124 September 21 - 27, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER contents | shopping & services | Arts & entertAinment | Food & drink | sports & recreAtion Best Professional Head Coach Pete DeBoer In a town where pro coaches have multiple World Series rings (Bruce Bochy), a Super Bowl ring (Mike McCarthy) and NBA championship rings (Jason Kidd), it might seem odd to call Stars head coach Pete DeBoer the best in Dallas. But like his more famous local counterparts, this hockey lifer is a winner, and he’s been one everywhere he’s stood behind the bench, even before taking the Stars from underperforming to being very close to making another trip to the Stanley Cup Final in his first season here. Best Bowling alley Punch Bowl Social There’s perhaps no better pairing than an ice-cold craft beer and a sleek bowling alley. Just ask the good folks over at Punch Bowl Social.. This place has got all the makings of a night to remember — or not, depending on how much one has enjoyed oneself. Yes, the bowling lanes are fantastic, but there’s also awesome karaoke and arcade and table games. Punch Bowl Social provides Big D with a masterclass in pure unadulterated fun. 2600 Main St. 469-607-6880, punchbowlsocial.com/ location/dallas Best Pilates The PilatesBarre Toning up from head to toe is tough, but The PilatesBarre is there to help you actually enjoy getting your sculpt on. This women-owned Pilates studio has knowledgeable instructors and top-of-the- line equipment. Yes, you’re most certainly going to be drenched in sweat by the time you’re done, but a little cardio never hurt anyone. Classes at The PilatesBarre are 30, 45 or 50 minutes long, so even workaholics can squeeze a complete workout into their busy schedules. 6815 Hillcrest Ave. and 5425 W. Lovers Lane 214-706-9988, thepilatesbarre.com Best gun Range Texas Gun Experience Texas is known for being home to some of the most gung-ho gun-lovers in the country. The Dallas-Fort Worth region in particular boasts several top-notch indoor shooting ranges at 25 and 50 yards, but Texas Gun Experience in Grapevine takes it a step further. This family-run business is owned by military veterans and has served the area for more than 35 years. Beyond its state-of-the-art shooting range, Texas Gun Experience also has a firearm shop and offers gun rentals, including a variety of fully automatic weapons, training sessions and a “try-before-you-buy” option. 1901 S. Main St., Grapevine 817-285-0664, texasgunexperience.com Best PickleBall Chicken N Pickle It seems that everyone is raving about pickleball these days. The burgeoning paddle sport is even championed by athletes like Kevin Durant and LeBron James. So, if you feel the urge to see what all the fuss is about, we suggest you hightail it to Chicken N Pickle. It’s all right there in the name: Chicken N Pickle provides excellent courts for playin’ and tasty chicken for eatin’. It’s fun for the whole family but also great for a friends’ day out thanks to the solid selection of beers from local breweries. 2965 S. Highway 161, Grand Prairie, 469-943-1410 4600 Merlot Ave., Grapevine, 817-766-6320 chickennpickle.com Best Batting cages D-Bat East Dallas Batters are always up at D-Bat East Dallas. At D-Bat facilities across Dallas-Fort Worth, you can choose to be the batter or the catcher. The machines at D-Bat can hurl balls at you from a speed of 40–70 mph. The place can even set you up with one of its many coaches to help you fine- tune your form. It’s the perfect spot for individuals or groups looking for a little physical fun. Cages can be booked in half- hour increments, and they all come with baseballs, softballs, and L-Screen and a batting tee. 5101 Gus Thomasson Road, Mesquite 972-629-9446, dbateastdallas.com Best VR exPeRience Zero Latency At any of Zero Latency’s locations across D/FW, you can find some of the greatest free-roam virtual reality experiences. Take on Vaas and his men from Ubisoft’s Far Cry 3 in Far Cry VR Dive Into Insanity, go on a sci-fi adventure called Singularity, kill zombies in Undead Arena and do lots more at Zero Latency. You can bring up to eight friends for a 30-minute session that will leave you craving more. Zero Latency offers something first-timers and experienced VR gamers can both enjoy. 5100 Belt Line Road 972-685-3600, zerolatencydfw.com & Recreation Under the Influence Bully for You Fitness inFluenceR daRRyl williams is positiVe you can get moRe Fit. D arryl Williams, aka BullyJuice, wants to rob you of your excuses. Don’t hold that against him, though. He does it the nicest, most positive way. The producer of a popular YouTube fitness channel (youtube.com/@ BullyJuice) that he creates with his family at their home in Dallas, Wil- liams has amassed around 5 million followers on YouTube, along with mil- lions more on Instagram, TikTok, Meta and his own blog. His message is ever-positive: You can get fit. You don’t need a gym membership or fancy equipment — just a little bit of time, a yoga mat and some commitment. The yoga mat is optional. The commitment isn’t, but he’ll be there to help, feeling the burn with you, minute by minute. The Florida native’s journey to influencer stardom began when he served in the U.S. Air Force in 2015. The former collegiate sprinter was already fit, so he naturally fell into the role of physical training leader. “I had to come up with my own workouts to either get people in shape that failed their PT test or to just keep people in shape,” Williams says. A fan of American bull terriers, he had dabbled in posting content online featuring his dog Blaze, and when he released some of his workout regimens online, the response was positive. His wife, Brittany, who has her own lifestyle-focused influencer brand LavishlyBritt (youtube.com/@LavishlyBritt), told him he was an inspiring teacher and should develop his fitness content. He did, and then came COVID, bad for health generally, but rocket fuel to a social media influencer focused on stay-at-home fitness. “Naturally, when the pandemic happened, everybody started working out at home,” Williams says. “… I actually had teachers that would email me, and they were giving students my workouts to keep them active while they were at home.” A large part of Williams’ appeal is his focus on family, faith and positivity. His brother Jordan shoots the videos, and he includes Brittany and their two children — a third is on the way soon — in many of them. (Sadly, Blaze, died of cancer this year.) They’re all part of a growing business that today includes an athleisure wear brand, Gymoclock (gymoclockfitness.com). Beyond the appeal of Williams’ personality and his family, BullyJuice draws its le- gion of followers with highly detailed content. Some videos last only 5 minutes. The workouts build into longer segments, add minutes and exercises and include 60-min- ute full body sessions. . Even the short workouts are intense, but followers can start slowly. He includes a countdown clock as he does the precisely timed exercises all the way through. Being consistent is key, he says. The workouts can be done anywhere, a fact Williams empha- sizes by creating videos shot outdoors, along roads, in fields. Weather is not a factor. Well, not for his followers, anyway. Williams himself spent part of this hot summer getting up at first light to shoot videos at different locations outdoors, before the heat turned lethal. Still, he manages to crank out 10–15 new pieces of content weekly. So really, what’s your excuse? - Patrick Williams Kathy Tran
