The London Baker is an English-influenced bakery that recently opened a new location in The Realm in Lewisville. This spot serves the full slate of coffees, teas and pastries we’d expect in any Dallas cafe, along with British favorites, which is what attracted us. Google on June 10 celebrated scones, the classic British afternoon tea treat, so, naturally, we went hunting.

Piloting this concept is baker Elizabeth Rowe, a wedding cake designer whom you may know from the Food Network show Cake Wars. Rowe opened the first London Baker location in Lewisville in 2018 at Castle Hills.

The large cafe has high ceilings, big plush booths and lounge seating centered on a faux (but cute) fireplace. Walls are bathed in a trendy bluish-gray hue illuminated by a mix of gold chandeliers, straddling the line between posh and classy.

Lattes are served in All Hail the Queen mugs (we won’t tell them if you don’t), and pastries are served on real plates, not just shoved in a paper sleeve. All very proper.

The craft espresso menu uses beans from Dallas’ own Cultivar. The caffeinated options here are extensive. From lattes (such as the crème bru-latte and butterbeer latte) to mochas, cappuccinos and macchiatos, we counted 17 different options, flavored with from-scratch syrups. All are served hot or iced, your choice. Frappes? Check. English teas? Of course.

Our heads spinning with the plethora of choices, we finally settled on the nonalcoholic vanilla whiskey latte ($6), honey lavender latte ($4.70) and honey rosemary latte ($4.70). All were iced, and all had varying degrees of flavor. The whiskey latte had a subtle hint of whiskey, the rosemary latte was even more subtle, and the honey lavender was the most noticeably flavored of the three. But we enjoyed them all.

We tried three of the six scones available: the bacon and cheddar ($4), sun-dried tomato and Parmesan ($4) and, for a sweet touch, the lemon blueberry ($3.75). Also offered are the classic English, strawberry and cream, and Earl Grey and lavender. The savory sun-dried tomato and Parmesan scone was the biggest crowd-pleaser at the table.

But the show-stealer this afternoon was the country sausage pasty pillow ($4). Flaky dough encases a warm center of sausage gravy. This creation had us right back in line, where we promptly wiped out the last three in the case, getting them to go so we could have them for breakfast the next day. We also recommend the croissant-wrapped sausage roll ($4.50) and spinach and feta Danish ($3.85), but truth be told, everything in the case was enticing.

Like the drink menu, the snack options here are plentiful. Artisan deep dish cookies, cupcakes, cake truffles and brownies are available, as are breakfast items like a bacon, egg and cheese muffin sandwich topped with poppy seed glaze and Westminster waffle cakes served with a house-made syrup.

The London Baker, 4440 State Highway 121, No. 60, Lewisville. Tuesday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Closed Monday.

Nick Reynolds, Dallas Observer

The post In Search of Scones at The London Baker first appeared on The Realm.

The post In Search of Scones at The London Baker appeared first on The Realm.

(Lewisville, TX) – Bright Realty and Hill & Wilkinson General Contractors are pleased to announce the construction of Phase I of The Realm at Castle Hills is complete. Offices at The Realm is a nine-story Class AA office building consisting of 235,000 square feet of office space and an additional 16,000 square feet of first-floor restaurant space. It features a 5-story, Arthurian-themed outdoor mural created by three internationally known muralists that reflects Castle Hills’ character and identity. (SEE MURAL VIDEO HERE.) The Realm at Castle Hills, upon completion, will be a $1.5. billion, 324-acre mixed-use development with office, retail, multi-family, a boutique hotel, extensive trail system and outdoor entertainment district. The development is part of the master-planned Castle Hills community and located at State Highway 121/Sam Rayburn Tollway and Josey Lane in Lewisville.

One of the development’s most unique amenities is its five-story, Arthurian-themed mural. It is the first of several planned public artworks and embraces the community’s unique identity with its images of jousting knights, dragons, Excalibur, Lady Guinevere and Merlin. “Chapter 1: The Threshold,” which reflects the mural’s point of entry into the community, was completed by art curator Lesli Marshall and muralists Drew Merritt and David “Rabi” Torres.

“Office settings today need to provide more than just a place to sit at a desk. They need to be experience-driven environments that encourage interaction and enhance not only the workplace setting, but offer a respite from the workday with onsite retail, entertainment, green space, public artwork and a variety of walkable multi-family and single-family products,” said Bright Realty CEO Chris Bright.

“The mural is a community centerpiece that will encourage dialogue and excitement about Castle Hills and inspire people to slow down and take in their beautiful surroundings. It also celebrates the history of the community,” said artist Lesli Marshall.  “One of the most unique aspects of the mural is the integration of sketches by family patriarch ‘Bum’ Bright, whose love of all things King Arthur was the inspiration of the Castle Hills theme.”

