Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

Simmons Bank

The Texas Bucket List – Bluebird Fish Camp in Orange

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Orange – Southeast Texas is always one of my favorite food destinations in the Lone Star State. You can find such an incredible flavor thanks to our friends from across the Sabine adding a little flair to the food.

That’s exactly the case right on the water’s edge in Orange where the Bluebird Fish Camp has been banging out beyond amazing grub since 2014. “The people make you feel so welcome, they let you know you’re loved. They help you in any way they can,” said customer Sallie Haynes. “Everybody we meet, they turn into family. You just can’t help it,” said Ashley Steiner.

Steiner’s family runs this business by the water and relatives are reliably always hanging around the Bluebird and there is a lot of chirping going on around here. “It is literally like growing up at your grandma’s house and having all your cousins and everybody come. The door never stops swinging, that’s how we grew up. And it’s just like that here, the door never stops swinging,” said Ashley.

You’ve got Grandpa Lem, who’s 96. “He’s still driving on the tractor, cutting yards and pastures, and helping his friends work on cars,” stated Ashley. You’ve got Floyd, who’s a local that might as well be an adopted part of the family. “If they don’t see me one day, they say, ‘What happened to him? He ain’t kicked the bucket, huh?’,” joked Floyd. Rodney Harris the cook is one of the friendly folks we’ve ever met. “You’ve got to make them feel like hospitality around here, and I love it,” said Rodney. “Rodney is definitely a character, but he’s a great character to have around here. He keeps the place lively,” said Sallie.

Then you got all sorts of aunts and uncles. “Our family is so big it’s probably, I think, close to 150 of us,” stated Ashley. That just scratches the surface of the Bluebird. “For this joint, let me tell you, we got all kinds, all kinds of crazy,” joked Ashley.

The food is also crazy. Crazy good. “Every food you can imagine is incredible, from their fried pork chops to their fried crabs,” said Sallie. “A good fry, seasoning’s good, and it’s good, and that’s real,” stated Floyd.

Rodney has no problem having to come out of his shell while preparing their famous fried crab. “They’re amazing. I could eat my weight in them,” joked Ashley. This unique hangout the shores of the Sabine would be here if it wasn’t for a vision Ashley’s father, Oscar LaBlanc had about this place.

This building was originally built in 1925 and has stood strong ever since.  “I would not have even thought for a second, I didn’t dream that this place would look like what it looks like now,” expressed Ashley. Oscar brought the Bluebird back to life. “From the day I came here, I have watched Oscar build this place up from squalor to an incredible little home run, family-oriented facility,” said Sallie. “That’s one of those things that daddy does, is he works with his hands and he can fix any and everything. I don’t think there’s one thing that that man can’t fix,” said Ashley.

Over the years, the Bluebird has weathered massive hurricanes and Oscar has always been there for his community. “Daddy opened up the doors and fed all of the crews that were working, the electrical crews. And they ended up staying here and daddy just fed them for three months. And those people are pretty much… they still call mom and daddy and check on them,” explained Ashley. “He’s good to everybody, been good to me, and this is what we’re at,” expressed Rodney. “He draws in the community. He is great to the community. He gives back, he helps a lot of people that are struggling to get back on their feet, give them a job, put them to work, feed them, whatever it takes,” explained Sallie.

“We don’t really know what else to do, just love on people and just be what God called us to be, is a light in the darkness and mostly loving our neighbors. That’s what we’re supposed to be doing,” expressed Ashley.

Despite overcoming severe storms, freezes, and even a fire, there was one night everything changed. In May of 2021, Oscar was shot 6 times by an unknown gunman in his backyard. “I could hear the doctors telling me that, ‘I don’t think the guy’s going to make it.’ But the only thing I had to do was put my trust in good Lord God,” explained Oscar.

Oscar miraculously survived. “It’s pretty hard to see your daddy lying in bed, literally on the edges of death,” expressed Ashley. “It was absolutely shocking. He’s such a great person, so for somebody to have hurt him, it’s detrimental to this business, it’s detrimental to our community,” said Sallie.

“All I could do is pray and ask God to keep me, to help me through, He brought me through. A lot of days I thought about giving it up, but I said I can’t do it because the oil people, the church people, they believe in me and I don’t want to let them down. I want to be there for them,” said Oscar.

Those prayers worked. After 18 hours of surgery, Doctors didn’t think Oscar would walk, talk, or even be able to eat on his own again but so far he’s flying high over those expectations. “I’ve got to thank God for it because if it wouldn’t be for God, I wouldn’t be here and that’s the truth,” Oscar expressed.

“So many people say, “Oh, God works miracles.” And you see it from a distance, you don’t get to see it up close in person. But we are… it’s like watching TV, it’s right in our face with him,” explained Ashley.

