THE CAVENDER DIARY

Got a little drunk last night…..

No, not me..

The Eli Young Band did.

Last weekend Jamie dragged me to a country bar. I have trouble hearing in crowded places, so I watched the videos…….most of which I’ve never seen before.

Like Drunk Last Night by the Eli Young Band.

I like classic rock and 80’s alternative, Jamie prefers techno and divas, but we’re both open to everything……. I liked this song and downloaded it onto my iPod immediately.

Sure, Mr Eli could use a little help from an “Arm Choreographer”, he moves them in an uncomfortable looking C3-PO fashion. But it’s a catchy tune. I Googled them and apparently the Eli Young Band, formed in Denton, Texas BTW, won Song of the Year from the Academy of Country Music a couple years ago. Good work, boys.

Still never heard of them before.

So why all the hullabaloo about a band I hardly know?

Because their video was filmed in our neighborhood. Oak Cliff, of all places.

The bedroom scenes are at the Belmont Hotel, the boys are performing on the shipping pallet stage at the Foundry. They drink boilermakers, flirt with a tattooed bartender-ess and shoot pool at the Foundry bar. Our hero calls for a pre-moistened cab from the only pay phone booth left in Dallas in front of SMOKE Restaurant. I’d recognize those orange Umbra chairs and, Man-ohh-Man, that arrow sign pointing to the front door anywhere.

So, how about a little walking tour of our neighborhood as highlighted in the Drunk Last Night video?

The Belmont Hotel was designed in 1946 by famed architect Charles Dilbeck in the art moderne design and is the only public building that he ever designed. The entire cliff it sits upon was trucked-in and created just to take advantage of the spectacular view of downtown Dallas. It was also one of the first hotels to offer year-round air conditioning. The Belmont was abandoned in the 80’s and set vacant for years until Monte Anderson and his team of contractors saw the potential and restored the building to its former glory in 2005. The Bar Belmont is the best view of downtown Dallas and during the summer evenings the hotel shows free drive-in movies on the lawn by the pool.

SMOKE restaurant shares a parking lot, and the same Dilbeck designed art modern lines, with the Belmont Hotel. It should, after all, in another lifetime the building was the diner for the hotel. This place just smells like you would expect Texas to smell…like BBQ. But not your average brisket….coffee rubbed brisket. Or try something a little more exotic like pate with smoked onion marmalade, or sweet breads with roasted figs, or cabrito with green apple salsa.

Definitely not your average BBQ joint.

If this arrow ever disappears from the building….there might be a slight possibility that it’s in my den. Just sayin’.

Across the street from both of these beautiful buildings….is the not quite attractive front for the Foundry.

Behind that U.G.L.Y. parking structure the beer garden awaits….I wouldn’t usually describe a place as feeling “Austin-ish”. But if you have never been to Austin, Texas…this place just exudes the same laid back, outdoorsy feel that every place in Austin does.

The garage doors to the bar are usually up and open continuing the outside is inside feel of this place.

Mostly Texas beers on tap too.

As it should be.

The stage made from reclaimed shipping pallets has live music on every evening where the weather permits.

The Foundry never charges a cover.

In the summer……..this place is packed with Cliff-dwellers enjoying local draft beer and free music.

Did I mention the food?

Attached to the Foundry, actually it’s the same owners, is Chicken Scratch serving up street tacos, tremendous salads, and …. well, chicken. Rotisserie and fried.

It’s a well-known Oak Cliff fact that Chicken Scratch serves some pretty perfect hangover cures.

Like the Foundry Biscuit; fried chicken, mashed potatoes, smoked slab bacon, cheese, and grainy beer mustard nestled in a buttery flakey biscuit.

Is your mouth watering yet?

I got mine with a side of the green chili hominy mac-n-cheese.

I happened to run into my good friend Darrell. Who, along with some other hung over friends of his, were all munching on chicken and waffles.

Because they….are y’all ready for the punchline?

…got Drunk Last Night.

So check out all of these places if y’all get the chance.

3 more reasons that we love our neighborhood.