Balk Talk Oak Cliff

Tal Morrison fund awards $12,000 to high school runners

Christina Hughes Babb — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:03:17 GMT

UPDATE: See photos on our Facebook page (and become a fan of Advocate while you're there!)

Running legend Tal Morrison was at White Rock Lake Saturday hosting the Tal Morrison Classic 15K and 5K. Morrison founded the Cross Country Club of Dallas in 1969. Today it’s called the Dallas Running Club and has 4,000+ members. He also founded the Dallas White Rock Marathon, which still runs each December, and The Half, a half-marathon held each November at White Rock Lake.

Funds raised each year at The Half (now called The DRC Half), as well as other Dallas Running Club events and through private donations, go toward the Tal Morrison scholarship fund for DISD students who run high school cross country, running club board member Chris Stratton says.

Saturday, Morrison, 89, presented $12,000 worth of scholarships: $3,000 each to Jonathan Maldonado from Thomas Jefferson High and Andrea Melendez from Hillcrest; $2,000 each to Jose Puentes from North Dallas High and Selene Salina from Samuell High; and $1,000 each to Jesus Estebane from Sunset High and Sharvell Davis from A. Maceo Smith High.

The highlight of my morning (aside from crossing the 15K finish line) was spending a few minutes chatting with Mr. Morrison who told me about his experience running the Boston marathon when he was in his 50s. He says that as he was running, he remembers asking a group of spectators—college kids—how far it was until to the infamous Heartbreak Hill, and “they told me I’d already run over it,” he laughs. He finished that marathon in 3 hours, 15 minutes — not too shabby.

And … this just in: The Dallas Running Club was selected best running club in Texas and the DRC Half Marathon was selected best half marathon in Texas for 2009 by Competitor magazine. Kudos!

Advocate slideshow: Mardi Gras Oak Cliff parade

Rachel Stone — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:19:51 GMT

The Mardi Gras Oak Cliff parade Sunday included more than 50 groups, and hundreds of people turned out to watch the parade, catch beads and candy and meet their neighbors. Cold? Drizzle? P'shaw. The atmosphere was all sunshine.

Here is a slideshow from Advocate photo editor Can Türkyilmaz aka Turk.

Advocate radio: where to get V-day goodies

Christina Hughes Babb — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:58:20 GMT

Valentine's Day is near and that means one thing is on everyone's mind, right? No, not love ... chocolate.

Where in our neighborhood are you likely find the most delicious and creative edible gifts? Advocate editor's dish about it in this week's "What's Up With That?" podcast.

Productivity Killer: E-Trade’s talking babies

Marlena Chavira Medford — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:17:30 GMT

OK, so our team didn’t make it to the big game this year, but it’s still shaping up to be a good faceoff — or so I’m told, because I really don’t know anything about football. But hey, at least we still get an excuse to pig out on wings and pizza, and watch all those multi-million dollar commercial bits. This year’s line up has some pretty funny ones, which you can get a sneak peak at here.

E-Trade’s commercials with the talking baby have become especially popular, though honestly, I find them kind of creepy. Equally creepy yet more amusing is their create-your-own talking baby on the company’s website. You pick your baby, pick your voice, and then record a message. You can record your voice via your computer mic, or by calling a number and leaving a voice mail. Once you’re done, you can email it to your friends, so they can enjoy.

Judge orders mediation in Oak Cliff Christian Church case, resets hearing

Rachel Stone — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:04:02 GMT

Judge Martin Hoffman this morning ordered the Dallas school district into mediation with the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League so that the parties might "find a common ground" regarding use of the Oak Cliff Christian Church.

DISD wants to demolish the 95-year-old building on 10th Street near Crawford to build tennis courts for the planned new Adamson High School. Hoffman said he didn't want to pressure DISD, but "this is obviously a beautiful building," he said, and asked whether it would be possible for DISD to incorporate the building into its plans for a new school.

DISD attorney Robert E. Luna said: "There's nothing here to mediate," adding that the buildling must be torn down.

So Hoffman ordered the two sides to meet with a mediator before a hearing that's set for Feb. 19 at 1:30 p.m.

Conservation league attorney John McCall said there's no reason for DISD to be acting with urgency to build tennis courts in a neighborhood where the school district has not yet purchased the surrounding properties to build the actual school.

"They have a hard argument why [tennis courts have to] go there and why the building has to be destroyed." he said after the hearing. "Mediation is always good."

At the hearing in two weeks, McCall is expected to argue that putting tennis courts in place of the church would be a public nuissance, along with his original argument, which contends that DISD cannot use federal funds to destroy a historic structure.

