Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

Simmons Bank

The Texas Bucket List – Granny Clare’s Citrus in Harlingen

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Harlingen – During the winter, most of Texas has to deal with cold weather, the occasional freeze and trees without leaves but that’s not the case in the Rio Grande Valley.  Folks from all over the country congregate to this part of the state, some estimate as many as 100,000 winter Texans call the valley home between October and March.  That’s probably because round these parts, it feels more like spring than snow season.

Now one of the biggest attractions to tourists and Texans alike during wintertime in these parts is the citrus and Granny Clare’s in Harlingen is just one of several stops to get your squeeze on. Corina Aguilera took us on a tour of this 50-acre farm that sprouted back in 1994.  Bill and Claire Brighten originally owned the orchard but in 2015 a local doctor decided to diversify her portfolio by purchasing the place for produce.

“One day, she was just passing by and she saw the for sale sign and she said, ‘I’m going to buy that orchard’, and she did. She doesn’t want us mentioning her name,” said Corina.

The one thing we do know is December through January is the optimum time to make your way to the orange grove. “That’s when they’re the sweetest,” stated Corina.

“You’re looking at the color. You want to make sure that there’s no insects that have been eating into it and they’re good to go,” Corina explained while showing us one of the grapefruit trees.

Now citrus is native to the orient and it wasn’t until the 1880’s that orchards were established in the Lone Star State.  Fortunately, the fruit has blossomed into a big industry that includes oranges.

We’ve experienced a lot of things in Texas, but there’s nothing like experiencing fresh fruit off a tree. It is just mind-blowing how different it tastes. Of course, everyone is excited to try it. We were willing to move on but comparing apples to oranges didn’t last too long.

“This is where we separate the Mars oranges, the navel oranges, and the grapefruit,” Corina explains while showing the separator. Now you can’t help but notice not all the oranges are super pretty.  “The uglier, the better, I say,” said Corina.

Now if you’re not into peeling your own, the fruit trays are some of finest I’ve found and they too are all done by hand. “This is our kitchen area where we prepare the trays. The fruit trays, and this is where we cut them up. The ladies here, they’re professionals at it. They’ve been doing this for … She’s [Thelma] been doing it for five years,” said Corina.

Watching Thelma cut up citrus is like watching a world class surgeon doing a delicate operation. “Make sure you take off the white part of it because it’s what makes it tart. That’s what makes it tart, so you want to make sure all of it is gone.” The navel, you go straight to it. It’s just one time,” explained Corina.

Now it was time to try one of these deliciously arranged fruit trays, but where do we start?  “You want to go with a grapefruit first.  If you do the orange first, though, grapefruit would be too sour,” explained Corina.  It was the most juicy, sweet, perfect grapefruit worth getting goosebumps!

“Yes. That’s why people keep coming back,” stated Corina. Life is short so you’ve got to be sure you squeeze every last drop out of it and a trip to the Valley for some citrus because Granny Clare’s Citrus is well worth the stop on The Texas Bucket List!

The Texas Bucket List – The Local in Abilene

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Abilene – In a town known for steaks and barbeque, finding tacos that take it up a notch can be a frivolous task. But when it comes to Hispanic cuisine that takes things to a whole other level, The Local is well versed.

“The food is all authentic, Hispanic, west Texas style food. It’s all the flavors that you’re gonna find in everybody’s kitchen, in every Hispanic’s kitchen in town elevated,” said Gabe Stokes. Stokes is the general manager of The Local and Cody Enriquez is the head chef. We met them a few years back at the Abilene Country Club and when Gabe got hired to help create a unique place in downtown, he brought his right-hand man. “Cody is the best chef I’ve ever met so I had to bring him with me,” said Gabe.

They created this concept of taking typical tacos and turning the tortillas inside out to make something totally different. “The food we grew up eating, it’s great but how come we can’t change it?” asked Cody.

Cody wanted to show off three of his terrific tacos and the first starts off with some carefully cared for carne asada. “This carne asada is really meaningful to me because it took me three years to develop the recipe,” said Cody.

