Author Archive

Back Talk Oak Cliff blogger Skye McDaniel notified me of another Oak Cliff BYOB restaurant: Herrera’s on Illinois between Westmoreland and Hampton. We featured Don Panza and also mentioned Oak Cliff Pizza & Pasta, Vitto Italian and Texas Caribbean Food, but I was surprised that I had such a hard … more

The homeowners featured in the October Advocate CliffDweller story on the upcoming OOCCL Fall Home Tour had such interesting stories about how they came to live in their homes, and one of my favorites was Paul vonHeeder’s story of how he discovered some of the history of 1920 W. Colorado … more

I didn’t have the space to include all of the interesting tidbits and advice from my interview with François Chandou and his wife, Anne, in the October Advocate CliffDweller. Last year, the couple celebrated 30 years in the wine business with La Cave, so they know a thing or two … more

First it was called Grill Four Hundred; then it closed and new ownership reopened it as Grill 400; then it closed and reopened as Grill 4Hundred …

Whatever incarnation of the Bishop Arts District restaurant you are most familiar with, it’s no more — again. Grill 4Hundred has closed its … more

For art lovers, 808 N. Hampton is a don’t-miss on the OOCCL Fall Home Tour. Not only is the mid-century modern house architecturally stunning, but owners Mark Wright and Alex da Silva have accumulated quite the art collection over time.

Their pieces include both 2D and 3D art from artists … more

It’s not a good time to be a corn-dependent company. In 1986, Dallas Tortilla and Tamale Factory president Ruben Leal could fill up his corn silo for $2,100, “and I thought that was a lot of money,” he says. Now it costs Leal $7,900, and the major reason isn’t inflation … more

Chatting with longtime Oak Cliff surgeon Dr. Wayne Gossard was a highlight of working on the OOCCL Fall Home Tour story in the October Advocate CliffDweller. Because he has lived on 1525 Olympia in Kessler Park for more than half a century, he was a wealth of knowledge about the … more

The numbers are impressive.
Eleven homes will be open to the curious during this year’s Old Oak Cliff Conservation League Fall Home Tour. The oldest was built in 1911; the newest in 1951. The smallest amounts to 1,500 square feet; the largest boasts 6,000.
The tour marks the 35th in … more

Carolyn Lawrence believes her bedroom walls still hold hidden treasures. The first was uncovered in 2001 during a remodeling project at her Stevens Park home. As the plaster peeled off, it revealed a flash of color underneath. “Of course, I knew what it was because when I moved into the … more

For 28 years, FRANÇOIS CHANDOU and his wife, Anne, have called Kessler Park home. The oenologist, whose family has a 200-year-old vineyard near the French Bordeaux region,  has spent more than 30 years in Dallas making a name for himself in the wine business — first with La Cave Wine … more