Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

Simmons Bank

The Texas Bucket List – Palermo Pasta House in Round Rock

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Round Rock – In the middle of downtown Round Rock, just a stone’s throw away from the town’s namesake, you’ll find the Palermo Pasta House. An elegant, yet down home Italian restaurant that has Argentinian roots.

“We’re really aiming at the pasta side of Argentine culture,” said owner Tony Giner. Tony grew up way south of here, in the South American country known for their Italian lineage. “In Argentina, half the people are of Italian descent. Even if I don’t have an Italian surname, there was always an Italian in the family. We grew up with Italian food as not Italian food, we just call it food. For us it’s normal. Doesn’t everyone’s grandma make ravioli on Sunday? That’s what’s expected,” explained Tony.

While he’s not a grandma, Tony does make all his own pastas and sauces by hand. “I do not describe myself as an Italian American eatery because it’s not exactly what I propose and what I aim for. I try to keep it more Italian with some of the influences of Argentina too,” stated Tony.

Tony has also mastered the art of making his own pasta. “It’s a different flavor and texture than dried pasta. There’s perfectly good, dried pasta, but making it fresh, it’s a different flavor, different texture. This is part of the Argentine thing that I imbue into what I do,” explained Tony.

Once you’ve picked your pasta, the next task is trying to figure out which of the 28 different types of sauces you want to try. “Kind of mind boggling because you read on through and then I got to go back to the beginning and see what I missed,” said customer Sue Gleisner.

“We start with red and white. Basically, you start with tomato basil and cream sauce. Cream, Parmesan, and butter. Then we start adding things. It’s like music. This is a chord and you add different layers to it,” explained Tony.

“It’s fascinating, even to see them and the distinction between all the sauces as well, the distinct flavors, the distinct looks, we’ve tried multiple different flavors of the sauces they’re all good,” said customer David Steward.

One does not simply order pasta here without a plethora of questions, so we let Tony put together his own tour of Italy.   Ramon the kitchen manager got things started.

“Now he’s going to be making the mushroom Marsala. That’s our mushroom base. It’s already been cooked with garlic and butter and seasonings. Now he’s going to caramelize them,” explained Tony. After that, cream and parmesan cheese complete the assemble while linguine warmed up and put in for pasta.

Next up in the pink mushroom sauce. Mushrooms are added once again but this time the tomato basil and cream sauce gets blended together while fusilli pasta is added.

Last but not least is the Puttanesca. The Puttanesca starts with capers, chopped kalamata olives and not butter, but garlic. Tomato basil sauce is added with a spicy topper.

With three distant dishes to try, I got my gaucho on and saddled up for wild ride of Argentinian/Italian cuisine. I dig into the mushroom Marsala with a fettuccine pasta first. The sauce smells buttery, and garlicky, and delicious. I must be telepathic because I knew that before I even tasted it!

“The food is fantastic,” said Sue.

“I love this place. It’s my favorite Italian place. It really is,” said customer Emilee Garner.

Next I moved on to the pink mushroom sauce with a fusilli pasta, kind of like a spiral pasta with a nice little mixture of tomato basil and cream. The tomato basil really comes out in that pasta, but it’s not super heavy. It’s very delicious. The fusilli pasta definitely gives this dish a little more oomph, a little more heaviness, but the sauce is amazing.

“It’s thicker. It’s better. It’s buttery. You can tell it’s fresh and it’s not frozen. That’s just the difference. You can really taste it,” said Emilee.

“Authentic, the flavor, everything is fresh, everything is great,” stated David.

Onto the Puttanesca. This has got a tomato basil with those capers and of course the Kalamata olives. Big bold flavors with a fancy tagliarini pasta.  This is just a big bowl of deliciousness!

“It’s so much better than anywhere else. I just can’t get anything else like I get here,” said Emilee.

“It’s pretty close. I’ve been to Italy,” stated Sue.

Well, if you’re looking for the perfect pasta dish or if calzones and pizza are more your speed come into the Palermo Pasta House in Round Rock, Texas. It is truly well worth the stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“You can’t go wrong. That’s what’s crazy. It’s like oh maybe this one won’t taste so good. You get it. You’re like, no, that tastes pretty good,” said David.

“It is a little bit different than what people are used to, but that’s what we’ve carved our niche, making fresh pasta and fresh sauces. Everything’s made in the house. Not everyone does that,” expressed Tony.

The Texas Bucket List – Beneventi’s Italian Restaurant in Mingus

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Mingus – Mingus is one of those places in the Lone Star State that you need to be driving to in order to get there. Located off I-20, just a few miles north of the ghost town of Thurber, you’ll find Mingus and not much else. “There’s all of about 140, 150 people, or something like that,” said Jan Underwood, owner of Beneventi’s Italian Restaurant.

Jan’s great grandparents immigrated to this tiny town in 1906. “They were Italian immigrants, and they came through Ellis island and got on a train and my great grandparents bought this property and it was a grocery store and they bought it side unseen, paid $88 for it. And came over with four little girls and one of them was my grandmother,” explained Jan.