The beef is marinated for a minimum of 12 hours in an incredible smelling combination of cilantro, garlic, soy, lime juice, and cumin. But this isn’t your common cut of meat.  “Most traditional carne asada is made with skirt steak or flank steak. Well I kind of went up a little bit just coming from the fine dining cooking side so mine is made with New York Strip. So it’s a better cut of meat, it’s just like it’s more tender, it’s a better mouth feel,” Cody explains. When folks found out that Cody was using real steak, they had some questions. The steak is grilled on an open flame, and since it’s New York Strip, you can get it however you want. The steak gets wrapped up in a corn tortilla, with guacamole, pico de gallo, cilantro and cotija cheese.

Next taco up is the Ruthie taco named for dear old mom.  “It’s so close to my heart and so close to my childhood that it’s like I needed to share with the world and like give them my version of it,” expresses Cody. Shredded chicken gets placed in a corn tortilla and is topped with corn, pico de gallo, cotija cheese and tajin.

Last but certainly not least is something called a wonton taco. “The wonton taco is exactly what it sounds like, it’s a taco made with a wonton shell that came from Cody’s mad scientist brain,” explained Cody.  Cody takes a fried wonton shell, seasons it, throws some shredded chicken, homemade avocado ranch, cilantro, cotija cheese and tajin. Chopsticks or forks optional. Now it’s time to try all three tacos!

For the carne asada taco, beefy would be an understatement. The Ruthie taco had wonderfully tender chicken, with delicious pico de gallo, topped with some sweetness from the corn. The wonton taco was just as expected, shockingly delicious with the crispy and flavorful wonton. “There’s a lot of flavors going on but it all rounds up going together and creates a great dish,” said one customer.

Well if you’re looking for a culinary take on tacos, Cody is your man right here at The Local.  “If you’re going to do tacos in Texas, you got to do tacos right and I feel like we do right,” said Gabe.

The Texas Bucket List – Harrel’s Pharmacy in Kingsville

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Kingsville – When it comes to Kingsville, the King Ranch is king in these parts. Getting a tour of the sprawling spread or just visiting the saddle shop to breathe in the bouquet of that fine leather is what brings most folks to town. But you might get a whiff of what’s coming from across the street at Harrel’s Pharmacy.

“It’s kind of like our living room almost, just lots of stuff in it,” said Nick Harrel. Nick Harrel III has two distinctions down in Kingsville. He is the third generation of Harrel’s to own this over 100-year-old drug store and he has the best handlebar mustache that he has been growing for about 45 years!  “Here in kind of some barren land and there’s not a whole lot of shade so we have to make our own, or we just grow it,” Nick joked.

Nick’s grandfather Nick Harrel Sr. started the drug store back in 1916 and ran it for 50 years before passing it down. Nick number 3 took it over from his father in 1982, but he’s still not the longest tenured staff member! “Right now I’m up to being second in seniority around here. We have an employee that’s worked here for over fifty years…Red,” said Nick.

They call him red because he used to have bright, red orange “carrot orange” hair. Red’s real name might remind you of your favorite kid show. “My name is Oscar, like Oscar the Grouch,” joked Red.

But Red is no grouch, he really knows his stuff and since 1969, he’s been the heart and soul of Harrel’s.

“He’s a pharmacy tech. He can probably tell you were everybody in town lives… and their genealogy,” jokes Nick.

Over the past 50 years working at Harrel’s Pharmacy, Red only has to work five days a week but he sometimes still comes in just to make sure everybody is doing everything just right.  “They think I’m crazy but I said ‘Well look at all these I have worked with,” joked Red.

Working side by side with Nick, they fill folks’ medications and dispense helpful advice for a longer life.

“If you quit listening to the news you’ll be much happier,” Nick jokingly tells a customer over the phone.

While Nick and Red are a popular act, the headliner of Harrel’s is the soda shop, that’s been a hot spot for locals for a long time. “I used to walk over here with my friends from school,” explained customer Gloria Ponce. Gloria Ponce enjoys relishing in her recollections of this place with her great-granddaughter Zoe. “I feel like I won’t forget this day because I’m sitting here making memories with her and I feel like it’s gonna make her happy,” said Zoe.

Making these special memories wouldn’t be complete without a meal, and at Harrel’s you’ll wish the prescriptions had the same prices as the provisions. The menu looks like the menu you would expect to see in 1982! A delicious double meat cheeseburger will only set you back $4.50. “As long as we can have quality food, we can keep the prices down. If it doesn’t run out of business it’s not hurting us,” explained Nick.

