This past weekend I took a friend who was visiting the city around to explore and discover what Dallas had to offer in terms of an entertainment city.

I’ll be the first to admit to you — I don’t get out of Park Cities much. My grocery store, coffee shop and almost all of my close friends live within a three-mile radius of me. The farthest south I go is downtown, and I only cross north of I-635 to meet with my boss once a week.

And what a shame that is.

Throughout the weekend, my friend and I did things I’ve never done in Dallas before, and they’re worth sharing.

First, we decided to take a stay-cation and booked a room at the Belmont Hotel in Oak Cliff. Our junior suite was reasonably priced, had two floors (one for living and one for sleeping) and was right by the pool overlooking downtown. Our bedroom also had spectacular views, and the suite boasted two full bathrooms so we each had our own space.

If you get the chance to go, the reception desk will take requests for specific things (I made sure to have earplugs in the room because I’m a light sleeper), and even honored my request for a room away from the main building so we could stay in a quieter space. The hotel sits upon a hill with unobstructed views of the city. I could not ask for a better place to call home for the night.

For dinner that night, my friend and I took a quick jaunt to Hattie’s, an upscale, bistro-like eating joint that served me a mean drink and some of the best shrimp and grits I’ve ever had. However, the restaurant is known for their fried chicken. The only downside is that most eat it with a fork and knife, which I am overwhelmingly opposed to as a Louisiana boy.

The next day we met a few friends for brunch and drinks at Katy Trail Ice House, a staple for the 21+ crowd. Indeed, Katy Trail is a popular place for SMU students, but the atmosphere is very laid back for those of you who haven’t visited yet, and you always run into a friend or twenty when you walk in the doors.

That night we headed over to the design district to sample eats and drinks at the Meddlesome Moth. We split a few shared plates and then another order of shrimp and grits that closely rivaled the plate from Hattie’s. Known for its beer, Meddlesome Moth’s food is worth the trek for those of you not yet legal drinking age.

Finally, for Sunday brunch we headed back across the Trinity River to Jonathan’s, and sampled the chicken and waffles plate that’s served with syrup and Cholula hot sauce (you pour the syrup and hot sauce on top of the chicken and waffles and gravy to give it a great punch, mixed with the sweet.) It was, by far, the best meal I had all weekend.

I should have taken this great adventure years ago when I first came to Dallas. So I encourage you to burst out of “the bubble” for a bit, and see what our city has to offer.