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This roundup of restaurant news around Fort Worth has much good news: ice cream in Southlake, ramen in Keller, salads in Denton, and pizza in the Near Southside.

Sadly, there's a big closure and the clock is ticking.

Here's what's happening in Fort Worth restaurant news:

Boozie's Brewery & Gourmet Sandwiches, the full-service brewpub featuring bountiful sandwiches, is closing. The concept — from a team that included Bruce Conti, who is also the landlord, plus chef David Hollister and brewer Bobby Mullins — opened two locations mere months ago: one in Fort Worth in the former Wild Acre brewpub space at 6479 Camp Bowie Blvd. and a second location in Fairview.

Hollister, an acclaimed chef who made the list of Top 10 Chefs in CultureMap's 2023 Tastemaker Awards, confirms that the restaurants are closing, saying he only just learned of the closures himself.

"It was definitely fast and unexpected, and after only four months," he says, more graciously than surely any person on the planet would be under the circumstances.

Hollister was previously at Wild Acre, but Fort Worth diners remember him best for his Dagwood’s sandwich shops – one on Foch Street and the other by Ridgmar Mall. Wherever he goes, sandwich fans follow for favorites like the Reuben with house-brined Akaushi Wagyu pastrami, and the Cuban Press with braised Duroc pork shoulder.

The Fort Worth Boozie's also earned a spot on CultureMap's monthly Where to Drink column in March, where it was lauded for its craft cocktails and multiple beers on tap.

The restaurants will remain open for the rest of the week with generous discounts, including $7 for all sandwiches and $5 for drinks.

"We’ll be here until Sunday for the staff we do have left to make some money while they're looking for another job," Hollister says. "Some of these guys I was able to place at other restaurants but, if anyone knows of any leads of places looking for help, I’d love to pass the information along."

Boozie's is not the only sudden shutter with which Conti has been involved: 38 & Vine, an innovative wine bar in Fort Worth that notably allowed customers to pour self-serve sips, was forced to close abruptly in April; Conti was a partner in the business.

Handel's Ice Cream, the acclaimed ice cream shop concept from the Northeast, is about to open a location in Southlake at 2645 E. Southlake Blvd.; a spokesperson confirms that they'll be opening "soon." Headquartered in Ohio, Handel's made their debut in Texas in 2019, where they currently have 10 locations either open or about to be, including Flower Mound, Grapevine, Plano, and McKinney, along with locations in the Northeast, Arizona, Alabama, California, Oregon, and Nevada. Founder Alice Handel first began serving ice cream out of her husband's gas station in Youngstown, made with fruit picked from her own backyard. The menu now includes more than 150 flavors of ice cream and yogurt, although shops don't have that many at one time. They're known for good-quality ingredients and for making their ice cream daily, starting with a base made by Handel's corporate that's shipped to the store. They also offer unique Northeast-style flavors such as peppermint stick, black raspberry truffle, and orange pineapple, and eight vanilla options including vanilla, vanilla raspberry chip, and vanilla with lemon Oreos.

Hoshi Ramen has opened in Keller at 1301 Keller Pwky. #200 with ramen, soba and udon noodles, rice bowls, and salads. They have six varieties of ramen including the classic Hoshi ramen, Texas ramen with brisket and chicken karaage, kimchi ramen, veggie ramen, and bulgogi ramen with Korean BBQ beef. Other dishes include korokke (Japanese potato croquettes), steamed BBQ pork buns, bulgogi salad, tonkatsu, and fried shrimp curry rice. Hoshi is from Fort Worth resident Injun Shim, who also owns Taki Ramen Japanese Noodle and Pub in Wichita Falls. They'll serve sake, soju, wine, and beer, once they acquire a liquor license.

Pie Tap Pizza Workshop + Bar, the upscale pizzeria from Rich Hicks (Tin Star, Mooyah, Taco Lingo) has opened its long-awaited location in Fort Worth, at 1301 W. Magnolia St., which they announced on Facebook. The pizza is among the best in Dallas, featuring fermented dough with an emphasis on the thin crust rather than an avalanche of toppings, designed by Giovanni Mauro, a veteran chef and pizzaiolo who has owned restaurants such as Old School Pizzeria and Nora's Wine Bar in Las Vegas; he and Hicks worked together back in the early days of Romano's Macaroni Grill. The first location debuted in mid-2016 in Dallas' Design District, where it pioneered the concept's menu of pizzas, pastas, beer, and wine. Hopefully not too sophisticated for Fort Worth, although one comment posted on the page is not reassuring: "The pizza really needs more cheese," the comment says. "I just tried it and Domino's is better. What's missing is the cheese."

