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| Lecia Duke, owner of Chocolat in Fredericksburg, offers an assortment of fine confections, but she specializes in handmade chocolates with liqueur centers. |
A New Taste of Texas
The Lone Star State has long been synonymous with barbecue, burgers, and beer halls. But fresh produce and regional ingredients are now finding their way onto menus.
Locals and visitors alike embrace Cuvée, a wine bar, market, and bistro that opened in Fredericksburg three years ago. Although the menu features some 300 wines, with 50 served by the glass, owner and sommelier Len White makes affordability a priority. "Anyone can get you a great bottle of wine for $100," says Len. “I try to get people interested in different kinds of styles of wine in the $18 to $28 range."
The market is a find for travelers too. The ever-changing gourmet takeaway menu features delights such as chicken-and-truffle lasagna, smoked beef tenderloin salad, and roasted tomato soup. Len's wife, Stephanie, makes fresh-baked bread and homemade pastries and offers an array of cheeses, meats, and pâtés.
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| The terrace at August E's offers the perfect place to enjoy the Hill Country scenery and savor a fine meal. |
August E's has the look and feel of a great old Texas establishment, but the menu is nouveau Texas. The chink-and-mortar train depot was transported from Greeley, Colorado, and reconstructed about 5 miles east of Fredericksburg. On the back, there's also a westward-facing terrace that features a bar and two outdoor fireplaces.
You can get the traditional inch-thick aged Prime rib eye, grilled to perfection over a mesquite fire. But the menu also boasts Asian-inspired dishes such as the restaurant's signature Saigon Spring Rolls and Vietnamese-style mixed grill with duck, short ribs, and garlic shrimp stir-fried with jasmine rice.
Food for Texas
August E's: 6258 U.S. 290 East, Fredericksburg; (830) 997-1585 or www.august-es.com.
Café 909: 909 Second Street, Marble Falls; (830) 693-2126 or www.cafe909.com.
Cuvée Wine Market and Bistro: 342 West Main Street, Fredericksburg; (830) 990-1600 or www.cuveewine.net.
Hill Top Cafe: 10661 North U.S. 87, Doss; (830) 997-8922 or www.hilltopcafe.com
Mac and Ernie's Roadside Eatery: Williams' Creek Depot, Farm Road 470, Tarpley; (830) 562-3250 or www.macandernies.com
Navajo Grill: 803 East Main Street, Fredericksburg; (830) 990-8289 or www.navajogrill.com.
