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Destination: A Lone Star Reborn
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If you think Dallas is all about urban sprawl, big cars and even bigger hair - think again. This slick city is becoming a global culture capital, with a buzzing downtown, iconic buildings and design-forward neighborhoods
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BY STIRLING KELSO | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICK LEW
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Chef Tre Wilcox, of Marquee Bar & Grill; slippers for sale at Hadleigh’s; the new bridge across the Trinity River, designed by Santiago Calatrava.
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Thanks to politics, Hollywood and history, most out-of-staters—as non-Texans are lovingly called within the Lone Star State—harbor a lot of preconceived notions about Dallas. It’s all oil barons and cowboys, they say, and nouveau riche ladies who lunch. Some are still trying to remember who shot J.R.
These city legends do have kernels of truth. You will see cowboy boots here, for example, but they’re likely to be fashionably vintage or custom embroidered. These days, Dallas is boldly and undeniably sophisticated, drawing envy (and immigrants) from both U.S. coasts for its destination dining, haute shopping and incredible arts and architecture.
UNEXPECTED ARTS
Dallas’s cosmopolitan side is most evident in its growing downtown, specifically the Arts District. It covers 19 square blocks, in accordance with the state’s “bigger is better” slogan, making it the largest continuous urban arts district in the country. Four buildings designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architects are linked by a 10-acre green space, where picnickers and joggers mingle with couture clad, show-bound couples.
Though the area was first laid out in the 1970s, two recent additions have garnered a new wave of attention. One is the 2,300-seat Norman Foster–designed Winspear Opera House (2403 Flora St.; 214-954-9925; attpac.org), whose curved cherry-red exterior is wrapped in a digital ribbon that displays text about upcoming performances. The second new building, the Wyly Theatre, is right across the street. Created by Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Prince-Ramus, it offsets the Winspear’s glamour by hitting an industrial note: Steel ribs run vertically up the concrete facade.
Another of the district’s urban gems is the Nasher Sculpture Center, a Renzo Piano–designed building and sculpture garden (2001 Flora St.; 214-242-5100; nashersculpturecenter.org). The works displayed—by such masters as Joan Miró, Alberto Giacometti and Donald Judd—were once in the private home of Raymond D. Nasher, who made his fortune in banking and real estate. (Constantin Brancusi’s stone sculpture The Kiss, for example, was a permanent fixture on the family dining table.)
A more avant-garde design district has cropped up across the city in West Dallas. Once derelict, the area now attracts artists and young professionals to its loft-style apartments, cocktail lounges and galleries in renovated warehouses. The art collections here are unexpected and inspiring. The Goss–Michael Foundation, co-owned by 1980s rock star George Michael, displays works by the Young British Artists, or YBAs, such as Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin (1405 Turtle Creek Blvd.; 214-696-0555; gossmichaelfoundation.org).
Everything in Dallas, it seems, yearns to be elevated to museum status. The crowds of tweens texting on smartphones might consider NorthPark Center (8687 N. Central Expressway; northparkcenter.com) to be just another upscale mall with shops like Betsey Johnson, Elie Tahari and Hugo Boss. But it’s much more than that, thanks to such art installations as the 48-foot orange steel structure by Mark di Suvero towering outside Nordstrom and Macy’s, and paintings and sculptures by Andy Warhol, Frank Stella and Antony Gormley.
Even the Dallas Cowboys Stadium (One Legends Way, Arlington; 817-892-4161; stadium.dallascowboys.com) is a venue for art, with its huge, site-specific contemporary works installed over entryways and escalators. “From the beginning, we planned the Cowboys stadium to be an entertainment and community venue, and art was a part of that mission,” explains Gene Jones, wife of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. “We were working with these big empty concrete spaces—why not make them artists’ canvases?” If you snag tickets to a game, watch for the digital art segments that play at half-time on the famous high-definition screens.