Oscar’s final thought during our interview is the one I’ll remember the most. You see, the reason why I started The Texas Bucket List wasn’t to travel the state and have fun, it was to tell tales of Texas and be divinely pointed in the direction of stories that needed to be told.   “I always had a dream to see you come down here, and here he is. God made a way that you came this way, and I’m happy to see you, I really am. Oh, yeah,” said Oscar.

Don’t take my word for it but if you happen to be in Orange, Texas stop by the Blue Bird Fish Camp to meet the LeBlanc family and before you know it, you’ll feel like a part of the story. “Through the bad situation that happened with daddy, it opened my eyes up about not taking family for granted, and life changes in an instant,” said Ashley. “People really love me over here. They mean a lot, sir, they mean lots, they really do,” stated Oscar.

The Texas Bucket List – Culture ETX in Tyler

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Tyler – Chef Lance McWhorter, owner of Culture ETX, can be a little eccentric from time to time. His far-out food and loud way of life has been sort of a surprise for the town of Tyler. “We haven’t had a chef like Lance in town before,” said customer Jordan Sword. “Lance is the best thing that ever happened to us,” said another customer, Tiffany Gilliam.

Is he straight forward? Yes. “Been waiting for you guys to call for a while,” joked owner Lance.  Does he like his music a little too loud? Of course, he used to be in a band!. “There’s people that don’t dig my style, or don’t dig me, or don’t dig my music, or whatever, and that’s totally fine,” said Lance.

Being a rock star might be the most boring thing Lance ever did. “I’ve been a soldier, a sailor, firefighter, and a medic, a guitar player in a rock band. Now I’m a chef and I own a restaurant,” said Lance. “At first I was like, ‘Man, this guy’s totally lying ’and then you just kind of start putting pictures together and pieces of the puzzles together, and it’s like, ‘Man, this guy’s telling the truth, he’s lived all these different lives!’ And then here he is here. So he’s really cool to get to just kind of talk to. You don’t run across guys like Lance that often,” said customer Ryan Sword.

own restaurant, back then Lance didn’t know what to expect from life because he was living day to day. “Definitely not the best kid, definitely not the worst kid, but just things didn’t work out at home so I wound up kind of house hopping and staying with this friend, staying with that friend, living on the streets. I remember I lived in a deer blind in Carrollton while I was working at a Little Caesar’s Pizza,” explained Lance.

That’s when Lance decided to join the Army and that was only his first branch of service. “I was in the army. I was in the Navy. I was a high threat security contractor for the state department. Basically, the Benghazi guys, I did exactly what they did during that time, except I was in Baghdad. And I was actually on my way back to Baghdad, I was on a plane when that whole Benghazi thing happened. And then the next year I said, I’m going to be a chef. Let’s do something really crazy for a living.” said Lance. “I came home, got a job at a restaurant, took a $185,000 a year pay cut, which was absolutely asinine. But it was chasing a passion. It was doing something that I really wanted to do that I really thought that I needed to be doing,” expressed Lance.

Lance worked in fine restaurants all over Big D, learning everything he could. “That was kind of my whole deal so I just needed to get out and just be a sponge and absorb everything that I could from these people. And then as soon as I did that, I was like, ‘All right, I’m ready.’,” explained Lance.

Lance and his wife Bailey settled on taking their talents to Tyler and Lance combined his worldly travels with Texas taste buds. “Being in those really formative years, I was traveling all over the world. I think that’s where I really kind of developed that passion for different flavors and things that weren’t necessarily what my East Texas grandma was cooking at home. It wasn’t rice and beans, gumbo, and chicken fried steak, it was a lot of exotic stuff going on there,” said Lance. “Things from Latin America. A lot of things from Africa, Middle East, of course, far east, there’s a ton of Asian influences in my cooking,” stated Lance.

“Man it’s cool, it’s like nothing that’s ever been here, really,” said Ryan Sword.

“It’s like I wanted kind of high end in food, but I never wanted it to feel high end. I never wanted it to feel like it was stuffy, or that you’re underdressed, or that you have any reason at all to be uncomfortable. I want it to feel like you’re coming and having dinner at my house,” explained Lance.

Well we couldn’t wait to hear what extravagant dish Lance would be dishing out and turns out to be…a pork chop. But this isn’t a boring boar dish, this little piggy has its own story. “The entire pork chop dish is completely composed from something that really happened,” stated Lance.

When this little piggy came from the market, it was raised on an east Texas farm in the forest, where it could roam freely amongst the shaded trees and cover itself in the rich soil. Talk about living high on the hog. “You can see the color on these things, it’s a lot more red than what you’re normally used to seeing in basically grocery store pork,” said Lance as he showed us the slab of pork.

