Payday loans
type=

Articles about oak cliff

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!

posted by Nancy Nichols | April 27th, 2012 12:14pm | filed under I'm a sucker for a man in flannel, cheap eats, oak cliff | 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?

posted by Nancy Nichols | April 20th, 2012 10:06am | filed under Hippie revolutions, Overprivileged chimps, Restaurant News, oak cliff, restaurant business news | 23 Comments »

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…

(more…)

posted by Daniel Walker | February 20th, 2012 9:30am | filed under Baking, Breaking News, Chocolate, Diets are stupid, Eat This Now!, Events, Food Invasion, dessert, oak cliff, pop-up restaurant | 9 Comments »

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?

(more…)

posted by Nancy Nichols | February 14th, 2012 9:30am | filed under Food Invasion, Local/Slow Food, Pie, Valentines Day, hostess gifts, oak cliff, pop-up restaurant |

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.

posted by Nancy Nichols | February 8th, 2012 10:20am | filed under Celebrity Chefs, Groceries, Restaurant News, food pairings, oak cliff | 9 Comments »

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.

(more…)

posted by Nancy Nichols | February 6th, 2012 10:24am | filed under Best Gay Hangout Restaurant Evah!, Brews News, Celebrity Chefs, Celebrity Diners, Chick Chefs Rule!, Chocolate, Cooking, Cult Cuisine, FTC Rules Approved Post, Groceries, Hippie revolutions, Local/Slow Food, Restaurant News, SideDish Bump!, Things To Do, Yu Darvish Loves Food, hostess gifts, oak cliff | 10 Comments »

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. (more…)

posted by Nancy Nichols | December 19th, 2011 11:45am | filed under AgriBusiness, Groceries, oak cliff | 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.

posted by Nancy Nichols | December 14th, 2011 9:47am | filed under Bad Names For Restaurants List, Bring it!, Cult Cuisine, Hippie revolutions, I'm a sucker for a man in flannel, Local/Slow Food, Mixology is fancy for bartender, Openings, Restaurant News, Rewritten Press Releases, Trending, beer, chickens, cocktails, oak cliff, youthful spontaneous restaurants | 12 Comments »

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.

posted by Todd Johnson | December 12th, 2011 11:04am | filed under Dallas Foodie, First Take, Groceries, oak cliff | 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?

posted by Nancy Nichols | December 7th, 2011 9:00am | filed under Celebrity Chefs, Farmers Markets, Hippie revolutions, Local/Slow Food, Restaurant News, oak cliff, youthful spontaneous restaurants | 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.

posted by Nancy Nichols | November 23rd, 2011 10:00am | filed under Awards, Restaurant News, oak cliff | 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…

(more…)

posted by Daniel Walker | November 8th, 2011 10:28am | filed under Awards, Baking, Chocolate, Eat This Now!, How About This Weather?, best of big d, oak cliff |

Somebody Help This Poor Boy: Bolsa Mercado

Yesterday, I was having a nice chinwag with the bad boy of Bolsa, Chris Zielke. I asked him what he’s going to sell at his soon-to-open Bolsa Mercado. He admitted he was still looking for stuff to stock on his shelves. He’s been scouting local producers and come up with quite a bit but he needs help finding more. The focus is on organic, sustainable products but Zielke says, “I want samples of everything that is made locally.”

Do you make cookies, chocolate, jams, jellies, salsa, pickles, eggs, jerky, sauce, dressing, chips, spiced nuts (insert joke here), granola, spice mix, sorbet/ice cream/gelato, olive oil, anything that is shelf stable. (No pastry, bread, or meat.) If so, this could be the push you need to get your stuff to market. Send an email to contact@bolsadallas.com with as much info on your product as possible (photos, website, contact number, story, etc). (Chris, is the check in the mail?)

posted by Nancy Nichols | November 8th, 2011 9:00am | filed under Bring it!, Groceries, I Went to College for This?, Local/Slow Food, SideDish Bump!, Slow News Day, Sponsored Post, Uncategorized, cookies, oak cliff | 1 Comment »

Restaurant Review: Mesa in Oak Cliff

The Reyeses; their creamy flan de naranja. (photography by Kevin Marple)

Raul Reyes opened his first restaurant in 2008, a tiny place in Oak Cliff serving the colorful cuisine of his birthplace, the Veracruz region of Mexico. La Palapa Veracruzana was run by his family, wife Olga working as his co-chef, daughter Jaretzy taking managerial duties, and son Raul Jr. waiting tables. The seafood-centric menu snagged the palates of serious food lovers and critics in Dallas, but the kudos posted on food blogs and the glowing reviews couldn’t keep it alive. It closed after only a year.

