Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Bolsa brings wine and gourmet food to Oak Cliff

By Staff of Gay List Daily

At this point, the Bishop Arts district in Oak Cliff is far from a well-kept secret. A quick count of nice cars and nose jobs on any Friday night is evidence that the Highland Park set (and maybe even the Plano peeps) have found a new haunt.

So it’s no surprise that the hipster ripple is in full effect and venues surrounding the coveted former trolley mall are becoming cool by proxy.

Bolsa is one of the latest ventures to branch out: both figuratively and literally.

Located just outside the bubble of Bishop Arts on Davis, across from a taqueria in a former auto garage, this new venue serves as mini-market, wine bar and, of course, all-around eatery.

On the food front, the menu proves to be simple but delicious (their kitchen even goes without freezer or fryer to ensure you are eating fresh). Our starter selection of mixed bruschettas offered delicious combos of tomato basil; fig preserves and ham; crisp apple, goat cheese and pine nuts; and salmon with red onion, crème fraiche and capers. It proved a perfect pairing with the fruity house-made Sangria enjoyed on their relaxed patio, which was surprisingly cool despite the summer heat.

Our main entrée of flatbreads (or pizzas, if you’re not trying to impress) was also tasty and filled with ‘shrooms of all varieties, but we would have loved a few more options aside from breads and salads.

To be fair, the menu promises chef Graham Dodds (of Dragonfly fame) is “hard at work in the laboratory on other items.”

By far the thing that’s really going to make Bolsa more popular than a slutty girl on prom night is its mini market. OC may be on the fast track to Austin heights of artsy cool, but finding a decent grocery store can be a challenge. Bolsa’s market offers everything from fresh flowers to crackers.

As a result, locals can finally stop serving the 7-11 fare of Slurpees and Hostess Cupcakes as last minute hors d’oeuvres. Whew!

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