Jan is carrying on the family lineage at Beneventi’s, a business that’s housed in the same building her great grandparents started their new lives in. “This building is about 160 years old,” stated Jan. “As a child, I worked in this grocery store, and I loved it out here. I was from Fort Worth. I loved the country,” said Jan.

Today this fine dining eatery option with perfectly presented pasta dishes is a far cry from what they’re used to around these parts. “Well in the past, Mingus was the liquor store. Now we have something a lot classier,” said local DeAnna Roberts.

“Anybody that lives in this area knows that this was just a rundown grocery store until Jan decided, ‘I want to do it.’,” said Vickie Dempsey.

“People were just kind of starved for something other than chicken fried steak and burgers,” said Jan.

But Beneventi’s serves a bigger purpose than just filling bellies. They fulfill a need for those who need a little bit of guidance in getting through life. “I had a purpose for the restaurant, so, it could be a make-or-break type deal. I didn’t have to worry about it just being a restaurant because it had another purpose. A greater purpose,” expressed Jan.

While trying to figure out what to do with the former family business, it became clear to Jan what needed to happen. “I know what Mingus is going to be. It’s going to be a setting where we can train people with intellectual differences so that they can get jobs within their own community,” explained Jan.

The reason Jan is so passionate about this cause? “We have a son, Austin who’s 43 and he has down syndrome,” said Jan.

 

“I’m happy because my mom is one of the participants who are helping all the other people,” said Jan’s son, Austin.

“He was born in 1978 and at that time, the inclusion in the schools in the United States had just kind of begun. So it was hard for us to even get him in our neighborhood elementary school. And then as he got older, we just had to keep pushing and pushing to try to find different things for him to be able to do,” explained Jan.

Raising a son with down syndrome wasn’t a burden to Jan, it was a blessing. One that has created an incredible opportunity to help others with intellectual differences with The Each and Everyone Foundation, a vocational training and transportation program that provides a place to stay and learn. “We only let the participants stay from one to four weeks because we don’t want them to get entrenched and find another home away from home because we want to accelerate their movement into the workforce and also to do meaningful employment where they’re making a living wage,” explained Jan. “I want the other people to have an opportunity like I do, to be independent from themselves, except not sitting at home. They learn how to come out here and work in a time restaurant here at Mingus,” said Austin.

Austin went through a similar program as a young man but when it came to opportunities afterwards, they were few and far between. “Basically, he was always cleaning the bathrooms and busing the tables, which he hated. He ended up spending 13 years at a grocery store, but he always wanted to own a restaurant,” explained Jan.

“They make me feel happy because I see that they’re happy,” stated DeeAnna.

Whenever a new recruit comes the Benevinti’s, Austin is the first to offer a warm welcome. “People are reaching out to me, literally daily, for their son or daughter to come and train here,” said Jan. “Their vision of what she’s done here is just outstanding,” said Scott.

What makes Benevinti’s even better is the food is incredible thanks to Jan passing down her family recipes. “Honest to God, Italian,” stated Vickie.

So if you happen to be driving between Fort Worth and Abilene and you get a hankering for some Italian, stop by Benevinti’s to polish off some pasta and meet some of the most marvelous servers in the Lone Star State. “Just know they’re just people. They’re just really pretty regular people. So, to me, it’s not much of a difference than having red hair or brown hair. It’s kind of all the same,” expressed Jan.

“This is unique, so that’s why it’s special. And it touches people in a different way,” sad DeeAnna.

“Enjoy the joyfulness that this place will provide,” expressed Vickie.

“There’s a lot of places around the great state of Texas that people can go experience. And this is just one that if you get lucky, you’ll know about it and you’ll get to do it before you kick the bucket,” said Scott.

The Texas Bucket List – Lajitas Golf Resort in Lajitas

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Lajitas – Terlingua is a terrific stop on The Texas Bucket List thanks to its one-of-a-kind beauty.  One of the most desolate destinations in our state, it’s a part of Texas that you have to specifically be going to in order to get there.  Big Bend is a big attraction here but a little bit past the tiny town is an even smaller site known as Lajitas and it’s got one of the most high-end resorts in the whole state in a setting you can only find in the Chihuahuan Desert.

“We have people who come who’ve lived in Texas their entire lives and had no idea the state of Texas could look like this,” said Matt Fawkes, the assistant general manager of the Lajitas Golf Resort.  Fawkes has been working at the Lajitas Golf Resort since 2015. Despite being from Buffalo, he enjoys the Texas temps. “I don’t like the cold. Absolutely, this is the perfect example, it’s gorgeous,” said Matt.

Situated on 27,000 acres in between Big Bend National Park and the Big Bend Ranch State Park, you’ll find this one-of-a-kind resort that, even during their busiest times, feels like you pretty much have the place to yourself.  “We’ll have 500 guests on property that we got to take care of,” stated Matt. Being there, I never imagined that many people were here too.

