Wake up and smell the lavender at this Hill Country vineyard festival

Purple Flower News

Photo courtesy of Becker Vineyards

There's a lot of talk about flowers springing up with the seasonal blooms around Texas, but visitors are generally discouraged from picking and eating them. Fans of floral flavors can look forward to the annual Lavender Festival at Becker Vineyards in Fredericksburg, which will serve wine pairings with the unmistakeable aroma on April 15 and 16.

This festival is 24 years running, and still hasn't run out of ideas for the timeless flavor. Over two days, visitors can explore the vineyard, shop for goods like soap and lotion from artisan vendors, enjoy live music, and most importantly, taste the lavender. It's more than a shortbread cookie, too.

Becker's executive chef Michael Lockhart and winemaker Jonathan Leahy invite guests to "Lavender Luncheons" ($125) in the Lavender Haus Reception Hall, a "replica of a barn at the Lyndon B. Johnson Settlement." There's no menu so far, but it will be a meal inspired by the 500 lavender plants in the vineyard. There will also be four "wine and lavender bite pairing sessions" ($60) on Saturday. Less formally, or for those who would rather see the lavender than taste it, there will be three local food vendors on both days: Mac’n Wag’n, Conchita’s, and Garbo’s Seafood.

The history of the festival stretches back almost as long as the vineyard has been producing lavender. The first plants were sown in June of 1998 — that's just one year longer. Although the family struggled to find a healthy variety for the area and lost huge swathes of the three-acre crop, they kept pushing on. Eventually, they discovered that the Stoechas (Spanish) varietal does best in the region.

If readers have struggled with lavender (an extremely likely circumstance), they may find that gardening tips at the festival help this year or next year's blooms. Lavender, unlike the many wildflowers that make the Hill Country famous, does not naturally grow in the region, and instead prefers its native conditions in the Mediterranean. It's starting to make sense that in Texas it thrives in the vineyard, no?

The Lavender Festival at Becker Vineyards is located at 464 Becker Farms Rd., Fredericksburg, Texas. Tickets ($15 general admission, plus add-ons for tastings) are available at beckervineyards.com. The festival is open on April 15 and 16 from 10 am to 5 pm.

Photo courtesy of Becker Vineyards

Becker Vineyards invites Texans to see the fields and try lavender foods and wine pairings.

Photo courtesy of Garrison Brothers

Texas' Garrison Brothers plots delicious bourbon takeover for September

Cheers, Y'all

Bourbon lovers, get ready: Garrison Brothers Distillery is launching its 2022 Bourbon Takeover of America on September 1.

The nationwide creative celebration of all things bourbon will run for the entire month of September, which also happens to be National Bourbon Heritage Month.

During that time, the award-winning, first-legal Texas whiskey distillery is partnering with America’s best bartenders and chefs from coast to coast to offer unique, limited-edition, bourbon-inspired cocktails and bites.

Wondering where to indulge in and around Dallas-Fort Worth? Here's your list:

Get even more out of the experience by downloading the Garrison Brothers Bourbon Takeover Passport App and then checking in with what you've just savored.

The more you check in, the more chances you have to be one of the 10 who wins the prize: a custom Garrison Brothers-branded barrel head serving tray, mixing glass, stirring spoon, and jigger.

The Garrison Brothers Bourbon Takeover Passport App is available for download in the Apple App and Google Play stores. Those 21 years of age and older are welcome to participate.

To find out more about 2022 Bourbon Takeover of America, go to www.bourbontakeover.com.

The celebration of all things bourbon will run for the entire month of September.

Photo courtesy of Garrison Brothers

The celebration of all things bourbon will run for the entire month of September.

Photo courtesy of Opendoor

How to sell your current home and upgrade to a new-build at the same time

Moving On Up

Now is an extremely lucrative time to sell your home, but once it's sold, where do you go?

Perhaps your dream home isn't even built yet. If your goal is to sell your current home and upgrade to a new-build, Opendoor can do both in one simple online experience.

Opendoor partners with leading homebuilders in the Dallas-Fort Worth area — and throughout the country — to provide more convenience and certainty to homebuyers at every step.

Its program enables DFW homeowners to sell their existing home to Opendoor, in order to buy a new-construction home from one of its homebuilder partners in one seamless experience.

This eliminates the hassle of having to line up two separate transactions that traditionally can have very different timelines, and buyers can remain in their current home for up to nine months while their new-construction home is being built. You read that right: nine months.

