by RACHEL HAHN
video by MIKA ALTSKAN AND MATVEY FIKS
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Dallas Rediscovered:
A Curated Weekend Guide
to the City
Sarah Tucker treats herself to great food,
boutique shopping, and a special trip down memory lane
In Dallas in 2009, Sarah Tucker’s life changed forever. The then University of Mississippi grad student—now a digital content creator based in Palmetto, Florida—was invited by her boyfriend, JB, a baseball player for the Grand Prairie, Texas AirHogs, to the city for a visit.
“He took me to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, and I knew something was going on,” she recalls. JB was acting nervous when suddenly, among a sea of tulips, he got down on one knee. “Some passersby got photos on their cellphones,” she says. “Then we celebrated at the Ritz with friends.”
Fourteen years and two kids later, Sarah is back in her engagement city, but this time she’s seeing it on her own in partnership with Garden & Gun. JB is at home with their boys, allowing Sarah a special solo retreat. And while she misses her family, she confesses that returning to one of her favorite Southern cities alone has its perks: late wake-up calls, blissfully solitary suppers, and sustained shopping outings. Not to mention the fact that Dallas has an infectious energy. “This city is always changing, and it’s so big and so vibrant,” Sarah says.
Where to begin? Of course, Sarah says the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is a must-see for everyone. “It’s a world-class garden that feels on par with some of the most beautifully landscaped spaces in Europe,” she says. “If I lived in Dallas, I’d be there all the time just to exercise or to bring my boys.” The sixty-six-acre outdoor space is a manicured haven of flowers, including some three thousand azaleas. Beautiful any time of year, it’s especially idyllic in early summer during the Cool Thursdays Concert Series. Once a week through June 29, the Arboretum hosts a different band by White Rock Lake, and visitors are allowed to pack picnics to enjoy the performances by sunset.
When Sarah used to visit JB in between his games, food was always high on the priority list. “There’s just so much great food in Dallas,” she says. On this trip, she ventures to local barbecue institution Lockhart Smokehouse, operated by Jill Grobowsky Bergus, granddaughter of Edgar “Papa”' Schmidt, the owner of the legendary Kreuz Market. People visit from all around to try Lockhart’s array of meats, but Sarah opts for the Texas Trinity—brisket, pork ribs, and homemade sausage—with a Bloody Mary, corn on the cob, and a slice of cobbler for dessert. “That Bloody Mary with a brisket garnish was like a meal in itself,” she says.
Lockhart Smokehouse sits in the middle of the charming Bishop Arts District, home to a collection of eclectic boutiques and independent restaurants. While Dallas has no shortage of luxury shopping spots like Highland Park Village, the city’s premier retail space and a designer label hub, Sarah says the Bishop Arts District offers a neighborhood experience filled with locally owned brands. “I bought my mom darling earrings at All Good Things and loved visiting Spinster, the record store.” At Poet’s Oak Cliff Bookshop, she was tempted to buy an original poem and says those who appreciate a funkier marketplace shouldn’t miss it.
Sun-kissed from her morning Arboretum walk and refreshed after a night in the opulent Rosewood, she’s left with one important bucket list item to check off: sipping the city’s signature thirst quencher. Not only is Dallas the birthplace of the margarita machine, it's also home to the Margarita Mile, a self-guided tour that directs you to twenty-six of the best margarita bars and restaurants in the city. (Visitors can log each destination for a chance to earn prizes along the way.) One of those restaurants is Las Palmas, where Sarah heads. The two-story spot offers a classic interpretation of the margarita (Sarah’s preference) as well as new takes like a sangria margarita. As for the food, well, save room. “My fajitas were so good, and I’m still dreaming about their queso.” Sarah says. “I took a picture of it so I can try to re-create it at home.”
Bishop Arts is also a short drive from Sarah’s home base at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. Centrally located in Uptown Dallas, the resort—tucked in a small forest of trees—was designed to feel a world away. “It’s truly an oasis in the heart of the city,” Sarah says. The luxury hotel was originally built by cotton mogul Sheppard W. King as a Spanish Revival private estate in the 1920s. Even with extensive renovations, its ambiance reflects its original owner’s internationally influenced taste with European antiques, ornate decor, and old-world hospitality at every turn.
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DIY queso success or not, Sarah says she’ll be back to Dallas soon. “I haven’t traveled alone since 2019, and this trip reminded me how every year for Mother’s Day my dad would give my mom a hotel stay to relax away from her four children,” she says. “I feel like I got to live her dream in Dallas, and I can’t wait to come back, either on a romantic return with my husband or a family adventure with my boys. There’s so much to see and do here—a visit to Dallas allows you to have any trip you want.”
DIY queso success or not, Sarah says she’ll be back to Dallas soon. “I haven’t traveled alone since 2019, and this trip reminded me how every year for Mother’s Day my dad would give my mom a hotel stay to relax away from her four children,” she says. “I feel like I got to live her dream in Dallas, and I can’t wait to come back, either on a romantic return with my husband or a family adventure with my boys. There’s so much to see and do here—a visit to Dallas allows you to have any trip you want.”