Lance takes the perfect piece of pork and puts it in a hot oil bath, then butter, thyme, garlic and green onions get sauteed with the swine. It’s finished off in the oven and then plated to present the circle of life, back when this fella was living the life in forests of east Texas. Lance lays down a layer of harissa to represent the soil, he then puts the pig in the mud and covers it with the lush landscape represented by green onions, zest of lemon, and Baby Red Frills Mustard Greens. “They’re super expensive, but they’re super worth it. Like we were saying, get the best ingredients you can afford,” said Lance.

And finally, there’s Fennel pollen to make you feel you are in the middle of a flowery foliage. “The flowers in the air, you’ll be able to smell this as it falls,” said Lance.

When the heritage pork chop hit the table, the smell coming off of that fennel pollen is amazing and I cannot wait to cut into it! The pork chop just cut so tenderly, I was trying to make sure I got meat. After one bite, I knew I’ve never experienced a pork chop like that. “I never order a pork chop. I never order a pork chop. And especially at a place like this. When I had it, I was kind of blown away. I mean, I was like, ‘Wow, I had no idea that a pork chop could be like that.’,” said Ryan.

Well, the flavor of the pork chop is fantastic. The harissa has an underlying tone, but then it also does hit you with a big bam. And then that lemon zest on top of those mustard greens mixing in with the sauce below that pork, little crispy green onion on top of that, fantastic. We have been all over Texas trying unique flavors and this one, it ranks right up there. “Every single bite is the same, everybody’s composed. It’s just one of those really… It’s just decadent, it’s really good,” said Lance.

“He gets it all the time. My husband loves it. And so that means I get a little bit of it every time, which is great,” joked Tiffany.

“It’s crispy, and it’s tasty, and it’s flavors you would not normally put together that work so well together, and it’s great,” stated Jordan.

If you’re looking for a little culture in your cuisine, come into Culture ETX. It should be on your bucket list because it’s well worth the stop! “You’ll always find something that you love, you’ll always try something new, and you’ll always be surrounded by some of the best people that you’ll ever meet in your life,” expressed Lance.

 

The Texas Bucket List – Patriot Sandwich Company in Denton

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Denton – Hidden in a huge shopping center in southeast Denton, you’ll find a particular place for sandwiches dedicated to the people that have served our country.  It’s called the Patriot Sandwich Company and it’s owned by army veteran David Jordan. “Who doesn’t love a good sandwich,” stated Jordan.

Jordan comes from a lineage of leaders that would lay down their life for our country. “My dad’s a Marine. My grandfather was in the Army Air Corps, my dad’s brother was in the Navy, My mom’s brother was a Marine. So just following the family traditions was a big thing for me,” said David.

His sandwich shop brings in the same sort of salt of the earth people. “The first week they opened, it was the first time I’d been here and I’ve been coming in at least three times a month since,” said Timothy Rush who also happens to be an Army Veteran.

“I usually try to sit in the Marines. I’m just a little bit partial. My son’s a Marine. I’ve adopted several kids, not legally, but in my heart, but they’re my boys too. So I just love the Marines,” said customer Linda Davis.

“I’ve actually had two World War II veterans come in here. And they teared up when they saw my shop. That is the greatest feeling in the world, having them appreciate what I’ve managed to put together here,” explained David.

But David’s sandwich shop isn’t just a business, it’s a way to fund a charity he created called “We Got You Six”, an organization that helps homeless veterans get back on their feet. “We’ve managed to help 40 families in the last six years, just by connecting them to resources. And I’ve been building my resources up so that when I build my facility, I’ve got the resources I need to be able to bring in to help people out,” explained David.

“I love seeing veterans get to open up their own businesses, especially one that helps support We Got Your Six. They’re backing another one. I don’t want to see any veterans out homeless,” expressed Linda.

“Homeless veterans come from all five branches. All five branches protect our way of living and our our way of life,” said David.

The reason David is so devoted to this cause, he knows exactly what those veterans are going through. “Six years ago, I was a homeless veteran living on the streets of Kentucky. And my cousin knew I needed help and brought me out here to Texas to help me get back on my feet,” explained David. “That’s one of the reasons I’ve dedicated my life to homeless veterans and trying to help them and inspire them to not make that permanent decision for what could be a temporary problem,” said David.

When it came to changing his circumstances, David had just the right resources to help him do so.“Honestly, just having the right resources made it very easy. And that’s the problem with a lot of these guys, they don’t have those resources or there’s more people out there that need the resources than what they are capable of,” explained David.

