PERFECTION IN THE PARK CITIES

By David Muscari

Highland Park native Matthew Stafford makes his mark in the NFL

Prestigious, conveniently located, and infinitely walkable, the Park Cities are an affluent pair of independent towns nestled in the heart of the city of Dallas just five miles north of Downtown.

Highland Park and University Park together form a unique district of just over 31,000 residents that boasts the highest per capital income in all of Dallas-Fort Worth as well as its own police forces and a top-ranked joint school district.

The Park Cities are saturated with elegant homes and grand estates on lushly landscaped properties along tree-lined streets, some of which are named for distinguished colleges like Bryn Mawr, Colgate, and Amherst. In 2019, the median household income was $211,136 in Highland Park and $198,438 in University Park. To say the housing market is red-hot and sales are recordbreaking is no exaggeration.

The average home sale price in the Park Cities is up 20.5 percent to $2 million while inventory is down nearly 70 percent against a year ago, according to Lucinda Buford, executive vice president at realtor Allie Beth Allman & Associated.

At the center of Highland Park is one of America’s finest luxury shopping meccas. Highland Park Village opened

in 1931 with distinguished Spanish-style architecture and a variety of stores.

A few decades later, the open-air center began to offer almost exclusively high-end boutiques.

Its elegant mix features many of the world’s top fashion brands -- Chanel, Hermes, Alexander McQueen, Cartier, Carolina Herrera, Dior, Goyard, Tom Ford, Harry Winston, and more.

The Village also showcases Lela Rose, a Dallas native and established New York fashion designer who created the ensembles worn by sisters Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush Coyne to the

presidential inauguration of their father, George W. Bush.

Dining experiences at the Village are primarily upscale, including Bistro 31, Café Pacific, Fachini, and the Honor Bar.

A few blocks away, the Shops at Highland Village features Kelly Mitchell Fine Jewelry and Elizabeth W fashions plus variety of specialty boutiques and restaurants.

Over in University Park, the Plaza at Preston Center presents a bevy of independent

Clockwise from above: Fine dining at Javier’s Gourmet Mexicano Restaurant Unique boutique Tootsies Premier shopping at Highland Park Village A fountain in University Park

Texan retailers catering to a discerning clientele, including Carla Martinego and Tootsies fashion boutiques, Kendra Scott, Bachendorf’s, Pockets menswear, Ylang 23 designer jewelry, and more.

Plaza eateries feature everything from the seeand-be-seen vibe at Hillstone to Asian fusion of R+D Kitchen and authentic Italian at Il Bracco as well as healthy selections at True Food Kitchen.

The stately deBoulle Diamond & Jewelry on Preston Road in University Park is one of the region’s most prestigious jewelers and a destination for fine, rare watches.

Tex-Mex standbys Mi Cocina (keep an eye out for Dallas native and actor Luke Wilson, who shows up now and then) and Muchachos are wildly popular.

Just steps beyond the Highland Park border sits Javier’s, which has specialized in authentic MexicoCity-style cuisine for four decades.

Majestic Southern Methodist University, which ranks among Forbes’s Top 25 Colleges in the South, is home to over 12,000 students on “the hilltop” in University Park.

SMU offers Highland Park High School grad Clayton Kershaw pitches for the L.A. Dodgers

George W. Bush Presidential Center

over 32 doctoral and more than 120 masters programs from eight schools, including the Cox School of Business and the Perkins School of Theology.

The George W. Bush Presidential Center opened in 2013 on 23 acres of the eastern side of the campus with all living U.S. presidents in attendance. Today, the center hosts high-profile community events and important international political forums with world leaders.

It seems like every other block in the Park Cities can lay claim famous faces. From athletes such as tennis ace John Isner to Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Rams All-Star quarterback Matthew Stafford, and top golfers Trip, Kelli, and Hank Kuehne, sports heroes dot the landscape.

Actresses Angie Harmon (Law & Order, Rizzoli & Isles), and Stephanie March (Law & Order: SVU) attended Highland Park High School.

Billionaire Trevor D. ReesJones, CEO of Chief Oil and Gas, grew up in the Park Cities as did Teach for America founder Wendy Kopp.

Dallas Cowboys owner and NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Jones, real estate magnate Harlan Crow, banking titan Gerald J. Ford, and TRT Holdings (Omni Hotels et al) CEO Robert Rowling, and arts philanthropist Deedie Rose also live in Highland Park among other high-powered executives, heirs, and heiresses.

