Brazos 360

SPRING 2017

DAY TRIPS

Get out of town for adventures within a two-hour drive FIVE FUN FOOD FINDS

Cajun dishes to spice up your spring

WHAT’s IN YOUR OFFICE? A peek at Pat Henry’s trophies and treasures

PARTY PICS

Photos from events around town

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

Special advertiSing Section

GeorGe Bush LiBrary’s

upcoming events and exhibits

College Station Easter Celebration

The College Station Easter Celebration has become one of the most highly anticipated events of the spring. This event will be held April 8, 2017, from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. Activities will include games, face painting, an Easter egg hunt (starting promptly at 10:00), egg roll, egg toss, complimentary refreshments and photos with the Easter Bunny.

For more information visit www.Bush41.org.

The Legacy of Ranching: Preserving the Past, Embracing the Future

The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum proudly announces its newest exhibit, The Legacy of Ranching: Preserving the Past, Embracing the Future.

Recordings of oral histories, an original video narrative, hands-on educational activities, and a historic chuck wagon centerpiece are all included in this impressive new exhibit.

The exhibit will run through January 7, 2018.

Admission is free

College Station Easter Celebration C at the George Bush Presidential l b a y a mu u

April 8, 2017 • 9:30 A.m. to noon A games • face painting • easter egg hunt • egg roll • egg toss complimentary refreshments and photos with the easter Bunny

CHECK OUT OUR NEWEST EXHIBIT NOW THROUGH JANUARY 7, 2018

THE LEGACY OF RANCHING: PRESERVING THE PAST, EMBRACING THE FUTURE

RecoRdings of oRal histoRies • an oRiginal video naRRative • hands-on educational activities • histoRic chuck wagon centeRpiece

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

Inside

EVENT CALENDAR

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Festivals, musicals and Texas A&M’s Family Weekend are on tap this spring.

BY THE NUMBERS

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17

Myles Garrett in the NFL Draft, popular kid names and eye-popping crawfish figures.

360 Profile

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Archaeologist Angela Gore shares some of her adventures in the Alaskan wild.

COVER STORY

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Explore day trips to Austin, Brenham, Houston, Waco and other spots within a two-hour drive.

FIVE FUN FOOD FINDS 31 Our Cajun edition features crawfish, gumbo, blackened tilapia and po’ boys.

PARTY PICS

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Photos from the Daddy-Daughter Dance, First Friday and 50 Men Who Can Cook.

WHAT’S IN YOUR OFFICE? 48

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ON THE COVER: The Bode family (from left): Audrey, Gweneth, Matt and Kaydance

publisher

Kelly Brown editor

sales director

Rob Clark

special projects editor

Linda Brinkman

51

Monopoly kicks the thimble to the curb. Long live the thimble.

Crystal Dupré

Sean Lewis

Get a glimpse at the wall of track trophies and other treasures in A&M coach Pat Henry’s office.

THE LAST WORD

Staff

advertising manager

Joshua Siegel designer

31

Timothy Hurst

photographer

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

Local Events PREMIERE MARKET The Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra presents the fifth annual shopping event that features home accessories, clothing, gourmet foods and jewelry.

Details: March 31-April 1 at the Brazos County Expo. bvso.org.

‘GREATER TUNA’ MSC OPAS presents this comedy about Texas’ third smallest town.

Details: April 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Theatre. mscopas.org.

Eagle file photo

TEXAS A&M FAMILY WEEKEND Formerly known as Parents Weekend, the event features activities for parents and family members of current students. For a full list of events and details, go to parentsweekend.tamu.edu. Some highlights: Aggie Ring Day Students gather with family and friends at the Clayton W. Williams Jr. Alumni Center to celebrate receiving their Aggie Ring. April 7-8. aggienetwork.com/ring.

Eagle file photo

DOWNTOWN STREET & ART FAIR The eighth annual event features artists selling their works in Downtown Bryan.

Details: April 8 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on W. 26th Street. facebook.com/downtownstreetandartfair.

Aggie Moms’ Boutique The Aggie Moms’ Club presents the gift and craft fair. April 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and April 8 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the second floor of the Memorial Student Center.

Aggie athletic events Sporting events during the weekend include women’s tennis, softball and baseball. Visit 12thman.com for more information.

Aggie Family Game Night The event will feature board

games, dominoes, bingo and more. April 7 at the Student Recreation Center.

Yell Practice Join the yell leaders and the Aggie Band for the Family Weekend edition of yell practice. April 7 at 10 p.m. at Kyle Field.

Mays Business School The open house showcases the business school. April 8 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in the Wehner Building lobby.

Football Spring Game Get an early look at the Aggies.

April 8 at 1 p.m. at Kyle Field.

Freudian Slip The improv-comedy troupe performs. April 8 at 7 p.m. at Rudder Forum. boxoffice.tamu.edu.

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CHILIFEST The annual music festival nabbed Southern-rock vets Lynyrd Skynyrd for its Saturday night finale, along with Texas country acts Cody Johnson, Wade Bowen, Jason Boland & the Stragglers and Shane

Smith & the Saints. The Friday night lineup features William Clark Green, Reckless Kelly, Flatland Cavalry, John Baumann, Parker McCollum and Hunter Rea Band. Proceeds go to local charities.

Details: March 31 and April 1 at the Starlight Ballroom in Snook. $50-$250. chilifest.org.

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

AGGIE MUSTER Among the most sacred of Texas A&M’s traditions, Aggie Muster honors students and former students who died over the past year.

The campus Muster is the largest of the more than 300 ceremonies held worldwide on Friday, April 21. It will be at Reed Arena at 7 p.m. and will feature Eddie Joe Davis Jr., former Texas A&M Foundation president, as its speaker. Davis also served as chief operating officer and executive deputy chancellor of the A&M System and interim president of Texas A&M University.

The annual Camaraderie BBQ, honoring the class of 1967, is set to be held at the Northeast Kyle Field Plaza before the ceremony from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Also to be held on campus, the Brazos County A&M Club Muster will feature former Texas A&M University System Regent Susan Rudd Bailey. She is an A&M graduate, class of 1978, and a member of the Association of Former Students’ Board of Directors and president-elect of the American Medical Association.

It will be held in the Bethancourt Ballroom of the Memorial Student Center starting at 6 p.m.

Eagle file photo

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E H T P D A AP O L M N O W C .

DO GLE A E E H T

FOR iOS & ANDROID Breaking news • sports highlights • weather latest headlines photo galleries

MSC OPAS

‘ONCE’ MSC OPAS presents this performance — based on the 2007 film — that won eight Tony Awards, including best musical.

Details: April 11-12 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium. $26-$95. mscopas. org/once.

‘THE WIZARD OF OZ’ Brazos Valley Troupe presents this youth production of the classic fantasy tale.

Details: April 21-23, 28-29. bvtroupe.com.

‘BIG RIVER’ The Theatre Company presents the musical based on Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Details: April 21-May 7. theatrecompany.com.

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

WEDNESDAY MAY 10, 2017 9AM – 2PM FREE ADMISSION

W E L C O M E TO THE

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Eagle file photos

WINE & ROSES FESTIVAL Messina Hof Winery celebrates the budding of the vines and the blooming of the roses with wine tastings, a grape-stomp competition and more.

Admission is free, some events require tickets.

Details: April 22 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Messina Hof. messinahof.com.

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‘A LITTLE BIT WICKED’ The Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra’s season finale features music from Wicked and other musicals, with Broadway performers Alli Mauzey and Dee Roscioli.

Details: April 30 at 5 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium. bvso.org.

‘CLUE-LESS’ Brazos Valley Troupe presents an audience-participation performance based on the classic board game.

Details: May 19-21. bvtroupe.com.

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Special advertiSing Section

The MatureWell Lifestyle Center

T

wo renowned health organizations have come together to bring our community a one-of-akind health destination. In partnership with Texas A&M Health Science Center, CHI St. Joseph Health brings the MatureWell Lifestyle Center.

