Visit Dallas: Cane Rosso

While in Dallas, a friend's husband suggested we go to Cane Rosso.  Cane Rosso is a Texas pizza chain that started out in mobile food service.  

We went to the Deep Ellum location and ordered take-out.

Cheesy Garlic Bread

The Cheesy Garlic Bread was just as cheesy and garlicky as one would expect.  Very delish!

Jabroni

The Jaborni pizza was topped with pepperoni, tomato sauce, house mozzarella, and pesto.  The pizza crust had a really nice char, and all of the toppings combined for a very great pizza.  I especially loved the drizzle of pesto throughout.

Maybe next time we'll have time to dine in!

Cane Rosso
2612 Commerce St

Dallas, TX 75226

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Visit Texas: Meow Wolf - Grapevine

On our last day in Texas, we didn't have any plans. I Googled family-friendly attractions in the area, and found Meow Wolf - Grapevine, The Real Unreal. They have locations in several states, and the best way for me to describe Meow Wolf is a mysterious, chaotic, hypnotic mystery adventure.

Essentially, there is a story at the heart of the attractions (each location has a different story). At the Grapevine location, the story centers around a boy named Jared who goes missing. You can read more of the backstory here (be careful, there are spoilers), but essentially, you arrive at the home where Jared was living at, but it really is a psychedlic, funky, out-of-this-world portal into a land based on Jared's imagination.

Throughout the home there are all sorts of clues, videos, drawings, and more to help you possibly find Jared.  

You'll come across secret passageways, hidden rooms, and more, as you walk, crawl, and slide through the home.

All sorts of creatures and objects from Jared's imagination come to life, and it's up to you to figure out what these things mean.

There were a lot of people the day we went, even with booking the first time slot of the day, which added to the chaos. I read that some people spend hours and hours there, and even go back repeatedly to find all the clues and to ultimately find Jared.

Because of the number of people there, it was easy to just follow or hear what others had found, so the number of surprises were minimal, but it was still fun to explore rooms with dead ends, open up drawers and closets to find hidden rooms, and slide down a washing machine!

There was even an arcade full of very unique games!  

If it wasn't so crowded, I would've taken my time to learn more of the story and search for more clues, but it was fun exploring all the mysterious twists and turns!

I was very impressed with the creativity of the artists behind Meow Wolf.

As for finding Jared - we didn't knowingly find Jared, but after reading through some forums and looking back through some photos and video of our time at Meow Wolf, we did unknowingly find Jared!

Meow Wolf
Grapevine Mills
3000 Grapevine Mills Pkwy Suite 253

Grapevine, TX 76051

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Visit Texas: Riscky's Barbecue

While visiting the Stockyards, we had lunch at Riscky's Barbecue.

Brisket Bites

The Brisket Bites were battered, deep fried balls of Riscky's "famous smoked prime brisket."  I thought this was just okay - the meat seem kind of chewy in some parts I bit into.

However, I did enjoy the Texas Sized Sampler, which was indeed Texas-sized!

Texas Sized Sampler

It included deep fried onion strings, fried pickles, jalapeno cheese curds, fried corn nuggets, and blazing buffalo chicken tenders.  The fried pickles and fried corn nuggets were my fave items on the platter.  I ordered this platter as my meal to share knowing I would share with everyone, and even though everyone indulged in the sampler - there were still lots of leftover bites.  

Chopped Brisket Sandwich

Maverick Burger

Prime Brisket Sandwich

Riscky's Barbecue is a huge restaurant (with a tiny restroom), seating guests both indoors and out.

It was really crowded and there was a small line to get a table, but people were constantly going in and out so the wait wasn't very long.  

Service was really great, and Riscky's Barbecue was an ideal spot for lunch in the Stockyards!

Riscky's Barbecue
140 E Exchange Ave #101

Fort Worth, TX 76164

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Visit Fort Worth: Stockyards

The Fort Worth Stockyards is a National Historical District where you can get immersed in Western life.

There is a twice daily cattle drive that we did not get to see since we got there after the morning session (and we didn't want to stay til the afternoon one), but you can still see the longhorn cattle at the longhorn pen.