Favorites include Coffee Park with playground access for special-needs children, Lakeside Park with teddy bear statues, and small “pocket” parks such as Artha Garza Park, Elena’s Children’s Park, and Preston Wall, all perfect for short and sweet respites amid natural beauty. Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE sculpture at Williams Park

Bob’s Steak & Chop House is ranked as one of the top steakhouses in the country for a reason. We serve the best prime steak you’ve ever had. Our service is experienced, the wine list is extensive and the drinks are stiff. If you’re not a regular already, come by and let us show why we’re so proud of what we do and why you should be. bobs-steakandchop.com

At our original location, founder Bob Sambol will help ensure you have a perfect dining experience.

Offering upscale American cuisine, Al Biernat’s specializes in prime steaks and seafood. Enjoy a semi-casual atmosphere and an award-winning wine list featuring more than 650 selections from around the world.

Designed to be dazzling but not pretentious, Arthur’s invites you to dine in a setting as comfortable as your own home. The menu features prime aged steaks and fresh seafood flown in daily. Desserts are made in-house, and an extensive wine list is featured. Service always is attentive and professional.

This family-style restaurant serves up Brazilian flavor in an all-you-can-eat meal that includes meats prepared as they are in Brazil. The table side presentation includes samples of 11 varieties of meats, along with side dishes and salad, all for a fixed price.

Ranked as one of the top steakhouses in the country, Bob’s offers experienced service and an extensive wine list to complement the best prime steak around. Come by and let the staff prove why they’re so proud of what they do at Bob’s.

One block from the Arts District, this restaurant offers edible works of art, including steaks dry-aged onsite. With a superb wine list, Capital Grille surrounds diners with the very best. Rich African mahogany paneling and warm lighting set the tone for a comfortably elegant evening at this upscale spot.

This Addison steakhouse only serves premium ingredients, including the finest cuts of beef, beautifully marbled and prepared to perfection. Its dedication to quality cuts ensures that every meal at Chamberlain’s Steak and Chop House is memorable.

This fabulous restaurant brings people together with its culinary dedicated flavors and family style menu. The menu depicts classic dishes with a special hand-made touch prepared with superior ingredients and signature meats. The same attention can be found on the wine list composed of reds and whites from the Old and New Worlds. You will be transported to Argentina once you taste their signature cuts, charcoal grilled to perfection.

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse is an ultra-premium steakhouse providing a distinguished dining experience with personalized service in a breathtaking atmosphere, offering bold, delicious fare complimented by an expansive, award-winning wine list. Serving lunch and dinner daily.

The new Dunston’s Prime Steakhouse has the look and feel of a comfortable, high-end steakhouse, but without the high prices. The menu includes many choices in USDA prime steaks, along with choice cuts familiar to regulars. Also making the transition to the new building are traditional home-cooked favorites, including the chicken-fried rib eyes and fried catfish for which Dunston’s is famous.

Eddie V’s features fine seafood expertly prepared and a charismatic vibe that words are powerless to define. But we invite you to try. With a live jazz schedule, enjoy cocktails poured with precision and musical artists fresh from the local and national scene.

Chef Dean Fearing, known as the “father of Southwestern cuisine,” has made his culinary home inside the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, and can often be spotted in his chef coat and cowboy boots, chatting with customers. Fearing’s innovative and award-winning menu includes Texas farm-to-market specialties that change regularly. The restaurant is also known for its gracious, attentive service and its seven distinctly different dining settings in one restaurant.

This Addison hotspot is reminiscent of a 1940s Chicago-style chophouse—classy and relaxed with a warm atmosphere. The menu features wood-grilled seafood, prime-cut meats and American classics with a twist. Every meal begins with its famous popovers, which are warm, flaky and fresh from the oven with a crispy outside and soft center that’ll have you begging for more.

Since 1954, this steakhouse has served the finest grain-fed, aged Midwestern prime beef and fresh seafood, daily chef features and a spectacular collection of Old and New World wines. Kirby’s elegant yet casual atmosphere, superb service and consistent cuisine keeps it among the best steakhouses in the area.

The menu melds classic and modern steakhouse dishes with all-natural beef, pork, lamb and dry-aged prime cuts. Additional specialty cuts include chuck flap, outside skirt, tri tip, culet, beef cheeks, beef tongue, oxtail and rich, exotic Akaushi beef. Other meats include grass-fed bison and lamb, specialty breeds of pork, chicken and seasonal game birds; and house-made sausages, hotdogs and brats.

