Van Leeuwen circa 2008 Courtesy Photo New York-based Van Leeuwen ice cream opens ts third North Texas location in Inwood Village Thursday, February 9. The artisanal dessert started humbly in 2008 by brothers Ben and Peter Van Leeuwen and Laura O’Neill, who had no commercial food production experience but a passion for premium ice cream...Read More

Peggy Sue is a big girl with a fire in her belly. She’s up there in years, almost 40, but after a complete overhaul last year, looks young and spry. Shiny and polished, she’s dressed all in black save for strategically placed logos that look like interlocking Chanel C’s, but they are red B’s: the...Read More

Elegance is a whisper, not a scream. El Carlos Elegante, the latest upscale Mexican restaurant to open in Dallas, whispers elegance. The refined cuisine is approachable, unpretentious, and yet positively regal. The newest concept from Duro Hospitality Group opened in late November, just steps from its first venture, The Charles. “Dallas is a city that...Read More

Travel during the holidays is sometimes motivated by guilt: “Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go,” and all that. Our To-Do Lists are filled with holiday-related errands and tasks, so the fun kind of travel, the day trips and staycations, don’t happen like they do the other 47 weeks of...Read More

Wade Nicolas, a Highland Park grad and dad of two Highland Park grads, likes to fish, bird hunt, and travel. The semi-retired tech guy had been preparing for a nine-day solo backpacking trip in Patagonia. Then Russia invaded Ukraine.  Feeling compelled to help, Wade canceled his trip to the southern tip of South America and...Read More

Café 43 in the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is a wonderful restaurant. The space is spectacular, the service is friendly and professional, and the food is delicious. Need more reasons to go? Here are 34 of them: 1. The space is beautiful, airy, and bright, with floor-to-ceiling windows. 2. There is an...Read More

Una Pequeña Reseña de The Mexican What is surely one of the most beautiful restaurants to open recently, The Mexican is elevated and luxurious on every level.  From the setting to the service and, of course, the food, it is Esplendído. My friend and football mom extraordinaire, Margaret Stafford, and I went for an early dinner,...Read More

Nikky Phinyawatana, Chef/Owner of Asian Mint, is on a mission to Thai-ify kitchens throughout Preston Hollow and the Park Cities. The Hockaday grad launched a line of Thai seasonings and sauces and is using them as tools to broaden the culinary horizons of home cooks. In her online Thai Takeover series, Nikky comes into local home kitchens,...Read More

As an occasional user of Malai Kitchen’s West Village location, I was already familiar with the Vietnamese/Thai cuisine that arrived in Preston Center back in November. I’ve long been a fan of the crispy Thai tacos stuffed with shredded pork, the sweet and spicy green papaya salad, and the mango sweet rice dessert. In fact,...Read More

Food and romance are inextricably linked.  Unless you get food poisoning, that is, then romance is dead. Robin and Norm Bagwell circa 1984PHOTO: Robin Bagwell Restaurants are the setting for so many first looks, first dates, so many romantic gestures and proposals. In fact, quite a few romances in Preston Hollow and the Park Cities...Read More