When I was a freshman at SMU, Uptown was an illustrious land. A land of classy bars. A land that used trolleys for transportation. A land of young (hopefully single) professionals. As my friends and I finally hit the 21-year-old milestone, Uptown went from a hopeful dream to a weekend reality. After graduation, most SMU alumni made the great migration to the area, and while not every day has been full of trolley rides and single young professionals, there’s a lot to love about living at an Uptown address, and we’re excited to show the once illustrious land a little love during the 2^nd annual Celebrate Uptown.

The three-day event is filled with the best that Uptown has to offer. From Wednesday, April 24 to Friday, April 26, enjoy special dining specials, shopping discounts, and a signature event with food trucks, drinks, and a concert by the ultimate new wave 80s band, The Spazmatics.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24TH | 7-10PM

RESTAURANT DAY

Enjoy a private, two-course meal at one of the participating Uptown restaurants starting at 7PM and, before heading home, head to Sambuca’s after party featuring music by the Mick Tinsley Trio, a dessert buffet and complimentary champagne from 8 – 10PM.

PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS: Arcodoro & Pomodoro, Avanti, Belly and Trumpet, JoJo Eating House, Palomino, T/X

Tickets – $45

THURSDAY, APRIL 25TH | 6-8PM

SIP, SHOP, STROLL

Shop the evening away with 20% off at participating West Village retailers. The first 100 shoppers will receive the ultimate gift bag with gift cards and treats from Uptown retailers. Recycled Photographs will provide the evening’s soundtrack.

PARTICIPATING RETAILERS: Accents, Allen Edmonds, Demerara, Indigo, Kendra Scott, L. Bartlett, Loft, Nicole Kwon, y&i Clothing Boutique, Q Clothier, Rye 51, Sunglass Hut, WAREhaus

FRIDAY, APRIL 26TH | 5-10PM

SPAZMATICS CONCERT

I was lucky enough to go to a Spazmatics concert at a friend’s debutante event last year, and these guys really know how to entertain a crowd (lightsabers included). Guests will enjoy beverages, bites and beats under the stars along with food trucks, experience tents, bars and games. We just want to know what goes on in an “experience tent.”

A VIP ticket gets you complimentary wine and beer at a private bar Dinner by Salata, Grimaldi’s, Baboush, Pop Diner and Max’s Wine Dive Preferred seating.

TICKETS

General – $10

VIP – $40

{all photos via}

“We are striving to extend beyond the ordinary in everything we do.  We are challenging ourselves to be inventive and thoughtful, often taking a classic favorite and adding an exciting twist.  Regardless, our primary goal is for our food to be consistently soulful and delicious, “ explains Zenner.

Enjoy the following drool-worthy photos.

Egg, bacon, potato, toast

Pork belly, homestead grits, mustard greens, egg

Njuda deviled eggs

Hanger steak kim chee omelette, spring onion

French toast, apple, maple syrup

{photos by Claire McCormack Photography}

For anyone who’s ever felt the aching guilt of enjoying a cold beer, burger, or frozen custard with friends while their four-legged companion sits in solitude at home, all that is about to change when Mutts comes to Uptown in late May.

Located on the former Hank Haney Golf Course land, the modern day “roadside” burger stand by Josh Sepkowitz and Kyle Noonan of Freerange Concepts (Bowl & Barrel, Sunset Lounge, The Rustic) will serve burgers, hot dogs, frozen custard, shakes, beer and wine for lunch and dinner as well as breakfast tacos, bagels and coffee for breakfast.

Pretty standard, except that Mutts will also house a private dog park next to the restaurant with monthly memberships or one-time day passes are available for purchase.

“Mutts will provide Dallas diners with a great place to grab a bite or a cold drink and hang out with their friends, whether they have two legs or four,” explains co-owner, Kyle Noonan.

Open-air and simple ingredients make for a modern spin on a classic idea.

Co-owner, Josh Sepkowitz explains, “The restaurant will be a fun place for people to gather for good food and drink, but we want people to know that this is a restaurant first, dog park second.  You do not need a dog to come to Mutts.”

Texas Independence Day may mostly be about winning our independence from Mexico, but our cowboy hatted friends up above would likely smile down upon us if we also made it a little about chili.

So bring your best recipe or an empty stomach for tastin’ to The Ginger Man this Saturday, March 2 at noon, for their annual Chili Cook-Off. All proceeds benefit the Dallas Habitat for Humanity, so bring money for raffle tickets and the opportunity to win some prizes.

Loose pants recommended.

{photo via}

First started in San Jose, California, Dishcrawl is now in 125 cities across America and has just recently landed in Dallas. The goal is to bring food lovers, local chefs, and regional food producers together for a culinary social experience. Attendees dine in four restaurants that help define the city they live in.

Tickets to the upcoming Dishcrawl in Uptown are $45 and can be purchased here. In keeping with their fun, food-loving attitude, they have not yet released the names of the four destinations, but they said they are tweeting out a few helpful hints before the big day via @DishcrawlDFW.

