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12 West Texas Excursion Lubbock, TX 24 Luxury Real Estate The Red Rock House 34 Door County

Wisconsin’s Secret 46 Texas Highland Lakes The Unknown Hill Country 60 Watches Timepieces to Envy 74 Cars Automobiles to Envy 88 Quick Looks Automobile Must Haves

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ON YOUR SMARTPHONE, TABLET AND PC SPRING ISSUE 2020 PUBLISHER Madwest Media LLC GRAPHIC DESIGN Madwest Media Staff CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Andrew Chalk, Timothy Miller, Madwest Media Staff PHOTOGRAPHY Andrew Chalk, Timothy Miller, Madwest Media Staff COVER Courtesy of Mercedes Benz USA FREE DIGITAL ONLINE QUARTERLY SUBSCRIPTION www.modernlifestyles.vip EDITORIAL INQUIRIES & SUBMISSIONS editorial@modernlifestyles.vip ADVERTISING advertising@modernlifestyles.vip

WWW.MODERNLIFESTYLES.VIP MODERN LIFESTYLES is published by Madwest Media, LLC. PUBLISHED DIGITALLY IN THE U.S.A. Modern Lifestyles is available FREE on your smartphone, tablet and computer at www.modernlifestyles.vip. All advertising is subject to publisher approval before acceptance. Modern Lifestyles reserves the right to refuse any ad for any reason. Advertiser’s warrant and represent that the descriptions of the products and services advertised are true in all respects. Modern Lifestyles assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Modern Lifestyles, Madwest Media, LLC, its officers, directors, employees and agents make no recommendations as to the purchase or sale of any product, service, or other items. As an open source publication various features, photography, graphics and articles have been reprinted with permission given by their authors and/or publishers. All views expressed in all articles are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Modern Lifestyles. Modern Lifestyles is a trademark of Madwest Media, LLC. Copyright ©2019 All rights reserved. Reprinting, in whole or in part, is expressly encouraged with or without written permission of the publisher.

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Not Your Father’s

Lubbock

WORDS Andrew Chalk

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The National Ranching Heritage Center

I have visited Lubbock over a dozen times over the course of the last decade, knowing

it mainly as the center of the Texas wine grape growing industry. Over three quarters of Texas wine grapes are grown in the Texas High Plains and while the growers are dispersed, in some cases over a hundred miles apart, Lubbock is the hub. A tip of the hat to Buddy Holly too, who posthumously has become Lubbock’s most famous citizen.

It was always a friendly, but rather sleepy town where they hadn’t invented traffic and lots of downtown buildings looked a bit worse for wear. There were periodic flickers of new development but it would have been speculative to have called it a change of trend.

Now things are different. I went back last month for an extended media tour and found a city where there is substantial development on several fronts: the aforementioned wine industry, restaurants, craft brewers, and culture. All of this takes place in an environment where established historical museums, which have always been one of the town’s strengths, are as vital and viable as ever. All this changes its offering to visitors.

In tandem with the rest of Texas, the population grew from 2010 to today (from 231,000 to 256,000) and maybe it is that which has given the town critical mass to become a tourist destination in its own right.

Our accommodations were provided by the Arbor Hotel and Conference Center. Everything in this hotel looks brand spanking new but it has actually been open a decade. It is my new go-to hotel in town. It is part of Choice Hotels, in their Aspire brand, one of the two top tier brands in their portfolio of twelve. Let’s take a look at what to see and do, broken down alphabetically in categories.

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Brewers The Brewery LBK More a brewpub than a brewery but The Brewery LBK crams a lot of choices in a small space. Set in one corner of the same restored Pioneer Building as The West Table (see blow) they nonetheless brew over a dozen beers. The beer maven in our group pronounced their IPA (7.2%, 68 IBU) the best beer of the trip. I liked the Irish Red Ale (5.1%, 19 IBU) and the Brown Ale (6.5%, 31 IBU) might get me to move back to brown ale after a long hiatus.

Two Docs Brewing Company Close to downtown, two blocks from the forthcoming Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences, Two Docs Brewing Company is a craft brewery founded by two doctors Tyson Purdy and Eric Cunningham who liked to drink together is brewing some pretty interesting beers. Buddy Hoppy IPA is the most popular with a bold 8.2% ABV (Alcohol By Volume) and 70 IBU (International Bitterness Units). At the opposite end of the power spectrum the light, easy-drinking beer is Lubbock Light, a lager with half the alcohol and only 9 IBUs. In between are a wheat beers, red ales, and a hazy New England style IPA. As well as interior tables near the tanks, Two Docs has a large exterior patio overlooking their parking lot. Although not preparing any food of their own food trucks are encouraged to park next to the brewery and the whole social scene is family and dog-friendly.

Culture Buddy Holly Center The Buddy Holly Center is a celebration of one of the legends of modern music, it is hard to believe that Buddy Holly’s prolific professional career spanned only eighteen months before his tragic death in a plane crash. This museum tells us how he grew up, what was around him, and provides a chronology of his time on the music scene. Compact, it only occupies two rooms, even an hour’s visit is richly rewarding.

Currently under construction nearby is an imposing new performance hall. The City

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wisely decided to name it The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences. Dwarfing everything nearby it may be the most impressive modern building in town. When finished, Lubbock will get a lot more cultural attention from other cities. I would move the Buddy Holly Center into this building if I were in charge.

Charles Adams Studio Project An innovative, privately funded project to give artists live-work spaces so that they can pursue their careers. The artists do have some monthly expenses for the lease and they do have to be open to the public at the First Friday Art Trail, but the overall obligations are not onerous. Four units are already leased and others are available. Plans are to extend the number as both a response to the growth of the Arts District and a cause of it.

Texas Tech University Public Art When a major construction project is approved at the Texas Tech campus, one percent of the budget is set aside for public art. The approval of the project leads to a request-for-proposals from the global artist community. Artists with successful proposals are given a stipend to present the idea. The winner is given the budget to create their piece of work, a process that can often take as long as the construction process itself.

The result of this policy is that there are now over 100 pieces of art set around the campus, many of them by well-known artists from all over the world.It is rated as one of the top ten public art collections in the U.S. by the Public Art Review.

There is a lot more to see at the 36,000 student campus of Texas Tech University. It is a major contributor to the artistic life and Lubbock economy.

History National Ranching Heritage Center The National Ranching Heritage Center (NRHC) is a museum dedicated to preserve and interpret the history of ranching in North America and address contemporary ranching issues. Funding comes from Texas Tech University and the Ranching Heritage Association (a 16 ModernLifestyles.vip 16 ModernLifestyles.vip

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non-profit member organization that supports the efforts and mission of the NRHC.Rather than a building housing exhibits, the NRHC occupies a 19-acre park.

Visitors take a tour, usually self-guided via a map or app, around 50 historic structures relocated and restored to show how ranchers lived from the 1700s to the mid 1900s. Many of the buildings are dwellings and it is striking how small they are by modern standards. Some are just one room (a cabin) and others are 2 or more rooms (a house). Large families often had two bedrooms for the children. One for all the boys and one for all the girls. Ranches would often not expect or want a bed when on a cattle drove, preferring to sleep on the ground on their bedrolls.

As well as the buildings take a look at the artifacts of ranching such as saddles, utensils, and household items.

Restaurants Cocina de La Sirena Lubbock could put many larger cities to shame with the quality of its Latin American tapas scene. Leading this charge is Cocina de La Sirena, a mother-daughter restaurant in the peculiarly named Crocodile Alley.

Start with the revelatary pulled quail empanadas ($15) in which the chunky meat filling packs some of the best short pastry you’ll taste anywhere. If you choose to go with two tapas then the other might be the Peruvian style Ceviche de la Casa ($14) in which shrimp and scallops provide the protein and red onion, cucumber, and serrano chilies the punchy leche de tigre.

Complement the food with a flight of tequila. Three tequilas selected from one of three lists at varying price points ($25/$35/$45). Cocktails and wines are also available.

Crafthouse Gastropub More a restaurant than a pub, CraftHouse Gastropub bustles around service time as a ravenous crowd descends to chow down on massive burgers, wide pizzas, grilled beef tritip, twice fried fries,all followed by desserts of banoffee pie (a sinful combination of dulce ModernLifestyles.vip 17 ModernLifestyles.vip 17

de leche, banana, graham crackers and brown sugar whipped cream), butternut squash cake and baked chocolate tartlet.

I recommend the cauliflower soup, a thick, tasty concoction infused with tumeric and spicy minted yogurt. The twice fried fries for that crisp exoskeleton and creamy inside.

Seared jumbo scallops (with poached apple, beets, turnips, swiss chard, and honey cider reduction) and kelli’s mushroom grain risotto (sorghum, roasted mushrooms, garlic, parmesan, butter, rosemary and Brussels sprouts).

The wine list has some interesting options such as Zuccardi Cabernet Sauvignon, Pheasant Ridge Chardonnay and McPherson Tempranillo Blend ‘La Herencia’. The latter two from Texas. Overall, the selection of beers, by virtue of the reserve list, is the strongest line of adult beverages.

Evie Mae’s Pit Barbeque Head to Wolfforth, just southwest of town, for some of the best Texas barbeque in the state at Evie Mae’s Pit Barbeque. Arnis and Mallory Robbins started their enterprise in Arizona in 2015 as a food truck, naming it in honor of their daughter, Evelyn. They moved to Texas for family reasons and In 2016 built the current fixed location, a large restaurant area, meat shop, and bakery. In the smoker, they use oak.

In June 2017 Evie Mae’s was named the ninth best barbeque in Texas by Texas Monthly Magazine.

At noon the line stretches from the counter back to the back wall and curls around along the front wall of the building. It moves quickly but this place has a following. Hours are 11am until it’s gone, Wednesday to Sunday. As well as eat-in and take-out they also cater.

The brisket is juicy tender with a crisp bark.

All beef is Certified Angus Beef, prime grade.

