June Naylor

Elgin:Southside Market

Barbecue touring, Central Texas-style, means wandering around smallish towns, mostly east of Austin, settled in the mid-1800s by German, Czech and Polish immigrants.

It also means tucking into plates of handmade sausage, often dipping it into little cups of barbecue sauce. At Elgin’s Southside Market, about 25 miles east of Austin, that sauce can be hot or mild.

But it’s the sausage that holds your attention. I like the spicy version, but no matter what – it’s the crumbling meat and rich smoke flavor you sink into. You’re forever ruined; you’ll never like the junk sold in everyday grocery stores again.

On our recent Central Texas BBQ tour, we drove from Austin on Day 1, starting our eating expedition at Elgin, where we loved the pinto beans almost as much as the sausage. There was also Blue Bell Ice Cream, a must at many barbecue places in this part of the country.

We departed Elgin and headed east, pointing the car toward Shiner, Texas, from whence some of the best beer anywhere flows.

Driving mostly along two-lane highways, we gazed with dropped jaws at the rich green of the countryside, strewn with beautiful wildflowers – still going strong even in later spring. We didn’t stop for too many photos, however; we wanted to be sure to reach Shiner before the last tour at the Spoetzl Brewery.

That’s the one tricky thing about visiting Shiner: To get to see how the beer’s made, you must visit Monday through Friday. That’s probably because the folks making the beer want the whole weekend free to enjoy it for themselves, right.

So we pulled into Shiner about 2 p.m., tickled at finding a shop on the main drag with a sign reading: Art, Antiques & Beer: Come drink and shop! My kind of store.

Shiner, TX

Worried about missing the tour at the brewery, we pushed on. Shopping would have to wait.

But not for long, as it turned out. Once we reached the Spoetzl Brewery, we found we’d just missed the last public tour.

That meant we simply had to hang out in the tasting room, which is also the Shiner souvenir shop. Smart, huh?

So we sipped several (tiny cups of) good, cold beer while checking out the  glassware, T-shirts and even a Shiner Beer Cookbook. Yes, I bought some of all those things.

Smokehouse, the Shiner summer beer

But the best find that Friday afternoon in Shiner was the Smokehouse, a summer beer Shiner will produce for just the second season this year.

It’s got just a hint of spice, smoke and sweetness, and you better believe it’s perfect for pairing with barbecue.

Just as we were enjoying the cold beer and admiring our purchases, one of the tasting room attendants asked if we’d like to join in a private tour that was about to start. Naturally, we did.

It was a wedding party, gathering in the area for a nuptial celebration the following day. Turns out, the bride and groom live near us in Fort Worth. A good sign for all, we agreed.

The tour lasts a little less than a half-hour, mostly because everyone wants to taste more Shiner, of course. We sipped a bit longer, said our congrats to the happy couple and their happy friends and made our way down the road again.

Our next stop was in Gonzales, a town known as the site where the first conflict in the Texas Revolution took place. But good barbecue hounds like it today for the Gonzales Food Market.

Gonzales Meat Market

It’s not much to look at but, boy howdy, the food’s sure good. There’s a menu for lots of hungry cowboys, but we just wanted a taste of this and that.

Brisket’s good, sausage is fine, but it’s the lamb ribs that make my heart go pitter-pat. With marinated cucumber salad on the side, this was a little taste of joy.

The drive back to Austin took us along more beautiful roads, mostly quiet drives until we hit Luling, home to the City Market with yet more wonderful barbecue. It’s another place where you get your servings on sheets of butcher paper. We’re plotting a return trip here for late June, when the Luling Watermelon Thump brings hundreds of revelers to town.

Wildflowers, countryside near Gonzales

By the time we pulled into our hotel in Austin, night was about to fall. We were full (as ticks, as my ranch friends like to say) and wondering how on earth we could manage to eat more barbecue tonight.

Resting up for an hour or so, we rose to the occasion and headed into the Austin night in search of one more barbecue meal before calling it a day.

I know folks think you should just drive on down to the Salt Lick – that’s in Driftwood, south of Austin – but I think there’s plenty of good barbecue right in town. You can go to Stubb’s, of course, and there’s the Iron Works, too.

But I’ve been intrigued by Ruby’s BBQ, found on Guadalupe at 29th St. (This isn’t Rudy’s, which is a small chain around Texas, OK?)

