Edible San Antonio Spring 2024

SAN ANTONIO

Spring

CONTENTS

2 FROM THE EDITOR

4 WHAT'S ON OUR COUNTER

6 NOTABLE EDIBLES

What's Happening Around San Antonio

10 EDIBLE ENDEAVOR

Break Fast & Launch is Launching Food Careers

16 LEADING THE WAY

Let's Get Saucy with Saucy Bird

18 SPOTLIGHT ON LOCAL Diez Flores is Sharing Latin Love

20 FARMERS MARKET

Garden Ridge Market Days

22 EDIBLE VARIETALS

Tantalizing Texas Tempranillo

26 FARMERS' DIARY Flower Farms are Blooming

COVER

Fresh Spring Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette (photo by Pauline Stevens)

THIS PAGE

Saucy Birds (photo by Saucy Birds)

Arnosky Family Farms (photo by Monique Threadgill)

RECIPES IN THIS ISSUE

12 FRESH SPRING SALAD WITH SHERRY VINAIGRETTE

14 SALMON AND GOAT CHEESE APPETIZERS

As the city of San Antonio continues to blossom, so does its culinary scene, welcoming in a new era of vibrant gastronomy. In this issue, we’re especially delighted to introduce you to the tantalizing morsels and freshest news the Alamo City has to offer as it continues to flourish into 2024.

First off, let me scintillate your taste buds with one of the newest restaurants to appear on the dining landscape - Saucy Birds, owned and operated by top San Antonio chef, Ceasar Zepeda, known for Sangria on the Burg. Nestled near Crossroads, his new fast-casual hot spot is redefining comfort food with its mouthwatering hand-breaded chicken tenders.

The culinary innovation doesn't stop there. We're also thrilled to showcase the next evolution of LaunchSA’s Break Fast & Launch program, where culinary dreams take flight. This successful accelerator program continues to empower aspiring chefs and food entrepreneurs, fostering creativity and excellence in the culinary arts. Find out who is now at the helm of this indispensable city program.

In the realm of chef-forward eats, we invite you to experience the culinary wizardry of renowned chef, Tatu Herrera, known for his coffeeshop Folklores, not to mention his relentless devotion to the community and industry. His new tapas-style bar and restaurant, Diez Flores, is making tongues wag and bellies full near Southtown, one of my personal favorite neighborhoods to grab a delicious bite with friends and family. Prepare to be enchanted by an array of bold flavors and inventive dishes that pay homage to Latin America’s rich culinary heritage, but with twists and turns only Herrera himself could imagine.

In Notable Edibles, we touch on a few new openings like NACO Grayson at SA Yacht Club, accomplishments by our lauded local chefs including a Chopped win, happenings like Fiesta (the ever-thrilling two-week-long party) and much more.

And for those seeking a taste of local bounty, Garden Ridge Market Days beckon us with an irresistible array of fresh produce, artisanal goods and so much more. Far beyond a mere farmers market, this beloved monthly event is not just a place to shop for ingredients grown by local farmers, ranchers and food producers (although that’s important too), it’s a celebration of community, culture and the joy of food. Check out this issue’s farmers market article to discover new vendors and favorite foods.

Finally, don’t forget to peruse What’s On Our Counter for recommendations on fun, new and often tasty locally-made products you can grab on shelves around San Antonio. For one, local salsita company, Tio Pelon, recently introduced their own version of a sriracha sauce that just might blow your mind (in the best possible way, of course). It’s so good, you’ll want to put it on absolutely everything, except maybe chocolate cake, but even then…

As the days, thankfully, grow longer and the temperatures rise, San Antonio is ready to come out of its winter slumber and savor the sunshine in every bite. From casual eats to culinary adventures, let our spring issue be your guide to this succulent array of delights.

With warm regards and hearty appetites,

PUBLISHER

Monique Threadgill monique@atxpublications.com

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Ralph Yznaga ralph@atxpublications.com

EDITOR

Kimberly Suta kimberly@ediblesanantonio.com

COPY EDITORS

Claire Cella

Stacey Ingram Kaleh

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Olivier J. Bourgoin

Ashley Brown

Nathan Mattise

Francisco Ortiz

Pauline Stevens

Emily Treadway

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Pauline Stevens

ADVERTISING SALES

Grace McCormick grace@atxpublications.com

Katie Roberts katie@atxpublications.com

CONTACT US:

512-441-3971 info@ediblesanantonio.com ediblesanantonio.com

5524 Bee Caves Rd., Ste. J-4 Austin, TX 78746

WORDS BY OLIVIER J. BOURGOIN (AKA. OLIVIER THE WINE GUY)

Do you have DinnerPlans tonight?

If you’re ever in search of a gift for your favorite foodie, these attractively designed food-centric DinnerPlans placemats might just fit the bill.

Durably-printed on washable and recyclable polypropylene, these are not your typical placemats. The blueprint-style designs feature dimensional drawings on the front along with sections and details on the reverse side, all of which is cleverly highlighted by contractual legalese along the sidebars.

A Texas-themed special edition six-pack showcases some of our state’s perennial culinary favorites, including BBQ, burgers, pancakes, ramen, sushi and, you guessed it, tacos.

“My husband Shawn and I own a design firm and that’s our bread and butter,” co-founder, Susanne Harrington, explains. “The placemats idea was born from our creative process and they reflect the vocabulary of architects and engineers.”

In San Antonio, you can currently find these unique gifts (even if it’s to treat yourself) on the shelves at Whole Earth Provisions Co., located at The Quarry, or pick them up in Austin at the Blanton Museum of Art gift shop at the University of Texas at Austin, the Austin Thompson Hotel’s “Grey Market” on San Jacinto Boulevard, the Parker and Scott General Store on W. Anderson Lane or the Atown Store on Burnet Road.

Spread the Love & Loaves

A micro-bakery specializes in sourdough-leavened breads. What began as a pop-up and market stand venture has finally “flour”-ished into a brick-and mortar, and we know long-time followers of Spread the Loaves are already prepping their butter and jam for these sensational breads.

Sophie Jeffery started baking as a teenager. With time on her hands during the pandemic, mastering the art of breadmaking became a personal aspiration. Then in 2021, when “snowmageddon” descended on San Antonio and grocery store shelves were wiped clean of many staples, including flour, Jeffery happened to have plenty at home. Inspired, she decided to put both her surplus of flour and her baking skills to good use and began to make bread for the benefit and delight of her neighbors in need. That’s when the idea to open a bakery started to “rise up.”

“Being an Air Force wife, I was used to moving every few years but getting our family settled during the pandemic was challenging for myself and for my children. Baking provided me with a calming and focused outlet,” Jeffery says.

spreadtheloaves.com

New Sriracha Hits the Shelves

Oscar J. Perez says Tio Pelon all started with an abundance of homegrown veggies. That, and his grandma Emma’s recipe. He was experimenting with different produce, learning to pickle and can them and then began to sell them to friends and on Facebook marketplace.

An architect by trade and originally from McAllen, Perez now devotes most of his time to his fast growing salsa business, including a recently added sriracha (in partnership with Singh’s Vietnamese restaurant). Remember the Huy Fong sriracha shortage? That plus the sambal shortage kick-started this creation. Tio Pelon and Singh’s sriracha possesses a flavor that’s more pepper-forward than what you may be used to but, according to Perez, has that perfect sweetness and garlic flavor that appeals to the palates of those who adore Mexican and Vietnamese flavors.

“We’ve grown quite a bit since I first started producing in earnest in 2015,” Perez explains. They now operate out of a rented commercial/ industrial complex and their products are available on the shelves at over 230 H-E-B stores across Texas, as well as in other retail outlets in New Mexico and Louisiana.

And what about the name, you ask? “Tio Pelon” roughly translates to “Uncle Baldy” because Perez is not only an uncle, but his “melon” is as smooth as a baby’s … well, you know the saying. tiopelonsalsita.com.

Olivier J. Bourgoin has been a wine broker and consultant, as well as a freelance writer, who has been involved in these industries in and around the greater San Antonio area for more than 25 years. A native of France with family roots deep in the wine producting region of Burgundy, he is known as "Olivier the Wine Guy" and featured as such on a local weekly radio segment for 20 years.

Left Page

Right Page

. 100% Locally Raised and Fed in the Texas Hill Country

. 100% Black Angus

. 100% Locally Processed NO Antibiotics and NO Added Hormones

. Quarters, Halves and Griller Packages

Top: Photo by Matthew Batista

Bottom: Photo by Spread the Loaves

Top: Photo by Tio Pelon

WORDS BY FRANCISCO ORTIZ

Side spot, the menu is still filled with in-demand offerings. NACO’s tacos run the gamut, from Angus asada and egg tacos to flat top pastor and mushroom tacos, as well as the Porkopus, where chopped octopus is wrapped inside a heirloom corn tortilla with guajilloseasoned chicharron prensado. NACO Grayson’s menu also features their renowned chilaquiles plates, such as Petroleros, where sunny-side up eggs and chorizo are topped with a black bean salsa. Their tortas feature rustic bread with sides of black beans and chips. Simply said, it’s all incredible. See more at nacomexican.com.

