Month: September 2022

They say travel is about the journey, not the destination. And while I agree with the sentiment on many levels, sometimes I visit a destination that is, truly – a destination. A place that is exactly the way you envisioned it to be. Except better. I’ve traveled nearly everywhere in the United States over the past several years, and am always looking for these sorts of gems. Where expectations are only exceeded by reality and I’m drawn into what feels like a different world.

I honestly didn’t expect to find that in Fort Worth, Texas. But between the culture, food, art, and of course cowboy culture – it feels both completely unique and like something I sort of know via pop culture osmosis. This isn’t your average urban area that could be transplanted anywhere in the United States. It has a vibe all its own and I was happy to spend a long weekend exploring it.

PART I — Where to Eat

The first thing my Uber driver asked me when he picked me up at DFW was if I knew which barbecue restaurants to visit. Known as “cowtown,” Fort Worth is known for its beef and I was ready to forgo any previous dietary restrictions to try some for myself. He recommended Heim Barbecue, retelling the story of founders Travis and Emma Heim, who have grown from barbecuing for pop-up dinners (aptly named MEATclubs) around Texas to now operating three – very busy – locations in Fort Worth and Dallas. My driver told stories of lines out of the door, so I decided to stop by for a (hopefully calmer) mid-afternoon snack.

I visited the original location on Magnolia Ave.. While I was tempted by the famous bacon burnt ends, I decided on a simple and classic brisket sandwich (with a margarita, of course). It was impressive – and not only because I hadn’t eaten brisket in several years. The brisket was cooked to perfection, literally melting in my mouth. I found myself taking the smallest bites possible in order to prolong the experience (and to take advantage of the $5 margarita special).

Days later, I am still dreaming of that sandwich.

Another Texas chain – in spirit and actuality – is The Biscuit Bar, which is exactly what it sounds like. In just four years The Biscuit Bar has expanded to five locations around Texas, and I was happy to visit the Fort Worth Stockyards location for a mimosa and a hot honey chicken biscuit.

The hot honey paired with southern fried chicken and a perfectly fluffy biscuit will go down as one of my all-time favorite breakfasts.

If you can’t get enough biscuits – *raises hand* – then look no further than Hot Box Biscuit Club in Near Southside Fort Worth. Another brick-and-mortar restaurant started by passionate biscuit lovers through pop-up dinners, Hot Box Biscuit Club is a Fort Worth brunch staple. From pimento cheese hush puppies, cheesy butter grits, and of course, more biscuit sandwiches and combinations than you can imagine – it is a great stop while exploring Main St, in Near Southside.

Downtown Fort Worth has more than 75 dining options, but true to form, I focused on tracking down a rooftop bar and found one at Reata. Reata labels themselves as authentic Texan and after my short time visiting I would have to agree. With locations in Alpine and Fort Worth it is a staple — and not just for the views. The rooftop is the perfect place to enjoy a ranch water, brisket, or a chicken fried steak — along with a great view of the sunset over the Fort Worth skyline.

For something slightly more upscale, I loved dinner at 97 West Kitchen & Bar, located in the heart of the Stockyards District at Hotel Drover. Serving elevated Texas staples, the restaurant has a classic cowboy feel with an upscale bent.

The cast iron seared redfish was impeccably cooked with a crispy outer layer that I would eat on its own. Atop a bed of white bean ragout, Texas olive oil, and an arugula salad with a creole vinaigrette — I had to stop myself from licking the plate clean.

After a long day in the Texas sunshine, I had to make a stop at Melt Ice Cream, a locally owned Fort Worth hot spot. I tried a scoop of the Cookie Crush off the oft-changing menu and it was soft and creamy with just the right amount of cookie. I loved the bright colors and happy vibe in the store and that Melt donates a portion of all proceeds to charity.

PART II — Where to Drink

There is a certain buzz in the air in Fort Worth – not just from the alcohol. But there is plenty from that, too. From western bars to distilleries, wineries, and hip lounges, there is a place for anyone to wet their whistle in Fort Worth.

For a drink with a view, make the short trek out to Whiskey Ranch, Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co.’s massive ranch on the site of a former golf course. I was lucky to be invited to a Luck Street Session private event while I was in town and was charmed by the music, food, atmosphere, and drinks. Visit The Tavern at Whiskey Ranch for a classic TX Cocktail – the TX Whiskey Ranch Water was my favorite – and meander through the courtyard for beautiful views of downtown Fort Worth.

For happy hour or late-night chill vibes, The Lobby Bar at Hotel Dryce is the place to be. The bartenders are friendly, the drinks are strong, and the crowd is a great mix of hotel guests and locals from the creative space. I loved being able to sip my wine on the stylish patio with great music and an on-site food truck for any late-night snacks.

