which will pair five wines with the singer-songwriter’s best albums.

WineHaus 1628 Park Place Ave. 817.887.9101 winehausfw.com

NOV. 13

2022 Texas Country Music Awards

For the fourth straight year, Billy Bob’s will play host to the Texas Country Music Awards, which, like the name suggests, will honor the year’s top Lone Star country music artists. performances from Roger Creager, Terry McBride & the Ride, Brandon Rhyder,

Robert Spano Performs Chamber Music

The new music director of the Fort Worth Sym phony Orchestra, Robert Spano, also an accomplished pianist, takes the stage on a Sunday afternoon at the Kimbell, where he’ll perform a song cycle of his own composition.

Kimbell Art Museum 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817.332.8451, kimbellart.org

NOV. 13

Fort Worth Vendor Market

Beer and shopping go together like beer and, well, just about anything aside from operating heavy machinery. Local brewery Rahr and Sons has partnered with Happily Ever Crafty to bring the Near Southside a day of hops and perusal of goodies from a variety of local vendors.

Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. 701 Galveston Ave. 817.810.9266 rahrbrewing.com

NOV. 20

Make & Take: Thanksgiving Sides

As it’s now commonly accepted that it’s the sides that take a Thanksgiving meal to the next level, you’ll want to attend this $100 class that’ll send you home with four mouthwatering dishes. Each recipe is designed to serve four to six people, and Central Market provides freezerready, disposable containers to take them home.

Central Market Fort Worth 4651 West Freeway 817.989.4700 centralmarket.com

NOV. 24

41st Annual YMCA Turkey Trot

It’s time to dust off that turkey costume — assuming it leaves your closet only once a year — for the annual turkey trot. Like yams and cranberry sauce, running (or walking) a 5K is a Thanksgiving tradition. All proceeds benefit the local YMCA.

6115 Camp Bowie Blvd. 817.335.9622 fwtrot.org

NOV. 25

Aaron Watson

Currently touring behind his 15th studio album, Unwanted Man, the Abilenebased country music star makes the pilgrimage to the mecca of honky-tonk, Billy Bob’s, for an 18-andover show.

Billy Bob’s Texas 2520 Rodeo Plaza 817.624.7117 billybobstexas.com

NOV. 25

Photos with Santa at The Shops at Clearfork 2022

The one-and-only Santa Claus will be on hand at The Shops at Clearfork for a holiday picture-taking session. Whether seeking a selfie or family portrait, all you have to do is make a $10 donation that benefits the local charities of The Greatest Gift Catalog Ever.

The Shops at Clearfork 5188 Monahans Ave. 817.922.8297 TGGCE.org

NOV. 25 – DEC. 23

‘Take the Soul Train to Christmas’

A history lesson and play wrapped into one, “Take the Soul Train to Christmas” takes its cast on a journey through time where they learn how “African Americans endured, prevailed, and still embraced the birth of Jesus Christ.”

Jubilee Theatre

506 Main St.

817.338.4411

jubileetheatre.org

NOV. 27

Pat Green

The local country music star (and recent cover subject of Fort Worth Magazine) takes the stage for the first time in his adopted hometown since the release of his latest studio album, Miles and Miles of You.

Tannahill’s Tavern and Music Hall

122 E. Exchange Ave., Ste. 200 tannahills.com

NOV. 11 – 13

Elf the Musical

Everyone’s favorite 6-foot-tall elf is coming to Bass Performance Hall as part of the theater’s Broadway at the Bass series, which will include future performances of “My Fair Lady,” “Lion King,” and “Hadestown.”

Bass Performance Hall 525 Commerce St. basshall.com

Kathleen Culebro

Playwright and Founder of Amphibian Stage

BY KELSEY SHOEMAKER

PHOTO

CRYSTAL WISE

Growing up in Mexico City, Kathleen Culebro remembers the hours she would spend in the family’s living room staring intently at the TV set, which played dubbed versions of American movies with subtitles.

She was intrigued by the storytelling, the acting, and the effects.

But it was a trip to The City That Never Sleeps that set her ultimate direction in life. Her mother proposed the family travel to New York for Thanksgiving. It was a trip that ironically sounded as boring as junk mail to the then-10-year-old Culebro. However, a visit to Broadway and a showing of “Pippin,” the Roger Hirson-Stephen Schwartz-Bob Fosse collaboration, that triggered fate.

“My life was changed that night when I was 10 years old,” Culebro says. “I became obsessed with theater, but I was a shy kid. I didn’t know where I fit into theater because I thought theater kids come out of the womb singing, dancing, and acting, and I knew that wasn’t me.”

The route she took to eventually become founding artistic director of Amphibian Stage, the production company founded by three TCU Horned Frogs Department of Theatre alums in 2000, was a circuitous one.

Because she wasn’t that kid who came into life as a singer, dancer, or actor, she pushed that fixation with theater to the side. Resisting it, she majored in French and Spanish literature at Brigham Young University.

The lure, however, presented itself with merely the crack of an open door. It’s funny how fate works. At times, when she would drop her daughter off for piano lessons near the TCU campus, the door to the theater department

would be ajar. To Culebro, it was like the allure of the scents of all the great things being made in a bakery. After a while, one simply can’t resist going inside. Discernment led to her enrolling in a theater class and then another, and then even more. She was helping with props, makeup, costumes, lighting, and anything in between. Before she could even blink an eye, she had a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

“I was completely drawn into a world that I had always been an outsider,” Culebro says. “I made some close friends with whom I had a similar aesthetic, and around the time we were facing graduation, we realized it would be like a lightning strike ever to work together again. We produced a play on a whim and loved it so much.”

These fellow Horned Frogs, these amphibians, now proud alums of the university founded by Addison and Randolph Clark, coined their group Amphibian Stage. They toyed with the idea of producing in New York but finally decided to do work in a flourishing arts community in Fort Worth. They produced shows at TCU for eight years and moved to Fort Worth Community Arts Center for an interim stage. They purchased a permanent home on South Main Street in 2012.

STAGE PERFORMANCES

“Pippin” music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

“How I Learned to Drive” by Paula Vogel

“Two Trains Running” by August Wilson

“Les Blancs” by Lorraine Hansberry

“Los Intereses Creados (The Bonds of Interest)” by Jacinto Benavente y Martínez

“Don’t allow yourself to have any regrets that you didn’t try something,” Culebro says. “You can always go back and be sensible. The arts are what define us as civilizations. When we look back at civilizations, we examine them through their arts. Through their wars, we see the worst of them. But through their art, we see the best of them. When we as individuals experience art, we do open windows into ourselves that we cannot access any other way.”

TOP 5

1. With Co-Artistic Director Jay Duffer. 2. With staff members: Jeff Stanfield, Evan Michael Woods, Jay Duffer, and Ayesha Ganguly. 3. Earlier this year Kathleen adopted Alejandro through Saving Hope Rescue. 4. At Leaves Book and Tea. 5. In New York City, with co-founders Carman Lacivita and Jonathan Fielding. 6. In her hometown of Mexico City, with Hilary Weinstein and Jill Black. 7. With her husband, Gregory Ibañez.

Reading List

Whether you’re fascinated by politics or dreading elections, excited for turkey or just here for the football, looking forward to family visits or preferring to stay at home alone, the arrival of fall makes for the perfect time to curl up under a blanket with a good book. So, order some takeout, snuggle up on the couch, and check out these suggested reads.

BY TINA HOWARD

We Are the Light by Matthew Quick

New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings

Playbook gives us this new, highly anticipated novel about a widower who lives in a quiet suburb that has recently been torn apart by tragedy. As he struggles with grief, an 18-year-old boy begins camping out in his backyard, and the two begin an unlikely alliance that leads them toward healing their community and themselves.

Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson

Two teenage misfits meet one summer and create art together as creative and romantic sparks fly. The result, an unsigned poster, begins appearing everywhere and creates a ripple effect through their town and beyond, and whose mysterious origin has dangerous repercussions. Twenty years later, a famous author is contacted by a journalist looking into the story of the Coalfield Panic of 1996 and wonders if she has any information. Does she? And what happens to her carefully built life if so?

The Luminaries by Susan Denard

If you want to continue with the spooky season, check out this haunting fantasy set in a nightmare-filled forest and filled with family secrets. Winnie Wednesday is determined to take the Luminary hunter trials to become a member of the Luminaries, who protect her hometown from the evils of the forest, in order to prove herself and restore her family’s name. She enlists her ex-best friend to help her train, and together they discover a new danger lurking that no one is prepared for.