Houston real estate developer Walter Mischer envisioned this one-of-a-kind resort back in the 1970’s. “He wanted this to be the Palm Springs of Texas,” said Matt.

The rustic hotel and other accommodations give the Lajitas Golf Resort it’s charm, the quiet dining amongst the mountains of west Texas give it the serenity, the Thirsty Goat Saloon provides a watering hole to quench your thirst, but the one of the kind golf course sitting on the banks of the Rio Grande is truly something to behold. Head golf pro Matt Rippy knows he’s working at one of the most sought-after golfing spots in the state. “There’s a reason it’s the number one public golf course in Texas,” said Rippy.

I can only imagine the difficulties of trying to maintain a golf course in this environment. “It’s challenging, but we have a wonderful Superintendent, Logan Knapp does an incredible job,” said Matt Fawkes.

Here it’s all about the setting, with extreme elevation changes on the course, this Lenny Wadkins designed course is one of a kind.  “Normally when you design a golf course, you have a piece of property and you can just design the golf course and drop it in. But I mean I’m sure he had to go out there and find spots for holes and utilize the hills and the elevation changes, and I think he did an outstanding job with it,” said Rippy.

The 14th hole is even more impressive with its incredible bird’s nest view, you’re not entirely sure which way to hit your ball. “You can see the river, you can see Lajitas Mesa. You can see all the bluffs and the Chisos Mountains and it’s definitely the best view in the house, in my opinion,” stated Rippy. “That’s like one of the holes that I’m saying I can take a picture and show you a video, but until you actually are physically on the tee box, looking straight down hill, that’s something you got to see in person,” explained Matt Rippy.

But if you want an even closer look at the border, there’s a hole that plays right up against it. “A little tradition we like to have here, come back to the back tee box and tee one up and hit a drive over the river. So you hit one so far, you hit it in a different country,” joked Matt.Now that’s something worth checking off the list!

So if being surrounded by the beauty of west Texas while enjoying a top of the line Lone Star State resort is the vacation you’re looking for or perhaps hitting a few golf balls is what you prefer, a stop at the Lajitas Golf Resort is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List. “You can’t really describe it to people. You can try, but we haven’t figured it out yet. It’s something that you have to visually experience and see,” expressed Matt Rippy.

The Texas Bucket List – Washington-on-the-Brazos in Washington

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Washington – During the month of March, bluebonnets are a big deal along the rolling hills of Washington County. But if walking around wildflowers isn’t your forte, you’ll also find a historic site to Texas here that helped create a country.  “This place is significant for a lot of reasons, but it really is where Texas became Texas,” stated Jonathon Failor.

Failor is the site manager at Washington-On-The-Brazos and since 2012, Jonathan has been telling the crucial story of what happened here in 1836 and it’s a topic that really takes to Texan’s hearts.“We think about that Texas mystique, that Texas swag. Where does that come from? Does it just rise up out of the ground? Is it just part of who Texans are,” said Jonathon.

Now Washington-On-The-Brazos isn’t just the site where Texas signed the Declaration of Independence from Mexico, this is 300 acres filled with Lone Star State lineage. From the Barrington Plantation where you’ll find the home of Anson Jones, the last president of Texas to the Star of the Republic Museum where you can find a fine flag that’s full of history. “For such an iconic item… the Lone Star flag is everywhere and it’s something that holds great significance to Texans… to have one that can be documented to the Republic period and be perhaps the only one is pretty significant,” expressed Jonathon.

Now the reason all of this is here has to do with a town that doesn’t really exist anymore. Washington was simply a safe place to hold a political convention during a time of uprising in Texas.  “In March of 1836, the convention was looking for a place to meet that was centrally located for most of the delegates coming from all over the eastern part of Texas, the different districts and municipalities. They needed a place that was easy to get to, so it needed to be on a well-established road and it needed to be relatively safe. The building wasn’t done being built. It had no glass in the windows. It had no heating source, but it was a large building that could house 60 plus individuals for a political convention to declare Texas’s independence from Mexico. The convention was officially called to order on March 1st, 1836. On March 2nd, they had already passed a Declaration of Independence and signed it,” explained Jonathon.

That signed Declaration now sits in the Texas State Archives in Austin. But the site where those 59 delegates came to declare independence will always remain in Washington-On-The-Brazos. “This is Independence Hall, a replica of the building where they met in 1836 to declare Texas independence, draft a constitution, and form the first government of the Republic,” explained on-site educator Adam Arnold.

The building that saw that historic time in Texas history is long gone but for some reason, being in the same spot where Sam Houston, Lorenzo de Zavala, Thomas Jefferson Rusk, Jose Antonio Navarro, George Childress and 55 others made Texas, Texas brings chills to proud Texans. “I’ve had people come in here, hear our story, and actually start crying. There’s just something about being where one of the most important moments in any country’s history took place and being able to feel that connection.  It’s great to get to see people connect and come alive with it,” expressed Arnold.

“I think this is an excellent example of that Texas mystique, that Texas swag. This is where Texans took a stand, took a stand against tyranny, declared independence, and forged a new nation that changed the world. This place changed the world. And Texas continues to do that,” said Jonathon.

