Articles about oak cliff
Bishop Arts Winery Opens Quietly in Oak Cliff
photo by Rick Lopez
Bishop Arts Winery can only accommodate 30 guests, but owners Elias and Dolores Rodriguez have big plans for the tiny tasting room at the corner of Davis and Tyler Streets, which opened to the public immediately after securing its final license on May 17.
There hasn’t been much advertising or social media announcing the winery’s opening — though it’s been on oenophiles’ radars after the owners placed signs and a puzzling window-side mannequin more than a year ago — but Elias Rodriguez said there’s been a steady stream of visitors passing through his business. Many of them are surprised that the menu features only wines from Texas.
“They say, ‘Wow! We didn’t know there were so many wines made in Texas,” Rodriguez said. “You can find wines from all over the world … and that’s fine and dandy, but we’re in Texas. Let’s start supporting the state and its wine industry by consuming some of the good Texas wines that is out there.”
Jump for it.
Continue reading "Bishop Arts Winery Opens Quietly in Oak Cliff"
Bolsa and Bolsa Mercado in Dallas Are Making Some Changes
Don’t try to eat at Bolsa on Monday because the restaurant will be closed. They will reopen on Tuesday as Bolsa, but they will no longer serve lunch, just dinner and weekend brunch only (starting at 10AM). I repeat: No more lunch at Bolsa. For lunch, pass go, and head next door to Bolsa Mercado. They’ve added 24 seats and Chef Jeff Harris has reworked the menus of both places. At Mercado you can expect beef, turkey and veggie burgers, fries, new sides, quinoa salad (DUH!), and a pasta of the day. Nothing else will change at Mercado. You can still pick up prepared food and dinners for two, etc.
Bolsa closed today, Sunday, after brunch and will undergo some minor repairs and painting. They will reopen on Tuesday with a new menu which is still in progress. Harris will finally have a clean slate to tweak the menu his way. The dishes won’t be any fancier or cost more, it will be Bolsa as usual. Only a little different. To start their almost five-year anniversary, they will be selling flatbreads for $5 this Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
“It just made sense for us to consolidate our lunches and rework Bolsa,” co-owner Chris Zielke says. “We are streamlining our business plan and this allows the Bolsa staff to come in and prep for dinner without having to do lunch.” Zielke and Co. plan to finish the “patio we never finished” next to Mercado and hopes to have 50 seats in a couple of months. In a few weeks, Mercado will open for breakfast as well.
7 Comments »El Padrino, Kicked Out of Bishop Arts, Finds New Home in Southeast Dallas
El Padrino in its old Bishop Arts location (photo by Carol Shih)
I’ve been rooting for the little El Padrino taco stand in Bishop Arts since last November, ever since we found out the Lombardi group’s plans to takeover/(maybe) bulldoze the iconic red-and-white building that housed those famously nice taco ladies.
For the last couple months, Juan Contreras, managing parter of El Padrino, has been trying his hardest to stay in Bishop Arts. “We hope to stay in the Bishop Arts; we were one of the original establishments before Bishop Arts became what it is now, and we’d like to be part of it as long as we can,” he said back in October 2012. Unfortunately, it looks like those plans have fallen through. El Padrino #2 is moving to southeast Dallas, and it’ll open on May 3.
Contreras wrote this email about the news. The headline is very bittersweet. Props to Bishop Arts for its blossoming area, but let’s not forget the little guys who helped make it what it is, shall we?
—-
11 Comments »El Padrino Taqueria a casualty to the Bishop Arts District’s success
DALLAS, TX – El Padrino Taqueria, affectionately known as El Padrino (Mexican Godfather), a popular Mexican food stand in the Bishop Arts District since the 1990’s has lost their lease and has found a new home. El Padrino was housed in an old original Jack in the Box shaped fast food stand located on 330 W. Davis St., and provided great Mexican fast food to N. Oak Cliff’s diverse clientele.El Padrino lost their lease to Sarah Lombardi in May. “We didn’t see this coming, but we were grateful that Ms. Lombardi let us operate through November. Which allowed us some time to look for a new location and for our employees to find jobs nearby.” says Juan Contreras Jr. El Padrino hoped to move to a new location in the Bishop Arts District or somewhere nearby, “Unfortunately it was harder than we thought. Our broker Charlie Perdue, from Perdue Equities worked with us to find us a home nearby, however, there were just no options to fit our needs.” says Juan C. Contreras Jr., Managing Partner.
