2014 July Oak Cliff

Justin Holt of Lucia: Photo by Danny Fulgencio

WHAT YOU’RE MISSING

Unfinished Marlborough house on the market for $399,000

318 apartments planned near the Belmont Hotel

Oak Farms property could have 1,000 apartments, 20 stories

The Canyon developer seeks oneyear construction delay New restaurant coming to Je erson at Polk

THE DIALOGUE

OAK FARMS PROPERTY COULD HAVE 1,000 APARTMENTS, 20 STORIES

Progress is one thing but a high-rise is something else. Enough already I moved over here for the quiet and single-family home life I was not here to see these plans or I could have moved much further away. I’m sick of this! —Roxanne

King

All this development has been in the works since the approval of the Trinity River Project. So that being said, anything to the immediate south of the levee is going to change. I saw this coming 16 years ago, give or take. The point is, change is inevitable. Look forward 10 more years, and the city of Dallas will be unrecognizable. At least from this side of town. —Nael

Rodriguez

If only these new apartments kept their lease rates reasonable. I hate this only because I know the current rates will be going much higher. It makes it more difficult for the original Oak Cliff residents to stay. —Edgar

Salas

WANT MORE?

PARKSCORE RANKINGS

The ParkScore ranking relies heavily on how many acres of parks a city has and how accessible they are. But more important than how many parks we’d like to have is the poor condition of those we already have. Dallas Parks Director Willis Winters needs to focus on taking care of the parks he’s already responsible for, rather than complain that he doesn’t have the budget to build more parks for his department to then ignore.

Here’s a local Dallas Parks & Rec tour of depression for you: Take a look at (but don’t bother playing on) the two tennis courts on Kessler Parkway, where the surface is so faded, slick and cracked that the game you’d play wouldn’t be called tennis. I will attest that in my 20 years in Kessler Park, the City hasn’t spent one dollar maintaining those courts. Yet a few feet away is the still shiny Coombs Creek Trail, built at a cost that approached $1 million I recall. Want to see what it will look like in 20 years? Step onto the tennis courts.

Or check out nearby Fire Ant Park — sorry, I meant Kiest Park. Or venture to the north and enjoy the overflowing trash cans at Preston Hollow Park. I could go on.

Also, the two public spaces you highlight in your article, the Klyde Warren Park and the upcoming Continental Bridge Park, are signature works that would be top of mind for many. But it is a sad reflection that neither is a Dallas Parks property. Warren was built with a combination of state and private funds and is 100 percent privately operated. Continental seems to be funded by a variety of sponsors involved with the Trinity Corridor, but Dallas Parks and Rec is not among them.

—Harrison L. Price on Dallas parks rank in bottom half among major U.S. cities

Radiation oncologist Dr. Robert Timmerman and colleagues changed the standard of care for lung cancer when they demonstrated that patients with inoperable disease could still be effectively treated with a newer, more potent form of radiation. Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy is a technology that was pioneered at UT Southwestern and is now being adopted worldwide. It’s another example of the specialized care available at UT Southwestern, where scientific research, advanced technology, and leading-edge treatments come together to bring new hope to cancer patients.

To learn more, call 214-645-8300 or visit UTSWmedicine.org. Find us on Facebook

This is where lung cancer patients are beating the odds

Interested in an Arts Metal class?

WHEN GOD SPEAKS

What do we hear?

Does God talk directly to you?

I don’t think he talks to me, as in, “Rick, that was a pretty stupid thing you just did. Drop and give me 20.”

No, I’ve always figured God has enough going on in the world that he’s not hyper-focused on every little thing I do or say. That’s not to say he shouldn’t be super-focused on me, given my propensity to mangle things. I just don’t think he is, because there are enough other people and issues out there that seem more deserving of his time.

Worrying about climate change, for one. The 300 kidnapped girls in Nigeria, for another. The various Kardashians’ lives, for sure. Maybe the fate of the Trinity Tollroad, although perhaps even God can’t make that thing just go away.

I bring this up after listening to a Sunday School lesson a while back. At the time, this idea didn’t register, but the more I thought about it (meaning the teacher did a great job), the more I wondered what I actually had

question involved the teacher woman during a lengthy muThe woman had soaked the teacher didn’t enjoy, teacher described as akin problem: If the perfume was everyone else as it was to shouldn’t someone step up and

it, it makes sense: Why suffer because of the ignoin this case, the one overwoman)? And so the teacher told prayer asking what to do, decided to man up, telling the intermission (as the teacher left to seat) that maybe the woman considerate of others next

time and not slather on so much perfume.

That isn’t the comment that later troubled me. The next statement is what drew my attention, after I had mulled the scenario:

The teacher said she was doing God’s work in letting the perfumed woman know her thoughts, believing that by speaking up, she was giving the woman an opportunity to learn from her mistake. The teacher said she was glad God empowered her to make a difference in the lives of others.

So would God really take the time to intervene in a situation like this one? Would he use

divine inspiration to induce one person to tell another that her choice in perfume should be reconsidered? And just how could the teacher be so sure she was acting as God’s instrument?

That’s one of the great wonders of life for those who believe in a higher authority, and surveys show that more than 90 percent of us still do. Those who believe in a God tend to believe their actions are governed by the beliefs their God has set forth. And as we know from history, people who believe they are doing God’s work — correctly or otherwise — aren’t easily dissuaded or defeated, because they believe God is on their side. After all, he told them so.

All of this brings me back to that original question: Do you believe God talks directly to you?

And if you do, how do you satisfy yourself that you’re hearing him correctly?

I like to believe I know the answer, but most of the time, I’m not so sure.

As we know from history, people who believe they are doing God’s work — correctly or otherwise — aren’t easily dissuaded or defeated, because they believe God is on their side. After all, he told them so.

Bill J. Priest Institute for Economic Development

The Art Metals program opens up employment opportunities within the art industry.

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publisher: CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB

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editors:

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designer: KATHRYN ROCHA

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designers: LARRY OLIVER, LISA DUDLEY

contributing editors: KERI MITCHELL,

SALLY WAMRE

contributors: GAYLA BROOKS, SEAN CHAFFIN, ANGELA HUNT

GEORGE MASON, BLAIR MONIE, ELLEN RAFF, PAM HARRIS, KRISTEN MASSAD, WHITNEY THOMPSON

photo editor: DANNY FULGENCIO

214.635.2121 / danny@advocatemag.com

photographers: JAMES COREAS, MARK DAVIS, DAVID LEESON, KIM LEESON, ELLIOTT MUÑOZ, JENNIFER SHERTZER

copy editor: LARRA KEEL

interns: SAMMI BRAUN, VALIRIE MORGAN

Daniel Yanez : Photo by Danny Fulgencio

Live from the underground

At the Basement Gallery, street and lowbrow art are king

After Daniel Yanez graduated from Sunset High School 10 years ago, he enrolled in Mountain View College.

His first time ever stepping into an art gallery was at the community college’s Kiva Gallery, and it changed his life.

“I was oblivious to the art world that’s out here,” he says.

Yanez, 28, always had been good at drawing, and when it was time to choose a profession, making art was the only thing he wanted to do.

Centro, says he’s still trying to figure out whether he wants to paint or sculpt, and his inexpensive studio space allows him to experiment and collaborate with other artists. He recently curated a show at the Basement, which in this do-it-yourself space, means everything from painting the walls to hanging art to marketing and serving drinks. “It gives me experience putting on events,” Ervin says.

Artists associated with the gallery also are working on a mural project to improve the neighborhood.

They raised $1,000 for their first mural, on the wall of an old gas station across the street from the gallery. The group is planning to do more murals throughout Oak Cliff as they find the money and time, Yanez says.

