2026 August Oak Cliff Advocate

THE BEST JUST GOT BETTER

IN EAST DALLAS

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OPENING REMARKS

By JEHADU ABSHIRO

Hello!

Recently, I was driving down Lower Greenville on a Thursday around dinner time. I was peeking into the restaurants, and I noticed many of them were empty. I experienced something similar when I dropped in at one of my favorite watering holes in Oak Cliff on a Friday afternoon, and for the first time in a long while, I didn’t have to search for a table. And again when I made reservations for a few friends in a normally crowded restaurant in another part of town.

Granted, it’s summer, and this is a city that likes to pack bags and escape the triple-digit heat.

Perhaps more impactful, budgets are tighter for many people. We wrote an article in 2010 about 10 places where you could get $5 lunches. Save for Tony’s Pizza and Pasta on Northwest Highway, Keller’s Drive-In and Taquería Pinocho, many of the restaurants don’t have a $5 lunch option anymore, if they still exist.

Dallas has become a very different place since we wrote that article. Google says the rate of inflation between 2010 and now is 52.8% in Dallas. The CPI Inflation Calculator from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says a fiver in 2010 is the equivalent of $7.66 now, but the website also looks like it’s frozen in 2005, so we’re going to take that with a pasta water handful of salt.

Real estate pricing spiked, and produce and labor costs have increased for most of our restaurateurs. Cocktail menus with $20 drinks are commonplace. For a family of four, you’re looking at a $70 ticket — at least at any restaurant priced similarly to Chili’s — if everyone’s getting a burger, water and tipping 20%.

Our restaurant graveyard is a collection of heartbreaking favorites. We’re not only mourning the food. It’s our favorite server, being a regular, the moments we celebrated at the table toward the back, the person we used to be when we frequented the joint around the corner. And maybe what we miss most is what our neighborhood used to feel like.

I don’t mean to be a Debbie Downer. (I do lean that way.)

The good news is that we always have a new chef to interview, a new concept to write about and neighbors willing to become new restaurateurs. There have been a few comeback kids in newer spaces with new hope. That’s the real purpose of our reader-forward Best Of contest (the winners of which are announced on page 12) — let’s celebrate our neighborhood.

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MEET REBECCA

T he Kidd Springs neighbor that loves to sell her sweets at the

Winnetka Heights Holiday Home Tour

Story by VICTORIA HERNANDEZ

Photography by VICTORIA GOMEZ

In 1978, then-fourth grader Rebecca Curry moved into her new home by Bishop Dunne High School. Growing up, her mom taught piano, and her dad worked as a writer.

With her parents fostering “a creative household,” Curry decided to go to music school at the University of Texas at Austin, earning a degree in voice. She went on to live in Germany for about three years, spending time in Austria and living with a “German peasant” whom she cooked for all the time.

Eventually, Curry moved back to the United States where she landed a corporate job. She would be the one eager to bring food each year for the office Christmas parties and for all her family potlucks. After her dad passed away on Thanksgiving Day in 1999, her mom began inviting neighbors and friends over to the house each Thanksgiving. Thanksgivings then also became Easters, and the gatherings would grow to include up to 50 people.

“It was so nice because all of these people got to know each other through coming to events at my mom’s home,” she says. “Some of her piano students would come, neighbors, college friends. I mean, anybody. If they didn’t have a place, they could come to my mom’s house, and I always say, ‘There are a couple people that cook, and a lot of people that eat,’ and I love doing that. I love doing big-scale events and whatnot.”

When her nephews moved to Colorado and had gone off to college, she was looking for a way to keep baking for others.

“I just kind of thought, ‘I wish there was some place I could take food or donate food, and try new recipes that I like to do,’” the Kidd Springs neighbor says.

That’s when she thought of the Aid Services of Dallas and came across their No Tie Dinner nearly a decade ago. Curry describes the annual event as a gathering of different people coming together for one big party in support of the organization.

She recalls asking her mom about participating in the event for the first time, and her replying that it seems like a lot.

“And I said, ‘Mom, I make more than that at Christmas,’” she says. “I felt like I needed to have a name and not just be me (for the event) because a lot of the participants were restaurants. At that time, I had a cat who was the sweetest guy in the world, and sadly, he ended up being diabetic, but his name was Dolce.”

Thus, what she calls her “business/hobby,” Dolce, was born. For about a decade while still

The chocolate chip cookies (top) from Dolce can come cooked or as cookie dough. The powder-sugar-topped chocolate cookies are called chocolate crinkles (bottom).

“I always say, ‘There are a couple people that cook, and a lot of people that eat...’”

working her day job, Curry has been selling a variety of sweets including pies, cookies, caramels and ice cream.

“I have never known anybody that loves sweets like my dad. He loved ice cream, he loved sweets,” she says. “I love to make ice cream, and part of the reason I love to make ice cream is because my dad loved it.”

Besides her love of making sweets, Curry discovered her passion for painting during the pandemic. Many of the events that she had scheduled were canceled, the hours at her previous job “went through the roof,” and she struggled to have a work-life balance for quite some time. On top of that, she received a health diagnosis that was difficult.

Painting became something she could add to her desserts.

