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    Pappy Van Scavenger Hunt

    Boozy Houston scavenger hunt boasts a bottle of ultra-rare Pappy Van Winkle

    Eric Sandler
    Sep 2, 2020 | 2:30 pm
    Kristopher Hart whiskey scavenger hunt bottles
    Together, these six bottles are worth about $3,000.
    Courtesy of Kristopher Hart

    For bourbon drinkers, the name Pappy Van Winkle represents one of the most highly regarded brands in America. People line up for the opportunity to buy even one ounce at cost and willingly pay thousands for a bottle of their own.

    Kristopher Hart, the host of the Whiskey Neat podcast (produced in conjunction with CultureMap parent company Gow Media) and the organizer of the Houston Whiskey Social, wants to help one lucky Houstonian get a bottle of Pappy without spending a dime courtesy of a special scavenger hunt where the top prize is a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 15-year, which has a retail price of about $120 but routinely trades on secondary markets for close to $1,500 (Hart paid £1,200 at an auction for the bottle used in the giveaway).

    In addition to the PVW15, Hart has partnered with downtown whiskey bar Reserve 101 to give away secondary prizes that include bottles of Blanton’s, Weller 12-year, Old Rip Van Winkle 10-year, Van Winkle Special Reserve 12-year, and E.H. Taylor single barrel. Winners will also receive discounts at Reserve 101 that range from $25 off to a free pour of any of the bar’s 300-plus whiskeys. Hart estimates a collector would expect to spend around $3,000 to acquire these bottles through the secondary market or via a liquor store that charges above retail prices for sought after bottles.

    “All of these bottles are progressively harder to find at retail, unless you spend lots of money a year, like thousands upon thousands at either a mom and pop or Spec’s [as part of a loyalty program],” Hart says. “They’re basically impossible to find. It’s probably safe to say it’s easier to go on a scavenger hunt to find these bottles than it is to find them at retail.”

    A time capsule containing a certificate that the winner will exchange for the bottle has been buried somewhere within the Houston city limits that isn’t private property, Hart says. The hiding spot, which is known only to Hart, “has to do with a historical aspect of Houston,” he adds. Boxes containing challenge coins for the secondary prizes have also been hidden around Houston.

    The complete rules for the contest may be found on Hart’s website, but they essentially come down to “have fun, be safe, and please for the love of God don’t sue me or Reserve 101,” he says lightheartedly.

    To make the hunt a little easier, Hart will release clues via his Instagram account (@whiskypete) and on his weekly podcast. The first clue, embedded below, shows a train that looks suspiciously like the one on the City of Houston Official Seal as well as a book titled Death By Black Hole.

    View this post on Instagram

    OK then. Let's get this party started. The Inaugural Whisky Pete Pappy Hunt kicks off today. The first day of Bourbon Heritage month. Be paying close attention to Whisky Pete's Instagram account (@WhiskyPete) and to each week's episode of Whiskey Neat on ESPN and our YouTube channel. In addition to the awesome lineup of 6 bottles up for grabs we have partnered with one of Houston's most recognized Whiskey Bars, Reserve 101. "This was an opportunity to get Houston out and about again, and get some conversations about whiskey going. At the start of this year, we were excited to begin this new path for Reserve 101, but you know, 2020. So we saw this as a great idea from the jump, and we just wanted to see if we could make it even better. " On top of contributing 5 bottles of rare whiskey, together we're turning it up a notch by the addition of Clue Coins and free pours. For the finders of the clues, each clue will earn them a coin. The coin will then be redeemable for a pour if whiskey at Reserve 101, once they're back up and running of course. Each progressive coin yields a higher price point; the first coin will be worth up to $25, the second $50, the third $75, the fourth $100, the fifth $125, with the grand prize winner receiving a coin to trade for any pour in the building, any time, with no expiration date. "We’ll have some of the rarest whiskeys available on our bar at any given time, and the owner of the grand prize coin can use it whenever he or she likes. Any pour. Any time. Keep in mind, this is not a gift certificate. This is not a coupon. It’s a coin to exchange for one pour of whiskey at that price point, any time you want to trade it in. We want to take the risk out of trying something new." With more than $3000 in rare whiskeys and another $500 in free pours at Reserve 101... Not to mention the final coin with no limit in buying power, this is a great kickoff to the first Ever Bourbon Scavanger hunt of its kind. Good luck and remember... The clues could come in any form from within the episodes to in the caption of posts. Official rules at www.whiskypete.com Cheers Houston. (📸@jocknairn_art)

    A post shared by Kristopher Hart (@whiskypete) on

    Sep 1, 2020 at 8:53am PDT

    Hart says those details led some people to search around Black Hole Coffee, but the bottle isn’t there (that would be too easy). Searchers will know they’re in the vicinity of either the main prize or a secondary prize when they see Hart’s Whisky Pete logo. Finding one of the secondary prizes not only brings a coveted bottle and a discount at Reserve 101; the person will also receive a private clue as to the location of the main prize.

    If everything goes according to plan, the contest will run through the end of September, aka Bourbon Heritage Month. With the city’s whiskey obsessives buzzing, Hart’s already looking towards next year.

    “I think this will be something we can continue to grow every year,” Hart says. “We want to double this next year. We want to make this much larger, more valuable bottles, more fun.”

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    Coming soon to Fredericksburg

    Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

    Brandon Watson
    Dec 26, 2025 | 3:30 pm
    Bottega Salaria Fredericksburg
    Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria
    Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

    Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

    But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

    Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

    “[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

    The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

    Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

    “I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

    The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

    Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

    Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

    After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

    Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

    The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

    "We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

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