www.playdatedallas.com
Even during my prime club-hopping years (21-26), I never enjoyed the “club scene.” The lines, the smoking, the people wearing sunglasses at night, the expensive cocktails, the crowds, the scantily clad 20-somethings, and the unfortunate pick-up lines always left much to be desired. Now that I’ve hit the big 30 and 31 is fast approaching, not much has changed. I still dislike the club scene for all the reasons mentioned; only now I flat out refuse to attend. Instead, I search tirelessly for social alternatives to the club scene and when I find them, I try to mention them in this blog.
A new alternative has come to Dallas: Play Date Dallas (PDD). Originating in Atlanta, GA, the Play Date concept is simple. Instead of going to a club on Saturday night, go to a local lounge/bar and play all the games that you loved as a child in a relaxed atmosphere with all the other 30-somethings who have tired of going to nightclubs. Enjoy food, drink, conversation, and laughter as you meet new people over games like Hungry Hungry Hippo, Operation, and Connect Four.
I attended my first PDD event on Saturday, at Boston’s restaurant in Irving. My sister and I arrived to a packed restaurant at 10:40PM. Once inside, it was standing room only. Each table/booth was occupied with a group of people playing cards, a board game, or the like. Those of us not fortunate enough to get a table, were left standing along the walls. Event organizers floated around the restaurant passing out 18-inch cardboard panels reading “I Got Next” to patrons standing along the walls. Apparently, when my sister and I were ready to play a game, we were to approach the table with the game we wanted to play, show the current players our sign, and stand there until their game finished and they vacated the table. With patrons packing the aisles and waitstaff trying to navigate their way through the crowds, staking our claim on a game was next to impossible and quite frankly, a little rude. Who wants their first meeting with a stranger to be the result of having to kick them out of their booth?
My sister and I continued to hold up the wall, as we listened to a DJ playing music from the 70s and early 80s so loudly that we could barely hear ourselves. I suspect, however, that the tunes being played were released long before most of the attendees were born. That brings me to another observation. I would guess that the typical patron that night was 25 – still in his/her prime club-hopping years. This observation isn’t inherently bad and wrong; it’s just not what I expected.
After about 20 minutes, I told my sister that I was ready to leave whenever she was. As far as I was concerned, the writing was on the wall. No matter if we stayed 20 minutes or 2 hours, we were going to spend the whole time standing against the wall because the people sitting were never going to relinquish their prime real estate. We called it a night after one hour.
As we walked across the parking lot to the car, I was crestfallen. I had been so excited about Play Date Dallas. I was ready to love everything about it, but in the end I was disappointed. The same things that turn me off about nightclubs were present at PDD: sunglasses at night, crowds, and unfortunate pick-up lines. As my sister put it, “It’s just a night club with the lights turned on.”
Still, I want to believe in Play Date Dallas because conceptually, it has many social elements that I like: a relaxed venue without the pomp and circumstance of a nightclub, a smoke-free environment, games, and the opportunity to meet new people. Maybe if we had arrived earlier and gotten a table, maybe if the venue had been better suited to interaction, maybe if the music hadn’t been so loud, and maybe if the games had been more age-appropriate (e.g. Taboo and Scattegories) my opinion of the night would be different.
Because of all these “maybes” I’m willing to give Play Date Dallas another shot. I was told there would be another event at Boston’s in two weeks. I’ll be there with bells on. Wish me luck! Expect an update on this post soon.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
State Fair of Texas - September 26 - October 19, 2008
Fair Park, Dallas
I have attended the State Fair of Texas (the largest state fair in the country, thank you very much) for most of my life. Even when I lived several states away, I made it a point to fly home for the Fair every year. Attending the Fair reminded me that no matter how far away I lived or how long I stayed away, Texas would always be in my heart. Now that I've moved back home to Dallas, the Fair hasn't lost its appeal. In fact, it has only risen in my esteem.
I've learned that there is more to the Fair than fried food, free concerts, livestock competitions, the auto show, and college football. There are museums, educational exhibits, cultural events, bird and dog shows, petting zoos and a mini-farm for the kids, and much much more.
I like to think of the State Fair of Texas as the great equalizer in Dallas. No matter the color of your skin, the language you speak, the amount of money in your wallet, or the year of your birth, the State Fair of Texas has something for everyone.
