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36 Hours: Austin, Tex.
March 1, 2012
The New York Times
By RACHEL LEE HARRIS
THE laid-back capital of Texas has long been a haven for
countercultural types, with tattoo artists, bohemian coeds and techies biking
side by side along the glistening shores of Lady Bird Lake. But these days,
Austin is more chic than shabby. New upscale restaurants — many that rely on
local, organic ingredients — are popping up all over the city, along with bars
featuring artisanal concoctions. Meanwhile, the South by Southwest (SXSW) music,
film and interactive festival (this year March 9 to 18) continues to draw an
affluent crowd of technology geeks and celebrities. On April 27 to 29, Food and
Wine Magazine will court foodies with its first culinary fête in Texas. Then, in
November, the Circuit of the Americas Formula One track will open, drawing race
car fans from around the world. But the old Austin isn’t hard to find: You can
still hear the twang of a country guitar in many doorways and chug of Lone Star
at just about any bar.
Friday
3 p.m.
1. BIG AND BRIGHT
Grab an over-the-top snack at one of the city’s many food trucks or trailers. At
Gourdough’s on South First Street (1503 South First; gourdoughs.com), try the
Mother Clucker: fried chicken strips set atop a giant glazed doughnut and
squirted with honey butter ($5.50). Then stop at Roadhouse Relics (1720 South
First Street; 512-442-6366; roadhouserelics.com) where the Pop artist Todd
Sanders has covered his studio with artworks in the shape of neon cowboy hats
and diner signs that look like something you’d find on Route 66 (starting at
$1,500).
7 p.m.
2. EASTWARD HO!
Head east on Sixth Street, where artisanal cocktail bars and high-brow Tex-Mex
are giving the formerly collegiate road a new image. In a small, white house,
the chef Eduardo Pineda, known as Lalo, has created an authentic Mexican
cantina, complete with prayer candles and live music at sunset. At Papi Tino’s
(1306 East Sixth Street; 512-479-1306; papitinos.com), “platillos” of
oven-roasted panela cheese with guajillo chiles ($7) will melt in your mouth,
while the camarones a la diabla ($13), bites back.
8:30 p.m.
3. ACCORDION BREAK
Over at East Side Showroom (1100 East Sixth Street; 512-467-4280;
eastsideshowroom.com), a steam-punk bistro with live music that favors
accordions to steel guitars, you can kill time watching a Marx Brothers movie
while you wait for a table. Be patient — the barman will take his time preparing
drinks like a Japanese Cowboy (Yamazaki scotch, orgeat, lime and Angostura
bitters; $10). Those who can’t wait can order a draft of 512 Pecan Porter,
poured from a brass periscope ($5).
10 p.m.
4. THE LATE SHOW
Head west on Sixth to the Ritz theater, circa 1929. It’s now one of five Alamo
Drafthouses (320 East Sixth Street; 512-476-1320; drafthouse.com/austin; $10,
$15 for a reserved seat) in the city where you can order drinks, bar food and
dessert while watching your favorite cult classic. Talking will have you kicked
out of “Escape From New York” long before the car chase across the Brooklyn
Bridge.
Saturday
8 a.m.
5. PIONEERING ARTISTS
Ease into the morning at Jo’s Good Food, Hot Coffee (1300 South Congress;
512-444-3800; joscoffee.com). An Iced Turbo ($4), migas taco ($3) and rock ’n’
roll on the groovy shaded porch will set you right for a morning of arty
exploration. At the University of Texas’ Harry Ransom Center (300 West 21st
Street; 512-47 1-8944; hrc.utexas.edu; free), swing by the Gutenberg Bible in
the main gallery on your way to the center’s viewing rooms, where you can dig
through its cultural archives. A short walk across campus is the Blanton Museum
of Art (200 East Martin Luther King Boulevard; 512-471-5482; blantonmuseum.org),
where the exhibition “Go West!,” on view through Sept. 23, is a magnificent
portrayal of the early frontier, with paintings by William Robinson Leigh and
Charles Russell.
11:30 a.m.
6. NO FRILLS, NO FORK
The “barbecue capital of Texas” is only a 30-mile drive southeast in Lockhart,
where you can sample barbecue from several family-run pits, each with its own
attitude. Try Kreuz Market (619 North Colorado Street, Lockhart; 512-398-2361;
kreuzmarket.com), a no-frills operation that serves smoked brisket, shoulder
clod and prime rib by the pound (starting at $11.40) and sausages by the link
($2.15). Buy some digestion time with a peek at the regal sandstone courthouse
in the center of town on your way to Black’s (215 North Main Street, Lockhart;
512-398-2712; blacksbbq.com). Pictures of Edgar and Norma Black, the
restaurant’s owners since 1932, adorn the walls leading to a buffet of “fixins”
($1.49 for sides; meats from $10.98 a pound). Feel free to douse your meat with
Norma’s house-made sauce and come back on Sunday night for live music and swing
dancing.