While that pandemic and put a damper on business, David’s determination in helping the homeless won’t allow him to go AWOL. Those days when David was homeless drive him to succeed and to help other veterans. “You know, when I’ve got the days that I struggle here and I wonder if we’re going to go, if we’re going to be able to make it, I think of where I was six years ago and what I went through on the streets and I’m like, ‘You know what? I do not want to go back there.’,” said David.

“I think it’s awesome. I mean, I’ll support any veteran organization and David goes above and beyond,” said Linda.

Well I’m ready to show my support by selecting a sandwich with a silly name, “The Better Than An MRE.” “Of course anybody who’s been in the military knows that anything’s better than an MRE,” joked David.

David gets started with prepping our delicious sandwich along with some military jokes! “The way we have our sandwiches setup is we have two different sizes. You have your Officer, which is only six ounces of meat and cheese because officers don’t do anything but sit it on their butts all day. And you have the enlisted, which is eight ounces of meat and cheese because well, the enlisted do all the work,” joked David.

David whips us up the delicious looking sandwich, which is a meat and cheese sandwich with my  choice of vegetables because these sandwiches are made however you’d like them! After adding lettuce and tomatoes, the Better Than An MRE built by David looked marvelous. Next up in the sauce and this is something David takes as seriously as his sandwich combinations. “I’ve got nine custom sauces. All the sauces are homemade. They’re all original recipes. So you’re not going to find them anywhere else. Yeah. They’re all named after missiles and bombs,” said David.

So I bust out this behemoth of a sandwich to see if it really is better than an MRE and it was.  Obviously. It reminded me of the kind of sandwiches I used to make in college. It’s filled with meat and great! “Actually, I tell them don’t put so much on there because I can’t eat it all,” joked Linda.

That Stinger sauce provides just a nice little sweetness of the honey mustard and a little bit of kick from the horseradish. It’s not too bad, but an excellent combination for the Better Than an MRE. “The sauces are the best. That makes the difference,” stated Timothy.

Well, whether you’re a sailor, airman or soldier, getting a sandwich at the Patriot Company is something you can salute! “It’s so much like a museum here. You got nice art to look at, the memorabilia, and the food is delicious,” stated Timothy.

There is no doubt that David is proud of his accomplishments and he wears it on his sleeve. “Giving back to my community, honoring my veterans, giving the veterans a place where they can come and feel nostalgic and comfortable and feel appreciated,” expressed David.

“I’ll support it all day long,” said Linda.

The Texas Bucket List – All Star Bar-B-Q in Rusk

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Rusk – Tuesday through Saturday, Russell Turner spends a lot of time serving up some savory smoked meats. He’s the proud owner of All Star Bar-B-Q in Rusk and behind the pines, you can smell his brisket and sausage getting served up five days a week.  “It’s a good, honest way to make a living. And it’s Texas,” said owner Turner.

Since 1993 All Star has been a reliable restaurant in Rusk and while the BBQ is good, what brings in the crowd is his collection. “My whole idea all these years was to put stuff in here for people to just look at and enjoy while they’re eating barbecue,” stated Russell.

Russell is a big fan of Houston’s professional baseball team, hence the reason he has an astronomical amount of Astros gear in his restaurant. “I’m an Astro guy, I always have been. I said, ‘Why don’t I start putting Astro stuff up?’, and it took off,” said Russell. “I don’t think it ever quite got to be an obsession, borderline. I have a problem, my wife says,” joked Russell.

From tins to toy cars, it’s hard to tell if All Star Bar-B-Q is a restaurant or a really cool museum. “Shot glasses, commemorative baseballs, all the playoffs, baseball games, a few beer taps. I think it’s good for baseball to sell stuff like that. I mean, it just brings it closer in to the people. They can actually see it and touch it.”  He even has a game used base! “We don’t discuss price,” joked Russell while walking us through his collection.

Russel’s got hung up on Houston baseball as boy when his father took him to games back when they were still known as the Colt 45’s. “I just thought it was the coolest thing ever. They were building, of course, the Astrodome across the parking lot. You could see this big frame made of steel,” said Russell.

“The year the Dome opened was amazing. We did get to go the first year. We had already heard the word that you bring a sweater with you because it was going to be cool. So, it was a wow when you walked in, of course. Isn’t that something? Because they were showing off their air conditioning. They had it cranked down to like 63, probably,” explained Russell.

Conversations in most Texas BBQ joints center around BBQ.  But here, you can’t help but talk baseball. Even in the middle of an interview Russell started talking to a fellow fan! The much bigger debate in these parts might be which Texas baseball team you’re supporting. “The Mason-Dixon Line of Astros and Rangers right here in Rusk. Used to, the Astros’ line stopped at Lufkin 40 miles south, but I’ve been able to move it up to here, and then Rangers to the north, so we’re advancing. If the Astros would just let me help them market just a little, we’ll take over the whole third of this Eastern part of the state. No problem,” explained Russell.

