The city has no shortage of restaurants geared toward expense accounts. But here’s a surprise: Some are outstanding. Dallas pioneered Southwest cuisine, and chef Dean Fearing of the Mansion on Turtle Creek is still a star.

Ferre offers standout contemporary Tuscan cuisine in Uptown, a hot residential and entertainment district. Nearby, Perry’s is a traditional steakhouse, enlivened with classed-up comfort food. Aurora offers high-end French-American dining without being stuffy. And when big deals call for big steaks, Pappas Bros. (northwest of downtown) and Bob’s (in Dallas and Plano) deliver big-time.

Finally, Dallas is about sports. The new American Airlines Center on the northwest edge of downtown is home to basketball’s Mavericks and the National Hockey League’s Stars. Twenty miles west in Arlington, you’ll find baseball’s Texas Rangers and, in 2009, the Cowboys.