Ruby’s gained notoriety for serving all natural meats, you see. And it’s got the hippy-dippy Austin vibe down pat, and that’s a good thing.

Ruby's BBQ, Austin

The menu’s impressive, and – if you’ve got the right appetite – you can eat an impressive assortment of goods. But we’d been grazing all day, so a sandwich was the best we could do.

And oh, what a sandwich. The chopped beef, topped with housemade pickles, made me a little light-headed. Tender, deeply smoked and a bit spicy, this shredded brisket puts most others to shame. And while you wouldn’t consider this the ideal side dish, I couldn’t resist the collard greens, fresh and coarsely cut, also made just a smidge spicy. Somehow, we managed also a few bites of the coconut-pineapple buttermilk pie, which served as the perfect sweet ending to a great day of barbecue touring.

Stay tuned for Day 2 of the Central Texas BBQ tour.

Last weekend, I had the good fortune of taking my sister to spend a couple of days and nights at the new and most extraordinary JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa.

(Yes, that’s the official name, but the locals call it “the JW.”)

It’s enormous – more than 1,000 rooms – and we needed at least 48 hours to explore and absorb it. But even in a brief visit, it’s just a dream, unless you don’t enjoy big, gorgeous retreats where the staff treats everyone (not just travel writers) like VIPs.

Here are five things my sister and I loved about our visit.

1. The dry-aged New York strip at 18 Oaks, the up-market steakhouse at the Golf Clubhouse, with spectacular views of the 18^th greens of the two (yep, two) TPC golf courses. We ordered it black-and-blue, and the kitchen obliged with great skill. Our server, Melissa, brought not just one but all of the custom sauces offered with steaks. Our favorites? The chimmichuri and the horseradish cream. With our steak, the Becker Vineyards Reserve Cabernet-Syrah (a lovely Texas wine) proved a good match.
2. A day in the Lantana Spa. Nearly a week later, I’m still feeling the serenity served there in generous doses. Sandy gave me the manicure of the decade, the Texas Wildflower Signature Manicure. Mmmm. And Celia gave my sister the Saving Face Facial, which had her purring like a kitten all weekend. After the treatments and before lounging by the quiet spa pool, we enjoyed a lovely tuna salad and a lemony hummus with soft pita wedges.
3. Swimming pools galore. We hung out mainly at the adults-only pool, sipping frozen concoctions brought to us by a very sweet waiter named Michael. Dipping into the water, we swam over to the infinity edge to gaze at the golf course and the magnificent rolling, rugged hills beyond. Families were certainly enjoying the River Bluffs Water Experience, which offers a 650-foot-long rapid river ride; three water slides; 1,100-foot-long lazy river; hot and cold plunge pools; and much more.

4. Early evening in High Velocity. The mega-sports bar (one of seven dining/drinking venues) with more multi-media offerings than I can comprehend was just perfect for watching the Final Four.

1. There’s a long, long, long, very tall jumbo screen that will be ever so popular for watching Tiger’s grand return during the Masters this weekend. A whole lotta beer on tap includes Rahr brews from Fort Worth, and there is every kind of bar nosh you can think of.

5. Artwork. Throughout the JW, there are loads of archival photography of historic San Antonio, ranches, longhorn and more. But our favorite pieces of art were of contemporary nature, specifically the brilliant glass artwork by San Antonio’s own Gini Garcia. Her largest pieces are floral shapes suspended from the ceiling in the meetings wing of the building, and the bluebonnets leave a beautiful memory in the mind’s eye.

Run, don’t walk, to this place. www.jwsanantonio.com.

On Tuesday evening, Texas Toast Culinary Tours will be off on another our Feeding Frenzy restaurant crawls.

We start at 6:30 p.m. with appetizers and a cocktail at Cat City Grill, a new hotspot on buzzy Magnolia Avenue. This restaurant opened a few weeks ago and serves steaks, fish, salads and sandwiches. It’s one of the few places along this revitalized street where you can have a mixed drink and enjoy a full meal, too.

Next, we wander down to Ellerbe Fine Foods for our second course, an entree with a glass of wine.

If you haven’t been to Ellerbe, you’re missing a place that Texas Monthly included in its recent story on 10 Places You Should Be Eating Now. It’s a charming place in a beautifully renovated 1920s gas station building.

