Living

Café 43 boasts a menu inspired by the tastes of the former president and First Lady, including pecan-crusted chicken; a grilled peach, heirloom tomato, and burrata salad; and ice

cream. (PHOTOS: KERSTEN RETTIG AND COURTESY)

PRESIDENTIAL PEOPLE WATCHING: 34 REASONS TO VISIT CAFÉ 43

Café 43 in the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is a wonderful restaurant.

The space is spectacular, the service is friendly and professional, and the food is delicious. Need more reasons to go? Here are 34 of

KERSTEN RETTIG them: 1. The space is beautiful, airy, and bright, with floor-toceiling windows. 2. There is an outside shaded patio where you might see little bunnies hopping around. 3. Paintings from Texas artists hang on the walls. 4. Many staff members have backgrounds in luxury hospitality, including The Mansion on Turtle Creek. 5. Most hospitality and kitchen team members have been in place since opening day in 2013. 6. The former president and First Lady were involved in creating the menu inspired by some of Laura Bush’s favorite dishes. 7. The menu is local first, then regional, and Texas-sourced. 8. The chef, John Maas, graduated from Dallas College at El Centro’s exceptional culinary program. 9. There is no broccoli on the menu, even though it was 43’s father, President George H.W. Bush, who despised it. 10. The Bushes aren’t big fans of beets, raw onion, or garlic. 11. You will not find menu items with those ingredients. 12. The Bushes love asparagus, and they are frequently on the menu. 13. The menu changes seasonally. 14. The pecan-crusted chicken looks like a west Texas landscape, but it’s as moist as Houston in the summer and delicious. 15. The summer menu includes a stunning grilled peach, heirloom tomato, and burrata salad. 16. President Bush loves ice cream, so Café 43 has an ice cream maker. 17. His favorite flavor is Banana Pecan, but he rarely orders it anymore. 18. Saturday brunch. 19. The Southern Benedict with pulled barbecue pork, buttermilk biscuits, andouille gravy, and asparagus is delicious. 20. You can enjoy cocktails, beer, and wine with your meal. 21. The restaurant is closed on Sunday. 22. You might see international statesmen and women dining there, but the staff is discreet, and they don’t serve and tell.

23. Chef Maas says he doesn’t get nervous cooking for world leaders. 24. There is no steak on the menu because the price would be more than $20. 25. Mrs. Bush wants approachable menu items and prices. 26. Most guests are from out of state and gravitate to “Texan” dishes such as chicken enchiladas and burgers. 27. This culinary team provides the cuisine for all events at the Bush Center. 28. That includes private parties, weddings, and corporate events. 29. The restaurant closes at 3 p.m., so it is an excellent venue

You might see for hosting events. 30. You don’t international need to buy a tickstatesmen and et to the museum to visit the café. women dining 31. Dining at there, but the staff Café 43 is such a pleasant experience, is discreet, and they it should slip into don’t serve and tell. your regular rotation. 32. The library and museum are beautifully done and worth a visit. 33. Café 43 is on OpenTable. 34. I highly recommend a visit to Café 43. Follow Kersten Rettig, a Park Cities-based writer with 30-plus years of experience in food and beverage marketing and public relations, on Instagram @KerstenEats.

Detour Brings Over the ‘Moon’ Coffee Discovery

I relish in how easy it is to remember the directions to D Magazine’s office: left on Walnut Hill Lane, right on the tollway, and go straight until you see the tall office building with a big, red “D” on it. It’s become muscle memory, so I was peeved when Walnut Hill construction blocked my usu-

EMILEA MCCUTCHAN al route. I turned onto Midway, mapped out my new route — left on Northwest Highway, right on the tollway — and a familiar sign caught my eye.

Sipping on my latte infused with Moon Milk made accounting less painful.

No lie, my jaw dropped, and I made a phone call:

“Mom, there’s a Summer Moon opening!”

Summer Moon Coffee’s first true Dallas location opened at 4343 Northwest Highway by Suze and The Original Pancake House, where a Starbucks used to be.

Unless you’ve been to its Frisco or Fort Worth locations, or you’re a Longhorn like me, you probably don’t understand the hubbub.

I’ll be blunt: It’s one of the best coffee shops I’ve visited.

A family business born out of the Texas Hill Country, Summer Moon Coffee roasts its beans over seasoned Texas oak logs and uses Moon Milk, a seriously out-of-thisworld signature sweet cream comprised of seven secret ingredients.

Friends introduced me to Summer Moon coffee my first year at the University of Texas, and since then, we have made it a tradition every Monday to study there for our hardest classes.

Sipping on my latte infused with Moon Milk made accounting less painful.

It’s even become a tradition to stop at Summer Moon when Mom visits me in Austin.

While the coffee shop offers the usual staples like cold brew, espresso, and tea, the drinks that set Summer Moon apart are Moon Milk infused, including the popular Summermoon, a hot latte, and Wintermoon, an iced latte.

You can adjust the sweetness Moon Milk adds in quarters. For me, the sweet spot is three quarters, but friends who don’t like sweet coffee usually go for a quarter or a half.

If you find yourself in line and unsure what to try, I suggest my go-to order: a three-quarters Wintermoon.