WEEKLY LISTINGS
The List Top resources for everything. Okay, almost everything.
By Fort Worth Weekly
Below are some resources for your consideration, including Free Will Astrology and info from faith-based organizations, health and wellness providers, mind-body-spirit businesses, home resources, and more. Welcome to Fort Worth Weekly Classifieds.
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 19)
Be on the lookout for things of unexpected worth that would require you to expand your expectations or stretch your capacities.
TAURUS (Apr 20-May 20)
Keep working diligently on your skills so that when lightning strikes and inspiration comes calling, you have a highly developed ability to capture it in a useful form. The coming weeks will bring you a slew of lightning bolts.
GEMINI (May 21-Jun 20)
The literary genre known as magical realism is replete with talking animals, helpful spirits, and nightly dreams that provide radical healing that is practical and dreamy, earthy and wildly imaginative, and well-grounded but alert for miracles. Be like that. You are primed to be both robustly pragmatic and primed for fairy-tale-style adventures.
CANCERIAN (Jun 21-Jul 22)
You’re at an evolutionary stage of your own innovation. Don’t minimize your smaller accomplishments. Keep the faith. It may take a while, but your efforts will ultimately lead to a meaningful advancement.
LEO (Jul 23-Aug 22)
During the rest of 2024, life’s generosity will stream your way more than usual. Share the inflowing wealth with cheerful creativity. Assume that the more you give, the more you will get and the more you will have. The spiritual realms might have extra goodies to bestow on you.
VIRGO (Aug 23-Sep 22)
Cognitive dissonance doesn’t have to be a bad or debilitating thing. The ability to harbor conflicting ideas with poise and equanimity is a sign of high intelligence. This will be one of your superpowers in the coming weeks.
LIBRA (Sep 23-Oct 22)
Be open to conversion experiences that awaken you to higher truths and more expansive perspectives. You will have at least three of those transformative illuminations in the coming months. One is available now if you want it.
SCORPIO (Oct 23-Nov 21)
“Thinking outside the box” is an American idiom. While it’s an excellent practice, you can also accomplish marvels by staying inside the box and reshaping it from the inside — accept some of the standard perspectives, but play and experiment with others in 2025.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21)
In the coming months, you will be wise to search for metaphorical fuel and resources that provide you with the most efficient and potent energy.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 19)
Your plodding metaphorical travels will be finished sooner than you imagine. The light at the end of the tunnel will be visible any day now. The slow journey through the semi-darkness will ultimately yield rich benefits soon.
AQUARIUS (Jan 20- Feb 18)
During the coming weeks, give your best and brightest gifts and express your wildest and most beautiful truths. In the new year, you will need some downtime to recharge and revitalize.
PISCES (Feb19-Mar 20)
Avoid abusive self-criticism. It rarely works as a motivational ploy. Instead, engage in a focused campaign of inspiring yourself through self-praise and self-love.
EXPANDED HOROSCOPES
For unabridged versions of the horoscopes above by Rob Brezsny, go to FreeWillAstrology.com
Enjoy your birthday month, Capricorns!
CrossTown Sounds
Tuesday Night Music Club
New Year’s Eve falls on a Tuesday this year. Don’t let that stop you!
BY FORT WORTH WEEKLY
With Christmas (almost) over, it’s time to plan your New Year’s Eve. Along with a ton of shows to choose from on the big (Tuesday) night, live music abounds every other upcoming evening as well. Here are some local shows for your consideration. Or just stay home. That sounds nice, too!
Along with the Fort Worth Christmas tree, the Americana sounds of The Vintage Yell will light up Sundance Square (425 Houston St, Fort Worth, 817-222-1111) from 6pm to 9pm. There is no cost to attend.
Fort Worth’s heaviest psychedelic bluesmen Royal Sons will rock The Cicada (1002 S Main St, Fort Worth, @The_Cicada_FTW) at 8pm with Bull by the Horn and The Infamists. Cover is $10.
