Doing Good

Dallas libraries look to North Texas Giving Day for budget boost

North Texas Giving Day kicks off September 18 with the goal of surpassing its record of 75,000 donations totaling $25.2 million. With more than 1,500 nonprofits to choose from, there's no shortage of deserving causes.

But Kate Park, executive director at Friends of Dallas Public Library, is hoping generous Dallasites remember the library this year.

Although most major American cities allot 3 to 4 percent of their budgets to libraries, Dallas sets aside just 2 percent. That leaves a lot of ground to make up, and because of increased budget cuts, the nonprofit Friends of Dallas Public Library now funds all the programming at area libraries.

"For people who are tired of hearing about how underfunded the Dallas library system is, this is their chance to do something about it," Kate Park says.

Park says Dallas libraries lost 50 percent of their staff and 30 percent of their funding over the last six years.

"The city budget pays for books, buildings and bodies," Park says. "Everything else is paid for by donations. It is amazing what the library is able to do with the money we raise."

With one in five North Texas adults classified as functionally illiterate, Park says there is much work to be done, including basic reading classes, GED prep courses, ESL education and enrichment programs such as story time.

"North Texas Giving Day is a powerful way for people to understand what Friends of Dallas Public Library pays for," she says. "Not everybody uses the library, but a lot of people in our community depend on it."

Organized by the Communities Foundation of Texas, the one-day fundraiser connects donors to local nonprofits with an enticing promise to amplify any donation of $25 or more made on the North Texas Giving Day website with $2 million in bonus funds. The virtual coffers are open from 6 am to midnight on September 18.

One of the new projects that Parks is particularly proud of is getting the Dallas Central Library designated as an official GED testing center, the first of its kind in the South. Previously, El Centro College was the only GED testing location in Dallas. "We will now be able to have triple the amount of space for people to take the test," Park says.

Park says the hardest part of her job is educating people about the fact that even though libraries are funded by taxpayer dollars, it still needs outside support to thrive.

"For people who are tired of hearing about how underfunded the Dallas library system is, this is their chance to do something about it," she says. "We would love to get back to a point where we can continue to advocate for the library but it is not out of a place of scarcity."

Friends of Dallas Public Library hosts events to encourage reading.

Photo via Facebook

Friends of Dallas Public Library hosts events to encourage reading.

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News You Can Eat

Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar is headed to Garland and more Dallas dining news

Lazy Dog

Lazy Dog is opening a new location in DFW.

This roundup of restaurant news around Dallas is topped by a mega-exciting opening for Garland, plus new dishes for spring and lots of fresh new beverages.

Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news:

Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, the casual dining restaurant known for its innovative twists on American dishes served with small mountain-town hospitality, is opening a new location in Garland. The restaurant will be located at 5180 N. President George Bush Highway, and marks their sixth location in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. According to a release, it'll open in spring 2024.

“We look forward to bringing our concept of delicious food, warm hospitality and small mountain-town vibes to Garland. Lazy Dog has been received with open arms as we’ve joined new neighborhoods, and we can’t wait to be part of this community,” said Chris Simms, founder and CEO of Lazy Dog Restaurants.

Lazy Dog Restaurant serves made-from-scratch American food and drink with seasonally inspired ingredients. Influenced by the lifestyle of the Rocky Mountains, where Simms spent time with family growing up, Lazy Dog aspires to offer the warmth and care you might get in a small mountain town. Other DFW locations are in Addison, Allen, Arlington, Euless, and Plano.

Salad and Go has four new drive-thru locations coming to DFW: 1102 W Main St, Lewisville April 1; 3401 Midway Rd, Plano April 3; 211 E. Euless Blvd, Euless April 10; and 3820 Belt Line Rd., Addison April 22.

A-T Bistro is the new name for Au Troisième, the Park Cities bistro that opened in Preston Center in 2022. They say that A-T Bistro has been its nickname all along, and they've decided to make it official. Not because people can't pronounce Troisième or anything. The restaurant is a nominee for Best New Restaurant in CultureMap's 2023 Tastemaker Awards and also madeTexas Monthly's "10 Best New Restaurants in 2023" list. In addition to the name change, A·T Bistro has also added a 600-square-foot outdoor dining space, 14-seat private dining room, 600-bottle wine cellar, Sunday brunch, daily lunch specials, and happy hour menu.

Boneless Butcher, the Dallas startup that makes vegan BBQ ribs and steaks, is now popping up at the Dallas Farmers Market every weekend with a small menu, usually three-to-four items including Korean BBQ burritos, a bulgogi steak sandwich, steak nachos, sloppy BBQ sliders, loaded steak nachos, and a banh mi.

La Madeleine has new limited-edition bakery items for spring: Blueberry & Lemon Individual Cheesecake topped with tart lemon whipped cream, Blueberry and Lemon Crepe with blueberry-cheesecake filling and fresh blueberries, and Carrot Cake with cream cheese frosting. Three seasonal favorites are also returning: Lemon Blueberry Danish with blueberries and a lemon cream center, Lemon White Chocolate Chunk Cookie with tangy lemon glaze, and Lemon Poppyseed Muffin with a sweet lemon glaze drizzle.

Dog Haus has a new creation: the Pepperoni Pizza Sausage, a savory link with pork and fennel Italian sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella, tomato, and oregano. Guests can get it the Würst Way, served on King's Hawaiian rolls with spicy basil aioli and grated cheese; the Corn Dog Way dipped in Dog Haus’ root beer batter; and “Sliced Way” grilled and sliced with spicy basil aioli. A new item in the Absolute Würst Sausage Series arrives each month.

