You all know the Austin-based Alamo Drafthouse is under construction at Richardson Heights Shopping Center. The groovy movie and brew joint is expected to open in Spring 2013. Today comes word that Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian restaurant that has been open since 1982, has renewed its lease with the center. Also, Frank Bulluck, executive vice president at SRS Real Estate Partners, reports the center is “currently negotiating with several iconic restaurants out of Austin to join Alamo Drafthouse.” Hmm. Anyone have a clue?
I just dropped in to visit with Alfonso Miller who was busy setting up his new wine shop, Art of Wine, in the northwest section of Preston Forest Shopping Center Square. It’s a retail outlet in front and a wines-by-the glass bar in back. He picked a great location: He’s right next door to Mercury and he’s already talked to them about doing some light food items for wine drinkers. He plans to open the doors on Saturday, September 29. 11909 Preston Rd. 214-514-2784.
Sisu may look like a quaint little house on the outside, but on Saturday, its inside was a snazzy uptown resort flowing with poolside cocktails and sharply dressed people. Our photographer, William Neal, took snaps of the food at the pre-opening party before Sisu officially opened this past Monday. So here’s the lowdown on this place: three bars, a large pool, and two stories. But if you’re not into amenities, no big deal. Take a second to consider the brunch menu. I’ve never had tiramisu French toast before, but those three words in succession are bells to my ears.
In summary: Brunch looks killer, and this will probably be the ultimate party destination for Uptowners. These are exciting times we live in, aren’t they?
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8 Comments »It’s only taken eight years for Clint Cooper to finally listen to all his Village Baking Co. groupies hollerin’ at him to open an actual storefront for his artisan breads. Thank the calories that he’s finally gone and done it. Now you don’t have to do your best five-year-old pout when the pear croissants are sold out at the local farmers markets.
In an email that Village Baking Co. sent, Jasmine Gonzalez writes:
Clint’s philosophy and passion for bread was cemented during his training at the San Francisco Baking Institute where he learned the fundamentals of age-old bread-making. To use only natural, as well as organic ingredients - unbleached flour, ground wheat, whole grains, filtered water, and sea salt – and absolutely no chemicals or preservatives. All of Village Baking’s Artisan breads are baked in small batches on hearth deck ovens giving our bread the distinctive melt-in-your mouth goodness and golden crust that is its signature.
Now, after operating our wholesale bakery supplying breads to restaurants throughout the DFW metroplex and bringing our goods to the local farmers’ markets on the weekends, we’ve decided to open a retail shop. Over the years, the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response we’ve received from our passionate and ever-growing farmers’ market customers, has inspired Clint to expand his initial vision and open a store-front that will make his breads and pastries available to everyone year-round.
The new store (5531 East University Blvd.) opens officially on October 4, and it’ll be open Thursday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with plans to expand hours in the future. On September 29, though, the Coopers are hosting a “soft” opening for friends and family.
Eater National just announced on Twitter that Food Network’s Queen of Semi-Homemade, Sandra Lee, is launching a new eponymous magazine that’ll ”cover all aspects of living well — from cooking and entertainment to fashion and style.” Frightening. Let’s just cross our fingers and hope this woman doesn’t commit any more cake crimes.
There are very, very few events that would make me clean my bike and fight with the air pump machine, but Eden’s Garden CSA Farm has one on Sunday, October 14 that’s making me reconsider. Barn Aid 2012: Le Tour de Farms mixes everything that’s good (healthy eating, exercise, grocery shopping, and philanthropy) into a single afternoon of fun and bike riding. Here’s how it works: You check in to Lake Highlands Community Garden at 1 p.m. Then, over the course of the afternoon, you either bike or drive your way through 32 miles of roads. On the way, you’ll be making pit stops at places like Urban League’s Community Garden at Parkland on Elam and the We Over Me Farm at Paul Quinn College, where you can harvest produce and pick up some organic veggies. Once you reach your destination at Eden’s Garden CSA Farm, sit down to a community-style, three-course meal prepared by the bearded chefs of Dallas (Mark Wootton of Garden Cafe, Graham Dodds of Central 214, and Chad Houser of Café Momentum). Pretty simple, right? But I’m not done. At dusk, doors open to the public, and everyone’s invited to watch a free screening of Urban Roots and listen to Lorynn the Redhead play angst-ridden folk music.
To attend, buy your tickets here. If you’ve read this post all the way down to this sentence, and you’re still on the ticket-buying fence… well, consider this: A portion of your money is going to the Youth Village Resources of Dallas’ gardening program. Charles Plummer, the guy who teaches teenage boys at the Youth Village how to grow organic crops, will put that money to good use. He might even make more of his compost tea with it.