Omni Hotel

Apparently Sober Waffle House Patron Crashes into Morning News Parking Lot, Falls Asleep

It's a long drive to the Omni Hotel downtown from the nearest Waffle House, which is three-fourths of the way to Farmers Branch. It's a sleepy one, too, when made at the typical Waffle House hour of 4 a.m. Nevertheless, an unidentified gentleman driving a 2004 Lexus SUV decided to undertake that vo ... More >>

Now That the Omni's Officially a Success, the City Hopes to Build Shops and Restaurants

Downtown's city-owned Omni Hotel has been a roaring success since it opened a year-and-a-half ago, routinely filling up and helping score such convention-business coups as the annual gathering of the American Meat Institute and the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Expo. But the Omni was ... More >>

At State of the City Address, Rawlings Says Dallas Doing "Very Well, Bordering On Superb"

The first time I saw Mayor Mike Rawlings deliver a prepared speech, he talked about changing the culture of southern Dallas by shooting it with bullets of economic development, so I had high hopes for his lunchtime state of the city address today at the Sheraton downtown. Other than some mild name-d ... More >>

Artists Hijack Dallas’ Biggest Canvas

Meet the Dallasites Who Made Forbes' List of Wealthiest Americans

Every year, the wealth fetishists over at Forbes compile an exhaustive list of the 400 richest Americans. It's a rarefied club, whose admittance requires an aggregate worth in the billions. Not surprisingly, a number of Dallasites made the cut -- 16 in fact. They range from oldies-but-goodies like ... More >>

The Overserved Takes a Dip In Some Afternoon Delight

The first whispers of fall blew through Dallas this weekend. There we were, eager to pull on boots and jackets. How quickly we toss the lightness of summer when we make contact with that first dip in temperature. These days are perfect for quiet afternoons of exploring. A trip across the Margaret ... More >>

The Owner's Box In The Omni Is A No Joke Sports Bar With Some Pretty Good Wings

After I went back to Bryan Street Tavern to check out their wings under the new ownership, I started poking around looking for better specimens. My wing friends suggested the Owner's Box, the retina-overload sports bar in the neon explosion of the Omni Hotel. I stopped in recently to check them out ... More >>

Firestone And Robertson on Distilling Bourbon and Whiskey in Fort Worth

Surely it's difficult to convince your spouse that it's a good idea to quit your day job to distill whiskey. Considering that's exactly what Leonard Firestone and Troy Robertson did, they must be really good talkers. In a salvaged Prohibition-era warehouse south of downtown Fort Worth, they're filli ... More >>

John Wiley Price: The Best Friend the White Establishment Ever Had

Oh my God, am I just going to keep blabbing about John Wiley Price every day for the rest of my life? Will I wind up buckled into a padded chair against the wall in some long corridor with ladies in white dresses whispering to the visitors, "He's the John Wiley Price talker?" Yup. Today I have to ... More >>

Ode to Taste of the NFL (with Photos)

While she didn't get the chance to lick any football players at last night's Taste of the NFL at the new Omni Hotel, foodbitch was pleasantly surprised by all the energy inside. And that energy inspired her to get poetic. Because what's Monday without whimsy? Here we go.

How a Battle Over a Korean-Owned Kwik Stop Divided, Then United, South Dallas

Led by a little-known minister, protesters rallied to run a Korean store owner out of business. Then they learned a little more about that minister.

Tom Leppert and the Young Republicans Solve the World's Problems

If you happened to stumble upstairs at the Londoner last night, you might have wondered just what the hell was going on. Why were so many of these men wearing suits to the bar? Is that a sweater vest in the corner? Everyone's throwing the word "santorum" around with such enthusiasm -- have we stumbl ... More >>

Shepard Fairey Dusts Dallas

On Site of Old Herrera's on Maple, the New Home of Omni Hotels' Parent Company

That big muddy patch seen outside the bossman's window will be TRT Holdings' HQ at some point.​Someone asked yesterday if and when Omni's going to move its HQ to the city of Dallas. Well ... if you'll look at the council's agenda for today, it's right there: items No. 54 and 55. The first one's fo ... More >>

Texas Spice, the Hotel Restaurant That Shouldn't Be But Is

What good is local if local isn't good?

Texas Spice, the Subject of This Week's Review, Contains Too Little Texas and Too Little Spice

The words Texas and spice invoke plenty of connotations food-wise -- beef, heat, chili and smoke all come to mind. There are lots of ways to dice the terms, but if you say Texas Spice, it's likely to bring to mind big and bold flavors. Farm-to-table and locavorism, meanwhile, aren't typically movem ... More >>

Reviews, Reviews, Reviews and Bad Tomatoes: This Week In Dallas Eats

Flickr​Y'all got your shopping done? I'm feeling the pinch. A few more items to check off my list and then I get get my egg roll on, all over Dallas. Things are scheduled to be quiet tomorrow so we're wrapping things in iceberg a day early. Dipping sauces' are on you. This week I reviewed Mar ... More >>

Mayor Mike Rawlings Last Night: "Everything I Look At, I Ask, 'Is It Right for Southern Dallas?'"

