THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Black Rock Coffee Bar

Java drinkers have another option for both drinking in and drive-thru service since this Northwest transplant opened in late August. Some of the specialty coffees are a bit on the sweet side (as are the pastries), but our iced Americano was nice and strong. There’s table and sofa seating inside; the drive-thru can get busy at peak times. 2305 E. Southlake Blvd., br.coffee

Dan’s Bagels

When we want the real deal, we head to a small shop in Trophy Club for fresh, chewy bagels made by a guy who craved what he used to buy at 42nd and Broadway in the Big Apple. They’re perfect with a schmear, but we also like the egg salad or the smoked pastrami sandwich with plain cream cheese, red onions and capers. Buy a dozen bagels to take home and freeze (follow the handy instructions); they reheat nicely. Toppings, including a veggie-studded cream cheese, are sold separately, too. Dan’s is closed Mondays and Tuesdays; some special items sell out quickly.
301 Trophy Lake Drive, dansbagels.com

Jane

A coffee shop by morning, this swank spot morphs into a lounge in the evenings. Now that the covered patio is open, hours have steadied. While breakfast nibbles are limited to pastries from Southlake bakery Pinch of Salt, the coffee menu is small but solid. Go for drinks in the evenings with a small-bites menu ranging from a cheese board to meatballs with tomato-basil pesto. Saturday and Sunday brunch includes biscuits and wagyu country gravy, a light vegetable frittata or fried chicken and waffle sliders. Lunch is in the works. The kitchen is small, but the staff accomplishes a lot. Go to the website or the Facebook page, facebook.com/meetatjane, for updates.

Park Village, 1151 E. Southlake Blvd., 817-424-5263, meetatjane.com

Muchacho Comida Tex Mex

With Whistle Britches humming along, chef Omar Flores opens his second restaurant in Southlake Town Square (he’s aiming for a late September date). Serving lunch and dinner, Muchacho offers classic Tex-Mex combo meals along with its notable fajitas al carbon and specials such as cornmeal dusted redfish tacos and chicken mole poblano. The smart-looking dining room is the work of Tyler Duncan of Duncan & Miller; he also did Whistle Britches, which is located at 1230 Main St. Patio dining is in the works.

431 Grand Ave. E., 469-513-2944, muchachotexmex.com

Dimassi’s Mediterranean Buffet Opt for individual servings or fill up your plates with Mediterranean classics that will please vegetarians and carnivores. (And don’t overlook the little jam cookies for dessert.) Opening this fall in a former Fuddruckers space.

2001 N. State Highway 121, Grapevine, dimassis.com

Thailicious Cuisine and Bar Craving tom kha soup or crispy basil duck? Check back for progress on the new location — the former Johnny B’s corner spot in Southlake’s Wyndham Plaza — of this Thai favorite. Work was ongoing in early September.

2704 E. Southlake Blvd., 817-251-8778, thailicioussouthlake.com

Toasted Yolk Cafe With a big presence in Houston, Toasted Yolk is coming to Southlake’s Gateway Plaza this fall with its first North Texas location. Look for breakfast (from churro-style doughnuts to the Arnold, its version of eggs Benedict) and lunch sandwich and salad combos along with a substantial drink menu, including adult beverages.

2800 E. Southlake Blvd., thetoastedyolk.com

Dallas Running Company puts your feet first

The Fort Worth store has expanded to Southlake (there’s also a store in Plano), opening in early August next door to Athleta in Southlake Town Square. The store specializes in finding the right footwear for its clients, be they casual walkers or dedicated marathoners. You’ll also find a small selection of leisure wear and accessories, including Goodr polarized sunglasses, pictured. Lightweight and designed not to slip, they are fun and functional.

