Dining
BY DUSTIN BUTLER
The at iron steak ($24) is served with mushroom demi-glace and broccolini.
COURTESY ALISON MCLEAN
Nashville Hot ($15) is a crispy fried chicken thigh, hot Nashville butter, housemade pickles and slaw on challah bread.
COURTESY GARDEN CAFE
Garden Cafe o ers small-town diner feel in Lakewood Mark Wootten, general manager of Garden Cafe, said gardening is a big part of his family’s culture and inspired the Southern-in uenced American restaurant when his father opened it. “[My dad] always said gardening was his form of therapy,” Wootten said. In a nutshell Wootten’s father opened Garden Cafe in 2002 and styled it after the old-school diners he enjoyed in his youth. “The typical cafeteria line—a meet-and-greet kind of place,” Wootten said. Wootten said he started working in restaurants kitchens in high school and took over operations in 2010. What makes it special? Before the COVID-19, Garden Cafe was a counter-service restaurant and only opened for breakfast and lunch. When it closed during the pandemic, Wootten said he and his father decided to make changes by o ering full-service, receiving a liquor license and expanding hours.
Mark Wootten, general manager of Garden Cafe, took over operations from his father in 2010.
DUSTIN BUTLER COMMUNITY IMPACT
Wootten said that because the restaurant is in a residential neighborhood, it o ers a “small-town downtown diner” vibe to residents, including hosting monthly neighborhood meetups.
N
The garden was always a big part of the restau- rant, Wootten said, adding that the it was created to provide fresh produce to the restaurant.
5310 Junius St., Dallas www.gardencafe.net
IN THE BUSINESS OF MAKING A HOUSE A HOME
CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE TODAY!
FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED FULL SERVICE CONSTRUCTION & REMODELING
MENAREMODELING.COM • 817-494-3060
16
COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Powered by FlippingBook