Jonathon and Christine Erdeljac are experiencing growing pains in Oak Cliff. What was once a romantic kitchen fit for Smurf-sized cooks has become a burden for the duo, as a weekend brunch service has drawn a steady, loyal and absolutely ravenous crowd.

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Big Plans From the Tiny Kitchen at Jonathon's Oak Cliff

I reviewed the restaurant two years ago and noted the urban-diner-meets-country cooking is served from a kitchen that's not even 200 square feet. While that might be enough for the small dining room, with nicer weather, the patio out front effectively doubles demand. The Erdeljacs have hit a breaking point. They need room to grow.

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Promise of Peace Garden

Recently Brittany Nunn with the Lakewood Advocate covered the proposed new Promise of Peace garden in a three part series (one, two and three). The garden is set to take over some space in a parking lot at the White Rock United Methodist Church (WRUMC) in the Little Forest Hills neighborhood.

And, oh, what a kerfuffle has ensued.

Turns out that some neighbors of the church dislike the idea of replacing a parking lot with a garden. Yes. The want to keep their quiet inner-city parking lot and are ready to fight the good fight for it.

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A fire gutted Luna Tortilla factory in northwest Dallas this morning. Owner Fernando Luna said he first smelled the smoke about 10:30 a.m., but initially the odor was mistaken as an over-toasted tortilla or a grill running too hot. As the smell got stronger, so did Luna's curiosity about its source. He checked the vent hoods and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Then smoke started to fill the building.

When he walked outside smoke was pouring from the roof vents. Luna says he ran back in to clear his employees from the building and then called the fire department. Nobody was hurt, but the building where Luna makes tortillas for customers and for his restaurant across the street was totaled.

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While the Lakewood Landing won best Bar Food in the Observer back in 2010, I've had mixed experiences at the bar when it comes to snacking. The nachos seemed a little soggy, the burgers were definitely dry and then there was that corn dog incident that really got me down about the place.

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I Finally Had Lakewood Landing's Famous Midnight Corn Dog, and It Kinda Sucked

This January though, I moved within walking distance to the bar and I've been dropping in now and then since. The shift was subtle, so I didn't notice it right away, but over time it became apparent. The bar food has definitely gotten better there.

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FOX

Not in a million years would we have ever guessed the words "Hell's Kitchen" and "Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill" would be in the same sentence. Alas, FOX and chef Gordon Ramsay are casting a wide net over Dallas for new subjects for the next season of the reality cooking show, Hell's Kitchen.

The casting company is specifically looking for candidates who are outspoken, competitive and can "stand the HEAT." Passion and skill are also token qualities.

From the production and management company:

"HELL'S KITCHEN will follow the chefs 24/7 through the perils of working in Chef Ramsay's pressure-filled restaurant, capturing the wrath, emotion and adrenaline rush that comes with cooking in a top-notch restaurant. Contestants will have to prove they have the endurance and skills to work with Chef Ramsay as they are pushed to their limits."

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I have had some experiences in grocery stores that definitely make me feel like I'll never want to step foot in one again. I'm sure you've been there. You get your heart set on some recipe you've just torn from the pages of whatever glossy food magazine you turned to after Gourmet died. You get to the produce section only to find two of the three fresh herbs you need are missing. No matter. You can omit the chives. And oregano and marjoram sort of taste the the same. Then the meat counter doesn't have the cut you want so after waiting five minutes for your number to be called, you have to work out another substitution with the butcher. Your favorite butter is out of stock. There's a spice you need that is missing, too.

Then as you approach the front of the store, with a basket that only vaguely resembles the original intent of your meal, you see the lines are so long they reach back into the aisles. Then a kid starts to cry. Then squeal. It's 7:30 p.m. and you haven't even started marinating your skirt steak. So you quietly set your basket down on the floor, do your best to walk out calmly, and then hit up your favorite bar for some burgers and wings. Call your friends and tell them dinner is canceled this evening. You've been grocery-store-screwed.

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Garrison Brothers Distillery

The feature story of the July issue of Cooking Light, which hits stands today, highlights America's 10 Best Food Adventures in Food-Tripping USA. The blossoming craft distillery industry in Texas made the list.

Usually we work hard to find the holes in plans like this, figuring there's some hilarious kerfuffle somewhere written by someone that's never stepped foot in the state (I'm looking at you, The Daily Meal). But, this is actually pretty solid. I'd take this road trip in a heartbeat.

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Produce section, compliments of the handiwork of bees

A Whole Foods Market in Providence, Rhode Island, recently took before and after pictures of what their produce section would look like in a world without bees.

The view sans bees is quite depressing, as it should be. Of the 453 products, 237 were removed, including apples, avocados, carrots, mangoes, lemons, eggplant, summer squash and a whole slew of other things.

Now through June 25, for every pound of organic summer squash sold, Whole Foods will donate 10 cents to The Xerces Society for pollinator preservation.

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Hot time, summer in the city

Construction for the new Rudy's Chicken started yesterday. Or at least a few spadefuls of dirt were tossed to kick off the effort. Council member Dwaine Caraway, Mayor Mike Rawlings and a number of others from the City Council came out to mark the project kickoff and get their hands on their share of the fried chicken catered by Rudy himself.

At least the chicken was supposed to be the star of the show. After Caraway cornered the mayor in front of flashing cameras and made him solemnly vow to eat Rudy's chicken, talks shifted to the larger initiative that the Rudy's renovation is only a part of.

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U.S. Food Trucks

Anchor tenant at the Fly-By Food Truck Park

Food truck parks sound great on paper, but out on the concrete is where the truth plays out. In Dallas, there have been some good ideas that just didn't pan out for whatever reason, then some awful ideas that died quickly. From the shakeout thus far, there's a spattering of places where food trucks conglomerate en masse successfully, the AT&T Arts Center and Klyde Warren Park being a couple.

But, people outside of downtown want need food trucks too.

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A Day in the Life of Dallas Food Truck Owners

This weekend U.S. Food Trucks is opening a new food truck park at 2500 W. Mockingbird Lane (at Maple Avenue), called the Fly-By Food Park. U.S. Food Trucks is a one-stop shop for people looking to get into the food truck business. Among other things, they lease out trucks and provide a full service commissary for local trucks.

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