It remains important to Nick to keep a community gathering place open. So whether it’s getting a big burger and a shake from the soda shop, or getting a chance to chat with Red about his tenure at this meeting place in Kingsville, taking a stop at Harrel’s is one heck of a stop on The Texas Bucket List. “I keep telling myself I’m going to quit, but I never do… I love working with people, God has blessed me,” said Red.

The Texas Bucket List – Mill-King Dairy and Creamery in McGregor

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McGregor- McLennan County may include the metroplex of Waco, but down in McGregor you’ll find some magnificent fields full of cattle with plenty of room to move. “We have about 50 cows and we have about 700 acres,” said Craig Miller, owner and operator of the Mill-King Market and Creamery.

The Mill-King Market and Creamery is a business that has been in Miller’s family long before the cows came home. It all started with his grandfather, Arnold Miller, in 1941 and his father Billy kept the family farm alive until Craig was ready to dive into dairy.

“Me and my brother swore that we would never come back to this, he stuck to his guns, I caved and came back,” joked Craig.

Despite the longevity of their family farm, the way the Miller’s do business drastically changed in 2009 when the milk market spilled over and they didn’t have time to cry about it. “The price was bad enough where we couldn’t sustain the losses that were coming our way,” explained Craig.

The Miller’s stopped selling to processors and started selling directly to the consumers. “We literally started selling one bottle of milk at a time, filling it with the valve, and selling it at the farmers market here in Waco, then the farmer’s market in Austin where we made contacts and it grew from there,” said Craig.

While their milk is available across the state, you’d be surprised how utterly popular their little store is. There’s no doubt that customers are excited about getting their fresh cup of milk.  “Yeah, it’s been a good ride,” said Craig.

What’s propelled the Miller family and the Mill-King Dairy is providing a pure form of milk. Now what is the difference between the Mill-King Dairy milk and the average milk we buy at the grocery store?

“Our milk is low temp pasteurized, non-homogenized,” said Craig. Now if you’re not familiar with homogenization, don’t feel like you’re a laughing stock.

“Homogenization means to mix up and what they’re doing is they’re taking the cream, the cream is actually little balloons which are the fat globules to keep that from floating to the top you need to pop that little bubble. Well to do that they literally pump it into a stainless steel plate so fast it shatters the fat globules. When we do that we take protein chains we’ve evolved to recognize and we turn them into things our bodies have never seen before… We want to take what mother nature made, and not mess it up,” explains Craig.

The great Andy Rooney once said, “Milk without fat is like non-alcoholic scotch.” Well this would be a drink Andy could raise his glass to. Since the milk at Mill-King is minimally messed with, Craig started me off with the 1% milk. Craig explains that their 1% milk at Mill-King is similar to the whole milk we find at the grocery store. The 1% milk I tried definitely lived up to that reputation and tasted fresh and delicious. Now the whole milk takes things to a whole other level.

“Our milk is bouncing around 4% butter fat which conventional whole milk is 3, 3 ½%. It is very rich, it’s very smooth,” said Craig.   After taking a sip, the whole milk was very creamy and definitely what you would want after eating something spicy.

And chocolate milk? Don’t worry, they have that too. “It’s what we call cacao mill. It’s our one percent milk with agave nectar and cacao paste,” said Craig. The chocolate milk smelled like a candy bar and did not disappoint.

Craig’s favorite part about being a dairyman is that he has freedom. “ I get to do what I want when I want, I get to set my own schedule and as long as everything gets done, no one’s upset,” expresses Craig.

It seems as long as there is milk on the table in the morning, everybody is happy.

The Texas Bucket List – Pop Central Popcorn in Beaumont

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BEAUMONT – The sound of popcorn popping in the microwave and the smell of butter through the air always gets folks excited for an afternoon snack but over in Beaumont, there’s a place putting popcorn through a much more particular program.  You could almost say Beaumont is the center of the popping universe.

“In this popcorn’s universe, absolutely,” said David Harvey.

Harvey the owner of Pop Central Popcorn, he has the unique distinction of having a name associated with one of the worst storms Texas has ever seen.  Hurricane Harvey which hit the Texas Gulf coast in 2017.

“Let’s put it this way, I know I don’t want to be famous because I heard my name for about four days and I couldn’t stand hearing it anymore,” said David.

But his popcorn has put him on the map in a more positive way. “Who doesn’t like popcorn? It’s been around forever,” joked David.

 

You see David’s taken popcorn and put an entirely new twist on it, creating flavors that really pop. “It’s over the top. It’s the best that can be made, in my opinion,” said David.