Finally, we’ll cross the street again to finish up with dessert and a glass of wine at Lili’s Bistro, another comfortable dinner spot in a vintage Magnolia building.

The whole evening is $85, including all food and drink, tip and tax. And $5 of your ticket will be donated to the Tarrant Area Food Bank.

Sign up now! Seats are going quickly. Visit the Texas Toast site to register or call us at 817-239-1634 or 817-228-5220.

Paula Lambert at the Mozzarella Company

Our good friend and Fort Worth native Paula Lambert knows everything about cheese, and she’s generous enough to share her wealth of knowledge with you at her fabulous Dallas Mozzarella Company .

Tomorrow, February 27, from 3 until 5 p.m., Paula offers her Hands-On Cheesemaking Class, teaching you to make fresh mozzarella and ricotta. You’ll get the factory tour then launch into the work, learning how mozzarella varieties are formed. Your class wraps up with a wine-and-cheese tasting you won’t forget. It’s $75 per person and includes plenty of cheeses to take home. Reserve by calling 214-741-4072.

Check out her site for upcoming classes; there’s always an intriguing schedule to consider.

Good times are plentiful at her Beer and Cheese Pairing Class, which begins with an insiders’ tour of the cheese factory, a charming place in historic Deep Ellum. Afterward, you’re seated at a long table with lots of cheeses, which will be paired with at least six artisanal beers. Paula and beer experts will take you through a discussion of the combinations of flavors. It’s $50 per person.

Here’s another way to help those doing good work for Haiti: Blaine Staniford, executive chef at Grace in Fort Worth, and Jon Bonnell, owner-chef at Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine in Fort Worth, are putting together an unprecedented dinner event next Tuesday. They’re celebrating Texas Independence Day (that’s March 2) at Grace with a six-course feast.

The objective is to raise money to buy medical supplies for Jon’s brother, Dr. Ric Bonnell, a physician who is donating his time and work to help people in Haiti. (See more about Dr. Bonnell’s efforts there at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp4hUM99Egg.)

Tuesday’s dinner begins at 6:30 with passed hors d’oeuvres, as well as cocktails crafted from Austin-made spirits – margaritas mixed with Republic tequila and Texas cosmos incorporating Savvy vodka. The seated dinner starts at 7 pm. Each course features good Texas-grown products, including Bandera quail, Texas redfish and Texas lamb. Texas beer and wines will be paired with each course.

The dinner is $125 plus tax and tip, with $25 going from each guest’s tab to purchase medical supplies for Haitian relief work.

If you like consuming a week’s worth of good food and wine in one evening, under one roof, for one price, I have one heck of a deal for you.

And if you’re glad that doing so helps a charitable cause, we’re in business.

But you better hurry, because the Les Dames d’Escoffier Dallas Chapter‘s annual Raiser Grazer is this Sunday, February 28.

Hosted at the Fashion Industry Gallery, the Dallas event benefits  deserving Texas women who are pursuing culinary educations.

“Women Stars of Wine & Food” is this year’s Grazer theme, showcasing women who have helped shaped the wine and culinary landscape. Stars will include our own Texas wine luminaries, such as Susan Auler (Fall Creek Vineyards), Gina Puente-Brancato (La Buena Vida Vineyards and La Bodega Wineries), and Caris Turpen (Lightcatcher Winery), along with California’s Joy Sterling (Iron Horse Vineyards), Dolores Cakebread (Cakebread Cellars), Janet Trefethen (Trefethen Family Vineyards), Robin Lail (Lail Vineyards),  Amelia Ceja (Ceja Vineyards) and Kathryn Hall (Hall Wines).

Food will be prepared by more than 20 female chefs and culinary professionals, including Sharon Hage of York Street, Dunia Borga of La Duni, and Paula Lambert of the Mozzarella Company, from the Dallas side of the area. Offering dishes from the western reaches will be Wendy Taggart of Burgundy Pasture Beef in Grandview; Lisa Perini of Perini Ranch Steakhouse in Buffalo Gap; and yours truly.

There’s also an auction during the event (cooking classes, trips, cookbooks, dinners and more are offered), and WFAA-TV news anchor Gloria Campos will emcee the festivities.

It’s a fun evening, which lasts from 6 until 9 p.m., and you can help add to the $1 million the Dames have raised for women’s culinary scholarships over the past quarter-century.