You can make all three of these next shows in one whirlwind road trip. First, if you find yourself in Dallas around lunchtime, catch local pop maven Simone Nicole at Villa Azur (2440 Victory Park Ln, Dallas, 214-389-2602) from noon to 3pm and treat yourself to some French/ Mediterranean cuisine while you’re at it. Then, head to Fort Worth’s newest beer joint, Hoppin’ FW (2616 Weisenberger St, Fort Worth, 682-224-0621), for a wide variety of self-pour taps plus a full cocktail menu
Hotel Satellite will open. The fun gets going at 10pm.
and, from 2pm to 5pm, a free acoustic set by members of The Jaybirds
Finally, doors to The Toadies’ annual shindig at Billy Bob’s Texas (2520 Rodeo Plz, Fort Worth, 817-624-7117) open at 6pm. Pit tickets are $40 and GA tickets $20 at BillyBobsTexas.com.
Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall (122 E Exchange Av, Ste 200, Fort Worth, 817-900-9300) hosts Billy F. Gibbons & The BFGs featuring Mike Flanigin and Christ Layton with special guest Jimmie Vaughan. Doors open at 7pm. Tickets start at $37 on Ticketmaster.com. Tonight is also the final performance of one of North Texas’ longest-running tribute outfits. Glam up the Granada Theater (3524 Greenville Av, Dallas, 214-841-4900) when Queen for a Day calls it a day. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 8:30pm. Tickets are $15 and up on Prekindle.com.
Feeble Little Horse, self-described as making “thrilling and wildly unpredictable songs that are a reflection of the joys that come with making music with your best friends,” is playing Tulips FTW (112 St. Louis Av, Fort Worth, 817-367-9798) with Sword II and Tex Patrello at 7pm. Tickets are $22 at SeeTickets.us.
… three, two, one, Happy New Year!
Where will you be for the countdown this New Year’s Eve? There are oodles of shows to choose from.
The Boiled Owl Tavern (909 W Magnolia Av, Fort Worth, 817-920-9616) is hosting a free event: Mean Motor Scooter’s 10th anniversary show. Celebrate with the local mod-punks and hear a preview of three new singles coming out in early 2025.
The Chat Room Pub (1263 W Magnolia Av) is bringing in partytastic B-52s tribute band the Bikini Whales. F-dub indie-rockers
The Crazy Water Hotel (401 N Oak Av, Mineral Wells, 940-325-4605) offers a casino night with The Tejas Brothers. Tickets are $175 on Eventbrite.com and include the performance, casino games, a photo booth, and a dinner buffet featuring food from Second Bar + Kitchen. On the top floor of Choctaw Stadium, Hearsay Arlington (1711 East Randol Mill Rd, 817-591-1700) is throwing a Prohibition-style party with local R&B group 4 Ya Soul. There’ll be themed cocktails, a buffet dinner, photo ops, and a Champagne toast at midnight. Tickets for The Roaring ’20s NYE Soiree start at $65 on Eventbrite.com.
The shindig at Magnolia Motor Lounge (3803 Southwest Blvd, Fort Worth, 817-3323344) sounds pretty cool. Texarkana-born troubadour David Tribble is hosting a songwriters’ night, and, better yet, there’s no cover.
Meow Wolf Grapevine (3000 Grapevine Mills Pkwy, Ste 253, 866-636-9969), the art-installation-meets-theme park that opened last year, often offers adults-only
Adultiverse nights, and tonight is no exception. Join them for a night of sexy entertainment starring Night Shade Burlesque’s performance of their Cosmic Cabaret show from 8pm to 12:30am. Tickets are $50 at Tickets.MeowWolf.com.
Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar (621 Houston St, Fort Worth, 817-335-7383) will be the place for a sing-along party at 8pm with four piano players, assorted party favors, and Pete’s signature bathtub cocktails — essentially, shareables served in tiny glass bathtubs. Tickets are $25 per person, and if you book a whole table, you’ll also receive a bottle of Champagne for your midnight toast. Visit PetesDuelingPianoBar.com.