Stuffing slices into my mouth is heaven. The earthy flavor, buttery sweetness, the oozing fat, is all glorious. The artisan-made German sausage, stuffed with green chili and cheese, satisfies a different urge. Pork ribs yield mouthfuls of meat with barely a shrug of protest. All of these can be complemented with Evie Mae’s bar18 ModernLifestyles.vip

beque sauce, a medium sweetness, medium acid version of the Texas standard served from large squeegee bottles set out on the tables.

The secret craving at Evie Mae’s may be the sides, The baked potato salad is hot, and made in house daily. Cream and cheese are mixed in, making it a first class dish in its own right. Warm green chile cheese grits bring corn’s sweetness to the table modulated with hits of jalapeño,, or take your corn as one of disk-shaped jalopeño cornbread cakes. Green beans are mixed with slices of bacon imparting a meaty, seasoned flavor and softening the bean fibres.

If you save room (unfortunately, I did not) there is a daily selection of homemade pies, cakes, and cookies ($3.99).

King Street Pub It’s decor is lifted from Victorian drawing room but the menu at King Street Pub is contemporary American gastropub. Good choices for evening appetizers are avocado toast ($11), wild game meatballs ($12) built from elk, wild boar, and buffalo, all sitting in a red barbecue salsa. Best mains are a flexible tikka masala ($14) that can come vegetarian with the creamy chocolate brown sauce on black rice or amped up with chicken or shrimp ($4). Fan favorite half pound burgers (on house brioche buns) start at ($11).

King Street Pub is an ideal date choice family special occasion night out.

The West Table Kitchen and Bar The West Table is an early example of a modern, big city style restaurant setting up for business in downtown Lubbock. Founders are Rachel and Cameron West, locals who spent 20 years in hospitality in Napa and around Texas before eventually settling back in Lubbock where Cameron’s grandfather had been mayor.

The restaurant is in the iconic Pioneer Hotel originally constructed in 1925 and restored in 2005 by McDougal Companies. The upper floors are condominiums. The ground floor is where The West Table is located.

The cuisine is New American with both local and global ingredients and a reference to sustainability. On the menu, I can vouch for ModernLifestyles.vip 19

the crab hushpuppies as unspoiled and uncut examples of their type. Roasted Bone Marrow with Onion Marmalade for its earthy organ meat richness. A soup du jour of green chili was heart-warming, richly flavored, and a recipe to be ‘larcenized’.

Under main courses is Chicken Tikka Masala, a dish that appears everywhere in Lubbock (by ordinance?). Lomo Saltado, a Peruvian beef stirfry recipe, and NOLA shrimp and grits. They are all executed with aplomb.

Wineries Burklee Hill Vineyards Burklee Hill Vineyards is a Texas winery based in nearby Levelland. They are owned by Chase and Elizabeth Hill and were only founded in 2016, but under a different name. In 2018 they adopted the Burklee Hill name. Their founding principles are to make the best wine possible and to source from 100% Texas grapes. Currently, most of their grapes come from their own Krick Hill Vineyard, making their wines truly Estate Grown. Their tasting room is in Levelland Main Street in a charming century old building. This will remain open but they expect to open an additional tasting room in downtown Lubbock before the end of 2019. That is likely to increase their direct contact with consumers manyfold as the location is superb, being just over the street from The West Table and The Brewery LBK (both discussed elsewhere in this article).

The best wines are the pinot grigio, among whites, and montepulciano, among reds.

English Newsom Cellars One of the finest winery buildings in the Lubbock area is now owned and occupied by English Newsom Cellars, a joint venture between businessman Tommy English and veteran grape grower Steve Newsom. The winery had a chequered past before this team took it over. Now they are getting down to making some wine as English Newsom Cellars that befits the quality of the state of the art equipment provided at the cellar. The winery sources grapes from its own vineyards at the winery and in Hockley County, giving it “estate grown” status on all of its wines.

Early results are promising with albariño, 20 ModernLifestyles.vip

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cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and tempranillo all impressive.

Llano Estacado Winery Llano Estacado is the oldest winery in the Texas High Plains, having been founded in 1976

by Clinton “Doc” McPherson and Robert Reed, Texas Tech chemistry professors who had a notion that the best species of wine grapes, vitis vinifera (the species used to make the best wines in the world), would grow and thrive in the High Plains. So different was the attitude to wine at that time that Lubbock County was ‘dry’ (i.e. no alcohol sales). They also built it out of thick breezeblocks, figuring that some non-drinking locals might be inclined to come and shoot it up.

Now, Texas law is favorable to wineries and Llano Estacado has grown to be the largest seller of Texas wine with retail representation across the state, and in several other states. The tasting room, which used to be a small reception room at the front of the winery, was replaced in 2015 with a brand new Napa-quality facility next door which draws thousands of visitors each week.

Different wines are rotated through the tasting room but look for albariño, chardonnay, and 1836 White Blend (53% viognier, 38% marsanne, and 9% roussanne) among the whites, and tempranillo and sangiovese among the reds.

McPherson Cellars Kim McPherson, owner of McPherson Cellars, is the son of Doc McPherson, one of the founders of the Texas wine industry, and has a degree in enology and viticulture from the premiere wine training school in the United States, the University of California, Davis. He founded McPherson Cellars in 2008, converting a historic 1930s era Coca-Cola bottling plant in downtown Lubbock.

A tasting of McPherson Cellars wines reveals most clearly a thoroughgoing consistency of quality throughout the product line. They are now sold not just in Texas but in many states on the East Coast as well.

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PHOTO CREDIT Robert Reck, Stephen Miller, Jeremy Bitterman

The Red Rock House

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Berkshires Township, New York

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Red Rock New York

Anmahian Winton Architects “This home is located in a small Berkshires township on a densely wooded, 16-acre property. The site initially afforded no views and little sun penetration, its topography defined by a steep slope, a vertical rock ledge along its east edge, and a creek prone to seasonal flooding to the west.

These dramatic elements informed the siting of the buildings and the ways that landscape, views, and daylight could be integrated into the design.

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The project embraces a “machine in the garden� design approach, where contemporary vocabulary and minimal form underscore the relationship between built work and natural landscape.

AW collaborated closely with Cambridge-based landscape architects Reed-Hilderbrand on both the development of sustainable foresting as well as the design of garden terraces and architectural landscape walls.

The initial design strategy focused on manipulating the site to preserve as much of its natural topography as possible. A 200-foot long board-formed concrete retaining wall runs north to south along the site’s east edge to expose new plateaus for buildings, garden, and meadow.

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Clinging to this wall, the guesthouse anchors the building assembly in the steep hillside, while the main house and deck project out from the landform into the treetops. A linear bluestone path connects guesthouse and main house, and leads to the west balcony in the tree-tops, looking out over the creek below.

A minimal materials palette evokes both rusticity and precision, reflecting the juxtaposed orders of landscape and architecture. Buildings are clad in a high performance rainscreen of knotty western red cedar boards, milled with multiple profiles to generate a pattern that changes with the sun’s movement. The boards are organized within vertical bays delineated by aluminum T-sections, producing a textured rhythm that accommodates openings, fenestration, and screens. Lattice volumes created with aluminum L-sections indicate primary entrance to both buildings, while screening interior spaces from exposure to southern sun. Building interiors are entirely white, emphasizing the play of light, the client’s collection of art, and views of the landscape.�

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COUNTY WISCONSIN’S SECRET WORDS Andrew Chalk

North of Chicago, north of Green Bay, is a peninsula in Wisconsin that points out indicatively at Lake Michigan and Canada as if to say “Come This Way”. At the tip is a body of water named Porte des Morts. French which loosely translates to “Death’s Door”.

The early settlers took this and named the county that occupies two thirds of the peninsula Door County. Therein are the origins of the name of one of the most interesting vacation destinations one could imagine.

In the winter, Door County is peaceful, free of traffic, hurry, and all of the exigencies of everyday life. In the summer, Chicagoans flock to the area for its rural charm and peaceful ambience. Texans should consider it any time of year, to escape the summer heat, or for a winter sojourn. It is so easy to reach with flights through Chicago to Green Bay or Appleton.

What else do you find in a county with town names like Sturgeon Bay, Egg Harbor, Fish Creek, and Sister Bay? I recently visited as part of a media contingent courtesy of the Door County Visitor Bureau. I came away impressed with the diversity of activities for visitors seeking outdoor lifestyle, natural beauty, local crafts, honest food, authentic beer and spirits, and friendly people.

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Chris Renard, Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker

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RENARD’S CHEESE Heading north out of Green Bay on state highway 57, just after you cross into Door County, Renard’s Cheese shop is on the left. It is worth pulling over for as they have won medals at the cheese olympics, the American Cheese Society annual show (in 2019 they won first place for their whip string cheese, 2nd place for their farmer’s cheese with pesto, and third place for their string cheese).

Renard’s was established in 1961 by Howard Renard. Now the third generation of the family, Chris and wife Ann, run it. Chris achieved Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker status in 2014 (in cheddar and mozzarella), putting him in an exclusive class of just 60 in the state. The creamerie is a quarter of an hour away near Forestville.

The store features all of Renard’s cheeses, other Wisconsin food products, and a café serving serious sandwiches drawing on local ingredients.

The café makes this a good place to grab lunch.

The pulled pork and Wisconsin cherry sandwich that I tried saw the meat bulging out of a bouncy ciabatta bun lined with a slice of drizzling melted cheddar cheese and prolific specks of chopped tart Wisconsin cherries. Added to a bottle of the local non-alcoholic apple cider it was filling and rewarding.

Head over to the tasting counter where, on my visit, were a dozen varieties of Renard’s cheese cubed small enough to be speared with a cocktail stick alongside a range of condiments including a local honey mustard that one could smear on the provided bread chunks but which was so mild that it really did not need any accompaniment. Cheese preference is a matter of taste of course and I opted to buy a mild farmer’s cheese that will serve as a hors d’oeuvre in its own right and a powerful apple harvest cheddar cheese laced with cinnamon. With a refrigerator in my hotel room I could keep these fresh for several days before I took them home. Renard’s specialty is the cheddar category but other categories like blue and double cream cheese are provided by third- party brands.