Built exclusively for adults 55 and older, this unparalleled center will combine the health and wellness resources needed, in one location.

MatureWell opens on March 6th 2017.

Now there’s a place that’s designed just for mature adults…where they can stay healthy, get fit, and be the best version of themselves that they can be.

Discover 23,000 square feet of space specifically designed to help mature adults live well with a range of health and wellness resources such as: Onsite physicians specializing in care for adults 55 and older who will spend time with their patients,

coordinate with their existing providers, build a longterm relationship, and assist in their overall care.

A Personal Liaison and a Patient Advocate to provide one-on-one guidance, schedule appointments, and answer questions including those related to Medicare.

A relaxed, social atmosphere.

Unprecedented access to health resources such as managing your medications, nutrition counseling, and outpatient rehabilitation services (physical, occupational, or speech therapy).

Wellness resources such as gym, pool, cooking classes, support groups, educational seminars, and disease and lifestyle management programs.

CHI St. Joseph Health strives to provide a variety of services ranging from free of charge, billed to insurance, and out of pocket helping to serve all

G e t to a H eal th i e r

mature adults and their families.

Appointments can be scheduled NOW with our two physicians or rehab services by calling 979.731.6126.

Learn more today about our convenient center at MatureWell.CHIStJosephHealth.org or visit at 3989 N. Shore Drive, Bryan, TX 77807.

DIRECTIONS FROM COLLEGE STATION: From Texas Avenue, head west on University Drive toward Texas A&M University. Exit to the right onto Highway 47. Take the exit toward HSC Parkway. Turn right onto HSC Parkway.Turn left onto S. Traditions Drive. Turn right onto Lake Atlas Drive.

Turn left onto North Shore Drive.

DIRECTIONS FROM BRYAN: From Texas Avenue, head west on Villa Maria Road. Take a left onto Harvey Mitchell Parkway/2818.Turn right onto F and B Road. Turn right onto S. Traditions Drive. Turn right onto Lake Atlas Drive. Turn left onto North Shore Drive.

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Introducing the MatureWell Lifestyle Center, a one-of-a-kind new health complex for adults 55 and older.

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“Healthy” isn’t just a state of being…it’s a state of mind. With a state-of-the-art gym and pool, nutritional counseling, wellness education, and specially trained healthcare providers, the MatureWell Lifestyle Center from CHI St. Joseph Health provides adults 55 and older with a convenient, coordinated approach to staying fit for life.

Located on the campus of Traditions Club at 3989 N Shore Drive, Bryan, TX 77807

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

Opens March 6th. Sign up for updates now, and learn more about our complimentary services and those covered by insurance or fees at MatureWell.CHIStJosephHealth.org.

By the Numbers

1 The top spot in the NFL Draft has never been filled by an Aggie. But that could change this year. All-American (and all-around great guy) Myles Garrett is projected to be one of the first players selected on April 27, and many draft gurus have him pegged as the No. 1 pick. A&M players have done well at the No. 2 spot: John Kimbrough (1941), John David Crow (1958), Quentin Coryatt (1992), Von Miller (2011) and Luke Joeckel (2013). It should be the seventh straight year an Aggie has gone in the first round: Miller in 2011, Ryan Tannehill in 2012, Luke Joeckel in 2013, Jake Matthews, Mike Evans and Johnny Manziel in 2014, Cedric Ogbuehi in 2015 and Germain Ifedi in 2016.

06/20 44 College Station welcomed 44 sets of twins in 2016, according to Jay Socol, public communications director, on his blog at cstx. gov. That’s six fewer sets than in 2015.

Socol’s post includes the most popular names for newborns, as compiled by deputy local registrar Yvette Dela Torre. For boys, Aiden tops the list, followed by Jackson and a three-way tie for third (Jacob, James and Noah). For girls: Riley takes the No. 1 spot, followed by a tie for second (Avery and Emma) and a tie for third (Olivia and Sophia). The local favorite names line up closely with the rest of the country. According to babycenter.com, the most popular boy names around the country were Jackson, Aiden and Lucas. For girls: Sophia, Emma and Olivia.

Hollywood doesn’t care much for the “first day of summer” declaration, and starts the blockbuster movie season more than a month beforehand.

And with many local students out of school before Memorial Day, that’s a good thing.

Among the early action movies heading our way: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (May 5), Alien Covenant (May 19), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (May 26) and Wonder Woman (June 2). For the kids, there’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (May 19), Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (June 2) and Cars 3 (June 16). Official summer movies after June 20 include Transformers: The Last Knight (June 23), Despicable Me 3 (June 30), Spider-Man: Homecoming (July 7), War for the Planet of the Apes (July 14) and The Dark Tower (July 28).

217,486 $192.6 million That’s the total amount of money that was bet for races at the Kentucky Derby in 2016, according to kentuckyderby. com. For a local slice of the horseracing fun, the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra presents its 14th annual Derby Day gala.

The event features the televised race from Churchill Downs, along with a hat parade, live and silent auctions and music from the BVSO’s String Quartet.

It’s May 6 at the Hilton Bluebonnet Ballroom.

Check bvso.org for more info.

That whopping number is the amount of crawfish (in pounds) supplied to local eateries and grocery stores by The Crawfish Hole in College Station in 2016. Owner Chad Hanks and his employees travel to Bridge City, his hometown, to pick up crawfish several times a week. (His stepfather owns a crawfish farm there.) Back in College Station, Hanks provides the mudbugs to Shipwreck Grill, The Tap and Remnant from Nawlins, along with the Crawfish to Geaux mobile food truck, and grocery stores (Kroger and some H-E-B locations). We’re right in the middle of the peak part of crawfish season in March and April, so get some “mudbugs” while you can. (Unless they gross you out. In which case, more for me.)

— ROB CLARK

THE EAGLE | BRAZOS360.COM

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360 Profile

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

ANGELA GORE

Digging for HISTORY Story ROB CLARK | Photo TIMOTHY HURST

A

ngela Gore’s first camping trip was a doozy. Far from a childhood forest or lake adventure, Gore found herself in the back country of Alaska as part of her undergraduate archaeology studies at Texas A&M. The 28-year-old Gore hails from Lake Jackson, and is now an archaeologist and Ph.D. candidate at A&M’s Center for the Study of the First Americans, part of the anthropology department.

“I was always interested in archaeology and in culture, because ultimately that’s what archaeologists do — we study culture,” she says.

“We just study dead people’s culture.”

Gore’s focus at A&M is the “peopling of the Americas,” as in how North and South America became populated by modern humans.

That research has led her to Alaska the past seven summers, where she digs for stone tools and learns how people adapted to the environment.

Here’s more from Gore on her archaeological experiences.

Q&A What is it like to work in Alaska?

A lot of the field situations are really remote. In some instances, depending on the project, you get helicoptered out to a project. All your food gets hauled out in big salvage drums so that bears don’t get in it, because bears are a problem, and you always have to worry about them. You’re there for six weeks. You have a satellite phone for emergencies. Other than that, the only people you have contact with are the people that you are working with. The crews are never very big, so it’s just a small group of people. You do your work every day, you do your camp tours, sleep and you wake up and do it all over again. You really learn to live in the back country, and I think that’s part of why I enjoy working in Alaska so much. It’s a beautiful place to work. Sometimes the environment does get really challenging. Sometimes it’s really wet and cold and it’s like that every day. And then sometimes it’s beautiful and sunny and you get to see wildlife while you’re working.

What exactly are you looking for there?

We are digging in the ground, looking for artifacts. And not just stone tools.

We’re looking for anything that people left behind. Sometimes you get really lucky and you find hearth remains from a fire

that people built 11, 12, 13 or maybe even 14,000 years ago. Sometimes you find animal remains like bison or caribou, or sometimes birds. We’re looking for any evidence of humans living in the past.

Let’s go back to the bears. What is that situation like?