120 State St., Southlake, lonestarfootwear.com

Shop local at The Market at Roanoke

Fort Worth entrepreneur

Shop local at The Market at Roanoke

Fort Worth entrepreneur Amanda Wear has taken her successful stores-within-a-store concept to Roanoke to provide a one-stop shopping experience. Wear believes small businesses should have an opportunity to be in a brick-and-mortar without the high overhead. She provides the space and the staff; vendors pay a fee determined by the space they need. Currently, there are 15-plus vendors offering baby wear, gourmet foods, jewelry, women’s fashion, home and kitchen goods and more. Grab a coffee from Two Sisters Teahouse for sustenance while you shop. Watch the market’s social media for special events.

304 N. Oak St., Roanoke, facebook.com/themarketatroanoke

Cooking up comfort

Sean Hill, chef at Colleyville’s Stone House restaurant, grew up helping in the kitchen of his family’s farm in southeast Arkansas. The restaurant’s menu reflects that upbringing and passion: He points to the crabcakes and fried chicken that are big hits. “We’re known for great steaks, but we’re really a neighborhood restaurant serving approachable food,” he says. “That’s why a lot of our dishes are a play on things I grew up eating. That fried chicken is my grandmother’s recipe, with a twist.” Hill joined Stone House about three months after it opened. Owners Paul and Lisa Pardo, who renovated the 1945 landmark, sought him earlier, but the timing was off. Hill needed to be at wife Jamie’s side during cancer treatment. The Pardos opened with another chef. When he moved on last fall, they reached out again. “I talked to my wife and decided to go for it,” Hill says. He enjoys dining around the area to find ideas. His mantra is to pay attention, whether to food or to life. “Sometimes you get so busy you miss the little things. I tell my daughters — slow down and savor everything.” Open for dinner only Monday through Saturday, Stone House also has an inviting outdoor patio, including a covered space that’s climate-controlled. Reservations are advised.

5201 Colleyville Blvd., 817-576-2626, stonehouse-restaurant.com

Sippin’ and slidin’

Major League Baseball player Vernon Wells III made a smooth slide from an All-Star career into making premium bourbon. The Colleyville resident is part of the founding trio that launched Grayson Whiskey, the state’s first Black-owned whiskey brand and first Texas-blended bourbon. Crafting spirits was a natural transition for Wells, co-founder of JACK Winery in 2012 with Angels teammate Chris Iannetta. Retiring in 2013 after a year with the New York Yankees, Wells and private equity investor Brandon Davis tapped Dallasite Nico Martini, author of Texas Cocktails, as a third partner for their bourbon business. The trio wound up at Ironroot Republic Distillery in Denison (Grayson County). Using 100 percent bourbons from Ironroot, Lone Elm’s Five Points Distilling in Forney and Balcones Distilling in Waco, Grayson Texas Blended Bourbon’s rich 119 proof spirit delivers a spicy maple-raisin nose and smacks of clove, cinnamon and dark syrup. Learn more at graysonwhiskey.com. Find the bourbon at Spec’s and Total Wine, multiple locations..

Live locally, toast globally

After years of teaching in Russia, China and the Czech Republic, Brandon Cook came home to autograph copies of Cheers! Around the World in 80 Toasts. His smart essays on toasting traditions (in 80 languages and 100 countries) make a witty read that impressed The New York Times. The linguist graduated from Carroll Senior High School and segued into studies and travel that fueled an intrigue with culture and language. Infatuation with words began early: “Southlake teachers supported my curiosity from elementary school all the way to a 12th grade book report that I wrote on Ulysses by James Joyce. I don’t know if it was good or bad, but they recognized the ambition. They were stoking embers I wasn’t aware were there.” He’ll marry his Cantonese fiancée in China this year, but says the plan down the road is to raise the next generation of Cooks in Southlake: “That’s home.”

Find copies of Cheers! at Barnes & Noble, Southlake Town Square, 1430 Plaza Place, 817-442-0207, barnesandnoble.com.

CEC Love & Hope Gala | Sept. 25

The Hawaiian Nights fundraiser for CEC (Community Enrichment Center) features a tropical theme including hula and fire dancers, music, food from chef Jon Bonnell, silent and live auctions, and a drive-in screening of Soul Surfer, based on the story of Bethany Hamilton’s comeback after she lost an arm in a shark attack. Hamilton also is the virtual keynote speaker. Money raised goes to aid low-income residents of Northeast Tarrant County.