Russel is definitely doing his part. “Most of my Ranger fans have learned that we serve them at the to-go window. So,” joked Russell.

“Most people get a kick out of it. Because again, it’s just tied into the decorations, to give the customer something to do, something to look at. Can you not look at a baseball card and have to flip it over? You have to,” explained Russell.

The centerpiece to his collection, a hand painted Astros sign that hung in the outfield of Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia that happens to be signed by the whole ’91 squad. “Most people when they come in here and they do, “Hey, would you mind taking our picture?” it’s usually in front of this.” In front of this? “Yeah. So, it’s a good backdrop,” said Russell.

Surprisingly this sign isn’t the most coveted piece in Russel’s collection. “Somebody said, ‘Well, if this place caught on fire, what would you grab?’ My son and I went to Wrigley Field to watch the Astros play, and I’ve got the lineup card for the dugout the day we were there. And I got a picture of us sitting there with Wrigley in the background and I have it framed over there by my desk. I’d probably grab that,” said Russell.

Baseball. There’s just something about it that brings families together. “Grandkids and grandfathers, those are the ones who seem to appreciate baseball the most. Maybe I just say that because I’m a grandfather now. I don’t know,” Russell said.

So if you’re a fan of the right Texas team, a stop at All Star Bar-B-Q in Rusk is right up your alley and well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!

The Texas Bucket List – Round Rock Donuts in Round Rock

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Round Rock – The morning rush in Round Rock can be a little ridiculous downtown. At the dawn of the day, people position themselves into the perfect place not to get on Interstate 35 but to get in line for Round Rock donuts. “It’s been here as long as I can remember,” said customer Phillip Hartfield. “It’s a very special thing and people like that,” said general manager Polo Garcia.

Polo Garcia has been at Round Donuts since 1996 and his eyes have never glazed over for these pleasurable pastries.  “I started in the back, pretty early, running doughnuts, making chocolate, and learning the process,” said Polo.

Polo has pulled his way all the way up to General Manager at this donut shop that dates all the way back to 1926. “Same ingredients. We haven’t changed anything at all, since 1926,” stated Polo.

Now they do have darn big donuts. But before I get to that preposterously sized pastry, we’ve got to dive into what makes this donut shop different from the rest because it is busy morning, noon, and night. “We start around midnight. We’re going to stop probably 10:00 PM tonight. And it’s going until now,” explained Polo.

We get a little tour of the kitchen where the delightful donuts are made, unfortunately we do not get to catch a glimpse of the ingredients that are compiled into these pastries, that is top secret. Once the donuts take their shape, it’s off to the fryer where Polo looks for the perfect pigment on the donuts, then comes the glaze. “And this is the Round Rock Donuts, the best doughnuts in the United States,” said Polo while holding a freshly made donut. “It’s almost more kind of like funnel cake, but it’s got just this amazing glaze kind of all around it. Not too sugary, not too sweet. Kind of savory. It’s almost hard to describe unless you’ve just had it,” said Phillip.

“In Texas, we pride ourselves on all the diamonds in the rough, hidden places that you don’t know about, that are awesome. And this is one of those places,” said customer Ian Overton.

I got a bit of a surprise from Polo, a doughnut that’s definitely Texas sized! Despite taking a darn big bite, I didn’t make a dent in that donut.

“Anytime we come into the Austin area, Georgetown Round Rock, we have to have Round Rock Donuts,” said customer Kesha Rodgers.

“Business only stays open that long when it’s got a lot of history and just a phenomenal product. And it’s unlike anything else I’ve ever had,” said Phillip.

“Everybody has to have the Round Rock Donuts. I don’t want to hesitate, but we are one of the best doughnuts, if not the best doughnuts in the United States,” stated Polo.

The Texas Bucket List – Padre Island Brewing Company on South Padre Island

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South Padre Island – Whenever you’re down on South Padre Island, sipping on some sort of tropical drink or taking a bucket of your favorite Texas beer down to the beach might be the first libation that comes to mind.  But if you want to try something local, all you have to do is head over to the South Padre Island Brewing Company for some incredible Island ale. “There’s not many places to get fresh beer. So this is one of those places,” said customer Mark Luzmoor.

Before we got to sipping on the suds, we found the owner of the South Padre Island Brewing Company. “I was born with the right last name for making beer,” joked owner and brew master Mark Haggenmiller.

Mark made his way to Texas from Minnesota in the mid 90’s when brewpubs were finally legalized in our state, opening the door to new business. “A friend of mine that lived in Harlingen called me up and told me that the legislation was getting ready to go through for these small breweries to happen. And I helped him write a business plan, and that turned into a job offer. And that was 26 years ago. And it’s still here,” explained Mark.

