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Dallas - Fort Worth |OT| The Big D & Cowtown

How you gonna have a DFW thread, include a food section with Texmex and not include OJEDAS in there?


Place has been visited by everyone from Bill Clinton to Jack Nicholson.

It's AMAZING.
 

Zebra

Member
I'm so glad I no longer have a commute and work from home. Driving from Lewisville to downtown was a pain in the ass. Now I have to deal with 121 and service road construction thanks to Nebraska Furniture Mart but oh well.

That Furniture Mart is impressively huge and it gets bigger every time I pass by it.
How long was your commute when you commuted from lewisville to downtown? Sounds awful.


This is so big. It's a huge win for Plano and I look forward to seeing the effects it has.

I'll admit, the only thing I need in Fort Worth is a fucking Bucees. That place is amazing.

Edit: beaten :lol
They are thinking of building one nearby!
Bucee's is my necessary stop during drives to Houston. Their brownies are so good.

So, we are planning to go to a wedding in Dallas next month. I still don't know exactly the address of where the party is going to be...

But is there a cheap hostal or something similar for 6 persons? Nothing fancy or expensive... We just need a place to sleep two nights.

Edit: They just texted me this address. 809 W at vickery boulevaed fort worth, texas 76104

Sadly I do not think we have any hostels in DFW, certainly not any that I know of. Your best bet is to just check hotel rates nearby. I hope you find something affordable.


Anyways, I'm sorry I haven't updated the thread recently! I've been rather busy this past week, but I should hopefully have it updated in the near future.

In Dallas news, it seems some developers are competing to develop on Pacific Plaza.

One developer hopes to build this massive parking garage with media screens on the sides, along with a residential tower and the park next to it:
UG3qyDs.jpg


Another developer is hoping to build 70-story and 60-story condo towers, but I would say that's unlikely. It would be nice to beef up the skyline though. We haven't built anything more than 50 stories tall since the 80s.
 

I like how they had to stress that it's not a truck stop. Corinth is basically an upper-middle class exit off the interstate so it's not that surprising, I guess.

I forgot about this but Brewed in Fort Worth is a really unique place and is really good. I had a Founder's Breakfast Stout there a few months back and it changed my life.
 

Pagusas

Elden Member
Last piece of my move fell in place today, got a great job offer! I'll be working just 8 miles from home in Las Colinas!
 

fmpanda

Member
It kills me that I didn't get my first paycheck in time to pre-reg online. I'm hoping to beat the rush by showing up early on Saturday.

If I were you, I would get there quite a bit early, as last year a lot of folks ended up having a 6 hour wait. If anything, drop in 3-4 hours before reg opens up, as you can chill in the hotel area, you won't need a badge for that, especially if you can find someone to room up with.

You know, thinking about it, we have been trying to do a GAF meetup for some time now for DFW. Maybe one for A-Kon?
 
If I were you, I would get there quite a bit early, as last year a lot of folks ended up having a 6 hour wait. If anything, drop in 3-4 hours before reg opens up, as you can chill in the hotel area, you won't need a badge for that, especially if you can find someone to room up with.

You know, thinking about it, we have been trying to do a GAF meetup for some time now for DFW. Maybe one for A-Kon?

Might be worth the drive to get registered on Thursday then. Idk. They have a charity donation option to skip the line all together. Seems like that would be $20 well spent.

Edit: Nvm, that was for people who pre-registered.
 

fmpanda

Member
Might be worth the drive to get registered on Thursday then. Idk. They have a charity donation option to skip the line all together. Seems like that would be $20 well spent.

Edit: Nvm, that was for people who pre-registered.

Yeah, I would go on Thursday as the lines open up at 9am, plus it'll be easier to get free parking out in their overflow lot.
 

fmpanda

Member
What's the registration thing for anyway?

Basically for getting badges which you have to pay for in order to see the events at the con. A-Kon doesn't mail out badges, so everybody has to get in lines in which they have to verify your purchase, grab out your badge, and send you on your way with a bad of goodies. With A-Kon the Day 0 line has gotten worse over the years, but hopefully with an earlier start time things should go smooth.
 
Basically for getting badges which you have to pay for in order to see the events at the con. A-Kon doesn't mail out badges, so everybody has to get in lines in which they have to verify your purchase, grab out your badge, and send you on your way with a bad of goodies. With A-Kon the Day 0 line has gotten worse over the years, but hopefully with an earlier start time things should go smooth.

Ohh. This one will be my first convention i will be going to and was wonder what that registration stuff was for. I guess it is to late to register early now :/
 

fmpanda

Member
Ohh. This one will be my first convention i will be going to and was wonder what that registration stuff was for. I guess it is to late to register early now :/

Yeah, usually Pre-Reg cuts off in late April. What I usually recommend to everyone thinking about going to a con is to find out when their registration opens up. For example, A-Kon usually opens around Labor Day or a week earier at $35 for the whole weekend. Snap it up at that price, even if you're only able to go for a Friday or a Saturday, as the door prices will be just as much for that one day.
 

Zebra

Member
I'm still making my way through adding the restaurant recommendations, but I'm almost finished. Keep them coming if you've still got them.

