Opening alert

Texas chef uncorks inspired new food truck at Hill Country winery

What's the only thing better than sipping wine in a beautiful Hill Country setting? Sipping wine and feasting on chef-prepared bites.

With temps warming and spring springing, Wine for the People and C.L. Butaud are announcing an addition to their celebrated tasting room: Brucie, a new food truck from chef and owner Barclay Stratton. Beginning Friday, March 19, Brucie — described as "part Aussie brunch café, part 'cave a’Vin'" — will officially open at the Texas AVA Tasting Room with a menu of elevated, wine-friendly dishes.

According to a release, the dishes have been thoughtfully crafted to pair specifically with Randy Hester and Rae Wilson’s wines. The pair, who own C.L. Butaud and Wine for the People, respectively, opened their joint concept in December 2020 in the former Argus Cidery space at 12345 Pauls Valley Rd. in far West Austin

Brucie will operate the same hours as the tasting room, with a menu broken into three parts: Brunchy Things, Dîner, and Apéro, with dishes "designed to share or be eaten with your hands with the addition of a few larger plates."

The concept is the first solo project for Stratton, who spent time working in big-name restaurants in Austin and Nashville, and has also been chef de partie at New York City's famed Blue Hill.

A Beaumont native, Stratton uses his travels abroad as inspiration for the menu, which includes highlights such as Toad in a Hole with fondue and truffle honey; crab rangoon with burrata and a sweet and sour sauce; and a Gulf fish tostada with avocado, nori, and garlic, and more.

Patrons who book a wine tasting may also preorder a cheese and charcuterie plate, which is created with meats from The Salumeria, conveniently located next door. Plates will be rounded out with a rotating selection of cheeses, as well as snacks such as whipped ricotta and lardo served with fresh sourdough, notes a release.

For those who prefer to grab a snack and a glass wine to the full tasting experience, there will be a dedicated space especially for a casual bite near the trailer.

As part of the launch, Stratton has launched a Kickstarter to help make his dream a reality. As of press time, the project has raised more than $20,000 of its $25,000 goal.

Grilled romaine hearts.

Photo by Heather Gallagher

Grilled romaine hearts.

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Outside Ideas

New podcast provides on-the-ground news from Texas state parks

Better Outside podcast host Morgan O’Hanlon

Photo courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)

Podcast host Morgan O’Hanlon captures ambient sound from a river.

Outdoorsy Texans have a new way to keep track of conservation initiatives within Texas' parks. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will launch a new podcast, Better Outside, on May 21 on all major podcast platforms.

A press release promises that listeners will "travel the woods and waters of Texas through an array of awe-inspiring stories about conservation, recreation and the outdoors."

The podcast does mean "travel" in a literal sense, taking listeners out in the field to experience the environments firsthand. They'll have a knowledgeable guide in host Morgan O’Hanlon, who is a senior writer at Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, as well as TPWD executive director David Yoskowitz.

“People are at the core of conservation work in Texas,” said Yoskowitz in the release. “I’m excited for you to hear their voices straight from the field, so they can share why the work they do matters and the impact it makes.”

$David Yoskowitz and Morgan O\u2019Hanlon recording Better Outside podcast$ David Yoskowitz and Morgan O’Hanlon record in the studio as well as in the field.Photo courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)

Some examples of the work featured include creating a new trail across the state, touring an existing park, and restoring bighorn sheep (which were on the brink of being wiped out by 1900) in West Texas. Another episode in the Hill Country follows feral hog bounty hunters. Although well-informed listeners may already know about some of these subjects, the podcast specifically hopes to focus on hidden gems and expanding horizons.

“I love adventure sports and am excited to inspire people to try new, and sometimes scary, things,” said O’Hanlon. “In our episode on the Devils River, I took my non-outdoorsy mom on one of the state’s most feared paddling trips. You’ll hear straight from her about the challenges I put her through — and why she would do it again.”

Better Outside isn't TPWD’s first podcast. It was Under the Texas Sky, which launched in 2019 and followed similar themes, with a notable focus on culture. Some episodes followed the Indigenous history of Texas parks, cowboy poets, and chefs who are involved in sustainable farming and cooking. Under the Texas Sky stopped being made when its host, longtime Passport to Texas radio host Cecilia Nasti, retired.

The new podcast is sponsored by the Austin-based Whole Earth Provision Co., which originally opened in 1970 as a real-life manifestation of the Whole Earth Catalog, and is now a cross between a camping, home goods, and outdoorsy gift store. It operates six locations in total in Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas.

podcast parks state parks nature sustainability conservation