Keeping It Cool in Mission Hills
by Mission Hills BID
The Fort Oak restaurant has 3,404-square-feet of indoor and outdoor space.
The weather is at record setting highs with off-the-chart humidity as we try to fit all we have to share into the space allowed. With “hot” on our minds, following are some worthy mentions.
Hot Event Save-the-Date: Each August the Mission Hills Business Improvement District (BID) takes a break from its monthly meetings and puts planning for the Mission Hills BID’s signature fundraising event, the Annual Taste of Mission Hills, in high gear. This year’s TASTE is happening on Wednesday evening October 10, from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of BID board President Krista Lombardi, the live music of Sue Palmer & the Motel Swing Singers will add a Boogie Woogie vibe to this year’s TASTE.
The list of participating TASTE venues is growing and will include Trust Restaurant Group’s latest venture, Fort Oak. Also, new to the TASTE line-up is Dixie Pops featuring fresh hand-crafted popsicles and ice creams. And, new chef/owner Luciano Cibelli at The Red Door will be offering amazing tastes of comfort food with an Italian flair. Longtime Mission Hills’ favorite chefs, bakers and baristas will be returning with delicious TASTE offerings. The BID’s tradition continues with three Old Town Trolleys transporting TASTE ticket holders to within steps of all participating venues. Please stay tuned for updates in this column and at http://missionhillsbid.com/
Hot Event Cool Vibe: The Summer Concerts in the Park, produced by the Mission Hills Town Council, are in full swing Friday nights beginning at 6:00 through August 17 and allow our Mission Hills businesses the opportunity to participate as sponsors. This year’s stand-out sponsors include the Season Presenting Sponsor at $10,000 representing The Patio Group and Patio on Goldfinch owned by Gina Champion-Cain who serves on the Mission Hills BID’s President’s Circle. The Banner Sponsor at $3,000 was Fort Oak, from owners Brad Wise and Steven Schwob, whose new restaurant venture in Mission Hills is scheduled to launch this fall. Sponsorship opportunities begin at $100, allowing nearly everyone the opportunity to be a sponsor. Thank you, business owners! Thank you, Town Council!
Hot New Businesses Launching: Fort Oak at 1011 Fort Stockton Drive will anchor The Fort, a new mixed-use building by Jonathan Segal. The entire ground floor, 3,404-square-feet of indoor and outdoor space, will be dedicated to the Fort Oak restaurant. The adjacent historic former Neuner Brothers Ford auto dealership has been rebuilt into a cocktail bar. Steven Schwob and Brad Wise want to share, “Trust Restaurant Group couldn’t be more excited to be a part of Mission Hills. Fort Oak will have parallels of our signature restaurant Trust, however we now have the space to provide multiple unique dining experiences.”
Get your taste buds ready Dixie Pops is coming to Mission Hills. Dixie Pops will be opening a second location at the corner of West Washington and Goldfinch. And, according to Dixie Hall, owner, they will be adding unreal home-made ice cream to their menu, so keep an eye out for Dixie Pops.
New Red Door owner and chef Luciano Cibelli is capturing the hearts of Italian cuisine lovers at 741 West Washington Street. He shared, “Benvenuti! We are excited to be here in Mission Hills and love this community. Looking forward to serving you. Please come in and visit us. Our food is so simple and authentic that it speaks to your soul. A presto!”
The Patio Express at 928 Fort Stockton Drive recently added on-site wine service to its longtime wine sales business. Julie Santa Cruz, general manager offered, “With our diverse wine selection you can be sure to find a helpful description or an added touch of personal attention for any pairing help whether you sit and sip at our newly added wine bar, or take a bottle or two home for later.”
Hot Issues: The Current Library Site Survey created by the Mission Hills BID collected responses from July 1 through July 21. It will be helpful in providing a first glance of opinions from 438 interested respondents in the Mission Hills community, and beyond. Manual processing of the narrative responses provided for many of the survey questions is underway. Mission Hills BID, Mission Hills Heritage, and Mission Hills Town Council will be holding meetings in September and October for those who wish to share their opinions. Instead of allowing the Real Estates Assets Department at the City to demolish the current library without community input, our Councilmember Chris Ward has stepped in and is looking to us for direction. Please take time to get involved.
We are thankful to every owner who has chosen to locate their business in Mission Hills and to all who choose to patronize our local businesses. Together, you are Keeping It Cool in Mission Hills this summer and all year long.
Category: Business, feature, Local News