We don’t live in cabins. There are no temporary shelters. You carry your own tent and your sleeping bag and your clothes out there and you live in a tent for the duration of the summer. … I was waking up in the morning and putting on my boots, and the principal investigator of the project got out of his tent before me and he said, “Oh, my gosh, there’s a black bear in camp!” … You have your bear spray — it’s mace for bears. It kind of sounds funny, but you need it for protection. … Most of the time, bears don’t want anything to do with you.

Generally, it will hear you and be aware of you and move away from you before you even realize it’s in the area. You would think you’d be able to hear it because it is such a large animal, but a lot of times you don’t. They’re kind of quiet. So whenever we’re hiking or working, you always have to be loud. Some people sing songs. I just shout “HEY BEAR” every once in a while.

You feel real stupid the first couple of times you do it. But you have to make yourself do

it. It’s part of keeping yourself safe in bear country, because you have to respect the environment that you’re in.

What’s the best thing you’ve discovered?

In Alaska, I found a really old projectile point when I was on a project. This type of projectile point dates really early, to the time when the Americas were first peopled.

It’s probably in between 14,000 and 13,000 years old. So that was pretty exciting, because that’s my research area. … I was working on a project in Belize, and I found human remains. That was kind of cool.

If someone asks you why this kind of work is important, what would you say?

Archaeology is a part of our history, and some archaeology does deal with time after we have written records to corroborate with. But a lot of us are dealing with a period of time when there is no written record. … It’s still important to our history as humans. There are a lot of questions that we as archaeologists deal with that are relevant to today, like being aware of how we interact with our environment, and how our environment shapes our culture and things like environmental change and how that affects us as humans. … It makes you more aware of our actions as humans and how we interact with our world now.

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

Houston

Waco Austin

Brenham/Washington Co.

And more

ONTry these THEday ROAD AGAIN trips for springtime fun W

hen the weather is warm — let’s just pretend that that isn’t 80 percent of the time in Texas — it’s an ideal scenario for a day trip.

There’s of course a ton of entertainment to be found all over the state, but we wanted to focus our attention on places that are within a two-hour drive. That way you get there, have a fun day and get back home without a long slog of a drive.

We chose Austin, Houston, Waco, Brenham and some other nearby attractions to check out, along with some fun places to go here at home.

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WA CO

Crowds flock to

Magnolia Market Story ROB CLARK

T

here’s no question what the biggest draw is for tourists in Waco, thanks to the runaway success of Fixer Upper. The home renovation hit on HGTV features Waco couple and Baylor grads Chip (the goofy demolition man) and Joanna Gaines (the sharp decorative expert) turning ho-hum houses into shabby-chic gems. As part of the couple’s ever-expanding empire, Magnolia Market opened in 2015 in the shadows of two old grain silos.

The market is more like a complex, and it is enormous. Besides the main store, the spread includes a bakery, a garden shop, several food trucks and an expansive green-turf play area, where kids and adults kick soccer balls and toss footballs.

Stay alert: I almost got a face full of football from an errant young quarterback.

Magnolia’s popularity can translate to a major hassle, however, once inside the store. We visited in late December — never visit in late December — and the only word to describe it at that moment is unbearable. Wall-to-wall people, like

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

In the shadows of two old grain silos, Magnolia Market offers a spot to shop and hang out.

the world’s most sedate mosh pit, all of whom had the same brilliant road trip idea as we did. We glanced around and quickly decided that no vintage apple crate or rustic wooden water pail could be worth bumping our way through this swarm. We did a 180 and returned to the play area.

(Check magnoliamarket.com for tips on how to best plan and enjoy your trip.)

The couple has a pretty remark-

able success story, and the Magnolia area is worth a visit, especially if that style of home décor is your thing.

But if it’s a busy part of the day (like lunch time) or a prime shopping season, you might be better off watching Chip and Joanna on your couch.

Details: Magnolia Market at the Silos. 601 Webster. magnoliamarket.com.

Also worth a visit The Dr Pepper Museum is just down the road from Magnolia, and it’s a fun trip through the history of the beverage invented

by Charles Alderton in Waco and first served in 1885. An animatronic version of Alderton gives some of the background information on how the pharmacist developed the drink.

The rest of the museum, which is run by a private nonprofit organization, is loaded with old advertisements, bottling equipment, artifacts and “liquid lab” demonstrations. Sister sodas 7-Up and Big Red have a presence as well, including great old commercials for the former’s “un-cola” campaign, starring actor Geoffrey Holder. (Side note: You’ll have to cough up some change if you want a small soda at the tour’s end, which is a little puzzling.)

Details: 300 S. 5th Street. Admission: $10 for adults, $6 for children. drpeppermuseum.com.

The Mayborn Museum on the Baylor campus has an interesting collection of fossils and skeletons (including an ancient sea turtle and the head of a humpback whale), along with a woolly mammoth exhibit. For families, there is a fantastic children’s side, with more than a dozen “Discovery Rooms” of fun.

Details: 1300 S. University Parks Drive.

Admission: $8 adults, $6 children. baylor.edu/mayborn.

Lunch spot

The mob at Magnolia will get you warmed up for Health Camp, a popular (and not at all healthy) burger joint that attracts a big crowd in its small space at lunchtime.

It’s a greasy-spoon sort of diner, and the menu features burgers, chicken fried steak, grilled cheese, chili dogs and frito pies, along with fries, shakes and malts. A tasty lunch of a cheeseburger, onion rings and a chocolate shake won’t score any points with the medical community, but we can always blame false advertising.

Details: 2601 Circle Road. health-camp-waco.com.

For Our Next Trip to Waco Cameron Park Zoo: 1701 N. 4th Street. cameronparkzoo.com.

Texas Sports Hall of Fame: 1108 S. University Parks Drive. tshof.org.

Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum: 100 Texas Ranger Trail. texasranger.org.

Buzzard Billy’s: 100 N. Interstate 35. buzzardbillys.com/ waco.

Jake’s Texas Tea House: 613 Austin Ave. facebook.com/JakesTexasTeaHouse.

George’s: 1925 Speight. georgesrestaurant.com.

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HOUS T ON

Get your fill of animal fun

at the Houston Zoo Story ROB CLARK

T

he Houston Zoo has all the big animals you would want to see: gorillas, elephants, lions, tigers, bears, rhinos, just to scratch the surface.

There’s a special enclosure for the adorable (and adored) red panda. Two houses of creepy crawlers — insects and reptiles — are both fascinating, though you might get that weird itchy feeling when you’re in there. You can even feed the giraffes twice a day.

That’s all assuming the weather cooperates, of course. My day of choice was less than ideal — cold and rainy — and the front gate employees warned me that some animals might not come out to play.

Though I missed out on a few beasts, there was a silver lining: practically no one was there. (I resisted the urge to ride the carousel by myself.) With no crowds to fight, it was a quiet, almost relaxing

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

Flamingos (top photo) and a bald eagle are part of the Houston Zoo’s appeal.

Details: Houston Zoo, 6200 Hermann Park Drive. Admission: $18 adults, $14 children. houstonzoo.org.

day at the zoo. And it led to a handful of moments I didn’t expect, like being the center of attention at the children’s zoo area with two lingering llamas and one loud zebu.

The sea lions care not for our weather

concerns, and it was great fun just to watch them glide through the water, coming up and getting a glimpse at the smaller-than-usual audience.

The giraffes were hiding from the weather in their expansive enclosure, which thankfully has a clear wall for spectators. Two were munching on an elevated batch of grassy goodies, and several were in the back, behind a halfwall. When I walked up to the window, all but one lifted or turned their enormous necks to get a gander at the weirdo in the wet weather, and a couple of them moved in for a closer look. It was quite a moment.

And I was able to witness this special scene: a lioness emerged from her covered shelter and stepped out into the open, to do her business in the rain. So the next time your dog leaves a present for you on the bedroom floor, remember that even a lion can show proper manners.

Also worth a visit Art lovers who haven’t been to The Menil Collection should put it at or near the top of their day-trip priority list. The museum opened in 1987, showcasing the collection of John de Menil, who died in 1973, and his wife, Domingue, who died in 1997. The collection is a lovely part of the Museum District, surrounded by gorgeous oak trees. Once inside, there’s a lot to take in.

