Northlake, TX October 2023

Food and Beverage Issue

Taste of fall

After a long hot summer, welcome to fall!

With the changing of the seasons comes a change in what we are craving, and with fall that often means comfort food.

October is our most delectable issue of the year, filled with food and beverage options around town.

We featured the many options now available at the Hilltop Food Truck Park and sat down with the owners of Two Brothers Winery.

Fall is our favorite time of year as it finally starts to cool, and we’re able to spend more time outdoors cooking out or enjoying a meal on the patio. Some of our best memories are from October, barbecuing chicken or enjoying s’mores on the first cool evening of the season.

There is an art to creating a flavorful dish that not only satisfies our taste buds but evokes memories. The aroma of certain spices and foods can bring us right back to our childhood, which can be incredibly powerful and comforting. Food brings us together, and whether we are sharing a meal with loved ones or enjoying a night out on the town, the time spent while enjoying food is invaluable.

Enjoy a tasty fall, and thanks for reading.

CRYSTAL HOBBS, PUBLISHER @NORTHLAKECITYLIFESTYLE

October 2023

PUBLISHER

Crystal Hobbs | crystal.hobbs@citylifestyle.com

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

Richard Greene | richard.greene@citylifestyle.com

PUBLISHER ASSISTANT

Sarah Strickland | sarah.strickland@citylifestyle.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Richard Greene, Kristen Tribe, Kate Jones

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Christina Oakley, Savanna Romano, Lacey Whitmer

Corporate Team

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry

VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES Tiffany Slowinski

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson

DIRECTOR OF FIRST IMPRESSIONS Jennifer Robinson

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Josh Klein

CONTROLLER Gary Johnson

AD DESIGNER Matthew Endersbe

LAYOUT DESIGNER Kathy Nguyen

We design timeless spaces with your wellness in mind.

city scene

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407 Nutrition

407 Nutrition celebrated its first anniversary in September.The family-owned business is operated by Jessica Burton and her two sons Brady and Brooks, providing vitamin-packed drinks. It has everything from low-calorie meal replacement shakes to high-protein shakes to promote muscle enhancement. You can also add immune boosters just in time for cold and flu season. They recently unveiled new tea recipes, adding to its wide selection of drinks.

Wag Shack

Michele Nemecek

provided a quality play date for puppies along with a good home away from home for boarding. Wag Shack is expanding their salon services, coinciding with renovations of its facility at 308 E. FM 1830 Building 15. Contact them today for boarding, grooming or a short play day.

House of Colour

Kate Jones, local franchise owner of House of Colour, uses color and style analysis to help her clients feel put together. Color analysis uses a sophisticated process merging color science and your natural undertones to determine which colors make your skin look brighter and smoother.  Knowing your colors curates confidence, and, makes it easier to shop when you can mix and match your wardrobe and buy less of what you don’t wear.

Cheers to Family

AND FELLOWSHIP

TWO BROTHERS WINERY FOSTERS CONNECTION IN THE HEART OF KELLER

Good wine inspires great ideas, leading the Kirkwood family to open Two Brothers Winery.

“We started traveling a lot, and it was something we could connect over and really enjoyed,” Donna Kirkwood said, describing the dream she shared with her husband, Eddie. “So one night after a few glasses of wine, we thought ‘we could do this. It’d be great!’”

The couple had operated an insurance agency in Old Town Keller for almost 20 years and had watched the community grow into a bustling suburb. By 2019, the city boasted an array of restaurants and incredible shopping but had yet to draw a winery.

Eddie and Donna seized the opportunity to make their dream a reality. They hired a consultant and asked Brian and Stephanie Kirkwood to join the venture.

“It sounded like a great idea,” Brian said, recalling his brother’s pitch. “We knew it would give us the chance to spend more time with them and be more involved in the community.”

Donna said the consultant, who owns two wineries himself, walked them through all the steps and connected them with his winemaker, from whom Eddie learned the craft.

“We went to his production center a couple of times, and the wine we opened with was basically made through our visits there,” Eddie said.

In the meantime, the Kirkwoods bought a building, tore it down to the foundation, and rebuilt it into a cozy venue. After several months of painstaking planning and work, Two Brothers Winery, named for Eddie and Brian, opened its doors at 110 Lamar St. in November 2019. Then the pandemic hit.

“I remember walking out and just having a huge sense of peace over it,” Donna said of the day all businesses were temporarily closed. “It was a peace that transcends all understanding that God gives you. There were lots of blessings that occurred out of it.”

She said they had many opportunities to share their faith throughout the various stages of the pandemic and quickly connected with their customers, whether it was by providing pre-made communion packs at Easter or inviting people in for mimosas and a streamed church service.

Eddie said the community was incredibly supportive during this time, and they established relationships with people who are now regular customers.

