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January 2015
LOCAL INFORMATION & ADVERTISING
Delicious empanadas in the heart of Dripping
I
By Laurel Robertson
n his native Chile, Polo (Leopoldo) Valdes learned the concept of ‘yapa’— a Quechuan word signifying something extra, given without obligation—a gift. When shoppers in Andean markets
The new storefront for Yapa Artisan Empanadas at 601 Old Fitzhugh Road. Photo courtesy YAPA Artisan Empanadas.
ask for a yapa, the seller usually responds by throwing in a little extra. When Polo decided to start his own business in Texas, he was willing to go the full length—and then some—to please his customers. “Yapa” seemed to exactly express his business plan. In two short years, that plan has blossomed from a farmers market booth in San Antonio into the new storefront business on Old Fitzhugh Road in Dripping Springs—Yapa Artisan Empanadas. Polo loves empanadas, the little hand pies he enjoyed as a child in Chile. When he married a Texan, Laura Tansey, and moved to Houston, he began making empanadas for his friends and co-workers as a way of showing them something of his country and himself. They all soon learned to love empanadas, too. “I always knew I could be an entreSee YAPA Artisan Empanadas, page 2
Husband and wife team Polo Valdes and Laura Tansey of Yapa Artisan Empanadas. Look for their new storefront opening this month on Old Fitzhugh Road. You can also find them at Dripping Springs Farmers Market. Photo courtesy YAPA Artisan Empanadas.
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YAPA ARTISAN EMPANADAS, from page 1
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From traditional Chilean to Texan (brisket!) empanadas, Polo Valdes honors the tastes of his homeland and his new home with delicious offerings at YAPA Artisan Empanadas. Photo courtesy YAPA Artisan Empanadas. preneur, could run my own business,” From a traditional Chilean empasays the eager young man with the flash- nada - The Conquistador (beef, onion, aji ing dark eyes. [dried, smoked red pepper]with toasted The couple spent many weekends coriander seed, black olive, hard-boiled traveling to the Hill Country to enjoy its egg and raisins) to a traditional Texan wineries, but Polo and Laura noticed there one - Come y Calla (smoked brisket with wasn’t a lot of food barbecue sauce and available to accomTexas and Lousiana pickles on the side), pany the wine. Polo honors the tastes “In Chile, empa- residents may be familiar of his homeland and nadas always go with the word “lagniappe” his new home. There’s with wine,” Polo also a braised chicken explains, and a busi- — a small gift given with empanada, a caramelness idea was born. ized onion one, spinach a purchase, a bonus, With help from and goat cheese (with an unexpected benefit. pecans!), a cheese and an artist friend who drew the Yapa logo, The word is taken from mushroom with onfeaturing stars for ions, and a new sweet American Spanish, the flags of both potato with cinnamon Chile and Texas empanada. la ~napa, “the gift” (which are uncanniPolo takes great —originally from the ly similar, he notes), pride in sourcing his Polo launched his Quechuan word yapa. i n g r e d i e n t s— e v e n business after he and smoking his own meats Laura moved to San for the chicken and Antonio to live with family. He began sell- beef empanadas—and making his own ing his empanadas in the farmers market Chilean-style salsa. there, and with brisk sales, quickly exBesides the storefront, Yapa empanapanded to two markets. das can be found on Wednesdays at the Cooking in a rented restaurant kitch- Dripping Springs Farmers Market (at the en during its off-hours wasn’t an easy Triangle, 3 pm to 7 pm), and in San Antonio lifestyle, but Polo persevered. When the on Saturdays at the Pearl Farmers Market couple bought land in Driftwood, Polo and Sundays at The Yard Farmers Maropened another booth at the Dripping ket. Once the Old Fitzhugh Road storeSprings Farmers Market and began search- front is settled, Polo would like to take his ing the area for a permanent kitchen/ empanadas to farmers markets in Austin. storefront. He found the perfect location Yapa Empanadas also caters parties and on Old Fitzhugh Road, and began making special events. his empanadas for market there last July. FYI • Yapa Artisan Empanadas are available at the This month, Yapa Artisan Empanadas be- Dripping Springs Farmers Market (Wednesdays, 3 pm to 7 pm gins counter service and a small dine-in at the Triangle) or their new storefront located at 601 Old area for empanada lovers (and those who Fitzhugh Road. For hours of operation and more info, visit will quickly become one). www.yapaartisanempanadas.com.