“I have a nerve problem with my hands, but I found out that I could paint, and I paint every day, and I had never done decorated cookies,” she says. “I never wanted to deal with royal icing and piping … so I thought, ‘I wonder if I can paint cookies,’ and yes, you can. And so I started doing decorated cookies, and I paint them. I either use food grade markers or I paint with food coloring.”

Curry is trying to get back to baking more often and sharing her work with the Oak Cliff community. She says she loves being able to hang out with others and share her decorated cookies as they combine her love of baking and painting.

“I just love the creativity of it, and I love really good food,” she says. “I mean, I enjoy what I make, and there’s something for me about the creative process, whether it’s in the kitchen or, you know, painting.”

bartthrasher.dpmre.com

Specialty tacos range from $6.99 per taco to $21.99 for the Taco Trio Plate that includes one side of kale salad, Cajun potatoes or french fries.

QUIT YOUR DAY JOB & MAKE SOMETHING VEGAN

Iconic Vegan Cafe brings more than just the Impossible burger to plant-based eaters

Story by VICTORIA HERNANDEZ

Photography by KATHY TRAN

Within Ann’s Health Food Center & Market on South Zang Boulevard, plants and diner booths are nestled in the back between the aisles of vitamins and organic produce, just beyond the checkout counters.

There sits Iconic Vegan Cafe.

The part-ice cream parlor, part-restaurant has been open since 2022 and recently has been asking for donations from the community to keep the spot running. Owner Otis Ross wears a lot of hats as the chef, manager, trainer, mentor, purchaser, delivery driver and marketer.

Ross launched a GoFundMe in July to help raise $12,876.29 to go toward several state sales tax filings that were unintentionally overlooked.

Though he started Iconic Vegan Cafe this decade, Ross has been scooping ice cream and eating a conscious diet himself for much longer.

“My dietary background is more of a reli-

gious beginning as opposed to health food and save the world or any of that. It was just my brother was Rastafari, and they didn’t eat any meat,” he says.

Ross was born in New Jersey and raised primarily in New York. In his youth, he moved around often and later fell on hard times.

“In my younger years, I got into a lot of trouble,” he says. “I was probably selling crack, and eventually, that led to getting caught and then having to do some significant time.”

After his release, he spent some time living with his dad in South Carolina. Then, he worked as a truck driver, which eventually led him to Texas.

He started his brand Earthy Goodness Vegan Ice Cream in Houston after quitting a job in a chemical plant to sell ice cream cakes full time. He was taking calls in the bathroom on the clock enough for the supervisor to request a doctor’s notice.

“And I’m looking at my phone like, ‘Man, today I just sold $330 in ice cream cakes. I mean you’re paying me, but this is paying me,’” he says.

Ross admits to quitting the security of that job a little too early, but making ice cream came so easily. He says he always thought it was in his blood.

Growing up in New Jersey, he remembered making ice cream in the wintertime out of snow, but more recently, he was reminded of his grandmother’s ice cream ties.

“African Americans couldn’t always eat ice cream,” Ross says. “If you were able to have it, somebody had to make it, and everybody would have to see them to go get it. And my grandmother was that lady.”

While his grandmother made ice cream for her entire community, with his brand Earthy Goodness Vegan Ice Cream, Ross made ice cream for Texas. He went across the state selling his product and found himself at

Ann’s for an ice cream pop-up. Then, they asked if he would move the ice cream into the shop.

At the time, another cafe was in Ann’s, but sold grass-fed burgers and salmon. This made it difficult for Ross’s vegan ice cream-seeking clientele to come in and stay for the treat because of the kitchen smell.

So he pitched converting the cafe into his own concept. His time at Ann’s started with not only his ice cream, but his first dining concept.

“I cooked food at home, but I didn’t think I was cooking the kind of food that people would come and buy, but it turned out that way,” Ross says. “And I think the part that pushed Iconic a little faster than normal is because we really try very hard to avoid processed foods. Everything we make is vegetables, so mushroom-based or something like that.”

He notes that they don’t focus on Impossible (a processed plant-based substitute for meat) options on purpose. Even the

tofu is made from beans rather than from soy. The only exception is a sausage patty used for breakfast.

When it comes to the menu, options include specialty tacos, sandwiches, baskets, wings and a selection of entrees, like the top-selling soul food plate ($24.99) with macaroni, collard greens, candied yams and choice of protein between fish (made from hearts of palm), fried shroom, grilled shroom and jackfruit BBQ. Another entrée option is “Otis’s Special” cajun plate with fried fish, two Cajun shrimp, bell peppers, and red beans and rice for $23.99.

For drinks, they have smoothies available from $9-$12.99 and recently added matcha. Dessert options include the signature banana pudding ($7.99), peach cobbler crunch bite ($7.99), New York-style cheesecake in strawberry, blueberry or pistachio ($6.99), and of course, ice cream, which ranges from $4.99 for a single scoop to $13.50 for a pint or banana spilt.

Ross says he typically has six to 10 flavors of ice cream at a time and Italian ice that starts at $3 with options to add toppings.

Not only does Ross use the restaurant as a means to provide healthier vegan options, but he says he also used the platform to help hire and push young adults.

“The idea is that this is not just a place of employment. It just shows you what entrepreneurism is like,” Ross says. “It’s not easy. Sometimes, it can be downright scary, but it is something that I do and to get them talent that they can take elsewhere. They get this teaching of how to make juice, teaching of how to make ice cream. Teach them how to make things. You can pretty much go to any community, set up your little tent and help yourself pay your way. Those are kind of the little life-changing skills I try to teach.”

