FEBRUARY PARTY GUIDE 2026 // Fort Worth Weekly

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LAST CALL

Grown & Sexy Black-owned bars to visit for National Margarita Day.

BY ELAINE WILDER

With National Margarita Day (Sun, Feb 22) happening during Black History Month, I got to wondering: What are some Black-owned bars where we can get a delicious tequila-based drink? Here are some answers.

Founded by Black entrepreneur and TV host Jonathan Morris, alongside Allen Mederos, Hotel Dryce (3621 Byers Av, Fort Worth, 817-330-9886) is recognized as the first Black-owned boutique hotel in the city in 100 years. Located in the Cultural District, on-site Bar Dryce serves cocktails/mocktails, craft beer, and wine. The signature Dryce Marg ($14) features blanco tequila, lime, and yucca syrup and is rimmed with Tajin. From the Boilermakers menu, try a Dos Pasos ($10), a Modelo with a shot of tequila.

Big Fellas Ice House (1826 Cannon Dr, Ste 100, Mansfield, 469-799-3376) is a small business owned by Shane Farrar. Named after the nickname his daughter gave him, this sports bar and grill has a diverse menu, with birria tacos, carne asada fries, jerk lemon-pepper wings, and more. Happy hour is 3pm-7pm daily with assorted drink specials, including $3.99 wells and $2 off all cocktails. If it’s tequila you seek, visit Big Fellas on Tuesdays for $2.50 tacos and $2 off all tequilas all day.

Known for its “grown and sexy” atmosphere, the upscale Club Ritzy (1201 Oakland Blvd, Fort

Worth, 817-888-3360) has dancing, live performances, and a lounge area (and is often compared to Studio 80 downtown). Happy hour is 5pm-8pm Fri, and at 8pm on Fri, Feb 27, Club Ritzy is hosting its Black History Month celebration. Guests are encouraged to wear heritage-inspired attire.

Vault Seafood & Steakhouse (2300 Matlock Rd, Ste 21, Mansfield, 817-512-8100) is an upscale restaurant with a cigar lounge and live entertainment. The menu combines traditional flavors with innovative items and techniques. Popular dishes are the Tomahawk steak (often carved tableside), bison egg rolls, and lobster mac ’n’ cheese. On Sundays, brunch includes endless crab, freshly carved prime rib, and a full dessert bar. Along with a vast wine selection and craft cocktails like the floral- and berry-forward Love Lindsey, named after co-owner Lindsey Heefner, Vault offers eight specialty tequila drinks, including the Honey Horseshoe Margarita ($22), a combination of Herradura reposado, Grand Marnier, lemon juice, and honey syrup, served with a squeeze of orange.

Yo Love & Cole Cigar Lounge (3095 Claremont Dr, Ste 102, Grand Prairie, 469-660-0014) is described as the first Black-woman-owned cigar haven in the area, with a sophisticated, chill environment for socializing. There’s a bar space with setups and such, but the place is BYOB, so you tell me: What kind of margaritas are you bringing to the party? l

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND PARTIES:

AZZ Inc., has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for an amendment to and renewal of Air Quality Permit No. 34144, which would authorize modification to and continued operation of a Hot Dip Galvanizing Facility located at 1530 Gilman Road, Kennedale, Tarrant County, Texas 76060. Additional information concerning these applications is contained in the public notice section of this newspaper.

EATS & drinks

Food Actually

The

chefs-turned-cover models and the other restaurateurs

in this issue represent all that we love about our food scene.

BY JENNIFER BOVEE

Inspired by the 2003 rom-com Love Actually , our cover image and these listings feature some great chefs celebrating love and food. This who’s-who of local luminaries will be hosting and toasting at their best this weekend, and you should, too. With Valentine’s Day falling on a Saturday, the pressure is on!

From a quiet night at home to a full-blown staycation experience, these chefs’ restaurants (and many more) have ideas for your consideration. Plus, if you make it to the end of this article, you’ll find details on a contest you can enter to win dinner and a movie, compliments of the Weekly . #winning

A Quiet Night In

Looking for that ever-popular heart-shaped box of tacos you’ve seen all over your socials?

There are local options. The special at Los Guapos (2708 W 7th St, Fort Worth, 817-8770008) includes six tacos your way, chips and queso, and two drinks for $30. Quantities are limited, so you’ll want to call ahead and place an order. Tacos el 24, with three locations in Arlington and one in Grand Prairie, also offers a $28 option. Find the location nearest you at TacosEl24.com.