With his wife Carly close at his side, the couple has created Pop Central Popcorn.  A colorful shop in the Golden Triangle that tings with tons of tastes like loaded potato, pizza, and flaming spud.

David used to work in the refining field but he needed the relieve some pressure, so he turned to popcorn. “I’m all about making people smile, having a good time, making people happy and of course, I want to help everybody and my wife does, too, at every turn. So we opted to do this. My philosophy is it doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you put your heart and soul into whatever it is that you’ve got going, you’re going to be successful,” said David.

While popcorn perfection is his passion, David doesn’t get corny when it comes to philosophy, it’s pretty darn deep. “Success is defined as a man that is proactively realizing a worthwhile and attainable goal. The end result doesn’t make a man successful in my mind. It’s the progressive realization of that worthwhile and attainable goal,” said David. But then again, it’s not all kernels of knowledge. “It’s hard to fly like an eagle when you’re surrounded by a bunch of turkeys,” immediately joked David.

Now it’s hard to choose what flavor to pop first because each kernel is carefully crafted in David’s kitchen. “We call it next level because it was being called next level before we decided to call it next level,” said David.

First off, we tried the Flaming Buffalo Spud.  “The hottest one that we actually have at this point in time,” warned David.  After taking a bite, it didn’t take me long to draw my conclusion.  It’s good and it’s got a lot of flavor layers. We then moved on to the dill pickle which was sour but oh so good.

After just a few different types of popcorn David suggested we “clean the palate.”  I never thought I’d hear that while eating popcorn. “Yeah. We have to because I’ll blow you out after three or four if I pick the right flavors. I’ll blow out your taste buds for sure,” warned David.

From there we tried caramel sea salt, spicy crawfish, blackberry cobbler, and finally loaded baked potato.  Each one of these flavors is beyond description, it’s hard to believe how the ingredients come together.

“100% artisanal is the way that we like to look at it,” said David.  That includes to interestingly named unicorn poop. “The way that we do ours, it’s as fun to eat as it is to look at,” joked David.  Never thought I’d say that with a word like Unicorn Poop.

Unfortunately, with the preposterous amount of popcorn they make, not all of it gets to be carted off for the enjoyment of foodies looking for a unique treat. “We do throw away some popcorn. It’s inevitable,” said David. I’m sure it’s Unicorn Poop. “No, no, that one, I don’t really think that we’ve thrown out. You would think that we would throw away all of it, right? But we really don’t,” assured David.

So, if you’re looking for a colorful way to enjoy popcorn, a stop at Pop Central Popcorn in Beaumont is a great way to get an explosion of aromas and seasonings that burst on The Texas Bucket List.

“We’re changing the way popcorn is perceived right here in Beaumont, across the country,” said David.

The Texas Bucket List – What’s Brewing in San Antonio

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San Antonio — If you ever find yourself on the north side of Alamo City, just down the road from the airport, you might notice a certain smell. This aroma isn’t the sort of scent you’d expect to sniff out around these parts but if end up on the right side of Rhapsody, you’ll find the coffee culprit putting the perked perfume in the air.

“I know lots of people that don’t drink coffee for one reason or another, but I’ve yet to meet a person who says, I hate the smell of coffee… It just hits a certain part of your brain. It’s like chocolate,” said Tony Chbeir. Tony has a nose for all things that smell good, especially coffee because that’s his business.  He and his brother, Sami, are the caretakers of a company their father, Roger, started back in 1979 called What’s Brewing. “We take coffee serious, but we don’t really take ourselves too serious,” said Sami.

The business got started with Roger’s love for coffee. Being a native of Lebanon, he had a hard time finding a cup of joe that met his standards back in the 70’s, so he began roasting his own. Today, Tony takes care of the business, which includes the coffee bar and pinball games, while Sami procures the kernels that create the coffee and tests them in his lab. “We wanted to have that kind of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with coffee,” said Tony.

Not only can visitors taste coffee from over 30 different countries at What’s Brewing, but they can also see, smell, and experience the roasting process.  “Countless variables go into what makes a coffee, coffee,” explained Sami.  “He [Sami] really took coffee to the next level when Dad stepped down. So, Sami is definitely the coffee scientist,” Tony confirmed. What’s Brewing has their own in house roastery, used to carefully craft their coffee from unroasted green beans to cup.

