You're sitting in a place and time thinking it could never get more interesting.
Recall, for example, the start-up dating service for good-looking people only. Can't remember the name, but they evaluated your photo and decided whether or not you could join. The idea seems mean-spirited, but in the mid-00s--with the initial shock of 9/11 behind us and the economy rumbling--it was so appropriately Dallas.
In our minds, the city was brash, unapologetically pretentious, outgoing and a lot more interesting than just about anywhere else outside of Rio. And we don't miss that time or our misperception of it at all.
And that's just the start.
Things we didn't really miss in 2009:
1. Prime beef
No, it didn't go away. But in a recession-wracked year, many restaurants downgraded to the best choice cuts they could find. Order a steak at Neighborhood Services if you want to know why we can live happily without the $50 price tag.
2. Franki's Li'l Europe
We hated fighting traffic and traffic lights to get there, but once
inside...Damn. If you ever wanted an expression of Eastern Europe at
its finest, this was it. Yet for some reason the cravings for cabbage
rolls and old world schnitzel passed.
3. Those Days Before Blogging
Thought we'd miss it, the time when food writers lounged around and
flipped through back issues of Gourmet in between restaurant visits.
The world is more hectic now, but the interaction and the array of
posts--it's a lot more fun nowadays.
Things we don't really miss from the 2000s:
1. Hard door clubs
The ones opening in Dallas through the mid-00s were exclusive, but not
that exclusive. Yes, there was an element of pretense about them. But
they hired good bartenders, stocked good alcohol--and we don't mourn
their demise at all.
2. Nikita
Stuff we witnessed on Naked Sundays just makes us shudder today.
3. Deep Ellum
There was Daddy Jack's, the Green Room, Monica's (still there) and the
crush of people descending on the area. It was fun, remember? Well, fun
until you paid for parking. A lot of things dragged Deep Ellum down. It
would be nice if that part of town picked itself up, brushed off and
got going again. If not, no big deal. There are other places to hang.
More to choose from, too.