Local homebuilder partners include Bloomfield and Riverside, as well as such national big-name partners as Lennar, Meritage, and Pulte.

A recent Opendoor survey found that more than two-thirds (69 percent) of new-build buyers are also looking to sell. About two-thirds (67 percent) are concerned about lining up the sale of their existing home with the move-in timing of a new-construction home.

A whopping 92 percent of new-build buyers polled said they would be interested in selling to Opendoor after learning more about its process.

After finding their dream home, a new home build in a better neighborhood with more space from Lennar, Cameron and his wife were ready to move. Being seven months pregnant, they wanted to move before the baby came and needed to line up a closing date quickly.

Opendoor provided a fair offer and enabled them to choose a closing date. With the uncertainty of COVID-19, they weren't sure if they could still move as planned, but Opendoor made an exception and kept everything in place as planned.

"My wife and I kept looking at each other because it all seemed too good to be true," says Cameron. "We were thrilled to find that Opendoor's technology empowered us to receive a great offer and provided us with such a seamless process. By doing everything digitally, it gave us the flexibility to choose a closing date that worked best for us and stick to it. We were able to move into our new home before the baby arrived."

Visit Opendoor online or download the app to see how its user-friendly process might work for you.

Photo courtesy of Stir

New app from DFW-based Match stirs up the dating scene for single parents

Looking for the right swipe

The 20 million single parents in the United States now have a dating app to call their own: Dating app company Match just launchedStir, a dating app designed to connect single parents who are seeking dates.

“Where mainstream dating apps cater to the general population, single parents can often feel like outliers, and they are oftentimes overlooked on mainstream dating apps,” says Din Thi Bui, vice president of new verticals at Dallas-based Match. “It was important for us to intentionally design an app for the single parent community, and make it easier for them to connect with others without fear of judgment.”

Surveys conducted by Match continually show single parents find it tough to date. In part, Match says, that’s because some single parents feel potential partners are turned off when it’s disclosed that they have children.

Bui says the Stir app is available to any single parent interested in dating other single parents, regardless of sexual orientation and other factors. When building their Stir profile, a user can set various dating preferences.

One of the app’s unique features is Stir Time, which enables single parents to more easily coordinate their schedules.

The app can be downloaded from the iOS App Store or Google Play. Upgraded versions are priced at $39.99 for one month, $89.99 for three months, and $119.99 for six months. It’s available in English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

Matches made on Stir are based on responses to member profile questions related to hobbies, dating preferences, likes, dislikes, parental schedules, and communication preferences.

“Having kids shouldn't be a dealbreaker when dating,” Bui says in a news release. “We’re dedicated to giving single parents a dating experience where they are celebrated and feel like they can be themselves. With that, our hope is that they can truly focus on having a personal life beyond navigating parenthood.”

Match’s other dating apps include Tinder, Hinge, OurTime, and OkCupid.

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Simone Biles-backed mental health startup vaults to $4.8 billion value

FLIPPING INTO TECH

Less than two months after Olympic gymnastics star Simone Biles of Texas joined mental health startup Cerebral as chief impact officer, the company has raised $300 million in venture capital — a sum that vaulted it to a valuation of $4.8 billion.

San Francisco-based Cerebral announced the $300 million round December 8. SoftBank Vision Fund 2 led the Series C round, with participation from Prysm Capital, Access Industries, WestCap Group, and ARTIS Ventures.

Launched in January 2020, Cerebral has raised a total of $462 million from investors, including an undisclosed amount from Biles.

Biles, considered the gymnastics G.O.A.T., has won 32 Olympic and World Championship medals. But it was her off-the-mat moves at this year’s Summer Olympics in Tokyo that drew worldwide attention. Biles contended in just one event in Tokyo after withdrawing from all other competition to concentrate on her mental health.

Two months after the Olympics, Biles agreed to become Cerebral’s chief impact officer, serving as the face of the brand.

Cerebral was an official sponsor of Biles’ Gold Over America Tour, which came to Fort Worth's Dickies Arena in October, and is an official sponsor of the 2022 Simone Biles International Invitational, a gymnastics competition that will be held January 27-30 at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center. The Spring-based World Champions Centre, Biles’ home gym, stages the invitational.