In response to my enquiries the lady serving me produced a two-year old cheddar that exhibited a notch up in intensity and drier composition. The oldest she had tried was a full 15 36 ModernLifestyles.vip

years old. Having inculcated a healthy respect for 7-year old cheese elsewhere, that must have had an alligator’s bite and a hardness requiring sound molars.

The other products at the store include relishes, sauces, Wisconsin wine and chocolates, which are worth your attention. However, at Renard’s, cheese is the main game and worth stopping for.

Renard’s sells online (currently less than 5% of total sales and ripe for improvement) as well as at their two company stores and various retailers, so their cheeses are widely available.

LIVING Baileys Harbor Yacht Club Resort For exceptional accommodations choose this resort and specify one of their suites. They really are an example of design thinking. The lounge with fireplace has the kitchen bar at one end so a group or family could prepare food and watch TV at the same time. I loved using the kitchen counter as my work surface because of the large amount of space and exceptional lighting.

Afterwards I slumped on the sofa and watched a movie. The kitchen has all the appliances you have at home and supplies lots of cutlery and crockery if you want to cook. The bedroom has its own TV (which I liked a lot) and a big comfortable bed with oodles of pillows and a welcoming mattress. Every evening when I returned to my room housekeeping had done an exceptional job of making me look like a clean living member of the human race.

For the fitness conscious there is a gym, and indoor and outdoor pools.

I didn’t get to try the restaurant but the lobby coffee was rich and tasty. The lobby staff were always cheerful and knowledgeable about the local area. That is useful as the Ridges Sanctuary is nearby, as is Baileys Harbor Beach.

EATS Door County Coffee & Tea For a hearty American breakfast with a twist on the usual favorites head to Door County Coffee & Tea (DCC&T) just north of Sturgeon Bay. While familiar ingredients like eggs and bacon are present DCC&T does not own a fryer, so baking substitutes. The result is a menu where baked egg scrambles topped with cheese (this is Wisconsin) and...bacon, or sausage, or veggies, or ModernLifestyles.vip 37

Denver (ham, pepper, onions), or Mexican (salsa, onions, sausage), or nothing. They are all large and imposing enough to face the day with.

My personal favorite, to be reproduced in amateur form at home, was the breakfast burrito.

Eggs, potatoes, peppers, onions, sausage, bacon, and cheese stuffed in a tightly wrapped tortilla squashed in a sandwich machine to leave striations in it and dry out the flour enough to crisp the outer layer. Douse it with Cholula to conceal the conceit. There is also a cabinet of baked goods that are worth a look.

Either way, don’t miss the coffee because this is getting to the root of what these folks are about. Behind the restaurant is a whole raw beans to roaster to packed coffee operation employing over 80 people. From here they ship coffee to all 50 states and such national retailers such as Costco (in Wisconsin), Target (in Wisconsin), online at Walmart, Amazon, and Cole’s, and in several regional supermarket chains.

Vicki Wilson, co- founder and CEO, explains where they source on a large world map in the training room. The focus is on Arabica beans grown above 2,500 ft elevation with a direct channel to suppliers who maintain high standards of quality. For that reason they currently do not buy any coffee from the world’s largest producing country, Brazil. They do buy a lot from East Africa (Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya), South America (Columbia, Peru, and Bolivia), Asia (Papua New Guinea, Sumatra, and Java), Central and South America (Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica) as well as Hawaii and Jamaica.

On the side of each package is the phrase 100% Specialty Class 1 Arabica Coffee. That is important as words like ‘specialty’, and ‘Arabica’ have strict meanings and are not just the flotsam and jetsam of happy waffle one commonly reads on consumer packages. A quick comparison found them missing entirely from a bag of Starbucks beans and partially present on a bag of beans from Dunkin’ Donuts.

Kick Ash Bakery Take one family with a scandinavian heritage and a passion for granola, one vacant Lutheran church in Ellison Bay, and what do you get? Kick Ash Bakery, named after the Ash family com38 ModernLifestyles.vip

prised of Christian and Carol Ash and their four children. Carol spends most of the time on the business (Christian is an airline pilot and drives to and from Chicago for assignments every few days). She started with granola, Christian later added coffee roasting. Moving into the vacated Lutheran church (which had most recently been an art gallery) they found themselves with more space so they added a co-working space offering high speed Internet to visitors to the area.

Gluten-free baked goods round out the mix. The coffee is exceptional and the blueberry muffins are memorable.

Door County Candy At last. A candy store that actually makes its own candy! You can even see the equipment.

And what good candy Door County Candy makes. I particularly liked the selection of truffles and was pleased to find milk chocolate (sorry purists) even better than I remember growing up.

Affable owner and chocolatier Terry Ullman has made candy for over 50 years and now makes ice cream, malts, fudge, chocolate, gourmet popcorn, salt water taffy. He buys domestic and imported candy to supplement his line.

Julie’s Park Café Julie’s Park Café (strictly, Julie’s Park Café and Motel) is a charming little breakfast and lunch spot located next to the entrance to Peninsula State Park. Eat in, or get a takeout from the extensive American breakfast menu, lunch items like sandwiches and burgers, and salads. The patio is dog-friendly, which brings us to the ‘motel’ part of the name. The motel is positively effusive about its love for dogs so if you plan on bringing a pup, give Julie’s a serious look.

There is a sense of humor at work here too.

Winter open café hours are listed as ‘6:59am2:01pm’. It is astonishing how protracted a process it is for the human mind to recalibrate that to 7-2!

Serious Mojo - Mojo Rosa’s, Egg Harbor Take a Mexican/pizza/burger menu and a local beer milieu and what do you get? A whole lot of fun, that’s what. Kim Jensen’s relaxed homage to good time food could fit in anywhere, just what luck it is for (the curiously named) Egg Harbor to have it there.

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Company ‘Lost Camper’ Helles Lager (motto: “Keep Wisconsin Beer’d”) a bolder expression of lager than most pilsner due to its malt accents.

Then dive into an appetizer of hand battered and deep fried Renard’s cheese curds or ‘guac & chips’.

While there is a selection of pizzas, broasted (pressure fried) chicken, and burgers I would look to the Mexican side of the menu for a main course as the chef is from Oaxaca. I recommend the Chicken Mole Enchilada, two chicken enchiladas in a dish topped with earthy and sweet mole sauce.

The other side of Mojo Rosa’s is the bar, with more than 125 different beers, including 14 on draft, that form a cornucopia of craft brewing creativity.

With such eclectic food, Mojo Rosa’s may be the curate’s egg in Egg Harbor. Better to just consider it fun.

Bowling For Dinner at Sister Bay Bowl Sister Bay Bowl is a combined bowling alley and supper club. Arrive for dinner and then play 10 frames of bowls! In my game, I found myself particularly gifted at finding the gutter.

I scored better at dinner. The Bowl Potato Skins are cut with just the right amount of potato still attached to make them as decadent as fries.

Combine with a sharp dipping sauce (srirachainfused aioli) for best effect. The other appetizer worthy of a medal was the Wisconsin Cheese Curds. SBBs come battered and fried, emulsifying the cheese with the batter at the edges to quite stunning effect.

I continued with the fried food idiom for my main course, choosing 12-piece Breaded Scallops. In this version, the scallops are breaded, broasted (pressure fried) and served with drawn butter and my choice of potato (which was hash browns). The tartar sauce from the Fish and Chips (listed under sandwiches for some reason) might be good to ask for here.

Seafood lovers are spoiled for choice with salmon, whitefish, perch, and shrimp as well as the aforementioned examples. There is even a fish fry on Tuesdays and Fridays! Meat lovers are not forgotten however. Steaks abound, and there are pork chops, prime rib, and chicken breast.

And there is pasta -- penne tossed with olive oil, basil, and garlic. Optionally topped with chick40 ModernLifestyles.vip

en breast or salmon.

Desserts, in the remote possibility that you have room, are the indulgent type like cheesecake and carrot cake.

With all this on offer it is little wonder that the only widely heard complaint about SBB is “there will be a wait”.

White Gull Inn for Fish Boil Dinner Few things in Door County incorporate the traditions of the early settlers with the modern age better than a fish boil. Fishermen used to prepare them for hungry lumberjacks. Every town seems to have at least one and their popularity means that reservations are recommended on weekends in the summer months. Here is the boilmaster’s procedure for a fish boil: • Heat a cauldron of salted water over a wood fire;’ • Add whole red potatoes (preferably new) to a metal basket and drop it in the water; • Add small sweet onions to the potatoes; • Add chopped lake whitefish to a metal basket and drop it on top of the potatoes; • Boil for eight to ten minutes. Oils from the fish will coagulate on the surface; • Douse the fire with a can of fuel oil. If you are too close, you will be burned to a cinder - tragic.

If not, the oils on top of the boil will be burned off and not need separating; • Use a stick to carry both the baskets off the fire and over to the preparation table. Tip out the fish into one serving pan and the potato/onion mixture into another.

Customers file by with a plate and are served some of each, plus, at modern day boils, some tartar sauce. On the table it is a good idea to have some drawn butter.

That is the recipe, but it does little justice to the drama of the flareup when the fuel goes on to the fire, as we saw when we were in a crowd of fifty or more anticipative diners at White Gull Inn in, appropriately named, Fish Creek. It also doesn’t capture the sense of conviviality of the shared experience that is one reason for the enduring popularity of the fish boil.

The White Gull Inn was built in 1896 and now a boutique hotel with the charm of its period but modern facilities such as air conditioning, whirlpool baths, en suite bathrooms, and WiFi. ModernLifestyles.vip 41

DRINKS Breweries, Distilleries, and Wineries Given the northern European heritage of a lot of the population there is, as one might expect, a lot of brewing and distilling going on.

There are eight wineries. Given the climate they make mainly fruit wine and a few hybrids from Wisconsin fruit. I visited Door Peninsula Winery and Lautenbach’s Orchard Country. Entering the latter on a Saturday afternoon when the roads seemed deserted was a revelation - the place was packed with queues several bodies deep at the serving counters.