I invite you all to come out this year. Big Tex and I will be looking for you!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Book Review: My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands by Chelsea Handler
Nevermind that this book was published by Bloomsbury Publishing June 2005 and that I’m more than three years late on this review. Chelsea Handler’s My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands is a delightfully guilty pleasure that is well worth the read.
As the title implies, the book is a collection of essays about some of the funnier one-night stands that Ms. Handler endured during her twenties. Whether the essays are completely true, partially true, or not true at all is irrelevant. All that matters is that Handler’s sarcastic wit and complete shamelessness in retelling not-so-flattering stories about her conquests (real or imaginary) are a winning combination. I’m not talking profound prose here. Reading the book is like having a conversation with Handler herself, albeit a really long, one-sided conversation. Her informal, conversational tone is what allows you to suspend disbelief and to live vicariously in a world where men scurry out of windows to avoid detection and Handler gets stuck in windows while doing the very same thing.
It is hard to believe that Handler made it to her thirties undaunted and unscathed, but as a reader, I am so glad that she did. I will admit that I was tempted to have a one-night stand with Handler’s book - reading it in one night and tossing it aside for my next literary conquest; but a book this good should be savored so I invited it to stay for breakfast the next morning.
As the title implies, the book is a collection of essays about some of the funnier one-night stands that Ms. Handler endured during her twenties. Whether the essays are completely true, partially true, or not true at all is irrelevant. All that matters is that Handler’s sarcastic wit and complete shamelessness in retelling not-so-flattering stories about her conquests (real or imaginary) are a winning combination. I’m not talking profound prose here. Reading the book is like having a conversation with Handler herself, albeit a really long, one-sided conversation. Her informal, conversational tone is what allows you to suspend disbelief and to live vicariously in a world where men scurry out of windows to avoid detection and Handler gets stuck in windows while doing the very same thing.
It is hard to believe that Handler made it to her thirties undaunted and unscathed, but as a reader, I am so glad that she did. I will admit that I was tempted to have a one-night stand with Handler’s book - reading it in one night and tossing it aside for my next literary conquest; but a book this good should be savored so I invited it to stay for breakfast the next morning.
Monday, September 1, 2008
300 Dallas - An Upscale Bowling Experience?
3805 Belt Line Rd.
Addison, TX 75001
972.620.7700
I am not a huge fan of bowling. I do not have a problem with bowling. It is just not high on my list of fun ways to spend an evening. Still, I have bowled more than a few games in my lifetime. The games that I most enjoyed involved one or more of the following: a large group of people; consumption of a considerable amount of alcohol; or an upscale bowling experience that felt less like bowling and more like a night out. I was hoping for the third element when I patronized 300 Dallas ("300") on Saturday evening but that isn’t quite what I got.
300 is certainly an upscale bowling alley when compared to its down-scale competitors. As I walked through the entrance a reception area stood in the middle of the floor. To my left was a separate bar and billiards area with gleaming pool tables and a huge big screen TV tuned to ESPN (naturally). To my right was the shoe rental counter which, coincidentally, is also where you pick up your bowling ball.
My sister and I put our names on the waiting list. We were told it would be an hour to an hour and a half before a lane was available. That was fine with me as I was hungry and 300 has a full-service restaurant with more than your typical french fries, nachos, and hot dogs fare. Unfortunately, the “restaurant” is not so much a separate space as is the case with the bar/billiards area, as much as it is an open space between the reception desk and the bowling lanes. The “restaurant” was a mishmash of lounge-style seating arrangements, tables covered with table cloths and silverware, and more casual, uncovered tables. We picked a table at random and sat down.
I ordered Thai shrimp for my appetizer, a Caesar salad, and a cocktail. My sister ordered french fries, no drink. I will refrain from reviewing the food. I will say only that it was not worth the $36 I paid for it. That’s right. I paid $36 (tip not included) for food at what is essentially a bowling alley. Fortunately, our lane was ready soon thereafter.
The wood on the lanes shone in the dim lighting. The stripes on the lanes glowed light neon blue. There was a row of big screen TVs above the bowling lanes; each screen alternated between ESPN and a pre-programmed video channel which was piped through the sound system for our listening pleasure. There were approximately 40 lanes and in a far corner I could see an arcade for the kids.