OCarnivale tickets are gone

Rachel Stone — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:23:44 GMT

We gave away all of our OCarnivale tickets this morning. But you can still buy tickets at the door for $40. Otherwise, we'll see you at the parade at 2 p.m. Sunday.

OCarnivale tickets, round two

Rachel Stone — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:59:18 GMT

We have two more pairs of tickets to OCarnivale, the Mardi Gras masquerade ball in the Bishop Arts District Saturday night. The first two people to email us at rstone@advocatemag.com win them.

This weekend: Mardi Gras Oak Cliff, grand reopening, burlesque

Rachel Stone — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:00:14 GMT

Mardi Gras Oak Cliff starts Saturday night with OCarnivale, a masquerade ball featuring the Rebel Alliance Jazz Band. Tickets are $40.

Don't party too hard, though, because the inaugural Dash for the Beads 5K starts at 9 a.m. Sunday in the Bishop Arts District.

This year's Mardi Gras parade starts at 2 p.m., and it's bigger and better than last year.

What could be hotter than Mardi Gras? The Dallas Burlesque Festival hits the Texas Theatre for 9 p.m. shows Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $15.

From the Ends of the Earth has moved to a new retail space on Davis. Their grand reopening from 4-8 p.m. includes chair massages, Afircan cooking demonstrations, flamenco dancers, food and beverages.

OCarnivale tickets are gone

Rachel Stone — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:25:26 GMT

Our OCarnivale tickets were snapped up pronto, but we'll give away two more pairs of tickets tomorrow. Otherwise, you can buy tickets here. Thanks to everyone who responded!

Email us for free tickets to OCarnivale Saturday night

Rachel Stone — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:54:39 GMT

Want a couple of tickets to OCarnivale masquerade ball in the Bishop Arts District Saturday night? The first two people to email me at rstone@advocatemag.com will win two free tickets.

New club to open in Bank Tower

Rachel Stone — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:24:56 GMT

Owners of the Bank Tower at Oak Cliff announced today that a new club will open on the top floor of the building this spring.

The Orion Ballroom, which chef Doug Brown operates on the building's 15th floor, has become a respected place for weddings and other special events, according to the announcement. So Brown and the building's managing partner Ralph Isenberg decided to add a private club to the space.

The Orion Club is expected to open this spring, and it will include the Constellation Bar, which will offer happy hour Monday through Friday from 4-7 p.m. Brown's food will have its grand debut with an Easter Sunday brunch on April 4, and the club will serve brunch regularly on Sundays after that.

Wine review: Vignerons de Caractere 2007

Jeff Siegel — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:24:22 GMT

The Caractere (about $7, purchased, available at Central Market) is cheap French wine the way I remember it -- interesting and inexpensive, and not tasting in any way like California wine. In fact, if it had a screwcap, the Caractere would be close to perfect.

It's a red blend of syrah and grenache from southern France that doesn't have much fruit (plums, perhaps?), but does have lots of earthiness and enough tannins and finish to make it pleasant to drink. Serve this with any wintery stew or beef dish, or use it to make coq a vin.

Highly recommended and a candidate for the 2011 Hall of Fame (hint, hint to the Texas wine business, which produces some quality syrah and grenache).

Poster unveiling is Wednesday

Rachel Stone — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:32:28 GMT

Vanessa Neil and Kevin Obregon of the Cube Creative on Wednesday will unveli the poster they created to stir a little publicity for Oak Cliff. On the front is the artists' design, and on the back is a map of attractions in the Bishop Arts District, the Zang-Beckley area and the Tyler Davis Art District.

The poster unveiling is at 7 p.m. at Eno's. The artists intend to create a new poster and map every three months.

Turner House roof repairs to start this month

Rachel Stone — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:30:19 GMT

The Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts has raised enough money to begin repairing the roof on Turner House, the 1912 Winnetka Heights mansion that is its clubhouse.

Work on the house will begin this month with money from donors including the Winnetka Heights Neighborhood Association, the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League, Shambala Body Gallery and the Bishop Arts Merchants' Association.

The society has enough money to complete the most urgent repairs to the roof, and they'll begin further repairs as they raise money.

City seeks bicycle-planning committee members

Rachel Stone — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:10:01 GMT

The city's new bicycle coordinator is looking for 15 people to make a plan for the city's bicycle traffic. Dallas is updating its 25-year-old bike plan under the guidance of Max Kalhammer, an urban planner the city hired to come up with better bike routes.

He is seeking people to fill 15 seats on the Bicycle Advisory Committee, and they must have the following qualifications:

*Consistent interest in issues related to bicycling as a form of exercise and alternative transportation for people of all ages and abilities.

*Experience as an advisor on strategic planning or transportation planning projects, especially for bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

*Experience on a city sponsored citizen or stakeholder advisory committeee, or other involvement with a city project or initiative.

