Productivity killer: Conan's St. Patty's in Chinatown

Do you miss the world's funniest Irishman, Conan O'Brien on late night? Well, you could see him this spring at SMU, but the tickets are pretty pricey. While you're thinking about it, spend a few moments with Conan on his 2009 St. Patrick's Day stroll through Chinatown.

• Posted by Christina Hughes Babb on Mar 12, 2010 at 02:35 PM in Advocate Mag, Lakewood - E Dallas
  
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Restaurant talk: Kalachandjis

It was just a week ago, though it seems like longer, that my husband suggested we temporarily try out a vegan diet. (It had something to do with him seeing an old friend who “looked amazing” and said the secret was “going vegan”.)

Since Food, Inc., I’ve been leaning toward cleaner eating, so I agreed to try a vegan diet for a week and was happy to have my bacon-obsessed spouse on board.

Last weekend, I introduced him to Kalachandji’s, the restaurant inside the Hare Krishna temple on Gurley Ave. in East Dallas. They have a daily rotating buffet of vegetarian dishes that includes a variety of rice, tofu casseroles … fresh spinach, chickpeas, okra, potatoes, soups and a salad bar. The lunch buffet is $7.95 and the dinner is $10.95. I could eat the vegetable curry (Sabji) all day, and the moderately spicy Dahl (soup) made with lentil-type beans is a fantastic source of protein for vegetarians. My favorite was a savory/sweetish chickpea/rice mixture. I also recall loving vegetarian enchiladas here once, though they weren’t on the buffet this day. My husband loved everything and declared going vegan would be easy (he change his tune later in the week ... but that's a different story).

There were a few menu items that didn’t fall into the vegan category (such as the rice pudding —boo!) but products containing dairy are clearly marked, which makes it easy on us amateurs. I’m also addicted to the lemony Tamarind Tea, available on every buffet.

Kalachandji’s atmosphere (find the restaurant on the southeast side of the building) is so inviting. Even on a hot day the patio is shady and cool. Since it’s a buffet, you don’t have a hovering server, but helpful staff is around to bring out dessert, clear your used plates, answer questions and deliver the check. 

The restaurant is closed Mondays, and it is open for dinner the rest of the week from 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m.; lunch on weekdays from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and on weekends from noon to 3 p.m.

• Posted by Christina Hughes Babb on Mar 12, 2010 at 09:21 AM in Advocate Mag, Lakewood - E Dallas
  
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Woodrow Wilson HS choir to perform on KERA

 The Woodrow Wilson High School choir will perform on KERA Monday at 7 p.m. The choir is performing on the program "Celebrate America: North Texas".

The show features  composer and musician Tim Janis and 14 high school choral groups from across  North Texas. They will sing new songs written by Janis and traditional American favorites.

• Posted by Rachel Stone on Mar 12, 2010 at 09:08 AM in Advocate Mag, Lakewood - E Dallas
  
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Get your hair did, help Lower Greenville

Darian Ryan Organic Hair Studio is donating $25 to the employees of restaurants destroyed by fire on Lower Greenville March 2 for every new customer who gets a service.

The salon on Mockingbird near Abrams is owned by husband-and-wife David and Jaime Ernst. They use all organic hair products and ammonia-free hair color.

• Posted by Rachel Stone on Mar 12, 2010 at 08:51 AM in Advocate Mag, Lakewood - E Dallas
  
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January sales tax hits budget

That's pretty good news, all things considered. The city expected to take in $15.2 million in sales tax revenue in January, and it did. Still, it's only the second time in the past two years that the budget forecasts have been correct. And, for the year, we're off budget projections by 7.5 percent.

Does this mean that sales tax collections have turned the corner? Your guess is as good as mine. Next month's numbers should help answer that.

Here is our handy clip and save sales tax chart for the 2009-10 fiscal year. The basics: The sales tax accounts for abut 22 percent of the city general budget; another 43 percent comes from property tax receipts. The official figures are on the state comptroller Web site. The months listed on that site are, for accounting purposes, about two months ahead, so the March result listed is for January.

