coffee shops

• the wild detectives: also a wine bar and bookstore + you can get whiskey
• mudsmith: go to the back room if you want to study, try to ignore the stuffed animal heads//need to go back and try the kombocha on tap
• oak lawn: so much natural light & the iced brew is very floral
• ascension coffee: a bit pricy for a pot of tea, but they have art on the walls that's for sale, and seating is comfortable. a couple-y/date type place, esp. towards evening
• the pearl cup: very small, but well-lit
• buzzbrews @ lemmon: has breakfast food all the time, and is also a bar, so it's difficult to pin down//tuesday 8-12 there's a classical open mic night & it is glorious
• university of dallas capp bar best espresso I've had in the state, and for a mere 50 cents per shot. many of the baristas have their own recipes they'll make for you if you ask. my usual is a double shot on ice (sometimes hazelnut grounds, sometimes not) + a ham & cheese croissant. the "poor man's" cappuccino is asking for a cup of hot water and adding the free honey to it. (saving seniors from table-gnawing times since the 80s...)

restaurants

• cosmic cafe: awesome, funky atmosphere, decorated by someone with a st. louis city museum-esque imagination. try: the tomato soup, rumi's falafel (+ everything's vegetarian)
• cavalli pizza: BYOB/no corking fee, and great pizza. tastes like the pizza we'd get in Rome. need to go back to try the Maria pizza.
• village burger bar: truffle fries + cheap margaritas on Fridays
• torchy's tacos: I know this is an Austin staple// serves Peticolas' Velvet Hammer in Dallas, though!
• the flying fish is the funkiest fish fry that goes all week long in ft. worth
• blue goose cantina a chain, but good $4 margs on some afternoons
• keller's sketchy, and only employs middle-aged women who look at you suspiciously when you ask for a corona. every burger comes covered in poppy seeds, and the fries are out of this world. cash only.
• la palaterra makes fresh fruit juices, but I always get fresas con crema and mexican marzipans.
• la hechisera authentic Mexican food
• trinity hall pub has a killer monte cristo sandwich
• keller's is divey drive in food at its finest. poppyseed buns, coronas, and the best fries. bring cash.

bars

• barcadia has Pacman, pinball machines, and giant, glorious, precarious Jenga; interesting crowd as well
• the dubliner on Greenville, small venue that serves really good sandwiches (ask for potato salad!) and has a decent happy hour. favorite spot to watch soccer games
• the londoner I watched El Clasico here and it was insane; the grilled cheese is good if you want to sit but not pay for a drink

attractions

• dallas world aquarium: very well-laid out. highlights include tons of birds, the otters, a shark tank you walk through, bioluminescent sea critters, fish tanks by regions of the world...
• dallas symphony orchestra: student tickets are dirt cheap if you sign up for the emailing list, and you can get seats right behind the orchestra, and really see everything; no acoustic value is lost
• lula b's ant
• CLOSED PERMANENTLY 135 antiques on Story Lane in Irving, has a bunch of antique sellers; fun to wander around in, and the prices are very reasonable in many of the booths. I got a lot of the furniture for my first apartment here
• kimbell art museum WOW this has a great collection. not overwhelming like the DMA, and they have stools you can grab (ask a docent, they'll direct you) to sit and sketch. free!

misc

• Takis: best spicy corn chips on the planet, can be found at PDK Foods, where you can also catch up on all the local gossip from the owner, Raj
• find a fresh rosemary bush (it grows wild)
• Shiner Cheer a beer flavored with pecans & peaches (regular Shiner is the drink of choice around here, as well)
• Peticolas Velvet Hammer is my favorite local brew
• Central Market is a wonderland and it has chocolate covered graham crackers

to do

• bonnie parker's grave
• daddy-o's tango frogs
• bronze hand castings at baylor hospital
• sixth floor museum
• trinity river audubon ctr (check website for free day)