JANUARY 2015
Historic Districts in Dripping Springs
C
By Laurel Robertson
onfucius said “Study the past if you would define the future.” To better shape its future, Dripping Springs is making new efforts to preserve its past. As envisioned in its Comprehensive Plan of 2010, the Dripping Springs City Council voted in December to create the Old Fitzhugh Road Historic District. It becomes the city’s second historic district, after the Mercer Street Historic District, created in 2007. The ordinance creating the new district was studied and debated for months by the city’s Historic Preservation Commission, its Planning and Zoning Commission, and city staff—all with input from the public at a number of commission and council meetings. A proposed third district, the Hays Street Historic District, is currently being studied by commissions and staff and will be open for public comment at commission and council meetings. A final vote by city council is expected early in 2015. Historic districts enable a city to enact special zoning and architectural protections within an area to better protect historic structures and preserve the area’s special character, say the city, the state of Texas and regional planning experts. Historic districts also have positive economic and social effects on communities, they report, by helping give a community a sense of place and repopulating downtown areas; increasing property values by up to 20 percent; offering owners incentives such as reduced property and sales taxes, waived fees and more flexible development regulations; and attracting
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tourists and their dollars, helping local economies grow. Historic preservation consultant Eugene Foster, of Roark-Foster Consulting, completed an in-depth survey of the Old See Historic Districts, page 4
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HISTORIC DISTRICTS, from page 3
Fitzhugh area for the city this past fall and concluded that more than 50 percent of the structures in it meet historical criteria. His report describes it as “a neighborhood that retains a high concentration of historic-age properties, primarily residential, that reflect the city’s history of growth and development in the late-nineteenth to mid-twentieth century period.” Old Fitzhugh Road (really more of a street) begins at Mercer Street, across from The Mercantile, and runs a half-mile to meet Ranch Road 12 North. In the years before Ranch Road 12 was built, Old Fitzhugh was the main road leading to Fitzhugh Community, about eight miles northeast of Dripping Springs. When County Road 101 (Fitzhugh Road) took over as the main east/west route north of town, the bypassed little street became known as “Old Fitzhugh” and sank into a residential retirement. For years it sat in tree-lined obscurity, commonly populated by ranchers’ widows who moved into town when their children took over running the ranch. Many residents back then referred to it as “Widows Lane.” But things have been changing on Old Fitzhugh in the last few years. One by one, old houses have been turned into small, chic businesses. A couple of years ago, an upscale condo project sprang up just down the road from a cow pasture. The street itself, patched upon patches for time immemorial, is now a paved ribbon of smooth asphalt. After shepherding the Old Fitzhugh Road Historic District Ordinance through council, the commissions and city staff are now turning their attentions to creating an Historic Overlay District. An overlay district is a second layer of zoning regulation, superimposed on a regular zoning district, typically providing a higher level of regulation for areas such as downtowns and historic districts. See Historic Districts, page 5
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Mercer Street Historic District monument at the west end of Mercer Street by City Hall. Photo by Laurel Robertson.
JANUARY 2015 HISTORIC DISTRICTS, from page 4
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Pink West Salon on Old Fitzhugh Road. Photo courtesy Pink West Salon. The proposed Overlay District could take the form of a single large district that encompasses all three historic districts along with areas that border them, including Highway 290 from Ranch Road 12 to Creek Road, or council could decide to create smaller overlay districts, coterminous with the individual historic districts. Discussions and decisions will be ongoing at commission and council meeting for the next few weeks. The public is encouraged to keep up with developments by attending Histori-
cal Preservation Commission, Planning and Zoning Commission and Dripping Springs City Council meetings. Agendas for all council, commission and committee meetings and minutes for city council meetings are posted on the city’s website; meeting dates and times are posted on the calendar. FYI • For more information on the Mercer Street Historic District, the Old Fitzhugh Historic District, the proposed Hays Street Historic District and proposed Overlay District(s), visit the City of Dripping Springs website: www.cityofdrippingsprings.com, or call City Hall at 512-858-4725.
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EXCUSES ARE SO LAST YEAR.
Dripping Springs Calendar EVERY SUNDAY • Live Jazz Brunch at the Nutty Brown Cafe. www.nuttybrown.com. EVERY MONDAY • Rotary Club Meets. 11:45 am at Flores Restaurant, 2440 East Highway 290. 11:45 am. www.drippingspringsrotary. org. • Boy Scout Troop 280 meets at St. Martin de Porres Church Hall. 512-904-0444, ckichuk@yahoo.com, drippingsprings280.mytroop.us. SECOND MONDAYS • Group of Dripping Springs (GODS) Moms meets at Dripping Springs Methodist Church 9 am to 11:15 am. 512-894-0581. FOURTH MONDAYS • Artists of Dripping Springs. Gatherings at area studios. 512-894-0394. • Gen. Ben McCulloch 2435, UDC meets at the Veterans Hall, 27500 Ranch Road 12 at 7 pm. Call Sharon Hudson at 512858-7177. EVERY TUESDAY • Dripping Springs Toastmasters. 6:30 pm at Pioneer Bank, 100 Creek Road. Visitors welcome. www. dstoastmasters.com.
