VISITDALLAS the magazine
DEEP ELLUM: DAY TO NIGHT 24-HOUR EXPLORATION OF ONE OF THE CITY’S HIPPEST NEIGHBORHOODS
A CITY’S RESTAURANT RESURGENCE THE WANDERLUST CHRONICLES D-TOUR:
YOUR ESSENTIAL DALLAS ROAD TRIP GUIDE
LIVE LARGE. DRINK MARGS. Dallas is the Official Home of the Frozen Margarita! Restaurateur Mariano Martinez invented the frozen margarita machine here almost 50 years ago—forever freezing in time our city’s claim to America’s favorite cocktail. Now enjoy decades of heritage on the Margarita Mile, a curated collection of the best margaritas in Dallas. Sip your way through some of our city’s most unique neighborhoods, all while enjoying the unforgettable cuisine of one of America’s most critically acclaimed food cities. Please enjoy the Margarita Mile responsibly.
Learn more at MargaritaMileDallas.com
Welcome to VisitDallas,
THE MAGAZINE.
Photograph by Joseph Haubert
The past several months have been difficult for Dallas—and we know they’ve been challenging for all of you, too. Our city and our nation have faced uncertain times before, and we have always come together to surmount challenges and meet the mandate of the moment. Dallas is a special place. We are humbled by the commitment of our fellow Texans and awed by our community’s unwavering resilience as we work together to help our city recover. Our hotels, Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas, and city owned arts and cultural institutions are the first in the country to work towards achieving Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STARTM accreditation—ensuring a sanitary and safe environment for our visitors. Our attractions, restaurants, and museums are open and have all taken the necessary precautions to make your visit safe, fun, and memorable. We are the same city you loved before, we’ve just reinvented and reimagined our welcome mat; expressing the same hospi-
table enthusiasm with an added touch of precaution. We may not be able to hug you, but we can still show you how much we love and appreciate our visitors. We welcome everyone from near and far to rediscover Dallas—because our hotels, restaurants, and arts and cultural institutions need our support more than ever. So, if you’re ready for fun again, pack the car and take a break with a road trip to Dallas—where you can ditch those jigsaw puzzles for museums full of art, culture, and natural wonders, escape your backyard for beautiful, wide-open parks, and trade that sink full of dishes for the culturally-diverse dining of one of America’s most criticallyacclaimed food cities. It is the change of scenery you need and it’s just a quick drive away. We hope the stories in the pages of this magazine inspire you to visit and leave you planning your next trip. We can’t wait to welcome you back.
CONTENTS Dallas Now Safety Star PAGE 7 Road Trip Essentials PAGE 8 Indoor Activities for Grownups PAGE 10 Discover Dallas Through Its Bookstores PAGE 11 Soul of DFW PAGE 12 Support Black Dallas PAGE 13 Fair Park in the Off-Season PAGE 14 Light of the City PAGE 16 One Cool Street PAGE 18 Mile Makers PAGE 20 Dallas Sparkles During the Holiday Season PAGE 22 Dallas’ Thrift Store Scene PAGE 24 One-on-One with Daniella Mason PAGE 25
Itinerary 36 Hours in Dallas for Entertainment Lovers PAGE 28
Made in Dallas Texas Takeaways PAGE 32
FEATURES Look Up! PAGE 41 A City’s Restaurant Resurgence PAGE 50 Deep Ellum: Day to Night PAGE 64 The Wanderlust Chronicles PAGE 94
Last Bite PAGE 104
CONTENTS
ON THE COVER: Dallas local, Markus Colfer. Michaela wears Spell & The Gypsy dress, OneTeaspoon denim jacket, Mi Piaci “Adelia” boots. PHOTOGRAPH BY
Steven Visneau
VisitDallas, the magazine President & CEO Craig T. Davis SVP & Chief Marketing Officer Frank Librio
Marketing Team Director of Marketing & Communications Stephanie Faulk
CONTRIBUTORS
STAFF WRITERS
Winner of two James Beard Awards, author of six books and a leader in Dallas’ food and beverage community, Leslie Brenner served as The Dallas Morning News’ restaurant critic for nine years. Previously she was food editor at The Los Angeles Times and a contributing editor at Travel + Leisure. She is now a Dallas-based restaurant consultant who writes about food at the cooking website she founded, Cooks Without Borders (cookswithoutborders.com).
Diana Alvarez If you need a restaurant recommendation, Diana is the person to ask. She spends her weekends trying new spots in every corner of the city, as well as exploring the dog-friendly spots in Dallas with Martin, her Westie pup.
Connie Dufner is a freelance writer whose work appears in many local Dallas publications. She formerly served as an editor and writer at The Dallas Morning News and Modern Luxury Dallas.
Assistant Director of Digital Marketing Diana Alvarez Communications Specialist, International Paola Arias Special Projects Manager Rachel Butts Digital Content Resource Specialist Kaitlyn Grekoff
Dalila Thomas is the founder of Starving on a Budget, a PR and events company that specializes in generating awareness for black-owned businesses. In addition, Thomas is freelance food and culture writer for and handful of publications including D Magazine and The Dallas Morning News.
Communications Specialist, Domestic Zane Harrington Graphic Designer Kelsey Higham Content Resource Specialist Ashley Turner Digital Content Resource Specialist Andrew Vela
A recent British travel writer of the year, Jonathan Thompson has chronicled his journeys through all 50 states and more than 100 countries in myriad magazines on both sides of the Atlantic, from Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveller to GQ, Esquire and National Geographic Traveller. Follow his travels on social media: @JT_travels.
Writer Devon Yarbrough
FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF
Senior Project Manager, Content Development Kathy McFarland Designer Chantel Stull
Taylor Voth is an Oklahoma City native who now calls Dallas home. Her favorite things about Texas are the live music, craft beer scene and the many state parks where she can take her golden doodle camping. Taylor is also a caffeine connoisseur, and on a mission to try every local coffee shop in town.
Greg Brown has worked in arts administration and communications at SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts and the AFI Dallas International Film Festival, and was program director for Dallas AD EX.
Paola Arias Paola enjoys exploring Dallas’ different neighborhoods—especially the dining scene. When she’s not dining at a new restaurant, you can find her checking out a local brewery. Rachel Butts Rachel is the one to ask for all things live entertainment and pop culture. If you don’t catch her at a concert or museum, chances are she’s enjoying a sporting event or exploring a new Dallas neighborhood. Stephanie Faulk A proud Texan, Stephanie has called Dallas home all of her adult life. She spends her weekends introducing her ten-year-old son to the wonders of Dallas. Together they’ve explored the Meadows Museum and tracked down Bonnie and Clyde’s old haunts. She and her husband have amassed an impressive knowledge of Dallas’ best dive bars and karaoke joints. Zane Harrington Zane loves nature, classical music, jazz, wine and beer, and Southern cuisine. Find him at his favorite spots: the Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden and the Dallas Arts District, where he regularly supports the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Dallas Opera. Ashley Turner Ashley loves all things Dallas Cowboys and Tex-Mex—after all, she was born and raised in Dallas so it’s only right those two things are top priority. When she’s not watching sports, she enjoys traveling with her family and looking for the best happy hour in town. Devon Yarbrough Devon is a Dallas native with a love for arts and music. You can find her exploring the multiple museums in Dallas or attending an R&B or hip-hop concert. Devon is a pop culture enthusiast, so she’s your go-to girl for all hot topics and celebrity news.
Director, Brand Partnerships Mary Payne Production Director Aaron Chamberlain
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VisitDallas markets Dallas as the ideal visitor and convention destination in Texas. Dallas—The Most Texan City in Texas— celebrates its heritage in hospitality, and it’s the one city where Southern meets modern and legacy meets luxury. More than 27 million people visit Dallas every year generating a total economic impact of $8.8 billion. The travel and tourism industry continues to be an important and necessary driver of the Dallas economy, supporting 65,000 jobs and offsetting Dallas residents’ taxes.
VisitDallas 325 N. St. Paul Street, Suite 700 Dallas, TX 75201 214-571-1000 visitdallas.com Please send feedback to magazine@visitdallas.com.
Dallas PAGE 7
Safety Star
PAGE 8
Road Trip Essentials
PAGE 10
Indoor Activities for Grownups
PAGE 11
Discover Dallas Through Its Bookstores
PAGE 12
Soul of DFW
PAGE 13
Support Black Dallas
PAGE 14
Fair Park in the Off-Season
PAGE 16
Light of the City
PAGE 18
One Cool Street
PAGE 20
Mile Makers
PAGE 22
Dallas Sparkles During the Holiday Season
PAGE 24
Dallas’ Thrift Store Scene
PAGE 25
One-on-One with Daniella Mason
Photograph courtesy of Fair Park
NOW
s a l l aD “I feel like that’s what’s so amazing about Dallas: There are always new ways to engage with people and cultivate community.” — DANIELLA MASON, Musician
WO N
Hotel Crescent Court
Sheraton Dallas Hotel
Safety Star Dallas hospitality community leads the nation by seeking GBAC STAR™ cleanliness accreditation WORDS BY STEPHANIE FAULK
Photographs courtesy of Hotel Crescent Court, Sheraton Dallas Hotel
There are a few phrases that will forever define 2020: social distancing, flattening the curve, shelter in place and, now, “the new normal.” As tiresome as these words have become, there’s no denying that we live in a new time with new rules. As Dallas faced the challenge of reopening the city post COVID-19, the hospitality community stepped up and implemented standardized safety protocols for hotels, the convention center and city venues, adding some certainty to very uncertain times. In May, VisitDallas and the Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District (DTPID) announced a collaborative initiative to lead the nation by becoming the first destination to receive Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR accreditation designating Dallas hotels, the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas, and selected city-owned arts and cultural institutions as sanitary and safe. “When visitors, meeting attendees and business travelers returned to
enjoy our great city, we wanted them to have peace of mind that Dallas is doing everything we can to create the safest and healthiest environment possible,” said Craig Davis, President and CEO of VisitDallas. The initiative—administered by a division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association—is the gold standard for cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention protocols. Successful GBAC STAR facilities demonstrate that correct work practices, procedures, and systems are in place to prepare, respond to, and recover from outbreaks and pandemics. The comprehensive program covers everything from SOPs and employee health to cleaning supplies and smart technology solutions. From sanitization stations to contact-free staff encounters, Dallas hotels are leading the nation in safety procedures and protocols. “We know many Dallas hotels have their own individual and brand-led sanitary programs,” said Greg White,
Chair of the DTPID and General Manager of the Westin Galleria Dallas. “This third-party accreditation program provides an extra layer of protection and trust to ensure that hotels and other key city facilities are in a safe, sanitary, and healthy condition.” At the time of publication, Dallas hotels were well on their way to accreditation with more than 25 properties fully certified. By the time you read this, Dallas will undoubtedly be a certifiably safe place to travel for work or fun. “We applaud VisitDallas and the DTPID for their leadership in pursuing GBAC STAR accreditation,” said GBAC Executive Director Patty Olinger. “Through the accreditation process, Dallas illustrated that it has a comprehensive program in place to ensure a clean, safe, and healthy environment for all its visitors.” dallastpid.com, gbac.org
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Road Trip Essentials Everything you need for your trip to Dallas
Texas Star
WHAT TO PACK
Dallas sports jersey
Dallas is home to several professional sports teams, so you’re bound to run into someone rocking a Cowboys, Mavericks, or Stars jersey. You have two choices: support your favorite Dallas team with a jersey or T-shirt or proudly wear your hometown’s team jersey. It’s the perfect conversation starter.
Dallas is a big place and while a car is helpful in getting into the city, once you’re in one of its great neighborhoods, you’ll be switching to exploration by foot. Have some sneakers handy for seeing everything from Downtown’s historic landmarks to Deep Ellum’s murals and bars—each neighborhood has its own unique character tucked into its streets.
Castro
A hat
A cowboy hat isn’t required—after all, Dallas is quite different from what a certain popular TV show from the 80s portrayed. We’re thinking more stylish and/or practical. There’s also no denying the heat, so a hat is really your best defense against the Texas sun. –PAOLA ARIAS
Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge
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Photograph by VisitDallas (top and bottom), photograph courtesy of Castro
Walking shoes
SNACKS FOR THE TRIP HOME
Chocolate
In Bishop Arts, don’t miss out on CocoAndre Chocolatier. Founded by chocolatier Andrea Pedraza and daughter, Cindy, this quaint chocolate shop produces some of the finest hand-crafted chocolate delights. cocoandre.com
Popcorn
Make a stop Downtown at Avery’s Savory Popcorn. This family-run shop has over a dozen different flavors of popcorn from classic kettle corn to the zesty dill pickle, and don’t forget the Dallas Mix for your drive home. Everyone in the family is sure to find a flavor to enjoy. savorypopcorn.com
Chips & Salsa
Did you know the tortilla machine was invented in Dallas? It was invented by El Fenix founder, Miguel Martinez, and sold in 1919 to Herman Lay, the founder of Frito-Lay. Hop into this historic Tex-Mex restaurant in Uptown where they have bagged chips and jarred salsa, road-ready! elfenix.com
Cookies
No explanation needed here. What is better than a road trip cookie? If you visit Oak Cliff, Kessler Baking Studio is not to be missed. This James Beard semifinalist shop has a delicious variety of cookies and assorted baked goods. And if you visit Deep Ellum, Cookie Shop makes truly melt-in-your-mouth treats. kesslerbakingstudio.com
Beef Jerky
Photograph courtesy of CocoAndre Chocolatier
Rudolph’s Meat Market & Sausage Factory has been operating since 1895. Although you can take home some wonderful cuts, they also have a no-coolernecessary option in some of the most delicious beef jerky.
CocoAndre Chocolatier
YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN DALLAS WHEN . . .
Texas Star, from the east
If you’re headed into Dallas from the east, you’ll know you’ve arrived when you see the Texas Star, the iconic Ferris wheel on the Fair Park grounds. Sitting at 216 feet high, the Texas Star is the largest Ferris wheel in Texas and the most popular ride at the State Fair of Texas. The fair runs for three weeks from the end of September to mid-October.
Dallas Zoo Giraffe, from the south
The 67-foot-tall Dallas Zoo giraffe statue is the first to greet zoo visitors and folks driving into Dallas from the south. If you’re looking to make a small pitstop, spend some time at the Dallas Zoo and meet the real-life giraffes. You’ll even have an opportunity to feed them, too! Book your tickets in advance, as the zoo is currently only selling admission and parking tickets in advance.
Miller Lite Waterfall Billboard, from the north
hinesnutcompany.com
The iconic waterfall on Interstate 35 has been one of the city’s favorite landmarks since it was built in 1962 as part of San Antonio’s Pearl Brewing Co. billboard and has a storied history. From college students sneaking in to jump in the waterfall to being dyed a rainbow of colors for sporting events, the waterfall has played a part in in the lives of many Dallasites.
–ZANE HARRINGTON
–PAOLA ARIAS
rudolphsmarket.com
Nuts
Located not far from the Dallas Farmers Market, Hines Nut Co. has a wonderful assortment of nuts to give your ride home the appropriate crunch.