Twelve New Mysteries by Agatha

Christie

Looking for a cozy mystery? A collection of authors, including Leigh Bardugo, Lucy Foley, Naomi Alderman, and more, bring us a brand-new collection of short stories featuring the legendary detective Jane Marple after a 45-year hiatus since the last Agatha Christie Marple novel was published. These authors bring us new cases to be solved by this iconic sleuth.

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir by Matthew Perry

Perhaps you grew up with the hit show “Friends,” and Chandler was your favorite of the group. If so, you might enjoy this new memoir detailing the Canadian actor’s start as a rising tennis star, his move into acting career, and his struggle with addiction. This can’t-put-down memoir shares intimate details of Perry’s darkest days and his greatest friends, told with both wit and candor.

Tina Howard, along with her husband, Todd, is the owner of Leaves Book and Tea Shop on St. Louis Avenue in the Near Southside.

Marple:

Take 6

Michelle Cortez Gonzales is diving deep into the Fort Worth art world.

SHASTA HAUBRICH

Michelle Cortez Gonzales only recently started working regularly as an artist — only dabbling before as an art teacher and filling various roles with Fort Worth Public Art. She was a full-time mom and part-time artist. Now, after graduating with a Master of Art degree from the University of Dallas — and her daughter now graduated from college — Michelle has hit the ground running (and painting), having her art exhibited throughout Dallas and Fort Worth several times. We talk about her experiences as a Fort Worth artist and more in this Take 6.

FW: What is your art about?

Michelle Cortez Gonzales: Well, I think it’s still evolving. I’m still figuring that out, but it’s really about sentiments of memory and family ties and nurture. Most recently, I’ve been dealing with the silences that take place within histories. Because of civil assimilation, things silence you, and a lot of your history can become silent or lost because of that. I do all of these domestic things, practices within my work to talk about how you have these traditional things that are also going away, like sewing, braiding, and embroidery. I do them to connect, and in connecting, I feel like there’s this responsibility of going back into history and remembering things. Because you not only have to acknowledge that there’s these traditions, there’s these practices that carry, but there’s also this emotional inheritance that takes place. The way I like to work is that I always think about my grandmother — that’s who raised me — and I think about how she was really quiet. She didn’t speak a lot, but she did a lot of things. She showed us cultural experiences through her labor and making objects. So, I feel really informed by that, like these people who have kind of shown me cultural experiences through that. Growing up, I really didn’t have some of the experiences of a lot of my other first-generation Mexican-American friends who know their lineage. They know where they came from. I don’t have that because it wasn’t really talked about. So, this is what I know. It’s these things that were within the home.

FW: What’s it like being a mom and an artist?

MCG: You know, what’s so weird is, I’ve always separated myself. I think [I separated my art from my personal life] because I was so young, and I felt like I needed to become my individual self — outside of being a mom. [My daughter is] what I focused on early on. Then after she went to college and did her thing, I focused on myself as an individual. I still question myself as far as how those two work together because they do. Growing up, she was a part of my childhood. So as an adult, I’m an individual, but I think

Somewhere Here Nor There

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that as I get older and I look into my own family, I see how that’s affected her. And I see that with the work that I do now; I focus so much on my childhood, but I see how that reflects within hers as well.

FW: You recently found a studio space at The Lancaster Lofts, [a large building on East Lancaster where 10 artists currently rent studio space]. What is it like to now have a studio?

MCG: Anybody that leaves school, you’re so privileged to have a space in general, so then when this opportunity came up, which is rare to have an opportunity for studio space, especially a hub where there’s a lot of artists in

one space in Fort Worth, I was in awe. The space is pretty awesome. I’m still trying to reflect and figure out where I’m going with my work and what I want to do. Recently I’ve been doing a lot of sculpture work, paperwork, small things, and big things. So, I’m taking the opportunity that I have to just enjoy the space here. I think that this area of Fort Worth is really interesting because I have to be really cognizant of how I can just be here and not change the space. I really like the idea of having a space where there are other artists that I can feed off of and be able to connect with, especially during those two years when we weren’t able to do that. Now I get to share this space and communicate with others that are like-minded.

FW: What are some things that you really like about the Fort Worth arts scene?

MCG: It’s very small, but it’s big at the same time, and we’re all sort of connected in that way. I really like that I can see artists all over the place and in every direction now, which wasn’t the case even five years ago. There’s some sort of art venue or artist thing happening all over the city. I think that we still could use some collectors here and some more spaces for artists, but I think it’s just a matter of time. I also like that there’s all different types of artwork and artists and makers and it’s supportive. It’s very supportive.

FW: Who are some local artists you think people should know about?

MCG: Raul Rodriguez — I really connect with his work. It’s really emotional to me.

Also, Karla Garcia — she does clay works, earthworks, and she just recently did a project by the border where she created these cactus forms that reference the flora around there. Then she sets them on both sides of the border. I would also say Sophia Ceballos and Sheryl Anaya in Fort Worth and Tina Medina, Eliana Miranda, and Grace Nicole in Dallas.

FW: What’s the best thing about being an artist?

MCG: I think the best thing about being an artist is connecting to people. I get to explore myself and my history. I do tons of research, and I’m constantly working through things. So, I feel like in that way I get to heal, you know, in ways that I think are helpful for me but also for others because I put myself out there, and then I have people come up to me all the time and tell me, “Oh, my gosh, I relate to this.” So much so that I’ve had people cry to me before. Then being able to have that open dialogue with someone about what we go through as humans. Connecting to people on that level is something that I am really lucky to be able to do as an artist.

Hasta La Raiz

Historic Preservation

Passable Impassable Roles

Closet Raid: Blair Cantrell

BY BRIAN KENDALL

Some people, rebellious in nature, want to break away from their parents’ style — no matter how hip or chic it might be. Blair

Cantrell, the owner of C&B Collections off Vickery Boulevard, was the opposite. She largely credits her mom for inspiring her posh yet down-to-earth style. Cantrell’s mom “always looked like she walked out of the cover of a magazine.”

“Even if she had on something from Target, she looked puttogether,” Cantrell says. “She just always had an outfit on.”

Cantrell, who now lives in Aledo with her husband and two children, was born and raised in and around Fort Worth. Fresh out of high school, it was a trip to Spain where Cantrell discovered her eclectic sense of fashion — becoming confident to break away from high school’s grungier style. This led to an internship with Louis Vuitton at the age of 21, and she’s worked in fashion ever since.

Cantrell invited us to to check out her beautiful home and some of her favorite digs. What we found was a collection of clothing worthy of a local fashionista.

PHOTOS BY CRYSTAL WISE

Shorts and top set: Lanthropy Boots: City Boots

Blair’s Brands and Stores:

Kirk and Vess

Pistola Denim

American Denim

Hale House

Esther Penn

Watch: Vintage Rolex

Shoes: Stubbs & Wooten

Sweatshirt: Vintage Aledo Bearcat sweatshirt

Shirt: Wrangler

Jeans: Good American

Belt: Custom buckle

Jewelry: Vintage turquoise from husband’s grandmother and some from The Wandering Turquoise

Hat: Vintage Stetson

Heels: Good American

Blair’s Go-To:

“I love denim on denim and turquoise. You can dress it up or down, and it’s a safe zone. If I can’t figure out what I’m going to wear, I just put on denim.”

Dress: Alice & Olivia

Earrings: Oscar De La Renta

Fur: C+B Collections, fox

Cardigan shoes: Prada

Dress: Love the Label

Fur: C+B Collections, blue ombré rex rabbit blazer Boots: City Boots

The concept is simple! To serve exceptionally well prepared Gulf Coast inspired seafood and steaks, in a comfy elegant environment. Add to that a tremendous covered patio, an extensive wine list, loungy jazz music, and make it all accessible to everyone. The only things we love more than the food and drinks here at Fitzgerald, is people, and the fact that good food and drink brings people together. Fitzgerald is a place for “people” old and young, to come to eat, drink, and celebrate life, family, and friends. We are more than a restaurant.

Level Up

Jacqueline Anaya worked hard to make her popular food truck Calisience a success. Now she’s ready to take her food to the next level with a brick-and-mortar.

BY MALCOLM MAYHEW

When you remind Jacqueline Anaya that it’s been nearly two years since she announced she was going to open a brick-andmortar version of her popular birria food truck, Calisience, all she can do is laugh.

“I thought maybe it would take a few months, a year at the most,” she says. “I actually gave myself about a year to get it open. A lot of people thought the pandemic was coming to an end, and things would get back to normal.”

But as the pandemic wound down, it unleashed unforeseen aftershocks — a

shortage of supplies and building materials and a lack of restaurant workers, causing one stall after another.

All of that is behind her now, though, and Calisience will open its doors the first week of November at 2707 Race St., just a few blocks from where her food truck draws sell-out crowds.