The wide variety includes everything from ancient artifacts to contemporary art by Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Joan Miro and Rene Magritte. I was lucky to catch one of the final days of “Picasso: The Line,” an exhibit of the artist’s line drawings. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the museum is that it’s free, Courtesy of Don Glentzer/ The Menil Collection thanks to the de Menils’ generosity, along with donors and sponsors.

Statues, sculptures and modern art are all a part of the Menil Collection in Houston.

Details: The Menil Collection, 1533 Sul Ross Street. Free admission. menil.org.

Lunch spot After hearing about The Pit Room, which opened on Richmond Avenue last fall, I was curious. After reading a glowing review by Texas Monthly’s barbecue guru Daniel Vaughn, I was sold.

The Pit Room is near Montrose and not far from the Menil Collection, so it’s a good area for a good barbecue joint. The restaurant’s interior isn’t anything special, but it’s pleasant enough and clean, and a line wrapped through part of it for the lunch crowd on my visit.

The menu has the usual standards, though there are some intriguing dishes beyond the norm. I saw some patrons getting enormous Frito pies, which never would have occurred to me, but the piles of chili and chips looked tasty. You can order a beef rib ($22 a pound!), which may be the biggest piece of meat I’ve seen since the ribs that tipped over Fred Flint-

For Our Next Trip to Houston

stone’s car.

I went for a three-meat plate — gotta have a little variety to try the various meats. What I received was more than I could handle, though I did enjoy trying.

The ribs had the right amount of charred-bark on the exterior for that perfect flavor. The brisket is a bit fattier than some barbecue restaurants, but it’s

not hard to work around.

And the turkey — for those looking for something relatively healthy — had a great, smoky flavor. The sides of potato salad and beans are fine, but really, who cares about sides with a plate like this?

Details: The Pit Room, 1201 Richmond Ave. thepitroombbq.com

Space Center Houston: 1601 NASA Parkway. spacecenter. org.

Discovery Green: 1500 McKinney. discoverygreen.com.

Museum of Fine Arts: 1001 Bissonnet Street. mfah.org.

Downtown Aquarium: 410 Bagby Street. aquarium restaurants.com.

Kitchen 713: 4601 Washington Ave., Suite 130. kitchen713.com.

Brennan’s of Houston: 3300 Smith Street. brennanshouston.com.

The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation: 2704 Navigation Blvd. ninfas.com.

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WA SH I NG T ON CO .

A taste of Texas history

in your backyard Story DARREN BENSON

I

t’s where Texas became Texas, where 59 men gathered in 1836 to declare independence and draft a constitution for a new republic. A place forged with history that no roadside marker could adequately describe.

A trip to Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site is a step back in time.

At Independence Hall, where the Republic of Texas was born with 59 signatures on March 2, 1836, the feeling of rugged determination and perseverance endures. It’s that spirit that defines the visitor experience, park superintendent Cathy Nolte said.

“The primary reason that people come to Washington-on-the-Brazos is to tour Independence Hall and learn how Texans gathered in this little frontier town and declared independence, creating the Republic of Texas,” she said. “It’s a fascinating story. What transpired here in 1836 is amazing.”

Little remains of the town of Washington along the Brazos River, but a walk down the

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

paths that once served as the town’s streets makes it easy to envision what once was there. Markers on trails around the park provide historical context, and it’s a short walk to the river crossing, where a ferry boat landing once anchored the community.

Independence Hall was rebuilt in the 1960s, Nolte said, on the site of the original building — what Nolte called “hallowed ground.”

The wooden building, furnished like it may have been at the time, may be the park’s most popular attraction, but it’s not the only thing to see.

The nearby Barrington Living History Farm offers a glimpse at frontier life in the 1850s. The site includes the original home of Anson Jones, the last president of the Republic of Texas. Visitors can also tour numerous replica buildings, including a kitchen, smokehouse, cabins, barn and cotton crib. Staff members wear period costumes and perform chores and activities as they would have been done in the 1850s

while growing crops and raising livestock.

No trip to the park would be complete without a stop at the Star of the Republic Museum, which houses exhibits from the republic period.

The 293-acre park, off Texas 105 between Navasota and Brenham, is a postcard for the state, with abundant wildflowers in the spring, wildlife, livestock, nature trails and plenty of serene picnic spots on the river.

The park also boasts a visitors center with a gallery that gives an overview of the rich history of the area. The gift shop stocks souvenirs and Texas memorabilia, as well as numerous books on Texas history.

Nolte said the park is a Texas shrine — along with the Alamo, San Jacinto and Goliad — and well worth the visit.

“Come with a good imagination and a love of history,” she said.

Details: 23400 Park Rd 12. Free. tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/washington -on-the-brazos.

Lunch spot There’s no better way to cap off a day visiting the place where Texas was born than with a plate full of barbecue. While Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site serves up the history, Mallett Brothers Barbeque in Navasota adds the flavor of being a Texan.

The popular stop, about 15 minutes from the park, has the menu you’d expect from such a place — barbecue plates with your choice of meats, plenty of side options, sandwiches and cheeseburgers and peach cobbler or ice cream to top it off.

The restaurant has a more modern look than you might expect, but there’s no mistaking that it’s a Texas barbecue joint: the bathrooms are marked as “outhouse,” a sign on the wall says “Enter as strangers, leave as friends” and country legends Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash croon over the radio in the background.

Before you have a chance to take the first bite, there are plenty of hints that the food will be satisfying — the pickup-filled lunch-hour parking lot, the trademark grilled and smoky smell from the meat counter and dozens of “best of” awards lining the walls.

The dining room was clean and has plenty of seating, and the servers were friendly to a first-timer asking a lot of questions.

The toughest decision was what to order. The $5 chopped beef sandwich meal special looked to be a favorite of the diners ahead of me in line. I eyed

the meat plates, but opted for another line favorite, the bacon cheeseburger, which turned out perfectly done, if not a little too generous in portion size.

Details: 9339 Texas 6 in Navasota and 7247 Main St. in Iola. mallettbrothers.com.

Also worth a visit Old Baylor Park in Independence is a must-visit for history buffs. The site is home to the original Baylor University campus, established on what is known as Academy Hill in 1845. The columns from a three-story stone building still stand, along with ruins of a stone kitchen. The university operated separate male and female campuses at the site until 1886, when the men were moved to Waco and the women to Belton at what is now the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. The home of Gen. Sam Houston sits in a nearby historical park. The original house was built in 1837, and was first occupied by the Houstons in 1854, according to markers at the site. It was rebuilt in 1897.

Three other historic structures are within walking distance from the old campus site: The John P. Coles Cabin, built in the 1820s, the Independence Log House built in 1839 and the 1891 Old Gay Hill School House.

There are about a dozen historical markers throughout the community of Independence, which is also home to the Texas Baptist Museum and the Independence Baptist Church, the oldest continuously active church in the state.

Details: Old Baylor College Road, Independence. The park is free and open to the public. independencetx.com.

For Our Next Trip to the Washington County Area Antique Rose Emporium: 10000 F.M. 50, Brenham. antiqueroseemporium.com Chappell Hill Lavender Farm: 2250 Dillard Road, Brenham. chappellhilllavender.com Blue Bell Country Store: 1101 S. Blue Bell Road, Brenham. bluebell.com Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site: 579 S. Main St., Anderson. tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/fanthorp-inn Grimes County courthouse: 100 S. Main St., Anderson. co.grimes.tx.us Round Top Antiques Fair: 475 S. Texas 237. roundtoptexasantiques.com

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AUST IN

Stepping out in the

great outdoors

A

s Aggieland residents, we know a few things about Austin: It has more politicians per square foot than anywhere else in Texas. Foodies describe it as a culinary mecca. And its moniker is the Live Music Capital of the World.

Here is where you might have expected a Longhorn joke to be inserted, but let’s bypass college rivalries and go straight to admitting that the city of almost 1 million has scores of interesting, diverse and fun things to do.