BOX STREET SOCIAL HITS LA CANTERA

Once just a food truck and catering company, Box Street Social made waves at its first brickand-mortar Box St. All Day in Hemisfair with tasty breakfast and brunch items such as the Thicc Boi Pancake and steak, eggs and frites, along with a plethora of coffees and boozy and zero-proof cocktail options. Now, Box Street Social fans can enjoy these fantastic dishes and more at the eatery’s new La Cantera Heights location, which opened in January. There, one can choose from brunch favorites or enjoy new dinner options (only available at this new location after 5 p.m.), such as bolognese with garlic oil milk bread toast, bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin and cast-iron snapper.

For more, check out Box Street Social at boxstallday.com

SIP & SIT WITH ME ON THE SOUTHSIDE

Housed in a circa 1940s two-story structure, Sip & Sit with Me is a newcomer on the Southside’s coffee scene. Having opened around last Thanksgiving across from Mission San Jose, Sip & Sit with Me offers a variety of satisfying and budget-friendly coffee drinks, hot chocolate, hot tea and a growing array of pastries in a cozy, relaxed space. Owner, Marta Alonzo, grew up in a farm laborer household, and drinking coffee around the kitchen table was the basis for conversation, decision making and family planning.

“The kitchen was the warmest place in the house for coffee and some type of baked goods or cookies. The offering of coffee

was always the first thing my parents said to our guests,” says Alonzo. Alonzo researched coffee, participated in the local Break Fast & Launch culinary business program (see article on page 10 for more details on BFL), and went to school at the Texas Coffee School in Arlington before starting and growing this independent San Antonio coffee shop from scratch.

Learn more at facebook.com/sipnsitwithme

NACO MEXICAN EATERY MOVES CLOSER TO DOWNTOWN

After fostering a following at Los Patios, the culinary creatives behind NACO Mexican Eatery expanded their reach last November by moving to the SA Yacht Club, the emerging shipping container project near The Historic Pearl. While NACO Grayson boasts more space and longer hours than their Northeast

Foundation. The cook-off is inspired by the historic Chili Queens — women who created and served chilis and other meals in downtown open-air markets during the late 1800s to early 1900s. Finally, St. Philip’s College will host its annual CultureFest and Rib Cook-Off on April 25. While the spotlight shines on the rib cook-off, event organizers invite attendees to wear attire reflecting their culture.

Learn more at fiestasanantonio.org

fried chicken sandwich, mac ‘n’ cheese, seasoned fries and a vegetarian sandwich option.

Find out more at instagram.com/freightchicken

IT’S TIME TO FIESTA!

It’s almost Spring, and that means Fiesta San Antonio is nearly here! The annual citywide party will be held April 18–28, and a massive spectrum of spectacular eats are a big draw for most partygoers. Renowned foodcentric Fiesta events such as Oyster Bake, Taste of New Orleans, Taste of the Northside, Night In Old San Antonio and King William Fair are back, offering culturally diverse ranges of delicacies, from fried oysters and anticuchos to crawfish etouffée and everyone’s favorite, funnel cakes. If Fiesta fans are curious, King William Fair organizers say they are returning to paper tickets for concessions instead of electronic wristbands, which prompted long lines of impatient celebrants last year. Fiesta is also bringing back smaller yet equally enticing culinary happenings. Chili Queens Chili Cook-Off, set for April 21 at the Bonham Exchange, will benefit local nonprofits Fiesta Youth and the San Antonio AIDS

FINGER LICKING GOOD CHICKEN AT THE PEARL

January marked the grand opening of award-winning chef Nicola Blaque’s latest concept, Freight Fried Chicken, located in the Food Hall at Pearl’s Bottling Department. Blaque wrapped up 2023 by closing Mi Roti, her concept at the Pearl Food Hall space where visitors enjoyed her take on Caribbean American cuisine. According to Blaque, Freight Fried Chicken pays tribute to the culinary history and traditions shared amongst Black Americans, specifically Black women who sold fried chicken to rail passengers traveling through Gordonsville, Virginia, in the years following the Civil War. At Freight Fried Chicken, Blaque and her team dry-batter the chicken and serve it with fresh-baked biscuits, similar to how the so-called “waiter carriers” prepared their meals for the postCivil War train riders, decades ago. Freight also offers fried chicken tenders, a mouthwatering

NEW MI GENTE OFFERS BEANERSCHNITZEL - SAY WHAT?!

For more than 60 years, Martha’s Mexican Restaurant was a culinary destination in the Huebner/Babcock area, so many fans of the eatery voiced disappointment over Martha’s abrupt closure in May of last year. But don’t be too disheartened as this Northwest side building has a new occupant. Sort of. Mi Gente Comida y Cantina, a fastcasual Latin restaurant, opened in January as the brainchild of Javier Barron who bought Martha’s in fall of 2019. Barron says he wanted to change things up a bit by remodeling the former Martha’s restaurant and jettisoning the eatery’s sit-down model in favor of a counterservice format. Mi Gente, however, held onto Martha’s long-standing popular items, such as carne guisada enchiladas, and also added new modern options such as chickenon-a-stick, crispy dogs, Hot Cheetos-topped enchiladas and the Beanerschnitzel, a chili dog chopped and stuffed into an enchilada and topped with chili, cheddar cheese and Fritos. Follow at instagram.com/migentesa

Left Page

Top: Photo by Jason Chetwood

Middle: Photo by Sip and Sit With Me

Right: Photo by SA Yacht Club and NACO

Right Page

Left: Photo Courtesy of Fiesta San Antonio

Top Middle: Freight Fried Chicken

Photo by S.A. Foodie

Bottom Middle: Photo by Mi Gente

Right: Photo by Mi Gente

DIVE INTO DELICIOUS JAZZ NIGHTS

Since they opened in 2022 at a restored space on the Southwest side, Cuba 1918 has become a haven for Quintana neighborhood residents, local jazz fans and foodies craving Cuban food in a setting inspired by pre-Castro Cuba. But Cuba 1918 has stepped things up a notch with The Jazz Club. Now, every Friday from 7 to 10 p.m., jazz acts such as the Miles Davis Trio entertain patrons. Plus, the venue hosts socials on Saturdays and Sundays and live Cuban tropical music on Sundays.

Visitors can enjoy both the music and various menu items created in Cuba 1918’s scratch kitchen. Dishes include Guava Bliss French Toast, their best-selling Cubano hot-pressed sandwich and the Tour of Cuba platter filled with roast pork, ropa vieja (shredded beef), red and black beans, congri (Cuban black beans and rice), white rice, tostones (crispy plantain slices) and maduros (fried plantains). Hearty enough fuel if you plan on dancing the night away!

For more, check out cuba1918.com

EXTRA FINE EXPANDS INTO DOWNTOWN

Extra Fine, the buzzy Monte Vista cafe created by Chefs Jessica and John Philpot, is growing with a downtown location in the works. The folks behind ownership group Empty Stomach plan to open an Extra Fine location at The Savoy office building downtown. Just like the Monte Vista spot, this downtown Extra Fine storefront will have coffee drinks, fresh baked pastries, a range of artisanal lunch options and other whole foods scratch-baked daily. Empty Stomach also plans to introduce a pizzeria concept at the neighboring Rand Building this summer.

The yet-to-be-named pizzeria will be located

behind another Empty Stomach creation, Double Standard. The pizzeria will emulate old-school New York City slice shops and include pizza by the slice, whole pies, pitchers of beer and a pinball machine.

Stay tuned at emptystomach.org

SA CHEFS BRING HOME THE WIN

Local chefs continue to work hard to establish San Antonio as the Creative City of Gastronomy that it is, a title we were awarded by UNESCO several years ago. Up-and-coming Chef Kaius and his team of The Chef Kaius Xperience won three awards for his culinary prowess in local competitions, specifically for Homegrown Chef’s annual Burger Showdown, Men Who Cook and Jason Dady’s popular Titans of Tailgate. On a national scale, San Antonio personal chef and instructor Cidney Wilcox competed on Food Network’s Chopped: Spin it to Win it tournament, which aired in February (Season 57, Episode 1) and made us proud as the Chopped champion of “Battle 1.” We can’t wait to see what these chefs and our other SA chefs accomplish next!

Discover more about Chef Kaius at thechefkaiusexperience.com and Chef Cidney at instagram.com/therealchefcidtastic.

Private

Left: Photo by Cuba 1918

Middle: Photo by Extra Fine

Top Right: Photo by Chef Kaius

Bottom Right: Photo by Kimberly Suta A native San Antonian, Francisco Ortiz has been a local journalist for more than 25 years, having worked full time or freelanced for several area news publications. Ortiz studied mass communications at San Antonio College and Texas State University. When he's not writing or editing, he enjoys hiking, reading, and watching or playing basketball.

