Mesa is owned by the Reyes family: Jaretzy, Olga, Raul, and Raul Jr. (Staff photo by Alana Harrison)

For the second time in three years, D Magazine has bestowed its Restaurant of the Year title on an Oak Cliff eatery. In 2009, the big winner was Bolsa. This year, the honor goes to Mesa. Hmm … “bolsa” is the Spanish word for “bag,” and “mesa” means “table.” If I were going to open a restaurant in Oak Cliff, I’d call it either Cama (bed) or Lampara (lamp).

More than 50 volunteers help serve free Thanksgiving dinners at Norma's.

In its 55 years, Norma’s Café is well known for its benevolence. On Veteran’s Day, the restaurant offers free breakfast to vets and active military personnel; they host a postcard campaign for soldiers away from their families over the holidays; they raise money for breast cancer research; they sponsor an annual toy drive; they donate proceeds to the families of fallen police and firefighters.

I’m certainly not aware of another restaurant in Dallas that spreads love like Norma’s. Thanksgiving, perhaps, may be their most generous of offerings. For a 23^rd year, Norma’s is giving free Thanksgiving dinners from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to anyone who needs or wants a home-cooked meal on America’s day of thanks.

In the past, volunteers — some of whom have been serving Thanksgiving meals at Norma’s for more than 20 years — will dish out more than 4,000 turkey dinners with all the fixings.

Guests can expect an all-out, bar-none Thanksgiving chow-down, including turkey and dressing with cranberry sauce; mashed potatoes with creamy butter; fresh peas; salad with Ranch dressing; Norma’s homemade rolls and cornbread. For desert, relish fresh fruit or — you guessed it — a fat slice of Norma’s famous mile-high cream pie. (Personally, I’d go with the pie. It is Thanksgiving after all…that free day to pig out.)

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Staff photo by Chris McGathey

On the cover of this week’s edition of Oak Cliff People, you’ll find a photo of Lea Langford taking a picture of the Texas Theatre marquee on Tuesday, the 48th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination. The caption below the photo says that Tuesday was the 38th anniversary of that fateful day. That’s what happens when your newspaper is managed by a guy who hasn’t taken a math class since graduating from high school … [figuring] … [gimme a sec] … 19 years ago.

101 N. Montclair Ave. in the early 1930s

Does this house look familiar? Probably not. Built at the turn of the 20th century, this 5,600-square-foot, three-story mansion still sits on half an acre at the corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Montclair Avenue.

Today, however, it’s mostly hidden behind thick foliage, after trees and shrubbery matured. Paul and Cindy Maute of Winnetka Heights purchased the house in 2004. It was quite an undertaking, but the Mautes did some major — and some minor — renovations on the Oak Cliff gem, so the house is now a seamless blend of old and new.

If you’re as intrigued as I am, you can get an exclusive tour of the home during this year’s Winnetka Heights Holiday Home Tour, Dec. 3. The tour begins at the Turner house, then proceeds to:
405 S. Clinton Ave.
101 N. Montclair Ave.
115 S. Willomet Ave.
225 S. Windomere Ave.
232 S. Windomere Ave.
211 S. Winnetka Ave.

Read more about the Montclair house’s unique history and Winnetka Heights Neighborhood Association’s Holiday Home Tour in this week’s edition of Oak Cliff People.

At the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce Awards Reception and membership meeting on Dec. 9 at the Bishop Arts Theater Center, the Chamber will announce the winners of the businesses and community members who’ve gone that extra mile in Oak Cliff in 2011. Cliffers votes are in, and here are the finalists:

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
TeCo Theater
Kessler Theater
Lucia’s Restaurant

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR
Michael Amonett
Scott Chase
Mark Miranda

EVENT OF THE YEAR
Mardi Gras parade
Old Oak Cliff Conservation League Home Tour
Blues, Bandits, & BBQ

NEW BUSINESS/DEVELOPMENT
Stevens Park Golf Course
Mesa Restaurant
Gloria’s Restaurant

(*Commissioner Elba Garcia is up for public servant of the year.)

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Like me, you probably thought the deadline for submitting art to the “Tiny Spokes” exhibit had passed a week ago today. Well, the folks at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center have extended the submissions deadline for their bicycle-themed show to Dec. 6. Consequently, the opening reception has been delayed until Jan. 6.

Forty-eight years ago today, Lee Harvey Oswald was captured in the Texas Theatre after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. To commemorate the anniversary, the Jefferson Boulevard venue is recreating its schedule from Nov. 22, 1963, showing the same movies at the same times at the same prices. The fun — if you can call it that — begins with a 1:20 screening of War is Hell.

My first run-in with the Dells District Neighborhood Association was at a Nov. 8 “Unidos” meeting that covered, among other things, WIC-endorsed breastfeeding programs, funeral insurance, and immigration law. I also got to meet the very friendly people running the show, including Dells District “web frau” Gay Revi* who wants to spread the word about a free pancake (and bacon, and other-item) breakfast 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Grace Fellowship Church. You’ll even have a chance to win a whole Thanksgiving dinner.

The Dells District website — linked above — has details.

*I’d normally never cite a LinkedIn page, but hey. I just found Revi’s, and her tagline cracks me up.