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Voice Article
D Magazine Article
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DINING - Neighborhood Buli
The owners of Buli, Cedar Springs newest cafe, promise a gay ol’ time
By Arnold Wayne Jones
Staff Writer
It’s two days before the opening of Buli, and co-owner Scott Whittall just realized that he still doesn’t have any napkins. It’s partly his fault. He’s finicky, and no ordinary napkins will do. They have to be unbleached and made of recycled paper.
Despite the down-to-the-wire deadline, Whittall keeps a jovial, upbeat attitude amid the last-minute hassles that come with opening a new business. Why wouldn’t he? He’s finally doing what he always wanted.
He’s always wanted to open a storefront shop. And since moving to Dallas, he intuitively knew that it would be on Cedar Springs Road. But until earlier this year, he couldn’t even have said what kind of business it would be. |
COME AND GET IT: Partners in business and life, Allen Goode, left, and Scott Whittall say opening Buli’s doors was a labor of love. |
The opportunity arrived in February when Whittall’s friends, who own a store next door, heard that the space that had been occupied by Major Metcalfe was coming available. Whittall, his life partner Allen Goode and their friend Luther Menke instantly knew that this was the their shot.
“We stood on Cedar Springs and looked at the space,” Whittall recalls. “One of us said ‘coffee shop.’ One said ‘gelato.’ And the third” — he doesn’t remember who said what — “chimed in ‘Yeah, cafe.’ So we did them all.”
Each partner took responsibility for a different aspect of the menu: Menke became the gelato go-to guy. Whittall designed the salads and sandwiches. And Goode selected the coffees.
It was surprisingly difficult work — Menke traveled to North Carolina to learn the secrets of making gelato, and Goode worked closely with a coffee importer-roaster in Grand Prairie to create unique blends — such as the mix of Kenyan, Sumatran and a hint of Italian beans that make up the Buli Bold. The cafe will offer a rotating coffee of the day and feature different gelato flavors based on customer response. (I’ll cast my vote for the pistachio.)
Sandwiches were a late addition to the menu. Originally, they were going to concentrate on a sweetshop that served coffee and tea, but eagerness got the better part of them. For newcomers, their sense of style with food seems intact. The barbecue mayo on brisket panini gives a kick, and the chicken with chipotle raspberry warrants a taste. Those with a sweet tooth should try an amaretto or champagne truffle.
The menu was still in flux as the opening date neared, with Whittall making minor adjustments. The taste of the club panini, with its cranberry mayonnaise dressing, was right, but the cheese needed to be melted. The brisket panini wasn’t warm enough on the first go round, but not to worry. They’d get it right. They had to. And they did.
When Buli opened its doors on Sept. 3, all the paint on the walls was dry, the furniture was in place, and the menu — panini, gelati, salads, hand-dipped truffles and assorted desserts alongside the specialty coffees, teas and soft drinks — was set. Everything went off without a hitch.
But the birth of Buli — they pronounce it “byoo-lee,” an acronym for Because U Love It — wasn’t as easy as they first imagined. The enterprise seemed a little crazy from the start.
Only Menke had substantial retail experience. Goode’s day job is investment analysis. Although Whittall managed a restaurant in Norman, Okla., when he was in college, he’s made his living for 17 years as a furniture importer and designer. This is the fist time in 20 years he’s stepped behind a service counter. But that didn’t quell their plans — even though the mechanics of opening a restaurant proved to be complicated.
“You have a vision in your head,” Whittall says. “Then you have to adjust it. It’s a great idea when you start, but there are many sleepless nights in between.”
A big challenge was converting a retail space into a cafe. Whittall and Goode groan when they talk about what they had to go through — including a major updating of the plumbing.
“We’d think long and hard before doing it again,” Whittall says.
Truth be told, they say they enjoyed every minute. Getting Buli off the ground has been a labor of love. All along they were motivated by a sense of social responsibility. They made a concerted effort to use local suppliers whenever possible, and most of them are gay, too. And they want Buli to bring its own value to the area.
“Someone asked us if we wanted to compete with Crossroads Market. But they’re a bookstore,” Goode says. “We’re not here to compete with them. First and foremost, we want to add to the neighborhood. We’re proud that we’re gay, and proud that we’re on the street.”
And gay they are. Everything about Buli quivers with queer pride — from the rainbow-themed logo to the different sizes available for most of the food items: twink, nelly, butch and big girl. Want a plate of leafy greens? The menu invites you to “toss our salad.” Even the daily lunch baskets will be served in reproductions of classic metal lunch boxes — a kitschy touch.
Whittall, Goode and Menke are taking things slowly, but their enthusiasm is unmistakable. They’re already thinking ahead to branches elsewhere in the Metroplex, or in the gay districts of major cities nationwide. That’s what happens when you love something: You’re sure everyone will love it as much as you do.
Buli. 3908 Cedar Springs Road. Open daily at 7 a.m. until 10 p.m., Mon.-Wed.; midnight, Thu. and Sun.; 2 a.m., Fri.-Sat. 214-528-5410. |
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| If you like double entendres with your double lattés, then you’ll be bully for the campy delights of Buli. With its faux-fur-lined banquettes and tongue-in-cheek menu (anyone for a Scream’n Queen espresso or Naughty Toddy iced coffee?), this silly yet tasty Oak Lawn cafe serves everything from light lunches to sweets such as gelato and chocolate truffles. The Buli Meal Deal—grilled panini, chips, pasta salad, drink, and small cup of gelato—is a bargain at $9.89. Best of all, it’s served in an old-fashioned tin lunch box. Ask for the Barbie box. (Malibu dream house not included.) 3908 Cedar Springs Rd. 214-528-5410. —Todd |
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