ROAD TRIP PLAYLIST Dallas and North Texas has produced a diverse array of musical talent to keep you entertained on your drive in. Here are a few of our favorites to get you in the Dallas spirit. Norah Jones “Come Away With Me” “Sunrise” Erykah Badu “On & On” “Love of My Life” Castro “Forever Texas” “Diamond Dreams” Leon Bridges “Beyond” “Texas Sun” Maren Morris “The Middle” “The Bones” St. Vincent “Digital Witness” “The Party”
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Social Science at Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Scout at the Statler
Indoor Activities for Grownups Head indoors as the weather cools down for some grown-up fun
TRY A COOKING CLASS
MIX BOWLING AND COCKTAILS
Put your apron on and prep your skills to impress your family and friends during the holidays. Try your hand at an interactive cooking class at The Cookery where classes are led by a culinary instructor to create a threecourse dinner. Or experience the Dallas Arboretum’s A Tasteful Place, a 3.5-acre herb garden offering cooking classes and demos.
Bowling and booze—a perfect combination. Bowl a strike at Scout, a restaurant, bar, and built-in bowling alley located inside the Statler Hotel, or enjoy the old-meets-new feel of the vintage lanes and more than forty craft beers at Bowlounge.
thecookerydallas.com, dallasarboretum.org
AN ESCAPE ROOM
TAKE A BREWERY TOUR
The Dallas brewery scene is constantly growing with more than a dozen breweries in the city, meaning there is absolutely something for everyone. Check out the Taproom at Peticolas for a tour, branded glass and three beer tokens, or venture to Oak Highlands Brewery, one of Northeast Dallas’ newest breweries, to enjoy live music and games while sampling their large selection of beers—do not miss their seasonal rotators. peticolasbrewing.com, oakhighlandsbrewery.com
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an extensive collection of both retro and new arcade games to relive your younger years. The concept created by Bishop Cider Co. wouldn’t be complete without its thirty ciders and wine on tap so you can sip a refreshing drink as you conquer the competition. cidercade.com
bowlounge.com, scoutdallas.com
INDULGE IN SOCIAL SCIENCE CHALLENGE YOUR FRIENDS TO
Get the gang together and book an escape room. Dallas escape rooms offer a variety of themes and difficulty levels, so choose your group wisely and use the clues in a race to beat the clock. A few fan favorites include the Budapest Express room at Escapology or the Western Bank Heist at Escape the Room. escapology.com, escapetheroom.com
PLAY SOME ARCADE GAMES
Step back in time and get your nostalgia fix at Bishop Cidercade. Part bar, part arcade, this venue offers
The Perot Museum of Nature and Science offers after-hours adult learning and programs to expand your knowledge while kids are away. These Social Science programs combine scientific themes geared toward adults with craft beer and cocktails, making it the perfect recipe for your next date night. The Perot also offers a special National Geographic Speaker Series and other immersive experiences to enjoy throughout the year. perotmuseum.org
Photograph by JerSean Gollatt, courtesy of Perot Museum of Nature and Science; Photograph by VisitDallas
WORDS BY ASHLEY TURNER
Deep Vellum Books
The Wild Detectives
Discover Dallas Through Its Bookstores Get cozy and curl up with your next novel obsession WORDS BY DEVON YARBROUGH
Dallas’ independently owned book shops are more than a place to pick up your next vacation read—they are spaces that bring people together and cultivate culture to share. THE WILD DETECTIVES
Photographs by Debora Manusama
Grab a drink and a good book at The Wild Detectives, a combo bookstore and bar. This little slice of literary heaven was a dream made reality by two friends, Javier García del Moral and Paco Vique, in 2014. Their selection of books is carefully curated with the help of the local literary community, making for diverse and unique finds. The warm and inviting space is made complete with a full bar serving coffee, light eats, beer, and cocktails throughout the day and late into the evening. Stretch your mind a bit further by attending readings, panel discussions, and live music shows. thewilddetectives.com
LUCKY DOG BOOKS
Whether you’re looking for a new book, movie, CD or record, Lucky Dog
Books has it all. Best part? At their Oak Cliff location, everything is $3 or less! The secondhand shop originated in a Dallas suburb in 1974, and eventually branched out into Dallas. Today they boast a large selection of affordable books and media that will mesmerize any bibliophile. Since every item in the store is used, you can trade in old reads for cash or credit. The East Dallas location hosts such special events as book signings, workshops, songwriting lessons, and book clubs. luckydogbooks.com
DEEP VELLUM BOOKS
Owned and operated by Deep Vellum Publishing, this indie bookstore’s mission is to bring literary works by marginalized writers to the public to help amplify their voice and enrich the Dallas community with diverse literature. Here you’ll find contemporary writings by local authors, women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ writers. Deep Vellum also specializes in translations, enlisting more than thirty translators to translate
unique finds into English for Dallas readers to enjoy. While you’re browsing their selection of books, enjoy a cup of coffee or glass of wine from the café. deepvellum.org
INTERABANG BOOKS
With more than 12,000 hand-selected titles for both adults and children and a knowledgeable staff eager to assist, everyone will leave with the perfect book in hand at Interabang Books. Owner Nancy Perot, daughter of Margot and Ross Perot, opened the bookstore in 2017, out of a lifetime of love for reading. The store also serves as an event space for author discussions, book signings, story time for kids, and monthly book clubs for both adult and young adult novels. Want to remember Dallas with a book each month? Sign up for their Signed First Editions Club to receive a new book in the mail, ranging from a variety of fascinating genres and autographed by the author. interabangbooks.com
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Brent and Juan Reaves of Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que
Freedman’s Cemetery
Soul of DFW Discover new tastes and Black history with Dallas’ unique bus tour WORDS BY DALILA THOMAS
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and we like to keep the itinerary a surprise, but here are a few stops you’re likely to experience on a Soul of DFW Food and Black History Bus Tour. soulofdfw.com
AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF DALLAS
The African American Museum of Dallas is an important Dallas destination and a natural starting and ending spot for every tour. Not only does the magnificent building set the scene for the journey that awaits our guests, but we encourage them to visit the museum once the tour concludes or to come back when they have time to dive in properly. aamdallas.org
KESSLER BAKING STUDIO
Step one foot inside Kessler Baking Studio and it’s impossible to leave without a bag full of goodies. From the smell of fresh-baked brownies, to the large assortment of cookies on display, owner Clyde Greenhouse has done an exceptional job of making his space look and feel like home. Aside from the daily and seasonal options, Kessler Baking Studio offers fresh cinnamon rolls every Saturday morning, his mother’s recipe. kesslerbakingstudio.com
FREEDMAN’S CEMETERY
Dallas’ Freedman’s Cemetery is one of the largest Freedman’s Cemeteries in the country, yet not many people know it exists. Located off Highway 75, the site is a burial ground for African Americans in the 1800s. The memorial, decorated with placards and grand statues, is always an emotional stop for visitors. SMOKEY JOHN’S BAR-B-QUE & HOME COOKING
Since 1976, Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que and Home Cooking has been serving Dallas some of the best barbecue in Texas. Founded by the late John Reaves, Smokey John’s is currently owned by sons Brent and Juan Reaves. Aside from favorites like brisket, ribs, and smoked sausage, Smokey John’s is serving up quality sides and desserts that’ll satisfy any lover of soul food. Speaking of good for the soul, Smokey John’s also serves up a side of gospel: Each Tuesday at lunch, the restaurant invites guests to worship with them at their Gospel Lunch, including a singing group, full sermon, and prayer. This soulful experience is not to be missed! smokeyjohns.com
Photograph by J McClure Photography (left), Photograph courtesy of Dalila Thomas (right)
When experiencing a new city, I’m torn between learning about the destination’s history and tasting its unique local flavors. In 2017, Deah Berry Mitchell, a corporate executive by day and freelance writer/culinary event producer by night, and I brought both together in a one-of-a-kind Dallas tour. When Deah came to me with this idea, we knew Black culture would be at the forefront so we got things rolling, figuratively and literally, and on a rainy Saturday in February 2018, The Soul of DFW Food and Black History Bus Tour was born. The Soul of DFW Food and Black History Bus Tour visits historical African American landmarks, educating visitors on the significant contributions of former and current local leaders. Along the way, guests enjoy surprise stops at Black-owned restaurants for tastings of their popular dishes. Deah researches and handpicks the historic stops, and I tackle the food destinations, but we’ve come to learn that both naturally overlap. Curating and leading this tour has been a special experience for us as we learn about Dallas’ rich Black history through personal, and sometimes unknown, stories from community members, restaurant owners, or even tour attendees. Each tour is a unique experience
Pan-African Connection Bookstore
GRIT Fitness
Support Black Dallas Our favorite Black-owned businesses to visit today, and every day WORDS BY ASHLEY TURNER
Dallas is only as strong as its people. The Black community is an integral part of Dallas’ history, paving the way for what we know and love the city to be. From the family-owned restaurants to the local shops, to the fitness scene, the diversity of Dallas is represented all over town and is here to stay. Visit our website to learn more about these and other Black-owned businesses in Dallas. visitdallas.com/blackdallas
VEGAN FOOD HOUSE Photograph courtesy of Lens Zee (left), Photograph courtesy of GritbyBrit
Vegan meets Southern food at this Bishop Arts establishment. The food presentation is as pretty as it is delicious; you’ll quickly be whisked away in plant-based heaven. The Nashville Hot Chick’em Sandwich and the Croque Monsieur are local favorites, but you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. veganfoodhouse.com
ABUNDANTLY AROMATIC
Black-owned entrepreneur Renee Mornay turned her passion for creating homemade body products into a fulltime business. Located in the Dallas Farmer’s Market, you’ll find soaps,
scrubs, and lotions made with organic shea butter and all-natural ingredients. It’s the perfect gift for you and yours. abundantlyaromatic.com
you’re in for a good time at Shoals in Deep Ellum. Shoals boasts sharable bites and creative cocktails that are not to missed on your trip to Dallas. shoalsde.com
KOOKIE HAVEN
This family-owned cookie shop has all the goods! They offer over a dozen types of cookies, as well as vegan and createyour-own options. They also serve cupcakes and cakes with flavors like Oreo, Banana, and Red Velvet, which are all crowd pleasers. kookiehaven.com
PAN-AFRICAN CONNECTION BOOKSTORE
A community resource center, Pan-African Connection offers a collection of books, African art, and gifts that represent Black culture. The bookstore is also home to monthly events, including workshops, wellness classes, live music nights, and more. panafricanconnection.com
SHOALS
Mix plant-based, Latin-American street food and an elegant cocktail bar and
GRIT FITNESS
The popular boutique fitness concept, founded by Brittani Rettig in 2015, has taken the Dallas fitness scene by storm. With curated group classes, highly trained instructors, and three local studios, the Harvard Business School graduate turned entrepreneur is a rock star in our book. Be sure to check out a class the next time you’re in town! dallasgritfitness.com
DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATRE
Dallas Black Dance Theatre is the oldest, most continuously operating professional dance company in Dallas. The company strives to bridge cultures and reach diverse communities through an exciting repertoire of mixed repertoire of modern, jazz, ethnic, and spiritual works. dbdt.com
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Fair Park Amphitheater
Hall of State
Fair Park in the Off-Season More than the State Fair of Texas, experience this historic landmark year-round WORDS BY ASHLEY TURNER
ARCHITECTURE AND ART
Located in South Dallas and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986, Fair Park is home to the nation’s largest collection of publicly owned Art Deco buildings in the United States, and one of the largest collections of 1930s art. Grab your camera and explore on your own or take a guided tour (AD EX offers a great one: dallasadex.com). The centerpiece of the park, the Esplanade Fountain, is a seven-hundred-foot
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reflecting pool built for the 1936 Texas Centennial. The daily water shows—set to music—offer stunning photo ops and a relaxing respite. Not to be missed, the African American Museum is home to inspiring Folk Art, centuries-old masterpieces, contemporary art, and more. To simply call this building a museum barely scratches the surface of its offerings; the institution is devoted to the preservation and display of African American artistic and cultural materials and offers rotating exhibits, lectures, and workshops throughout the year. Aside from the museums, art is incorporated throughout the park—you can hardly turn a corner without stumbling into a sculpture or mosaic, but the Woofus might be the most unique. The sculpture presents the Texas livestock of the fair as one mythological creature: the mane and neck of a horse, a turkey tail, pig body, duck wings, a sheep’s head, and, of course, a pair of Texas longhorns. FROM TEXAS TO VIETNAM
The grand Hall of State building was constructed in 1936 to commemorate
the Texas Centennial and today serves as the home of the Dallas Historical Society. With a vast permanent collection of more than three million Texas and Dallas artifacts and rotating exhibits, there is a wealth of knowledge for anyone wanting to dive deeper into Texas, and Dallas, history. From the Hall of Heroes to the Great Hall of the Six Flags, the building alone is an impressive study in the Texas way of life. A little-known landmark, even among locals, the Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial stands in Fair Park and honors Texans who died in the Vietnam War. Former President George H. W. Bush dedicated the memorial in 1989, and a soothing waterfall flows alongside the memorial, known familiarly as simply “The Wall.” MUSICALS TO METALLICA
From balcony seating at Music Hall at Fair Park to BYOB (bring your own blanket) at Dos Equis Pavilion, there is a musical moment for everyone in Fair Park. The historic Music Hall plays host to touring Broadway musicals,
Photographs courtesy of Fair Park
When corny dog season ends and the State Fair of Texas closes its gates every fall (returning in 2021), Fair Park continues to offer plenty for visitors to see and do. Home to more than twenty architecturally significant buildings, it also offers plenty of annual events, such as the North Texas Irish Festival, Juneteenth Texas Black Invitational Rodeo, and EarthX Expo to name a few. The massive park’s historic charm is a draw in any season. Today, Fair Park is an ideal destination for all kinds of explorers, from the inquisitive history enthusiast to the youngest sea life seeker.
MOMENTS IN FAIR PARK’S STORIED HISTORY 1886 – Fair Park opened for the Dallas State Fair with over 14,000 visitors. 1897 – African American citizens of Dallas celebrate Emancipation Day (“Juneteenth”) at the fairgrounds. 1926 – Fair Park Stadium, later named the Cotton Bowl, is built.
Automobile Building
1930 – The Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners play a neutral-site football game during the fair. The matchup is now known as one of the greatest rivalries in college football. 1936 – 250,000 spectators attend the Texas Centennial Exposition, a celebration of Texas independence and a festival of architecture, art and light. 1941 - “Opera Under The Stars,” later called the Starlight Operettas, introduces summer theater to Dallas. The Operettas are known today as the Dallas Summer Musicals. 1952 – Big Tex makes his debut at the State Fair of Texas.
