DALLAS – From inspiration to his reason why, a North Texas cheesecake shop owner tells the story of opening Val’s Cheesecakes.

Valery Jean-Bart told CBS News Texas the inspiration for Val’s Cheesecakes came after caring for his mother through a years-long bout with terminal cancer; cheesecake was Marie Jose Labossiere’s favorite dessert. 

Jean-Bart said he and his mother formed an even deeper connection while they baked through more than 200 sweet and savory creations each week, while he helped care for her. 

“We baked a cheesecake every Sunday. Every single cheesecake that’s on the menu, was a specific Sunday with her…every single item on the menu is perfected by the memories that I have with her,” he said. 

After his mother passed away in 2012, Jean-Bart pondered what to do next. 

A former civil engineer, he channeled his grief and a desire to honor his mother’s legacy into a new career, and an eventual partnership with Oddfellows restaurant in the Bishop Arts district helped grow the enterprise. 

Eventually, Jean-Bart began selling the desserts to other restaurants in the area. 

It was a move Jean-Bart said “spiraled out of control beautifully,” and he eventually opened one location on Maple Avenue in Dallas followed by others. As of 2024, two brick-and-mortar shops exist on South Akard Street and Greenville Avenue in Dallas, in addition to a thriving e-commerce platform. 

But, after 12 years of running the successful venture, Jean-Bart said he’s ready for a change. 

“[I need to] take better care of myself, spend time with family and friends,” he said. “I’ve never had time to just be Val…I went directly from caregiver to business owner [and] that’s a major transition,” he added. 

Now, Jean-Bart is writing a new chapter in the story: his own.

“People have been asking me what I’m going to do? I’m going to have a life. There’s relief [and] there’s also grief because I’ve been holding on to my mom,” he continued as he gestured around the shop located on Greenville Avenue in Dallas. 

The memories of his mother can be clearly seen, down to the details: the shop is accented by a bold blue hue, representing his mother’s favorite color. 

A hibiscus mural, symbolizing Haiti’s national flower and their heritage, lines the walls. 

“The chocolate on the wall….that’s her skin color,” he added.  

Jean-Bart will operate his current business model through the end of the year. In the meantime, he’s also working to secure a licensing that would allow him to hand Val’s Cheesecakes over to a new owner. 

Along with a new focus on offering classes and consulting to clients, he is also developing Val’s Blue Label, a smaller-scale, niche brand of dessert offerings, in addition to cheesecake. In a twist, Jean-Bart revealed his favorite dessert is actually sweet potato pie.

“I do want to pivot [and] I do want to offer a different side of the story…make some time for me [and] take better care of myself and spend time with me family,” he said. “I’ve been holding on to her a lot, I just need to let her go.” 

Val’s Cheesecakes will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in celebration of National Cheesecake Day on July 30, at both locations: 2820 Greenville Avenue and 1112 South Akard Street, in Dallas. 

The Miami Dolphins offensive line remains the most unsettled position on the entire roster, and there’s little happening in training camp to alleviate many of the concerns.

The most notable development at practice Tuesday was the high number of bad snaps or bad center-quarterback exchanges, which actually were worse than the problematic display a day earlier.

Then there’s the overall health of the group, with presumptive starting left guard Isaiah Wynn still on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list and left tackle Terron Armstead practicing for the first time Tuesday, although it didn’t involve any team work.

For a unit that has fans a bit nervous — OK, a lot nervous — this was not a great way to wrap up the first week of practice.

While Armstead missing a lot of practice time really isn’t a big deal because he’s been really good for the Dolphins with limited practice since he got here in 2022, Wynn’s absence may be is a bit more problematic.

Wynn hasn’t practiced at all since he sustained a quad injury in the Week 7 game against the Philadelphia Eagles last season after doing a respectable job to that point. This would be problematic for any player, let alone for one with Wynn’s lengthy injury history.

While Armstead, new center Aaron Brewer and right tackle Austin Jackson will be in starting lineup, there will be competition at the guard spots and there will come a time when Wynn no longer is a slam dunk to start on the left side.

Reading into head coach Mike McDaniel’s words from before practice Tuesday, it doesn’t sound as though Wynn’s return is imminent.

“He’s in the building every day,” McDaniel said. “He’s doing well and his process is diligent. He’s been steadfast, fixture within the building and the team and he’ll keep progressing. I’ll give you an update when it’s a little clearer.”

The competition involves Liam Eichenberg, Robert Jones, Lester Cotton and perhaps newcomer Jack Driscoll, but it may be some time before we have clear answers as to what the final starting five will look like.

“I really don’t think about the competitions, I really don’t,” McDaniel said. “I’m observing with a laser focus on how players are responding to good or bad plays and really it’s almost like I have a spreadsheet in my mind of how many opportunities are in front of them with today – there’s like, 25 opportunities for each guard and in that, I’ll assess that and then with a clear mind, watch how people tell me the story. I’m not going to forecast anything and get ahead of myself and diminish the importance of their daily development.

“What I do like to see is from a team perspective, I see guys making plays at the guard position and then I see guys being in tough situations that they can learn from because our defense is challenging every day. So we as a team, it’s not just watching players do things successfully, especially at the O-line position. You’re going to have your share of stresses and you’re going to have your share of things that maybe negatively cost the entire team on a play or two. How do you respond? We don’t have time for a passive mind-set, so who knows? It’s not just coachspeak. I live it. I’m way far away from truly assessing who’s a leader in the clubhouse, but I will say that the competition is real.”

In the meantime, it would be nice for the offensive line to pick up its play.

Beyond the consistent pressure on the quarterbacks over the past few days, the snapping and exchange issues have been troubling.

Brewer and Tua Tagovailoa have had three muffed exchanges over the past two days. Armstead explained there’s an adjustment period involved with Brewer because his snapping point might be different than what Tua was used to with former starting center Connor Williams.

But the high shotgun snaps — Driscoll and rookie free agent Ireland Brown — each cleared their quarterback’s head at different times need to get fixed.

The good news is we’re still very early in training camp, so there’s plenty of time for progress.

But until that happens and there’s more clarity on the offensive line, the group will continue to be a source for concern.

ATLANTA – Phaedra Parks is making a comeback to “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” after a six-season hiatus. Parks announced her return in a video, where she is seen stepping out of a private jet while holding a peach, symbolizing her return to the show.

Fans have been eagerly requesting Bravo to bring Parks back for the 16th season, and their wishes have been granted. The upcoming season will also feature other notable cast members, including original housewife Porsha Williams, Drew Sidora, Shamea Morton, and newcomer Brittany Eady.

With this exciting lineup, the 16th season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta promises to deliver drama, entertainment, and all the glamour fans love.