EVERY TUESDAY • Dripping Springs Property Tour. 512579-7711, dshometour@gmail.com. SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH TUESDAYS • Dripping Springs Boy Scout Troop 101 meets. Dripping Springs United Methodist Church. 7 pm. Tom Chenault at 512-707-7488. FIRST and THIRD TUESDAYS • Lions Club meets. 6 pm at Flores Restaurant. Sharon at 512-858-5159. SECOND TUESDAYS • Friends of the Dripping Springs Community Library. 11 am . 512-7713217 or friendsofdslibrary@gmail. com for information and volunteer opportunities. EVERY WEDNESDAY • Dripping Springs Farmers Market. The Triangle (Highway 290/ Ranch Road 12) 3 pm to 7 pm. cityofdrippingsprings. com. • Open Mic at Mercer Street Dance Hall hosted by Nick Gatwood. www. mercerstreetdancehall.com. • Awana. Wednesday. Henly Baptist Church. henlybaptistchurch.org. See CALENDAR, page 7
JOIN in JANUARY
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JANUARY 2015 CALENDAR, from page 6 SECOND WEDNESDAY • Free Alzheimer’s Support Group meets at Arveda Alzheimer ’s Family Care, 11013 Signal Hill Drive. RSVP to 512-6375400. www.arvedacare.com. EVERY THURSDAY • Hill Country Jam at Mercer Street Dance Hall with Doug Moreland. Free. 7:30 pm. www.mercerstreetdancehall. com. • Thyme and Dough Bistro Nights with live music, dinners and decadent desserts. 6 pm to 9 pm. 512-894-0001. • Henly Baptist Church JOY (Just Older Youth) Club meets at 9:30 am. www. henlybaptistchurch.org. FIRST THURSDAYS • Dripping Springs American Legion 7 pm. 512-858-5637. FIRST AND THIRD THURSDAY • Lions Club meets at 131 East Mercer Street. 512-858-5159. SECOND THURSDAYS • Knights of Columbus, Council 11695, meets at the St Martin de Porres Parrish Hall on Post Oak Road, at 7:30 pm . Preceded by a pot luck dinner. THIRD THURSDAYS • Dripping Springs Cookoff Club. Meets at 6:30 pm in the VFW Hall in Dripping Springs. ryoncrew@yahoo.com. • Dripping Springs VFW meets. 27500 Ranch Road 12. 7 pm. 512-858-5637. • Thirsty Thursday meets at 7 pm at 1042 DS Ranch Road, in the ranch house located at Dripping Springs Ranch Park. Poets, musicians, songwriters and storytellers now share work under the co-sponsorship of the City of Dripping Springs and New Life Lutheran Church. 512-858-2024. FOURTH THURSDAY • Photographers of Dripping Springs (PODS). Dripping Springs Community Library. 6:30 pm. 512-524-7897. EVERY FRIDAY • Men’s Breakfast at Fitzhugh Baptist Church. 6:30 am. 512-913-4808. • Free wine tasting and art gallery. 5 pm to 8 pm at Cedar Valley Spirits. www.
cedarvalleyspirits.com. • Storytime Art, or StArt! is a great opportunity for your young child to experience art. Storytimes are geared to the 3 – 5 year old preschooler, but some projects easily translate into a Mommy and Me project for those a little younger. Anyone older is welcome, as well. Storytimes include at least one book and a related art project, and often include surprises like songs, poems, and coloring pages. Cost is $12 per child, or buy a punch-card and get 6 classes for $60! Please call to register. 512-852-9900. 10:45 am at The Art Garage Austin. FIRST SATURDAY • Low Cost Pet Vaccinations at Tractor Supply. 512-858-7229. EVERY FRIDAY & SATURDAY • Dance Lessons at Mercer Street Dance Hall. 7:30 pm. Get more information at www.mercerstreetdancehall.com. 512858-4314. SECOND & FOURTH SATURDAY • P e t A d o p t i o n S p o n s o re d b y Thundering Paws Animal Sanctuary. Tractor Supply. 512-402-9725. JANUARY 2 • Bob Appel. Traditional live country music at Mercer Street Dancehall. www.mercerstreetdancehall.com. JANUARY 30 • Stephen Chadwick. Live music at Mercer Street Dancehall. www. mercerstreetdancehall.com. FEBRUARY 2, 9, 16, 23 • Cajun Night at Nutty Brown Cafe. Enjoy zesty Cajun eats and zestier Zydeco music from Charles Thibodeaux’s Cajun Trio! Food 6 pm to 10 pm and music from 7 pm to 10 pm. No cover. www. nuttybrown.com. FEBRUARY 7 •Michael Myers. Live country music at Mercer Street Dancehall. www. mercerstreetdancehall.com. FEBRUARY 14 • Te j a s B r o t h e r s . L i v e m u s i c at Mercer Street Dancehall. www. mercerstreetdancehall.com.
aesthetics
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Carrie Napiorkowski
Medical Spa Lead Aesthetician, Texas Licensed Aesthetic Educator
By appointment, please call 512-447-2888 511 Old Fitzhugh Rd J Dripping Springs, Texas 7
We’re the professionals specializing in customer satisfaction since 1993
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