Let’s be honest: These days, travel of any kind can turn into adventures in eating and drinking.
I still enjoy a vigorous hike, an instructive museum, an entertaining special event, or a illuminating chat with the locals.
Yet moments after my arrival in a new spot, the mind turns to food and beverages. It can’t be helped.
To celebrate the upcoming fifth anniversary of the “Think Texas” column and newsletter, let’s review some of the gustatory highlights from recent road trips across the state.
Oases of respite in West Texas
Lubbock: It should not surprise the visitor to find that this city in the middle of the agricultural west offers culinary rewards. Here are some standouts from our 2023 trip:
The Nicolett: I would put an evening at this innovative American bistro (511 Broadway), named after Lubbock’s first hotel, up against just about any fine-dining experience in the state. Award-winning chef Finn Walter has absorbed influences from previous culinary posts in Paris, Austin, Napa Valley, New Orleans, San Francisco and Santa Fe. Among our selections, inspired by the High Plains ingredients, were magret duck breast, elk tatare, and a dish I’ve never seen on another menu: lamb neck in the style of brisket with peppercorns, lavender, Texas olive oil potatoes, pickled nopales and olio nuevo.Evie Mae’s BBQ: These days, so much barbecue journalism is published in this state and elsewhere, it’s hard to sort out the truth from the hype. One tip you can take to the bank: Evie Mae’s BBQ (217 U.S. 62, Wolfforth) is the real deal, right down to the bag of white bread to soak up the sauce.The West Table: The West Table (1204 Broadway) is larger and noisier than the Nicolett, but the bar service is no less attentive to detail, and our bounteous meal progressed almost without blemish. The menu changes daily, but expect some beef, lamb, fish and duck among the entrees.Rain Cafe: We discovered Rain Cafe (2708 50th St.) without help from local contacts, but at least one of them later confirmed that it was her personal favorite eatery in town. You never know when you are going to run into the perfect American diner. One with brisk, cheerful, egalitarian service; comforting food at most hours of the day; and a convivial social atmosphere where everyone feels welcome to greet guests at the next table.
More: Texas road trip: 10 things you absolutely must do in the historic city of Lubbock
San Angelo: If I had to pick a mid-sized West Texas city for its unpublicized cultural charms, it would be this oasis on the Concho River, visited in 2021.
House of Fifi Dubois: This is the best club I’ve visited in years. Man, I missed a good nightclub. Long and deep, House of Fifi Dubois (23 S. Chadbourne St.) fills an old commercial structure downtown. Warm and welcoming, its crowd easily mixed old and young; gay and straight; country and city; Black, white and Hispanic. To tell the truth, I can’t think of an Austin club this supremely laid back.Chicken Farm Art Center: Echoing the Orange Show in Houston or the Cathedral of Junk in Austin, the complex, established in 1971 at 2505 Martin Luther King Drive, looks like an explosion in a folk art factory. A charming café, informed by regional ingredients, and inn await out back.
More: On the West Texas road again: 10 must-see spots to visit in historic San Angelo
Standouts in historic East Texas
Nacogdoches: The social nexus of this city has shifted somewhat from the Stephen F. Austin University campus a few blocks out to the recently reopened Fredonia Hotel, a midcentury modern masterpiece in Nacogdoches’ historic downtown.
1st City Cafe: Start your gustatory pilgrimage at one of three eateries in the Fredonia (200 N. Fredonia St.). The large, curving dining room is inviting enough, but you might consider dining al fresco not far from the pool. The service is impeccable. For late lunch, I ordered the shrimp po’ boy to salute the region’s Cajun influence, while my friend chose pimento cheese for the parallel Southern legacy.Clear Springs: The DeWitt family transformed a large brick industrial structure (211 Old Tyler Road) near the railroad tracks just west of downtown into a “country casual” restaurant with roadside decor that feels more authentic than usual. Clear Springs Restaurant prides itself on its catfish, rightly, but it also offers “world famous onion rings” and an array of dishes that echo the populist cuisine of next-door Louisiana. Dolli’s Diner: Every Texas town square should be anchored by an old-fashioned, yet updated diner like Dolli’s (116 S. Pecan St.). We ate late breakfast there one day and I ordered the chicken-fried steak. I was not disappointed. The slight darkness of the cream gravy slathered on the dish predicted the full taste of a busy grill. In keeping with the theme of this column, every class of Nacogdoches, local or visiting, blended easily in this friendly oasis.Roma’s Italian Kitchen: On a stormy night, inside an old brick building (124 E. Main St.), renovated with the utmost class, we dined on cannelloni and other warming Italian fare, complemented by sturdy red wine. Turns out the family that owns Roma’s — here and in other nearby cities — is originally from Albania. Benvenuto!Wonders old and new in Central Texas
San Antonio: This was the only large Texas city that we surveyed in a systematic way during the past five years, in part because so much has been debated about the inevitable emergence of an Austin-San Antonio mega-metro.
