Murray Street Coffee Shop, 103 Murray Street, Dallas

Despite our love for Dallas, there are days it would be nice to be somewhere else, anywhere else (the simmering months of July and August come to mind). For a little escape, stop into the Murray Street Coffee Shop just off the main strip in Deep Ellum, a corner café on a tree-lined street that definitely feels more like Boston's Back Bay than Big D. Pet the smiling pug tied up outside; their owners are just a few steps away grabbing their morning Illy espressos and chatting with stylish Douglas Davis, the friendly owner of Murray Street with his wife Liz. Students on laptops (surfing and blogging using free wireless internet) and businessmen with newspapers lounge at tables adorned with lime green chairs, or on a nap-worthy couch stationed beneath dangling imported Danish lights. Bagels, muffins and cinnamon bread are scooped into bags for those on the go, or onto plates for people looking to take their breakfast in the sunny, loft-like space upstairs.

Review by: Sarah Eveans

Posted: Thursday, June 08, 2006