The A-List: Dallas may be ending its debut season tonight, but we’ve decided to prolong the glamour a bit by visiting some of the A-Listers’ favorite Dallas hotspots. Not only will this sassy local guide help you find bigger-in-Texas cuisine, party-time outfits and vertigo-inducing mechanical bull rides, but we’re also going to recap some of the show’s dramatic scenes—just to show you how much you can get away with in the Big D.
Highland Park
If you’re gonna get your hair did, do it in Highland Park, one of Dallas’ poshest neighborhoods. A-Listers James and Philip got their locks styled at Philip K, a spa that provides gentleman’s facials, hot stone massages and even Brazilian waxes (for men who prefer a clean work space).
You can also get primped and preened at Beauty Box, where Chris and his full-service staff color, style and condition your curls into a perfect closer-to-God Dallas coif. They specialize in hair extensions, should you get the urge to whip your hair back and forth.
After you’re done getting pampered, saunter down the street for an upscale steak lunch at Al Biernat’s, a potent Grasshopper at the Mint Thai, a crushed-avocado crostini from Nosh or a vanilla mantecada and espresso con crema at Latin bakery La Duni.
Top things off with a leisurely walk along Lakeside, David or Prather parks, all of which offer lush greenery, quaint water features and beautiful views of stately homes. You might even see George W. Bush walking around the hood, his post-presidency stomping grounds.
Uptown
When Chase lectured James about acting like a drunken train wreck, the two lunched at the Dream Café in Addison, TX, but there’s also a location in Uptown. On Malbec Mondays and Winey Wednesdays, grab a half-priced bottle of wine and enjoy some dinnertime jazz over a selection from a menu filled with delights from near and far: chicken and waffles, New Zealand lamb chops, strawberry sweet-sour stir fry. Did we forget the breakfast menu? You must try the fluffy ricotta cloud cakes topped with crème fraiche and powdered sugar. They’re perfect for respectable job-holders and slovenly train wrecks alike.
Once you’re done dining, head over to McKinney Avenue—a thoroughfare filled with sidewalk cafés, bars, grills, brand-name stores and local boutiques. It’s a perfect option for a casual Sunday stroll but there’s a trolley running until midnight on weekends if your dogs are tired.
Cedar Springs
When you’re on the prowl for stylish undies, a sizzling swimsuit or a leather thong, start at Outlines—the high-end men’s apparel store where Chase told Philip that his modeling pictures sucked. Or you can get your spanks at Skivvies, the largest men’s underwear store in the nation. After, find someone to show your new briefs to Cedar Springs, Dallas’ official gayborhood.
Rumor is that The A-List didn’t film in Cedar Springs because the bars refused to provide free alcohol and closed-off areas. But the show did get to film James’ military-themed party at Brick and Taylor dished out some dirt on the rooftop deck of the Grapevine, a kitschy bar frequented by friendly folks of assorted persuasions.
Cedar Springs is home to Dallas’ most famous country-western gay bar, The Round-Up, which offers nightly karaoke and free dance lessons several times a week. It’s also where you’ll find Station 4, with its always packed dance floor, sleek upstairs lounge and spirited drag shows.
Before you end your night, grab a slice at Zini’s late-night pizza shop. (Damn the carbs!) For something more substantial, hop one street over to Lemmon Avenue for inexpensive but superb Asian dining at WaiWai Kitchen, Taj Express or the hidden Thai gem, Toys Cafe.
If you feel ashamed of anything you did the night before, wake up early the next morning and repent at the LGBT-friendly Cathedral of Hope, where Ashley took James to give his alcoholic breakdowns over to Jesus.
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The South Side
If you’ve always wanted to join the rodeo, you can safely live your fantasy at Gilley‘s, where Ashley took a spin on the bull. Just $6 gets you a romp on their bucking bovine, which can be set for a nice, slow mosey—or a ride so buck-wild you’ll get launched into the protective inflatable ring. Trust us, after a Tin Cup cocktail and a Gilley’s South Side Scoonerita, you won’t feel a thing.
Gilley’s happy-hour specials and regular menu both feature plenty of items under $10, so you can drink like a Lone Star fish and still afford the Texas Rattlers (mini chili rellenos filled with cheese and chicken) or vaquero quesadillas (made with steak or chicken). There’s also a live country band every Friday and Saturday, with boot-scootin’ in the Jack Daniel’s lounge.
Gilley’s is also home to Palladium and The Loft, two music venues that have hosted Vampire Weekend, Girl Talk, Del the Funky Homosapien, and countless others.
Whenever you need to give your boots (and eardrums) a rest, roll up a smoke at the green-lit Absinthe lounge and cigar bar, check out the mixed-bag of nightly open mic performances at Opening Bell Coffee or enjoy the outdoor picnic tables and low-priced brews at Lee Harvey’s. The surrounding warehouses may make the area seem a little dicey at night, but don’t fret: The presence of a nearby Dallas Police Department precinct house keeps crime at bay.
Belmont
Even though James and Philip had their epic fight at the Belmont Hotel in Austin, the Belmont in Dallas still provides a swanky place to hang (but not fight) with friends. When you’re done working out at their on-site gym, you can sip a Belmontini while watching the skyline, grab some locavore grub at Smoke or just relax in one of their stylish suites. There are decent package deals with all kinds of amenities, including champagne, transportation to local music venues, and even an in-house tarot-card reading. James could’ve used that one!
If you want to go out on the town, take a ten-minute drive to the Dallas Art District—where you can stroll among the gardens of the Nasher Sculpture Center or the enjoy the rotating international exhibits and glass flower atrium at the Dallas Museum of Art. Or, if time is short, Oak Cliff is just five minutes away. You can catch an art-house flick at the recently restored Texas Theater (where authorities arrested Lee Harvey Oswald).
Nearby there’s also the ultra-trendy Bishop Arts District, which has a slew of art galleries, intimate eateries (like Hattie’s) and a kick-ass candy shop called Dude, Sweet that proffers confections like honey-and-lavender chocolates, vodka-lime truffles and assorted fudges and toffees. And, sweet Lord, there’s free samples of everything!
That’s it for our A-List guide to Dallas—until the show gets picked up for another season (pleasepleaseplease!)
Jasun Maark
Why would anyone care where the douchebags who cried “hate crime” go?
Unless you want to avoid them…