The star of Anaya’s menu will remain her tacos dorados and her ramen, both made with her take on birria, a Mexican stew made with any variety of meat (Anaya uses beef). There will be other items, too: quesadillas, street tacos, plus sides of rice and beans and, to drink, strawberry horchata, another one of her signature items. Eventually, there will be a full bar.

Anaya has done much of the work herself in the renovation of the building, which used to house a bar and restaurant called Dino’s Live. She’s had help, yes, of course — friends, family, people she’s hired to do things she’s not qualified to do. But it’s still a practically one-woman show.

She’s been adamant about not working with investors. “The ones I’ve talked to ... well, those conversations always end the same way,” she says. “In some way or another, I would have to compromise.”

That’s something that doesn’t really interest her, she says. She did, after all, build Calisience herself, customer by customer, good review by good review, and she did so at the most challenging of times: in the middle of the pandemic. At a time when many people were staying away from restaurants, Calisience became a true success story, with people lined up for hours up on Belknap, where her food truck was parked.

“It’s still a little hard sometimes to wrap my head around it all,” she says.

“I don’t think I can put into words how grateful I am for what my customers have done, and now I can’t wait to do it on a whole new level.”

Calisience, 2707 Race St., calisience.com

THOMPSON’S HARVESON & COLE has served the Fort Worth area funeral and cremation needs since 1911. After six plus decades on 8th Avenue we have moved. Our new location is in the old John Knox church. The facility includes a beautiful Tudor chapel with stained glass windows, large sparkling reception room, a serving kitchen, lovely outdoor areas, and ample parking.

The Thompson family continues to provide Fort Worth, and its surrounding areas, with the outstanding service that has earned the company such a superior reputation for so many years. WISHING

The Last Slice

Once one of the most popular pizza spots in Fort Worth, Pizza Inn is now down to one Tarrant County location. Our food writer says it’s still the best pizza around.

BY MALCOLM MAYHEW

For many of us who were born and bred in Fort Worth, Pizza Inn was often our go-to whenever we wanted a slice. But it was more than just a restaurant. Especially in small towns, it was where the team went after victorious, or not-so-victorious, football and baseball games. Many a first date was at Pizza Inn, sometimes the only restaurant in town. Families would gather there, too, to celebrate raises and graduations and life’s small achievements; the kids would hover around arcade games (usually Ms. Pac-Man), while the adults combed through the salad bar.

While many think the chain has been wiped from Tarrant County, there is a lone holdout. Found on a lesstraveled stretch of Boulevard 26 in Richland Hills is the last standing Pizza Inn in Tarrant County.

From the outside, it doesn’t look like a Pizza Inn. There’s no sign with the mustachioed pizza maker throwing dough in the air. Once inside, though, it’s 1983 all over again, from the twinkling arcade games to the incredibly distinctive smell of pizza dough traveling through an old conveyor

PHOTO

CRYSTAL WISE

oven, its crust browning and pepperoni sizzling with every passing second.

“It’s just like how people remember it,” says general manager Mike Abrams, who has worked here for years, side by side with longtime owner Jim Baenisch, who used to own several Pizza Inns in the area.

The original location of this Pizza Inn is across the street in a still-abandoned building. Old-school Pizza Inn lovers will recognize it instantly.

“You can tell it’s an old Pizza Inn from the shape of the windows [and] the shape of the building,” Abrams says. “There was a very distinct look and style to Pizza Inns.”

Much of Pizza Inn’s business comes from the popular buffet, available at lunch and dinner. With the pandemic continuing to wither, people are feeling comfortable again with the buffet concept, Abrams says.

It’s best to have a pie all to yourself, though. Thin crust has always been, and still is, the way to go. To make sure I always have room for the crackerthin crust, I’ll sometimes eat a slice from end to beginning, starting with the outer rim.

Toppings are nothing out of the ordinary but are still very good in their familiarity and quality. It’s pizza that reminds you of youth, and maybe that’s why it tastes so good.

Down from hundreds, there are 31 Pizza Inns spread across Texas, in small towns like Hamilton and Winnsboro and big cities like Dallas and Houston. Houston, as a matter of fact, has a whopping two locations. Most stores are franchises. Only two are still corporately owned.

The chain has strong ties to North Texas. Brothers Francis and R.L. Spillman opened the original location in the late ‘50s in Dallas, where the headquarters are still located. At the chain’s peak in popularity in the 1980s, Fort Worth’s famous wrestling family, the Von Erichs, partnered with the restaurant and starred in a series of TV commercials, one of which can be found on YouTube.

Not even the almighty Von Erichs could shield the company from competition, changing tastes, and time. After being purchased by the Pantera Corp. in 1987, it declared bankruptcy two years later. A new company president helped put things back on course in 1990. In 2011, the company launched a fast-casual chain Pie 5; some of those locations have closed, and some have remained open.

“Here, it’s sort of like a shelter from the storm,” says Abrams. “No matter what’s going on in the world or going on with the company, we’re doing OK here. We always have, and I’m sure always will.”

Pizza Inn, 6900 26 Blvd. D, pizzainn.com

Bits and Bites

Funky Picnic Brewery & Café prides itself on its family-friendly vibe. But the owners recently opened a new concept strictly for the drinking crowd. The Back Room at Funky Picnic is a speakeasy-inspired bar and pizza restaurant located next door to Funky Picnic, in the space previously occupied by the much-missed Black Cat Pizza, which closed this past spring. Right now, The Back Room is open 3 – 11 p.m. on weekends only. Food is served in the form of 10-inch pizzas, made fresh by Funky Picnic chef Josh Rangel and sous-chef Parker Gordon. Similar to Black Cat, pizzas come in regular and vegetarian options, such as a steak pie and a mushroom and asparagus pie. Drinks include handmade craft cocktails, beers on tap from Funky Picnic next door, and crafty combos of the two. 401 Bryan Ave., Ste. 109, funkypicnicbrewery.com

A new spot for healthy eaters has opened in the TCU area. Sweetgreen, a California-based chain that specializes in bowls filled with healthy ingredients, has opened in the old East Hampton Sandwich Co. space. To commemorate its opening day in October, the restaurant donated a bowl to the Tarrant Area Food Bank for every bowl it sold. Most of the bowls contain salad, veggies, tofu and chicken, and combinations thereof, with your choice of extras and dressings. 1605 S. University Drive, sweetgreen.com

Southlake Town Square recently welcomed a new sushi restaurant. Nikko Southlake, opened in the old Sushi Zushi space on Southlake Boulevard, is a chef-driven restaurant led by Tomo Tamura, a long-running sushi chef and native of Japan who has worked in kitchens near and far. Most recently, he was lead chef at Mr. Sushi in Dallas. His menu includes sushi rolls, both fancy and traditional, sashimi and Wagyu cooked on hot stones. On weekends, there’s a tasting menu, or omakase, available by reservation only. 1420 E. Southlake Blvd., Ste. 168, nikkosouthlake.com

Some sage advice for your next Monday night: Enjoy a complimentary meal at Finn MacCool’s Pub. The south side Irish pub has been quietly serving dishes such as chicken and dumplings, submarine sandwiches, housemade sausage and shrimp gumbo, and jalapeno cream soup, with a grilled cheese on the side, to hungry drinkers on Monday nights. The food is free (and separate from their regular menu), but be sure to buy a few drinks — and tip well. 1700 Eighth Ave., facebook.com/FinnMacCoolsFortWorth

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

Powerful Performance

Fort Worth native Quincy Wallace says he’s a Ford guy “through and through,” and his new 2022 Ford Super Duty F-350 Lariat from Platinum Ford doesn’t disappoint his expectations. When the owner & CEO of the iconic Fort Worth burger joint, Fred’s Texas Café, is cruising the highways between the two Fred’s locations on Camp Bowie West and Western Center, his Ford F-350 truck provides power, comfortable handling, and reliability — and looks great with chrome steel bumpers and quad dual-beam headlamps. Plus, the luxurious cabin includes a 10-speaker B&O sound system, leather upholstery, and SYNC 4 technology that gives him complete control of the innovative tech, running on a 12-inch screen.

Wallace wholeheartedly commends the Gilchrist dealership’s car-buying experience where they make purchasing a car as easy as possible. “The truck was purchased over the phone with the help of Adam Vincze, GM, then delivered to my home in Fort Worth. All elements of the process were above all my expectations,” he says. “This was the simplest car purchase I’ve made EVER.” Soon a longtime customer at Platinum Ford, Wallace says, “I am not a repeat customer, but in a few years I will be. I don’t plan to use anyone else for my future Ford purchases.”

PICTURED: Stephen Gilchrist, Dealer Operator, Gilchrist Automotive; Quincy Wallace, customer; Adam Vincze, General Manager, Platinum Ford.