La Fonda on Main (2415 N. Main Ave): Yummy legacy Tex-Mex and Mexican food in the Tobin Hill neighborhood. Founded in 1932 inside a graceful house, it now offers several dining rooms and patios. Besides chips and dip with a margarita to start, I opted for La Fonda Special: Tex-Mex cheese enchilada, crispy beef taco, pork tamale, guacamole ($19). Heaven on a shady patio.Schilo’s Delicatessen (424 E Commerce St.): Founded in 1917, the city’s oldest restaurant is pronounced “shee-low’s.” Also known as Schilo’s German-Texan Restaurant, the place evokes sharp nostalgia for those who grew up in the city. I ordered the “Taste of Germany” plate, only $14, and a glass of hefeweizen. Other menu items favored by my correspondents are the split pea soup, spicy mustard, dark bread, root beer and all the breakfast dishes.Southerleigh Fine Food and Brewery (136 E. Grayson): In 2015, this purveyor of coastal Southern cuisine brought back brewing to the Pearl District. Seated on the plaza outside Hotel Emma, a guest can watch the world go by while sipping a Tide Runner pale ale or a Hasbulla’s Revenge Russian stout (both $7). The place advertises “Large Plates,” but I chose instead four appetizers and sides — crab mac and cheese, jalapeño cheddar grits, deviled eggs and a wood-fired pretzel — all lovely but impossible to finish in one sitting.
Waco: We loved our trip to Waco, recently rejuvenated by fixer-uppers Chip and Joanna Gaines.
Cajun Craft: Boy, did we luck out with this blue-collar counter café with two small dining rooms and two patio areas. The brainchild of Kim Bui, this joint serves spice-perfect étouffées and other Cajun and Creole dishes with gusto from a former gas station that also once served as a neighborhood chicken joint. (601 S. 11th St.)Eastside Revival Eatery: Elm Avenue was — and in some senses still is — the main commercial and cultural stem of East Waco, a historically African American district on the opposite side of the Brazos River from downtown Waco. A few years ago, some enterprising young people renovated a community church into this biblically themed sandwich shop, which also offers Texas-sourced burgers and salads. (704 Elm Ave.)1424 Bistro: Located just outside downtown, this unpretentious café serves excellent Mediterranean and Italian cuisine. At dusk, sit on the patio for fresh salads and seafood, rendered with tender care. Say yes to dessert. (1424 Washington Ave.)Seafood at the top of the South Texas menu
Riviera: Few places are as revered as this seafood spot in a tiny bayside community.
King’s Inn: Virtually everyone who gave us South Texas travel advice in advance mentioned the King’s Inn, an informal seafood eatery on Cayo de Grullo, an arm of Baffin Bay, that has attracted devoted fans since 1935. The salads are glorious. The seafood comes covered with golden breading, or not, your choice. My large, tender fried shrimp were easily the best I’ve had in ages. Don’t skip the sides, including authentic onion rings, or dessert. Choose pie.
More: Visiting shrines, missions, presidios, vaults and other hallowed places in South Texas
Corpus Christi: The headline on our report on this city was meant to be provocative: “Right now, the most exciting city in Texas is Corpus Christi.” That’s because this large port is coming into its own, and one reason is a family of smart entrepreneurs.
The Lomax group: At the forefront of the hospitality scene down by the bay is the Lomax family, whose projects include Water Street Market, Water Street Oyster Bar, Executive Surf Club, Sushi Room, Texas Surf Museum and BUS (Bar Under the Sun) that took over a former Greyhound Bus Station. Don’t forget this restaurant group’s wonderful Mediterranean café, Elizabeth’s, inside the art museum with its priceless views. That’s my fave.Some of my favorite stops in North Texas
Hurst: Family business brought us back to the suburbs of Northeast Tarrant County again and again during the past five years. We ate at a lot of joints, but this Mexican restaurant brought us back.
Miguelitos Mexican Restaurant and Lounge: A disc of white, puffy cheese comes out of the kitchen. Alongside your table, a server deftly sprinkles this tempting medallion with tequila, then sets it afire. He next expertly cuts the cheese into four sections, which he rolls into cylinders with two forks, then tucks them into warm, fresh tortillas. This toothy treat, enjoyed at an award-winning, family-style eatery — founded by Michael and Gabby Nevares — reminded me that, in the vast, seemingly undifferentiated sprawl of Dallas-Fort Worth, one can still find authentic gems such as Miguelitos (209 W. Bedford Euless Road).
Stephenville: Austinites like to say that their city was a “sleepy college town” just a few years ago, when it had actually achieved city status early in the 20th century. Stephenville, on the other hand, is still a classic college town, sleepy or not.
Greer’s Ranch Café: This fine spot in the courthouse square (190 W. College St.) might be called an American comfort-food bistro with a heavy Texas accent. Chef and sommelier Phil Greer, a veteran of 30 years in the hospitality sector, transformed what originally was Dawson’s Saloon, keeping the wood beams and flooring, as well as a record of its past. My server happily told me the history of the place and pointed out key photographs and artifacts, which add to the place’s enormous charm and updated authenticity.Hard Eight Pit BBQ: This popular joint spreads out over a chunk of land (1091 Glen Rose Road) surrounded by a large parking lot, packed at lunch with pickup trucks, a good sign. As with many barbecue spots I’ve encountered, the routines and rituals for ordering can be arcane. The Hard Eight staff guided me along the way to a spicy sausage sandwich on sweet bread, crispy fries and a too-large goblet of Shiner Bock (as in other partially dry precincts of Texas, you must become a club member to order beer or margaritas).
Michael Barnes writes about the people, places, culture and history of Austin and Texas. He can be reached at [email protected]. Sign up for the free weekly digital newsletter, Think, Texas, at statesman.com/newsletters, or at the newsletter page of your local USA Today Network paper.
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Publish date : 2024-08-26 01:01:00
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