The gallery, at 111 S. Beckley, is in the basement of the Oak Cliff Masonic Lodge, built in 1920. The building’s owner, Chris Anderson, has been supportive of the outsider gallery since its inception, Yanez says.

“The first six or seven years was heartache, heartbreak and learning the art world,” he says. “I was finding myself as an artist.”

Yanez, who is known as Artist DIY, eventually started selling some paintings and showing in galleries, and he received a few commissions. The father of six, married to his high school sweetheart, Cynthia, saved up enough money from working as an artist to start the Basement Gallery two years ago.

The Basement now hosts art shows that give other working artists a hand up, Yanez says.

“I’ve had a lot of rejection,” he says. “It’s my way of creating my own world. It’s a space I can call my own, and I don’t have to worry about anyone else.”

Although he does. Yanez rents small studios to art students and constantly advocates for local artists he believes in.

Edmund Ervin, an art student at El

“This place wouldn’t be possible without him,” he says.

Running a gallery is a totally different experience from working as an artist, Yanez says. He’s had to learn the business of the art world. He has to keep on top of tasks like paying bills and, say, calling about a broken air conditioner. And he balances all that with his duties as the father of a large family. It’s like having three jobs, he says. But it’s worth it as long as he can keep making art for a living, he says.

Part of his mission is to bridge the gap between lowbrow and fine art.

“This is art,” he says. “You don’t have to go out and tag up walls. You don’t have to do that anymore. There’s a place where you can show your art.”

—Rachel Stone

THE BASEMENT GALLERY’S annual frozen-treat themed art show, Ice Cream Paint Job, opens at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 26.

“It’s my way of creating my own world. It’s a space I can call my own, and I don’t have to worry about anyone else.”

It’s a magical thing to live in a neighborhood that is not only singularly beautiful and rich in character, but has a community that truly encourages and supports its own. Oak Cliff is not just a place to live – it becomes a part of who you are.”

Out & About

July 2014

July 14

Bastille on Bishop

The fifth-annual Bastille Day celebration in Oak Cliff is from 6-10 p.m. on a Monday, and Bishop will be closed between Seventh and Melba. The street festival includes the bowling game petanque, a macaron-stacking contest, a performance by Ruby Revue burlesque troupe, swing dancing and a chef competition. The party itself is free, and revelers can buy a filled Bastille on Bishop wine glass for $25 and receive two tokens to be spent on food or wine. Bishop Arts District, Seventh and Bishop, bastilleonbishop.com, free

JULY 3

‘Independence Day’

The Texas Theatre screens this 1996 blockbuster starring Will Smith, wherein aliens attack the United States. The Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson, thetexastheatre.com, 214.948.1546, call for showtimes and ticket prices

JULY 18

Ray Wylie Hubbard

The great Texas singer-songwriter, who hails from Oak Cliff, returns to the Kessler Theater. Kelley Mickwee of the Trishas opens.

The Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis, 214.272.8346, thekessler.org, $20

Through Aug. 3

Andy Don Emmons

JULY 1

‘Hairspray’

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff lightens things up for the July installment of its first Tuesday social justice film series. The John Travolta version of “Hairspray” shows at 7 p.m. Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff, 3839 W. Kiest, 214.337.2429, firsttuesdayfilms.org, free

JULY 18

Saintseneca

Ohio-based band Saintseneca performs behind their new album, “Dark Arc,” at one of the Foundry’s free concerts. The Foundry has free shows on its outdoor stage every weekend.

The Foundry, 2303 Pittman, 214.749.1112, cs-tf.com, free

East Texas-based contemporary folk artist Andy Don Emmons shows at Mighty Fine Arts gallery, with an opening reception June 28.

Mighty Fine Arts, 409A N. Tyler, 214.942.5241, mfagallery.com, noon-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Bastille Day: Elliott Muñoz

JULY 6, 13 AND 20

Farmers market

The Little D Farmers Market at Trinity Groves takes place from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on the first, second and third Sundays of every month, featuring locally made artisan foods and locally grown produce.

Trinity Groves, 3011 Gulden, 214.883.9982, free

July 24 and 31

Barefoot at the Belmont

Wild Cub and Chambers perform July 24, and tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. July 9. Nick Waterhouse and Fox and the Bird perform July 31, with tickets going on sale at 10 a.m. July 16. Don’t dally, because these shows always sell out. The Belmont Hotel, 901 Fort Worth Ave., kxt.org/barefoot

MAKE A STATEMENT

Get noticed at First Baptist Academy

FBA provides a Christian environment, where children from diverse backgrounds thrive spiritually, academically and socially. We’re a Biblically-integrated, college preparatory school offering classes for Pre-K through 12th grade.

Our students study in the midst of the downtown Dallas Arts District. Our classrooms include the Perot, Dallas Museum of Art, Meyerson and Winspear, all within walking distance.

We’re small, but mighty. A small school means your family is part of a larger family. One where everyone cares about one another. It also means seeing your child get in the game.

FBA offers high academic standards. But we’re also fierce competitors. As a member of TAPPS, the Saints made the playoffs in nearly every sport last season, landing a state championship in football.

Give FBA a look. Then make a statement you’ll never regret. For information about enrolling for the 2014-15 school year, contact the Admissions Director at 214-969-7861 or visit us at fbacademy.com.

Meet Ryann Class of 2014

• All State pitcher, led team to state softball final

• National Honor Society

• Cheer captain

• Incoming freshman, University of Oklahoma

Nick Waterhouse

Delicious

Pub grub

The Local Oak introduced a few new menu items recently, but since the restaurant opened about six months ago, there already are a few things that won’t change.

The Texas surfers, basically fried-Spam sliders, are among them. As is the “bucket of love” candied bacon appetizer. “We all have input,” says co-owner Paul Delgado. “I didn’t

think the Spam was going to work, but it did, and now it’s famous.” New menu items include macaroni and cheese, chicken fried steak with Hatch chile gravy, black bean tamales, and house-made pimento cheese served with saltines and celery. The restaurant at Zang and Seventh also has new cocktails thanks to mixologist Josh Losinger. The subtle and delicious OC rita is made

with fresh strawberries and garnished with basil from Local Oak’s herb garden. And there are a couple of weeknight specials we love. “MexiCAN” Mondays, with $3 Mexican canned beer, $2 crispy tacos and $6 Sonoran hot dogs. Tuesday is old-school can night, when PBR and the like are $3, a plain hot dog is $1, a chili dog is $3 and a sloppy Joe is $6. —Rachel Stone

The “bucket of love” candied-bacon appetizer is addictive.

Photo by Elliott Muñoz

THE LOCAL OAK

409 N. Zang 214.946.4625

thelocaloak.com

AMBIANCE:

MODERN

PRICE RANGE:

$6-$12

HOURS:

MONDAY, 5-10 P.M., TUESDAY-THURSDAY, 11

A.M.-10 P.M., FRIDAY-SATURDAY, 11 A.M.MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY 11 A.M.-3 P.M.

DID YOU KNOW?

HAPPY HOUR IS FROM 11 A.M.-7 P.M. MONDAY-FRIDAY; THE WEEKEND “BLUNCH” MENU FEATURES BREAKFAST AND LUNCH ITEMS AND AN EXTENSIVE BLOODY MARY MENU.

| THREE MORE PLACES FOR A DRINK AND A SNACK |

1 Ten Bells Tavern

Fish and chips, wings, Cuban sandwich, mac and cheese, plus a charming beer garden. Ten Bells has everything a good pub should.

232 W. Seventh

214.943.2677

tenbellstavern.com

2 Pour House Dallas

PHD has one of the biggest patios in Oak Cliff, plenty of big-screen TVs for sports watchers, plus burgers, cheese fries, nachos and everything that goes great with beer.