The culture scene is extensive and easy to access, but it’s the scenery delivered by Mother Nature that prompts me to often make the quick two-hour trip along Texas 21 to U.S. 290.

With 300 public parks, 227 miles of trails and 20,254 acres of green space, exploring Austin’s native wonders could take a few years of day trips. Will save a tree here and detail just six favorites to investigate.

Barton Springs Pool, 2201 Barton Springs Road: This is the ideal place to be on any hot Texas summer day or evening because its pristine water is cold. Really.

You’ll hear, “Just jump in, chicken!” at least 10 times if you’re there for 20 minutes.

The three-acre pool — which dips down 18 feet and has shallow areas perfect for

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

Story KELLY BROWN sitting — is fed by the Edwards Aquifer. The underground spring allows for an average temperature of 69 degrees year-round.

Jumping off the diving board makes me feel like a kid again every time.

No coolers, outside food or beer are allowed on the greenbelt-protected land.

One more warning: Algae growing on the rock floor makes for a slippery trek, so wear water shoes or bring a raft or tube if that’s a concern.

Cost is $1 for kids, $3 for adults and seniors get in free.

A freebie just several yards away is Barton Creek, fed from the same aquifer. Swimming isn’t allowed but wading and standing makes it a popular spot.

The city’s largest park also has a 20-minute mini-train ride, known as the Zilker Zephyr, that zips through the property, and Zilker Hillside Theatre hosts concerts, as well as Shakespeare in the Park.

Zilker Metropolitan Park, 2100 Barton Springs Road: The 351-acre spread — which includes Barton Springs Pool — features hike and bike trails, picnic tables, a nine-hole disc golf course, volleyball courts and access to several waterways.

Considered a treasure on the grounds, the Botanical Gardens spotlight a Japanese garden, cacti and succulent garden, butterfly garden, an herb garden and even a prehistoric garden. Redbuds and Jerusalem Sage are expected to be in bloom any day.

Waterfalls: Balcones District Park is where locals enjoy going after a big rain. It connects a few other parks and has a cool tunnel.

Lady Bird Lake just south of downtown doesn’t allow swimming, but being able to canoe and kayak along the Colorado River Basin make up for it. Rentals go for up to $15 an hour or $45 for a day.

Brushy Creek Regional Trail in north Austin connects six parks along a 6.7-mile path between Round Rock and Cedar Park.

Ideal for walking and biking with children.

Lots of rocks to climb, playgrounds and a railroad trestle.

Great view: Cliffs over Lake Austin at 3800 Mount Bonnell Drive. Requires a short hike that includes stairs.

For more adventures, go to www.austin texas.gov/page/trail-directory#s

Barton Springs Pool, left, and Lady Bird Lake offer the perfect escapes when the weather warms up.

Also worth a visit

Every night for about five weeks this summer, hundreds of thousands of bats will leave their quarters under the Congress Avenue Bridge in downtown Austin and hunt for food.

They return and are able to navigate through hundreds of thousands of baby bats to find the single pup they birthed in early June. Experts with the Bat Conservation International say the mama bats key in on their unique cries and scent to find them.

Most of these Mexican free-tailed bats that migrate each spring from central Mexico to various roosting sites in the south are female, according to BCI. Why this bridge? It underwent a major reconstruction in 1980 with the finished product inadvertently providing the perfect crevices for the gentle and sophisticated, but often-feared (unnecessarily) winged creature. Now known for being home to the world’s largest urban

Dinner spot

bat colony with an estimated 1.5 million tucked away, the structure has become a tourist attraction. The population also is helpful to humans: Each night, they consume roughly 10,000 to 20,000 pounds of insects.

The endangered animals make their entrance to the state capital in March or April and stay through September or October.

The best spot to watch them take flight — be sure to secure it by dusk — is disputed among locals. We suggest you read what the Austin American-Statesman has to say about the matter since they are among the bats’ closest neighbors.

Go to www.statesman.com/news/ ways-view-the-austin-bats/.

The backdrop of Eberly on South Lamar is proportionate to its fare — both are worth the expense and wait.

The contemporary American dishes created at the restaurant that opened last fall include seafood, steak, chicken, ribs and other delights, as well as signature cocktails.

The co-founders, who started and sold Stubb’s Bar-B-Q, turned this former print shop into a stunning dining room, a study room with a glass ceiling and a patio with a fountain. But their self-described crown jewel is found in its historic mahogany bar: Cedar Tavern, a legendary watering hole in New York City (Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix played there) was dismantled and restored inside Eberly.

The restaurant’s name is rooted in Texas history. Angelina Eberly, as the story goes, stood up to President Sam Houston and Texas Rangers in 1842, paving the way for Austin to be preserved as the capital of Texas, according to co-founder Eddy Patterson.

Details: 615 S. Lamar Boulevard. eberlyaustin.com.

Details: Congress Bridge and immediate surrounding area to the east. Admission: Free unless you book a boat tour; tickets start at $45. batcon.org

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

City of CS

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More Texas day trip destinations

The Sam Houston statue in Huntsville.

Associated Press

There are plenty of other areas within two hours of Aggieland that can provide a fun day trip. Here are a few of those stops.

BASTROP This one’s not for the youngsters. But fans of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre may enjoy a visit to The Gas Station. The building was restored to how it looked as a principal location in the 1974 horror movie, including the “We Slaughter Barbecue” sign out front. The Gas Station opened last fall, and the interior houses horror merchandise from the Massacre movies and other spooky flicks.

In back there’s a pavilion, where barbecue is served daily.

The real diehard fans can even stay overnight in one of the four cabins on site.

Details: 1073 Texas 304. texasgasstation.com.

CROCKETT Sam Hopkins, better known as Lightnin’ Hopkins, was born in Centerville. According to the Texas Forest Trail Region’s website, Hopkins played on the streets in nearby Crockett in the 1930s and ’40s. So it’s nice that the influential blues singer and guitarist earned a statue, depicting him strumming while sitting on a chair. (For those looking for other music-related statues, head to Austin for famous sculptures of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Willie Nelson, and to Navasota for blues legend Mance Lipscomb.)

Details: 215 S. 3rd Steet. texasforesttrail.com.

GIDDINGS We’ve spied a sign for the Texas Wendish Heritage Museum on Texas 21 many times while heading to Austin or San Antonio. And the thought that comes to mind each time is, “What exactly is that?” The answer, according to its website, is a celebration of “the history of the Texas Wends, Slavic immigrants from Lusatia, an area in eastern Germany.” Wendish families first came to Texas in 1849, the site reports, and the museum features exhibits that include traditional dresses, Wendish Easter eggs, farming equipment and log buildings, along with a library and archives.

Details: 1011 County Road 212. texaswendish.org/museum.

HUNTSVILLE The Sam Houston Statue is 67 feet tall, so to say “You can’t miss it” is like saying “Aggie football can be frustrating.” Learn more about the great Texas icon at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, with various exhibits and

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

demonstrations. Parents interested in a visit to the Texas Prison Museum might want to reference the “Just Visiting” lane on the Monopoly board for the kids. The museum features exhibits (prison contraband and capital punishment), inmate art, artifacts (a pistol from Bonnie and Clyde’s “death car”) and “Old Sparky,” the electric chair used from 1924 to 1964, according to the museum’s website.

Sam Houston Statue: 7600 Highway 75 S. huntsvilletexas.com.

Sam Houston Memorial Museum: 1402 19th Street. samhoustonmemorialmuseum.com.

Texas Prison Museum: 491 Highway 75 N. txprisonmuseum.org.

LOCKHART What could make a better day trip/lunch spot than a meaty tour of “the barbecue capital of Texas”? There are four well-known stops to make, including Blacks Barbeque, which has been around since 1932. Kreuz Barbeque started in Lockhart in 1900, just 115 years before it expanded to Bryan. And Smitty’s Market’s history is intertwined with that longtime Kreuz history as well. If those don’t satisfy your barbecue tastes, Chisholm Trail Barbeque is just down the road.

Blacks Barbeque: 215 N. Main Street. blacksbbq.com.