You can dream it. Together we can do it.

Your home customization experience should lead to the creation of your unique vision, but it should also be a pleasant and fulfilling process along the way. Our showroom lets you experience the bath and kitchen brands we love, while our expert consultants provide the right amount of guidance at every step. Visit one of our Expressions Home Gallery showrooms and discover all the ways we work for you.

PICTURED: (left to right) Nohemi Bustos, Stori Olson, Maegan Lynch, Allison Greenhaw, Shawn Linett (showroom manager), Billy Wadle, Joyt Gray, Bruce Litzenberg, Kym Newman

THE MAVERICK

Taylor Sheridan just wants to ride horses and film TV shows in his backyard. Try to stop him.

BY BRIAN KENDALL

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRYSTAL WISE

WHEN THE SUN PEAKS IN THE SKY, RIGHT AROUND 1 P.M., THE LANDSCAPE AT THE FOUR SIXES

RANCH APPEARS BLANKETED IN A THIN LAYER OF DUST. It’s as if an old-timey Instagram filter draped itself over the entire scene of knee-high grass, head-high bushes, and slight undulations that beg to be considered hills. One glance at the wide-open spaces, and you’re transported to a Sergio Leone film or a Cormac McCarthy novel. The land, variously described as anything between 245,000 and 350,000 acres, is home to calves, horses, armadillos, horned lizards, and about 100,000 of the biggest damn flies you’ve ever seen. And it’s isolated. Boy, is it isolated. On a Sunday — when the town of Guthrie’s only convenience store takes a day of rest — you’d have to drive 30 minutes (one way while going fast) to grab a Coke and a gas station sandwich. To cowherds, cowhands and, well, cows, this is God’s country. To those expecting room service — and not expecting cows — this is hell on earth. It’s rugged, it’s real, it’s inspiring, and it’s undeniably liberating. It’s the kind of place Larry McMurtry wrote about, Charles Marion Russell painted about, and John Ford made films about. And it’s everything the property’s new owner, Taylor Sheridan, ever wanted.

Later that afternoon, I’m sitting high on a top rail — giving my feet a rest from a new pair of cowboy boots that are rubbing my pinky toe a little too harshly — watching a man in aviators, chaps, and a brown cowboy hat expertly working young steers in a dirt-filled arena.

“Cutting is like hockey,” Sheridan, the man in the aviators, had told me earlier. “Reining is like skating.”

He wears a brown cowboy hat because, as he says, only villains wear black cowboy hats. Good guys wear brown hats, and this man is a good guy.

Surrounded by thick clouds of dust and wearing a crimson button-up — looking cinematic as hell — Sheridan maneuvers his horse to push a single steer out of the herd. Once the young steer is free, Sheridan’s favorite quarter horse — a big brown, ornery stallion named Carl — keeps it from returning to the herd.

While my novice understanding of horsemanship means I know very little of what’s going on in that arena, I do know one thing: This guy is damn good on a horse.

“There’s nothing I’d rather do,” Sheridan told me.

nods were even remotely noticeable. Sheridan doesn’t even crack a smile. It felt like business as usual because, well, it was.

“No one seems to have a goal of maintaining a ranch’s legacy. Instead, they look under the hood and see just how much it costs and how much effort it takes.”

When he was done, there were no audible “woos” or hand claps from onlookers, who also happen to be his employees. Sure, he literally owns everything as far as the eye can see, yet only a few

If you’ve lived in Fort Worth for even a hot minute, you should recognize that name, Taylor Sheridan. And, if your Fort Worth credentials remain unscathed, you not only recognize that name, but you know a heck of a lot about it. After all, you’ve likely seen this name whenever you watch the credits roll on “Yellowstone”— the name appears several times, in fact. The popular Western drama follows the resilient and hardened John Dutton, a patriarch who owns the largest cattle ranch in the U.S. Sheridan is “Yellowstone’s” writer, creator, part-time director, and sometime actor — the profession that first introduced him to Hollywood. He’s had a hand in writing every episode and directed the entire first season. He went on to create the critically acclaimed prequel, “1883,” and directed that show’s first episode, which took place in Fort Worth. Yeah, he’s the reason the Stockyards were shut down for a week and hundreds of Fort Worthians dressed in 19th-century garb so they could get their mug on the small screen for a split second. Sheridan’s also written a handful of acclaimed films — “Sicario,” “Hell or High Water,” “Wind River,” and “Those Who Wish Me

Ranch manager Joe Leathers

Dead” — and been nominated for an Academy Award to boot. He’s worked with Kevin Costner, Tom Hanks, Jeff Bridges, Angelina Jolie, Chris Pine, Sam Elliott, Jeremy Renner, and Tim McGraw, just to drop a few of the high-profile names who have performed his scripts. All in all, Sheridan has three shows currently running, two shows currently filming, and four shows under development, including an “1883” spinoff about law enforcement officer Bass Reeves that is to be filmed in Fort Worth. In all honesty, it’s impossible to give his credentials — past, present, and forthcoming — the justice they deserve when one has a limited word count.

Besides, Sheridan doesn’t want to talk about all of that stuff. He’s already talked about it; it’s all been covered by the likes of Variety and Deadline. What he wants to talk about is his passion: his ranch.

Sheridan can talk ranching with the best of them. Normally quiet and direct — offering efficient five- or six-word responses to most things — ranching is the one topic where Sheridan becomes loquacious, waxing poetic about Fort Worth’s deep ranching legacy.

The first ranch that came to mind was the Four Sixes. “When you think of the best cowboys and horses, you think of the Four Sixes.”

His inquiries led him to a conversation with ranch manager Joe Leathers. Yes, the manager of the Four Sixes is named Joe Leathers, and the ranch is also home to a 90-year-old cowboy named Boots O’Neal. These guys, who live and breathe ranch life, were born with tobacco in their mouths and dirt under their fingernails. And they’re particularly protective of their heritage; they aren’t fans of imitators or pretenses. They don’t carry gun belts lined with copper-tipped bullets. Their version of a gunfight is caring for a sick steer. Messing up a depiction of ranching would be akin to spitting in their faces. So, it wasn’t any surprise when Leathers didn’t buy what Taylor was selling.

“The most famous ranch in America is not real. And I felt like, when the show’s over, then what? Was it just a fad? Just an Urban Cowboy-type thing?”

“I would pinch myself if I wasn’t keenly aware of the tremendous amount of responsibility that I just took on. It’s 150 years of legacy building at Four Sixes.”

I ask if, despite all of his successes as a writer and director, if this is his dream. If he wants to etch his name alongside the likes of the Moncriefs and Burnetts as a North Texas rancher.

“You know, it is. Yeah,” he stutters slightly and pauses for a second as if he’d actually never given the question much thought. “I tell you what, my dream had always been — and I’m not sure it made a whole lot of sense in my brain — to own an old-timey butcher shop in the Stockyards. And I wanted to sell my own beef at the butcher shop.”

All he needs now is a butcher with a well-waxed mustache, and he should be in hog heaven. ’Cause now that he owns the Four Sixes (styled 6666), beef should be aplenty.

Of course, to those who follow the saga of the Duttons on “Yellowstone,” you’re well aware that Sheridan had been tied to the Four Sixes long before he made headlines in January of this year — confirming he had purchased the famous ranch from the late Anne Marion’s estate. The Four Sixes featured prominently in the fourth season, when show regular Jimmy Hurdstrom (portrayed by Jefferson White) went on a sabbatical to the giant ranch in Guthrie, where he learned how to become a real cowboy.

After the success of Season Three, when, as Sheridan puts it, the two coasts finally started paying attention to the Kevin Costnerhelmed show, Sheridan saw an opportunity to portray real ranching on the small screen.

“You see, Yellowstone’s not real. It’s not a real ranch. It’s very high reality. You know? Most ranchers aren’t running around dumping bodies in no-man’s land and train stations. I mean, the most famous ranch in America is not real. And I felt like, when the show’s over, then what? Was it just a fad? Just an Urban Cowboytype thing? I wanted to tell a story of an actual working ranch and not dramatize it.”

“Oh, does he lay into me. He was like, ‘You Hollywood SOB. The last thing we need is you coming out here and telling all these b.s. stories about cowboys and ranching.’ And I’m, like, ‘Whoa, Joe, I’m on your side. I’m from here. I’m trying to tell this story because they get it wrong.’”

Sheridan implores them to watch “Yellowstone” so they can see that he’s on their side. Leathers admits to not watching much TV. “I’m not a fan of that Hollywood stuff.” But it only took a few episodes for him to become convinced.