The Contreras say that they decided to move to southeastern Dallas on 1215 S Buckner Blvd not only because they got a good deal in their new location but also because they also wanted to expand their locations: one in Oak Cliff and the other in Pleasant Grove. “One of our friends here in the community approached us with a deal we could not pass and well we decided to give it a try.” says Juan Contreras Jr.
The new Padrino’s expects to open May 3rd, 2013 serving the same type of original Mexican food items and more.
“We had a great run in the Bishop Arts District, and were surrounded by inspiring friends in the community and we expect to continue our success in our new location.” says Juan Contreras Jr.
El Padrino also has the original location located at 408 W. Jefferson Boulevard, which remains open.
###
Thank you,
Juan Contreras
El Padrino; Managing Partner
Website: elpadrinomexicangrill.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CafeteriayLoncheriaElPadrino
Twitter: ElPadrinoTejas
Oak Cliff Soup Co. Will Start Delivering in December
Oak Cliff Soup Co.
“You’re going to think I’m crazy, but we literally started this business on Wednesday,” said Dina Light-Mcneely.
The professional chef-turned-marketing woman is going back to her roots and her love of cooking, and she already has a fan club. (Bradford Pearson and I are members.) Last week, Light-Mcneely started the Oak Cliff Soup Co., a soup delivery business that she’s been formulating in her head for months. She finally took the plunge last week by starting a Facebook page. At the Cliff Fest yesterday, Light-Mcneely’s vegan butternut squash was a favorite among locals.
Light-Mcneely plans to launch delivery service the first week of December. Her soup menu will be seasonal and change every week. Three soups are published on Monday, and orders have to be placed by Wednesday. Fridays and Saturdays are when Light-Mcneely and her team of liquid professionals will deliver the soups, which will consist of ingredients from local farms and businesses.
Get ready for soup time, Oak Cliff. One of the first soups in December will be a bowl of Jimmy’s sausage with kale and white beans. (A vegetarian option will be available, too.)
10 Comments »
Mesa’s New Fall Menu is Spectacular
Guiso del rey (seafood combination with jalapenos, mussels, clams, octopus, and shrimp. (photos by Melisa Oporto)
Mesa needs more love.
At the media dinner I was invited to last night, there wasn’t a single breathing soul in the restaurant besides the bloggers and writers tasting the new menu by Raul Reyes, owner and chef extraordinaire of Mesa Veracruz Coastal Cuisine. Sure, it was a Wednesday evening, but it was still surprisingly empty for a restaurant of such high caliber.
Perhaps Reyes’ new fall menu can persuade enough people to venture out to the adventurous side of Oak Cliff, where Mesa is squeezed between a pawn shop and bakery.
Jump for some sweet shots by Melisa Oporto. Continue reading "Mesa’s New Fall Menu is Spectacular"
Coming Soon: Bolsa Food Market in Arlington?
Both Christophers, Zielke and Jeffers, of Bolsa Mercado confirm the shop opening up in Arlington has nothing to do with Bolsa Mercado in Bishop Arts. So, there you have it. Call anyway and ask them if it is true: 214-367-9367.
Restaurant Scam Alert: Order Needed For Pick Up
I can’t believe anyone would fall for this, but I’m throwing it out there just in case someone is tempted to believe this is real. The email address is contact@bolsa.com. I’m pretty sure those guys at Bolsa type better than this and they don’t know what Skype is.