Breaking Bread With Break Fast & Launch

As a leading culinary business incubator and accelerator in the United States, Break Fast & Launch has had a phenomenal and far-reaching impact on the Alamo City, far more than you might expect. Graduates of this program — who are local entrepreneurs, chefs and producers in the food and beverage sector — have gone on to become superstars, creating delectable eats for us all to enjoy.

“Discovering Break Fast & Launch through our church ministry marked a transformative moment for Southern Roots Vegan Bakery,” shares Cara Pitts, co-owner of Southern Roots Vegan Bakery.

“This program provided us with a comprehensive blueprint for initiating our business, guiding us through the intricacies of securing the necessary permits and licenses. Our journey has since come full circle, as we’ve had the privilege of mentoring subsequent classes, sharing insights from our growth and success. ” Southern Roots Vegan Bakery has also recently launched their products in over 160 Sprouts grocery stores across the country in addition to broadening their reach elsewhere.

Another San Antonio entrepreneur, Diana Anderson of JD’s Chili Parlor, is also a BFL success story. After completing the program, Anderson went from selling her Chili Queensinspired chili at the New Braunfels Farmers Market to becoming a finalist in H-E-B’s Quest for Texas’ Best competition for her exceptional chili sauces (which are now on the shelves at H-E-Bs across Texas). The company also makes numerous other products, including enchilada sauces, BBQ sauces, spaghetti sauces and the first ever drinkable chili in the form of their

Bloody Mary mixers called Chili Marys.

“Break Fast & Launch provides such a valuable forum for young entrepreneurs who have an idea for a business to learn and bring them to market,” says Anderson. “It’s just a wonderful way to network with a community of your peers. It gave us a lot of direction and helped us to set goals and learn from our mistakes. I’m excited to see the next iteration of such an important resource to the entrepreneurial food community.”

Even mentors, such as Steven Darby and Erik Ford of the creative studio Heavy Heavy, have been positively influenced by the program.

Darby and Erik have recently launched Okay Decent, a company that partners with local producers to create premium lifestyle products, such as drinkware, apparel, and more, in an effort to support entrepreneurs and small businesses like the ones who go through BFL.

This year, the LaunchSA program aimed at building a community for culinary entrepreneurs — which was formerly a partnership between the City of San Antonio and

Liftfund — will be taken over by Geekdom. Matthew Espinoza, director of LaunchSA, is confident that Geekdom’s focus on supporting the entrepreneurial journey through programming and networking events will lend itself toward continuing to develop a thriving community with BFL.

“Break Fast & Launch … is amazing,- and we want to make sure to nurture it properly. ” says Espinoza. “For a lot of new entrepreneurs, it’s really just about having someone to talk to about the challenges they face and then identifying the next steps. We then direct them to organizations that provide the right business support, such as funding through grants or other programs.”

While an official re-launch of BFL under the new ownership is anticipated for this summer, LaunchSA already hosted their first BFL event at the end of 2023. BFL will continue to be free and open to any small business owner in the food and beverage space looking to launch a physical small business or work with the city in some capacity.

"I am thrilled to witness the dynamic transformation underway at LaunchSA,” says Nick Honegger, Geekdom’s director of marketing. “The upcoming relaunch of programs like Break Fast and Launch are not just milestones but catalysts for innovation in San Antonio.”

For more information or to participate, visit launchsa.org and get ready to be the next food and beverage superstar of San Antonio!

THE BAGEL

SALMON ISN’T JUST FOR BREAKFAST ANYMORE!

Kvarøy Arctic Smoked Norwegian Salmon is the perfect way to add salmon to your dishes any day of the week. At Kvarøy Arctic, our smokehouse experts naturally smoke the salmon with extravagant care and technique, creating a luxurious mild flavor that will transport you to the great Norwegian outdoors. Find a store near you

Left: Speakers Attend the Program

Top: BFL Participants with Mentor Kimberly Suta

Bottom: Diana Anderson and Her Chili

Kimberly A. Suta is editor of Edible San Antonio a filmmaker, food writer, event planner, culinary tour guide and has a media company called Homegrown Chef. She loves nothing more than sharing the phenomenal food, chefs and restaurants that San Antonio and Texas have to offer.

SEASONAL HIGHLIGHTS This Spring

Bok Choy, Green and Red Cabbage, Kohlrabi, Napa Cabbage

Broccoli, Cauliflower, Romanesco

Easter Egg Radish, Scarlet Turnip, Watermelon Radish, Fennel, Beets

Garlic, Leeks, Shallots, Spring Onions, Sweet Onions

Microgreens, Salad Greens

Mustard Greens, Rainbow Chard, Spinach

And... Strawberries!

From the Water Crawfish

Soft-shell Crab (from April)

Black Drum, Sheepshead, Spanish Mackerel

For more information on farmers markets, seasonal recipes and what’s in season, visit ediblesanantonio.com

Fresh Spring Salad

Serves 4

4 c. arugula

½ c. thinly sliced radishes

1 pear, halved, cored and thinly sliced

1 c. blueberries

¼ c. pistachios

¼ c. sunflower seeds, hulled

PREPARATION

Assemble the salad starting with the arugula and layer the remaining ingredients on top of the greens. Serve the vinaigrette alongside the salad.

Sherry Vinaigrette

Serves 4

1 shallot, minced

3T. sherry vinegar

2t. Dijon mustard

7T. extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: whole grain mustard

PREPARATION

Place the shallot in a bowl with the sherry vinegar and allow to sit for 10 minutes to soften. Whisk in the Dijon mustard. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream to emulsify the vinaigrette. Season to taste. Add 1t. whole grain mustard if desired.

Beside her passion for photography, Pauline Stevens enjoys traveling and baking. She also visits every possible farmers market, even between frequent visits to NYC where her quadruplet sons live. Follow her store on IG @redbirdshouse.

Salmon and Goat Cheese Appetizers

Serves 4

8 oz goat cheese

¼ t. fresh dill, oregano or chives

3-5 slices smoked salmon

1 baguette

1T. olive oil

1 pinch of salt and salt and pepper to taste

1 lemon

Option: add capers and purple onion for extra flavor

Garnish with fresh edible flowers

PREPARATION

Begin by slicing a baguette into half-inch thick pieces. Spread olive oil on one side of each slice. Toast, grill, or sauté the bread until it achieves a slight golden brown hue. In a bowl, mix pepper, chopped spices, and goat cheese with a spoon. Alternatively, leave the goat cheese natural. Spread goat cheese onto one side of each slice of bread. Top each piece of bread with a slice of smoked salmon. Decorate with chopped herbs and edible flowers. Add salt to taste and a few drops of lemon for a refreshing twist.

ADDITIONAL OPTION

For an elegant touch, consider adorning the goat cheese with edible flowers. Shape the goat cheese with your hands as desired and delicately place petals or flowers on top. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Nestled in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, The Wayback stands as a testament to the charm and hospitality of Austin. With its roots deeply entrenched in the ethos of community and comfort, this quaint retreat offers an unparalleled experience for both locals and travelers alike.

An Immersive, Restorative Experience

At The Wayback, guests are invited to immerse themselves in the essence of Texas Hill Country while basking in the serenity of its tranquil surroundings. Whether seeking solace from the hustle and bustle of everyday life or embarking on an adventure through the vibrant streets of downtown Austin, this boutique hotel serves as the perfect haven for relaxation and rejuvenation.

Cottages with a Touch of Casual Elegance

Guests are offered the choice of eight classic board-and-batten cottages, each exuding its own unique blend of charm and character. With interiors that seamlessly blend fresh, natural elements with a touch of vintage flair, every cottage offers a cozy retreat from the outside world.

Farm-toTable Dining as Relaxing as it is Delicious

One of the standout features of The Wayback experience is its commitment to farm-to-table dining. With menus that change with the seasons, guests are treated to the freshest and finest flavors sourced locally from nearby farms and artisans. Whether indulging in a sumptuous meal in the elegant dining room, enjoying a leisurely bite on the patio, or

opting for a picturesque picnic on the lush lawn, every culinary experience is a delight.

Located at the Door of the Texas Hill Country

Here, guests can celebrate the region's rich culinary heritage. Conveniently located just minutes away from downtown Austin, The Wayback also offers easy access to the renowned vineyards, wineries, distilleries, and breweries that dot the Hill Country landscape. From leisurely wine tastings to adventurous brewery tours, guests are invited to explore the diverse array of experiences that await just beyond the hotel's doorstep.

Perfect for Special Occasions, Corporate Retreats & Intimate Weddings

In essence, The Wayback offers more than just a place to stay—it provides a sanctuary where guests can embrace the spirit of Texas hospitality while creating memories to last a lifetime. Whether seeking a peaceful retreat or an exciting adventure, The Wayback invites all who enter to experience the warmth and charm that define Austin's vibrant culture.