Iconic Vegan Cafe, 2634 S. Zang Blvd., Ste. A, 214.440.1263

2026

HERE ARE THE RESULTS FOR OUR 2026 BEST OF, WHERE READERS NOMINATED THEIR FAVORITE LOCAL BUSINESSES. VOTING STARTS NEXT APRIL, IF YOU WANT TO NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITE ESTABLISHMENT.

FOOD & DRINK

BEST BREAKFAST

WINNER - NORMA’S CAFE

2ND - EL JORDAN CAFE

3RD - CLIFF BAGELS

BEST BRUNCH

WINNER - ODDFELLOWS

2ND - ENCINA

3RD - EL JORDAN CAFE

BEST BAKERY

WINNER - VERA’S BAKERY

2ND - OAK CLIFF BREAD

3RD - KESSLER BAKING STUDIO BISHOP ARTS

BEST COFFEE

WINNER - OLMO MARKET

2ND - WAYWARD COFFEE CO.

3RD - ENERGY LANE COFFEE

BEST MATCHA

WINNER - CHASEN MATCHA BAR

2ND - WAYWARD COFFEE CO.

3RD - ENERGY LANE COFFEE

BEST DONUT

WINNER - OAK CLIFF DONUTS

2ND - THE SALTY DONUT

3RD - KIM’S DONUTZ

BEST BURGER

WINNER - HERBY’S BURGERS

2ND - COUNTRY BURGER

3RD - CHIP’S OLD FASHIONED HAMBURGERS

BEST CHICKEN

WINNER - WILLIAMS FRIED CHICKEN

2ND - MANHATTAN PROJECT

3RD - POLLOS AL CARBÓN LA HAWAIIANA

BEST FRIES

WINNER - HERBY’S BURGERS

2ND - CHEESESTEAK HOUSE

3RD - MANHATTAN PROJECT

BEST CELEBRATORY DINNER

WINNER - LUCIA

2ND - WRITTEN BY THE SEASONS

3RD - ENCINA

BEST COCKTAIL BAR

WINNER - TINY VICTORIES

2ND - ATLAS

3RD - VALLE

BEST COCKTAILS

WINNER - TINY VICTORIES

2ND - HUGO’S

3RD - THE BRANCA ROOM

BEST DESSERT

WINNER - COCOANDRÉ CHOCOLATIER & HORCHATERIA

2ND - CRETIA’S

3RD - NOTHING BUNDT CAKES

BEST DIVE BAR

WINNER - LADYLOVE LOUNGE & SOUND

2ND - OLD MONK OAK CLIFF

3RD - BARBARA’S PAVILLION

BEST FROZEN TREAT

WINNER - PICOLÉ

2ND - HUNKY’S OLD FASHIONED HAMBURGERS

3RD - THE SPELLED MILK

BEST HEALTHY BITE

WINNER - LA BODEGA ROTISSERIE AND GOODS

2ND - TRIBAL ALL DAY CAFE

3RD - PACKIN’ BOWLS

BEST HEALTHY FOOD STORE

WINNER - COX FARMS

2ND - ANN’S HEALTH FOOD CENTER & MARKET

3RD - OLMO MARKET

BEST ITALIAN FOOD

WINNER - ROMA’S ITALIAN BISTRO

2ND - LUCIA

3RD - ABRUZZO’S

BEST JAPANESE/SUSHI

WINNER - ZEN SUSHI IN THE BISHOP ARTS

2ND - OTARU SUSHI & HANDROLL BAR

3RD - SUGOI SUSHI

BEST LATIN

AMERICAN CUISINE

WINNER - VERACRUZ CAFE

2ND - GLORIA’S LATIN CUISINE

3RD - ROSI’S SALVADORAN FUSION CUISINE

BEST MEDITERRANEAN

WINNER - THE MAYOR’S HOUSE BY SELDA

2ND - PARADISO

3RD - LA BODEGA ROTISSERIE AND GOODS

BEST MEXICAN FOOD

WINNER - VERACRUZ CAFE

2ND - LA COMIDA MEXICAN KITCHEN AND COCKTAILS

3RD - EL CARLOS ELEGANTE

BEST PATIO

WINNER - PARADISO

2ND - TACO Y VINO

3RD - THE MAYOR’S HOUSE BY SELDA

BEST PIZZA

WINNER - ENO’S

2ND - CENZO’S PIZZA & DELI

3RD - HOME RUN PIZZA

BEST TACOS

WINNER - LA PAISANITA TAQUERIA

2ND - TAQUERIA EL SI HAY

3RD - TACO Y VINO

BEST TEX-MEX

WINNER - LA CALLE DOCE

2ND - GONZALEZ RESTAURANT

3RD - EL RANCHITO

BEST THAI FOOD

WINNER - CHAN THAI & PHO 88

2ND - SWEET RICE STREET EATS-BISHOP

3RD - BANH MI STATION

BEST SEAFOOD

WINNER - SUNSET CRAB SHACK

2ND - HUGO’S SEAFOOD BAR

3RD - MARISCOS LA REYNA

BEST WINE LIST

WINNER - NEIGHBORHOOD CELLAR

2ND - LITTLE BLUE BISTRO

3RD - VALLE

LOCAL SERVICES

BEST AUTO REPAIR SHOP

WINNER - TORRES AUTO SERVICE

2ND - MOROS AUTO REPAIR LLC

3RD - STARKEY SERVICE CENTER (TIE)