So the dilemma I'm facing with the creation of the OP is that D-FW covers such a vast amount of space that I've been having a hard time thinking of a way to sort things so that visitors will know what restaurants and places are actually within their reach. I think I've found the best solution though: custom Google Maps.

I made one for local sports and put it into the OP:

I plan on making one for the restaurants section and another for the 'things to do' section.

Speaking of sports though, the Byron Nelson PGA golf tournament just wrapped up. Didn't have a chance to go, but I watched some on TV.
For those unaware, the Byron Nelson is moving from it's home at the Irving Four Seasons to south Dallas in a few years. They're currently constructing the Trinity Forest golf course next to the Trinity River Audubon Center.
The tournament had been in Irving since 1983 so I imagine city officials must be bummed that Irving lost both the Dallas Cowboys and now this as well.

There is not a lot that I can share about the new course's design. I can only find this light sketch on their website and there are some details on this blog. It seems like a great location for a course, though. Using up a former landfill from the 80s, lots of nice green space and apparently one of the largest urban forests in the country.

In other news west Plano is about to get a little bit taller: they are building a 17-story condo tower close to Toyota's future HQ. That area is working up quite a dense skyline.


Last piece of my move fell in place today, got a great job offer! I'll be working just 8 miles from home in Las Colinas!

Congrats!
 
Zebra, how are you up on all this stuff? When you drop in with news I've never heard of it.

As a side note, I was reminded how much I love KERA is this past weekend. Went west outside their radio range and the local public radio station was terrible in comparison. Got real thankful real fast.
 

Zebra

Member
Zebra, how are you up on all this stuff? When you drop in with news I've never heard of it.

As a side note, I was reminded how much I love KERA is this past weekend. Went west outside their radio range and the local public radio station was terrible in comparison. Got real thankful real fast.

I'm a bit of an urban development fanatic. :lol I love following construction projects, and DFW is never in short supply.

And I totally agree, KERA is fantastic.

I'm holding out for A-kon as my convention of choice.

I'll be at A-kon as well, but likely only for an afternoon. I've been to every A-kon since A-kon 14 in 2003, and I don't plan on breaking that streak any time soon. It's also my best source for 3DS streetpasses.
 

fmpanda

Member
I'll be at A-kon as well, but likely only for an afternoon. I've been to every A-kon since A-kon 14 in 2003, and I don't plan on breaking that streak any time soon. It's also my best source for 3DS streetpasses.

Yeah, A-Kon usually is my best hope for Puzzles and Find Mii. Just find a spot to plop, watch LoL gameplay and rack up the Streetpasses.
 
I'm in Fort Worth for work, someone here is looking to buy a Dallas Stars jersey. There were t-shirts at the Acadamy Sports store but no actual jerseys. Anyone have an idea where I can find one?
 
Fort worth here

Also op included in n out in his op but left out whataburger? Wtf

Well, it's supposed to be for restaurants that are really good but also somewhat unique. In-N-Out only has locations in Dallas and Austin if you're outside the west coast so it kind of fits the bill.

Whataburger, while good, isn't exactly rare.
 

woodchuck

Member
Speaking of burgers, it looks like they're opening up a hopdoddys in uptown, where Frankie's used to be on McKinney and hall. So good
 

Zebra

Member
In Dallas news, it seems some developers are competing to develop on Pacific Plaza.

One developer hopes to build this massive parking garage with media screens on the sides, along with a residential tower and the park next to it:
UG3qyDs.jpg


Another developer is hoping to build 70-story and 60-story condo towers, but I would say that's unlikely. It would be nice to beef up the skyline though. We haven't built anything more than 50 stories tall since the 80s.

Providing an update to this: We know what the proposed plans look like now.


There are, for now, three proposals to develop the long-proposed three-acre Pacific Plaza park on what’s currently a 300-or-so spot downtown Dallas parking lot bound by North St. Paul, Live Oak and North Harwood streets. Developer Shawn Todd has a $100-million plan that includes a sprawling eight-level parking structure stretching over Pacific Avenue. Mukemmel “Mike” Sarimsakci’s $600-million proposal calls for planting two massive towers on the proposed park. And former Dallas City Council member Ron Natinsky wants to bury a mechanical parking garage beneath the park, at a price tag not yet made public.

-The Dallas Morning News

On the one hand, towers. On the other, more parking.
Ehhhh.
Either way they all seem to have park components, but I'm definitely a sucker for getting new skyscrapers.

I have no idea what is going on in the bottom-right proposal.

Fort worth here

Also op included in n out in his op but left out whataburger? Wtf

If ever there were to be a Texas OT it would be drowning in Whataburgers and Blue Bell ice cream for sure.
I'm not even a big fan of In-N-Out but I put it up there more as just a heads up that it's available if people find themselves here and have always wanted to try it. Like The Treechopper said, it's somewhat unique, while you can't walk more than 5 steps anywhere in Texas without tripping over a Whataburger (as nature intended).
 
On the one hand, towers. On the other, more parking.
Ehhhh.
Either way they all seem to have park components, but I'm definitely a sucker for getting new skyscrapers.