“I REMEMBER WALKING OUT AND JUST HAVING A HUGE SENSE OF PEACE OVER IT. IT WAS A PEACE THAT TRANSCENDS ALL UNDERSTANDING THAT GOD GIVES YOU. THERE WERE LOTS OF BLESSINGS THAT OCCURRED OUT OF IT.”

— DONNA KIRKWOOD

Today the Two Brothers’ menu features 29 different wines, including whites, reds, sweet wines, sparkling wines, dessert wines and a blush.

“We do flights, by the bottle or by the glass service,” Donna said. “And our food menu includes appetizers and charcuterie boards.”

Eddie makes the wine on-site, using grapes from California vineyards.

“The grapes are already crushed, and the juice is bagged up in these 55-gallon drums,” he said. “We take that and start the fermentation process. We’ve spent the last three-and-a-half years tweaking it and doing small trials on the side to see what people like.”

Brian said they recommend new guests try a flight.

“It’s four or five different wines, depending on what you choose, but it’s a good way to experience all we have to offer,” he said. “In general, when temperatures are warmer, you’re going to want something lighter and sweeter, but as it cools off, people tend to go with reds. Of course, it depends on what you’re eating, too.”

Two Brothers offers several social events including paint and sips, comedy nights, live music and various types of parties. The Kirkwoods love playing host.

“We have a saying: ‘Drink the wine you love; love the wine you drink,’” Donna said. “It really doesn’t matter what someone else likes. It’s all about what you like; just enjoy it.”

“WE HAVE A SAYING: ‘DRINK THE WINE YOU LOVE; LOVE THE WINE YOU DRINK.’ IT REALLY DOESN’T MATTER WHAT SOMEONE ELSE LIKES. IT’S ALL ABOUT WHAT YOU LIKE; JUST ENJOY IT.”   — DONNA KIRKWOOD

• EFFECTIVE SURGICAL PROCEDURE THAT SCULPTS THE UPPER ARM

• NO OTHER PROCEDURE IS AS POWERFUL AT ACHIEVING AN EXCELLENT AESTHETIC RESULT

• SURGICALLY REMOVES EXCESS SKIN AND FAT

DELICIOUS OPTIONS

HILLTOP FOOD TRUCK PARK GATHERS QUICK FOLLOWING

Chris Mariot awaits his order, thankful to only have to venture out less than a mile for dinner.

After mulling the various options at Hilltop Food Truck Park, he’s chosen Indian cuisine from Crypto grill.

“All the neighbors on the Harvest Facebook page have been raving about it,” Marriot said.

“It’s just great to see options closer. They are great people, and it’s great to see them be successful. We don’t have to worry about going into Flower Mound or Denton.”

Bringing more food options to the Northlake area was the impetus for Trouper Arnold and his family to create the food truck park at the corner of Thompson Road and Farmto-Market Road 407.

“Growing up here, you had to drive 30 minutes one way to go eat or the grocery store,” Arnold said. “When we started, we wanted to bring diverse dining options here.”

Since May, the Hilltop Food Truck Park has built a

following from local neighbors who have enjoyed the various trucks, with offerings of burgers, Korean barbecue, Indian cuisine, empanadas, coffee and a variety of frozen treats. Even in the triple-digit heat, patrons visited the trucks in the morning for breakfast, at lunch and dinner time.

“The summer has been our slowest time with the heat, but in the fall we expect to be busy,” Arnold said.

The lineup of trucks and the options change weekly and sometimes daily. There have been many regulars since May, including Witch Water Coffee, which provides a mid-morning caffeine rush for locals.

“Coffee is my love language,” said Rebecca Williams, the owner of Witch Water. “It brings me joy to make it and serve it. I believe customer service is becoming a lost art, but it’s something we do really well here. We want our customers to feel comfortable providing honest feedback.

ROW 1

LEFT: There's plenty of seating at the Hilltop Food Truck Park.

RIGHT: 3F is ready to serve hungry customers.

ROW 2

LEFT: Susan Beatty offers fusion of flavors at Gogi Time.

RIGHT: Children cool down with snowcones.

ROW 3

LEFT: Witch Water Coffee serves up coffee to patrons at the Hilltop Food Truck Park.

RIGHT: The frozen treat leaves a smile.

ROW 4

LEFT: The blue stains are worth it for a cool treat.

RIGHT: The Ribwhisperer will open this fall.

We are only getting started. There’s tons more to come, it’s just going to get better and better.”

Fernando Lezama has been bringing his 3F Premier Catering truck to Hilltop for the past few months, serving up his Columbian-style empanadas made from scratch. The culinary school grad has been parking at various food truck parks and farmers markets throughout the area in the past six years, including the Truck Yard in Alliance and Keller. He’s found a home at Hilltop.