Hello how are you doing today,My Name is Mrs Candy Moore , I will like to make an Order for Chicken Salad OR Sandwiches to feed 150 people is needed on the 15th JUNE is for my Mothers Birthday Party ,and it will be pick up 3pm on the event date Go ahead and get me the Total cost now..And also i want you to get back to me with your Information such as Full Name ,Restaurant Address and Phone Number or Cellphone Number so that i can text you as well …so that i can have it forward to the Private Carrier that will be coming with there Cold and Warmer Truck to pick up the Order …You can also talk to me on my Skpe … enrique.martinez310
Can anyone provide enlightenment on how this would ever work? I don’t get it.
11 Comments »Mesa is in Trouble
The Reyeses; their creamy flan de naranja. Photography by Kevin Marple.
Folks, you wanted authentic regional Mexican food, but you aren’t eating it. So far you’ve dismissed Alma and Café San Miguel. Several other restaurants billed as regional Mexican are suffering and are reworking their menus to add more “familiar” items to attract the borderline adventurous eater. Chef Gabriel Leon lost his dream when he was forced to close Masayrk Modern Mexican Kitchen. When he was offered a chance to start again at Mi Dia, he smartly decided to divide the menu into Tex-Mex, Sante-Fe style, and regional Mexican. MesoMaya bills itself as regional Mexican but almost every table is eating enchiladas. Did the market overfill a bogus demand?
I bring this up because last night I ran across a post on Facebook written by Jaret Reyes. She is the daughter of Olga and Raul Reyes who own and operate Mesa in Oak Cliff. She wrote: “Business is horrible. Mesa will be closing pretty soon if our sells don’t go up 
” I contacted Jaret and she says:
“Yes, our sales went from being great to not even making enough to pay for bills and it is very depressing. We gave everything that we had to make it work and it’s not. My dad is working on the patio to see if that would bring it up, but its hard to come to work and not have anything. It sucks. We will do whatever it takes to save it.”
This is a gem of a restaurant. They serve some of the best food I’ve eaten in a long time. If you haven’t tried it, skip the urge to eat nachos one time and give their cochinita pibil a try. If you love Mesa, love it more.
Driftwood’s Residents Day, Take Two
Tuesday’s Residents Day at Driftwood was so popular they are doing it again. Here’s the deal:
Tuesday’s for the month on May ONLY. Offer good for Patio and Bar ONLY. ALL food is discounted 25%. We will have a featured bottle of white and red wine for $25. Good for ALL Oak Cliff residents (just bring in any proof). No reservations, first come – first serve (seating is limited). For ALL non-Oak Cliff “Like Us” on FaceBook and get the same royal treatment
Huh? What? We can all become groovy OC residents just by clicking Facebook!? It’s a Christmas miracle!
1 Comment »Driftwood Offers 50 Percent Off to Oak Cliff Residents
Freakin’ Oak Cliff. They think they are so much cooler than the rest of Dallas. I think it’s time they consider seceding from the city. Case in point: next Tuesday, April 24, Driftwood, the new seafood-centric spot on Davis, is offering 50% off the food tab for any resident of OC who can show up with proof. Here is the fine print for “Residents Day”:
We would like to show our thanks to the community. Tuesday the 24th of April will be Residents Day at Driftwood - All Oak Cliff Residents will receive 50% off ALL food for the night. You must make a reservation (reservations will ONLY be taken on Monday the 23rd from Noon – 2pm). This offer is good only for Oak Cliff residents – MUST provide an electric or water bill showing the 75208 zip code to receive the discount. Limited seating’s and times because we are so small.
I can only imagine what would happen if Marquee Grill hosted a “Residents Day” and only allowed customers with water bills stamped with 75205. Oh, wait. Everyday at Marquee is “Residents Day.” No proof required. Cool. Hey Driftwood, when is 75201 day?
Emporium Pies “popped up” in the Bishop Arts District last weekend
The Smooth Operator: French Silk chocolate with pretzel crust
This past weekend may have been rainy and overcast, but a beacon of sunshine poured down upon the Bishop Arts District, resting on a quaint little renovated house painted brightly with hues of violet and blue. Within these walls rested Dallas’ first “pop-up” pie shop, brought to us by the wonderful women at Emporium Pies, partners and co-owners, Mary Gauntt and Megan Wilkes. Wanting to test the waters a bit and see what kind of response the Dallas diners would have to a dedicated pie shop, they moved into the space at 314 N. Bishop Ave. over the weekend to provide this city with some of the finest pies it will ever see.
