The Big D

I'm sure at this point a bunch of my press room buddies will be boarding their planes to head down to the Big D, hopefully arriving there just in time to make dinner reservations. Me? I'm home. Amazing what you'll settle for when you're not on the company's dime anymore. But here's the good news. I'm going to blog throughout the game, just like last week, and keep the lines open for your comments as well. Here's hoping a whole bunch of you will write in and share your thoughts. We got some real good responses last week to the in-game blog, and I'd love nothing more than to see those numbers rise this week.

In the meantime, let's do something. I'm sure at least some of you are on your way down to Cowboys Stadium. And even if you aren't, I'm sure there's a portion of you that have been to Dallas in the past, if not for a game, then on business.

I want you to tell me where your favorite hangouts were. Maybe we can start something like this for every road trip, as sort of a service to those heading out for the first time, or just for those looking for a new restaurant or bar.

I'll start it off. Most of the beat guys go to The Blue Goose, a really great Mexican restaurant in Addison, a suburb about five minutes outside of Dallas. Newsday's Neil Best -- he of current Watchdog fame -- used to marvel at their individual nachoes. "Little triangles of perfection," he used to call them. Really great place with a bar-like atmosphere.

I was only there once, and that was only because everybody else was going. I'm not a Mexican food kind of guy. When I go to Dallas, I like a good steak. I love steak. That's what the area's known for, so I stick with the old meat-and-potatoes route. But don't let anybody tell you a steak is just a steak. They vary from place to place. And Dallas has some of the best places for steak in the country.

My favorite joint was Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse on Spring Valley Road. They have Del Frisco's all over the place now, even in Manhattan. But it all originated in Dallas, and it was there that I had the single greatest steak dinner in my life. Succulent, perfectly-seasoned, with a baked potatoe the size of your head. It's a bit pricey, but well worth it.

I also loved the Old San Francisco Steakhouse. You not only get a good piece of meat, but a sideshow, too. A girl on a red velvet swing comes out every 15 minutes or so and twists and turns the thing while soaring higher and higher. Finally, she kicks a cowbell on the ceiling. Fun to watch, and the food is outstanding.

Okay, those are my two favorites. Now give us yours. And don't be afraid to include prices or attach a menu if you wish. I'm sure some of the road-tripping newbies would appreciate the direction.

EP