2 p.m.
7. THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Back in Austin, work off your brunch by biking the Town Lake Trail
(townlaketrail.org) along Lady Bird Lake, which cuts like a river through the
center of town. It offers routes both north, to downtown Austin, and south, to
Zilker Park, where you can stop for a swim in the Barton Springs pool (2101
Barton Springs Road; 512-867-3080;
austintexas.gov/department/barton-springs-pool). Barton Springs Bike Rental
(1707 Barton Springs Road; 512-480-0200; bartonspringsbikerental.com) is a
convenient spot to pick up your ride. Hourly rentals start at $7.50.
8 p.m.
8. FARMHOUSE FOR FOODIES
Before his recent stint on Bravo’s “Top Chef, Texas,” Paul Qui was a culinary
sensation in Austin, first as chef de cuisine at Uchi, a contemporary Japanese
restaurant, and now as executive chef of its sister restaurant, Uchiko (4200
North Lamar; 512-916-4808; uchiaustin.com/uchiko). It’s billed as a Japanese
farmhouse, and the seasonal tasting menus weave delicate plates of yokai berry
with Atlantic salmon, dinosaur kale, Asian pear and yuzu ($17); hama chili,
yellowtail sashimi, sliced Thai chili and orange supreme ($18); raw wagyu beef,
seared on a river rock ($16); and a bacon tataki of Kurobuta pork belly, black
lime and espresso fish caramel ($19).
10 p.m.
9. BACK TO BASICS
At Donn’s Depot (1600 West Fifth Street; 512-478-0336; donnsdepot.com), a piano
bar and saloon housed in an old train depot, couples of all ages are hoofin’ it
on the dance floor while bar tenders who look as though they never go home serve
old-fashions and bottles of Lone Star. The bands know just as much salsa and Old
Blue Eyes as they do Willie Nelson or Johnny Cash.
Midnight
10. MEXICAN NIGHTCAP
Go to Lustre Pearl (97 Rainey Street; 512-469-0400; lustrepearlaustin.com) in
the Rainey Street district for hula-hooping, Ping-Pong and a round of Black Eyes
(a can of Shiner Bock with a Jack Daniel’s chaser). At Clive (609 Davis Street;
512-494-4120; clivebaraustin.com), you’ll find the very heart of Austin’s
shabby-chic vibe. The bar is lined with white leather and copper-studded bar
stools and its clever menu of drinks features Midnight Moonshine and a series of
house-made bitters with flavors like cherry-vanilla and tobacco-ginger. But the
real gem is in the backyard. Bar Illegal, a tiny candle-lighted space, serves
nothing but straight-up mezcal, the fermented juice of roasted agave plant, from
a Oaxacan distillery.
Sunday
10 a.m.
11. KEEP AUSTIN HIP
On the brunch and boutique-shopping strip along South Congress Avenue, South
Congress Cafe (1600 South Congress; 512-447-3905; southcongresscafe.com) is a
modern take on the classic diner where you can find dishes like carrot cake
French toast ($12) and smoked brisket hash ($14). Then head to Stag (1423 South
Congress; 512-373-7824; stagaustin.com), where men can stock up on vintage
ranchwear shirts ($42) and tins of Moustache Wrestler wax ($16.50). Hill Country
Weavers (1701 South Congress; 512-707-7396; hillcountryweavers.com) is a K.I.Y.
(knit-it-yourself) shop that sells contemporary patterns for knitting,
crocheting and weaving ($5.50 each).
2 p.m.
12. VILLA WITH A VIEW
On the shores of Lake Austin, the Austin Museum of Art at Laguna Gloria (3809
35th Street; 512-458-8191; amoa.org; $3 suggested donation) is a masterpiece in
its own right. Clara Driscoll, the wife of a former owner of the Austin
American-Statesman newspaper, modeled the house and gardens after an Italian
villa, with garden paths that wind past modern sculptures, oak and Italian
cypress. You will emerge from the marsh to find beautiful views of the lake.