“We’ve got all these coffee bags. Each of these are 60 kilos or 70 kilos. So they weigh up to 154 pounds…. The raw coffee… is called green coffee. This is a natural prep Honduran. It actually has a fruity flavor because the fruit is dried on the cherries before they’re processed. So when you roast it, you actually taste that fruit,” explained Sami. The particular coffee we tried is from a small farm in Honduras.  “We went to Honduras to source this coffee. We tested it on the farm and made sure that it was something that we wanted to buy and then we bought the entire lot. It’s all coming from one farm,” said Sami.

Jake, is the roaster at What’s Brewing. A coffee roaster is sort like a big dryer, and at this point of the show you really wish smellovision was a real thing. “The caramelization, that smell, is when the coffee is done. Each coffee has a different profile, different flavor notes, that you have to be able to smell. This is a Honduran, this is Ethiopian, this is Colombia. That’s what Jake does. He just smells this coffee, and he knows when to let it out,” continued Sami, “Jake’s got a good nose for coffee.”

With coffee beans from 30 different countries, this process brings out all sorts of flavors. “It’s just like a grape. A grape is going to determine what the wine tastes like, but then it depends how you ferment the grape. So that’s kind of like when you’re talking about the roasting process, it’s more about how the coffee is developed. It’s just a much shorter period of time than a bottle of wine. You don’t have to let it age for six years before you drink it. Don’t do that with coffee,” said Sami.

Even the weather plays a roll with roasting beans. “So if we have a storm roll in, the same coffees might roast differently, and you have to be able to adjust based on the environmental situation…You have to take all that into account. It’s going to take longer to cure,” he explained.

Now all these beans are tested by Sami and his lab is right next to the game room. Sami sips on coffee at all hours looking for the best of the best. “He’s here till sometimes to 12 o’clock, one o’clock in the morning, just trying different coffees to find the best one to put in the back,” confirmed Tony. Before the coffee ever reaches their customers’ cups, it is tested for quality. “We’ve got five different coffees here, three cups of each coffee, that we’ve roasted in a specific manner for a quality evaluation,” explained Sami. In a process called cupping, the first thing that’s tested is the dry aroma. “What Jake and I are going to do is we’re going to go through and we’re going to smell each of these,” said Sami. “The immediate reaction we get to these… we’ll write that down.” Then the smell of the coffee is tested again after being brewed. “Some coffees just really, this is where they blossom,” he said. And the final step, tasting the coffee and this gets a little crazy.  “It’s like wine tasting, but with coffee,” Sami compared.

If coffee roasted right here in the Lone Star State is up your alley, you should see what’s brewing at What’s Brewing, the perfect place to wake up and smell the coffee on The Texas Bucket List. “Between the family, the pinball, the roasting, you get to see it all,” said Sami. “There’s a hundred good places to get coffee in Texas, but there’s not a lot of places that have pinball and coffee and you can see it, the roasting operation going on,” concluded Tony.

The Texas Bucket List – The Boiling Pot in Rockport

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Rockport—The beauty of the Rockport Fulton is in full blossom after the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey in 2017. It’s back to fun in sun in this seaside town and one of the staples here is The Boiling Pot, where you are expected to get to cracking.

“We love this food. It’s one of our favorite restaurants to come to,” said customer, Amy Chase.

“I can’t even name how many times we’ve been,” confessed another customer, Anthony Martinez.

“It’s a big part of this town, honestly,” commented Isaac Iwabuchi, Rockport local and employee at the restaurant.

The Boiling Pot has been keeping things hot in Rockport since 1985 when Dot LeBlanc decided to open up a little seafood shack in the sleepy town.

Dot passed away in 2013 and her daughter-in-law, Ramona, was entrusted with an enormous task—continuing the famous family eatery and Dot’s incredible legacy.

“Even the employees were worried about it not continuing. That’s when we talked about, you know, stepping in and keeping it going,” said Ramona LeBlanc. “I would never even try to compete with my mother-in-law’s shoes, but you know, that’s the scary part…I’m holding it together.”

The key to success here is simple, boil same savory seafood and let folks forage on a crazy amount of crustaceans.

“I mean it’s iconic,” commented customer, Amy.

“I’m from West Texas, so we didn’t have any of this. So whenever we moved down here, man…we take advantage of this,” said customer, Geronimo Trevino.

