Plot in the City

Deep Ellum Urban Gardens celebrates grass-roots success

Raised beds at Deep Ellum Urban Gardens feature "sponsorship" slats such as thisone by Life in Deep Ellum.
Photo by Teresa Gubbins
Deep Ellum Gardens wunderkind Kelly Clemons thanks volunteers at the June 1ceremony.
Photo by Teresa Gubbins
Deep Ellum Gardens social media whiz Paula Ramirez and supporter admire thefinished product.
Photo by Teresa Gubbins
From left: Sean Fitzgerald, Dave Kasper, Jana Spurgin, Jeff Kiec, Uyen Vo, KatieJensen, Rachel Muldez, Kelly Clemons, Diane Ames, Ariane Baker, Melissa Scogins,Steve McGann, Scott Clemens, Jim Rogers, Paula Ramirez.
Photo by Teresa Gubbins

After years of plotting and hard labor, Deep Ellum Urban Gardens, a community garden on the edge of Deep Ellum, has finally arrived. On June 1, a ceremony saluted the dozens of players who made it happen.

The event had pomp and circumstance, with city officials and speeches, even as many in the audience had themselves contributed in big and small ways. But the ceremony was essential – a pause to reflect on the wondrous, complex things the gardens symbolize: a mighty achievement on their own; a valuable contribution to the neighborhood; and the thrill of grass-roots activity, of individuals working together to create something good.

The gardens also embody what is revered about the neighborhood, said Sean Fitzgerald, president of Deep Ellum Community Association, the umbrella organization over Deep Ellum Urban Gardens (DUG). "This neighborhood is unlike any other, and that's why we all love it and want to keep that," Fitzgerald said.

Project leader Kelly Clemons spoke of the garden's goal to provide an avenue for a sustainable lifestyle in an urban environment with limited green space. She thanked a long list of volunteers: social media whiz Paula Ramirez; architect Steve McGann; construction guru Dave Kasper; neighborhood organizer (and former District 14 candidate) Jim Rogers; security consultant Andrew McClellen; muralist Dan Colcer; Michael Hellman from Dallas parks department; Brandon Castillo of Deep Ellum Outdoor Market; and her husband Justin, among others.

"We love that the Gardens bring Deep Ellum and the Central Business District together," said Kourtny Garrett from Downtown Dallas.

The gardens also saw a unique collaboration between government officials, as city staffers worked with state representatives to help secure the odd piece of property on which DUG resides. It sits under a highway overpass, at the corner of Good Latimer and Canton Street, a patch of land that used to be just grass and now grows food.

That patch of land serves as a bridge between Deep Ellum and the city's Central Business District, said Kourtny Garrett from Downtown Dallas Inc. "We love that it brings the two areas together," she said.

For such a DIY project, the gardens were impeccable: the raised beds enclosed in rough-hewn wood, with "dedication" slats running across the top of each bed. Planting began in March. There were already glossy eggplants, leafy chard, statuesque artichokes and tomatoes galore. All of the plots are spoken for, but there's a waiting list to get one.

And meanwhile, DUG will hold a monthly series of seminars on gardening techniques to get you ramped up, beginning with one on June 15 on bug management. Today the garden, tomorrow the world.

unspecified

Michelin Meals

Mamani brings Austin's Michelin-starred Hestia to Dallas for one night

Courtesy of Mamani

Mamani will welcome Hestia's top chefs in August.

Acclaimed Austin restaurant Hestia is bringing its live fire cooking to a collaborative dinner at Dallas' esteemed French restaurant Mamani this August. The one-night-only event comes on the heels of the two restaurants' upcoming dinner in Austin that is part of Hestia's annual Lone Star Dinner Series.

The "Mamani and Friends: Mamani x Hestia Dinner" will take place Tuesday, August 4 at Mamani in Uptown Dallas. The menu for the eight-course event is still under wraps, but it's safe to say that the live fire cooking will be the spotlight.

A press release says a grill will be placed outdoors in front of Mamani, where Hestia's team will prepare its Michelin-worthy dishes. Mamani Wine Director Josh Ponthieux will create optional wine pairings for the experience.

Three of Hestia's top chefs — Kevin Fink, Paul Wensel, and Tavel Bristol-Joseph — will be in attendance, alongside Mamani's executive chef and partner Christophe De Lellis. Both Fink and Bristol-Joseph are James Beard Award finalists, establishing the chefs as culinary icons in their own right.

"I thought it was cool to bring to Mamani another Texas Michelin restaurant with a very different approach than ours," De Lellis said in a statement. "We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Hestia’s team and do something really special for our community here in Dallas."

Mamani executive chef and partner Christophe De Lellis Mamani opened in Dallas in 2025 under chef Christophe De Lellis, whose menu blends influences from Paris and the French and Italian Rivieras.Courtesy of Mamani

De Lellis will travel to Austin to cook with Fink for Hestia's Lone Star Dinner Series two weeks before the Dallas dinner takes place. The Austin series began its current season on June 16 with Tatemó, a Houston restaurant that builds the majority of its menu on masa. The Mamani dinner will be held July 21 and will be followed by a dinner with Austin's Michelin-rated InterStellar BBQ on August 25.

CultureMap was in attendance for the June 16 12-course kickoff, where chefs from both restaurants worked together in the kitchen — one team in black and the other in white — to deliver a diverse menu with a light seafood focus and Texas touches.

Hestia's dishes included a farmed oyster with refreshing, summery garnishes; a tiny kampachi roll; Texas Wagyu tartare with Thai basil and a fragrant jalapeño flatbread; and an Italian-inspired, dry-aged Berkshire pork coppa with kosho (fermented citrus and chili paste), radicchio, and marinated Sungolds. Each restaurant contributed one dessert, with Hestia's elegant corn pavlova serving as a well-balanced finale to the meal.

If the Hestia x Tatemó dinner indicates the exceptional quality that hungry Dallasites can expect from the Mamani x Hestia experience, attendees will surely be in for a memorable evening.

The Mamani x Hestia dinner will be held on Tuesday, August 4. Only 100 tickets will be sold for the event at $235 per person, plus $135 for optional wine pairings. Reservations open Tuesday, June 23 via OpenTable.

Courtesy of Mamani

Mamani will welcome Hestia's top chefs in August.

---

Brianna Caleri contributed to this story.

restaurants mamani dallas hestia dinner michelin guide

Plot in the City

Deep Ellum Urban Gardens celebrates grass-roots success

Michelin Meals

Mamani brings Austin's Michelin-starred Hestia to Dallas for one night

6 DFW universities named best in the world on 2026 U.S. News list

Buzzy Palladino's Steak & Seafood debuts in Preston Hollow after NYC raves

H-E-B's first Dallas County grocery store makes grand debut in Irving