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Open Again! We've been meaning to try this place out, since reading rave reviews about the chef and service, about a year ago. Closed?
Open Again! For whatever reason, The Badu reopened just a few months later, with the same chef! Don and I made reservations for Sunday Brunch on a surprisingly pleasant, July day. We parked, then learned quickly that the front door was not the entrance. The patio, with its garden gate, was the way to go. Outdoor Space Before climbing the stairs to the deck and entrance, we explored outside. There was a stage for live music, outdoor fireplaces and lots of seating. The Corn Hole and Jenga games weren't getting much use in the warm sunshine, but I'm sure at night things look a lot more lively. Bar Seating There were a number of people dining in the casual bar area. I took a photo of the sweet buffalo, but I should have aimed lower. Evidently the bar is made from the largest piece of granite in the world. I didn't exactly check on that fact. The hostess took us past the double doors to the dining rooms. The doors were made as exact replicas of the originals. Not sure what happened to them. Heading Back Our hostess took us past a wide set of stairs and through the middle dining room. There was a rope at the top of the stairs, discouraging people like me, who use a trip to the Ladies Room as an excuse to explore. I do know that there was a B&B housed at Badu, some years back. We passed through the middle dining room, with cowhide chairs and an impressive display of western themed paintings. It was hard to believe we were in a restaurant, in a Texas town of just over 3,000. Front Room We were seated at a table near a bookcase and fireplace. We made a toast with our champagne cocktails, to our nearby longhorn friend. Cowboy Books and Marble Floors There were lots of interesting folks surrounding us, but the space was too intimate, to intrude with my camera. Instead, I snapped a photo of the original marble floor and the bookcase, with lots of cowboy books. Don and I wondered about the nearby dining guests. There were 2 men with handlebar mustaches and some ladies with some mighty big rings. Underneath chairs, I spotted cowboy boots and hats. Upscale ranchers, I guess. Love the Ladies Room Before our meal arrived, I took an exploring trip to the restroom. The frosted glass window, brass knob and white tile, all looked retro chic. The horse art was modern classy. Two thumbs up, for the bathroom. Food Time! Don ordered the Badu Burger with bacon jam, pepper jack, basil aioli and tomato, served on a perfect, moon-shaped bun. I sampled both his burger and fries and they were quite tasty. They deserved a better plate, than a tray with butcher paper... which sounds like something my Grandmother Meyer would have said. I ordered the Badu Eggs Benedict. It's hard to tell from my photo, but they were served on cornbread, instead of English muffin. Yum! The tomato, queso and avocado gave it a southwestern zing. The salad with prickly pear vinaigrette was refreshing, but I would have rather had less healthy potatoes! The combo was perfect for me, but the nearby cowboys might have complained about the portions. So Happy
Unlike most of our small town dining adventures, this did not have to be a one time shot! Llano is 4 hours from our home in Sugar Land and 90 minutes from Austin. I'm excited to know we can return, maybe on a cool, fall evening. Next time, I'll wear my cowboy boots and enjoy that granite bar and patio!