Now before your boiled banquet, there is one big step one must obey.

“Get your bib on,” said Ramona.

Before Shane could be bibbed, the food had to be boiled and Isaac Iwabuchi threw together a bit of everything for us—snow crab, shrimp, gumbo, corn and potatoes.

“…Everything soaks up that spice and gets nice and hot,” said Isaac.

Once it’s all steamed up, it smells incredible, especially if you like Cajun seasoning. The food is dumped out right in front of you fresh from the boiling pot and it doesn’t take long to realize why a bib is needed.

“The gumbo is to die for, the shrimp, the crabs, the corn, the potatoes, and you know what? You get your bib, you get your food. It’s just fabulous,” said Amy.

There is nothing like seafood down on the Gulf Coast!

“It’s nice being able to live on the coast and be able to do that. Especially fresh shrimp,” said Geronimo.

“We love seafood. Something about being right next to the water just makes it enjoyable,” added Anthony.

Whether it’s by land or by sea, a trip to Rockport to visit The Boiling Pot is well worth the stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“When we think about Rockport, we have always thought about this place,” Anthony explained. “It definitely means Rockport defines Rockport.”

The Texas Bucket List – The Blueberry Place in Nacogdoches

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Nacogdoches – Amongst the towering trees of east Texas sits a field full of frolicking furry creatures.  Where butterflies gently flap their wings waiting for just the right summer breeze to lift them off for a flight and folks get their fill of fine fruit.  “It’s just beautiful. It’s a beautiful peaceful place,” said Sherrie Randall.  Sherrie owns the Blueberry Place, a farm hidden in the woods near Nacogdoches and we when pulled in to pull some blueberries off the bushes, we didn’t realize how beautiful this place is. “Mm-hmm, they’re very healthy, healthy bushes,” she said.

Before Sherrie was the boss lady at the Blueberry place, she had an aerospace career in Colorado that kept her eyes to the sky. “We work behind the doors… Secret stuff, yes…[Not allowed to talk about it] But it was fun stuff,” she said. Sherrie retired from the industry with her husband in 2001 and they wanted the perfect place to put up their feet. “East Texas is gorgeous and it’s a lot like Denver with the trees…Just flat,” she laughed.  When they found this field full of fruit, they fell in love but continuing to cultivate the crop for the crowds wasn’t something they expected to do. “We weren’t going to keep it, we thought, ‘Well we don’t have to do that, because we weren’t looking to do that,’” she said. Apparently, the town felt a little differently about the fate of The Blueberry Place.

“Closed on this place on a Friday night and Saturday morning there’s all these people out here picking blueberries and it was the Kiwanis club picking blueberries for the pancakes for the festival. It’s like the town’s patch…So we ended up having a blueberry farm,” explained Sherrie.  Overnight, Sherrie and her husband unexpectedly became blueberry farmers. “After we bought this, I answered the phone and this lady said, ‘Are you still open?’ And I said, ‘Yes.’ She goes, ‘Oh we heard it was bought by old people.’ And I said, ‘I am the old people, I just have a young voice,’” she laughed.

As summer kicks off in the Lone Star State, people come from far and wide for the few short weeks to take a stroll and get their fill of fruit. “June [is the key time to come]. A lot of times by July 4th we are closed,” explained Sherrie. “[Only about] a month, month and a half… Then I get my privacy back.” While Sherrie jokes about her visitors, if you happen to run across the retired blueberry farmer during your stay, she’ll talk to you till she’s blue in the face because somehow, these blueberries bring people together. “You make a lot of friends, it’s like old home week when people come back… Especially when you get older, we made it another year. So it’s really cool,” she explained.

“It means a lot…for a small town, to have something like this to do,” said local, Britney Castle.  “I can’t really think of not having a blueberry patch down the road,” added customer, Nick Jacobs. “Mid-season are the clumping berries, so you can walk up and just find a big clump and you’ll get several berries at once,” said Sherrie. The bushes at The Blueberry Place aren’t treated with pesticides, so they are safe to eat while you pick.  “They taste like candy, coming off the bush they’re sweet,” said Nick. “There’s a lot of people that don’t realize, they have never seen a blueberry bush and they’re so different. They’re sweeter, especially here,” said Sherrie.

