FINALLY!!!! A benefit to living in Texas, hurray!!!!

I am so going, even though its an eight hour drive. I guess when they say 'everything's bigger in Texas' they meant drive times.... sigh...

Nevertheless, I am totally excited, hurray!!!!

Never heard of and can't google Hell's Garden TX. Where is that, perhaps in the Nevernever? They do have some odd named towns such as Gun Barrel City, Trophy Club, Corral City, The Colony, Paradise, Tool and White Settlement. I have to drive around 8 miles from where I live, but I work Friday and Saturday, so I'm going to come to the Con on Sunday.

It is cheaper to buy the 1 day pass, $20, I think. That's what I'm doing. I will go on my day off Sunday. I work 2nd shift Friday and Saturday.

Maybe they upgraded it for New Orleans?

Well, no, it wasn't "gourmet" (for certain values of "gourmet"), but it had breads I had never been able to get outside of Europe, and they were VERY good. I enjoyed every sandwich I ever had there, and the coffee, while not earthshakingly fantastic, beat the snot out of Starbucks - it was rich, robust and tasty without being bitter. So maybe it WAS a function of the individual store. I don't know. I just wish you all could've had the one I knew well. Wait - how long ago are you talking about? As I said, the last time I visited the one in N.O. was pushing 15 years ago, and they may have changed since then.

Even more off-topic but still talking about bread places - anyone had Atlanta Bread Company? Even though there's one only about 5 miles from here, we haven't been there in a couple of years (real pain in the neck to get to), but they had ahead-of-the-curve breads, their sandwiches were reliably good and their bread-bowl soups... I'm not a huge fan of black bean soup, but for their recipe in the sourdough bread bowl, I'd hit somebody. Not hard, but enough to get their attention and say, "Hey, you really ought to try some of this soup."

I do like La Madeline's and I like Atlanta Bread Company but La Madeline's is better. I was referring to Captain Hammer's post. It is not a Top Chef type place like Abacus, Nobu or The Mansion at Turtle Creek were you remember the meal for years.  Dallas is a big city and there are many, many great places to eat. Atlanta Bread Company has at least one location near the DFWCon in Richardson on Campbell Rd just West of Hwy 75 Central Exp (5 miles away from Con). I have noticed some locations of restaurants are better than others or who is cooking that day. La Madeline has very good bread and very good tomato basil soup. We do have a few top notch bakeries here in Dallas that have incredible bread such as Eatzies which is a mini gourmet pre-prepared meal store/bakery with a small eating area or Breadwinners which is a bakery, with breads and desserts to go plus a great restaurant or Central Market or Whole Foods supermarkets both have very good breads, salads, and soups. If you like great bread bowl soups go with Cafe Brazil. If you like NY style Deli there is Deli News on Campbell and Preston. It has very good pastrami sandwiches, soups etc.

But for us that fly into this con and are not going to rent a car. Do any of these places deliver?

David

There is a Chinese All you can eat buffet within a couple of blocks, a Subway, a Jack in the Box and a couple of other places within walking distance.

You should try the Corner Bakery. And I'll find out the name of the place by the old restaurant that was south american fusion that had breakfasts to DIE for. Off 75, in Richardson.

I think you are talking about Cafe Brazil. They have multiple locations in the Dallas area, the closest two are Richardson and University Park, some are 24 hr.

Cafe Brazil Richardson

Hours:
Sunday - Wednesday 6:00am - Midnight
Thursday - Saturday Open 24 hours

PH: 972-783-9011
FX: 972-783-4446

2071 N. Central Expressway (Hwy 75)
Richardson, Texas 75080-2706


Cafe Brazil University Park (Hwy75)

Hours:
Open 24 hours 7 days a week

PH: 214-691-7791
FX: 214-691-7729

6420 N. Central Expressway
Dallas, Texas 75206-4100    

Breadwinners is another great place for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner.  The original is on McKinney Ave in Uptown Dallas and has great food and ambiance. 

They have a nice Central Market Supermarket on Lovers Lane East of Hwy75 Central Exp. It has premium great groceries and lots of hot ready to eat made on the premises foods and a small restaurant area for great soups, salads, sandwiches and some entrees, sort of like Whole Foods but the food tastes slightly better.
 

That's just due to last minute changes, and not to anything about money

Keller's...go during the day, if you're new to town. Neighborhood's a little rough for tourists, at night

I'll post other recommended restaurants as we get closer. Celebration comes to mind.

Thanks Mickey Finn. Don't forget Dave & Buster's which is an adult Chuck E. Cheese with Bar, Restaurant, and large pool and gaming and arcade area.

Gman, thank you for the information on restaurants and stores. That is handy for us out-of-towners.

My husband and I will be attending our first convention and I'm really looking forward to it. I hope I get to meet Jim and get an autograph. He is the reason I'm coming. I also have my tickets to attend the King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. I am sooo excited. Just think, King Tut and Jim Butcher on the same weekend!! It doesn't get any better than that.

My pleasure, I live about 8 miles away from the Con. There's lots of stuff not too far away. The problem is not much walking distance. Texas Instruments HQ is across the Hwy with lots of office bldgs and a lower middle class neighborhood nearby. Within 5 or so miles there are tons of stuff to do. The Dallas Museum of Art is less than 10 miles away. They have a cool dive Drive In that's been there since the 50's called Keller's on Northwest Hwy near Abrams. It has great burgers, onion rings, cokes, tater tots and you can drink beer in your car while parked. The burgers and the beer are really cheap. You can even order a 6 pack. They have old classic cars and bikers hang out on Friday and Saturday night. The place is a dive and a rough clientele but everyone is mellow and friendly. Lower Greenville is very cool (South part of Greenville Ave) lots of neighborhood bars, clubs and restaurants. Uptown has lots of great restaurants and bars, very nice classy places to see and been seen. Two great malls around 5 miles away: The Galleria Mall very nice 4 level mall with an ice skating rink and a large childrens playground on the top floor (very scenic with some areas where the husbands can sit down on a comfortable chair while the ladies shop) and Northpark Mall (2 levels) also very nice with a park in the middle and a small duck and turtle pond in the mall.

Thanks for the info. I figured the basic schedule would be posted on the DFWcon web site. I guess you have to attend or buy a pass in advance to get the schedule.
I have a really bad singing voice, I guess that goes well with filking.