A weekend getaway for many San Franciscans seeking a cultural shift might mean a short flight to Los Angeles, Santa Fe or Seattle for their opera fix. But for more reasons than ever, Dallas should also be on the list.
Pegasus, “the Flying Red Horse,” shines brightly from atop the Magnolia, a downtown Dallas boutique hotel located in the Magnolia Petroleum Company Building. Built in 1922, this 400-foot high, 29-story building was the first high rise in the United States to have air conditioning and the city’s first skyscraper. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Hotel
By Paul Duclos
Published: June, 2013
A weekend getaway for many San Franciscans seeking a cultural shift might mean a short flight to Los Angeles, Santa Fe or Seattle for their opera fix. But for more reasons than ever, Dallas should also be on the list.
My main objective for making this overdue journey was to see the Dallas Opera production of Dominick Argento’s riveting 1988 work The Aspern Papers. The rarely-performed masterpiece tells the story of a former opera diva now living as a recluse with her niece in a decaying villa on Lake Como, Italy in the late 19th century. They are visited by a mysterious American writer—he arrives by ferry!—who wants to rent a room. In truth, he is interested in the opera singer’s previous affair with a renowned composer, Aspern, and his final work, an opera long-presumed to have been destroyed.
This revival starred Susan Graham in her long-awaited Dallas Opera debut as Tina. Graham created the role of Sister Helen Prejean in Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking for San Francisco Opera (SFO). Also featured in this performance was critically acclaimed American baritone Nathan Gunn, who will appear in SFO’s new fall season when it stages the classic American theater piece Show Boat (containing a theme that should also resonate with ferry riders).
Virgin America—our airline of choice for any domestic journey—has a daily direct flight to Dallas. The airport has been upgraded recently, but alas, Virgin has yet to build an exclusive lounge there.
My two-night stay at the Magnolia, a downtown Dallas boutique hotel located in the Magnolia Petroleum Company Building, was restful and altogether pleasant. Pegasus, "the Flying Red Horse," shines brightly as the Big Oil icon from atop the one of the city’s most revered structures. Built in 1922, this 400-foot high, 29-story building was the first high rise in the United States to have air conditioning and the city’s first skyscraper.
The hotel is within walking distance of the Margo and Bill Winspear Opera house, but should you get lost one evening, the hotel’s landmark rooftop beacon will guide you home.
The hotel is also not far from Victory Plaza, where I discovered the Havana Social Club. As with so many "faux clubs" these days, membership is available but not required. It has a full bar, excellent table service and sells premium cigars. The club’s general manager, Carlos Rodriuez-Groning, is from Cuba, where he received his business degree from the University of Havana. He clearly knows tobacco and his Mojitos are first rate.
While fine dining may require a cab fare from here, I found the Y.O. Steakhouse to be quite satisfactory, with a menu of wild game rarely available at similar joints in San Francisco. The restaurant claims its true heritage from the noted Y.O. Ranch, located in the hill country beyond the city limits. Try the Buffalo Filet Mignon, seasoned with the house’s special blend of spices.
With Father’s Day nearly upon us, I headed out of town for something special for dear old dad. The Beretta Gallery, in the exclusive Highland Park area, was just the place, for it exemplifies traditional Beretta quality in every detail. The beautiful, well-stocked gunroom features Beretta’s full line of firearms, from pistols to shotguns to side-by-side Express rifles. Today the Beretta Galleries continue Beretta’s almost 500-year-old tradition of producing custom-made shotguns and side-by-side Express rifles for the discriminating gun owner.
The gallery also sells vintage country apparel that will keep you warm on fog-bound ferry rides, or when ambling about on Angel Island. Besides Manhattan, only "Big D" provides this unique destination for those wishing to indulge in the rich heritage of Beretta.
For more information, visit the following sites: dallasopera.org, www.virginamerica.com, www.havanasocialclub.net, yoranchsteakhouse.com, and www.dallas.berettagallery.com.
