City Series: Dallas: Ted Cantrell's Art at Ginger Fox Gallery

I stopped in my tracks when I saw Ted Cantrell's heart piece in the window of the Ginger Fox Gallery in the Bishop Arts district of Dallas.  His skillful use of pencils and rulers brings back memories of my grade school crushes. I love when people highlight the beauty of everyday objects.  Happy Valentine's Day, Ted!

City Series: Dallas: Rise No.1 Souffle

My friend, Carol, was full of good ideas for how to spend our day together in Dallas.  When we were standing in a recreation of the Bush Oval Office, she mentioned that she hoped we'd have time to get souffles later that afternoon. I always have time for a souffle!

We walked into Rise No.1 on a quiet afternoon intending to catch up over a coffee and dessert souffle.  We ended up ordering a light meal, which became the culinary highlight of my trip to Dallas.

It started when the waitress mentioned their Rise No.1's famous "Marshmallow Soup."  Carol urged me to be hungry because she thought I would really like this creamy tomato and carrot soup with 3 perfect goat cheese souffles floating on top.  

When it came, I was struck by how much they really do look like marshmallows.  The soup was creamy, but not rich and had a depth of flavor that still has me puzzling, how did they do it?  I am the salt police and often find dishes to be heavy handed.  No, this soup was perfect - probably the best I have had in the cream category.  Rise No.1's Marshmallow Soup comes with a tiny pitcher of pesto oil to drizzle on top.  I tried it, but found the spongy goat cheese souffles were just the right complement to the soup - it didn't need anything else. It was magnifique. 

We rounded out our meal with a small "Rise No.1 Salad" (baby greens, roasted pecans, matchstick-cut Granny Smith apples and blue cheese - optional) dressed with a Pecan Vinaigrette in which I detected notes of vanilla.  I ate every bite.

Near the entrance (and within view of our table) was a beautiful display of French dishtowels for sale.  Aren't they lovely?  My favorite thing about French dishtowels is the imaginative and happy color combinations.  Orange, aqua and plum.  Red and bright pink.  Taupe, apricot and purple.  If I hadn't "organized" my dish towel collection lately and seen for myself just how many I have (forty? I might actually have 40), I would have bought myself one on the spot. They were gorgeous.

The restaurant has a very French-feeling sink area just outside the restrooms that is surprisingly beautiful.  The dim lighting, lavender-scented soap and basket of French linens to dry your hands gives a charming farmhouse feel to the area.  Never underestimate the power of a linen hand towel to make an impression.

Yes, we had dessert too.  Carol had a Tarte au Fruit (apple) and I sat cross-legged in the middle of this Chocolate Souffle, complete with chocolate sauce to pour inside.  Yum yum yum.

Linger is a good word to sum up our afternoon at Rise No.1 souffle and wine bar in Dallas, Texas.  Carol and I talked and talked and talked.  It was wonderful to reconnect - how can it be 5 years since we first met in a cooking class in Paris?  We picked up right where we left off and it was so much fun.  I must get back to Dallas...and quick!

City Series: Dallas: Dallas Arboretum

In January, garden lovers must take what they can get. With my hometown buried under a foot of snow, a quiet and empty landscape isn't all that bad...and I love flowering kale.

When Carol and I were at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, I asked her opinion whether I should try visiting the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, even though it was January.  She loved the idea and thought we should add it to our plans that day - how fun!

The fact that the gardens are situated on a lake makes the view so interesting and added color and texture to an otherwise muted palette.

We photographed the sculptures and wandered the paths around a large section of the property.  The sun came out for a while and the fresh air felt wonderful.  The arboretum is huge and I can only imagine how beautiful it looks when the grass is green and azaleas are in bloom.  I must come back!

On our way back to the entrance, we stopped to shop at the gift shop.  It had everything from wind chimes and garden art to Texas candies and stationary. There was a lot to look at and we both found a few things that we had to have.

Though I would wait a little while for Mother Nature to work her magic, I highly recommend adding an afternoon visit to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden to any Dallas itinerary.  

City Series: Dallas: Bush Center: Cafe 43

What a way to spend the day!  Carol and I had a leisurely lunch at Cafe 43 (George W. Bush was the 43rd President!), the museum restaurant at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas.

I ordered an entree salad of tiger shrimp, quinoa, arugula and feta with a roasted lemon vinaigrette.  They had me at "roasted lemon." It sounded delicious and it married the flavors of the sweet shrimp and peppery arugula perfectly.

We had a lovely table by the window and enjoyed catching up in the bright and friendly restaurant.  As we were leaving, Carol bought some of Laura Bush's famous "Cowboy Cookies" for us to snack on.