36 Hours: Austin, Tex., NYT, 1.3.2012,
http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/03/04/travel/36-hours-in-austin-tex.html
36 Hours in Houston
May 9, 2010
The New York Times
By DENNY LEE
A SNARL of superhighways and skyscrapers, Houston is easily
dismissed as a corporate campus — home to Fortune 500 giants like Halliburton
and Waste Management and a company formerly known as Enron (currently known as
Enron Creditors Recovery Corporation). And the view from an airplane isn’t
exactly inviting: a flat and featureless plain of generic towers sprawling into
the horizon. But in recent years, this Texas megalopolis has been inching back
to its urban core. Cool art galleries have sprung up in once blighted
neighborhoods. Midcentury modern buildings have been saved and restored. And
former factories have been turned into buzzing restaurants and bars. Yes, oil
money still reigns supreme, but it now competes with culture.
Friday
5:30 p.m.
1) PARK IT DOWNTOWN
Houston may be a sea of office towers, but this subtropical city is also
surprisingly green. Hundreds of parks carpet the city, and one of the newest — a
12-acre park called Discovery Green (discoverygreen.com) — is quickly becoming
the heart of the city’s still sleepy downtown. Opened in 2008, the park serves
as a true public space; elderly couples stroll around the artificial lake as
toddlers roll down grassy knolls. For sunset cocktails, follow the area’s young
professionals to the Grove (1611 Lamar Street; 713-337-7321;
thegrovehouston.com), a modern restaurant inside the park, which offers
treehouse-like views of the skyline.
8 p.m.
2) GULF OF TEX-MEX
The city’s young chefs are working overtime to step out of the shadow of Texas
barbecue. Among the most feted these days is Bryan Caswell, the chef and owner
of Reef (2600 Travis Street; 713-526-8282; reefhouston.com), a seafood
restaurant with a Southern twist. Housed in a former car dealership with soaring
windows and ceilings, the restaurant creates a dramatic space for winning dishes
like roasted grouper with corn pudding and grilled peach ($25). On a recent
evening the dining room was humming with an eclectic crowd that included men in
white suits eating ceviche, couples on dates and well-dressed families
celebrating birthdays.
10 p.m.
3) SLICE OF AUSTIN
Sports bars and mega-clubs fuel much of the city’s night life, but a clutch of
down-to-earth bars can be found along the tree-lined streets of Montrose. Poison
Girl (1641 Westheimer Road; 713-527-9929; myspace.com/poisongirlbar) has pinball
machines, a long shelf of whiskeys and a dirt-packed backyard jammed with
20-somethings in vintage Wranglers and Keds. Down the street is Anvil Bar and
Refuge (1424 Westheimer Road; 713-523-1622; anvilhouston.com), which styles
itself as a classic cocktail bar, though it can feel like a meat market on
weekends. A handful of gay bars are also nearby, including the oldie but still
rowdy 611 Hyde Park Pub (611 Hyde Park Boulevard; 713-526-7070).
Saturday
11 a.m.
4) DRILLING FOR ART
With all those petrodollars sloshing around, it’s no surprise that contemporary
art has an eager benefactor in Houston. The grande dame is still the Menil
Collection (1515 Sul Ross Street; 713-525-9400; menil.org), opened in 1987 to
house the collection of Dominique de Menil, an heiress to an oil-equipment
fortune. Blue-chip galleries include the Devin Borden Hiram Butler Gallery (4520
Blossom Street; 713-863-7097; dbhbg.com) and the Sicardi Gallery (2246 Richmond
Avenue; 713-529-1313; www.sicardi.com). Scrappy artists, meanwhile, have carved
out studios in downtown warehouses. Some of their work can be seen at the
Station Museum (1502 Alabama Street; 713-529-6900; stationmuseum.com), which
showcases emerging artists inside a big metal shed.
1:30 p.m.
5) GLOBAL GRILLS
While the city’s sizable Vietnamese community is now scattered, traces of Little
Saigon still remain in Midtown, a mixed-use neighborhood dotted with banh mi
joints. A retro-favorite is Cali Sandwich (3030 Travis Street; 713-520-0710), a
ho-hum cafeteria with 1970s-style vertical blinds and prices to match: the
freshly made sandwiches, including the barbecue pork, are $2.31. If you’re
hankering for genuine Texas BBQ, drive north to Pizzitola’s Bar-B-Cue (1703
Shepherd Drive; 713-227-2283; pizzitolas.com). It may not be as packed as
Goode’s barbecue empire, but Pizzitola’s is the real deal, judging by the wood
pits that have been charring ribs out back for 70-plus years.
3 p.m.
6) POTTERY TO PINBALL
Malls rule in Houston — the biggest, the Galleria, offers 2.4 million square
feet of global brand names. Off-brand shopping requires a bit more driving. For
one-of-the-kind home furnishings, head to Found (2422 Bartlett Street No. 5;
713-522-9191; foundforthehome.com), which takes old industrial objects like hay
feeders and turns them into architectural objets. Sloan/Hall (2620 Westheimer
Road; 713-942-0202; sloanhall.com) carries an odd array of art books, bath
products and pottery — some by Texas artisans. Peel (4411 Montrose Boulevard,
Suite 400; 713-520-8122; peelgallery.org) blurs the line between art gallery and
jewelry boutique. And Flashback Funtiques (1627 Westheimer Road; 713-522-7900;
flashbackfuntiques.net) is a trove of Lone Star Americana, like old pinball
machines and gas pumps.