The Texas Bucket List – Gatlin’s BBQ in Houston

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Houston – On the Northwest side of H-town, you’ll get a whiff of Gatlin’s coming out of the Oak Forest neighborhood. That smell of smokey, seasoned to perfection BBQ is so good that even all the gold in California couldn’t keep you away. “Out of body experience, that’s the best way I can put it,” said customer Anthony Lafleur.

“We do enough stuff to keep you on your toes,” said owner Greg Gatlin. Gatlin got things started at his namesake restaurant in 2010 and in case you’re wondering, he’s not related to the infamous singing Gatlin Brothers.

He is related to his parents Henry and Mary though. They’re on hand every day and when you arrive, you immediately feel like family. “When it started, it was me, my dad, my mom. Dad and I used to come on separate shifts in the middle of the night. He would come in the middle of the night, then I would get here probably… Over there probably about 4:30. And then he would come in right about 5:30, right after he took his nap, and then we were doing that every single day. Right now, I think it’s crazy, but then it was just the norm,” explained Greg.

Greg wasn’t always a BBQ man, he majored in economics and management and leading up to opening his Gatlin’s he was in commercial real estate. “We were going out and we were eating, you’re entertaining people, you’re traveling and whatnot, and I’m like, ‘I can cook better than some of the stuff that I’m eating.’,” said Greg. That’s when Greg got to work on Gatlin’s. “We used to barbecue all the time, it was just this thing. So my dad, my uncle, my great uncles and stuff. All the family reunions, church functions, they would all barbecue. So it was one thing we kind of knew how to do already. It was just, ‘Hey, how do you put your stamp on what you do?’,” said Greg.

So Greg crafted his BBQ to combine flavors from all over the region and was one of the first craft BBQ companies in the state. “The more things change, the more they stay the same, so the principles and the basics are always the same, but you know, you’re always looking to put your spin on or trying to see kind of what’s different out there. Is there a different taste? Is there a different way for us to do this,” said Greg.

Here you’ll find eight smoked meats and over a dozen sides to choose from. “There’s 14 different sides,” stated Greg. “I’m from Louisiana, so when I can see collard greens, barbecue, and Dirty Rice all on the same menu, it’s got to be a good place,” stated customer Mike Benjamin. “It’s a unique taste, I really can’t explain it, but it’s just a very unique taste, man, and it’s something that I love from the beginning,” said Anthony.

Surprisingly Greg wanted to feature a sandwich, actually two of them. So who am I to turn him down?  We start with breakfast. “The Brisket Biscuit is a staple, which is going to be your Cathead biscuit right there. You got your smoked brisket, grilled onions and jalapenos, and on top that with some cheese, it’ll be…It’s good stuff,” said Greg.

Executive Chef Michelle Wallace got the big ol’ biscuit toasted on the flattop while pickled jalapenos and onions also got grilled. Throw in an egg and some brisket and we’re cooking. Greg stirs up things up with a condiment that compliments the sandwich completely, bacon jam. Throw on cheese and slap it together and you’ve got The Brisket Biscuit.

We’re not done yet, Greg also got things started on a smoked pastrami sandwich. “We brine and smoke our own pastrami. It’s about a nine-day process depending on the size of the brisket. Yeah, all the spices we toast off, get them in the brine, set them in the walk-in for about a good nine days,” explained Greg.

The thinly sliced beef gets warmed up with marble rye bread and a creole mustard made in house mixed in with sauerkraut is spread on. Swiss cheese is melted on top while a slice of BBQ turkey is added for good measure.

It’s time to sit down with some sizable sandwiches, and you got to start with breakfast. Time to gracefully go in for a bite.  It’s safe to say breakfast sandwiches are not supposed to be this good. Every single thing that’s in this sandwich, it smacks you in the face. You don’t even taste jalapenos, that brisket is so good, it just goes with everything.

As for the pastrami, it too is a certified hit. The brisket and turkey has amazing flavor, but that Creole mustard with the sauerkraut in it, wow! “There’s a number of barbecue places throughout the city, but in my opinion, this is THE barbecue spot,” said Anthony.

To say the brisket is tender would be an understatement. “The only downside is having to go back to work afterwards,” joked customer Matt Duca.

Next time we’re heading to Houston, I’ll definitely be singing one day closer to you because coming to Gatlin’s for the Brisket Biscuit and the pastrami sandwich, now that’s well worth the stop on The Texas Bucket List.

The Texas Bucket List – Herd Wear Retail Store in Goodnight

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Goodnight – There’s something to be said about the Panhandle Plains of Texas. The area around Amarillo is full of fascinating places that are rich with stories of Texas. “The history of gas and oil, the history of cattle, the history of ranching, the history of cotton farming. It’s an unbelievable experience that most people pay no attention to,” said Cecil Miskin, owner of the Herd Wear Retail Store in Goodnight.

Miskin admits that even he didn’t know how incredible this part of the world is and he knows it. “We are just a small part of really the crossroads of American history,” stated Cecil.