1300 W. Davis 214.943.2677

phdallas.com

3 303 Bar and Grill

This patio-centric place has an enormous menu of sandwiches, plus big salads and a whole lot of snacky things, such as hummus and pita, chili fries, quesadillas and chicken strips.

303 W. Davis

214.942.3030

303grilldallas.com

SATURDAYS THROUGH JULY 26

Cool things down this summer with the Safari Nights concert series at the Dallas Zoo. Free with regular admission. Featuring A Hard Night’s Day, The O’s and more!

For more information, visit DallasZoo.com or text “SAFARI” to 47464.

BrinG Your own BAnk

EASY AS PIE

Triple-berry hand pies

A perfect little pie is a great alternative to a traditional slice and completes any outdoor barbecue or picnic. Tripleberry hand pies are made with flaky cream cheese pastry dough and filled with thick fruit compote in every bite. There is so much to love about these fruit-filled pockets. Hand pies are portable, need no utensils and give you the perfect excuse to head to the market for an assortment of fresh, seasonal fruits. Happy summer baking!

Triple-berry filling

GROCERY LIST

1/2 cup fresh strawberries, diced

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring all ingredients to a boil in a saucepan. Allow the fruit to boil for 3-4 minutes or until thickened. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely before using.

2. Fill hand pies and bake according to cream cheese pie crust recipe.

Cream cheese pie dough

GROCERY LIST

6 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons cream cheese

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons ice water

Egg wash: 1 egg, whisked together with 2 tablespoons water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar and salt with mixer until smooth. Slowly add the flour and beat on low until combined. Add ice water and beat until mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the side of the bowl.

2. Wrap dough and chill for 1 hour (prepare filling now, see recipe on previous page).

3. Preheat oven to 375 F. Roll dough out to 1/8-inch thick on a slightly floured surface. Cut into 16 rounds or square pieces, 3 inches each.

4. Place 8 of the rounds on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Place 1-2 tablespoons of filling in the middle of each pie crust. Brush egg wash onto the edges of the dough.

5. Place another pie crust on top of filling and seal dough so the filling cannot get out. Create slits on the top of the hand pies. Brush egg wash onto the entire tops of the hand pies and bake at 375 F for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden.

6. Allow the hand pies to cool before serving.

Does your congregation have a heart for weaving?

Faith Inclusion Network of Dallas

We’re here to help faith-based communities FIND ways to weave inclusion of individuals with special needs into our North Texas congregations.

The Faith Inclusion Network of Dallas (FIND) is a collaborative network of community leaders, organizations and service providers committed to impacting change within faith-based communities and congregations in the ways individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families find opportunities to fully engage socially, emotionally, academically, spiritually and in service to others.

WEAVING INCLUSION INTO OUR FAITH COMMUNITIES

Free Symposium | June 19th & 20th | Highland Park United Methodist Church For more information, visit www.JFSdallas.org

Kristen Massad writes a monthly column about sweets and baked goods. The professional pastry chef graduated from the French Culinary Institute in New York City and owned Tart Bakery on Lovers Lane for eight years. She blogs about food and lifestyles at inkfoods.com.

Secrets of a Chef

Peek inside the heads and homes of neighborhood culinary masters

Story by Rachel Stone | Photos by Danny Fulgencio

Working in a kitchen is not glamorous. It’s hot. It’s demanding. The profi t margins are small. The hours are long. And the work has to be perfect every time. We wanted to know what life is like for a few of our neighborhood’s best chefs, so we asked them a bunch of questions in an attempt to get to know who they really are.

Gmo Tristan

Gmo Tristan worked three jobs while studying visual arts at Eastfield College, and one of them was in catering. Eventually, he realized that cooking was his true passion, so he enrolled in the pastry program at El Centro before deciding on cuisine. He then worked at a seafood restaurant in Montauk, N.Y., and went to work for Charlie Palmer at The Joule in 2008. He started as a sous chef at Matt McCallister’s FT33 last year. He lives in Oak Cli with his wife, Melissa, and their 6-year-old son, Luca.

What is in your fridge right now?

Pasture-raised eggs. My wife buys them from Vital Farms. Peanut butter and Nutella so I can make sandwiches for my son. We

do have a lot of vegetables. My wife likes to do a lot of juicing.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

My co ee maker, whenever I can actually get to use it.

What is the least-used thing in your home kitchen?

Anything having to do with pastries. I have a lot of that stu from when I was a pastry chef.

What is your ideal comfort food?

Anything I can cook at home with my family. Usually chicken, some steamed veggies, maybe some whipped potatoes and a nice hearty salad.

Your significant other has family coming in for the weekend — what do you cook for them?

Fresh-made pasta and a fresh Bolognese sauce. One of my favorite foods is Italian

food. A nice hearty salad, a baguette with Parmesan, and that’s probably it.

If you could cook for anyone, who would it be and what would you make? If I could go back, I would probably cook for my grandparents, to show them how far I’ve come along in my career. My grandmother was a cook for the family. My grandfather wasn’t much of a cook, but he would eat anything my grandmother would put in front of him. My grandmother was a big breakfast person, so I would cook her a big breakfast. My grandfather was more of a barbecue man, so I would try to cook barbecue, or if not, I would probably call Jack Perkins [of The Slow Bone] and sneak that in there.

If you had to eat the same lunch every day for the rest of your life, but it could be anything in the world, what would it be?

Breakfast cereal.

“If something doesn’t look right, tell me.”

What would you have for your last meal on earth?

A nice, big, hearty bowl of ramen is probably the last thing I would want to eat.

It’s your birthday and you are stuck in the neighborhood. What would you like to do?

I would probably get up early, go eat brunch. I usually go to El Jordan, and then afterward, I would want to come home and work on our garden. My wife has this really nice English garden going on in the front yard, and I love the way it looks. We’ve got some vegetables growing in the front as well.

What is your favorite neighborhood restaurant for a quick meal?

In a pinch, El Jordan is always good. I’ve always liked it. It reminds me of my grandparents, so it’s very down-home for me.

What is your favorite local beer?

I’m not really a beer drinker, but I tried that Deep Ellum IPA, and I thought that was really good.

What dish have you created that you’re really proud of?

The one I did for last year’s Chefs for Farmers I was really proud of. It’s a collaboration of things I learned over my career. It was a Moroccan glazed lamb loin, served over a roasted-carrot hummus with fried chickpeas, drunken raisins and cumin almonds.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever cooked?

Maybe that’s a question for my wife. When I first started out, I remember marinating chicken, and I grilled the chicken and then I poured the marinade over the cooked chicken. She was like, “Uh, we can’t eat that. It’s contaminated.” I didn’t know any better at the time.

What’s on your DVR right now?

I watch a lot of movies. But I also watch whatever my wife watches. “Modern Family” I usually like a good documentary.

What is your favorite major-league sports team?

I used to like hockey a lot, so I guess the Stars.

What is your Starbucks order? Caffe latte, usually. That’s it.

Has a food critic ever hurt your feelings? No, they’re just doing their job.

What’s the best advice you’ve received in your career so far?

Scott Romano, the executive chef at Charlie Palmer, told me that if something doesn’t look right, tell me, and take more time.

Working in the garden of his Oak Cliff home is the ideal way to spend a day off for Gmo Tristan, who is a sous chef at FT33.

Justin Holt

Justin Holt, originally from Paris, Texas, began his culinary career at Nonna. He then worked at Lucia for two years, and he made a big impression on Oak Cliff with his popup ramen shops at Ten Bells Tavern. After a stint running the kitchen at Driftwood, he has returned to Lucia as co-sous chef.

What is in your fridge right now?