Highlights -

Use Code EDIBLE15 for 15% off cottage stays

SAUCY BIRDS IS KEEPING DELICIOUS AFFORDABLE

Let’s Get Saucy

Few San Antonio chefs are as saucy as beloved chef Ceasar Zepeda. Especially now, with the recent opening of his new restaurant, Saucy Birds, which has seamlessly taken over the space of Zepeda’s former long-standing restaurant of seven years, Sangria on the Burg.

When Zepeda announced this past December that the popular restaurant, Sangria, would be closing, patrons rushed to get one final bite and pay their respects. Thankfully, there was already a new plan in the works.

Zepeda recalls that they were able to close and open so fast — in 10 days. “I had to come up with something very simple that will be profitable in this economic downturn, which I don’t think is going away soon,” he says.“ So, the question was what can I do that will have more sustainability in the market that we’re in?”

The resounding answer was a big, bold new mascot — a red rooster — and a chicken tenders concept, elevated by a long list of impressive, flavorful sauces. The goal was affordability in a time when restaurant closures are through the roof, the costs of goods are astronomical (even the cost of straws have doubled, even tripled) and families are being much more frugal in their spending habits.

“I wanted to do a concept that could feed more people and chicken is affordable,” he says. “You can bring the whole family to Saucy Birds and not break the bank. We still have the same bar and everyone’s favorite flights — margarita flights, mimosa flights and local beer and craft cocktails. That’s something that’s always worked for us.”

But, wait, this isn’t your standard chicken shack. Zepeda employed his savvy chef skills to make the absolutely most delicious tenders you can find at a restaurant by creating a balanced seasoning with just the right amount of salt, not to mention the effort that went into determining how long tenders should stay in the fryer — exactly two minutes and 50 seconds, in case you’re wondering.

“We also do a buttermilk brine, and the tenders are breaded to order. No cheating! Even if you order them to-go, I can’t believe how juicy they still are once you get home. It’s that level of perfection that makes a difference … the meticulous fight for the perfect chicken,” laughs Zepeda.

So far, the response has been incredible. According to Zepeda, everyone’s really surprised by how tasty the chicken is and floored by the sauces, of which, there are currently 12 and include: Sriracha Aioli, Thai Peanut Sauce, Peppered Gravy, Chorizo Gravy, Jalapeño Sweet and Sour, Spicy Honey Mustard, Cucumber Dill Ranch, Buffalo Sauce, Mar’s Sesame Sauce, Jalapeño Cilantro Ranch, Chipotle Ranch, Honey Mustard, Spicy Honey Mustard and a Saucy Birds Sauce made of mayo, ketchup, garlic and lemon.

“The sauces are my creative outlet, and it’s fun for people to try the different ones. Everybody’s been mixing and matching to make their own sauce,” shares Zepeda.

The menu, as a whole, is perhaps more than you might expect. You can order the exceptionally-cooked chicken strips in a three-, four-, six- or 20-strip meal that comes with a drink and seasoned fries or a salad. On the healthier side, you can order a Southern Cobb salad or a luscious Thai taco salad that serves fresh veggies in a crisp flour shell, topped with a sesame chicken and Thai peanut vinaigrette. And, of course, they feature a monster Chicken Sammie and a burger.

The restaurant also offers a soup du jour, sides such as macand-cheese and a few decadent appetizers like loaded fries and Saucy Birds Nachos. Loyal fans of chef Zepeda will breathe a sigh of relief to hear that brunch remains, just in a new iteration. Sangria was a hot spot for brunch and folks would travel far and wide to imbibe and nosh on a lazy Sunday. Now, Saucy Birds brunch will be available Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Yes, you read that right.

“I wanted to do a service industry brunch because if you work in the food industry, you never get to go to brunch, so we’re giving that a try,” says Zepeda, whose brunch game is still on point with mouthwatering dishes, such as a crispy chicken benny, crisp chicken hash bowl and a classic chicken and hotcakes.

“The highlight of this whole experience for me is seeing a lot more people focus on local, supporting local,” notes Zepeda. “Plus, it’s all about my team — why I keep going. We’re all in this together.”

Left Page

Left: Chef Ceasar Zepeda

Top: Thai Taco Salad

Bottom: Crispy Chicken Benedicts

Right Page

Left: Saucy Brunch

Right Top: Hand-Breaded Chicken Strip Meal

Right Middle: Margarita Flight

Right Bottom: Saucy Birds Signature Sauces

Kimberly A. Suta is editor of Edible San Antonio, a filmmaker, food writer, event planner, culinary tour guide and has a media company called Homegrown Chef. She loves nothing more than sharing the phenomenal food, chefs and restaurants that San Antonio and Texas have to offer.

WORDS

Diez Flores

A RESTAURANT WITH A GLOBAL LATIN FLAIR

WORDS

Be tween pop-ups, cooking demos, community work and Folklores Coffee House, Tatu Herrera has been a fixture of the San Antonio restaurant scene for so long that it’s hard to believe he’s never truly had his own restaurant to run.

This beloved chef changed that at the end of 2023 when he partnered with mixologist Hector Vargas to open Diez Flores, a new tapas bar adjacent to Southtown and focused on flavors from 10 iconic Latin cuisines (Mexican, Brazilian, Spanish, Venezuelan, Colombian, Dominican, Argentinian, Peruvian, Cuban and Puerto Rican). Tapas like tostones fritos de caribe (fried tostones with chimichurri rojo) and pancenta de Argentina (sliced pork belly with Argentine chimichurri dipping sauce and crushed corn nuts) are both unique and scrumptious.

The challenge of launching a restaurant may be new, but if you know anything about Herrera, the vibe at Diez Flores should be delightfully familiar. The restaurant emphasizes the two things he’s built his reputation on — creativity and community.

“Did I want to do a restaurant now? Man, no, what I really wanted to do was sandwiches — over-thetop sandwiches like that place Turkey and the Wolf in New Orleans,” Herrera jokes. “Luckily, my partner here said to do what I’m most interested in.”

Not every tapas place offers a full menu of sandwiches alongside those signature small plates, but Herrera thrives at dreaming up one-of-akind bites within even the most unusual parameters. You can bet sandwiches like Herrera’s version of a Cubano, called Calle Ocho Cubano, and made with roasted pork, sliced ham, dill pickles and Swiss cheese, with a butter-lime-garlic spread on a baguette is something you won’t find anywhere else in San Antonio. Between his Tatu’s Food Debauchery catering business or any of his numerous pop-ups around town, Herrera’s developed full menus from themes like “Star Wars” and “Titanic.”

With Diez Flores, the chef says the team approached him with only the idea to do wide-reaching Latin cuisine focusing on tapas-style dishes. That meant if Herrera was in, he’d have creative license with the menu while the overall business wouldn’t have to deal with the immense overhead and life-and-death margins of a new restaurant.

Fast forward, and Herrera’s sandwiches are featured on the menu right next to traditional tapas like ceviche and tostones. His favorites include the Sanguche De Peru (classic egg salad done Peruvian style) and the Choripan De Argentina “Think of it as a chorizo that’s seared with bread on top, all on the flattop, then there’s melted cheese on top — that’s it,” explains Herrera. “It’s so comforting to me — the combo of chorizo, cheese and bread — because it’s literally what I grew up eating. For a lot of chefs, when you create menus, you go from memories, childhood stuff. My mom worked, so it was a fend-for-yourself

kind of thing, and I worked with what I had at the house. So it’s been cool seeing sandwiches become a thing in the chef scene.”

Herrera has plans to regularly invite guest chefs for various Latin American holiday menus, in order to flex his culinary creativity regularly. The rest of Diez Flores’ opening menu comes from Herrera’s desire to try new combinations. Those plantains for the tostones, for instance, will serve as the basis for a pancake when Herrera starts brunch service later this year. And today, the ingredient shows up in the tapas section in an unexpected way — as the main companion for Diez Flores’ chimichurri-and-olive hummus.

“I was a chef de cuisine, so I was always taking cues from my chef,” Herrera says, referring to his decade spent at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk during the early 2000s.

“But here, it’s me — now it’s my ideas, and if a dish fails, it’s on me. So it’s been good to see people coming in from Colombia or South America and enjoying this food. I tell everyone, ‘We’re not trying to be 100 percent authentic. This is my take on certain parts of Latin American cuisine.’ We’re able to combine flavors and cultures through the tapas that we have.”

Beyond the food, Herrera’s other undeniable strength has been his community focus, in no small part because Herrera has grown Folklores into an essential community hub. At the cafe, he’s given young chefs a space to pop-up and learn, and he’s held annual days where all profits go directly to staff. Outside of the culinary community, Herrera used the cafe as a place to create and distribute meals to needy seniors in the early stages of the pandemic, and he consistently hosts neighborhood-focused opportunities like the Es Tu Vida professional learning series.

Those kinds of initiatives will eventually be a part of Diez Flores too. As they did with the menu, Diez Flores’ leadership is empowering Herrera to pursue what he’s most passionate about. The chef has visions of tailoring his outreach this time toward young chefs and students who might be interested in culinary careers, perhaps by using the restaurant’s off-days to bring in interested kids for cooking lessons and pop-up opportunities.

