Things to Do in Dallas

Dallas has a bad rep among Texas cities, not all of it undeserved. The school district has been a shambles for years, the old class strata of affluent whites vs everyone else still runs deep and strong, and materialism has never gone out of style. Despite that, there are strong communities of every type, a low cost of living, and cultural resources that you just don't find in the 'burbs. In this article I'm focusing on the parts of the Dallas area otherwise known as Dallas, and the neighborhoods you'll find within it's limits. When people say Dallas, DFW, the metroplex, or "Dallas area" they usually mean any place in north Texas except the Big D. It's time someone stood up for this little guy.

You can't talk about Dallas without talking about three things: shopping, sports, and restaurants. The shopping and sports most people have some idea about but we have a culinary scene that's a little less legendary. That's slowly changing. It's often said that Dallas has more restaurants per capita than New York City and more than any major city. Of couse quantity doesn't always equal quality (wonder what the results would be sans major chains) but amidst all the choices there are a few gems.

On the spendy side there's the new Craft at the super-spendy W Victory Hotel ( W stands for Westin ). An average dinner at this restaurant, who's star chef opened Gramercy Park and the original Craft in NYC, as well another in Las Vegas,, costs $50 and up. That seems almost reasonable if you've ever been suckered into springing for The Melting Pot, which involves nowhere near the artistry. Over $100 to treat my sister there for her birthday - for raw meat and cheese! But I digress. Celebrity chefs aside -like Dan Fearing at the Mansion on Turtle Creek is a legend, Wolfgang Puck's company just took over the museum café at the Nasher Sculpture Center - there are a dozens of small restaurants good enough to make a habit.