Leftover Chinese food, tare [Japanese soy basting sauce] from my last ramen pop-up, Champagne, and beer and butter.

What are your staple groceries at home?

I don’t cook enough at home enough to have staple groceries. You go to the store for a reason. I don’t go to the grocery store to shop for a week.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

My pasta extruder.

What’s that?

It’s like this big clunky piece of equipment that mixes dough and pushes out pasta that has this texture that’s similar to dried pasta, but it’s fresh pasta.

What is the least-used thing in your home kitchen?

Microwave.

What is your ideal comfort food? Ramen.

If you had to eat the same lunch every day for the rest of your life, but it could be anything in the world, what would it be?

I don’t eat lunch. This is lunch, energy drink and cigarettes.

It’s your birthday and you are stuck in the neighborhood. What would you like to do?

Honestly, eat at Lucia. For my birthday? Hell yeah. Maybe get a slow burn [cocktail] from Boulevardier.

What is your favorite neighborhood restaurant for a quick meal?

I like Greek Café for gyros, but you definitely have to be in the mood for it. Chicken Scratch, Rudy’s. I love Rudy’s.

What is your favorite local beer?

The Hammer [Peticolas Velvet Hammer].

Have you created a dish that you’re really proud of? No, they’re all works in progress.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever cooked?

I used to sear hamburger patties in a skillet and boil them in beer for my buddies, before I went to [culinary] school. In hindsight, I am sure it was terrible, but at the time, I guess we thought it tasted pretty good.

You’ve just received a $1,000 bonus and two consecutive days off. What’s on the agenda?

Get out of town and go eat somewhere. Spend it all.

What’s on your DVR right now?

I watch like B-movie horror all the time. The worse it is, the better.

What is your opinion of reality TV cooking shows?

They’re caustic. They’re creating a false environment. They’re making all the younger cooks have these false expectations of what they should get and what life as a cook is. People are not expecting to have to sacrifice anything for the guest and for hospitality as a whole. You’re giving up your life, your social life, to surround yourself with miscreants and all these shady individuals who are just getting off work at midnight.

What’s the best piece of wisdom or advice you’ve received in your career?

Go as hard and as fast as you can. Really push yourself and really leave everything out there. Do it to the best of your ability, and then go further. You’re always setting your own pars. The business will always expect more from you than you can deliver, which is good. That keeps you pushing.

“Do it to the best of your ability, and then go further”

When Justin Holt isn’t running a ramen pop-up shop or butchering a 400-pound hog at Lucia, he likes watching B-movie horror films.

Mike Gibson worked at the Dallas Country Club for a year and a half following the Air Force and culinary school. He’d heard about David Uygur’s Lucia, where every two weeks, they break down a whole 350-to400-pound hog and make it into charcuterie. He wanted every part of that. So he knocked on the back door of the restaurant and o ered to “stage,” the culinary tradition of volunteering in a kitchen until a cook has proven himself. Gibson says he was waiting for Uygur to “tell me ‘never come back’ or ‘you have a job.’ ”

What’s in your home fridge right now?

Out-of-date milk, butter, lots of butter, bacon, biscuits and beer.

What is your favorite kitchen item at home?

If I had to answer that question, it would probably be my co ee maker, but I don’t want to answer that question.

What is your ideal comfort food? Chicken and dumplings.

Your significant other has family coming in for the weekend — what do you cook for them?

Has to be chicken. Her dad doesn’t eat anything but chicken. We roast chicken, and I did a pan-fried chicken before I got him to eat collard greens for the first time in like a decade, he said. But it’s always chicken.

If you had to eat the same lunch every day for the rest of your life, but it could be anything in the world, what would it be? Ham sandwich. It’s got to be the spiral-cut ham with white bread.

Mayo?

No mayo, just really good ham.

It’s your birthday and you are stuck in the neighborhood. What would you like to do?

Eat at Lucia, and then I would go to Ten Bells. It’s really bad having such a love for the neighborhood and being stuck here, and it’s your birthday, you’ve got to celebrate.

What is your favorite local beer?

That’s tough. My favorite beer is Lone Star… I’m being serious.

What is the worst thing you’ve ever cooked?

Back in college, we used to eat a lot of brisket, and it’s college, so you’re always broke. Sometimes all the meat from the brisket would be gone, and we would eat brisket-fat sandwich.

You just received a $1,000 bonus and two consecutive days o . What’s on the agenda?

I could easily spend it all in two days [in restaurants] and Underberg [herbal bitters].

What’s on your DVR? ‘SportsCenter’

What is your favorite major-league sports team?

The Texas Rangers although not this year.

What is your Starbucks order?

Oh, I don’t know. Have you ever heard of Green Beans Co ee? [Editor’s note: This is a co ee shop chain that serves military bases.] They have a drink called the M.O.A.C., mother of all co ees, and it’s a black co ee with four shots of espresso.

What is the best advice you’ve received in your culinary career?

So far in my career, it’s a sous chef at the club who told me, “Don’t chase a paycheck.” Work for places you want to work. Don’t go for the money.

Mike Gibson

“Don’t chase a paycheck. Work for places you want to work.”

Mike Gibson likes coffee. The Lucia sous chef knocked on the restaurant’s back door one day and asked to “stage,” the culinary tradition of volunteering in a kitchen until a cook has proven himself.

Kyle McClelland

Some Dallasites may remember Kyle McClelland from his days at The Cedars Social. He helped start that restaurant with friends he’d known since their early days at Toppers at the Wauwinet on Nantucket, Mass. McClelland was born and raised in Cape Cod and also worked at Ten Tables in Jamaica Plain, N.Y., and Caviar Russe in New York City before starting his own restaurant, Prospect, in Brooklyn. Prospect was a critical success. It received great reviews from all the New York papers and a Michelin rating, and it was McClelland’s dream come true. Lucky for us, he grew weary of paying a large kitchen staff and scraping to pay his own exorbitant rent. “If the restaurant isn’t doing that well financially, whose pay has to get cut? That’s me,” he says. McClelland is working on a program of oysters and absinthe at Driftwood, and he’s hired pastry chef Annika Loureiro from Cedars Social and Prospect.

What is in your fridge right now?

I’ve been living at my friend’s house for a month and a half until my loft is ready, but I actually went to the market the other day. I got some melons — melons are very nice right now — red grapes, Cocoa Pebbles. I love Cocoa Pebbles. Lots of drinks; I’m a drink guy. I got white grape juice, Fresca I bought some of that Blue Bell blackberry cobbler. But yeah, I buy Honey Bunches of Oats and Cocoa Pebbles, and I mix ’em.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

My knife.

What is the least-used thing in your home kitchen?

Probably my stove.

What is your ideal comfort food?

Watching Sunday football and eating a bucket of chicken. That’s comforting.

Your significant other has family coming in for the weekend — what do you cook for them?

I’ll go to the market and get what I think looks freshest. Some seafood. It’s grilling season right now. Recently I did some halibut and dry-aged rib-eyes and then grilled vegetables. When I’m at home, I’m not too meticulous; I’m very simple.

If you could cook for anyone, who would it be and what would you make?

My grandfather. He passed away right before I graduated high school. My mother’s father. They lived up in New Hampshire. He would come home with bags of lobsters, and we would whole-boil them and dip them in butter. That was such an amazing thing when I was a kid. I remember having those moments, and I never really got to cook for him.

If you had to eat the same lunch every day for the rest of your life, but it could be anything in the world, what would it be?

I’m a smoothie guy. That’s my lunch and breakfast [pointing to his mango smoothie from Bolsa Mercado], besides Cocoa Pebbles.

What is your favorite neighborhood restaurant for a quick meal?

I like going to Dalat [on North Fitzhugh]. They’re open late, so for me, it’s like I can get out of here and go get a bowl of noodles.