Last night, Mayor Mike Rawlings hosted a community forum at Cedar Crest Golf Course, billed in the invitation as an "update on the City of Dallas." Backed by council members Dwaine Caraway and Tennell Atkins and a large supporting cast of other city officials, he tried to reassure the crowd: City Ha ... More >>

Owner of Tiny But Valuable Plot at Omni Hotel Tells City Hall: $182,000 Just Ain't Enough

Via WFAA-Channel 8​When the city-owned Omni Hotel had its grand-opening photo op the other day, everything seemed in place, right down to the giant ribbon and the past-due TV stars. But there's one little speck of cement that the city's still fighting over -- and its sparring partner isn't goi ... More >>

Suhm's "Very Disappointed" By Turn of Events as Occupy Dallas, City Head Back to Courthouse

Photo by Chris Howell​Below you'll find the original agreement the city of Dallas and Occupy Dallas entered into last month after that trip to the courthouse that was all fist-bumps and high-fives. Problem is, the agreement is affixed as an exhibit to even more legal docs Occupy Dallas's attorneys ... More >>

Mayor Awaits Report on Occupy Dallas; Group Vows It Won't Protest Omni, Vets Parade

Photo by Chris Howell​In the wake of two reports concerning the city's response to Saturday's arrest of eight Occupy Dallasites, some Friends of Unfair Park have asked: Is the city going to boot the protesters camping out behind Dallas City Hall, allowed by agreement following last month's trip to ... More >>

Reading is Fundamental, Which Is Why DISD's Trying to Round Up 1,111 Readers For Friday

Genius.​Speaking of learnin' stuff ...At last week's Dallas ISD board meeting, district spokesman Jon Dahlander told the trustees that so far, a few hundred folks had signed up to read to kiddos on Friday, when the district's hoping to round up 1,111 volunteers for its so-called "community-wide ce ... More >>

Glass Kiosks, Mobile Vendors, Music, Art And Pedestrians: Your "New Look" Downtown?

Photos by Leslie MinoraRusty Taco serves up dinner in the temporary urban oasis commonly known as Browder Plaza.​Last night was a bit of a tease. Just after 5:30 p.m., Browder Plaza (outside the Dallas Power and Light Flats on Commerce Street) was packed with pedestrians mingling, snacking on ... More >>

Last Night, In Occupied Pioneer Park ...

Photos by Justin Terveen​Last night we got word that the city is invalidating Occupy Dallas's permit to stay in Pioneer Park till 5 p.m. Friday, since the group hadn't secured the million-dollar insurance policy City Hall demanded on Monday. The question was: Would the city kick Occupy Dallas out ... More >>

Occupy Dallas Sends a Mayor Mike, City Officials a Note: They're Gonna Be Here a While

​We went to the Mecum car auction Saturday after all, where a '68 Corvette sold for $565,000, and as we were driving away from the Dallas Convention Center we espied a small encampment of sorts set up next to Robert Summers's 49 bronze Longhorns in Pioneer Plaza. There was one dude sporting a Guy ... More >>

The Downtown Omni, It's Alive!

Photo by Justin TerveenFor a much larger version of this photo, check out Justin's Flickr page.​The light show arrived well before last night's rains showed up and stuck around long after they'd headed south -- enough time for our old friend Justin Terveen, who makes this city look beautiful, to s ... More >>

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

A sneak peek at the new-and-improved Dallas skyline, if you look close enoughI'll leave it to Sam to interpret the convention center hotel documents that went online Sunday in advance of the city council's Economic Development Committee's jam-packed meeting this morning. (Takeaway: Open by Jan ... More >>

Ron Natinsky Says Convention Center Hotel Vote Might Amount to Jack Squat, General Fund Will Lose $300 Million Without Hotel

Sam MertenCouncil member Ron Natinsky debated Anne Raymond about the convention center hotel in Farmers Branch. While his colleagues assembled at City Hall, council member and Build the Hotel'er Ron Natinsky spent yesterday morning at the Farmers Branch Recreation Center selling the convention cente ... More >>

Boomer Sooner Bonanza

North Texas is a fertile hunting ground for OU recruiters

In Circles

Art's birth and death

Bob Hoofs North

The Plano version of Bob's Steak and Chophouse stays true to form--mysterious carrot and all

Thin line between love and hate

Cork is a promising wine bar that's plugged its excitement for the drink

Put up a fight

With bands like these, who needs Austin anyway?

Bad Judgement

State District Judge John Marshall is snared in allegations of misconduct

Don't cry for me, Amarillo

T. Boone Pickens Jr. has lost millions, been booted out of his own company, and his wife wants a divorce. Miriam Rozen chronicles the downward spiral of the once-fearsome Learjet Cowboy.