Leonhardt Lagoon
from “Wicked” to “Waitress,” and does so in high style. It made its theatrical debut in 1925, and the Spanish Baroque style building is still a jewel of the city’s performing arts venues today. Across the park, Dos Equis Pavilion is the city’s premiere outdoor concert venue. It hosts national touring acts—think Kesha, Keith Urban, and Journey—and whether you have a seat under the pavilion or toss a blanket on the sprawling lawn, it’s always a good time. FAMILY FUN
The Children’s Aquarium at Fair Park is a small but impactful space with hands-on experiences for the little ones. Don’t skip the opportunity to hand-feed a stingray—kids delight as the graceful and gentle creatures suck a fish right out of their fist. There’s not another experience like it in Dallas.
If butterflies and flowers are more your speed, head on over to the Texas Discovery Gardens. The seven-and-a-half acre garden is a showcase of both native and adaptive plants with the goal to teach visitors sustainable living and growing practices. In fact, it’s the first public garden in the state to be certified organic. The star of the garden is the two-story Rosine Smith Sammons Butterfly House and Insectarium, which transports visitors to a tropical rainforest, complete with hundreds of free-flying butterflies. Leonhardt Lagoon, a more natural counterpart to the pristine Esplanade Fountain, is home to native Texas plants and birds. Take a nature walk around the lagoon to learn more, or paddle your way around the water in one of the pretty swan boats (offered seasonally).
1960 – The Dallas Cowboys play their first season at the Cotton Bowl. 1985 – The Texas Star, the tallest Ferris wheel at the time, is built in Italy and shipped to Fair Park. 1986 – Fair Park is named a National Historic Landmark. 1988 – The African American Museum moves from its original campus at Bishop College to Fair Park. 1994 – Cotton Bowl Stadium hosts five FIFA World Cup games. 2009 – DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) opens Fair Park and MLK Jr. stations, allowing visitors direct access to the Fair and its grounds. 2013 – Fair Park plays host to the famed Chanel Métiers d’Art fashion show. 2020 – The NHL hosts its first outdoor hockey game in the south at the Cotton Bowl Stadium, featuring Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators.
fairpark.org
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Reunion Tower New Year’s Eve Fireworks
Light of the City It shimmers and shines and summons travelers near and far: How the most recognizable building in Dallas stays lit
Since 1977, Reunion Tower has been the centerpiece of the Dallas skyline—a 560-foot-tall building with a signature spherical top. It’s long acted as a beacon for travelers, signifying the arrival to the city’s busy Downtown District. Ask anyone of a certain age to identify the famous tower and most can accomplish with without hesitation, thanks to that recognizable sphere and a certain popular show from the late 1970s. In a sweet twist of fate, the tower was completed the same year that Dallas, the TV show, premiered. The show—and its catchy opening credits—introduced Dallas, the city, to millions of viewers around the world and Reunion Tower became an international sensation. On a clear day, you can see it from miles away—and on a clear night, even further, thanks to the 259 custom LED light fixtures attached to its outer struc-
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ture. The Ball, the tower’s nickname (and social media persona), added more sophisticated lighting capabilities in 2011, replacing its original warm-white lights with a multicolored LED setup. The lighting mechanism behind those custom fixtures each contain three separate LED lights comprised of twelve nodes, totaling 36 nodes inside each fixture—that’s 9,324 individual lights for those counting, totaling upward of 16.7 million possible color combinations. Annual holiday light shows are now part of The Ball’s light-up schedule, as well as congratulatory messages for local sports teams. Occasionally, citywide initiatives call for The Ball and other signature buildings in Downtown Dallas to come together for coordinated light shows. As a group, they’ll light up in matching colors for efforts like cancer awareness and Fourth of July celebrations.
At year’s end, The Ball takes top honors for ringing Dallas into the New Year. Combining its lighting abilities with a 360-degree pyrotechnic show, New Year’s Eve at the tower is an over-the-top display with fireworks exploding from the top of The Ball. It’s the only show of its kind in the Central time zone. It starts with a countdown to midnight, proudly displayed on The Ball’s sphere with precise number sequencing. At the stroke of midnight, a ten-minute show begins, combining programmed lighting and more than five thousand pyrotechnic special effects. Whether viewed from the streets of Downtown Dallas or on one of the nation’s syndicated broadcasts, it’s a spectacular start to the New Year. reuniontower.com
Photographs by Joseph Haubert
WORDS BY DIANA ALVAREZ
Dallas Skyline lights up blue for frontline healthcare workers.
BRIGHTER TOGETHER Last spring, more than a dozen Dallas venues and landmarks, along with many more across the country, lit up the skyline blue as part of a nationwide initiative to support doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers at the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reunion Tower also makes a statement by turning off its lights. For the second time in its 42-year history, the tower went dark on Blackout Tuesday in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Reunion Tower
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La La Land Kind Cafe
One Cool Street East Dallas charm can be found on Greenville Avenue WORDS BY ZANE HARRINGTON
THE GRANADA THEATER
There is no better place to begin than this former movie theater built in 1946. Sitting at the very northern tip of the
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neighborhood’s entertainment district, the Granada Theater serves as Greenville Avenue’s crown jewel. Today, this Art Deco gem shines as a popular concert venue for big names and up-and-comers alike. If live music is your thing, be sure to check their line-up before you visit. If you don’t have time for a full concert, Sundown at Granada is located right next door, serving up health-conscious foods with great views of Greenville Avenue and live music most evenings. granadatheater.com, sundownatgranada.com
STAN’S BLUE NOTE
This long-time Greenville Avenue watering hole claims to be the oldest, continuously opened standalone bar in Dallas. And once you are inside, it is easy to tell why Stan’s has stood the test of time. Adorned with neon signs, nostalgic games, cold beer, and delicious food, Stan’s lacks pretension. It feels like you’ve walked into your best friend’s house, and the welcoming and
knowledgeable staff quickly start to feel like friends, too. stansbluenote.com
TRUCK YARD
Located just off Greenville, tucked away under some perfect Live Oak trees, you will find Truck Yard—one of Dallas’ most laid-back bars. And if you are a fan of rotating, seasonal menus, Truck Yard will do you one better. They have different menus daily because they serve host to a rotation of beloved Dallas food trucks. Every day, two or three trucks drive into the yard ready to serve hungry patrons, and the next day they are replaced with different curbside cuisine. If you’re in the mood for a more consistent menu, Truck Yard serves up one food item every single day: cheesesteaks, and it is impossible to dislike them. Feel free to bring the kids and Fido as this mostly outdoor bar is family friendly until 9 p.m. and dogs are always welcome. truckyarddallas.com
Photograph by VisitDallas
Directly east of Central Expressway, tucked away in East Dallas charm, you’ll find one of Dallasites’ favorite streets, Greenville Avenue. Today, Greenville Avenue is known for its quaint shops, delicious restaurants, and bars—but that isn’t how this delightful street began. Before the 1950s and the construction of Central Expressway, Greenville Avenue was the major road connecting Downtown Dallas to East Dallas, Northeast Dallas, and the rapidly expanding suburbs. In the 1900s, as transit along the road increased, so did the major developments. After a brief downturn period, Greenville Avenue found its resurgence and now serves as one of Dallas’ main entertainment districts, full of fun and a thriving nightlife scene.
Granada Theater
BULLZERK
Photograph courtesy of Granada Theater (top), Photograph by Sammy Mandell (bottom)
To cap off your trip to Dallas, you’ll need a souvenir as unique as the destination. Bullzerk has you covered. This is anything but your traditional souvenir shop—you’ll see tourists and locals alike perusing the clever, tongue-incheek merchandise. They sell all things Dallas: T-shirts, hoodies, hand-sewn patched hats, and much more. If one of the shirts doesn’t make sense, ask a worker. They will happily explain. bullzerk.com
LA LA LAND KIND CAFE
Craving an afternoon java with a side of social responsibility? Greenville Avenue has the perfect spot in La La Land Kind Cafe. In this bright cafe, you will find an all-organic menu with environmentally and socially conscious ingredients, and that isn’t even the best part. La La Land opened its doors to provide a place for foster care teens to find a job as they begin to age out of the system. This
café offers those teens the opportunity to earn a living and learn valuable life lessons and necessary skills to succeed in the working world. lalalandkindcafe.com
HG SPLY CO.
The H and G stand for hunter and gatherer, and that is exactly the kind of food they serve here. This farm-to-table restaurant is using the freshest ingredients possible, and their extensive menu is compatible with numerous options for all dietary restrictions and lifestyles. But a local favorite (aside from the nachos) is the oasis-like rooftop patio and bar, which is open in the afternoons Monday through Thursday, and all-day Friday through Sunday. You won’t find a finer view of the Dallas skyline or a better way to end your evening on Greenville Avenue. dfweats.com
HG Sply Co.
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Mile Makers Mariano, the father of the frozen margarita, shares his inspiration INTERVIEW BY RACHEL BUTTS
Q: What sparked your love of food? A: Food has always run in my family.
My great grandmother was “Mama” Adelaida Cuéllar, the matriarch of the Cuéllar brothers clan. They are famously known as ‘’The Mama’s Boys,” who later built El Chico Mexican cafes in 27 states, and have been credited with introducing Tex-Mex food to the entire United States! My father was a baker in San Antonio and worked as a waiter at a high-end illegal speakeasy, in the late 1930s. He would help bartend during his downtime at the bar, perfecting his frozen margarita in a blender, and serving the drink in a salt-rimmed champagne glass. Q: We can see where your love of food
comes from. What inspired you to become a restaurateur? A: It all started with an old restaurant called La Tunisia in the Exchange Park area of Dallas. It was unlike any restau-
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rant that I’d ever seen: The attention to detail from start to finish—the doorman greeting you by name and escorting you to the Sheik’s tent where you drank exotic cocktails under a special lighting system made to look like stars in the night sky—that was the best part for me of all of the creativity that went into creating the illusion of being in another place, another time. It instantly sparked inspiration for Mariano’s, and upscale Mexican cuisine restaurant. In 1971, I invested my entire life’s savings (a whole $500), as well as loans from family, friends, and a small business loan to open my first restaurant on Greenville Avenue. My goal was never to make a lot of money but rather to create the best Mexican restaurant experience, from food, beverages, and atmosphere—to go against what other Mexican restaurants were doing. Mariano’s was a place where the
patrons dressed up and spent the evening enjoying cocktails in the Cantina before dinner in the main dining room, which resembled an outdoor patio. Q: How did you decide to name your
restaurants “Mariano’s”?
A: For my first restaurant opening, I
threw a party for the media. A friend had suggested I dress as a Mexican revolutionist to match my revolutionary new restaurant concept. I dressed as a Mexican outlaw with “Bandido” across my chest and my grandfather’s old rifle raised in the air above my giant sombrero! The media loved it, and the following day the restaurant and I were featured in multiple newspapers and city guides. Because my name was Mariano Martinez, the press assumed I was a member of the prominent Martinez family, and that I used family money to open my own restaurant and increase my popularity. This was such a con-
Photograph courtesy of Mariano Martinez
Mariano with his original frozen margarita machine
Long before his 1971 invention of the frozen margarita machine, Mariano Martinez was making waves in the Dallas restaurant scene, inspired by a visit to La Tunisia restaurant. During his visit, Mariano was struck by ambiance that could transport guests to faraway lands, an experience that people dressed up for and looked forward to. We raise a toast to Mariano—the first in our Mile Maker series—for his unconventional entrepreneurial approach and subsequent invention, changing the way that people dine and drink in Dallas.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! appearance Frozen Sunburst Margarita Commemorative plaque at Mariano’s Hacienda
EXPLORE DALLAS ALONG THE MARGARITA MILE
(center) Photograph courtesy of Mariano Martinez, (left and right) Photographs by Joseph Haubert
tradiction to the struggles that I faced raising the money for my restaurant, so I immediately dropped my last name. In 1971, I became a one-name celebrity like Elvis or Cher. To this day I am called “Mariano” or “the Bandido.”
a big batch of consistent margaritas. 7-Eleven would not sell me a Slurpee machine or tell me where to purchase one, so I souped up a soft-serve ice cream machine to create the first frozen margarita machine.
Q: When did you realize there was a
Q: Did you expect your invention to
need for the frozen margarita machine? A: Opening night service was a disaster. The place was packed with a two-hour wait and everyone was ordering margaritas! I had my dad’s secret recipe, but one blender was not enough to keep up. We were getting numerous complaints about the wait and inconsistency in flavor—even my bartender threatened to walk out. I was watching my dream go down the drain. After a sleepless night, I stopped at the 7-Eleven store to buy a cup of coffee that I could barely afford, and I walked out with a million-dollar idea. Something like a Slurpee machine could make
have such an impact on the restaurant industry? A: That machine became legendary— everyone wanted one! Mom-and-pop Mexican restaurants that couldn’t afford a bartender started copying the concept, and sometimes the money they made on margaritas was the difference between staying in business or shutting down. My invention saved a lot of restaurants from closing their doors, and also helped bigger chains that saw the benefits and began putting them in all of their bars.
Inspired by Mariano’s 1971 invention of the frozen margarita machine, Dallas staked its claim as the “Official Home of the Frozen Margarita” by launching the Margarita Mile—a curated collection of the best and most brazen margaritas across Dallas’ unique neighborhoods, all collected in a colorful mobile app. The margarita has become so imbedded in Dallas culture you can find them just about anywhere—from traditional Tex-Mex spots to upscale Japanese restaurants, swanky cocktail bars and beyond, in a dizzying array of flavors and preparations. The Margarita Mile includes delectable variations with infused tequilas, liquid nitrogen, house-made syrups, fresh herbs and even popsicles dunked right in. The Margarita Mile App takes users on a curated tour of Dallas’ unique margaritas. Beyond delicious drinks, the Margarita Mile serves as a refreshing way to explore the city’s unique neighborhoods and culture. As users taste their way along, using the app to check in at each location, they rack up points that help them earn fun gifts. margaritamiledallas.com
laharanch.com
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Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden’s Twelve Days of Christmas Display
Klyde Warren Park
Dallas Sparkles During the Holiday Season By sleigh or car, bring out the family to enjoy some of the city’s best holiday displays WORDS BY STEPHANIE FAULK
NOTEWORTHY NEIGHBORHOODS
From those family drives as a child to now, neighborhood lights remain my favorite. Even as residential displays become more elaborate, there’s something to the charm of simple string lights hung with care (and perhaps a little frustration) by the homeowner.
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Highland Park
One of the city’s toniest neighborhoods, Highland Park has everything from mansions decked out in professional exhibits to gingerbread-like houses you’ll want to take a bite out of. Start at Armstrong Parkway and Preston Road and wind your way through a transfixing tour of lights. My son’s favorite house has half a dozen giant jack-in-the-boxes with bobbing heads modeled after, what else, the homeowner’s family members! Be sure to drive through Highland Park Village, a shopping center with trees wrapped trunk to tip.
Swiss Avenue
While my mother is putting up the tree on Halloween, East Dallas’ Swiss Avenue is positively packed with little goblins parading up and down the street begging candy off the festive homeowners. It’s so popular that Adele even went trick or treating there in 2016 disguised
as Jim Carrey’s character in The Mask. For the winter holidays, Swiss Avenue offers a taste of true turn-of-the-century elegance a la It’s A Wonderful Life.