“Mental health is just as important as physical health, but for far too long the stigma of mental health has prevented too many people from seeking help,” Biles says in a Cerebral news release. “I have my own challenges with mental health, and therapy has been very empowering for me as I try to be the best person that I can be. I believe everyone should have access to mental health resources, and Cerebral gives me the ability to personalize my mental health care experience.”

Biles was just named Time Magazine'sAthlete of the Year.

Cerebral bills itself as a one-stop online shop for mental health care and wellness. The company offers counseling, therapy, and medication delivery and management online for conditions such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.

Cerebral boasts that the $300 million round makes it the world’s largest and fastest-growing online provider of mental health services.

“Cerebral’s growth in the last year shows just how much the world needs affordable and accessible mental health care. It’s important to us that we not only improve access to mental health care through a convenient platform and affordable plans, but to also improve patient outcomes,” says Kyle Robertson, co-founder and CEO of Cerebral.

The pandemic ramped up the use of telehealth services, including those delivered by Cerebral. According to Fortune Business Insights, the U.S. market for behavioral health grew 11.3 percent in 2020, with pandemic-fueled mental health concerns helping drive up demand. Fortune Business Insights estimates the U.S. market will expand from $77.62 billion in 2021 to $99.4 billion in 2028.

Globally, the mental health market is projected to jump from $383.31 billion in 2020 to $537.97 billion by 2030, according to Allied Market Research.

Digital health startups like Cerebral are benefiting from the mushrooming market for mental health. Rock Health, an investment and advisory firm, says that through the first nine months of 2021, investors pumped $21.3 billion into U.S. digital health startups. That compares with $14.6 billion in all of 2020.

Cerebral says its $300 million cash infusion will enable it to undertake a global expansion, as well develop strategic partnerships and explore M&A opportunities. Today, Cerebral comprises a network of over 2,300 clinicians practicing in all 50 states.

“Roughly half of the American population is affected by mental health issues. However, obstacles like cost, limited provider availability, and fear of judgment remain in the way of getting the treatment they need,” says Priya Saiprasad, a partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers, which manages SoftBank’s venture capital funds.

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This article originally ran on our sister site, InnovationMap.

The Container Store/Facebook

5 Dallas-Fort Worth businesses rank among best-led companies in the country

Taking care of business

Local workers looking for employment have a new resource to find the best of the best. Five Dallas-Fort Worth companies have earned spots on Inc.'s new list of the country's best-led midsize businesses.

The companies and their rankings are:

Goosehead Insurance Agency, Westlake, No. 148
The Container Store, Coppell, No. 153
Sabre, Southlake, No. 181
Trintech, Addison, No. 184
MB2 Dental, Carrollton, No. 203

To compile the list, Inc. evaluated private and public U.S.-based companies with 2020 revenue of $50 million to $2 billion, or a valuation of $50 million to $10 billion. With help from Pitchbook and Shango Labs, Inc. sifted through data related to management excellence for more than 10,000 companies.

“This inaugural list of companies represents the remarkable midsized companies, both public and private, often founder-led, that are at the vanguard of reinventing American business,” says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. magazine. “With their leadership, all businesses will benefit from an exciting, competitive future full of possibilities.”

Bozeman, Montana-based software company Snowflake tops the Inc. list.

The DFW area's top-ranking company, Goosehead Insurance Agency, was founded in 2003 in the affluent suburb of Westlake and is led by Mark Jones. Inc. describes it as "an independent U.S. insurance agency offering best coverage and pricing for automotive, homeowners, flood, and other policies." The company's website prominently features testimonials from customers touting Goosehead's helpful, understanding, and personable agents.

The Container Store, coming in at No. 153, is no stranger to accolades — or to its myriad fans. Organizing spaces and packaging gifts since 1978, the Coppell-based retailer is under the leadership of Satish Malhotra.

Southlake-based Sabre, clocking in at No. 181, is a travel technology company that provides software, data, mobile, and distribution systems for airlines and hotels throughout North America. It was founded in 1960, and Sean Menke is now at the helm.

According Inc., No. 184-Trintech "provides finance software solutions to help streamline high-volume transactions and reconciliations, manage journal entry processes, and ensure regulatory compliance." The Addison-based company was started in 1987 and is under the leadership of Teresa Mackintosh.

MB2 Dental, based in Carrollton, is, Inc. says, "a dental partnership organization that helps dentists maximize their talents and build wealth over the course of their careers." The No. 203-ranked company was started in 2007 and is led by Chris Steven Villanueva.