His passion for making the perfect pilsner or one of a kind kolsch comes from a lifetime of being around it. “Well, my dad worked for one of the big national breweries up in Minnesota. And when I was a little kid, I’d sometimes get to go visit him at work. And I was blown away from the start, at how interesting the process was, the smells, the sounds. It really took at a young age,” said Mark.

Considered the second oldest brewpub in the state, the Padre Island Brewing Companies is technically one of the oldest breweries in Texas and the first in the Rio Grande Valley. “That’s what I am. It certainly is refreshing to see a new generation come up with the same appreciation. The craft beer industry wasn’t just a fad. And then it took root, and we’re seeing new generations opening breweries. So it’s really neat to see,” expressed Mark.

South Padre Island Brewing Company is by no means a massive brewery.  All Mark has to work with you can see right behind the bar. That’s the whole brewery right there.  “That’s it. And that’s part of the reason we don’t have much of a production facility here, other than doing in-house beers, is because we’re kind of out of room,” said Mark.

Thanks to the small-scale workspace, Mark can only make 5 beers at a time but those beers are thought through flavors that change with the season. “This is our Pelagic Porter, our Tidal Wave Wheat, Padre Island Pale Ale, South Padre Island Blonde, and Speckled Trout Stout,” Mark listed as we sampled the beers.

Mark started us off with the lightest beer in the house, the blonde, and this beer doesn’t require any fruit to fancy it up. “My dad always says, if you have to put fruit in a beer, it’s not good beer,” joked Mark.  The beer was fresh, tasty, and a terrific way to enjoy an afternoon on the island.

“Well, he makes good beer. If you like good beer, this is the place to be in, South Padre,” said customer Rich Freiermuth

“Seeing the satisfaction people have with the beer I make. I mean, it’s no greater reward or compensation than people telling you that you make really good beer,” expressed Mark.

The Texas Bucket List – La India Packing Company in Laredo

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Laredo – Just a few blocks from the border to Mexico, you’ll find the old El Azteca neighborhood in Laredo.  With buildings that go as far back as the 1870’s still standing here, it’s fitting that this is where you’ll find one of the oldest businesses in this border town, La India Packing Company.

“My grandfather, Antonio and Antonia Rodriguez, founded the business back in 1924,” said owner Elsa Rodriguez – Arguindegui. Elsa is the woman who now heads up the family business. “For a person who was terrible in math, I cannot believe I’m running a business, and I have been for 31 years, when all it is math, weights and measures,” joked Elsa.

Elsa’s grandfather Antonio Rodriguez got rolling on the family business back in his hometown during the Mexican Revolution. “He would literally go to the Indian lady in Lampazos, Mexico, where he was from, a very mountainous area, and he would go and bring the herbs for the soldiers on both sides of the river, for whatever ailed them. He decided to name the business La India because of this lady that he would go to to ask for these herbs,” explained Elsa.

Nearly 100 years later, La India is still the sought-after spice maker of southwest Texas. “We’re the actual original, real McCoy of the flavors of South Texas, I think,” stated Elsa.

Then there’s the legendary chocolate that La India is known for. “You want to talk about a Willy Wonka bar, this is a Texas Willy Wonka bar right here,” said Elsa. The recipe behind these sought-after sweets that are 100 percent cacao have been passed down from Elsa’s grandmother. “She would make the chocolate out of ground cacao,” said Elsa.

Keeping the tradition of culinary customs of Hispanic culture is only one of the callings for La India.  They also have herbs for health. “With the herbs, I’ve had so many people literally come and squeeze my arm and tell me how much their life had changed,” expressed Elsa.

As if Elsa didn’t have enough things to spice up her life, she decided that showcasing her savory selection of seasonings by creating dishes to do just that, would be divine. And that included opening a restaurant. Soups, curry dishes, and chicken covered in a magnificent mole sauce made with their craft chocolate are just some of the eats you can experience here. “There’s not only a historical place, but a place where you can enjoy some food, and have historical food,” said Elsa.

For lots of folks from here, this is the food their abuelas excelled at. “That’s what people tell me. They feel like they’ve gone to their grandmother’s house,” said Elsa.

When it comes to this family business, Elsa won’t let it go.  She already has the 5th generation under her wings and passing along the tradition of these unique herbs, spices, and savory southwest flair is her mission in life and she does it all for grandparents. “It’s a challenge. It’s a very big challenge. But it’s an honor trying to get my grandfather’s vision that he did, and carry it on, and grow it beyond where he was. It’s important that we don’t lose these flavors and traditions, because to keep these historical products alive, because they could go away so easily,” expressed Elsa.