7:30 p.m.
7) SOUTHWESTERN REDUX
Robert Del Grande is considered culinary royalty here, credited with pioneering
Southwestern cuisine in the 1980s. So when his restaurant of 29 years, Café
Annie, closed last year, there was a collective grumble. The hunger was soon
sated: he opened RDG + Bar Annie (1800 Post Oak Boulevard; 713-840-1111;
rdgbarannie.com), a multiplex of a restaurant with bars, lounges and dining
rooms that attracts a glamorous crowd that seems to favor short party dresses,
shiny handbags and aggressive amounts of gold. The menu is similarly bold and
brash, with dishes like lobster meatballs with a rémoulade sauce ($16) and
grilled rib-eye steak with a smoked Cheddar sauce ($40).
10 p.m.
8) TWO DIVES
A party corridor has formed along Washington Avenue. A favorite among nearby
bobos is Max’s Wine Dive (4720 Washington Avenue; 713-880-8737;
maxswinedive.com), with its long, inexpensive wine list. Seeking a wackier cast
of characters? Night owls find the unmarked door that leads to Marfreless (2006
Peden Street; 713-528-0083; marfrelessbar.com), a dingy watering hole with faded
carpeting and dark corners popular with canoodling couples.
Sunday
10 a.m.
9) BOTTOMLESS MIMOSAS
A cafe tucked inside a nursery may sound precious, but so what? Tiny Boxwood’s
(3614 West Alabama Street; 713-622-4224; tinyboxwoods.com) does a fantastic
Sunday brunch. Situated close to the posh River Oaks neighborhood, the
sun-washed dining room and vine-covered patio draw a handsome and self-assured
crowd that mingles easily around a communal table. Chalkboard specials include
leafy salads ($10 to $14) and a delicious breakfast pizza made with pancetta,
goat cheese and an egg, baked sunny side up in a wood oven ($13). Pick up a
cactus on the way out.
Noon
10) MODERNIST DRIVE-BY
Despite Houston’s lack of zoning (or maybe because of it), the city has a
remarkable collection of midcentury modern homes and office towers — some well
maintained, others verging on collapse. Landmarks include the gridlike campus
for the University of St. Thomas, designed by Philip Johnson. But many more are
unknown, like the eerily abandoned Central Square building in downtown (2100
Travis Street) or the brawny Willowick tower, now condos, in River Oaks (2200
Willowick Road). Piece together your own architectural tour with Houston Mod
(houstonmod.org), a preservation group that maintains a resourceful Web site
with Google maps and photos.
2 p.m.
11) GLASS HOUSES
The skyline goes up, up, up every year. But notable architecture also takes
place near the ground. The campus at Rice University — a neo-Byzantine maze of
rose-hued brick and cloisters — got a new glass heart in 2008, when the
Brochstein Pavilion (rice.edu/brochstein) opened near the central quad. A
Kubrick-esque box with floor-to-ceiling windows, the pavilion houses a cafe and
media lounge, and has a fine-mesh trellis that extends like a mathematical plane
in space. The structure is only one story, but it feels much taller — proof that
not everything in Houston has to be big.
IF YOU GO
Continental, JetBlue, Delta and others fly nonstop between New York City and
Houston. A recent Web search found round-trip fares on JetBlue from $345 this
month. A car is needed to get around.
Hotel Zaza Houston (5701 Main Street; 713-526-1991; hotelzazahouston.com) opened
in 2007 with 315 rooms, offering playful design and polished service in the
lively Museum District; from $179.
Opened last August, the Aloft Houston by the Galleria (5415 Westheimer Road;
713-622-7010; alofthouston.com) has 152 rooms in the Uptown district and
includes a pool, gym and free Wi-Fi. Rooms from $99 weekends, and from $199
during the week; discounts are available online.
36 Hours in Houston,
NYT, 9.5.2010,
http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/travel/09hours.html
36 Hours in San Antonio
April 4, 2010
The New York Times
By DAN SALTZSTEIN
SAN ANTONIO, the country’s seventh-largest city, features a
trio of popular attractions: the River Walk (a meandering canal lined with
restaurants and bars), Market Square (said to be the largest Mexican-style
market outside of Mexico) and the Alamo (no explanation necessary). But get
beyond the obvious tourist stops, and this old city offers excellent Chicano
art, 19th-century-style shopping, church music that goes way beyond hymns, and
plenty of that famous Texas hospitality.