Kessler Park
South of Downtown lies the charming Kessler Park neighborhood in Oak Cliff. The lights are arranged annually by a group of volunteers; find five large, lit trees at the intersection of Colorado Boulevard and Lausanne Avenue and you know you’re in the right spot. The Kessler Park neighborhood lights are even more beautiful backlit by the shimmering Dallas skyline. TALL, TALL TREES
Every good tour of lights includes a towering tree or two. At least once a year we’ll hop out of the car for a look at the tree at the Galleria Dallas. At 95 feet, it has the distinction of being the world’s tallest indoor Christmas tree.
Photograph courtesy of Sprouse and Neuhoff Photography (left), Photograph courtesy of Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden (right)
Nothing brings up feelings of nostalgia more than holiday lights. Growing up, my family piled into our forest green Suburban to gaze out the window almost every weekend in December – we couldn’t get enough. My mom, our ringleader, was so eager to get in the spirit that our own tree usually went up early, on Halloween. I have fond memories of our time in the car looking at lights and it’s a tradition I’ve kept up with my own family today. Here are a few of our favorite places in Dallas to take in the sparkle of the season.
Galleria Dallas’ 95-foot Christmas tree
It’s majestic from any angle, but even more so viewed while skating around on the mall’s signature ice rink. galleriadallas.com
Downtown’s Klyde Warren Park makes a statement with a brilliant tree adorned in multicolored lights and topped with a massive starburst. Oversized trees need oversized décor, and a few blocks south of the park the Omni Dallas Hotel features a display of 13 lacquered red ball ornaments. At 10 feet in diameter and 1,200 pounds apiece, they’re placed on the hotel’s lawn every year by a crane. klydewarrenpark.org, omnihotels.com/dallas Photograph courtesy of Galleria Dallas
WALK-THROUGH WINTER WONDERLANDS
Neighborhood lights will always have my heart, but my son loves the magic of massive, immersive lighting displays. Two of the first attractions to reopen this summer, The Dallas Zoo and the
Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, also bring plenty of cheer for the holidays. After the animals head in for the evening, the Dallas Zoo transforms into a winter wonderland with over one million twinkling lights illuminating ZooNorth. There are realistic silk-covered lanterns in the shape of your favorite animals and a mesmerizing light show timed to popular music.
CITY HALL LIGHTS
For a free event for the family look no further than Dallas City Hall. Every year the city lights up its expansive plaza and a sparkling tree in a free event called Deck the Plaza. After the actual lighting, City Hall Plaza is a great place to stroll all season long with your family to enjoy the lights and the crisp winter air and snap a family pic by the classically beautiful tree. dallascityhall.com
dallaszoo.com
In addition to thousands of twinkling lights in the trees, Holiday at the Arboretum presents the magnificent The 12 Days of Christmas outdoor exhibit. Twelve 25-foot Victorian-style gazebos depict scenes from the traditional carol, from Twelve Drummers Drumming to a Partridge in a Pear Tree. I guarantee you’ve never seen anything like it. dallasarboretum.org
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Lula B’s
Curiosities
Dolly Python
Dallas’ Thrift Store Scene Dig deeper to discover five Dallas vintage and antique shops WORDS BY ASHLEY TURNER
LULA B’S
DOLLY PYTHON
MY SECRET CLOSET
Oak Cliff and Design District
East Dallas and Oak Cliff
Far North Dallas
Check out Lula B’s at either of its two locations. This large antique mall is separated by various shops and is full of unique finds, vintage clothing, antique furniture, art, and collectibles—they have it all. You can easily find yourself shopping for hours.
A blast from the past, Dolly Python transports you back in time with its vintage clothing and jewelry from the 1940s to 1980s. Shop everything from home furnishing to vintage cowboy boots, hand-selected vintage vinyl, and so much more with its more than thirty antique dealers and consignors. With two locations in Dallas, you’re sure to find a one-of-a-kind treasure.
If luxury fashion is more your style, head to My Secret Closet in Far North Dallas. Tucked away in an unassuming shopping center, this hidden gem consignment shop sells both new and gently used luxury goods for women, including designer apparel, bath products, and accessories.
dollypythonvintage.com
UNCOMMON MARKET
VAGABOND VINTAGE DALLAS Design District
On the hunt for vintage T-shirts and clothing? Vagabond Vintage is right up your alley. From sports and pop culture tees to old school bands and classic artists, you may have trouble leaving without completely revamping your wardrobe with these nostalgic treasures. vagabondvintagedallas.com
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mysecretclosetboutique.com
Design District CURIOSITIES
Shop unique and “weird and wonderful” antiques at Curiosities. Opened in 2006 by Terry and Jason Cohen, the mother-son duo has since collected the finest finds from childhood memorabilia to home goods and accessories.
Discover treasures from around the world, including antiques, home décor, and more from all around Europe. Opened for nearly fifty years, this shop is known as one of the largest family-owned antique stores in Dallas, and its inventory is constantly rotating based on hand-picked flea market finds.
getcuriosities.com
uncommonmarketdallas.com
Lakewood
Photographs courtesy of the retailers
lulabsoc.com
One-on-One with Daniella Mason The alt-pop singer-songwriter talks music and how she draws inspiration from Dallas INTERVIEW BY PAOLA ARIAS
Daniella Mason’s poppy sound provides a camouflage for the deep and honest lyrics she is known for. The Dallasite grew up around music, singing in church and taking piano and voice lessons from a very young age—against her will at first, she tells me with laughter. But the singer-songwriter later came to love it, moving to Nashville to pursue a career in music, releasing her first album while in college at Belmont University, and discovering her distinct sound, which she describes as “alternative pop.” I caught up with Daniella to chat about Dallas, emotional vulnerability, and her latest project.
Q: I got a chance to hear “Dallas Week-
end.” I can’t wait until we can share it with everyone else. It’s such a fun song! Can you tell me a little bit about the writing process? A: It was fun because the producer and I, Josh Alltop, wrote it and we’re both from Dallas, so we know so intimately the different things that Dallas has to offer. We sat down and thought about all the different places you could go, all the things that you could do, how there really is something that you can do every night of the week. There aren’t a lot of cities that offer that kind of nightlife and all those different activities. Q: What are your favorite Dallas hangPhotograph by Bree Fish
outs Dallas? A: I love going down to Deep Ellum. I remember I would go do shows at The
Door, and it’s cool to see how it’s all changing so quickly. It’s getting more and more creative! I recently got to explore Victory Park because I did a show with Sweet Tooth Hotel. I hadn’t been over there in a while and it’s really incredible. And, I went to a new location—The Hill in North Dallas. They just renovated that area and they have a mural park now. I feel like that’s what’s so amazing about Dallas: There are always new ways to engage with people and cultivate community. Q: You mentioned The Door; what are
other Dallas venues do you enjoy?
A: One of my favorite memories is
when I got to play at The Majestic at the end of 2019. That was such a bucket-list moment. It’s a beautiful theater, just looking out into the crowd and seeing
all of the [theatre’s] history was such a remarkable moment. Another favorite memory is when I played at the Deep Ellum Art Co.: It’s a smaller venue so it was cool how compact and intimate it felt. That will be a show that I will always remember. Q: Where do you find inspiration for
your songs?
A: I definitely pull from personal expe-
rience. When I write songs and I share what’s in my heart, that’s my moment to be vulnerable and intimate with people. It really is my diary. I just try to be as honest as possible; but of course, I’m a pop writer, so I have this certain sound in my head. I love that I can create songs that can exist in both spaces—that you can just put on at a party or road trip, or if
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SPOTIFY PLAYLIST Daniella Mason – “Woman Lover Powerful” Medicine Man Revival - “Work it Out” Post Malone – “Circles” Sarah Jaffe – “Clementine” Old 97’s – “Question” Demi Lovato - “Sorry Not Sorry” Bowling for Soup – “1985” Jonas Brothers – “Sucker”
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Photograph by Bree Fish (top), Photograph by Jacqueline Day (bottom and opposite page)
Dallas has always been a source of musical talent, from its early roots in the Twenties Jazz scene to Charley Crockett’s formative teenage years performing in Deep Ellum, and as birthplace of the multi-hyphenate Erykah Badu, just to name a few. These artists have more than enough power to fill a Spotify playlist or two. Here, some recommended listening from local artists.
Daniella Mason performs at the Majestic Theatre
you really want to get to the meat of it, that’s there waiting for you, too. I want it to be a lot of different things, for a lot of different people. Q: What can you share with us about
your upcoming projects?
A: I’m in the middle of a larger project
called State of Mind. It started with the EP Emotional State and then Mental State. Now we’re in the middle of Physical State. The first single is called “Woman Lover Powerful” and the second single is “Steady.” The first two singles feel like bookends. They are very different, but I think they really encompass all that I am as a physical being. You have the women’s empowerment song about all the things we can be as women. We can be so powerful and so loving at the same time. It shows my journey to accepting all the parts that I am and letting these things that
are seemingly opposite coexist within myself. Then we get to “Steady” and that’s not even about me. It’s about my husband—all the things that he has brought into my life and the way that he has steadied my nature and brought grounding to my life. Q: How do you feel like the coronavi-
rus pandemic as affected you personally, and the creative community? A: With everything going on in the world I think we’re all feeling a little up in the air, but I also know these times provide a unique opportunity for creativity. I’m really interested to see what kind of songs come out of this and what kind of art comes out of it—from myself and my community. Q: I know “Public Places” is an emotional
song for you. How did that come about?
A: “Public Places” is about a series of
public breakdowns because when you open those [emotional] flood gates sometimes you can’t shut them back up. I was playing a show by myself and everything was going wrong, just a series of unfortunate events. I get on my flight to Dallas, and I look in my bag and my hard drive is missing, and I literally just burst into tears. I have a hat on, and I’m literally crying into my hat trying to cover my face, which I have a lyric about in the song. But I got to the show in Dallas, open my bag and the drive is sitting right there. I don’t know if in my craziness I just didn’t see it, [but I think] maybe it’s the magic of Dallas that brought my hard drive back. daniellamason.com Instagram: @daniellamason Twitter: @DaniellaMason Facebook: @daniellamasonmusic
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Dallas City Hall
36 HOURS for Entertainment Lovers WORDS BY PAOLA ARIAS
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Bishop Arts District
Observant movie and television fans will recognize a few familiar scenes on the streets of Dallas. From the opening credits of the city’s namesake show with its iconic skyline shots, to more modern reality TV moments, Dallas has an impressive filmography. We followed the cameras and discovered a new way to see the city—through both recognizable and little-known destinations, from both the big and small screens.
Photographs courtesy of VisitDallas
IN DALLAS
Friday 3 PM: CHECK IN TO THE ADOLPHUS
The Adolphus Hotel
adolphus.com Located in the heart of downtown Dallas, the historic Adolphus Hotel has long been a part of Dallas’ history. The landmark hotel dates back to 1912, when it became the first luxury hotel in the city, opened by Adolphus Busch, co-founder of Anheuser-Busch. Since its opening, the hotel has been a major gathering point for Dallas’ elite, and has welcomed many notable personalities, including Presidents Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush, and British royalty. The luxury hotel has also served as a filming location for several movies and television series, including Borat (2006) and HBO’s True Blood (2009, Season 2). 5 PM: WALKING TOUR OF DOWNTOWN DALLAS
Photograph courtesy of The Adolphus Hotel (top), Photograph by VisitDallas (middle and bottom)
Thanks-Giving Square Chapel
reuniontower.com Put on your walking shoes and take a stroll through the city’s Downtown for a tour of several locations that have served as background to various movie and TV show scenes. Start at Reunion Tower’s GeODeck for a sunset view of the city’s skyline made famous by the Dallas (1978-1991) television series. You may also recognize the famous landmark for its appearance on The Amazing Race when contestants repelled down the tower in the 26th season finale. You’ll also want to stop by City Hall, where scenes of Robocop (1986) were filmed, Pioneer Plaza from Serving Sara (2001), and, of course, Dealey Plaza where scenes of JFK (1991) were filmed. Venture a little further west for some window shopping at Neiman Marcus, where episodes of Bravo’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy were filmed (2005), or enjoy some colorful, quiet time at Thanks-Giving Square Chapel, whose stained glass spire was featured in The Tree of Life (2011). 7:30 PM: DINNER WITH A VIEW
dfweats.com Refresh and head to Lower Greenville for dinner at HG Sply Co., rumored to be a favorite of The Bachelorette’s (Season 21) Rachel Lindsay. Scenes from her season were filmed on the restaurant’s rooftop, where you are guaranteed a beautiful view of the Downtown skyline. The restaurant is a perfect place for those looking for a delicious health-conscious meal. After dinner, head to Lounge Here, another rumored favorite of Lindsay’s, for a night cap. Reunion Tower GeO-Deck
I T I N E R A RY
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Saturday 9 AM: MORNING PICK ME UP
adolphus.com Start off your morning with breakfast at Otto’s Coffee & Fine Foods inside the Adolphus Hotel. The Viennese-style café offers a variety of coffee and espressos, light bites togo, and fresh baked goods in a chic setting that feels more like a European patisserie than a modern American café. 10 AM: PUMPKINS, GOURDS & BLOOMS, OH MY!
Otto’s Coffee & Fine Foods
dallasarboretum.org Autumn at the Arboretum is one of the top Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden’s events and a mustsee for any visitor in the fall. Each year the Arboretum celebrates fall with more than five hundred pumpkins, gourds, and golden blooms, making it an ideal location for fall photos. The garden was also the location for the wedding scene in Dr. T & the Women (1999), and is host to many real-life weddings throughout the year. 12 PM: ‘CUE AND BLUES
2 PM: VISIT FAIR PARK
fairpark.org If you’re visiting in the fall, you’ll want to leave some room for the State Fair of Texas’ fried treats and its famous Fletcher’s Corny Dogs. These hot dogs on-astick have been a State Fair staple for more than fifty years along with Big Tex, the larger-than-life cowboy who greets visitors entering the fairgrounds. The fair is returning to Dallas in 2021 but the fairgrounds are open, offering plenty to do including a variety of museums and shows at Music Hall at Fair Park. The fairgrounds have made an appearance in a slew of movies and TV shows, including FOX’s The Good Guys (2010), State Fair (1962), and Problem Child (1989), among others. 7:30 PM: BURGERS AND BEER
Fair Park
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leeharveys.com, fcbrewing.com Grab dinner at Lee Harvey’s in the Cedars neighborhood. The hip burger dive-bar with a notorious name is down the street from South Side Studios, where
Photograph courtesy of The Adolphus Hotel, Photograph by VisitDallas (middle and bottom)
Pecan Lodge
pecanlodge.com, canerosso.com Take a lunch break in Deep Ellum, long known for its live music scene first made popular in the 1920s when it put Dallas on the map for blues and jazz. Dine at local barbeque favorite, Pecan Lodge. You’ll need to have a little patience, since on any given day there can be a line wrapped around the building, but the brisket and fried chicken (yes, fried chicken—from an old family recipe) is worth the wait! The barbecue joint even made an appearance in Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, along with Cane Rosso, another neighborhood favorite. After you’ve had your fill, head to any of the nearby bars for some live music.
many shows and movies have been filmed, including USA’s Queen of the South. Make sure to keep an eye out, this local dive is known to be a favorite for cast and crew to wind down after a long day of shooting. For a taste of local brews, head to Four Corners Brewing nearby to sample some of the city’s best cervezas under the stars.
