Delicious

Hours: Mon.Sat. 11am-8pm

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.

WhenOld Lake Highlands-area resident 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 (that’s the opposite side of the lake for Lake Highlands dwellers). “We have some great businesses on this side, but we needed some wine.”

Longtime bartender and White Rock area resident Paul Kissell serves as the bar’s wine buyer and general manager. He says that the wine list doesn’t include anything that you might 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. 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 White Rock area. “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.”

Whitney Thompson

And the winner is JJ’s Café

In the three years since its inception, JJ’s Café (10233 E. Northwest Highway) has quietly developed into an exemplary breakfast and brunch destination. Advocate readers agree — you voted it the best in the neighborhood. Owner Jose Ramirez says his success is the result of “very hard work and attention to service” as well as boundless contributions from his wife, Josefina Orozco, who works behind the scenes. “She’s looking over everything,” Ramirez says. During every shift, Ramirez moves from one table to another, chatting with diners and assisting his team. Huevos rancheros is the most popular item on his menu, he says, followed closely by crepes. Nutella or banana nut crepes are favorites, he adds. Pancakes come in a variety of forms — Hawaiian with macadamia nuts and pineapple, pumpkin and blueberry, to name a few. JJ’s also serves lunch — sandwiches, salads, burgers and even pork chops and steak — as well as dinner on Friday nights only. Before the couple bought the restaurant, the space housed an adequate if unexciting diner called Divine

QUESA-D-YAS

Looking for a great meal in Lake Highlands?

Come visit us where we take pride in making and delivering the best custom quesadillas using fresh ingredients and a variety of combinations that delight and satisfy.

Coffee Shop. Ramirez changed the name, improved the menu and, bit by bit, updated the interior. Just recently he replaced all the tables and chairs with newer, more comfortable ones, he says. JJ’s narrowly edged out neighborhood breakfast/sticky bun mecca Crossroads Diner for the win.

Runner up: Crossroads Diner

Third place: Another Broken Egg and comfortable place, enjoy brunch on the weekends, live music on Saturday nights and tasty Tex Mex food for all. Home of the Big E Margarita.

Visit lakehighlands.advocatemag.com/bestof to cast your vote for next month’s category: best burger.

Time For An Independent Look At Your Finances

a sk yourself : a re your questions answereD Directly ? a nD timely ?

D o you feel like you ’ re being solD each time you call your aDvisor ?

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TIME FOR AN ADVOCATE FOR YOUR FINANCES

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JOIN LH RESIDENT, BILL LARSON CPA, CFP® FOR A FAST-PACED, INFORMATION PACKED FINANCIAL SEMINAR

Four Choices -

Saturday, September 13 @ 9am-Noon or 1-4pm

Saturday, September 27 @ 9am-Noon or 1-4pm Knights of Columbus Hall 10110 Shoreview Drive • Dallas, Texas 75238

Partial list of topics to be covered:

• Financial pitfalls to avoid

• The most important document you will write (no, not a will)

• Make your money outlive you in retirement

• How to decide when to take Social Security

• Plus open Q and A – ultimate audience participation!

Complete information at www.larsoncpa.com

Texas CPAs Earn CPE Credit

W illiam B. l arson , CPA, LLC

Financial planning & analysis for early stage careers, middle income earners, and retirees

LH Resident

214-417-8665 bill@larsoncpa.com