The last day to apply for the committee is Feb. 15. Application are available here. Email applications to max.kalhammer@dallascityhall.com.

Advocate radio: Advocate in the Facebook age

Christina Hughes Babb — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:22:13 GMT

There was a time when the Advocate was just a magazine, but over the past few years we’ve embraced all sorts of new and confusing technology in order to better communicate with you. First, we launched our website and blog, and more recently we’ve been working to create a Facebook and Twitter presence. If you're one of those who hates this stuff, you’re not alone. The Advocate staff is having a little trouble getting used to it too. LISTEN TO THE DISCUSSION HERE.

Oh, and if you’d care to join us in this journey to the strange world of social media, here are the links:

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/AdvocateMagazines

Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/Advocate_OC — Oak Cliff

New menu, hours at Hula Cafe

Rachel Stone — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:40:07 GMT

Hula Hotties Cafe on Davis reopens this week with a new menu and new hours. The cafe will be open for lunch from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and dinner from 6-9 p.m., Wednesday through Friday. And they'll still serve Saturday brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Jill Inforzato, who owns the cafe with her husband, Roger Simpson, is keeping the same dessert menu and adding a couple of new things, including red velvet and pineapple sandwich cookies.

But the rest of the menu is quite different. It's divided into categories including brisket, bbq pork ribs, chicken, roasted vegetables and shrimp and tilapia. Brisket items inclue a pizza and enchiladas, but we are excited about the BBQ Brisket Hula Buns — they're barbecue sliders on homemade Hawaiian rolls. A few items that haven't changed are the tilapia sandwich, Asian cole slaw and potato macaroni salad.

Darryl Beeson, The Wine Guy

Jeff Siegel — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:07:35 GMT

One of the great moments in my wine writing career came during my semi-regular appearances on Darryl Beeson's all too short-lived radio show. Every Sunday afternoon, Darryl would lead travel expert Kevin Kalley and myself through two hours of wine, food and travel. Darryl actually made me sound knowledgeable.

Darryl, an Oak Cliff resident, died last week at 54 after complications following a car accident. He will be much missed.

One of the best things about this business is that there are so many good people in it. When I started writing about wine, Darryl was one of the leading wine experts in Dallas. He had worked for many of the top restaurants in town (the Mansion and the French Room among them), and his work had appeared in a variety of prestigious publications. He knew everyone, and everyone knew Darryl. He was The Wine Guy, always nattily attired in sport coat and bow tie.

But Darryl always had time for people like me, then and now. I called him once when I was starting out to ask him if Beaujolais was a part of Burgundy. It's a simple question, but Darryl was happy to answer it, and he explained the differences to me without getting annoyed. I'm grateful we chatted on the phone about a month ago, and he was as generous as always with his kind words and advice.

His old pal Jim White, who runs the Savor Dallas wine festival and gave Darryl his start on radio in the 1990s, said it best: Darryl was a good soul, and there weren't many like him.

Erykah Badu hints at new song leak today, album March 30

Rachel Stone — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:42:55 GMT

East Dallas resident diva Erykah Badu today hinted on Twitter that she would release a new album March 30 and leak a new song on her website today.

We checked erykahbadu.com at 3:37 p.m., four minutes after 3:33, when as @fatbellybella on Twitter, she said she would leak new music. Our guess is that the site is bombarded with fans. We listened once to "Honey," and now cannot get anything to play — it might have been a mashup of "Honey" and new stuff, but we were busy with phones and TVs and whatnot and did not listen carefully — DOH!

Let us know on Twitter what you see and hear!

Badu, who was born Erica Wright in Oak Cliff and sometimes lives in Brooklyn, released her last studio album, New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), on her birthday, Feb. 20, 2008. And she had a fabulous party at the House of Blues. Let's do it again, Ms. Badu!

Productivity Killer: Google mash-up

Marlena Chavira Medford — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:59:40 GMT

If you’ve never checked out Google’s Hot Trends, you’re missing out on some prime time-killing. It’s like peeking into the mind of our nation as a whole, which can be pretty dang intriguing. I mean who knew that so many barbecue fans were out there shopping for Jambo Pits, while others are preparing celebrations for Lady Gaga Day.

Slate.com is posing a challenge to readers: Use these top Google search trends to create a 600 word mash-up (think Mad Libs, but with Google Hot Trends instead of silly nouns and adjectives). You get extra points if you figure out how to put the hottest celebrity couple in the midst of the latest political scandal (I’m thinking that one has Angelina Jolie and John Edwards written all over it). The more Google Hot Trends you include, the better. All entries for Slate’s contest are due by 6 p.m. on Feb.1. Happy searching!