Enchiladas Ole recently moved to the Near Southside (1208 W Magnolia Av, Fort Worth, 817-751-5556). When you dine there, you can try Chef Mary Patino Perez’s “Mexican done better” or items from her Holy Que Texican Bar-B-Q menu. For this weekend, you might consider Mary’s Family Meals for carry-out. For $69.99, you can feed 4-6 people with 12 enchiladas or tacos, served with rice, beans, chips, and salsa, or with arroz con pollo (grilled chicken over rice), served with chips, salsa, and queso. For more info, visit EnchiladasOle.com.

Start your celebration early with a pasta class at iL Modo (714 Main St, Fort Worth, 817-415-0144) on Thursday and leave with a recipe card to recreate the Valentine’s Day continued on page 15

Eats & Drinks

Heart-Shaped Ravioli at home whenever the mood strikes. Start the class with a glass of bubbles, then step into the kitchen with the culinary team to learn how to make the ravioli from scratch, with chef tips and tasting along the way. Tickets are $80 per person at ow.ly/ bARK50Y4UEO.

Soul-food favorite Drew’s Place (5701 Curzon Av, Fort Worth, 817-476-1857) is offering a sweet take-away deal for Valentine’s Day (literally), but you have to act fast. Order 12 chocolate-covered strawberries for $35 or six for $20 and receive a complimentary custom message. Text “ORDER” to 817-988-8440 by Wed, Feb 11, for Fri-Sat pickup. Be sure and come back to Eats & Drinks next week to read more about Drew’s in our annual Black History Month Issue.

Keep It Casual

Rex’s Bar & Grill (1501 S University Dr, Fort Worth, 817-968-7397) can be as chill or as fancy as you want. By sitting at the bar, in the dining area, or on the patio, you can create whatever vibe you like. From Friday to Sunday, you can enjoy an elevated night out there with a chef-curated dinner for two for $99. First course is two jumbo Maryland crab cakes with mustard sauce and citrus slaw, followed by Surg & Turf: two 5-oz glazed beef filets with caramelized garlic-onion butter and crab-stuffed jumbo shrimp served with Yukon mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. Reserve your table at RexsFTW.com.

How about a romantic, candlelight dinner in a cozy diner atmosphere? That’s what’s happening this Saturday at Tom’s Burgers & Grill (1530 N Cooper St, Arlington, 817-459-9000). For $110 per couple, enjoy ribeye steaks with shrimp, loaded baked potatoes, and salads, plus a slice of triple-layer chocolate to share. Wash it all down with two complimentary beers or glasses of wine per person. Call the restaurant for reservations.

Fancy, Don’t Let Me Down

The teams at Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine and Waters are preparing for a busy weekend without their popular owner. Chef Jon Bonnell has recently been battling cancer and is recovering at home. We wish him all the best. He’s a great chef but an even better human.

Cafe Americana (403 E Main St, Arlington, 682-270-0041) and Chef Wendy Felix are serving up a four-course meal on Friday and Saturday for $125 per person. As a welcome cocktail, the First Kiss Prosecco includes elderflower, lemon, and rose petals, or there’s a nonalcoholic hibiscus-and-ginger sparkling mint soda. The appetizer course includes either a crab cake or a spring vegetable and mushroom tart. Next, choose either a local burrata or a duck confit fritter. Entrees include three options: Chilean sea bass, an 8-oz filet, or a morel-and-truffle risotto. The fourth and final course is dessert: a dark chocolate-and-strawberry love bomb or a panna cotta. Reserve your table at CafeAmericanaTX.com/reservations. At Clay Pigeon Food & Drink (2731 White Settlement Rd, Fort Worth, 817882-8065), Chef Marcus Paslay is serving a Valentine’s prix-fixe on Saturday featuring seasonal soup or salad; your choice of ribeye, braised short rib, or scallops; and a dessert for $110 per person. To make a reservation, visit ClayPigeonFD.com.

Bonnell’s (4259 Bryant Irvin Rd, Fort Worth, 817-738-5489) has a dine-in Valentine’s meal for $150 per couple: honey-nut squash bisque, braised lamb shank with green-chile cheese grits, étouffée, and chocolate ganache cake with cherries.

