My 6 Favorite Dallas Spots 3 Months In

Three months in Dallas? Hi? How? But also I feel like I’ve been here forever! I Three months seemed pivotal enough to document some of my favorite spots thus far. There are a couple repeats from this and this post that I wrote just one and two weeks in. Now three months later, many more places visited, still some of the same faves and still so many places to keep exploring.

Louie’s
If you live in Dallas, this probably wasn’t the first place you’d think would be on my list, but on the flipside, if you’ve been to Louie’s then you understand. Louie’s is a complete hole in the wall on Henderson known for their pizza and martinis. They are more than just a pizza place, with salmon, a burger, sandwiches, and a filet on the menu, but word from the wise don’t stray from the thin crust build-your-own pizza, big salads, meatballs and crab claws to start! As for the martini’s, they were so hyped up and I thought they would convert me, but even dirty I just can’t sip on gin and pretend like I like it. Louie’s has been on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, so I’ll just leave you with that. Post-September Whole 30, I’m coming for ya Louie’s!

Central Market
One of my favorite past times is wandering the aisles at a grocery store. No really. If I need to kill some time or if I’m bored, or if I should be doing a million other things, I’ll often find a reason to end up at the grocery store. I love to do my big shopping on Sundays, but about mid-week I need a pick-me-up and will go stroll down aisles to pick up a little something-something. This is a long way of saying now that Central Market is in my life, this grocery store meandering has heightened. I still love TJ’s, Whole Foods and Sprouts, but Central Market has s a m p l e s. And I mean samples. The bakery section is 100% my weakness and just gosh awful temptation while on Whole30 right now. They have bread of plenty to sample with this whipped butter that should just be sued it’s so good.

My Central Market faves are their fresh verde salsa, homemade tortillas, these crispbreads, the crazy selection of bulk bin items and winding through their maze of a produce section.

Bishop Arts District
Bishop Arts is tucked away west of downtown and coins the phrase “the most independent neighborhood.” It is quint and has this little mountain town feel to it, reminds me of Colorado. Cute shops (hi All Good Things), and new restaurants are popping up left and right. I got to go to Paradiso last night and everything about it from the design, to the menu to the atmosphere was on point. Some other BA faves and places on my list are Melt Ice Cream, Tribal All Day Cafe, Serve, Lucia, Eno’s Pizza, Coco’s, Botanist and Good Companions. If you have a free Saturday or Sunday, spend it wandering around Bishop Arts!

photo via Katy Trail

Katy Trail Ice House
I know Katy Trail is a little cliche Dallas, but it truly is my favorite spot in the city. I already wrote about it here! It’s great in the evening, its great during the day on the weekends, fun for watching games, great drinks (Summer Beer) and good food. It’s all outdoors, but you’ll see people in workout clothes just coming off running the Katy Trail, people with their dogs, people dressed up having come straight for work. It’s really great for any time of day or event.

Honor Bar
Another cliche Dallas spot that I’ve mentioned before, but it’s just flat out good. The vibes, the food, the experiences I’ve had there have all been great. It’s in this corner spot of Highland Park Village with a patio that expands out a bit. It’s always crowded, but for good reason. The ahi tuna, the macho salad and their version of a ranch water make me drool just thinking about them. Props to the Hillstone restaurant group for finding what they are good at and sticking to it. Being in restaurants makes you really appreciate how others do it.

Royal Blue Grocery
No one should be surprised that two grocery stores made it on this list. Royal Blue is the most charming little grocery and specialty food store, one location in Highland Park Village and one downtown. If you didn’t know, my end goal in life is to open something similar. Think Barefoot Contessa or the bakery Meryl Streep owns in It’s Complicated. Catch me in my 40s or 50s and hopefully that’s where you will find me.

Royal Blue is my current fix to fill my daydreams. Their groceries are wildly overpriced, well everything in there is, but since it’s not my everyday spot (unlike the yuppie Highland Park moms) I feel ok treating myself to a Royal Blue visit every once and a while. My recent Royal Blue crush is their turmeric latte. Just turmeric, ginger, cinnamon (hold the honey #whole30) and steamed almond milk! They also have a vegan cookie butter gelato that is, well, I think you can imagine how amazing it is.

Honorable Mentions: Oishii, The Pilates Barre, Sachet, Parkhouse, Up On Knox, Javier’s, Highland Park Presbyterian, Eatzi’s, and Terelli’s.

It’s been a stellar 3 months in Dally. Here’s to the next however many months. ILY big D!