A pound of blueberries will set you back a buck fifty here but remember, you’re doing all the work. “We made everything so it’s self-serve. They drive in and they get their harness, their bucket, their bag, and they go out and do their thing, they pay and they don’t ever have to see us,” explained Sherrie. As you might imagine, this is very popular with the kids, and parents, well they love it too. “We live in town, so it’s nice to come out here and let him [her son] just be in nature really,” explained Britney. “Oh it means that I can wear them [the kids] out and they’ll go to bed early, it’s awesome. And they’re eating fruit, so it’s a twofer on that one,” confirmed Nick.

While it may take a while to fill your bucket, picking and partaking in blueberry binging at The Blueberry Place is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List. “If you can come out here and enjoy God’s creation, this is one of the best places to come do that,” concluded Nick.

The Texas Bucket List – Toucan Jim’s in Center Point

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Center Point – Summer is always on our minds, especially when it comes to quenching our thirst in the Texas heat! We found the perfect place to do just that, a tropical paradise in the middle of the state known as Toucan Jim’s.

Now Center Point, Texas isn’t exactly the center point of state, but its location on the banks of Guadalupe River make it a clandestine destination between Comfort and Kerrville.  The truly hidden gem in this tiny town is a tropical oasis that sits behind a tired looking shack. Now this isn’t Saint Martin, Saint John or Saint Kitts, it’s not even Tulum or Trinidad, despite what the tables say. It’s simply a huge backyard that underwent an extensive decade long transition by Jim Lackey and Mike Blackledge. Together, they are Toucan Jim’s.

These beach bum buddies had a big idea back in the day. Instead of packing your bags, getting on a plane, flying to a far away destination, and finally making it to a resort in order to enjoy Havana like haven, why not bring that feeling just a few feet from home?  “We can always tell a first-timer because their expression… their eyes light up and you can see them mouthing the word, ‘Wow,’” said Jim.  “Yeah, and the longer you’re out here, the more that sets in,” added Mike. “We all love the Caribbean, we love Belize, Mexico. But for the people that can’t live there, we said, ‘Well, maybe you can come here and maybe for just a few minutes of your day make you think you’re someplace else.’” explained Jim. “After a while, you forget you’re even in Texas,” said Mike.

Now this is Jim’s old home, he grew up here and when he inherited it, he had this bright idea to bring the tropics to Texas. “There’s not a day goes by that we don’t have someone tell us, ‘Man, this reminds me of Cancun. This reminds me of Jamaica. This reminds me of Hawaii.’ And we really take that as a compliment,” said Jim. “We promise you it’s a lot cheaper than going to the Caribbean.” “And you can drive home in the evening!” said Mike. The transition from central Texas backyard to resort like relaxation took years to finish. 

“You probably noticed our sign, that says, hey it’s a jungle out here and make sure your server knows we’re here,” said Jim.  Not only is Jim co-owner of Toucan Jim’s, but he’s also the gardener of the group.  “This is a Southern Magnolia here that my mom actually planted 45 to 50 years ago and I can remember when it was a stick. This is what started everything and everything else was really built around it,” he explained.  Mike in the meantime makes all the tables, chairs, and palapas.  “Jim and I put in a pretty good day, not uncommon for us to put in a 16 hour a day seven days a week…Not a whole lot of time sitting around sipping margaritas,” said Mike.  But that’s exactly what they want you to do! “We have some excellent drinks. And we’ve sampled all of them,” said Jim.

“We’re known for our margaritas, piña coladas, the Barbados Surprise, and the rum punch is a big seller,” said Tonya Harding, the bartender at Toucan Jim’s.  She was ready to take us on a tropical destination of island inspired drinks. “I think we should go with strong…Let’s do a margarita,” she said.  The margarita is a house-made mix that takes you right to the shores of Mexico.
“We’ll do a piña colada [next].” Sampling the cocktails offered at Toucan Jim’s is like traveling with drinks.  “Are you on your way to Aruba right now?” asked Tonya. So delicious and frothy.
“Well, how about I make your rum punch? That’s our number one seller,” she said.  “We spent almost a year working on the rum punch recipe,” said Mike. It’s a pretty drink that tastes as deliciously fruity as it looks. The key to these tasty drinks is fresh juices. “We had tasted it down in Belize and we knew what we wanted and trying to find the proper fruits for it up here was real difficult,” Mike explained. “We experimented and experimented and experimented until we finally came up with the mix that works for us.”  “And I’ll be the first to say that the experimental part of the rum punch was fun… I think we stretched that out a little bit longer than we should have stretched it out,” laughed Jim.