Specializing in international small plates,

Saturday reservations are already gone at Ellerbe Fine Foods (1501 W Magnolia Av, Fort Worth, 817-926-3663). However, there is still room for you at the table on Friday, and they guarantee to deliver the same finely crafted four-course Valentine’s menu at $120 per person. Start with an amuse-bouche of housemade profiterole, followed by your choice of smoked tomato bisque or a winter lettuce-and-feta salad. For the entrée, choose between seared mahi mahi with roasted cauliflower and sautéed winter greens or a red wine-braised Texas Wagyu short rib. Finish the meal with a housemade Dubai chocolate cake. Call the restaurant for a reservation. Magdalena’s, the family-owned catering and event company specializing in upscale American, Mexican, and global cuisine, is the life’s work of Chef Juan Rodriguez, and his monthly Magdalena’s Supper Club (502 Grand Av, Fort Worth, 817-740-8085) is basically a pop-up that serves a different menu every time. For February, it’s a dinner inspired by Like Water for Chocolate . Amor en la Cocina at 7pm Sat features a welcome cocktail, chocolate

continued on page 16

Eats & Drinks

continued from page 15

and caviar tarts, lobster carpaccio, quail medallions in rose petal sauce, carnitas rolls, dryaged picaña, and a heart-shaped Mexican hot chocolate mousse for $105 per person. Book your reservation at MagdalenasTX.com.

Chef Richard Sandoval is bringing a Latin-fusion twist to his Valentine’s event at Toro Toro (200 Main St, Fort Worth, 817-9759895) in Sundance Square 5pm-10pm Sat. For $94 per person, enjoy a three-course dinner, including an heirloom beet salad; a Wagyu, halibut, or prawn entrée; and a red velvet tres leches dessert. There are à la carte options as well. Reserve a table at ToroToroFortWorth. com/valentines-day.

Stay for Awhile

In addition to the pasta class on Thursday, iL Modo is setting the table for romance all weekend long. From Friday to Sunday, Chef Irine Garza will serve an Italian-rooted Valentine’s dinner with “lingering conversations, thoughtful courses, and a celebration best enjoyed together.” Begin with mixed greens accented by marinated strawberries, whipped goat cheese, and candied pecans, followed by delicate lobster ravioli finished in a rich lobster coulis. End the night on a sweet note with a shared dark-chocolate molten cake, paired with chocolate or vanilla gelato.

Well, actually, iL Modo is located inside the Kimpton Harper Hotel (714 Main St,

Fort Worth, 817-332-7200), so the night doesn’t have to end there. For a restaurant reservation, call 817-415-0144. If you’d like to stay for the weekend, check out the current offers at TheHarperFortWorth.com/hotel-deals.

You could also do a staycation at the Sandford House Inn & Spa (506 N Center St, Arlington, 817-861-2129) and enjoy Chef David Pacheco’s contemporary American cuisine at the inn’s Restaurant506 (817-801-5541). This bed-and-breakfast, situated in a hidden historic neighborhood west of AT&T Stadium and just north of Downtown Arlington, is worth checking out. Apparently, I’m not the only one who thinks so: Valentine’s weekend is sold out.

However, restaurant reservations and hotel accommodations are available starting next weekend. Hopefully, your love will last. For more information, visit TheSanfordHouse. com. There are also gift certificate options available at SanfordSpa.boomtime.com/lgift.

Now, About that Contest

Happy Valentine’s Day! If you’re interested in winning a gift card to Rex’s Bar & Grill (1501 S University Dr, Fort Worth, 817-968-7397) or Terra Mediterranean (2932 Crockett St, Fort Worth, 682-224-2687), a copy of the movie Love Actually on DVD, and other cool prizes, register for our email newsletters using the QR code below, then check your inbox on Galentine’s Day (That’s Friday, y’all.) l

LAST CALL

Mardi Gras 2026 From Funkytown to Denton and Oak Cliff, festivities abound.

BY ELAINE WILDER

Denton and Oak Cliff aren’t part of Tarrant County, but maybe they should be. (#LoveYouMeanIt) With bad winter weather behind us, we’re ready to hit the roads again for adventures and just in time for Mardi Gras. Here are the top events happening now thru Fat Tuesday (Tue, Feb 17) in The Fort and beyond.