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Lunch Stop on Highway 31 When in Michigan, you have to embrace the cherries! Don and I did last July, when we stopped for lunch at The Cherry Hut! Welcome to The Hut The exterior was pretty welcoming with red house, green lawn and white picket fence. But the smiling Cherry Jerry face on the sign, was even more so! Cherries Everywhere! When we headed inside, we spotted lots of smiling Jerry's on the jar labels, behind the counter. There were shelves of cherry jams and sauces, cherry candy and popcorn and even cherry dog treats! Corner Table! Don and I were actually meeting up with my sister and sister-in-law. They had arrived before and grabbed a cute corner table. Jennifer and Kate humored me with some playful, menu posing. None of us had eaten at Cherry Hut, before, but we were already fans. For a number of years, gifts with smiling Jerry labels have come our way... thanks to my brother and sister-in-law. That very morning, we had come from their home on Lake Michigan. A sibling reunion... with lots of cherries! Homey and Red I quickly took in my surroundings and decided I was in diner heaven. I loved my cup and saucer and coffee carafe. Even the paper placemat with cardinal, had a vintage style to it. The placemat told me that the Cherry Hut had been around nearly 100 years! I almost expected to get crayons with my smiling menu, but then I remembered where I was. You don't have to be a kid to smile about cherries! Cherry Hut History There was a large booklet on the table that gave us lots of history about the Kraker Family and their sweet business. The "hut" began as a way to sell pies and other products from their orchards. They moved to the current location in 1937. The book was packed with history, but mostly I enjoyed the photos. Everything about this one, was retro fun. The hut, with awning and window... the smiling jam selling gals in their aprons... Our Apron-wearing Server I was tempted to ask if our server would mind posing with some jam, in a photo. I decided that would just sound weird. I did snap a photo, to show that the uniforms haven't changed much. These photos also share a blurry glimpse of the booths and cherry wallpaper. The dining area was packed, just a while later. Lunch! I ordered the Cherry Chicken Salad, which came with fruit and a cherry muffin. It was all so yummy, I felt like I was having dessert for lunch! My only complaint (which I kept to myself) was about my plate. I wanted a retro china plate, like the one that held Kate's muffin. Don didn't have a Cherry Jerry face on his plate, but he did have a Maraschino cherry garnish, with his chicken tenders! I think the sauce was cherry flavored, as well. A Cheery, Cherry-filled Restroom I do appreciate a little restroom surprise with my dining adventures, now and then! I was pretty delighted by the cherry framed mirror and the fresh, red & white flowers. Best of all, the restroom smelled of sweet cherry lotions and soaps... displayed on a delicious little plate! Heads Up Before heading out, I made sure to look above the window, to admire the painted wall mural. What a sweet image of what I'm guessing was the Kraker's original roadside Cherry Hut stand. The image with cherry orchards, Lake Michigan, barn and farmhouse, reminded me of so many scenes we'd seen during our Michigan visit. We'd even seen a few roadside stands, selling cherries and other goodies. Off We Go As we headed to the car, Cherry Jerry smiled down. It made me a little sad that I hadn't saved room for pie. When the Krakers first began selling their cherry pies in the 1920's, they cut the smiling face of Jerry on each pie. I don't think they do that anymore, but I'm sure they still taste pretty wonderful. Maybe I should have one shipped? Too bad. I just looked and they don't ship as far as Texas. Then and Now As we headed to the car, I noticed a flat building, that stood behind the house-shaped restaurant. I know the 97-year-old business has moved and expanded over the years. Maybe the boxy building was from 1937, before inside dining was added. I left wondering. Escorting Jerry We headed off happy. I sent this photo of Jennifer, Jerry and me, to our brother and sister-in-law. David responded to the photo, with concern. "It looks like you're manhandling Cherry Jerry!" I assured him we weren't, but it does look like we are about to escort him to our car. Which leaves me with one more question. Has Cherry Jerry ever been stolen?
