Flying With Faber: Irving and Las Colinas, Texas – The Other Dallas
By Stuart J. Faber I travel to Dallas about once a year. I look forward to meandering around Turtle Creek, downtown Dallas, and Ft. Worth. I visit with some of my favorite chefs, hunker down with a Texas-size Porterhouse steak, work it off at the hotel fitness center, and then take in some shopping.On some trips, I might settle in downtown Dallas. On other trips, I’ll stay in Ft. Worth. However, Las Colinas-Irving is the region that seems to offer the best of all Dallas-Metropolis worlds.Several factors attract me to Las Colinas-Irving. To begin with, virtually everything is new and manicured – but not to the level of austerity. I generally prefer traditional and rustic. But I also love the openness and vitality of this exciting new neighborhood. Second, Las Colinas-Irving is centrally located and virtually equidistant from Ft. Worth and Central Dallas. Third, this neck of the woods has some of the best hotels and restaurants in this part of Texas. And for those with an urge to shop, every appetite from haute couture to Bass Pro Shops can be satiated within 20 minutes of your hotel.A Brief HistoryIn 1902, when Otis Brown and J.O. Schulze were partners in the purchase of an 80-acre tract of land just west of Dallas, Texas, their intent was to divide the land into residential and commercial lots. Prior to Brown coming aboard, Schulze had developed similar tracts for the railroad. This time, they created a town and named it after Washington Irving. Surrounding this village were vast stretches of prairie land. Thousands of herds of cattle roamed these pastures, many of which eventually suffered a luckless journey to the Ft. Worth stockyards.Originally named El Ranchito de Las Colinas, the Little Ranch of the Hills, Las Colinas was, in the 19th Century, a river bottom farm and grazing land. Ben Carpenter, a Texas insurance entrepreneur, owned a huge portion of this spread as a weekend getaway. In the early ‘70s, when construction began on the Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport, Ben decided that his land could be put to better use. So he developed a complex of business skyscrapers, hotels, shopping centers, and classy residential compounds. Today, Las Colinas is the center of branch and home offices for many Fortune 500 companies, to name of few: ExxonMobil, Fluor, and Kimberly-Clark.What impresses me most about this region is that, although intensive development has been accomplished, the developers have not completely obliterated the beauty of the wide-open spaces of this part of Texas. The stands of skyscrapers are separated by acres of rolling heirloom pastureland, old farm ponds, rivers, and canals.AirportsAlthough Irving and Las Colinas are just a few miles from DFW, my suggestion is to touch down at Dallas Love Field (KDAL). This airport is only about 20 minutes east of the region. At an elevation of 487 feet, the field has two parallel runways; 13L-31R is 7,700 feet long and 13R-31L is 8,800 feet in length. Operated 24-7, the field has every type of lighting and approach you will ever need. Tetar Aviation, 213/654-0994, operates 24-7 and offers rental cars.Three other attractive options await your touchdown. Fort Worth Meacham International (KFTW) is slightly closer to downtown Ft. Worth and about 20 minutes due west of Las Colinas. The field has a set of almost parallel runways – 16-34 is 7,502 feet long with GPS, ILS, and RNAV approaches. Runway 71-35 is 4,500 feet long. Several FBOs on the field service incoming aircraft, including Texas Jet, 817/624-8438 and American Aero, 817/625-2366.Fort Worth Alliance Airport (KAFW), about five miles north of Ft. Worth, is one of America’s newest general aviation airports. In an era when a frightening number of airports have been relegated to the unfortunate designation of endangered species, it is gratifying to visit this impressive facility with its 9,600 x 150-foot all concrete grooved runway and its 8,200-foot parallel sibling. Each parallel runway, 16-34, is lighted. The larger strip has both high intensity and centerline lights. IFR arrivals can select between a GPS, RNAV, and an ILS approach.Alliance Air Service, 817/890-1000, is a spiffy FBO with a fancy pilot lounge and an incredibly equipped flight planning room. Automobiles can be rented through Enterprise at the FBO.Dallas Executive (RBD), previously known as Redbird Airport, is six miles southwest of Dallas. Runway 13-31 is 6,541 feet long and runway 17-35 is 3,800 feet long. Ambassador Jet Center (214/623-8800) is open 24 hours and has no ramp fees.Texas Size Conventions
The Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, 500 West Las Colinas Boulevard, Irving, TX 75039, 972/252-7476, is situated in the heart of the Las Colinas Urban Center – Irving’s international business district. Innovative in its design and approach to meetings, the Center is indeed a departure from the traditional, institutional big box. The 275,000-square-foot architectural treasure is clad in copper and features three levels of diversified meeting and function space.Recommended Hotels
Four Seasons Resort & Club, 4150 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving, Texas 75038, 972/717-0700, the premiere resort in Las Colinas, is not only ensconced in sublime luxury, it’s a virtual destination by itself.
