mwootto

Wow. This reads like a press release.

We, Garden Cafe in East Dallas, have a huge garden surrounding our outdoor patio. All of our herbs, and many of our greens and veggies come from the garden. We are constantly working to raise our organic food purchases, and purchases from local farmers. #shamelessselfpromotion

Who's the third party?

@Travis I was really hoping to find some info re: alcohol next to family/kid friendly land use. I'm sure there's quite a bit out there, and I would imagine late hours businesses directly benefit nearby public spaces with the additional traffic and eyes on the street.

@Travis It's a great place to live honest. The NA isn't overbearing or anything. As far as I know there isn't a dress code for houses and lawns and all those other horror stories one hears related to HOA's. Also, a lot of the people involved are very cool. There's a reason that Junius Heights, and Munger Place did not have an "official" statement re: Garden Cafe re-zoning. They couldn't agree.

(1)A person who knowingly violates any provision of this chapter is guilty of a separate offense for each day or portion of a day during which the violation is continued. Each offense is punishable by a fine of not more than $2,000 nor less than $200. The minimum fine established in this paragraph shall be doubled for the second conviction of the same offense within any 24-month period and trebled for the third and subsequent convictions of the same offense within any 24-month period. At no time shall the minimum fine exceed the maximum fine established in this paragraph.

Teresa - It's not your fault. Just some people being a bit vindictive.

Dan - (2) In a "D" liquor control overlay district, a person shall not sell or serve alcoholic beverages or setups for alcoholic beverages for consumption on or off the premises.

This is the most pertinent text I could find of the ordinance. It does seem arguable that we could allow BYOB if you bring your own glass, corkscrew, bottle, and ice bucket. Although, it is risky:

      (1)     A person who knowingly violates any provision of this chapter is guilty of a separate offense for each day or portion of a day during which the violation is continued.  Each offense is punishable by a fine of not more than $2,000 nor less than $200.  The minimum fine established in this paragraph shall be doubled for the second conviction of the same offense within any 24-month period and trebled for the third and subsequent convictions of the same offense within any 24-month period.  At no time shall the minimum fine exceed the maximum fine established in this paragraph.

I wonder how long it will take for Lucia to bring down Oak Cliff. We admire what they do there. I dreamt of doing something that even appeared to be attempting what they do. I dreamt of bringing some of the energy and liveliness of Bishop Arts to Old East Dallas. Of watching bicyclists and pedestrians come from blocks away to dine in our garden under beautiful, low lighting, on the patio. Making enough money to buy more food from local farms. Creating a very small wine and beer list featuring, possibly solely, Texas beer and wine. Coming up with a completely new menu for dinner. Studying and tasting and trying new things for hours. Getting rid of the "lunch line" and starting fresh with full service. Renovating the inside and removing the self serve drink line. An Espresso Machine! ah...those dreams I had.

Some fodder for your next story:

"From Betsy to gardencafe@swbell.net

I read the interview you gave to Peaguses News.

Loved your threat of closing the cafe.

Go ahead and close. We can, and will, find other places to eat/spend our money. But, we won't permit you to destroy our neighborhood. We are well aware of the damage bars bring to a neighborhood and we also know that once the dry overlay is gone, it's just a matter of time before the building becomes a bar and not a restaurant."

Kane, I love your continued support of us, I really do. Although, I assure you, tax revenues had nothing to do with Angela's decision. The opposing neighbors fought it, and more of them showed up. We could not come to an agreement with the Neighborhood Associations. Specifically the folks like SteveS who are absolutely positive that the Garden Cafe will be the next hip, hotspot, biker bar, with drunks crawling all over the neighborhood like a zombie apocalypse. All from 7am to 10pm.

@unlisted - Did you miss the roughly 1/2 acre garden in the back?

Hello, thank you very much for the review! I do apologize our tacos weren’t quite up to snuff for you. Although, considering Taco Sense's taco expertise, and our overall menu, gives me just a wee bit of comfort. I must also apologize if you weren’t offered veggie sausage as a substitute. It may have added to the overall flavor as does the regular sausage. Thanks again!