The Big D

I just spent the last two nights in Dallas for the last leg of the Victoria's Secret Very Sexy Tour and it's been pretty fun messing with Texas.  The last time I was in Dallas was my freshman year of college when my roommate and I roadtripped from Boulder to Padre Island.  Oh yes.....that happened...and it was awesome, but I digress.    As this work trip came along nine years later (time really flies when you're having fun), my experience was obviously very different as this one didn't involve a fake ID and me spending my Dad's money.  The coolest thing about this trip was that one of my very best friends was also randomly in town for work so I had a nighttime drinking buddy.  

First of all, let me just say that Dallas is a bit of an odd bird.  Apparently not a lot of people go out during the week so cruising around Deep Ellum at 10PM on a Wednesday found us with a whole lot of nothing to do.  Before we left the hotel I googled "hot guys, "downtown Dallas," "good food" and the World Wide Web sent us at this funky Ace-Hotel-esque restaurant with no sign above the door called The Cedars Social.  Nice work internet, you did me proud.

Had this bar been a little busier (or pardon me Dallas) had it not been a school night, I would have stayed there all evening.  The Cedars Social fancies itself a "cocktail den" as they create all of these funky, experimental cocktails served in retro glassware with things like springs of rosemary and strawberries sticking out of the drinks.  Still not sure why the cocktail den "doesn't do dirty martinis," as our server haughtily informed me, because if you ask me, that's just an affront against God and not very nice.  Haha.

The real standout of this place is the food though - it is AMAZING.  Our table just shared a ton of small plates and the rock shrimp two ways (flash fried and ceviche), calamari, deviled eggs, and salmon tartare were beyond delicious.  If you are looking for something quality, retro and a little funky I highly recommend that you swing by the next time you're in the Lone Star state.