Dual Dallas Adventures
Winter officially runs Dec. 21 through March 20. It remains to be seen if we will get winter weather but we Texans generally bundle up when it gets below 70 degrees. So, inclement weather or no, I’d like to share a couple ideas for venturing around Dallas where you only have to park once and don’t have to walk in the elements for more than a block.
Let’s start with dinner and a movie. One of Dallas’s best movie theaters is the Texas Theatre. If you haven’t been, it’s a Dallas must. This cool Oak Cliff theater is where Lee Harvey Oswald was captured. It has been restored with a neat little lobby bar and excellent projection and sound systems.
Screening current releases and revivals on both digital and actual film prints, the place is run by a group of film-fanatic friends. There are often theme nights with live music, DJs, or even craft activities to match whatever film is screening.
An art gallery, The Safe Room, is located inside the the theater upstairs in a room over the marquee. The theater’s live music stage is literally behind the movie screen and has some of the best sound in town. This place also hosts comedy, Q&A’s with notables, and video festivals (get on their email list to keep up!).
You can pair this adventure with one of two top restaurants a stone’s throw away. Small Brewpub is on the next block and has a creative menu, in addition to brewing their own beer and offering specialty cocktails. Across the street from the theater is notable fine-dining Latin eatery Mesa (Beyonce and Jay Z dined here when they came through on tour!) with dishes like lobster enchiladas and mole mama cata.
In East Dallas, you’ve got a super side-by-side pairing by the folks at the Granada. The Granada Theater was built in 1946 as a movie house, then converted to a concert venue in the 70s, then back to a movie theater then AGAIN back to a concert venue in 2004.
The concert venue is sticking for now and they bring an eclectic selection of acts to the space. Before your show, you can dine right next door at Sundown at Granada. I recently got to sample their winter menu and there is lots of yum for you! The chef has a little story behind each dish and there is something for everyone from healthy, hearty vegan dishes to super tender short ribs with truffle mac ‘n cheese (plus a stellar custom cocktail list).
They also care about their sourcing so it’s GMO-free, organic, and local as much as possible. They even grow some greens and herbs in their own garden behind the space.
Hope these ideas inspire some exploring. Have a terrific January!