What dish have you created that you’re really proud of?

I’ve been doing the Dover sole since Nantucket. Right now, we do it with fresh pea tendrils, smoky bacon, duck-fat potatoes and whole roasted onions, à la meunière style, garlic-lemon breadcrumbs. It’s a very classic French dish. It’s good.

“This is the place that you can do what you love to do.”

Kyle McClelland can survive on mango smoothies from Bolsa Mercado and Cocoa Pebbles.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever cooked?

My ‘Chopped’ experience. I got leftovers. It was horrible.

Has a food critic ever hurt your feelings?

No. Because it’s only one person. We had 144 write-ups in the first year of Prospect. Most of them were very positive. We got all great things, but I guess … it’s only one person. I get the best feedback from my guests.

You just received a $1,000 bonus and two consecutive days o . What’s on the agenda?

I’m pretty close to Mexico. I’d take a couple days on the beach. Just relax. Or I’d just sleep and keep the $1,000.

What’s on your DVR right now?

‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Silicon Valley’ … I watch a lot of series like that.

What is your favorite major-league sports team?

I take a lot of crap for this, but I am a Yankees fan. I am a Steelers fan. For hockey, the Bruins. For basketball, it’s so hard. I’m a Boston Celtics fan, but since half my Celtics team moved to Brooklyn, and I lived in Brooklyn, I became partial to the Brooklyn Nets as well.

What is your Starbucks order?

Grande Hazelnut iced co ee, usually, and sometimes a classic co ee cake.

What is your opinion of reality TV cooking shows?

They’ve made this industry look glamorous, and it’s not. This industry is hard. It’s very, very hard. You’ve got to have a love for food because it can beat you down. I am very work-driven, and a lot of people don’t understand why my life is my work and my job. But I set goals for myself, and I was going to achieve them, and I did. Now I have new goals.

What’s the best advice you’ve received so far in your career?

My mentor, Dave Daniels — I worked for him about eight years in Boston and Nantucket. He definitely showed me the ropes, but he always told me to leave my [baggage] at the door. No matter what’s going on in your life, this is your place where you can let it go and have a little sanctuary. This is the place that you can do what you love to do and not worry about anything else.

Questions and answers have been edited for brevity

ANGLICAN

ALL SAINTS DALLAS / 2733 Oak Lawn / 972.755.3505

Radical Inclusivity, Profound Transformation. Come and See!

9:00 & 11:00 am Sunday Services. www.allsaintschurchdallas.org

BAPTIST

CLIFF TEMPLE BAPTIST CHURCH / 125 Sunset Ave. / CliffTemple.org

Building everyday people into everyday missionaries for Jesus Christ.

Sunday School: 9:30 am / Sunday Worship: 10:45 am / 214-942-8601

DISCIPLES OF CHRIST

EAST DALLAS CHRISTIAN CHURCH / 629 N. Peak Street / 214.824.8185

Sunday School 9:30 am / THE TABLE Worship 9:30 am Worship 8:30 & 10:50 am / Rev. Deborah Morgan-Stokes / edcc.org

EPISCOPAL

CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH / 534 W. Tenth St. / 214.941.0339

Sunday: 8 & 10 am Holy Eucharist, 12:30pm Santa Misa en Español Sunday School for all ages / Children’s Chapel / christchurchdallas.org

METHODIST

KESSLER PARK UMC / 1215 Turner Ave. / 214.942.0098 / kpumc.org

9:30 am Sunday School / 11:00 Worship / All welcome regardless of creed, color, culture, gender or sexual identity.

OAK CLIFF UMC / 549 E. Jefferson Blvd. / oakcliffumc.org

Young Adult Gathering & Worship “The Cliff” 9:30 am / Contemporary Worship 11:00 am (Bilingual) / facebook.com/oakcliffumc

TYLER STREET UMC / 927 W. 10th Street / 214.946.8106

Sunday Worship at 8:30 am and 10:50 am www.tsumc.org

NON-DENOMINATIONAL

KESSLER COMMUNITY CHURCH / 2100 Leander Dr. at Hampton Rd.

“Your Hometown Church Near the Heart of the City.” 10:30 am Contemporary Service / kesslercommunitychurch.com

PRESBYTERIAN

OAK CLIFF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH / 6000 S. Hampton Road

Sunday Worship at 9:30 am & 11:05 am 214-339-2211 / www.ocpres.com

THE ‘AHH’ FEELING

Two years ago, on the Fourth of July, I sat in the high seats of the Cotton Bowl, watching Dallas’ fireworks with a few thousand others and marveling at the experience. How often does one sit with strangers, staring up and joining in the chorus of “ahh!” each time a particularly stunning array of color splits the sky?

You may think it strange, but the “ahh!” moment captures something of the heart of worship.

Humans have gravitated to worship for millennia, reaching out for the something more. We yearn for the “ahh!” experience. Unlike the certainty that modern religion espouses, it’s about acknowledging and pursuing the mystery. Whether in a house of worship or a garden, worship connects soul to mystery.

But it doesn’t happen all the time, and it requires something of us. What exactly?

Worship requires attentiveness. It gives attention to the mystery, often in dedicated space and for dedicated time. One pays attention to what’s happening around and within, hoping for an experience of eternal connection. As in other spheres of life, good habits (practice) lead to meaningful moments. We celebrate the victory moment for Olympic athletes, but what we admire is the devotion and attention given to a singular pursuit. Similarly, those who experience transcendence practice giving attention.

The poet Mary Oliver (In the Kingdom) wrote, “The dream of my life is to lie down by a slow river/And stare at the light of the trees- /To learn something by being nothing/A little while but the rich/Lens of attention.” In a world of endless distraction, developing a lens of simple attention can be a gateway to the deeper life.

Worship also requires vulnerability. It’s about having your heart cracked open and allowing your mind to dance on dreams that the grind of life crowds out. This means, of course, that worship is also about connection. Only through vulnerability, with others and the Divine, can real connection become reality.

In true worship one forgets oneself for a while. Our church often prompts people to breathe deeply, forget about grocery lists and set aside a hundred other details.

When the storyteller/researcher Brene Brown returned to church in adult life, she thought it would be a safe place to deny her chaos. What she found, however, was not a shelter from suffering, but a Presence — of God and others — to be with her in suffering. It was better than what she expected, and enough — not escape or certainty of faith, but connection.

Finally, worship requires selflessness. In true worship one forgets oneself for a while. Our church often prompts people to breathe deeply, forget about grocery lists and set aside a hundred other details. They’re invited to “come away for a while.” Lose yourself to find yourself. Recover your life by letting it go. One definition of worship is “the weekly practice of not being God.”

We live in the world where the sky lights up, where heaven and earth collide and our faces turn upward. If we’re willing to be attentive, vulnerable and selfless, we can experience the transcendent.

It can sometimes arise unexpectedly, but usually it takes practice

Brent McDougal is pastor of Cliff Temple Baptist Church. The Worship section is a regular feature underwritten by Advocate Publishing and by the neighborhood business people and churches listed on these pages. For information about helping support the Worship section, call 214.560.4202.

BUSINESS BUZZ

The lowdown on what’s up with neighborhood businesses

Send business news tips to livelocal@advocatemag.com

The Book Doctor 214.946.1760 THEBOOKDR.COM

Jaho Co ee and Tea JAHO.COM

Books and coffee

The Book Doctor, located in the Bishop Arts District for eight years, has moved to the historic retail building at West Davis and Edgefield. An Oak Cliff family bought Cannon’s English Village last year and is renovating it. Book Doctor owner Candice McKay lives in Kings Highway and says the new location is closer to home, in a smaller space and away from busy Bishop Arts. A Massachusettsbased coffee shop, Jaho Coffee and Tea, also has agreed to terms for a lease in the building and could open as soon as October.