I always seek out wineries when I travel, (purely for research purposes only, of course) and was excited to find that there are several great options easily accessible in Fort Worth. I started my urban wine tour with a tasting at Rancho Loma Vineyards in the eclectic Near Southside district of Fort Worth. I sipped on the special selection of rose and white flight in the urban western-styled tasting room, surprised by the nuance and flavor of my first foray into Texas wine.

It wouldn’t be the last.

Cowtown Winery is a tasting room in the hip Mule Alley in Fort Worth Stockyards district. I went in for a tasting one afternoon and then back for a bottle later that night. They offer drinks beyond just wine (which is perfect, as open containers are legal on the streets of the stockyards) along with light snacks. They even offer phone chargers for the weary traveler passing through.

Located on the trendy Magnolia Ave., The Magnolia Wine Bar is an unpretentious but elevated spot to enjoy a glass of wine and some small bites. The wine list is extensive, and the location can’t be beaten. I settled on a French rose one afternoon after walking for several hours around town. It was the perfect mid-afternoon respite.

PART III — Where to Stay

During my visit to Fort Worth, I stayed in three distinctive hotels – all with amazing amenities and unique offerings. The Sinclair Hotel is a reimagined art deco luxury property in the middle of the hustle and bustle in downtown Fort Worth. The juxtaposition of seriously cool art deco style with seriously Jetson’s-like tech made this a really unique stay.

Nearly everything at The Sinclair runs on a touchscreen – from mood lighting to the curtains to the water temperature and faucet in the shower. It’s super luxe-feeling without a huge price tag. The amenities are top-notch, with the stylish bar and restaurant Wicked Butcher in the lobby, and a gorgeous rooftop bar with the best views in town.

For a more modern aesthetic, Hotel Dryce is the move. A locally-owned boutique hotel with deep ties to ADD, Hotel Dryce is hip and unpretentious. The rooms are minimal with lots of light, soft linens, and local art. It is right in the heart of the cultural district which is home to an impressive number of world-class museums, notably Kimbell Art Museum, The Amon Carter Museum of American Art, and the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. It’s also directly across from the new Dickies Arena, which hosts events of all kinds – even Paul McCartney made a stop on his tour this summer.

I loved hanging out in the lobby in the morning for coffee and in the evening with a glass of wine. The vibe is decidedly hipper and more urban than the other hotels I stayed at, with a fresh feeling and authentic style that is hard to find.

For a truly “modern West” experience, nothing can beat Hotel Drover. The newest hotel in Fort Worth’s Stockyards, it combines elevated Western vibes with attention to detail and pure luxury. Named for the legendary cattle drovers that made Fort Worth their resting point, the rooms are eclectic and plush, with Los Poblanos amenities, comfy robes, and Marshall bluetooth speakers. With views of either Mule Alley and the Stockyards or the courtyard and Marine Creek, the feeling is elevated while keeping the down-to-earth Texas spirit.

I loved spending time in the bustling lobby bar, visiting the on-site restaurant 97 West Kitchen & Bar, and visiting the on-site outposts of famed Lucchese Bootmaker Custom Collections and the fun Wide Brim, with local Texas goods and, of course, customizable wide brim hats.

The pool is also a true gem, with comfy chaise lounges and cabanas under a gorgeous tree and creek adjacent. The Pendleton towels, longhorn tiles, and full service make it the perfect place to beat the Texas heat.

PART IV — Where to Explore

With a population of around 900,000, Fort Worth is much larger than I expected – in people and also in land area. There are so many unique neighborhoods to explore, there was no way I could even scratch the surface in a four-day trip. Still, I definitely tried.

I started my exploration downtown near Sundance Square – a pedestrian area with loads of shops, bars, restaurants, and music – eventually making my way to the Fort Worth Water Gardens. The downtown area is home to tons of hotels, restaurants, and bars – and is so clean. It’s the perfect spot to bike, run, walk, or just sit on a patio or rooftop with a drink.

Head south from downtown to the funky Near Southside neighborhood for an eclectic mix of locally owned shops, restaurants, breweries, galleries, and live music. I spent an afternoon walking into the shops (and wineries) on Main St. before heading over to Magnolia Ave. for more laid-back and quirky urban exploration. Make sure to pop into Morgan Mercantile, Winton & Waits, and Fort Worth Locals for some shopping then relax with a drink at HopFusion Ale Works, Locust Cider, or Rahr & Sons Brewery.