What seems a bit odd is Cecil’s huge shop being in such a desolate location. “That’s a question I do ask myself a lot,” joked Cecil. Turns out, it’s perfect for his passion for buffalo. “It was a hell of an opportunity to be on land that Charles and Mary Anne Goodnight used to own and raise buffalo and all that stuff,” said Cecil.

Originally a lawyer from Detroit, Michigan, Cecil moved to Texas in 1979.What brought Cecil down to Texas? “My first wife,” answered Cecil. In 1987, he took up the hobby, as he calls it, of raising bison. What made him decide to raise bison?  “My second wife,” chuckled Cecil.“She put her finger under my nose and shook it and said, ‘You’d better choose wisely, mister. It’s either me or the buffalo.’ And I made the wrong decision at that time. But after I got with wife number three, then we got the buffalo,” explained Cecil.

For what’s it worth, Cecil couldn’t even say Buffalo Springfield before being enamored with these big animals. “We fell in love with the animal and by working with the byproducts particularly, it’s made a difference in the industry,” said Cecil.

Now when he says industry, he’s talking about the bison business.  From coats, hats, soaps, and skulls there’s all sorts of ways to capitalize on these iconic creatures. “It’s an American commodity that creates multiple different products, all of which are pretty damn good,” stated Cecil.

For Cecil, it’s socks. “These are some of the socks that we have produced and are still producing,” said Cecil. “You got bison, it’s a hobby. In the spring, when you get out, you start finding they shed fiber on the bushes. We had lots of briers. And so they’d rub against the trees and we’d pick up this stuff and go,” explained Cecil.

Fortunately making socks is a lot safer for the bison. “The whole idea, our whole purpose was to support ranchers who were dependent upon the animals for their livelihood. That was our purpose. We didn’t get into this to become sock designers or open a store or anything else,” said Cecil.

“We’ve helped spread the message of what the bison industry has become, what bison are to this country and to the world,” expressed Cecil. Cecil is quite passionate about the bison, and he sure does have a good reason to be. “That’s a tough one. Thinking about what was done to try to wipe out the natives by wiping out the bison, you don’t want that to happen again. Thinking about ranchers like Goodnight, C.J. Jones, Buffalo Jones, Walking Coyote, some of the folks that saved the bison from extinction, well, let’s keep it going. We don’t need to stop here,” explained Cecil.

So if you’re in the market for some best socks I’ve worn with my boots…Or you just want to explore the part of our state where bison still roam and Texas history is a wide and vast as the land, heading to Goodnight to be with the buffalo is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List. “The animal truly is an American icon, and we just want to help keep it going,” stated Cecil.

The Texas Bucket List – Quintessential Chocolates in Fredericksburg

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Fredericksburg – Fredericksburg is always a fun stop on The Texas Bucket List, thanks to plentiful peaches, beautiful scenery, and of course Texas wine. If you’re looking for something tasty to team up with a Tempranillo, over at Quintessential Chocolates they’ve gone above and beyond with these bon bons.

“I had the opportunity to do something that I had wanted to do all along and that was to make European-style confections,” said owner Lecia Duke. Duke is fittingly enough of Swiss descent but was born and raised in Baytown. Lecia used to come to Fredericksburg with her Mom as a child but life took her around the country.

In the 1980’s she started Quintessential Chocolates and what makes her sweets so unique is it’s bite. Her chocolates are filled with all sorts of spirits, from Texas bourbon, single malt scotch to peach schnapps, each of these candies packs a surprising punch. “It balances well. People have said, ‘I don’t know if Scotch and chocolate work.’, and I’m like, ‘Yeah, they work.’,” joked Lecia.

Lecia started the business in Tennessee but couldn’t move back home to Texas till the 90’s when her product became legal in the Lone Star State. “We are still illegal in over half the country. You can buy cannabis in Washington, DC, but you cannot buy my product” said Lecia. Well, isn’t that crazy? “It does because we use real alcohol, but you cannot get inebriated on this product,” explained Lecia. “To equal the amount of alcohol in our pretend glass of wine, you have to have 3,183 pieces. You’re just not going to get any fun out of this, you’re going to go into a sugar coma, or your body is going to shut down from having to deal with all the food that it takes in the form of sugar and chocolate. And it’s just an indulgence. The federal regulation is one half a percent alcohol per piece by weight. Otherwise, it is classified as adulterated, so we fall into the adulterated category because we’re 2.6% alcohol per piece,” stated Lecia. “You have enough oxygen in the roof of your mouth to burn off the amount of alcohol that’s in that piece, so you can tell distinctively the difference between all of these bourbons and whiskeys,” explained Lecia.

Enjoying a piece of fine chocolate filled with your favorite libation is quite an experience. “To watch guys roll their eyes in the back of the head and drop to their knees. I’m like, ‘Babe, are you okay? Come on up there.’,” joked Lecia.

