Weekend Getaway: Lone Star State

Last Updated on July 10, 2015 by Karen

Greetings everyone, I hope your weekend was everything you wanted it to be! This past weekend, we headed southwest to the Lone Star State to attend James’ cousin’s wedding. Friday morning, we made a bee line to the airport and arrived in Dallas almost an hour early just in time for lunch.

Upon arriving, we swooped up a rental car and got down to business, meaning, we headed straight for some Texas barbecue! The only time I had been to Texas was during a stopover at DFW on my way to Peru, and I made sure to try out any BBQ I could get my hands on at the airport (I tried Salt Lick BBQ and it was outstanding!) . This time though, I get to leave the airport so there are so many more options. We settled on Slow Bone, a no-frill smokehouse in Dallas. This lunch-only barbecue joint opens at 11am every day and close when they run out of food, so getting there early is key!

When you walk in, you pick the meats and sides at the cafeteria-style counter (they are served in old-school cafeteria trays too), pay for your food, and then choose from an assortment of sauces and pickles at the condiment bar to go with your meal. I highly recommend the housemade sriracha!

Everything on my plate was so delicious – I don’t know if I enjoyed the smoked meats more, or the fried okra, or the creamy jalapeno mac and cheese. You really can’t go wrong with anything your order at Slow Bone, but you CAN go wrong if you don’t try their chopped brisket. The brisket is moist, flavorful, and slow smoked to perfection!

They also have two types of sausages: Old Timer and Smoked Cilantro. We tried both and while James liked the Smoked Cilantro more, the spicy Old Timer was my favorite. The sausage meat is on the leaner side, but tender nevertheless and perfect for dipping into the tangy BBQ sauce.

After lunch, we made our way to Nasher Sculpture Center which was on top of my to-do list. Nasher houses one of the best collections of modern and contemporary sculpture in the world, and on special exhibit during our visit was Melvin Edwards: Five Decades, a collection of contemporary welded sculptures by the renowned American sculptor. Edwards is known for his Lynch Fragments, a series of small-scale pieces made from welded steel to which he incorporated objects like hammer, chains, and locks, but he also made mid-size pieces like this one.

In the gallery downstairs were several interesting barbed wire sculptures that cascade from the ceiling.

The permanent collection also includes pieces by Matisse, Gauguin, and Picasso. Alberto Giacometti’s Spoon Woman, an abstract piece that combines the curves of human body and the geometry of Cubism, caught my eye and left a lasting impression.

After looking at the sculptures in the gallery, we went outside to wander in the beautiful outdoor sculpture garden. From what I read on the Center’s website, fun events like live concerts, film screenings, and craft beer tastings are held in the garden during the warmer months. I think that would be a great way to spend a Friday night!

Thankfully, the weather was perfect while we were there. There was plenty of sun plus a nice cool breeze, which I hadn’t felt in a long time! Not to be missed is Nasher Cafe by Wolfgang Puck, which has both indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the garden. The lunch menu features seasonal sandwiches, salads and soups, but we just ordered coffee since we had a filling barbecue lunch.

The pieces outside are all large scale sculptures, like this Head of a Woman by Picasso.

I had an artistic moment ;)

After spending some time in Nasher, it was almost rush hour and we heard traffic was going to be horrific, so we hit the open road and headed to the hotel in Denton for the Meet and Greet in the evening. Grazing cattle and horses dotted the landscape on our way there. Living in the city, we don’t get to see this very often. It’s quite a treat to be able to see so far ahead and so much open space!

The next morning, we had a true Texan breakfast at Oldwest Café, which is no secret to the locals – there was a line literally out the door when we got there. It’s worth the wait though.

If breakfast/brunch is your favorite meal of the day and you aren’t counting calories, this is the place for you! I ordered the sausage and biscuit with a creamy gravy on top and two poached eggs on the side.

Guess what I spotted? Jalapeno ketchup?! It definitely has a kick, but not too spicy. I just wished I had a big plate of fries for dipping!

I also stole a few bites of the Train Robber James ordered, which is a giant breakfast burrito loaded with eggs, hash browns, sausages, and basically all breakfast things that are good and good for your soul :) Oh, and the burrito is topped with a queso sauce that is perhaps the most wickedly delicious thing on the plate.

Portions are more than generous so whatever you decide to order will satisfy the heartiest of appetite. It kept me full all day long!

In the evening, the ceremony and reception were held at a venue not too far from the hotel. The decor was minimalist but with lots of bright, bold colors.

It was a beautiful ceremony on a beautiful day!

Did I mention it’s in the 60s here? I hardly needed a jacket :)

Lindsay and Spenser also did a great job adding personal touches to the space.

These glasses were sitting on the table as a favor for each guest. Such a cute touch!

I was too busy eating and forgot to take pictures of the food catered by Blue Mesa Grill. My favorite thing on the plate was a creamy, spiced sweet corn that reminded me of the Mexican elote I make, but smokier. Definitely want to add it to my list of recipes to try to recreate soon.

They had a cake (of a farm with goats and a fish leaping out of a pond!) to cut but also had a glazed doughnut tower. Oh, and they’re yeast doughnuts = the best kind.

Here’s one with the lovely couple under the saber arch.

The rest of the night we ate, drank, danced, and drank some more – as it should be!

Sunday morning, before we hit the road and headed to the airport, we made a final stop at Rooster’s Roadhouse for brunch. We got there just in the nick of time, and few minutes after we ordered, the restaurant was quickly filled up with diners.

After a round of fried pickles, James and I shared a two-meat platter with sliced brisket and pulled pork. The brisket was definitely not as moist as the ones from Slow Bone, but the spiked mimosa (they add a shot of Grand Marnier) more than made up for it.