Elsewhere in Texas
Austin-based dating app provider Bumble ranks first in Texas and 40th overall on Inc. magazine’s new list of the country’s 250 best-led midsize companies. Southern Methodist University alumna Whitney Wolfe Herd leads Bumble as founder and CEO.

In 2018, Herd told Business Insider that leaders should measure success based on the positive impact they have on the people they work with. Leaders, she says, are only as successful, happy, and efficient as the least successful, happy, and efficient members of the teams.

“Everybody who touches your company or brand — you should be so grateful that they are dedicating their time, their knowledge, and their skills to something you created,” Herd told Business Insider.

Austin companies grabbed nine spots on the list:

Bumble, No. 40
BigCommerce, No. 70
YETI, No. 91
Digital Turbine, No. 101
Open Lending, No. 137
Everly Health, No. 150
The Zebra, No. 170
Helias Construction, No. 177
Cirrus Logic, No. 180

Four companies from the Houston metro area also show up on the list:

Castle Biosciences, Friendswood, No. 126
Sunova Energy, Houston, No. 156
Cactus Wellhead, Houston, No. 224
National Energy Services Reunited, Houston, No. 228

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'Yellowstone' stars to greet fans at Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

Yellowstone news

Yellowstone fans, get your comfy shoes ready - there'll be a long line for this one. Cole Hauser a.k.a. "Rip Wheeler" on Yellowstone, and Taylor Sheridan, the show's co-creator, executive producer, and director of the series, will meet fans and sign autographs at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

The event will take place from 4:30-6:30 pm only on Friday, February 3. Location is the 6666 Ranch booth near the south end of Aisle 700 in the Amon G. Carter, Jr. Exhibits Hall.

According to a February 2 announcement from FWSSR, "fans will have the opportunity to snag an autograph as well as purchase some distinctive Yellowstone and 6666 Ranch merchandise while also enjoying all the features the Stock Show offers."

The event is free to attend (with paid Stock Show admission) and open to the public.

It's the second year in a row for Hauser to appear at FWSSR; in 2022, he and fellow cast mates drew huge crowds.

Sheridan, a Paschal High School graduate, is no stranger to Fort Worth; he lives in a ranch near Weatherford and filmed 1883, the prequel to Yellowstone, in and around Fort Worth. Currently, another spinoff, 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, is filming in North Texas.

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is winding up its 2023 run on Saturday, February 4.

The Tastemaker Awards toast the best in Texas dining for 2023

A taste of Texas

It’s another one for CultureMap’s history books. The 2023 Tastemaker Awards, which recognized Texas' best chefs, restaurants, and more culinary superstars of the year, have finally come to a close.

The series kicked off April 13 with our sold-out Houston Tastemaker Award at Silver Street Studios, then we came home to Fort Worth, to the 4 Eleven, for our second annual event, April 27. The Texas culinary tour steered us over to Dallas' Fashion Industry Gallery on May 4. From there, we took a drive to the Hill Country for Austin’s evening festivities at Fair Market on May 11, then concluded our journey with our second-ever fête in San Antonio on May 18.

The 2023 Tastemaker Awards honor the state’s most innovative culinary pioneers, allowing nominated chefs and restaurants to showcase their talents for guests before announcing the winners during a live ceremony.

Guests sampled chefs’ specialty bites and imbibed a variety of creative cocktails or mocktails, with a few Topo Chicos sprinkled in throughout the evening. But as always, our nominees and winners are the main focus of our program and are the reason we can bring these celebrations to life.

While a panel of local food and beverage pros choses a majority of the winners, the winner of Best New Restaurant is determined by our readers in an online, bracket-style tournament. New this year in each city, a sizzling on-site Burger Throwdown sponsored by Goodstock Beef by Nolan Ryan.

Without further ado, let’s meet our 2023 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards winners, listed by city:

Fort Worth:

Restaurant of the Year: Fitzgerald
Chef of the Year: Juan Ramón Cárdenas, Don Artemio
Bar of the Year: Birdie’s Social Club
Best New Restaurant: Calisience
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Angel Fuentes, Guapo Taco
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Cafe Bella
Best Burger: Dayne’s Craft Barbecue
Best Brewery: Martin House Brewing Company

Dallas:

Restaurant of the Year: Shoyo
Chef of the Year: Junior Borges, Meridian
Bar of the Year: Lounge Here
Best New Restaurant: Quarter Acre
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Mike Matis, Fearing’s
Pastry Chef of the Year: Maricsa Trejo, La Casita Bakeshop
Bartender of the Year: Haley Merritt, Midnight Rambler
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: El Rincon del Maiz
Wine Program of the Year: Pappas Bros.
Best Burger: Wulf Burger
Brewery of the Year: Manhattan Project Beer Co.