Do you remember the famous "bake off" in Family Circle magazine between Mrs. Bush's Cowboy Cookies and Tipper Gores' Ginger Snaps during the 2000 Presidential campaign?  I do! I thought it was a really cute idea and think that Mrs. Bush's cookies could have won by name alone.  The cookie recipe is printed on the Cafe 43 card and was published with slight modification here in The Washington Post.

After lunch, we looked through the museum gift shop and I passed up my chance to get a really neat souvenir.  Then I drove back the next day to buy it. Have you ever done that?

The souvenir was a Christmas ornament with a photo of a cardinal painted by George W. Bush.  I kept thinking about it afterwards and not knowing if they had an online store, I took a sudden detour when I saw "SMU" on a highway exit.  I made my way back to the little parking lot, walked to the gift shop and got my ornament.    When I left, I showed the parking attendant my new treasure and he too thought it was worth the trip back.  He also told me to "say Hi" to Michigan for him.  Done! 

City Series:Dallas: George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum

Some experiences are a little too big for a blog...do you know what I mean?  I have been mulling this over for a week now and will do my best to give you a concise and meaningful description of my visit to the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.  

First of all, I loved every minute of my visit. I was invited to tour the museum and have lunch at Cafe 43 by my friend, Carol, who I met back in 2009 in the Patricia Wells' cooking class in Paris.  We have stayed in touch and I have been trying to get to Dallas to see her for ages.

We met here on the plaza, went through security and then started to make our way through the museum.  In the area called Freedom Hall, you can see beautiful gifts given to the Bushes by American citizens and Foreign Heads of State during his presidency.  A giant IMAx-style 360 video plays along the second story of Freedom Hall.  Vistas of the American Plains, citizens living out their lives in our great country moves into images of the U.S. Presidents.  It is mesmerizing.

This museum is beautiful - full of photos, artifacts, video and hand-written notes commemorating George W. Bush's Presidency. I remember watching the dedication ceremony on the news (the five living Presidents of the United States were there!) and I was so happy to be able to visit less than a year after it opened.  

We had about an hour and a half to walk through the museum before our lunch reservation and we paused to take pictures and read the signs and documentation whenever something caught our eye.

Any interested visitor could spend hours reading and reflecting on the quotes and images related to George W. Bush's presidency.  It was hard to pick and choose which exhibits I should give more attention to.  That is until I rounded the corner and saw the actual twisted steel beams from the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center on display.  I caught my breathe, tried to articulate how I felt and started crying.  Yes, old friend that I haven't seen in 5 years, I am crying in the middle of the day in the middle of a museum.

Thankfully, Carol understood my feelings completely and suggested that we sit and watch the video presentation for a while, Kleenex in hand.  It was just the time I needed to compose myself.  The beams are huge and ruined and the fact that they were there effected me in a way that I hadn't expected.

The museum was fairly busy, but not so crowded that we didn't have a chance to take photographs without strangers walking into the frame.  Look at my pristine photo of the Oval Office as it was decorated during the Bush Presidency.  

Carol asked if I wanted to have my photo taken behind the desk.  A line was forming for those that were interested and we both decided that it would be a fun memento from our day.

Afterwards, we went out into the beautiful Texas sunshine (did I mention that the George W. Bush Presidential Museum and Library are on the grounds of Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas?) and walked around the Texas Rose Garden.

There are no roses blooming in January, of course, but we noticed some of the native grasses and plantings and were happy to spend a little time out in the fresh air. 

This was my first visit to a Presidential museum and I highly recommend that you visit this magnificent tribute.  Tomorrow I will tell you all about lunch at Cafe 43.

City Series: Dallas: Late Lunch at Bistro 31

Do you ever lose track of time and wonder if you've missed your chance for lunch?  Somehow it was 2:40, I'd been exploring the shops of Highland Park Village and I thought I might have missed the last seating.  

A friend had listed Bistro 31 as a possible lunch spot for me and I was pleased to see a lunch option that was perfect for a sunny, but chilly afternoon.  This combo is called Harry's Bar Grilled Ham and Cheese sandwich with Petite Salad and Roasted Tomato Soup.  It was fresh, flavorful and hit the spot.  I had a nice table by the window (btw I love their round white leather chairs - very comfortable) and all I needed was a friend sitting across from me telling me stories - that would have made it perfect.

City Series: Dallas: St. Michael's Women's Exchange

When I knew that I would be spending 2 weeks in Dallas, I asked my Facebook friends for recommendations of places they thought I would like to visit.  A fellow Junior Leaguer suggested I check out the St. Michael's Women's Exchange in the beautiful shopping area called Highland Park Village.

The St. Michael's Women's Exchange is a high end gift shop that is operated by volunteers.  The profits from the shop fund charities locally and worldwide. An explanation of their mission and focus can be found online here.

Running a retail shop is not easy.  Our chapter of the Junior League operated a resale clothing shop for over 50 years and though near and dear to many hearts, it was a challenge to manage the inventory and volunteer schedules.  