Restaurant roundup

The Oak Cliff restaurant world keeps turning. Bocce, a family-owned Italian restaurant, opened in the former Inforzato’s space last month. Bishop Cider Co. opened with an enormous menu of cider in bottles and on tap. Owner Joel Malone expects the first batch of locally brewed cider to be available in July. Construction has begun on Off-Site Kitchen at Trinity Groves. The restaurant, from Kessler Park resident Nick Badovinus, is expected to open this year. Outpost American Tavern, on Beckley near El Dorado, has closed, but the owners say they are negotiating with a new operator. Cretia’s Eatery and Bake Shoppe is expected to open soon in a 2,000-square-foot former pool hall in the Bishop Arts District. The new Cretia’s will have sandwiches, salads, beer, wine and coffee drinks as well as cakes and cookies.

More business bits

Bocce 224 W. DAVIS 214.943.1714 BOCCEOFFBISHOP.COM

Bishop Cider Co. 509 N. BISHOP 214.364.7728 BISHOPCIDER.COM

O -Site Kitchen 2226 IRVING BLVD. 214.741.2226 OFFSITEKITCHEN.NET

Cretia’s Eatery and Bake Shoppe 228 W. DAVIS CRETIAS.COM

Jonathan’s Private Training Studio 939 W. JEFFERSON, SUITE 105 214.779.7128

Joy Macarons 214.475.2151 JOYMACARONS.COM

every week on

1 Jonathan’s Private Training Studio opened on West Je erson in June, o ering one-on-one and group sessions. 2 Joy Macarons, from neighborhood resident Liz Lanier, is expected to open a storefront on West Davis this year. Lanier started selling her French cookies at farmers markets last year.

Cannon’s English Village

RIP parkway

Neighbors carry a coffin down Bishop Avenue during a mock funeral for the Trinity Parkway in June. Go Oak Cliff has declared that a plan to build a sixlane toll road in the Trinity floodway is dead after public opinion began to turn against it.

SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO. Email a jpeg to editor@advocatemag.com.

EVENTS

STAMP COLLECTING!!

Remember the fun of stamp collecting? Dallas Philatelic Society meets the 2nd and 4th Weds at 7:30 pm at Edgemere Retirement Center. 8523 Thackery St

Call Joe Baker 972-390-2648

CLASSES/TUTORING/ LESSONS

LEARN NEW TESTAMENT GREEK

Beginners intermediates; Rice, TCU, DTS ex; John Cunyus 214-662-5494 www.JohnCunyus.com

PIANO LESSONS All ages & levels. Over 20 years experience. Oak Cliff area. Call Tim at 214-989-7093

SERVICES FOR YOU

DISH TV RETAILER Starting at $19.99/month (for 12 months) & High Speed Internet starting at $14.95/month (where available) Save. Ask about Same Day Installation 1-800-615-4064

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

A WILL? THERE IS A WAY. Estate/Probate Matters-Free Consultation. 214-802-6768 MaryGlennAttorney.com

FARMERS INSURANCE CALL JOSH JORDAN 214-364-8280. Auto, Home, Life Renters.

JAMES H. DOLAN, MA, L.P.C Therapist, Executive Coach 214-629-6315 Individuals, couples & teens. LGBT.

OSTEOPATHY—CRANIAL OSTEOPATH For structural or internal problems, head & body, newborn, young child, all ages. Liz Chapek, D.O. 214-341-8742. www.chapek.doctorsoffice.net

TRAVEL

CRUISEONE DALLAS Doug Thompson bigDcruises.com

Plan your cruise vacation today! 214-254-4980

JOURNEY WITH JANE for a unique travel experience. Travel dreams become reality. 469-662-5212. journeywithjane.com

TO ADVERTISE CALL 214.560.4203

• AUGUST DEADLINE JULY 9

PET SERVICES

DUKE CANINE Certified Behaviorist & Trainer. Board/Train. Indoor kennels. www.dukecanine.com or 214-529-2598

In-Home Professional Care

Customized to maintain your pet’s routine In-Home Pet Visits & Daily Walks

“Best of Dallas” D Magazine

Serving the Dallas area since 1994

Bonded & Insured www.societypetsitter.com 214-821-3900

BUY/SELL/TRADE

GROUND FLOOR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Unique

Opportunity for Residual Income. A Legacy Company Which Affords You and Your Family Guaranteed Income. 401-741-7596 healthandwealthct@gmail.com

TEXAS RANGERS AND DALLAS STARS

front row seats. Share prime, front-row Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars tickets (available in sets of 10 games). Prices start at $105 per ticket (sets of 2 or 4 tickets per game available) Seats are behind the plate and next to the dugouts for the Rangers: seats are on the glass and on the Platinum Level for the Stars. Other great seats available starting at $60 per ticket. Entire season available except for opening game; participants randomly draw numbers prior to the season to determine a draft order fair for everyone. Call 214-560-4212 or rwamre@advocatemag.com

TOP CASH FOR CARS Any Car, Truck. Running or Not. Call for Instant Offer. 1-800-454-6951

ESTATE/GARAGE SALES

ESTATE SALES & LIQUIDATION SERVICES

Moving, Retirement, Downsizing. One Piece or a Houseful. David Turner. 214-908-7688. dave2estates@aol.com

Photo by Danny Fulgencio

CARPENTRY & REMODELING

ATLANTIS DESIGN-BUILD, LLC

Complete Remodeling. 40 Yrs Exp. Additions. 1 & 2 Story. Kitchens, Baths. Small Jobs To Entire House. Renovation & Design. Full Time Supervision. Licensed/Insured. Free Estimates. 281-761-4648

BO HANDYMAN Specializing In Historic Home Renovations & Pro Remodels. Custom Carpentry, Doors, Kitchens, Baths & more. 214-437-9730

CONNER FAMILY BUILDERS Since 1901. Home remodeling & painting. Superior quality, free estimates. Satisfaction guaranteed. A+ BBB Terry 469-338-1202 connerfamilybuilders.com

O’BRIEN GROUP INC. Remodeling Dallas For Over 17 Years www.ObrienGroupInc.com 214-341-1448

RENOVATE DALLAS renovatedallas.org 214-403-7247

RONALD L. SIEBLER

Remodeling & Historic Preservation www.Siebler.com 214-546-7579

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872 Complete Full Service Repairs, Remodeling, Restoration. Name It- We do it. Tommy. insured. http://dallas. tkremodelingcontractors.com

TK Remodeling

Your neighborhood remodeler

•Repair

•Remodeling •Restoration

•Complete full service

Name it— We do it

http://dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com

Tommy 972-533-2872 INSURED

CONCRETE/ MASONRY/PAVING

BRICK, BLOCK, Stone, Concrete, Stucco. Gonzalez Masonry. 214-395-1319

BRICK, STONEWORK, FLAGSTONE PATIOS

Mortar Repair. Call George 214-498-2128

CONCRETE REPAIRS/REPOURS

Demo existing. Stamping and Staining Driveways/Patio/Walkways

Pattern/Color available

Free Estimates

972-672-5359 (32 yrs.)