Annie

Bites of My Life

I had the realization that I’m going to be away from Dallas the next four weekends. After a sheer panic I calmed down knowing it’s all for good reasons. This weekend is Maddie’s bachelorette, followed by Labor Day/first OU game, a wedding and a work event. I honestly just love my time in Dallas and don’t like the idea of being gone so much. Just when I thought summer was the busy season and ready for the structure of fall, the new season hit me with it’s craziness.

-First visit to Flower Child and I’m hooked. Mother Earth bowl because it’s what you do.
-Cheers to two full months in Dallas and having these friends to eat my way through the city with. We went to the hot new Te Deseo on Tuesday. We loved it, but pro-tip: sit in the bar or courtyard if you can.
-3-Bean salad packed with vegan protein was prepped for lunches last week and is coming to the blog tomorrow!
-Pressed Juicery had it’s grand opening last week and I shamelessly waited in line at 7AM to claim my free item. I have bought their juices before (which are great), but had never tried a “freeze” until now. Being that the ingredients are so minimal I didn’t even feel weird eating it for breakfast. It 100% lives up to the hype.
-I had big plans to make this for dinners last week. After busy work days I had zero energy to even boil water so a big salad using the pasta’s ingredients did the job.
-Working on my matcha guide for Dallas. I’ve heard great things about Drip, but there matcha didn’t stand up…
-I was co-maid of honor for both of my sisters, but being maid of honor for one of my best friends is really special. Maddie was in Dallas this weekend to wedding dress shop and invited me along. I feel incredibly honored to have been part of the process. Seeing her firsthand in the dress (she said yes!!!) is something I’ll never forget. It’s a stunner. Celebratory sparklers at lunch to honor the day!
-Followed by rounds and rounds of ranch waters with her dress shopping squad.
-My contribution to Hatch Chili “fam” dinner. A group of some new friends here in Dallas got together Sunday night to cook up as many Central Market Hatch Chili items as we could. There were hatch chili tortilla chips with hatch chili guac and hatch chili sausage for appetizers, hatch chili burgers with hatch chili pepper jack, hatch chili marinated beer can chicken, my hatch chili corn succotash and broccolini grilled with hatch chilis. Finished off with cheesecake…no hatch chilis involved there.

Annie

Bites of My Life

After being home in OKC for 5 days I was craving to get back on schedule and in the swing of things in Dallas. Last week consisted of catching up on shows (Big Little Lies, The Bachelorette, The Hills: New Beginnings (anyone else?) and Southern Charm), dinner with a good friend, happy hour, workouts at one of my favorite spots (including their pop-up at Hotel Zaza), a pool day and back to back weekend nights out with friends. TBH I’m exhausted, but here’s to another week and the last week of July (wahhhhhhh)!

-Back on eggs around here, but only if they are pasture raised. My friend Libby wrote this post a while ago where she goes over which eggs are best.
-Remade my 2 ingredient shakshuka and shot it to put into a recipe post! Stay tuned for the details this week!
-Obsessing over this healthy and easy week night meal. Posted the recipe for this Verde Chicken + Black Bean Cauliflower Rice Bowl!
-New RX Bar alert! Chocolate Banana Walnut is like banana bread in protein bar form. I found it at my local Sprouts and need to go back to stock up.
-Steered away from food for Thursday’s post and it got an overwhelming response! Are y’all telling me something??
-Happy Hour with two friends from two different walks of life at a neighborhood spot I’d been dying to try. The $6 HH cocktail special will bring me back soon.
-A slow start to Friday morning with a DIY matcha (I’m loving this kind right now), 1/2 avo, rainier cherries and the new issue of Bon App.
-Dinner Friday with old friends at a Dallas hole-in-the-wall pizza spot. Louie’s has been featured on Diner’s Drive-Ins and Dives (yes I searched for and watched the episode before we went to dinner) and known for their thin cracker crust pizza and martinis!
-A neon spotted at a new bar on Greenville that was too perfect not to get a picture of.

Annie

The 5 Best Places I Went My Second Week In Dallas

Sassetta
Sassetta has been high on my list since getting to Dallas, so I was excited to cross it off so early into my time here. I went with three girls who I have met through various walks of life, but have now all come to fit together in a unique way. Everything from the aesthetic, to the menus, to the plates, to the food is designed perfectly.

Almost all of us started with the Aperol spritz which paired great with the dry-aged meatballs and whipped ricotta, tuna crudo with strawberries, pistachios and mint, and the fritto misto. We then shared the mushroom salad, bolognese and peach & prosciutto pizza.