Funkytown

Known as Fort Worth’s largest Mardi Gras party, Krewe of Kowtown blends Louisiana-style festivities with Texas blues music and has been a staple for over three decades. For its 33rd Annual Mardi Gras Party, the krewe is returning to its former home, Billy Bob’s Texas (2520 Rodeo Plz, Fort Worth, 817-624-7117), at 7pm. In addition to performances by founder James Hinkle, live music on the Honky Tonk Stage will feature the Blues Champs, Claire Hinkle Band, Latin Express Horns, and Zak Webb. Must be 18+. Doors open at 6pm. Tickets are $20 at BillyBobsTexas.com.

Tulane’s (2708 Weisenberger St, Fort Worth, 817-615-9980) is hosting its Sixth Annual Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Party from 3pm to close. There will be drink specials all night, plus tarot readings 6pm-9pm and live music by the Fallout Boys 8pm-10pm. This event is free to attend.

TX Whiskey Ranch (2601 Whiskey Ranch Rd, Fort Worth, 817-840-9140) is celebrating on Fri, Feb 20. From 6pm to 9pm, the distillery will have three food trucks on-site (A Taste of Louisiana, Funky Town Donuts, Kelly’s Onion Burgers), Mardi Gras-themed drinks, and live jazz by the Andrew Skates Trio. Tickets are $12 at TXWhiskey.com and include your first cocktail. Must be 21+ to attend.

Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall (122 E Exchange Av, Ste 200, 817-900-9300) is also keeping the party going with a Mardi Gras event later in that week. On Sun, Feb 22, at 7pm, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and the Zydeco Cha Chas will perform as part of the Stockyards venue’s Mardi Gras Mambo. These two renowned acts founded in the late 1970s often tour together to serve up high-energy New Orleans-style funk, brass jazz, and Creole zydeco and are considered key representatives of Louisiana’s cultural heritage, combining traditional roots with modern, funk-infused sounds. Tickets start at $20 at Tannahills.com.

Denton

Chef Suzanne Johnson of the popular bistro the Chestnut Tree (107 W Hickory St, Denton, 940591-9475) is curating a Creole-inspired beer-pairing dinner at Denton County Brewing Co. (200 E McKinney St, Denton, 940-435-0710) on Mardi Gras at 6:30pm. In the Barrel Room, there will be a seated multi-course tasting menu with fried green tomatoes, crab beignets, boudin-and-rice sausage, gumbo, shrimp gateau, king cake, and more, thoughtfully paired with DCBC beers and guided pairing notes throughout the evening. Organizers say to “expect bold Louisiana flavors, festive vibes, and great company” and encourage festive attire. Tickets are $95 per person at DentonCBC.ticketspice.com/mardi-gras-dinner.

NRH

Sparks Sports Bar (5209 Rufe Snow Dr, North Richland Hills, 817-576-4122) is hosting the Best Mardi Gras Party in Texas, with drink specials 11am-2am and live music by the Squeezebox Bandits 6pm-9pm. The bar’s on-site Cocodrie’s Bayou Kitchen (817-393-3155) is boiling crawfish, serving king cake from 11am to 9pm, and grilling a whole alligator over an open flame starting at noon.

THE OC

Oak Cliff is kicking off Mardi Gras earlier than almost anyone with its annual parade on Sun, Feb 15. Starting at 1pm, the route runs along Davis Street from Nova (1417 W Davis St, Dallas, 214484-7123) toward Encina (614 W Davis St, Dallas, 945-306-3067). This must-see Oak Cliff tradition will feature floats, music, and colorful costumes. Be sure to arrive early to get a good spot!

On Fri, Feb 13, two days ahead of the parade, Oak Cliff Brewing Co. (1300 S Polk St, Ste 222, Dallas, @OakCliffBrewing) is hosting the Mardi Gras Kickoff Party & Masquerade Ball from 7pm to 10pm. A keys, bass, and horn trio will perform, and there will be authentic king cake flown in from Louisiana to go with the light bites on hand. As always, there will be cold beer on draft, but expect a few new releases as well. Mardi Gras masks are encouraged. There is no cover charge. l

STUFF

Super Bowl LX Preview

The participants in this year’s Big Game™ might be familiar teams, but they’re led by unfamiliar faces.

BY PATRICK HIGGINS

This Sunday, we observe one of the most sacred of national holidays, an American celebration bested in scope only by Christmas, national “Talk Like a Pirate Day,” and maybe the Fourth of July. That afternoon, historical trends suggest that roughly half of all Americans will be parked in front of their flatscreens for five straight hours gluttonously housing chicken wings and light beer to watch half a billion dollars-worth of television commercials. In between each of those $25M-a-pop ad breaks, it’s rumored an actual NFL football game will be played as well.

