Advocate Magazine

Walmart to take former Whole Foods spot on Lower Greenville

Rachel Stone — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:11:31 +0000

Walmart plans to open a store on Lower Greenville, in the old Whole Foods building, just one block from the site of a planned Trader Joe’s. Jeff Siegel mentioned this possibility a few weeks ago in his analysis of Trader Joe’s location pick, and Unfair Park broke the news this morning.

The new Walmart will comprise about 34,000 square feet, some 10,000 square feet smaller than a typical Walmart store. That indicates Walmart could be planning one of its Neighborhood Market stores.

This analysis in Forbes from October offers a picture of Walmart’s smaller format stores.

Sweet Tomatoes opening Old Town/Greenville store

Rick Wamre — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:14:48 +0000

While cruising Greenville Avenue the other day, I noticed the unmistakeable Sweet Tomatoes logo right next to neighborhood favorite Another Broken Egg at 5500 Greenville near Old Town Drive. There was no information available on-site about a projected opening date, but from what I could tell it’s probably 30-60 days away. For those of you who have been around awhile, both restaurants are located in what I believe most recently was Two Rows restaurant.

Sweet Tomatoes, if you’ve never been, is a salad and soup oriented all-you-can-eat place. I’ve been to the Addison location, and both times I’ve been impressed with the food quality and offerings. The salad bar is long, and there are 6-8 different soups available daily, along with some breakfast/brunch offerings. It’s probably a good match to be located next to Another Broken Egg (which also has a Casa Linda store), because both will probably draw a similar crowd, making the spot a good destination breakfast/brunch location without knowing exactly which place you’re intending to visit until you get there.

Multifamily living project proposed near White Rock rail station

Christina Hughes Babb — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:42:11 +0000

It seems a real estate developer wants to put apartments, townhomes or lofts — about 350 units — near the White Rock DART station.

A representative from Winston Capital, an investment and real estate development firm, has applied for a zoning change to property at the northwest corner of Northwest Highway and Lawther Road.

The site currently is zoned for retail and single family uses.

The developers are requesting to rezone the space for planned development with multi-family uses.

The proposed “planned development district” would allow the redevelopment of the site with multifamily uses and some retail. The site is 20 feet below the existing rail line. The proposed complex would have direct access to the rail platform at the same level as the existing station, according to paperwork filed Jan. 6 with the Dallas Department of Development.

The complex would consist of a maximum 350 units in buildings of varying heights getting shorter as they move away from the intersection. The closest multifamily building would be about 150 feet from the nearest property with a single-family home.

A tentative plan commission hearing is set for March 1.

Some retail plus a 350-unit complex is proposed at Northwest and Lawther.

Tietze Park in national TV ad; city pool funding uncertain

Rachel Stone — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:01:53 +0000

A production company made a donation to the Friends of Tietze Park Foundation because it filmed some Nerf commercials in the park. The group’s president, Lisa Marshall, declined to say how much the park received, but she said it will help pay for planned projects, such as installing pet waste bags at the park entrance, shade structures for the playground and a new flag pole.

Here is one of the spots:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The future of the Tietze Park pool is something to keep on our radars over the next few months.

The park board is considering a new aquatics plan that would add pools on the outskirts of the city but close some existing pools in the inner city. That plan could be unlikely to pass all on its own, however, because it has a $44 million price tag.

Wine review: Chapoutier Côtes du Rhône Belleruche 2009

Jeff Siegel — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

White wines from France’s Rhone region aren’t particularly well known and, at least in this country, don’t get all that much respect. You don’t see many of them on store shelves or restaurant wine lists, and you don’t see many of them reviewed, for that matter.

Which is a shame, given that white Rhones are usually different and interesting, and that’s something I’m always looking for. The Belleruche ($12, purchased, available at Spec’s), from one of the Rhone’s largest producers, has always been one of my favorite wines for just that reason. When I can find it, of course.

This is a previous vintage, and the extra year of bottle age has given the wine, a blend of grenache blanc, clairette and bourboulenc, a little more character. There is lots of white pepper, some oiliness and just a hint of a green fruit, like lime or apple. This is a not a white wine for people who need something fruit forward, like sauvignon blanc or chardonnay, but it’s not supposed to be.

And don’t worry that you haven’t heard of the grapes used to make it — almost no one who isn’t in the wine business has heard of them, either. Which is another reason why the wine is so interesting, and that’s three more grapes for your Wine Century Club effort. Chill this and drink it on its own or with something like goat cheese; roast pork with apples would be terrific, too.