Cowboy Chicken, famous for its rotisserie chicken, has added chicken tenders to its menu, served with honey blaze, ranch, BBQ, and honey mustard sauces.

Genghis Grill has partnered with renowned chef Robert Kabakoff on a trio of new Fried Rice bowls: Kimchi Fried Rice with spicy pickled cabbage, fried rice, scrambled egg, in spicy Korean chili sauce; Jambalaya with chicken, sausage, shrimp, onion, bell pepper, and dirty rice; Farmhouse with chicken, bacon, jalapeños, ranch seasoning, fried rice with carrots, bell pepper, onions, and a cream BBQ ranch sauce. They start at $8.49.

Dunkin' has new Breakfast Tacos, served in pairs consisting of scrambled eggs, sharp white cheddar cheese, fire-roasted corn, and tangy lime crema in a soft flour tortilla, with or without bacon. What sets Breakfast Tacos apart is the fact that fire-roasted corn taking center stage.

Cicis Pizza is collaborating with Mike’s Hot Honey to offer a Hot Honey pepperoni pizza, drizzled with the signature chili pepper-infused honey. Now through April 30, the Hot Honey Pizza will be in the third slot after Garlic Cheesy Bread and Pepperoni Pizza, or to-go, $10 for a medium, $12 for a large, or $15 for a giant.

Yogurtland, the self-serve frozen yogurt brand, has two new seasonal fro-yo flavors: Thai Tea and Boba Milk Tea, their take on two classic tea experiences. The Thai Tea frozen yogurt is newwith a bold black tea flavor and sweet cream notes. The Boba Milk Tea is a returning flavor, with brown sugar notes that enhance the milk experience. They also have a new limited-edition topping: rainbow mochi.

Chick-fil-A has brought back Watermelon Mint Lemonade after six years. It's available in all of their signature beverages, including Watermelon Mint Sunjoy, Watermelon Mint Iced Tea, and Watermelon Mint Frosted Lemonade, starting Monday, April 3. According to a release, the Watermelon Mint Lemonade still has a devoted following six years after it was first introduced, sparking its return. "Guests loved the Watermelon Mint Lemonade in 2017, so we are thrilled to bring it back to our menu and introduce new ways for guests to enjoy this flavor," a spokesperson says.

Gong Cha has a new Sparkling Series of bubbly beverages featuring combinations of fruit flavors, pearls, jelly, milk foam, and sparkling water: Sparkling Milk Foam Mango with Star Jelly, a bright, fruity and fizzy mango drink topped with milk foam and chewy, peach flavored jelly in star shapes; Sparkling Lychee with Mango Popping Pearls, a tropical fruit blend of lychee with bursts of mango in each pearl; and Sparkling Hibiscus with White Pearls,-aA sweet & sour hibiscus drink with tart, floral flavor and chewy white pearls. The chain has seven locations in DFW.

Häagen-Dazs® Shops has a new ice cream confection: Pineapple Coconut Shake, an alcohol-free ode to the classic piña colada, made from Häagen-Dazs Pineapple Coconut ice cream, topped with whipped cream and a slice of fresh pineapple, available April 1-June 14.

Milk Bar, the New York dessert company, has launched two new cookie types in grocery stores: bite-sized crunchy cookies (“crunchies”) and ready-to-bake cookie dough. Known for familiar-yet-unexpected items like their Compost Cookies, Milk Bar entered into the Grocery category in 2020. Crunchies will come in four flavors: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Toast, Pretzel-y Chocolate Chip, and Vanilla Butter Crunch, and sold at Whole Foods. The cookie dough comes in two flavors: Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow and Fruity Cereal, and is sold at Target and Kroger.

El Chico has two new cocktails in its Mama’s Flavoritos collection featuring tropical flavors: Guava ‘Rita: with Monte Alban 100% Agave Silver Tequila, Gran Gala Orange Liqueur, Reàl Guava and margarita mix; and Mama’s Sangria Swirl, a house frozen ‘Rita with El Toro Silver Tequila and red sangria swirl. Both are $7 and will be available April 3-July 3 at participating El Chico locations: 1549 S. Bowen Rd. Pantego; 7621 Baker Blvd., North Richland Hills; and 503 I-30, Rockwall.

Manhattan Project Beer is launching a blond beer called Peacekeeper as a permanent offering. It's a blond ale with a hint of guava and a crisp finish, and will be available in cans, and on tap at some bars, still TBA.

WES Brands, the Dallas-based company launched after the $610 million sale to Diageo of Aviation American Gin, has a slate of executive hires: Shawn Thurman as CEO, Sean Penn to President & COO, Kyle Stein as President, Lauren Ryan-Kiyak as Senior VP of Marketing, and Chris Jebbia as Senior VP of Finance. The company is focused on the growth of its existing brands - Mark Wahlberg's Flecha Azul Tequila and Jamie Foxx’s BSB Flavored Whiskey - and soon-to-launch spirits brands.

Chili’s after the company confirmed to the group that it is no longer using children’s activity placemats that promote keeping parrots and monkeys as “pets.” The news follows a complaint over one of the placemats being used at a Chili’s location in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. It was first reported to the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance, which collaborated with PETA to bring this issue to the attention of the restaurant franchise.

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