This year, for only the second time in the last seven, the Kansas City Chiefs are not a participant in America’s biggest sport’s biggest game. Forlorn Swifties will have to put away their “Taylor’s Boyfriend” shirzees and endure the Seattle Seahawks taking on the New England Patriots in place of eagerly awaiting cutaways to Tay-Tay swilling vodka-crans and over-cheering in the suites.

I suppose Sunday’s bout is technically a rematch of one of the more entertaining Super Bowls of the last 15 years. However, the uniforms involved are where the similarities end. The extremely close Super Bowl XLIX was famously capped by Patriots DB Malcom Bulter intercepting Seahawks QB Russell Wilson in the endzone, negating what would have been a game-winning touchdown in the tilt’s final minute. Coach Pete Carroll’s decision to throw in that scenario — second down, 20 seconds left, inside the five-yard line, a timeout in pocket, and with running back Marshawn Lynch, then in peak Beast Mode form, inexplicably standing on the sideline — remains one of the most questionable calls in NFL history. The resultant 28-24 Patriots victory began Tom Brady’s “revival,” over which he made it to four of five Super Bowls (on two different teams), winning three of them.

This year’s version is unrecognizable from that classic game. Rather than a one-time-MVPcandidate QB on one side squaring off against a future unanimous Greatest of All Time signal caller on the other, we have a former Top-3-overall-pickturned-four-team-NFL-journeyman against a second-year standout trying to be the replacement for that aforementioned G.O.A.T. Seattle’s Sam Darnold, a consensus bust as a top QB prospect for the Jets in the 2018 draft before slipping into a career backup trajectory, began his redemption arc last year when he was suddenly vaulted to the starting job with the Vikings. This came after

Bust Redemption vs. Dynastic Return. The storylines to Super Bowl LX are likely to be more intriguing than the actual game.

presumptive rookie starting QB J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury during training camp. Darnold led Minnesota to a 14-3 record, earning the Most Improved Player honor and legitimate MVP consideration before being sacked nine times in the Wild Card game against the Rams, sealing a lackluster one-and-done playoff run.

While his career-redefining 2024 performance wasn’t enough to retain the starting job in Minnesota, it did earn him QB1 duties under Mike Macdonald, Seattle’s defensive-minded second-year head coach (not the sultry voiced former Doobie Brother). Darnold is now the first QB of the draft class that also produced Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Baker Mayfield to make the Super Bowl.

Darnold’s counterpart in New England, second-year starter Drake Maye is looking to cap his own MVP-caliber season with the Patriots’ first post-Brady SB victory. With Maye under center and new head coach Mike Vrabel’s tutelage, the boys from Baahstin boast both a Top-3 offense and a Top-10 defense. The wild one-year turnaround for New England is really remarkable. In Vrabel’s first season on the Patriots’ sideline, they managed to invert 2024’s 3-14 record into 14-3 in 2025 and were perceived as AFC frontrunners nearly all season. The weakness of that conference certainly helped. With Denver starting QB Bo Nix kept out of the AFC championship game with a mysterious ankle injury (supposedly suffered in the locker room while celebrating the Broncos’ Divisional Round victory), I don’t believe New England has played an opponent as formidable as Seattle all year.

While Macdonald has revamped the Hawks’ perennial tough-nosed defense-first reputation, leading to a Top 3 rank on that side of the ball, Darnold is also armed with the year’s most productive receiver in North Texas product Jaxon Smith-Njigba on the outside. The QB also benefits from a complementary smashmouth running game. Seattle finished Top 10 in nearly all offensive categories as well.

Though the contest is really strength-onstrength, I think it’s hard to see New England hanging with the Seahawks’ offensive output. We saw what the Broncos’ vicious pass rush did to Maye in the AFC championship game. He was sacked five times on the way to throwing for just 86 yards. And Seattle’s front is just as scary. I see Maye similarly running for his life and unable to keep pace with Big Sam.

One member of Seattle’s menacing front is former Cowboy Demarcus Lawrence. “Tank” started quite the controversy in the offseason, commenting that he left Dallas because he knew he’d never win a Super Bowl here. As he sits on the doorstep in just his first year since leaving, he’s so far been proven right. My money is on him completing the twist of the knife. I’m taking Seattle 30-24. l

What an F’d Up Time To Be Alive: Glad We’re in It Together.