CONCRETE, Driveway Specialist Repairs, Replacement, Removal, References. Reasonable. Chris 214-770-5001

FLAGSTONE PATIOS, Retaining Walls, BBQ’s, Veneer, Flower Bed Edging, All Stone work. Chris 214-770-5001

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

4 U ELECTRICAL SERVICE, LLC We will be there 4 U. 972-877-4183

ANNA’S ELECTRIC Your Oak Cliff Electrician Since 1978. tecl25513. 214-943-4890

ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC Master Electrician. TECL24948 anthonyselectricofdallas.com

Family Owned/Operated. Insd. 214-328-1333

EXPERIENCED LICENSED ELECTRICIAN Insd. Steve. TECL#27297 214-718-9648

GOVER ELECTRIC Back Up Generators. New and Remodel Work. Commercial & Residential. All Service Work. 469-230-7438. TECL2293

LAKEWOOD ELECTRICAL Local. Insured. Lic. #227509 Call Rylan 214-434-8735

TH ELECTRIC Reasonable Rates. Licensed & Insured. Ted. E257 214-808-3658

Imported from Japan Carports, Patio & Pool Covers

214-288-6242

JetofTexas.com

JD’S

CLEANING SERVICES

CINDY’S HOUSE CLEANING 15 yrs exp. Resd/Com. Refs. Dependable. 214-490-0133

EXTERIOR CLEANING

G&G DEMOLITION Tear downs, Haul. Interior/Exterior. 214-808-8925

FENCING & DECKS

#1 COWBOY FENCE & IRON CO. Est. ‘91. 214-692-1991 www.cowboyfenceandiron.com

4 QUALITY FENCING Call Mike 214-507-9322 Specializing in Wood, New or Repair.

HANNAWOODWORKS.COM Decks,Doors, Carpentry, Remodeling 214-435-9574

EST. 1991 #1

COWBOY

FENCE & IRON CO.

214.692.1991

GARAGE DOORS

UNITED GARAGE DOORS AND GATES Res/Com. Locally Owned.214-826-8096

HANDYMAN

SERVICES

A R&G HANDYMAN Electrical, Plumbing, Painting, Fencing, Roofing, Light Hauling. Ron or Gary 214-861-7569, 469-878-8044

BO HANDYMAN Specializing In Historic Home Renovations & Pro Remodels. Custom Carpentry, Doors, Kitchens, Baths & more. 214-437-9730

HANDYMAN SPECIALIST Residential/ Commercial. Large, small jobs, repair list, renovations. Refs. 214-489-0635

HOMETOWN HANDYMAN All phases of construction. No job too small 214-327-4606

HONEST, SKILLED SERVICE With a Smile. General Repairs/ Maintenance. 214-215-2582

Your Home Repair Specialists

HOME INSPECTION

The Art of Storage. Call 214-821-5900

Email jin@thecabinetconcierge.com

WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM

Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134

TO ADVERTISE CALL 214.560.4203

ADVOCATE PUBLISHING does not pre-screen, recommend or investigate the advertisements and/or Advertisers published in our magazines. As a result, Advocate Publishing is not responsible for your dealings with any Advertiser. Please ask each Advertiser that you contact to show you the necessary licenses and/or permits required to perform the work you are requesting. Advocate Publishing takes comments and/or complaints about Advertisers seriously, and we do not publish advertisements that we know are inaccurate, misleading and/or do not live up to the standards set by our publications. If you have a legitimate complaint or positive comment about an Advertiser, please contact us at 214-560-4203. Advocate Publishing recommends that you ask for and check references from each Advertiser that you contact, and we recommend that you obtain a written statement of work to be completed, and the price to be charged, prior to approving any work or providing an Advertiser with any deposit for work to be completed.

SPECIALIZING IN Wood Fences &Auto Gates

cowboyfenceandiron.com

FLOORING & CARPETING

N-HANCE WOOD RENEWAL. No Dust. No Mess. No Odor. nhance.com. 214-321-3012.

WILLEFORD HARDWOOD FLOORS 214-824-1166 • WillefordHardwoodFloors.com

HOUSE PAINTING

MANNY’S HOME PAINTING & REPAIR Int./Ext. Sheetrock. Manny 214-334-2160

RAMON’S INT/EXT PAINT Sheetrock, Repairs. 214-679-4513

INTERIOR DESIGN

CUSTOM DRAPERIES, WINDOWS. Upholstery, Shutters, Blinds, Wallpaper. All Interior Design. Serving Lakewood For Over 15 Yrs. Lara. 214-718-7281.

KITCHEN/BATH/ TILE/GROUT

BATHTUB, COUNTERTOP & TILE Resurfacing: Walls, Tub Surrounds, Showers. Glaze or Faux Stone finishes. Affordable Alternative to Replacement! 972-323-8375. PermaGlazeNorthDallas.com

D.R. TILE SERVICE

Free Estimates•Wood•Marble•Tile•Travertine Kitchens & Baths•Countertops. 214-536-0045

STONE AGE COUNTER TOPS

Granite, Marble, Tile, Kitchen/Bath Remodels. 972-276-9943 stoneage.dennis@verizon.net

9

LAWNS,

PLUMBING

ANDREWS PLUMBING • 214-354-8521

# M37740 Insured. Any plumbing issues. plumberiffic69@gmail.com

Sewers • Drains • Bonded 24 Hours/7 Days

*Joe Faz 214-794-7566 - Se Habla Español*

LAWNS, GARDENS &

A BETTER TREE COMPANY • JUST TREES Complete tree services. Tree & Landscape Lighting! Mark 214-332-3444

ORTIZ LAWNCARE Complete Yard Care. Service by Felipe. Free Est. 214-215-3599

U R LAWN CARE Maintenance. Landscaping. Oak Cliff resident for over 15 years. uwereisch@yahoo.com 214-886-9202

A Better Tree Company

JUST TREES

Your Trees Could Look Like a Work of Art, I Guarantee It.

Call Mark Wittlich 214-332-3444

Locally harvested wood!

JD’s Tree Service

RESPONSIBLE TREE CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Firewood/Cooking Wood Full service trimming & planting of native trees. 214.946.7138

PEST CONTROL

A BETTER EARTH PEST CONTROL Keeping the environment, kids, pets in mind. Organic products avail. 972-564-2495

NTX PLUMBING SPEC. LLLP 214-226-0913

Lic. M-40581 Res/Com. Repairs & Leak Location

REPAIRS, Fixtures, General Plumbing, Senior Discounts. Campbell Plumbing. 214-321-5943

POOLS

LEAFCHASERS POOLS

Parts and Service. Chemicals and Repairs. Jonathan. 214-729-3311

ROOFING & GUTTERS

ACE ROOFING

Roof Repair Specialist. Call Tom. 972-268-4047

MEDRANO ROOFING Resd/Comm. Quality Service & Craftsmanship. Free Est. 469-867-2129

Allstate

small group training. Prepare to MOVE and LIVE BETTER than you ever have before!

THIS CRIME IS TRASHY.

Yolanda Romero has seen a lot of things and a lot of change in her 49 years living in Oak Cliff. She raised fi ve children in her home and loves her neighborhood. But the recent crimes at her home have

The Victim: Yolanda Romero

The Crime: Criminal mischief

Date: Tuesday, May 27

Time: Between 11:30 p.m. (June 27) and 7:15 a.m. (June 28)

Location: 800 block of Buckalew

her confounded and wondering what is going on.

On her neighborhood’s regular trash collection day, Wednesday, someone dumped garbage in her yard — a nasty mess that had her cleaning up for an hour.

“It happened two weeks in a row,” Romero says.

The fi rst Wednesday, someone left empty corn tortilla and cookie bags. The next Wednesday, it was baby diapers and empty water bottles — all left in grocery sacks.

The disgusting crime has left her baffl ed and possibly plotting a way to catch the culprit.

“I’m planning on spending the night in the living room in front of my big window to see if I can catch them this week,” she says. “But I’ll probably just fall asleep.”

Sgt. Kay Hughbanks with the Dallas Police Southwest Patrol Division says that this is a very unusual crime and that someone is possibly angry at the resident in some way.