Raiser Grazer tickets are $45 until Friday and $50 thereafter and at the door. Check out details at the Les Dames Dallas website. (Find the FIG on North Akard in downtown Dallas, between Ross and Munger.)

The Window, Big Bend NP, by Cynthia Wahl

Among my favorite things to do, telling people where to find good food on the road ranks up there with breathing. Fortunately, I get paid to share my food and travel discoveries. And in doing it for 20 years and some change, it’s become clear that people rely heavily on such information as they set out on their explorations.

In fact, they often want me to plan their trips for them. Pals have talked me into drawing up itineraries for them, and I’ve taken my share of girlfriends’ trips to New Orleans, Santa Fe and Austin, plotting our adventures around the places we’d be eating.

Finally, somebody asked me why I didn’t turn this pastime into a business. If I’m going to go to such trouble, he reasoned, shouldn’t I be compensated? So with my good friend, Cynthia Wahl, a former Star-Telegram colleague who’s accompanied me on countless gastronomy journeys, I founded Texas Toast Culinary Tours last September.

Cynthia and I have been leading some local food and restaurant tours since then, and now we’re launching our first in our signature Texas Toast Road Trips series. Our debut destination is Marfa, which happens to sit in my favorite place in the world, the Big Bend Region of West Texas.

We’re heading out west on March 24 for five days and four nights, taking eager gourmands to tour the exotics Texas badlands, where we’ve planned a wealth of food and wine adventures. The experience will include a wine-pairing class, cooking class, farmers market tour, fabulous picnicking beside the Rio Grande, and meals at noted Marfa restaurants, along with hiking, touring and – at night – star-gazing and live music.

Our Marfa Road Trip includes transportation via luxury motorcoach, lodging for four nights at the Hotel Paisano, all meals with adult beverages for five days, cooking class, Big Bend National Park admission, sightseeing and most entertainment. Based on double occupancy, it’s $1,395 per person; you’ll add $395 for single supplement.

(If you want to stay instead at the funkalicious El Cosmico, that’s an option. We’ll offer packages that don’t include transportation or lodging for those who want to arrange their own.)

Here’s our itinerary for March 24-28.

Day 1 (Wednesday): Depart Fort Worth in the early morning aboard a luxury motorcoach for the 490-mile drive; watch Giant and classic westerns en route. To break up the long trip, we’ll stop partway for a gourmet picnic box lunch (provided by chef Louis Lambert of Lamberts Downtown Barbecue in Austin and Lambert’s Steak, Seafood, Whiskey in Fort Worth at Big Spring State Park. Arrive in Marfa in time for supper, a barbecue event from Lambert’s, enjoyed at El Cosmico, next to the renowned Chinati Foundation.

Fort Davis by June Naylor

Day 2 (Thursday): We kick-start the day with a West Texas chuckwagon breakfast at El Cosmico, to prepared by cooks from the original Reata, found nearby in Alpine. The rest of the morning is free for touring galleries or shopping. Lunch will be at the Blue Javelina, one of Marfa’s popular, newer restaurants serving an eclectic menu with Spanish and Moroccan influences. After lunch, there’s time for touring the Fort Davis National Historic Site, a beautifully restored cavalry fort. (Options may include staying in Marfa for a spa treatment or heading out for a horseback ride in the Davis Mountains.) Then it’s off to Woodward Ranch for a little rock-hunting before a sunset event Cathedral Mountain, a vineyard belonging to Times Ten Cellars , for a food-and-wine pairing event supper. On the way back into town, there’s a stop to see the mysterious Marfa Lights.

Day 3 (Friday): We’ll take a continental breakfast along for the drive to magnificent Big Bend National Park for a full day tour with optional hiking. Beside the Rio Grande, Louis Lambert will present a grand picnic lunch. We’ll stop briefly in Terlingua for some photographs in the ghost town and a little shopping before heading back to Marfa. In the evening, we’ll enjoy dinner at Maiya’s, one of Marfa’s landmark restaurants, with a style that mixes a little New York with San Francisco sensibilities. Afterward, we’re off to Padre’s Marfa for dancing and live music.

Day 4 (Saturday): Our day begins with breakfast at the Austin Street Café , a hip American dining room inside a restored cottage. Afterward, we’ll wander through the Marfa Farm Stand, picking up some items to use in a cooking class with Louis Lambert, to be held at El Cosmico. Lunch will conclude the class, and we can spend the afternoon shopping and roaming the galleries. At nightfall, we’ll have a cookout, campfire music session and a star party with local astronomers at El Cosmico.