Sunday 11 AM: COLD CUTS AND COLD ONES
Sleep in and then head to Parker Barrow’s in Bishop Arts for a brew and deli sandwich to start the day. The delicatessen’s name is an homage to the notorious couple Bonnie and Clyde, who were originally from the Dallas area. The 1967 classic Bonnie and Clyde was filmed in and around the city of Dallas, and remnants of the couple’s real lives can be visited, including the Clyde’s childhood home attached to the now-closed Barrow Star Filling Station in West Dallas.
Four Corners Brewing Co.
1 PM: A HISTORY LESSON AND SHOPPING
thetexastheatre.com, bishopartsdistrict.com Stop by Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff for a movie or cocktail at the theater’s bar. The Dallas landmark, like many other buildings in the city, is steeped in Dallas’ history. It is most widely known for being the location where Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested, and it makes an appearance in the film JFK (1990). Before departing, spend some time shopping for souvenirs and gifts in Bishop Arts where local boutiques and restaurants line this neighborhood’s streets. It’s the perfect place to shop for unique local finds, from scrumptious pies at Emporium Pies, vintage finds at Maria’s Closet, or handmade gifts at Mosaic Makers Collective. Photograph courtesy of Four Corners Brewing Co., Photograph by Randy A Carlisle, Photograph courtesy of The Adolphus Hotel
EXTEND YOUR STAY
Texas Theatre
Thirty-six hours is only enough time to visit the essential film locations in Dallas. Stay another day to fit in a few more highlights around the Dallas area. A short car ride will take you to visit the other Texas filming locations of Bonnie and Clyde, or head to nearby Fort Worth for honkytonk lessons at Billy Bob’s Texas where several movies have been filmed, including HBO’s Baja Oklahoma (1987), Pure Country (1992), Walker Texas Ranger, and, of course, several scenes of Dallas. And who can forget a visit to Southfork Ranch, located just north of Dallas. Any true Dallas fan will certainly want to schedule a tour (southforkranch.com). Learn more about VisitDallas and Dallas Creative Industries at dallascreates.org.
The Adolphus Hotel
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T E XAS
WORDS BY TAYLOR VOTH
Takeaways
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Dallas’ caffeine culture offers the perfect perky souvenir to remember your travels
I
Photograph courtesy of Novel Coffee Roasters, Photograph courtesy of Rakkasan Tea Company
Novel Coffee Roasters
love to travel. Visiting new places and immersing myself in the nuanced cultures of different cities has always been a passion of mine. I feel much more like an explorer than a tourist and, like any good traveler, I always search for something to take home to preserve the memories of each trip. While mugs, magnets, and novelty T-shirts were great, they never seemed to do my exploits justice and left my cupboards and closets full of clutter. While packing up yet another box of travel trinkets, I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down to think about how I could collect more meaningful travel memories. And then it hit me. I was holding the answer in my own two hands. The single most important and consistent ritual in my day, no matter if I am sitting out on the streets of a new city or sitting on my own couch, is my morning cup of Joe. How many coffee shops had I frequented on the trips I took? A quick scroll through my Instagram latte art confirmed, a lot. From that point on, I decided to start collecting coffee beans. It made my search for the perfect souvenir an adventure in and of itself and provided the perfect travel takeaway. Roasters are a great representation of their city and are often located in unique places. This allows me to explore neighborhoods that may not have initially been on my radar. Buying local coffee supports local businesses, and that is something we can all get behind. A bag of beans is a perfect gift to bring home to friends and family (and it’s carry-on friendly). Finally, it makes for the perfect personal souvenir. I can savor my past adventures each morning; and when the last bit of beans are gone, I
Rakkasan Tea Company
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know it’s time to plan my next trip! Dallas is home to a caffeine culture buzzing with local flavor, unique experiences, and some of the best beans in Texas. Here are a few of my favorite places to find your own Dallas souvenir to sip.
Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters
Many Dallas coffee roasters offer instore programming to learn more about your favorite flavors. Purchase beans to remember your trip and brew at home.
Novel Coffee Roasters novelcoffeeroasters.com Inspired by stories of the people and places from which they source their
Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters
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Photographs courtesy of Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters
noblecoyotecoffee.com Noble Coyote has been roasting since 2011. Owned and operated by Kevin and Marta Sprague, the idea to open a roastery was conceived when the Spragues both lost their jobs due to the recession and couldn’t think of a better time to pursue their passion for coffee. A coyote, in the coffee world, is the term used for a middleman who takes advantage of farmers. Noble Coyote seeks to do better by paying above fair-trade pricing and working with farmers to create positive and sustainable practices. They also have a special roast in which proceeds give back to at-risk youth in the Dallas community. If you are lucky enough to be in Dallas on the first Saturday of each month, you can sign up for their monthly cupping during which you taste different coffees, learn about their origins, and discuss how industry professionals create the flavor profiles you love. If you can’t attend a cupping, pick up several of their four-ounce bags for an at-home tasting you can do in your own kitchen, or stock up on a few of their twelve-ounce bags that are roasted weekly. And if you just can’t get enough, sign up for a coffee subscription and receive Kevin’s roast of the month right to your door.
Novel Coffee Roasters
Photographs courtesy of Novel Coffee Roasters
Novel Coffee Roasters
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Voted Most Beautiful Coffee Shop in Texas, Houndstooth Coffee sells its sister brand Tweed Coffee in-store.
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coffee, Novel Coffee Roasters has been part of Dallas caffeine culture since 2013. Owners Kevin Betts and Ryan Smith are relentless in their pursuit of amazing beans. Their attention to detail, from the moment of harvest until it reaches your home, ensures the highest quality coffee and standards when obtaining their product. Sourced throughout Latin America and Africa, Novel Coffee offers about eight coffees at a time, including espresso and single origin roasts, so you can rest assured there is something for every kind of coffee consumer. During your next visit to the Big D, pick up a bag of their whimsically packaged beans at State Street Coffee in Uptown or La Reunion Coffee in the bustling Bishop Arts District. If you make it home and decide you need more Novel in your life, fear not, they ship their coffee across the country, and you can always sign up for a subscription and have a little bit of Dallas delivered to your door as often as you like. Tweed Coffee Roasters retail display Proudly roasted in Dallas, Texas
Tweed Coffee Roasters
Photographs courtesy of Tweed Coffee Roasters
tweedcoffee.com Tweed Coffee, the sister company to well-known Houndstooth coffee shop, began roasting in 2013. Inspired by their namesake (a simple fabric pattern that can be fashioned into much more complex garments and textiles), their approach to coffee is much the same—taking raw ingredients and lovingly forming it into products that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, no matter if you are an expert barista or brewing a pot of coffee at home. Tweed regularly carries four styles of beans that cater to a variety of palettes, from folks who just want a strong cup of coffee to those who are looking for a more nuanced flavor profile. They are especially proud of their decaf coffee, “Two Step,” arguably one of the best decaffeinated coffees available. They source their beans
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seasonally to ensure the freshest flavor and everything is roasted on demand. You can find their twelve-ounce retail coffee bags at coffee shops around Dallas, such as La La Land, Mokah, and Houndstooth, or you can order directly from their website. Like the pattern that gave them their name, you can count on Tweed for coffee that is intriguing, approachable, and perfect for every season.
rakkasantea.com If tea is more your thing or you are looking to try something unique, check out Rakkasan Tea Company. Named for the old Japanese word meaning parachutist, RTC is owned and operated by two veterans who led teams of Rakkasans in Iraq and Afghanistan. They became enamored with the local tea culture and decided to bring it home to Dallas. RTC has just over thirty teas that they source from hand-selected estates in post-conflict nations to promote peace and economic growth. They carry a wide selection of products, from items to support the novice tea drinker to offerings suited for those who are more experienced in the art of preparing tea. Located in Deep Ellum, Rakkasan Tea Company is in the heart of one of Dallas’ most beloved neighborhoods. Be sure to call ahead as their main location is a shared space and available by appointment only. Their teas are also sold at several locations around the city and online, and they offer a Tea of the Month subscription service that will deliver black, green, and herbal teas to your door. However you chose to take tea with Rakkasan, know that you will be bringing home a treasure that can be gifted, shared with friends, or sipped in the solitude of a quiet morning as you reflect on your adventures in Dallas. Rakkasan Tea Samplers
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Photograph courtesy of Skull & Cakebones for Rakkasan Tea Company
Rakkasan Tea Company
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A City’s Restaurant Resurgence
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Deep Ellum: Day to Night
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The Wanderlust Chronicles
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TAEF “Generations come and go, but Deep Ellum keeps producing the goods— and I see no reason for that to change. Today, Deep Ellum is where it always has been and probably always will be: right at the cutting edge in Dallas.” —JACK MURRAY
General Manager, The Pittman Hotel
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On Mimi, Leo & Lin dress, Elk The Label earrings, Senso “Ophelia III� heels
Tony Tasset, The Eye
The Adolphus Hotel
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rossing the Trinity River from the south on I-35, visitors can see the classic postcard shot of the Dallas skyline: A building outlined in green, a tower that looks like a lollipop, and another that resembles a twisted prism. There are dozens of others that make up what has been voted Best International Skyline by USA Today readers. That skyline was largely defined in a post-Modernist building boom as the Dallas economy reached a high point in the early eighties. More recent development has added additional landmarks, both to the skyline and at street level by a variety of architects, from across the world, as well as noted Dallas firms.
A primer on the impressive, historical, and sometimes illuminated buildings that comprise the distinctive Dallas skyline WORDS BY GREG BROWN
Photographer: Samantha Beatty Model: Mimi Roche Styling: Nicole Saunders Hair & Makeup: Gabby Rosenberg
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Adolphus Hotel (1912) Built by Adolphus Busch, founder of the Anheuser-Busch company, this is the grande dame of Dallas architecture. Her mansard roof, sculptural detailing, and beer bottleshaped corner tower make this icon the definition of “look up!” architecture.
Bank of America Plaza (1985) This is Dallas’ tallest tower. Most nights, it is outlined in green, but its LED lighting can change color to celebrate a special event or cause. Adolphus Hotel Lobby, 1930s
Chase Tower (1987) Designed by Gordon Bunshaft of SOM, this was the last tower built downtown before the bottom fell out of the economy in the late eighties; it was two decades before significant development resumed. Check out another Bunshaft building nearby—the pyramid-topped Trammell Crow Center (1984).
Comerica Bank Tower (1987) This building with its repeating barrel vaults was designed by Philip Johnson, the recipient of the first Pritzker Prize for architecture.
Dallas City Hall (1978) With its inverted pyramid design, Dallas City Hall was I.M. Pei’s first design for the city. It might look familiar to movie buffs—it was featured in Robocop as the headquarters of the sinister OCP.
Dallas Museum of Art (1984) With its move downtown from Fair Park, the Dallas Museum of Art became the first cultural institution in what is now the largest contiguous arts district in the United States. On Mimi, Alice McCall “Satellite” maxi dress, Senso “Tyra I” heels, Mimco “Valhalla” clutch
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Fair Park Located just southeast of the central business district and primarily the result of a massive redesign and rebuilding by architect George Dahl for the Texas Centennial Exposition in 1936, Fair Park is considered to be the largest collection of Art Deco architecture, art, and sculpture in the country. If visiting during the State Fair in the fall, troll the Esplanade with corny dog in hand and take in the monumental statues representing the six flags of Texas.
Fountain Place (1986) This I.M. Pei design and its twisted prism shape is a favorite downtown building for many. Nestled at its base is a peaceful water garden designed by noted landscape architect Dan Kiley.
Kalita Humpreys Theatre (1959) One of Frank Lloyd Wright’s few theater designs ever constructed, this building sits nestled against a bluff on Turtle Creek. Its forms are reminiscent of other late Wright works, including the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Magnolia Hotel (1921) Built as the Magnolia Petroleum Building, this was the tallest building in Dallas in the 1920’s. Atop the hotel sits the neon Pegasus that has become an unofficial symbol of the city.
Majestic Theatre (1921)
Photograph by Bee Creek Photography
This is the last remaining theatre in what was a booming “theatre row” along Elm Street in the twenties and decades following. Its stage has featured performances by countless legends, including Duke Ellington, Bob Hope, and Houdini, as well as star-studded movie premieres and touring Broadway musicals.
Fountain Place
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Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge (2012) City founder John Neely Bryan first set up his trading post on the banks of the Trinity in 1841. A flood control project in the twenties moved the river between levees, and it usually is little more than a trickle, although after heavy rains, it can stretch a mile or more between the levees. This signature bridge connecting downtown with West Dallas was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
McKinney and Olive (2016) This Pelli Clarke Pelli building is one of the newest additions to the Uptown skyline. Its leaning façade provides visual interest to one of the busiest portions of the city.
Meyerson Symphony Center (1979) I.M. Pei’s geometric limestone and glass exterior transitions into an acoustically “tunable” performance chamber that surrounds the audience with warm wood and translucent onyx panels.
Municipal Building (1913) Before Pei’s cantilevered building of the seventies this was Dallas’ City Hall. As police headquarters in 1963, it holds a place in history as the location of accused presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald’s interrogation. It was recently restored and is now the Law School of the University of North Texas.
Nasher Sculpture Center (2003) One of four buildings designed by Pritzker Prize recipients in the Dallas Arts District, this series of transparent pavilions designed by Renzo Piano is the perfect home for one of the world’s finest collections of modern and contemporary sculpture. Equally stunning is the garden designed by Peter Walker, which continues Piano’s architecture and creates a series of outdoor “rooms” for largescale sculptures.
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Reunion Tower
Majestic Theatre Reunion Tower photograph by Bee Creek Photography, Majestic Theatre photograph by Joseph Haubert
On Mimi, Leo & Lin dress, Mimco “Honour” heels, Marco Bicego “Petali” earrings in 18k gold with diamonds
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Photograph by Jason Janik
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Old Red Courthouse (1892) This is the fifth Dallas County Courthouse on this site. (Dallas kept building fireproof structures that burned down nonetheless.) Now a history museum, its red sandstone towers are a much-loved downtown sight.
One AT&T Plaza (1984) Located across Commerce Street from the Adolphus Hotel, this is AT&T’s headquarter building. Recent renovations to the campus (now known as the Dallas Discovery District), include restaurants and retail space, a water garden, and a six-story-tall video wall.
Perot Museum of Nature and Science (2012) This cast concrete cube with its roof of native Texas plants telegraphs its purpose with its design. It was designed by California-based Thom Mayne and his firm Morphosis.
On Mimi, By Johnny dress, Senso “Ureeka I” heels, Pomellato “Rouge Passion” earrings in 9k rose gold with red rubies
Republic Center (1954) The aluminum clad bank tower is a midcentury highlight of the downtown skyline. The “rocket ship” tower at its top originally included a beacon of light visible for miles.