“It was really busy in the beginning. It has been a little slow because of the heat,” Lezama said. “I really like the concept. There’s different kinds of food for everyone.”

Gogi Time Korean BBQ has been a mainstay at the park in the past few months. Susan Beatty and Joe Campos use family recipes to serve up a fusion of Korean-inspired barbecue bowls, including options with spicy pork and ribeye.

Beatty said they branched out to serving the bowls, with her son operating the Mexoran food truck in Denton, with its fusion of Mexican and Korean flavors in tacos, quesadillas and burritos.

“This has been really nice. It’s a family atmosphere,” Beatty said. “We promote each other and help each other. If someone runs out of something, we give it to them. Trouper and Tanner [Arnold] are awesome to work with.”

Trouper said it's rewarding to see cooperation between the vendors and to see them take some ownership of the park.

“There’s a lot to do day to day. They are willing to help out and take care of things,” he said. “They are willing to help each other out.”

In the fall, the Arnolds plan to open up their Ribwhipserer truck. They also plan to hold several events, including movie nights and game-watching parties for the anticipated crowds in the fall. There are also cornhole boards for added family entertainment.

Arnold hopes to continue to grow the park and attract crowds for the trucks.

“We have big goals for the future,” he said.

“This has been really nice. It’s a family atmosphere. We promote each other and help each other.”

— Susan Beatty

Wines

Local Legend Rickey Hill's Big Screen Story

The movie ‘The Hill,’ starring Dennis Quaid, features the true-life story of North Texan

Rickey Hill’s life is an incredible story that exemplifies the strength of the human spirit.

Born in Fort Worth to a poor Baptist preacher and his wife Hellen, Hill grew up in the 1960s, wearing leg braces due to a degenerative spinal disease. Doctors doubted he would ever walk normally.

But despite the physical challenges, Hill held to a dream of playing baseball. He held tightly to the dream, feeling like it was God’s calling that he would one day play in the major leagues.

Hill’s dad had other aspirations for his son. He wanted to shield him from further physical pain. He wished for his son to follow in his footsteps and become a minister.

The remarkable story of Hill's improbable journey to overcome his challenges and play professional baseball are explored in the “The Hill,” starring screen legend Dennis Quaid as his father, Reverend James Hill. The inspirational true story hit theaters nationally in August.

A YOUNG PHENOMENON, DESPITE PAIN, ADVERSITIES

At age four, with his leg braces locked in place, Hill would hit rocks his older brother pitched with a stick. The family lived in poverty and times were hard, with no money to spare for a ball and bat. Every day, Hill would hit rocks, sometimes for 16 hours a day.

When he turned 7, his brother encouraged him to play baseball with the older kids and the young Hill surprised them all with his hitting prowess. By 9, he was playing in a twilight league’s starting lineup, and soon was known as the “home run king.”

He always drew a cross in the dirt each time he came to bat, feeling God’s love and encouragement.

He saved green stamps to buy his first glove and continued to seek a balance between the crippling disease,

the pro ball player he wanted to be, his father’s dreams, and what God truly had in store for his life.

When the leg braces were removed, baseball had become natural for Hill. Yet the ups and downs continued to plague him. At 17, he injured his leg on a sprinkler head in the outfield, requiring surgery.

At 18, he was invited to a three-day baseball camp where 700 of the top teenage ball players were competing for a chance at the big leagues. The main tryout field was reserved for the top talent, with Hill stationed at the worst field. Frustrated as he limped around the bases, he felt his extraordinary batting abilities were overlooked.

Eventually, he tapped the top scout on the shoulder and said, “Sir, the hardest hitter is about to leave this camp. How do I get to the main diamond, where the top players are?”

The scout was skeptical but invited Hill back for the opportunity of a lifetime the next day, where the top 18 talents faced off for the camp finale. Hill was made the designated hitter for both teams, putting on a spectacular display, going 11-for-11, including two singles, five doubles, one triple and three home runs.

As Hill said, he “entered camp as a nobody and came out as a somebody.”

Not long after, he signed with the Montreal Expos and played four seasons in the minors before his body gave out.

DETERMINATION AND GRIT

Despite the obstacles life has thrown Rickey’s way, he’s faced those challenges with faith and an unwavering will. He’s been through 49 surgeries, living most of his days in chronic pain. He’s broken nearly every bone and has been in three near-death car accidents. In the last accident, troopers were surprised to find he was still alive.

“Having a film made about my life feels inspirational. It’s God-designed.”

— Rickey Hill

“My mom always said I was hardheaded,” Hill joked.  When he could no longer play baseball, he found golf and now enjoys both playing and teaching the game to others.  All his life, Hill has moved mountains to climb The Hill. Through many trials, he’s managed to hold dear to his faith and determination.

