Star Gazing

The 5 best places in Dallas to spot a celebrity

Here in Dallas, our brand of celebrity generally involves sports figures and chefs, and we spot them around town as they go about their business. We know that Troy Aikman frequents Mi Cocina in Highland Park Village and Dirk Nowitzki dines at Suze. Oh, and Tony Romo got engaged at Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck.

But where in Dallas might you run into a bonafide celebrity as they cruise through the city? Well, we took out the guesswork.

Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
No surprise that the finest hotel in Dallas, winner of so many national accolades, attracts an A-list clientele. It doesn’t hurt that this actual mansion also sits a bit off the beaten bath, yet it’s close to everything that matters. Among the rich and famous who have slept in these sheets: George Clooney, Hugh Jackman, Hilary Swank, Rod Stewart, Jay-Z, Cindy Crawford, Robert Duvall, Ryan Seacrest, Usher and Billy Joel. We bet they also partook in Bruno Davaillon’s heralded French-meets-Texas haute cuisine.

Al Biernat’s
Al Biernat is the consummate host. And not just for the local heavies who wheel and deal over red wine and steaks at the longtime Oak Lawn favorite that bears his name. Biernat takes pride in luring in boldface names like Charles Barkley, Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis and Danny Glover. If you need more proof, just look at all the signed celebrity photographs plastered on the walls.

Rosewood Crescent Hotel
The Mansion’s sexy sister property also receives regular national attention for its luxurious rooms, stellar service and first-class spa. So, if you’re hoping to spot Josh Duhamel, Jennifer Aniston, Julianne Hough, Adam Sandler, Sophia Vegara, Jennifer Lopez or Kobe Bryant, perhaps you should start staking out this swank Uptown hotel. With Nobu and Palomino — a favorite of short-lived Dallas couple Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom — in the same complex, the Crescent is a no-brainer for a celeb sighting.

Forty Five Ten
Brian Bolke’s temple of style attracts the most well-heeled fashionistas in Dallas. Celebrities also love to browse the racks filled with designer names such as Stella McCartney, Balenciaga, Lanvin and Jean Paul Gaultier. Among the stars spotted here: Martha Stewart, Steven Tyler, Janet Jackson, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Erykah Badu, Linda Gray, Jordana Brewster, Jessica Simpson and Angie Harmon. Plus we have spied former First Lady Laura Bush and her fellow lunching ladies at the T Room.

Village Marquee Texas Grill & Bar
This restaurant adjoining the Highland Park Village Theatre may have lost Top Chef Tre Wilcox, but it gained another in Andre Natera. Besides, the address alone is enough to lure in the likes of local celebrities like Laura and George W. Bush, Mike Modano and Ross Perot. But we’d take a seat at the bar in the hopes of laying eyes on Giada de Laurentiis, Hannah Storm, Adam Richman, Jon Bon Jovi, Owen Wilson or Dallas star Linda Gray.

Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis hit Al Biernat's while they were in town promoting a movie.

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Speeding ticket news

Texas drivers pay a pretty price for their speeding bad behavior

Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

Gotta watch out for speed traps in Texas.

The next time you’re tempted to push past the speed limit on your Texas road trip or your commute to work, think about the risk to your life — and your bank account.

A new ranking from the FinanceBuzz website shows that when comparing all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Texas motorists pay the fourth highest amount in fines and court costs for going either 10 mph or 15 mph over the speed limit.

For a 10 mph-over-the-limit violation in Texas, the average fine and court costs total $223, according to FinanceBuzz. For a 15 mph infraction, the average speeding ticket will run you $245. Texas is one of only six states where a 15 mph-over-the-limit speeding ticket surpasses $200.

California ranks first in the 10 mph category ($234), and Nevada ranks first in the 15 mph category ($290).

If you’re slapped with a ticket for driving 40 mph over the speed limit in Texas, the fine and court costs are relatively low. At an average of $320, Texas sits at No. 21 on the FinanceBuzz list. Illinois ($2,500) leads the 40 mph category.

“Not all speeding incidents are the same, as the faster someone goes while driving, the more danger they pose to themselves and others sharing the road with them,” says FinanceBuzz. “As a result, the authorities tend to issue larger fines the faster a speeder is going.”

When traveling across Texas, it might be tough to go even one mph over the speed limit if you’re driving on I-35 in the Austin area or I-45 in the Houston area. Both of these notoriously congested stretches of interstate highway are nearing the end of their “functional life,” according to Congress of New Urbanism.

Three busy Dallas County highways were just deemed among the deadliest roads in the country, with I-30 in Dallas ranking as the fourth deadliest road in Texas.

Dallas, Fort Worth, and San Antonio are also home to some of the state’s most congested roads, according to the Texas Transportation Institute. And if you’re on any of those clogged roads, the danger of getting a speeding ticket might decrease.

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