Friday
3 p.m.
1) SHOPPING AS IT WAS
La Villita historic district (South Alamo Street at East Nueva Street;
lavillita.com), just off the River Walk, still feels like the little village it
once was but is now crammed with artisanal shops, many of which are housed in
lovely mid-19th-century buildings. The Casa Clasal Copper Gallery (Building No.
400; 210-271-3856; lavillita.com/copper) sells everything copper, including a
gorgeous set of hammered ewers ($39 to $169). Alice Knight (No. 1700;
210-930-5527; lavillita.com/aliceknight) sells Ms. Knight’s playful and
sometimes goofy paintings, as well as her delicate handmade-paper masks (from
about $20). During a recent visit the artist’s husband, Jack, was running the
store. Is he an artist as well? “She lets me paint the edges,” he said.
5:30 p.m.
2) ITALY COMES TO TEXAS
Five-thirty? What is this, the early-bird special? No, it’s Il Sogno Osteria
(Pearl Brewery Complex, 200 East Grayson Street; 210-212-4843), and since it
doesn’t take reservations, the crowds line up early. The restaurant, which
opened last year, is Andrew Weissman’s wildly successful Italian follow-up to
his popular La Rêve, which closed in October. The industrial-chic space fills up
with families and couples, some barside, gazing at the wood-burning oven in the
open kitchen. Antipasti are a focus (three for $9), including an addictive white
bean purée, while the lasagna with wild mushrooms ($19) is a satisfying pasta
option. The Nutella tart ($9), a holdover from La Rêve, is achingly decadent.
9 p.m.
3) CHURCH OF ROCK
San Antonio’s music scene may not be as rich as the one an hour and a half north
in Austin, but it does have the unusual Casbeers at the Church (1150 South Alamo
Street; 210-271-7791; casbeers.com). In 2008, Casbeers, a beloved greasy spoon,
moved to an abandoned Mission-style church on the edge of the King William
historic district. Downstairs, the crowds enjoy bottles of Shiner Bock ($3.75)
and signature chili enchiladas ($4.95 each). Upstairs, there’s stained glass
behind the stage, and the audience sits in (padded) pews, enjoying a mix of
acts, including local garage-rock stalwarts like Mitch Webb and the Swindles.
(Covers vary from free to $20.)
Saturday
9:30 a.m.
4) BREWERY WITHOUT BEER
Starting your Saturday at a brewery? Not to worry. Though it produced beer for
over a century, Pearl Brewery (200 East Grayson Street; 210-212-7260;
pearlbrewery.com) closed in 2001 and after an elaborate renovation reopened as a
mixed-use complex. In addition to a few restaurants (Il Sogno included) and a
branch of the Culinary Institute of America, there are a growing number of
shops, including Melissa Guerra (210-293-3983; melissaguerra.com), a kitchenware
store owned by the cookbook author, and the new Twig Book Shop (210-826-6411;
thetwig.booksense.com), an airy spot that offers a nice variety of best sellers
and Texas-themed publications. There is also a Saturday morning farmers’ market
(pearlfarmersmarket.com), which draws vendors from the area.
Noon
5) BURGERS WITH CONSCIENCE
Don’t oversample at the market, because one of the more unusual dining places in
town is a few minutes away in the Five Points neighborhood. The Cove (606 West
Cypress Street; 210-227-2683; thecove.us) is a restaurant, car wash, coin
laundry and music spot. Its sloppy and satisfying Texas Burger (with refried
beans, chips, grilled onion, avocado and salsa; $9) earned the No. 5 spot on
Texas Monthly’s 2009 best-of-burgers list. The Cove is also notable for its
dedication to “SOL” — sustainable, organic, local — ingredients, and it
practices what it preaches with dishes like a salad of roasted organic beets,
goat cheese and walnuts ($7) and grilled tilapia tacos ($3.75).
3 p.m.
6) SPIRIT OF THE SMITHSONIAN
San Antonio has a broad visual art scene that ranges from contemporary to folk,
with a special concentration on Latino work. There’s a First Friday art walk
(southtown.net); nonprofit centers like Artpace (artpace.org); and quality
museums like the San Antonio Museum of Art, the Witte Museum and the Briscoe
Western Art Museum, which is set to open in 2012. But it’s Museo Alameda (101
South Santa Rosa Avenue; 210-299-4300; thealameda.org) that was chosen as the
first official satellite of the Smithsonian. Alameda’s hot-pink exterior belies
the straightforward presentations of Latino and Chicano art inside, like an
exhibition on Mexican equestrian culture, running through May 2.