Sheridan eventually got the sign-off from owner Anne Marion — Miss Marion, as Sheridan calls her — who told him to “go have fun” and “make us look good.”

Peeking out from one of the aforementioned undulations, Sheridan is walking just ahead of Carl. In that moment, I ask him why Carl is his favorite horse.

“’Cause I can trust him, and he can do the job.”

He’s walked the same path a couple times already so our photographer, Crystal, can get the money shot. The cover shot. Throughout the day, we’ve been asking him to do stuff: throw hay, ride Carl, cut cattle, and pose in front of a barn. Through a few hours, he’s been exceptionally patient and understanding. While I suspect it makes him uncomfortable, he’s ceded the reins to us.

He has a few moments where it seems as though he wants to suggest something — which we wholeheartedly encourage — but he stops himself, as if resigned to playing a specific role for the day. Despite our being the visitors, he doesn’t want to step on our toes. The quiet confidence he exudes would undoubtedly make him antsy to give direction at even the slightest hint of indecision, but I suspect it’s his manners that keep him from doing so.

Though he is an actor with a razor-sharp jaw and searing blue eyes — and, yeah, he looks pretty darn good in front of a camera — he’s also a Texas boy. And he’s also a Fort Worth boy.

There’s a lot of mythology around Sheridan — where he’s from, where he was born, etc. His Wikipedia page and even some articles claim he was born and raised in Cranfills Gap, a small city in Bosque County, an hour west of Waco. This is not entirely accurate. While he spent a lot of time as a child and teenager at his family’s ranch in

Bosque County, which is where he began his love affair with riding horses, he was actually born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. “I mean, that’s just where my mother went into labor. That’s where I decided I was ready to meet the world.”

And concerning the actual day he was born, your guess is as good as ours.

“I’ve got, like, six different birthdays. Is it wrong that my favorite’s the wrong birthday? I mean, what people don’t realize is, when you start posting where people are born and when they’re born and their address, I only need one more thing to take your identity.”

Fair enough. We choose not to press for more information on the subject.

While Sheridan spent summers and weekends riding horses at Cranfills Gap, a place he looks back on with great fondness, he went to school in Fort Worth, graduating from Paschal High School. If you’re having trouble remembering him, that’s because in those days, he was known as Taylor Gibler — we admit the decision to change his name to Sheridan was a smart one.

While hailing from a place called Cowtown is not the metropolitan upbringing that would elicit cries of sham, it’s not a stretch to call Fort Worth, and not Cranfills Gap, his hometown.

The rest of his story’s been told ad nauseam. He went to Southwest Texas State University, despite his only real ambition being to become the sheriff of Cranfills Gap; his parents split up; his mother sold the ranch in Cranfills Gap after moving to Wyoming; he dropped out of school; he mowed lawns and painted houses for a spell in Austin; then got spotted by a talent scout and pursued acting. When that gig didn’t pan out — and it turned out Los Angeles wasn’t his cup of tea — he turned to writing. He pivots. He’s a survivor. But, the thing is, despite all of those experiences that ultimately had a profound impact on his life, he always just wanted to return to that ranch in Cranfills Gap.

“I’m not an explorer. I have no interest in going to Europe. Not that it wouldn’t be fascinating. Only time I’ve been is when I had to for work. When it gets real hot here, I want to go up to my ranch in Wyoming and put my feet up where it’s 70 degrees. And as soon as the thermostat dips below 40, I’m headed south.”

bales of hay into a truck bed. I ask Leathers, who’s standing nearby, if this is something he would normally do. Leathers shrugs and responds, “If he needs hay.”

On a particularly cold and rainy February day in 2020, Sheridan was driving to the Four Sixes Ranch to continue filming Jimmy’s story arc in “Yellowstone” when he received a phone call that Marion had died. Marion had left instructions in her will to sell the Four Sixes.

On that day, Sheridan was sick to his stomach for two reasons. First, he’d lost someone whom he admired and respected. Second, he feared this would be the end of the Four Sixes Ranch. Sheridan realized that, by the time Season Four of “Yellowstone” airs, the ranch will no longer exist. The mammoth-sized ranch will, if you’ll pardon the cliché, be gutted and sold for parts.

“No one seems to have a goal of maintaining a ranch’s legacy,” Sheridan says. “Instead, they look under the hood and see just how much it costs and how much effort it takes.”

To keep the Four Sixes legacy intact, the owner would have to get his or her hands dirty.

The ranch, commonly considered the biggest and most famous in North Texas — and likely second most famous in Texas, thanks to a brilliant marketing partnership between Ford Trucks and the King Ranch — was first purchased in 1900 by Samuel Burk Burnett, one of the area’s most famous and profitable cattlemen.

“Oh, does he lay into me. He was like, ‘You Hollywood SOB. The last thing we need is you coming out here and telling all these b.s. stories about cowboys and ranching.’”

There’s a pragmatism to everything he does. Sheridan writes, directs, creates, and makes his mark on the world so he can hang out with his wife and two kids and ride horses in peace.

It’s telling that he chose to return to North Texas, settling at the horse-friendly Silverado development in Weatherford

“That’s his life,” Eric Nelsen, a fellow Fort Worthian who starred in Sheridan’s “1883,” says. “His ranch lifestyle, his horses, and his family come first over anything else.

“Taylor’s Texas born and raised; his blood runs thick with Texas cowboy pride and culture.”

There’s no voyeurism or inauthenticity to his writing; he’s truly living it.

“He’s writing about his world, his life, his experiences. He’s pulling from his reality,” Nelsen continues. “He’s gotta be about the only showrunner in Hollywood who’s a real-deal cowboy.”

At one point during our photoshoot, we ask Sheridan to toss a few

The tale that Burnett conceived of the Four Sixes’ name thanks to winning the ranch in a poker game has long been debunked. Actually, Burnett bought a herd of cattle branded with the Four Sixes when he was just 19, and he purchased the brand along with the herd. The origin of the brand is anyone’s guess.

Upon his death in 1922, Burnett left the ranch to his granddaughter, and Marion’s mother, Anne Valliant Burnett Tandy. While the ranch continued to thrive — breeding world-class quarter horses, raising cattle, and serving as a backdrop for Marlboro commercials — Tandy spent the majority of her time at the Triangle Ranch just outside of Wichita Falls.

“My great-grandfather really left the Four Sixes to me before I was even born,” Marion told the Star-Telegram in a 1993 interview of the trusteeship set up by Burk Burnett that left the ranch to Anne Tandy’s unborn child.

It was the Four Sixes where Marion first developed an interest in horses. She would routinely visit the ranch during her summers and “rode from daylight till dark with the cowboys at the ranch. I did what they did.”

One can easily spot the parallels between this story and Taylor’s. As Cranfills Gap is to Taylor Sheridan, the Four Sixes is to Anne Marion. Both are also known for being reserved — far more comfortable on the back of a horse than in front of a crowd; the two have an undeniable kinship.

Marion would take over the ranch full time after the death of her mother in 1980. In addition to her tireless work as one of Fort Worth’s most prominent philanthropists, Marion also became highly involved in the ranch’s operation. She visited often and would routinely hold board meetings in a pickup truck, overlooking the herd.

Soon after Marion’s death, Sheridan is informed that her estate is looking for a buyer who would keep the ranch in one piece and maintain her vision, and they think he’s the guy. A slight obstacle came in the form of the $350 million price tag.

“I said, well, I’m about $330 million short.”

Such a giant fly in the ointment wouldn’t just deter most, it would crush dreams with the force of a stomping Clydesdale. But Sheridan was stubborn. He couldn’t stand the idea of a piecemeal selling off of the land or an owner who would buck with tradition and use the ranch as a vanity project.

While he was scraping together the funds, he quickly wrapped up the six scripts he still owed Paramount so he could focus on purchasing and, ultimately, running the ranch. His plan was to say sayonara to the studio.

But Paramount wasn’t about to lose one of their most profitable creatives. Especially not after successfully piquing the interest of the coasts. But Sheridan was firm in his requests — the deal would have to be massive for him to stay on board.

Well, it was. Nearly two years after Marion’s death, Sheridan’s big new deal with Paramount coupled with other investors and negotiations with the bank made him the owner of the Four Sixes Ranch. The issue: This thwarted his desire to retire at the age of 50. He will have to divide his time between ranching and writing for the foreseeable future.

Sheridan’s not resting on his laurels; he’s not sticking to the status quo. As mentioned before, this is no vanity project. He didn’t just devote millions of dollars to a weekend getaway for his family. He sees the Four Sixes as an investment, an opportunity.

While the Four Sixes is already a recognizable brand, Sheridan wants to expand it. He already has plans for selling direct-toconsumer beef from their livestock.