The St. Michael's Women's Exchange was well-merchandised and offered a lovely selection of gifts from christening gowns and inscribed silver pieces, to formal servingware and statement necklaces.  If I lived in Dallas, I would certainly shop here.  I commend these women for their commitment to serving others and the clever synergy between selling beautiful gifts that women want to give (and receive) with a profit-earning model that has been supporting charities since 1958. Bravo!

  

City Series: Dallas: Emporium Pies

Emporium Pies in the Bishop Arts District of Dallas, Texas has the best pie I have ever eaten.  Ever.

I eat a lot of ice cream.  And cupcakes.  And candy.  And as a result, those are the sweets that are usually featured here in my blog.  I have blogged about my own pie recipes, but I can't think of a pie shop that has really gotten my attention...until now.  And I am relieved about that because now I don't have to write a retraction.  Any "it-was-a-great-pie" review up to this point would have to be entirely rewritten now that I have tasted Emporium Pies' Cloud 9.

This is how they describe their Cloud 9 pie:

"HOUSE MADE CARAMEL LINES THE BOTTOM, RICH, CREAMY BUTTERSCOTCH CUSTARD FILLS THE MIDDLE, AND OUR TOASTED BROWN SUGAR MERINGUE TOPS IT ALL."

It is thick and cold and creamy.  The crust is thick, yet tender.  The meringue is sweet and sticky.  They do everything right.  

What alarms me is that they refer to this pie as seasonal, and since I was in town in mid-January, there was a chance that I couldn't have tried it!?  And if I make my way back to Dallas this year they won't have it?  Unimaginable.

If I lived in Dallas I would eat a piece of this pie once a week and give up another major sweet to compensate.  It is that good.

I wanted to see their cute "to go" packaging up close, so I ordered a piece of "Cloud 9" to go and piece of "Drunken Nut" (Texas pecans and bourbon meld together in this sticky sweet confection, baked in a handmade shortbread crust - yum!) to eat on the porch in the sun.  Did I mention it was 10:30 in the morning?

Dan's sister, Karen, lives in Dallas and when we told her that we wanted to spend some time walking around, looking in shops and enjoying the weather, she sent us to the Bishop Arts District to explore.  And she insisted that we stop for pie.

After we found a place to park, we noticed that there was already a line spilling out of Emporium Pies and onto their porch.  I got in line.  There is no greater motivator than the prospect of sold out pie, and this crowd looked hungry.  So we ate pie before lunch and were happier for it.

Put "Eat a piece of Emporium Pies' Cloud 9 pie" on your bucket list.  It is that good.

City Series: Dallas: Nasher Sculpture Center

I couldn't have asked for a prettier day to wander the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, Texas.  Having just arrived a few days earlier from Michigan (which was in the negative temperatures -14!), this sunny 66 degree day was a gift in itself.  Look at the beautiful water element (above) and the precise plantings of trees, grasses and planters to create lines and structure.

The museum has a beautiful indoor gallery and gift shop, but frankly I just didn't want to spend any time inside.

The variety of art - in style and scale - was impressive.  I will showcase a stream of my images here, but will leave the description and interpretation to the official Nasher website.  I hope you enjoy this post and mark this unusual metropolitan collection on your "must see in Dallas" list.  Though many of the pieces have a glum vibe, the open air gallery is a wonderful respite from the big city bustle.

 "Quantum Cloud XX (tornado)" by Antony Gormley

Can you see the human figure in the middle of this swirl of metal bits?

"Garden Fork" by Michael Craig-Martin 

(from the collection of Christen and Derek Wilson)

 "Rush Hour" by George Segal

A look at the lives of those slogging to and from work in a city.

"Working Model for Three Piece No. 3: Vertebrae" by Henry Moore

"Head of a Woman" by Pablo Picasso

"Music: Everything I Know I Learned The Day My Son Was Born" 
by Alfredo Jaar 

This was by far my favorite piece.  A temporary square pavillion with high walls made of varying shades of green plastic panels with an open-to-the-sky ceiling.  Canvas directors chairs line the perimeter inside and Dan and I sat for quite a while relaxing and reflecting.  You can see more of the structure in the distance - look at the Henry Moore image above.

Then we heard a newborn baby cry.  About that time another family wandered into the space and the husband and I were sure that the baby cries were part of the exhibit, while his wife insisted that it was just sounds from the park being amplified in the room.  Her husband and I were right.  The baby's cries are part of a soundtrack piped in at varying intervals - all recordings of babies born in Dallas between October 1, 2013 and February 1, 2014 (they were still being recorded when I visited!)  You should read the link above to understand the artist's intent.  It is very positive and interesting.

Exploring Dallas, Texas

Good Morning! I am in Dallas, Texas in search of delight.  I have already found wonderful places to share with you.  Stay tuned - all this week will be my City Series: Dallas.