5 p.m.
7) HER NAME IS RIO
After the Alamo, the most popular attraction in town is probably the River Walk,
a stretch of canal with paths, recently expanded to about four miles, that
snakes through downtown (thesanantonioriverwalk.com). Sure it’s touristy, but if
you avoid the often overpriced restaurants and bars that line it, a stroll can
be lovely, particularly as the sun sets and hanging lights illuminate its
picturesque bridges.
7 p.m.
8) EATING UP NORTH
To satisfy a Tex-Mex craving, head out of town to the Far North area, where
you’ll see the full extent of San Antonio’s sprawl. Amid miles of highway loops,
malls and planned communities, good food and drink await. Family-friendly
Aldaco’s Stone Oak (20079 Stone Oak Parkway; 210-494-0561; aldacos-stoneoak.com)
serves up big portions in a large, noisy space (a patio overlooking the edges of
Hill Country offers respite). The tasty shrimp enchiladas ($15.49) are served
with both a cilantro and a chipotle sauce. (A gluten-free menu is also
available.)
10 p.m.
9) CLASSIC COCKTAILS
Follow the green glow at Plaza Ciel, a nearby strip mall, to the year-old Green
Lantern (20626 Stone Oak Parkway; 210-497-3722; thegreenlanternbar.com), San
Antonio’s contribution to the speakeasy trend. There’s no sign, but the
low-lighted room and old-school drinks attract young professionals from the
area. Settle into one of the comfy booths or cozy up to the mesquite-topped bar
and order something from the classics list, like a well-made Sazerac ($8).
Sunday
Noon
10) BRISKET BRUNCH
Texas’s most beloved barbecue is served about an hour north in Hill Country, but
the Smokehouse (3306 Roland Avenue; 210-333-9548; thesmokehousesa.com)
represents San Antonio proudly. You’ll smell the proof from the parking lot:
this is the real deal. Friendly staff members work the 40-foot-long
mesquite-wood pits. Order a sandwich or a platter by the pound, including the
succulent, charred-on-the-outside brisket ($6.60 for 1/3 pound, with two sides).
3 p.m.
11) FOR THE BIRDS
Walk off those calories at Brackenridge Park (3910 North St. Mary’s Street), a
340-plus-acre green space on the west side of town. The park’s sunken Japanese
Tea Garden offers a bit of serenity, while the bustling San Antonio Zoo
(sazoo-aq.org; $10; $8 for children 3 to 11) is particularly child-friendly,
with a Lory Landing aviary where visitors can feed, and play with, brightly
colored lorikeets. A different sort of Texas hospitality, but an entertaining
one for sure.
IF YOU GO
Continental offers nonstop service to San Antonio from Newark. A recent Web
search found flights in April starting at $275. Flights with stopovers,
including in Atlanta (Delta) or Houston (Continental), are often cheaper. The
airport is about a 15-minute drive to the city center; a rental car is highly
recommended.
There is a seemingly endless array of hotels near the River Walk and the Alamo.
A comfortable and convenient option is the 213-room Valencia Riverwalk (150 East
Houston Street; 866-842-0100; hotelvalencia-riverwalk.com). Its dark, moody
décor is offset by a friendly staff, comfortable beds and valet parking. Doubles
and kings, breakfast included, start at $230 (special multiple-night Web rates
are lower).
Nearby, the Riverwalk Vista Bed & Breakfast (262 Losoya Street; 210-223-3200;
riverwalkvista.com) offers a more boutique experience. Housed in the historic
Dullnig building, it has 17 individually designed rooms, with plush leather
chairs and big windows, starting at $120.
For more upscale accommodations, the new JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country
Resort & Spa (23808 Resort Parkway; 210-403-3434; jwsanantonio.com) is 30
minutes from downtown, and has 1,000-plus rooms on a 600-acre complex with a
large spa, multiple pools and (coming soon) a golf course. Doubles and kings
start at $275.
36 Hours in San Antonio, NYT, 4.4.2010,
http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/travel/04hours.html
36 Hours in Dallas
February 8, 2009
The New York Times
By LUISITA LOPEZ TORREGROSA
DALLAS may not be a world-class city, but it’s pulling out all the stops to
get there. This oil-rich city is pumping millions of dollars into a new Dallas
Center for the Performing Arts in the Arts District. When completed, the
district will rank among the largest urban arts centers in the nation.
Meanwhile, glamorous subterranean bars and edgy Asian restaurants are giving the
city a cosmopolitan aura. But when it comes to entertainment, its No. 1
attraction is still the Cowboys, especially when the new, $1.2 billion football
stadium opens this year, featuring one of the largest retractable roofs and
high-definition televisions in the world.
