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In 30 seconds, you will see Dallas in a whole new way

Dallas is delicious.

You probably knew that. But we decided to test the idea. Call it the ultimate edible art installation, where we built the skyline out of chocolate using Dallas chocolatier Kate Weiser's bonbons.

You want the quick version of this story? Check out a behind-the-scenes timelapse video of this delicious day at The Dallas Morning News.

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Dallas, in chocolate, in 30 seconds

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How we did it

The photo shoot was the zany idea of director of photography Marcia Allert, who dared: Do we know anybody who can construct the Dallas skyline out of food? We were jonesing for a cover for a tourism section called Discover DFW, which will be distributed in cities outside of North Texas in late April. It's our way to show off the cool things about Dallas-Fort Worth, and isn't Dallas' deliciousness part of its charm?

Kate Weiser used several instruments, including a ruler, to place her chocolates on the...
Kate Weiser used several instruments, including a ruler, to place her chocolates on the Dallas skyline.(Rose Baca / Staff Photographer)

First, we purchased 600 bonbons from the inimitable Weiser, whose hand-painted chocolates have become famous over the years as she has expanded her original shop in West Dallas' Trinity Groves to NorthPark Center and, later in 2018, to the Shops at Clearfork in Fort Worth.

Weiser carved out nearly a whole day to hang out in the Dallas Morning News basement and build. It took her several hours to place 568 hand-painted chocolates and sprinkle sprinkles around each building (photographer Rose Baca's idea), using a ruler to discipline runaway flecks.

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And you may not be able to tell from the photo, but Weiser assembled the Dallas skyline on a piece of Plexiglass suspended between two hip-height tables. You ready for some photography geekery? Weiser stood on blue construction paper, made to look like the sky, while an army of photographers, videographers and reporters adjusted carefully-placed lights. Tommy Noel operated a time-lapse camera from one story above.

Baca came up with the brilliant idea to make cotton-candy clouds, placed both on the Plexiglass and on the construction paper a few feet below, offering depth. Fellow photog Nathan Hunsinger hunched underneath the chocolate skyline, hanging a tiny airplane with clear fishing wire. Baca placed the sprinkles that burst from its backside. 

Our delicious Dallas takes inspiration from Tatsuya Tanaka, an artist who takes incredible photographs using tiny, everyday objects. For our skyline, in order to make the 2D skyline look 3D, Baca ran upstairs and aimed her camera down from a second-floor balcony.

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After hours of fussing, we paused to admire our edible art installation, feeling a little like mad scientists.

And then it was all over. We invited a hungry throng of journalists down to the basement to take a bite out of our art installation, and within the hour, it was gone.

Dallas, you are delicious. Or: You were.

The finished product: 'Delicious Dallas'