“For me, it was real hard coming up in the chef world. And now I’ve judged a handful of high school competitions, and one thing I see a lot is that many of the students who want to become cooks don’t have the support,” says Herrera. “So, if I can be that person to guide them, to set them in the right direction … I mean, I wish I had that for me. Seeing a professional kitchen firsthand opens your mind — you know you can do it versus seeing it on TV or just being in a classroom. Once you’re in a professional kitchen, you know that’s what you want to do.”

Photos by Diez Flores

Journalist Nathan Mattise (@nathanmattise) is always working to perfect his sourdough bagels. He also enjoys bocce, amaro, road trips, and a good playlist.

Left Page

Left: Jibarito Marinated Beef Sandwich

Right Top: Mexican Torta Photo by Kimberly Suta

Right Page

Top: Tatu Herrera Photo by Kimberly Suta

Bottom Left: Braised Short Rib on Polenta with Button Mushrooms

Bottom Right: Double-cut Pork Chop with Roasted Grapes

More Than a Farmers Market

FULL FAMLY FUN AWAITS AT GARDEN RIDGE MARKET DAYS

WORDS BY EMILY TREADWAY PHOTOS BY KIMBERLY SUTA

Garden Ridge Market Days is more than a farmers market, it’s an event for the whole family. With indoor and outdoor booths and pop-ups, this market is perfect to attend in any season or weather. Located a short drive northeast of San Antonio in Garden Ridge, the Garden Ridge Market Days is the largest market in the San Antonio area. Held year-round on the second Saturday of every month at the Northeast Bible Church, the market opens at 9:30 a.m., just in time for a late Saturday morning breakfast and stays open until 2:30 p.m.

Garden Ridge Market Days is family-friendly with plenty of activities to entertain the kids. There are often photo ops with favorite characters such as Spiderman, Bluey and the Easter Bunny. Every month, children can enjoy face painting, pony rides and scavenger hunts. Market manager Kim Wood said the Garden Ridge Market scavenger hunt was one of the first of its kind, created during the pandemic as a safe, adaptable activity. It was a big hit that has now become a monthly staple.

Those acquainted with the Pearl and Alamo Heights farmers markets may see familiar vendors, such as Goatalicious Dairy and Cheesery, but with over 200 vendors offering everything from fresh meat and produce to fresh flowers and handmade crafts, customers at the Garden Ridge Market Days are sure to discover new and exciting foods and products to sample and buy. Wood prides herself on the vast variety of options at her market days and encourages visitors to come early. Early birds have first pick of the fresh produce and goods. Pastry Corner, now a brick-andmortar store in Cibolo, got its start as a pop-up at the Garden Ridge Market Days and they still attend. Their baked goods often sell out within the first hour and they’re not the only ones.

If you love a red, ripe, juicy tomato, Heritage Tomatoes of San Antonio specializes in just that. “They sell big, beautiful heirloom tomatoes,” says Wood, “but they’re also usually gone in an hour.”

Don’t despair if you’re not a Saturday morning early bird, either, as Garden Ridge Market has many more choices for you to buy tomatoes and produce, including Lilly the Kid Farms and Balboa Farms. Lilly the Kid Farms is also one of three regular vendors that sells microgreens.

If you prefer your fruits and vegetables already prepared, Sweet E’s Provisions is just one of several vendors that takes the best fruits and vegetables and turns them into delicious jams, pickles and canned vegetables.

If you’re hoping to find some meat to accompany your vegetables, the market’s got you covered there, too.

Hickory Lake Grass-Fed

Beef is a family-owned cattle ranch that sells not only the best in grass-fed beef but also bone broths and select organ meats. If beef’s not what’s for dinner, Signature Springs Farms provides fresh pork, chicken and eggs.

Those interested in more natural remedies instead of the standard over-the-counter options may find it with medicinal mushrooms grown in Mason jars, homemade elderberry syrups or local honey.

Rick the Beekeeper is a honey vendor at Garden Ridge Market Days, but he also provides bee removal services and helps others interested in becoming apiarists. Additionally, Rick the Beekeeper builds and sells beehives.

To help keep up your strength as you navigate the market, food trucks are at the ready. Begin your day at Northern D’Lights Coffee trailer and then move on to The Grateful Flow of Foods, which serves nachos, quesadillas and more. The Wacked Out Weiner sells hot dogs and sausages next door to the Tasty Balls trailer, which makes gourmet fried potato balls. From pizza to barbecue, Filipino and Cajun food, you’ll most assuredly find something to get your mouth watering.

Garden Ridge Market Days not only supports these local businesses and farmers, but each month they also support area nonprofits. “It’s a way of giving back,” Wood says. For example, in February, a local Girl Scout troop sold its cookies at the market and the Crisis Center of Comal County collected much-needed items for its shelter facilities. Next month will showcase another group of organizations.

“We strive to build community and provide a place for everyone to enjoy and support local farms, food and artisan vendors and local businesses,” says Wood. If that’s something you’re interested in, too, then Garden Ridge Market Days is your place to be on Saturday.

As soon as she learned to read and write, that's all Emily Treadway wanted to do. She loves Texas history and, while she hates cooking, she loves eating, especially the diverse tastes and flavors of Texas cuisine.

TANTALIZING empranillo

SETTING TEXAS WINE APART

WORDS BY STACEY INGRAM KALEH

Perhaps more than any other locally grown grape, Texas Tempranillo tantalizes our taste buds. Its luscious mouthfeel and delicate dynamism make it worth exploring again and again — and a varietal that Texans seek out. How has this Spanish varietal captivated both Texas wine makers and wine drinkers?

According to Julie Kuhlken, Ph.D, WSET III, CEO and co-owner of Pedernales Cellars in Stonewall and a sixth-generation Texan, Texas may be the largest grower of Tempranillo outside of its native Spain, where it’s the foundation for many celebrated wines. “Texas could be a second home for Tempranillo. We have the right conditions,” says Kuhlken.

Kuhlken and her husband David, co-owner and winemaker, chose to focus on Tempranillo when they started Pedernales Cellars in 2006. “At the time there had been some commercially grown Tempranillo but it was not clear that it was going to be a winner for Texas, ” says Kuhlken.

She had a feeling Tempranillo would like the dry heat on their property. Today, it’s almost 50 percent of what they grow, make and sell. When you visit Pedernales Cellars, you may see as many as six Tempranillos available, and they almost always have Tempranillo Reserve, their flagship wine, on the tasting menu.

“What really made Tempranillo so successful in Texas is captured by its name, which means ‘the little early one,’” Kuhlken shares. “The thing about Tempranillo is that it ripens very quickly and early, and in Texas that’s fantastic because you get it out of the heat early in the season. We pick Tempranillo in our vineyard in late July, long before the dog days of summer.” This is important because the fruit maintains its acidity.

It’s also advantageous from a business and sustainability standpoint. “With a grape that wants to grow here, you don’t have to intervene as often with chemicals. It’s more sustainable. It’s better for a business where you want to make a living. It’s better from a holistic view at every stage,” Kuhlken emphasizes.

For Ron Yates, the decision to focus on Tempranillo was more an affair of the heart. The flip-flop clad owner and president of Spicewood Vineyards in Spicewood and Ron Yates Wines in Hye is a seventh-generation Texan and comes from a long line of farmers. But he was the first in his family to not grow up on the ranch.

A self-described socialbutterfly, he’s long been interested in bringing people together to celebrate good times. That passion shows as Yates flutters between his office, the tasting room where he loves to say hello to customers and the vineyard.

Yates fell in love with Tempranillo while studying abroad in Spain as a University of Texas at Austin student. He lucked out and lived with a family who grew Tempranillo in the Toro and Ribera del Duero regions. Even more than the wine itself, he was inspired by the power of wine to bring Spanish families, like the one he stayed with, together at the dinner table. “Even the kids who were away at college would take the train home, spending hours traveling, every Sunday to have lunch with mom,” he says. “And wine was always part of that.”

“Tempranillo was the impetus for this whole endeavor,” Yates says. He was studying communications and was on track to become a lawyer, when he let his passion guide him in a new direction — bringing some of that Spanish wine and spirit to the Texas Hill Country. He purchased Spicewood Vineyards in 2007 and planted Tempranillo in 2009, as soon as he could get some vines. His first commercial release of Tempranillo was in 2012, and since then, he’s been spreading his love for the wine to all who walk through his doors.

THE RIGHT CONDITIONS FOR RESILIENCE

Yates says one reason Tempranillo does well in Texas is that “the topography, the soil types, the growing conditions” are comparable to Spain’s.

Another reason is its resilience across the state’s different growing regions. “Tempranillo grows well in all the major growing areas — West Texas, the Hill Country, the High Plains. And that’s nice because Texas, as you know, has variable weather,” says Kuhlken. “Having the diversity of where you can source it is very useful.”