BY JENNIFER BOVEE

I’m not sure if it’s the recent inclement-weather lockdown making everyone stir-crazy or the current political climate that is, let’s just say, decidedly not cool, but things are looking kind of unhinged for Valentine’s Day. Oh, sure. You can do a bit of wining and dining, which we’ll get to next week in Eats & Drinks. (What? Like you procrastinators are really making reservations this week?) Odd events are afoot. You guys are weird!

For starters, Tarrant County’s favorite penal colonist, Joseph Maldonado-Passage, a.k.a. Joe Exotic, from Tiger King, who was convicted of 19 counts of this, that, and the other and is currently serving

his 21-year federal prison sentence at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) right here in Fort Worth, wants to make your Valentine’s dreams come true. He posted on Instagram that he will be doing live calls from prison in exchange for donations now thru Sat, Feb 28, at $25 for five minutes or $50 for 10. Joe says he is trying to raise $200K toward his legal expenses. Uh, where do we sign up, I guess? That would be via Cash App, PayPal, or Venmo. Fans are instructed to send payment, then DM a screenshot of the receipt to his Facebook team (search for “Joe Exotic”) to schedule the call.

Come break the rules and say “yes!” to new art experiences at the Carter’s Second Thursdays!

Every Second Thursday is different than the last. You’ll never think of museums in the same way again.

Capitalizing on the rare occurrence of Friday the 13th and Valentine’s Day falling back to back, Cutting Edge Haunted House (1701 E Lancaster Av, Fort Worth, 817-348-8444) is inviting you to “the scariest date night of the year” on Fri, Feb 13, and Sat, Feb 14. Rather than the standard horror scenes, there will be a dark-romance-themed 55-minute walkthrough that promises to test couples’ nerves. Tickets for specific time slots are $37.96 per person (all-inclusive price after fees) at CuttingEdgeHauntedHouse.com.

If the thought of Queen’s A Night at the Opera conjures memories of the B-side “I’m in Love with My Car” rather than “Bohemian Rhapsody,” then

this is the event for you. And you’re probably going solo. On Sat, Feb 14, from 10am to 1pm, the DFW Car & Toy Museum (2550 McMillan Pkwy, Fort Worth, 817-834-3625) hosts Ferraris & Forever, a celebration of speed, style, and timeless design. Along with the more than 200 classic and exotic cars already on display, there will be a special Ferrari exhibit, live music, photo ops, sweet treats, and themed drinks. The museum is dog-friendly, and admission is always free.

Along with a host of Valentine’s-themed upcoming shows, Big Laugh Comedy Club (604 Main St, Ste 100, Fort Worth, 817-840-7998) has a wild night planned for Sun, Feb 15. At 8pm in the Funky Room will be Sidepiece Sunday: A Comedy Show for the Other Person, where you can “end Valentine’s weekend laughing instead of explaining.” You are invited to come with your person or your other plans for a no-labels, no-pressure evening of stand-up comedy about messy relationships, situationships, secrets, and the things people pretend are not happening. Tickets start at $20 at FortWorth.BLComedy.com. l

Invite your crush, your crew, or come alone and meet someone new for a night themed around the many types of love in our lives. THURSDAY FEB 12 | 5–8 P.M.

NIGHT & DAY

Love & Loss: A Losing Game

Deciding whether to join the party or avoid it altogether is one thing local sports fans and romantics share. Your team didn’t make the Super Bowl? The Cowboys never really had a chance, but my Steelers were a little closer, so I feel your pain. (Make that a “we.” My husband and my editor are both true #SteelCity boys. I just married into it.) If football has been dominating your life and you suddenly have some openings in your schedule, now is the time to reevaluate your extracurriculars. To that end, here are some winning ideas.

Division Brewing (506 E Main St, Arlington, 682-259-7011) is hosting two evenings of Edgar Allan Poe, with actors reenacting the author’s works on love and loss, including “Annabel Lee,” “Morella,” “The Raven,” and “Tell Tale Heart.” In keeping with the spirit of the event, you are encouraged to wear Victorian Gothic attire. For a more immersive, intimate experience, it will take place at nearby Growl Records (509 E Abram St, Arlington, 682-252-7639), a shop owned by the brewery that shares a backyard. Doors open at 6:30pm, and the show starts at 7pm. Tickets are $49.87 on Eventbrite.com and include a commemorative pint glass and two beers.

