About Dallas' Kessler Park

I am always up for trying new restaurants and a friend took me to Nova tonight. What a great experience.

Located at 1417 Davis Street in the Kessler Park/Winnetka Heights area of Oak Cliff in Dallas, Nova is self described as a GastroPub and I think it’s a great description. After a day looking at houses on the Oak Cliff Tour of Homes, we started out with cocktails. JD, tending bar tonight, made my companion an incredible martini and I had a fantastic Bloody Mary as we enjoyed appetizers. Our appetizers were the Tempura Soft Shell Crab and the Blow Torch Salmon. Both were incredible. The Blow Torch Salmon was incredibly inventive, cooked with an actual blow torch, it is charred a bit on the outside, but still cold (like sashimi) on the inside and served on a skewer. It had wonderful taster and texture.

Chef Kelly Hightower, formerly of Hatties and The Mansion on Turtle Creek has put together an incredible menu that changes every few weeks. For entrees, my companion had the Jamaican Beer Can Chicken and I had the Nova Burger with Apple Smoked Bacon and Asiago Fries. Again, both were great. The chicken is heavily seasoned with jerk spices and seasonings, so drink plenty of water (or your beverage of choice). The burger was cooked perfectly, nice, thick and juicy, and served on a great fresh bun. The menu also offers a nice selection of entrees, including some incredible sounding Pizzas… I’ll definitely be going back to try them!

As if we could eat one more thing, we split the Strawberry Shortcake for dessert. It was light and tasty with fresh whipped cream. A nice sweet ending for the meal!

I highly recommend Nova. It’s hip atmosphere in one of Dallas’ most exciting areas coupled with incredible food makes it a winner to me!

If you are looking for a specialty children's clothing store close to downtown Dallas, try The Cozy Cottage Children's Boutique, located in the Bishop Arts District, on the southeast corner of Davis and 8^th Street. The owner, Cynthia Herndon, has filled a charming cottage style home with unique children's clothing. Girls' clothing goes from size 0 to size 14 and the boys clothing goes from size 0 to size 7.

This is the spot to find a unique upscale baby gift for mom and baby. If you enjoy shopping for that special child in your life, I guarantee you will find the perfect toy or outfit. In addition, the shop also carries creative costumes for Halloween or dress-up.

For girls, Ms. Herndon has tutus in many sizes and colors. When I recently visited the shop, she had a beautiful pink and brown tutu in the window. In case you are not up on color trends for little girls, this is the "It" color combination for girls' clothing and room decor.

The shop is open Tuesday - Thursday, from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm; Friday - Saturday, from 10:00 am - 8:00 pm; and Sunday - Monday, by appointment only.

The Cozy Cottage Children's Boutique

336 W. 8th Street • Dallas, TX 75208

214-941-1110

Make an afternoon of it and have lunch at Hattie's or Hunky's!

Dallas: North Oak Cliff Restaurant NORMA'S

Norma's Café was opened over fifty years ago. That's a half century! Amazing for a restaurant! This old time diner, with its red vinyl topped bar stools, is busy from the time it opens until it closes in the evening. Norma's advertises that it "serves breakfast all day." You can create your favorite breakfast by combining any number their many breakfast foods.

"Good home cooking" has made this local Oak Cliff restaurant a popular stop for lunch and dinner. Norma's serves a Blue Plate Special with a choice of three veggies, and Norma's homemade rolls and cornbread. The chicken fried steak, pot roast, meat loaf, and chicken fried chicken are a few of the favorites.

Norma's pies and cobblers are made daily. The Mile High Cream Pies are one of the most popular items on the menu. Maybe this is why they use the slogan "Life is Short, Eat Dessert First!" Sounds logical to me!

If you are short on time, you can phone in your order.

Norma's Café

1123 W Davis St, Dallas

(214) 946-4711

Bolsa, a wonderful neighborhood restaurant on Davis Street, near the Bishop Arts District, in the North Oak Cliff area of Dallas, is a great find. My first trip to Bolsa was on a Wednesday night at 9:00 PM, and the place was filled to the brim with people eating dinner. You can sit inside or outside on the misty patio. The wall of windows, separating the interior bar from the patio bar, can be opened to let the live music flow into the restaurant.

The menu at Bolsa changes daily. There are so many creative menu items that making a choice can be challenging! One of my favorite menu choices is the prosciutto and fig preserve bruschetta. Everything I have tasted at this restaurant is delicious! The wine selection is hand-picked. If wine is not your thing, try one of the many mixed drinks on the menu, including the Tears of a Prophet Martini, or the Black and Blue Mojito. One more thing! Save room for dessert! Every item on the menu is worth the calories!

As an added bonus, the restaurant has a market area where local products, from food to candles, are sold. What a perfect opportunity to select a clever gift for someone!

Click on the Bolsa restaurant link to find out more about the restaurant and the historic building it occupies.

While you're in the area, take a drive through the winding tree shaded streets of North Oak Cliff, including Kessler Park!