There are some Rumours that Southside Preservation Hall (1519 Lipscomb St, Fort Worth, 817-926-2800) will ring in the New Year with a bevy of Fleetwood Mac tunes. Well, it’s all true. It’s also a costume ball, so dress up in your fanciest attire. The incomparable Ginny Mac will perform at midnight, preceded by DJs IAMYU, Stephen Carmona, and Bruisey. Tickets are $40 on Eventbrite.com.
Sundance Square (425 Houston St, Fort Worth, 817-222-1111) has an evening of fun that ends with a fireworks display. Before that happens at midnight, enjoy all the bars along the plaza, plus food trucks and street performers from 6pm to 12:30am. Havana NRG, The Special Edition Band, and DJ Danny West will perform. There is no cost to attend. For more about the festivities on the square, read Big Ticket at FWWeekly.com.
With their country-leaning rock songs and rock-leaning country tunes, The Wilder Blue headline Tannahill’s (122 E Exchange Av, Fort Worth, 817-900-9300). Their signature five-part harmonies will remind you of the Eagles, and they’ll send you into 2025 with a peaceful, easy feeling.
Trees Dallas (2709 Elm St, 214-741-1122) has Tripping Daisy, which makes my ’90s heart very happy! Tickets are $100 on Prekindle.com and include a souvenir T-shirt you can pick up at the event. l
Night Shade Burlesque’s Cosmic Cabaret will thrill Meow Wolf on NYE.
The incomparable Ginny Mac will welcome 2025 in style by performing some Rumoursera Fleetwood Mac tunes at Southside Preservation Hall’s costume party.
Ring in the New Year proper with a massive sing-along at Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar.
SHOPPING LOCAL
Spice Up Your Holidays with Bel Air Ranch
Fort Worth-based brand is now available in all Central Market locations in Texas.
By Cynthia Smoot
Bringing a new depth of flavor to any dish or type of cuisine, Bel Air Ranch Herb & Spice Co. has just launched a full line of six NEW seasoning blends exclusively at Central Market. Fort Worth-based serial entrepreneur Justin Anderson introduced his brand in 2021, offering home cooks a way to elevate everyday meals with bold, distinctly Texan flavors. His signature sugar-free blend, crafted with a unique combination of purple shallots, green peppercorns, and smoky Korean red pepper, quickly gained popularity, becoming a top-selling item at Central Market.
Learn to Cook Prime Rib
Just in time for Christmas dinner planning, Bel Air Ranch has partnered with Hartley Ranch, a Texas producer of grass-fed, organic, and conventional Angus beef, to host holiday demonstrations and tastings in selected Central Market stores in Texas. Learn how to make a whole rack choice bone-in prime rib and enjoy tastings served with traditional sides of creamed spinach and mashed potatoes with prime rib au jus on 1pm-6pm Sun, Dec 22 in Fort Worth (4651 West Fwy, PHONE), or 2pm-6:30pm Mon, Dec 23 in Dallas (4349 W Northwest Hwy, PHONE).
Along with the Fort Worth and Dalas store hosting the special events, Bel Air Ranch Herb & Spice can be found in the meat department at all Texas Central Market stores, including Southlake (1425 E Southlake Blvd, 817-310-5600). All flavors are packaged in resealable 2 oz. bags retailing for only $5.99, making them great stocking stuffers for the grill master in your life or fodder for gift baskets.
Flavors include Bel Air Bird (13 Secret Herbs & Spices), Bel Air Blackening (Oriental Hot Mustard, Cayenne, Oregano), Bel Air Brisket BBQ, Bel Air Mediterranean (Greek herbs, Lemon, Red Pepper), Bel Air Smokey
(Chipotle, Coriander, Oregano, Cayenne), and Bel Air Steak & Prime Rib (Black Pepper, Thyme, Garlic, Rosemary). For more information and tips, visit EatBelAir.com.