Salata has opened a location in South Denton at 1931 S. Loop 288 with built-to-order salads & wraps, soups, tea, and lemonade. The chain has five salad bases, 50+ toppings, and 11 dressings. This is the 92nd location nationwide, and is from franchisees Todd & Joanna Jones, who plan to open more locations in Denton.

Razzoo's Cajun Cafe has launched a new menu which includes the return of customer favorite Firemouth Wings. Other new items include bacon-wrapped shrimp with jalapeño, crab cakes, peel & eat shrimp, Creole pork chop with jalapeño cheese sauce, mashed potatoes & green beans, blackened redfish over dirty rice, shrimp Carnivale with bell pepper & onions, and chicken stuffed with boudin.

Melting Pot has a new Best Fondue Friends Forever (BFFF) menu, with a 3- or 4-course meal featuring Melting Pot’s enhanced BFFF cheese and chocolate fondue plus new offerings like Bacon Mac & Cheese Fondue topped with crispy bacon, and Lavender & Blueberry Chocolate Fondue, with white chocolate and blueberries topped with decadent blackberry "caviar."

Fuzzy's Taco Shop has three new limited-edition menu items featuring elote: an Elote side, a 6-ounce portion made with corn, queso, jalapenos, feta, and Fuzzy Dust; Chicken Elote Double Stack Taco with elote, fajita chicken, and rice; Chicken Elote Bowl with the same ingredients in a bowl. Available through Sunday June 18.

Tiff's Treats is bringing back their signature Chip's Mix, a special two-dozen package with chocolate, double chocolate, oatmeal, and peanut butter chocolate chip varieties, available through May 21, for $42. Tiff's Treats uses a one-of-a-kind variety of custom-made chocolate chips, a little-known secret that, thanks to CultureMap, is a secret no longer.

Starbucks has introduced its summer 2023 beverages: Chocolate Java Mint Frappuccino features blended Frappuccino roast coffee, chocolate, mint, and Frappuccino chips, finished with a layer of mocha sauce, whipped cream, and a chocolate cookie mint sprinkle topping; and White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew, featuring Starbucks Cold Brew sweetened with macadamia syrup, topped with white chocolate macadamia cream cold foam, and finished with toasted cookie crumbles.

You can’t keep a good Clown down.

An ownership change has rejuvenated Clown Burger, a beloved 1950s-style burger grill at 5020 Stanley Keller Road.

Clown Burger’s long-standing owners, the Louthan family, always vowed nothing would change from the day the Clown opened on East Belknap Street in 1959.

Now, regulars say new owner Willie Odell is upholding that legacy.

Odell has added a few menu items. Onion rings are now a big seller. Fried pickles and jalapeno poppers weren’t standard 1950s fare.

The dining rooms are brighter and less cluttered, and Odell also added tables outside.

Fountain drinks and ice cream floats are coming soon, he said.

But the ⅙-pound thin-patty burgers (order a double or triple) and fries didn’t change, he said.

If Clown Burger looks like an ancient throwback, “that’s the way I’m going to try to keep it,” said Odell, the former owner of popular Burgers & More on nearby Broadway Avenue.

“I don’t want to change a thing about the atmosphere,” he said — “I want to keep it like the same old place people love.”

Matt and Willie Odell bought Clown Burger from the Louthans last year, cleaned it up and replaced some kitchen equipment. They reopened in January.

One change: Clown Burger is now open until 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, giving families from nearby cities more time to come out after school, work or games.

For now, the crowd comes mostly at lunch. But Odell plans to add an outdoor patio that will draw business on mild evenings.

Also coming: a working jukebox. Odell found an antique and is filling it with 45-rpm vinyl. He hopes to connect it to the 1960s speakers at each table.

So the Clown is changing its look, but not its era.

