We're days away from the 2024 CultureMap Fort Worth Tastemaker Awards, our annual celebration of the best in Fort Worth food and drink. The city's top talent in the restaurant and bar industry will be highlighted on May 2 at the 4 Eleven (411 S. Main St.). There'll be bites, beverages, DJ music, and an awards presentation emceed by chef Jon Bonnell. Hurry and get your tickets here before they sell out. As we near the end of our editorial series profiling all nominees, it's time to take a look at candidates for Restaurant of the Year. Some are newer to the local dining scene, but all come fro ..read more

Fort Worth-based American Airlines has launched a new set of premium amenities and revamped menu items ahead of the summer travel season. The changes come as the result of both customer and staff feedback, according to AA VP Kim Cisek, and are expected to roll out on Memorial Day 2024 weekend. According to a release, American worked with a mix of boutique and well-known brands to create a program that will evolve throughout the years and feature rotating designs and skincare products in addition to a new "bedding" program. Amenity kit Customers flying in premium cabins with American Airlines ..read more

A Fort Worth restaurateur known for serving breakast 24-7 is expanding into the sports bar realm with Rex’s Bar and Grill, from namesake Rex Benson, owner of Fort Worth's legendary Ol’ South Pancake House. The new venue will open next door to Ol' South at 1505 S. University Dr., in the former Romano's Macaroni Grill space. Benson plans to have the restaurant open in early fall, just in time for football season. It's a dream come true for Benson, who always had his eye on the building and thought it would be the perfect spot for a sports bar. “I know it’s something that Fort Worth has needed ..read more

Jade Carey and Leanne Wong watched as the elite gymnasts they grew up with left college last summer so they could turn their attention to the Paris Olympics. Suni Lee headed home to Minnesota after two years at Auburn. Jordan Chiles returned to Texas following a decorated stint at UCLA. Kayla DiCello asked longtime personal coach Kelli Hill to come out of retirement to help her get ready, a request that included DiCello taking a break from Florida so she could train full-time in Maryland. Carey and Wong opted to stay put — Carey at Oregon State, Wong at Florida — even though they knew juggli ..read more

This weekend around Fort Worth gets off to a fast start with competing (or complementary?) art festivals in downtown Fort Worth, as well as a huge gymnastics competition. Other choices over the next four days include three local theater productions, screenings of an acclaimed film, a symphony concert, two country concerts, a car-focused festival, a dance production, and more. Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events. Thursday, April 18 Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival The ann ..read more

DALLAS (AP) — The pilots union at American Airlines says there has been “a significant spike” in safety issues at the airline, including fewer routine aircraft inspections and shorter test flights on planes returning from major maintenance work. The union also says it has seen incidents in which tools were left in wheel wells and items were left in the sterile area around planes parked at airport gates. A spokesman said Monday that union officials have raised their concerns with senior managers at the airline and were encouraged by the company's response. American, which is based in Fort Wor ..read more

With this past winter in Dallas-Fort Worth barely happening at all, spring got an early start in the area. But mid-April is typically when spring festival season kicks into high gear, and we're here again to let you know about all of the best options. As always, the festivals encompass a wide range of categories, including music, food, wine, art, movies, and more. Below are 21 of the best festivals taking place throughout the remainder of spring. 54th Annual USA Film Festival (April 17-26)The 2024 USA Film Festival will feature 24 separate programs, including tributes to iconic actors and fi ..read more

The 2024 Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival will take over 18 blocks of downtown, rain or shine, April 18-21. As tens of thousands of adults, children, dogs, and strollers will swarm the streets and sidewalks to take in the art, food, and entertainment at Texas' largest arts festival, a little planning helps a lot. Here are some top tips for transportation and parking, hours, new features, and more, provided by Main St. Arts Fest organizers. Getting there: Need a ride? Public transportation is the way to go. Trinity Railway Express commuter rail lines picks up and drops off two blocks from t ..read more

An upscale steakhouse known for its dry-aged steaks and high-end wine list is expanding in Tarrant County. The Capital Grille will open at 1201 E. State Hwy. 114 #100, taking over the space formerly occupied by soul food eatery Lo-Lo's Chicken & Waffles. The restaurant is being led by the company’s managing partner Dwayne Carpenter, who lives in Southlake and has worked in the restaurant industry for 40 years. He’s planning to have the resaurant open in late May, according to a release. “I am excited to share The Capital Grille dining experience with friends, neighbors, the entire Dragon ..read more

Texas supermarket giant H-E-B just opened a new store in Fort Worth's Alliance area, complete with an in-house barbecue restaurant that's received acclaim. It triggered a thought: Where are some of our city’s other restaurants hidden in unlikely locations? For our monthly column on Where to Eat, we dedicate the April edition to these hidden gems: BBQ on the Brazos As any Texas barbecue aficionado knows, good barbecue is sometimes located in the unlikeliest of places. In the case of the long-running BBQ on the Brazos, you can find it in a gas station at 9001 E. US Highway 377 in Cresson. Owne ..read more