3RD - CHACHOS (TIE)

BEST CAR WASH

WINNER - DAVIS CAR WASH

2ND - CACTUS CARWASH

3RD - SNAP CLEAN

BEST BARBER SHOP

WINNER - TEXAS FADEZ

2ND - GREASE HAIR GALLERY

3RD - THE HIGH LONESOME LOUNGE

BEST WOMEN’S HAIR SALON

WINNER - REVIVE BEAUTY & WELLNESS

2ND - GLOW SALON

3RD - RITUAL SPACE

BEST NAIL SALON

WINNER - NAILED UP

2ND - LATINAS NAILS SALON

3RD - PINK PEDI SYLVAN AVENUE

BEST SPA

WINNER - YAYA FOOT SPA BISHOP ARTS

2ND - GSG SKIN & BODY

3RD - XIOMARA STUDIO

BEST MED SPA

WINNER - BELLA MEDSPA

2ND - TUXEDO CLUB

3RD - XIOMARA STUDIO

BEST CHIROPRACTOR

WINNER - URBAN HIPPIE WELLNESS COLLECTIVE

2ND - PEAK HEALTHCARE AND REHAB CHIROPRACTIC

3RD - APEX CHIROPRACTIC

BEST DENTIST

WINNER - KESSLER PARK DENTAL

2ND - WEST DAVIS DENTAL

3RD - &SMILES PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

BEST PEDIATRICIAN

WINNER - OAK CLIFF PEDIATRICS

2ND - DR. MELISSA A. WATERS, MD

3RD - DR. EWE G. GOH PEDIATRICS

BEST GYM

WINNER - DTX PERFORMANCE

2ND - CLAIREVISTA HOLISTIC HEALTH & FITNESS

3RD - VERANDAH ATHLETIC CLUB

BEST PILATES

WINNER - OAK CLIFF PILATES

2ND - JUNGLE STUDIO FITNESS

3RD - CARRIE’S PILATES TRINITY GROVES

BEST WELLNESS STUDIO

WINNER - RESTORE WELLNESS STUDIO

2ND - YOALI STUDIO

3RD - CLAIREVISTA HOLISTIC HEALTH & FITNESS

BEST PET GROOMING

WINNER - BRUNO’S PLACE DIY DOG WASH

2ND - OAK CLIPS PET BOUTIQUE & GROOMING

3RD - URBAN PAWS

BEST VET

WINNER - METRO PAWS ANIMAL HOSPITALOAK CLIFF

2ND - LOVE FREEWAY ANIMAL CLINIC

3RD - READIVET DALLAS, MOBILE VET

SERVICES (CLOSED)

BEST LANDSCAPING

WINNER - VARGAS LANDSCAPE AND SPRINKLERS

2ND - LAMBERT LANDSCAPE COMPANY

3RD - BLACKLAND PRAIRIE DESIGN

BEST PLUMBER

WINNER - DFW ELITE PLUMBING

2ND - CODY & SONS PLUMBING, HEATING & AIR

3RD - WILLARD PLUMBING

BEST DRY CLEANING

WINNER - SUNSHINE LAUNDRY & DRY CLEANER

2ND - TIDE LAUNDROMAT

3RD - JUDIT CLEANERS

BEST FLOWER SHOP

WINNER - DIRT FLOWERS

2ND - JOYCE FLORIST OF DALLAS 3RD - I LOVE ROSES FLORIST

BEST INTERIOR DESIGN

WINNER - HOUSE OF AMELIA

2ND - PULP DESIGN STUDIOS

3RD - DATTANI STUDIO

BEST LAW OFFICE

WINNER - LAW OFFICES OF JUAN C. RODRIGUEZ PLLC

2ND - THE FRANKLIN LAW FIRM PLLC

3RD - ANDERSON INJURY LAWYERSDALLAS OFFICE

SHOPPING & CULTURE

BEST BOOKSTORE

WINNER - WHOSE BOOKS

NEIGHBORHOOD BOOKSTORE

2ND - LUCKY DOG BOOKS - OAK CLIFF

3RD - POETS BOOKS BISHOP ARTS (CLOSED)

