LONE STAR SPIRIT

Fort Worth is no stranger to kicking up some dust, but it refuses to fade into it. After decades of watching historic buildings sit empty and in a sad state of disrepair, the city began a long road to restoration (that got a lot smoother recently thanks to extra funding) to help bring new restaurants, shops, and a swanky hotel to a previ­ously neglected area dubbed Mule Alley.

Rodeo Brewing, where the indoor-outdoor seating and bar consist of colorful lawn chairs on turf; it seems to make the live music even more enjoyable. (The on-tap grapefruit-infused ranch water is another tempting sipper.) Brunch is best taken at The Biscuit Bar. Have an order of the Hot Honey Bis­cuit with fried chicken and a cereal-milk cocktail.

Anchoring the renovation of Mule Alley, Hotel Drover is a 2OO-room property that opened last year and could be a getaway all on its own. Inside and out, it embodies old Texas style with an air of sophistication. Take a peek around the lush gardens to find in-house restaurant 97 West Kitchen & Bar or the accompanying Veranda Bar. With twinkling lights on the trees and cozy seating clus­tered around firepits, the property makes a quiet oasis, walkable to everything in the entertainment district.

You can mosey into any steak house near Exchange Avenue for an old-fashioned...keep reading