“The dinner party is the oldest social institution in Dallas,” A.C. Greene writes in the April 1979 issue of D Magazine. “John Neely Bryan, the shadowy figure who founded and named the town, started the tradition. On hearing the sound of hoof or wheel, he was said to rush from his dugout and virtually pull the traveler off horse or wagon, force a gourdful of whiskey and a plate of bear meat on the guest, and sell the virtues of Dallas as a place of residence.” Sounds about right.
The cover story serves as a guide to throwing a successful dinner party. The piece lists a variety of dos and don’ts, names people in town who throw the best dinner parties, and even suggests who to invite to your next soiree.
Seems like the dinner party was an integral part of the social scene in Dallas circa 1979. After all, according to Greene, it’s “where reputations are made or ruined, careers are advanced or wrecked, hearts are won or broken.”
Click the images to enlarge, and take a step back in Dallas dining history.