Door County Distillery is on the same site as Door County Winery. They distill vodka, gin, whiskey and rum. I am a ‘ginaholic’ and have gone off the beaten path looking for interesting examples many times (including Dutch examples of genever). This gin is truly reputable and laced with a powerful grip of juniper overlaid with a complex witches brew of other botanicals.

Although not the only example, the only brewer’s wares that I was able to try was the ‘Lost Camper’ a Helles Lager from Door County Brewing Company. In fact it took several cans, but I decided that I liked it.

OUTDOORS The Ridges Sanctuary One of the premier outdoor activities is a hiking tour of The Ridges Sanctuary, a 1600 acre nature preserve in Baileys Harbor that was the first land trust in Wisconsin. It is home to more than 475 plant species. A major reason for the biodiversity is the ridge and swale complex that runs throughout.

As well as protecting the environment, The Ridges also conducts programs of education and research. To make the wild land more accessible the staff and volunteers have built a one-third mile long level walkway into the Sanctuary from the visitor center. On a bitterly cold day I took a tour of the property in a group led by guide Jane Whitney. She told us about the Sanctuary throughout the two hour tour and by the end I felt she still had as much left to discuss, so deep was her knowledge. Oh, and the cold weather didn’t matter as we hauled ourselves over logs, down icy narrow paths, and across frozen fields.

We warmed up very well!

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ARTS AND CRAFTS Popelka Trenchard Glass Fine Art Gallery & Studio Jeremy Popelka and Stephanie Trenchard run Popelka Trenchard Glass Fine Art Gallery and Studio in Sturgeon bay where they produce glass cast sculpture and murrini style blown glass, as well as paintings, jewellry, pendant lights and gift items. They moved to Sturgeon Bay after careers in the big city for a more relaxed and creative lifestyle. Despite being four hours drive away from the nearest big city (Chicago) people who appreciate fine art search them out. They will not reveal names (to preserve confidentiality) but among their customers are billionaires and oligarchs.

One of the best activities to do here is to watch a glass blowing demonstration. It is fascinating to see a tube of colored glass transform into a beautiful vase or pendant light.

Turtle Ridge Gallery Want a hand-crafted leather bag that stands out from the crowd? Mary Ellen Sisulak makes them at her Turtle Ridge Gallery in Ellison Bay. Door County Candle To buy interesting candles or to dip your own, head to Door County Candle. Mike and Tonya Felhofer have made candles for over 25 years. Candle dipping (taking a neutral white candle and dipping it in different colored waxes to create a colored one) can also be a great wet weather activity for families. The selection of candles made by Terry is huge and they can be bought at the store or on their web site.

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TEXAS HIGHLAND LAKES THE UNKOWN HILL COUNTRY WORDS Andrew Chalk

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The Texas Hill Country is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the country. However, most visitors think of Fredericksburg, Kerrville, or New Braunfels as the prime destinations.

There is another choice that you may want to check out that works for families, couples, singles and groups. Burnet County, an hour northwest of Austin and north of Fredericksburg is chock full of scenic vistas, varied wildlife, one of the 20 largest lakes in Texas (Lake Buchanan), state parks, caverns, and chair lift rides, accompanied by your mountain bike, to the top of a mountain.

The County does not stop at great outdoors.

The two main towns, the county seat of Burnet and the dramatically situated riverside town of Marble Falls are stocked with a varied selection of restaurants. There are several wineries that win medals at the San Francisco wine competitions (the most competitive in the country) and craft breweries, including one that gives all of its profits to charity.

CANYON OF THE EAGLES Undoubtedly the most spectacular accommodation is Canyon of the Eagles. This is a 940 acre resort set in a state park that provides 16 individual cottages for guests (62 bedrooms in total). It is located imposingly on a point that juts into Lake Buchanan. The Lake is the largest of the Texas Highland Lakes , over 30 miles long and 5-7 miles wide. Canyon of the Eagles is reached by a long scenic road that terminates at the front gate.

My 300 square foot standard cottage featured a queen size bed, a couch, desk, separate bathroom, and porch with a rocking chair. But, the special treat was that the whole of one wall was windows looking south, down the bluff, at Lake Buchanan. Each morning, silent fishing boats would glide frictionlessly along the silvery surface as I took it all in. The peace, the sense of solitude, were ‘priceless’, in the idiom of a popular advert.

Other huts have two rooms for families, or microwaves and refrigerators.

Each morning I would hike the 300 yards to The Overlook restaurant, a baronial wooden

hunting lodge where the resort serves its meals.

Breakfast was a large buffet most days and à la carte on others.

In the resort there are also conference facilities for up to 500 people, meeting rooms, a recreation room with bar, laundry, gift shop and reception area for questions like “How do I log into the WiFi from my room?”

Stepping out of the cottage area alternative accommodations consist of 25 RV sites and 33 campsites. Some within feet of the lake.

Outside the buildings are an amphitheatre for live events, Monarch butterfly programs to conserve the species and an observatory from which the heavens can be viewed from one of the least light polluted places in the Hill Country under the guidance of an expert astronomer.

The bulk of the 940 acres is nature preserve and takes its name from the fact that bald eagles are seasonally observable. They are, indeed, the stars of all the wildlife. There are three miles of private shoreline and 14 miles of trails. During our visit Robert Lindsey, a veteran of 39 years with The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, gave us a lecture on the various snake species found in the area accompanied by members of each type and Jim Sheets gave astronomical displays at the observatory each night.

This actually brings up an important thing.

Many of the nature activities are guided by experts. You aren’t just left unguided or reading signs. If I had young children I would jump at taking them for a stay at Canyon of The Eagles for the chance to concentrate so much natural knowledge into just a few days.

OVERLOOK RESTAURANT This is the signature restaurant at the Canyon of The Eagles. Situated on the banks of Lake Buchanan, the restaurant is constructed of rough hewn varnished wood and local stone, with windows on three sides. The latter architectural feature makes for spectacular sunset views. Eating here is redolent of eating in a baronial hunting lodge. The New American menu has some standouts. For me the Chicken-Fried Wild Boar, literally the famed southern chicken-fry preparation applied to wild boar, was a standout, although come hungry if you are going to bet that you can finish it.

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The restaurant also serves breakfast and lunch and has a full bar, even featuring some local Texas beers and wines.

FALL CREEK VINEYARDS Just across the Colorado River from Canyon of the Eagles is the oldest winery in The Hill Country, Fall Creek Vineyards. It was founded by Ed and Susan Auler in 1975 after a cattle buying trip to France turned into an extended romance with wine. Fall Creek today produces some of the best wine in the state.

This site, located in Tow, is supplemented with another facility in Driftwood, adjacent to the famed Salt Lick Barbecue.

Ed Auler played a big part in Texas wine when he petitioned for and succeeded in establishing the Texas Hill Country AVA in 1991. In the last decade the perspicacity of that decision has become clear as the Texas Hill Country has become the showroom for Texas wines, second only to Napa Valley in the number of visitors.

The winery also made a pathbreaking step in 2016 when they went out on the global labor market to find a winemaker. They hired Sergio Cuadra from Chile’s Concha y Toro who brought over 20 years of experience to the role. The results were almost immediate with a Sauvignon Blanc that represented essentially a Texas expression of that grape, part way between the austere, steely styles of 48 ModernLifestyles.vip

the Loire and the lusher, forward fruit examples of California. Shortly after a GSM (Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre blend) followed that also won high praise. Since that time all Fall Creek wines have tracked the best available in the state with the highpoint being a line named ExTerra consisting of a Mourvèdre, a Syrah, and a Tempranillo that each scored 91 points from noted international critic, James Suckling. A visit and tasting at their Tow location is an easy boat trip across the river or a short journey by road.

OPIE’S BBQ SPICEWOOD “Life is Good in Spicewood, TX” it reads on the home page of Opie’s BBQ. Doubtless Opie’s sees itself as a major reason for that. I would agree, but also give a shout out to Spicewood Vineyards where Ron Yates et. al. make one of the best Tempranillo wines in the state.

Enter the prefabricated steel building, past the sign that reads “Butter Beans are Dine In Only! No whining, crying, or exceptions! Thank You!”, admiring the liberal use of exclamation marks, and you face a giant warming chest on your right from which a pit hand will offer the meat available and place your order on a paper covered tray. The menu fills an imposing chalk board on the wall behind the pit and can be quite a lot to take in on your first visit. I stepped back and let the next group in line go first as I made up my mind. Opie’s is so far

out from urbanised Austin that it can only have a line of customers every day because it is so good. I could not get my choice wrong.

I recommend the brisket (burnt ends is my M.O.) for its succulence, and charred flavors (pitmaster Seth Glaser cooks it on Mesquite wood).

The jalapeño cheese sausage for an exciting combination of flavors (although these are not made in house, they are made to Opie’s recipe), potato salad, tater tot casserole for crispy, cheesy indulgence, earthy and al dente butter beans, and the homemade banana pudding with homemade shortbread cookies. The beans and banana pudding are Fridays to Sundays only and the beans are self-serve from a giant pot on the fixins’ table in the center of the room. While you eat, you are likely to be entertained by live music. However, there is no beer, wine, or liquor, and it would be so nice to drink a cold one on a hot Texas day.

Opie’s adds up to one welcoming, as well as filling establishment. The owners are Todd and Kristen Ashmore (former husband and wife who still work together after their split -- amazing huh?) interestingly both come from outside the restaurant, or even the hospitality industry.

However, they loved barbecue and decided to start their own place in 1999. Now, Opie’s (named after a former dog they owned) is an institution sought out by barbecue fans all over the state. Like all

barbecue joints in Texas hours may be cut short if they run out of meat.

BURNET The city of Burnet is the county town of Burnet County and, as is typical of county towns in Texas’ 254 counties, is centered around a town square with an imposing, classically styled, courthouse in the center. The town of roughly 6,000 residents has grown steadily, in part due to tourism and indigenous industry and in part due its strategic location within commuting distance of Austin (60 miles) and Round Rock (44 miles). The natural attractions of the city of Burnet are a hilly, rural location near some of the largest and most usable lakes in Texas (Lake Buchanan is just 5 miles away).

