lakewood

A collection of neighborhood gems th

At A re better th An the ‘best’

story by Rachel Stone · photos by Benjamin Hager, Mark Davis, Robert Bunch and Can Türkyilmaz

Creating a “best of” list isn’t really our speed. At the end of the day, who’s to say what is truly “best”? Highlighting one neighborhood shop, restaurant or experience as better than another based on votes or our (ahem) expert opinion tends to be subjective, and it doesn’t allow us to fully appreciate the countless gems in Lakewood.

instead of deClaring the “best” this month, we’re calling attention to the things we love about Lakewood — the kinds of things that wouldn’t make it on a broader “best of” list because those of us who live here are among the few who know they exist and who understand their worth.

t his story is only the beginning of our list . We’ll be highlighting the things we love weekly on the Back Talk blog; visit lakewood.advocatemag.com . We want to hear about the things you love, too. Send an email to thingswelove@advocatemag.com , and you might find your description of a neighborhood gem on our website or in the magazine.

Morels and ramps from the Spice Man

Bryan and Fitzhugh

TomSpicerspecializesinselling mushrooms and other produce to Dallas chefs.Not everyone knows his storefront, in the same building as Jimmy’s Food Store, is open to the public. Anyone can buy the same mushrooms and morels served in the city’s fanciest restaurants and cook them at home.

2 Caesar salad at Louie’s N. Henderson and Monarch

214.826.0505

Yes, the pizza is all that. The pies at Louie’s arguably are the best in the city. But the Louie’s menu item we wake up in the middle of the night craving is this dive bar’s perfect Caesar salad.

3 Bob Armstrong Dip at Matt’s Rancho Martinez

Lavista and Abrams Parkway

214.823.5517 mattsranchomartinez.com

You caught your boyfriend cheating. You caused a car wreck. Your boss is a jerk.A teenager lives in your house. These are emergency situations, which can only be remedied with fatty foods and, possibly, margaritas. Bob Armstrong Dip contains the four magically healing ingredients: chile con queso, taco meat, guacamole and sour cream.

4 An abundance of wine bars

TimesTenCellars,WineTherapist, Veritas: pick your poison.

5 Whole Foods Park Lane Park and Greenville

214.342.4850 wholefoodsmarket.com

There’s a wine bar inside.

6 Keeping our coffee bucks

local

We have no beef with Starbucks, but it’s nice to have our own flavor in the coffee scene. Pearl Cup, at N. Henderson and McMillan, is known for its signature latte. And White Rock Coffee opened a drivethrough kiosk at the northeast corner of Mockingbird and Abrams. Legal Grounds in the Lakewood Shopping Center has been around the longest and is significantly improved under new ownership. It’s a good place to sit and stay awhile.