Day 5 (Sunday): Bidding farewell to Big Bend, we return via motorcoach to the DFW area, watching Lonesome Dove along the way. A stop midway home will include a picnic box lunch from Lambert’s.

We’ll offer another road trip to Marfa in May, too. C’mon and join us.

Martin Yan talks a good game

When Martin Yan was last in Fort Worth for a cooking class at Central Market, he made a few minutes to sit and chat with me. We had a good visit about how easy it is to throw a little cocktail party with Asian food as the centerpiece.

And there’s no better time to do that than for the Chinese New Year’s, which is February 14 this year.

If you’re not into celebrating the arrows of Cupid, why not the Year of the Tiger?

The Chinese chef and cookbook author, whose pioneering TV cooking program Yan Can Cook launched him into the Julia Child realm of food celebrities years ago, is quite the entertainer himself. (See how animated he looks in the photo above, taken by my Star-Telegram colleague Steve Wilson? That’s tame. Yan really is a hoot.)

In the companion cookbook ($24.95, Chronicle Books) to his current PBS show, Martin Yan’s China, Yan offers updated ideas for Asian cooking. During our chat, however, he rattled off a number of small-plate ideas that party-goers will enjoy.

Things to serve would include:

Dumplings, spring rolls and wontons with dipping sauces that offer sweet, tangy, spicy and tart flavors

Grilled marinated beef, lamb and chicken on skewers

Stir-fried chicken or duck breast with finely chopped vegetables, served in endive leaves

Easy stir-fry mixtures served atop wedges of pan-fried noodle cake (see below)

A choice of beverages such as iced lemon or passion fruit green tea and a fizzy combination of pomegranate juice, Thai lime juice, green tea and sparkling water

Yan’s pan-fried noodle cake recipe: Boil water in a large pot. Add 8 ounces fresh Chinese egg noodles and cook according to package directions. Turn off heat. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Return noodles to the pot and toss with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Place a wide, nonstick pan over medium heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, coating the pan; spread noodles evenly in the pan. Add broth and cook until liquid is evaporated and noodles are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip pancake and cook 5 minutes more, until golden brown. Cut into wedges.

Our first Dallas food tour was a smash-hit. Within our intimate group were Linda and Michael, a couple from New Jersey, visiting Texas for the first time. Texas Toast showed them a thing or two about food and hospitality in the Lone Star State. They’d asked ahead of time if we could please not stuff them solely with chicken-fried steak. We assured them that while we love our CFS, we do know how to do other things well.

Our entertaining friends Sarah, Wes and Michael from Fort Worth joined us, giving the New Jersey folks an ample dose of Texas humor. We began in late morning; at our first stop, the original Zodiac Room at the flagship Neiman Marcus in downtown Dallas,  we gathered around a sunny table and told stories from our earliest memories in that room. While we sipped the signature chicken consomme and noshed on fresh, steaming-hot popovers with strawberry butter (see recipes below), we listened as executive chef Kevin Garvin shared tales about the legendary Zodiac Room and Stanley Marcus. We talked a little about Helen Corbitt, the first food director for NM, who put Dallas on the culinary map more than a half-century ago, before anyone had yet heard of Julia Child.

From Neiman’s, we headed over to the Dallas Farmers Market .Although it’s only January, a few farmers were there with some gorgeous produce. They gave us samples of tomatoes, mangos, tangerines, pineapple and peanuts. From the roasted corn stand, we bought a cup of elotes, a mixture of corn – hot and fresh from the cob – mixed with grated cheese and mayonnaise, with chile powder sprinkled on top. Believe us, it’s really good. Inside the enclosed shed, we perused tables of fresh, locally made pastas, a booth selling locally made candles and a sausage stand.

Next, we headed to Deep Ellum to visit Paula Lambert at the Mozzarella Co. , that famous artisan cheese company. Paula took us on a tour of her business, which makes about 1,000 pounds of cheese daily. We sampled a number of her products, pictured here, made from cow’s or goat’s milk, and wound up leaving with sacks full of cheese and cookbook purchases.

