Dinner Destination: Riven Rock Ranch, Fredericksburg Trip, Part 2

We started out the day, Friday, with a stop at the Becker Vineyards in Stonewall, right outside Fredericksburg.  We've been buying their wines for years and even belong to their wine club and get new wines shipped to us every few months.  I wanted a bottle of their Vintage Port to make some port wine caramelized pecans.  Steve wanted to get six bottles so he could take advantage of the 10% discount for 6 bottles or more.  He really liked the 201l Albarino, a white wine made from Albarino, native to northwestern Iberia.  Apparently this was a very popular wine and supply was low.  He also got a couple bottles of the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, one of my favorites.  When we first started going to the Becker Vineyards the tasting area was just a little counter, but now there is a huge tasting room.  They have a selection of good cheeses, meats, crackers, etc. to put together a nice wine, cheese picnic.  Now that's an idea for future trips!

New Tasting Room

Original Tasting Room

Becker Vineyards, Stonewall, Texas

We originally wanted to just go to Kerrville to see the Texas Furniture Makers show/exhibit, but then added the other places for food sampling.  I had read about the Bear Moon Bakery Cafe in Boerne, known for it's Jalapeno Hogs (sausage kolaches with local sausage) and other baked goods as well as their gourmet soups, salads, and sandwiches.  Since we had the disappointment of Rather Sweet Bakery closing we were looking forward to discovering a new place to pick up some of our favorites.
We arrived in Boerne, which is really a nice town with a main street similar to Fredericksburg, but more like it was 20 years ago before the big Houston and Dallas money came to town.  Lots of antique stores, small gift shops, local businesses and little old fashioned cafes line the street.  I loved the Kiss the Cook kitchen store, an old house filled with chef supplies and kitchen stuff.  I couldn't resist buying a stack of 6 inch round Emile Henry enamel baking dishes like the ones our bed and breakfast uses for the delicious Santa Fe eggs we had for breakfast.  (See blog entry Oct 2010 visit to Fredericksburg for description of breakfast.)
The Christmas Shop was full of fun decorations so I had to buy a few snowmen for my collection and a Russian nesting doll filled with Christmas ornaments for my daughter. 


We finally made it to the Bear Moon Bakery Cafe which was packed for lunch.  I asked for a Jalapeno Hog, but they were all sold out.  Too bad.  We ordered off the lunch menu and tried the White Bean Chicken Chili and a "Mentalist" sandwich.  Weird name for a sandwich of smoked turkey on wheat bread with avocado and basil pesto mayo.  The bread used for the sandwich was fresh whole wheat, nuttly and really quite good and the chili was fair.  On our way out we purchased a few cookies for Steve to snack on and a "world famous piggy" to sample for breakfast tomorrow  Well, I might try a bite or two, but just in case my personal trainer is reading this.....

After a visit to the Texas Furniture Makers exhibit where we saw some beautiful handcrafted mesquite, walnut, and maple furniture and discovered the table we wanted was around $15,000.00, we realized we needed a new car more than a new table and gave up on the table plan, but it was nice to look.

Riven Rock Ranch

After a stop back in Fredericksburg, we headed to Comfort to the Riven Rock Ranch.  I read about the Terrace Grill when I did a search on places to dine in Comfort and it sounded pretty nice.  Riven Rock Ranch is a working ranch located above the Guadalupe River with a bed and breakfast, event pavillions, and restaurants. Reviews were very positive so we decided to give it a try.  It was a beautiful facility, although on the overcast, rainy night it was hard to really see it all. We were seated in front of the outdoor fireplace, protected from the elements by a plastic "wall".  There was a very powerful outdoor heater near our table so we were toasty warm throughout the dinner.  Our server, Dorinda, was friendly and helpful.  She went through a very detailed description of all the specials, and suggested her favorites.

Chicken Fried Quail Legs

We ordered the Chicken Fried Quail Legs for an appetizer, served with house made jalapeno jelly and mascarpone cheese.  They were hot, spicy, creamy, crunchy and everything you could ask for in an appetizer.  Definitely worth the drive to Comfort just for this dish.  The spinach salad with honey vinaigrette, bacon, quail eggs, and red onion with cashews was also a winner.  The fresh, young spinach was dressed just enough for all the flavors in the various ingredients to stand out. 

For my entree, I ordered the Mixed Grill of Colorado elk, Axis deer and wild board sausage with cheese and jalapeno, and quail served with Yukon gold potaotoes and cauliflower/brocolli.  Steve ordered the Filet with Herb Butter and Gouda mashed potatoes.  Both entrees were top notch, served piping hot, on hot plates, seasoned properly, moist and tender.  No complaints here.  I would definitely go back.  Dessert was the chocolate pot de creme.  It was served very hot, not the usual cold or room temperature I was expecting, so not my favorite dish tonight.

Mixed Grill

Filet with Herb Butter

Chocolate Pot De Creme

Back to Fredericksburg for a busy day on Saturday.