Chisholm Trail: 1323 S. Colorado Street. lockhartchisholmtrailbbq.com.

Kreuz Barbeque: 619 N. Colorado Street. kreuzmarket. com.

Smitty’s Market: 208 S. Commerce. smittysmarket.com.

From 2015: Maggie Bell (center) painted Mark Moore’s hand before he applied it to a sheet of paper to build a character from Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! at The Children’s Museum of the Brazos Valley.

Eagle file photo

Sometimes we get so caught up in looking for things to do in other cities that we forget about all that is available in our own neighborhood. Here’s a look at a few options for a “staycation” kind of day.

BRYAN Brazos Valley African American Museum: The museum hosts film screenings, art installations and exhibits (past topics include the history of Brazos County, the Civil Rights Movement and a traveling Smithsonian exhibit about diversity in the United States).

Details: 500 E. Pruitt Street. Adults $5, children $2. bvaam.org.

Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History: From local history to ancient times, there is plenty to see at this museum, which opened in 1979. Exhibits include the history of cotton farming in the area, ranching and chuck wagon displays, Texas heritage, fossils of flying reptiles and Ice Age mammals. The Discovery Room offers close-up looks at fish, snakes, turtles, tarantulas and scorpions.

Check the website for seasonal camps and other events.

Details: 3232 Briarcrest Drive. Adults $5, children $4. brazosvalleymuseum.org.

Children’s Museum of the Brazos Valley: Educational fun is the focus here with exhibits, scientific experiments and

monthly lineups of arts and crafts projects and other events. The museum also presents the Ducky Derby at Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater on April 8.

Details: 4001 E. 29th Street. Adults $7, children $6. cmbv.org.

screenings and family-friendly activities, like the Easter egg hunt on April 8, and an “Adventures of Peter Rabbit” event on April 27.

Details: 1000 George Bush Drive.

Adults $9, children $3. bush41.org.

COLLEGE STATION Bonfire Memorial: The ground where the 1999 Bonfire collapsed, killing 11 Texas A&M students and a former student, is always worth a respectful visit.

It’s a loving tribute to the fallen Aggies, with portals dedicated to each student.

Another tribute to Bonfire, built before the collapse, is in Spence Park. The “Spirit of the Bonfire” includes three statues featuring different elements of the Aggie tradition: a tree stump and ax, a pre-lit Bonfire stack, and flames emerging from the stack. It was dedicated in 1997.

Details: Bonfire Memorial: At New Main Drive and Bizzell street on campus. bonfire.tamu.edu.

Spirit of the Bonfire: Spence Park on campus.

Museum of the American G.I. This south College Station complex is dedicated to the military, with restored vehicles, uniforms, art and a collection of dog tags for every Texan killed or missing in action in Vietnam. The museum’s annual Living History Weekend wraps up March 26 with World War II re-enactments and demonstrations. The “Over There: America in WWI” exhibit opens April 7, featuring uniforms, trucks and, according to the website, “the only operational FT-17 Renault tank in North America.”

Details: 19124 Texas 6 South. $6 adults, $4 children. americangimuseum. org.

George Bush Presidential Library and Museum: It’s the big dog of Brazos Valley museums, but if you haven’t been in a while, it’s a good time to visit again.

The museum offers a detailed look at the 41st president’s life before, during and after his presidency. Events at the library complex include political speakers, movie

NAVASOTA A big part of Navasota history is blues music, which inspired the city’s annual blues festival in the fall. The hometown hero is singer and guitarist Mance Lipscomb, who died in 1976. A statue of the blues legend sits in Mance Lipscomb Park. His gravesite is at the Resthaven section of Oakland Cemetery in Navasota.

Details: Mance Lipscomb Park: 110 Duke Street.

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

BLACKENED FISH GRAND ISLE Shipwreck Grill Ask Shipwreck Grill owner Wade Beckman for a menu recommendation, and you’ll likely hear about the Blackened Fish Grand Isle.

“Anybody that tries it, loves it,” he says.

There’s a lot going on with this dish: Blackened tilapia is covered in crawfish etoufee, and topped off with the restaurant’s Shipwreck Sauce, a horseradish-aioli mix. Grilled vegetables, a side salad and French bread round out the meal.

The etoufee is one of the spicier items on the menu, Beckman says. It makes for a nice contrast with a good chunk of tilapia. The veggies — peppers, zucchini, mushrooms — are a colorful complement to the dish.

Beckman notes that the blackening seasoning is made in-house, and that making the etoufee is a labor of love.

“Etoufee is all about the roux, making the right roux,” he says.

“It takes about 30 minutes with butter and flour, and stirred to get the roux the right color.” A roux with “a light coffee color” is the end result.

Beckman says that the Grand Isle is an underrated item on the menu. A lot of that has to do with customers’ natural inclinations of ordering old favorites. If someone goes in for oysters or fried shrimp, they’ll order oysters or fried shrimp. But he says the dish has made a big impression on those that have tried it.

“People go, ‘What’s the best thing on the menu?’ I tell them, ‘That’s it, right there.’”

Fun Food

— Rob Clark Details: Shipwreck Grill, 206 E. Villa Maria Drive. shipwreckbcs. com. Blackened Fish Grand Isle price: $15.95.

Eagle photo by Timothy Hurst

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CAJUN FEAST Crawfish to Geaux Kevin “Rhino” Caballero was born and raised in Houma, Louisiana, and says he always had a love for food. After retiring from the radio business in 2003, he started a spice company called CajuTex. And in 2013, he brought the Crawfish to Geaux mobile food truck to Bryan-College Station. The red trailer posts up by Amish Furniture in Bryan on Fridays through Sundays, serving a variety of Cajun dishes, led naturally by crawfish by the pound.

“The whole reason that Crawfish to Geaux is a success is you can’t go to a restaurant on a regular basis and just get crawfish to go to your house and enjoy,” he says.

“It’s never been a drive-through kind of food. So I tried to make it a drive-through type of food by better securing the packaging, by providing a good product and providing good pricing.”

One popular meal is the Cajun Feast, a combo sort of platter with two pounds of crawfish, a half-pound of boiled shrimp, an andouille sausage (supplied by Ruffino Meats) and corn and potatoes. It’s enough for two people.

The shrimp is a standout. Caballero says he only uses wild-caught shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico, to support Louisiana and Texas fishermen. And it’s brown shrimp, he says, “which is a much sweeter shrimp.”

The crawfish spice “came from years of trial and error,” Caballero says. And there is a good kick to that spice. But, he says there is a misconception about the heat factor with Cajun food in general.

“It’s not always hot,” he says. “Cajun food has flavor.

So many people are simply afraid of flavor that they tend to back away from it. … The food itself is nothing that’s any different than what you can get anywhere else in the country. It’s simply the way we flavor it.”

— Rob Clark Details: Crawfish to Geaux is located Fridays through Sundays in the Amish Furniture shopping center, 2651 Boonville Road. crawfishtogeaux.com. Cajun Feast is $24.95.

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Catfish Po’ Boy Razzoo’s Cajun Cafe The love for Cajun food isn’t subtle at Razzoo’s. From the music and decor to the all-in menu design, the restaurant is all about Cajun food and ambience.

Described by the Dallas-based restaurant chain as an “authentic Cajun sandwich on a toasted french roll with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle,” the po’ boy sandwich tastes great with the crispy fried strips of catfish packed in alongside the mix of vegetables.

While the sandwich may be borderline overstuffed, it would be hard to recommend any of the ingredients be removed. Topped off with a zesty remoulade sauce that gives it just enough kick, this sandwich was hard to put down.

Surrounded by a hefty serving of french fries and three deep-fried hush puppies, it’s a load, and you’re not likely to leave the table hungry.

If fried catfish isn’t your thing, the po’ boy also comes with the option for fried popcorn shrimp, blackened chicken or blackened tilapia.

— Steve Kuhlmann

Details: Razzoo’s Cajun Cafe, 820 University Drive East. razzoos.com/collegestation. Po’ Boy price: $9.79.

