Road trip

7 world-class restaurants putting Texas Hill Country on the culinary map

By this time in August, Instagram feeds are clogged with mocking faces happily chowing down chifrijo in Costa Rica or gougeres on Montmartre. For those of us who had no international travel plans this summer, it’s easy to get bitter.

But just because a budget may not accommodate a Roman holiday doesn’t mean that culinary travel is off the table. The Texas Hill Country is full of world-class restaurants that can be visited with little more than a tank of gas. Snap a few pics and inspire some FOMO of your own.

Apis Restaurant and Apiary
Chef and owner Taylor Hall has created a showstopper that truly celebrates Texas terroir. And the hyper-local sourcing isn’t virtue signaling. Apis' unfussy cuisine requires integrity from every ingredient, whether it's a strip loin used in carpaccio or the flour used in pappardelle. The same applies to Pizzeria Sorellina, the restaurant’s casual cousin located just a few steps away.

Bryan’s on 290
Bryan Gillenwater, the chef and founder of this Johnson City eatery, likes playing with fire. Before open flames became de rigueur in San Antonio, he was happily charring everything from pork belly to flatbread. Naturally, the beef here is outstanding, from the hefty 28-ounce ribeye to the more demure bavette. The surprise comes from the other entrées. Scallops are served with delicate corn agnolotti, a Berkshire pork chop nods to cowboy cooking with heirloom corona beans and cornbread, and the orange marmalade-glazed chicken comes with a revelation in the form of smoked mac ’n’ cheese.

The Laurel Tree
The luxury treehouse lodging snaking through this property has a certain Swiss Family Robinson allure, but this elegantly funky eatery is worth a visit, even if guests aren’t settling in for the night. The menu changes weekly as crops ripen in the garden but always reflect chef Laurel Waters’ serious training in French cuisine (not many Hill Country chefs have worked for Alain Ducasse). One word of warning before hitting the road: Utopia is a dry town. Those who want a pairing with their pork chop should bring a bottle from home.

The Leaning Pear
When Leaning Pear owners Rachel and Matthew Buchanan outgrew the historic Wimberley cottage that formerly housed their restaurant, they made a startling move. In 2013, they hopped over to a modern Overland Partners-designed space, ditching anything that could be described as quaint. The architecture now matches the restaurant’s decidedly contemporary fare. Though inspired — and sourced — from the Texas Hill Country, it’s just as likely to invoke the Mediterranean, with dishes like a classic panzanella, a seasonal mezze trio, and perfectly blistered wood-fired pizzas.

Little Gretel
In the Hill Country’s many German towns, restaurants can be as reductive as Disney World's It’s A Small World ride. This classic Boerne restaurant is a refreshing alternative. While it’s true that the food is typically hearty (only in a German restaurant could a half-pound burger be listed as “the lighter side”), chef Denise Mazal's deft palate makes classics like schnitzel and sauerbraten far from leaden. The half lamb-half beef Bavarian meatloaf topped with hunter-style mushroom sauce will make guests swear off Heinz ketchup.

Otto’s German Bistro
Long before Joanna Gaines was selling linens at Target, this adorable Fredericksburg bistro was nailing the modern farmhouse look. No Hill Country spot pays as much mind to the interior details, from the minimal black sign to the cozy blankets it provides when the weather gets nippy. That attention is equally given to the fare. Otto’s explores the evolution of German cuisine in Europe and Texas, serving unexpected versions of Teutonic standards like schnitzel and wurst. The flammkuchen — a flatbread topped with creme fraiche and caramelized onions — is a must-try dish.

Redbud Cafe
If small towns are supposed to be sleepy, don’t tell that to Jon and Jan Brieger, owners of this downtown Blanco cafe. On Friday and Saturday evening, the atmosphere is as rocking as a juke joint when the restaurant hosts a full slate of musical acts. The rest of the time, the space acts as a lunchtime community hub. Grab a Greek salad with quinoa tabouli or a venison burger cloaked in pepper jack cheese. Then meander over to the Brieger’s pottery shop to shop for local art, lavender products, and artisan home goods.

In addition to German fare, Little Gretel makes a great burger.

Little Gretel/Facebook

In addition to German fare, Little Gretel makes a great burger.

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LATE CHECKOUT

These 2 haunted Texas hotels promise a spirited overnight stay

The Emily Morgan Hotel/ Facebook

The Emily Morgan is steps away from the Alamo.

If you hear something knocking during a vacation in San Antonio, it might not be housekeeping. Two of the city's downtown landmark hotels — the Gunter and the Emily Morgan — have been named among the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 25 most haunted hotels in the U.S.

Each year, the nonprofit’s Historic Hotels of America program recognizes iconic properties where things are said to go bump in the night. It’s a playful way to highlight the organization’s work to preserve the nation’s diverse historic buildings and neighborhoods, whether one believes in the supernatural or not. The San Antonio pair were the only Texas properties to earn the hair-raising honors.

“The list invites heritage and cultural travelers to discover historic hotels where lore and legends make for memorable stays,” explained the trust in a release. “For believers and skeptics alike, these one-of-a-kind hotels preserve tales of guests who never want to leave and staff who never stopped helping.”

The Emily Morgan returned to the list after a year’s reprieve (maybe someone forgot this year’s blessing). The trust noted that the 102-year-old building is considered one of North America’s most active paranormal sites, owing to its original use as a medical building. Carved grotesques on the facade writhe from tooth pain and stomachaches. Inside, spectral nurses are said to be still providing care.

“On the fourteenth floor, guests have reported a hospital-like smell and, on rare occasions, visions of a hospital scene rather than their guestroom when they open the door from the hallway,” wrote Historic Hotels. “On the twelfth floor, guests have reported bathroom doors opening and closing on their own, lights flashing, and apparitions of nurses pushing rickety gurneys down the corridor before vanishing.”

Gunter Hotel Not pictured: Gunter's resident shadowy figure.Photo by Daniel Kelleghan Photography

Although medical manifestations are unsettling enough, the other San Antonio hotel on the list has a more gruesome claim to fame. Built in 1909, the Gunter Hotel boasts a room that is only slightly less notorious than The Shining’s Room 237. Room 636 was the site of one of Alamo City’s most famous murders.

In 1965, a housekeeper found ex-con Walter Emerick standing beside a blood-soaked bed. Police found empty wine bottles, bloody footprints, strands of blonde hair, and women’s clothing, but never found the body. Emerick left a psychic stain all over downtown, booking it to the St. Anthony’s room 536 (he reportedly asked to stay in 636 again), where he offed himself before arrest. The Gunter never quite recovered from his brief stay.

“Since the 1960s, guests and staff have reported unsettling phenomena, including unexplained cold spots, flickering lights, and faint whispers or footsteps when no one is present,” said Historic Hotels. “Some claim to have seen a shadowy figure lingering near the doorway or caught the faint scent of cigar smoke despite the hotel’s smoking prohibition.”

Still, the dark specters have not kept the Gunter from receiving another honor this year. Historic Hotels recently named it the Best City Center Historic Hotel, given to the property that “best celebrates its history in the guest experience and provides exceptional customer hospitality and service.”

Both of San Antonio’s haunted hotels have largely embraced their eerie reputations. The Emily Morgan proudly touts its mysterious occurrences on one of its webpages. The Gunter glosses over some of the more grisly details of room 636 on its own page, and assures guests the room has since been remodeled.

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