Cherry Red is Christmas Red
Add a splash of color to your holiday side-dish game with Bel Air Ranch Tomatoes. When shopping for tomatoes in the winter, look for smaller varieties like cherry or grape tomatoes. Slice and sprinkle with Bel Air Ranch. Eat them as-is, add to your favorite salad or roast in the oven to make a tomato soup.
About Central Market
A division of H-E-B, Central Market opened its doors in 1994 and now has ten store locations across North Texas. A bountiful produce department with unmatched quality and variety, an 80-foot seafood case, hundreds of cheeses, 2,500 wine labels, and extensive specialty grocery aisles make the Central Market experience unique. For more information, follow us on Instagram (@central_market), Twitter (@centralmarket), or visit us at CentralMarket.com. #CentralMarket #ReallyIntoFood.
• 4th Annual Merry & Bright Drone Shows, Mondays, December 2 & 7
• 45th Annual Parade of Lights, Thursday, December 5
• Shop & Dine at Grapevine Mills & Historic Main Street
• Enormous Christmas Displays & Decorations
• Peace Plaza Ice Rink
Bel Air Ranch Herb & Spice Co. is debuting six new flavor profiles.
Gangway
Cherry red is Christmas red!
EATS & drinks
Masa Mas
Once
a scarce commodity regulated by aubuelas with family recipes, tamales
are not just everywhere but everything.
Tamal and Atole Festival, 6-9pm Sat at Magdalena’s (502 Grand Av, Fort Worth, 817-7498085). $25. Business.fwhcc.org.
BY LAURIE JAMES
A long time ago –– back in the late 1900s, kids –– we had two ways to get tamales. We could buy them as part of a combo platter at our favorite restaurant, or we could get the hookup from a co-worker’s aubuela or church
lady who was making a thousand dozen around this time of year, our waits rewarded with an armful of foil-wrapped packages stuffed full of meat and masa goodness. One of my favorite current co-worker’s Mexican mamas made me some last weekend, so we met in her Oak Cliff neighborhood for the tamale transaction. The only reason the full dozen made it to my house was because you can’t drive and unwrap a warm tamale at the same time.
These days, almost every grocery store (not just the Fiestas, Supermercados, and Michocanas) sells tamales, usually pork, maybe chicken or the bean version if you’re lucky. A couple of weeks ago when I was at the new H-E-B in Mansfield, an employee was wheeling a cooler on a cart with a jingly little bell, yelling, “Fresh tamales! Hot tamales!” That store is wall-to-wall people-y chaos on weekends, yet folks still stopped to grab some of those fresh, hot bad boys.
Originating in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, tamales (tamal) were offered as sacrifices to the gods. When the Spaniards arrived on the continent bringing their monks and their Jesus, the padres forced some modification to the traditions, and the festive offerings began to adorn Catholic altars. If tamales aren’t already a protected foodway, they should be: Recipes are guarded, and although the cost of the materials isn’t high — masa and corn husks are fairly cheap — the labor expense is exorbitant.
Tamale-making season runs from the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12 until the Epiphany on January 6. This Saturday, the Fort Worth Hispanic
If you’re not lucky enough to know a co-worker with a Mexican mama and a spicy chicken tamale recipe, don’t worry. Store-bought is fine.
Chamber of Commerce and Northside Posadas celebrate their inaugural Tamal and Atole Festival at Magdalena’s (502 Grand Av, Fort Worth, 817-749-8085). The chef collab features Magdalena’s Juan Rodriguez with Kevin Martinez (Tokyo Café), Jacqueline Anaya (Calisience), Francisco Islas (Paco’s), and Angel Fuentes (Guapo Taco). Your $25 ticket gets you samples, drinks, and
the option to grab a half dozen tamales for home.
If you don’t have a co-worker with connections or an aubuela’s secret recipe, here are eight other options to get your tamale fix, in alphabetical order. I’m not trying to be comprehensive here, just shine a light on some tamale places I’ve come to love.
continued on page 17
Laurie James
Crystal’s Homemade Tamales y Mas (2726 Lipscomb, Ste 101, Fort Worth, 682381-9020) is a newcomer to the tamale market, and the selection is outstanding: Vegan with black beans, bell pepper and potatoes, and slow-cooked brisket are on the menu, plus the more traditional pork, chicken, and jalapeño and cheese. The tamales are all free of pork lard and cost $18-30 per dozen.