Crawfish enchiladas Papa Perez

Gumbo and Fried boudin balls Remnant From Nawlins

Papa Perez’s owners added a bit of Cajun flavor to the Mexican menu with crawfish enchiladas. The dish brings both influences together, and it is a signature item for the Downtown Bryan restaurant.

Owner Liz Perez created the recipe, striking a delicate balance between creamy cheeses and various spices, including, of course, cayenne. The secret, she says, is making sure every drip of flavor from the crawfish makes it onto the plate.

Finished with a light squeeze of lemon, the result is a lighter enchilada with a slight kick.

All love for garlic and cayenne aside, Liz said Cajun flavors sell well at Papa Perez, including etoufee, especially when Lent comes around. The enchiladas do well through the year, but she said they particularly fly out of the kitchen during the spring Lent period.

Those ordering the dish on Fridays in March receive three enchiladas with a salad and a side of rice, a reminder that they are, in fact, in a Mexican restaurant.

Deborah Miller’s gumbo at Remnant From Nawlins has some of the expected components, including shrimp, sausage and chicken, along with a crab claw.

There are also a few “secret ingredients” that she’s not about to share. And there’s a personal touch that gets at her sense of family pride.

“I make the gumbo with love,” she says. “I put a lot of love in my cooking. My mother taught me how to cook the gumbo the way we cook it in New Orleans. When I first got here, the people were like, ‘What is that?’ Then they started eating the gumbo, and now they love the gumbo.”

The owner of Remnant came to College Station in 2005 after fleeing Hurricane Katrina with her family.

They eventually set up shop at the gas station at Welsh and Holleman, where they serve dishes straight from their New Orleans roots.

Miller says the gumbo has a fan in Texas A&M football coach Kevin Sumlin, along with plenty of other locals.

“Gumbo doesn’t stay in this kitchen,” she says. “It doesn’t matter if it’s winter, summer, spring — they want the gumbo.”

Also popular are the fried boudin balls, a dense blend of spicy seasoning, ground beef, pork, rice and “secret ingredients I cannot give to you, because then the people won’t be coming for the boudin!”

One note about going to Remnant: Most dishes are made when ordered, so it’s not always a quick process, especially when there’s a crowd. As Miller says, “I’m not fast food, I’m fresh food.”

“Sometimes you might have to wait a little while, but I promise you it’ll be worth the wait,” she says. “I promise you that.”

— Aimee Breaux Details: Papa Perez, 200 S. Main St., Downtown Bryan. papaperez.com. Crawfish enchilada dinner price: $10.59.

— Rob Clark Details: Remnant From Nawlins, 604 Holleman Drive.

Gumbo is $6.89; boudin balls $6.59.

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Advertisement FeAture

Fashion preview

Spring Style Spring has sprung and Brazos 360 has chosen stunning looks and accessories to take you through the blooming season in true spring style!

Sherilyn Gilmore: 14 Karat Rose Gold Diamond Semi-mount by Gabriel – $1,875 Center Diamond extra

Jim.n.i.: Cobble Stone Spring Scarves and Hand Bags - Prices Vary

Witt’S end: E.L.I. Turquoise and white striped shirt - $144

Sherilyn Gilmore: Sterling and 14 karat yellow gold ring with Turquoise by Dian Malouf – $1130

texaS roSe Boutique: Wide Selection of Raviani and Keep It Gypsy Purses

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

texaS roSe Boutique: Hi-Dress - $60 Raviani Clutch - $138 Johnny Loves June Jewelry Lane Boots - $299

Witt’S end: Tom’s Silver Wedges- $82

Jim.n.i.: Everly Easter Graduation Dress See in store

Witt’S end: E.L.I. Coral shirt with holes in the sleeves-$134

morGan FitzGerald’S: Fridaze’s 100% wrinkle-free linen keeps you cool and comfortable Visit store for pricing

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Fashion preview SHERILYN GILMORE: Beautiful Baroque Pearls – $2,100

WITT’S END: E.L.I. Black& white striped shirt with aqua collar $144

JIM.N.I.: Entro Fiesta Dress - $45.99

WITT’S END: E.L.I. Pink shirt with holes under the neck- $134

WITT’S END: Tom’s black Sandals-$132

MORGAN FITZGERALD’S: Joseph Robkoff dressy and casual clothing available in sizes 4 - 20 Visit store for pricing

TEXAS ROSE BOUTIQUE: New Line of Southern Trends T-Shirts - $38 Earl Pants - $92 Double D Ranch Belt - $158 Keep It Gypsy Bag - $299

JIM.N.I.: Entro Wedding Dress $45.99

MORGAN FITZGERALD’S: Katherine Way dresses block sun and wick away moisture available in XS - 2X Visit store for pricing

TEXAS ROSE BOUTIQUE: Assorted Jewelry and Easter Decor

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Boots & BBQ Jan. 14th

The Smits Home

P

am and Bob Smits hosted the fourth annual Boots & BBQ fundraiser for The Arts Council of the Brazos Valley. The event included live music, art, food, antique cars, door prizes and a silent auction.

Jan Cleveland and Bille Tilson

Photos STEPHANIE SWORD

A guitar signed by Willie Nelson was among the silent auction items available at the Boots & BBQ fundraiser. The event benefited The Arts Council.

The 1932 Duesenberg 8 owned by James Bartlett.

The 1932 Duesenberg was a big hit with the crowd.

Boots & BBQ event hosts Bob and Pam Smits, along with their 8-year-old grandson Trevor Staude.

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

The Bartletts stand in front of their 1932 Duesenberg.

Evonne Sturm, Ollie Schiller, Ashlynn Lipscomb, Colleen Bradfield and Susan Thiele

Erin Duncan and Kaitla Coolidge

Margaret Murnane and Eleanor Ford

Savannah Gaines, Caroline Richard and Amelia McCracken

Wayne Bartelly, Pam Smits and Robert Wheeless Don and Jan Connealy

Artists Cindy Gomez and Patsy Supak

The 1932 Deusenberg owned by James Bartlett.

Navasota Artist in Residence Hufreesh Chopra

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Ashten Landry and Neely Edwards

Eric and Elaina Ross and Brandon Acosta

First Friday

Jan. 6th Andres Silva and Esmer Casas

Downtown Bryan

B

ryan-College Station residents braved the cold weather and enjoyed the first First Friday of 2017 in Downtown Bryan.

Photos BRYAN SMITH Maddie Yee and Andrew Burleson

Michael Rugh

Candace Scott, Amy Scott and Robin Kenney

Abbi Atchison and Matt Jiang

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

Gina Wadas and Brock Duelm Junhe Chen, Junting Huang and Liping Ouyang

Greta Watkins and Le Hale

Taylor Pound and Kyleigh Vining

Gabe Miller and Robby Lozano

Akhil Matthews and Chris Lourenco

Eric Theodore and Dani Guzman

Cielle Riddle, Nikki Neuzil and Luke Simpson

Ed and Melissa Davis

Beth Stanley and Carla Wall

Don Wood, Joyce Marchisio and Janeen Wood Mark Killen, Lindi Lawson and Shu

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Donnis Baggett, Beverly Brown, Deborah Cowman and Donald Clark

Mike Wright

The Wright Stuff Jan. 5th

Miramont Country Club

V

ice president and general manager of KBTX/KWTX Mike Wright was the honoree at his own roast, “The Wright Stuff.� The event was a tribute to him and a fundraiser for the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History.

During the event awards were presented to Donald Clark (Outstanding Volunteer ) and Beverly Brown (Outstanding Trustee Award).

