Back Talk Lakewood/East Dallas

Wanted: chicken cookers for the Kick’n Chick’n Drumstick Cook-Off

Just based on some recent research for a story, I know we have several talented chefs living in the neighborhood. If you’re one of them, and if you take a special interest in the art of preparing a chicken drumstick for optimum eating enjoyment, this is for you:

Chefs will compete on Labor Day, Sept. 1, for $1000 in cash prizes. The winner will be he/she who delivers the best grilled-chicken drumstick and/or the best fried-chicken drumstick.

The Kick’n Chick’n Drumstick Cook-Off is a fundraiser for the Deaf Action Center’s Teen Leadership Summits for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Girls and Boys. The registration fee is $50 per team and you must register no later than August 20. Download registration form on their web site. Chefs set up at 9 a.m. and the judging begins at 1 p.m.

Oh! And here's the best part for us non-professional wing lovers — the public is invited to sample the entries starting at 11 a.m. The tasting fee is a mere $5 donation. The contest will take place at Plano Legacy YMCA, 5101 Tennyson Pkwy, in Plano. Call the Deaf Action Center at (214) 521-0407 V/TTY for details on the event or email kicknchickn@deafactioncentertexas.org."

Restaurant review: An East Dallas overview

This one comes from neighbor Chas Barnard, who ran across this restaurant review site on del.icio.us. He and his wife live in Wilshire Heights and say they've tried many of the restaurants on this list, but blog author Chas Kemp (yes, same first name) who appears to be quite a Far East traveler, includes "a couple of real gems that we had never heard of," Barnard says.

Based on the website's suggestions, which thoroughly examine most if not all of the mom-and-pop or hole-in-the-wall type places in our neighborhood, the next place I'll try will be La Victoria at Haskell and Ross.

Angela Hunt and Jenny the Elephant: Talk about your odd couple stirring things up!

All right, let me start this off by saying that it has been years since I've been to the Dallas Zoo, it has been awhile since I've talked with Angela Hunt, I don't have any personal interest in Jenny the elephant or her future home, and I haven't had time to read every single post, story and comment that has been devoted to this issue. But after directing you to these links to what the DMN reported today concerning relocating the 32-year-old Jenny from the Dallas Zoo, what DMN columnist Steve Blow had to say about Hunt's meddling with Zoo decisions, and what the Dallas Observer's blog and readers had to say, I would like to say this: Wow. Leave it to a lonely, aging, soon-to-be-shipped-off elephant to spark more passionate concern among Dallas citizens than the typical city fiasco.

I encourage you to read the stories and formulate your own opinions, and I encourage you to do the reading even if you don't give a flip about elephants. Because the commentary says a lot about Hunt, about Blow, about a few of the other city council reps, and about what at least a segment of the population thinks about how the city is being run.

White Rock Marathon still needs a title sponsor

The Dallas Business Journal reported today that NexBank signed on as presenting sponsor for the White Rock Marathon. Back Talk reported this a month ago, by the way. When we did, I spoke with race chairman Chuck Dannis who reminded me they are still actively seeking a title sponsor. Securing a title sponsor makes a big difference when it comes to presenting that post-event check to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, he says.

Last year's sponsor was Wellstone Communities, backed out of sponsoring this year's event (which we also wrote about here.)

Free yoga series at W Dallas-Victory and Galleria

I'm not sure about a gym with masquerade-costumed models on its homepage, but I can't help but be intrigued by a free 8-week yoga series.

The new fitness club Equinox (opening on Oak Lawn in August; another is opening in Preston Hollow at Hillcrest and Northwest Highway this October) promises to "wake your body gently with sun salutations and nourishing vinyasas" and will cater to you "whether this is your first time or you're a yoga pro."

Equinox is holding its classes on the 16th floor of the W Dallas-Victory on Saturday mornings from 7-8 a.m. (ouch) starting Aug, 2 and lasting through Sept. 27. (No class on Aug. 30, which is Labor Day weekend.) All you have to do is RSVP. The flier does request, however, that "due to limited availability, your advanced and firm commitment to the event at the time of the reservation is highly valued."

If you're a first-timer, no need to bring your yoga mat; they're being provided by lululemon, which offers its own free yoga classes at the Galleria store on Wednesday mornings. Lululemon has also signed a lease for a Mockingbird Station location, but "they've hit a snag and have pushed back their store opening," says Mockingbird Station spokesman Mark Brinkerhoff. At this time, he adds, it's "an indefinite postponement."

Hotslings: An update

You may remember last fall's story about neighbor Kristen DeRocha, creator of Hotslings. The story mentioned that her next line would be Milk Daze, a line of hip nursing tops.

