By following the link you can view the menu and more detailed directions--it can be a little tricky the first time. The plus side: there is only valet, so no need to worry about parking. Dakota's is located in downtown Dallas, 600 N. Akard St, Dallas, TX 75201. Anyone having trouble locating the restaurant should call (214) 740-4001--they're used to it. The only thing you'll see on the street is the elevator entrance (complete with signage, of course!) and valet awning. Once on the sidewalk, the above photo is your view. After someone takes your keys, you'll descend the elevator to a dark underground restaurant where you couldn't find better aged steaks and wines.

The underground location is due to the real estate belonging to a church. A clause in the deed would have prevented them from selling alcohol on former church grounds. So they simply put the restaurant underground and cleverly bypassed the problem. What you have now is a real treat--a wonderful secret and a great place to show your friends if they've never been before. You can also sit outside, weather permitting, by the decadent waterfall.

Dakota's is always running specials (3 course lunch and dinners), Saturday night live music sessions, and an incredible wine selection. Everything on the menu is savory, but the USDA prime steaks (dry aged for four weeks) are the real star. I can never stop ordering the filet mignon with--here's the best part--a side of truffle butter sauce. It's $3 extra, but they are severely undercharging for what is one of the most succulent things I've ever tasted.

It's a very nice night out--dinner for two (including a bottle of wine) will certainly run close to $100, depending on appetizers and just how crazy you want to be. However, it's easily competitive in price to all the other great steakhouses in town, and you get so much more here. If you're looking for sawdust floors, keep looking. If it's quality and class you seek, look no further. Reservations strongly recommended!

The theatre has nine screens, all equipped with Dolby Digital and very comfy seating. Like all their other locations, this is dinner and drinks (full service bar!) with your movie. After buying your ticket, you're given a large menu and a low-light signal for your server to know when you'd like something more. To see the theatre in action, go to www.studiomoviegrill.com and click on "How It Works." Your food is usually delivered before the start of the feature and your check is dropped off about a half-hour before the end. The menu is extensive; the appetizers (especially the queso) are delicious and the desserts are hard to skip. The prices are moderate, but considering what you get for your dollar, it's money well spent.

This theatre has a great personality--the servers are fun and the movie trivia is not your standard fare. The exact address is 225 Merchants Row, Arlington, TX 76018, (though they have a map on the theatre's website--apparently MapQuest gets it wrong). The number is 817-466-3429. With nine screens and an obvious devotion to quality both in their film presentation (quite rare these days) and the personal service, this is a highly recommended fun night out.

The inside is decked out with Christmas lights (excessivesly, and yes, it's year-round) left over from a Christmas lights competition years ago. The lights illuminate a restaurant full of antiques, Texas-themed decorating, various odds and ends (how about giant electric palm trees?), and a decent-sized electric train that makes its way around the entire restaurant. What could almost be tacky kitsch is pulled off beautifully. Campo Verde has an amazing atmosphere and lends itself to parties, families, or even a romantic (fun) evening.

The food stands up the challenge of being as good as the setting. Standard fare brought to your table includes chips (seasoned!), salsa, *and* queso. And, as a little hint, if you ask for tortillas, they'll bring those, too (highly recommended for queso-dipping). This place has an incredible happy hour, but even when it's regular price, the tasty margaritas are highly affordable--as is the rest of the alcohol. The appetizers are worth it--watch out for the nachos: a half order is 3, the regular is 6, but there's a reason for that. They're huge. The entrees are plentiful and delicious (over ten combo platters and heaping helpings at that); there are even some obscure tastes (for a slightly heftier price tag) at your finger tips. (Would you like to try elk or rattlesnake? The time of year may be important, though--the last time I tried to order rattlesnake they were out. I guess it wasn't their season). But for the most part, depending on how much you order, you could get out for anywhere from $10--20 per person. Two people usually bring in a tab under $30.

Overall, the very unique atmosphere is worth the trip, but the bonus of the food being filling, satisfying and affordable is more than enough reason to go back again and again. Campo Verde has been in Arlington for over twenty years and is an essential staple of the city. If you bring a large group, call 817-275-7003 for reservations. Needless to say, it's a busy place.

 

 The Dallas Cowboys are moving to Arlington, TX in 2009. This means the boys from Dallas will technically be closer to Fort Worth than Dallas. The next few posts will be dedicated to cool things you can do in Arlington.

 How about a visit to the largest planetarium in Texas? At the University of Texas at Arlington you can catch a fun, but educational show.  During Feb. you can take your honey to a special show called "Romancing the Stars".  It's a special adults only show celebrating the constellations of love.  Check it out!

When on vacation, visiting relatives, or just hanging out in Downtown, one would think the Library would be the last place you would want to go. Unfortunately this person would be very wrong. Anytime I am in Fort Worth I make it a point to stop in for a drink at The Library. Located on 611 Houston St., this bar is conveniently located in the center of it all.

Two things that drive me up the wall are not being able to walk through the place and high drink prices. The layout of the bar spreads the crowd and cuts down on long waits. Every night of the week offers a drink special. Check it out!!

http://www.librarybars.com/fortworth/

 A few months ago my friend, Amy, took me to the legendary Joe T. Garcia's Restaurant in Fort Worth. The restaurant relies mainly on word of mouth for adverstiment so unless you are a native to DFW then you may never have heard of Joe T's.

 Joe T. Garcia's has been a popular eatery since 1935 when the Garcias opened their home to customers. Since then the house has been expanded to accomadate more customers, but Garcia's hasn't lost it's homey charm. In fact, there is no menu. You can have either enchiladas or fajitas, but don't worry because at Garcia's you will not go hungry. Everything is served family style, and one meal could feed two people. Garcia's also serves breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays. Even better than the food is the ambience. The garden area is so beautiful that people actually rent out the restaurant to have their weddings! So if the weather is agreeable, I highly reccomend having lunch on the patio.