Additional amenities offered by Offices at The Realm are a fitness center, a conference center, rooftop deck seating and Crescent Park, which includes shaded seating, event space and a splash fountain for children and pets. The building also features Wired Certification, a WiredScore program that rates the digital infrastructure and connectivity of a commercial office building, ensuring that a building can support tenant connectivity needs and reducing the risk of loss and interruption.

“There were many interesting aspects to this project and we really enjoyed fulfilling Bright Realty’s vision,” said Coty Frye, project executive for Hill & Wilkinson. “From the very elaborate courtyard with extensive landscaping, to the covered boardwalk and public artwork, the developers thought of everything to make this a true destination.” The cast-in-place office building features elements such as limestone masonry, a covered boardwalk, pre-cast panels, metal panels and a curtain-wall façade.

Next on the list for public art at The Realm is a painting on the top of the over-sized Lost City of Atlantis aquarium in the Offices at The Realm lobby.  Offices at The Realm will also feature outdoor interactive fountains similar to The Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas with water and light shows choreographed to music. 

Bright Realty has signed tenants for the property including Venture X, a coworking company leasing 30,371-square-feet, the entire third floor; El Patio, a restaurant featuring a blend of Mexican cuisine and Texas barbecue leasing 3,800-square-feet; and a title insurance company leasing 4,000-square-feet.

Offices at The Realm is also the headquarters for Bright Industries and its entities Bright Realty, Bright Equities, Bright Wealth Management, American Legend Homes, Belclaire Homes, Avanti Custom Homes, golf operations for The Lakes at Castle Hills and corporate hospitality management for Tres Mil Ranch, taking up a total of two floors equaling 60,742 square feet.

Phase II of The Realm at Castle Hills, Valor at The Realm, is a 260-unit, five-story, Class A apartment community with ground-floor restaurant and retail space planned to deliver in the fall of 2020.

In addition to Bright Realty and Hill & Wilkinson, partners on the project are architect BOKA Powell; design architect/interior designer 505 Design; landscape architect Land Design; and lender Southwest Bank, a division of Simmons Bank. For retail leasing at The Realm, contact Britton Lankford, britton.lankford@brightrealty.com, 972-410-6597. For office leasing at The Realm, contact Jake Young, jyoung@lpc.com, 214-740-3436.

About Bright Realty

Founded in the 1950s by the late H.R. “Bum” Bright, former Dallas Cowboys owner and businessman, Bright Realty is the full-service commercial and residential real estate arm of parent company Bright Industries. Led by a family legacy of integrity and dedication, the Bright Realty team acts as developer, owner and operator of its residential and commercial developments. Best known for the highly successful 2,900-acre, master-planned residential community, Castle Hills, in Lewisville, Texas, Bright Realty also specializes in mixed-use, office, retail and multi-family development and brokerage. 

Visit www.BrightRealty.com or call 972-410-6600. 

About The Realm at Castle Hills

The Realm at Castle Hills is a 324-acre mixed-use development consisting of office, retail and multi-family which blends the sophistication of an urban lifestyle with unique outdoor activity and event spaces. The project at completion will consist of over 5,000 multi-family units; 1.5 million square feet of retail, office and restaurants; a boutique hotel; an extensive trail system; and an outdoor entertainment district. It is located on State Highway 121/Sam Rayburn Tollway, just two minutes from Grandscape and Nebraska Furniture Mart; four minutes from Legacy West, Toyota HQ, Liberty Mutual, FedEx and JPMorgan Chase; and 15 minutes from DFW Airport.  

About Hill & Wilkinson General Contractors

With 50 years in the construction business, Hill & Wilkinson (www.hill-wilkinson.com) consistently ranks among the top 400 contractors in the U.S., according to Engineering News-Record. The firm, known for its culture, has been named a Best Place to Work by the Dallas Business Journal in multiple years. Hill & Wilkinson is a diversified general contractor overseeing all facets of ground-up and renovation construction and is headquartered in Richardson, Texas with additional offices in Austin and Lubbock.

As Featured in:

D Magazine
Dallas Business Journal
CoStar

The post Hill & Wilkinson Completes Construction on Bright Realty’s Phase I of The Realm at Castle Hills first appeared on The Realm.

The post Hill & Wilkinson Completes Construction on Bright Realty’s Phase I of The Realm at Castle Hills appeared first on The Realm.

(Lewisville, TX) – Bright Realty is pleased to announce that Offices at The Realm, a nine-story Class AA office building consisting of 235,000 square feet of office space and an additional 16,000 square feet of first-floor restaurant space, is bringing an exciting display of public art to the project. The themed outdoor mural is the first of several planned public works of art created to reflect Castle Hills’ identity and character. It features sketches from Bright family patriarch, H. R. “Bum” Bright, and is being created by internationally known muralists. Offices at The Realm is the first phase of The Realm at Castle Hills, located at State Highway 121/Sam Rayburn Tollway and Josey Lane in Lewisville. It is part of the award-winning, 2,900-acre master-planned Castle Hills community that includes single-family homes, multi-family developments, mixed-use, condominiums, townhomes and rental cottages.

