by Phil Houseal | May 23, 2019 | All Articles, Events, Food, History, Music, People of the Hill Country, Venue
May 22, 2019–I first came to the Texas Hill Country in 1978. Yet I’d never visited Castell. Last weekend, I fixed that. The Castell General Store–which is essentially Castell–was celebrating its Testicle Festival. As auspicious an event as any for finding out...
by Phil Houseal | Jan 23, 2019 | All Articles, Events, Food, History, Music, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy
Jan 23, 2018–Over the next couple of weekends, legions of adventurous spirits will arrive in the Hill Country to interact as knights, jesters, maidens, and other denizens of Middle Age European villages at the Kerrville Renaissance Festival. What makes our neighbors...
by Phil Houseal | Aug 24, 2018 | All Articles, Food, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy
Aug 23, 2018–Last Saturday night, my 3-year-old granddaughter asked for a snack of popcorn. “Who do you want to make it?” asked her mom, knowing full well the answer. “PopPop!” came the response, and I was on deck. PopPop is my “grandpa name,” bestowed by her when she...
by Phil Houseal | Jul 26, 2018 | All Articles, Events, Food, People of the Hill Country, Venue
July 25, 2018–Back in high school, Cherry Graham and her friend Brian Came couldn’t buy alcohol, so they started making it. “Basically, we’re nerds,” said Cherry, who is now one of the “Home Team” of owners of Hye Cider Company, along with high school buddy Came, and...
by Phil Houseal | Apr 12, 2018 | All Articles, Food, Music, People of the Hill Country, Venue
April 11, 2018–Wouldn’t it be fun to find a place away from the crowded downtown, where you can share a four-course fixed-menu meal with interesting companions, while listening to live acoustic music? Those are the reasons Joe and Sharon Grimes started their Second...
by Phil Houseal | Apr 5, 2018 | All Articles, Food, Music, People of the Hill Country, Venue
April 3, 2018–Whenever family from north of Willow Creek came to town looking for an authentic Fredericksburg Main Street experience, I took them to the Altdorf Restaurant. Nothing said “gemutlichkeit” like the outdoor biergarten, shaded barrel tables, smiling...
