Four great Dallas spots in 24 hours

by Shawn Williams of Dallas South

Having a young child, it's not often that my wife and I are able to get out and enjoy the city. Over a 24 hour stretch on Saturday and Sunday, we were able to hit 4 Dallas locations near downtown and just outside the loop.

DALLAS — Having a young child, it's not often that my wife and I are able to get out and enjoy the city. Over a 24 hour stretch on Saturday and Sunday, we were able to hit 4 Dallas locations near downtown and just outside the loop. I'd like to recommend all four to anyone looking for new spots to try or places to take friends and family.

Texas Caribbean Food

Texas Caribbean Food @ Southside on Lamar

I ran across Texas Caribbean Food two weeks ago just before Christmas. While there I met the owner of the restaurant, Ms. Jan Gore, a resident of Oak Cliff, who made me feel right at home. Ms. Gore said her theme for 2008 is "share the experience."

My first time (and 2nd time) there I had the Jerk Chicken Wings. When I met my wife there for lunch on Saturday I chose the wings again. Served with brown rice, the flavorful wings are Texas Caribbean Food's signature dish.

Texas Caribbean Food is a great spot for lunch and dinner that has free Wi Fi for laptop users. Make sure to ask for your green punch card which makes every 5th meal free.

Opening Bell Coffee

Opening Bell Coffee is right next door to TCF at the South Side on Lamar Complex. After lunch, my wife and I rolled in to Opening Bell for a latte and smoothie respectfully.

For the last couple of weeks I've been in and out of Opening Bell which is a great place to write and blog. They also have free Wi Fi, comfortable couches, sturdy tables, and of course delicious beverages. Did I mention the desserts? The chocolate cake and chocolate chip cookies are my early favorites.

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Jazz Cafe

There's not much more that I can say about Brooklyn Jazz Cafe. One of my first posts was about this spot, Dallas South's 1st anniversary party was there, and I named Brooklyn the #1 place to go in Dallas.

At their former location in the Bishop Arts District, when you opened the door you were literally on top of the band. Those days are long gone, as owner Lorna Tate has recently expanded due to Brooklyn's soaring popularity. I had the grilled salmon which was tender and seasoned to perfection. It's not just about the music at Brooklyn, but the food is good as well.

House of Blues

After Brooklyn, we made the short trip down Lamar Avenue to House of Blues Dallas. We purchased tickets ($34 each) for Sunday's World Famous Gospel Brunch. While there, we sat in the restaurant and listened to a couple of bands playing there that night. HOB had one of the most diverse group of customers I have seen in Dallas in a long time.

After church on Sunday, we headed back to House of Blues for brunch and had a great time. Lady Diamond (Kertrina Dauway) hosted the high energy celebration featuring Southern inspired cuisine and old school gospel music.

Brotherly Love from McKinney was the band of the hour. Think the Williams Brothers and Cooling Water. They played for an hour and a half, inspiring even the most reluctant patrons to stand up, sing, shout and dance.