This Week's Hot Headlines

New downtown speakeasy sneaks into this week's 5 hottest Dallas headlines

Dr. Larry Gentilello's lawsuits against UT Southwestern Medical School and Parkland Memorial Hospital preceded the numerous state and federal investigations that have found fault with the storied insitutions.

Photo by Conner Howell

Editor's note: A lot happened this week, so here's your chance to get caught up. Read on for the week's most popular headlines. Looking for the best St. Patrick's Day festivities? Find that list here.

1. Downtown Dallas boutique hotel reveals speakeasy bar with secret entry. Pssst, a downtown Dallas hotel has a secret. Sova, a boutique hotel with mini-rooms that opened in 2021, has debuted a new bar that embraces one of the buzziest trends in bars right now: the speakeasy. Called Room 520, it's a secret bar tucked between hotel rooms, open limited hours with a small menu of specialty cocktails boasting Japanese flavors.

2. 2 Dallas companies clock in as the top employers in Texas, says Forbes. Dallas reigns as the capital of Texas when it comes to the best big and small employers, according to Forbes magazine. New rankings from Forbes put University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas at No. 9 among the country’s best large employers in the country and Dallas-based life insurance platform Bestow at No. 16 among the country’s best startup employers.

3. Yellowstone's Kevin Costner and his Modern West band saddle up to play Grapevine gala. A Dallas-area nonprofit has wrangled the biggest star from the hottest show on TV as its headlining act: Kevin Costner and his country rock Modern West band will be the featured entertainers at Emily's Place 20th anniversary gala. The event will take place Saturday, April 23 at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine.

4. Dallas mansion in Lakewood with colorful vintage bathrooms up for sale. A historic Dallas home is for sale, built in 1929 with only two owners and blessedly few updates. Located in Lakewood just west of White Rock Lake, it's a French Eclectic mansion on a 1.07-acre lot, known as one of the most well-known historic estates in Texas. The property is at 7030 Tokalon Dr. and is listed by Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate agent Rob Elmore for $2.5 million.

5. 3 Dallas bars where Troy Aikman will personally pour you a beer. Does beer taste better when it's been poured by a celebrity? Local beer drinkers got to find out on March 9-10 when ex-Dallas Cowboy Troy Aikman hit six bars across Dallas-Fort Worth in a cross-town guest-bartending wave. Aikman was not pouring just any beer: He poured Eight Elite Lager, the new light lager for health-minded drinkers, which he co-founded and launched in February.

You need to know the 411 to get into this space.

Sova Hotel

You need to know the 411 to get into this space.

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Pickleball News

Indoor pickleball concept from Georgia bounces into Frisco

Ace

Pickleball paddles face off.

There's a new indoor pickleball concept coming to Dallas: Called Ace Pickleball Club, it's a growing chain from Georgia, making its Texas debut in Frisco in an old BuyBuy Baby space at at 2930 Preston Rd. #600. According to a release, it opens July 12.

Ace Pickleball was founded in Roswell, Georgia in 2023, and calls itself the only facility of its kind, delivering a member-focused approach and all-inclusive pricing.

Professional-grade cushioned courts and a welcoming community create the optimal playing experience for all skill levels. The chain currently has 15 locations across the U.S. including Colorado, Oklahoma, and Illinois.

They emphasize an inclusive community with unlimited open play, and offer clinics, tournaments, social events, and ball machine reservations. They also offer paddle demos so that members can test out the newest technology from a variety of brands to find their favorite.

When they open, they'll offer free introductory pickleball clinics for beginners to go over the rules of the sport and feel more comfortable as they learn about the game.

Ace Pickleball ClubAce Pickleball Club

Indoor facilities have an advantage in that they're impervious to weather so players can play year-round.

The Frisco location is a nearly 33,000-square-foot facility with 11 full-size courts and one dinking court designed to welcome players of all skill levels. Memberships are $129 monthly with the first month free.

Bringing the concept to Frisco is Juan Menchaca, a former corporate worker who is a pickleball player himself. When he and his wife relocated to the DFW area in May 2023, he brought with him a lifelong dream of opening a sports facility.

Introduced to pickleball by his brother-in-law, who is now training to go pro in pickleball, Menchaca was instantly hooked by the game’s fast pace, simple rules, and strong sense of community.

Opening a dedicated pickleball facility felt like the ideal first serve into the world of sports.

“I saw the demand I knew Ace Pickleball Club was the right fit,” Menchaca says. “The model is perfect for all skill levels across the Frisco community. I’ve always wanted to create something people could rally around, and this not only provides that, but helps in bringing our community closer.”

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