Real Dallas

Etsy Dallas Spring Bash

Handmade goods are a refreshing change for gifts for friends or family – not to mention, they give you some serious originality bonus points. We’re fans of shops like the Gypsy Wagon and are excited for the Etsy Dallas Spring Bash craft show event coming up on May 16th from 11-5pm at South Side on Lamar.

What we like even more about Etsy Dallas is the fact that it supports over 50 local artists, crafters and designers. With everything from jewelry and clothing to handbags and even handmade pens and journals, we’re sure you’ll find something you can’t live without!

Check out some of the goods for yourself at Etsy Dallas.

4pm

Celebrate Earth Day at a Local Farmer’s Market

Mockingbird Station is celebrating Earth Day with a farmer’s market and sidewalk sale today from 4-8pm. The farmer’s market will be set up under the pavilion in front of the Angelika Film Center & Cafe and will feature fresh produce from local growers, organic farmers and community gardens from around the area and offer eco-friendly tips to use at home. To keep the green theme going, they will continue the farmer’s market every Thursday from 5-8pm through the end of May!

If you are looking for a farmer’s market that is open daily, is stocked with fresh produce, plants and flowers and seasonal items, such as pumpkins and Christmas trees, we recommend checking out the Dallas Farmers Market. And coming soon, visitors will be able to pick up spices, meat and poultry and dairy items from one of the newly renovated sheds. Located at South Pearl Expressway in downtown, the Dallas Farmers Market is open from 8-6pm daily.

Support Dallas’ local farmers and be GREEN by stopping by a local farmer’s market!

1pm

Katy 5K

5K’s are a dime a dozen in Dallas, but if you want to run/jog/walk in one, the Katy 5K is by far one of the best.

Every year in May a few thousand people line up at Reverchon Park in Dallas and make the (about) 3 mile trek through Uptown.

At the end of journey, 50 of Dallas’ best and most delicious restaurants are waiting to serve tasty snacks and samples. Bands play, people sip wine and other drinks and since the weather is usually just right, the party lasts until after dark.

To register for this year’s Katy 5K on May 14th, visit Friends of the Katy Trail. Happy 5K!

7pm

Arts & Dining Scene: An Article from TastingTable

TastingTable has a great article today highlighting the new arts and dining scene in Dallas. They mention some fun places too - Dallas Museum of Art, the Stoneleigh Hotel and the Screen Door restuarant.

“Dallas is no longer just about longhorns and ten-gallon hats: With a reinvigorated arts district, noteworthy hotel openings and outstanding new restaurants, the city is taking serious strides toward becoming the cultural capital of the Southwest.”

Read the full article here and be sure to check out some of these hot spots.

6pm

New places of note.

Hey all! Sorry for the absence and lack of updates! We’ve been busy, but not busy enough to notice that new hot spots are popping up all over Dallas. We have some new places, and old places that are in new locations, of note for you (and us!) to check out.

Hully & Mo: Located in the Quadrangle, Hully & Mo is the brainchild of Brett Hull and Mike Modano. We checked it out a few weeks ago and have a full review coming soon.

Cretia’s: Cretia’s used to be located on McKinney Ave. near La Cubanita and Abacus. It closed down and just recently reopened on the corner of McKinney and Monticello, just across the street from Corner Bar. The location has been renovated, the patio looks awesome and it’s been packed every weekend since it opened. We have plans to check out the new Cretia’s soon.

Bella Bar & Restaurant: Another Quandrangle newbie, Bella looks like a cozy little place and based on the online menu, the food sounds delicious and the prices look reasonable.

Nick & Sam’s Grill: A spin off of the popular steakhouse, Nick & Sam’s Grill has been getting rave reviews. We’ll miss Strong’s Everyday Tavern and their amazing Coconut Cream Pie, which used to occupy the space, but we are eager to try Nick & Sam’s Grill.

8pm

Vickery Park

Vickery Park is located next to our favorite pizza joint, Fireside Pies, on Henderson. We’ve been frequenting this neighborhood, including Vickery Park, more often lately.

Not quite a dive bar, Vickery Park is comfortable. They describe themselves as “an unpretentious neighborhood bar/restaurant” and we couldn’t agree more.

The bar is dark with dim lighting and dark wood with lots of seating inside and out on the patio. The big wrap-around bar is large enough that you can usually find a seat on a weekend night. If you are looking to lounge around, plop down on one of their big leather sofas and enjoy whatever game is on one of their many TV’s.