The Texas Bucket List – Pit Row Pit Stop in Livingston

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Livingston – The 50’s spirit is alive and well inside the Pit Row Pit Stop on the east side of Livingstone. “The service is good, the food is good, and the owner is great,” said customer Wayne Woods.

“I’m old school, just like my old truck out there,” joked owner Frankie Vinci. Frankie is known for his fine burgers and fries at this fine establishment that’s fond of the fabulous fifties.  There’s also the famous seven scoop sundae!  But surprisingly enough, they’re actually known for something else. “It’s the best ribs you can get anywhere,:” said customer Bruce Horton. “Everyone says that they’re the best that they’ve ever eaten, the best I’ve ever eaten,” said customer Holly Scott.

Not exactly what you’d expect from a guy who was born in Brooklyn and grew up in California. “I didn’t know a thing about brisket four years ago. I just cooked a couple of briskets and 12 racks of ribs just to see if they liked it. And now I do 1200 to 1500 pounds of brisket a week and we sell 400 to 450 racks of ribs a week. Besides the diner food,” explained Frankie.

The former carpenter used to build theme parks but decided to build a restaurant when he moved to Texas in 2014. “I thought that it would be really cool to build a diner. I ain’t never known nothing about a restaurant before. Let me tell you something, bud. My first six months here was a train wreck. I knew nothing about the restaurant business,” explained Frankie. “A little baptism by fire when it came to this,” I responded.  “I had a baptism by fire in prison,” stated Frankie. Not the turn we were expecting either. It turns out Frankie has a bit of a past but if it wasn’t the spirit of the fifties that saved him, it was a much higher calling.

“Some drug dealers hurt a little person in my family, little girl. And I went and made them pay for it. They put me away. I did 10 years. First off, I turned my life over to the Lord and 50 years came off my sentence. A chaplain walked me to the Lord and I surrendered my life,” expressed Frankie. Today Frankie continues to walk the righteous path, not just with really good ribs but with a care for the community and by providing an outreach for believers and those in need.

“He looks into the future so much. And how many people he’s helped. Some of his people are recovering alcoholics and all, and he gives him a job and he tries to help him straighten out. He’s a good guy. He really is,” said Doug Marchese.

“I go to the prison as a ministry and try to get the guys to see a different side of life instead of the revolving door. Walking back into a prison after being free from one, first two or three times I thought, what am I doing? But the foreboding look on their face, you smell the smells, you see the razor wire. But I got past that, and there’s a reason to be there. To get people to see that every single one of us has a purpose and a gift. It all comes from the Lord. And if we use that light, we won’t be involved in all that mess. And I enjoy doing that. I do,” expressed Frankie.

While his ribs may be a religious experience, hearing Frankie’s testimony and seeing his care for the community is what makes the Pit Row Pit Stop the perfect pit stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“We have created a family of friendships here in the diner. Literally a family of friendships. And God has just blessed me. And we share Him in here. We love, we cry. We know each other’s ups and downs. I guess I cook good food because we’re busy all the time,” expressed Frankie.

“Frankie is very very blessed, and the reason his business is so good is because he gives almighty God the credit,” said Wayne.

“This place is all to the glory of God. It is. And the community is a blessing for me. So I’m glad to be here,” said Frankie.

The Texas Bucket List – MS Cookie Co. in Dallas

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Dallas – If you even find yourself in Northhaven Park in north Dallas and you happen to get whiff of the heavenly smell of hot fresh cookies, chances are you close to Monek Smith’s house.

“I could talk about cookies all day long,” said Monek Smith. Monek is one smart cookie. She majored in construction at Texas A&M and has designed and created some incredible homes and buildings but today she has a different title. “CEO of Smith Enterprises,” joked Monek.

“People ask what I do and I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m a stay-at-home mom.’ And then if I’m with somebody else, they might say, ‘But you make cookies.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, yes, I make cookies.’ I’m not the mom that makes chocolate chip cookies when my kids come home from school. When my kids go to school, then I go to work, and I make cookies for other people,” explained Monek.

Known as MS Cookie, Monek makes cookie gifts for all her kooky friends but these aren’t classic cookies she’s cranking out, these cookies are much classier. “Who knew that construction and cookie making go together so well,” joked Monek.

It’s going to be hard to eat a work of art!

“Well, I had for years been looking for a side hustle. I like to be creative. I like to do things. I like to have an activity. I’m not just a ‘sit at home and play with the kids’ kind of thing. I wanted to create something,” explained Monek. “There are hundreds of cookiers out there, thousands of cookiers out there, and I never expected it to be what it is now. There’s a word for us. We are cookiers,” stated Monek.