“I’m a big believer that the future of beef is direct-to-consumer,” Sheridan says. “You need to have a superior product, and you need to have a platform so people know where it is. And I have both.”

Sheridan begins speaking like a businessman, like an entrepreneur. The creative genius that wrote an Academy Awardnominated screenplay is switching gears and is now being applied to ranching.

“There’s a tremendous amount of discipline that it takes to build a ranch like this. It takes strength, excellence, integrity, and faith, and that’s the main mission statement of the ranch.”

“So, I had to sit down with my wife and go, ‘Look, I know we had this plan of [retiring early], but this is gonna change everything. I’m going to have to stay in the movie business for another five or six years. We never retire from this. We don’t get that luxury.”

Already having ranches in Weatherford and Wyoming, logic can easily call out the purchase as an unnecessary buy. But the way Sheridan speaks about it, it’s as if he rescued an endangered species from extinction. And, in some ways, maybe he is.

“It’s a love affair with the land of West Texas,” Sheridan says. “There’s a tremendous amount of discipline that it takes to build a ranch like this. It takes strength, excellence, integrity, and faith, and that’s the main mission statement of the ranch. We’re going to live up to that.”

Joe Leathers holds a Styrofoam coffee cup in each hand — one for coffee and the other for his chewing tobacco. He places both cups in his Dodge Ram’s cupholders and proceeds to drive us around the ranch. He’s tall, slim, and very measured in his delivery. His face appears permanently fixed in a position of examination and concern, likely the result of a job never fully being done on a ranch.

He’s lived in the big house at Four Sixes for 14 years, and it’s easy to see how he’s the boss around here.

Leathers doesn’t hesitate a moment to tell me what he thinks of Sheridan since he bought the ranch.

“We see eye to eye on a lot. He’s making a lot of changes, and I like them.”

“As a storyteller, what you’re trying to do is catch your imagination and inspire thought, right? So, the same thing here. I want to utilize the brand and what it means to me — and likely to you — which is excellence in its fields of endeavor, and come up with products that people can enjoy.”

Other future ventures include a partnership with Grit and Glory Brewery for a Four Sixes beer, a TV show based around the ranch that will no doubt serve as a phenomenal marketing tool, and perhaps even a Four Sixes truck line — a working ranch truck, something in stark contrast to the King Ranch Ford.

On the movie and show-making front, Sheridan continues to put the spotlight on Fort Worth — bringing famous actors and actresses into town to film his projects. And the city, for its part, is trying to return the favor. This year, the Lone Star Film Festival will be awarding Sheridan its annual Larry McMurtry Award. An apt award, especially considering the influence the award’s namesake, McMurtry, has had on Sheridan.

“I had read Lonesome Dove probably five times before I saw the miniseries,” Sheridan says. “But I remember being home before I went off to college and watching it and thinking, ‘I want to make that.’ I didn’t know what form at the time; I just knew I wanted to make that.”

There’s little doubt he’ll keep churning out brilliant scripts, making good with on his deal with Paramount. And Fort Worth is lucky enough to be a big beneficiary.

“I was such a terrible teenager; maybe I feel a sense of duty to give back a little,” Sheridan jokes. “I’m going to try to film everything in Fort Worth for two reasons: I think it’s great for the city, and I’m pretty lazy. I don’t want to go anywhere.”

It’s toward the end of our interview, and I catch him in a moment of self-deprecation. If there’s one things ranchers are not, it’s lazy. But we’ll let it slide.

Truth is, his desires to stay near Fort Worth don’t stem from laziness. His desires are simply the result of this being home.

It’s just where he wants to be.

“I think a sense of home and a place being such a part of my stories come from kind of feeling like I didn’t have one for a minute there. Now that I have a home, I never want to leave it.”

My God, isn’t that how it should be?

A DAY WITH Brazos the Baby Elephant

(A Photobook for the Kids)

BY BRIAN KENDALL

Fort Worth Zoo’s Baby Brazos just rang in his first birthday, and he invited us to celebrate with him! We got to spend a whole day with Brazos, and he even allowed us to bring a camera.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRYSTAL WISE

After Brazos’ first breakfast (yes, he has more than one!), the Asian elephant takes a bath. Like us, he makes sure every part of his body gets cleaned. Afterward, Brazos rolls around in sand. While you might think it’s weird to get dirty after a bath, the sand actually helps him dry off. The sand is his towel!

Brazos plays with a toy that Weighs 35 pounds! This toy helps Brazos with problem-solving, agility, and balance.

A big part of Brazos’ day is spent in a big yard with his mom, Bluebonnet, and their friend, Angel. The three of them are a herd and inseparable! Brazos will remain with them until he reaches a certain age and becomes an adult — just like us! But this won’t happen for a number of years.

Once Brazos gets as big as his mom, he will eat 150 pounds of hay per day! They also have 150 different items in their diet, which includes fruit, fruity cheerios, Pedialite, and apple juice.

An elephant’s trunk has over 50,000 muscles and can hold 10 liters of water!

One of Brazos’ favorite things to do is to play in the water! On a hot summer day, it helps him cool down. Brazos’ wrinkles help trap water, so it takes longer to evaporate.

Training is a big part of Brazos’ day, and he’s become best friends with his trainer, Christine! This training will help him when the zoo staff needs to perform X-rays and blood draws. It’s all about keeping Brazos a healthy elephant.

The adult elephants sleep standing up, but Brazos still prefers sleeping lying on his side.

Brazos isn’t just popular among his other elephant friends. He’s also a big celebrity among the zoo staff. On this special day, everyone came out to wish Brazos a happy birthday.

Elephants are more like us than you think! Elephants have the same number of fingers and toes as us and the same joint structure. However, their memory storage is four times bigger. They remember everything!

At the end of the day, Brazos gets free time in a big yard. This includes playing with his favorite toy, a 100-pound ball! Today was also his birthday, so his friends gave him a special present: a watermelon!

Thank you to the Fort Worth Zoo for giving us such incredible access. And a special thanks to Christine Del Turco for her patience and answering all of my silly questions.

Brazos has baby tusks that are already coming in. This is one differentiator between Asian and African elephants. While all African males grow tusks, only some male Asian elephants have tusks. Brazos is one of the lucky few!

Craft Cocktail Competition

The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation

The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, Northern Texas Chapter, hosted the Sixth Annual Craft Cocktail Competition on Sept. 10 at the Ostreum in Fort Worth. Guests and a panel of celebrity judges were invited to try cocktails crafted by local bars and restaurants and vote for their favorite to be named the “Best Craft Cocktail in Cowtown.”

The Judges Choice award winner was Omari (Mars) Anderson, who represented Nickel City and crafted his cocktail with Roxor Gin, and the People’s Choice award winner was Julia Breeland, representing Dirty Laundry, who crafted her cocktail with Blackland Whiskey. Three individuals were honored and shared their inspiring stories: Honored Hero - Avery Anderson; Physician of the Year for Pediatrics - Dr. Samson Cantu of Cook Children’s Medical Center; and Annette Cox, Volunteer of the Year for Fort Worth. There was a raffle, silent and live auction, delicious food from Magdalena’s, live music from IronVine, and a cigar roller. Over $204,000 was raised for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and its mission to cure Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases.

Celebrity Judges Marc Ramirez, Susan Barone, LaQuatre Rhodes, Keyshania Thomas, Anthony Anani, Connie Anani, Samantha Stewart

Kate McFarlan Hellman, Courtney Redwine Morey, Jessica Jennings

Kathleen & Alex Cammack

Omari (Mars) Anderson representing Nickel City with Roxor Gin, winner of Judges Choice Award for Best Craft Cocktail in Cowtown

Shannon Bradley, Pete Giuliani, Michelle Miles, Robert & Tara Warren

A Night in the Stockyards Roundup for Autism

A Night in the Stockyards Gala with honorary chair, actor Barry Corbin, was held Sept. 17 at the Hotel Drover. All of the funds raised benefit the Autism Treatment Centers of Texas. The Roundup for Autism was founded by Bobby Norris in 1988 and has raised millions of dollars for ATC over its 35-year history. This year’s event raised more than one-third of a million dollars.

Martha & Pete Muzyka

Bob & Leslie Penkhus

Luther & Therese Winch

Charlie Throckmorton, Bobby Norris

Mike & Becky Gerro

Gina Marx, Barry Corbin

Anna Hundley, Bobby Norris

Cowtown Ball American Cancer Society

The 29th Cowtown Ball, presented by Texas Oncology, is the American Cancer Society’s well-attended Western-chic gala. The gala returned to the Fort Worth Zoo, on Sept. 30, with the theme, “Spurs on the Savanna.” Co-chaired by Christian Burton and Virginia Durham and honoring Paige Chappell Pritchett and Wade G. Chappell and the late Ann and David F. Chappell, this event raised money to fight back against cancer in our community. This fun evening included an amazing cuisine and open bar, giraffe feedings, fabulous live and silent auction items, including European trips, Bachendorf’s jewelry, Texas Rangers baseball suites, Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo box tickets, NFL tickets, and more.