Don’t forget that the Kimbell Art Museum (3333 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, 817-332-8451) will celebrate the Year of the Fire Horse at a Lunar New Year Happy Hour from 5pm to 7pm. This event is co-hosted by the Kimbell and Fort Worth Sister Cities International, a nonprofit that promotes Fort Worth by fostering global connections through education, the arts, culture, economic

Today is the day: Super Bowl Sunday. If you’re watching the #BigGame to witness “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat,” you’re reading the wrong column. (Stuff. You’re looking for our Stuff column.) I’m just here for the party. If you sportos are still with me, you may want to stick around.

When you run into your redneck cousin at the game-watching party and the “wHo IS bAD BuNNy?! this AIN’t ’muriCAN!” halftime show commentary starts, pointing out that Puerto Rico is actually a part of these United States might not suffice. For a brief tutorial on all things Bad Bunny, and to study up on some smart-ass talking points, check out the documentary The Affect: Bad Bunny on the Peacock or YouTube TV apps. Trust me. It will be well worth the 20 minutes to “dive into the world of Bad Bunny, from his Puerto Rican roots and genre-defying sound to a historic homegrown residency.” You could also shout out, “Happy Gilmore 2!” That also might work.

development, and humanitarian assistance in sister cities, including Guiyang, China, where the holiday is celebrated annually. Highlights include traditional Chinese music by the Dallas Guzheng Association, Lunar New Year artmaking, and an Asian-themed art scavenger hunt. This event is free and open to the public. Kimbell happy-hour refreshments will be available for purchase.

Galentine’s Day, an unofficial “ladies celebrating ladies” holiday made popular by Parks and Recreation is being celebrated early this year at Panther Island Brewing (501 N Main St, Fort Worth, 817-882-8121). Galentine’s Party 2026 runs from 1pm to 4pm and will feature giveaways, shopping with local vendors, a permanent jewelry booth, and the opportunity to meet adoptable dogs. Beer, mimosas, and nonalcoholic beverages will be on tap. There is no cost to attend, and all ages are welcome.

Meanwhile, in Tolar, about an hour southwest of here, Sledge Distillery (8210 Paluxy Hwy, 817-888-8119) has its Opening Weekend Hootenanny from 2pm to 10pm. There’ll be spirits, food (3pm-9pm), and entertainment, including mahjong lessons (2:30pm), a paint-and-sip session to create a colorful buffalo picture (3pm-5pm), and live music by Toby Hutchison (6pm-9pm). There is no cost to attend any of the above, except for paint-and-sip, which is $46.90 per person. For more information, go to SledgeDistillery.com/ our-events.html.

Before Fort Worth native and TCU grad Bob Schieffer was the face of CBS’ highly rated Face the Nation, he was a reporter for the Star-Telegram. In late 1965, at the age of 28, the Star-T agreed to let him go on the assignment of a lifetime: Schieffer made history as one of the first correspondents from a major Texas newspaper to cover the Vietnam War overseas. He made it his personal mission to locate, interview, and photograph service members from Texas, especially from Fort Worth, and bring their stories home to loved ones. During his time in-country, he

and

located 235 soldiers from Texas and interviewed dozens of them.

Those experiences were detailed in his 2003 memoir, This Just In: What I Couldn’t Tell You on TV, and in numerous firsthand reports, letters, and photos archived at UTA’s Special Collections & Archives of the Central Library (702 Planetarium Pl, Arlington, 817-272-3393). Many of these items are featured in a new campus exhibit, Our Man in Vietnam, along with portraits that Schieffer painted last year of some of the Texas soldiers he met during the war. The exhibit runs now through Sat, Apr 4, but if you attend the grand opening on Monday from 4pm to 7pm, you can meet the man himself. There is no cost to attend.

Then at 7:30pm Tue, Schieffer will speak at the next installment of the biannual Maverick Speakers Series at UTA’s Texas Hall (701 W Nedderman Dr, Arlington, 817-272-5584). Schieffer will discuss his time in Vietnam, his storied journalism career, and his newfound passion for painting. Arrive early to take advantage of the extended exhibit hours, 5pm-7pm. Tickets are only $5 at Libraries.UTA.edu/schieffer/.

