Eat, wash, and be merry! At Harvey Washbangers in College Station, you can soothe your tummy’s rumbles while your clothes tumble in the restaurant’s laundromat. The Cajun Burger – featuring an Andouille sausage and beef patty – will have you craving crawdads and the Louisiana bayous. Well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!
The Texas Bucket List – Cocoamoda in Calvert
CALVERT, Texas – Over in Robertson County, in between Waco and Bryan, you’ll find the quiet community of Calvert. With a population just over 1,000 you wouldn’t expect to find more than just your typical antique shops and kolache stops, but if you happen upon Cocoamoda, you’ll come across one the most unique, interesting, and exquisite stops on Highway 6.
Chef Ken Wilkinson isn’t from these parts. He hails from jolly old England but now he considers himself something else.
“I’m Texan,” Ken explained. “My wife is Texan.”
Yes, this Texan that happens to hail from London, and his wife Jacqueline own this chocolate shop that has some of the most decadent and delightful desserts.
“They could very well be considered artwork but really it’s for the eating,” Ken said. “It’s for the flavor. It’s for the knowledge that you’re eating something absolutely fresh and nice.”
Ken has been a chef for over 45 years, even though he claims to be 36. While he appears to be a bit older than that, it seems his chocolate might be keeping him young at heart.
Ken’s career in cooking all started in London where he first worked in a kitchen during his teens, by his 20’s he was a head chef, by his 30’s he headed up 43 restaurants in and around London. He even served the Royal Family on Sundays. But a chance to consult with a line of restaurant and hotels in Houston lead him to an adventure he never saw coming.
For a few years, the comical chef had his own cable cooking show and was earning a lot of clams. Eventually the show was cancelled and Ken needed something to do.
“Then I started twittling my thumbs and thinking, ‘My goodness haven’t I always thought that I would like to start a chocolate business,’” Ken said.
Instead of opening his confection creation in a big ol city, Ken instead opted for a more centralized Texas location with some old world charm. When he found the old Calvert State Bank building built in 1870, he knew he had found his factory.
“I really thought it spoke European quality, the whole building,” Ken said. “You could airlift this to any major city in Europe the whole building and nobody would question the ability of it haven been built there.”
With some flavors you wouldn’t expect to find, such as bourbon, lemon, praline, and key lime, Ken’s chocolates are creations you won’t find in any old cookbook.
Each morsel is way more amazing than you might imagine. You see each one of these little chocolates takes three days to make, start to finish, and what’s inside might surprise you.
With exotic insides like Madagascar Vanilla beans, Persian saffron, even roses imported from India, you’re sure to find a sweet sensation you’ve never tasted before.
“My pride won’t allow me to use anything but the best ingredients,” Ken said. “Every ingredient is thought about.”
But there seems to be so much more to each one of these chocolates. It’s as if Ken has found a way to add his elegance, charm, and witty banter to each of his creations.
“It’s about following your passion. Being passionate about what you do,” En said. “Living life to the fullest.”
Leann Schroeder and Chris Nixon drove an hour to try these treats.
“Well I was a merchant marine so I’ve been around the world and I’ve eaten a lot of chocolate from a lot of different places,” Chris said. “It’s hard to beat this stuff.”
All Texans have a sweet spot for the Lone Star State but now the state has a sweet spot of its own thanks to a man from England, a town frozen in time, and delicacy that comes from deep within the heart of Texas.
“I’m proud of Texas and I really wanted to put Texas on the map for chocolates,” Ken said. “Why the heck not? Why not give the French a run for their money? You know what I mean? Texas can certainly do it.”
The Texas Bucket List – Los Ebanos Ferry Crossing
The town of Los Ebanos down on the southern Texas border boasts one of the last hand-pulled ferries in the United States. Hearkening back to its days as a ferry for soldiers across the sparkling waters of the Rio Grande, the Lost Ebanos Ferry now serves as a simple, slow way to mosey across the border. For any Texan, it’s well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!
The Texas Bucket List – XIT Museum
Everything is bigger in Texas, and so is our rangeland! The XIT Museum in Dalhart stands as a testament to the pastures and plains roped into the XIT Ranch property in the 1880s. Learn about the history of the largest ranch in Texas, the cowboys, the cattle, and the well-worn saddles that make this trip well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!
The Texas Bucket List – Padre Island Burger Company
The Dr. Padre Burger at Padre Island Burger Co. is a culinary masterpiece made by a professional culinary chef who has cooked in kitchens from coast to coast but finally settled in the greatest state in the U.S. It’s a Dr. Pepper barbecue sauce burger that will blow your mind once you pair it with their tasty garlic fries. It couldn’t have been made any better, and it’s well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!
The Texas Bucket List – Texas Dove Hunting
Out in the fields of La Grange, we try our hand at bagging the feathered fowl flying hither and thither across the plains. It’s September 1st, which means it’s officially dove season in the Lone Star State. So slip on your camo, lace up your boots, and grab your shotgun to try your hand at snagging a few to add a little variety to your dinner table. Well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!
The Texas Bucket List – Pinballz Arcade
Flashing lights, ringing bells, and mechanical melodies – Pinballz Arcade in Austin has all this and more! Featuring more than 250 arcade machines, there’s fun and games for the young and old alike. From pinball to skill shot games, this is a stop you won’t want to miss on The Texas Bucket List.
The Texas Bucket List – Bubba’s Texas Burger Shack
Nestled under a freeway in Houston, Bubba’s Texas Burger Shack may be small but it serves a bustling community of people who crave their delicious eats. We settle on the Vegas Burger, and the meat is made out of is no mystery – it’s a bison burger! Topped with other mouthwatering ingredients like a fried egg and avocado, this burger’s got it all. Make sure you don’t miss this one, because it’s well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!
The Texas Bucket List – Tower of the Americas
Witness glorious views at one of the tallest observatories in the nation. The Tower of the Americas in San Antonio is an observatory with a restaurant where you can wine and dine and see all 360 degrees of the surrounding area. Be sure to stay for a sunset, because it’s well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!
The Texas Bucket List – Caverns of Sonora
We head into the inner space of Texas to check out The Caverns of Sonora.
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