A Weekend in Dallas

To celebrate Dallas Design Week 2023 - where Cabana will be popping up - global nomad and Texas resident, Elizabeth de Montfort Walker, shares her insider travel tips for an art and antique-filled weekend in the glamorous Texan city.

BY ELIZABETH DE MONTFORT WALKER | SEPTEMBER 2023

Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek © Rosewood Hotels

Where to Stay

Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek: A Dallas landmark, and a celebrated Texan icon, this sumptuous, Mediterranean-style hotel - built in the 1920s - was once a private, palatial estate. Its well-connected, well-travelled owners played host to the great and good of American society, including US presidents, and embarked on grand tours, filling their mansion with antiques and treasures from their European travels. This illustrious history and global sensibility is reflected throughout the 142-room property and its beautifully landscaped gardens and public spaces. Cabana Editors.

Where to Shop

Highland Park Village: Since its opening in 1931, Highland Park Village continues to be the most beautiful shopping center in America. With its Spanish and Mediterranean ornamentation, immaculately maintained landscaping and attractive red and black brick parking lot, the village creates a picturesque backdrop for the city's top luxury brands, stylish local boutiques and wonderful restaurants. 

Canary: Merry Vose has a great eye for women’s fashion. Her boutique, Canary carries a colorful edit of European labels that will delight even the most savvy dresser. Don’t miss Canary’s sister boutiques Cabana, focused on American labels, and Clover specializing in younger styles. 

Vintage Martini: A time capsule of Dallas’ best dressed women, this boutique is thoughtfully arranged by decade and offers a wide range of pieces from their museum quality archive to contemporary couture. The shop regularly finds matchbooks, ticket stubs and other mementos of days gone by among their collections. What else would you expect from the city that brought the world Neiman Marcus?

Design District: Filled with shops, workrooms and warehouses, the Design District is every designer and design enthusiast’s dream. As a weekend will not suffice, let me suggest a few highlights: Nick Brock Antiques is a treasure hunter’s paradise. Their new 10,000 square foot space has something for everyone, at every price point. Ann Kellogg Schooler went to school in Paris in her 20s and her heart never left. Her shop, Wolf Hall Antiques, offers a discerning array of furniture sourced from Europe and Argentina. Walk inside Lamp Shoppe Dallas and enter Melissa Woody’s luminous world. Woody has lamps and shades ready-to-go, or for the most discerning shopper, the on-site workroom specializes in fine handmade shades and wiring for custom lamps. 

Beretta Gallery: One of only two locations in the US, Beretta Gallery is a sportsman’s paradise, selling everything from firearms to a full a range of performance and dress clothing, all with a dash of Italian sprezzatura.

Ellis Hill: Behind their salmon colored doors and striped awning, Ellis Hill offers a thoughtful selection of paper goods, leather goods, table top and bedding. Kerri Davis and Margretta Henderson carry a thoughtfully selected range of lines, many of which can be customized to the client.

Kane & Co: Should you find yourself in town and needing 'thank you' flowers or help with an event, Kane & Co is your go-to source. Margaret Kane Ryder and her staff specialize in luscious arrangements made with the freshest of flowers.

Lampe Shoppe Dallas  © Elizabeth de Montfort Walker 

Where to Eat

Sadelle’s: If you crossed a Viennese coffee house with a New York deli and added a swirl of color you’d get Sadelle’s. The sunny restaurant offers all day dining and is the ideal place for breakfast or brunch. Oh, and the bagels are absolutely worth it.

Nonna: Ask four people where to go for Italian in Dallas, and three will mention Nonna. The neighborhood restaurant specializes in regional Italian dishes with a dusting of Texas. It's truly all about the food from the house made pastas to the wood fired pizzas.

Slow Bone Barbecue: When in Texas… Slow Bone Barbecue is the real deal for a delicious slice of brisket (choose between fatty or lean) and sides. Be prepared to line up, make your order and eat from a tray in this no frills establishment. 

Sachet: Mediterranean-inspired Sachet has a lovely dining room and offers a range of lunch and dinner options. Don't miss the Spanish Gin with their house-made tonic.

Details, Meadows Museum  © Elizabeth de Montfort Walker 

What to See & Do

Museums & Galleries 

The Renzo Piano-designed Nasher Sculpture Center is one of the city’s true gems. Spend a restorative hour meandering through the verdant garden and taking in the galleries. Make an afternoon of it and visit the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts and the Crow Museum of Asian Art directly across the street. 

Nicknamed “Prado on the Prairie,” the Meadows Museum is focused on the arts and culture of Spain. Located on Southern Methodist University’s campus, this focused collection makes for a quick but fascinating addition to your day. Don’t miss Santiago Calatrava’s mesmerizing Wave sculpture. Further afield in Fort Worth, the Kimbell Art Museum boasts a formidable collection that is well worth a visit.

Parks & Walks

Go for a walk in the Park Cities and enjoy some of the most beautiful neighborhoods and homes in America. When the town of Highland Park was conceived in 1906, 20% of the land was set aside for parks. Catch a glimpse of the beautiful homes, from colonial to modern, that sit within a resplendent backdrop of manicured hedges and lawns.

The 3.5 mile Katy Trail cuts right through the city on what used to be an abandoned railroad track. The shaded trail offers paths for those on foot as well as those on wheels. A lovely way to spend an afternoon. 

Nasher Sculpture Center © Elizabeth de Montfort Walker

CONTRIBUTORS

Elizabeth de Montfort Walker is a Texas-based writer and design lover | Follow Elizabeth on Instagram: @elizabethdemontfortwalker 

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