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Post tags: Chapoutier, French wine, Rhone wines, white wine, wine of the week, wine reviews

Stewpot Alliance Soup’s On Luncheon features bestselling author, raises funds for poverty-stricken people

Christina Hughes Babb — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:47:30 +0000

Tonya Meier, Mayor Mike Rawlings and New York Times best-selling author Jeannette Walls Photo by Rob Wythe

Lakewood resident Tonya Meier has been working hard to help struggling Dallas families.

Meier recently chaired the fourth annual Stewpot Alliance Soup’s On Luncheon.

Proceeds from the event benefit the programs and services offered by The Stewpot Alliance in downtown Dallas. Annually, The Stewpot Alliance raises up to $250,000 for The Stewpot, serving Dallas’ homeless at at-risk people, via the Soup’s On! Luncheon.

The 2012 keynote speaker was best-selling author Jeannette Walls, (of whom I am a fan).

Walls wrote the autobiographical book “The Glass Castle”, an incredible and heartbreaking story about her childhood struggle with poverty, which parallels the plight of many a Stewpot client.

Buy art, help teen mothers succeed

Rachel Stone — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:09:07 +0000

This painting by neighborhood resident Lilia Estrada will be auctioned Saturday.

I’m just learning about a nonprofit in our neighborhood, Alley’s House. Evidently, it has been around since 1997, with headquarters on Junius.

Alley’s House helps teen mothers with counseling, tutoring, life skills, mentoring and job training. Part of its mission is to prevent drop outs and help teen mothers succeed in their education.

The nonprofit is holding an online art sale to raise funds. Local artists donated work, and each piece is for sale at $160. All of the proceeds go to helping the Alley’s House mission.

Alley’s House also will hold an art auction at Rising Art Gallery downtown, from 7-11 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4. Tickets are $25.

You can also give money to Alley’s House, or buy and donate something that’s on its wish list.

Suspect rams police car, says, ‘oops, wrong guys’

Christina Hughes Babb — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:38:36 +0000

… that’s a paraphrase, by the way.

This happened outside our typical East Dallas coverage area, in Casa View, but the story is so amusing and amazing, we had to share. At about 11 p.m. last Wednesday, a guy rammed his car into a covert police officer’s vehicle, a black Infinity, causing about $2500 worth of damage, according to the report.

When police apprehended the guy, he told them that two men had robbed him earlier that night, when he was trying to sell them some weed.

He simply mistook the police car for the similar-looking car driven by the guys who stole from him.

Despite that being a perfectly reasonable explanation, police arrested the rammer for aggravated assault with a motor vehicle and both he and a passenger for possession of marijuana.

Canal Clothing open in Hillside Village

Christina Hughes Babb — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:31:32 +0000

Canal Clothing, formerly the staple dress and accessory shop at Salons in the Park at Skillman and Northwest Highway, has moved to Hillside Village at Abrams and Mockingbird.

The boutique temporarily is located next to Romano’s Bakery, but they are remodeling a larger space just to the right of Stein Mart, and, perhaps not coincidentally, next to the salons at Hillside.

A little more about the shop: It is independently owned and specializes in “dressing customers to look their best” and “showing their clientele how to stretch their wardrobe through accessorizing.”

Complimentary fashion seminars are held in the store. “These seminars have been well received by garden clubs, professional women’s organizations, and visiting convention groups,” according to the website. “Canal Clothing also will partner with your organization to raise money and donates 10 percent of purchases to the designated charity.”

Interested in learning more about the seminars and fundraisers? Call 214.343.6177.

Shop local, support neighborhood schools with online coupons

Rachel Stone — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:21:52 +0000

Five neighborhood PTA groups are offering coupons through Schoola.com, with a goal of raising $2,000 for Lakewood Elementary, Stonewall Jackson, J.L. Long and Woodrow by Feb. 4.

The deals include one dozen cupcakes from Society Bakery for $15. They normally cost $42 for 12.

True Beauty RX is offering a spa package for $79. It normally costs $225.

There are also deals on children’s dance lessons from Studio B, a party at Times Ten Cellars, meal planning from No More To Go and shopping at 2 Shea.

Check out all the deals, which must be purchased by midnight Friday, at lakewoodcommunity.schoola.com.