Five stories that have North Texas talking: a big-time TV host visits Dallas-Fort Worth eateries, SMU shows off a Spanish painter’s works, angels at the Dallas Arboretum, and more:

• An exhibit of works by a Spanish painter who achieved acclaim in the U.S. in the early 20th century has opened at Southern Methodist University. The first major exhibit to focus on Joaquin Sorolla’s impact in America opened at the Meadows Museum. The show, “Sorolla and America,” features more than 160 works from the artist whose paintings included portraits, landscapes and scenes from everyday life. A large portion of the works from Sorolla’s 1909 and 1911 exhibits in America went to private collections. The Dallas exhibit features more than 100 works that haven’t been publicly displayed since then. More than 40 works in the exhibit have never before been publicly displayed. After closing April 19 in Dallas, the exhibit travels to San Diego and Madrid.

• During the holidays, over 500 angels grace the halls of the DeGolyer Mansion at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. The 2013 collection is courtesy of the Dallas Pi Beta Phi Alumnae, and has been “curated with inspiration from the Annual Christmas Tree and the Neapolitan Baroque Crèche, both on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.” The event is open through Dec. 31.

•  Andrew Zimmern, host of Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods America,” visited North Texas over the weekend, eating his way through various towns and filming material for an upcoming Dallas-Fort Worth episode. He visited Fort Worth’s Revolver Taco Lounge and Chicken Scratch and Lockhart Smokehouse in Dallas, among others. He liked what he saw – and what he ate. He posted several updates on Twitter. Read his notes here.

• Spring storm season is just a few months away, and a new radar in North Texas will offer a closer look at brewing storms and tornadoes. The newest CASA radar unit was installed this week in Midlothian, the third in a system that will include up to 20 installations across North Texas, The Dallas Morning News reports. CASA stands for Collaborative Adapting Sensing of the Atmosphere. It’s better than NEXRAD radar units that are currently used. A Midlothian official told The News that long-range radars scan out at least 200 miles, but can miss the lowest levels of the atmosphere. More CASA radars will be installed in coming months, including Cleburne, Addison, Fort Worth and East Dallas.

• Is Dallas continuing to segregate low-income housing? By Jan. 10, Dallas housing officials must respond to a four-year federal Housing and Urban Development investigation that found that Dallas misused federal financing aimed at creating low-income housing throughout the city. Dallas officials have declined to talk about HUD’s claims. In a statement, the city says it has complied with federal regulations. KERA’s Shelley Kofler explored the issue in this report earlier this week. She talked with Bob Stimson, president of the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce, who points to data that show that since 2000, the city has helped locate 80 percent of all new low-income and affordable housing in southern Dallas. He says that stunts development nearby since people have less money to spend on groceries and goods. But Dallas City Council member Carolyn Davis welcomes the housing, saying people have a right to live on the city’s south side. Council member Scott Griggs and Ken Smith, who leads the Revitalize South Dallas Coalition, discussed issues surrounding affordable housing and South Dallas Wednesday on KERA’s “Think” – listen to the podcast.