BEST BOUTIQUE

WINNER - BEATNIK FINE GOODS

2ND - BLUE DAHLIA

3RD - BELLA & BRAWN

BEST THRIFT & CONSIGNMENT STORE

WINNER - LULA B’S OAK CLIFF VINTAGE SHOP

2ND - THRIFT TOWN 3RD - DOLLY ON BISHOP

BEST CHILDREN’S STORE

WINNER - DLM TOTS

2ND - KIDS JOY TOYS

3RD - STORYBOOK BLANKIE

BEST HOME DECOR

WINNER - HOME ON BISHOP

2ND - TLAZO HOME

3RD - TALKING OUT OF TURN

BEST PET SUPPLIES

WINNER - GREEN PET SUPPLY

2ND - OAK CLIPS PET BOUTIQUE

3RD - DAISY & DOG

BEST PLANTS

WINNER - OASIS PLANT SHOP

2ND - DIRT FLOWERS

3RD - CEREUS PLANTS

BEST ART CLASS

WINNER - TRADE OAK CLIFF POTTERY AND ART CLASSES

2ND - ARTS MISSION OAK CLIFF

3RD - OIL AND COTTON

BEST DANCE COMPANY

WINNER - OAK CLIFF DANCE

2ND - ALEGRE BALLET FOLKLÓRICO

3RD - MUDANZA MOVEMENT

BEST PERFORMING ARTS THEATER

WINNER - BISHOP ARTS THEATRE CENTER

2ND - THE KESSLER THEATER

3RD - ARTS MISSION OAK CLIFF

BEST LIBRARY

WINNER - NORTH OAK CLIFF BRANCH LIBRARY

2ND - HAMPTON-ILLINOIS LIBRARY

3RD - ARCADIA PARK BRANCH LIBRARY

BEST PARK

WINNER - KIDD SPRINGS PARK

2ND - KIEST PARK

3RD - LAKE CLIFF PARK

BEST LIVE MUSIC

WINNER - THE KESSLER THEATER 2ND - REVELERS HALL

3RD - LADYLOVE LOUNGE & SOUND

BEST VENUE

WINNER - THE KESSLER THEATER 2ND - TEXAS THEATRE

3RD - OAK CLIFF ASSEMBLY

BEST MOVIE THEATER

WINNER - TEXAS THEATRE

2ND - THE KESSLER THEATER 3RD - SPACY

BEST RUN CLUB

WINNER - OAK CLIFF RUN CLUB

2ND - OAK CLIFF RUN CREW 3RD - DALLAS RUNNING CLUB

BEST PLACE FOR KIDS

WINNER - BB PIÑATA

2ND - KIDD SPRINGS AQUATIC CENTER

3RD - KIEST PARK

a couple of comeback kids

y Story by VICTORIA HERNANDEZ

Suddenly, the lease was up. Not right away, but they knew the end was coming.

That’s what happened to neighborhood staples Chan Thai & Pho 88 and Ten Bells Tavern.

First, it was Chan Thai & Pho 88. The two shops were formerly located on West Seventh Street.

That was until 2021, when owners Claudia and Rogelio Baez learned that new concepts were moving in, and their lease would not be renewed.

A similar story came for Ten Bells Tavern, except it was a bulldozer to make space for new apartments.

Owners Meri Dahlke and Michael Hickey learned the plans for this new development around 2019, before the pandemic and before their lease actually ended. Doors finally closed in April 2022. After planning to remain open until that July, the block had to be vacated sooner than expected, according to a Ten Bells Tavern Facebook post.

Like most stories in Dallas, it really boils down to the real estate. Two local staples were almost gone for good, yet each made a comeback just minutes away from where they once stood.

chan thai & pho 88

Chan Thai had been operating since 2000, with Pho 88 opening about a decade ago.

Day-one servers of Chan Thai, Claudia and Rogelio Baez, bought the restaurants from the original owners about nine years ago. That was when Chan Thai & Pho 88 became the family restaurant, son Alex Baez says.

Surprisingly, Baez says that 2020 happened to be one of the best years they’ve had at the restaurants because their existing delivery system was pretty popular in the pandemic.

The lack of lease renewal in 2021 put a damper on their new journey and success. That year to year and a half was what he describes as the worst time for his family.

Because the original location technically had two spaces, Baez remembers his parents asking if they could keep one of the spaces.

The response was yes, but only for six more months.

“I remember us being so confused, but also so sad. It was pouring rain outside, and I could see my dad sitting outside on a chair just crying. That’s the best way I can describe the situation,” Baez says. “We didn’t know what to do.”

The light at the end of the tunnel was finally finding a new location that felt right. Claudia was taking a walk around our neighborhood when a two-story pecan tree at one end of a West Davis property inspired her.

“My parents just looked up and thought it was closed, and then my mom saw the tree, and she fell in love with the tree, and then from there, we got in contact with the landlord here, which we didn’t know my parents had known for years,” Baez says. “So everything ended up working together and working out. We stayed in the area, and then we moved over here, and it took about six to nine months to open the new spot.”

After closing in September 2021, the newly combined Chan Thai & Pho 88 was able to reopen in March 2022.

Each concept still has its own distinct menu.

The Chan Thai menu serves appetizers like a bowl of edamame ($5.95), soups like the coconut milk-based tom kha gai ($8.95) that can add a choice of chicken, shrimp or tofu, and noodle dishes like pad key mow ($14.95) that can come at the spice levels of one through six.

The Pho 88 menu includes steamed rice plates ($12.95), the chef special ($14.99-$19.99) that comes in a clay pot topped with stir-fried bell peppers, white onions, carrots, broccoli, a choice of protein and choice of sauce. And of course, the pho that comes with a variety of protein options, vegetarian and kids’ versions available for $6.95-$14.95.

“I feel like it's always been that way, but it was very like, ‘Oh, Chan Thai was its own thing, and then Pho 88 was it’s own thing before when we were over there,’” he says. “I think now it’s just like one big restaurant where the way I view it is, it’s like me inviting everybody to my parents’ house, and my parents just happen to cook really good Thai food.”

Chan Thai & Pho 88, 436 W. Davis St., 214.948.9956

ten bells tavern

The original Ten Bells Tavern opened in June 2012, nearly lasting a decade in one spot.

