Props to Robert Wilonsky at the Dallas Observer for posting an uncensored photo of graffiti lamenting the loss of Blockbuster at Preston Royal Village.

Side note: I realize this is the second post in a row where I link to other media outlets talking about PH.  As I am trapped in a windowless room at Dallas City Hall to report on zoning matters for next week’s edition, this is the best I can do.

While some may drive far to satisfy their Thai food fix, my favorite Thai spot, Best Thai, is hidden in the Hollow. Why are so many Preston Hollow residents missing these yummy Pad Thai moments? Maybe it is because the store is completely hidden in between the Barnes & Noble, Dallas Summer Musicals, and the U.S. Post Office at Preston Royal Village. Until a few weeks ago, Best Thai was merely a small room with a few mismatched chairs and tables. Despite the lack of publicity and atmosphere, the food at Best Thai was superb. Thankfully, the restaurant has recently transformed into a cozy and neighborhood eatery with a modern and chic design. For more pictures of the renovation, click here.

The first sign of autumn for some might be colored leaves, dropping temperatures, or oven-roasted turkeys. But not for me. I know that it’s fall when the giant wooden, orange jack-o’-lantern pops up in Preston Royal Village. The pumpkin is part of the decoration for Saturday’s annual “Fall Family Festival” at Preston Royal Village. The family event says goodbye to the 100 degree temperatures with games, drawings, a petting zoo, and music. Local celebrity Eddie Coker will also be performing a free concert. Stop by with family and friends from 4 to 7 p.m.

Editor’s update at 11:30 a.m.: It looks like our intrepid teenage correspondent has made an all-too-common mistake: Preston Royal Village does not include the entire intersection of Preston and Royal, as a commenter on our Facebook page pointed out:

FYI: That Jack-o’-lantern is not in the parking lot of Preston Royal Village. That’s in the parking lot of the Preston Royal Southwest shopping center across the street, which had its own festival last Friday, October 7th. Two different entities, two different events

I love the Texas Rangers. And I love Mexican food. So, of course, I love the fact that Cantina Laredo in Preston Royal Village is offering discounts to Rangers fans on game days. If you wear Rangers gear and spend at least $30, your bill will be discounted by 10 bucks. World Series games are scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. In necessary, games will also be played Monday, Oct. 26, and Oct. 27.

This is supposed to be the last warm day for a while. Seems like a good time for a milkshake. I see on the Preston Royal Village website that the Purple Cow has special shake flavors tied to Halloween and the State Fair. Dare I try both?

As you may be aware, Houston’s Berry family was in a horrific car accident on July 2. Both parents were killed, and their three children — Willa, Aaron, and Peter — were severely injured. Communities throughout the South have reached out to help the Berry children, and the Preston Hollow community is no exception. In preparation for their b’nai mitzvah, several students from Greenhill School’s class of 2017 hosted a Berry Sweet Morning benefiting the Berry children on Sunday. They raised $5,333.22.

At the Kids Cooking Company in Preston Royal Village, supporters paid a $5 admission fee, and received Krispy Kreme doughnuts, Starbucks coffee, Chick-fil-A lemonade, manicures, face painting, berry bracelets, and more. Raffle tickets were available for purchase, and prizes included a 32-inch flat-screen TV, Rangers and Roughriders tickets, movie passes, and gift certificates.

Click here to find out how you can help support the Berry children.

Unlike the drawn-out departure of Border’s from Preston Road and Royal Lane, Blockbuster left the shopping center Band-Aid-style with one swift motion.

All the signage and inventory is gone from the store. Only a handwritten letter taped to the front door remains. Anyone else feel like they just got dumped by text-message?

Preston Center is congested. Invariably I find myself circling the area looking for a parking spot. So when the new Einstein Bros. Bagels opened in the tiny and awkward spot in Preston Royal Village, I was thrilled.

The problem is that the service is awful. I know it’s new, but after several months the service is not improving. Recently, I tried the Preston Center Einstein Bros. store just to see if I could figure out the problem. Maybe I could share my observations with the new Einstein’s management? Here is what I observed.

At Preston Center, you order and give your name. Then one of several people prepare your order and pass it to someone who calls your name and hands it over. Seems simple. At the new Einstein Bros., you order and give your name. Then, the first person behind the counter stands around reading the orders while the next person prepares all the orders and then a third person waits until the order is ready to call your name. The difference: Everyone at Preston Center is preparing orders, and at Preston Royal only one person is schmearing bagels. Maybe this is a nuance I need not worry about, but I just can’t figure out why buttering one toasted green chili toast bagel takes so long.

To the new Einstein Bros. Bagels management: please solve the service failures!

I know that sounds like a joke headline, but hear me out. From 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Purple Cow in Preston Royal Village will donate 15 percent of your bill to Rainbow Days, a children’s nonprofit that puts on Camp Bravo and Christmas in July at Northwest Bible  Church. Just make sure to tell your sever about the promotion.

The special holiday-themed show is the culmination of a week-long performing arts camp aimed at building self-esteem and confidence in children. So hit up Purple Cow today, and catch the show at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Northwest Bible Church.

It’s been a rough couple months for the businesses at Preston Road and Royal Lane. And although the news of Blockbuster closing isn’t likely to engender as strong of emotions as Border’s shutting down, it’s still disappointing to many customers.

Every number I found for Blockbuster corporate was either disconnected, unanswered,  or a private mailbox, and Blockbuster employees at the Preston Royal location refused to speak directly to the media about closing. So the details are a bit lacking on this, but I did interview a customer who was returning a movie Tuesday afternoon.

Brandy Morelli, an Oak Lawn resident, doesn’t normally patronize the Preston Road location, but when she went to her neighborhood store on Lemmon Avenue Monday to return a movie she had rented just 24 hours earlier, they were closed.

“They told me that I needed to go somewhere else to return it,” she said. “So, I came here, and they’re closing, too.”

Blockbuster is currently selling a selection of its inventory, but major discounts haven’t taken place yet. Only returns and purchases are being processed at the Preston Royal location. No word yet on an official closing date.