Reunion Tower/Hyatt Regency Dallas (1978) Dallas’ tower with the “ball” on top is perhaps the most recognizable feature of the skyline. It and its highly reflective companion hotel were the beginnings of the eighties building boom. The observation deck near the top of the tower offers visitors unparalleled views . . . sometimes all the way to Fort Worth. Photograph by Sarah Wall
Texas School Book Depository
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Statler Hotel (1956) Originally named the Statler Hilton, this was the city’s first “modern” hotel and the first to feature elevator music and televisions in every room. Vacant for almost two decades, it reopened in 2017 as a hotel and residence. Its cultural claim to fame: This was the hotel that Tina Turner fled when she had enough of Ike’s abuse.
Texas School Book Depository (1901) This red brick building is typical of many throughout the West End Historic District— simply decorated and built as a warehouse/ showroom for plows and farm implements at a time that Dallas was a bustling center for the cotton trade. Of course, its later history marks it as the location from which Lee Harvey Oswald fired the shots that killed President John F. Kennedy in 1963. The Sixth Floor Museum within the building addresses this tragic event and remembers the JFK legacy.
Wilson Building (1903) At eight stories, this French wedding cake of a building is shorter than most of its neighbors, but its intricate stonework shouldn’t be missed on a Dallas architecture tour.
Winspear Opera House (2009) Designed by the firm of Lord Norman Foster, the Winspear’s red performance house serves as a symbol of the vitality of the Dallas Arts District. Its three-acre canopy serves to shade the building and the surrounding park from the brutal Texas sun.
Wyly Theatre (2009) A “factory” of theatrical production, the Wyly was a joint design project of Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Prince-Ramus. Its flexible configurations and unorthodox placement of the lobby below the actual performance space makes it the perfect venue for a variety of dramatic styles. The Tony Award-winning Dallas Theatre Center has used it to great advantage.
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On Mimi, Camilla and Marc “Cope” midi dress, Mimco “Honour” heels, Angelina Alvarez earrings
ARCHITECTURAL WALKING TOURS AD EX, the Architecture and Design Exchange, is the home to AIA Dallas and the Architecture and Design Foundation and is located in a storefront space in downtown’s Republic Center. It serves as a hub for conversation about all things related to architecture and design. AD EX presents a variety of public programs, including walking tours, exhibitions, panel discussions and workshops for students. For more information, or to join a walking tour, visit DallasADEX.org.
View from The Statler Hotel
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Chef Justin Holt’s Potato Salad
Chef Misti Norris
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Want to discover the Dallas dining scene? Follow the chefs.
Resurgence
Photograph by Kevin Marple (bottom right)
Tei-An
Chef Justin Holt
D Photographs courtesy of the chefs
allas’ dining scene has recently gained national attention as a culinary powerhouse in the U.S, but for those who live here, we know that this brilliant culinary scene did not happen overnight. We have been delighting in chef-driven farm-to-table, progressive nose-to-tail, contemporary American, modern Mexican, modern Texan, creative Italian, Texas-accented French, next-level Japanese, and all kinds of thoughtful fusions for more than a decade. It has been a steady evolution, with the most exciting creative leaps forward happening in the last eight or nine years. As the city and its unique chefs began gaining national notoriety, the coronavirus crisis hit and life as we knew it came to a screeching halt. Though some of the city’s most interesting chefs managed to keep their restaurants alive by offering take-out, others lost their jobs. Still others stepped back to regroup. Facing an extraordinary hurdle, we couldn’t help but ask: How should an intrepid and curious food-lover discover the best of Dallas’ dining scene
Chef Nick Walker’s Ribeye Cap Tartare
when nobody knew which restaurants would be left standing this fall and into the winter? Follow the chefs. As a way into Dallas’ thrummingly vibrant scene, we’ve chosen eight culinary talents for you to get to know. They express a wide range of experience, style, and influence. They’re the chefs who have been pushing the edge creatively and who are likely to continue to do so. Follow them, and you’ll have a great window into Dallas’ dynamic landscape. No matter how the post-COVID dining scene has shaken out by the time you read this, it will be easy to track down this extraordinary group of eight. We’ll keep the VisitDallas website updated as to their whereabouts and latest projects in real time. But you can also literally follow them, on Instagram, to see what they’re cooking up and where. Whether you find them cooking in their own restaurant, in a snazzy hotel kitchen, or in a scrappy pop-up until they can figure out their next move, we’re confident that from whatever kitchens they’re commanding, they’ll be turning out some of the city’s most exciting plates.
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Photograph by Veronica Knezevic for The Village Dallas
Chef Junior Borges’ Tapioca & Brazilian cheese fritters, country ham, pickled ramps, and smoked hot sauce
Black Pudding with Demases Farm Black Eyed Peas, Blueberry Black Vinegar and Pickeld Farm Egg
Photographs courtesy of the chefs
Cooking out of a quirky, ragtag former service station in East Dallas—chosen when the project was still a pop-up—Misti Norris turns out gorgeously disheveled plates of charred and pickled vegetables or handmade pasta strewn with herbs and root ends and blossoms. Pig ear “textures” tumble with fermented beans and dried peppers and pressed rice. Magnolia-sugar-cured fish dance with smoked okra pods, burnt leek greens, and toasted peanuts. Ever-changing, these are some of the most interesting, expressive, and original plates anywhere. Pickling, fermenting, foraging, and curing are her fortés, and her great loves. Norris attracted national attention in 2018, when she opened Petra and the Beast—a congenially quirky kitchen that made Esquire magazine’s list of Best New Restaurants in America. It was remarkable recognition for a spot where you order at the counter, grab your own silverware, and open your own (BYOB) wine. Then the North Carolina native garnered an honor taken seriously by even the country’s most skeptical and discerning food professionals: Food & Wine magazine named her one of its Best New Chefs. She has become famous for her charcuterie boards, but Norris was a longtime vegetarian, and vegetables—and her close relationships with the North Texas farms and farmers with whom she collaborates—are hugely important in her cooking. Last December, for instance, inspired by beautiful carrots from Demases Farm, she created a pasta dish using every part of them. The result: coal-roasted carrot green and ricotta cappelletti, pickled carrots, charred green emulsion, pulverized dried greens, salted pecan, carrot oil, and a sauce of caraway and fenugreek.
Magnolia-SugarCured Snapper with Burnt Baby Leeks and Smoked Okra Pods
Before coronavirus hit, Norris’ Saturday night, reservations-only tasting menus tended to sell out weeks in advance. Savvy locals knew, though, that they could wander in on a weeknight, walk up to the big chalkboard—whose offerings changed with dizzying and delightful frequency—and put together (for a modest price) a spectacular spread. As we went to press, Norris was running a busy to-go operation out of Petra. With any luck, by the time you read this, she’ll have re-opened her laid-back dining room as well. FOLLOW MISTI NORRIS @misti.j.norris and @petraandthebeast
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Dallas’ best-kept dining secret is Teiichi Sakurai, one of the most extraordinary Japanese chefs in the U.S. His twelveyear-old soba house in Downtown’s Arts District—Tei-An—is always the first place I bring serious food people visiting from New York, Los Angeles, or Paris— and they are inevitably blown away. Sakurai is one of the few soba masters in the country, but it is not only his handmade buckwheat noodles that wow the gastronomes. It is also his worldclass sashimi, cut from hyper-seasonal fish meticulously sourced from Japan; and his perpetually changing array of daily specials, each spotlighting whatever gorgeous fish or unusual vegetable he’s excited about at the moment. His book-in-advance omakase menus are as close as anything Texas gets to kaiseki, Japan’s elaborate tasting menus based on seasons that change every two weeks. A few months before COVID-19 struck, an omakase highlight was California spiny lobster served in two courses: its tail meat lightly poached, topped with grated daikon speckled with wasabi stems and served with dashi-braised Tokyo turnip, and its head turned into miso soup with shimeji mushrooms and water-dropwort leaves.
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Kyushu Island Sashimi
Photographs by Kevin Marple
FOLLOW TEIICHI SAKURAI @teiandallas
Grilled PinchomorunoSeasoned Sweetbreads with Adobo and Celery Salad
Photographs courtesy of the chefs
When he and his wife Jennifer opened their first restaurant, Lucia, in Dallas’ Bishop Arts District in 2010, David Uygur already had a devoted following from his tenure at a sweet little restaurant called Lola. Inspired by a trip to Slow Food’s Terra Madre in Italy, he had taught himself how to cure meats, and out of the gate, chef Uygur’s spectacular salumi boards—starring things like Red Wattle culatello, or Berkshire pork coppa that had been washed in Bourbon steeped in peach pits— helped make the restaurant an instant hit, and an impossible reservation. When COVID-19 temporarily closed the restaurant last spring, it was still one of the toughest. At Lucia, salumi has always been just the beginning. Uygur had expansive vision, an excellent palate, superb taste, and a sense of adventure— qualities not in great supply among Dallas chefs at the time. His sensibility expressed itself throughout a constantly changing, ultra-personal men: Razor clams en scapece with crispy artichokes and fennel; duck egg and baccalà raviolone in carrot butter with carrot-top pesto; Wagyu basturma with pickled apricot and cress. You never knew what you’d find there, and Ugyur was a bread baker and pastry chef as well. The flavors were vivid, the ideas exciting, and everything was completely handcrafted. In many ways, Uygur taught Dallas how to be a city of sophisticated eaters. Meanwhile, the culture the Uygurs created at their tiny, personable trattoria helped turn Bishop Arts into Dallas’ coolest walkable neighborhood. They opened a sister restaurant, Macellaio, around the corner from Lucia in 2018. There, David’s brilliant cured meats stretched out onto
Sourdough Caraway Rye with Chicken Liver Mousse, Crispy Chicken Skin and Persimmons
a world stage. Dallasites had (and hopefully still have) a place where they could walk in just about any night of the week, grab an (unreserved) seat at the spacious bar, and thrill to dishes like Gulf flounder-roe taramasalata with crispy artichokes and torn herbs, or house-made sourdough caraway rye with chicken-liver mousse, pickled persimmons, and crispy chicken skin. FOLLOW DAVID UGYUR @macellaio_dallas and @lucia_dallas
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AQ Pittman has been one of the most thoughtful proponents of Modern Mexican cooking in Dallas since she was executive chef of a short-lived, yet wonderful place called Alma, nearly ten years ago. Since late 2018, when she took over the kitchen at José, a Guadalajarainspired restaurant with a beautiful patio in Dallas’ Bluffview neighborhood, she has been wowing diners—particularly with her marvelous jewel-like aguachiles, which change weekly according to the season. Autumn might mean cubes of tuna with canary melon, cucumber, hoja santa, pickled shallot, and Key lime. Or red snapper with coconut, mango, cilantro oil, elderflower blossoms, and nasturtium. Pittman also turns out superb moles, a lush carrot habanero soup with pepita pesto, and outstanding carnitas de olla. Pittman’s daily-changing Tacos de Tacha are fashioned from masa she flavors with herbs and other ingredients then makes into tortillas. (“Tacha” was AQ’s childhood nickname, short for Anastacia.) Favorites, like a cilantro-poblano tortilla filled with tempuraed maitake and oyster mushrooms, habanero crema and pickled watermelon radish, or a basil tortilla filled with pork belly and Texas peaches, might stay on the menu a few days. You might return a few days in a row. FOLLOW AQ PITTMAN @aqpittman and @joseonlovers
Pork and Beans
Autumn Aguachile
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Hamburg Steak with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and KinakoAmazake Butter, Ao-Nori and Summer Truffles
Photographs courtesy of the chefs
Last fall, just next door to Macellaio, Justin Holt opened Salaryman— a sliver of a restaurant with a moody, Tokyo working-class vibe, sort of yakitori-ya meets ramen bar. Holt approaches his tightly focused menu with almost maniacal devotion, making nearly everything in house, including soy sauce, all his oshinko (Japanese pickles)—even ramen noodles, which is notable as house-made ramen is rare even in the most ambitious ramen shops. Naturally his yakitori is grilled over Japanese binchotan charcoal. Curiously, Holt, a native of Paris, Texas, has never been to Japan. He came to Dallas just over a decade ago, taking a job at Nana in the Hilton Anatole hotel, where a chef named Anthony Bombaci was thrilling diners with his formal, molecular-gastronomy informed cooking. (Holt has that in common with Misti Norris, who also came up under Bombaci.) From there he went to Lucia as sous-chef, then did turns at an outstanding seafood restaurant, and then at Omar Flores’ excellent (short-lived) Spanish place, Casa Rubia, before returning to Lucia as executive souschef. (Proximity to Macellaio is not a coincidence; David Uyugur is not only a mentor, but also a business partner.) At some point during his tenure at Lucia, Holt became interested in Japanese cooking, and that interest grew into obsession. Following his shifts, he started doing late-night ramen pop-ups and quickly built a cult following. Remarkably, most of what he’s learned about Japanese cooking and culture has come from books, including an industry manual called
Ramen Made from HouseMilled Heirloom Flour
Yellow Alkaline Noodles: Processing Technology and Quality Improvement (a real page-turner!) and Chicken Genius: The Art of Toshi Sakamaki’s Yakitori Cuisine. (Sakamaki is chef-owner of Los Angeles’ Yakitori-Ya.) Chicken obsession meets noodle obsession in Holt’s stupendous ramen bowls, which feature not the richly porky tonkotsu broths that most Americans know, but chicken broths such as chintan shio or paitan. He goes to great lengths to produce his noodles, which might mean sourcing heirloom Yecora Rojo wheat from Barton Springs Mill and grinding it himself to make the flour. FOLLOW JUSTIN HOLT @justnholt and @salaryman_oakcliff
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Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Rabbit Sausage Root Vegetable Gratin with Black Truffle Cream and Gruyère
When the Virgin Hotels Dallas opened last winter, it had tapped Nick Walker, a young chef who got his start working for José Andrés at Bazaar in Miami, to head up its restaurant. Walker had been attracting some notice from food world insiders since he’d been executive sous-chef at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, working under superstar chef Bruno Davaillon. When Davaillon left the hotel to open his own restaurant, Walker was left in charge. He moved on to the Joule Hotel, where he worked for Junior Borges (see right), who installed him at sister property Hotel Lumen as executive chef. There he impressed diners with dishes like a completely boned chicken pressed in a square then sous-vided, its skin crisped and served with fava beans and chicken jus. A sensational beef tartare became his signature. As a student, Walker was deeply inspired by an internship with the Chef’s Garden (Farmer Lee Jones’ experimental vegetable farm in Huron, Ohio), and his approach is very produce-forward. His cooking is American, certainly, but with fairly strong French underpinnings and sensibility (thanks, perhaps, to all that time spent working with Davaillon); Italian figures in as well. At the Virgin hotel’s Commons Club, he was just hitting his stride with beautiful dishes like Parisian gnocchi luxuriating in an aerated sweet potato velouté with baby fennel and Parmesan, or root vegetable gratin with black truffle cream and Gruyère. The restaurant closed during the COVID crisis. Just as we were going to press, Walker started a new position at Profound Foods—a farm collective 45 minutes north of Dallas in Lucas, Texas. There he is expected to help launch a series of guest chef dinners, among other projects. Keep your eyes open for that: it’s sure to attract some great talent in one of North Texas’ most beautiful settings. FOLLOW NICK WALKER @chefnickwalker
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Elderberry & ThymeCured Scallops with Artichokes Barigoule
Half-Chicken Grilled Over Binchotan with Piri Piri Sauce and Crispy Yucca
Photographs courtesy of the chefs
Brazilian-born Junior Borges was a newcomer to Dallas (and to Texas) when he opened the first Uchi outside of Austin, in 2016, as executive chef, and he instantly made an impression: The restaurant earned a rare five-star rating from The Dallas Morning News. Borges’ modern Japanese plates dramatically and exquisitely announced an original and important new voice. Stunning everyone, Uchi’s management showed Borges the door shortly after, and he bounced around town, serving as executive chef briefly at FT33 (Matt McCallister’s brilliant Design District place, since closed), and then leading food and beverage at the Joule Hotel, where he oversaw all the restaurants and opened Mirador, collaborating on its dazzling menu. Next he led the kitchen of a Knox District spot called Up On Knox, with plans to partner with its owner on another restaurant (which would be Borges’ own), but that relationship dissolved, disappointing his fans. At least dishes like a gorgeous hamachi crudo with English pea salsa verde, avocado purée, and lobster roe gave them a taste of his talent again. Since then, Borges has been working on an ambitious project in
North Dallas called The Village, whose flagship dining establishment— Meridian—will at long last be Borges’ own signature dining room. “It’s a concept I’ve been waiting my entire career to do,” says Borges, “an American restaurant, very ingredientfocused, with Brazilian influence.” With a half-acre chef’s garden planned, the ingredient-focused aspect will transcend cliché. Among the dishes he was cooking up in his head when we spoke: badger flame beets barbecued over a wood hearth, basted with sauce made from the beet trimmings, and served with gribiche fashioned from Cartermere Farms eggs. FOLLOW JUNIOR BORGES @jrborges81
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Pork Rib Noodle Soup
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FOLLOW YUYEE S. KAIHO @yubb_yuyee and @katipthaistreetfood
Photographs courtesy of the chefs
Modesty is not a common quality among heads of kitchen, but Yuyee S. Kaiho— chef-owner (with her husband George Kaiho) of Ka-Tip Thai Street Food—is so modest she doesn’t even call herself a chef. Née Sasitorn Sakpanichul (YuYee is her nickname), the Bangkok, Thailand, native attended hotel school, not culinary school, and worked in front-of-the-house positions before opening Ka-Tip last year. (She and George both worked at Tei-An for years, she as a server, he as bar manager.) What comes out of her kitchen is the best and most exciting Thai cooking within Dallas city limits. She learned to cook at her grandmother’s side in Bangkok, where they prepared food for thirty or forty people every day—including extended family, plus employees of the Sakpanichkul’s lumber company, along with their families. All this was done in an outdoor kitchen without gas, which seems even more rigorous than the training you’d get at many a culinary school. The dishes themselves are not unusual, but YuYee brings something rare and special to every plate: a purity of flavor, a vivacity; an attention to detail and devotion to technique. She’s obsessive about the quality of her ingredients, some of which her mother ships her from Bangkok. Thai cooking is all about the play between sweet, spicy, salty, and sour, and YuYee’s som tum Thai—green papaya salad with dried shrimp, peanuts, and lime—hits that balance brilliantly. Unusually for a Thai restaurant in Texas, she uses Taiwanese cabbage and oyster mushrooms in her tom kha gai—chicken coconut soup—because that’s how it’s made in Bangkok. Her tom yum moo sub—a spicy noodle soup with fish balls, ground pork, scallions, chiles, and herbs—is just insanely delicious. As of this writing, the Kaihos had managed to keep things going at their small space adjacent to Dallas Farmers Market, where take-out business and a couple tables on the patio were sustaining them.