Houston:

CultureMap Fort Worth Tastemaker Awards 2023

Photo by Ashley Gongora

The ants garnishing Guapo Taco's chips were the talk of the Fort Worth event.

Restaurant of the Year: Bludorn
Chef of the Year: Mark Clayton, Squable
Bar of the Year: Captain Foxheart’s Bad News Bar and Spirit Lounge
Best New Restaurant: Aiko
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Emmanuel Chavez, Tatemó
Pastry Chef of the Year: Shawn Gawle, Goodnight Hospitality
Bartender of the Year: Kristine Nguyen, Captain Foxheart’s Bad News Bar
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Craft Pita
Wine Program of the Year: Nancy’s Hustle
Best Pop-Up: Khói Barbecue
Best Burger: Burger Bodega

Austin:

Restaurant of the Year: Birdie’s
Chef of the Year: Amanda Turner, Olamaie
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Joaquin Ceballos, Este
Pastry Chef of the Year: Mariela Camacho, Comadre Panadería
Bar of the Year: Nickel City
Bartender of the Year: Erin Ashford, Olamaie
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Nixta Taqueria
Wine Program of the Year: Bufalina
Brewery of the Year: Lazarus Brewing Co.
Best Burger: Dai Due
Best New Restaurant: Maie Day

San Antonio:

Restaurant of the Year: Carriqui
Chef of the Year: Robbie Nowlin, Allora, Arrosta
Bar of the Year: Amor Eterno
Brewery of the Year: Künstler Brewing
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: The Magpie
Pastry Chef of the Year: Sofia Tejeda, Hotel Emma
Best Burger: Last Place Burger
Best New Restaurant: Reese Bros BBQ

These are the 5 best food and drink events in Fort Worth this week

This week in gluttony

Doughnuts, burgers, and whiskey – oh my! A sweet collaboration happens this Friday night. Also plan for a summer afternoon tea, a complimentary wine tasting, museum happy hour, and a hysterical wine tasting event themed after a hit comedy.

Thursday, June 1

Crimson Wine Tasting at Neighbor’s House Grocery
The boutique downtown grocer and eatery hosts complimentary wine tasting for sipping and shopping. Guests will get to try four different wines from Napa’s Crimson Wine Group. Drop by anytime from 4:30-6:30 pm.

Friday, June 2

Kimbell Happy Hour
Friday means it’s time for the Kimbell Art Museum’s weekend happy hour. Visit from 5-7 pm for beverages and bites, along with live music by the Allegro Guitar Society. Members will receive 10 percent off drinks.

Doughnut-Burger Collaboration at Whiskey Ranch
Whiskey Ranch does National Doughnut Day with a sweet and savory collab featuring three Fort Worth favorites: TX Whiskey, FunkyTown Donuts, and JD’s Hamburgers. The $35 ticket includes three different TX cocktails paired with gourmet mini doughnuts, including a bacon burger doughnut slider by JD’s. Cocktails include Blackberry Sour, Pecan Old Fashioned, and Parker County Peach TX Whiskey Tea. There’ll also be DJ music and a build-your-own-doughnut hole sundae bar. The event will run from 6-9 pm.

Saturday, June 3

Catalina Canned Wine Mixer at Truck Yard Alliance
Truck Yard in Alliance is throwing a “bro-down” party themed after the 2008 hit movie Step Brothers. Wear your best tuxedo t-shirt for a wine tasting, photo ops, food trucks, and a Step Brothers cover band. Admission is free, but a $15 wine tasting is offered from 7-9 pm, featuring six wine samples and a souvenir glass filled with frose. Costume contests will be held at 5 pm and 10 pm.

Sunday, June 4

Summer Afternoon Tea at Indulge
The downtown cooking studio and tea room will host a Sunday afternoon summer tea party. Enjoy three courses including chicken tarragon sandwiches, roasted vegetable phyllo cups, and street corn crostinis, along with scones with clotted cream and jam, cream puffs, madeleines, and shortbread cookies. Tea choices include black or herbal blend. The tea service is $65 and begins at 2 pm.

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