There are also longhorns throughout the streets for photo ops (for a fee).

There are numerous restaurants, shops for Western wear and souvenirs, and event spaces where you can watch rodeos, bull-fighting, and more.

There are plenty of paid parking areas so it wasn't difficult to find a spot so you can walk along the main road.

Stockyards was a fun place to visit to get a taste of Western life!

Fort Worth Stockyards

131 E Exchange Ave

Fort Worth, TX 76164

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Visit Dallas: The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza was somewhere my husband wanted to visit while in Dallas, and I'm so glad we went, because it was so intriguing!

I admit - when it comes to the events surrounding John F. Kennedy's assassination, I knew just the basic timeline, but The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza really went into detail about what happened on November 22, 1963, as well as the events leading up to that fateful day.

The Sixth Floor Museum is the former Texas Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald worked, and it is where a "sniper's perch" and rifle were found after JFK's assassination. 

The archival video footage and photos really offered immense details of this tragic day. 

Coming upon the enclosed "sniper's perch" was quite eerie.  

What I found most interesting was the conspiracy theories (that continue to this day), as well as the extensive research and re-enactments that were done (and continue to be done) that made this infamous event so controversial.

It's a small museum, but the exhibits really take you back in time, giving you a minute-by-minute, even second-by-second, glimpse of how elation turned quickly into horror and then sorrow.     

New information and artifacts are continually reviewed in this historic case.  We may never know the truth as to how things really happened and why, but The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza presents information for visitors to peruse, and perhaps come up with their own conclusions.  

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
411 Elm St

Dallas, TX 75202

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Visit Dallas: Ellen's

My favorite meal in Dallas was at Ellen's. This very popular brunch spot was packed on a Saturday, but it didn't take long before we got buzzed for a table.

Mushroom Garlic Scramble

I had the Mushroom Garlic Scramble, which included lots of garlicky mushrooms, bacon, eggs, goat cheese, avocado, and a buttermilk biscuit.  It was a plateful of many of my fave all-day foods, and I nearly ate the entire dish!

Joe's Gritty Balls

Joe's Gritty Balls consisted of grits, bacon, and jalapeno.  These were delish, with a spicy kick!  

Pancake Pot Pie

The Pancake Pot Pie was enormous - it included layers of pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs, gravy, and cheese.

Sliced Brisket Sandwich

Omelette

Buttermilk Pancakes with Bacon

The food and service were both fantastic.  Highly recommend Ellen's if you love brunch as much as I do!

*Note: as of this post they are currently closed, negotiating the lease with their landlord, so hopefully things work out and they can re-open soon!

Ellen's
1790 N Record St

Dallas, TX 75202

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Visit Texas: Social House Arlington

While in Arlington, I Google-searched a nearby dinner spot, and one of the first places I found was Social House Arlington.  Reservations were available via OpenTable, so I booked a table, and we were ready for dinner!

Shrimp & Grits

The Shrinp & Grits was served in a Tabasco sauce broth, with Cajun cream corn, Andouille sausage, bacon, and mustard greens.  

Social House III Meat Meatloaf

The three meats in the Meatloaf were Ground bison, pork, and beef.

Sesame Tuna Appetizer

Smoky BBQ Burger

Irish Pork Nachos

The Irish Pork Nachos consisted of house cut potato chips, Ancho pulled pork, avocado mouse, creme fraiche, pico de gallo, and pickled jalapenos.  I thought the chips could've been crisper, and the pork a little more seasoned, but I appreciated just how generous the portion was (I actually ordered it for my meal, and barely made a dent in it!).

Our server was super friendly and efficient, but it seemed like he was a bit unfamiliar with the menu, as we asked a couple of questions and he had to go and find the answer - turns out it was his very first day!  He still gave fabulous service and was very enthusiastic.

Although the food wasn't outstanding, I thought the service was, and the portions for just about everything we ordered were very generous.  

Social House Arlington
1705 N Collins St Suite 101
Arlington, TX 76011

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