I have no idea what is going on in the bottom-right proposal.

I'm all for more parks and parking. One of the things I love about other cities is their park system.
 
I've got a couple of things (from the GF).

1. Rex's Seafood on Lover's Lane by the Turnpike
http://www.rexsseafood.com/
It looks like a diner/deli type place but with fresh seafood. Although don't be fooled, it's still expensive since it's fresh fish. I go here every year to buy oysters for Christmas Eve dinner. I have dined in once.

2. Gaylord Texan ICE event
I know it's not a Texas only thing, but there's only 4 of these hotels across the US. I'm not sure if there are other events that happen here throughout the year or not, but ICE is always amazing to see.

3. The String Bean
http://www.thestringbean.com/
Really good down home american cooking. Their biggest favorite is the chicken and dumplings. Served friday lunch or saturday dinner, but well worth it. It's up in Richardson off Coit and Campbell.

4. Does anyone know of a good seafood restaurant for a large group? Probably closer to about 12 people, maybe up to 20 (working on RSVP). Grandma is turning 88 this year, and I have no idea what to do that would be somewhat affordable. She likes dining out because of the attention and the social aspect of it, but she barely eats a thing....unless it's seafood. Oysters are on the top of her list and I've seen her eat a 1/2 pound fried oysters followed by apple pie desert.
Thinking about Islamorada at the Bass Pro Shops in Garland, but it might be pricey for some of the people we want to invite. And we're not sure how much their meeting room costs to rent out.

Thanks DFW Gaffers
 
I guess I should've asked earlier but anyone attending A-kon, Is the registration necessary to walk around? Me and a couple of friends are wondering since we are trying to decide on going today and or tomorrow if we have to pay.
 
I guess I should've asked earlier but anyone attending A-kon, Is the registration necessary to walk around? Me and a couple of friends are wondering since we are trying to decide on going today and or tomorrow if we have to pay.

Nope, but there is a main hall you can't get into without paying, unless it has changed since last yr
 

NR1

Member
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Went out to Deep Ellum to have lunch at Pecan Lodge with friends. After a hour and 45 minute wait, we FINALLY got to eat ! The line went out the front door, and it NEVER got smaller. I have heard on more that one occasion from several sources that this place has the best BBQ in the state of Texas. They recently moved to this location from their old booth at the Farmers Markets in downtown Dallas, and it seems that they have already out grown it! I got the Pitmaster Sandwich. It was very good and filled me up the entire day! Didn't eat anything else until breakfast the following day. My friends and I didn't mind waiting in the insane line on our first visit just for the novelty and because PBS was out their filming for a show, but if I find myself back out there, I will only stand in line for 10 minutes max.
 

fmpanda

Member
So, for those thinking they can just park nearby and not have to get away with paying $20, you will be in bad luck as there is no longer any free parking in the area unless you go 1+ miles away from the Con. For those who don't cosplay, it's not too much of a big deal as you can hoof it from the Medical Center Light Rail/Ride the DART bus, but for those who do, you're looking at a mandatory hotel stay, which can be pricey.

Registration was decent this year, although even on Day 0 there was a 2hr minimum wait while onsite had usually only 5 peeps in line. Kinda frustrating although it didn't get anywhere near the 6-8hr waits from last year. There were a lot of folks bummed out though that Artist's Alley was closed off to only those with badges, as a lot of folks usually hit up Cons for just hanging out and could care less about panels. As always though, if you wanted to go to a panel, you usually had to be lined up well beforehand. I only made it to one panel this year because of that.

Oh, I will make sure to reserve a special place in Purgatory/Gran Pulse for the wonderful folks who thought it was great to smoke in the stairwells, therefore tripping off the alarms at 2:30am. Thanks a bunch.

Overall, it was better than last year, although I can't wait for A-Kon to outgrow the Anatole so it can go back downtown and just consume all of the hotels. I would say they need to invest in a shuttle service with DART specifically for the Con, but as A-Kon is For-Profit, I don't see that happening anytime soon.
 
A-kon was a fun little experience for me, even though it was Sunday only. I now plan to do the early registration so as to get all three days cheap. Got some goodies there too so I am satisfied. I took some pictures but didn't take a lot as I was kinda more memorized about the whole thing since it was my first time going to a con.
 
I really enjoyed my trip to E3. I was able to pick up a Luigi backpack for my son, a new wallet for myself, and some stuffed mushrooms for my wife. It was great to talk anime and games with old friends. I parked across the street on Saturday where there was a different convention, but I got confused so I turned in early and just parked with everyone else. There was no charge, but I was always afraid that my car was going to get towed. I got so many street passes it made my head spin. So awesome.
 
Woah, there's actually a DFW GAF thread now? Subscribed!

'sup y'all! UTA over here haha.

Was anybody in Arlington on Saturday? I work around GLP and the Death Star, and goddamit that was fcking ridiculous. It literally took me an hour to get from Collins to 360... that drive doesn't even last for more than 15 mins even if there's a game going on at GLP.

Arlington seriously needs public transportation.
 
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