Most visitors and passers-through enter from either US 281 (the main north-south route which runs from Dallas to San Antonio) or State Highway 29 (which runs roughly east-west from Georgetown to Llano). US 281, in particular, is lined with the usual variety of cheap chains, gas stations, and strip malls. The key is to find the town’s square, just one block to the east. There are two destinations of note there.

WEDDING OAK WINERY Wedding Oak Winery was founded in San Saba in 2011. They established a Burnet tasting room one block off the square in 2019 in an historic building constructed from local stone. They are ModernLifestyles.vip 49

committed to making authentic Texas wines, so consequently use only Texas grapes.

Their wines have won dozens of medals at wine competitions including the most competitive ones in San Francisco, where they competed against wines from California and the world.

The Burnet tasting room has a tasting counter, event space, and an impressive upstairs outdoor patio overlooking the town square. When you visit, try the albarino, marsanne, roussanne, trebbiano, and viognier among the whites, and the sangiovese, tempranillo, and Texedo (a dolcetto, touriga nacional blend), and Tioja (a tempranillo, garnacha blend) among the reds. If you are a rosé fan, the Rosato di Sangiovese, from sangiovese with a touch of cinsault, won double gold at the San Francisco International Wine Competition and is wonderful to quaff on a hot Texas summer day.

Wedding Oak wines pair well with food from Texas barbecue to Mexican stew to Texas beef.

TRAILBLAZER GRILLE I can’t count the number of times I have driven through the bustling County Town of Burnet on my way south to San Antonio or north to Dallas and wanted to stop for a real meal but did not know of anything except the chains that pepper U.S. 281. A media event at Trailblazer Grille on Burnet’s handsome town square changed all that. The restaurant is now a perma50 ModernLifestyles.vip

nent yellow star on Google maps on whichever device I log in to. Here’s why…

The country cooking restaurant has a broad menu.

Chicken pot pie with carrots, celery, peas, onions and potatoes, topped with a golden brown buttery crust is the signature dish, and I can see why. This is the apogee of comfort food. The reasonable price includes a side. Choose the baked mac and cheese which is a chewy, creamy source of bliss or, if you fancy a vegetable, try the fried okra for a crispy off the beaten path example. So popular is the pot pie that the kitchen may run out of them before the end of service, even though they make about 50 every day. If that happens, meat loaf, or cowboy chicken can substitute.

The menu as a whole has burgers, ribeye and sirloin steaks, a range of salads, rich broccoli and cheese soup, and a selection of sandwiches where, to my palate, the robust reuben is the star. Pescophiles will find shrimp or catfish. For appetizers look for the jalapeño poppers which are weaponized with a wrapping of bacon.

It is pretty much a vain hope but do try to save room for dessert (or bring an extra stomach). The pies are made in-house and whether it is coconut cream pie, original cheesecake, homemade peach cobbler or pecan pie these are unquestionably weapons of mass expansion.

To top it all off there is live

music on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

There are at least three reasons that everything tastes so good. One is that Trailblazer Grille is a (from) scratch kitchen, so be prepared to wait a bit while your food is cooked. Second, there are several trained chefs on the kitchen staff. And third, owners Trace and Liz Catlin, originally from Houston, worked for years in the food industry and in 2000 started a gourmet food consulting business.

They bring that long experience to bear.

Their purchase of the premises that became Trailblazer Grille was a big life pivot that happened by chance when the Catlin’s dined in the former restaurant in 2012 and found that the owner was looking to sell. By 2013 they had sold up in Houston and moved to Burnet.

Houston’s loss is Burnet’s gain. The Trailblazer Grille is, in the words of a well known tire salesman, “worth a detour”.

TORR NA LOCHS WINERY Four miles west of Burnet on SH 29 there is the winery that may have the most spectacular overlook of any winery in Texas. Torr Na Lochs Vineyard and Winery was founded in 2014 by Blake and Karen DeBerry. They were living in Scotland at the time, the latest assignment of Blake’s in the global oil industry. There, they formulated their next project for after they returned to their native Texas. They purchased

a 180-acre ranch and named it with the Gaelic for ‘Hill Over Lakes’. As they say “Two years of weekends preparing the vineyard culminated with the planting of our first three acres of vines”. The tasting room opened in September 2015. From the windows, or outside on the patio, Inks Lake and Lake Buchanan stretch like a glistening carpet 1250 feet below into the distance.

Little wonder that although a young winery, Torr Na Lochs is a tourist favorite.

Today, they use their own fruit and fruit purchased from other Texas vineyards to make a solid selection of 100% Texas wines. Among their wines, the Albarino and Roussanne are noteworthy among the whites, and Montepulciano and Tempranillo among the reds.

MARBLE FALLS The entrance to Marble Falls from the north or south on US 281 is dramatic. The ground takes a dramatic dip down to the Colorado River, widened at this point to be Lake Marble Falls, clasping the river between its banks.

Riverside homes cling to the hills to the left and right of the highway and leisure boats sit in dock below. A mile east is the Max Starcke Dam, completed in 1951 to create the lake and generate hydroelectric power. The lake affords lots of opportunities for recreation, highlighted each August by a large drag boat race in which contestants hydroplane at over 250 MPH. Westwards down the ModernLifestyles.vip 51

river are a series of home developments reflecting the growth of the town, particularly since the 1970s as a second home and retirement community. This topography and its proximity to the state capital of Austin, a drive that takes one hour plus (steadily worsening) traffic, make it a popular tourist destination.

If you previously saw Marble Falls as a pretty spot on the drive from Dallas to San Antonio, you may want to stop and take in some of the food and beverage offerings.

BLUE BONNET CAFE This 91-year old youngster has justifiably made the rank of ‘icon’ in Marble Falls, and to travellers on U.S. 281 between Dallas and San Antonio. Blue Bonnet Café is an old-fashioned diner The name refers to the item of women’s clothing, not the state flower (although the flowers do grow in the flower bed by the front door). They are best known for their homemade daily pies. Between 3 and 5pm is “Pie Happy Hour” when you can get pie and a drink for a discounted price.

Regular flavors are chocolate, coconut, lemon, banana, German chocolate, fudge, peanut butter, apple, cherry, pecan, and no sugar-added apple.

Also special is the daily homemade soup. Locals favorites are pot roast and chicken fried steak.

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hash browns or grits, and several variants of bread (biscuits for me). The omelette heaved with filling and might be enough to last a whole day.

Owners John and Belinda Kemper have run the café since 1981. Belinda actually originated the famous pies. Their daughter and her husband, Dave Plante, moved back to Marble Falls in 2005 and are poised to take over.

An enduring facet of the place is that it is ‘classless’.

Not in the sense of having no class, but in attracting every class. They have served presidents (LBJ used to hold meetings in a side room, and George and Laura Bush came in), singers like Wille Nelson and Lyle Lovett, and thousands of ordinary Texans.

When you sit in the dining room it may appear oxymoronic to see lavish granite table tops in such an unpretentious establishment. In fact, John’s father ran a granite manufacturing business and used the café as essentially a showroom for his wares.

A major character trait John and Belinda seek in the staff is a love of people.

Right from the friendly greeting, to the time you leave, the staff really treat you well.

The average tenure of the 65 employees is eight years and some have been with the restaurant for over 25. The café provides health insurance, an employer-matched pension, paid vacation, free meals and sane hours (the café usually closes at 8pm or 9pm).

The owners also project

a philanthropic side in the community. Semi-annually they host a fish fry to raise funds for Marble Falls Area EMS (they provide all the food and labor). They also support local schools and nonprofits.

The awards for best café, best breakfast, best pie, etc. are too many to mention. What they add up to is a strong recommendation to try it next time you go through Marble Falls.

BEAR KING BREWING COMPANY A stone’s throw from the Blue Bonnet Café is Bear King Brewing Company. Set in a modern low-slung building, the brewery and tasting room is just off US 281 and easy to miss from the road.

That would be a pity as very competent brewing goes hand-in-hand with a serious commitment to food here.

The beers constitute a full line of styles with the Whisper Man Black IPA (ABV 6.8%/IBU 60/SRM 37) being a personal favorite. Contrary to craft beer form, the food is ‘much better than it needs to be’. For example, there are truffle fries, Texas poutine (loosely, poutine with brisket), addictive Bear King Blonde Beer Cheese, and half-pound burgers that are some of the best around. Patties are made from Certified Angus Beef (except the vegetarian one which is made from Beyond Meat®️ and appropriately named ‘The Greenhouse’) and there are four types (and imaginative types) of salad.

MAIN STREET Many passers-by of Marble Falls miss its secret heart.

Perhaps because it is situated one block west and parallel to US 281. It is worth a stop as it is evolving into the vibrant core of the historic town.

First, take a browse through Marta Stafford Fine Art. Marta’s eclectic tastes in style and medium make her overflowing store much more lively than many art galleries. Outside on the sidewalk are numerous installations to liven up the area.

A few doors down is a park with a children’s play area and City Hall. From there it is just two minutes walk to Bill’s Burgers Wings & Things.

This popular place for lunch is a locally-owned two site hamburger restaurant (the other is in Burnet). Dine in, or on the patio, or order take out.

As well as food, Bill’s has a full bar. The food can be divided into burgers, salads, and TexMex. Obviously, the burgers take center stage, coming in single, double, and triple sizes to satisfy every appetite.

I tried the mushroom swiss, as I fancied a change from the common American cheese served on cheeseburgers. Mushrooms too, bring a unique taste to the burger belt: earthy and delicious. Plaudits to owners Amber and Max for making the fries from scratch instead of using the ubiquitous frozen fry shortcut. Sides are actually something of a first class member of the menu with big crispy onion rings and baModernLifestyles.tv 53

con cheddar French fries two of the most popular.

Another popular item is the green eggs and ham burger, which is green because of green chilies, and has an egg on the bun. Common to all, and best of all, is the juiciness and tastiness of the burger patties.

Retrace your steps down Main as far as Third Street where Chocolatte’s offers delicious chocolate and toffee that can serve as dessert or presents to take home. They also serve homemade fudge and gelato.