They aren't for sale on the Hotslings website, but I found them online at la stella blu and Due Maternity. The Hotslings website also includes a list of stores where its products are sold — quite a few of them locally. Though I'm not sure if the stores listed sell Hotslings only or Milk Daze tops, too.

Though it's not listed on the store search, Target is selling DeRocha's Hotslings, but both the Medallion Center Target and SuperTarget have been out of stock when I've looked for them. However, you can buy them on Target's website — free shipping, too.

Grace Choi, 13, wins Dallas Junior Golf tournament; she's the youngest female winner ever

Neighborhood 13-year-old Grace Choi won the recent Dallas Junior Golf Championship at Tenison Highlands golf course, becoming the youngest winner of the girls' division dating back to its beginning in 1962. Choi's winning score of 219 even beat Scott Orsak, winner of the boy's division, by four shots. Choi will be an 8th grader at J.L. Long Middle School next month, and her parents own the dry-cleaning business on the corner of the building at Live Oak and Skillman that also houses the Tipperary Inn and the Wine Therapist. My sons are budding golfers, with one of them a member of Woodrow Wilson High School's district-winning golf team last year; they say they've seen Grace hitting the ball at Tenison and been blown away by her length and accuracy. She told the DMN that putting is her weakness, but with scores of 77-68-74 on the three-day event, she can't be too bad on the greens. Both Grace and her younger sister also have been members of the Lakewood Elementary and Long mathletes teams, with both frequently winning individual awards at the weekend meets during the school season.

As an aside, Lake Highlands resident Scott Akers recently took over as director of instruction at Tenison, and he has put together some excellent youth and adult golf instruction programs; my sons and a friend were in one of the classes and raved about what a great teacher Akers is. And Tenison's range is modern, with some of the stalls covered, so it's a good alternative to the neighborhood Top Golf setup when you're looking for more of a straight golf experience or plan to play a round on the course, too.

Movie review: The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight brought in a record-breaking $66.4 million on opening day, and the buzz around the movie hasn’t stopped since. I’ll admit it, that kind of hype lured me to the theater this weekend. And I’m glad it did. Normally I’m not much for action flicks because they tend to lack real plot development or stellar acting—but this one breaks the mold.
Although this film is only one in the line of movies based on the famed Batman comic, it’s not as juvenile as its predecessors. For example, darker tones come in the form of more sinister characters, like the Joker. Heath Ledger plays the infamous Joker and does a standout job. The actor truly disappears into the character, so you just see the Joker in all his brilliant creepiness. And at times, the good guys do bad things, so the line between villains and heroes is blurred somewhat.
Don’t get me wrong, this is still an action flick and it has plenty of climatic fight sequences and special effects to prove it. But unlike most action movies, this one isn’t lacking substance. Personally, when I sit through most action movies, I’m twiddling my thumbs in between the fight scenes. But The Dark Knight is actually entertaining, even between the fight scenes. Overall, I give the movie two thumbs up because it has everything: explosive action, layered characters, topnotch special effects, and solid acting performances—all things that make it well worth the $10. So go ahead, buy into the hype on this one.

Gangster linked to White Rock area home invasion tells all to police

I’ve been loosely following the story about this “highly organized” gang responsible for a series of home invasions around Dallas — perhaps most notable were two that took place at White Rock Area homes. During one of said attacks, masked robbers brutalized an 81-year-old retired lawyer William McGarvey in attempts to learn where he kept his money (they crushed one of his ears with pliers and poured water over his face to simulate drowning).

The mob's mastermind was supposedly William Sedric Autrey, 39, former owner of the North Dallas nightclub Club X, who might have used the club to get info about potential victims. Earnest Lynn Ross, 43, is accused of being Autrey’s brutish co-conspirator, the one who inflicted, allegedly, aforementioned attack. Then they had a slew of both white-collar and street thugs working under them. This Morning News piece does a pretty thorough job of telling the story behind the gang’s formation and how police brought ‘em down — in a nutshell, Autrey got busted and brought down the whole operation in an effort to spare himself a life in the penitentiary.

This is a pretty fascinating case — I figure I'll be more closely following what happens next.

Run Dallas, run!

The Dallas Running Club is an outstanding organization, especially for those who live in the White Rock area … and who are totally masochistic. I say that with no fear of objection because I’ve experienced the pain first hand. I signed up for the club so I could get in on the marathon-training program. When I did so, I questioned my sanity. Signing up for marathon training in the middle of Texas’ August? Brutal. I couldn’t believe it when I showed up for the first meeting in mid-July and the Winfrey Point building was packed wall-to-wall with other crazies just like me. What is wrong with us? I asked myself then … and again around mile seven Saturday morning.

Despite its location in a city that sees a good three months of 100-degree temperatures, Dallas Running Club just hit the 3,000-member mark making it the third largest running club in the U.S., behind New York Road Runners and Atlanta Track Club.