But the process in making these chocolates with saucy souls is seriously scientific and has been perfected over 200 years in Switzerland.   “We built a barrel vault out of sugar crystals, just a few sugar-crystals thick. So it captures the volatiles and it gives us a structure on which to lay the chocolate, a thin coating of chocolate,” explained Lecia.

Lecia then explains just how this fascinating piece of candy comes to be. “We cast the liquid into corn starch and what happens is we form a sugar shell literally on the surface of the liquid. That’s what I’m saying. We take a wooden tray, a hot starch and we make an imprint like you would for a sand casting and then we drop the liquid in. For every molecule of water, there’s three of sugar and one of the suspended alcohol, we drop it all into the corn starch. Cornstarch only pulls the water out, when it does, the sugar crystals lock together and form a crystal and shell that’s paper thin on the surface of the liquid,” explained Lecia. “It’s called a Zuker Krust. Z-U-C-K-E-R K-R-U-S-T. That’s German for sugar shell and that’s what forms on the surface of the liquid. Then we’re able to pick it up and load it on the chocolate line,” said Lecia.

That is one incredible science project. Someone must have been really bored in the chocolate factory one day!  “Well, this was actually perfected over 200 years ago in Switzerland. While we were hacking our way through the wilderness, they were doing this,” joked Lecia.

Now when it comes to experiencing one of these chocolates brimming with booze, you have to be careful of spillage.“If you bite and shoot the shot, you’re good. If you put the whole thing in, warm it up, allow it to crush on its own, you don’t know when that’s going to happen and then we can tell because your eyes pop open or you can put the whole thing in and chomp. We don’t care as long as you contain the liquid. Keep your lips closed. We’ll be fine,” joked Lecia.

Dessert with a drink, all in one bite. “We are the only ones in the country making it. And we make it right here in Texas and I’m Texan and I’m proud of it. I’d rather be this than anything in the world. I mean, it’s been one hellacious ride between the laws and the business interruptions, and the challenges thrown at me, but granny always said, ‘What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.’,” expressed Lecia.

The Texas Bucket List – Curbside Bistro in Odessa

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Odessa – When it comes to finding unique food stops in the Petroplex, I’ve been looking far and wide to strike it rich. But as soon as I stepped foot into the Curbside Bistro, I could tell this stop is something special. “It’s like a best kept secret,” said customer Kim Stewart. “It’s crazy. It really is crazy. People love to eat here,” said owner Alejandro Barrientos.

Alejandro and his wife Stephanie are the foodies that founded the Curbside Bistro back in 2014 but this business is a far cry from working in the oil field. Alejandro knows firsthand. “Being in the oil field, you kind of have some downtime and start seeing what you want to do, your passion for it. And I’ve always had a passion for barbecue, and it wasn’t until I started researching, you could make your own barbecue sauce. You could make your own barbecue rubs. So I started experimenting and I started cooking,’ explained Alejandro.

After attending culinary school, Alajandro took a leap of faith and started out in a food truck but it wasn’t any run of the mill food truck. “I saved up money. Me and her [Stephanie], we bought a box truck. I used an oil field box truck. Completely gutted, there was nothing in it. And then, one paycheck I would save up and then we’d buy the fryer and then, okay, we scratched that off our list. And then what do we need now? We need a hot water heater. How much is it? This much. All right, let’s start saving. So me and her, we would save, we’d put our money together and we bought it slowly, but little by little,” explained Alejandro.

Those closest to Alajandro were somewhat encouraging. “You know, we tell family and friends, hey, we’re opening a food truck. They’re like, ‘Oh, that’s awesome. What kind of tacos are you going to sell?’,” joked Alejandro.

Taco wasn’t what was on his mind, instead he wanted to create crazy concoctions of serious sliders and freaky fries full of flavor. It wasn’t long before folks were fond of his food truck but the next step would be even bigger for Alajandro and his wife. ‘You want to take this leap of faith with me?’ She goes, ‘Yeah let’s do it.’ So we both kind of quit both our jobs and dove head first into this. And haven’t looked back,” said Alejandro.

That courageous leap of faith was pretty daunting to Alejandro and Stephanie. “Oh yeah. It’s very scary. You go from knowing you’re going to get a paycheck every Friday benefits, stable job, to hey, we don’t sell these burgers we don’t eat. But you know, no risk, no reward. We knew something was calling us into us. God was moving us and opening doors for us, and we knew this is what we had to do,” expressed Alejandro.

His most sought-after slider, the Tejano Borracho. “It’s a blended mushroom patty topped with pulled pork, kickin’ bourbon sauce. We add a little alcohol in there, a fried jalapeno corn fritter, cilantro ranch, queso and all sandwiched in a brioche bun,” said Alejandro.

 Holy moly! This slider is so sensational, it’s made it all the way to New York City! “That one actually won us the James Beard Foundation competition, where we went to James Beard House in New York city. We had to represent West Texas,’ stated Alejandro.

Let’s go cook a Drunk Texan! Alejandro starts off with a patty that’s 70 percent beef and 30 percent mushrooms and while the sliders sizzle up, Alajandro gets started on my side. “Wait til you see the Buffalo fries. You’ll be like, oh this is awesome,” joked Alejandro.