Third street puts you just two blocks away from the restaurant with the best view over Lake Marble Falls, River City Grille. If weather permits try and get a table outside on the patio. The menu here is a hybrid of Tex-Mex, burger joint, fried chicken, steak house and prime rib, fish, and sandwich shop. It is arguably the broadest menu in town, offering lots of choice and filled with fan favorites. In addition there is a full bar. Think of River City Grille as a fun, casual establishment with an A+ location.

SAVE THE WORLD BREWING COMPANY Henceforth STWBC is a very unusual beast -- a philanthropically motivated craft brewer. Note, not a non-profit.

This is a profit-seeking company. The difference is that it gives all of its profits to charity. To date (February 2020) that is over $160,000 to charities like Meals On Wheels, Habitat for Humanity, Disaster 54 ModernLifestyles.tv

Relief, Texas Area Food Banks, and others.

The folks behind this are Dave and Quynh Rathkamp.

Both physicians, who made a major pivot in their lives to found and commit full time to STWBC. Dave is the brewer, and Quynh the chief operations officer. Their output is now at a point where they have hired help in production and sales.

Dave’s style in beer is most inspired by Belgium, so look for liberal use of fruit flavors and potentially rocket fuel alcohol levels. The couple has a predilection for latin names for their beers, maybe it reminds them of writing prescriptions in ‘the good old days’. Quynh, so far as I can infer, also has a photographic memory. After being introduced to our group of five just once, she could field questions using our first names, without fault, thirty minutes later.

All of STWBC’s beers are carefully made and stand apart in the increasingly competitive craft brewing industry. They may just be too modest but I could not find any references to awards in beer shows. If they have not entered hitherto, they should think of doing so. The recognition would be synergistic to their philanthropy.

I particularly liked the Belgian Pale Ale, Belgian Tripel, and Belgian Quadrupel ales which reminded me that in many countries the beverage of choice with food is beer, and not wine.

BEST CAJUN RESTAURANT IN THE TX HILL COUNTRY I first ate at the Real New Orleans Style Restaurant on a final desperate plunge in the search for a Saturday night meal while on a trip to the Hill Country. I just scraped in under the 9pm deadline. I had no review or recommendation, creole or cajun food just sounded appetizing.

What a find. Ignore the weatherbeaten downtroddenness of the outside of the building (a former Mexican restaurant). Inside, the welcome is guaranteed to be as warm and rich as the spices in the gumbo and the étouffée.

These totally unprepossessing premises are home to a friendly, committed staff serving superior crab cakes, addictive mac and crawfish, and étouffée that may be the best in central Texas.

The menu is broader at dinner than lunch. Lunch does sport the real home style gumbo and crawfish étouffée, but the other mains are more mainstream country cooking (e.g. fried fish, country fried steak). The New Orleans heart of lunch is the selection of five po-boys, iconic Louisiana sandwiches of crusty bread stuffed to the gills (no pun intended) with crawfish, oyster, shrimp, or catfish.

Dinner takes the Louisiana dishes of lunch and adds more. ‘Claudette’s’ crab cakes are big and filling, oyster brochettes are oysters wrapped in bacon and fried (a bayou variant of angels on horse-

back), fried crawfish tails are like mini lobster tails, served with a rosette sauce according to the menu, but I would bet that it is a rosetta sauce (a tartar variant with tomato paste). Shrimp creole was particularly good.

Sides are mainstream country cooking (macaroni & cheese, red beans and rice, french fries, etc.) except for the exceptional creole mainstay, jambalaya.

Many sides go with the barbecue platter (sausage and chicken) as well.

There is a fairly plain selection of salads. A crowdpleaser kids menu, and desserts are home made. Look for things like bread pudding and lemon meringue pie.

One idiosyncrasy is that no alcohol is allowed. A disappointment to a wino like me with a nod to the centrality of the wine industry in the Texas Hill Country. But I can live with it, given the unimpeachable authenticity of the food.

THE BACKSTORY The Real New Orleans Style Restaurant seems like a slice of Louisiana lifted by the scruff of the neck and plonked down in a part of the Texas Hill Country. That is figuratively close to what actually happened. Proceeds from the restaurant go to the Christian

ministry that owns it, and its story is the reason that the food is so authentic.

The Smoking For Jesus Ministry (the name comes from a biblical reference) was founded in 1996 by a charismatic and energetic minister, Willie L. Monnet on Chef Menteur Hwy. in New Orleans’ 9th Ward. It eventually ran the church (a storefront premises), a restaurant named The Smokehouse, a beauty salon, car wash, administration offices, and two houses.

Next door to the church was an empty block that the ministry bought and planned to use for their future new church.

All this was in a rough neighborhood plagued with a high murder rate, ubiquitous drug dealing, and other street crime.

In 2005 Hurricane Katrina utterly devastated it all.

In short order, fifty families evacuated in a convoy with just three days’ supply of clothes. After a grueling 12hour drive they reached the Church Alive Ministry in Lumberton, near Beaumont, Texas.

They intended to return to New Orleans but established that their buildings had been destroyed and there were no schools left for the 60 plus children. Hurricane Rita, a

month after Katrina, sealed their fate and they headed northwest, further into Texas.

A chance meeting between a member of the congregation and a local resident in Marble Falls made them aware that a 56 acre ranch that had been a Buckner Boys Home was for sale. It even already had a church on it, in a building far better than the one they had left. In contrast to the violence of the ninth ward, the ranch was calm and bucolic, set on the banks of the Colorado River.

Smokehouse Restaurant reopened as The Real New Orleans Style Restaurant in 2009. As the only Cajun/Creole restaurant in Marble Falls it garnered an immediate mixture of support and curiosity.

The ministry now has 120 members. The congregation regards Texas as their home and the ranch is dotted with newly built neat brick and wooden houses.

Pastor Monnet interprets these events through the prism of his Christian faith, but they can also be understood in universal human terms. Their passage from New Orleans to Marble Falls can be appreciated as a very American story. A tight knit group of people, attempting to build a better future for themselves and their families, see their work destroyed by cataclysmic exogenous events. Their response is to pick themselves up and start again, building something even better than before. It is a restaurant story indeed.

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WATCHES

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Jacob & Co Crafts $280K Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon Timepiece Complete With W16 Engine Bugatti’s newest engine is a tourbillon. The motor-driven marvel can’t be taken out on the road, but it is crowned by a W16, and it will keep very good time.

The watch is the work of Swiss firm Jacob & Co. The timepiece’s W16 is hand cut from sapphire crystal, and boasts moving parts: crystal pistons and a crankshaft, with a pair of turbos to back them up and four blue springs to suspend the movement. The astonishing mechanical flourishes say much about the influence of nouveau Bugatti and the craftsmanship of the watchmaker.

The watch may be perceived as a de rigueur accessory for a Bugatti owner, or at the least a remarkable and commentworthy addition to a serious watch collectors lineup. Only 250 examples will roll out of Jacob & Co., each priced at $280K.

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MB&F’s Amazing Horological Machine HM10 Bulldog MB&F’s newest HM series watch is a dog. A bulldog, though. So Britons and fans of Winston Churchill, take note. The HM10 Bulldog is a watch collector’s dream.

As in other entries from MB&F, such as HM6 and HM8, the HM10 Bulldog’s design aspires to burst forth in all dimensions. The typically iconoclastic shape diffuses the traditional visuals of a wrist timepiece by shattering them and putting them together again.

No horological hobbyist or fellow designer has ever accused MB&F of sticking to the tried and true, or appealing to expectations about watch design. The HM10’s design sensibility places semi-globes within a crystal of the same shape.

The back follows suit, giving the whole the appearance of a bisected sphere. And if you look at the lower half close enough, you’ll see a bulldog’s jaws opening and closing—a clever artistic flourish that earns the timepiece its name. The movement is an MB&F-designed 34-jewel caliber; the watch features a 45-hour power reserve.

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Patek Philippe Watch Hammers at Christie’s Geneva for a Record $31.2M A singular Patek Phillipe watch fetched a stratospheric price at auction this holiday season. Bidding for the Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A topped out at $31.2 million at the 2019 Only Watch auction, which was conducted by Christie’s at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva.

The selling price for the Grandmaster Chime 6300A surpassed the previous record for a timepiece sold at auction by over $7 million, which was set in 2014, when the Patek Phillipe Henry Graves Supercomplication went under the gavel and sold for $24 million. The standing record for a watch sale at auction was defeated by an even wider margin—that record had previously been

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held by a Rolex Paul Newman Daytona which went under the hammer in 2017 and fetched $17 million.

The stainless Grandmaster Chime 6300A is the only one produced— hence ‘The Only One’ on the dial.

It’s also the most complex watch in Patek Phillipe’s history; its 20 complications includes a grande sonnerie, and it features 214 components and a whopping 1,366 parts in its movement. The watch was produced especially for the auction, in order to fund research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

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Soccer Superstar Lionel Messi Collaborates With Jacob & Co for Charity FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is the new face of Jacob & Co’s philanthropic timepiece ‘Only Watch’ sales event. In the photos below, he’s sporting the watchmaker’s Epic X Chrono Messi ‘Only Watch’ Special Edition.

The Argentine has partnered with the American jeweler in order to support the upcoming charity auction in November. Set in Geneva, the fundraiser will feature special-edition designs from 52 watchmakers.

The cause? To raise funds for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The sale comes with a meet-and-greet with Messi.

Jacob & Co designed a new timepiece exclusively for the event; the watchmaker’s generous donation will bring exposure to the even beforehand, and accrue considerable revenue afterward.

The special-edition timepiece’s 47mm titanium and white gold case with a multi-layered blue dial. The watch also boasts a bit of bling: 36 baguette-cut blue sapphires set on the 18-carat white gold bezel. The ‘Only Watch’ receives a nod to Messi himself, of course, via his personal logo and shirt number.

The one-off piece is expected to sell for between $70,000 and $100,000.

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HYT Serves Up Eye-Catching ‘Mr Porter’ Timepiece Avant-garde watchmaker HYT introduced the H1 hydromechanical timepiece back in 2012. The watch arrived to much acclaim, and the intervening years have seen a steady succession of functional wrist wear that bears the same innovative design.

