The July edition of the Preston Hollow Advocate has likely arrived on your doorstep by now, so I’m hoping you’ve had a chance to read all about the free Fourth of July celebration at NorthPark we featured this month.
If you haven’t already read all about it, here’s the scoop…and if you have, consider this your friendly reminder:
Tomorrow from noon to 6 p.m. swing by the NorthCourt (that’s between Macy’s and Nordstrom). There will be face painting, food, balloon artist, and a concert by popular children’s singer Eddie Coker.

The Black Eyed Pea at Forest and Central Expressway is a popular lunch spot among folks looking for some home cookin’. Its $5.99 or $6.99 specials are hard to beat, especially with the amount of food you get for the price.

The menu is chicken fried steak and pot roast heavy, but I’ve noticed that Black Eyed Pea has a new marketing campaign promoting its more healthy fare. If you click on the website, you’ll immediately find a photo of raw carrots being chopped, and the statement: "Over a dozen fresh veggies. Who says we only worship chicken fried steak?" The classic vegetable plate costs $6.79, and a la carte, the vegetables — which include cornbread dressing, macaroni and cheese, and red beans and rice — are $1.49 each.

But before anyone seriously watching his weight rushes over to Black Eyed Pea for lunch, you should know that "vegetable" doesn’t mean much on this menu, at least not as far as calories and fat are concerned.

A colleague of mine recently returned from the restaurant feeling fairly good about herself for choosing the vegetable platter and picking the more sensible items, like steamed broccoli — until she looked up the nutrition information.

One side portion of broccoli florets at the Black Eyed Pea includes 280 calories and 27 fat grams. "How much trans fat and butter do you have to use to put 280 calories in broccoli?!?" my agitated coworker exclaimed. To put those numbers into context, a side portion of the broccoli rice casserole is 200 calories and 14 fat grams, and a side portion of mashed potatoes is 150 calories and 8 fat grams.

If you’re counting calories, I’d suggest the glazed carrots (90 calories, 3.5 fat grams), green beans (40, 0), sweet kernel corn (90, 3.5), turnip greens (90, 7) and fried okra (110, 6) — the five "veggie" options with the least amount of calories. Stay far away from the coleslaw, which has even more calories than the French fries, and lay off the fried corn and, of course, macaroni and cheese.

And for goodness sake, if you have to eat broccoli, at least get the broccoli and rice casserole and enjoy it more for less calories.

Here’s the full nutrition list for Black Eyed Pea: Download nutrition.xls

The Dillard’s at Valley View Center in closing. The Dallas Morning News reports the department store will close its doors by the end of August. Macy’s moved out of the mall earlier this year. Now both department stores have plans to open new locations in Fairview, a 200-acre mixed use development that’s being built off Stacy Road in Collin County.
Sears and JC Penny are the only remaining anchors at Valley View now. Macerich Co. owns Valley View, but no word yet on their plans for the mall.
But in the meantime, I think it’s safe to say you can keep an eye out for a big closing sale at Dillard’s.

Members of the Friends of Katy Trail and councilwoman Angela Hunt recently toured some potential routes for the new Katy Trail-Arts District loop connection. Now the group is asking for neighborhood feedback. Check out the final options online, then tell the group which route you like best.

Congratulations to Thomas Jefferson High School where 21 members of the Class of 2008, through participation in the Academic Success Program, have accumulated over $8 million in scholarships and aid. These students will attend Dartmouth U., U. of Pennsylvania, Boston College, William & Mary, TCU and SMU. All members of the ASP class are the first in their families to attend college, are defined as low income, completed 12 Advanced Placement courses and were admitted to an average of 11 colleges and universities.

Founded by Thomas A. Urquidez of Wichita Falls, Texas (pictured at left with his wife and TJ students), the Academic Success Program is a comprehensive high school program that helps urban high school students prepare for college. ASP’s primary focus is on students who are the first in their families to attend college. ASP helps students first realize that college is within their grasp and then provides them with the tools necessary to make their dreams a reality. Students were chosen based on strong academic credentials and on their willingness to commit to ASP’s mission of building a culture of college-bound students in Dallas ISD. The Dallas program is under the direction of the founder’s son Thomas J. Urquide of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.

If you’re looking for a bargain (and who isn’t these days?) here’s one to keep on your radar:
Yumi To Go is now offering $4 salads every Monday now through Labor Day. That’s right, if you take advantage of the Monday special you get to create your own salad by picking from more than 20 toppings (like shiitake mushrooms, avocado, or crunchy noodles) then top it with one of seven dressings. And if you live or work close enough, they’ll deliver your lunch to your doorstep or cubicle.

Bring the ESPY to Texas Trinity U. and W. T. White graduate
Steve Arnold who was one of the ball carriers during the nominated miracle play.
Steve will join teammates at the awards show on Sunday, July 19th.

Vote NOW
for
Best Play
Mississippi Miracle
TU – Tigers

WTW teacher Cindy Arnold with husband Richard and their
Trinity U. son Steve Arnold from WTW Class of 2004

This month Advocate brought you a peak into this year’s First Men’s Garden Club Show at North Haven Gardens. Now, the garden center is getting ready to host another event, only this one will likely appeal more to your inner chef.
Salsa Sunday is a chance for you to whip up your meanest batch of homemade salsa, and see how it stacks up to other varieties in the neighborhood.
Aside from bragging rights, you could win $100 North Haven gift card for first place, $75 for second place, and $50 for third place.
Oh, and creativity is strongly encouraged, so it you want to do something fancy like a mango-jicama mix, go for it. If want to enter, get all the rules and details online.

This month Advocate brought you all the best Asian eateries, including neighborhood favorite (and one of my personal favorites) Asian Mint.
What didn’t make it in to the magazine, however, was the scoop on the restaurant’s second location.
During my interview, owner Nikky Phinyawatana filled me in on all the details, so now I’m bringing them to you a la blog:
She says this new location (which will simply be called The Mint) will be at the Shops of Highland Park. She also says it will actually be smaller than the already-itty bitty location in our neighborhood.
The menu will also be "more up scale", she says, so expect things like seared ahi tuna. And the digs will also be "a bit more dressed up," including a new color scheme that’s not green. A highlight will also be the bar, which Phinyawatana tells me they really splurged on.
The Mint should be open by mid-August.

I have to be honest — I try to stay as far away from this Preston Valley Shopping Center tenant as possible. But that’s only because every time I walk in, I’m afraid I’m going to devour everything inside the bakery’s glass cases.

I first heard about Stein’s from a friend who lives in Sparkman. She is a much better and much more practiced hostess than I, and Stein’s is her go-to bakery for her son’s birthday parties and other special occasions. I decided to follow her advice and ordered a yellow cake with cream cheese icing for my sister’s baby shower.

They did a darling job using icing to create the onesie I sketched for them (and my art portfolio consists solely of stick people). But we barely had time to enjoy the design because people could not stop stuffing this goodness into their mouths. The cake was moist, the icing was sweet but not too gooey and, needless to say, it was a huge hit at the party.