For example, golf lovers are ecstatic with their first glance of the Resort’s Tournament Players Course and Cottonwood Valley Course, site of the annual EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Updated in 2006, the 18-hole, par-71 course features the signature hole designed in the shape of Texas and strategically placed bunkers, one in the shape of Oklahoma. Guests can alsoreceive private instruction or attend the Four Seasons Golf School.Fitness & HealthThe Spa, one of the best equipped in the United States, features massage, facials, herbal wraps, mud baths, and other treatments. Sauna, steam room and whirlpool treatments are also available. The Salon offers professional hairstyling, makeup application, manicures, and pedicures. The 176,000-square-foot Sports Club includes indoor and outdoor running tracks, Nautilus and free weights, and one indoor and three outdoor pools. Racquetball, squash, and indoor and outdoor tennis facilities are also at your disposal. New studios have been added with state-of-the-art equipment, enhanced programming, and spa concepts. Personal nutrition experts and Wellness Coaches are on staff to create individualized fitness and lifestyle programs.MeetingsIf you want to have a small get-together or a dinner for 650 of your closest friends, the Four Seasons has the most versatile space in Dallas. The ballroom has huge arched windows with natural light. An outdoor pavilion sports a patio and large fireplace. There is even an amphitheatre for special events.AccommodationsDid I mention guest rooms and suites? You can select a tower room or suite – or cloister yourself in one of the villas with gorgeous views of the golf course.Interiors are beautifully appointed with every imaginable amenity. Accommodations, tastefully finished in subtle pastel hues, have marble baths with a stand-alone glass shower and deep soaking tub. One could check into this hotel, dine, attend a meeting, work out, swim, play golf, and relax without ever leaving the premises.
Omni Mandalay at Las Colinas, 221 E. Las Colinas Blvd, Irving, TX 75039, 972/556-0800. This hotel gives the feeling of being remote from the crowded centers, yet it is just 15 minutes from either DFW or Love Field and close to urban activity. Situated on the shores of Lake Carolyn on the Mandalay Canal, the recently renovated 421 guestrooms and suites are very inviting. Great for business get-togethers, the hotel has a heated lakeside pool and a fabulous spa. For more information, visit www.omnihotels.com/hotels/dallas-mandalayMarriott Las Colinas, 223 West Las Colinas Boulevard, Irving, TX 75039, 972/831-0000. Within walking distance to the Convention Center, shopping, and restaurants, this hotel is also popular with leisure and business travelers alike. For more information, visit marriott.com/hotels/travel/dalcl-dallas-marriott-las-colinas Recommended DiningWith its debut in April 2016, Four Seasons’ LAW Restaurant, which stands for Land, Air, and Water, has introduced a robust menu of “real cuisine” favorites, offering fresh poultry, meats, and fish sourced directly from Texas farms, fisheries, and ranches. The restaurant, a fun yet sophisticated Texas chic environment, is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch. Featured dinner items include tomahawk bone-in rib eye steak, BBQ Berkshire pork rib tower, A Bar N Ranch wagyu flank steak, Shiner Bock and sweet onion soup, whole beer can chicken, stuffed quail and chorizo-cornbread waffle, Copper Shoals Farms red fish, homestead grits, and Amelias Farm tomato and burrata cheese salad with Texas olive oil. For dessert, sample the Texas bourbon bread pudding or the bitter chocolate molten cake. I have long been an advocate of hotel dining, especially where the cuisine is fairly priced and down-to-earth. Super Chef, Jonathan Rivera, at the helm is assurance that LAW will emerge as one