Friday
4 p.m.
1) ARCHITECTURE PARK
See what the buzz is all about. Go on a walking tour of the Dallas Arts District
( www.artsdistrict.org ), a
19-block area straddling downtown office skyscrapers and uptown luxury hotels.
Highlights include the new Dallas Center for the Performing Arts (2100 Ross
Avenue, Suite 650; 214-954-9925;
www.dallasperformingarts.org ), a four-venue complex for music, opera,
theater and dance in a parklike setting that’s scheduled for a fall opening. The
center will include a drum-shaped opera house designed by Norman Foster and a
cube-shaped theater designed by Rem Koolhaas. To take it all in, find a bench at
the Nasher Sculpture Center (2001 Flora Street; 214-242-5100;
www.nashersculpturecenter.org), a museum designed by Renzo Piano with a lush
garden that features works from a collection that includes Rodin, Henry Moore
and George Segal.
7 p.m.
2) CHEERLEADING COCKTAILS
Size up the city’s trend setters and assorted poseurs in their alligator boots
and butter-soft tailored jackets at the Rattlesnake Bar, a plush lounge with
mahogany-paneled walls and chocolate-brown leather sofas at the new
Ritz-Carlton, Dallas (2121 McKinney Avenue; 214-922-4848;
www.ritzcarlton.com/dallas ).
Order the Dean’s Margarita with organic agave nectar ($12), nibble on spring
rolls with achiote pulled pork ($14), and watch heads turn whenever a posse of
lanky blondes in skinny jeans and designer heels sidles up to the bar.
8 p.m.
3) SOUTHWEST SUPREME
Not so long ago, Dallas was a culinary wasteland, save for its famous barbecue.
But in recent years, celebrity chefs like Nobu Matsuhisa, Tom Colicchio and
Charlie Palmer have planted their flags in Dallas, joining a fresh crop of
hometown talent. At the top is Fearing’s (2121 McKinney Avenue; 214-922-4848;
www.fearingsrestaurant.com ), a
casual but chic restaurant that serves imaginative Southwest-rooted cuisine at
the Ritz-Carlton. Opened in 2007, Fearing’s already enjoys national acclaim:
Zagat named it No. 1 in domestic hotel dining, and Frank Bruni, the restaurant
critic for The New York Times, called it one of the country’s top 10 new
restaurants outside of New York last year. The current menu includes lobster
coconut bisque ($14) and wood-grilled Australian lamb chops on pecorino polenta
($44). Dinner for two, about $200.
10:30 p.m.
4) PARTY HIGH
There are still men’s clubs, honky-tonks and jukebox joints in Dallas, but the
city’s night life has gotten decidedly sleeker and flashier, with velvet-roped
discos and bottle-service lounges. If you want a stellar view of the stars and
the city’s bright lights, go to the rooftop bar of the Joule hotel (1530 Main
Street; 214-748-1300;
www.luxurycollection.com/joule ). It features bedlike sofas and cocoonlike
chairs arrayed along a slender, cantilevered swimming pool that juts out 10
stories above the sidewalk. Or, for an even better view, go to Five-Sixty,
Wolfgang Puck’s new Asian-style restaurant in the glowing ball atop the
560-feet-high Reunion Tower (300 Reunion Boulevard; 214-741-5560). The rotating
bar, which serves a dozen kinds of sake, offers magnificent views of a skyline
edged in colorful lights and the suburban sprawl beyond.
Saturday
9:30 a.m.
5) MORNING GLORY
Need a breath of fresh air after a late night out? Head to Katy Trail (entrance
at Knox Street at Abbott Avenue; 214-303-1180;
www.katytraildallas.org ), a
3.5-mile greenway that winds through the city’s wooded parks and urban
neighborhoods. Built along old railroad tracks, the trail is a favorite of young
and old, bikers and runners, strollers and dog walkers.
11 a.m.
6) DIGGING FOR ART
From the air, Dallas might look like a forest of faceless skyscrapers, but there
are pockets of bohemia. The talk this season centers on Dragon Street in the
Design District, where warehouses are becoming cool galleries, and boxy
apartments and studios are being built. The street may still feel a tad empty on
weekends, but the top draws include the Gerald Peters Gallery (1019 Dragon
Street; 214-969-9410; www.gpgallery.com
), with its sleek spaces and smart mix of paintings and sculptures, and the
Holly Johnson Gallery (1411 Dragon Street; 214-369-0169;
www.hollyjohnsongallery.com ),
a gleaming space devoted to contemporary artists.
1 p.m.
