Dallas in 4

So originally I was going to blog leisurely this evening in between bites of dinner and packing for tomorrow's jaunt to everyone's favorite state as children - M I SS I SS I PP I! Well, no more. Yesterday the appliance people dropped off the dishwasher and today my father-in-law calls. I mention the dishwasher since it's pretty much the only thing you notice about my kitchen right now, OH and I HAVE TO WASH DISHES BY HAND. I merely indicated its presence and asked when he might be in town and he said "how's tonight looking on your schedule?" So much for bonbons and anything "leisurely." Instead, I'll upload some pics from our Dallas adventures (with links because I'm a masochist) and deliver a FEW brief thoughts. Ready? GO!

1. Ate here. Fogo de Chão is pretty much heaven in the USA. Heaven on earth is, of course, anywhere in Argentina, but this comes close. Waiters come around to your table with skewers of meat (the house specialty is really the best - seriously, don't even bother with the filet because "Picanha" is where it is AT) and you eat from a delicious salad/antipesto bar and it's just amazing. Seriously, if you love red meat, you owe it to yourself to eat there. Now, caveat: it's not cheap. But is your birthday worth that? YES. Skip the present if you have to. You'll thank me.

2. Went here. Took snaps of the garden. It's truly amazing. Go and enjoy. Preferably when it's as nice as it was last Thursday. Truly awesome art and they give you free audio tour thingies, which helps because some of it is highly conceptual and all of it deserves some discussion. Nasher Sculpture Garden. Tour it, Live it, Love it. See:

The term "sculpture garden" is literal, as you can see.
Mmmm, fountains in the sun. Delightful.
Jefe's favorite sculpture, entitled "Walking To the Sky." I love the sun glinting off the metal. Dramatic. So, you know, perfect for me.
This was my favorite sculpture, if I had to choose one. I think it's a Matisse. It's a reclining figure, but it's so ambiguous that it reminds you of organic shapes and even the vertibrae it takes to recline. Plus, it's shiny.

3. Then we went next door to the Dallas Museum of Art. And it was lovely. Their website has some of their permanent collection pieces up with descriptions, and I liked this statue of a Bhuddist holy figure. It was really moving up close. We ended up seeing the African, Pacific Island, and Asian collections before we ran out of time. The building looked so small compared to the Smithsoneons I've been hitting lately that I thought "Man, no problem! We'll hit it all in like two hours." If by "all" you mean one half of one floor, then YES. Anyhow, here's one so good I couldn't help but snap a picture - without flash, because if I love it, so should many others for years to come.

These lizards were, I believe, a Pacific Island piece. They represented man/woman and eroticism in the culture of the artist, but what struck me about them was the way they seemed to emerge from the wood so seemlessly - without disturbing the grain yet definitely etched by a human hand. Beautiful texture.

4. We met these people. They happen to be distantly related to Jefe and their farm is a couple of hours South of the convention. They have a big, old-fashioned farming family. They make raw cheese and its DELICIOUS. As soon as their online cheese store is open, I am so buying it for special occasions. They told us about their excellent farming methods (they're members of Slow Food) and what goes into that life and it was - and I know it doesn't sound like it, but it was - delightful to talk with them. Plus we had a great meal with good wine at Pappadeaux. Best crabcakes ever peeps. And I live in MARYLAND where my freakin' driver's license HAS A CRAB ON IT.

FINITO. But it still took way too long. Sigh.