Restaurants

Whilst here in the increasingly captivating Dallas (_{we are somewhat -and we stress here that we had good reason for our feelings- ashamed of our less than savory opinion of this city leading up to this current trip, and would like to clear the air- we find Dallas to be a rather agreeable place, but Houston will still always hold our heart}) we have had the pleasure of dining at two delightful restaurants- both of which happen to be within a mile of each other.
As we stated in our last post, Bolsa is a charming garage-cum-restaurant along Davis St in the Bishop Arts district of Oak Cliff. We know it will be a restaurant we continue to frequent because not only was the dining itself everything dining should be (_{the food was delicious, the ambiance was casual but well arranged, we sat on the patio and there were no flies -and this we offer as a suggestion to any dining establishment with outdoor dining: invest in mosquito netting!-, the clientele was diverse and well dressed}), but we find ourself remarking on how good it was the next day or, as is now the case, two days later.
We began with The Mad Hatter- a champagne cocktail involving muddled fresh berries and some other number of delicious spirits. It is a lovely fuchsia/magenta combination of colors, with garnish of orange peel clawing it's way over the lip of the glass. Equal parts messy, classy, and whimsical- if this is what mad tastes like, we have found something to aspire to. We fairly gulped it.
To eat, there was first the bruschetta sampler, and we recommend it to anyone dining here as well. The plate features 4 varieties of the stuff- and we are pleased to report that there is something for every palate. Our favorite was the first (_{the bites of bruschetta are arranged in such a way that they encourage you to work through them, as a wine or cheese tasting, from freshest and lightest to richest})- a tomato that was just brimming with flavor and Texas-made goat cheese (_{there were other, fancier combinations on the plate, but we are a sucker for good simple flavors done well- plus we love cheese}). We also must recognize the salmon on the last offering- for while we, as a general rule, are not wild for smoked salmon, we did enjoy the lightly smoky flavor of this particular bit of fish (_{we find, so often, fish -or anything one smokes, really- to be overly smoked- so that you taste the 'smoked' part over the 'fish' -or whatever- part. we find this, at best, annoying}).

_{Louisiana Redfish at Bolsa}
For the meal, we had Redfish from Louisiana, resting on a bed of collards and surrounded by a leek nage (_{do not be afraid to admit that you are unsure about what, exactly, a nage is, as we, foodie and denizen of the world, didn't know either}). Redfish, while not the prettiest fish we have ever eaten, certainly was flavorful, and the leek nage was absolutely wonderful- delicate but with enough body to stand up to the greens and fish (_{our waitress said it was one of her favorite sauces served at the restaurant- we can see why}). The collards provided just the right amount of fresh, ever-so-slightly bitter contrast- a break from the flaky, smooth texture and flavor of fish and sauce (_{delicious though they were}). In total, we found the dish well thought out, well presented, and extremely satisfying.
After such a delicious meal (_{and bottle of wine}), we were a little sad to leave Bolsa, and looking back, it was without question the highlight of the evening (_{we did so wish that there would have been more than one restaurant to impress us, but our ill-fated experience at Craft left a very bitter taste in our mouth, by comparison}).

We had an equally charming, if entirely different, dining experience last night at BEE: Best Enchiladas Ever, about a half mile to the east of Bolsa on Davis (_{as we were on our way home from Bolsa, we passed BEE and thought 'that looks curious;' when we found out there were enchiladas involved, we knew we had to go}). Billing itself as 'the world's first enchiladeria,' BEE has been open a scant 3 months (_{we know, we asked last night}), and judging by the quality of the food we had last night, we are confident that they will be around for quite some time.
As our love of Mexican food is well documented at this point, it should come as no surprise that we will not settle for mediocre enchiladas. BEE did not disappoint. For a spectacularly reasonable $35, we bought 2 plates of enchiladas, chips, salsa, queso and margaritas (_{yes, they do serve margaritas, and while they are not the best we've had, they certainly were serviceable}). The tomatillo salsa was flavorful and mild, the queso blanco was some of the better we've had- it was not blandly melted white cheese, as is so often the case.