Hot Damn Tamales! (per appointment inside The Pantry, 713 W Magnolia Av, Fort Worth, 817-523-1836) is the once and always local champion for year-round tamales, and at one point, Hot Damn boasted 18 varieties. Unfortunately, since the pandemic, our access to unlimited masa flavorings has been curtailed to online ordering and frozen tamale storefront pickup. Ancho pork, beef, chicken and Hatch chile, queso blanco and jalapeño, and vegan black bean tamales will all run you $14-15 per dozen.
Hurtado Barbecue (multiple locations, HurtadoBBQ.com) has expanded from a single storefront in Arlington to locations in Fort Worth, Mansfield, with *clutching pearls* a Dallas location coming soon. Brandon Hurtado doesn’t do anything by half measures, and the Hurtado Christmas tamales are stuffed with prime Hurtado brisket — this explains the $48-per-dozen price.
Ibarra’s Tortilleria (1109 NW 25th St, Fort Worth, 817-625-6391) has a three-tamale plate on their dine-in menu year-round, and
on Tamale Thursdays, it’s $10.95. A dozen pork tamales with red sauce runs $20.50. If you’re feeling brave and have a good recipe, you can buy your masa here, too.
La Cabrona (2933 Crockett St, Fort Worth, 682-224-2560) also represents a new entry into the tamale market this year with their Abuela Rosario’s secret-recipe tamales (chicken, pork, cheese and jalapeño, and bean) at $25 per dozen.
Magdalena’s (502 Grand Av, Fort Worth, 817-749-8085) has offered holiday tamales for the last several years. Rodriguez and crew have an interesting variety, including braised pork in a verde sauce, black bean and Oaxaca cheese, guajillo chile and chicken, and jalapeño and cheese. This year, they’ve added Pulido’s jalapeño and cheese and red pork tamales to the mix ($24-36 per dozen, including two salsas).
In
Marquez Bakery (1730 E Division St, Arlington, 817-265-8858) only has pork tamales, and at $13.99 per dozen, they may be the county bargain. Pair them with some of Marquez’s salsa and a mini-empanada or some delectable pan dulce. Tommy Tamale (multiple locations, TommyTamale.com) is the best go-to for non-pork options. Apple cinnamon, vegan black bean, and vegetarian black bean and cheese tamales all run $17 per dozen. l
In the good old days before COVID, Hot Damn Tamales! offered over a dozen options. They’re now down to a half-dozen.
flavors like braised pork in a verde sauce and guajillo chile and chicken, Magdalena’s tamales are sure to be a hit.
EATS & drinks
ATE DAY8 of New Year’s Eve
BY ELAINE WILDER
There are too-many-to-list entertainment options on New Year’s Eve (Tue, Dec 31), so I’ve lined up some food-oriented ones for those looking for a nice dinner. As for NYE shows up in #ThaClub, meet us back here next week to check out Crosstown Sounds and see which local bands are playing where.
If you’re hosting your own NYE party, a festive dessert is a must. SusieCakes (1621 River Run, Ste 151, Fort Worth, 817-8132253) is whipping up New Year’s Eve desserts such as a Cheers to 2025 cake, New Year’s sprinkles-decorated cakes, mimosa cupcakes, champagne cupcakes, New Year’s frosted sugar cookies, and more from Sat, Dec 28, thru Tue, Dec 31. Prices vary. Call to order. For more info, visit SusieCakes.com.
There are several local hotel experiences if you want to make a night of it. At the Blue Room at The Crescent Hotel (3300 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, 817-661-1788), Executive Chef Preston Paine is offering a five-course prix fixe menu at your choice of two seating times (6pm or 9pm). Along with live music, highlights include the shiso-cured black bass paired with uni and fermented gooseberries or the filet or butter-poached lobster tail with coal-roasted squash and black truffle, plus a glass of Krug Champagne to toast to 2025. The price is $250 per person, and reservations can be made at Resy.com.