7) SLOWER FOOD
Chicken-fried everything may be a staple in Texas, but in Dallas organic salads
and other light fare is just as popular. A trendy spot is Rise No. 1 (5360 West
Lovers Lane; 214-366-9900;
www.risesouffle.com ), a charming bistro with a grass-green facade that
serves up wonderful soufflés — a slow-paced antidote to Dallas’s manic
drive-and-shop lifestyle. Try the truffle-infused mushroom soufflé ($15) with a
glass of dry white.
3 p.m.
8) RETAIL OVERLOAD
Shopping is a local sport here, but there’s more to Dallas than Neiman Marcus.
For slow-paced window shopping, stroll around Inwood Village (West Lovers Lane
and Inwood Road; www.inwoodvillage.com), a landmark 1949 shopping center with an
eclectic range of signature stores. Retail highlights include Rich Hippie (5350
West Lovers Lane No. 127; 214-358-1968;
www.richhippie.com ) for retro and avant-garde clothing like a finely tooled
pink leather jacket ($728). Next door is Haute Baby (5350 West Lovers Lane No.
128; 214-357-3068) for cute toddler wear, like a yellow slicker with hoodie
($110). But perhaps the chicest boutique is Forty Five Ten (4510 McKinney
Avenue; 214-559-4510; www.fortyfiveten.com
). The prices are shocking but it’s worth a visit. Recent finds included a
vintage trolley case by Globe-Trotter ($1,175) and an iron vase by the Texan
artist Jan Barboglio ($550).
8:30 p.m.
9) MEX-MEX
This is the land of Tex-Mex. And while cheesy tacos and greasy nachos are the
standard fare, more authentic Mexican cuisine has roots in Dallas as well. One
of the most popular spots for original Mexican fare is La Duni Latin Cafe (4620
McKinney Avenue; 214-520-7300; www.laduni.com), which offers a terrific dish
called tacos de picanha (beef loin strips on tortillas, $19.75). But for more
inventive cuisine, try Trece: Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Lounge (4513 Travis
Street; 214-780-1900;
www.trecerestaurant.com ). The formal dining room, dressed in cream, cacao
and sepia colors, invites celebration. Kick things off with a jalapeño
caipirinha ($11) or a blueberry mojito ($11) before tucking into the braised
short ribs in cabernet and chile molasses ($21).
11:30 p.m.
10) COOL KIDS
Once a ramshackle district, the historic Cedar Springs neighborhood has a new
energy, with gay-friendly discos, curio shops, burger bars, boutiques and
galleries. To mingle with the neighborhood’s varied stripes, bop over to J. R.’s
Bar & Grill (3923 Cedar Springs Road; 214-528-1004;
www.partyattheblock.com ), a
cavernous club with brick walls, a tin-ceiling and a scuffed dance floor that
draws gays, straights, middle-aged couples, midnight cowboys, frat boys and Amy
Winehouse lookalikes. Nothing gets going before midnight, when the pub crawlers
and night lizards come out to play.
Sunday
11:30 p.m.
11) SPORTS MADNESS
If it’s Sunday in Dallas, do as the locals do and hit a sports bar. There are
dozens in town, if not hundreds, but a favorite is the McKinney Avenue Tavern
(2822 McKinney Avenue; 214-969-1984;
www.mckinneyavenuetavern.com
), affectionately nicknamed the Mat. There is a carved-wood bar with two dozen
or so rickety tables fronting the 30-odd television screens that show nothing
but sports, day and night. When the Cowboys play, the joint is bedlam. Rule No.
1: Go early, stay late.
THE BASICS
American, Delta, Continental and other major airlines serve the Dallas-Fort
Worth International Airport. A recent Web search turned up a nonstop American
flight from La Guardia starting at $269 for travel in February. A car rental is
optional; there are plenty of taxis in the city.
Dallas has plenty of luxury hotels. The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas (2121 McKinney
Avenue; 214-922-0200;
www.ritzcarlton.com/dallas ) ranks near the top, with one of the finest
restaurants (Fearing’s), a spa and other amenities. Rooms start at $299 and go
much higher.
The Joule (1530 Main Street; 214-748-1300;
www.luxurycollection.com/joule
) is a new and trendy hotel in downtown Dallas, and features a Charlie Palmer
restaurant, a jazzy basement nightclub called PM, and a rooftop bar with a pool.
Rooms start at about $325.
The Belmont (901 Fort Worth Avenue; 866-870-8010;
www.belmontdallas.com ) brings back
1940s charm with modern amenities. Set across the Trinity River, this recently
restored hotel has a terrace bar and inviting midcentury-style rooms done in
vibrant colors. Rooms start at $125.
36 Hours in Dallas, NYT,
8.2.2009,
http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/02/08/travel/08hours.html
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