I recently traveled to Dallas to visit my cousin and newborn godson. Here, I recount the amazing local eats and animal-loving experience I had with my family in the land of the cowboys. 

My favorite cousin had just given birth to my new godson so I made plans to go meet the little guy in Abilene, Texas where his mom is currently serving our country in the Air Force. (yes, we’re military babies) I couldn’t justify traveling to Texas without making a stop in one of its most well known cities, Dallas. So my cousin and I along with “little baby” booked a night at the Westin in Dallas Forth Worth and made our rounds in a day. We decided to grab sushi which was referred to us by a local, at The Blue Fish. The service was outstanding and the food was a lot of awesome for a little price.

We started with some crab cakes with wasabi mash potatoes and finished with a giant dessert tower. Yum!

The highlight of my trip was breakfast at Bread Winners. 

We got there just in time on a Saturday to beat the crowd. The ambiance of this old restaurant made you feel like you were having breakfast with the ladies in a secret garden. We sat on the patio shaded by huge plants and vines. Should you find your way to Bread Winner’s skipping the chorizo breakfast tacos

or raspberry stuffed French toast would be a sin! 

After breakfast, we spent the day vintage shopping and chocolate tasting in the Bishop Arts District.

This cozy little area was full of life, again a locally recommended ‘must do’. Later, we walked off the extra calories at the Dallas Zoo, just a few miles away. Despite the humidity, and mosquito outbreak as bothersome details, I was thrilled to coax a stubborn giraffe into a lettuce feeding sesh

and steal a pic of a curious penguin.

My last meal in Dallas was at Twisted Root Burger, a suggestion from the Food Network’s Guy Fieri.

All in all, Dallas is due for another visit from me…there’s just too much good food and people to capture it all in a day. New life, brought me to a new city, and nothing tells you about a city like it’s food! My godson wasn’t able to eat with me, mostly because he doesn’t have teeth, but when he gets some, I’ll be back to take him on another adventure, you can tell by his face, he likes it.