The watch’s remarkable design is matched by its utilitarian appeal, which is evident in its looks as well as its materials—stainless, titanium, and black rubber. A bit of rightbrain appeal sneaks in with dashes The latest in the hydro-mechanical line from HYT is a of red, and luminous measures limited production watch; very limited, actually, as there and minute hand. will be only five available for purchase. The piece is an homage to early HYT champion Mr. Porter, and the The H1.0 x Mr. Porter is priced at watch is called the H1.0 x Mr. Porter. $58K.

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Chanel’s Daring ‘J12 X-Ray’ Is a Sapphire Affair Chanel’s newest watch takes off where their all-black J12 left off two decades ago. But the new timepiece— called the J12 X-Ray—takes a rather different approach: its case is made entirely from sapphire crystal.

All major components in the watch are made from sapphire, as well. The list includes bridges, strap links, and plate. Other features of the watch include baguette-cut diamonds for hour markers. The look is undeniably arresting; the diamonds that serve as markers appear to float above the face of the watch.

Two other watches join the X-Ray in the J12 rebirth. The X-Ray is limited in production to 12 examples, and will be priced at just over $625K.

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Richard Mille’s signature timepiece for Pharrell Williams fell to earth this fall, hitting terra firma with a meteoric, nearly $1 million thump.

The model is the RM 52-05 Tourbillon. The watchmaking firm designed the wristwear for, and with the assistance of, Mr. Williams, who is an avid Star Trek fan and, presumably, a hobbyist watcher of the heavens. The timepiece is more jewelry than practical tool, however, favoring an extraordinary stylized rendering of space that’s part daydream and part expressionist painting.

begin with titanium—a space travel-ready metal—and include rose gold, copper crystals, and a host of precious stones. The enameling and engraving used to express the dial represents many, many hours of work, and the watch’s mechanics boast 19 jewels, and offer a 42-hour reserve.

Production of the RM 52-05 The watch’s cosmetics are strikingly and compelling evi- Tourbillon is limited to 30 examdence of the craftspeople at Mille. The material choices ples, and priced at $970K. 70 ModernLifestyles.vip

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Louis Vuitton Unveils $322K Tambour Curve Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève Louis Vuitton’s newest addition to the Tambour series of timepieces is the Tambour Curve Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève. That’s a substantial series of syllables to saddle any watch with, but this particular wristwear is important to the fashion house because it bears the Louis Vuitton logo in the most prominent manner on its face.

material called CarboStratum, a layered material composed of a hundred sheets of carbon fiber.

Titanium comprises the remainder of the watch’s bulk material, with gold and diamonds finishing it off in higher-priced verions.

The watch has a bezel thickness of 12.75mm. It gets its shadowy appearance from carbon fiber, and lots of it; this postmodern horological delight is crafted from a

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CARS

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2021 MERCEDES

SUV BEASTS AMG GLS & GLE

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AMG’ continues to produce what we fondly call BEASTS. Consider Mercedes’ most family focused SUVs with a ton of grunt, notably the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 and GLE 63 S proper performance-car fast, yet no less practical. Yes we think a family SUV can almost double as a family sports car!

The 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S and GLS 63, AMG continues with their monster family focused vehicles. The electrified bi-turbo V8 launches these super-sized SUVs sprinting to 60mph so furiously, they will leave Porsche 911s in their wake.

If you’re one of those people who thinks cars need to make some sort of sense, then there’s a question to be answered on just who needs this much power in an SUV. But needing something and wanting something are two very different things.

The first time you find yourself behind the suede leather wrapped wheel of the seven-seat Mercedes-AMG GLS 63, there will come a moment that will legitimately bend your mind. And that moment will arrive the first time you bury your right foot into the carpet.

That a vehicle, even an SUV, fitted with AMG’s 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 (and with Mercedes-Benz’ EQ Boost mild-hybrid system adding even more grunt) is fast isn’t overly surprising. But the sheer size of the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 makes the way it rockets to 60mph, and beyond, properly head-spinning.

We’re talking a SUV, tipping the scales at north of 5000 lbs, and yet it launches forwards like it’s been shot out of a very large cannon.

But its out-and-out speed isn’t the only party trick here. It might be fright-

eningly fast, but the AMG-tuned GLS genuinely remains a family focused vehicle, and as such, there are acres of space inside --even in the third row. Yes, a luxurious third row of seats.

Mercedes-Benz pitches its flagship SUV GLS as being truly capable of carrying seven adults, and the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 does exactly that, too.

The second row slide forwards then up at the push of a button, ensuring the pathway to the third row doesn’t require Cirque du Soleil acrobatics to navigate. Once in, and with the second row back in position, I found ample room for my 6’ 4” frame -- with clear air between my head and the roof, and without my knees pressing into the seat in front, either. Arguments over who’s riding in the back might well be a thing of the past with the GLS. The five-seat Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S might look comparatively tiny when parked alongside its bigger brother, but it also serves up enough space for the family, and their luggage (with the second row folded flat).

Speed doesn’t come with much sacrifice here, with both the GLE 63 S and GLS 63 every bit as capable of shifting the family as their regular Benz brothers.

The big Mercedes-AMG SUV siblings are powered with AMG’s cracking bi-turbo 4.0-litre V8 sending 603 HP and 627 LBS TQ towards the tires via a nine-speed automatic.

Mercedes’ 4MATIC+ all-wheel-drive system is standard fit, too, defaulting to a 50:50 power split between the front and rear axle, but that can be hijacked, with 100 per cent of the power able to be sent entirely to the rear tires, too.

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The engine fitted to the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S and GLS 63 is the first AMG V8 to get Benz’s EQ Boost 48-volt mild hybrid setup, with a tiny battery and motor. Now, it must be pointed out here that the electric motor can’t just be added to the HP totals. Instead, the electricity is intended to essentially run auxiliary systems, but it will also use its power to plug any soft spots when accelerating, ensuring 0-60MPH sprint is even more brisk. Try 4.1sec in the seven-seater, and a staggering 3.8sec in the GLE 63 S. Other AMG treats include active engine mounts, a booming performance exhaust, air suspension and adaptive dampers, Active Ride Control with Active Road Stabilisation and an adjustable ride height that will increase ground clearance in off-road modes, and drop it in Sport or Sport+.

It’s difficult to make something massive look good, but weirdly, I think the MercedesAMG GLS 63 is actually the more eye-catching of this super-SUV duo. Yes, there’s a lot of metal to play with, and it can look a little slabsided from the wrong angle, but the huge AMG-designed grille, 22-inch wheels, quad exhaust tips -- and sheer size -- lends it a dominant road presence that’s hard to ignore.

Inside, expect Nappa leather seats, an impressive Widescreen Cockpit (essentially two 12.3-inch screens butted up against each other, one in the driver’s dash, the other in the center dash), as well as AMG peddles, steering wheel, and ample badging throughout.

The Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S, on the other hand, doesn’t wear its new-found sportiness quite so well -- at least from certain angles.

The front and front three-quarter views work just fine, where the new AMG grille, flared guards and 22-inch alloys look plenty tough.

But from the rear, and there’s really no easy way to say this, it looks a little like a pear. Skinny at the top, wide at the bottom, and the fact that it’s an SUV and not a sports car is exceedingly obvious.

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We’ve talked power and torque figures already, and they are big numbers, but if you’ve ever climbed aboard an A380, or a bullet train, you’ll know that making something massive travel fast in a straight line is no new achievement.

The real magic is in making something this big corner with some sort of athleticism. And it’s here that the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S especially shines. AMG’s engineers make a big deal out of their efforts in reducing both of the big SUVs’ body roll, with two electrically operated stabilising bars (one essentially at each axle) that actively counter body roll as you turn into corners.

It might well sound like some kind of dark magic, but it’s also super effective, with the GLE 63 S barreling up and down twisting roads without ever wobbling around like a tall ship in rough seas.

While it might not f eel quite as sharp as a lower-slung and lighter AMG sedan or coupe, it’s also doesn’t feel like an SUV, and you could genuinely spend a day attacking mountain roads without ever feeling like you’ve brought the wrong vehicle.

But if the GLE 63 S is the sharper vehicle, then the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 is an absolute sledgehammer, demolishing corners instead of dancing through them.

The bigger of the AMG SUV siblings feels exactly that. But linking together a set of sweeping bends, and riding that huge wave of power, it also feels tank-levels of unstoppable. Even AMG concedes the GLS is less a precision tool and more a blunt instrument, better suited to crosscountry jaunts than it is to tighter corners, but it’s undeniable impressive in the way it (mostly) hides its weight.

“If the GLE 63 S is the sharper vehicle, the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 is an absolute sledgehammer, demolishing corners instead of dancing through them.�

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Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato Heritage TWINS by R-REFORGED to Enter Limited Production So far, the most interesting of Aston Martin’s limited production cars this year is not one car at all—it’s a set.

The name of the duo is lengthy, as it gives credit to all parties involved in the realizing of this English sports-lovers dream. The full name is the Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato Heritage TWINS by R-Reforged.

A syllabic mouthful, to be sure, but the name is comprehensive, as the cars are made in R-Reforged’s new facility in Warwick, the design comes by way of coachbuilder Zagato—with whom Aston has a long and storied history—and Aston provides the licensure for, one presumes, a rather sizable slice of the pie.

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The foundation is the 2011 Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato, which Aston revealed at that year’s Villa D’Este Concours, and limited to 150 examples. The car has, in the space of a decade, achieved legendary status. But the Aston-Zagato relationship extends backward another half century, and that fact, too, is highlighted as homage by the TWINS. Both coupe and roadster boast a tweaked V12 that produces 600 horsepower, and the body of each is made entirely from carbon fiber. The 19” alloy wheels specific to the edition and platinum and gold paint are other features of the cars. Production is limited to 19 sets.

Aston will reveal in-depth details about the cars this summer, when the first set formally debuts.

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Zenvo’s $1.6M TSR-S Continues to Make Waves With Tilting Wing Zenvo Automotive has only been around for about fifteen years, but in that time the Danish supercar designer and builder has established itself as a go-to option for wealthy drivers desiring to commission an ultimate tailored exotic.