Then we zipped over to Jimmy’s Food Store , a wonderful rarity in Dallas. Our New Jersey friends thought it hilarious that we’d take them to a corner Italian grocery, but we explained what a singularly special jewel it is for us, as there’s no real Italian heritage to speak of around these parts. They were impressed with all the special fresh pastas available, as well as Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream, sold here but made in Plano. Best of all, we happened by just when Michael Weinstein, the Dreadhead Chef , pictured below, was offering samples of his dessert chips (chocolate chip, yum) and sweet salsas (pineapple-banana-macadamia nut, double yum). Jimmy’s never fails to impress me with the racks and racks of Prosecco choices, many for just $9.99.

Finally, we wrapped up our day with a leisurely, late lunch at the Mansion on Turtle Creek. Chef Bruno Davaillon (he arrived at the Mansion recently from Mix in Las Vegas) prepared a lovely menu for us, and here it is:

Grilled Salmon Filet, Celery Root Puree, Blood Orange and Celery Salad, pictured here

Pork Tenderloin, White Cheddar Grits, Wild Mushrooms and Peas

Roasted Eggplant and Goat Cheese Ravioli, Preserved Summer Tomatoes, and Basil Salad

Wines:
V. Laurenz Gruner Veltliner “Singing,” Austria ’07
Dow’s, Vale do Bomfim, Douro Reserva, Portugal ’06

Desserts:
Tropical Vacherine, with Citrus and Vanilla Sorbets

Mansion Candy Bar, Brownie, Peanut Croquant, Chocolate Mousse, Lime Coconut Sorbet
Ice Cream Sampler: Chocolate, Vanilla Bean, Fleur de Sel Caramel

During lunch, Chef Bruno stopped by to make sure we were happy with our food. As a bonus, we were regaled with entertaining stories about the Mansion’s early history (the historic home, when it was a residence) by the delightful Duncan Graham, an Englishman who serves as the Mansion’s general manager.

What a great way to spend a Friday in Dallas, with nary a chicken-fried steak. You should join us next time. Until then, here’s how to make the popovers and strawberry butter. Many thanks to the Neiman Marcus Cookbook (2003, Clarkson Potter).

Neiman Marcus Popovers

Makes 12

3 ½ cups milk

4 cups all purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

6 large eggs, room temp

Place milk in bowl and microwave on High (100 percent power) for 2 minutes, or until warm to the touch.

Sift flour, salt and baking powder together in large mixing bowl. Crack eggs into work bowl of electric mixer fitted with whisk, and beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until foamy and pale in color. Turn down mixer to low and add warm milk.

Gradually add flour mixture and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Turn machine off and let batter rest for 1 hour at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Spray popover tin generously with nonstick spray. Fill popover cups almost to the top with batter and place popover tin on cookie sheet. Transfer to oven and bake for 15 minutes. Turn down oven temperature to 375 F and bake for 30 to 35 minutes longer, until popovers are deep golden brown outside and airy inside.

Turn out popovers and serve hot with strawberry butter, recipe below.

Strawberry Butter

Makes 2 ½ cups
1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature
1 cup good-quality strawberry preserves
Place the butter in the work bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high until light and fluffy. Add the preserves and beat until well combined. To serve, spoon or pipe the flavored butter into 2-tablespoon ramekins or onto side plates.

Put on your hat and boots and head over to the historic Fort Worth Stockyards district next Tuesday evening, January 12. Texas Toast Culinary Tours will get you fired up for the annual rodeo and stock show, starting in Cowtown on January 16, with another of our Feeding Frenzy evenings, filled with great food and drink that’s guaranteed to put some giddy-up in your new year.

This delicious tour kicks off at 6:30 p.m. with a first course at the H3 Ranch, where Feeding Frenzy folks will sample appetizers paired with Fort Worth’s own Rahr Buffalo Butt Beer.

For the second course, you’ll mosey a few doors down North Main Street for dinner and wine with Tim Love at his Lonesome Dove Western Bistro. For the third course, you’ll walk around the corner to the Love Shack and White Elephant Saloon for an adult ice cream float and some boot-scootin’ music, too. Dessert’s never been like this before!

At each stop, you’ll get to know the creators of all this food and drink and talk about what makes good food and beverage pairings. It’s a lot of food and fun for $75, including tax and tip – and an experience only with Texas Toast!

Sign up at our website, Texas Toast Culinary Tours, or give us a jingle at 817-239-1634 or 817-228-5220. You don’t want to miss a good time like this.