Having owned and operated a steakhouse in Texas for sixteen years, Gary and I know how to put food on the table– the kind that nourishes the body and the heart joyously. Our restaurant connected us to our community in a way that we could not have duplicated any other way. Our travels have taken us around the world, where we have been privileged to share a table with people from many walks of life.
What we have learned is that when people gather around a table to eat, life happens.
Go More. Experience more. Enjoy it more.
Sour Cream Biscuit Recipe
Photo by Melinda Crow. Sour cream biscuits. My family was a toast family. I'm not sure why, but the only biscuits we ever had when I was growing up came from a can, and those were a treat. The first time I ever had homemade biscuits was during a trip to my mother's...
FirstRead.Me Wins Awards
FirstRead.Me is about exceptional travel reporting, writing, and photography. We believe in sharing travel tips you may not find elsewhere... ...and two of our stories for Travel Pulse were honored with awards for 2017 from the North America Travel...
Guy Fieri and Carnival Host 4H Cooking Contest at the State Fair of Texas
Guy Fieri and Carnival Expand Their Partnership October 11, 2017—Guy Fieri and Carnival showed a whole lot of kid love this week at the State Fair of Texas. The Food Network celebrity chef took time to promote both his own foundation, CWK (Cooking With...
Pasta Recipe: Easy Spaghetti Carbonara with Bacon
I LOVE PASTA After visiting Italy for the second time, I felt a strong need to share my love some of my favorite Italian pasta dishes with friends—especially carbonara. The only problem is that making carbonara can get tricky. But you know me—I can find a...
Breaking Bread and Barriers: Lunch with a Slovenian Millennial and a Vintner
Is there such a thing as too much Slovenian wine? Not if it connects you to the people. As much as I love cruising, cruise travel can make it difficult to break through the barriers that separate us from the people of a port city. We disembark...
Mel’s Steakhouse Fudge Pie– a Chocolate Lover’s Dream
Happy National Pie Day! Let's talk about pie. It is National Pie Day, after all. Pie is the perennial favorite dessert. You can get a good slice of pie almost anywhere, but great pie is hard to come by. Great pie requires the perfect ratio of sweet filling to flakey...
Papa’s Chicken & Dumplins
My grandmother made flat dumplins. Rest her soul. Does anybody really like flat dumplins? And why would you go to all that trouble when big, fat fluffy dumplins are actually easier to make? My grandfather never told her he didn't like the flat ones. Just as he ate her...
Food Truck Mania! 50 Fabulous Trucks Not to Pass By
Food Trucks Are Hot! There was a time when eating from a food truck was something you did when you either had no time or no choice. Now there are trucks featuring food so good that patrons line up for blocks to grab a bite before the "Sold Out" sign goes up. The...
7 Ways to Indulge Your Fudge Fantasies
Start your fudge fantasy with the best fudge for the job. Ever wonder why fudge today doesn't taste like you remember from childhood? Maybe that's because it is not the same. The gold standard homemade fudge of yesteryear for many households was the aptly named...
It’s Okay to Love the Wine You’re With
Set aside your case of wine guilt (or case of guilt wine, perhaps?) and just drink what you love. That's the takeaway from a recent conversation with wine expert and co-founder of Messina Hof Winery in Texas, Merrill Bonarrigo. "We often tend to return to the first...
7 Surprising Places to Sip an Irish Ale Without Leaving the U.S.
Irish Ales for the Wee Bit O' Irish in Ye Let's face it, even if you only have a pinch of Irish in you, this week your accent is likely to become a bit broguish and your distant Irish kin are suddenly the favored branch of your family tree. And if you are an ale...
Beer Travel: Drink Experience on Your Next Trip?
Beer Travel Rocks the Experience Scale I love beer. There, I said it. But when I love beer most, is when I travel. There's a sense of being connected to people and places that only sharing their beer can give you. First of all, in order to sample a local beer you have...
Here’s a little about what goes on our table:
We are proud omnivores. Pretty much the only thing we won’t eat on principle is squid. As scuba divers we have a squid crush that keeps us from eating these beautiful creatures.
We are bread sluts. A meal without bread rarely satisfies. Our restaurant served four different breads, plus a delectable bread pudding.
We have a shameful affinity for junk food. I’d rather have a good slice of pizza than almost any meal. Hamburgers? Food of the gods. Tacos? Rarely go a week without them.
We believe that breakfast is the only meal that isn’t enhanced by beer or wine, but it is hands down our favorite meal. We plan around breakfast more than any other meal.
We believe that soup is the easiest way to make people happy. Three years after closing the restaurant, friends and neighbors still beg for my soup recipes.
We believe in sharing. This page is a collection of food from our travels, plus recipes and tips from our kitchen and those of fellow food lovers. Feel free to reach out by email with questions or ideas.