Like Fonzie - Part II

For those who haven't read my first installment, or want/need a refresher - point your finger (read: mouse) HERE and CLICK!

After a few minutes of collective silence while we unpacked, we decided to leave our pricey room in Coolsville and step out of ZaZa and up McKinney for a good old fashioned Friday afternoon Happy Hour.

To borrow a line from Prince - We went in through the out door as we entered the pool area, which is not called the pool area at ZaZa. No. At ZaZa the pool is an urban oasis. Hotel ZaZa is what they call a boutique hotel. It is small (I guess 250 rooms), eclectic, luxurious, etc. Again, extremely nice. Each room is different. No cookie cutter play here people. Some have an asian flair. Others are modern. The hallways are lined with striking photographs of famous people. Each floor has an area by the elevator that has coffee in the AM, newspapers, and a little chalk board with all the days info hand written (stocks, scores, weather, etc.) In the afternoon, they put out tea and candies. There's funky seating in the common areas, and pieces of art - all unique. All the rooms have what they call a shag bag - has a rubber, some fruit scented sliquid (read: motion lotion), etc. The suites have themes (shagadelic is one.) In the Lobby, you have expanded seating areas, complete with nice coffee table books. Trays, and other large glass devices are filled with candy.

The Hotel's restaurant at ZaZa is Dragonfly. Dragonfly is one of the hot places to go in Dallas. It serves as the Hotel's restaurant during the morning and day, and at night it becomes an ultra chic club that is standing room only, long lines to enter, etc. That is why we were given our 48 hour (the length of our stay) passport to Coolsville. The card, not to be confused with our key, this was an actual card, would get us into the hotel (bypassing any lines) at night, and preferential treatment in Dragonfly. At night the Urban Oasis (read: pool) becomes the outside patio area of Dragonfly. Again, we'd never been but in the ultra hip Dallas world, Dragonfly is the shit. All of the above is running through my head as we go in the out door to check out Dragonfly and the Urban Oasis. I have heard a lot about Dragonfly, but, being a 37 year old Husband/Father, I hadn't dusted my ass down to Uptown in months. All I knew about Dragonfly was hearsay. When I saw it with my very own eyes, I was shocked. It was small. The pool (damn! Urban Oasis - they'd shitcan me in day if I worked there for not getting that straight) was the size you might find in a friends backyard. Again, VERY nice, but not big. Funky and large beach balls floated in the hot tub, water fall. Smaller ones floated in the pool. Extremely nice lounge chairs and sofas surround the pool, which reminded me of Ozzy Osbourne's if you've ever seen that show on MTV. The restaurant was small too. Which again surprised me, based on all the stories I've heard about it - but made sense considering the size of the hotel. Normally in Dallas, bigger is better. Not at ZaZa. Better is better.

Curiously, after a few moments of gawking around the Urban Oasis like the touristas we were (are), and less than 30 minutes in Coolsville, we decided it was time for splitsville up McKinney Avenue. We went to the Idle Rich Pub, and sat on the patio. As we sat in the late afternoon sunshine, quaffing our pints and watching the denizens of Uptown scurry to and fro we started talking. Care to guess the subject? Survey says: Our Boy(s). Those nearby would only have to eavesdrop on our gripping conversations (toilet training, removal of the plug, discipline philosophy) to realize that we were in fact, tourists, on a two day pass from the 'burbs. Sitting with all the hipsters of Uptown, I felt, well, un-cool, and wondered if our in-town weekend at ZaZa would be a folly? My last lucid though before the beer kicked in was this: Can the Trendoid at the front desk of ZaZa revoke our passports to Coolsville?

A few pints later I didn't care, as the clock approached 7:00 - we decided to bug out of the Pub and walk back (some would say stumble) to Coolsville. The plan was to see what was shaking at ZaZa and then retire to our room and relax before we went to dinner. We were curious if ZaZa was hopping yet. We also both needed to bathe. We'd been to the Texas State Fair earlier that day, and well, the Fair is pretty damn dirty. As we rounded the hacks in front of ZaZa (The Hotel is on a small side street off of McKinney for those that are into directions, thus you have to walk off McKinney and down a long wall - where the cabs are lined up - and then you turn into the Courtyard, circular valet drive - you cannot park your own car at ZaZa - they charge you $18 a night for the pleasure), I immediately noticed that the place still looked like a fancy Hotel. Complete with goofy October decorations - and OU/Texas decorations from the previous weekend. No lines of people trying to get into the place. It was pretty subdued. Granted, it was only 7:00. Most of the Prada People, like vampires, only come out after dark. As we entered the front door, greeted by ZaZa's version of Carlton (if you dig that Rhoda reference) - I was a bit sad that no one wanted to see my passport.

After showers (note the "S" as in two - much to my chagrin) we dressed and decided to yet again, split Coolsville and head back up to McKinney Ave. We decided to hit S&D Oyster for dinner. After a very light dinner and with a plethora of bars, restaurants, clubs, etc at our disposal on McKinney Ave...we made the exciting choice of going back to the Idle Rich Pub. Living on the EDGE! Actually, it was nice. Again, we sat and drank some pints and had a little more food and talked. This time it wasn't all Boy(s) - but they still took up a good chunk of our conversation and thoughts. Not all of which were in the warm and fuzzy vein. For instance at the clock hit 8:15 - I made a mental note that I wasn't having to give the Elder Boy a BATH! Go ME! Chug a pint!!!!! Wow, we're actually NOT there...high five! It was nice having beers with just my Lovely Bride. I couldn't even remember the last time it was just us in such a carefree setting.

TO many pints later, we stumble back to Hotel ZaZa. The clock was fast approaching 11:00, and this time even before we get to the Hacks - still on McKinney Ave. - I could tell things had changed at Coolsville. The place was NUTS! Cars stacked deep trying to get into the circular driveway, and valet. People walking up from parking off street. FINALLY - the place was living up to its hype. As we rounded the corner into the Hotels driveway and Dragonfly's entrance - we were hit with a massive line. I'm talking Studio 54-esque line. People dressed to kill, waiting to get into this hallow place. Burly man at the velvet rope keeping the throng out, while letting a few people into the inter sanctum. Even in my likkered up state I was ready and quickly whipped out my Coolsville passport - and quickly and, by golly, cooly entered ZaZa. The others on line, left in my dust, must have wondered -who's that cat? probably not. But we were in, and about to see Dragonfly, in all its Friday night glory for ourselves.

Until next time...To be Continued - Part III