“We never pulled an alcohol license,” Reyes says by way of explanation. “I couldn’t. My daughter was manager and she was only 17.”

Dejected, Reyes figured he would have to shed his chef whites forever and return to the construction business to support his family. Before La Palapa Veracruzana closed, Reyes had augmented his income by taking on handyman jobs. Chris Zielke, co-owner of Bolsa and Smoke, had hired Reyes to rebuild the bar at Bolsa, the popular farm-to-table restaurant in the Bishop Arts District. So Reyes showed up at Bolsa one day and told Zielke he’d closed his restaurant. Zielke encouraged Reyes to try again.

Stay with me.

posted by Nancy Nichols | October 27th, 2011 10:00am | filed under C.J. Wilson is on notice, Go Rangers!, Mexican Revolution, Regional Mexican Cuisine, Restaurant News, Reviews, oak cliff | 8 Comments »

Bar 828–A Fleeting Speakeasy in Oak Cliff

Changing the mural at Bar 828.

Arti Sharma, D Magazine intern and a grant writer for Promise House  the nonprofit that receives a portion of the proceeds from Bar 828, visited the popular pop-up bar last weekend and files this report.

Feel free to play some theme music.

Driving along the 800 block on the west side Davis Street, you may notice something particularly peculiar about the venue that sits on lot 828.  At first glance, you will see a tattered building that shells what may have been a forgotten afterthought, abandoned in the midst of what perhaps was meant to be an idea. You may not further heed its quaintness, and will write it off as an empty nest.  But you see, inside an oyster, sometimes there is a pearl.  And inside 828, is something just as precious and rare: Bar 828.

Pretty pictures of pretty pop-up bar below.

(more…)

posted by Nancy Nichols | October 26th, 2011 9:55am | filed under Celebrity Diners, Charity events, Go Rangers!, Hippie revolutions, Hot Links!, Michael Martensen for President, Mixology is fancy for bartender, Silly Reasons to Celebrate, Wine & Spirits, make mine a double, oak cliff, pop-up restaurant | 11 Comments »

Driftwood to Open at 642 W. Davis in Oak Cliff

A few weeks ago, I was digging around the city building permits and pulled up an application for 642 Davis. I contacted some high profile restaurant folks in The OC and they refused to tell me who was behind the venture. Well, I found out anyway.

Veteran restaurant GM Jonn (Salve, Dallas Fish Market, Nicola) Baudoin is the man behind the concept going into the former Confusion space on West Davis. 642, right next door to Bolsa’s new market Mercado to be exact. Driftwood is the name and seafood-centric will be their game. “New American with an East Coast and a West Coast influence,” Baudoin says. The vibe? The Hamptons meet Oak Cliff. The price? Small and large plates from $7 to mid-$20s. Total seating, inside and out, is 90. “I will take a limited number of reservations for tables inside,” Baudoin says. “I want to appeal to people who have to drive to Oak Cliff.”

Baudoin is more concerned about a well-priced and interesting wine list than cocktails. “We will have 6 to 8 specialty cocktails. But for the seafood, I want to have a unique list of wine.” The approachable, refined menu will be cooked by a chef. However, Baudoin, now an official member of the OC Restaurant Owners Secret Keepers, will not tell me HIS name. “He’s currently in Dallas at one of the top 100 restaurants list in the Dallas Morning News,” Baudoin says. “He’s put in his notice and it will be announced within 4 weeks.”

We’ll see about that.

posted by Nancy Nichols | October 21st, 2011 9:30am | filed under Openings, Restaurant News, oak cliff | 17 Comments »

Bolsa Owners to Open Two New Concepts in Former Jack’s Backyard Space

Christopher Jeffers and Chris Zielke (Team Chris) have taken over the former space known at Jack’s Backyard on Fort Worth Avenue and plan to open two restaurant concepts. One will be a family-friendly; the other will be a bar. (And it won’t pop up.) “Don’t have any names,” Zielke said. No other details from this reporter. Hey, let’s have a naming contest!!! St. Christophers? Christophers Crossing? Come on…

UPPITY DATE: Tim Byres is also one of the partners. Readjust naming program.


posted by Nancy Nichols | October 14th, 2011 12:35pm | filed under Bring it!, C.J. Wilson is on notice, Cult Cuisine, Go Rangers!, Hippie revolutions, oak cliff | 17 Comments »