As the Worthington Renaissance Downtown Hotel (200 Main St, Fort Worth, 817-870-1000) is located in the center of town, all of Fort Worth is visible in every direction from the roof, so special packages include a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine to enjoy while watching the fireworks display light up the night sky. With the promotional code EVE, you can take advantage of a late (2pm) checkout and receive $50 credit toward breakfast on-site at Hacienda, ensuring you start the New Year refreshed and relaxed. This promotion is valid for stay dates from Sat, Dec 28, thru Thu, Jan 2 — book now at bit.ly/ WorthingtonFWNYE.
Feeling less party and more mystery? From 7:30pm to 10:30pm, Keith & Margo’s Killer New Year’s Eve is dinner and a 360-degree theatrical experience at Aloft Hotel (334 W 3rd St, Fort Worth, 817-885-7999). Incognito pro actors will surround you as imposters, making you part of the action both as an investigator and as a homicide suspect. The cost of $95 per person includes appetizers, a three-course dinner, Champagne toast, NYE party favors, and dinner gratuities. (Please tip the actors separately.) A
SusieCakes has NYE desserts, like this Cheers to 2025 cake, available Dec 28-31.
cash bar will be available for alcoholic beverages. To see the full menu and purchase tickets, visit MurderMysteryTexas.com.
For dinner plans, Malai Kitchen serves Vietnamese and Thai cuisine at four North Texas spots, including Fort Worth (5289 Monahans Av, 682-707-3959) and Southlake (161 E Southlake Blvd, Ste 220, 817-251-9141).
The Dallas location is offering specialty dishes for New Year’s Eve in addition to the regular menu. Limited-time items include crispy lamb “money bag” dumplings, chicken murtabak, golden lobster, Burmese beef short ribs, and more. Malai also has special drinks for the occasion, like an apricot Old Fashioned and a passionfruit fizz. You can also join them on New Year’s Day for a special brunch featuring their usual favorites, plus banh mi French toast, Thai chicken and waffles, congee with chicken and egg, and egg banh mi with ham. For more info or reservations, visit MalaiKitchen.com. Or celebrate New Year’s Eve at Toro Toro (200 Main St, Fort Worth, 817-975-9895) with a five-course dinner. A first course of mango-and-papaya salad (jicama, peanut, aguaymanto, shiso, guajillo, tamarind dressing) will be followed by a second course of lobster tacos (lobster tail bites, black bean purée, chile de árbol sauce, avocado, lime), a third course of hamachi maracuya tiradito (fresh hamachi, passionfruit leche de tigre, cancha corn, red onion pico de gallo, cilantro-infused oil, black salt), and, for the main course, your choice of mignon steak or wood-grilled halibut. The cost is $150 per guest. Wine pairing add-ons are $40 per guest. Seatings are available from 5pm to 10:30pm. Reservations are recommended at OpenTable.com.
For drinks, dining, and gaming, Monaco Restaurant (5238 N O’Connor Blvd, Ste 134, Las Colinas) presents a Monte Carlo-themed NYE party. Starting at 9pm, this “night of sophistication, glamour, and casino thrills” showcases an open bar, passed hors d’oeuvres, and a Champagne toast at midnight, all while you test your luck at the casino tables with complimentary blackjack, craps, and roulette. Dress to impress. Tickets are $149.77-$277.14 per person on EventBrite.com.
Whatever you do for NYE, start the first day of the year with great food the next day.
Blue Mesa (612 Carroll St, Fort Worth, 817332-6372) is hosting a New Year’s Day Buffet Brunch from 9am to 4pm with prime rib, smoked brisket, red chile salmon, shrimp and grits, black-eyed peas, and greens, plus other favorites from the restaurant’s usual signature buffet. The price is $40 for adults, $12 for kids 6-11, and no cost for children 5 and under. For reservations, call the restaurant or book a time slot on OpenTable.com. l
