Would like to know about shipping wine to Dallas, places to eat, buy wine, etc…
What part of town will you be moving to or do you know yet? That is going to dictate much of what you ask. I am basically a few miles from the city so can help you out in that area. If you are out in the burbs - will defer to others.
Shipping wine is legal from wineries and person to person (I think). It is not legal from out of state retailers.
Brad, we are still figuring out the exact location, but will spend lots of time in the city since my Brother lives in the city
Wine, as you know it has ended. And get a Cowboys sticker. Or two.
I don’t live in Dallas, so I’ll leave those recommendations to the experts.
As far as shipping to Texas, it’s against state law for out of state retailers/auction houses to ship to Texas, but enforcement is spotty so some retailers do it anyway. Wineries can ship here.
It’s usually too hot to ship about half of the year, so I stock up when I can.
It’s pretty flat. And JFK was shot and killed there. Also close to Arkansas and Oklahoma, in case you need to get away from the city.
Some good drinkers live there.
Pogos, Graileys, Goody are where I grab most of the wine. All are great in their own ways.
Pappa’s, Gemma, Urbano Cafe, Fillament, nick and Sam’s steakhouse, Yao Fuzi, Uchi, Fearings are all good spots to try some grub.
Welcome to the area.
Shameless plug. I work for Heritage Auctions, and we have the ability to ship there…just saying 
Titos!!!
Hey Ryan,
I was in your shoes in 2014 moving from DC. So I have a great perspective as an outsider. Being a DC native and someone who’s lived on the east coast my whole life, it was weird comprehending that downtown Dallas is a ghost town for the most part. Dallas is spread out as f*ck. If you say you live in the city of Dallas, that could be 10 miles north of downtown. Prior to moving I was sure that’s where I wanted to live. Wrong. There are some restaurants and some apartments, but really no one does anything there. There isn’t a grocery store (yet), quite a few homeless, and really just nothing to do.
Most young professionals live in the Uptown area. It’s just a minute or two north of downtown. I live here, but not right on McKinney where all the bars of uptown are located. It’s kind of a little bubble and feels like a small town. Soooooo much eye candy it’s absurd. But, on the weekends, McKinney will feel like spring break, so that can be annoying. But that’s easily avoidable.
Being in my mid-30’s I tend to go out in other neighborhoods such as Lower Greenville, Deep Ellum, Bishop Arts, Knox/Henderson. All of these are a short, and cheap, uber ride away. Bishop Arts is across the Trinity and a little more out of the way, but it’s a fun neighborhood.
Retail is good here depending on your likes. Pogo’s has an amazing selection of all the heavy hitters from California. If I still liked the purple drank, I could spend a small fortune on all their CA cabs. Pricing is a little high, but their French selection is even higher. Leaves me scratching my head a bit.
Wine shipping. Definitely a pain-point I felt moving here. I was used to buying from wherever I wanted to online and shipping to DC. No problem. Texas, not so simple. You can open carry an assault rifle on the Katy trail, but you can’t ship wine from a retailer out of state. Oh you Texans…
If you need wine storage, I store at Classic Wine in Addison. It’s about 12 miles straight up the Tollway from Uptown. Good facility, has a nice tasting room, but it’s filling up. I rarely see anyone there. When I do, mostly people just putting wines away and leaving.
Another thing is the byob laws are odd. I’m also used to corkage at most places. Doesn’t really exist here aside from a few exceptions. Has something to do with the liquor licensing. I’m sure someone can explain.
Eating, well there are a lot of fun restaurants popping up around the city. Gemma is my favorite right now. Great food and a pretty good wine list as well. Also enjoy Proof and Pantry, Lucia, Madrina, Uchi. The list goes on. TONS of tacos and Tex/Mex down here, obviously. You have to be careful not to gain the Texas 15 right after you move. This place is a meat and carb heaven. I tend not to eat out too much as I’m happy save to money, to cook at home and have better wine.
Meet Joe Dullworth
That’s great advice
Expanding on the point above: by law, if a restaurant has the permit required to serve liquor, they cannot legally allow patrons to bring their own. If they have a beer/wine permit only, they can allow it at their discretion.
It’s a stupid law, and some restaurateurs seems to agree. In practice the only way to know for sure is to call and ask.
Some of this has already been covered, but here’s my 2 cents. I live in East Dallas (Lakewood) and work downtown. So my knowledge is pretty limited to things “in the bubble” and not out in the 'burbs.
