Trips: SHM 2011 in Dallas

May 10-14, 2011

Hooray, Dallas.  Okay, okay.  Not necessarily my favorite city.  Plus, during medical school, I interviewed here so I had done a few things: visit the Sixth Floor Museum and catch a Stars game (versus Sidney Crosby and the Penguins no less).  I even trekked to The Stockyards in Fort Worth and caught a rodeo.  But it worked out for the best.  After a week in New Orleans and Utah, I was about ready to take it easy.  The Gaylord Texan, the hotel where I stayed, is built for achieving relaxation. 

I did nothing.  Or next to nothing.  Sure, I attended a few conferences here and there.  Sure, we had a few dinners here are there (see food reviews below).  But what I enjoyed the most, outside of reuniting with some friends and co-workers, was the ability to sleep in.  That was glorious.  

I landed at Dallas Fort Worth airport and my first order of business was ... to get a haircut.  That's the second sign I knew my travels were perhaps too frequent.  (The first sign was mailing a Mother's Day card from Las Vegas about one week prior.)  I got a haircut.  I went to Supercuts.  And much in the same way I still am amazed that a Chicken McNugget tastes the same anywhere in the world, so too did I react when I got my same haircut as I usually do in Atlanta. 

I thought the Gaylord Hotel from SHM 2010 in DC was huge.  But of course, that means huge becomes huger in Texas.  The Gaylord Texan was humongous.  This was fine by me.  I planned to take it easy.  After I checked in, I did the natural thing: order room service.  I ordered the burger.  Yes, it hit the spot.  

Everything about this hotel is over-sized: the room (but lacking a microwave though), the number of rooms, the number of restaurants, the pools, the shopping inside the hotel, you name it.  It was necessary though; there's not much else to do in this part of Texas.

I was supposed to go the Rangers game that first night.  But with the threat of rain and my general laziness, I passed on the idea.  Later on, I learned that Dan went alone to that same game and had a blast.  Maybe the free upgrade helped!  

I did set aside one day for exploration: I had breakfast at All Good Cafe (see food review below), visited the Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center, and watched the Rangers beat up the Angels 4-1 in a heavily underrated ballpark.  (Plus, the seats behind home plate certainly helped!)  But one day is all I needed.  (By the way, Cowboy Stadium is HUGE!)

I am definitely more excited for SHM 2012 in San Diego.

Zeppole * (Grapevine, TX) - A good dinner.  I didn't expect life-changing Italian food from Texas.  But alas, the focus was catching up with Kristin, Ketino, and Regina.

Old Hickory Steakhouse ** (Grapevine, TX) - Fifty of us from Emory Healthcare showed up to this dinner.  It was great to catch up everything, in particular my classmates who I hadn't seen in a little while, including Anna, Eva, and Christina.  My mission was to finish the steak.  I think it was good.  I actually don't remember.  Outside of catching up, one of my favorite moments was being tapped on the shoulder by Jason Stein: "I was told to ask you what your favorite burger places are in Atlanta."  Such is my reputation.  

Texan Station *** (Grapevine, TX) - When you're in Texas, stick with BBQ.  That beef brisket was awesome; I had the recommendation of my boss.  Didn't disappoint. 

Hard Eight BBQ *** (Grapevine, TX) - Is it me or does no one do BBQ sausage better than in Texas?  My boss had a craving for Texas BBQ since we were in Texas.  Mags, Dan, and I were chauffeurs.  The group: Val, Eva, Christina, Sreedhar, Mags, Dan, and I.  The guys became giddy as we looked at the menu and you could order only by pounds and half pounds.  At one point, I had a platter with a pound each of brisket, ribs, and sausage in front of me.  Eva and Christina, knowing my dietary habits, urged me to finish the platter.  I didn't.  The ribs were good.  The sausage was excellent.  The brisket was okay, a bit dry and not as tender as expected.  The leftovers were delicious the next morning.  The food and company?  A definite blast.  

All Good Cafe * (Dallas, TX) - I came across this place on the Travel Channel.  Maybe it was the Food Channel.  It raved about the bacon here.  Now, I think it's hard to get bacon wrong.  They got the bacon wrong here.  Overpeppered and overcooked.  It was pretty unpleasant actually.  Thoroughly unimpressed.