Zenvo’s 1,177-horsepower TSR-S model—a street-legal version of the TSR track car—has been around for a couple of years. But, in a sense, every Zenvo is a new model, as the company’s founder and guiding spirit, Troels Vollertsen, is constantly experimenting, altering, tweaking, and occasionally innovating.

Five examples per year roll out of the production facility— more workshop than factory—and each one of them is carefully hand-constructed, and possessed of whatever new

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features, tech, and performance alterations Vollertsen has come up with since the last car was completed.

This particular TSR-S boasts weight-saving components that include wheels fabricated from a carbon fiber and resin mix that offers extraordinary strength, and striking visuals to boot.

The use of carbon fiber in panel components and hood is also quite beautiful, with a specially-designed fiber weave. And then there’s that dramatic tilting wing.

Vollertsen also tweaked the muscle of this TSR-S by adding a module to the seven-speed gearbox. The module is designed to be used in concert with the electric motor that handles the reverse gear, and also brings a power boost and a little more high-speed stability to the picture.

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Apex AP-0 Latest Entry in New Breed of Electric Supercars Joining the new breed of EV hypercars is this entry from Apex, a young company with big ambitions. The model is called the AP-0, and it follows the company’s AP-1, which was unveiled just last year in Hong Kong.

Like the AP-1, the AP-0 is extremely lightweight. It’s also possessed of a unique sense of style, with unusual massing on the back end, a track-inspired front end, and dihedral doors.

It’s built on a new platform, and its carriage and base are carbon fiber, which keeps the AP-0’s curb weight to a paltry 2,645 pounds.

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The considerable battery complement needed to provide the AP-0’s impressive speed and range accounts for a sizeable chunk of the total weight. It can hold 90 kWh, enough to give the car a 320-mile range, and powers just a single motor—albeit a large one—at the back axle; the motor delivers up to 649 horsepower and 427 pound-feet of torque, getting the AP-0 to 62 in 2.3 seconds, and all the way to 190 MPH. Apex—which is apparently headquartered in both Hong Kong and England—is forecasting production in 2022, and a base sticker of ~$200K.

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Rolls-Royce Dawn Black Badge Beautifully Rendered in Coral and White This Rolls-Royce Black Badge Dawn is uniquely Californian in spirit. Those who follow the brand may recall the pastel-colored series that Rolls brought to Pebble Beach in the summer.

With the coming of spring, we’re taking the time to reprise the Coral Solid Black Badge Dawn, as a symbol of things to come when warm weather returns.

The car’s drop-top design invites escapism, and its interior color scheme, in Arctic White leather with Sunset accents, augments its West Coast spirit. The Black Badge theme pops up discreetly from time to time, but generally this Dawn is as sunny as the state that inspired it.

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The artisans at Goodwood spent nine hours polishing the car’s seven coats of paint. And this Dawn is of course outfitted with the V12 biturbo Rolls is so proud of, which is tuned according to Black Badge specs to deliver nearly 600 horsepower.

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QUICK LOOKS Modern Lifestyles Staff and Timothy Miller

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QUICK LOOKS

2020 MB AMG CLA35

The 2020 Mercedes Benz CLA seems to be the smaller version of the CLS. The first AMG version here, the CLA35, may be the smartest way to experience that car’s exuberant style at a fraction of the cost.

The CLA35 is the midrange trim between the upcoming base CLA250 and the AMG CLA45.

Working with a 2.0-liter inline-four and thanks to a powerful twin-scroll turbo, aluminum crank, lowfriction components, and multi-spark ignition, there’s 295 lb-ft of torque at 3000 rpm, which in this size of car will feel like much more.

A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with standard 4Matic+ all-wheel drive and brake-based torque vectoring drive the 18-inch tires. They’re backed by 13.8-inch front brakes with four-piston fixed calipers bolted along the rotor, a method commonly used in AMG’s much faster street cars, and 13.0-inch rear brakes with floating calipers, each ventilated and perforated. Additional braces and an aluminum plate underneath the engine stiffen the CLA35’s body for maximum attack in Sport+ mode, with the expected pops and bangs from the exhaust.

A new set of driving modes allows the driver to fine-tune the stability control and torque vectoring.

Three-zone climate control, 64-color ambient lighting, eight-way power driver and passenger one-piece sport seats with memory, a panoramic moonroof, LED headlights, and the MBUX infotainment system with dual 10.3-inch screens and an internet-enabled voice assistant listening for the phrase “Hey, Mercedes” all come standard. Everything else, including the Sun Yellow paint seen here, navigation, 360-degree cameras, and the company’s latest semiautomated driver assists, is optional.

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QUICK LOOKS 2020 RANGE ROVER VELAR

The Velar is bigger than the Evoque but smaller than the Sport. It shares its underpinnings with the Jaguar F-Pace, which gives you an idea of is size.

Smooth, pared-back and slimmed-down style. The Velar’s silhouette is quite fast, marked by a rising belt, falling roof, pinched tail and a lot of screen rake.

The cabin is even more of a revelation, for the way style and function meet in an all-new glass-cockpit system for displays and controls.

The big news inside is the display and control system. In the center console are two big touchscreens, both apparently edgeless and glossy-black when the ignition’s turned off. The lower one carries a pair of knurled twist-and push knobs.

Switch on and the upper screen is much like any other upmarket car’s: it carries navigation, entertainment, comms and lots of configurable car features. It’s not overloaded by having to carry the climate control though.

Climate is on the lower screen: it has very nicely rendered graphics of zephyrs of temperate air wafting into the occupants. The two knurled knobs control driver and passenger temperature. Or push them and they’re the seat heaters, their markings changing to suit.

Or hit the seat massage button on the screen and their markings change again, helping you turn up or down the massage’s efforts. You soon realize this is a whole lot easier than using a touch-screen alone.

Don’t come to the Velar for Porsche Macan-like agility. Like a proper Range Rover, it’s dignified and in command of most situations, with well-oiled accurate steering. If you’re in a real hurry, the sport mode does tauten the damping, lower the body and shift more power to the rear - where the power should be!

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QUICK LOOKS 2020 MAXIMA SR

I was pleasantly surprised when Nissan’s sporty version of their largest car arrived. For starters, it looks great. With a huge front grill, sharp exterior edges, big wheels and low profile tires, and burnt orange paint, it jumped out in my drveway.

It is good to note that the 2020 Maxima is one of the best affordable family cars on the market and the SR package includes some genuine performance upgrades including a sport-tuned suspension and 19-inch alloy wheels with low profile tires. Nissan advertises it as a fourdoor sports car with good cause.

The “Maxima fun” is generated by the normallyaspirated 3.5-liter V6 that pumps out 300 horsepower and 261 foot-pounds of torque. Unlike the smaller turbocharged four cylinder engines that some manufacturers prefer because of their slightly better fuel economy, Nissan’s proven V6 feels much faster off the line, especially in the Sport mode that increases throttle response.

The engine is also mated to one of the best continuously variable transmissions available today, which includes both a manual shift mode and paddle shifter for even more control.

Because the Maxima is first and foremost a family car, Nissan has packed it with a lot of standard and available safety features. They include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, high beam assist and rear automatic braking, a 360-degree camera system and road sign recognition.

At around $43 grand the Maxima SR is an excellent value of luxury and performance.

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QUICK LOOKS 2020 MB AMG GT53

All new just last year, the Mercedes-AMG GT53 is the German brand’s latest version of a “four-door coupe.” Although its name seems to imply that this sexy four-door, four-seat hatchback sedan is based on the GT coupe, Mercedes has actually used the bones of the E-class. The cars’ high-performance hardware and powerful engine, however, is pure AMG. Allwheel drive, electronically adjustable dampers, sport seats, and big horsepower for necksnapping acceleration.

While much of the interior is shared with the other four-door coupe from Mercedes, the CLS, the large console between its seats appears to have been pulled from the GT sports car. The interior design overall is futuristic and visually exciting, but some of its ergonomics can take some getting used to. This is also a fourseater, which may be an issue for some families.

Aggressively bolstered sport seats are standard and comfortable, while a fat and flat-bottomed steering wheel, aluminum trim, and digital gauge cluster fit the sedan’s high-performance mission.

Under the hood of the 2020 GT53 is a snarling inline-six-cylinder engine that features a supercharger, a turbocharger, an intercooler, and a small electric motor. From a stop, the electric motor and supercharger fill in the brief lapse before the turbo is fully committed. The 3.0-liter, which packs a combined 429 horsepower, pushes you back in your seat whenever you touch the accelerator. The GT53 features a conventional nine-speed automatic transmission, accelerates to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and its sport-tuned suspension delivers flat, responsive cornering and sports-car levels of grip.

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QUICK LOOKS 2020 BOLT EV PREMIER

The Chevrolet Bolt continues to win over skeptics who think the average American will never buy an electric car.

Designed to be an electric from the ground up, the Bolt’s engineers were able to incorporate the 1,000-lb. battery pack into the Bolt’s design in a way that isn’t a detriment to the vehicle’s ride and handling. With a 9-hour average charge time (at a 240-volt charging station) or a little under two hours using a DC Fast Charging station, the Bolt still isn’t as convenient as a gasoline-powered car, but it is more environmentally friendly, cheaper to fill up and a lot more hip. The Bolt is cute and fun to drive, and with a 259-mile range, it can outdistance other electric cars for overall range.

The Bolt has an independent front suspension and a semi-independent rear suspension. Sophisticated electric power steering delivers good response, with a light weight at low speeds and heavier feel at higher speeds. The low center of gravity (thanks to the battery placement in the chassis) lends a sense of stability around the curves. It’s even possible to wring a little bit of fun out of the Bolt on a winding road.

The Bolt offers a level of engagement that you can enter into, or not, as your personality and tastes dictate. If you’re into the gaming aspect of EVs, you can interact with the car to maximize range. It gives you feedback in the instrument panel to let you know how you’re doing. Or just pay attention to your state of charge and range like you would normally with a fuel gauge.

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