If a true western experience is what you’re after, you gotta make it to the Fort Worth Stockyards. As a Nationally registered historic district, it was formerly the home of a livestock market and is now an entertainment, shopping, and nightlife area that truly lives up to Fort Worth’s “Cowtown” moniker. There are rows of bars and restaurants (and legal open containers on the streets), a rodeo, and every classic western wear shop you can imagine (don’t miss the Texas handmade boot institution M.L. Leddy’s).

I loved visiting the new John Wayne: An American Experience, a permanent exhibit in the heart of the Stockyards to learn more about the legendary actor and customize a Stetson (because if you’re not wearing a cowboy hat are you even in Texas?) From there you can walk along the streets, take a walking tour, watch one of the twice-daily cattle drives, eat, drink, or even take a ride on the Grapevine Vintage Railroad.

After dark, there’s only one place to be: Billy Bob’s Texas. Billy Bob’s Texas is the world’s largest honky tonk and lives up to its hype as a bucket list experience. With 100,000 square feet of inside space, it is legendary. From performances by famous and local musicians, to dance floors for two-stepping, multiple bars, food, a mechanical bull, and even an actual real, live, bull riding arena – it’s… a lot to take in. I spent a night listening to music, wandering the halls of memorabilia, eating a huge baked potato with a margarita (because why not?), and watching the skilled regulars on the dance floor.

This is a place like no other, indeed. It encapsulates all my ideas of “big, brawling, wild Texas” with a whole lot of nuance added to the mix — making it the exact sort of trip I crave in my explorations of the country.

Trump is back on his bullsh*t — and by that, we mean giving rambling interviews to obscure right-wing podcast claiming the entirety of the U.S. Government is out to get him.

His latest rant was hosted on the Wendy Bell show sponsored by Body by AIM 360 (what?) where Trump proceeded to blame the recent FBI raid of Mar-a-Lago on … wait for it, Hillary Clinton. Currently, Trump is footing his own legal bills in a battle with the Department of Justice over evidence he stockpiled dozens of boxes of classified material at his Florida mansion. Those top-secret files were supposed to have been surrendered before Trump left office. Instead, investigators found them just sitting on his desk and strewn around the floor of his home office.

But, instead of seeming contrite or, at least, embarrassed by this sloppy lapse in judgement (or, more likely, calculated deception done wrong), Trump is going on the air-waves to blame this latest “witch-hunt” on a familiar foe — Hillary Clinton. More specifically, Hillary Clinton and those damn emails.

“I think they thought … who knows?” Trump said on the show. “Boxes full of stuff. I think they thought Hillary Clinton … there was something to do with the Russia, Russia, Russia … They were afraid that things were in there … Part of their scam material because that’s what they are, they’re scammers.”

So, the above is just a lot of incoherent word salad but it sounds like Trump was hoarding documents about Hillary Clinton’s emails and Russiagate at Mar-a-Lago for some reason. And, instead of, we don’t know, turning them in and proving his whole conspiracy theory that he’s been regurgitating for the past six years, he just let them pile up on the floor. A weird flex, but an even worse defense strategy.

Despite their offseason-long pursuit of Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, the New York Knicks were unable to get a deal across the line. Instead, the Cleveland Cavaliers were able to swoop in and get a deal done to bring him to the Eastern Conference without having to move Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, or Evan Mobley.

It’s a tough blow for the Knicks, which were viewed as the favorites to bring Mitchell on board from the moment the Jazz made him available in the aftermath of the Rudy Gobert trade. Reports indicated that the two teams were in talks until early this week, but things apparently broke down due to a deadline of Monday night set by New York to make something happen. As a result, the Knicks moved their attention to a contract extension for talented youngster R.J. Barrett, as the two sides hammered out a 4-year extension worth up to $120 million.

The deal was merely reported earlier this week, though, and on Thursday afternoon, New York officially announced that Barrett is staying. The catch: The extension got announced less than 15 minutes after Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN broke the news that Mitchell was on the move.

With Mitchell off the table, Barrett, who the Jazz reportedly coveted in talks with New York, should be a crucial piece going forward for the Knicks alongside offseason acquisition Jalen Brunson.

Earlier today, Feist issued a detailed statement indicating why she was dropping off as a support act from Arcade Fire’s We tour. In a fairly heartfelt and well-thought-out response, Feist (neé Leslie Feist) did her best to make sense of what it meant for her and her band to be on stage with Arcade Fire following this past weekend’s allegations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct against Arcade Fire singer Win Butler.