{photo via}

Meet the author and get your copy of The Story Behind the Bible signed at Crooked Tree Coffeehouse this Saturday, February 2 from 3 to 5 p.m.

Pat Green, Kyle Noonan, Josh Sepkowitz and Brian Manion

Full Press Release Below

Dallas (January 22, 2013)….Free Range Concepts partners, Josh Sepkowitz and Kyle Noonan announce their newest project, The Rustic, scheduled to open Spring of 2013 in Uptown at the prime corner lot of Lemmon Avenue and North Central Expressway in the West Village area.  Sepkowitz and Noonan, the team behind Bowl & Barrel, have partnered with Grammy nominated singer/songwriter, Pat Green and local businessman Brian Manion to open a full service restaurant and bar that will feature a dynamic outdoor “backyard” for eating, drinking and listening to live music.

“The Rustic will be a place to relax and socialize with friends and family and will be known for its three distinct qualities: great music, a vibrant patio and an excellent dining experience,” explains Sepkowitz.

With a live music venue outside, The Rustic will be able to provide a form of entertainment that few restaurant concepts can offer. The size and layout of the patio will offer the flexibility to accommodate both casual dining and large outdoor concerts, yet the primary focus of The Rustic will always be exceptional food and drinks.

Celebrated chef, Sharon Hage will be working with The Rustic team to develop the menu.  Noonan explains, “We will showcase kitchen and bar menus with roots reaching deep into the Texas soil. We are committed to using only beef, poultry and game from local ranchers, produce from local farmers, and the largest selection of Texas beers found anywhere.”  The Rustic will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week.

According to Neal Sleeper, President of Cityplace Company, the master developer of the area, “We have wanted to add a live music venue in the West Village area for many years.  The site selected for this new project has several beautiful old post oaks, and the site contours provide a natural amphitheater with Uptown Station and the trolley turntable as a backdrop.  The Rustic will add a great deal of energy to the area and we are thrilled to welcome them to the neighborhood.”

Where: Magnolia Theater (West Village at 3699 McKinney Ave)

Tickets: $20 GA, $5 for students with valid ID

Calling all current and future architects, you do not want to miss this. The Dallas Architecture Forum presents Harvard Graduate School of Design’s landscape architecture professor, John Stilgoe, as part of its 2012-13 lectures.

No reservations are needed to attend Forum lectures.  Dallas Architecture Forum members receive free admission to all regular Forum lectures as a benefit of membership, and AIA members can earn one hour of CE credit for each lecture.   For more information on the Dallas Architecture Forum, visit www.dallasarchitectureforum.org or call 214-764-2406.

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“John Stilgoe is the Orchard Professor of History of Landscape Development at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.  He also holds a joint appointment to the Harvard College of Arts and Sciences, where he is Professor of Visual and Environmental Studies.  Stilgoe is a widely recognized expert on the history and future of North American built landscapes.  Stilgoe conducts research on subjects ranging from national critical infrastructure to energy-independent housing and to old-field landscape. Stilgoe is currently completing a monograph on photography, glamour, and extreme landscape. He is a recipient of the Francis Parkman, George Hilton, and Bradford Williams medals, the AIA award for collaborative research, and the Charles C. Eldredge Prize for art-history research. Stilgoe is also a fellow of the Society of American Historians.

Stilgoe is currently researching a project that examines the changing landscape of rural America since 1915 and projects massive changes in the immediate future. His research also is focused on the future of large-scale landscapes away from cities.  The role of how the academic discipline of geography shapes both public and private policy is also in Stilgoe’s current research.  Stilgoe is a widely published and honored author.  Over 85 of his essays and articles have been published in a variety of academic journals and magazines.  He is the author of ten books including Outside Lies Magic; Alongshore;  Shallow-Water Dictionary: A Grounding in Estuary English;  Borderland: Origins of the American Suburb, 1820-1939; Metropolitan Corridor: Railroads and the American Scene (George Hilton Medal); Common Landscape of America, 1580 to 1845 (Francis Parkman Medal); and other works. Stilgoe is a Fellow of the Society of American Historians and winner of the ASLA Bradford Williams Medal and the AIA medal for collaborative research.”

Here’s How It Works:

Step 1: Visit the Drink for Democracy designated early voting polling locations (see below) from October 22-November 2
Step 2: Once you are at the polling location, look for the Drink for Democracy signs and scan our QR code with your smart phone*
Step 3: Enter your name and email address when prompted to receive an email with your verification code
Step 4: Show your verification email at any of the participating restaurants and Drink for Democracy!

So get on it, Dallas community! It’s a fun and easy way to start paying more attention to the election process if you’re not already into it. And if that’s not enough for you, just think of how fun it could be to clink together some pints with your friends and yell (all together of course) DRINK FOR DEMOCRACY! That’s almost reason enough right there.

(photos via)