18 BEST OF DALLAS® 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SPORTS & RECREATION | FOOD & DRINK | SHOPPING & SERVICES | READERS’ CHOICE | CONTENTS BEST VINTAGE FURNITURE Oak Cliff Revival 900 E. Clarendon Drive, Dallas oakcliffrevival.com Oak Cliff Revival, founded by two avid an- tiquers, Jo Torrijos and Melissa Maher, is tucked into the East Dock, a renovated 100-year-old ice house converted into retail space. The two women have abundant vin- tage furniture knowledge built from years of garage sale hunting, estate sale bidding and interior decorating. The space even has shelving as well as the books that will sit on said shelving. Plus, unlike some shops that are an unsorted collection of goodies hiding under dust, most of Oak Cliff Revival is styled, giving you inspiration on how each piece will fit in a home before you swipe your card. BEST VENDOR MARKET Double Wide Flea Market 3510 Commerce St., Dallas One Sunday each month, Double Wide con- verts into a flea market with can’t miss ven- dors. From 12-5 p.m., one-of-a-kind antiques, local artisans and peculiars un- imaginable are available. A favorite vendor is Audrey Perry, the treasure peddler, who only deals in vintage jewelery. Her collec- tion of rings are fairly priced and probably never to be found again. Flea markets are al- ways fun to browse, but they’re much better with one of Double Wide’s signature Yoohoo Yeehaw, which is like a spiked chocolate milkshake. Be warned, Double Wide cannot be held responsible for purchases made. BEST PLACE FOR DRESSING LIKE A DUTTON RANCH HAND Wild Bill’s Western Store 311 N. Market St., Dallas wildbillswestern.com You don’t need cattle, acreage or a compli- cated family backstory to pull off a western look — a little confidence and a stop at Wild Bill’s will do you just fine. Located in down- town Dallas’s historic West End, the long- time western wonderland has become a pilgrimage site for tourists, locals and even Norwegian World Cup demigod Erling Haa- land. Inside, you’ll find great kitschy souve- nirs for the out-of-towners, as well as real-deal boots, cowboy hats and bolo ties for those more committed to traditional Texas fashions. No matter if you’re there for the spectacle or the Stetsons, Wild Bill’s can get you authentic ranchwear flair without having to commit to the cowboy way of life. BEST PLACE TO UPGRADE YOUR BOYFRIEND The NKC Store 3699 McKinney Ave., Dallas thenkcstore.com Love and honesty go hand in hand, which sometimes means admitting to your man that you’re tired of seeing him in Hey Dudes and Amazon Basics. If his closet needs a glow-up, the West Village NKC Store is the choice venue for staging fashion interven- tions. For more than a decade, Nicole Kwon’s flagship boutique has been home to polished, high-quality basics that can up- date a flat wardrobe in record time. If you’re shopping in-store or scrolling through the vast online catalog, NKC makes it easy for you and your beau to swap bargain-bin picks for well-balanced, trendy pieces that make it look like you both have good taste. BEST LINGERIE BOUTIQUE Bella Bra Shop 4885 Alpha Road, Dallas bellabrashop.com When we said “lingerie,” you probably im- mediately thought of sexy, lacy, racy — screw all that. Women need bras that are functional too, and Bella Bra Shop delivers on all fronts. Retire that old bra with the wire that stabs you, and get a bra that actu- ally fits, and comfortably too. This non-de- script strip mall spot offers custom fittings to find the right band and cup size. Some- times the sexiest bra is the one that fits, al- though you can get your lacy fantasy wear here, too. We really can have it all. BEST PLACE TO SPEND $40 ON THINGS YOU WON’T WRITE ON We Are 1976 313 N. Bishop Ave., Dallas weare1976.com Yes, this shop sells notebooks and pens, but they’re much more than just a stationery store. The stationery front of this design-fo- cused boutique serves as more of a gateway drug to the limited-edition art prints, hand- made goods and imported Japanese candy and stuffed plushies. BEST BLOWTORCH HAT SHAPING Flea Style Hat Bar 902 S. Pearl Expressway, Dallas fleastyle.com This saloon-style setup offers a dedicated stylist to help you design a custom cowboy hat, wide-brim or straw style, from scratch. But the real magic happens when the torch lights up, as stylists use the heat to reshape the brim and crown into whatever look you desire. Sip a complimentary drink as you work and walk out with a one-of-a-kind cre- ation. ............................ MACHINE Scout Design Studio 155 Howell St., Dallas scoutdesignstudio.com Step into Scout Design Studio’s Design Dis- trict space and the decades start blurring to- gether. Vintage finds sit next to made-to-order bespoke pieces, French cre- denzas share space with Slim Aarons prints, and every room feels curated for someone who never met a trend they liked, but it’s not a stuffy museum. BEST GIFT SHOP Swoon 1530 Main St., Dallas shopswoon.com In the age of “I’ll just find something on Amazon,” finding a unique, intentional gift has become a skill worth celebrating. Provided by The NKC Store The NKC Store | B I G D R E A L I T Y : Z A N A B J A F F R E Y | | Q & A | How long have you lived in the Dallas area? . I’ve been in DFW for the last 25 years, but Dallas proper for the last eight. What is your favorite Dallas restaurant? . I’m currently loving Tatsu in Deep Ellum What is your favorite Dallas park or greenspace? . I like to get out and walk White Rock Lake when my allergies allow me What is your favorite coffee shop? . I’ve never had a bad experience at Merit Coffee Co., it’s all so yummy! What is the ONE place in Dallas you take out-of-town visitors? . This depends on the out-of- towner…But if my girls are coming in, a girl dinner at Paradiso is happening! Z anab Jaffrey entered “Love Is Blind” as a Dallas-based flight attendant hoping to find a husband and found a match in Cole Barnett. The two bonded in the pods over their Christian faith, family and their ex- periences with loss. After finally meeting face-to-face, however, their relationship became one of the season’s most conten- tious. During their time to- gether after returning home, the couple visited the now- closed Oak Cliff Spanish tapas spot Sketches of Spain, and later visited the “Love Lock Bridge” in Las Colinas near the Mandalay Canal, where they attached a lock to mark their relationship. They also joined the rest of the cast at Sun- down at Granada on Lower Greenville, where the couples compared notes about their rela- tionships. Jaffrey ultimately rejected Barnett at the altar, telling him that he had “shattered” her self-confidence. The dispute erupted out in the open during the reunion episode, when a scene involving the two discussing Jaffrey’s eating was shown. After filming, Jaffrey said she needed ther- apy and time with family to process the expe- rience. In a 2022 interview with Entertainment Weekly, she de- scribed embarking on a self-love journey and said she felt like the “happiest, healthiest” ver- sion of herself. That evolution seems to be continuing. In a Decem- ber 2024 episode of the pod- cast “Grief’d Up,” Zanab talked less about reality-TV drama and more about grief, relationships and rebuilding her life after losing both par- ents at a young age. By 2025, Zanab had also established herself as a social-media in- fluencer, describing herself as a “globetrot- ter” and “girl’s girl” while sharing beauty, fitness, travel and lifestyle content with her followers. Earlier this year, Jaffrey made her new ro- mantic reality public, hard-launching a new boyfriend on social media.