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Texans Who Party

Dallas' finest party planners honored on elite list of America's best

Julia Bunch
May 31, 2017 | 12:00 pm
Todd Fiscus_Avant Garden
Todd Fiscus' Avant Garden was named a VIP honoree on Salonniere's Les Pages.
Courtesy of Todd Fiscus/Avant Garden

Dallas knows how to party, and now there’s proof that we’re really good at it. Several Texas event venues, planners, and companies have been deemed the best in the nation by entertaining website The Salonniere.

Authors of the website's new Les Pages list spent months compiling the nation’s only merit-based system that dictates the country’s top event businesses and venues in 17 major U.S. markets, including San Francisco; Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; and New York. Texas, with picks from Dallas, Austin, and Houston making the list, has plenty to be proud of.

VIP honorees in Dallas include Todd Fiscus’ duo of companies, Todd Events and Avant Garden flower shop. Fiscus’ planning company designs everything from weddings to galas to corporate events with in-season and specialty blooms.

To determine who made the list, The Salonniere engaged influencers, such as society editors, fundraiser event planners, caterers, and event designers, and combined their industry expertise to pick the top florists, designers, caterers, and venues in the nation.

“Les Pages is based entirely on feedback from the nation’s most discerning party hosts and most knowledgeable event experts. Companies cannot buy their way onto the list. They must earn and retain their spot,” says Carla McDonald, founder and editor-in-chief of The Salonniere.

Throwing a shindig? Call up Diamond Affairs, DFW Events, or Emily Clarke Events, who all picked up spots within the best event designers category.

For a florist who can handle bouquets, centerpieces, and boutonnieres for every occasion, turn to Bella Flora, Bows and Arrows, Garden Gate, Grange Hall, Jackson Durham, Leeny’s Flowers, and Tami Winn, who were all named top floral designers.

Cassandra Fine Catering’s custom menus, with the likes of white truffle-infused custard and antelope tenderloin, helped it gain praise as one of the nation’s best caterers. Food Company, comprised of the inventive chefs behind Nonna restaurant, also scored a spot on the best caterers list.

A slew of the city’s most exquisite venues were also named to the list, most of which would be no surprise to CultureMap’s Real Weddings couples.

Arlington Hall at Lee Park, Belo Mansion and Pavilion, Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, Dallas Museum of Art, DEC on Dragon St., Hotel Crescent Court, Marie Gabrielle Restaurant and Garden, Nasher Sculpture Garden, the Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, and W Hotel Dallas are the city’s best spots for weddings, galas, functions and parties, according to Les Pages.

The list also shines a light on the people in America who are the absolute best-of-the-best where parties are concerned, McDonald says.

Proving there’s no party like a Texas party, Austin and Houston picked up several honorees in each category.

Les Pages is a natural follow-up to The Salonniere 100, and together the two shine a light on the people in America who are exceptional at leveraging the power of social gatherings to enrich the lives of others. The Salonniere 100 celebrates the gifted connectors who host parties, and Les Pages honors the exceptional professionals who bring events to life.

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Movie Review

A collision of humor and dark history make an impact in Wild Horse Nine

Alex Bentley
Nov 5, 2026 | 10:58 am
Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich in Wild Horse Nine
Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich in Wild Horse Nine.

It’s difficult to nail English writer/director Martin McDonagh down when it comes to his interests. Prior to his new film, he has set films in Bruges, Belgium; Los Angeles; the fictional small town of Ebbing, Missouri, and a remote island in Ireland, with stories that deal with crime, grief, lifelong friendships, and a kidnapped Shih Tzu. What all his films have in common though, is comedy that is mined through absurdity, something that is on full display in Wild Horse Nine.

Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) are CIA agents in 1973, currently stationed in Chile, with a mission that Lee tries to hide but Chris broadcasts willingly. Their assignment is to undermine support for the newly-elected socialist president, Salvador Allende, but the film is not really about that. Instead, it follows the duo on a break from work as they decide to take a side trip to Rapa Nui (aka Easter Island) so that Chris can fulfill his dream of seeing “the big heads.”

Once they’re there, Chris and Lee bicker over various things, including Chris being too open with two younger women, Monica (Mariana di Girolamo) and Alicia (Ailín Salas); who gets control over their rental car; the long-distance interference of CIA station chief MJ (Steve Buscemi); and more. All the while, a mostly unspoken agreement between Chris and Lee colors every decision they make, including why they came to Rapa Nui in the first place.

McDonagh has full control over the narrative of the film from minute one, establishing the tone through the super-quick banter between Chris and Lee that points to the strong bond the two share. A later revelation deepens the meaning of the story without taking away from the humor that comes from Chris and Lee sniping at each other. Despite the two characters not getting much of an introduction, they become a very memorable movie twosome as the film goes along.

A good working knowledge of 20th century world history is helpful, as McDonagh drops in subtle and not-so-subtle hints about the CIA’s involvement in certain notable events (including the JFK assassination, which takes on larger importance as the story goes on). Using real history like the impending coup d'état in Chile as a backdrop for the fictional story grounds the film, allowing the characters to engage in sometimes farcical elements without ever seeming like unserious people. It’s also a sly commentary on current events, with the U.S. continuing to insert itself into other countries’ affairs.

The impact of the film is immeasurably improved by the fact that they filmed on location in Chile and Rapa Nui. Having Chris and Lee visit the “big heads” (aka moai) while referencing them in their dialogue is both awe-inspiring and hilarious. There’s just something about the characters being able to get up close and personal with the ancient sculptures that makes the film feel more important than if they had employed CGI to put them there.

Malkovich is a two-time Oscar nominee with a storied career, but this performance ranks as one his best. With a face that unashamedly shows his 73 years and pitch perfect line deliveries, he nails every scene that he’s in. Rockwell complements him extremely well, giving a performance that fits in with his previous work but rarely on such a high level. Buscemi is also a pleasure to watch, popping up to steal small moments just like he did in the recent The Only Living Pickpocket in New York.

Save for a few action scenes, Wild Horse Nine is mostly filled with characters talking, but the level of the conversations and the comical moments that McDonagh has created contain cannot be understated. With a tour-de-force performance by Malkovich, a real world setting, and a funny twist on history, it’s one of the best movies of the year.

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Wild Horse Nine opens in theaters on November 6.

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