Our neighborhood. (30 days of thankfulness - day 8)

I'm so thankful for our super artsy and diverse nook of Dallas, North Oak Cliff.  It's the home of our small business, where we've been welcomed into the community with open arms, and where we get to pour back into the community.  It's the home of the Bishop Arts District, a small strip of Main Street USA in the heart of the city, with unique restaurants, shops, and events.  We first discovered Bishop Arts in early 2006 and were amazed that it even existed in Dallas.  Today, Bishop Arts is bustling and is even becoming a little touristy!    The white twinkle lights year-round are a bonus.  Who doesn't love twinkle lights?

Most of you know my pining desire to live in Nashville again one day...but for now I'm in Dallas, and I'm learning contentment. Right now, Oak Cliff is where I am and where I want to be.

Our store looking fallish

Eno's Pizza in Bishop Arts looking quite whimsical

Enos' Portland-ish interior

Coming into Oak Cliff at sunset over the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge

Dallas skyline as seen from North Oak Cliff

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During the month of November, I'm practicing "30 days of thankfulness" - will you join me?  Use your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to voice your thankfulness for something every day in November.  My hope is that this daily routine will create in me a heart of thankfulness and gratitude, no matter the day or month or situation.

Dear Lucia, I'm still dreaming about your bread.

A lot of hype over a new restaurant doesn't always mean greatness, but in the case of Lucia, it most certainly does.  And lucky us!  This cozy, rustic Italian restaurant that the The New York Times recently called "the best new restaurant in Texas right now" just happens to be in our neighborhood.  Tables are booked for two months in advance, so it was quite a treat when we found the only open time slot - 5:30pm on a Tuesday night - and our dear friends and business partners, Mark and Stephanie Bowlin, kindly treated us to an unforgettable dinner.   I even pulled out my ancient 'ole faithful black dress from 2001 for the occasion.

Lucia is set in an adorable storefront in the Bishop Arts District.  The hubby and I were a wee bit eager to have a date without a toddler in tow and arrived at the restaurant before our friends at 5:30pm on the dot.  Our hearts sank to our toes, though, when we saw a sign in the window that said, "Closed for Private Party."  A few seconds later, co-owner Jennifer Uygur popped her head in the window and we asked with trepidation, "Wait, a-a-a-are you closed tonight?  We had reservations..."  She laughed and answered, "Oh, heavens no!  That was for last night.  Come on in!"

I liked Jennifer immediately.  {And hello, cool spoon chandelier!}

Inside, Lucia was warm and inviting, decorated with mismatched cushions on the benches and shelves lined with homemade preserves and jams...

While the chefs began to prepare for dinner in the open kitchen, we settled in at the bar and savored a bowl of warm, tangy olives and a chilled glass of Prosecco.  Perfect for this Italian girl and Italian-at-heart Asian boy...

Shortly after, Mark and Stephanie arrived, and we got first dibs on a bright table in the front window.   We all agreed that we wanted to take this meal of lovingly-prepared comfort food as slowly as possible and told our server so.  After all, it's not often that we have the opportunity to share food like this, with close friends, on a beautiful fall evening.

Lucia's menu changes everyday and is broken into 4 courses: antipasto (appetizer), primi (first course), secondi (second course) and dolci (dessert).

For antipasto, we shared the house-cured meat platter, as well as the the crispy pork-belly with a slow-cooked egg. 

They were both melt-in-your-mouth phenomenal.

We didn't hesitate to dig in...

And then came the bread - a hunk of homemade Italian bread so beautiful, I almost wept.

Perfectly crispy crust, soft and chewy and buttery on the inside...I had to restrain myself from eating only bread for the rest of the meal.

Yes, we were very happy indeed...

To go with the main course, we chose a bottle of dry Italian red wine that tasted more and more like vanilla as the night went on.  It also had the amazing ability to make me sillier and sillier as the night went on.

For the first course, I spotted my choice on the menu immediately: Autumn squash ravioli with amaretti (cookies!), brown butter, and sage.   

CRUMBLED COOKIES ON TOP OF PASTA?  This must be a dream...

We also tried the soft ricotta gnocchi, probably the best gnocchi I've ever had.

...and that's where the food photos end.  Yes, there was a second course and dessert, but by that point, the light in the restaurant was too low for photos and Mommy was well into that bottle of wine.

Afterwards, the very full and happy foursome...

Before returning home, we decided to walk off all those carbs by strolling around the Bishop Arts District which was lit with white twinkle lights, street lanterns, and the full moon.  Our neighborhood is the best part of Dallas if you ask me...

It's now two weeks later, and I'm still dreaming about that ravioli.  And that big 'ole beautiful hunk 'o bread.

Thank you, Lucia.  You gave me one of the most beautiful meals I've had this side of Italy.   You made me miss my homeland, but you made me love Dallas even more.

Oddfellows, nice to meet you.

There's a new restaurant in our neighborhood called Oddfellows.  With its inclusive motto, "Food For All", the restaurant is an artful collaboration of several local entrepreneurs {and friends of our farm store} who want to continue to make our neighborhood more interesting for those who live here, more welcoming for those who don't {yet}.  There is also a menu full of delicious-sounding dishes that feature local ingredients and a beverage list featuring what are rumored to be the best lattés in Dallas!

So, while my friend Amy was visiting last week, we were suffering from a severe case of cabin fever after the aforementioned snow day and were anxious to get out on the town.  Apparently so was the rest of the neighborhood - no one minded trudging down slushy walkways, gripping the sides of buildings to gain footing.  No one complained, either, about the lack of plentiful parking in the Bishop Arts District or the continuous torturous dripping of snow melting off roofs.

When we arrived at Oddfellows, we found a cozy retreat from the cold with a Cheers-like atmosphere.  It seemed that everyone was already a regular.  We were greeted eagerly, immediately ushered to a round table with ample room for two adults and a baby.  Having already eaten lunch {what were we thinking??}, we would have to save our exploration of their food menu for another today...this day was about soaking up the vibe and sampling some warm drinks.  Luci Belle was easily amused by a crumpled-up receipt and Tic-Tac container while Amy and I sipped our adult beverages - hot rooibos tea and vanilla latté perfection...

Sun streamed in the many windows, customers laughed and chatted, steaming plates cycled back and forth from the open kitchen.  We left with warm bellies, recharged spirits, and revived love for our little Oak Cliff, TX, the finest gem of a neighborhood in Dallas.