“Or with the end of the school year at hand, kids get mischievous,” she says. “There is often a rise in criminal mischief complaints at the end of every school year, from broken windows to overturned trash cans.”

Experience St. John’s

Pre-k through Eighth Grade Co-educational stjohnsschool.org

214-328-9131 x103

SJES admits qualified students of any race, color, religion, gender, and national or ethnic origin.

ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

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12

age of a girl who accepted a ride from a stranger as she was walking home the night of June 3 1700

block of Colorado, near Stevens Park Golf Course, where the man sexually assaulted the girl before she escaped 4-door silver truck with tinted windows, an orange radio and a rosary hanging from the mirror; police are still searching for the man driving a truck with that description

SOURCE: Dallas Police Department

Sean Cha n is a freelance writer and author of “Raising the Stakes”, obtainable at raisingthestakesbook.com. If you have been a recent crime victim, email crime@advocatemag.com.

FROZEN IN TIME

The story behind the abandoned 1920s retail strip in North Cliff COMMENT. Visit oakcliff.advocatemag.com/backstory to tell us what you think.

I like to drive around Oak Cliff.

Quite frankly, I’ve told friends that if I ever disappear and my car and body are found in some strange place (and no foul play is involved) it’s because I was just curious and took a spontaneous “detour” down some street I’ve never visited before and, obviously, expired behind the wheel. You’d think by now I’d have been just about everywhere in The Cliff, but there are still streets and parks and places to experience. And, time is passing. So I’m trying to do it all before my children determine it’s time to confiscate the keys and sell my car, and I find myself grounded, permanently.

A few months back, on one of my Sunday afternoon excursions, I decided to explore the North Cliff neighborhood off of West Clarendon. The neighborhood is an assortment of brick and frame houses from different eras that range from Tudor style to old farmhouse leftovers, certainly an interesting mix. Slowly driving up one street and down another, I meandered around taking in the ambience. Then, suddenly, my lazy, relaxing trek halted when I came upon an aging and deserted late-1920s retail strip in the 700 block of Pierce Street, with an odd placement (per today’s world): nestled inside a residential neighborhood. The dated, vintage strip center looked like something out of a Bonnie & Clyde movie or some Depression-era drama.

Somewhat recalling the sight from an earlier and rapid shortcut through the area, this time the cozy enclave of brick buildings captured my attention. I was immediately enchanted.

These one-story, attached, retail buildings with cable-supported awnings reminded me of those movie or TV scenes where an oldtimer from another era comes back for a visit and sits on the corner, staring at the buildings while envisioning how the town used to look back in the day. Imagining housewives in cotton shirtwaist dresses and grandmothers in 1930s-1940s orthopedic shoes — all with their

Olivia Walton-esque hats and carrying brown paper bags of groceries. I could also picture 10-year-old boys in knickers and caps perched atop vintage bicycles, while milk and bread trucks made deliveries and the locals gathered under the awnings, which is probably a fairly realistic scenario for that era.

The buildings seemed, to me, to be pleading for a reno.

About two weeks after my visit, an acquaintance, Mary McLachlan, an avid cyclist, historical enthusiast and amateur photographer, posted some photos of the buildings online. She told others how she was recently cycling in the area, and the structures caught her attention. Like me, she was smitten. (I think we must be twins separated at birth except for the cycling, of course.) A flood of comments and messages followed the post, most of them chock-full of delightful details and heartwarming stories.

Brian Haney, whose mother owned the J&J Beauty Shop in the strip, said, “[It] seemed like folding towels at home was never ending when I was a kid.”

“Sims grocery store was there,” typed Stephany Pitt White. “My mom would send me for milk, bread and cigarettes. Yep

a 10-year-old buying cigs.”

JoEllen Glasgow McVey posted that she and her grandmother often walked from Gladstone Drive to these little stores. “One was a variety store where my grandmother bought thread and other sewing materials,” McVey says. “That was a very looooooooong time ago!”

According to Suzanne Welsh Burch, “A laundromat with front-loading machines was one of the center buildings. In the late ’40s. Mom and I would go get the family’s clothes washed, then drive the wet stuff home to hang on the line. We got our very own machine in 1951 when baby sister came.”

Ken Shields had a paper route on Catherine Street in the ’50s. “There was a grocery store and a bar. Can’t remember the rest. My older brother took the paper into the bar dark and smoky in there scared me.” Shields and his brother purchased Baby Ruth candy bars and Cokes in the grocery to celebrate the end of the paper route. “Then,” he wrote, “me ‘n my brother would ride our Radio Flyers down the hill and crash onto the well-kept yard at the bottom of the hill good times.”

On the other side of Pierce sits an old vacant ceramics store, formerly Coat’s Vari-

Abandoned retail buildings occupy the 700 block of Pierce in the North Cliff neighborhood. Photo by Mary McLauhlan

make your COMMENTS on this column

OAKCLIFF.ADVOCATEMAG.COM/BACKSTORY

ety Store, and beside that a more modern building, built in 1939.

“One of the stores was Bateman Ceramics,” typed Donna Clark Dorflinger who lived on Brooklyn Street. “My mother did business with him. He was a sweet man. The other store was a grocery store, where we went for groceries. On the other corner of the store was [a] store like a 7-Eleven.”

“Randy Reynolds’ aunt and uncle owned the tiny store at the end of the [streetcar] line on Pierce and Brooklyn,” posted Diane Lovelace Rogers, who drives by the old buildings several times each week. “Only the concrete slab is there [now]. I love these little buildings and wish I could think of something that could be done with them today.”

These charming relics from the past remind us how life used to be, before everyone had a car and people rarely locked their doors, and when most of the moms were home during the day. Although change is constant, and progress invariably pushes out the old, I’d love to see these charming structures repurposed in some way.

However … I just checked my purse and the keys are still there. And my car’s still in the garage. So I’m outta here! I’ve got places to see. Better go for a drive while I still can.

YOUR STORIES

Longtime Cliffi tes recount memories and reconnect on oakcliff.advocatemag. com/backstory

I went to three separate elementary schools. First, second — Jeff Davis. Third, seventh — Mark Twain. Fourth through sixth — Daniel Webster. I then followed all of those kids I met to Browne JH and on to Kimball HS. Out of the 923 students in our graduating class, I think I knew by sight, if not their name, at least half of them. Everywhere you went Kiest Park, restaurants, Wynnewood Theater, shopping you met someone you knew. That was pretty cool now that I think of it. Thanks for jogging the Old Memory, Gayla!

—Ron Brannon

Again, great job, Gayla. Because of the growth during those years, we were growing up through elementary, junior high and high schools, and all the churches; you nailed it. We definitely grew up in “Home Town USA.”

—Larry Stevenson

Thanks for explaining this in such detail! I’m a member of a family with three generations raised in Oak Cliff! I live out of state now but still am deeply connected to the Cliff! Time and distance can’t break the childhood bonds of church, school or my neighborhood, Glen Oaks.

—Susan Keener

Gayla Brooks can date her neighborhood heritage back to 1918, when her father was born in what was then called Eagle Ford. She was born at Methodist hospital and graduated from Kimball High School. Brooks is one of three co-authors of the recently published books, “Legendary Locals of Oak Cli ” and “Images of America: Oak Cli ”, and writes a monthly history column for the Oak Cli Advocate. Send her feedback and ideas to gbrooks@advocatemag.com.

So true, Gayla. Many of my friends today are my friends through SOC, Storey, Clara Oliver, Fernwood Baptist, BSA Troop 144, and the list goes on. Also, many of those same fri ends had parents that grew up in Oak Cliff and shared childhoods and neighborhoods with my parents just adding to the Oak Cliff connection. Oak Cliff was more than just a section of Dallas — it was a genuine Community.

—Jim Kidd

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