A Quick Weekend Trip To Dallas

I grew up in in the suburbs of Dallas, but I left for college in Chicago when I was 18. Although I spent my childhood in the DFW metroplex, I don’t really know it. It’s hard to explore a city when you a) can’t drive, b) don’t have money, and c) aren’t 21, and d) are studying for the SAT on the weekends. (Oh, high school….I REALLY don’t miss ya!)

I visited my little sister, Kylee, who is probably going to be the next Brené Brown. No lie…this girl is a social worker, and she is the gem of all gems. She has a heart of gold, and I love spending time with her. (And I’d be willing to bet that you’ll see her name on a book at Barnes and Noble sometime in this lifetime…)

Here’s a quick recap of my weekend trip to Dallas!

The drive from Austin to Dallas is either 3.5 hours….or 8 hours. Haha! Do you know what I mean? The traffic is often INSANE, so I’ve learned to always wear comfy clothes (just in case I’m in the car FOREVER),  bring plenty of water, and download an audiobook. (Psst did you catch my August Reads post? One of the four books I read last month was an audiobook from my drive to Dallas.) Not pictured: the bag of Swedish Fish I devoured.

Friday night happy hour! We walked from Kylee’s apartment to Victor Tango’s for cocktails and these lovely Ahi Tuna Nachos. After that, we walked across the street to Sissy’s Southern Kitchen for more food + drinks.

One of the first things Kylee asked me upon arrival: “What’s the dress code at the restaurants tonight?” To which I responded: “Uh…..?” Haha! Austin and Dallas are geographically close, but they’re totally different cities. I never even consider dressing up to go to happy hour in Austin. It’s just a casual city! But in Dallas, every girl was wearing heels and had her hair and makeup perfectly done. I was all, “I just finished a 4-hour road trip and I’m gonna wear my Birkenstocks..”

We walked + talked on Saturday morning for three miles on Katy Trail. This is one of my favorite things to do, especially when I’m on a “vacation.” I love weekend workouts, but I also want to feel like I’m getting a break from normal life, so a walk is the perfect in-between.

Post-workout: pour overs from Houndstooth (and a donut for me!).

{Not pictured:} about 18 episodes of Friends. My happy place is drinking coffee on the couch while it’s raining outside, snuggled up in sweatpants, watching Friends with my BFF. I can’t think of a happier place!

Lunch at a Dallas staple: Breadwinner’s Cafe. Breakfast is served all day, but for once in my life I was more in the mood for a melty sandwich and sweet potato fries than brunch food. I think it was the dreary, rainy weather; I just needed to get some melty cheese on a hearty sandwich. Yum.

One of my favorite things about this place is that they bring a little plate with an assortment of sweet breads when you sit down. One bite of gingerbread, and I was ready for autumn! Can it be Thanksgiving now?

I made a quick afternoon stop at Wild About Harry’s for some frozen custard. Yum! This is a little place on Henderson that’s been around since the 90’s.

Top Knot, Uchi’s upstairs concept, was recommended to me as a good place to get cocktails. It’s a bright, Asian-inspired restaurant with a big patio and a long bar filling up the width of the restaurant. We went during the 5-6:30 pm happy hour (I mean…you know how much a I love a good happy hour!) to enjoy their $5 drinks and $5 plates. We ventured from the happy hour menu just a little to try some other items, and I was impressed with everything we tried.

Saturday night: more fun and drinks at Henry’s Majestic, a rustic neighborhood bar and restaurant.

On Sunday morning, Ky and I had one of our favorite sister dates: coffee shop + pastries + books + vacation planning! (We’re working on a couple fun trips for next summer, and ooooh I’m so excited!). We went to Mudsmith, a popular coffee shop that also serves beer, wine, sandwiches, and other snacks. The quality of coffee is certainly not what you’ll find at Houndstooth, but the vibe is fun, and it’s a nice place to hunker down in the rain and read a book with a friend.

There you go! A bunch of food and a bunch of episodes of Friends. That’s how we weekend! Ok, so in truth, we had a lot more things planned. But with Hurricane Harvey rolling in, we were pretty glued to the news, keeping an eye on everything happening down in Houston. I’m horrified by how awful things have gotten there, and I can hardly believe it’s just a few hours south of Austin, where everything is bright and sunny.

Austinites: I love this article that Eater Austin published with all the restaurants that are donating to Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts. if you’re already planning on eating out today, try to make it to one of these restaurants. Eat for a good cause, I say!

XO, Kelsey

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