“One cookie can take 30 minutes, it can take two hours. Like I said, it’s building. And so, it can take a course of days,” said Monek. “For The Texas Bucket List, you have to have Texas cookies, right? All the greatest things in Texas. Some of mine too, obviously I’m an Aggie so my heart is with A&M cookie,” said Monek.

And we just had to know if this Aggie has ever had to do any Longhorn cookies!  “I have. And when they ordered these cookies, I told them that it was a true testament to how much I loved cookies that I would make Longhorn cookies. And so, I’ve done it two or three times, but I don’t advertise that very often,” expressed Monek.

Monek’s Texas themed cookies are so cool that she actually took home a blue ribbon for them at the State Fair of Texas.“I won. I was shocked. I was shocked,” stated Monek.

So how hard could it be to make cookies?  Well, I crumbled to the pressure. The Texas Bucket List, live in the kitchen! “Ready to decorate a cookie? All right. So you’ve got two consistencies, this is going to be your outline, that’s what you’re going to fill it in with. I gave you the Texas shape because it’s easy to outline. There’s not very many straight lines,” explained Monek while we attempted the art of decorating. “A cookie can look good, but if it doesn’t taste good, what’s the point,” expressed Monek.

“It’s so fun to know that you are putting a smile on somebody else’s face with something as simple as a cookie,” stated Monek.

The Texas Bucket List – Topwater Grill in San Leon

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San Leon – Smack dab in the middle of Galveston Bay and Dickinson Bay, you’ll find April Fool’s Point on a peninsula in San Leon, where savory seafood is sought after. “It’s not too fancy and it’s just relaxed, flip flops and Hawaiian shirts,” said owner Robert Jackubas.

Robert grew up on this point after his parents moved here from Houston in the mid 70’s.  “It was way more commercial in the very beginning. We unloaded shrimp boats, oyster boats, fishing boats, sold all the fuel for our area, and now it’s turned into more of a restaurant,” explained Robert.

Robert loves owning a restaurant and loves to spread happiness. “Being on the water every day and meeting all the different people. They’re fantastic. The happy ones are happy and the unhappy ones are still happy,” said Robert.

Despite Hurricane Ike destroying Topwater Grill in 2008, Robert has recovered nicely thanks to his reputation of having really good seafood. “Fried shrimp and Galveston Bay oysters,” stated Robert. “It’s fresh seafood right from the Gulf,” said customer Pat Casey.

One of Topwater’s most popular dishes? “How about fried shrimp,” said Robert. You are correct and they go through tons of shrimp each and every month. “Close to 900 pounds of shrimp every week,” stated Robert.

I was up for a little smorgasbord of seafood so Robert rallied some really good recipes including oysters diablo, pan seared oysters and royal red shrimp.

First we prepared the pan seared oysters which are freshly shucked oysters get breaded and thrown on the grill with some blackened seasoning.  Those get placed on a plate with squash and crawfish etouffee.

The oysters diablo consists of oysters  covered in hot sauce, sauteed jalapeno and garlic, bacon, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese and placed in the oven.

And last but not least, we inquired about their unique shrimp, the royal red shrimp. “We found these on a vacation in Key West, Florida, at one of our favorite restaurants down there, and the nice guy told us what they were, they’re Royal Red shrimp. They catch them in two places in the world; one is in the Texas Gulf Coast from Texas to Key West, and also Argentina. We get them for both places. So deep, they’re almost a mile deep underwater, and they were unheard of. Now, you can find them almost everywhere. They taste like a cross between Alaskan King crab and lobster, in the shape of a shrimp,” explained Robert. Those are simply prepared with seasoning. “Here’s our secret recipe that we don’t tell anybody. It has so many ingredients, it has Royal Red shrimp and old Bay seasoning,” said Robert.

This Oysters Diablo, covered in those jalapenos and garlic with cheese is melted all over that oyster is divine. Two of my favorite things, jalapeno and garlic make for an amazing flavor and you combine that with those cheeses and that fresh oyster and I would definitely say the oysters brought me out of my shell!

The texture on that shrimp is amazing. It really is like a lobster. It’s not chewy or squishy, it just breaks apart, and the flavor, it’s like the texture and flavor of lobster. No wonder these shrimp are so far, way down in the ocean, they’re hiding from us!

Finally, the pan seared oysters with a side of crawfish etouffee, you can never go wrong with that either. We may be out on April Fool Point, but mama didn’t raise no fool, this food is fantastic!

“I would just tell you that they’re not going to beat the food for one. The price is really good, but the hospitality is off the chart,” said customer Larry Birchfield.

If you ever set your sights on San Leon and you’re looking for some serious seafood, Topwater Grill will reel you in, because it is well worth the stop on The Texas Bucket List!