NON-STOP SHOPPING
Fashion, of course, is almost as highly regarded as visual art in Dallas (in fact, many Dallasites consider the act of shopping to be an art form in itself). Take Highland Park Village, for example. This shopping district in tree-lined Highland Park, Texas’s wealthiest neighborhood, has been named a National Historic Landmark. Here, high-end brands survive by natural selection. Women stroll the Mediterranean-style streets toting bags laden with goods from Chanel, Christian Louboutin, Hermès and Diane von Furstenberg. Fashionistos head to Hadleigh’s (No. 71; 214-770-4743; hadleighsbespoke.com) for hand-sewn Italian suits, silk ties and preppy merino wool slippers.
Think of Beretta Gallery (No. 41; 214-559-9800; berettagallery.com) as the Bass Pro Shop for the one percent. Even if you’re not itching to invest thousands of dollars in hunting or fishing gear, it’s still worth a look for items like distressed leather satchels and antler-handled grilling utensils—not to mention the oh-yes-I’m-in-Texas gun collection.
Dining mixed with shopping usually means drab food courts or, at best, chain restaurants with waiters in stripes and suspenders. Not so at Highland Park Village, where valets whisk away Range Rovers and BMWs while chic couples sit down to power lunches or reserved-table dinners. At the recently opened Marquee Grill & Bar (No. 33; 214-522-6035; dinner for two, $100), former Top Chef contender Tre Wilcox turns out lobster-and-hazelnut salad and spicy tuna tartare with yucca chips. Upstairs, bartender Jason Kosmas, formerly of cult-favorite cocktail lounge Employees Only in New York’s West Village, shakes and stirs up Bloody Marquees made with Tito’s vodka from Austin, and Taylor’s Tea, a mix of vermouth, Marker’s Mark, lemon juice and ginger beer.
Ask to sit under the live oaks on the patio at Patrizio (No. 25; 214-522-7878; lunch for two, $60). That’s where young retirees go to clink wine glasses at the stroke of noon and share large portions of penne with spicy sausage, chicken and portabella salad and other Italian-American favorites.
THE BRIDGE TO BISHOP ARTS
Like Houston and Austin, Dallas is known for its aggressive rush-hour traffic. But the aesthetics of getting from A to B improved drastically with this spring’s completion of a striking Santiago Calatrava–designed bridge over the Trinity River. Two more bridges by the Spanish architect are on the way.
The new bridge eases access to the Oak Cliff neighborhood across the river. At its core is the Bishop Arts District, a cluster of blocks with more than 60 independently owned shops and restaurants in low-rise red-brick buildings. Here, trucks and SUVs defer to pedestrians and cyclists, and storeowners greet each other by first name. “It’s a small town in a big city,” says Jeff Harris, chef of Bolsa restaurant (614 W. Davis St.; 214-943-1883; dinner for two, $75). The menu at his hip, barn-like restaurant changes daily, but his freshly made flat bread is always a standout, topped with ingredients like figs, goat cheese and arugula. Guests can also expect killer cocktails and a well-vetted wine list.
Those who can’t imagine a trip to Texas without barbecue should stop by Lockhart Smokehouse (400 W. Davis St.; 214-944-5521; dinner for two, $35). Here owner Jill Grobowsky Bergus serves up delicious brisket and smoky ribs and sausages direct from Kreuz’s Market, a barbecue mecca in Lockhart, Texas, that used to be run by Bergus’s grandfather.
About a mile outside Bishop Arts is Smoke (901 Fort Worth Ave.; 214-393-4141; dinner for two, $75), attached to the Belmont Hotel. Chef Tim Byres gets rave reviews for his smoked-meat-focused menu. “Our motto here is ‘Honest, genuine and real’,” says Byres. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously. We just churn out really good food.” That means dishes like Berkshire pork chop with potato dumplings, and braised lamb shank with green lentils. Plates are intended to be shared—which comes naturally in Smoke’s casual surroundings. The décor mimics a 1970s living room with striped carpets and rough wood walls hung with retro family photographs.