Fresh marinated chicken is battered and fried while fries are topped with cheese, the chicken, cilantro ranch and buffalo sauce. The small sized burger is topped with pulled pork, bourbon BBQ sauce, fresh jalapenos, pickles, some cilantro ranch, the jalapeno corn fritter and a bit of jalapeno queso.

As soon as I sat down to enjoy the meal, I knew Alejandro had hooked us up with one insane plate. The Buffalo fries are over stacked. The sliders are trying to hold things together and somehow we’re going to devour this. “I come for this and I don’t deviate,” said Kim.

The marinated chicken with that house made ranch and Buffalo sauce just takes things to a whole other level. “We always get the full order, cause go big go home,” joked customer John Stewart.

Now I understand why the Buffalo fries are so popular! “I don’t share. I get the full order and it’s a marathon, it’s not a sprint. And I do this once or twice a week with my husband and without,” joked Kim.

I guess we should go ahead and slide on into the sliders. Never has one bite provided so much fantastic flavor. “You can’t get it anywhere else. This is the only one here in West Texas or in existence,” said John.

Well, if you’re a fan of rich flavors that bring out the biggest and boldest taste that we love here in Texas, coming here to the Curbside Bistro in Odessa is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List. “I cut my teeth in the restaurant business here in Odessa, and for a lot of young culinarians, they want to go to Austin, Houston, go to big name chefs. And I said, no, I want to make this my home, this is where I was born and raised, I got my family and friends. I want to represent Odessa and show them that, ‘Hey, we can be just as good as those guys or not better.’ And I wanted to show young culinarians that are getting their start in culinary school that, ‘Hey, you can make it here too.’ You don’t have to go to these big cities,” expressed Alejandro.

The Texas Bucket List – Belt Sander Races at The Gaff in Port Aransas

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Port Aransas – Traveling to Port A is the perfect stop on The Texas Bucket List. You’ve got sun, beautiful beaches, great food, fine folks, and furry friends. But if your competitive juices start to flow and you’re looking for a great showdown between competitors, just head to The Gaff. There you’ll find a unique tournament of champions, the Belt Sander Races.

“This is the greatest thing in the world,” said patron Terry Gillespie. “Where else have you ever seen belt sander races,” asked patron Joe Jensen. “We are the birthplace of Texas Belt Sander Racing,” said owner Kip Shannon. Kip started this backyard competition that takes place on a really long board back in 2005. “It’s a little competition, it’s a little bit fun and everybody gets together, it’s a community thing,” said Kip.

Popular with winter Texans but busy throughout the year, the semi-monthly matchup brings in the best belt sanders from across the country.  But racing isn’t the only thing going on here. “It’s a get together, we have a party,” stated Kip. “I saw crusty old men turn into 10-year-old kids at the drop of a hat and I’m like, ‘I’m onto something.’,” explained Kip.

Now I would say that usually drinking and power tools are a bad idea. “It is when you’re racing. We try to keep everything down to a low roar. Sometimes it will mess up and you’re out because of your drinking,” said Kip.

Donna Orozco is one of the many competitors that gets a grip and lets it rip. “When we first heard about this, we came down here and we’re like, ‘What the heck?’ And we’re like, ‘Oh my God, we got to do this.’,” said competitor Donna Orozco. “I tell people like, ‘We race belt sanders.’ And they’re like, ‘You do what?’,” joked Donna. Her Lady Liberty is a true testament to the American spirit, and sure makes Donna proud when racing down the track!

All these power tools have a personality all to their own.  From Ol’ Blue, the Cheesehead, to the Money Pit, you never know what you’ll find riding or potentially dying. “The decor on them is pretty interesting,” said spectator Haley Jamison. And it’s not just what’s on the outside that counts. These folks get serious when it comes to sanders. The winner of 2010 Las Vegas hit this track, he’s got the record at 2.5 seconds. And he’s an electrical engineer and he has a little something in there that no one knows what it is but whatever it is, it makes him a fast sander,” said Kip.

Some of the entrants are so fast that standing close to the track can be a bit precarious. “We have tested to see if it does jump the track how far it goes and this usually is a pretty good buffer zone for safety wise. And then it did go to the neighbor’s yard one time but that was rare,” said Kip.

With dozens on hand, cheering on their favorite challenger, the tension is palpable. “I always do like a little bit of deep breathing before I get up there to settle my heart rate down and just focus on that light,” explained Donna. Because this is a race of inches. “It’s the luck of the draw. You don’t know which lane you’re going to get, one lane’s kind of faster than the other so it’s a lucky thing,” explained Kip. “We’re all really good friends that we all cheer each other on. And it was amazing. It’s good to be here with all your friends, for sure,” expressed Donna.

In the end, Donna pushed it to the limit and took the title of champion on this day of the belt sander races. “This is our fifth season we’ve been racing and this is my first time to ever get number one,” stated Donna. “I make a lot of people happy on these certain little days, twice a month. It takes a lot of energy out of you but it’s impressive to see how much fun and joy these guys kind of… I bring purpose to people’s lives, I like it. I really like it,” expressed Kip.