Feist played the first two shows on the tour in Dublin after the allegations came out over the weekend, but today, she dropped out. “This has ignited a conversation that is bigger than me, it’s bigger than my songs and it’s certainly bigger than any rock and roll tour,” Feist said, adding that “I’m imperfect and I will navigate this decision imperfectly, but what I’m sure of is the best way to take care of my band and crew and my family is to distance myself from this tour, not this conversation.”

Following Feist’s announcement, Arcade Fire issued a statement of their own to Paste, saying that, “We are very sorry to see Leslie go home, but completely understand and respect her decision.” There’s being between a rock and a hard place, and then there is this, which unfortunately affects everyone involved. It’s quite the decision for Arcade Fire to continue with this tour with Butler embroiled in the wake of these sexual misconduct claims for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, Beck, who is also a support act on the We tour, appears to be staying on it for now.

Nicki Minaj really leans into her Barbie doll aesthetic in the video for “Super Freaky Girl,” portraying a plastic version of herself that is something of a neighborhood menace. While all the Ken dolls can’t seem to get enough of Nicki, lavishing her with attention, she instead carelessly lays waste to their picture-perfect cul-de-sac, threatening them with scissors, setting them on fire, and running them over with her hot-pink roadster. Despite her star status, she’s definitely bringing down the property values in this neighborhood.

“Super Freaky Girl” is Nicki’s most successful single in nearly a decade, since “Anaconda” peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 in 2014 and was the first rap song by a woman to reach a billion views on YouTube. This time, though, she surpassed her previous peak, landing at No. 1 ahead of her accepting a Video Vanguard Award, hosting, and performing at the 2022 MTV VMAs. Like “Anaconda,” “Super Freaky Girl” samples a hit from the ’80s — Rick James’ “Super Freak,” a hip-hop favorite if ever there was one — but hopefully, she won’t grow to regret the new song as she did “Anaconda.”

Along with videos for “Do We Have A Problem?” with Lil Baby and “We Go Up” with Fivio Foreign, the success of “Super Freaky Girl” suggests that Nicki is gearing up to release her first album since the 2018 album Queen. Stay tuned.

Watch Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl” video above.

Thursday brought some stunning news to the NBA world, as Donovan Mitchell had been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a package that included three unprotected first round picks, a pair of pick swaps, Collin Sexton (on a 4-year, $72 million sign-and-trade), Lauri Markkanen, and Ochai Agbaji.

After months of rumblings that the Knicks were the heavy frontrunners for Mitchell, it was the Cavs that were willing to pony up the picks to get him and leave the Knicks without a major addition alongside Jalen Brunson this offseason — they did re-sign RJ Barrett, with a hilariously timed release moments after the Mitchell news broke. Him going to Cleveland wasn’t completely out of nowhere, as there were occasional reports about Cleveland’s interest, but at no time did there feel like an imminent deal to send him to the Cavs.

As such, much of the reaction around the league was shock and excitement for the young Cavs, who now have a very fun young core featuring Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. Mitchell was reportedly very excited himself, but there was probably no one who was happier about the Mitchell trade than Vernon Maxwell. Maxwell had a stellar 13-year NBA career, best known for his time with the Rockets that saw him win a pair of titles, but he is now known mostly by those on NBA Twitter as the biggest hater of the Utah Jazz and the state of Utah generally — as evidenced by his legendary pinned tweet.

Maxwell took a victory lap on behalf of Mitchell, while also rubbing it in to Jazz fans that their team will now be dreadful as they enter a full-on rebuild.

Mitchell’s public response to the trade will be quite different, as a thank you to the Jazz and the fan base is certainly on its way whenever the news is made official, but Maxwell wasn’t going to miss a chance to kick Utah a bit while they’re down — even if Jazz fans will, at this point, be pretty pleased with the hauls they’ve received for Mitchell and Gobert and feel like they at least have a chance at a quality rebuild.

To the surprise of no one, Warner Bros. Discovery has reportedly decided not to hold a DC FanDome event this year. Following the surprise shelving of Batgirl, the newly-merged media conglomerate has been retooling how it approaches its DC Comics properties as it tries to more closely mirror the success of Marvel. On top of punting the release dates for both Shazam!: Fury of the Gods and Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, the studio also has a delicate situation on its hands regarding Ezra Miller and The Flash. So, again, not a complete shock that the virtual event has been put on ice for this year.

Comic Book reportedly confirmed the FanDome decision with Warner Bros. Discovery, which still plans on having a presence at upcoming fan events:

“With the return of in person events, Warner Bros. Discovery is excited to be able to engage with our fans live at numerous comic-cons around the world and will not be scheduling DC FanDome for 2022,” a statement from Warner Bros. Discovery reads.

