Plus, Cirque du Soleil is skating into Dickies Arena.
 
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Today’s Forecast

59º | Light rain | 30% chance of rain
Sunrise 7:28 a.m. | Sunset 5:56 p.m.
 

We can almost taste victory

2024 James Beard Award semi-finalists from North Texas
FTW-Vaqueros Texas Bar-B-Q
Chef Arnulfo Sánchez III was nominated for Best Chef: Texas for his dishes at Vaqueros Texas Bar-B-Q in Grapevine. | Photo by @vaquerostxbbq
Roll out the red carpet, food lovers (and watch the crumbs). On Jan. 24, the semifinalists were announced for the 2024 James Beard Awards — one of the culinary world’s most prestigious prizes — and North Texas stars are shining bright.

You’ll find eight local chefs up for awards based on excellence and other factors like commitment to the community. But it’s an honor just to be nominated — getting on the James Beard radar is a game changer for any chef or restaurant, no matter how long they’ve been around.

Mark your calendars for April 3, when the finalists will be announced. A June 10 ceremony in Chicago will reveal the winners. Here’s the local flavor.

FTW-Three desserts are displayed on plates with a green tablecloth behind it

La Casita Bakeshop was also featured on Food Network’s “Halloween Baking Championship” in 2022. | Photo by @lacasitabakeshop

🏆 2024 semi-finalists

David Uygur | Dallas | Nominated for: Outstanding Chef
Lucia is chef David Uygur’s brainchild with Italian-inspired dishes with top-tier flavors. The menu features house-made pasta and charcuterie, plus grilled or braised entrées and mouthwatering desserts.

La Casita Bakeshop | Richardson | Nominated for: Outstanding Bakery
Owned by Maricsa Trejo, the bakery sells its creations to over 175 local restaurants and coffee shops + features a rotating in-store menu. In 2022, Trejo was nominated for her first James Beard Award and was a semi-finalist for Outstanding Baker.

Gemma | Dallas | Nominated for: Outstanding Hospitality
Owned by husband-wife team Stephen Rogers and Allison Yoder, the restaurant underwent a major transformation in 2023 to create a cozy neighborhood bistro in a chic, more intimate space on Henderson Avenue. The menu features house-made pasta, diverse seafood dishes, and classic French staples.

Several chefs in North Texas were also nominated in the category Best Chef: Texas including:
Cowtown's past finalists
Asked

Now we want to hear about your tastes.
Are there restaurants or local chefs you think deserve some more love? Let us know about the unrecognized award-worthy meals.
Who got snubbed?
 
Events
Friday, Jan. 26
  • Paranormal Cirque | Friday, Jan. 26-Sunday, Jan. 28 | Times vary | Grand Prairie Premium Outlets, 2950 Interstate 20, Grand Prairie | $15-$60 | This show is a crazy yet fun fusion between circus, theatre, and cabaret — for mature audiences only.
Saturday, Jan. 27
  • Texas Wesleyan University Baseball | Saturday, Jan. 27-Sunday, Jan. 28 | Times vary | Sycamore Park, 2401 E. Rosedale St., Fort Worth | Free | Watch as the Texas Wesleyan Rams bat against Kansas Wesleyan University.
  • Lone Star Murder Mystery Dinner and Show | Saturday, Jan. 27 | 6 p.m. | Billy Bob’s Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth | $83 | Figure out who dunnit in this murder mystery dinner with a menu featuring appetizers, an entree, and dessert.
Sunday, Jan. 28
  • Ultimate Bullfighters | Sunday, Jan. 28 | 1:30 p.m. | Cowtown Coliseum, 121 E. Exchange Ave., Fort Worth | $25-$38 | If the FWSSR isn’t enough for you, check out this ode to traditional Spanish bullfighting.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
News Notes
Opening
  • Atlas — a cocktail bar originating in Dallas’ Bishop Arts District — will open a Fort Worth location on Thursday, Feb. 1. Located at 314 S. Main St., the bar will serve globally inspired cocktails in an intimate setting. It will be open every day except Tuesdays.
Concert
  • Heads up, concertgoers — If you had tickets to see Elle King tonight at Billy Bob’s Texas, the concert has been rescheduled for the summer. The new date is Saturday, Sept. 21 at 10 p.m. Original tickets will be honored for the new date + refunds are available.
Community
  • How do you think local parks, recreation facilities, and community centers can improve? Share your thoughts on the city’s Open Space master plan tomorrow at the Handley Meadowbrook Community Center starting at 10 a.m. Input can also be shared through an online survey.
Coming Soon
  • Press Cafe’s new Aledo location is set to open at the end of February. Located in downtown Aledo at 109 S. Front St., the cafe’s new space will feature a full bar, locally brewed draft beers + breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. Stay tuned for an official grand opening date. (Fort Worth Magazine)
Health
  • UNT HSC was awarded a $310,339 grant for its SafeCafe Texas program from the city of Fort Worth. The grant will help provide opioid intervention education to the community + expose students and healthcare providers to virtual reality training. (Dallas Innovates)
Outdoors
  • Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose is celebrating the birth of a southern white rhino. The wildlife preserve said the calf marks the 18th rhino born on the grounds since 1991. Named Rocket, the calf was born at a hefty 100 lbs and will weigh up to 4,500 lbs.
Shop
  • Texas-based jewelry designer Kendra Scott has a new pop-up in the Stockyards through Sunday, Jan. 28. The limited-edition Wrangler x Yellow Rose collection is inspired by the American West and is located in a tiny home on the lawn of the Livestock Exchange Building.
Community
Active
  • Got an exercise goal, but not sure which gym is worth it? Get a free month of ClassPass + sample multiple gyms and studios with just one membership.*
Events

⛸️ Cirque du Soleil skates into Cowtown

Cirque du Soleil’s CRYSTAL skates into Fort Worth
Ice skaters in costume standing on the ice. 2 skaters are being thrown into the air from one group to another while other skaters in the distance kneel with their arms out and watch.
Watch the magic unfold on ice at Dickies Arena. | Photo provided by Cirque du Soleil
Tickets are on sale now for Cirque du Soleil’s CRYSTAL, which adds ice skaters to the production’s famed acrobatic feats.

The story follows Crystal, a young woman searching for self-love + self-discovery, as performers flip through the air at incredible heights, all over the ice. You can even expect to hear some familiar tunes with well-known pop songs plugged into the soundtrack.

As a bonus, if you’ve been hoping to see snow, Cirque du Soleil has you covered. This production will feature real snow (the crew makes about 300 snowballs every week, how cool).

You’ll have a chance to see CRYSTAL at Dickies Arena from Thursday, Feb. 15 through Sunday, Feb. 18. Tickets start at $69.
The Buy

The Buy 1.26.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)
A colorful box of bonbons, a heart-shaped peanut butter bar, or any other small business-made chocolate to indulge and treat yourself this weekend. Don’t forget to add a hot cocoa bomb to cart, too.
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The Wrap
 
Rebecca McRobbie

Today’s edition by:
Rebecca
FTW-La Casita

From the editor
A fun tidbit about La Casita Bakeshop — when I was in graduate school at DBU, I was living in Rowlett at the time and I used to spend nearly every day at La Casita Coffee writing research papers and working on projects. I would order a homemade strawberry pop tart and a cappuccino to keep me fueled.
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