“That monstrosity of apartments you see right there,” manager Patrick Saldivar says, referencing to the apartments on the back side of today’s location. “The owner of the land didn’t want to renew it because they were selling it to the developer to make those apartments.”

With the Ten Bells Tavern closure, Dahlke and Hickey weren't gone from the dining scene right away. But, it wasn’t always the plan to bring Ten Bells Tavern back.

Hickey was working on a couple of other spots in Deep Ellum and Arlington. They also owned Eight Bells Alehouse near Fair Park. When Ten Bells Tavern closed, Hickey says the goal was to shift focus on increasing Eight Bells Alehouse’s profitability.

However, Eight Bells Alehouse then closed due to damage caused by the February 2022 freeze.

“The back wall was falling off. And it wasn’t a good market still there,” Hickey says. “So we just cut bait.”

The landlords who owned the West Seventh Street Ten Bells Tavern also owned the property now housing version two of Ten Bells Tavern.

“The landlord came to us and told us about this property, and we thought, you know what, it seemed like a great idea to revive in this spot literally across the alley from where it was,” Hickey says.

Once it was decided to bring Ten Bells Tavern back, Saldivar says the plan was for it to be open a year after it closed.

That year turned into three.

“We had to turn the house into a remodel because this area, with this house – and specifically this side of the street –is historical, so we couldn’t tear it down,” Hickey says. “Which would’ve saved us a lot of time and money because it was a wreck, like an absolute wreck.”

The Tardis-like blue, century-old house on West Eighth Street now is filled with a remodel that “keeps the same feel as the original.”

The new location kept the same menu and continued the tradition of the weekend special that starts each Thursday night.

“That is, if we ever want to, that’s our testing with how does a dish serve,” Hickey says.

Main plates include sandwiches, wraps, fish, cheese quesadillas, chicken fried steak and the Ten Bells’ Burger ($15) served with onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayo, mustard, and American, cheddar or Swiss cheese paired with house made-fries. There are also smaller plates, such as mac and cheese ($10), burger sliders ($14), and the eight jumbo wings ($12) with the choice of two sauces from Ten Bells original, lemon pepper, spicy BBQ, buffalo, garlic parmesan and plain.

One change Hickey mentioned is that in the new location they utilize the space better.

“And it’s been really well received. I mean, a lot of regulars and workers, they really come out so it's been nice,” he says.

Ten Bells Tavern , 231 W. Eighth St. 214.943.2677

you deserve a sweet treat

LET’S TAKE AN OAK CLIFF SWEETS TOUR

This summer may be the last chance for Cliff Dwellers to come get their favorites at NOLA Snoballs on Jefferson. Maureen Ehrlicher says she’s ready for her time as a business owner to come to a close.

“I’m just tired, you know?” she says. “I enjoy talking about it, but don’t enjoy taking this ice out and doing all the other work.”

For nearly a decade, Ehrlicher has been spending her March through November in the minuscule shop. Each day during the season, she uses her Southern Snow Shaved Ice Machine to get the perfect consistency for her hometown New Orleans’ staple snoballs.

Her white ’90s-style fridge within is filled with an array of flavors to top the domeshaped treats.

Snoballs typically range from $3-$7 with the regular flavor options, and adding cream, sugar-free, natural flavors or adding topping tacks on 50 cents.

The most popular flavors include blue coconut and bubble gum. Sometimes snoballs are dressed up with condensed milk on top or there’s the knockout, which has a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the bottom. You can get a snoball with a “chunk of cheesecake” in the middle or select from a variety of dyefree clear flavors. There is also a vegan strawberry natural flavor.

For Ehrlicher, her favorite is the chocolate.

“A lot of times people are like, ‘Oh no, I don’t want chocolate on ice,’ but I say, ‘Have you ever eaten a fudgesicle?’” she says. “Because that’s basically ice and chocolate.”

NOLA Snoballs, 349 W. Jefferson Blvd., 214.507.5843

La Super Ice Cream Parlor

For nearly three decades, La Super Ice Cream Parlor has been serving Mexican frozen treats alongside savory items like carne asada fries, birria tacos and elote. Since first opening in 1996, the family owned business has opened multiple locations the DFW area.

Customers can choose more fruity flavors such as guava, mango and lime or creamier flavors like piñon (pine nut), birthday cake, or strawberries and cream. La Super also offers paletas, or popsicles, aguas frescas and snow cones.

“It’s fun when people come in and try flavors that they’ve never heard of before or unique flavors and then really like them,” co-owner Juan Correa says.

Siblings Correa and Jasmine Pargas own the location on Jefferson Boulevard, which opened in December 2020. Their father’s location on West Davis Street was a big inspiration for them, but they say that they are implementing different things.

“It is cool because we are the next generation of La Super owners,” Pargas says.

La Super came out with 12 flavors of pint ice creams in March. The turquoise cups feature the Paleteria La Super logo and a design of Correa and Pargas’ grandfather with a story about the business’ roots.

“It’s always been our dream to have our own ice cream out there,” Correa says. “We also wanted to celebrate our grandfather who started this business. He was the backbone of the family, so I think putting that on it was very special to us.”