Warner Bros. Discovery appears to be putting the focus back on in-person events, such as San Diego Comic-Con, C2E2, and Emerald City Comic Con bringing in talent and attendees for the first time since the COVID pandemic canceled shows across the globe.

While canceling DC FanDome will no doubt concern DC Comics fans who are understandably wary after Batgirl was axed, there’s been surprisingly little turmoil outside of that strictly financial move. (The tax write-off was worth more than releasing the film on HBO Max.) Matt Reeves’ The Batman sequel is moving forward, Joker: Folie à Deux is adding cast members, and Harley Quinn just got picked up for a fourth season. The studio is also dead-set on releasing The Flash as it moves away from making films for HBO Max and puts all its chips on theatrical blockbusters.

In short, maybe don’t read too much into DC FanDome not happening. It was more of a response to COVID thing to begin with, and with the obvious exception of Batgirl, the DC Comics brand is still a major priority at Warner Bros. Discovery.

(Via Comic Book)

As summer comes to a bitter, swelteringly hot end, it might not come as a surprise that people were watching a lot of TV. Between new COVID variants, monkeypox, and the historic heat waves, it makes sense that most people would want to spend their time inside right now, preferably in the air conditioning with some Netflix blaring in the background, pretending that the outside world simply does not exist. What is surprising is that after all this time, Stranger Things is still sitting comfortably atop the most-streamed list.

According to Nielsen data for the week of August 1-7, fans of the sci-fi series watched 1.424 billion (!) minutes of Netflix’s hit, which is still going strong when it comes to TikTok trends. The last two episodes of the fourth season dropped in early July, meaning that people have either been 1) rewatching the show at lightning speed, or 2) finally catching up after and watching for the first time after seeing allllll those very normal memes. Following Stranger Things is the romantic drama Virgin River, which accumulated 1.389 billion minutes viewed after the fourth season dropped on July 20th.

Of the top 10, the only non-Netflix title is Lightyear, which premiered on Disney+ on August 3rd. Buzz and his perfect cat sidekick Sox racked up 1.306 billion minutes viewed. Still, they were unable to beat out those pesky stranger kids! The Sandman managed to score 1.021 billion minutes, though that number has likely gone up since the series was only out for one day when the data was gathered.

Finally, Grey’s Anatomy rounded out the top 10, probably because there are 396 episodes and if you get enough people to just stream one single episode, you are bound to break some sort of record.

(Via Deadline)

Ava Max is making a play to take over the pop stratosphere. The 28-year old former Uproxx cover star’s 2020 debut album, Heaven & Hell, is officially a platinum certified release and now her follow-up album, Diamonds & Dancefloors, is on deck. The album’s original October release date has been pushed back to next January 27th, but that just gives the “Sweet But Psycho” singer more time to work with in the lead up. Enter “Million Dollar Baby,” her latest single which is out now along with an opulent video.

“When I was creating this record, I was going through a really hard time in my life – heartbreak and just a lot of sadness,” Max said in a statement. “I titled it ‘Million Dollar Baby’ to remind myself of my self-worth and wrote the lyrics to show that you can overcome and achieve anything when you put your mind to it. The line ‘She broke out of her chains, turned the fire into rain’ shows the journey this song took me through – from feeling weighed down by sadness to breaking free and feeling like myself again.”

Watch the video for “Million Dollar Baby” above.

Diamonds & Dancefloors is out 01/27 via Atlantic. Pre-save it here.

Ava Max is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

JID’s new album, The Forever Story, is out now on Dreamville and Interscope, and now, nearly a week from its release, he’s dropped the video for its third single, “Kody Blu 31.” A melancholy but encouraging slow burner, “Kody Blu 31” features both reflective raps and soulful crooning from the Atlanta native as he details fistfights and family losses over a bluesy sax and somber strings.

In the video, which is directed by Raven “Ravie B” Verona, who has photographed tours for Beyonce, Jay-Z, Future, and more, he and his family pack up their house for a move, taking a break to share dinner outdoors and take a family photo with the help of a camera on a timer. Each of his siblings and their mom each get a portrait as well.

The Forever Story, which features appearances from 21 Savage, Ari Lennox, Baby Tate, Earthgang, Eryn Allen Kane, Johnta Austin, Kenny Mason, Lil Durk, Lil Wayne, Ravyn Lenae, and Yasiin Bey, is an autobiographical look back at JID’s life, from playing college football to stumbling into rap stardom. It’s also already being called an “album of the year” contender, with tongue-twisting raps and soulful production setting it in a category to itself among contemporary rap releases. You can check out Uproxx’s review here.

Watch JID’s “Kody Blu 31” video above.