Category Archives: Fredericksburg

The (3rd) Best Burger in Texas

In this Yelp-driven world we live in, a business with 4.5 stars out of 250 reviews, is no easy feat. A lot of businesses would kill for that, I know mine would….(ok, not “kill” but more like “go out of one’s mind), to get those stats. When I read about Alamo Springs Cafe being the third best burger in Texas, I was dubious. Not that I doubt the credibility of the writer, coz we all know that food writers are the pillars of integrity (cough-cough!). But when I searched for the reviews, there it was. Four point five stars in Yelp and Google, on over 400plus reviews! For a restaurant that is so laid-back it doesn’t even have a website, that is pretty cool.

It has a hole-in-the-wall vibe, it will never win awards in design. But there’s award-winning smell of the burgers all the way from the parking lot.
I recruited a highly qualified individual to help me review this burger—my teenager!!!
We started with this roasted garlic with goat cheese tostini. 
This is the burger in question. Is it pretty? No. Is it the third best burger i’ve had in Texas. Hell to the YES!

This is the kind of burger that I would make if I decided to make a burger. I am still on a diet  (I ate only 1/4 of this— I declared today my cheat day for the sake of this effing blog). I weighed myself yesterday so I know that it would be a loooooong while before I make these kind of dishes. But if I did, it would be like this — made of the best meat available, best blue cheese I could get my hands on, cooked in medium-rare perfection, and tucked in the middle of the best buns which I would probably bake from scratch. Thank God, this place is just about ten miles from Fredericksburg. Just thinking about the amount of labor that would go into making this, makes me want to crawl back to bed and sleep off my burger craving.

And just for kicks, they have the Jefe’s Challenge. It is a sight to behold.
This is how the challenge works.
Onion rings for sides.
My favorite kind of fries—crusty fries!

Alamo Hills Spring Cafe embodies the thought of food being done right. While most of the food they offer are not healthy by nature (fried avocados—enough said), it is cooked in such a way that it justifies an indulgence. They also have an honor system in their drinks wherein you can just grab anything off the counter from soda, beer to wine, and just declare it as you pay for your bill. It’s a wonderful touch! It is definitely not a fast-food even if the offerings are similar to that of Whataburger or MacDonald’s. Here’s what’s hanging in one of their walls:

If you ever get in my neck of the woods, this is a fun try. It is in the middle of nowhere but the drive is wonderfully scenic. That plus a big, juicy burger, it is worth the trip!

 

Hubby’s Hobby

Fredericksburg, I, Me, and Myself

The hubby has taken up a hobby. He has taken up interest in photography. Three years ago, I bought a fancy DLSR camera for our trip to Europe. But between frantically preparing for the trip and making sure everything at home is taken cared of, I never got the chance to explore the camera’s bells and whistles. Needless to say, I have devolved the Sony Alpha into a very bulky point-and-shoot.

Now that the hubby is into photography and mastered the camera’s many talents, all he needs is a subject. He toyed with the idea of pet portraits but Cookie and Mochi do not believe in animal labor wanted none of it. Here’s exhibit A of their uncooperativeness.

This is Cookie playing with his duck, as captured by continuous shots, because he is too good to sit still...
This is Cookie playing with his duck, as captured by continuous shots, because he is too good to sit still… 

So he turned to the more cooperative and less treats-motivated subject, Mother Nature.

It was a good day for a drive—a statement that is rarely true in Texas summer. But today was not nearly as scorching and sky was very clear and blue, so I would say it’s good enough. Unlike our dogs, I believe in supporting family members’ hobbies. So i agreed to have the top down on Turbey and took one the Hill Country’s loveliest trails, Willow City Loop.

This is just from our driveway. The day is promising!
This is just from our driveway. The day is promising!

FYI, all photos I use in my blog, unless water stamped with D’Napoli Studios, are taken by me and my trusty iPhone. D’Napoli Studios is his website where he posts all his fancy pics.

In exchange for the sacrifice of the hours basking in the sun, D agreed to drive up to a highly acclaimed restaurant in the middle of nowhere called Hilltop Cafe. It is Greek and Cajun Fusion cuisine (whaaaaat?) and is also very popular for it’s musical performers. This would be a good place to fuel up our energy for the day.

The building used to be a gas station in the 1950's. Don't be fooled by the exterior because they have pretty serious eats inside.
The building used to be a gas station in the 1950’s. Don’t be fooled by the exterior because they have pretty serious eats inside.
For appetizers, we had mushrooms stuffed with blue crab and blue cheese
For appetizers, we had mushrooms stuffed with blue crab and blue cheese
I had shrimp mytilini ---- it is sautéed shrimp in abed of wild Greek rice. Mytilini is a place in Greece where they grow amazing olives. This dish is sautéed with those olives.
I had shrimp mytilini —- it is sautéed shrimp in abed of wild Greek rice. Mytilini is a place in Greece where they grow amazing olives. This dish is sautéed with those olives.
D had open-faced grilled chicken with the most amazing sweet potato fries
D had open-faced grilled chicken with the most amazing sweet potato fries
After that sumptuous lunch, we are off!!!
After that sumptuous lunch, we are off!!!
The trail was filled with little creeks like these.
The trail was filled with little creeks like these…
…and semi dried up riverbanks
…and semi dried up riverbanks.
From my "artistic" perspective….
From my “artistic” perspective….

Nobody really asks me for advise on lasting relationships. But if someone would, I would say “respect, support and (lots of) compromise”. Those three are love in itself. Hobbies are ways to express creativity in world where monotony abounds. And there is nothing better than to have loved ones beside you in your creative adventure. That’s what make people want to stay together. Of course, having to pay off two mortgages doesn’t hurt either…haha. But I would rather file that under “shared dreams”….

Have a great, artistic weekend everyone!!!