Pop-ular: The Downtown Fort Worth Courtyard/ Blackstone recently celebrated 80 years of existence and 10 years in its present reincarnation. And you, probably like Mr. B, weren’t invited to the party. So, we ragged on hotel honcho Mark Pierce about his “forgetting us on purpose” and he felt guilty enough to offer up a one night weekend stay. You’ll get old-fashioned luxury and can marvel at the spires and terraces of the 1929 art deco hotel.
Pop tops: Just in time to party with Dad on Father’s Day, Fat Daddy’s has opened in Fort Worth at 500 Taylor Street. Instead of kegs, you think Fat Daddy’s might offer tub-by beer specials? We stumbled into Conner Kirkpatrick, the general manager, and he said let’s get started with $50 certificates. We’ll drink to that.
Pop rock: As kids, all the little b’s would dress up and karaoke Beatles songs. Mr. B was George because he sang the least. And when George died, Mr. B’s career thankfully was over before it started … even in karaoke bars. Cover band A Hard Night’s Day helps keep the Beatles legacy alive and it is playing a concert June 20 at LaGrave Field to benefit Limbs for Life. Keith Powell with Fort Worth Key Magazine donated four pair of two tickets if you want to offer “A little help from my friends.”
Popular: The Business Press' Barnett Shale Energy Symposium breakfasts have been huge draws, mostly to hear editor/moderator Robert Francis (Francis Roberts?) spew forth on topics relating to gas. We have two spots for the next breakfast/symposium -- tomorrow, from 7:30- 11 a.m. -- and it features Gene Theodori from Sam Houston State University, who studied residents’ attitudes in Wise and Johnson counties (pre earthquakes), and Kelly McBeth of the Texas Energy Lobby.
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The Leaders in Business reception Monday at the Petroleum Club of Fort Worth was a family affair. From left to right: Marcy and Steve Sands (son of Caroline Hunt), Caroline Rose Hunt, Jerry and Gene Jones. In his remarks during the luncheon, Jerry drew parallels between the economic conditions of 1989 and 2009, and also talked about the importance of perception and the “wow factor” of the new Dallas Cowboys stadium.
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Guy magnet: The quarterly Leads Explosions are the best networking events the Chamber offers. Host George Fassett of ThumbTechs describes it as speed dating for business. “Speed dating,” sighed Steve Maher of KDAF-TV Channel 33. “Unfortunately, I was at a table with six guys.”
Girl magnet: Mike Micallef, fisherman, adventurer and Renaissance man at Reata Restaurant, has a clever series of Facebook photos entitled Ranger and the Women Who Love Him. Ranger, a dog (for hire?), is doing VERY, VERY well.
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Where there’s a will…: In response to Mr. B’s recent query about what clothes to wear to heaven (big assumption), Mark Clauder of Units-Arlington wrote: “I'm not taking any chances. My will instructs my family to bury me in a Texas A&M Maroon Out T-shirt and Levi's. I'll be OK unless the boss is a T-sip.”
Wonderin’: The Steinway & Sons pianos from the Cliburn Piano Competition go on sale June 20-21 at Steinway Hall–Fort Worth. Are they worth less (used) or more (Van Cliburn has autographed them) than original retail?
Doublin’ the publicity: Mr. B mentioned in a past Newz-E-Letter that attorney Kent Durham, name partner at Durham & Galindo, sidelights as a trick rider/roper at rodeos and fairs. Lovable Betty Dillard reads it and writes about him in the Fort Worth Business Press, and now Mr. B writes about her writing about him.
Addy-boy: Congrats to The Balcom Agency, which won two national silver ADDY Awards for work with Alcon and REAL School Gardens.
A tip of the (chef’s) hat: While flirting through seven majors at Texas A&M, James Morris would study nights at IHOP because “the coffee is on 24 hours a day.” One day, a manager resigned, and well, the rest is history. Today, James is head chef for all the food served at the Worthington Renaissance Hotel and he recently treated five Newz-E-Letter readers to a grilling cooking class and dinner at Vidalia’s. Some things we learned:
- White sugar is the devil.
- Does your brown sugar get hard? You can make your own by adding molasses to white sugar.
- Use skewers to hold food such as asparagus and shrimp together over a grill.
- Blanch asparagus two minutes in boiling, salted water, then ice it immediately to bring out the green.
- Do not marinate meat with salt because it draws the moisture out; add it just before grilling.
- Put cooking spray on the food, not on the grill.
- Extra Virgin olive oil is the best for everything. (Easy for him to say; he only pays $17 a gallon for it.)
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Take … and give: When SUEZ Energy Resources won the contract to be the energy provider for Texas Motor Speedway, it also decided to give some back by sponsoring the Speedway Children’s Charities “Life in the Fast Lane Luxury Condo Tour and Progressive Feast” event.
Large & small: The Beck Group, which teamed with Innovative Developers Inc. to remodel the RadioShack buildings for Tarrant County College, also has donated a storage shed for Camp Fire USA First Texas Council. It did the site work, got the permits, the slab work done…the whole shebang.
Welcome: Newest Newz-E-Letter logon is Logan, grandson of Steve McCune of McConstruction Company.
Birthday sweets: The Dannon Company, presenting sponsor of last week’s Chamber annual meeting, is celebrating 30 years in Fort Worth this month. Plant manager is Jay Erskin. The dessert at the luncheon was a pearberry walnut tart with Dannon yogurt.
Added value? New board chair Wes Turner of Advance Newspapers told Chamber members his “focus will be to ensure a return on (your Chamber) investment…and to ensure that the Chamber remains relevant to you.” Is it possible Wes is talking about matching all Newz-E-Letter giveaways?
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So long, farewell: About right now, Michelle McMullen is packed and poking along a Tennessee roadway in her U-Haul, destination Cincinnati. The Red Cross Chisholm Trail Chapter development diva is transferring to be closer to family.
Development 101: If you missed today’s Lunch & Learn at Blue Mesa, Chamber membership mavens Carole Ann Fleming and Terry Johnson spoke on networking and garnering leads. Carole Ann stressed the importance of sharing leads with others, not just expecting others to provide for you. Terry suggested being unique with your presentation, and making sure you point out how you differ from others with the same product or services to sell.
Elvis in the House: Swivel hips Keith Hollar, partner at Auldridge*Griffin, performed his infamous Elvis routine during a picnic for Samaritan House last Sunday.
Coach, put me in: Martha Newman of the overly-long titled Martha Newman Business and Professional Coaching/Gain Your Goals Inc, has been appointed to a 3-year term on the Law Practice Management Committee of the Texas State Bar Association. She’s gonna keep the lawyers in line.
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Looking wealthy: A financial planner says she is trying to fatten up so she will give off the perception that she has invested well and can do the same for you. She could be fatter, funner and fitter if she joined 24-Hour Fitness at 2701 Halloran. Am-Bass-Adorables are there today for a ribbon cutting. Tomorrow, they are at Colonial Park Apartments at 1800 Rogers Road.
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