Walking inside, the space is small but cozy, with no more than a few chairs, a sales counter, a couple tiny tables with three stands displaying the day’s pie options. On one rests a French silk chocolate pie with a crunchy pretzel crust, another holds a bourbon pecan pie with shortbread crust, the last displaying a streusel topped banana pie. I ordered a slice of each, which were then all neatly packaged in small wicker baskets with a wooden fork and tied up with string (these are a few of my favorite things). The entire presentation is so insanely cute, it makes fluffy baby bunnies look like swamp trolls. I took a seat on the porch and dug in.
Jump for a whole lotta pie porn…
Continue reading "Emporium Pies “popped up” in the Bishop Arts District last weekend"
The Emporium Pop-Up Pie Shop Opens Saturday in Oak Cliff
Megan Wilkes and Mary Gauntt have a wish. They want to make Dallas a pie-friendly city. They have been testing pies, selling pies online, and creating a business plan for a real pie store called The Emporium. To get the feel for how their pies and plans will work, they to pop-up up this weekend in a century-old cottage at 314 N. Bishop. On Saturday (9AM-2PM) and Sunday (2PM-7PM), they will be selling pies: Drunken Nut (bourbon pecan with shortbread crust), Smooth Operator (French silk chocolate in a crispy pretzel crust), and a secret-ingredient Mardi Gras concoction. You can buy a whole pie or a slice and pair it with Cultivar Coffee.
Go. Eat. Report. You can find them across from Hunkys Hamburgers on Bishop Ave. at 8th St.)
Wanna see some pie porn?
Continue reading "The Emporium Pop-Up Pie Shop Opens Saturday in Oak Cliff"
Dinner for Two by Sharon Hage Available at Bolsa Mercado Today
Sharon Hage is preparing bagged-up-and-ready-to-go dinners for two.
“Shepherd’s Pie” with turkey, Tom’s turnip mash, Bibb salad with chopped winter vegetables and Meyer lemon vinaigrette. $19.99
Her recommended wine pairings are:
Red: Casamatta Toscana 2009 (11.99)
White: Tranquillo Texas White Table Wine 2010 (13.99) Drew Hendricks Wine.
Wines available Bolsa Mercado. No phone orders. They’ll be ready to purchase at 4PM.
Bolsa Mercado’s Open House to Showcase Deep Ellum Brewery Beer. Oh, and Sharon Hage Will Create “Take Home Dinner For Two”
Bolsa Mercado is officially a talent hog. It’s great if you happen to be cool (rich?) enough to live in The “fabulous” OC. However, it sucks for those of us who have to walk half a mile through a huge chain grocery store to buy a carton of milk. Or beer.
Deep Ellum Brewery has just released their first (only?) production of “Love Runs Deep” Cherry Chocolate Double Brown Stout (deets below). Think you’ll find it at Tom Thumb? Nope. Bolsa Mercado bought the entire batch. Each 22-ounce bottle is individually numbered and made with red tart and dark sweet cherries and Organic/Fair Trade cocoa nibs. Expect to find all 300 of them on the shelves of Bolsa Mercado during their next Open House on February 11.
If you can’t wait until the 11th to get a food fix from The ‘Cado, head over on February 8. If you are lucky, you may be able to look past talented chef chefs Jeff Harris and Matt Balke and spot the rare, elusive chef Sharon Hage in the kitchen. She will be creating a “Take Home Dinner For Two.” Who knows, by then Bolsa Mercado may have Alan McClure creating Fudgesicles or Grant Achatz doing dishes. Could happen. Pigs fly in Oak Cliff.