Leigh & Wynne Brown

Bob & Joy Ann Havran, Tim Carter

Robin Braden, Donna Sudberry, Dena Thomas, Bernadette Davila, Jennifer LeBlanc

Virginia Durham, Christian Burton

Mireya Villarreal, Wes Pool

Rachel Quisenberry, Merrill Rhynsburger, Ashlee Brenner, Cortney Pelley

John & Paige Pritchett, Blair & Wade Chappell

2022 Design Awards

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The ASID Shining Star Awards

The context of a single, well-designed room can contain a plethora of elements boasting visual interest, attentive craftsmanship, and unique details created to reflect the homeowner. It takes inspired talent to curate a result that appears both effortless and purposeful. Whether it's a single room makeover or a down-to-the-studs redo, these standout Fort Worth designers, architects, and builders know how to bring those just-right details to life. Fort Worth Magazine partnered with ASID to find the crème de la crème. Here are the winners of the Fort Worth HOME Design Awards.

Best in Show

TORI RUBINSON

Tori Rubinson Interiors

Residential: Child/Youth Bedroom

1st Place

APRIL LITTMANN Neighbor Interiors

2nd Place

TORI RUBINSON

Tori Rubinson Interiors

Finalist

ANNA JONES AJ Designs

Residential: Contemporary/Modern - Bathroom

1st Place

STACIE MCCANS

Paxton Place Design

2nd Place

SUSAN SEMMELMANN, Associate ASID

Susan Semmelmann Interiors

Finalist

ROBIN BURRILL

Signature Home Services

Residential: Contemporary/Modern - Bedroom

1st Place

SUSAN SEMMELMANN, Associate ASID

Susan Semmelmann Interiors

Residential: Contemporary/ Modern - Kitchen

1st Place

SUSAN SEMMELMANN, Associate ASID

Susan Semmelmann Interiors

2nd Place

ANNA JONES, Allied ASID AJ Designs

Finalist

ROBIN BURRILL, ASID Signature Home Services

Residential: Traditional/ TransitionalBedroom

1st Place

TORI RUBINSON

Tori Rubinson Interiors

2nd Place

ANDREA REORDAN, Allied ASID

Andrea Reordan Design

Residential: Contemporary/ Modern - Living Space

1st Place

SUSAN SEMMELMANN, Associate ASID

Susan Semmelmann Interiors

Residential: Entire Residence (> 5,000 SF)

1st Place

TORI RUBINSON

Tori Rubinson Interiors

Residential: Entire Residence (< 5,000 SF)

1st Place

TORI RUBINSON

Tori Rubinson Interiors

2nd Place

SUSAN SEMMELMANN, Associate ASID

Susan Semmelmann Interiors

Finalist

SUSAN SEMMELMANN, Associate ASID

Susan Semmelmann Interiors

Residential: Individual/Unique Space

1st Place

TORI RUBINSON

Tori Rubinson Interiors

2nd Place

TRAYCIE A. LOVING, Allied ASID

Loving Design Interiors

Finalist

G. MARLENE SMALL, Allied ASID Heritage Interiors

Residential: Industry Partner Collaboration

1st Place

ANDREA REORDAN, Allied ASID

Andrea Reordan Design

Expressions Home Gallery, ASID Industry Partner

Residential: Student Design

1st Place

KEVIN NGUYEN, Student ASID

University of Texas at Arlington

Residential: Traditional/Transitional - Bathroom

1st Place

G. MARLENE SMALL, Allied ASID

Heritage Interiors

2nd Place

SHAUNA GLENN

Shauna Glenn Design

Finalist

TORI RUBINSON

Tori Rubinson Interiors

Residential: Traditional/Transitional - Dining Room

1st Place

TORI RUBINSON

Tori Rubinson Interiors

2nd Place

ANDREA REORDAN, Allied ASID

Andrea Reordan Design

Residential: Traditional/Transitional - Kitchen

1st Place

TORI RUBINSON

Tori Rubinson Interiors

2nd Place

ANDREA REORDAN, Allied ASID

Andrea Reordan Design

Finalist

STACIE MCCANS, ASID

Paxton Place Design

Residential: Contemporary/Modern - Dining Room

1st Place

SHAUNA GLENN

Shauna Glenn Design

2nd Place

SUSAN SEMMELMANN, Associate ASID

Susan Semmelmann Interiors

Residential: Traditional/ Transitional - Living Space

1st Place

TORI RUBINSON

Tori Rubinson Interiors

2nd Place

STACIE MCCANS, ASID

Paxton Place Design

Commercial: Multifamily

1st Place

KATIE IRSANEOUS, Associate ASID Irsaneous Interiors

Commercial: Renovation

1st Place

KATIE IRSANEOUS, Associate ASID Irsaneous Interiors

2nd Place

STACIE MCCANS, ASID Paxton Place Design

Commercial: Student Design

1st Place

FARZANE OMIDI, Student ASID

DEBAJYOTI PATI, Educator Partner ASID

Texas Tech University

2nd Place

ELIZABETH PERRY, Student ASID

Texas Tech University

Finalist

ANGELLE HAMON, Student ASID

Texas Tech University

Paxton Place Design

California Contemporary

The California Contemporary project by design team Stacie McCans and Jessica Schmidt features an open concept floor plan with exposed brick arches, wood floors, and creamy white walls. Brick arches separate the entry from the living room, which adds texture and interest. The large expanse of windows reveals the fabulous pool and outdoor living space. Breezy white linen drapery panels adorn the windows, and a white sofa was paired with an antique rug and swivel chairs in a linen fabric. A beautiful marble coffee table completes the space.

Fiber-Seal protects the fabrics in this design, which will increase the longevity of the furnishings. The client wanted a timeless and beautiful living room that could withstand entertaining and two twin teenage boys. Teens can be messy, but

luckily since the furnishings in this design were protected by Fiber-Seal, the family can live worry-free knowing spills can easily be blotted away. And if there are any stains difficult to remove, Fiber-Seal offers a complimentary spot-cleaning service for protected furnishings while they are under service.

The use of natural finishes paired with one-of-a-kind accessories make this California contemporary project unique. The custom bookcases make the space memorable, and the beautiful matching cabinets add symmetry to the space. This home incorporates an eclectic mix of materials while maintaining a cohesive and livable vibe for the homeowners. The project showcases Paxton Place Design’s love of a timeless design aesthetic.

Paxton Place Design

Project Profile

Susan Semmelmann Interiors A

Pop of Color

This spectacular color palette originated when the client said they wanted this home to be entertaining and fun. The well-built and architecturally designed modern home has a foundation with touches of golds, whites, and grays. Then … here comes the fun: a pop of color in each space! From the entry to the bedrooms, each space has a pop of color unique to its own style and expresses a playful atheistic.

The original art created from the inspiration of fabrics is the wow factor in this project. The oneof-a-kind rugs and the hand-woven threads are what give the vibrant shading in each space, resulting in the cohesive outcome. The elegant, unusual entry piece with the floral teal art above it allows the glass accents to the surroundings to have a voice

on their own.

The design aesthetic behind this project is modern meets contemporary, yet cozy and warm. The crisp white walls and stones make it sharp and clean, yet the pop of color is what gives it the pizazz. When you walk into the home, the first impression is, you have arrived at a fun place.

This project showcases Susan Semmelmann Interiors’ vast range of design style. “At Susan Semmelmann Interiors, we are known for ‘our style is your style,’” says Susan Semmelmann. “Our role is to bring to fruition what our clients see for themselves and how they want to live. It’s their happy space, it’s their home, and this is all that matters.”

Project Profile

The Complete Backyard, Inc.

Panther City Oasis

The clients for this project were looking for a showcase pool that was strikingly beautiful as well as functional and easy to maintain. The client wished to incorporate an abundance of unique features and materials on the pool such as the champagne spa to the custom fire feature in the poolside bar. One of the more attractive aesthetics designed for this project was the custom water feature wall. The wall has five trough features at the top that spill over an iridescent glass tile back drop. While beautiful in and of itself, where this feature really “shines” is at night. The lower extremity of each trough features a color-changing LED light that gleams up the tile wall, providing a truly breathtaking ambiance.

