Destination: Dallas, Texas | Revised: September 03, 2009
The Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas exhibits a mix of styles and periods.
We asked Kevin Alderman, a Gold Key Concierge at Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas, to gather the savviest sightseeing suggestions he could find—not just his own but also those of other local connoisseurs, including some he works with every day at the Hotel. Experience the vibrant energy of this cosmopolitan city with a Texas twang.
Dallas is a foodie hotbed, and its star chefs set innovative, savoury tables. Sharon Hage and her local freshest-first accents at York Street and Stephan Pyles’ New Millennium-infused twists on Southwestern cuisine at his namesake restaurant (his signature Cowboy rib-eye is here, but so is a salmon Veracruzano with green olives and capers ceviche) are two culinary experiences not to be missed. The city can appease the most discriminating—or adventurous—appetite.
A league of young, mobile locals infuses an enthralling late-night vibe to the city. The hottest haunts for nightlife include the Aura Lounge, a sleek, black-leather-appointment party spot that features dramatic lighting, well-received DJs and VIP tables for bottle service; the Lotus Bar, an Uptown alternative, combines the feel of a relaxed, comfortable neighbourhood bar with Balinese and Indonesian accents that give it an ultra-lounge feel.
For musical venues outside the mainstream, check out Texas country, alternative music and blues acts at the venerable, intimate-seating Granada Theater on Lower Greenville Avenue or Poor David’s Pub, a long-time regional and alternative music hotbed in the southern downtown area.
In Dallas, you can separate boots into two categories: wrangling/scraping and boot-scooting/black tie. There’s probably more of the latter going down today. To join in, visit Cowboy Cool in the West Village (you can also pick out that Dallas Cattle Baron’s Ball outfit here) or the Pinto Ranch, which lays claim to having the largest upscale custom boot selection outside of Aspen, located at NorthPark Center.
Slide onto a stool or plop down next to a long wooden table at the collegiate Ginger Man Pub in Uptown and you are faced with some Einsteinian challenges. Which of the 70 tap beers from throughout the world or more than 90 varieties of bottled beer will best start solving the night’s equation? Throw darts, play tunes, or watch the soundless television screen if you wish, but this old converted house is about the beer. Just ask the studious group in the Beer Garden.
Settle down onto a bench at the Nasher Sculpture Center, lean in toward the water wall at the far end of the garden, and you’ll easily forget that you are in downtown Dallas. The Nasher has more than 300 sculptures together with 20th-century paintings and drawings, which are rotated in thematic installations throughout the Center’s seamless blend of indoor and outdoor exhibition spaces.
Arrange with the Concierge for a picnic lunch and ask for directions to the city’s best chocolatier, Morgen Chocolate in the Oak Lawn area, for the perfect dessert truffle. Then proceed to the 66-acre Dallas Arboretum at White Rock Lake. Once at the Arboretum, spread a blanket on its manicured lawn and enjoy both the amazing gardens and a dramatic skyline view.
The Highland Park Pharmacy, located in the Knox-Henderson area bordering Uptown, transcends time. At this 1912 establishment you can grab an old-fashioned booth or snag a stool at the soda-fountain counter to savour the “Palm Beach” sandwich (grilled pimiento cheese) and the pharmacy’s classic—two slices of Sunbeam bread filled with American cheese, grilled to perfection, and served with dill pickle chips—and a chocolate milkshake.
Nasher Sculpture Center photography courtesy Nasher Sculpture Center
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