D Magazine December 2005

Tracy Rowlett talks to Amtrak chairman David Laney.

In the days after Hurricane Katrina, 25,000 evacuees poured into
Dallas. There were moments of incompetence but also flashes of civic
brilliance. Here’s an inside look at what happened after the buses
rolled in.

The days of crowded waiting rooms and a five-second encounter with an actual dentist are so yesterday. Dental health coaches want to put someone new in charge of your teeth—you. PLUS: Our exclusive list of the top 142 dentists in eight specialties.

When we shop during the holiday season, it’s not just for everyone on our Christmas list. We like to sneak in a “gift” or two for ourselves. And we find the best goods at these local stores.

How I almost ran the White Rock marathon.

Kick back in luxury—and shoot a handgun—at Elk Mountain Resort.

Downtown’s future could be as a pedestrian haven amid the urban sprawl.

A doggie vending machine, tension at the Turtle Creek Chorale, a downtown developer who hearts the environment, and more.

Californians first hit it big in Vegas real estate. Then Phoenix. Is McKinney their next flipper’s paradise?

Check out the latest in that in-between season: resort.

Dallas icon NorthPark Center gets bigger and better with the first phase of its expansion, plus tropical trinkets.

How public school officials lied about the dangers of asbestos in classrooms and may have risked the lives of its students and employees—and could still escape charges.

In a collaboration with the DMA, one brave troupe tries to pull off the impossible: an experimental play with punctuation for dialogue. PLUS: can’t-miss performances and holiday alternatives to The Nutcracker.

Former Parigi chef Abraham Salum’s inventive menu and attention to detail make Salum the hottest new kid on the block.

Fernando Padilla opens Fernando’s Mexican Cuisine, a Tex-Mex restaurant that also offers Mexico City-style dishes. Will it survive in this Tex-Mex-choked town?

Tis the season to be jolly, and these gift ideas will get you in the mood for merrymaking.