Editor's note: A lot happened this week, so here's your chance to get caught up. Read on for the week's most popular headlines. Want a list of best things to do this weekend? Find that here. Looking for spectacular Christmas lights around town? That list is here (with top Christmas light neighborhoods here).
1. H&M, biggest retailer in Fort Worth's Sundance Square, closes down. Sundance Square has one less place to shop. The H&M store, which has been open at 401 Commerce St. since April 2016, has closed and the merchandise has been cleaned out. Sundance Square was H&M's first store in Fort Worth. It was also the biggest retailer in Sundance Square, with 30,000 square feet spread out over four levels.
2. Famed Texas BBQ pitmaster John Mueller dies at age 52 in Dallas-Fort Worth. The Texas barbecue community has lost a legend. Barbecue pitmaster John Mueller, a member of the Mueller barbecue dynasty, died at his home in Frisco at age 52. Daniel Vaughn, barbecue editor at Texas Monthly, broke the news December 16 on Twitter, reporting that Mueller died after a long illness.
3. Super-exclusive (and pricey) speakeasy sneaks into Hotel Vin Grapevine. The boutiquey Hotel Vin in Grapevine would seem to have every foodie angle covered, from its wine-centricity, to its two in-house eateries, to its proximity to a food hall and mixed-use development in Grapevine. Not enough. Now it has added the trinket that's become a food & beverage must-have: the speakeasy bar. Called Magnum Room, it opened on December 17 — stealthily, of course.
4. Fort Worth's long-shuttered Studio Movie Grill finally reopens to the public. Studio Movie Grill Chisholm Trail has finally reopened its doors, welcoming moviegoers Friday, December 17 — just in time for the release of one of the most anticipated movies of the year, Spider-Man: No Way Home. The reopening has been a long time coming.
5. Best Fort Worth restaurants for dining out on New Year's Eve 2021. New Year’s Eve falls on a Friday this year, and many restaurants are serving lavish specials to toast the end of 2021. Prepare to splurge as most are multicourse prix-fixe meals with wide-ranging prices. But there are more casual options, too, including a party at one iconic burger joint that will close its flagship location after more than 40 years.
Pitmaster John Mueller was well-known throughout Texas for his mastery of meats.
