Category Archives: Food

Fredericksburg – Food, Beer and Wine

Fredericksburg is a great little town and a tourist hot spot. It shouldn’t be any surprise as there’s plenty to do in town. One of the great things is if you are into trying lots of need food and drinks… this is a pretty good place to go.

Candy shops. There seems to be a lot of them but don’t be “good” and pass them up. They literally have everything. I grabbed a couple chocolate truffles at one and it was so worth it!

Chocolate covered everything. Pickles…. I’m not so sure…

Fredericksburg is known for wine. Coming into town, you will notice a ton of vineyards. If you have a chance (or enough time really) be sure to stop by one. If not, head into town and check out a tasting room. I stopped by Grape Creek Vineyards on Main Street. Head on in and try out six different wines, learn a bit about each of them and you get to keep a very large wine glass. I’ve only done a few wine tastings but this one was great. One on one, I learned quite a bit about the wine and the best part, it was very savory!
Wine came before dinner while I was in Fredericksburg. Once I was done the wine tasting, I headed next door to the Fredericksburg Brewery. There couldn’t have been a better choice. The atmosphere was great, beer was phenomenal and the spinach artichoke pizza with grilled chicken was out of this world. I even had someone come up to me and ask me what I was eating so he could order it.
Have you had a chance to swing by Fredericksburg? What’s your favorite vineyard or place to eat in town?
Masons Mama

Hyatt Lost Pines – The Food

I’ve mentioned quite a bit about how beautiful and fun the outdoor atmosphere is at the Hyatt Lost Pines but I’m leaving something incredibly important out… the food (and I’m not even kidding.)

The Hyatt Lost Pines have a few dining options at their resort. I had the please of eating at the Firewheel Café and if you have the opportunity to dine there, do not pass it up!

When walking into the restaurant, as with the rest of the resort, you get the outdoors, indoors. It is especially apparent in the restaurant with large windows and special features throughout. One of the special features is the painted glass windows featuring some of the native flowers in the area (painted by a local artist). You will find yourself looking at them. They’re beautiful. Comfortable, relaxing, perfect for a solo, couple or family / group meal.

To get the most out of what was to offer (so I could share it with all of you) – I got the buffet. For $24.99, this all you can eat feast is well worth the price (if not for the dessert alone) and allows you to try a little bit of everything.

Warning: Do not judge by the amount of food that I tried (and I did go hiking prior to dinner so I’ll use that as an excuse of how I burned up an appetite).

Salad Bar – Everything is prepared. Three types of leafs, mushrooms, green peppers, tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, carrots, eggs, croutons and by all means try out the raspberry vinaigrette!

Bread and Cheese – Three types of breads, two types of cheese. I mean, you really can’t go wrong with bread and cheese.

Main Dishes and Sides
Sweet Potato Casserole – This.Was.Perfection. The absolute best sweet potato casserole I’ve ever had. Sweet, but not overly sweet and was as smooth as could be.

Meats
Grilled Salmon was well done, flaky and moist.
Grilled Chicken
Sliced Beef – We are in Texas, right? It was extremely moist and I suggest pairing it with the BBQ sauce.

Soups
Jalapeno Corn Chowder – Creamy, creamy and delicious. I’ve noticed this as a Texas staple since I’ve moved here so everyone from out-of-state must try. When in Texas, do as the Texans do.

Baked Potato Bar
I think this may have been the first time I’ve seen this at a buffet (or maybe I just don’t frequent enough buffets). Regular baked potato or a sweet baked potato with all the fixings. I didn’t have enough room to try this but I’m going to take a guess and say it was pretty tasty. When is a loaded baked potato not savory? … Exactly.

Dessert
Don’t judge.
I have a sweet tooth and well, I have a sweet tooth. To be honest, I’m pretty sure I tried almost all of these. I mean, a girl can taste right (plus don’t forget I went hiking prior to dinner). Plus, all the desserts were in the “Mini” version, so it’s ok, right?!

Red velvet whoopie pie, pecan pie tart, lemon square, fresh whip cream, apple cobbler, brownies, lemon tarts and my favorite, the maple panna cotta. It tasted like maple pudding consistency but not an overwhelming maple flavor with fresh whip cream and a blackberry on top.

If dinner isn’t enough for you, each night in the large fire pits outside, you can enjoy s’mores, an outdoor favorite. (I obviously had to pass.)

Other Dining Options:
Stories Fine Dining – Elegant dining.
Old Bucks Place – Next to the pool, enjoy some fresh BBQ.
Shellers Barrelhouse Bar – Rustic, Austin inspired atmosphere. (Go here for nightlife.)
Major Neighbors Grill – Take the golf experience inside at the clubhouse.
McCade’s Emporium and Ice Cream Saloon – General Store feel, breakfast, candy and ice cream treats.

Note: For extra savings, be sure to check in with FourSquare. I believe I got a free beverage at McCade’s with my first check-in. Don’t pass it up!

Related Posts: 
Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa
Exploring Nature at the Hyatt Lost Pines
Comfort & Beauty – Room Overview
Most Historic Small Town In Texas
Activities at the Hyatt Lost Pines

Disclaimer: I was not compensated but did receive a complimentary meal at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa in return for this post. All photos and opinions are 100% my own.

Texas Steak Cookoff Wine Festival 2013

The Texas Steak Cookoff is one of my favorite events every year, but last year they began incorporating a wine tent into the event. Thus – The Texas Steak Cookoff and Wine Festival.
For the Wine Festival:
Tickets to the wine tent are $20 per person, which includes a souvenir glass. Each person is allotted 10 tickets, one ticket per tasting. This year there were 13 wineries participating, spread out among two tents, which allowed everyone to grab a pretty good selection and lots of room to move about. Each ticket also comes with a raffle submission (see the cookoff post describing the prizes for this year).
It’s not just about tasting the wines, you are also the judge. Each person receives a voting ticket for the best white and red wines.
You could also buy bottles from the wineries attending.
Participating Wineries
(Note – All Texas based Wineries)
Dionisio Winery
Bluff Dale
Flat Creek Winery
D’ Vine Wine
Texas Lagato
Sunset Winery
Red 55 Winery
Fiesta winery
Lost Oak Winery
Blue Ostrich Winery
Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards
Red Caboose Winery

My personal favorite was the Red Caboose Winery and Vineyard. I actually tried three of their wines and they were all fantastic. Coming from someone who is relatively new to the “wine world” and still trying to figure everything out – I really fell in love with their wine and even ended up buying a bottle (below).

This years winners:
White — Fiesta Winery – Happy Trails
Red — Red Caboose – Range Rider
The wine tent was definitely the way to spend the afternoon! It allowed you to get out of the sun and cool off with some ice cold wines. The tent was also filled with members of the backyard chef teams that were cooking. I think I found a new enjoyment and if you have a chance to enjoy the tent next year, give it a go!
Related Posts:
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post, however I did receive free admission to the event in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.