Where Coyote Drive-In, 223 N.E. 4th St., Fort Worth Information and tickets cechope.org/love-hope-gala

Humane Society of North Texas Party for Paws | Oct. 23

The Fort Worth-based nonprofit (other adoption locations are in Keller and Benbrook) reflects back on the year and celebrates the accomplishments of employees and volunteers with an evening of dinner, dancing and live music.

Where Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St. Information and tickets hsnt.org/partyforpaws

Operation Kindness Canines, Cats & Cabernet | Nov. 6

The Carrollton-based nonprofit hosts its fundraising gala in person and online with dinner, dancing and live and silent auctions. Proceeds help support the shelter’s mission of caring for homeless pets in North Texas. In late August, Operation Kindness took in animals from storm-ravaged Louisiana as well.
Where Hyatt Regency, 300 Reunion Blvd., Dallas Information and tickets operationkindness.org/canines-cats-cabernet

Colleyville Woman’s Club High Tea & Royal Conversation | Sept. 29

Enjoy your cuppa with finger sandwiches, scones and clotted cream, and pastries and get an insider’s royal view at the Colleyville Woman’s Club afternoon fundraiser benefiting dozens of area charities and providing scholarships for graduating high school seniors. The featured speaker is Patrick Jephson, longtime personal secretary to Princess Diana, author of two books on the royals and recent consultant to the award-winning Netflix series The Crown. Jephson also is a contributing correspondent to CNN on the royal family.
Where Montclair events venue, 6504 Colleyville Blvd. Information and tickets c-w-c.org/events/high-tea-and-royal-conversation

GRACE Gala | Nov. 6

The Grapevine-based nonprofit agency brings back its largest fundraiser of the year with a black-tie event featuring dining, dancing, entertainment and top-notch auction packages. Proceeds of the gala help GRACE continue its longtime mission of assisting families and individuals in crisis, be it a need for food, clothing, medical care, housing or access to assistance programs, plus much more. In 2020, GRACE came to the aid of 11,000 people.
Where Irving Convention Center, 500 W. Las Colinas Blvd. Information and tickets gracegala.com

EVO Entertainment Group

The vacant Harkins Theatre in Southlake Town Square will be the new flagship venue for the Austin-based EVO Entertainment Group, which is making its debut in Tarrant County. EVO already has eight theaters and 79 screens across Texas. The entertainment concept features dine-in theaters with recliner seating, a kitchen and craft beverage bar, an outdoor patio (the exterior of the theater will be reconfigured to accommodate this), bowling, video arcades, an indoor ropes course and rock climbing wall, bumper cars and laser tag. The target opening date is at the end of 2021. Learn more on the website.

1450 Plaza Place, Southlake, evocinemas.com

The Westin Dallas Southlake

With a target opening month of October, Southlake gets another hotel in the busy 114 corridor. This Marriott Bonvoy property features 235 rooms and 26 suites, plus a spacious indoor-outdoor event area and a resort-style pool. And, yes, it’s pet friendly. (Need to use those Marriott points? Think staycation.)

1200 E. State Highway 114, Southlake, 817-873-1900, marriott.com/hotels/travel/dalws-the-westin-dallas-southlake

District 114 at Kimball Park

More people are now familiar with this new development thanks to the shiny dragon sculpture called Fury from Dallas artists Brad Oldham and Christy Coltrin. The four-story mixed-used building counts the Cambria Hotel Southlake DFW North among its neighbors. New tenants coming soon include The NOW Massage Southlake, a wellness concept out of Los Angeles. Roots and Water, a private wine club based in Dallas, is scheduled to open by the end of the year. It will offer special events and personal sommelier tastings as well as fine wines for purchase from around the world. Learn more at rootsandwater.wine.

2102 E. State Highway 114, district114atkimballpark.com