• Posted by Jeff Siegel on Mar 12, 2010 at 06:07 AM in City Hall, Siegel, Advocate Mag, Lakewood - E Dallas
  
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Video: Drum roll for respect

It certainly is a guilty pleasure watching grown up man in suits go bunkers and dance around like five year olds. This is exactly what Council members Dwaine Caraway, Jerry Allen and Tennell Atkins did while hosting a drum line face-off in front of City Hall. Bands from Lake Highlands, Skyline, Adamson and Townview put on quite a show to bring attention to the March for Respect, a walk through the West End on March 27 to show support for Texans with developmental disabilities.

Click here for the slide show

Continue reading “Video: Drum roll for respect”

• Posted by Can Turkyilmaz on Mar 11, 2010 at 06:01 PM in Advocate Mag, Lakewood - E Dallas
  
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Will wet-dry election actually turn all of Dallas wet?

What happens if the city schedules a wet-dry election, but state law makes the result moot for part of the city? That's what we may find out if the group gathering signatures for a November vote gets on the ballot.

That's because a section of Texas' Alcoholic Beverage Code doesn't allow a city-wide election to change the wet-dry status of an area if that area has already voted on the issue and if the area is "wholly contained" within the city. And Oak Cliff seems to fit that definition, even if the dry parts of Preston Hollow, Lake Highlands, and Far North Dallas don't.

Sound confusing? That's because it is; so confusing, in fact, that several attorneys told me that the city could be sued for even scheduling an election, let alone over what the results mean. More, after the jump:

Continue reading “Will wet-dry election actually turn all of Dallas wet?”

• Posted by Jeff Siegel on Mar 11, 2010 at 03:18 PM in Neighborhood, Siegel, Advocate Mag, Lakewood - E Dallas
  
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Pack your Advocate for spring break travels

If you're heading somewhere exotic or picturesque for spring break, make sure to take an Advocate with you, and snap a pic of you and your family or friends with the magazine at a scenic locale. If you send us the photo, along with a description of who and what is in the picture, you may find yourself in an upcoming edition of the Advocate.

If you don't have an Advocate lying around at home, you may be able to pick up a copy of March's issue at one of our neighborhood rack locations. And if you're not traveling during spring break (like the many of us who no longer get a "spring break"), no worries — just pack your Advocate the next time you go on a trip, and send us whatever you come up with.

• Posted by Keri Mitchell on Mar 11, 2010 at 12:27 PM in Advocate, Mitchell, Advocate Mag, Lakewood - E Dallas
  
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Season's first White Rock Local market is Saturday

White Rock Local's first market of the season is Saturday from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

This year, White Rock Local is planning on two markets each month, on the second and fourth Saturdays. On the first Saturday of the month, the market will include all kinds of fresh produce, natural meat and cheeses, artisan bread, pasta, preserves, tamales, cookies, honey and spices. Plus non-food items like flowers, plants, gardening supplies, clothing, ceramics, candles, body products jewelry and pet supplies.

The market that's on the fourth Saturday of the month — March 27 this month — will feature only food.

A full list of this weekend's vendors is available here. And a map locating the market is here.

• Posted by Rachel Stone on Mar 11, 2010 at 12:13 PM in Advocate Mag, Lakewood - E Dallas
  
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This weekend: play, parade and run

Through March 27 — Volume of Smoke at the Bath House Cultural Center. The play tells the tale of the infamous Richmond Theatre fire. When the theater burned to the ground in the 1800s, it held a standing-room-only crowd of 600, and more than 70 people died. Clay McLeod Chapman’s play pieces together the story based on interviews with survivors. Tickets are $10-$15.

Saturday, March 13 — Shamrock ‘n’ Roll at the Greenville Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade — speaking of parades, have you ever wondered whether they are worth all the trouble? We think this one is! The procession begins at 11 a.m. (Park to Mockingbird) followed by an official after party at Granada and, I suppose, unofficial parties throughout the rest of the neighborhood. And if you're worried about the mess, here's one way to lessen the impact.

Sunday, March 14 — The inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll ½ Marathon kicks off at City Hall at 8 a.m., winds through East Dallas, and finishes up at Fair Park — if you hate runners clogging the streets, don’t cry! There’s a 4-hour time limit so it’ll be all clear by noon. Relay and half-marathon entry is still available at the race expo tomorrow, and I hear they could still use a few volunteers too. The event benefits Susan G. Komen Marathon for the Cure.

Have an event you want featured? Submit it on the lower right of this page.

• Posted by Christina Hughes Babb on Mar 11, 2010 at 09:04 AM in Advocate Mag, Lakewood - E Dallas
  
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