Saturday morning started with our Bed and Breakfast, herb scrambled eggs with the potato vegetable hash and turkey sausages, breakfast. The breakfasts are always very good, but hard to finish.   I always end up saving parts of it for snacks later.  After breakfast we stopped by the St. Nicholas Market in the Marketplatz in the center of Fredericksburg.  This is a two day event where all sorts of vendors selling gift items, many imported German and some Russian items.  We were able to find some unique gifts before starting out on the home tour.

The home tour of seven homes started with the home of General Michael Hagee, who is from Fredericksburg and retired here.  What a beautiful home!  In fact, all 7 homes were unique and a pleasure to tour, (well, mostly--there were a couple we didn't care for).

We had to run back to Becker for wine glasses to replenish our home supply so while we were there we found out as wine club members we could have free tastings.  We tried some different wines including a very nice Cabernet Syrah Reserve we will probably buy sometime.

 



Cottages at Limestone on Main breakfast

At the St. Nicholas Market

Home of General (Retired) Hagee, Commandant of the Marine Corp

a new, but old style home on the tour

The inside of this home reminds us of ours.

We can't resist going to The Nest.  We've been going here since 2001 and it has not changed a bit, unlike most things in Fredericksburg.  There are always specials but the menu has not changed and the soup of the day is always the best dish. 

The Nest

French Onion Soup

House salad

Atlantic salmon with citrus butter sauce and rice

Shrimp with Citrus Sauce

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Fredericksburg Trip, Part 1

Giant Pyramid Candle in the Marketplatz

We set out for Fredericksburg on on Thursday, December 1st, to stay at our favorite B & B, Cottages at Limestone on Main, and relax a few days, shop, go on the annual Christmas Tour of Homes and enjoy the local cuisine, of course.  The drive to Fredericksburg via state highway 16 seems short and pleasant since Steve does the driving and I catch up on reading.  A stop in San Saba at the Oliver Pecan Company is always a must this time of year when pecan season is at its peak.  We buy bags of cracked pecans after sampling the season's choices.  This year we bought 20 pounds of "Desirable" pecans, or I should say Steve bought them along with a couple jars of Dumas Walker Texas Strawberries (pickled jalapenos, sliced very thin) and a book called The Texas Hill Country that I threw in at the last minute.  The pecans are sweet, chrisp, and perfect.  We will use them for salads, pecan brittle gifts, baking and just cracking them and eating.
Once we arrived in Fredericksburg we had a couple hours to shop on Main Street before check in time.
We walked to our first stop whenever we go to Fredericksburg, the Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe, to have a light lunch and buy some cookies (for Steve, of course).  We stood there open mouthed when we saw it no longer existed.  I later found out it closed and will re open in 2012 as "Sugar and Smoke".
We happened upon the Rather Sweet Bakery when it was a tiny new establishment in 2001 and over the years were so excited when Rebecca Rather published three cookbooks and became so famous.  I have made so many of her recipes with great success it is so sad to see her business gone.
We went over to Main Street and ended up at the Bejas Grill, a southwestern restaurant where we shared a very nice Angus burger with green chiles, bacon, cheese, and avocado.  Their crispy fries were excellent.  I had a cup of the soup special of the day, a sweet potato chipotle soup, which although tasty, had a strange chunky texture.
We did some shopping on the beautifully decorated Main Street where there are so many unique stores that sell home decorating items, Christmas things, gifts, etc.  I found some things for my holiday table centerpiece at one of my favorite stores, Devinely Designed, and browsed in Linens & More, a great place for all sorts of kitchen and bedroom linens.  One of my favorite stores is Der Kuchen Laden, a huge, rambling kitchen store with every gadget you could imagine.  Rustlin' Rob's is also fun, a store that sells sauces, relishes, spices and has samples of everything they sell set out with baskets of crackers.  You can taste everything, which can get pretty filling, so don't go before a meal.
Phil Jackson's Iron and Granite Store is also a favorite place. We have some beautiful pieces we've bought for the last 11 years, including my favorite, a lazy susan made of the local pink granite on our kitchen table. Then we always buy a hand decorated Christmas ornament from the Christmas Store.
After unpacking and resting a bit, we went to our dinner destination, The Navajo Grill.  This restaurant has been around for many years and keeps getting better.  We started with a cranberry cocktail and fall cocktail with Frangelico, both quite tasty and refreshing.   I had the eggplant tomato soup to begin.  Not bad, but a little too much cayenne burning the back of my throat was not pleasant.  Steve's Romaine salad (a southwestern Caesar salad) was nice, though.  My entree was outstanding.  I had the Bone In Pork Chop, a double cut Niman Ranch pork chop, grilled perfectly with pear chutney, ancho mashed potatoes and caramelized garlic greens. The pork was so juicy and flavorful. The Paso Robles Wild Horse Cabernet Sauvignon was just right with this dish.  Steve's Hot and Crunchy Shrimp--a chile and almond crusted shrimp on a bed of ancho mashed potatoes with a cilantro dipping sauce, was pretty good, but not as good as the pork.

Niman Ranch Pork Chop

Hot and Crunchy Shrimp





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