“Tempranillo has been grown in Texas at a larger scale for more than 15 years, and has gained a reputation for consistent quality fruit,” says Paul Bonarrigo, owner and winemaker at Messina Hof Winery, which has locations in Bryan, Fredericksburg, Grapevine and Richmond. He, like Kuhlken and Yates, is a fan of the grape and has deep roots in Texas.

Bonarrigo, whose family has been Texas wine-making pioneers for 46 years, also highlights the range of benefits the state provides wine makers. “Texas is a huge and diverse state in regards to terroir and grape growing potential … We have great water in both quantity and quality for keeping our plants healthy, we have a wide range of nutrient rich soils that allow for many varieties and styles to be made here, and we have strong agricultural and innovative roots that help us to constantly be pushing to improve and develop new ways of growing and making wine.”

A DIVERSITY OF EXPRESSIONS

When Yates started producing Tempranillo, he was working with two styles, one from his Spicewood Estate and the other from the High Plains. Now, he sources Tempranillo from seven or eight different Texas vineyards. He’s drawn to the opportunity and challenge of exploring how grapes grown in different regions of the state yield different expressions.

“To me the Hill Country is like [Spain’s] Ribera del Duero where it’s hot, not too cool even at night, needs more oak influence and produces big grippy, heavy Tempranillo,” he says. “We [his winery team]

tried some fruit from the High Plains and it had a bit of a softer side that reminded me more of a Rioja, more delicate with more intricacies, not as ‘slap-you-in-the-face’ when you drink it.”

Kuhlken is also passionate about the complexity of Tempranillo, which can be classified as Joven, Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva depending on how long it is aged in oak. “Tempranillo is a grape that is very sensitive to how long you age it,” she says.

Joven Tempranillos tend to be lighter and brighter, young wines with little oak influence. They showcase the primary fruit flavors of the grape. Crianza wines are aged a minimum of two years with six months to one year in oak barrels. They carry more complexity, with subtle oak and a hint of spice. Reserva Tempranillos have a more robust mouthfeel, more oak characteristics like vanilla, cedar and tobacco and smoother tannins. They are aged for 36 months and spend a minimum of 12 to 24 months in oak barrels. Gran Reservas, which are aged for at least five years, two or more in an oak barrel, have well-integrated tannins and a long, lingering finish.

Not only does length of time in the barrel matter, the type of oak also shapes each wine. “For me, with French oak you get more of the smokiness, and with American oak you get more of the vanilla and coconut qualities,” says Kuhlken. “The thing you get from oak aging is both the flavors you get from the oak and all of the oxygen exchange, which changes the tannins … the polymers form longer strings and then they become softer. The oak helps smooth [the tannins] out.”

Thanks to terroir and the oak-barrel aging, you can find a Tempranillo suitable for any of our Texas “seasons.” A Tempranillo is the perfect companion for a winter campfire, a spring festival, a summer barbecue or Thanksgiving supper in the fall.

Left: Pedernales Cellars photo by Ralph Yznaga Right: Becker Vineyards photo by Monique Threadgill

Left: William Chris Vineyards photo by Ralph Yznaga

Top Right: Photo courtesy of Spicewood Vineyards

Bottom Right: Photo courtesy of Messina Hof

CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO TO SHAPE TEXAS’ WINE

The dynamism and complexity of the varietal also makes Tempranillo an excellent grape for Texas. It offers room for experimentation that whets our Texas-sized appetites to push boundaries.

For innovators like Yates, who’s been working with Tempranillo for more than 16 years, the varietal offers the opportunity to challenge the status quo. When he started, the goal was to make wine that everyone enjoys and brings people together. One way he pushes himself is through collaboration and friendly rivalries with other Texas winemakers. “It’s really fun, really tight-knit, and people really help each other out,” Yates says of the Texas wine community. “There’s so much to learn. I’m 17 years into this and I’m barely scratching the surface. The collaborative element here helps make everyone better.”

“At first it was like, can we do this?” says Yates. “But once I got into it, there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing. Now that we’ve figured out it’s possible to have a successful wine business in Texas, for me, it’s about testing the limits of quality. I want to continue to get better and better and better.”

Bonarrigo and Kuhlken share similar sentiments and are also motivated to expand notions of what is collectively possible for Texas wine. “We have learned a lot over the past 46 years about where grapes grow well and what viticulture practices lead to the best quality fruit, but we still have so much more potential that is unexplored,” says Bonarrigo. These days, wineries all over the state serve Tempranillo, from Spicewood to Stonewall, Hico to Lubbock to Bryan. Texas winemakers, including Pedernales Cellars, Spicewood Vineyards, Ron Yates Wines and Messina Hof, have won numerous awards at the national and international level for their Tempranillo wines. But what is it that really makes Tempranillo a frontrunner for “the grape of Texas,” as Yates calls it?

“It’s the best suited to the fight of growing grapes in Texas,” says Yates.

“It ripens early, making it sustainable, and pairs well with the food we like here,” Kuhlken says, giving examples such as barbecue, steak and enchiladas.

“It grows well, makes great wine, and people are becoming more and more aware of what we are doing with it in Texas,” Bonarrigo says of the varietal.

“I think Tempranillo has a second home here,” says Kuhlken. “However, Texas is the size of France, there’s no single variety that’s going to knock out all of the others because there’s lots of things that grow well in Texas. Mourvèdre is good, Viognier is excellent, Tannat is excellent…but I think Tempranillo is particularly well-suited.”

While Kuhlken, Yates and Bonarrigo acknowledge that Texas will never be known for just one grape — more than 40 varieties are grown here today — they all agree that Tempranillo has the capacity to set our state apart on a national, and even international, scale.

WINE IS A GREAT STORY

When it comes to Texans’ love of wine, it all boils down to taking pride in hard work and invention, finding solace in companionship and helping to make life just a little bit better for your family and neighbors.

No one captures this essence quite like Yates. “Each wine, each grape, really, tells its own unique story,”he says. They highlight the many people and the hard work that goes into producing each bottle: late nights chasing deer out of the vineyard or lighting fires before a freeze, and many on-the-fly adaptations.

Yates takes immense satisfaction in people enjoying the wines made from vines he and his team planted, tended and protected. “All that work that we do,” Yates says, “is to bring people together in celebration — and I love that. To me life is about sharing the good times. Our hard work gets to help people enjoy their good times.”

Whether you’re looking for an award-winning wine, a delicious wine to bring to dinner or a barbecue with family and friends, or a wine that tells the story of Texas, try Tempranillo from a local winery.

Tell your friends the story of how that Tempranillo journeyed from the vineyard to your table, passing through the hands of many passionate, hard-working growers, winemakers and bottlers. Then let the wine open up a new story that’s yours to write.

Stacey Ingram Kaleh is a native of the Texas Hill Country. Born and raised in Austin, she lives in Spicewood with her husband, two young daughters and fluffy dog Zeus. She’s been exploring Texas wineries for more than a decade, enjoying great wine, stellar company and scenic views as she learns from local winemakers. Follow her wine adventures on Instagram @TXWineGirl.

Augusta Vin

140 Augusta Vin Ln. Fredericksburg, 78624 augustavin.com

Becker Vineyards

464 Becker Farms Rd. Fredericksburg, 78624 beckervineyards.com

Bell Springs Winery 3700 Bell Springs Rd. Dripping Springs, 78620 bellspringswinery.com

Bending Branch Winery

142 Linder Brand Rd. Comfort, 78013 bendingbranchwinery.com

C.L. Butaud 12345 Pauls Valley Rd. #2 Austin, 78737 clbutaud.com

Driftwood Estate Winery 4001 Elder Hill Rd. Driftwood, 78619 driftwoodwine.com

Fall Creek Vineyard 1820 County Rd. 222 Tow, 78627 and 18059 FM 1826 Driftwood, 78619 fcv.com

Haak Vineyards & Winery 6310 Avenue T. Santa Fe, 77510 haakwines.com

Hilmy Cellars

12346 E. US Hwy 290 Fredericksburg, 78624 hilmywine.com

Hye Meadow Winery 10257 W. US Hwy 290 Hye, 78635 hyemeadow.com

nwood Estates

10303 US-290 Fredericksburg, 78624 inwoodwines.com

Kuhlman Cellars

18421 E. US Hwy 290 Stonewall kuhlmancellars.com

Lewis Wines 3209 US-290 Johnson City, 78636 lewiswines.com

Llano Estacado Winery 3426 E. FM 1585 Lubbock, 79404 llanowine.com

McPherson Cellars 1615 Texas Avenue Lubbock, 79401 mcphersoncellars.com

Messina Hof Winery

Bryan Estate Winery

4545 Old Reliance Rd. Bryan, 77808

Harvest Green 8921 Harlem Rd. Richmond, 77406

Hill Country 9996 US Hwy. 290 Fredericksburg, 78624 messinahof.com

Pedernales Cellars 2916 Upper Albert Road Stonewall, 78671 pedernalescellars.com

Perissos Vineyard and Winery 7214 Park Rd. 4 W. Burnet, 78611 perissosvineyards.org