Drinks are reasonably priced. They serve oranges with their Blue Moon (not lemons like some places) and give a good pour for mixed drinks. That’s an A+ in our book. They have a large selection of draft and bottled beer and of course, a fully stocked bar and some good eats, including brunch from 11-3pm (which we haven’t tried yet).

The bar staff is a little grungy, very friendly and laid back. We like the fact that they actually talk to their patrons and have been known to save us from creepy drunk guys from Frisco and even offer us some of their Skittles.

If you are looking for a chill place to throw back a few drinks, we highly recommend Vickery Park.

6pm

Burgers

We don’t consider ourselves burger experts by any means, especially since we have yet to try what Dallas considers to be the best burger in town – Wingfield’s Breakfast & Burger. And we haven’t been to Twisted Root Burger Co. or Keller’s Drive-In, but we know a good patty when we find one.

Jakes – Delicious! Good greasy burger all around and probably our favorite (so far) in Dallas. Jakes in Uptown is located on McKinney Ave. and has a great outdoor patio and huge big screen inside. They even have live music on the weekends. Some people aren’t fans of the poppy seed bun, but we think it makes the burger. Order a hamburger and top it with any toppings you’d like. A cheeseburger at Jakes is a double patty, but if you are hungry, be our guest. Don’t miss the Jumpin’ Jake Fries. If you are hungover, add a Bloody Mary to complete the cure.

Snuffer’s Restaurant & Bar – We have been known to hit up Snuffer’s on Greenville Ave. for a good burger and some badass cheese fries, but we haven’t been back for a while. After too many undercooked burgers, we finally learned to order them well done or even burned. Always crowded, especially late night, so when you have had too many drinks, don’t forget to say “well done.”

Burger House Hamburgers – A decent to-go burger. Burger House has been around for a long time and they are obviously doing something right, but we find their thin patties are not enough to sink your teeth into. They put their “famous” seasoned salt on everything, so if you don’t like it, beware. The fries are skinny and crispy, just the way they should be.

Angry Dog - We tried out Angry Dog a while back. It was a good burger and they have a cool bar, but we think there are better burgers in Big D. They are rated highly by Dallas food aficionados though, so you might want to give them a try.

7pm

Dali Wine Bar & Cellar

Located at One Arts Plaza, Dali Wine Bar & Cellar is the latest edition to Dallas’ wine bar scene. Dali isn’t the most welcoming of places. The entrance was awkward, and we felt a little claustrophobic.

When you walk in, immediately to your left is a wall of random partitions blocking off the bar from the dining area. It was crowded when we got there, and our only seating options were the first two seats at the bar directly across from where the hostess stood (and listened to most of our conversations).

The wine menu is diverse with lots of options and wide range of prices. We were a little overwhelmed and no one asked us if we needed help making a selection. So we picked an average price bottle from France and weren’t disappointed.

The clientele was middle aged and seemed to be there for not only wine but a full meal. The menu looked good and smelled even better as the kitchen was directly in front of us.

The waitstaff was bizarre. There were too many of them and didn’t look like they had much to do (hence listening to our conversations).

Our overall recommendation is to stick with one of our favorites - Vino 100, Times Ten Cellars or Cru.

11am

Fireside Pies

We love Fireside Pies so much, we thought their pizza pie goodness deserved its own post.

To experience the best of FP, try to find a seat at the bar. As we mentioned, the waitstaff tends to rush you, even when it isn’t busy. If you can cozy up to the bar, bartender Saoul will take good care of you. If you catch him on a good night, he may even pour everyone at the bar a shot of some cloudy, brownish, iced tea-looking liquid from a huge jug that will knock you off your bar stool.

Our favorites are, and will probably always be, the Italian Salad (although Ashley is a fan of the Caeser Salad) and a straight pie with either crumbled sausage, straight from Jimmy’s Food Store, or meatball. If you order the meatball, be prepared. Each piece of their six slice pie will have a huge meatball on it. Grab your fork and knife!

Drinks are well priced. Tracy enjoys the red sangria and Ashley enjoys the white. We both like the sauvignon blanc and Bloody Maria’s.

If you head to FP on a Sunday evening around 6:30-7:00pm, you will probably catch Parker and his pizza-loving buddies chowing down and having a few drinks (or a lot!). They are “the regulars” and have eaten at Fireside Pies so many times, they actually have their own coasters, which are technically the bottoms of trophies with their names on them.

Be prepared to park down the street and possibly wait awhile, but grab a drink and keep an eye out for a few bar stools and you are in for a good meal and a good time.

6pm