Park News

Trailblazing MLK Food Park will set up shop at Dallas' Fair Park

Vendor Bri's Bakes was at the last event with brownies and bundt cakes.

Photo courtesy of Better Block Foundation

A trail-blazing Dallas food park that debuted in April returns for another round, this time in a new location: The MLK Food Park returns to the South Dallas area at its new location in Fair Park, where it will be set up on select Sundays this summer, starting June 26.

The MLK Food Park features local food and beverage trucks serving non-vegan and vegan food, handmade and crafted goods, dessert trucks, live music and entertainment, kid-friendly games and activities, and informational booths from local community organizers.

The MLK Food Park began as a collaborative effort between Better Block and DRBTS (Do Right by The Streets) in hopes of bringing South Dallas residents together to gather, fellowship, and nourish their bodies while supporting local black-owned food trucks and vendors.

The first one took place in April, with a goal of transforming a vacant lot into a gathering space with public art, greenspace, flowerbeds, and children’s play area, and to create an incubator-like setting highlighting local entrepreneurs and southern Dallas food artisans, food truck, and trailer purveyors.

DRBTS, an urban planning and place creation design group that puts communities of color first, and Better Block partnered with Fair Park First to make use of green space within Fair Park.

"We were presented with an opportunity to utilize space inside Fair Park with more green space, accessibility to needed infrastructure sources such as utilities, and the opportunity to operate in a semi-permanent space," says DRBTS' executive director Desiree Powell. "This is a foundational step towards creating a permanent space for the MLK Food Park and expanding the vision to offer a safe space in South Dallas."

With the new Community Park coming to Fair Park in 2024, the MLK Food Park provides another placemaking opportunity that supports South Dallas businesses and creates new connections with the community, says Alyssa Arnold, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Fair Park First.

The MLK Food Park at Fair Park will take place across the Leonhardt Lagoon throughout the summer starting Sunday, June 26. The following dates will include July 10, July 24, and July 31 from 11 am – 4 pm. The event is free and open to the public.

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Escargot News

New all-day French bistro in downtown Rockwall is all from scratch

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Belle View Bistro Rockwall

An all-day French bistro has made its debut in Rockwall: Called Belle Vie Bistro, it’s a new mom-and-pop in the charming historic downtown district, at 112 E. Rusk St., the former home of The Fatted Calf restaurant, where it opened its doors on November 12.

Belle Vie is from Luis and Iliana Marquez, a hard-working couple who also own Los Marquez, a popular taco--themed food-truck-turned-restaurant in Rockwall they first debuted in 2019. In May, the couple took over the former Fat Chicken space to open a brick and mortar location of Los Marquez, where they serve well-made Mexican food like tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, but also burgers & fries. They open for breakfast with breakfast tacos, and run a daily lunch special, often creative, always popular, such as birria ramen with choice of beef or lamb for $11.

But the couple had a bigger vision of creating a place where chef Luis could stretch and showcase his skills.

"Luis has a lot of culinary experience, and it’s something that he’s been putting aside,” Iliana says. “We were just waiting on the perfect time to bring this to life.”

"This is something exciting and new for us, it’s something that we always wanted to make,” Luis says.

Like Los Marquez, Belle Vie is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, serving classics like French onion soup, moules frites, escargot, and duck confit. There are also comforting and American dishes like spinach-artichoke dip, crab cakes, and fish & chips.

Lunch features Cobb salad, a French dip, and chicken & Brie panini, while an extended breakfast -- which runs from 7 am to 4 pm — includes pancakes, waffles, eggs benedict, beignets French toast, and crepes, plus pastries and breads made from scratch.

Mural on the wall at Belle Vie Bistro RockwallFacebook

The bakery counter is a delight, with eclairs, croissants, scones, fruit tarts, and cake slices in flavors like carrot cake and white chocolate raspberry. There's also a serious coffee program with espresso drinks such as lattes.

"We pride ourselves on making everything from scratch," the duo says. "Our bread—whether for sandwiches, paninis, hamburgers or anything listed on our menu is made fresh just for us by our incredibly talented pastry chef and baker. The same care goes into our pastries and desserts ensuring every bite is special and crafted with love."

The dining room is warm and cozy with dark wood chairs and plush booths and a full-wall mural depicting a street in Paris. They also have a full bar, with cocktails and beer on tap. Prices are reasonable, ranging from $9 for a Belgian waffle during breakfast to $45 for prime ribeye at dinner.

For now, they're not taking reservations — it's first come, first serve.

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