of Dallas’s greatest dining spots.Big State Fountain Grill, 100 E. Irving Blvd., Irving, TX 75060, 213/307-5000, www.bigstatefountaingrill.com, is the place to go for what I assert to be the best breakfast and/or lunch joint in the Dallas area. Opened in the early 1900s as a haberdashery, then, transformed into a drug store, Big State has been serving superb comfort food for over half a century. Hearty ham and eggs, sausage and gravy, flapjacks or omelets for breakfast, superb burgers and other sandwiches for lunch, plus enormous sundaes and shakes make this place a mandatory stop for me every time I am in Dallas.
The Ranch, 857 W. John Carpenter Freeway, Irving, TX 75039, 972/506-3234 is a classic energetic Texas steakhouse, plus much more. The shrimp and redfish are caught off the Texas Gulf. The Kobe style beef is from the Texas plains. And most of the produce is locally grown. Live music, energetic crowds, huge beams rising to the ceiling, and dramatic saloon lighting all make for a jovial and memorable evening. A Texas-size Angus rib eye was my choice. It was impeccably seared on the outside and juicy on the inside. Waygu filet, blackened red snapper, grilled pork chop, venison chili, onion rings, chicken fried steak, and BBQ baby back ribs are dishes I highly recommend.For Mexican food, the likes of which you may not have experienced, I highly recommend Via Real, 4020 N. MacArthur Blvd., 972/650-9001. It’s rather pricey but well worth the few extra bucks.ShoppingShopping ranges from outlets to the outrageously priced––all within 20-30 minutes of Las Colinas. Allen Premium Outlets offers the usual repertoire of shops, including Polo, Banana Republic, Nike, and more. NorthPark Central at the intersection of North Central Expressway and Northwest Highway in Dallas features many of the higher end stores such as Neiman Marcus. Galleria Dallas on the LBJ Freeway in Dallas was inspired by Milan’s famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele and has been voted “One of the Top Ten Places to Spend it All.” Grapevine Mills, just two miles from DFW, has over 200 stores under one roof. Near Grapevine is the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World. Things to Do and SeeIf your shopping excursions have not depleted your wallet, there are numerous exciting attractions nearby. Although Las Colinas represents the height of modernity, just next-door, you can still experience miles of native forestland and rivers abundant with wildlife and flora. Nearby Campion Trails, an historic region where Sam Houston traveled to sign the Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1843, contains 18 miles of paths for bikeways, walkways, and recreational areas.Texas Musician’s Museum, 22 E Irving Blvd, Irving, TX 75081972/ 259-4444, features photos, instruments, clothing, and other memorabilia of famous musicians who were born in Texas. The museum offers interesting historical tours, has a small restaurant, and is available for meetings and other events. In the heart of Las Colinas, you can take a romantic ride on a Venice style gondola in Mandalay Canal. Select from a basic cruise, a spectacular sunset cruise, or spend a blissful evening on a gourmet dinner cruise.In the heart of the Las Colinas Urban Center, don’t miss the Mustangs of Las Colinas and Museum. You will actually feel the movement of the nine, larger-than-life bronze sculptured mustangs as they gallop across a granite stream. I was drawn to the National Scouting Museum. Those who were active in scouting will feel nostalgic as they observe this high-tech, virtual reality display of adventures, hands-on learning experiences, and an historical collection that traces the Scouting movement from its beginnings. The museum also houses the largest collection of Norman Rockwell Scout paintings under one roof. For more information, visit www.bsamuseum.org.
The Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, 500 West Las Colinas Boulevard, Irving, TX 75039, 972/252-7476, is situated in the heart of the Las Colinas Urban Center – Irving’s international business district. Innovative in its design and approach to meetings, the Center is indeed a departure from the traditional, institutional big box. The 275,000-square-foot architectural treasure is clad in copper and features three levels of diversified meeting and function space.Recommended HotelsFour Seasons Resort & Club, 4150 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving, Texas 75038, 972/717-0700, the premiere resort in Las Colinas, is not only ensconced in sublime luxury, it’s a virtual destination by itself.For example, golf lovers are ecstatic with their first glance of the Resort’s Tournament Players Course and Cottonwood Valley Course, site of the annual EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Updated in 2006, the 18-hole, par-71 course features the signature hole designed in the shape of Texas and strategically placed bunkers, one in the shape of Oklahoma. Guests can alsoreceive private instruction or attend the Four Seasons Golf School.Fitness & HealthThe Spa, one of the best equipped in the United States, features massage, facials, herbal wraps, mud baths, and other treatments. Sauna, steam room and whirlpool treatments are also available. The Salon offers professional hairstyling, makeup application, manicures, and pedicures. The 176,000-square-foot Sports Club includes indoor and outdoor running tracks, Nautilus and free weights, and one indoor and three outdoor pools. Racquetball, squash, and indoor and outdoor tennis facilities are also at your disposal. New studios have been added with state-of-the-art equipment, enhanced programming, and spa concepts. Personal nutrition experts and Wellness Coaches are on staff to create individualized fitness and lifestyle programs.MeetingsIf you want to have a small get-together or a dinner for 650 of your closest friends, the Four Seasons has the most versatile space in Dallas. The ballroom has huge arched windows with natural light. An outdoor pavilion sports a patio and large fireplace. There is even an amphitheatre for special events.AccommodationsDid I mention guest rooms and suites? You can select a tower room or suite – or cloister yourself in one of the villas with gorgeous views of the golf course.Interiors are beautifully appointed with every imaginable amenity. Accommodations, tastefully finished in subtle pastel hues, have marble baths with a stand-alone glass shower and deep soaking tub. One could check into this hotel, dine, attend a meeting, work out, swim, play golf, and relax without ever leaving the premises.Omni Mandalay at Las Colinas, 221 E. Las Colinas Blvd, Irving, TX 75039, 972/556-0800. This hotel gives the feeling of being remote from the crowded centers, yet it is just 15 minutes from either DFW or Love Field and close to urban activity. Situated on the shores of Lake Carolyn on the Mandalay Canal, the recently renovated 421 guestrooms and suites are very inviting. Great for business get-togethers, the hotel has a heated lakeside pool and a fabulous spa. For more information, visit www.omnihotels.com/hotels/dallas-mandalayMarriott Las Colinas, 223 West Las Colinas Boulevard, Irving, TX 75039, 972/831-0000. Within walking distance to the Convention Center, shopping, and restaurants, this hotel is also popular with leisure and business travelers alike. For more information, visit marriott.com/hotels/travel/dalcl-dallas-marriott-las-colinas Recommended DiningWith its debut in April 2016, Four Seasons’ LAW Restaurant, which stands for Land, Air, and Water, has introduced a robust menu of “real cuisine” favorites, offering fresh poultry, meats, and fish sourced directly from Texas farms, fisheries, and ranches. The restaurant, a fun yet sophisticated Texas chic environment, is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch. Featured dinner items include tomahawk bone-in rib eye steak, BBQ Berkshire pork rib tower, A Bar N Ranch wagyu flank steak, Shiner Bock and sweet onion soup, whole beer can chicken, stuffed quail and chorizo-cornbread waffle, Copper Shoals Farms red