Fearing’s Tortilla Soup
A FOUNDING FATHER OF SOUTHWESTERN CUISINE One of the founding fathers of Southwestern cuisine, and author of The Texas Food Bible, Dean Fearing has been pushing the Dallas dining scene forward since 1985, when he became executive chef at the Mansion on Turtle Creek. For more than two decades, he helped Dallas evolve into the exciting dining destination it is today, making dishes like tortilla soup and lobster tacos objects of desire, creating an exciting modern Texas cuisine starring chiles and wild game, and putting Dallas on the culinary map for the first time. Now he wows diners at Fearing’s, the restaurant he opened in the Ritz-Carlton Dallas in 2007. Book a table in one of its dining rooms and discover Fearing’s “bold flavors, no borders” signatures, such as crispy barbecued Gulf oysters on jumbo lump crab with applewood-smoked bacon and spinach “Rockefearing”; maple-black peppercorn-soaked buffalo tenderloin on jalapeño grits; or achiote-glazed Broken Arrow Ranch nilgae antelope over mole rojo with braised rabbit-chile-verde enchilada. “The Dallas dining scene is more exciting now than ever,” says Fearing. “It’s vibrant and creative, with all kinds of terrific young energy expressing itself.” fearingsrestaurant.com
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ALL THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS FOR
THE ULTIMATE CULINARY DESTINATION Taste the unique culture of Dallas firsthand, with critically acclaimed dining options spread throughout the city. Sample the finest in chef-driven cuisine—from internationally inspired dishes like Laotian boat noodles, ceviche and sashimi, to Texan mainstays like tacos, steak and barbecue. No matter your tastes, or your budget, there’s an unforgettable meal waiting for you in Dallas. Learn more at VisitDallas.com
Pictured from left to right: Kevin Ashade (Pangea), Jimmy Park (Nori Handroll Bar), Dean Fearing (Fearing’s Restaurant), Reyna Duong (Sandwich Hag), Anastacia Quiñones (José), Julian Rodarte (Beto & Son), Misti Norris (Petra and the Beast), Regino Rojas (Revolver Taco Lounge)
Photographer: Steven Visneau Model: Michaela McClure Styling: Nicole Saunders Hair & Makeup: Gabby Rosenberg
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24-hour exploration of one of the city’s hippest neighborhoods
Leo & Lin “Medusa” dress, Mimco “Honour” heels, and “Seraph” drop earrings.
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Monkey King Noodle Company
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Brad Oldham and Brandon Oldenburg, The Traveling Man - Walking Tall
Photographs by Christina Childress (top and right), Photograph courtesy of Deep Ellum Foundation
Deep Ellum serves as one of Dallas’ quirkiest neighborhoods; a melting pot of artistry, invention, and music.
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Soul DEEP
n the eastern flank of Downtown Dallas, hiding in plain sight just beyond the glittering skyscrapers, you’ll find one of the liveliest, quirkiest, most colorful neighborhoods in America. Deep Ellum—a melting pot of artistry, invention, and music—positively crackles with creativity. Here, intriguing art galleries share walls with game-changing restaurants, legendary music venues, and sundrenched rooftop bars, basking in uninterrupted views of the city’s iconic skyline. If you’re on the hunt for gifts, curios, or one-of-a-kind treasures (or even one-of-a-kind tattoos) during your visit to Dallas, this is the place to come. Not only is Deep Ellum easily walkable from Downtown, but it’s crammed with original stores and innovative boutiques— from the magical Deep Vellum Books, with its leftfield literary inventory, to the hipster friendly Heart in Hand featuring only locally-made goods, and the nationally-renowned artistry at Elm Street Tattoo.
Adjacent to Downtown Dallas lies Deep Ellum—a magnet for musicians, artists, and other creatives
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The food scene here is just as vibrant, too, with standout stars including Brick & Bones (where you’ll find some of the finest fried chicken in the DFW area), the legendary Monkey King Noodle Company (don’t miss the delicious soup dumplings), and Pecan Lodge, the multi award-winning barbecue restaurant, which many consider one of the best in Texas. The owners of the latter, in particular, are eager to highlight the crucial role Deep Ellum has played in nurturing their success. “As a neighborhood, this place is an amazingly creative yet cohesive environment for all to enjoy,” says Baylee Compton, the restaurant’s events manager. “You’re talking about one-ofa-kind restaurants, bars, and shops with extraordinary flare—and a dynamic set of people with their passions aligned, who can depend on one another to grow and thrive.” Part of what knits this compelling neighborhood together, continues Compton, is the colorful, creative street art adorning its walls. “Every corner you turn in Deep Ellum seems to have an incredible mural or painting on it,” she says. “Art is ever-present here, and that really informs and adds to this neighborhood’s identity.” So commonplace has the street art become that Deep Ellum has found itself tagged “The Mural Capital of Texas.” It’s an evolution which began with the neighborhood’s hugely successful “42 Murals” project in 2015. “The 42 Murals initiative was launched to provide opportunities for local, national, and international artists to showcase their talent by painting murals on buildings across Deep Ellum,” explains Micah Bires, marketing coordinator of the Deep Ellum Foundation. “The project’s goal was to increase public awareness of art in Deep Ellum and provide exposure for the artists—and you could definitely say it was a big success. Today, there are well over one hundred murals across Deep Ellum, serving as an inspiration for both neighborhood exploration and developing artists, as well as a major draw for photo and video shoots.” Other initiatives highlighting the
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Photograph by Christina Childress, (opposite) Photograph courtesy of Deep Ellum Foundation, Photograph by Kristen Collie
Vibrant street art can be found around every corner in the neighborhood. So commonplace has the art become that Deep Ellum has found itself tagged as “The Mural Capital of Texas.�
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Photograph by Christina Childress credit tk
rich artistic talent in this corner of Dallas include The Deep Ellum Arts Festival, a free community event held every April. Showcasing more than one hundred musical acts and two hundred juried visual artists (whose work is displayed and for sale throughout), the weekend-long street festival also features food and drink from over thirty local restaurants. “Deep Ellum has been a haven for artists and creatives since its founding in the late 1800s, and the present-day reflects that strong tradition,” says Bires. “It provides an atmosphere that welcomes and rewards creativity of all sorts without fear of judgement or rejection. Because of this, creatives from Dallas and across the nation have developed a unique community in Deep Ellum that draws, encourages, and nurtures others seeking to take a risk.” One of those risk-takers is Paula Lambert, who established an artisanal cheese company here in Deep Ellum, in 1982, and hasn’t looked back since. Today, Mozzarella Company has grown from churning out a few pounds of fresh mozzarella to producing dozens of incredible artisanal cheeses, all created and developed personally by Lambert. Hundreds of awards and nearly four decades later, the company is still headquartered in Deep Ellum, and Lambert wouldn’t have it any other way. “There’s nothing cookie-cutter about Deep Ellum,” says Lambert with a laugh. “It’s a proper neighborhood, with a fun, funky character all of its own. It reminds me of SoHo in New York City, but with elements of Greenwich Village and parts of Brooklyn tossed in as well. Then again, it’s also like the Mission District in San Francisco, the North End in Boston, and the Strip in Pittsburgh, too.” So what do all of these diverse neighborhoods, scattered across the nation, have in common? “They’re all happening,” answers Lambert, without hesitation. “They’re cool yet sophisticated. They’re fun and they’re young. And, like Deep Ellum, they come alive in a different way at night, when the bars get going and the music fills the streets.”
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Photograph by Christina Childress
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On Michaela, Trelise Cooper Couture jacket, Spell & The Gypsy shirt, Kate Sylvester bloomers, Mi Piaci “Adelia” boots, Zoe & Morgan “Fifth Chakra” ring, “Estella” ring, Jackie Mack star necklace, Reliquia “Zodiac” necklace, “Nugget of Wisdom” necklace
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Photograph by VisitDallas
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Adair’s Saloon
credit tk Photograph by Kristen Collie (top)
The Bomb Factory
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In the Deep OF NIGHT
ince its 1920s heyday as a haven for blues musicians, Deep Ellum has always had rhythm pumping through its concrete veins. Today, it’s still home to some of the finest bars and nightclubs in Dallas and, of course, some of its most iconic live music venues. “As the live music capital of North Texas, Deep Ellum is truly a place with a thundering heartbeat and soul; and, as such, it leaves an unforgettable impression,” says Micah Bires, marketing coordinator of the Deep Ellum Foundation. It’s difficult to argue. Today, Dallas’ premier entertainment district is home to more than seventy bars, from highend cocktail joints like Ebb & Flow (with its unmissable flower-covered patio ceiling) to boisterous, beloved dive bars like the Green Room, Double Wide, and Adair’s Saloon. Not to mention innovative craft breweries like Braindead and Deep Ellum Brewing Company, and envelope-pushing mixology lounges like Hide, where award-winning drinks are mixed with an outlandish assemblage of apparatus, including lasers, centrifuges, and roto-vaporizers.
Deep Ellum’s legendary nightlife is awash with an abundance of bars, cocktail lounges, and iconic music venues
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Photograph by Christina Childress
It’s this very diversity that is, and always has been, at the heart of Deep Ellum’s unorthodox identity. From its earliest days as a dusty district for former slaves and immigrants, through its colorful 1970s punk heyday, to its current incarnation as a creative hotspot for Millennials, it’s always been an incredibly diverse hub—one open to artists, actors, writers, designers, and musicians of all colors, creeds, and backgrounds. (Just as long as they’re willing to have a little fun once they’ve finished work). “Nowhere else in Dallas could you find groups of musicians, businessmen, tattoo artists, and students all grabbing a drink at the same bar on a typical night,” says Bires. “But that’s what Deep Ellum’s all about.” It’s also all about the music of course: a legacy forged in the early twentieth century by the legendary likes of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Huddie “Leadbelly” Ledbetter, Texas Bill Day, Samuel Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Whistlin’ Alex Moore—and it’s a trend that’s still going strong today. Here, in a lively neighborhood that would not look out of place in Austin, Memphis, or Nashville, crowds can enjoy a seemingly endless selection of local music, touring bands, live comedy, theater, and art shows—from A-list international artists at the cavernous Bomb Factory on Canton Street, to edgy, experimental drama at the tiny Undermain Theatre in a warehouse basement under Main Street. It’s this deep artistic richness that has seen Deep Ellum repeatedly adapt and evolve over its 150-year history. And it’s for this very reason that hotel giants Kimpton recently decided to build their latest multi-million-dollar flagship property, The Pittman Hotel, right here. “Deep Ellum has this vibe about it that says you can be as creative, innovative, and resourceful as you want to be,” says Jack Murray, a Dallas native and general manager of the luxury
On Michaela, Leo & Lin “Medusa” dress, Mimco “Honour” heels, and “Seraph” drop earrings
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Photograph by Kristen Collie
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hotel property, housed in the historic Knights of Pythias Temple building on Elm Street. “It has this incredible ability to be one place one night and a completely different place the next, depending on what performance is going on where. And all are always welcome. That’s so important—not every neighborhood can say that.” Set to be a genuine gamechanger for the neighborhood, The Pittman injects a new level of luxury to Deep Ellum with its 164 well-appointed rooms, innovative indoor/outdoor lobby bar, and stunning resort-style pool. It’s the kind of elite, top-end property that announces Deep Ellum on both a national and international stage. The hotel is named for William Sidney Pittman, the architect of the neoclassical temple that originally opened in 1916. The Knights of Pythias Temple was the first major commercial structure in Dallas built for and by African Americans, and with African American money. It served as the social, professional, and cultural center of the center of the city’s African American community. “I’ve been coming to Deep Ellum since, well I hate to say it, but the eighties. So some of my favorites are long gone,” says Murray. “But that’s the thing about Deep Ellum: whatever era we’re currently going through, this will always be a gathering place for people who are creative, innovative, and resourceful—just as it has been for the last 150 years. “Progress is inevitable, yet this place seems to keep producing some of the most interesting spots to visit in the city, decade after changing decade,” he continues. “Generations come and go, but Deep Ellum keeps producing the goods—and I see no reason for that to change. Today, Deep Ellum is where it always has been and probably always will be: right at the cutting edge in Dallas.”