In Texas, where beef is serious business, this restaurant has earned its reputation. Its famous roasted prime rib is carved tableside in a luxurious club-like setting. Expect to find the warm hospitality, exceptional service and award-winning food that has made Lawry’s a Dallas favorite since 1982.

Morton’s The Steakhouse in Uptown combines generous portions of high-quality food prepared to exacting standards with exceptional service in an enjoyable dining environment.

Founded in 1999 by restaurateur Phil Romano, this Uptown steakhouse features some of the city’s finest cuts of meat, seafood and pork chops, which pair well with its extensive wine list of more than 450 selections. Also featured is a chef’s table, raw bar and wine bar with complementary caviar.

Steak or seafood? Here you can choose the best of both. Add in world-class wines, award winning, handcrafted cocktails, timeless elegance and take-your-breath-away service. Ocean Prime’s passion is to provide an extraordinary supper-club experience. Located at Rosewood Court in Uptown, Ocean Prime is open weekdays for lunch and nightly for dinner.

Overlooking the winding river in the two-acre atrium, Old Hickory Steakhouse is one of Gaylord’s signature restaurants featuring a stylish, contemporary design. After dinner, visit the secluded lounge for signature cocktails or indulge in a fine cigar from a traditional Spanish cedar humidor on the cigar terrace.

Pappas Bros. is the premier steakhouse in Texas with locations in Dallas and Houston. Named one of “Top Five Steaks in America” by Food Network, Pappas Bros. Steakhouse is widely recognized as one of the highest quality and best restaurants in the nation. Prime beef steaks are dry aged in-house for at least 28 days and accompanied by succulent side dishes and savory desserts. The award-winning wine list boasts over 3,900 selections and wine cellars inventory totaling over 35,000 bottles from every major fine wine producing region in the world.

This award-winning menu is offered in a comfortable, casual elegant setting. The restaurant serves hand-selected USDA-aged prime beef cuts that are brought in fresh daily. For a memorable dining experience, try one of its specialties such as Perry’s Famous Pork Chop, chateaubriand and flaming desserts. Here you will find a spectacular selection of world-class wines.

This well-known Dallas steakhouse provides guests with a warm, comfortable atmosphere and some of the best steak in the country. Whether it’s dinner for two, a business meeting, or a private party, Ruth’s Chris Steak House can accommodate your needs.

The story of this award-winning steakhouse began when Longhorn cattle were driven to the Texas Gulf Coast to graze on the rich coastal salt grass. They soon became known for creating the best beef Texas. The restaurant offers great food and legendary hospitality and is one of many restaurants owned by Landry’s, Inc. The menu features only prime cuts of meats, campfire-style favorites and succulent desserts made from scratch daily.

Welcome to S

ER—an exciting breed of Dallas steakhouse. Poised atop the iconic Hilton Anatole and boasting unparalleled views of the Dallas skyline, S

ER offers a sophisticated urban dining experience unlike any other. You’ll be treated to bold, chef-driven cuisine featuring the finest steaks, chops and market-fresh seafood paired with handcrafted cocktails and expertly selected wines.

Town Hearth is the expression of Nick Badovinus’ unedited imagination and unchecked ambition; the place itself is the definition of a mic drop. Here you’ll find classic steakhouse cuts–strip, tenderloin filet, rib-eye–alongside meaty behemoths with names like Bistecca, a 48-ounce porterhouse anointed with olive oil or Battle Axe, a long-bone rib-eye, dry-aged 90 days. Town Hearth is a Dallas must for any steak lover.

Savor the finest cuts of steak, chops and fresh fish cooked to perfection in a relaxed, elegant atmosphere at the chef-owned Y.O. Steakhouse. You’ll discover for yourself why Jim O’Connor of the Food Network declared the Y.O. Steakhouse “one of the nation’s finest steakhouses.”

A local family-owned churrascaria-style restaurant with South American influences serves Brazilian Prime Cuts, Fresh Organic Salads, Specialty Sides and Homemade Desserts. Open for lunch and dinner daily for dine-in, take-out, delivery, and catering. They also accommodate a variety of groups and special events, from small personal gatherings to large, sophisticated affairs for 10-350 guests. Flexibility to customize menu according to your budget and/or dietary needs.