fish, homestead grits, and Amelias Farm tomato and burrata cheese salad with Texas olive oil. For dessert, sample the Texas bourbon bread pudding or the bitter chocolate molten cake. I have long been an advocate of hotel dining, especially where the cuisine is fairly priced and down-to-earth. Super Chef, Jonathan Rivera, at the helm is assurance that LAW will emerge as one of Dallas’s greatest dining spots.Big State Fountain Grill, 100 E. Irving Blvd., Irving, TX 75060, 213/307-5000, www.bigstatefountaingrill.com, is the place to go for what I assert to be the best breakfast and/or lunch joint in the Dallas area. Opened in the early 1900s as a haberdashery, then, transformed into a drug store, Big State has been serving superb comfort food for over half a century. Hearty ham and eggs, sausage and gravy, flapjacks or omelets for breakfast, superb burgers and other sandwiches for lunch, plus enormous sundaes and shakes make this place a mandatory stop for me every time I am in Dallas.The Ranch, 857 W. John Carpenter Freeway, Irving, TX 75039, 972/506-3234 is a classic energetic Texas steakhouse, plus much more. The shrimp and redfish are caught off the Texas Gulf. The Kobe style beef is from the Texas plains. And most of the produce is locally grown. Live music, energetic crowds, huge beams rising to the ceiling, and dramatic saloon lighting all make for a jovial and memorable evening. A Texas-size Angus rib eye was my choice. It was impeccably seared on the outside and juicy on the inside. Waygu filet, blackened red snapper, grilled pork chop, venison chili, onion rings, chicken fried steak, and BBQ baby back ribs are dishes I highly recommend.For Mexican food, the likes of which you may not have experienced, I highly recommend Via Real, 4020 N. MacArthur Blvd., 972/650-9001. It’s rather pricey but well worth the few extra bucks.ShoppingShopping ranges from outlets to the outrageously priced––all within 20-30 minutes of Las Colinas. Allen Premium Outlets offers the usual repertoire of shops, including Polo, Banana Republic, Nike, and more. NorthPark Central at the intersection of North Central Expressway and Northwest Highway in Dallas features many of the higher end stores such as Neiman Marcus. Galleria Dallas on the LBJ Freeway in Dallas was inspired by Milan’s famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele and has been voted “One of the Top Ten Places to Spend it All.” Grapevine Mills, just two miles from DFW, has over 200 stores under one roof. Near Grapevine is the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World. Things to Do and SeeIf your shopping excursions have not depleted your wallet, there are numerous exciting attractions nearby. Although Las Colinas represents the height of modernity, just next-door, you can still experience miles of native forestland and rivers abundant with wildlife and flora. Nearby Campion Trails, an historic region where Sam Houston traveled to sign the Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1843, contains 18 miles of paths for bikeways, walkways, and recreational areas.Texas Musician’s Museum, 22 E Irving Blvd, Irving, TX 75081972/ 259-4444, features photos, instruments, clothing, and other memorabilia of famous musicians who were born in Texas. The museum offers interesting historical tours, has a small restaurant, and is available for meetings and other events. In the heart of Las Colinas, you can take a romantic ride on a Venice style gondola in Mandalay Canal. Select from a basic cruise, a spectacular sunset cruise, or spend a blissful evening on a gourmet dinner cruise.In the heart of the Las Colinas Urban Center, don’t miss the Mustangs of Las Colinas and Museum. You will actually feel the movement of the nine, larger-than-life bronze sculptured mustangs as they gallop across a granite stream. I was drawn to the National Scouting Museum. Those who were active in scouting will feel nostalgic as they observe this high-tech, virtual reality display of adventures, hands-on learning experiences, and an historical collection that traces the Scouting movement from its beginnings. The museum also houses the largest collection of Norman Rockwell Scout paintings under one roof. For more information, visit www.bsamuseum.org. 