Dallas-Fort Worth residents hunker down for Election Night activities

by Teresa Gubbins

DALLAS — On Election Night, Tuesday November 4, we can look forward to what will likely be a drama-packed night, with one of the most highly anticipated, early-voted elections in recent history.

An informal, strictly unscientific survey of Dallas-Fort Worth residents revealed that most intended to watch the returns on TV -- some at home, some off-site. There's plenty of activities around town. A number of restaurants including Hotel Zaza, Campania, and Eat the World are offering watching parties and special cocktails.

Here's a sampling of some of the activities locals have planned:

Paige Phelps, freelance journalist: "I canceled my TV service so I'm going to be scrambling to find a friend who will allow me to indulge in election returns. We'll see how that turns out. Can't head to my 'rents in Lake Highlands, because they are McCain fans and I just know that would turn out badly."

Dallas Progress blogger and Dallas Planning Commissioner Michael Davis: "I had an invite to be at Grant Park in Chicago with the campaign but couldn't accept. I will be home with my wife, with plenty of food and both laptops running with election results. (TV talking heads will be on mute.)"

Carissa Hughes, Universal Music Group: "Trust me, this election is huge for me! But so are the Dallas Mavs. Definitely combining a Mavs/election watch party at my place with friends. So the night will start off watching the Mavs beat out the San Antonio Spurs, with election coverage breaks during commercials and halftime. Then, right when the game ends is when all the political action will start heating up as results are finalized throughout the U.S. I plan on watching coverage on CNN, MSNBC, and Comedy Central. (Anderson, Gregory and Stewart, Oh My!) It will be a night of high energy, high anticipation, and hopefully double celebrations!"

Brandi Beakley DeAtley, Wall Street Journal: "[My husband] and I and our kids will be at a house party with a bunch of our Democrat friends. They have hired one of the teachers from the school to watch all the kids while we have drinks, eat and do a little electoral map gambling! We're hoping to be able to celebrate something before we all have to go home."

Burger aficionado Craig Spitzberg: "I'm bursting at the seams with ELECTION. I'll probably watch the returns with my Dad, let out an exhaustive SIGH, and burn an effigy of W in the back yard."

Catherine Collins, publisher of the Dallas edition of Culinary Concierge: "We are staying home with extended family and friends and having a shrimpfest. We’ll watch returns on numerous channels!"

Richardson Echo blogger Andrew Laska: "I'll try to visit with Sandra Vule and Angie Chen Button (candidates for State Rep District 112) during the evening as results come in. Then I'll depend on lame network TV for the other results."

Corley Schissler, multimedia specialist: "Tomorrow I will do my best to not watch anything presidential! I have already voted, so what is done is done. I may have to catch up with the backlog of shows on my DVR to keep my mind off the election madness. Wednesday morning I will be anxious to find out the final results. Who will it be?"

Journalist Angela Shah, soon to be employed by The National in Abu Dhabi, UAE: "I am going to my friend Margot's house for the third Quadrennial Election Watch Party. We first met back in 2000 -- both new to Dallas -- thinking we'd get together for a quick dinner and watch the returns come in. Well, by the middle of night, I had to call it quits and head home. In 2004, we expanded the guest list and had invitees pick swing states and bring food from there. I chose Florida and brought ingredients for mojitos! This year, I'm the ultimate undecided party guest. I'll decide tomorrow what I'm bringing."

Schoolteacher Diana Andro: "I'll be watching the returns at home with my family. I'll probably get sick of all the talk, and go to bed early."

KERA commentator Rawlins Gilliland: "I plan to: Put on my tuxedo after preparing an herbal prime rib dinner, and dine alone watching the network and PBS. I'll eat my five-course meal with Cuvee Champagne, eating and drinking until the results begin to become clear. If Obama is declared the victor, I plan to drive to Brooklyn Jazz Cafe on South Lamar and shake the hand of every black person I see and say, "I am proud to have lived to see this moment and I wanted to tell you so."

Jeff Liles, musician/DJ/Renaissance man: "I'm watching it at Space, directly above Hal Samples Gallery in Deep Ellum."

Lori Young, assistant to Brave Combo (and resident of Chicago): "I'll probably be plopped in front of my computer and checking in on the results on-line every once in the while. And although I live in Ground Zero of Obama-land, I'll be checking out the rally on TV and staying as far away from Grant Park as possible. They are predicting a million people might try to attend (and only 70,000 official tickets being handed out.)"

Anne Young Fritsche, concierge at Hotel Palomar: "Perhaps Gilley's Bishop Arts for the Obama party, perhaps Lakewood Landing, perhaps Arcade Bar."

DJ Mark "Mr. Rid" Ridlen: "I'll be at 4 Out of 5 Doctors Present "Derision '08: Crashing the Party" at the Pocket Sandwich Theater -- a semi-musical tribute to the most important election since the last one. The Docs illuminate the vast differences between the Democans and Republicrats, with song, sketches, and improv. After the show, we'll head across the street to Trinity Hall to watch election results."

Rob Brinkley, editor at PaperCity and co-author of Domestic Art: Curated Interiors: "I'm going to Matt's Rancho Martinez in Lakewood, with friends, to numb out on margaritas and refried beans -- and then I think I'll go home and start packing for Switzerland if my candidate doesn't win. (I know, I know: BAD AMERICAN.) But I do love Switzerland."

Dena Peterson, chef at Cafe Modern in Fort Worth: "I am off all day so I plan on spending the entire day on the couch in my jammies. Makes for good election watching. If I do choose to drag my ass off the couch, I will probably join my friends at my local watering hole, so we can get happy and cheer really loud! My dogs are staunch Republicans, so I can't wait to rub their noses in yet something else..."

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