What's Eric Eating Episodes 324 and 325

Galveston's new boutique hotel opens soon with midcentury chic, rooftop bar, and fancy-ish dining

Galveston’s newest boutique hotel is ready to open its doors. The Hotel Lucine will begin welcoming visitors on Friday, November 10.

First announced in 2021, the Hotel Lucine occupies the former Treasure Isle Motel property at the intersection of 10th Street and Seawall Boulevard. The project is led by Galveston native Keath Jacoby, her husband Dave, a finance and hospitality developer, and their business partner Robert Marcus, a real estate and hotel developer who’s married to Keath Jacoby’s childhood best friend.

To preview the property, Keath Jacoby and executive chef Leila Ortiz joined CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler on this week’s episode of the “What’s Eric Eating” podcast.

As Jacoby explains during the interview, she and her business partners see an opportunity to create something in Galveston that’s a little different than what exists on the island currently.

Photo by Samantha Wiley Photography

The Hotel Lucine opens November 10.

“The real inspiration was I love Galveston,” Jacoby says. “I think that it’s an incredible place for hospitality currently. I think that we can add a slightly different perspective and bring something that’s a marriage of all our pasts. We’ve lived multiple places, but coming back to Texas was the inspiration we needed for this project.”

The partners preserved the feel of the midcentury motor court by maintaining design details such as the original concrete floors and tiles. All of the 61 rooms have a view of the hotel’s pool, with upper level rooms offering balconies. Jacoby hopes the hotel’s guests embrace the intimate atmosphere as an opportunity to connect with fellow travelers.

“We want people to understand this is a place where you’re going to rub elbows and hug necks. It’s not a large, grand property where you’re going to have a ton of privacy, but that was always the goal,” she says.

“We want it to feel like an elevated house party that your weird aunt is throwing. That’s my hope, that people will interact.”

Adding to that party atmosphere will be the hotel’s four food and beverage spaces — The Fancy, a 56-seat “American fine-ish dining” restaurant that will open for dinner on November 14; The Den, a full service restaurant that’s open from breakfast until late; a rooftop bar led by beverage director Jesse Rubio; and The Lanai, which can be used for private events.

Ortiz brings extensive experience to her role as executive chef of The Fancy. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, she worked at New York’s Momofuku Noodle Bar before moving to Houston and working at Bludorn and UB Preserv. James Beard Award winner Justin Yu hired Ortiz for the role during his time as a consultant on the project. During the podcast episode, chef Ortiz explains that she’s excited to bring her culinary perspective to Galveston.

“I want to use the foundations of those ingredients that people love and are utilized on this island but maybe put my little quirk to it,” she says.

At The Fancy, diners can expect to find dishes such as chicken and dumplings that uses gyoza wrappers stuffed with chicken and mushroom duxelle or housemade potato chips topped with thinly sliced serrano ham and tuna. The Den will offer various breakfast options as well as staples like a burger and a mojo chicken sandwich that nods to the chef’s Puerto Rican heritage.

“It’s somewhere you can come for a drink in the afternoon,” Jacoby says about The Den. “It would be my favorite place to compile a group of tapas or snacks. However you want to use it, it’s a very dynamic space.”

Listen to the full episode to hear more from chef Ortiz about getting to know Galveston. Jacoby offers insights into her aspirations for the kind of development she hopes Hotel Lucine will inspire.

In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Michael Fulmer discuss the news of the week. Their topics include: reactions to the Houston Chronicle’s new list of Houston’s top 100 restaurants; Himalaya owner Kaiser Lashkari opening a cooking school; and Street to Kitchen’s move to a new location.

In the restaurant of the week segment, Fulmer and Sandler discuss their meals at Coastline Artisan Pizzeria. Newly opened in the First Ward, the two friends rave about the restaurant’s wood-fired, Neapolitan-style pies.

Galveston hotels interview news-you-can-eat podcasts openings

New Parks

54,000-acre Hill Country ranch to become Texas' 2nd largest state park

Photo from property listing by Icon Global

Silver Lake Ranch adds 54,000 acres to Texas' public lands.

Texans will soon have a massive new state park to explore, second only to Big Bend Ranch State Park in size. Silver Lake Ranch, the 54,000-acre plot of land spanning Edwards and Kinney counties, was owned by the Moody Foundation, and now, largely thanks to a major philanthropic gift, it's headed into public hands.

The Moody Foundation gifted its 87.5 percent ownership interest in the ranch to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), with TPWD purchasing the remaining interest for $11.85 million. The funds come from the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund and Sporting Goods Sales Tax — both approved by Texas voters.

“The Moody Foundation is proud to help preserve this remarkable stretch of Texas Hill Country and make it accessible for generations to come,” said Ross Moody in a press release. “Silver Lake Ranch represents the natural beauty, history, and spirit of our state, and we are honored to make this gift to Texas Parks and Wildlife to ensure it remains protected and enjoyed by all Texans for years ahead.”

The property will officially become Silver Lake State Park, named for the spring-fed 30-acre lake at its heart. Sitting roughly 350 miles west of Houston, nestled between Rocksprings and Uvalde, the land is home to some beautiful hill country wildlife and nature at a Texas manageable drive of about two hours from San Antonio.

Currently the park is in its most rugged and undeveloped form: steep limestone canyons drop into rolling hills lined with live oaks and juniper trees, with miles of river frontage tracing the West Nueces River. Several creeks wind through the property, including Sycamore Creek, Lost Creek, and North Spring Creek, along with Blue Waterhole and Dutch Waterhole.

Caves and other landmarks dot the landscape, and wildlife includes white-tailed deer, turkey, javelina, and dove. Portions of the property have even been identified as a potential habitat for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler.

According to the press release, this land, previously used for sheep and cattle ranching, will be developed in phases over the next several years, also using the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund. Initially, access to the park might look like guided tours and limited day-use opportunities while planning and infrastructure are underway. Later, trails and basic visitor facilities will be added, and ultimately, the park will include expanded recreational amenities like camping and paddling access.

Now that the acquisition is complete, TPWD staff and private contractors plan to gather feedback from the public and surrounding communities to help map out recreational opportunities. This may take "many months to complete," says the press release. TPWD will communicate any upcoming milestones, including a potential opening date, at TexasStateParks.org

"This is an exciting addition to our state park system, and we are grateful to our partners at the Moody Foundation for their philanthropy and for bringing this slice of the hill country to the people of Texas," TPWD Executive Director David Yoskowitz says in the press release.

And as folks are pointing out on TPDW's reel announcing the new park: it's "Better than any subdivision."

silver lake ranch state parks parks nature wildlife animals