^Enchiladas!
And what of the enchiladas themselves? They were fantastic: we had a cheese with mole and a spinach & mushroom with poblano crema. We should explain- at BEE, one essentially builds one's own enchilada, picking the tortilla, meat, and sauce, after which they make it, and then one gets to pick garnishes- a la a number of other lesser, fast food chains. The idea is a novel one, and we find it surprising this sort of thing hasn't popped up sooner, but in any event, we are quite glad we discovered it. The truly surprising thing about BEE's food is the quality for value- nothing we ate tasted cheap, nor did any of the portions feel skimpy (_{we were especially pleased with the cheese enchilada, because often, they are flat, flaccid, sad tortillas with the barest hint of cheddar trailing through them, and we find that depressing; not so at BEE}). If we were to offer one possible improvement, we would ask for a little bit more of the sauces, as they are so delicious, and we had to be very sparing with them as we ate.
We again ate outside at BEE, and while they did not have netting for bugs (_alas), they did have the a sublime playlist of mid-century vocal jazz and bossa nova. It was cool, it was swank, perfect for the spring evening. We cannot overstate how much it added to the experience- for the second night in a row, the meal was done, but we desperately wanted an excuse to linger on in what is now the memory of a most wonderful evening.

Lodging

After the long weekend in Wisconsin (_{made that much longer by the process by which we left- a bumped flight, then two delays, then an early departure, then an almost missed and very overcrowded second flight -and we didn't even get upgraded, the cads-}), we are most pleased to report that we are currently in residence at the impossibly hip W Dallas. We've stayed at this W before, and we liked it then, but that was a whirlwind trip, with nary a chance to delight in the amenities available.
The W Dallas Victory (_{as it is offically named}) is technically in Uptown, but really we sort of think of it as a small, attractive growth on the northwest side of downtown, barnicling off of the Woodall Rogers Freeway. For reference purposes, we will just stay we're staying downtown. This affords us a rather delicious view of our surroundings, especially at night (_{and we are tres excited to see the Perot Museum of Science & Nature under way})


_{Dallas by night, 11th floor of the W}

The room is stylish, as one would expect from the W brand (_{although would it really compromise the sexiness of the room to have a fan or vent in the shower area? after a long, luxurious hot shower, we would like to be able to see ourself in the mirror}). The beds are imminently plush, with a down mattress-topper, which is a texture we aren't used to beneath the majority of our body, but when it's time for bed, we have absolutely no complaints.
We also love the W for the pet policy- as in, they are not only allowed, but welcomed. The Creatures have a pillow bed that, we fear, they seem to be growing accustomed to, as well as water and food bowls, compliments of the hotel. (_{for those of you inclined, they have a number of other services available for your four legged friends- sitting services, walking, etc. we prefer to do these things ourself}) The staff is also very pet friendly, and desk and valet attendants are eager to give love each time we go by.
What else? The gym is fabulous (_{on the 16th floor, although the cardio machines aren't facing the windows- a minor complaint}), as is the downstairs bar. GhostBar and the infinity pool (_{also both on the 16th floor}) have truly stunning views of both downtown and the northwest of the city. The list of food and beverage available via room service is exhaustive (_{but really, would anyone pay $145USD for a bottle of Absolut? we are skeptical}), as are the treatments offered at Bliss Spa (_{much less outrageously priced than the room service}).
Our only complaint comes for Craft, the Tom Colicchio-owned restaurant in the lobby. Last night after dinner at the delicious and charming Bolsa(_{which we very heartily recommend- but they don't take reservations, so go early or be prepared to wait}) and a couple of cocktails at a few other local favorite establishments, we headed to Craft for desert. We expected excellent food and superior service. What we received was good food and service that was, unfortunately, disjointed, to say the very least. Perhaps it was an off night, perhaps they were ready to be closed (_{which is fine, but if that is the case, don't agree to seat}), we are unsure. Suffice to say, we were less than impressed.
The same cannot, thankfully, be said of the hotel. We are looking forward to more stays in the future, as well as experiencing some other properties in the brand (_{Boston is the newest- perhaps Houston will get one soon?}). We don't know where will be traveling in the near future, but we do know that we will definitely be looking for a W.