“We love it,” said spectator Richard Childress.

“It’s one of those kooky little things that you’ve just got to see,” said Kip.

“Oh man, this is a genuine Texas experience, and where else can you go to a pirate bar? This is like the best place in the world to me. I love The Gaff. I do,” said Donna.

The Texas Bucket List – Brick Vault Barbeque and Brewery in Marathon

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Marathon – Brewster County is the biggest county in our state, covering over 6,000 square miles! It’s home to Big Bend, Terlingua, Alpine and Marathon. The whole county has three BBQ joints and the Brick Vault is one of them.

“There wasn’t much. I don’t really know of any other place other than us. There’s a good spot there in Marfa, Convenience West is good, but other than that, there wasn’t any barbecue out here,” said owner Phillip Moellering.

Moellering didn’t mull over the idea of opening a BBQ joint in this desolate destination because it seemed like the perfect fit in the eclectic destination that is Marathon. “Yeah, it sounds crazy. It’s not like the hill country where you can get the barbecue in every town.  It’s so quiet. The mountains, it slows down out here. I mean, there’s not much traffic, it’s peaceful and it’s a place where you can just lose yourself and get away,” expressed Phillip.

Just steps from the Gage Hotel and the White Buffalo Bar, some of my favorite stops in the whole state, the Brick Vault gets its name from a brick vault in the back that was part of the original building built in 1886. In 1927 the building burnt down but the brick vault survived and it’s still smoking today. ‘It is a smoker. It’s a cold smoke, it doesn’t put off a whole lot of heat, which we don’t want. We’re just trying to get the smoke on there for the bacon,” said Phillip.

The rest of the BBQ is cooked in an offset 1000-gallon smoker and that includes the inhouse made sausage. “We try to do a different sausage every week. We try to do our play on a Queso Flameado, which is Asadero cheese, and we, kind of like a chorizo, and we just stuff it all in there,” explained Phillip.

Souped-up sausage isn’t the craft offering you can cash in on at the Brick Vault, there’s also craft beer. “For me, it like checks all the boxes. It’s physically demanding. It’s creatively demanding, and it’s mentally demanding,” said brew master Amy Oxenham.

Oxenham attended the prestigious Siebel Institute of Technology, has a degree in Biology, and previously worked at Big Bend Brewing. “All of that together. I like to think I’m a pretty well-rounded brewer,” joked Amy.

Her beer recipes resonate with the region.  From a crisp Mexican Lager to a sweet pecan porter and her beers pair perfectly with Phillip’s BBQ. “She has the ability to do whatever she wants in regards to her beer profiles, and that’s what I think attracts people here,” said Phillip. “There is just so much craftsmanship and passion and design that went in to that one meal,” stated Amy.

Phillip got started pulling things off the pit for my plate and that’s about the time I noticed, there are not very many cows or wood in these parts. Pretty much anything you need in this neck of the woods has to make the journey to get here. “We get our wood from our family spot there in Fredericksburg. We get a delivery from my cousin every six weeks. He brings about four cords every six weeks,” said Phillip.

Brisket, turkey, ribs and three different styles of sausage took up our entire tray.  I decided to start with the house made specialty sausage.  It looks amazingly coarse and once you taste it, it’s beautifully spiced. “I’ll be honest with you. I’m not a big sausage fan. I’m a fan of this sausage,” said customer Janis Jobe.

From there we’ll do the Jalapeno Cheddar which is stuffed with cheese and it’s just as tasty as the original, just spicier and cheesier. And finally, the Queso Flameado Sausage. A good spicy sausage, not as coarse, but just as cheesy and delicious!

We went to Phil’s ribs and they had a nice vinegary finish and were delicious. “The ribs are huge and full of meat,” said customer Eloise Haynes

Finding barbecue turkey that moist in the Chihuahuan Desert. That’s a find! “Goldmine. I mean, it really is. It’s just a gold mine,” said customer Tony Currer.

And finally the brisket, smokey, sensational with that salt and pepper finish! “Super yummy food,” said Eloise.

You shouldn’t be able to find barbecue this good in West Texas. “It’s really that good. It really is. And I mean it seriously. You can’t really explain it until it just hits your mouth. And then once it hits your mouth, you’re just like, wow. That’s good barbecue. That’s great stuff,” said Tony.

Well, if the love of your life is looking for that romantic trip out to Marathon, we’ve got some good news for you. There’s a place for beer and barbecue and it’s called the Brick Vault. And it’s well worth the stop on The Texas Bucket List! “Like nothing you’ll ever taste,” said Eloise. “It’s fun. It’s a lot of hard work though. I mean, it’s long hours. It’s hard work, but at the end of the day seeing someone enjoy their meal is what it’s all about,” expressed Phillip. “There is a lot of incredible work that goes into curating this experience. And I think we do a good job, honestly,” said Amy.