Retail:
Grailey’s is your place for truly “fine wine”. They can find pretty much anything. They also will send you offers tailored to your tastes. And once you get in the loop, you will likely find yourself invited to some pretty sweet tastings and dinners. PM me and I can send you contact info.
Spec’s (particularly location on Walnut Hill) has a huge variety. Can be hit-and-miss on truly cool stuff, but a great place to go to stock up. Staff is knowledgable and pricing is tough to beat. This is also a good source to “resolve” shipping issues - I have been able to get wines shipped to Spec’s with my name on it, then I just go pick it up and pay for it.
Central Market is a grocery store, but has phenomenal pricing on wine. Frankly, often the best in the city, and if you buy 6+ bottles (mix and match is fine) you get a solid discount. Not a huge variety, but some good stuff and great pricing. And this is THE PLACE you will want to shop for meat, fish, produce, etc. Absolutely tops in Dallas. Other recommendation for meat (if you are looking for a brisket or pork shoulder, etc.) is Rudolphs which is on Elm Street in Deep Ellum (just outside Downtown).
Storage:
Already covered, but I also store at Classic in Addison. Great folks, great service and they host some cool tastings from time to time.
Dining:
Al Biernet’s is Dallas at its finest (and worst). Very much a see-and-be-seen crowd. Food is excellent. Focus on steaks, but a pretty broad offering of items - many with a French flair. Service can be stuffy. Wine list is amazing, and there are lots of “off menu” wines. Just ask for the sommelier (Todd) and he will take care of you.
Knife is the best new steakhouse in Dallas, and its wine list has some real easter eggs on it. Their sommelier is a huge Aaron Pott fan so she always has at least a few of his wines on the list and priced very well.
FT33 is my wife’s favorite. Very farm-to-table. Also a killer wine list. Chef is also now focusing on his new restaurant, Filament, which has a more “Southern” style and is also more casual. And also certainly worth a trip.
Uchi is new in town and is fantastic. Hard to get a reservation - will likely have to show up and stand in line. Very much the hip new place. Tei An is a more traditional Japanese menu and a quiet setting. And frankly the best sushi in town.
For casual dining, there are lots of places in the Knox-Henderson area that we enjoy (Toulouse for French; Mr. Mesero for Tex Mex; Porch for Texas fare; Sangria for tapas). And for a great BYOB spot, check out Urbano (on Fitzhugh street).
Thanks everyone for the input. Once we get established here in the next couple of months, some of us should try and get together
You should know not to move to Dallas??
THIS.
I kid. Dallas really has grown on me. Not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.
The only place in TX I’d even remotely consider living is Austin.
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Like any city - it has its ups and downs - but opposed to Cali it doesn’t have 11% State tax (at least until oil drops more) or NE with the snow. Texas is great. This time of year especially when it is mild. Oh and as Jeb mentioned - scenery isn’t shabby down here. There is a reason most folks are proud of this state. As Am I. Lots of history and lots of nice folks.
Anyway, I live in the Lakewood as well. There is a “new” or “reopened” wine bar hear called Bodega. Great owners and really good wines. Also allow corkage and very fairly priced. Good retail operation. Probably my go to right now. Veritas is another good place where the owner is great and has let us do some off book stuff there.
In terms of retail - Pogos has a great selection and constantly doing nice tastings. Sigels (multiple locations) is another and where I spend most of my in town money. They have worked through their backlogs but still have plenty of current releases and some exclusives (meaning only place in Dallas that carries). I want to say it is some Kermit Lynch stuff among others. In terms of special bottles that you can be sure the storage is great, La Cave is it. All three run really good sales once or twice a year as in 20% off or more type of sales = so you have to be patient.
Restaurants. Well we have kids so dont get out much and stay in our area so cannot speak much to Bishop Arts, Uptown, etc. I am passed those days. Urbano is our go to. Good food and BYOB which is rare. We like Hibiscus. Great food and bar is nice. Plent of other chef driven restaurants. and of course the steakhouses. Bobs, Nick and Sams, and probably the most underrated - Papas steakhouse. Crazy good wine list (though pricey) and really solid steaks that rival the others.
Anyway, plenty to do and see - eat and drink. Good luck with the move.
Not mentioned yet, or maybe I haven’t seen it, is the fact that you need to learn how to drive at hyper speeds. 80 mph is slow in the Dallas / Ft. Worth area. Get a car with LOTS of air bags - or that foam that turns the car into a cannoli like in Demolition Man.
[video]Securefoam - YouTube