The funds are in place, and many lake advocates support this boathouse. So why hasn’t it been built?
White Rock Lake is 1,015 acres of water and surrounding parkland open for public enjoyment.
Except for the spots that aren’t.
A handful of private facilities around the lake, and even upon its waters, are off-limits except to those who pay a rental fee or join a club. These private havens on public land came into existence over the course of decades, most of them before the prevailing sentiment in the neighborhoods circling the lake’s shores evolved into its current state — that public land (and water) should remain open to all.
So it’s nothing short of miraculous that the lake’s most vocal advocates, who lambasted Dallas United Crew five years ago for trying to build a watery party palace for its private rowing club, are now singing the praises of DUC’s latest White Rock Lake proposal and the inclusive way it was conceived.
The result: A kinder, gentler boathouse open to the public, floating on the northeast side of the lake, and half the size and a fraction of the original version’s cost.
The new idea seems to have won over all of the original naysayers — except one.
Councilman Mark Clayton finds himself at odds with his own political appointees and concerned about “selling off” a part of the lake.
This month, the project heads back to the White Rock Lake Task Force for another review and chance for public input. The future of the DUC boathouse — and perhaps all future development on and around the lake — hangs on the question of who and what defines “private” and whether building anything on the lake sets a precedent that can’t easily be undone.

The other rowing team
This story has been told before, when another crew team on the other side of the lake faced the same problem.
Boats have long been a staple on White Rock Lake; the boathouse at T&P Hill was built on the southwest side in 1930, where crew teams launched in the 1980s.

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The bobcats roaming East Dallas in a neighborhood that falls between Skillman and Abrams appears on a daily basis, with some exception, and he feeds mostly on squirrels, one of which can be seen dangling from his jaws as he trots off — toward his bobcat-family dinner table (I like to think) — in this footage that ran on NBC Monday night. I am not insensitive to squirrels, by the way, but I see enough flattened in my subdivision’s streets that I am certain if the wildlife doesn’t get them, the speeding SUVs will.
The experts at 911 Wildlife have told us in the past that bobcats birth kittens this time of year, so this bravado is not all that unusual. Pros also have noted that around here, in urban areas, coyotes and bobcats and other potentially predatory animals have become more accustomed to humans and braver around us. In the country, a homeowner might pull out a gun and shoot them; here we pull out our cameras, 911 Wildlife operator Bonnie Bradshaw told us years ago.

Photo from Charles Bauer via Lakewood AdvocateIt does become a bit more serious when domestic dogs and cats become the hunted, which is why the experts always recommend keeping miniature pets inside as much as possible. Hawks and owls also are known to swoop in and nab a perceived easy target. I once interviewed the owner of an injured chihuahua, whose head wound came courtesy the claws of a red-tailed hawk who, thankfully, was unsuccessful in its attempt to carry off the small yet feisty pup.
No matter how ubiquitous our local wildlife, viewers’ and readers’ fascination with sightings, which is why, if you happen to catch them on video, you’ll likely wind up on the news, like the Ortez family here.

Article courtesy of The Lakewood Advocate

The longtime Dallas branch of Zuzu Handmade Mexican Food has closed, after more than 20 years at the centrally located corner of Mockingbird Lane and Abrams Road. The closure itself was sudden, with the final day of service on July 23; but the restaurant's departure had been forecast for a few months, when owner Basilio Andrade made it clear in the spring that he was not planning to renew the lease, which expired on October 1.
Andrade was unavailable for comment, but he first told customers back in May that ZuZu would stay open through the end of September. By June, he told customers that he had changed his target closure date to the end of July or August.
He also told customers that the rent had been increased dramatically, quoting a figure as high as $8,000 a month. However, according to a source connected with the property, that figure was not accurate.
Customers were also told that Andrade was moving the restaurant to a new location in the Medallion Center, and the restaurant's Yelp listing is marked as "temporarily closed." A spokesperson for Medallion Center said there are no plans as of yet for a ZuZu to open there.
The first ZuZu Handmade Mexican Food opened in 1989 in Snider Plaza, with a healthy focus and fast-casual format that was ahead of its time. Its menu includes enchiladas, quesadillas, and fajitas, with housemade salsas in novel versions such as green tomatillo and roasted poblano red. Its signature item is grilled chicken. Original founders were Espartaco Borga and Horatio Lonsdale-Hands. Borga has since founded the La Duni chain, while Lonsdale-Hands' current project is Buda Juice.
Since 1993, ZuZu reverted to a family-owned and operated model, with each branch independently owned. The Snider Plaza original has long been closed, but there are locations in Austin, Addison, and Frisco, which opened in 2016.

Article courtesy of Culture Map

The Texas Wine Journal is proud to present Texas Wine Talk & Tasting, a Texas vs. The World® roadshow. Join us for an interactive and educational tasting and talk followed by a mixer with Texas wine producers, the Journal and other Lone Star wine lovers.
If Texas and wine hold equal parts of your heart, you’ll love this intimate tasting event. Experience a blind tasting of four Texas Wine Journal top-rated wines up against four world wines along with a talk about the regions, grapes and people moving Texas wine forward.  
DATES
Wednesday, August 9th and Wednesday, November 8th - both at 7:00 pm.
LOCATIONWhole Foods Market (Park Lane)
8190 Park Lane North #351
Dallas, TX 75231
Don't miss out! Tickets are $25 and ONLY 25 tickets are available per event. Get yours before they're gone - 100% of the proceeds benefits the mission of the Texas Wine Journal.  FOR TICKETS CLICK HERE
*Must be 21 to attend. Wines subject to change based on availability. Sorry, no refunds.
**Wine will be made available for sale during the mixer by the bottle and glass. You do not have to have purchased a ticket to the Talk & Tasting to attend the mixer.

It's been said that chicken has replaced burgers as the big trend, but that may have been too hasty, as the Dallas area is about to see another burger name join our pack. Hat Creek Burger Co., a small chain from Austin, will open four locations, including one in Dallas on Walnut Hill Lane.
Two locations will open in Collin County, off 121 in Allen and at 3321 S. Custer Rd. in McKinney; a fourth is headed for Rowlett.
Hat Creek Burger Co. started out life as a food truck, launched by founder Drew Gressett in 2008. There are currently five locations around Austin. The menu has burgers and milkshakes, but also salads, breakfast, and beer. For non-beef-eaters, there is a turkey burger, a veggie grain burger, and a chicken sandwich. There are fries, sweet potato fries, and fried pickles — they're way into their pickles.
The first DFW branch opening will be McKinney, in early fall; the other three branches will open in late 2017 or early 2018.
Gressett was born in Dallas, and says that he and his family have great ties to the Dallas community.
"We decided on Dallas because of its large population of families looking for a great place to enjoy awesome food and awesome service," he says. "Along with our local partners, we're excited about bringing a great family-oriented place to Dallas."
The family-friendly atmosphere is an essential Hat Creek signature, says spokesperson Tara Miko. Every location has an indoor playground for kids, and each playground is unique.
"For our latest Austin branch, we retrofitted a vintage Silverstream trailer to tell the story of how Hat Creek began as a food truck," she says. "We're not doing pre-fab playgrounds — each location will have its own stamp and identity."
Everybody in the Hat Creek family has kids. "We aim to be the family-friendly restaurant," she says. "It's about providing a place for mom to sit outside by the playground with a glass of wine. We have great burgers, but we'd rather you come for the atmosphere and then try the burger and find out it's awesome."

Article courtesy of Culture Map