In the midst of our whirlwind market adventures, we were able to sit down and enjoy the peace and quiet in this month’s Designer Escape: Dallas, Texas. Labeled as “uppity-chic” by our good friend, Kim Vance, we decided to see for ourselves if Dallas upholds its reputation. Read on for our favorite places to eat, stay, and shop, when staying in Texas’ crown jewel.
Stay: The W Hotel
Situated in Dallas’ famed Design District, the W in Victory Park boasts glamour and entertainment. Surrounded by visionary museums, popular festival sites, and nightspots galore, the W in Victory Park is the ideal place to stay to soak up Dallas’ unique atmosphere. After an exciting but exhausting day at Dallas Market, we couldn’t wait to get back to our sleekly designed room. Traditional Texas accents played well with glitzy decor in our suite, and we couldn’t help but admire Dallas’ unique spin on W’s famed luxurious style. Because the hotel is nestled in such a hustle-and-bustle area of town, it’s not hard at all to get from Point A to Point B, as long as Point A is shopping and Point B is, well, more shopping.
Eat: Gloria’s Cuisine
Because We were being shown Dallas through a Texas-native’s lens, we got to enjoy some down-home Dallas eats. Our first stop? A great eatery called Gloria’s Cuisine. Going into it, we knew we were in for an authentic treat. We were always told about the infamous ‘Tex-Mex’ style cuisine, and how extra spice and extra grease enhances the food and feeds the addiction Texas natives know so well. One taste of Gloria’s brisket queso and we were floored. Where had this been all of our designer lives? While we had many other food samplings, we couldn’t get the queso brisket out of our minds, or our mouths. Kerrie Kelly Design Lab gives Gloria’s Cuisine 10 thumbs up.
Shop: The Design District
Our first job may be interior design and product development, but our second is professional shopping. Because Dallas is known as one of the fashion meccas of the United States, we were eager to get our shop on. We visited Henderson Street, described as “gritty and upscale” by our tour guide, Kim. Equipped with diverse spectators and shopping spots, we were instantly entranced by the ease of access to some pretty fab stores not available to us on the West Coast. We also made our way the North Park Mall which is the oldest shopping center in Dallas. Oldie, but definite goodie in our book. Our last shopping spree took place at Park Lane, a discount shopper’s delight. While our team loves to splurge, we also love scoring on a good deal, and this was the place to do it. Bellies full and shopping bags stuffed, it was time to retire back to our hotel.
We loved the glitz and glamour and larger-than-life atmosphere of Dallas. We discovered Tex Mex and have decided that it doesn’t dethrone California’s cult Mexican joints, but it is definitely a close second, and we’ll always be dreaming of Gloria’s queso brisket. While we loved our trip to the big city, our happy place is definitely back home in Sacramento. Until next time, Dallas!