Photos DAVE McDERMAND

Ed and Barbara Berry

Robert West and Julie Hayes

Phil and Kyndra Shackelford and Irma Cauley Susan Irza, Sue Lee, Margaret Touchstone and Jan Folse

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

John and Bettie Nichols Bobby Lepping and Adam Tabaja

Shea Lindsey, Sandy Stephens, Stacy Colvin and Valerie Parker J.J. Ruffino and Christopher Lampo

Ron and Vickie Schmidt

Mary Ann Cusimano and James Haislet

Bev and Keith Arnold

Bill and Julie Wasson

Mike Wright

Carolyn Schroeder and Cindy Lafferty

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Amy Parsons, Phil Shackleford, Jarvis Parsons and Kendra Shackleford

Eric Coker, Scott Morrison and Sid Anderson

50 Men Who Can Cook Feb. 3rd

Brazos County Expo

T

he College Station ISD Education Foundation hosted the annual 50 Men Who Can Cook fundraiser at the Brazos County Expo. The 10-year-old event, which features samples of dishes made by school representatives and community members, has raised more than $1 million for the district, with most of the money going toward teacher grants.

Photos REBECCA FIEDLER Matthew Villanueva, Noelle Bellow and Max Crawford

Lisa Haltmann and Angela McCorkle

Don Fowler and Mark Bearden

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

Jackie Booker, David O’Neill, Corinne O’Neill, Al Scott and Herbert Booker Brittany Cain, Spencer Cain, James Nail and Janna Nail

Katie Bushman, Felicia Neville and Tori Hunter

Terry Nixon, Brandon Bunch and Lana Nixon

Marshall Benghs, Rick Hill and Greg Boyd Julie Bishop, Scott Bishop, Nicolle Cobb and Nicolle Powell

Magaly Rivera, Lou Muscar and Paul Haverland

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Jeff and Averie Tyler

Kathryn and Ryan Buck

Jeff Gardner and Grayson Simpson

Daddy Daughter Dance Feb. 3rd & 4th

College Station Hilton

T

he annual Daddy Daughter Dance, a fundraiser for the Children’s Museum of the Brazos Valley, was Feb. 3-4 at the College Station Hilton. The night’s theme was “You love her to the moon and back.” Highlights included dancing, a buffet dinner, decorations and crafts as well as a raffle and silent auction. About 400 people attended each night.

Photos BRYAN SMITH

Kaylee and Trevor Royder Mark and Caitlin Parkey Cindee Lamb, Brian and Jordan Lester

Lexi and Gerard Toussaint

Isaias Aquino and Nasadia Davis Annalexy and Andy Carmona

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

Madison and Keith Watson

Sgt. Dean Matter, Bethany and Micaela

Elyssa and Joshua Nicholson Averie Tyler and Brooke Hutcherson

Mike and Savannah Criscitiello

Savannah and Derrick Hall

Julia and Jeremy Dewitt

Gemma and Alessandro Raganato

Brooke and Ted Dawson

Andy and Annabelle Krotulski

Jason and Avery Johnston

Richard and Zoe King

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What’s in your

OFFICE? PAT HENRY Texas A&M track & field head coach

To say that coaching runs through the Henry family’s blood would be a rather large understatement. Pat Henry, the Texas A&M track and field coach, can count his grandfather (football and track), father (track) and four brothers (football and track) among his family’s coaching history.

“I tell people I’m just glad they weren’t bricklayers,” he says, “because I’d probably be laying brick. There’s nothing wrong with laying brick, but I probably would

rather be coaching.”

Henry has had a remarkable run at A&M since he arrived in 2004 from LSU, where he won 27 titles. The Aggies have won eight outdoor national championships — four men’s titles and four women’s — in that time.

That includes the first “triple double,” three consecutive years of titles for both teams, from 2009 to 2011.

So Henry has quite an array of trophies and other memorabilia around his office. Here’s a closer look.

Story by ROB CLARK | Photos by TIMOTHY HURST

I have two children. Son’s in Baton Rouge, daughter’s in Houston. I have two granddaughters in Baton Rouge and a grandson and granddaughter in Houston.

This is one of my best pictures. This is my granddaughter right here, and she put her elbow right there ... That’s the one I like. She’s trying to win.

Most of those [batons] are relay wins, either NCAA, SEC or Big 12. I get the kids to sign them. The blue ones are all NCAA, the white and gold and gray are the ones we use.

I’ve had 35 teams win national championships. Of course, we’ve had a lot of second-, third- and fourth-place finishes.

So if you look at our sport just like every other sport, finishing in the final four, we have a lot more of those trophies as well.

This is a combination of LSU and A&M. We’ve had 35 national championships, eight of them have been here. We’ve had eight second place, 10 thirds and nine fourths. …

The years that we won both men and women, of course I feel those were great years. We’ve won three like that here, where we’ve won men and women, and we won two like that down at LSU. I feel good about that. Nobody has ever done those before, so I feel good about that. Those five teams have got to be special. But there’s a lot of special moments in all of those victories.

That’s my grandfather.

He was the U.S. champion in 100 yards [in 1911], and those are some pictures of when he won that. He’s from Texas as well. He went to Howard Payne and Southwestern University in Georgetown. … He ended up being head football coach at Kansas, head football coach at Missouri and then he was the head coach at New Mexico, and I grew up in Albuquerque.

I could put a thousand pictures up. This [behind desk in main photo] was our first win at Texas A&M, both men and women.

That was ‘09. ... This [above] is when we went to the White House in 2010 with both teams, so that was a special group.

These [in main photo] are just some finish pictures of that first win in ‘09, the women hoisting the trophy and men doing the same.

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Brazos 360 | SPRING 2017

The Last Word

DO NOT PASS GO

Monopoly fans give a thumbs down to the thimble

P

our one out for the thimble.

Hasbro announced the longtime Monopoly token’s services were no longer required earlier this year, as part of an online voting contest for new game pieces.

There was a lot of history in that little thimble. Monopoly goes all the way back to the early 1900s, and its popularity took off with Parker Brothers’ edition in 1935.

Apparently playing around with fake money during the Great Depression wasn’t an upsetting experience.

The true appeal of Monopoly isn’t in the pieces now. [Slips on a toy car and inadverpieces, of course. (Unless you’re under age tently kicks a dog.] The brothers Parker have 10, when securing the dog is a been waiting a fortnight!” tantrum-worthy quest.) It’s a fairly “How about a thimble?” ruthless game of rent and real estate, “Sure. What else?” with the perverse appeal of finan“An iron!” cially destroying friends or family “Good.” members.

“Shoe?”

So why the interest in new game “A little obvious, Mildred, but I pieces, and why the poor thimble? suppose it will work.”

Rob Clark Is Hasbro battling the “Big Fab“Cotton gin!” rob.clark@ ric” lobby? Or is it to attract the “Confound it, Eli, stop trying to theeagle.com all-important younger demographic? work a cotton gin joke into everyCould it be that America’s teens are thing. Herbert, why are you gazing suddenly giddy about this? out the window? We have to get this done!”

“Didja hear about the new Monopoly game “I can’t think … gimme a second … wheelpiece?” barrow!”

“What?” [emits annoyed grunt, pulls earGranted, there have been other casualties buds out, puts smartphone down] of the Monopoly board. The cannon is gone, “They’re ditching the thimble — whatever as is the horse and rider. A cat was introduced that is — and replacing it with something of in 2013, but it clawed out the iron in another more current interest.” fan vote.

“Seriously?”

What’s next? If it’s all about trying to get “Totally.” with the times, will the mustachioed Rich “Well, I had no interest in playing a twoUncle Pennybags be transformed into a young hour board game before, but this changes beardo with an untucked shirt and a tech everything.” fortune? Will the lingo aim to be trendy with No, it’s all a gimmick, but a smart one. hipped-up street names (“Marv N Gardenz”) Drumming up interest in an 82-year-old game and a “Totes Visiting” lane by the jail? can’t be easy in an age when we talk about Let’s hope cooler heads prevail, and that “drones,” “the cloud” and “cash me outside.” traditional elements remain. In the meantime, And several of the old pieces did seem we bid farewell to the little thimble. Rather pretty random, like the creative team had than picturing an unceremonious scene of it procrastinated on a deadline and just started getting booted off the board, let’s instead think looking around the room for items at the last of it riding off into the sunset on the Reading minute.

Railroad, with a crisp $10 bill for winning “People, we must decide on these game second prize in a beauty contest.

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