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Photograph by Christina Childress
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The Bomb Factory
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DEEP ROOTS A History of Deep Ellum
1873: “Deep Elm” is established east of downtown Dallas, largely as a neighborhood for “freedmen,” or former slaves. Contemporary inflection evolves this into “Deep Ellum,”and the name sticks.
1969 : Construction of the Central
1888: Robert S. Munger builds his
opens, marking the beginning of Deep Ellum’s musical resurgence. It hosts some of the biggest names in 1990s music, including Nirvana, Radiohead, and Pearl Jam.
first cotton gin factory, the Continental Gin Company, in a series of brick warehouses along Elm Street. The business grows to become the largest manufacturer of cotton processing equipment in America.
1911: Sons of Hermann Hall, a live
music and dancing venue on Elm Street, opens. More than a century later, it’s still going strong.
1914: Henry Ford selects Deep Ellum
as the site for one of his earliest Model T assembly plants, bringing national attention to the neighborhood.
1916: The landmark Knights of Pythias Temple is completed. It provides some of the earliest offices for the city’s African American doctors, dentists, and lawyers. 1960: Deep Ellum plays a supporting
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1990: The iconic music venue Trees
1994: The Deep Ellum Arts Festival
begins as a one-block street party. Today, it’s one of the largest visual and performing arts festivals in the region.
2009: The Deep Ellum Rail Station
opens, in connection with a $1.4 million sculpture series, The Traveling Man, featuring a trio of giant metallic robots, who remain much-loved Deep Ellum landmarks today.
2012: The Elm Street Tattoo and Music Festival is launched.
2020: The Pittman Hotel—the
neighborhood’s first major luxury property— opens in the iconic Knights of Pythias Temple building.
Photographs by Christina Childress
role in the Hollywood movie All The Fine Young Cannibals, which sees Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner play a young couple whose fates are forged in the neighborhood’s vivacious nightclubs and music halls.
Expressway consumes a large chunk of Deep Ellum, sending many residents to other parts of the city.
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The French Room Bar at The Adolphus Hotel
Photograph courtesy of Highland Park Village (top), Photograph courtesy of The Adolphus Hotel (bottom)
With its international flair and cosmopolitan hubs mixed with a legendary swagger and thirst for adventure, Dallas is truly a city where you can create the journey of your dreams.
Barry X Ball, Pieta at Nasher Sculpture Center
I
f this is the year your grand travel plans were rerouted into something a little closer to home, you are unquestionably in the right place. With its international flair and cosmopolitan hubs mixed with a legendary swagger and thirst for adventure, Dallas is truly a city where you can create the journey of your dreams. Choose your destination and leave the itinerary to us.
Photograph courtesy of Nasher Sculpture Center
ITALY Start your exploration with a sturdy espresso and a dreamy cornetto (usually served warm) at Palmieri Cafe, a walk-up “insta-bliss” station at the Dallas Farmers Market (palmiericoffee.com). Then get your Venetian gondola fix on the Trinity River with a canoe or kayak. Trinity River Expeditions (canoedallas.com) offers rentals and guided trips to experience the natural areas, river crossings, bridges, and animal and plant life. Browse the aisles of Jimmy’s Food Store, a legendary Dallas deli known for Italian imports, meatball sandwiches, and more (jimmysfoodstore.com). For a uniquely Dallas cheese inspired by its creator’s travels to Italy, score a taste of The Mozzarella Company cheese at fine supermarkets or the company’s Deep Ellum market (mozzarellacompany.com).
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Kilima the Cheetah at the Dallas Zoo
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Photograph courtesy of NorthPark Center (top), Photograph courtesy of Dallas Zoo (bottom)
Salvatore Ferragamo boutique at NorthPark Center
Swing by the Nasher Sculpture Center for an art tour of Pieta by Barry X Ball, the Michelangelo-inspired reimagining of the classical work (nashersculpturecenter.org). Ready to shop? NorthPark Center is home to Gucci, Ferragamo, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Golden Goose, and soon-to-open Eataly, the Italian emporium for all things food and cooking (northparkcenter.com). Highland Park Village will make you feel belissimo with Loro Piana, Fendi, Valentino, Etro, Cuccinelli, and Zegna (hpvillage.com). Our romp through Italy wraps up with a choice of casual or fine dining. For a 1940s origin story that will make you feel like an insider, head to the original Campisi’s on Mockingbird (yes, you’ll learn why the restaurant still has the Egyptian sign) for signature pizza and hearty entrees (campisis. us). Or experience the culinary creativity of one of Dallas’ most prolific chefs, Julian Barsotti, at Fachini, an upscale dining room where formally attired staff bustle about with delectable tableside Caesar salad-making and the chef’s famous 100-layer lasagna (fachinidallas.com).
Eataly, coming soon to NorthPark Center
Photograph courtesy of Eataly (top), Photograph by Sean Fitzgerald (bottom)
KENYA Dallas is where the wild things are if you’re looking to tap your adventurous spirit. Take a safari to the Dallas Zoo, where the Wilds of Africa habitat contains many native Kenyan animals: Think hippos, African painted dogs, warthogs, cheetahs, lions, giraffes, elephants, Nile crocodiles, and more (dallaszoo.com). Safari in style with a stop first at Beretta Gallery in Highland Park Village, your upscale spot for all things gear (beretta.com). For birding travelers, the Trinity River Audubon Center is a must-see stop. The modern building by Antone Predock, which appears birdlike from an aerial view, is home to educational programs and hiking excursions on prairie land restored from a former landfill (trinityriver.audubon.org). Take a caffeine break with an African brew at Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters, a java joint on up-and-coming West Davis Street, a few blocks from the Bishop Arts District (oakcliffcoffee.com). Also in Oak Cliff, browse the Pan African Connection, a longtime center for books, gifts, clothing, and more celebrating the vibrant African culture (panafricanconnection.com).
Trinity River Audubon Center
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In awe of those nimble elite African runners? Find your footing at White Rock Lake, Dallas’ beloved 9.3-mile hike and bike trail with views of water, woods, and the Dallas skyline (whiterocklake.org). Delve into ancient cultures with two exhibits at the Dallas Museum of Art: a science-medicine mashup that explores the CT scan of a Senufo mask from the museum’s department of African art and a look at wearable raffia—garments, accessories, and textiles made from woven raffia palm leaves (dma.org).
White Rock Lake
Clock Tower at Highland Park Village
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Photograph courtesy of VisitDallas (top), Photograph by Peter A. Calvin, courtesy of Highland Park Village (bottom)
SPAIN Escape to España without the jet lag on an in-town Iberian Peninsula tour. The Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University is a natural start. This fall’s exhibit, “Alonso Berruguete: First Sculptor of Renaissance Spain” was scheduled to launch after the university’s planned late summer reopening. Check the website for a virtual gallery exhibit. Take in the outdoor sculpture garden with Jaume Plensa’s Sho and the mesmerizing Wave sculpture by Santiago Calatrava (meadowsmuseumdallas.org). And for more Calatrava, be sure your travels take you across the Margaret Hunt Hill and Margaret McDermott bridges Downtown, designed by the Valencia architect. Events celebrating Valencia, Dallas’ sister city, take place often. The Meadows School of the Arts is home to world renowned pianist Joaquín Achúcarro who also holds an endowed chair in piano at SMU. Check their site for news of performances by the maestro and his students (smu.edu/meadows). Lucky for us, Dallas is home to the only outpost outside of Spain for the acclaimed Enrique Tomás, a tapas bar and market featuring gastronomical delights with the country’s famous Jamón Ibérico at the center. Be sure to save another meal for Sketches of Spain, a new bar and restaurant featuring single bites called pinchos. (Different from tapas, which is meant for sharing.) Prepare to graze and lose track of time; it’s the Spanish way (sketchesofspain.com). The Orchestra of New Spain performs and educates about music from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Check the website for virtual and live opportunities (orchestraofnewspain.org). Peckish for paella? Longtime Dallas restaurant Café
Photograph by Hillsman Jackson
Jaume Plensa, Sho at The Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University
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Bishop Arts District
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Photograph courtesy of The Adolphus Hotel (top), Photograph by Michael Cagle (bottom)
The French Room at The Adolphus Hotel
Love locks in Bishop Arts District
Flea Style
Madrid offers leisurely evenings on the patio, a robust program of Spanish wines, and flamenco performances (cafemadrid.com).
Photograph by VisitDallas (top), Photograph courtesy of Flea Style (bottom)
FRANCE Oh, the food, the fashion, the bridges, the landmarks! Discover this beloved country, Dallas-style. Francophiles can easily immerse themselves in experiences for a taste of the good life along the Seine. About that scenic tower: The observation deck at Reunion Tower boasts 360-degree views of the city (and a river running through it, too). It is on the site of, what else, a short-lived French Socialist settlement in the late 1800’s (reuniontower.com). Love the flea markets? Try Flea Style, Dallas’ take on eclectic and stylish shopping with a boho flair (fleastyle.com). And who needs the Champs Elysees when Dallas speaks high-end French labels all on its own, thank you very much—Hermès, Dior, Celine, Chanel, Cartier, Christian Louboutin, Dior, and Louis Vuitton? Pick any of the city’s malls to find French chic. Cafe surfers take note: Village Baking Co. offers authentic French pastries on walkable Greenville Avenue (villagebakingco.com). Rise No. 1 is a souffle restaurant with delectable combinations at every course, from mini-souffle studded “marshmallow soup” to savory and sweet versions of individual souffles for main and dessert courses. Shopping alert: everything you enjoy at the table, from the linens to ceramics to glassware, is for sale (risesouffle.com). After a dinner of upscale bistro classics at Boulevardier (dallasboulevardier.com), stroll the Bishop Arts District (bishopartsdistrict.com) and imagine you’re in Paris’ famous Left Bank neighborhood filled with creatives. And soar to heights of decadence at The French Room at The Adolphus Hotel, whether for a special occasion on Saturday night or an indulgent afternoon Sunday tea (adolphus.com). For an example of French eclectic architecture, take a driving tour to Swiss Avenue and peek at the Aldredge House, an event venue and historic home which, this year, is celebrating the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment giving women the right to vote (aldredgehouse.com).
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Rosa Rolanda, Self-portrait at Dallas Museum of Art
MEXICO
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Francisco Dosamantes, Three Women with Braids at Dallas Museum of Art
Photographs courtesy of Dallas Museum of Art
Margaritas, tequila, tacos—need we say more? It’s hard to say where one cultural border ends and another begins. And honestly, we’re just grateful to live in the warm, friendly, fun-loving glow of our neighbor to the south. Dallas is known as the Official Home of the Frozen Margarita, and for good reason. The frozen margarita machine was invented here in 1971 by Mariano Martinez. Enjoy his concoction at any number of restaurants that have evolved the drink in their own way, including Fearing’s Restaurant (fearingsrestaurant.com), Beto & Son (betoandson.com), and of course Mariano’s (laharanch.com). Find them all on the Margarita Mile, an app-based self-guided tour (margaritamiledallas.com). Newcomer Muchacho (muchachotexmex.com) and newish José (jose.mx) restaurants are great for people watching and an alfresco fix. (Bonus: José has an onsite market for Mexican ceramics, glassware, and textiles.) Stuffed yet? There’s much more of Mexico-flavored Dallas to love. Immerse yourself in the Mexican American experience at Cara Mia Theatre, the 24-year-old company that produces plays by acclaimed Latinx artists. During the stay-at-home period, the organization sponsored virtual workshops and classes that are still available online (caramiatheatre.org). At the Dallas Museum of Art, gain perspective on the depiction of women in Mexican Modernism at “Flores Mexicanas: Women in Modern Mexican Art,” available virtually and onsite. The exhibit features the significant painting Flores Mexicanas by Alfredo Ramos Martinez, which is on loan from St. Louis. It is being exhibited only for the second time in nearly one hundred years (dma.org). Shop the vibrant culture of Mexico at the Dallas Farmer’s Market, where Folklore and Tradition Artisan Boutique offers handcrafted clothing, jewelry, handbags, accessories, and gifts from Mexican and Guatemalan artists (dallasfarmersmarket.org).
Cara Mia Theatre’s production of Where the Earth Meets the Sky
José
Photograph by Linda Blase (top), Photograph courtesy of VisitDallas (bottom) T H E WA N D E R L U S T C H R O N I C L E S
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Granny Kelly Emporium Pies’ The Drunken Nut
STROLL THROUGH THE
courthouse square of any Texas county, and you are likely to see something similar: pecan trees. Pecans are almost synonymous with Texas; archaeologists have even found evidence that Native Americans began eating them here more than 8,000 years ago. And thus, the craze began. In 1919, the 36th Texas Legislature made the pecan tree the state tree of Texas. In 2001, the pecan was declared the state’s official “health nut,” and finally in 2013, pecan pie was made the state’s official pie, after almost an entire century on our Thanksgiv-
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Pecan Pie: A Texas Family Favorite
ing tables. To say it is a deeply personal and nostalgic dessert would be a drastic understatement. Texans can barely think about pecan pie without it conjuring up the nostalgia of someone special. For me, that someone is my great grandmother, Mildred Moody Kelley, or as she is more affectionately known, Granny. In her small Texas town, she rarely showed up anywhere without one of her famous pecan pies in hand. Our family reunions, holidays and church potlucks just weren’t complete without it. If there wasn’t a pie present, someone would always notice, and then Granny
would go down to the deep freeze, remove one she had made in advance and warm it up for everyone to enjoy. It’s the finest example of Texas hospitality I’ll ever have. Although Granny’s pecan pie will always be my favorite, here in Dallas, she has some tough competition, like Emporium Pies in Oak Cliff or Deep Ellum. The Drunken Nut—Emporium’s take on the pecan pie—is a fantastic combination of a shortbread crust, sweet butter sauce, bourbon, brown sugar and, of course, Texas pecans. —ZANE HARRINGTON
Photograph courtesy of Emporium Pies (left), Photograph courtesy of Harrington Family (right)
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