Pontotoc Vineyard

Picnic Table

7899 US Hwy. 290 Hye, 78635

Weingarten

320 Main Street Fredericksburg, 78624 pontotocvineyard.com

Ron Yates

6676 Hwy. 290 W. Hye, 78635 ronyateswines.com

Saddlehorn Winery

958 FM 1948 N. Burton, 77835 saddlehornwinery.com

Salt Lick Cellars & Wine Garden 18300 FM 1826 Driftwood, 78619 saltlickcellars.com

Signor Vineyards

362 Livesay Lane

Silver Spur Winery

107 Pecan Street Hico, 76457 silverspurwinery.com

Spicewood Vineyards 1419 Co. Rd. 409 Spicewood, 78669 spicewoodvineyards.com

Slate Theory

E. 10915 US-290 Fredericksburg, 78624 slatetheory.com

Torr Na Lochs Vineyard & Winery 7055 TX-29 Burnet, 78611 torrnalochs.com

William Chris Vineyards 10352 US Hwy 290 Hye, 78635 williamchriswines.com

in

vineyard

Paul Bonarrigo photo courtesyof Messina Hof

B l o s s o m B li s s

SPRINGTIME ADVENTURES IN FLOWER FARMING

It ’s that time of year when the monotony of driving on Texas interstates is brightened by the brilliant blues, purples, oranges and reds of bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes that have seemingly blossomed out of nowhere. Flowers make us happy. The sight of them — and the giving and receiving of them — brings us joy. Whether you’re planning a special event, want to tell someone you’re thinking of them with a surprise bouquet, or just want to bring a bit of nature’s beauty into your home, these local farms are growing happiness —in the form of flowers!

A RNOSKY FAMILY FARMS

“I strongly believe that flowers can unite us, bringing all people and all cultures together,” says Pamela Arnosky, co-owner of Arnosky Family Farms. She recalls that the old-fashioned community barn raising they held for their famous Blue Barn was a true testament to what we can all do together. That barn, situated on a beautiful 60 acres, is now a staple of both Wimberley and Blanco, with many regular visitors from Austin and San Antonio. The farm operates on an honor system. Visitors enter the barn, pick up the flowers, vegetables or eggs they want and leave cash.

After running a small greenhouse business in Brenham, Frank and Pamela Arnosky started farming in 1991, purchasing the perfect land for their farm on FM 2325. The Arnoskys are passionate stewards of their land, which is home to many native plant and animal species

“It is a treasure to be protected,” says Pamela. “All are welcome there, and it is a sort of portal of connection to what is best on this Earth.”

The couple grow cut flowers on 16 acres. They’ve sold to grocery stores and farmers markets in Austin for many years. After building the Blue Barn, they began to supply their own farm market with bedding plants, hanging baskets and garden transplants. One of their most popular flowers is ranunculus, which has a long vase life.

Pamela explains that most cut flowers should last as long in a vase as they would on the plant. “Start with a clean vase, remove all of the leaves that will be below the water line, and use flower food if you have it, or at the minimum, you can put a drop of chlorine bleach in the vase. Changing the water frequently, while removing the spent flowers is also very important in maintaining maximum vase life.”

The Arnoskys’ passion for flowers is contagious. “Flowers are pure

love,” says Pamela. “Before anything can bear fruit, it must flower. So the flower represents the promise of successful outcomes.”

They love welcoming people to the farm to experience the inspiration that flowers can bring. “The Blue Barn has become a destination for folks seeking peaceful, beautiful outdoor times, alone or with their families. We plant the flower beds around the barn to be beautiful at Mother’s Day, for example, so folks can come out for a picnic and buy a bouquet to take home.” To learn more, visit texascolor.com.

WINKELMANN FLOWERS

Winkelmann Flowers is a small flower farm outside of Austin, where a husband-and-wife team have transformed their passion for farming, flowers and creating into a sustainable family business. Grant and Carrington Winkelmann fell in love while attending Texas A&M and started growing their flower farm when they moved to the Austin area in 2018. A farmer through and through, Grant has been growing and selling vegetables since high school. When the couple started the business, he chose crops that would be profitable on a small amount of acreage. “Based on my experience growing both, I knew that flowers could generate a lot more income on an acre than vegetables; it also didn't hurt that my girlfriend and later wife, Carrington, was falling in love with floristry at the same time!”

Carrington runs the floral studio, which she describes as “flowering around Texas for weddings and gatherings.” It’s hard to imagine a beautiful wedding without flowers, but it can be easy to go overboard. If planning a wedding on a budget, Carrington suggests focusing on centerpieces on your tables and for the wedding party.

“Florists are natural creatives,” she says, “and [they] love color so give them the freedom and flexibility to create for you, and as long as you've hired someone whose style matches your own, they will usually deliver a floral vision better than any you could've dreamed up yourself!”

In addition to providing wedding florals, the pair appreciate how flowers can enhance our everyday lives. “Many of us have jobs or lifestyles that require us to spend most of our time indoors. Flowers bring the natural world inside and allow us to watch something grow and change over time.”

The Winkelmanns grow tens of thousands of flowers a year on a little less than two acres. They get particularly excited about flowers that aren’t typically grown in Texas. “We are known most for our ranunculus, dahlias, lisianthus and coxcomb.”

“I strongly believe that flowers can unite us, bringing all people and all cultures together,...”

Pamela Arnosky

WORDS BY ASHLEY BROWN | PHOTOS BY MONIQUE THREADGILL

Left and Right Page: Arnosky Family Farms

“Recently, we have also gotten into tulips in a big way and we also grow lots of delphinium, snapdragons, marigolds and sweet peas, among other crops.”

Their flowers are available at Austin Flower Company most of the year and occasionally at San Antonio Flower Company. They also offer weekly drop-offs and delivery to Austin florists, who can sign up for information about weekly availability on their website thefarmerandi.com. They can even arrange a porch pickup for you at their home in San Marcos or farm in Driftwood. Just reach out to them anytime.

WILDSEED FARMS

Wildseed Farms, in Fredericksburg, is the largest working wildflower farm in the country. It is the go-to spot for seeds, plants or simply a lovely afternoon spent enjoying fields of flowers and a wine tasting.

Owner John Thomas is a native south Texan who grew up in a ranching family in Eagle Lake. In 1971, he combined his planting expertise, Texas ingenuity and business knowledge to start a turf seeding company. As it grew into a successful business, developers and landscape architects asked: “Why not wildflowers?” In response, John formed Wildseed Farms in Eagle Lake in 1982 and invented two machines to produce the results he dreamed of: the J-Thom 42 Wildseeder and Vacuum Seed Retriever (VSR).

As the farm and his wife Marilyn’s beloved gift shop grew in popularity they decided to expand. In 1997, John designed and constructed Wildseed Farms Market Center located on 200 acres on Highway 290 east of Fredericksburg. The farm features walking trails, flower fields, display gardens, a nursery, a deli and a large gift shop offering home decor, women’s apparel, jewelry and seeds. There is also the winery that features Texas wines grown and bottled on the farm. The Market Center is open year-round.

John currently has over 1,500 acres of wildflowers in production and is considered one of the leading experts on wildflowers in the nation. He actively consults with many state highway departments including those in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Ohio.

Learn more at wildseedfarms.com.

FLOWER CHILD URBAN FLOWER FARM AND STUDIO

This micro flower farm, owned by Gracie Cavnar, is a pastoral respite embedded within Hope Farms in south Houston. Hope Farms is a project of Recipe for Success Foundation, a nonprofit Cavnar founded in 2005. The organization’s mission is to end childhood obesity by educating children about their food and by mobilizing the community to provide them healthier meals. The seven-acre Hope Farms contributes to that mission by growing fresh, affordable food and training veterans and others to become urban agri-preneurs.

Because much of the classroom work Recipe for Success does was shut down during the pandemic, Cavnar started Flower Child knowing that growing and sharing flowers would make her happy. There weren’t many farmers growing cut flowers in Houston.

“I’m all about local farming, whether it be food or flowers, with regard to the impact on the carbon footprint, supporting the local economy and the ecological nature of growing flowers organically. And I felt like a lot of people shared that sensibility,” says Cavnar. So she rented space within Hope Farms and began growing flowers in a 1/8-acre garden and greenhouse.

Using the success of Flower Child as an example, Cavnar now offers classes through her nonprofit foundation on how to turn a farm into a business.

“The beautiful piece, for me, of having a flower business is the Zen quality to it of focusing on growing and nurturing things,” she says. She also loves that the flowers are growing just minutes from most of her customers, smack in the middle of the bustling city. The farm is open to the public Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. so that visitors can experience that “Zen quality” for themselves.

