Happy Friday! If a bagel can have everything, so can you.

☀️ Today's weather: High near 87.

🎵 Sounds like: "Golden"

🏈 Situational awareness: The Dallas Cowboys suffered a humiliating loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their rookie quarterback at AT&T Stadium last night.

• The Buccaneers, who were 0-4 before the game, walked away with a 24-16 win over the Cowboys.

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Today's newsletter is 801 flavorful words — a 3-minute read.

Goldee's Bar-B-Q in Fort Worth earned a Michelin star yesterday, joining Tatsu Dallas and Mamani as the only Michelin-starred restaurants in North Texas.

Why it matters: The guide awarded new stars to just three restaurants across the state. Texas still doesn't have any two- or three-starred restaurants.

State of play: Tatsu Dallas has held its star for three years, and Mamani has retained its star for two years.

• Five of last year's six North Texas recipients of Bib Gourmands — awarded for quality and value — stayed on this year's list. Lucia moved to the more crowded recommend list.
• Plano's Jashan and downtown Dallas' Fond are the newest additions from North Texas to the recommended list.

Flashback: Five friends who grew up in Arlington together opened Goldee's in 2020. This D Magazine story explains how their brotherhood evolved into a business partnership.

• The restaurant serves customers in a shack-like space and has halal options.

What they're saying: "Open only a few days a week from late morning until afternoon, one must go when the getting is this good," Michelin says in its description of Goldee's.

• "And it's absolutely worth the hours-long wait in the Texas sun."

Go deeper: Explore the 2026 list

Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton privately lamented the impact of the Iran war and gas prices on his campaign in a meeting last month, according to audio obtained by Axios.

• "I don't make the decisions," the Texas attorney general told a group of donors and lobbyists, according to the audio.

Why it matters: It's a candid admission from a close Trump ally about the challenging environment Republicans face this cycle.

• Paxton was speaking to donors and lobbyists at a closed-door fundraiser in Washington, D.C. The audio was provided to Axios by a person, granted anonymity because it was a private event, who was in the meeting and is opposed to Paxton.

Driving the news: Asked by one attendee what issues are "dragging" on his campaign, Paxton responded, "It's not tariffs. ... It's the war, it's gas prices, it's diesel," according to an audio file obtained by Axios.

• "When it's over $6 per gallon for diesel ... people are feeling the pinch," he continued, adding that the rising cost of fuel "drives up food prices and everything else."
• The Republican candidate said affordability is "by far our biggest problem" and "why we're having a hard time with numbers."

What they're saying: "This is a non-story. The attorney general said what every Texan already knows: gas and diesel prices are too high, and hardworking Texans are struggling at the pump and at the grocery store," a Paxton campaign official told Axios.

Read the rest and listen to the audio

🎡 The State Fair of Texas will let visitors park for free today because of a deal with DraftKings. (NBC5)

🐾 Rowlett Animal Services is looking for people to adopt or foster dogs to help with overcrowding at the shelter. (WFAA)

🕯️ Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez's funeral services will be held privately, with a public vigil on Oct. 24, police announced yesterday. The boy was missing for years before his remains were found in Everman. (DMN)

The Dallas Stars' season is in full swing with two wins and two losses in the first week.

The latest: For the first time, Stars games not broadcast nationally are streamed on Prime Video for Amazon Prime members in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas.

State of play: The Dallas Stars have only won one Stanley Cup in franchise history, in 1999. They didn't advance past the first round of the playoffs last season.

• Yes, but: They defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-0 last night.

Players to watch: Longtime Stars captain Jamie Benn is in his 18th season with the team and Jake Oettinger remains one of the NHL's most effective goaltenders.

• Jason Robertson, 27, scored one goal and had one assist against the San Jose Sharks on Monday.

What's next: The Stars face the Penguins in Pittsburgh tomorrow at 6pm.

This newsletter was edited by Bob Gee.

Our picks:

🥩 Naheed is watching the Goldee's co-owners' reaction to winning a Michelin star.

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