CULTURE

BEST ART G ALLERY

WINNER - BATH HOUSE CULTURAL CENTER

2ND - POLLOCK GALLERY

2ND - SCARLET REAGAN

3RD - INDIAN PAINTBRUSH GALLERY

BEST BOOKSTORE

WINNER - HALF PRICE BOOKS

2ND - LUCKY DOG BOOKS

3RD - DEEP VELLUM BOOKSTORE & PUBLISHING CO.

BEST DANCE COMPANY

WINNER - STUDIO B

2ND - CONTEMPORARY BALLET DALLAS

3RD - APEX DANCE & PERFORMING ARTS

BEST EVENT VENUE

WINNER - THE DALLAS ARBORETUM AND BOTANICAL GARDEN

2ND - THE FILTER BUILDING ON WHITE ROCK LAKE

3RD - WHITE ROCK ALEHOUSE & BREWERY

BEST INDOOR ACTIVITY

WINNER - BOWLSKI’S LAKEWOOD THEATER

2ND - LAKEWOOD CONSERVATORY OF FINE ARTS

3RD - BAD AXE THROWING DALLAS

3RD - WHITE ROCK YMCA

BEST LIBRARY

WINNER - LAKEWOOD BRANCH LIBRARY

2ND - WHITE ROCK HILLS BRANCH LIBRARY

3RD - SKILLMAN SOUTHWESTERN BRANCH LIBRARY

BEST LIVE MUSIC

WINNER - THE DALLAS ARBORETUM AND BOTANICAL GARDEN

2ND - GRANADA THEATER

3RD - THE BALCONY CLUB

BEST PARK

WINNER - WHITE ROCK LAKE PARK

2ND - TIETZE PARK

3RD - LAKEWOOD PARK

BEST PLACE TO TAKE YOUR DOG

WINNER - WHITE ROCK LAKE DOG PARK

2ND - WHITE ROCK ALEHOUSE & BREWERY

3RD - SANTA FE TRAIL

BEST SUMMER CAMPS FOR KIDS

WINNER - WHITE ROCK YMCA

2ND - LAKEWOOD CONSERVATORY OF FINE ARTS

3RD - ASI GYMNASTICS - the James Beard Foundation named it a semifinalist for the Best New Restaurant award.

The food and beverage concepts literally feed off of each other; Sekiguchi said the Tatsu Dallas staff frequents Fiction Coffee, and they see the two newest tenants — Tina’s Continental and the forthcoming steakhouse, Let’s Ask Keith — as positive additions to the building.

Limited parking is something Sekiguchi is worried about, though.

But Elias Pope, a co-owner of the group behind Tina’s Continental and Let’s Ask Keith (along with Milli, HG Sply Co. and Leela’s) says they’ll have a valet with 180 parking spots off-site.

Pope’s company, UNCO, was asked by August Real Estate to operate a bar at the property. The developer had ideas for the bar, but it wasn’t what UNCO would have done.

“We build thematic spaces,” Pope says. “So we focus heavily on the concept — whereas, this bar was more of a bar, an amenity to the building.”

But Pope wanted to work with August Real Estate because of their commitment to holding properties for generations, rather than building to sell. So the UNCO team developed their own plan for an 800-square-foot martini bar inspired by the Lincoln Continental Mark V of the 1970s — specifically, the 1979 edition designed by Bill Blass.

The bar area is made to look like the car’s bumper, with red lights illuminating cases on either end like tail lights and a half-circle mirror in the middle.

But it’s not just the interior design that draws from the land yacht. Visitors can order from the “Designer Series” — a set list of martinis — or go for a “Custom Build” and customize their own drink. Similarly, Con - tinental buyers could choose a model from the Designer Series, created by Emilio Pucci, Givenchy, Cartier and Blass, or build the car to their own specifications.

“We’re not trying to be anything besides a solid martini bar for the community around here,” Pope says. “When Let’s Ask Keith opens, we’re excited to have this space as a unique either start or finish to your dinner.”

While Tina’s is named for the sister of UNCO co-owner Sameer Patel, Let’s Ask Keith is named for Pope’s father. He was the human Google for Pope, growing up in Greenville, Texas, before the internet.

An Oliver tractor that Pope’s grandfather rebuilt will be placed out front to direct people to the 6,100-square-foot steakhouse — enough space to fit 389 diners inside and on the patio.

The menu will contain foods similar to what Pope’s family ate in the country, what they call “East Texas provision”: steaks, potatoes, fresh vegetables and whatever they could wrap in a tortilla (i.e. fajitas).

It’s not a white tablecloth establishment where a steak the size of a child’s hand will set you back a couple of Andrew Jacksons, Pope says. The prices and food will be approachable.

The Continental Gin Building won’t be the only property to manifest the August family’s vision, though. They also own Lakewood Tower and recently acquired 17 buildings in the Exposition Park area, and they have plans for all of it.

“Our strategy as a company now is trying to create some mixed use so that it starts to feed off each other, like the office tenants get to enjoy the retail,” August says. “They populate the retail and give the retail business.”