Whistle Stop Reunion It's time for a throw-back write-up, about a very fun breakfast... in June of 2017. There seem to be a few diners looking out the window, eager to see what's going on. After Breakfast I have no photos of the 4 of us meeting and greeting, inside. We were too busy for photo ops. I do remember our voices were very loud, for the quiet diner! Don took this photo of me posing with Martha her hubby, Bill. We were feeling happy and stuffed after our breakfast. Martha and I hadn't seen each other since college, (38 years!) so there was lots of catching up. Don and Bill Over lunch, Martha had me laughing hard... just as I had expected. We hadn't seen each other since 1979, but we needed no warming up. An added treat was finding out how easily our Long, Tall Texan Husbands got along. Don and I both had fun talking about Bill's hometown, Mineral Wells. I'm not sure that we took a moment to admire the cafe's fine sign, or those nearby mountains! Inside the Cafe I wish I'd taken at least one other photo, but we were too busy gabbing. This does not begin to capture an ounce of the fun we had. I loved hearing the story of how Martha and Bill met... or Martha's tales of NY theatre after college... Food It's always easy to photograph your food. So I did. The platter of poached eggs and biscuits with gravy, looks as crazy as I remember. There must have been a half dozen eggs in that omelet. I do remember the chopped and fried potatoes! Very yummy! Post Breakfast After we ate, we were off to explore the town of Georgetown. We toured the old Hotel de Paris, which was an impressive museum. Then we made a stop at a colorful, sweet shop. Ice Cream and Candy We relaxed with some ice cream and left with our candy purchase! Candy necklaces and candy cigarettes! What a perfect way to end our reunion! Continuous Reunion Our reunion actually continued the next week, when we met up at The Brown Hotel in Denver. Martinis, appetizers and a tiny bit of dancing. No candy cigarettes. June 2019 This past June, we 4 met up in Idaho Springs, Colorado. We "took the waters" at Indian Springs Resort, then shared a hearty breakfast at Marion's of the Rockies. Once again, I failed to capture much of our dining with photos, but the memories are good!
Yay for dining reunions, with good people! Thanks, Martha and Bill! Lunch and Antiques in Rosenberg Rosenberg is a 20 minute drive from our house. Blue! This blue building delighted me! Was it once a house? We parked on the side, by the mural of fishermen. Don thought they were mermen, but I don't think so. There were festive lights framing each painted window! These colorful images were actually pretty entertaining. Friday, Before Noon We stepped inside and headed through an archway, past some gum machines. It looked like there were maybe 3 eating areas and only 2 tables in use. The Main Room The main dining room was bright, with lots of colorful wall and window art. The tables by the wall reminded me of a fast food restaurant. The window tables looked more like a cozy diner, with their curtains... decorated with tiny roosters. So Many Choices We were invited to sit anywhere. The darker dining area near the kitchen, had a table beneath a smiling man, with a thin mustache. The table beneath the octopus and shrimp, looked quite festive. Green! We chose Table #2, near the refreshing green mountains and calming waters of Lago de Patzcuaro. Don blended well, with his green shirt. We did not pull out our Sharpi pens, but it looks like someone did... and added a tiny fish. Ordering Our server Maria, couldn't have been sweeter.
Food! Don ordered a few soft tacos on corn tortillas. He seemed pleased with the flavor of the shrimp. The breakfast taco with dried beef and egg, needed a little salsa to moisten it. The Diners Here are the happy diners, with their big plates! My Chicken Chimichanga was packed with large pieces of moist chicken and more gooey cheese. The beans and rice were decent, as well. I had to get a box for leftovers. Chatting with Maria
Off to the Antique Stores We admired the art as we headed off to the car. "This place sure seems familiar." Don said. In the car I looked on my phone and searched way back, on my dining blog. Oops! We've been to El Guadalajara! What is our excuse besides old brains?
#1 - Road construction changes, have messed with our memories. #2 - The cute blue building, was once yellow. But the interior murals and curtains were all the same. Yikes! That's just embarrassing! So... we headed to the antique stores, where our vintage brains felt right at home! |
The Dining Blog
This is a blog about Dining Adventures. Sometimes, I talk about food. Below, you can read how this started. On July 4th 2011, I set a goal to try 50 culturally diverse restaurants in one year! (I knew that was possible, living in the Houston area) I spent the year pulling in friends and family to join me, on some unusual dining adventures. I met some curious people, tried some scary foods and explored places and cultures I never would have otherwise. Even though I met my goal, I learned too much to end my adventures in dining. I have continued blogging about memorable dining adventures of all kinds, near and far... and all the discoveries and funny things I've learned along the way! Locations and types of dining adventures, are listed further down. Archives
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