Today, he plays golf, partnering with famous names like Tony Romo.

Close friend Ron Gourley, Co-Founder, President and CEO of TrendTek Bio, Inc., has encouraged Hill to use his heart and energy to inspire underserved kids to pursue their dreams.

Just like the movie of his life, Hill is about God’s love, faith, perseverance and never letting go of your dream. He hopes to inspire children to do the same.

At age 64, Rickey is giving back to others in a way that would surely make his father proud.

LEARN MORE: Ron Gourley is a past board member of the local Kids Matter International chapter, which helps children in need through programs that empower them and enhance their lives. He led Rickey to the organization, and on Oct. 23, the sports legend will play in the Kids Matter Eagles Challenge at Lantana Golf Club in Lantana, Texas.

Tournament registration details can be found at eagleschallenge.org.

As Hill said, he “entered camp as a nobody and came out as a somebody.”

Impromptu adventures

COUPLE FINDS JOY IN SPONTANEOUS TRIPS

Have you ever found that the much-anticipated two-week vacation you'd been planning for months turns out to be more stressful than the work life you sought to escape?

It’s often the case that simply a quick getaway— with its change of scenery, a dash of novelty, and a spark of inspiration— is what we need.

Northlake residents, Erik Hernandez and Deirdre Betancourt are enthusiastic advocates of these brief trips to relieve the stress of their busy work and family life.

As owners of It’s Bugs or Us, an exterminating business, they are keenly aware of the creativity, organizational skills and fortitude needed to run your own business. With 25 years of experience in the exterminating business, Erik and Deirdra take pleasure and pride in using their business as a vehicle for helping other people.  They both enjoy working with their clients, and customer service is always their top priority.

In addition to being successful business owners, Erik and Deirdre are enthusiastic and spontaneous travelers. Recently, they’ve taken quick getaway trips to California, Las Vegas, Wisconsin and Florida. They enjoy trying new restaurants, swimming and visiting parks like Disneyland.

Often, the same skills necessary to run a successful business — creativity, punctuality and organization— are

necessary to ensure the success of a quick getaway. For example, the nine-year age gap between their two children often presents a challenge regarding which activities to pursue.

For the most part, Erik and Deirdre successfully navigate these differences and provide their children with vacation memories that will last a lifetime. As a family, they treasure this time together, away from the tedium of the daily work routine.

The Stoic philosopher, Seneca, once remarked, “Travel and change impart new vigor to the mind."

So, if you currently find yourself burdened by excessive heat, boring work, or unruly children, it may be time to take a leap and discover the pleasures of a brief, spontaneous travel get-away.

events

A curated selection of the most intriguing upcoming events in our area.

OCTOBER 1ST

Get home ready for the holiday parties

NORTHLAKE, ARGYLE, JUSTIN, LANTANA, BARTONVILLE | 9:00 AM

If you have projects around your house that need to get done before the holiday parties begin, call BKS. Now is the time to book for hanging curtains, adding decor or upgrading lighting. Special pricing available. Call BKS at 316-303-452 3 .

OCTOBER 1ST

Host holiday parties at The Barrel

2648 FM 407 SUITE 150, BARTONVILLE | 4:00 PM

The Barrel recently expanded its private event space to host up to 40 people for holiday or business events. You can customize menus, decor, floral agreements and cocktail menus. Enjoy half-priced drinks during your private event if booked during happy hour 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on select days.

OCTOBER 7TH

Savage Race

10736 COUNTY ROAD 102 GRANDVIEW, TX | 9:00 AM

Push yourself to the limit, climbing over 25 obstacles in five- to seven-mile events during the Savage Race. Your reward is a shiny medal and a sense of satisfaction for completing the challenge. Register at savagerace.com.

OCTOBER 7TH

Northlake Neighbors 10K/5K/1 mile

2701 NORTH MARKET SQUARE LANE | 8:00 AM

Come run through the Pecan Square neighborhood during the third annual Northlake Neighbors 10K/5K or 1-mile fun run Oct. 7. Proceeds from the event will benefit the North Texas Food Bank. Register at  https:// runsignup.com/Race/TX/Northlake/NorthlakeNeighborshttps://runsignup.com/Race/TX/Northlake/ NorthlakeNeighbors

OCTOBER 12TH

Luminous Glow Med Spa

2652 FM 407 SUITE 135, BARTONVILLE | 6:30 PM

Luminous Glow Med Spa will celebrate its first anniversary from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 12. The celebration will include door prizes, raffles and light appetizers. Please RSVP to luminousglowmedspa.com

OCTOBER 29TH

Event Venue Open House

6150 ALLRED RD, ARGYLE, TX 76226

JM Prosperity Farm Rustic Barn Venue is having an open house to showcase its new updates. There will be local vendors on-site during the open house.

Want to be featured?

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