Wisconsin

Since Saturday afternoon, we have had the pleasure of being in central Wisconsin. Unfortunately, the trip was made to attend a funeral, but the climate is significantly cooler than recent days in Austin (not that we are complaining, mind you- we like the warmth of Texas, but a short deviance from the norm is always welcome). As said trip involved a death in the family, we find ourself absolutely immersed in the relations of that kind. And while we enjoy most of their company most of the time, we are thrilled to have this Monday afternoon and evening all to ourself. We plan on resting and catching up on some much needed sleep, and as a result, beg your patience. Full posting will resume tomorrow.

Technology, 2nd Edition

We are pleased to announce that, in addition to our very new (_{and very pretty}) MacBook, we have acquired another piece of technology of late. The story of the iPhone named Ian and his untimely demise is a sad and sordid one, and we are loathe to bring it up again, except to put this other new technology in context.

Yes, we are finally (_{at long, long last}) in the possession of a new, functioning (_{it seems a touch superfluous to describe technologies as functioning -one would naturally assume an object to be capable of the task it is designed and marketed to perform- but, in fact, recent interaction with a variety of different technologies- in various states of functionality- proves otherwise}) smartphone device. After Ian's exit, (_{and following a very short, horrific period with no phone whatsoever- we assure you, it was as terrifying as it sounds}) we found our way to a phone that was intended to be ours for a few days, a week at best. The phone had been used very little, and appeared on first inspection, to be a sufficient, short-term stand in for the replacement smartphone to come. (_{we have connections with people with connections})

What was intended to be a few days ultimately stretched to almost three months. What first appeared to be a fully functioning (_{if unspectacular}) replacement revealed itself as highly eccentric, painfully outdated and could only be described as 'functioning' on the technicality that it had an on/off function. It was a debacle in the truest sense of the word.

Once our connection finally got the go-ahead on our replacement, we were faced with the challenge of picking a device. We were of course familiar with the iPhone 3GS, and were pleased with it's performance, but the Motorola Atrix and the HTC Inspire had both garnered a fair share of praise in recent weeks. And of course, the iPhone 4 was also available. We played with all of them, weighed the options, and are pleased to announce our newest device:


_{Meet Jackson.}

We decided that we were not quite ready to give up on the 3GS. Switching to a Droid phone would have required significantly more patience than we think appropriate, given the situation. The iPhone 4 has much the same user experience as the 3GS, and if something where to happen to this new device, we would feel particularly awful if it were a 4 (_{we would still feel bad if problems befell our Jackson, but we find this to be a matter of degrees}).

It is our fervent hope that this concludes the technological reports on Must Have This Blog. While we do like to have (_functioning) technologies, we prefer not to dwell on those things, spending the time instead on other topics we find more interesting. In that light, we are excited to announce an upcoming trip in the near future to a major American social event. More to come in the coming days...

Technology

Blogging, as with any activity, has a rather finite list of requirements. One must have some grasp on the English language (_{if, in any case, one is blogging in English}); one must have something to say; one must have at least a marginally interesting way of saying said thing (_{it could be argued that style, such as we will call it, is not an absolute requirement but that it is rather a benefit or enhancement; we are inclined to argue otherwise})

There is, however, one thing that one absolutely must have to blog and that one thing is: a computer.(_{we should clarify here- a working computer}) (_{it may also be worth noting that an internet connection is also imperative to blogging, but one can find internet signals practically everywhere- most cities are positively strewn with them}) And it was this most precious and most imperative item that we found ourselves- most suddenly, we offer- without almost two months ago.

Needless to say, we were distraught. Aside from the impossibility of blogging, we were without music, email, word processing, Sim City(_{this is what our life looked like sans computer}), et al. The list of functions we were not capable of performing was endless. We felt, perhaps, there was no use continuing to attempt to live amongst the rest of civilized society. We, technology-less and distraught, would do better taking up residence in a remote cave or under a bridge somewhere.

Fortunately, we did not resign ourselves to a cave or bridge. We did what any good and upstanding American would do- we filled our taxes and then immediately spent the return on a new computer.


_{Essential to blogging. And life.}

We decided on the eminently stylish MacBook. Our previous computer (_{may it rest in peace}) was also an Apple, and we were very happy with the seven years of use we managed out of it. We feel confident that not only will this one last even longer (_{especially since we plan to be extra careful with glasses of wine which may be in close proximity, as that proved to be the first in a series of blows that ultimately lead to old computer's demise}), but that it will allow us to continue this blog, which we hope will continue with a similar lifespan.