E Bar
E Bar was by far the most suggested restaurant when I polled instagram last week for what to add to my list of Dallas restaurants. I didn’t waist time to go see what all the fuss was about. It’s located closer to Lakewood in East Dallas and is a little gem of a tex mex place.

Did I love my limey beer? Duh! Did I love my fajitas, rice and beans? Yes. Did I love the salsa? You bet! Do I wish the chips were different? You bet ;) It was good, but I’m slightly lost on the obsession…

Foxtrot Delivery Market
Foxtrot is a “choice goods” store that offers groceries, gifts, coffee, wine, a place to work or a place to drink. They opened their first brick and mortar outside of the Chicago area in Uptown Dallas on Tuesday and they about broke instagram with the amount of organic buzz spreading about them. While they have a store front they specialize in delivery promising to get from their store to your door in less than an hour.

I met my friend Shelby there on opening day late afternoon. They were offering free cafe drinks and had a frosé happy hour going on. To avoid being up all night on caffeine I went with this kombucha (which I loved) and Shelby got the CBD Lychee Slushy.

Title Boxing Club
I’m trying about every workout in Dallas before committing to anything. I’m also booking any free class or program I can. I’ve been doing two weeks free with Class Pass which led me to Title boxing. I was very hesitant rolling into class at 6am in fear that it would be full of ripped guys with hidden black belts. Luckily I was wrong. The class was small about half girls half guys. It’s been four days and I can still barely lift my arms. The class is only 45 minutes, and goes by fast but is such a great workout. I will be back, especially since they trick you into having to buy $10 wrist wraps.

The Slate
If you didn’t know, but you probably did, but if you didn’t, now you know that I am still working for The Social Order. They gave me a promotion (whaaaa!!) and the option to work remote from Dallas. To make sure I stayed focused and didn’t go stir crazy in my apartment I have reserved a desk at The Slate.

The Slate is a newer co-working space in the Design District started by two sisters (who I deeply love already). It’s a space for businesses, entrepreneurs and small companies to come set up shop. They are equipped with conference rooms, kitchen, event space, a shop, podcast room, sound stage, offices and desks for days. I’ve only been here four days and have already met so many amazing people doing the coolest things. This photo is of the entryway of the space, but it’s my favorite part! The whole place is decorated perfectly.

Half of my third week will be spent in DC for the 4th of July, but I can’t wait to hit some more Dallas spots this weekend before off to truly my favorite city!

Annie

Bites of My Life

Week 1 down, week 2 commence. Last week was great. I got in my mojo with work, working out, cooking, eating out etc. Then trotted up to OKC for the night and then back for a weekend in Dallas. The transition has been easy, and considering I have the same job has made things that much easier. The biggest difference has just been the energy and rhythm of the city. It’s fast paced and there are so many more opportunities of things to do during the week. And I love that.

-Monday night bachelorette night that included the worst episode ever, but a delicious and easy meal that was on repeat all last week.
-Beverly’s: place I’d been dying to try since I decided to move. Lived up to my hype!
-Easy weekday lunch to throw together with fridge staples. Mix of salami and prosciutto, fruit of choice, hummus and veggies (I’m hooked jicama right now)
-I normally wear a solid color t-shirt and jeans to work everyday. For some reason I moved and haven’t put on a pair of pants yet. That sounded weird, but it’s been dresses and skirts all day everyday.
-Checked out a really really cute spot on Thursday that is a coffee shop and non-toxic nail salon hybrid. I met up with my friend Molly who inspired me to write this post.
-Quick trip back up to OKC Friday to celebrate one of my oldest and closest friends getting engaged!
-The visit lined up perfectly with dad’s 61st birthday. Loved getting to make him a birthday breakfast. On the menu - Texas Breakfast Tacos. Naturally. It is all Texas everything these days.
-It’s a toss up on who will get more use out of dad’s putting game.
-Back in Dallas Saturday night and crossed off a highly recommended tex-mex spot, E Bar.
-The Defined Dish reposted about this asian-inspired chicken salad the other day and I immediately saved it to make for future meals. I made the full recipe to prep for lunches this week.
-Christened the Dallas kitchen with it’s first batch of Perfect CCCs. I also updated the photos on the recipe post, so give them a look-see!
-New city, new blonder hair?? I have only professionally colored my hair once, but my blonde is getting duller and duller and I miss the brightness it used to have. I stumbled into finding an angel of a hairdresser who did my hair in her apartment Sunday evening. She ended up balayaging my hair and I love the way it turned out. This picture is obviously the before not the after.

Annie

Did you see the top 5 places I went my first week in Dallas?