Finally, we finished things off with a Barbados surprise. “You have to stir it,” Tonya explained.  It’s like a witch’s brew. Layers of red, blue, and white mix together with a stir of your straw, leaving you with a purple tented tropical treat. “There is alcohol in there. You got to be careful how many of those you drink,” added Tonya.

If you’re looking for a taste of the tropics right here in the Lone Star State, Toucan Jim’s is a terrific spot to sit back, sip a drink, and relax on The Texas Bucket List.
“We’re not just saying this, we promise that they’re really good drinks,” vouched Jim.

The Texas Bucket List – Pineapple Ninjaz on South Padre Island

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South Padre Island – When you find yourself in the tropical setting of South Padre, you have to find something with the same feel when it comes to food. All you have to do is step into the dojo of Jerry Leal, a native of the Valley, creator of Pineapple Ninjaz, who has a reputation for enthusiasm. “We call it creative. It’s crazy on that side of the bridge, but it’s creativity on this side,” said Jerry.

 While trying to pick his brain about pineapples, the plethora of people on SPI that have a passion for this guy passed by in packs! I know we have a lot of fans down here, a lot of people honk and wave at us, but Jerry seems to be more popular. That’s because Jerry’s lust for life and belief in his brand is infectious! “Of course dog, I wouldn’t be this confident if it wasn’t,” he said. “He’s a good guy. He keeps us going,” said Angela Ramirez, an employee at Pineapple Ninjaz.

Now this colorful character has a few products with pizazz. First off is a piña colada that doesn’t pack any punch. “This is awesome, man. I’m going to have to come back for more,” said customer, Johnny Garcia.  “That is the Piña Colada… It’s pineapple with coconut juice, ice, we blend it to make a smoothie. Pour it back inside the pineapple mug, and then we add fresh cut pineapple on top with your option of Tajin Chamoy.…Welcome to South Padre Island,” said Jerry. “Very refreshing beverage, you’ll really like it,” affirmed customer, Richard Gomez.  “Woo-hoo! Aloha, South Padre Island,” added customer, Edna Garcia. “It’s all natural, so it’s nothing that you have to really worry about making you feel uncomfortable… You’re going to feel delighted, and you’re going to keep going with your day here at South Padre… it’s going to give you a fresh burst of energy to keep exploring island life. That’s what we want you to do,” explained Jerry.

 

As for their food, it’s gets heads turning too. Angela Ramirez put together these pineapples covered with all sorts of stuff. “So what we love is seeing their faces as soon as we hand them the bowl, they’re like, ‘Oh my God, what is that?’” said Angela. “That one [the Big Baller Bowl] is going to come with Cajun seasoned jasmine white rice, grilled zucchini fries, lobster, chicken, and shrimp… This is all going to be in a half of a pineapple,” she said. The smell of lobster and shrimp cooking with drizzled pineapple juice is carried by the ocean breeze and it really does put you in the perfect place. Once everything is ready, it’s rammed into the pineapple and topped with a tail. “We put the tail in the back end as a garnish. So it’s probably one of the most popping things on Facebook aside from Justin Bieber, so it’s pretty photogenic,” joked Jerry.

The combination of flavors along with a few sips from a piña colada make the long drive to South Padre so worth it. It’s so savory right off the top, followed by a bit of that Cajun kick, that ties it all together nicely. “Bring an excitement to eating on the island,” said Jerry. South Texas, you are so unique. “This is like being on the big island of Hawaii. But I’m here on South Padre Island, no place like home,” said Johnny. Even the zucchini’s good. “The food is delicious,” agreed Edna. If you’re looking for big flavor, and you want to be a baller, Pineapple Ninjaz on South Padre Island is worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“I think this business has amplified the joy. I mean I’ve been blessed to walk a rocky road, but always gather knowledge through everything that I’ve been through, and reapply it. I’ve had the opportunity to see another day and just keep trying to do something better. And with this it just gave me the opportunity to kind of show out every single day,” expressed Jerry. “This is something that he conceptualized and has built on his own. And my hat’s off to him for that,” said Richard.  “It’s number one on my list, it’s refreshing, it’s sweet, and it’s tropical, and the place to be in South Padre Island,” concluded Edna. “Continue to try exploring flavor. That’s all we can ask for, and visit South Padre Island,” said Jerry.