One of the top shops in the Bishop Arts District is House of MacGregor (614 Davis St., No. 203; 214-942-1966; thehouseofmacgregor.com), where milliner Cassandra MacGregor channels her inner Brit to make fedoras and feminine cloche hats. After 15 years, Bishop Street Market (419 N. Bishop Ave. at W. 7th St.; 214-941-0907; bishopstreetmarket.com) is the neighborhood’s matriarch, but it’s still a great place for unusual gifts: hand-painted cocktail trays, engraved wooden cheese boards and the like. Stunning arrangements of succulents and locally made lotions and soaps are found at Dirt Flowers (417 N. Bishop Ave.; 214-242-9533; dirtflowers.com). Dude, Sweet Chocolate (408 W. 8th St.; 214-943-5943; dudesweetchocolate.com) sells fudge toffee, a rich hot-chocolate mix and housemade marshmallows.
Of all of this city’s up-and-coming neighborhoods, Bishop Arts may be the most unexpected. But it doesn’t take any visitor long to realize this fact: When coming to Dallas, it’s best to leave your preconceived notions—and your cowboy hat—at the door.
EAT
BISTRO 31
Delicious dishes such as kobe burgers with caramelized onions. 87 Highland Park Village; 214-420-3900; lunch for two, $75
CHESTERFIELD BAR & RESTAURANT
Styled after a speakeasy, with a huge cocktail menu. 1404 Main St.; 214-741-2811; dinner for two, $80
MALAI
A year-old Thai and Vietnamese restaurant serving flavor-packed dishes like Laotian beef tartare. 3699 McKinney Ave., Ste. 319; 214-599-7857; dinner for two, $60
MEDDLESOME MOTH
Close to the Michael-Goss Foundation. Go here for shrimp-and-grits, steak frites and dozens of micro-brewed beers. 1621 Oak Lawn Ave.; 214-628-7900; dinner for two, $75
NONNA
The rustic interior of this Italian spot—exposed brick walls, a corner hearth—makes up for its strip mall location. 4115 Lomo Ave.; 214-521-1800; dinner for two, $80
SAINT ANN
Come for fruity cocktails and the world’s largest Japanese Samurai costume collection. 2501 N. Harwood St.; 214-782-9807; dinner for two, $90
STAY
RCI affiliated resorts near Dallas include:
SILVERLEAF'S VILLAGES 0370
A family-friendly resort with a water park, mini golf, hot tub, sauna, horseback riding and much more. 18270 Singing Wood Lane, Flint (about two hours from Dallas)
Member Review:
“The indoor water park was a huge hit with the kids. We also loved the lake and the outdoor life at this resort.”
SILVERLEAF'S LAKE O' THE WOODS 2492
Lighted tennis court, fishing pier, badminton, playground, mini golf, nature trails and more at this secluded resort in the east Texas woods. 17446 Pintail Dr., Flint
Member Review:
“Very nice place to relax and get away from it all and spend quality time with the kids.”
SILVERLEAF'S HOLLY LAKE RANCH 0712
Set on its own lake, the resort offers boating, swimming, fishing and other water activities. 1823 S. FM 2869, Holly Lake Ranch (about two hours from Dallas)
Member Review:
“Excellent service with a ‘living in the woods’ atmosphere. Lots of on-site activities and a restaurant.”
For complete member reviews (as member reviews have been condensed) and additional resort listings, visit RCI.com or call 800-338-7777 (Weeks) or 877-968-7476 (Points). Club Members, please call your specific Club or RCI telephone number.
Non-RCI affiliated resorts in Dallas:
JOULE HOTEL
This 129-room downtown property is expanding, with an addition by designer Adam Tihany. 1530 Main St.; 214-748-1300; joulehoteldallas.com; doubles from $332 per night
BELMONT HOTEL
A hacienda-style hotel in Oak Cliff, with minimalist rooms and prime views of the Dallas skyline. 901 Fort Worth Ave.; 866-870-8010; belmontdallas.com; doubles from $110 per night
ROSEWOOD MANSION ON TURTLE CREEK
The grand dame of Dallas hotels has the best service in town and 143 plush, recently revamped guestrooms. 2821 Turtle Creek Blvd.; 214-559-2100; rosewoodhotels.com; doubles from $350 per night
*Meal prices do not include drinks, tax or tip.
NOTE: Information may have changed since publication. Please confirm key details before planning your trip.
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Published: Summer 2012
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