By the time we left we had bowled three games and I had spent almost $100. Yep, I paid $100 for a night of bowling for two people. I keep emphasizing that it’s “just bowling” because I expected more from 300. It didn’t feel like a casual, yet upscale night out. It felt like a bowling alley, maybe a fancy bowling alley, but a bowling alley nonetheless. If all I am getting is “bowling” I can get it at a fraction of the cost with the same amount of satisfaction at my standard AMF.
300 has potential. It has all the elements of a casual, yet upscale social scene alternative. It just needs to tweak the elements a bit. Firstly, I shouldn’t see kids after 9PM on the weekends. Nothing ruins an upscale experience faster than kids. Secondly, the restaurant needs to be a completely separate space. As it stands, there is nothing separating the restaurant from the bowling area. I’m not suggesting a wall, but there needs to be some kind of design element creating a distinction between the two spaces. Doing so would create three separate entertainment zones: bar-billiards, restaurant-lounge, and bowling alley. Then 300 would attract not just people looking for a game of bowling, but also people looking for a place to have dinner, or a place to have drinks and people watch, or a place to shoot pool – in essence, a greater number and cross-section of customers. That’s what would make 300 worth the steep prices and that’s what would make 300 an upscale experience and more than just “just bowling.”
Addison, TX 75001
972.620.7700
I am not a huge fan of bowling. I do not have a problem with bowling. It is just not high on my list of fun ways to spend an evening. Still, I have bowled more than a few games in my lifetime. The games that I most enjoyed involved one or more of the following: a large group of people; consumption of a considerable amount of alcohol; or an upscale bowling experience that felt less like bowling and more like a night out. I was hoping for the third element when I patronized 300 Dallas ("300") on Saturday evening but that isn’t quite what I got.
300 is certainly an upscale bowling alley when compared to its down-scale competitors. As I walked through the entrance a reception area stood in the middle of the floor. To my left was a separate bar and billiards area with gleaming pool tables and a huge big screen TV tuned to ESPN (naturally). To my right was the shoe rental counter which, coincidentally, is also where you pick up your bowling ball.
My sister and I put our names on the waiting list. We were told it would be an hour to an hour and a half before a lane was available. That was fine with me as I was hungry and 300 has a full-service restaurant with more than your typical french fries, nachos, and hot dogs fare. Unfortunately, the “restaurant” is not so much a separate space as is the case with the bar/billiards area, as much as it is an open space between the reception desk and the bowling lanes. The “restaurant” was a mishmash of lounge-style seating arrangements, tables covered with table cloths and silverware, and more casual, uncovered tables. We picked a table at random and sat down.
I ordered Thai shrimp for my appetizer, a Caesar salad, and a cocktail. My sister ordered french fries, no drink. I will refrain from reviewing the food. I will say only that it was not worth the $36 I paid for it. That’s right. I paid $36 (tip not included) for food at what is essentially a bowling alley. Fortunately, our lane was ready soon thereafter.
The wood on the lanes shone in the dim lighting. The stripes on the lanes glowed light neon blue. There was a row of big screen TVs above the bowling lanes; each screen alternated between ESPN and a pre-programmed video channel which was piped through the sound system for our listening pleasure. There were approximately 40 lanes and in a far corner I could see an arcade for the kids.
By the time we left we had bowled three games and I had spent almost $100. Yep, I paid $100 for a night of bowling for two people. I keep emphasizing that it’s “just bowling” because I expected more from 300. It didn’t feel like a casual, yet upscale night out. It felt like a bowling alley, maybe a fancy bowling alley, but a bowling alley nonetheless. If all I am getting is “bowling” I can get it at a fraction of the cost with the same amount of satisfaction at my standard AMF.
300 has potential. It has all the elements of a casual, yet upscale social scene alternative. It just needs to tweak the elements a bit. Firstly, I shouldn’t see kids after 9PM on the weekends. Nothing ruins an upscale experience faster than kids. Secondly, the restaurant needs to be a completely separate space. As it stands, there is nothing separating the restaurant from the bowling area. I’m not suggesting a wall, but there needs to be some kind of design element creating a distinction between the two spaces. Doing so would create three separate entertainment zones: bar-billiards, restaurant-lounge, and bowling alley. Then 300 would attract not just people looking for a game of bowling, but also people looking for a place to have dinner, or a place to have drinks and people watch, or a place to shoot pool – in essence, a greater number and cross-section of customers. That’s what would make 300 worth the steep prices and that’s what would make 300 an upscale experience and more than just “just bowling.”
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