A magnificent focal point of the backyard, the custom water feature was hand

designed and hand etched. However, the striking part of this project is the use of lighting when the sun has set. The Complete Backyard always puts an emphasis on lighting because it not only provides that ambience and pop, but it is also functional, allowing a professionally designed pool/deck project to be used the same way at night as it is during the day. As with all their projects, TCB is obsessed with providing the client with the highest of quality from concept to creation.

Project Profile

AJ Designs

The Heart of the Home

The design elements of this space take what was once a small closed-off kitchen from the 1970s to today’s open floor plan design. This project was inspired by the family’s love for entertaining, gathering with friends and family in the heart of the home. Functionality and timeless design were key. The use of custom cabinetry achieved a minimalist look that was tailored specifically to their needs. To keep the design classic and simplistic, the use of a neutral quartz was carried from the countertops up the backsplash. The large, 13-foot center island is the wow factor of this home improvement. AJ Designs interior design style is showcased in this project by providing a modern take on traditional and sophisticated interiors.

Bobeche & Branch

Colonial - Neoclassical Revival in the Heart of Fort Worth

Working together seamlessly as a build and design team to marry the interior design with the exterior design made this a memorable project by Bobeche & Branch. The client's specific request was to make it feel like it could be set somewhere in a quaint Louisiana neighborhood, but at the same time feel at home in the heart of Fort Worth. Throughout this home, period style features of dentil moldings, arch openings, custom cabinetry, exotic marble and stone adorn the interiors — a blend of French/neoclassical motifs to give hints of a “Creole” spirit.

The home features a showcase kitchen — the nucleus of the family home and living area — in addition to a prep/working kitchen. The entire main kitchen/living area could essentially become part of the garden oasis backyard by simply opening the bi-fold door — a masterful thought of this architectural jewel of a home.

Bobeche & Branch |

Design - Build - Renovate

Fort Worth

817.235.2188

bobecheandbranch.com

Project Profile

Interiors

Transitional French Inspired

This timeless residential design was created by architecture firm Heritage Design Studio and built by Cary Hy Custom Homes. Extensive services of interior architecture, along with finish selections, were created by Marlene Small and the talented team of Heritage Interiors. Melding the homeowners’ cherished family treasures with new furnishings, artwork, and accessories provided a cohesive design for the home. It was Heritage Interiors’ role to provide the client with a lighter and uncomplicated canvas through the lens of Transitional French design. Heritage Interiors’ service magnifies the clients’ design style — creating a space to relax, entertain, and take pride in.

Give Back aiafw.org

Design Awards

Presentation & Lecture

Presented in conjunction with the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

A reception will be held in the Café at 6:00pm. Award announcements will begin at 6:30pm, followed by the lecture "The Spaces In Between: the architecture of infrastructure" by Carol Ross Barney, FAIA.

Jurors:

Carol Ross Barney, FAIA

Ross Barney Architects | Chicago

Candid Rogers, FAIA

Candid Rogers Studio | San Antonio

Scott Magic, AIA

MAGIC | Austin

Tuesday, October 11, 2022 6:00pm

The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

Carol Ross Barney, FAIA

Candid Rogers, FAIA

Scott Magic, AIA

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 over 80 charity events per year, 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.

Nov. 4

Artists’ Christmas Art Auction & Gala Camp Fire USA

Nov. 6

Light the Night Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Nov. 10

Bring the Conversation to Light Luncheon

Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation

Nov. 10

Women’s Leadership Event Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce

Nov. 12

Launch Party

Greatest Gift Catalog

Nov. 15

46th Annual Induction Luncheon & Ceremony - Award to Faith Hill

National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame

Nov. 17

Wranglers and Wishes

Make-A-Wish

OPTION 1

Scan to make a donation to any of our 24 local charities.

The Greatest Gift Catalog Ever and local charities are helping more than 280,000 Tarrant County neighbors with critical services like hunger and homelessness. We need your help. Please consider:

OPTION 2

Read about the charities and make a donation on the website, scan below.

OPTION

Venmo @Greatest-Gift-Catalog-Ever

Send $24 or more. Note preferred charity or leave blank to help them all.

BENEFITTING:

GIVE BACK

5th AnnuAl clay shoot

S ILVER C REEK M ATERIALS steward of the earth

GIVE BACK

Friday, December 2, 2022

The Fort Worth Club

6:30 pm until Midnight

This year's gala will be a hybrid event. Only virtual tickets and sponsorships are available. In-person is sold out.

C CO-CHAIRS

Charity Aughinbaugh and Molly Snyder

For information about the event or sponsorships scan the QR Code

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS!

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IVY

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Dr. Jason Biggers and Kaci Roan

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CLA

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Ellerbe Fine Foods & Chimy's

First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth

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JPS Foundation

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Kathy and Micky Severson

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WE SPEAK FORT WORTH

For over 20 years, we’ve had our ears to the ground, our eyes on the ball, and our fingers on the pulse of Fort Worth. This gives us an edge to deliver the city’s best lifestyle, business, and home content. Don’t miss out on anything Fort Worth. Subscribe now.

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BENEFITING BROTHERHOOD FOR THE FALLEN AT RIVER RANCH STOCKYARDS

THE TEAM AT RIVER RANCH STOCKYARDS WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE GREAT RESTAURANTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS FIRST ANNUAL EVENT.

GUAPO TACO: WINNER

JAZZY’S TACOS: FAN FAVORITE

Through photographing the city’s diverse community on black-and-white film, Dontrius Williams has made a habit of capturing Fort Worth’s unique and undeniable energy. Williams never really knows his subjects, instead choosing to quickly click his shutter whenever a moment arises — keeping things candid. In this instance, Williams used a Leica M2 to capture a saxophonist during an evening of jazz at Sundance Square. “My inspiration comes from showing the true beauty in community and documenting the subtle changes within those same communities in the city.” In July, Williams released a photography book, Product of the Block, which you can order at his website: willid420.bigcartel.com.

So you’ve snapped a cool pic of the city. We want to see it. Tag your photos on Instagram with #fwtxmag. The winning image will get published on this page — so hit us with your best shot. main line 817.560.6111 | subscriptions 800.856.2032 | website fwtx.com

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PHOTO BY DONTRIUS WILLIAMSS

We Drive the Difference:

¡ Pegasus Promise which includes:

- 2 years of oil changes, tire rotations, & multipoint inspections.

¡ Pegasus Valet Service which includes:

- Online or over the phone sales purchase and delivery

- Service pick-up and delivery

Family Owned and Operated since 1986. We tailor the purchase experience to fit your needs, not ours; because we don’t just want to sell you a vehicle, we want to build a relationship and become your trusted advisor for all purchases and service.

Experience the Gilchrist Automotive Difference.

Clearfork Midstream COO George Grau Jr. knows that lasting business relationships are built on trust. “We trust Gary Walker and his team to make good on their promise to serve our company’s fleet truck needs, and they do that time and time again,” Grau says. “In fact, they exceed that commitment by delivering newly purchased vehicles to our field locations three hours away, fully upfitted for the oilfield conditions these trucks will operate in.” His company has purchased several Ram 1500 trucks from Pegasus Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Ennis for its Clearfork Midstream pipeline business located in East Texas and North Louisiana. “If you want to buy a vehicle from someone that you can trust with all of your vehicle purchasing needs, representing several brands, today and down the road, call Gilchrist Automotive,” Grau says.

“We will work hard to earn your business for life.”

Stephen Gilchrist, owner Gilchrist Automotive

Stephen Gilchrist, Dealer Operator, Gilchrist Automotive; George Grau Jr., customer; Gary Walker, General Manager, Pegasus Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Ennis.

Smooth Rides

Purchasing a black 2022 Mercedes-Benz S500 4Matic was his top choice for style, speed, and color, Adrean Lopez says. The opulent Mercedes-Benz S500 sedan from Park Place Motorcars Fort Worth delivers a spectacular ride and wows the entire Lopez family — Adrean, Rosalinda, Lauren, Catherine, Marina, William, and Nathan — with a wide array of tech features and generous, comfortable interior space. “I truly enjoy the large size of this sedan along with the smooth ride — with no noise,” says Adrean, a Fort Worth real estate professional. Daughter Catherine stays ahead of the class at Texas A&M, driving her 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 from Park Place with its innovative luxuries and advanced safety. Adrean says the unique security and safety features give him and his wife, Rosalinda, peace of mind knowing their daughter is well protected in the sport utility vehicle.

“The level of service we have been given at Park Place Motorcars Fort Worth is impeccable,” Adrean says. And he credits sales advisor Mercedes Lopez for the last three exceptional car-buying experiences. “Park Place is My Place because you see the beautiful luxury model cars, feel the comfort and the new-car smell of the high-end performance cars immediately entering their facility,” he says. “It is always great to receive the VIP treatment anytime we are in for a purchase or service.”