La Super Ice Cream Parlor, 539 W. Jefferson Blvd. and 3317 W. Davis St., 972.685.0900

CocoAndré Chocolatier

Since 2009, CocoAndré Chocolatier has been bringing delectable Oak Cliff-made chocolates to the community. First, it was from the house on Seventh Street in Bishop Arts and now at Olmo Market in Elmwood. Mother-daughter duo Andrea and Cindy Pedraza have grown their confectionery company into a Dallas staple.

CocoAndré Chocolatier is now moving back into its own space this summer on Centre Street, where they have slowly been transitioning their chocolate-making. But fear not, Elmwood — the sweet treats you know will remain at Olmo Market, too.

“People really enjoy having the chocolate here,” Cindy says.

The shelves at Olmo Market host an array of chocolate bars and molded shapes, recently introducing a limited-edition white chocolate and milk chocolate shaped soccer ball for the FIFA World Cup. Popular options include

the pecan turtles with caramel made from scratch by Andrea and the Toasted Coconut bar, an oak leaf-shaped bar made with milk chocolate.

“I think everybody grew up eating chocolate-covered turtles as gifts and stuff like that,” Cindy says. “So it’s also really cool to see people that would get, like grandparents, that would get those box chocolates. And then they come and try our version, and they’re like, ‘Oh my god, this is so much better than what I was eating when I was a kid.’”

She says the truffles in the glass display are also popular at the market. Flavors available vary, but they can be purchased from a set of four to 25 for $12-$75.

CocoAndré Chocolatier & Horchateria, 423 Centre St., 214.941.3030

Olmo Market, 2111 S. Edgefield Ave., 214.941.3030

Pinkitzel

Last December, Jonathan and Christy Jantz opened Pinkitzel, a playful, energetic and very pink candy store in Bishop Arts. Inspired by figures like Marie Antoinette and Willy Wonka, the Jantzes opened their first location in 2010 in Oklahoma City. In August of last year, a second location was opened in McKinney. The Bishop Arts establishment is the third store, with another having opened recently in Waco.

Entering the store, visitors are immediately bombarded with splashes of color, energetic music and the smell of sweets. This over-the-top design was intentional, with both Jantzes coming from an artistic background.

“We really want an atmosphere where everyone feels like a kid in a candy store,” Jonathan Jantz says. “While they’re inside the store, we want everyone to really enjoy who they are and just have fun picking out some sweet treats.”

Candies and treats line the walls of the store. In addition to offering the traditional candy store experience, Pinkitzel also has a loft that can seat up to 15 and can be used for bridal showers, birthday parties or other events.

“We have over 200 varieties of bulk candy, so that’s our main attraction,” Jantz says. “We try to stay pretty consistent because we want everyone to be able to come back for something they want, but we have lots of holiday flavors and products that come out and change.”

The cakes are the chain’s flagship items. In particular, the Pretty in Pink cake is a triple-layer white cake adorned with handmade macarons, pareils, gumballs and gold sprinkles.

Pinkitzel, 417 N. Bishop Ave., 972.666.7465

Dining trends

OAK CLIFF HAS BEEN HOME TO A LOT OF TREND SETTING. HERE ARE A FEW OF THE SPOTS THAT YOU SHOULD TRY.

Compiled by VICTORIA HERNANDEZ

POP-UPS

Cliff Bagels

For three years, the shop has been popping up around Dallas ahead of opening their West Davis Street storefront. You can find them on the weekends providing spreads, bagels and sandwiches. Recently, Cliff Bagels has popped up at the Dallas Farmers Market and Cedric’s Coffee Shop.

Follow to find its next pop-up @cliffbagels

Big Dawg Sandos

This pop-up provides hot dogs, grilled cheeses, stacked English muffins and more. Pop-up spots have included Oasis Plant Shop, the Dallas Art Book Fair, East Dock, Outpost Fine Goods and Wayward Coffee Co.

Follow to find its next pop-up @bigdawgsandos

ThreeSmiths

Chef Rolando Herrera brings a pizza pop-up to Oak Cliff Brewing Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and sometimes appears at the Tyler Station First Fridays vendor market. Herrera also works as a private catering chef in Turtle Creek, according to an interview with Voyage Dallas.

Follow to find its next pop-up @threesmiths3

WINE SHOPS & WINE BARS

Ampelos Wines

A natural wine bar and bottle shop. Selections go through a screening process to include options with very little to no additives or preservatives. The only exceptions are minimal sulfites and naturally occurring native yeast from the vineyard.

411 W. Eighth St.

Lucky Draw Wine Club

A curation of natural wines housed in Outpost Fine Goods. The club is a collaboration with Wayward Coffee Co., bringing in unique bottles from winemakers around the world that are available to enjoy at the Outpost bar. There is a three-bottle monthly subscription selected by Wayward and a one-bottle subscription available by choice.

1320 W. Davis St.

Blind Bishop

The modern wine bar, restaurant and shop sits just beyond Jefferson Boulevard, bringing a curated list of selections from owner and sommelier Dielk Caner. Caner is the first individual to obtain the “Master of Wine” title and professional qualification in the state of Texas. In addition to global wine selections, the location also offers classes, tastings, seminars and private events. Closed for a summer break, regular service will return Sept. 12.

310 Sunset Ave.

BREWERIES

Oak Cliff Brewing Co.

Located in Tyler Station, the three-vessel, 30 barrel brewery and tap room serves beer created in a 100-year-old factory. The brews available also nod to our neighborhood, like Lee Hazy IPA and Oak Cliff Lager.

