My Haven...

If I could pick one store in Dallas that perfectly reflects my tastes in knick knacks, accessories, clothes and home decor, it would without a doubt be the one and only Anthropologie. Within the four walls of this adorable boutique are whimsical little trinkets that have the ability to make any girl feel lovely. From vintage clothes and home decor to dainty necklaces and lacy frocks! I simply can't walk in this store without coming across something that I must have.

Recently I visited the location in Highland Park Village, my favorite simply because it's so spacious, and without anything in mind to buy, I came across a 3-strand pearl headband, a taupe frilly v-neck (on sale no less), and an absolutely precious peach coffee mug with splashes of teal and hand painted black stenciling. The perfect piece to have my hazelnut coffee in each morning.

All in all, I was overjoyed with my purchases. In fact I wore them that night to dinner with a girlfriend.

So ladies, if you're looking for a store that has it all, trust me, you'll adore Anthropologie. And do yourself a favor and invest $28 in a Blue Glass candle, Volcano scented, you'll thank me.

An Old Favorite With A New Face

A trendy new spot just opened up on Henderson this past week. Alma, previously known as Cuba Libre (may it rest in peace) and it's not half bad. Same owner but different atmosphere, food and cocktails. Now I feel it's only right that I let you know in advance that I was a true lover of Cuba Libre. From the plantains and queso, to the pitchers of mojitos on a hot summer day...this was my happy place. So naturally, I was going to be tough on Alma. It had a lot to live up to.

So I visited for the first time this past Saturday night and expected quite a wait, but was pleasantly surprised when the hostess said "30 minutes" handed me a buzzer, and pointed me towards the bar. So with my girlfriends in tow, we marched up the stairs and planted ourselves at the bar in the rustic lounge. Richard was our bartender, and I knew he had skill when I saw him using fresh ingredients and cracking the ice. He then told me he came from Bolsa which immediately brought a comforting feeling to my heart. I asked him what he recommended and he said with confidence that every signature cocktail was wonderful and he was proud to serve them all. So I chose the one with a hibiscus flower in it because let's face it, who doesn't like a flower floating in their cocktail? 

The scene was posh but cozy and although quite loud, there was a neighborly atmosphere that invited you in. I observed the scene as much as possible without being rude to the company I was with. 25-40 seemed to be the approximate age range and really it looked like a lot of couples. I'll have to remember this place for date night. 

After approximately 40 minutes we were sat at a table upstairs in the lounge where we were enjoying our libations. We immediately ordered another round and a Queso Fundido, which sounded too good to pass up. I love anything with cheese and chorizo. Not at all the queso I remember so fondly from the days of CL, but a delightful dish with a true Mexican flare. 

I followed that up with a shrimp dish served with spinach and rice, all swimming in a lovely little sweet garlic broth. I was happy with my choice. It was light, rich with flavor and well prepared. But I think I'll venture over to the enchiladas on my next visit. 

The wait staff was polite and quick to respond, but there was a bit of a language barrier unfortunately. Yes, I know, I live in Texas where Spanish shouldn't be that big of a shock to hear, but my poor friend had to say her order 3 times and finally just pointed it out on the menu due to the fact that she couldn't roll her "R's." Only complaint of the night, I promise. 

So after dinner, we sat and finished our drinks. The place had died down a bit which was nice and allowed me to enjoy my surroundings a bit more. All in all I did enjoy Alma. I thought it to be a comfortable establishment that would hopefully make a name for itself in the hearts of all Dallasites the way that CL did. 

Rio Room--fail.

Maybe it was the $10 beers, the 4 girls I saw fall over from sheer inebriation, or quite possibly the 6 inch heels that I had opted to wear to improve upon my 5'3" physique, but if you ask my opinion, Dallas' new "hotspot," Rio Room is an epic fail. "A Vegas nightclub" is how it was described to me and I guess I should have known that any place that was like Vegas but not Vegas was sure to backfire.

After waiting in line with my 3 gal pals for 20 or so minutes, we entered the smoke (not cigarette, actual smoke machine) filled room and were immediately forced into a crowd full of $30k millionaires and young girls who at that point didn't know wine from water. Trying to get through the dance floor and to the bar for our first round was like being birthed. Or so I imagined. $42 and 4 drinks (3 beers and a vodka tonic) later, we were making our way through the crowd to a 2.5 square foot patch of floor where we decided to plant ourselves. Within 30 seconds of standing there, I literally became a pole for the poor girl next to me to lean on. With mirrors on every wall to confuse the crap out of you, music so loud it's just better not to talk, and zero room to stand because the bouncer clearly can't count as high as the maximum occupancy, we decided to make a bathroom run. Surprisingly enough, the bathrooms were quite pleasant. Nothing to write home about, but it was an immediate escape from the chaos that awaited me once I left the stall. So with one big chug of my Red Stripe and an agreeing eye from my girlfriend, we made our way back through the birthing canal and out of the Rio Room. Never to return again. Maybe that's not true. Maybe I'll revisit this "trendy" little spot someday. All I know is that it will require me to go deaf, dumb and blind first. Perhaps then, I'll understand the hype.