Flower Child offers a variety of services. Customers can sign up for regular deliveries of fresh-cut bouquets designed and created by Cavnar or for the birthday club, which offers 12 flower deliveries to friends or family on their birthdays. Corporate customers can contact Flower Child about supplying flower arrangements for events. The company also does limited weddings and special events. Cavnar works closely with these clients, curating the wedding in her field based on their color preferences. And finally, Flower Child offers “Bubbles & Bouquets,” which are private flower arranging classes.

In the spirit of friendship and giving, Flower Child also offers Grace Notes — gifts that include some of Cavnar’s other products such as homemade chocolate, bath salts, potpourri and edible flower petals.

Whether it’s giving or receiving flowers or enjoying them in your garden, flowers can enhance your mood. “It literally changes your brain chemistry. Every time you look at and appreciate them, you get that rush,” says Cavnar. “No gift brings more joy.”

Learn more at flowerchild.love.

Writer and editor Ashley Brown lives in Wimberley with her family of rescues: a dog, two cats, and two donkeys. In addition to animal welfare, her passion is exploring the Hill Country's natural beauty, small farms, eateries and drinkeries.

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Photo courtesy of Wildseed Farms

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Photo courtesy of Flower Child

A Room with a Hill Country View

Ap tly known as a “little piece of heaven,” Wimberley is a magical, charming and convenient place for a weekend (or longer!) getaway. Just an hour from Austin and San Antonio and three hours from Houston, Wimberley provides a respite, a nature retreat, a shopper’s paradise, a friendly community and a place to unwind and enjoy delicious food and drinks. Whether you prefer a secluded cabin or a full-service inn, there are ample options for comfortable accommodations.

C REEKHAVEN INN & SPA

Nestled along Cypress Creek on a beautifully serene three acres, Creekhaven Inn & Spa is a boutique wellness resort. After owner Helena Hauk went through a years-long, arduous personal journey to get healthy and feel good, she decided she wanted to bring accessible wellness to all of Creekhaven’s guests as well. As the largest bed and breakfast in Wimberley, Creekhaven has 16 rooms situated within stone and wood buildings. The landscape that surrounds them boasts a patio and grassy knoll along the creek, shaded by beloved cypress and oak trees. A true oasis, the patio is alive with vibrant flowers and plants and the friendly squirrels who enjoy being spoiled by staff and guests alike with nuts and treats.

Just a 10-minute walk to Wimberley Square, the inn is a full-service property where guests can opt to enjoy total privacy or take advantage of a high level of hospitality. Hearty but healthy breakfasts are made from scratch with love and care and delivered to guests’ doorsteps if they prefer, or they can dine on the patio or in the main house. The caring staff wants guests to feel pampered and relaxed.

VINTAGE OAKS FARM

“You can get that lovely high-end experience — and an incredibly good night’s sleep — without the fuss or pretension,” says Hauk. “There’s not a whole lot like us out there, and it’s hard to know what you’re going to get until you experience the magic.”

Twelve of the 16 rooms have been renovated, and most have jetted soaking tubs. The inn is also committed to non-toxic cleaning — they mop their floors with vinegar, and avoid fragrances in the laundry detergent and rooms, except for a signature essential oil blend, made by Hauk, which is used in diffusers in the rooms. “Our only other fragrances are the natural delicious aromas coming from the kitchen each morning,” she says

Creekhaven Inn has an onsite spa where you can treat yourself to a massage, and bikes and kayaks if you want to play outside. They can also arrange private yoga classes or sound immersion experiences. “You can totally bliss out and never leave your room if you want, feeling safe and secluded … or, with all Wimberley has to

offer, you can excursion out until your heart’s content and enjoy the shopping, wineries, breweries, glass blowing, fishing, golf, horseback riding, hiking and swimming,” says Hauk. They also love hosting retreats — whether it’s corporate or an artist/creative retreat — and bringing people together with intention.

creekhaveninn.com

Vintage Oaks Farm in nearby Driftwood is the ideal location for a wedding or event, situated on 12 acres just seven minutes from Wimberley Square. It also offers charming accommodations for those looking for a getaway.

The Hunters Cabin is a rustic, cozy retreat, perfect for those seeking a tranquil escape surrounded by nature. It is not lacking, though, in modern comforts. With its huge window providing views of wildlife, the cabin’s interior is designed with a blend of vintage hunting and fishing decor alongside contemporary amenities. Guests can unwind by the firepit or enjoy barbecue and scenic views from the private deck.

The Red Rooster cabin adds a touch of whimsy and character to the Vintage Oaks Farm experience. This colorful and uniquely designed cabin stands out with its next-door chicken coop, a source of fresh eggs for guests. The interior is adorned with eclectic decor, making it a delightful place to relax and rejuvenate.

Beyond the cabins, Vintage Oaks Farm provides guests with a serene environment, picturesque surroundings and a range of amenities to ensure a memorable wedding or event. “For couples seeking a wedding experience that seamlessly blends nature’s beauty with timeless romance, the Open Air Chapel is a whimsical haven where love is celebrated amidst the vintage oaks and the magic of the great outdoors,” says owner Sissi Baskin. “The rustling leaves provide a natural symphony, and dappled sunlight filters through the lush canopy creating a dreamy atmosphere.”

A three-day wedding package offers a unique and comprehensive celebration that goes beyond the traditional one-day event. It provides the couple and their guests with a more relaxed and immersive experience, allowing everyone to fully revel in the joyous occasion. They also offer the perk of a certified wedding planner to oversee countless details. “Their expertise, industry connections, and organizational skills contribute to a well-executed and memorable celebration for the couple and their guests,” says Baskin.

The farm is also home to the Live Oak Event Center — a space crafted for corporate excellence. “From state-of-the-art facilities to elegant aesthetics, our event center sets the stage for successful meetings, impactful presentations and unforgettable celebrations,” says Baskin. If you’re seeking a one-of-a-kind location in the Hill Country for your next special occasion, look no further! vintageoaksfarm.com

BIRDSONG CABINS

Birdsong consists of six secluded cabins spread across 10 acres. Every cabin was built from the ground up by owner Rodney Bursiel.

Although Bursiel is now an award winning photographer with his own gallery in Wimberley, he and his father ran a construction company for years. In 1997, Bursiel was savvy enough to buy five acres in a great location on Skyline, off of RR 12, just minutes from the Wimberley Square. He started with two cabins, and admits it took him about seven years to learn about the rental property business. Back then, there was no Airbnb and everything went through one property management company — Wimberley Lodging. In those early years, most of the guests were Houstonians who had seen the cabins advertised in their local newspaper. With nothing but a phone number, they’d book them sight unseen. They were always pleasantly surprised when they arrived. Each Birdsong cabin maintains total privacy — the only life you’ll see from the porches or yards are deer, foxes and birds. All of the cabins have their own private pool, hot tub, king bed and full kitchen — except Little Bird, the cozy yet sleek tiny house with a small kitchen and hot tub out in its courtyard. Each cabin is decorated with care by Bursiel, and features his photographs from around the world. He regularly renovates and updates them to ensure they’re fresh and modern in addition to being cozy and comfy.

Birdsong is a great choice for those seeking the privacy and concept of actual homes, with no shared walls, and little to no interaction with others. It’s a true getaway, four miles from the Square — and just down the road from Jobell Café and Bistro as well as Casa V Wine, where you can stock up on nice wine to bring back to relax under the dark skies and listen to coyotes in the distance. The cabins are also a relatively affordable option given the benefits of having a full kitchen where you can save money by cooking at “home.”

If you’re a nature lover, Birdsong Cabins were created with you in mind! birdsongcabins.com

If you prefer to be closer to the plethora of shops and restaurants, Wimberley Inn + Bar is located in the perfect spot, less than a mile from the hustle and bustle of the Square. “We are close to the action but still secluded enough for a tranquil getaway on our six acres. Our on-site bar and kitchen and oversized pool are great unique amenities, providing for a resort-like experience. With so much to enjoy, some guests feel inclined to spend their entire visit on property!” says innkeeper Ben Webster.

The inn has hosted guests since the ‘80s, but had a full renovation in 2020. New amenities include rainfall walk-in showers, Parachute linens, fresh and eclectic decor with their signature hot pink accents and beautifully xeriscaped grounds. The old innkeeper’s house was converted into a bar and restaurant, serving craft cocktails and delicious bites for guests and locals alike. The bar has a relaxed vibe, decorated like a tasteful living room, with an outdoor deck where twinkle lights and a large fire pit create a lovely ambience. There’s even a little library off the bar if you’d like to peruse the bookshelves while sipping a cocktail. They feature a unique full brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays (menus are available on the website).

Despite the fact that the inn is the largest in Wimberley, there are only 21 guest rooms of varying sizes and configurations, including six larger suites, two of which are exclusive upstairs bar suites. So while guests can enjoy all of the amenities of a hotel, there’s still a rather intimate feel. “Our tiny-but-mighty team is always just a text message away from handling requests, offering recommendations and suggestions, or helping with reservations!” says Webster. wimberleyinn.com

RELAX / HEAL / UNWIND /

Creekhaven Inn

Vintage Oaks Farm

Birdsong Cabins