1300 S. Polk St., Ste. 222

Smittox Brewing

Kuumba Smith, owner of Smittox Brewing, recently opened a location near East Dock. The brand was founded in 2018, with Smith starting his home brewing in 2013. Fresh craft brews include selections like the American “Outta Order Porter” and “Thought Process,” a blackberry and lime blonde ale.

930 E. Clarendon Drive

White Rock Brewing Co.

Originally located near White Rock Lake as the White Rock Alehouse & Brewery, the craft brewery and taproom was established in 2017 and rebranded with its move. The location includes an extensive collection of local, handcrafted and award-winning brews. There is also a spacious covered patio and dog-friendly beer garden not too far from the Trinity River. 2477 N. Beckley Ave.

BAKERIES

Kessler Baking Studio

Starting as Kessler Cookie Co. in 2003 to make corporate gifts around the holidays in the early years, today’s Kessler Baking Studio specializes in desserts made from scratch like blondies, brownies, buttermilk biscuits, cakes, cinnamon rolls, cookies, muffins, scones and shortbread. 1129 N. Beckley Ave.

Oak Cliff Bread

Born from a cottage bakery, the popular storefront starts a line early in the a.m. The selections include fluffed rolls of bread and buttery pastries milled from Barton Springs Mill to use local Texas grains in its baked goods.

1300 S. Polk St., Ste. 230

Vera’s Bakery

This 30-year-old bakery specializes in cakes, fresh donuts, churros and Mexican pan dulce. Other popular items include the ojarascas, which are Mexican cookies made with lard, sugar and cinnamon.

932 W. Davis St.

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A taste down memory lane

A selection of recipes from the Oak Cliff Woman’s Club Savory-Fair 70 cookbook

Story by VICTORIA HERNANDEZ

the Oak Cliff Woman’s Club was founded on March 16, 1951, by nine women. Founding president Madie Glover lived at 2146 Leander Drive with husband William H. Glover and their two children, according to The Dallas Morning News.

When looking through the Dallas City Directory for 1955, Madie Glover was able to be identified based on the published address in the July 3, 1952 article.

In the same article, eight other women were identified as founding members of the new club:

Mmes W.C. Buford, Edwin Royse, Ben Merritt, R.E. Starnes, Vernon Smith, James Smith, James McKinney and T.R. Edgar.

Soon after, the club grew to include 36 charter members, and by

two months later, there were over 100 names on the roster. A majority of the members lived in Oak Cliff, but being a resident was not a requirement.

The club was founded as a social and cultural organization with a wide range of activities such as sessions and committees on gardening, interior decorating, crafts, bowling, golfing, self-improvement and homemaking. Annual events included the “Shower of Flowers” flower show and the annual Christmas Pilgrimage and Bazaar.

By September 1971, ceremonies took place for the groundbreaking of the clubhouse located on West Kiest Boulevard. The clubhouse was completed in May 1971 after decades of various fundraising events and

10 years of running the thrift shop Scotch Closet.

The clubhouse came with a parlor, dining area, kitchen and auditorium that doubled as craft room. A sitting area was named the Browder Room in honor of philanthropic contributors to the project, Marie Browder and her late husband Fred.

A sign for the clubhouse is located at 3555 W. Kiest Blvd. today.

The Southern Methodist University DeGolyer Library has an edition of the Savory-Fair 70 cookbook, which includes an array of recipes compiled and distributed by the Oak Cliff Woman’s Club of 1970-1971, the very members that were involved the year of the clubhouse groundbreaking. Here are three recipes listed within that book:

COURTESY: Oak Cliff Woman’s Club. Savory-Fair 70. Oak Cliff Woman’s Club, 1971. DeGolyer Library, SMU.

STUFFED DILL PICKLES FROM POLLY COLE

INGREDIENTS

• 12 large dill pickles (cored)

• 3 cups brown sugar

• 2 cloves garlic (cut up)

DIRECTIONS

Mix together in a covered dish. Store in refrigerator for three days.

Mix:

• 8 oz. package cream cheese

• 2 cans potted meat

• ¾ cup chopped pecans

Use this filling to stuff pickles. Slice to serve. This is an easy and different canape.

LOBSTER SALAD FROM ELOISE FRAMPTON

INGREDIENTS

• 6 lobster tails (3 to 5 oz.)

• 1 package (8 oz.) macaroni shells

• ½ cup diced green pepper

• ½ cup diced celery

• 1 teaspoon onion juice

DIRECTIONS

• ½ cup chopped stuffed olives

• ½ cup ketchup

• ½ teaspoon Angostura bitters

• Salt and pepper to taste

Boil lobster tails according to directions. Drain, chill and dice meat. Cook macaroni shells and drain. Add a teaspoon of salad oil to shells. Chill. Mix meat, shells, olives, pepper, celery and onion juice. Combine other ingredients and add to salad. Serves six.

SAD

CAKE FROM ROSEMARY PERKINS

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups prepared biscuit mix (not buttermilk)

• 1 lb. box brown sugar

• 4 eggs

• 1 cup pecans, chopped

DIRECTIONS

Mix eggs, sugar and biscuit mix for 5 minutes, with an electric mixer. Add pecans and pour into a greased 9” x 13” pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Let cool. Cut into 15 to 18 chewy squares.