The mural, titled Chapter 1: The Threshold, is five stories tall and serves as a threshold or entry point to The Realm. It depicts the legend of King Arthur, a Bum Bright favorite. The stories of King Arthur, Merlin and Lancelot inspired the Bright Realty founder and as a result, his sons named the community, its streets, parks, lakes and other landmarks after references to the Medieval tale. To carry on this family legacy, the artists will weave the family patriarch’s sketches into the background of their multi-faceted mural depicting jousting knights, Excalibur, Lady Guinevere and Merlin.  The anticipated completion date for the public art project is early October 2019.

“By embracing public art in this context, we are reinforcing Castle Hills’ unique identity while also sharing the color, vibrancy and character found in urban street art. Projects like this increase suburban foot traffic, especially in a walkable project like The Realm, and transform concrete, steel and asphalt into destinations, photo backdrops and community amenities,” said Bright Realty CEO Chris Bright. “They also tell the story of the community and provide connectivity between indoor office/retail space and outdoor experiences.”

Completing the work are:

• Lesli Marshall, project leader, who is a Dallas-based multi-media artist and art consultant. She is serving as a consultant to Bright Realty and curating artists from across the U.S. to contribute to The Realm’s long-term visual story. Her work can be seen throughout DFW, including murals in Deep Ellum, at the new Dallas Design District Virgin Hotel, Victory Park and Facebook’s Data Center. Marshall (@articulationart) has received local recognition as well as praise from as far as the New York Post.
• Drew Merritt (@drewmerritt), a Los Angeles-based artist, is an international phenomenon who contributed to Moscow’s Atrium Mall mural and served as muralist for the exterior work coming to the Dallas Design District’s Virgin Hotel. He is known for his use of vivid colors and photorealism, transforming his original oil paintings into murals with only the use of spray paint. His work uses a vast array of mediums and textures, and his large-scale works have been described as modern, abstract and impressionistic.
• David “Rabi” Torres, also L.A.-based, is an artist whose work can be seen in public collections including the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD), the MGM Las Vegas and in private collections, such as rapper Sean Combs’. Rabi (@cyrcle) has collaborated on projects with HBO, Google, Audi and has been featured in the New York Times, L.A. Times and Huffington Post.

“The Realm will serve as the public face of the Castle Hills community, one that is home to thousands of families and employees,” said Marshall. “We are excited to be a part of this unfolding, multi-chapter visual story, one that guests will see coming together over time.”

In addition to the mural, Offices at The Realm will also feature outdoor interactive fountains similar to The Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas with water and light shows choreographed to music. The lobby of Offices at The Realm will also feature a 10-foot long, 10-foot wide and 30-inch tall Atlantis-themed aquarium that will feature over 50 custom, hand-sculpted pieces.

Tenants at Offices at The Realm will also enjoy amenities such as a fitness center, a conference center, rooftop deck seating and Crescent Park, which includes shaded seating, event space and a splash fountain for children and pets. Bright Industries and its entities, including Bright Realty, will move into The Realm in October 2019. Venture X, a coworking space on The Realm’s entire third flood, will open spring 2020.

For retail leasing at The Realm, contact Britton Lankford, britton.lankford@brightrealty.com, 972-410-6597. For office leasing at The Realm, contact Jake Young, jyoung@lpc.com, 214-740-3436.

About Bright Realty

Founded in the 1950s by the late H.R. “Bum” Bright, former Dallas Cowboys owner and businessman, Bright Realty is the full-service commercial and residential real estate arm of parent company Bright Industries. Led by a family legacy of integrity and dedication, the Bright Realty team acts as developer, owner and operator of its residential and commercial developments. Best known for the highly successful 2,900-acre, master-planned residential community, Castle Hills, in Lewisville, Texas, Bright Realty also specializes in mixed-use, office, retail and multi-family development and brokerage. 

Visit BrightRealty.com or call 972-410-6600. 

About The Realm at Castle Hills

The Realm at Castle Hills is a 324-acre mixed-use development consisting of office, retail and multi-family which blends the sophistication of an urban lifestyle with unique outdoor activity and event spaces. The project at completion will consist of over 5,000 multi-family units; 1.5 million square feet of retail, office and restaurants; a boutique hotel; an extensive trail system; and an outdoor entertainment district. It is located on State Highway 121/Sam Rayburn Tollway, just two minutes from Grandscape and Nebraska Furniture Mart; four minutes from Legacy West, Toyota HQ, Liberty Mutual, FedEx and JPMorgan Chase; and 15 Minutes from DFW Airport.  

As Featured in:

    Dallas Innovates
    Dallas City Bizlist
    Lewisville Bubble

The post Bright Realty brings 5-story Arthurian-themed outdoor mural to The Realm at Castle Hills first appeared on The Realm.

The post Bright Realty brings 5-story Arthurian-themed outdoor mural to The Realm at Castle Hills appeared first on The Realm.