Your money's no good over at Hidden Door. Well, that is, if it comes in the form of a plastic card. Only cash is accepted at this little dive bar. But you won't have to worry about – literally – emptying your wallet or breaking the bank. Drinks are relatively inexpensive here, perfect for drinking on either of the bar's two patios or by the pool tables. Plus, early risers can come in and start drinking as early as 7 a.m. – yes, even on Sundays.

Gallerists Hilary and Hannah Fagadau have brought their sibling revelry to 12.26 Gallery in the Design District since 2019. The sisters grew up in an art-loving family, so they're adept at holding the hand of a beginning collector. Focusing on mid-career artists from Texas and beyond, the Fagadaus recently launched a West Coast outpost run by Hilary, allowing them to keep their fingers on the pulse in at least two towns.

The stunning music video for "Bones / Dust" by Dallas musician and artist extraordinaire Nicole Marxen looks like how grief feels. The song, taken from 2021's goth-industrial masterwork Tether EP, features Marxen's lovely, haunting vocals and lush production reminiscent of Chelsea Wolfe. The video for "Bones / Dust" was directed by Richard Krause, who created a black-and-white world of death and decay to breathe life into Marxen's evocative, soul-wrenching lyrics. Marxen's long been an Observer fave thanks to her stellar work with hometown heroes Midnight Opera. We're excited to see her star climb ever-higher with this important, innovative solo endeavor.

Leela's Wine Bar is a Pinterest board come to life. Since 2018, the wine bar has been a trendsetter by raising the standard for a well-executed design concept. Located in the former Crown and Harp, the industrial building has been transformed into an aesthetically pleasing backdrop for Dallasites to enjoy a well-crafted espresso martini while getting Insta-worthy snapshots. When it comes to a theme, no one does it better. Tastefully, Leela's has made Christmas, Valentine's Day and even Bachelor Mondays an experience to remember with theme-specific. visually appealing cocktails and decor. For its sixth decor pop-up, Leela's is teaming up with The Planting Hand to present "Summer House." Charge your camera battery and get there early. It is a guarantee that Dallas will be lined up out the door. The wait can be up to three hours on a weekend night, but it's well worth the exquisite vibes.

Prominently displayed on the wall of a building at Pearl and Elm streets is a colorful homage to three of pop music's biggest stars: Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Billie Eilish. The lifelike mural close to Dallas' Deep Ellum entertainment district is sure to grab the attention of even the most jaded of city-dwellers. The artist, Adrian Torres, told the Observer in April that he'd created the massive triple-portrait as part of 42 Murals, a project that helps elevate local artists' profiles by giving them a space to display their gifts. Hopefully, life will imitate art someday and the three pop stars will unleash a collaboration.

Want a chill time where you can relax and watch the sunset or some birds? This is not your place. Go here when you're ramping up for an evening. The employees always seem happy to be there, the patrons as well. The food is big and grandiose, like foot-long fried cheese sticks. And even when this place is packed before a game or show, the bartenders push drinks out quickly. The rooftop just brings all these things together with a view. Happy times.

Some of us will never be asked to be onstage, and that's OK, though it might be the reason we pay for expensive weddings full of people we don't really know. We want attention and a spotlight, no matter how brief. Karaoke allows everyone to seize the spotlight, and there's no better place to do karaoke than at a gay bar. If drag queens aren't cheering us on, we're just not interested. Barb's, the Oak Cliff dive bar, is still the best spot for karaoke. Because that's what Saturdays are made for, to butcher Mariah Carey just for the joy of loosening our vocals. The neighborhood bar has a mod look and a Cheers-like ambiance, where you can show off your excellent or terrible singing among friends who won't judge too harshly.

Get your groove on over at Havana, where DJs spin the latest in reggaeton, bachata and Latin and Spanish hip-hop. With fairly inexpensive cocktails and a large dance floor, Havana is a transcendental experience, where it's easy to get lost in the rhythm. Plus, Havana regularly brings in Latinx and Hispanic drag queens and musical performers. You may want to get to there early, as the line to get in is usually wrapped around the block on weekends. But after a night out of dancing and partaking in pure, joyful festivities, you will quickly realize why.

If you want some context on what's going on in Dallas politics and local government, you'll want to tune in to Loserville, a podcast currently hosted by former City Council member Philip Kingston and former Greencastle, Indiana, City Council member (now Dallas resident) Tyler Wade. The podcast has had a few different names and gone through several iterations. Radio personality TC Fleming started it as a solo interview podcast called All Dallas Politics Is Local. This was a spinoff of another podcast called It's Just Banter. Fleming asked Kingston to temporarily take over All Dallas Politics. After the 2019 City Council election, Kingston and Fleming decided to work together on Loserville. It would usually include Kingston and Fleming discussing the Dallas news of the day and would occasionally include guests. Fleming took a step back from the podcast when other commitments came up, and Wade was his replacement. If the city manager seems like he's on the verge of losing his job, or there's some zoning case drumming up local controversy, you'll likely hear about it in detail on Loserville.

A magician doesn't become a master by fooling his audience. A magician becomes a master by fooling other magicians. Dallas magician Zak Mirz did just that to two of the world's most knowledgeable magicians. Mirz appeared on The CW magic series Penn & Teller: Fool Us in which the famed Las Vegas magic duo watch original magic tricks performed by illusionists from every corner of the world. Then they try to figure out how the trick is done using Teller's storied knowledge of magic secrets and techniques and Penn's booming voice and expressive vocabulary without revealing how the trick is done to those who don't know the lingo. Mirz, a native of Iran who used magic from a very young age to cope with the tragic loss of his father, performed a card trick with host Alyson Hannigan using a deck of cards and a very sharp knife that she used to cut to the predicted card. Penn & Teller thought they had the trick figured out, but Mirz told them they were wrong, earning him two dropped jaws of shock, a cloud of stage confetti and the show's fabled "Fool Us" trophy with the "F" and "U" in big, red capital letters.