Bolsa Mercado in Oak Cliff: The Top 10 Sellers
I meant to post this copy earlier in Desiree’s photo essay, but I am running behind schedule. Yesterday, I asked the folks at Bolsa Mercado to give me a list of the top ten products they sold during their first week. Curious to see what the folks in the OC bought? Read on. Continue reading "Bolsa Mercado in Oak Cliff: The Top 10 Sellers"
5 Comments »Chicken Scratch and The Foundry to Open in Oak Cliff
How long before Oak Cliff secedes from Dallas county to form their own little republic? Think how cool that would be for the business folk: the restaurateurs and funky food shops could make their own rules, they could charge a toll to enter and exit, and fine customers not wearing flannel.
Obviously either Tim Byres, Christopher Jeffers, or Chris Zielke (or all three!) would rule the roost. Today the triumvirate announced two more projects. The owners of Smoke and Bar Belmont took over the 3-acre plot of land that used to be Jack’s Backyard. (Fort Worth Avenue and Pittman St.) First up: Chicken Scratch, a family-friendly restaurant serving—wait for it—“cast-iron fried and wood-fired rotisserie chicken with wholesome handmade sides.” It’s “slow fast food.” (Wouldn’t it be fast slow food? I’ll leave that one for someone else like Jack Perkins.)
Next door to The Scratching Chicken, I mean Chicken Scratch, will be The Foundry. Sounds serious, right? Nope. The Foundry will be a bar offering simple drinks. (Drama! Do I sense a struggle between mixolgists v bartenders?) The drinks with be simple and strong. (I could say something about my ex-husband here but I’ll let it pass.) There will be beer—lots of drafts and bottles and microbrews plus “usual suspects.” Affordable! Live music! And, if they can swing it: the property will be able to “host food and merchandise trucks, drive-in movies, and other community themed events.”
The Foundry is scheduled in early January 2012 and Chicken Scratch “soon after.” (I still think they should have named it Petticoat Junction. Wouldn’t you eat chicken at the Shady Rest? Such a duh.)
Trending: “Scratch” in a restaurant name, fried chicken, and regular bartenders without pork pie hands and mutton chops.” Somebody get me a Realtor.
New Bolsa Mercado Opens in Oak Cliff This Morning
Bolsa Mercado. Photography by Elliott Munoz
Just dropped into the new Bolsa Mercado this morning for its public debut and — wow — this place is a game changer for anyone shopping for quality groceries south of the Trinity. It fulfills the market part of the original Bolsa vision offering Tom Spicer greens, local cheeses, organic meats, house made sausage and pastries, a boutique wine/beer selection, gourmet dry goods, and more. Bolsa Mercado also offers sandwiches, panninis, gourmet to go items, and a first-rate coffee bar. Eventually, chefs Jeff Harris, Matt Balke, and team want to make as much in-house as possible and will offer catering from the market’s enormous kitchen, more than double the size of the tiny one at its sibling restaurant located two doors down. Happily, there’s enough diversity and everyday goods to encourage repeated visits. In fact, I’m already plotting my lunchtime return to try the wild boar tart.
20 Comments »Sylvan | Thirty to Open “Culinary Incubator” With Chef Sharon Hage as Culinary Curator
Oh my, what a great idea and perfect timing. Today comes word that an unnamed “culinary incubator,” a space to help start-up food entrepreneurs launch their own businesses, will open when Sylvan | Thirty opens next year. Local chef Sharon Hage will be the Culinary Curator. She is, in my book, the Earth Mother.
What a great fit. Hage will help local artisans and food businesses get up and running. The focus, naturally, will be on local start-ups and chefs upping their game. Participants will pay a membership to join. They will have access to a shared commercial kitchen and retail space which will enable them to sell their products without the initial expense of building out their own space. Cox Farms Market and Matador Meat & Wine have already signed on as neighbors at Sylvan | Thirty.
I think this culinary incubator needs a proper name. Shall we give it one?
16 Comments »December Issue: Best New Restaurants in Dallas
What a difference a year makes. Last year we struggled to find ten great new restaurants. This year, Teresa Gubbins and I had to slash and burn our way through a jungle of start ups. We tossed a few tomatoes at each other when picking the Restaurant of the Year. The final two were Lucia and Mesa. If I hadn’t had several service issues with Lucia, the outcome may have been different. And truth be told, I yearn for the oxtails in hoja santa sauce at Mesa on a daily basis.
