Posts by John Tornow

A ceiling full of paper birds at the All Good Cafe in Deep Ellum.

We spent the better part of the 4^th of July weekend this year just hanging out and relaxing in the wonderful city of Austin, Texas. I should be clear about my bias: Austin is one of my favorite cities in the country. The city has its own unique, eccentric and flavorful style and it is a gem of a town hidden in an otherwise overly built up and chain restaurant centric land of Texas. We spent the majority of the weekend eating our way through various local dives and hot spots.

Kerbey Lane Cafe is one such local hot spot. Its existence is no secret, there are locations all around the city. But it is one of the few places that we go to every time we are even remotely close to Austin. The pancakes are phenomenal, the coffee does the trick and the quirky atmosphere tops it off. If you’re ever in Austin, you’ve got to go at least once.

Deep Ellum is one of the more photogenic areas of this otherwise excessively concrete-laden city of Dallas. It is one of the few areas of town that gives me the feeling of walking around in a much bigger (and cooler) east coast town. The streets are filled with run down hangouts, shuttered businesses and shady lofts that seem to be slowly regaining attention after years of neglect.

As Chris and I were walking around the area a few weeks ago we both stopped for a few minutes to take in the scene at this old service station. The station has certainly seen better days and the same could be said for the old Chevy truck parked in front. The interior of the building had clearly not been used in decades and the signage and products on display inside had a gentle layer of dust hiding their 1970’s marketing charm.

As I was snooping around, perhaps a bit too close, I was joined abruptly by the owner of the building and his overly eager dog. I managed to grab only a few shots of the place before quickly exiting the scene.

I’m surprised on a regular basis by the number of interests I share in common with my Dad. While we are technically a generation apart, we both appreciate figuring out how things work, great music, history, and photography. He’s a civil engineer, and I’ve made a nice little career so far out of being a software engineer. I think had we been born at the same time we’d both have the exact same jobs.

While we were home last weekend for Father’s Day, we were talking about photography and taking pictures. He went into the closet and pulled out the camera shown above. It’s his old SLR from his college days, and the first years of my life. I don’t remember much about it as a kid, other than its signature strap pattern.

It’s nothing terribly fancy, certainly compared to today’s standards, but it took a lot of meaningful pictures about thirty years ago. I’m incredibly impressed by the photography tools of previous generations and am also extremely aware of how easy the camera systems of today make it on photographers. Below are some shots he shared with me taken with this camera of New York City in the mid 1970s, shortly after the World Trade Center towers had been completed. Powerful images to see now, on many levels.

So, thanks Dad. Great shots.

I seem to be having these days less frequently lately, but I’m savoring them as they come. It’s a beautiful day in Texas. Cheers.

It’s a great time to be in Dallas. The sports energy has been amazing this year, starting with the Rangers in the World Series last fall, the Super Bowl in town this winter, and now an NBA Finals championship to kick off the summer. Not a bad 8 month stretch.

Neo Pizza Napoletana is a fairly new pizzeria in downtown Dallas. It’s been around for about a year and was created by the owner of Olivella’s, another fantastic place near SMU. They claim to be the “Best Pizza in Texas”, and to be honest I can’t disagree. We always get at least half of a black truffle pie, and typically change it up with the other half. The stuff is amazing.

You can tell the food was good, because I didn’t even stop to snap a photo of it.

It’s June in Texas. Every year we are all somehow shocked that it is so hot, already. The only way to spend time outside these days is by the pool. This weekend it was the perfect way to spend the first 100° days of the season.

I’m not sure why I thought this carpet was cool. But it is.

Holiday weekend shopping at the mall.

S. & D. Oyster Company is a gem of a restaurant in the middle of uptown that is one of the few great places to get fresh oysters in the city. The service is fantastic, and they will shuck and serve you a dozen oysters within about 30 seconds. And probably the best part is the fresh, homemade cocktail sauce that they make at the table. The perfect Friday dinner after a long week at work.

My love affair with the Bishop Arts District continues. Today’s ode to The District comes in the form of a corner restaurant named Oddfellows.

As soon as you enter the dining room you’ll notice the massive espresso machine directly behind the hostess stand. Off to a good start. They were proudly displaying french press propaganda so we gladly obliged and ordered a round. The coffee was amazing. Our waitress told us of the owners’ friendship with a Colombian grower that ships raw beans directly to a roaster in Austin. Luckily for the rest of us, they’ll sell you a pound.

The food was equally amazing and, as the older gentleman next to me mentioned a few times, all of their food is local and fresh. He especially cared for the local peaches and not “those ones that just look good from California.” The beignets and homemade pepper bacon omelette were more my speed. But either way, the place was fantastic. I haven’t found a spot in The District yet that disappoints.

Last weekend Chris and I made our way over to the Dallas World Aquarium. The crowds were minimal and there weren’t many lines in sight, so it was a perfect day to walk around and snap some photos.

This weekend we celebrated my wife’s birthday at Si Tapas in uptown. Tapas are little appetizers, snacks and other assorted bits of typically bite-sized Spanish-style food. The Sangria pitcher was rarely empty and a good time was had by all. This plate of cheese, grapes, nuts and figs was one of the highlights.