Delicious

Urban Vines

9219 Garland 214.328.9463 urbanvinesdallas.com

AMBIANCE: RELAXED

PRICE RANGE: $7-$28

HOURS: 11 A.M.- 10 P.M. SUN.-THURS.; 11 A.M.-11:30 P.M. FRI.-SAT.

TIP: SIT NEAR THE FIREPLACE AND SIP A GLASS OF MALBEC WITH A FOUR-LEGGED FRIEND ON THE PET-FRIENDLY PATIO

DID YOU KNOW? YOU CAN GRAB LEFTOVER WINE CORKS FROM A PILE NEAR THE PATIO’S WATER FOUNTAIN FOR CRAFTS, OR CONTRIBUTE YOUR OWN.

WhenEastwood resident and wine bar owner Jennifer Rodriguez opened Urban Vines with her co-owner and fiancé, Jon Sparks, she set out to create the ideal setting to unwind.

“Every time that I visited a wine bar, I always thought of what I would do differently if I was in charge, so I decided to create one of my own,” Rodriguez says. And despite the fact that Rodriguez was — and still is — busy as a full-time lawyer, Urban Vines opened just over a year ago.

“We needed something like this on this side of the lake,” she says. “We have some great businesses on this side, but we needed some wine.”

Longtime bartender and Little Forest Hills neighbor Paul Kissell serves as the bar’s wine buyer and general manager. He says that the wine list doesn’t include anything that you’d find in the liquor or grocery store. Instead, there’s a nice assortment of Old World and New World wines from a number of regions available by the glass or bottle. Kissell also travels to wineries as much as possible to buy bottles directly from distributors. Just last month he traveled to Sonoma for the task. He says that he takes pride in working at one of the only wine-driven concepts in the neighborhood. “Goodfriend has the beer, and we have the wine.” Urban Vines also has a full kitchen, which is pretty unique for a wine bar. There are the standards such as the meat and cheese board or flatbread pizza, but Rodriguez says customers request the salmon crostini the most. When Rodriguez isn’t busy carrying out plates of food to tables, she says she likes to sit at her bar and reflect.

“Those nights when the place is full, the employees are moving like a well-oiled machine, and people are laughing, it all falls into place,” she says. “It’s a lot of pride. It’s an amazing thing.”

And the winner is …

Gold Rush Café

As part of Advocate’s yearlong best-of reader’s choice contest, we asked you to choose your favorite breakfast/brunch joint in the neighborhood, and Gold Rush Café (1913 Skillman) came out on top. Maybe it’s because of the inclusive atmosphere, where retirees gripping newspapers can mingle in one booth as hipsters dig in to chicken and waffles one table over. Or, it could be the classic breakfast menu with a dash of Tex-Mex flair, such as the John Wayne special with eggs, cheese, salsa, tortillas and crispy bacon, served over hash browns. But most likely, Gold Rush Café’s popularity is thanks to owner and Lakewood resident George Sanchez, who says he has served café customers from 5 a.m.-6 p.m., five days a week, for the past 34 years. He makes knowing his customers by name a top priority. “We are family- owned, and we treat our customers like family,” Sanchez says. “It’s not my business, it’s my life.” —Whitney

Runner-up: John’s Café

Third place: Garden Café

Thompson

Next up in our reader’s choice contest: best burger.

See the nominees and cast your vote at lakewood.advocatemag.com/bestof.

My Family’s Pizza

It’s Back to School and life is busier than ever! Don’t stress, let us handle dinner plans – we’ll even deliver! Thank you Lakewood readers for voting us Best of Pizza.