Check out the list and Kevin Marple’s exquisite food photography and tell us what you think.
13 Comments »Drink This Now: The Drinking Chocolate with Vanilla Bean Marshmallows at Dude, Sweet Chocolate
In a perfect world, Katherine Clapner of Dude, Sweet Chocolate and I would totally be BFFs. We would hang out, like, everyday…stuffing our faces silly with her wonderful chocolate creations while watching Lord of the Rings, spending hours planted in front of the X-Box, playing hackey-sack, and toilet-papering the neighbors’ houses. Then, the end of the day would go something like this:
“Hey Kath, would you whip me up some of your wonderful hot chocolate, pretty please?”
“It’s called drinking chocolate, you numb-skull, and what do I look like, your mom?”
“Well actually, if my mom had a few more tattoos…”
etc, etc…
Subscribe
SideDish is a food-related discussion among editors at D Magazine about the Dallas-Fort Worth dining scene -- everything from good meals to bad service, kitchen gossip to restaurant news, chefs' secrets to culinary trends. Bon appetit.
- FrontBurner Blog
- SideDish Food Blog
- FrontRow Arts Blog
- D Home Blog
- ShopTalk Fashion & Beauty Blog
- BridalBuzz Weddings Blog
- Park Cities People Blog
- Preston Hollow People Blog
- Oak Cliff People Blog
- Party Pics
- DAILY
- Al Dia
- Daily Commercial Record
- D Home Blog
- Dallas Morning News
- Denton Record Chronicle
- Diario la Estrella
- The Herald Democrat (Sherman)
- McKinney Courier Gazette
- Pegasus News
- Quick
- Star-Telegram (Fort Worth)
- ALMOST DAILY
- Allen American
- Carrollton Leader
- Celina Record
- Colony Courier Leader
- Coppell Gazette
- Frisco Enterprise
- Flower Mound Leader
- Garland Morning News
- Hood County News
- Lewisville Leader
- Little Elm Journal
- Mesquite Morning News
- The Mesquite News
- Plano Star Courier
- Richardson Morning News
- Rowlett Lakeshore Times
- Southlake Times
- Waxahachie Daily Light
- WEEKLY
- Cedar Creek Pilot
- Cedar Hill Today
- Dallas Business Journal
- Dallas Examiner
- Dallas Observer
- Dallas Post Tribune
- Dallas Voice
- DeSoto Today
- Duncanville Today
- Ellis County Press
- El Heraldo News
- Fort Worth Weekly
- Fort Worth Business Press
- Oak Cliff People
- Park Cities People
- Preston Hollow People
- The Sports Page Weekly
- Texas Lawyer
- Wylie News
- MONTHLY
- Advocate Magazines
- Avid Golfer
- CliffDweller
- Cowboys and Indians Magazine
- Cross Timbers Gazette
- Dallas CEO
- Dallas Child
- Key Magazine
- PaperCity
- Texas Technology Magazine
- Texas Monthly
- BI-MONTHLY
- D Home
- SEMI-YEARLY
- D Weddings
- COLLEGE NEWSPAPERS
- SMU Daily Campus
- TCU Daily Skiff
- North Texas Daily
- UTA Shorthorn
- TELEVISION
- Dallas Community Television
- The CW Channel 33
- KDFW FOX Channel 4
- KERA PBS Channel 13
- KTVT CBS Channel 11
- KTXA TXA Channel 21
- KXAS NBC Channel 5
- TXCN.com
- WFAA ABC Channel 8
- RADIO
- KERA 90.1 FM
- KLIF 570 AM
- WBAP 820 AM
- KXEB 910 AM
- Texas Talk Radio 990 AM
- KRLD 1080 AM
- The Ticket 1310 AM
Home |
Masthead |
News from D |
About Us |
Contact Us |
Subscribe |
Advertise |
Privacy Policy |
Customer Service |
Awards | Archives | Reprints | d custom | Jobs | Advertiser's Index
Awards | Archives | Reprints | d custom | Jobs | Advertiser's Index