By Jennifer Bovee

EATS & drinks

MIXologist #2

Panther City Vinyl and Tricks of the Trade team up with Puscifer at The Magnolia for a fun Valentine’s-week alternative.

BY STEVE STEWARD

Given The Magnolia’s concept — an elegant-yet-approachable, wine-forward neighborhood cocktail lounge — no one would blame you for failing to associate it with goth culture and post-punk/industrial/art-rock, but on the evening of Thursday, Feb. 12, the bar will team up with West Magnolia Avenue record store Panther City Vinyl and South Main Village wine

and spirit provisioner Tricks of the Trade for Into the Dark. This goth-themed Valentine’sweek party celebrates Panther City MIXologist Club #2, a cocktail-and-vinyl pairing collab between the two shops.

Last June, PCV and TotT dropped their first Panther City MIXologist Club kit that paired the then-new Vandoliers album, Life Behind Bars , with the ingredients for two of

If you slept on getting Valentine’s Day dinner reservations or suck at planning things in advance, Into the Dark is a pretty fun alternative.

the bourbon-passionfruit-and-bitters cocktail named for its companion vinyl. PCMC #2 pairs a copy of the “indie variant” double-album vinyl edition of industrial rockers Puscifer’s new album, Normal Isn’t , with the stuff to make two of a cocktail called Blood & Honey: a small bottle of La Gritona Reposado tequila, King Floyd’s Black Lava Salt, a bottle of Bitter Queen Thai Spice Bitters, a bottle of Amargo Chuncho

Bitters, blood oranges, and one 12-ounce can of Puscifer Sparkling Mead.

That a weird, loud band like Puscifer would have its own branded, canned mead might sound as odd as The Magnolia masquerading as a goth club for a night, but that’s only if you’ve never heard of Puscifer. The band is fronted by Maynard James Keenan, a human being who continued on page 19

Eats & Drinks

might himself be aptly described as post-punk/ industrial art rock. Keenan is probably best known as the singer of his two other bands, Tool and A Perfect Circle, but oenophiles will likely recognize his name from Caduceus Cellars, the winery he owns in Jerome, Arizona.

Keenan got into the wine business in 2004 and became so captivated by it that he scheduled his bands’ tours and records around his wines’ production phases. Puscifer Sparkling Mead is indeed a keen commercial synergy between an artist’s two main, commercial pursuits — prog

rock and wine — which also includes a lot of devotion to his crafts. In a press release about Normal Isn’t , Keenan described the new songs as “leaning into our earlier influences. It’s the place where goth meets punk. It’s where I’m from.”

The “where I’m from” part of that quote makes me very curious about what life was like in the Michigan of the mid 1980s — where and when Keenan went to high school — so maybe the versions of Detroit as depicted in Robocop and The Crow are not too far off, seeing how he turned out and what his various bands sound like. In any case, I suppose “1980s Detroit goth vibes” are what to expect from Normal Isn’t ’s four sides, and a slightly fizzy, honey-forward tequila cocktail punctuated with a pair of interesting bitters sounds nice and indulgent for that kind

of soundtrack, certainly the sort of drink you’d want to imbibe while indulging in a Puscifer double-LP experience, especially if you’re dressed like a cyberpunk vampire. Or any kind of vampire for that matter.

And speaking of dressing up like a vampire, Into the Dark will have prizes for the best goth outfits, as well as a photobooth and tastings of Caduceus vintages, in addition to the Panther City Vinyl pop-up market and the vinyl DJ sets from Al G and Realm of the Oscure. Purchasers of the Panther City MIXologist Club #2 kit can pick it up at the party — order them from TricksBottleShop.com — and the $114 album-and-cocktail package includes admission to the event on Feb. 12. Otherwise, entry for Into the Dark is $10. The night begins at 7pm

with a spin of Normal Isn’t , followed by the vinyl dance party.

I have to add that if you slept on getting Valentine’s Day dinner reservations or suck at planning things in advance, Into the Dark is a pretty fun alternative to eating a traditional, overpriced prix fixe meal at a crowded, popular bistro. Instead, a couple days before, you can crowd into a popular bistro and dance! If The Magnolia can try something new for Valentine’s Day, so can you. Maybe the Panther City MIXologist Club #2 is the push you need to finally go buy a record player. Whatever your impetus is — be it romance, putting on heavy eyeliner and a black dress while listening to Disintegration , or wine by a strangely interesting rock star — drop by The Magnolia on Feb. 12. l

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