The original 1959 restaurant was a drive-in with a canopy at 5512 E. Belknap when that street was the main highway north to Denton and Oklahoma or east to Dallas via Texas 183.

The current location, 1 mile south of Loop 820, opened in 1994. The original Clown closed in 1995.

Clown Burger is open for lunch and early dinner Tuesdays through Saturdays; 817-782-9961, facebook.com/ClownBurger.

This story was originally published May 19, 2023, 5:30 AM.

Dirt will fly as construction begins in June on the new Law and Education Building on the Texas A&M University-Fort Worth campus.

During a meeting on Thursday, May 18, the Texas A&M University System’s Board of Regents appropriated the $150 million needed for construction of the eight-story building that will anchor a new research campus in southeast downtown.

The Law and Education Building will be the first of three high-rise structures to be built and financed by the Texas A&M System, the city of Fort Worth, Tarrant County and the private sector.

“Our goal is to spur business and job growth in one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities and throughout North Texas,” said Chancellor John Sharp, in a news release. “This is a gamechanger for everyone involved.”

The Law and Education Building, which will become the new home to Texas A&M’s School of Law, also will house courses in engineering, health care, nursing and other subjects offered by Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Health and Tarleton State University.

City officials, business leaders and educators have been enthusiastic about the project from the start.

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“It is exciting to see this project continue to march forward,” said Mayor Mattie Parker, in a statement. “Texas A&M-Fort Worth will be home to life-changing workforce development and world-changing research, ushering in an exciting new wave of development and opportunity in downtown Fort Worth.”

The campus, to be built across four city blocks, will include a Research and Innovation Building where the private sector, including some of the area’s largest employers, and the A&M System’s agencies can collaborate. The Gateway Building will house offices, more classroom and meeting spaces, and a conference center.

Texas A&M University officials say they expect to complete the campus by 2027.

While construction on the Law and Education Building begins next month, the accelerated schedule means some final design decisions, such as the color of the bricks, will be made in the coming weeks, according to A&M officials.

The approval of the new building follows on the heels of the Texas A&M University School of Law now being ranked 29th nationally among law schools, according to the U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-2024 ranking of Best Graduate Schools.

A&M’s law school rose from 46th in the nation last year. Among Texas schools, the law school ranks second only behind the University of Texas at Austin, which is ranked No. 16. The law school also placed top 10 nationally in two specialty rankings. The Dispute Resolution program placed seventh and the Intellectual Property program placed ninth.

In November 2021, Texas A&M University announced plans to build a top-tier research campus on land downtown where it currently has the Texas A&M School of Law. The development was dubbed “Aggieland North,” at the time but has been formerly named Texas A&M-Fort Worth.

Stantec will serve as the architect of record for the Law & Education building with design architect Pelli Clarke & Partners assisting with labs. Construction management teams include Turner Construction Company, CARCON Industries, Source Building Group Inc. and Dikita Enterprises.

The latest renderings of what the building may look like can be seen at www.tamus.edu/fort-worth/

Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

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Dallas drivers may have noticed flashing signs warning of an “OZONE WATCH” this week. But what exactly does that mean?

Those new to Texas or not as familiar with air quality control may not recognize or heed the alert the same way they would a thunderstorm warning or tornado watch, but it’s worth noting — especially as the “ozone season” is upon us.

Ground-level ozone is a common air pollutant that can be harmful to people’s health. The pollutant forms when certain organic compounds interact with sunlight and intense heat.

This month marked the first days this year where the air quality became unhealthy for some people in North Texas, according to data kept by the North Central Texas Council of Governments. The ground-level ozone rose high enough to cause an alert in Dallas-Fort Worth on May 2 and 3 and again Wednesday and Thursday.

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Yes... but there’s two very different kinds of ozone, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

There’s the stratospheric ozone, which is naturally found in the Earth’s atmosphere anywhere from six to 30 miles above the ground’s surface. This actually acts as a protective layer shielding us from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

The ground-level ozone, also called tropospheric ozone, is the pollutant that causes concern at high levels.

The ozone season actually lasts majority of the year in the metroplex, according to Air North Texas. March through November is when the ground-level ozone reaches its highest concentration.

Weather patterns play a major role in the air quality, so there’s a higher risk of pollutants like ground-level ozone when there are hotter temperatures and less wind.

The ozone levels are usually rise during the day and peak in the late afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Once sunlight goes away, the ozone concentrations decrease.

According to the Texas Department of Environmental Quality, sensitive groups include people with lung disease such as asthma, older adults, children and teenagers, and people who are active outdoors.

Particle pollution in the air can be linked to health problems, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, like coughing and wheezing. Sometimes the impacts are more extreme, leading to asthma attacks and strokes.

You can check the current air quality and see if there are any warnings at AirNow.gov or the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality website.

Some of the steps Air North Texas recommends taking to improve air quality can be done at home or during your commute. Those include:

Photo by Paul Kolnik

Stage West's 2023-24 season is out, and it comprises one musical and five plays, many of which have been in contention for big-name awards.

Four shows will be presented in the Evelyn Wheeler Swenson Theatre (“The Evie”), and two in the Jerry Russell Theatre.

It begins with Once Upon a Mattress, a co-production with Theatre TCU. By royal decree of the Queen, all princesses must pass a series of tests if they want to marry the hapless Prince. Even worse, throughout the kingdom no one may wed until the Prince finds a worthy wife. Many have tried, all have failed, and the Queen plans to keep it that way.

But when a bold and undeniably charming new princess makes a splash at court, it seems the Queen has finally met her match. It runs October 19-November 5, 2023.

The regional premiere of Poor Clare is next, a finalist for the 2022 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize by Chiara Atik.

Meet Clare, a stylish teen living in medieval Italy, trying out the newest hairstyles and keeping up with the latest fashions and juicy town gossip. But everything changes when she meets a man named Francis who has started ranting in the streets. Her mother, sister, and maids don’t understand it, but this man’s ideas are, like, totally starting to make sense — and now she can’t unsee the world he has shown her.

The surprising story of Saint Clare of Assisi comes to vivid life in this modern parable of generosity, perfect for the holiday season. It runs November 30-December 17, 2023.

The 2015 Pulitzer Prize finalist Marjorie Prime by Jordan Harrison follows with its regional premiere.

In the near future, Marjorie and her daughter are worried that her memory may be fading. That is, until the appearance of Walter, a mysterious and charming young visitor who arrives to help Marjorie uncover the intricacies of her own past.

But a secret truth is about to blur the lines between human and machine. In this richly spare, wondrous play, profound questions emerge about the limits of technology and whether or not memory is an exclusively human invention. It runs January 18-February 11, 2024.

Next is a recent Broadway hit and entry on the 2019 Kilroys List,POTUS: or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Aliveby Selina Fillinger.

It all starts with a little four-letter word that the President blurts out, and what starts as a PR nightmare turns into a complete global crisis. The seven brilliant and beleaguered women upon whom he most relies risk life, liberty, and the pursuit of sanity to keep things under control.

It’s a total rollercoaster ride as Capitol Hill turns upside down in this riotous comedy. It runs March 7-24, 2024.

The as-yet-undiscovered genius Vincent Van Gogh presents a most peculiar case to noted detective Sherlock Holmes, his partner Dr. Watson, and his paramour Irene Adler in the regional premiere of Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Elusive Ear.

In David MacGregor's play, the trio embark on a rousing caper and find themselves confronting the daughter of Professor Moriarty. With a helping hand from Oscar Wilde, the world's greatest detective attempts to uncover a Post-Impressionist conspiracy. This zany mystery adventure is the opening gambit in a Baker Street trilogy. It runs June 6-23, 2024.

Speaking of Oscar Wilde, his The Importance of Being Earnestcloses out the season.

So, there are these two rich and eligible English bachelors. Both are pretending to be a man named Ernest, because they are trying to woo these two ladies who have decided they are all about that name. But when their romantic schemes collide, the whole charade unravels in a whirlwind of wacky surprises and dazzling wit.

This classic comedy of courtship and manners is a masterpiece of social satire for all who appreciate the humbling folly of falling in love. It runs September 5-22, 2024.

Season tickets are on sale now and include the Premium Season Ticket (which includes several additional perks) at $339 each, and the Standard Season Ticket at $219 each.

For more information, call Stage West at 817-784-9378 or visit online at www.stagewest.org.